I raced a local crit last Saturday evening.

Finally felt decent enough on the bike to participate a little more than just sitting it! Not that I did a whole lot more than follow wheels. I misjudged the length of the sprint and finished 9th in the field sprint behind the winning break away. I basically gave the top fifteen a killer lead out.

My flatmate Steven raced in the “fast” race and I’m pretty proud of him. He hung in there and finished right up with the group. We shelled a lot of riders in the first bunch of laps and he was no where to be seen. Then with 15 minutes left he rolls right up and is mixing it up!

The coolest thing about racing the crit was riding it in between 2 pretty big workouts and coming out of the weekend tired but, not destroyed.

Photos are here.

“This is what a base progression should look like! Really nice, and still with a week to go.”

Tell Sven (any Sven) to watch out come December.

Lane from Cetma racks was in town with his wife Cara and we wandered around the city eating vegan french toast and far too much coffee. Got to see Portland’s Gay Pride festivities.

Heee-larious!

In a good way. Lots of bass. Boys in underwear. Bears in leather. The bass was rattling the shit out of the windows and the walls of the Stumptown in the ACE hotel as I enjoyed what must have been my 8th espresso of the day.

Found these images of Solomon and I on the front of the 2007 Oregon state cx race. He went on to win the race and I froze my ass off and mentally dropped out of the race. Pictures do not convey temperature well.

I’ve included a couple of Sven Nys to highlight what should be good cyclocross fit. Do you see the similar positions? Arms bent, cockpit a little shorter than a traditional road racing position.

This is by no means a scientific review and photos tend to distort a riders position on a bicycle. Nor is this a critisisim of Solomon’s fit in the photo. I do know that Solomon has a National caliber road racing background and it is fair to assume a road racing-esque position would feel familiar and comfortable on a cx machine for him.

I truly believe: don’t fix what is not broken. I would not start messing with Solomon’s position unless he was having issues with it. But, the question always remains, ala’ Sean Kelly, are riders winning because of their position or in spite of their position?

Tried to get a good side shot of Sven or someone else… No dice. The photo of him above is in the “hammering” hunch, the photo to the left is the relaxed and cruising/cornering position.

Meant to post this 6 months ago. It has been a busy spring.

Last summer Autumn worked as a soigner, filling bottles and making sandwiches for the USAC Women’s national team down in Italy and Spain.

She hung out at SRM and laughed at Cipollini. She became pals with some of the racer girls, Kat Carroll, Tina Pic and co.

So at the Mt. Hood Classic we got to flag down Tina after she stomped on Jeannie Longo to take the sprint in the crit!

Watts are watts.

Watched some spandorks ride around in circles last weekend at the Mt. Hood classic stage race in Hood River, Oregon.

It was nice to run into all the cx racers I know who are also PRO roadies.

I saw Tim Johnson so, I introduced Pete and was congratulating him on a decent Euro cx campaign. He put an imaginary gun to his head and pulled the trigger. “It’s suicidal to go over there, but I’m going again.” he shrugged. I agreed with him and added something like: “well, it is brutal but, it is fun.”

“Fun?” came the almost-scoffing response.

And I felt like a kid in high school again. Hanging out with the older skaters, I would chime in about a band I liked and they would tell me how stupid liking that band is.

Not calling TJ out as a big jerk or anything. (being aware of how shit talking tends to get around here) But the psychology of the bike racer continues to amaze me. Or it could just be that I truly am a dork and don’t deserve a whole lot of respect.

I got nervous and tried to back track in defense of myself. “yeah, FUN but hard, I mean… yeah. Hard. Um, yeah…” I realized that I had not said anything stupid but, I felt like I had. And then I felt stupid for feeling stupid. I wanted to engage in a conversation with someone I consider a peer but then, I forget the feeling is unlikely mutual.

I must not forget that all of these racers I race with every weekend may or may not want anything to do with me. “who knows the deal with the weird transgender cross dressing guy who thinks he’s a girl who thinks he’s a bike racer. That is fucked up.”

He walked off and I was left standing there like I had put my foot in my mouth in front of one of the cool kids.

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Adam Myerson gives me shit when I talk about racing being fun. “fucking my girlfriend is fun.” He says. “bike racing is not fun.”

I think it is a load of crap that we all don’t enjoy the bicycle game. Though Barry Wicks is one of the few riders I can remember being visably super stoked on a particular course or race. Parbo always has a good time too and comes out of the race chatting everyone up being charming and smiling and making dinner plans for the weekend.

It is almost like riders need to validate their profession. Never talking about it as FUN. Fun is what you do with toys and girls apparently. And keep your cards close to your chest. You don’t want to be seen hanging out with the wrong crowd. It always blows my mind that it is so hard to get to know some of these guys.

I think most of the riders I have met are pretty interesting but so much time is wasted engaging in schoolyard posturing and staring each other down. It is still amazing that I can walk up to a PRO racer pal at a big road or cx event and they will stare right through me until I chime in, “hey… um… hi there.” “oh, hey Molly.”

I like to enjoy my time traveling and racing. This shit is hard but, yes, it is f’ing fun.

I refuse to believe that these dudes truly do not feel it is. Racing for a paycheck is one thing but, one can make much, much more money doing something they dislike a little more than riding the bicycle.

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I spent some time thinking about heroes on a long ride recently and remembered hearing about this.

Hmmm.

There are douche bags and there are douche bags.

Riding with a PRO contract does not mean you have to be an amazing representative for the sport or…

Wait, it kinda does. Can’t really argue your way out of that one. Being intense is one thing, being so intense you are inconsiderate of others?

Is there a correlation between talent and privilege?

Or is there a correlation between douchebags and privilege?

Or is it douchebags and talent?

Calling it as I see it.

(Pete pointed out the above sounds like I am talking about TJ again. I’m not. FYI: I don’t think he is a douche.)

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Was up in Seattle last weekend (the sunny one) for work related stuff.

Visited HSP and CBS. Rode around the city in an Organic Athlete kit, drank lots of iced espresso and lemonade. The weather in the NW jumped head first into summer leaving us sunburned and in awe of the amazing sun dresses.

HUP will never get me but, I’m feeling the folks on the squad.

Late night cupcake sessions, yes.

Friday night, “we are racer nerds with no social skills” hang out sessions?

check.

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One of the best US field sprinters.

He tells me no motorpacing on knobbies, so I don’t motorpace on knobbies.

No glory in US field sprinting, get a real job Adam.

“I had the impression that Molly, the shop owner, was a pompous dick head”

No hate in 08!! Why is everyone so scared of me? It must have been my appearance on this Belgian variety show:

Started the Ronde van Portland this morning with Hulick, Brian Ellin and a hundred other people. I swear I saw VDB in the peloton. I rode all the way up Brynwood (25 rpm, 5 mph, 410 watts average for 4 minutes. ahem, 25 rpm for four minutes. ouch.) then Brian and I decided to grab coffee and get to work on time! (ps: I should rub it in Brian’s face that I beat him to the top AND finished it off with a Jonathan Page style wheelie. in your face sucka.)

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Been doing lots of bike fitting work. It is pretty exciting to keep challenging myself in a different aspect of cycling. The Veloshop, my personal racing and 3 different cycling teams I am involved in, bicycle product development and testing, bicycle fitting and performance. Someday I’ll be really good at one of these things.

I’ve been meaning to give a big shoutout to Sean Babcock. I have not been on the VTT much at all this year… that kid is PRO material, winning the most recent (semi-pro) NORBA at Fontana… hurry up and get a PRO license. You’ll be right up in the top ten no problem.

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The Organic Athlete staff crashed at my house on the way back to Sebastapol after attending Vegfest in Seattle a week ago. It was a standard evening in my house=steamed veggies + laptop party.

I lead a simple, boring life.

And now my calves hurt. Thanks Brad.

“But doesn’t get petrol more expensive every week.”

Hell yeah! It is an ad but worth the whole 7 minutes.

The best part about this one is the Flemish announcers FREAKING out about Johan and then Axle Merckx in the sprint finish. They sound like they are going to pee their pants!

“come on, come on. come on johan. come on johan! Come on Johan! COME ON JOHAAAN!!”