Cyclocross: Veni, vidi...... bleeding!
Oct. 31st, 2004 03:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ninevirtuesI tried out my new cross bike today. Wow, that was a trip. it's a very stiff frame, so we shot off the line and the bike seemed to zooooom out from under me. I had to pedal like crazy to keep up with the bike... and I was in 2nd, then faded to 4th when I rode partway up a small run-up and THEN decided to run it. (Duh!)
Things were good until the middle of lap 2-- I was a very happy camper, albeit a happy trying-not-to-puke camper, when I tried to outsprint another lady on a loose, gravelly part of the course. I tried a late, sharp turn that would have been fine on my MTB... but the 'cross bike needs more expertise in terrain like that... and I promptly ate it.
I got up, and 10% of my head went "KEEP GOING! THEY'RE GETTING AWAY! as several people passed me. Unfortunately, 50% of my head was busy trying to figure out if it was still attached to my neck, and the rest of my head was trying to remember the questions to ask in a situation like this. (What's your name, where are you, what's the day and date-- if you can answer those questions, you are oriented to person, place, and time, and therefore can be considered roughly okay.)
D'oh!
Accordingly, I stood for a moment trying to make sure that I was fine (Yes, I think I banged my head a bit; I looked later, and my stylish helmet with pink flames has a few dents), decided I was bloody well going to finish, and took off... wobbling slightly, and bleeding from a slice on my elbow. It took me about half a lap to think about going race pace again, but I took the last lap at reasonable speed and did my best to sprint at the end.
I did finish.
The leader did not lap me, thank God. (Some of the C men did, but not all of them.)
I love the bike, but clearly, I need more practice on it!
The lady I was dueling with came to find me after the race ended to see if I was okay. Robin, for that was her name, said she was trying to get me to work with her so we could bridge up to the leaders. (Duh, that did not occur to me, and it bloody well should have!) I said as much to her, and I think I may have made a buddy for next time.
Off to scrub out my elbow...
Things were good until the middle of lap 2-- I was a very happy camper, albeit a happy trying-not-to-puke camper, when I tried to outsprint another lady on a loose, gravelly part of the course. I tried a late, sharp turn that would have been fine on my MTB... but the 'cross bike needs more expertise in terrain like that... and I promptly ate it.
I got up, and 10% of my head went "KEEP GOING! THEY'RE GETTING AWAY! as several people passed me. Unfortunately, 50% of my head was busy trying to figure out if it was still attached to my neck, and the rest of my head was trying to remember the questions to ask in a situation like this. (What's your name, where are you, what's the day and date-- if you can answer those questions, you are oriented to person, place, and time, and therefore can be considered roughly okay.)
D'oh!
Accordingly, I stood for a moment trying to make sure that I was fine (Yes, I think I banged my head a bit; I looked later, and my stylish helmet with pink flames has a few dents), decided I was bloody well going to finish, and took off... wobbling slightly, and bleeding from a slice on my elbow. It took me about half a lap to think about going race pace again, but I took the last lap at reasonable speed and did my best to sprint at the end.
I did finish.
The leader did not lap me, thank God. (Some of the C men did, but not all of them.)
I love the bike, but clearly, I need more practice on it!
The lady I was dueling with came to find me after the race ended to see if I was okay. Robin, for that was her name, said she was trying to get me to work with her so we could bridge up to the leaders. (Duh, that did not occur to me, and it bloody well should have!) I said as much to her, and I think I may have made a buddy for next time.
Off to scrub out my elbow...
