this is a trip... a race report that I wrote after my first cyclocross race back in 2001

let me set the tone...

this note is from December 2001
it is an email sent to the DCMTB-City Bikes Mountain Bike Team list serve on Yahoo
the report is from my first cyclocross race
2001! that is a long time ago.
it was a race in Supercup in downtown Baltimore
I was racing a Jamis Nova that I bought slightly used from the City Bikes shop for 400 bucks
a good deal on both ends the bike had some issues and 400 bucks is not a great deal of money
I knew the word cyclocross but I was not sure how to spell it
I really had no idea what it was all about

this was a short report
or maybe I just was not as long winded then as I can be now


This weekend past Baltimore had the pleasure of hosting the
CYCLOCROSS National and the last race of the Supercup. It was an
interesting setting. The course was a winding network of paths going
up and down the rolling hills of a fairly large wide open urban
park. Not at all what I had expected or what I had ever experiended.

Marc Gwadz, John Calgiano, and my self all went up to represent the
City Bikes team. The Gwadz brothers entered the C class and John
raced as a "killer B."

It was my first cross race and it was all new to me. The energy was
high and so was my heart rate. I tried to keep a strong pace and
keep my head. The course twisted and turned which cause the racers
to accelerate and decelerate the whole time. Some tight turns had
varying surfaces that made for some sketchiness (but part of the
game). Early in my race I dipped into a turn too fast. Not sure if
I hit the front break too hard or just slide out due to the sand on
the curve. Wasn't unable to get the dirt out of my teeth until after
the race and was so amped that I did not realize that my shoulder was
separated until later that day. Never really had a crash were a
another rider got to run over my head like that. My apoligises were
offered, accepted, and I remounted and finished the race with only a
slight loss of time. A wrong turn cost me more time than the crash.
Dazed from the crash and lack of oxygen I went left when the course
went right. Marc and several other racers followed, this caused us
to lose 4-5 spots. Taking us out of the top ten.

We finished strong. Marc edged me out in the last 200 hundred
yards. I was pleased with my performance and the experience
overall. It is another aspect of cycling to add to my cycling
future. A strong recommendation to tasting the cross scene to those
who have not.

As for John..
John raced both Saturday and Sunday. The B Class races are slightly
longer time and moves at a considerably stronger pace. John was
strong in the pack and seemed to be enjoying himself. I think he was
more concerned with checking out the ladies on the sidelines than
reeling in the opposition. But that was just my opinion as I stood
on the side and watched him pedal by.

Too bad it was the last race of the season
Cause I am pumped and would love to try another

later
joel

not exactly Cyclocross Magazine material
http://cxmagazine.com/
but I bet it may bring back some memories to anyone who raced that day
just mentioning the Supercup Race in Baltimore in 2001 will make some rusty wheels turn in the old brain
my brother may have amnesia from the first bite of cyclocross
not sure how much after this race the infection of the cross took hold of him
he is sick
he has the cross bad
he still mountain bikes, but it is not the same
he has the cross
it all started on that day for him


Rocco is in Colorado
http://www.johncalgiano.blogspot.com/

my brother Marc Gwadz races in the in the Masters A Category and does pretty well
I still have an incarnation of that old Green Jamis Nova Cyclross bike
the bike went through some upgrades
maybe just the frame remained
then I broke the frame
the frame was warrantied by Jamis
I raced that Jamis Nova last season
Jamis makes good bikes
Jamis is a good company
I also have a Jamis Exile 29er Single Speed that I put a Rock Shox Reba on
the fit is not perfect... it feels a tad short in the cockpit
but the bike handles
I best fix or get someone to fix my brakes
hydraulic technology has yet to enter my antiquated vocabulary