Zero

with a little effort, I was behind Fergy, I could of closed the ten foot gap he'd opened on me.
I thought maybe of saying, shouting up to him something,
or. just rubbing him into a number of post scraping him down the tape.

                                                        went to the art opening at PAFA

                                               took my good friend G. Klimi.
                                           stopped at a bar afterwards,  talked good.

                                             picked up a leaf, and a Zoey Strauss book.

zero feet of elevation.  Kutztown CX.

G. Fergy really did not have to ride to hard to get around me or drop me.    I felt his shoulder, a soft weight come into me, and steer me, carry me out,  farther, from the apex, into the tape, and into the stake.  I was off course.  He road on.

work today kept me from racing, and there are only a precious few races left.
Yesterday 17th.   I am now a binge cross racer,  in over my head on the weekends,  totally committed to doing my best to do myself in.

ah I've got nothing against Fergy,  I like him,  he's the best guy that's every put me into the tape, hard.

Cheers,   MORE CX!

dlowe.

Luxury

cross racers, at least the old bloaks I race and the locals/team mates I ride with are pretty,
tough, fast, skilled,  they beat me up, stomp on me, smile at me while we suffer on.

I'm whooped,

cross is not any brand, or style,  my reward is to be part of it, participating or sharing, or putting together a good ride, hitting up a new ride.  Riding out on my own. Grasstrack,  Waterice, Spooky,  even a way, the early 3 stage Phila. spring classic, is why I race and ride.

I hit the ground once, and had two, strange mechanicals racing this weekend.

Saturday
there is majestic land,  open land filled with trails,  a great outdoor space, close by, in Maryland/DE.
The race 1st State Velo at Fairhill,  is a grand grand good one.
The course is perfect, long, good for large #of racers to be out on the course at the same time.
and the best features of the rolling land, is built into the course.
spoiled as we in the MAC are,  just another primo course, a well put on race, that I just show up and ride, and have a blast.

sunday,
out west of the city is a clan of riders,  really skilled, good drinkers, with the right attitudes.
They took the land around a brewery, Slyfox, the brewery opened up and made it a party, and a great day was had.

a bombing dirt downhill into a cx racers dream of a run-up

the course, its short, tight, and features rare features of some tough riding, and the run up in the woods.
not a course for large fields of racers,  but with the numbers dropping off towards the end of the season, perfect for our 45 man field.

                                       photo: Jennifer Jackson Sears

I have a bit of a luxury,  I'm not in the top end of the field, so I race to compete, against myself and whatever group I land in.
Both days I gave it my all, we beat on each other,

                                         photo: Jennifer Jackson Sears

I'm tired, a  bit bruised, but with an off day today, some nice spinning out the legs tomorrow,
next weekend I should be chippy and ready to elbow, chop, and drop my competors.

I saw that Rapha put on a CX ride, www.cyclocrossrider.com/riding/rapha-cross-rides   I question, The very esquire $$$ riding apparel,  is a bit au contraire, to the nature of the "Real" cx rider? don't worry about rapha,  its a brand, a bussiness.
just ride out your door,  look around each time your out there,  make a  loop, of the segments, add a flow, fly over the map on google and find the hidden connectors, invite some friends, or make it an open call
or just enjoy by yourself.  The cross bike gives me a freedom,  its really nice to be out, riding somewhere, beat urban or pretty,   and look over my shoulder, from an old access road and see the traffic lined up,  snarled on the highway.



I am ready for my cyclocross,  bring on the end of the season.
Go Ride!
CX!

thanks for putting on some great races this weekend, bros and sis's.

dlowe.

Catty

"hey Rubber Legs,   Get up the hill!"
day two of racing,  Sunday at Stoudts Cx.
John Lux was prompting my ass, to get a moving,
It did not move any faster so he passed.
Stoudts CX was not the best race course,  they had to put a lot into a little.
I loved it anyway.

I saw Trevor , as we were coming on to the straight he was on,  we could see him,
the chase group I was in.
"Trevor,  we're coming for you"  I yelled.
Racing Saturday at Swashbucklers CX.
I like a lot of the course, but am not quite fond enough of quite a bit of it.
If it weren't a MAC race,  I'm not sure I'd make the drive to race it.
Our group caught Trevor,  and we raced,  sneaking a pass in a corner,
coasting into the pavement uphill and drilling it.
Gapping an yo yo-ing each other,  a blast!
Trevor got the group,  and the group got me too, as I finished at the tail end of it.

Frickn,  I'm trying to keep my shit together.  Me I am doing well, sleeping as much as I can, and training as much as I can,  and I've dropped a few pounds.
Believe me I want to have a sassy smart mouth out there, and I need some legs to back it up.
I like the yapping, during racing.
As much as it hurts it always cracks me up.

I gotta get my ragged shit rolling,  my bikes, tires, it all needs some love, I'm just nursing it on, and we got a lot of season to go, and I can't wait for the next races, Fairhill and SlyFox. I still need to steal a corner from you. and.....  "dude keep on his wheel,  you drunk, we are all back here are counting on you."

cheers, I Heart Cross.  dlowe.


a lonely place

photo: Stephan Kincaid

bring back your blog,  I miss it.   http://geronimok.wordpress.com/

Stranded

Yesterday,
I got up early, with another day off.  I went out to do a workout on the CX bike.
Mostly a ride, with just a small, four, uphill hard efforts added in.

went to see the Paul Strand show, got the chimney flu cleaned out, and out to a show with friends.
and took some pictures along the way.

I was overwhelmed by the number of photographs.   About 24 prints into viewing, of the aprx. 250 prints, and my mind,  the real small part of the brain I have, that takes Art in. was full  The Paul Strand show, its huge,  and the prints are very good.
As much as I analize my efforts and think about how, why, I ride my bike.
I did the same effort to the photographs.   Thinking.   My brain had the heavy legged feeling of not being able to keep up,  to dig deep and put in another complete full effort.
I labored on completing the effort.   I was enjoyed,  to make it.  A bit proud, and really, toughing it out, it was needed.  I need a good kick in the Ass to get my photographing going better.

In the mean time,  Arthur Gorka sent me a link, that makes good cheap prints, easy to do, order on line.   I'm getting prints of photos I like,  and thanks to you my friends, I have a lot to choose from.
Some of you have a real talent, your photographs have quality, merit, I enjoy.  Thanks, after the fact.

Kathleen Fite Wulfkuhle:

Allan Rodzinski:

cheers, dlowe.

Paul Strand  http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/805.html