Black Partridge Open

The Illinois Homegrown Series race #3 on the season is this Sunday the 20th in Metamora. It’s a really twisty turny trail that plunges down and jumps out of a series of ravines. Never straight for more than a few seconds, this constant relentless changes in direction and elevation will have you second guessing those huge 29er wheels. If it’s wet your brake pads will not thank you. But then again, they are brake pads, and they live to stop those wheels from turning. So, maybe they will thank you for the opportunity to keep you out of yet another ravine. Do you brakes a favor and go race, they got your back.

The Trifecta Ride

The Kentucky Derby was last week. If you didn’t get your fill of the wagering of horses galloping on dirt, you can bet on the Trifecta Ride in Grand Rapids, Mi for a good ride. The West Michigan Mountain Bike Association has an ambitious plan to create 50 miles of single track in 5 years. The Trifecta Ride is a fundraiser for this initiative. Think about it as a Barry Roubaix route with an extra 20+ miles of singletrack. Saturday, May 19th.

We don’t expect to hammer, it’s an endurance paced ride, but since everybody’s fitness level will vary – we will do our best to keep the group together. Expect endurance pace to be about 18-20 mph averages. We highly recommend that you consider a cross bike with low tread or some big ass roubaix style road tires. Dirt is the objective, but we will not be doing a loop at Palos or anything like that. But if all goes well, we may even ford a creek, using our bikes as a crutch.  The objective is a roaming search for dirt, but there is no shortage of pavement on the way to the scattered dirt patches. But be warned, when to dirt sections appear you will be happy you brought your big tires…Unless you didn’t.  Safety is in numbers and since this ride is open to anyone who’d like to join – please be very prepared to be self sufficient as much as possible! If you haven’t ridden longer than 30 miles before – this may not be the ride to start out with, with the pace and the distance of this ride – expect at least 80 miles, and well north of 100 if you ride in from the city. The Tap House opens at Noon, it should take about 3.5 hours to get there, a lunch, and just under 3 hours to get back to the city.

Bring – Sufficient nutrition and hydration, identification card, credit/debit card, some small cash, at least two tubes, a frame pump or CO2 pump, tire levers, and good attitude.

Don’t forget your bottle of Half Evil, we might not get home before dark.

Stay tooned for further details.

Sunday April 15th – We will be leaving the city in the hour of 8.

Because we would like to have a number that we can give to the Tap House on how many people to expect, please rsvp on our facebook post.

Ladies Dirt Days are back for 2012! Half Acre Cycling, Becky Welbes of Pretty.Fast., and Julia Daher of Johnny Sprockets are co-hosting these NOT TO BE MISSED events!

Ladies Dirt Day #3 - 2011, Photo Credit: Amy Dykema

These friendly, non-competitive womens group mountain bike rides will be held once a month during the spring and summer. It’s not meant to be race pace or an attempt to keep up with the boys. It’s women on mountain bikes, riding and learning from each other!

The first session is Saturday, April 14 – meeting up at Palos Forest Preserve in the Wolf Road Woods parking lot. RSVP on the Facebook event page to stay up to date on any late-breaking news.

The ride begins at 9AM – arrive early to get set up – and will continue rain or shine. In the case of rain, the double-track will be ridden. If the weather is nice, bring snacks for a picnic afterward. Need a bike? Need a ride? Visit the Facebook event page and post for help.

Subsequent dates for 2012:

May 12
June 2
July 7
August 4
(Possibly Sept 1)

The locations may change per date, but it will always be a short drive from Chicago. Get out there and shred the gnar gnar, ladies!!!

We are incredibly proud to have Vermarc as the producer of our kits this year in addition to having Brandon Leach return as the designer for another awesome display of ‘The Bonebell’ wear. The combination is perfect for celebrating our 5th year of publishing what we do for all you wonderful readers and followers.

Vermarc is the mark of excellence in cycling wear – made in Belgium by fine folks who have been crafting cycling wear for over thirty years. In fact, the quality of their cycling wear is a result of direct feedback by professional cyclists from the most powerful squads that wear their gear year round. Pros such as Tom Boonen, Sven Nys, Neils Albert and Paolo Bettini are just a few of the riders that provide feedback to Vermarc. Mountain bike, cyclocross, road bike, whatever – this is a kit that will get you out on the trail and ticking off the miles.

These are incredible prices for a PRO level kit. Once the store is closed, they are gone for the year – so act fast.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT – Get out and look good on the dirt!
 

 

The Southern Cross in Dahlonega, Georgia was the first and last stop of the Ultra CX Endurance Series. The terrain was extraordinary for the flatlander and the weather couldn’t have been more welcoming after a twelve hour jaunt down picturesque windy farm roads. The subtle growl of the car engine revving it’s way up gradients was a reminder of what was to await us the next day – the constant shifts, throttle, and compressive braking were all an indication of what our bodies would be put through. It was a welcome feeling as I sat calmly in the backseat, soaking in the twilight twinkling of a southern sky beaming through the passenger window out into the darkness of the Chattahoochee Forest. I knew it was a race beyond my leg capability in February – but it wasn’t to be a ride that was beyond my lust for dirt.

We arrived in the cover of darkness to a slumbering military college town unaware of exactly what awaited us. The brisk morning gave light to the apparent mountains we couldn’t see in the dark arrival to our quarters. The parking lot was littered with visiting randonneurs of the fat tire and knobbie ilk. They seemed more prepared than our ambitious trio, if by anything due to the geography laid out by the license plates we saw – Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina – then ours, Michigan. We deserved the compassionate stares we received when we pulled up to the race front at the winery entrance to this 55 mile cross race. The familiar course tape laid out on the grounds to what already appeared to be greater climbs and challenge of a CX course than we normally would have seen in the Chicago Cross Cup, and that was just the beginning.

There was plenty of time to hash out thoughts for the year, what with the hour long climb that presented itself after the first fifteen minutes from the start. I had unintentionally left the cycling computer at home, leaving fate at the mercy of the foothills. I was unsure of where I was but felt inspired and secured in a rhythm that was paced by the sound of the crackle beneath my tread. I maintained my motion, pushing towards what seemed a neverending trajectory to a mountain top that almost never arrived – and then hunkered down in a battle of bouncing tires against loose gravely descents of near thirty percent grade of roller coast fun. While I can’t say that I was suffering fully and perhaps due to a lack of racing capability, I can say that I couldn’t have found a greater appreciation for being on a bike than following nature’s flow, even when it humbled my attempts to climb faster up her spine. She was kind to return a display of natural beauty through ridges lined with century old trees, creeks that sparkled against a peeking sun, and a wind that refreshed my city-exhausted lungs. Indeed, I didn’t suffer – how could I? It was nothing but a privilege to be amongst the mountains.

I can’t call what I did a race – it was the most fun I had turning cranks in a very long time, and in spite of whatever effort I gave out, it was the best I could give and I arrived to the finish line with legs completely wasted on my love of the woods. The effort was tremendous and the racers around me all shared in quiet suffering, lost in our own thoughts as we completed what culminated to 6,500 feet of climbing in approximately 55 miles. I admired the friends with whom I traveled who seemed to split the mountains with their soulful riding; breaking their own fears, or their own misplaced assumptions that they may not have had a place amongst the mountains of Dahlonega. They shattered their expectations, and as a result were refreshed to see 2012 with new possibilities, and perhaps with greater vigor.

That evening after the race I celebrated with my friends among a harmonious acoustic set presented by a quiet restaurant, it’s delicious meal, and a couple well-deserved bottles of wine. The smiles and conversations after what happened earlier that morning – an incredible challenge to take on the mountains – were what made the day all worth it. People who see inspiration from the unpaved roads less traveled are usually the ones that inspire an entire season. Make sure you listen to your friends who want to take you out on the dirt path – or better yet, be the one to take them out for a ride. Your season will thank you kindly in return.

The Iceman Cometh

Registration opens – Thursday March 1 at 10:00 AM

4000 spots available. It will not sell out instantly, but if you want in, you better get on it. New this year is the USA Cycling registration system. You do not need a license for most categories, but you do need a USA Cycling registration account to sign up.  There is a good reason why 4000 people make the trek to northern Michigan on the first Saturday of November: great racing on a super fast course, with an afterparty that cannot be beat (hint: 14 minutes in for the bonus afterparty footage). Not even by the lofty standards set by “the Cave”.
 

The Lumberjack 100

Registration opens – Saturday, March 3 at 10:00 AM

Sharpen your typing fingers and get your elbows on that little squishy pad you use to doctor your carpal tunnel. There are only 425 spots available! Last year during that horrible blizzard where people were trapped in their cars El Maya was four-wheeling through the middle of Lincoln Park so Stiggity had to take control of the internet and register the crew for the race. Poof…. 350 spots were gone in 14 minutes. Just like that: open and closed. If you want to do this race, be ready. For real. You want to do this race. 33 mile laps of the best dirt-surfin’ this side of anywhere. 33 x 3, oh it’s half evil? Hell yeah.. it’s all good. This race sells out in minutes because it’s that awesome.

Jeremy bestowed an afternoon of conversation upon us while he was fighting a head cold as he prepared himself for a new season on the road with the Jelly Belly squad at the team camp in California. He was not in a malaise but in a surprisingly chipper mood as his congested but clearly jovial tone permeated my cell phone. His energy was clearly present and his humor was what we have come to know through his ‘Behind the Barriers’ webisodes – wry with a professional wit. He eloquently made his way through a wonderfully passionate conversation about his thoughts on the cyclocross scene in the US, Nationals, and even Worlds. Conversing with the US National CX Champion was akin to listening to Superman talk about how flying is fun: he’s as charismatic as he is a straight shooter. Here are some of his thoughts of what it is to fly as the observer, racer, and professional of our sport.

Jeremy Powers - USA Cycling Cyclocross National Champion

“Every year cross grows so much: it’s a great community of people, and has excellent support behind it. All of this attention, every media piece and blog post, is great for the sport!” – Jeremy Powers

Did you expect that Nationals would unfold the way that it did – not just your win, but with such a powerful performance from your team with Zach McDonald?
As much as the race looked very tactical, especially after Zach’s first lap, I didn’t expect for him to be in the race. Zach rode great. Before the event, I tried to guide him, in terms of tactics. The pro race tends to go off in spurts, one rider up front, then the next, and back again. We let Ryan [Trebon] take the initiative to attack, and it worked out. Zach rode an excellent race and he came back from a big crash, and he benefitted from us playing games. Overall it did make it [the racing] less stressful. Zach rode the race of his life to come back to where we were.

Do you feel that you and your team represent the proverbial ‘changing of the guard’ from the Jonathan Page, Ryan Trebon, and Tim Johnson era?
You look at every ten years and you see the changing of the guard, you see that in every cycling generation. I’m 28 and you see the gap ahead of me – one group finishing, one group ahead, and one generation behind. Jonathan [Page] himself may admit he is part of the group that is a generation behind. He is part of the history of this sport and people are going to remember that he went to Europe to live there and be part of the sport. There is a ton of respect that everyone has for his level of accomplishment. You look at Zach, and he’s racing ahead of his generation, he’s a bit beyond that gap, ahead of his time. I’ve got a lot of great years left and I’m focusing on those greater goals.

Jeremy excuses himself as he has a minor coughing fit, and then expounds on the idea that the younger generation is coming out in full force and showing some extreme talent – his admiration for his teammate is apparent. It was a natural segue to ask him about his thoughts of the state of cyclocross for the newer generation of U23 racers.

How do you feel the sport is progressing for junior racers into professional cyclocross?
There is a lot of work to do – it is certainly growing and becoming more popular. It has a long way to go. There are lots of guys switching to road [racing] after the season is over. There needs to be awareness, amateur programs, and a clear totem pole – you start as an amateur, then to a national program, and then to a European program. There has to be an awareness to work on the next generation of riders, and look at the races on the calendar and how that plays into their progress.

Current pros aren’t challenged by the majority of [CX] courses in the US. It’s our version of cyclocross and I don’t knock it in any way, but for the younger generation, we need to continually challenge them. We have to make the courses more difficult. Spectators come to watch something very difficult. I am so grateful for what we have and what we do for US courses, but I am looking at the future of the sport.

Mountain bike racing is the greatest thing in the world, but it cannibalized itself. It didn’t grow with TV – who knows what led to that downfall, it didn’t go out on good terms. Cyclocross grows with web streams, it must have another baby step towards, like the totem pole analogy, towards more mass media like TV. It has to make that progression. I hope it doesn’t eat itself.

Aggressively taking the lead for the ultimate winning move

What were your thoughts about the Nationals course? Was it worthy?
Definitely a difficult course! The climbing made it very hard, the ruts made it difficult. It was a medium course – had it been colder or muddier, it would’ve been much more difficult. It wouldn’t have been as challenging as some other courses. Everybody’s legs suffered on those two climbs though. It was plenty hard and had a lot of features that a lot of cyclocross courses should have. Did it have some sections with room for improvement? Sure, but it didn’t have a lot of risk versus reward sections.

Jeremy explains that he prefers to have a course where he knows there is a great risk that rewards greatly in terms of finding the fastest outcome out of a risky situation. He gets into the tactical part of his ability to find the Achilles’ heel of a course to take advantage of it when most others won’t risk the line, corner or obstacle, thereby turning it into a reward when he can capitalize on a gap that wouldn’t have existed without taking the risk no one else could.

The best still came to the top on that course. You want a course that challenges the riders’ fitness as much as their technique. I was happy with what I had. If it was icy and nasty, that could have been worse, and the corners would’ve still been rideable – they did well with not knowing what type of weather they would get.

Why has cyclocross become such a great grassroots attraction?
Because it’s fun! I think, overwhelmingly, people have a good time at CX events. The atmosphere is exciting. At a road race there isn’t a bonfire or a beer tent – ‘cross is more like tailgating. You finish your race and it’s an event more than it’s a race. “Man I can go hard for an hour and then have fun!” If you want to race your category you have that option to race and then see the pros. Road racing is a different beast and it attracts a different person. It’s the expectations that people have – people want to have a good time, it’s not reinventing the wheel – it’s awesome.

How is your experience with the prolific sponsorship of both Rapha and Focus?
Everyone cares about the program – that is key. They have a sincere interest in the program, and that is the best type of relationship you can have. If someone owns a local business, and they have that excitement and pride, and then they leave it for someone else to run, it’s not as exciting. The president of Focus USA and the General Manager of Rapha are hanging out in the pits at these races! These are the people running these companies and they make the decisions, and they are a part of it the team. When you see the autograph signing, the ‘Behind the Barriers’, the pre-race, the race, the win or the upset – you can really justify your investment.

Jeremy receives congratulations from Focus CEO, Scott Rittschof

Focus and Rapha have a passion for racing. They are showcasing what cycling is about and they really bring that out, keeping it fun, and they instill that value into the company. That’s why they reached out to me in the first place – this is who we are as a company and we want a racer that’s serious, but has a passion of the sport. Being serious in racing and enjoyment of the sport, they go hand in hand.

We are obviously biased towards SRAM, being a Chicago contingent and all – what professional feedback do you have?
I love SRAM! I look at their dedication to the sport, specifically cyclocross, and I love being able to ride such a solid product. SRAM as a company is amazing, I love the ability I have to…

At this point in our conversation, Jeremy has a “WTF?!” moment as a cat apparently freaks out around him while he’s on the phone. He laughs it off and I’m on the other end wondering exactly what the heck just happened. He explains his mom’s cat saw a neighbors cat on the porch and went crazy, and with that, he gracefully goes back to SRAM talk.

…improve the product through feedback. They bring a lot to the table. I have not broken a shifter or derailleur all season long! No broken frames either! The Focus Mares Is a really great bike and overall a solid machine. The equipment’s ability to shine in awful conditions – it says a lot about the products we’re using and it’s a real testament to not just SRAM but all of our sponsors.

What is your favorite Rapha gear?
The Classic Softshell Jacket. It’s the most versatile piece of clothing I own. You can use it in a twenty degree variation either which way. Which is very useful and of course just looks great too. Everyone should have a great jacket.

What is the best heckle you’ve heard?
I don’t really love heckling. When it’s an insulting thing, or gets personal, attacking integrity – then it is not acceptable. I’m all for free speech, we want the cross clash, and have a rivalry and have a real sport. I’m just a regular guy that races cross bikes, if you know you overstepped the boundary in a heckle then it’s a line not to be crossed. If I get heckled about my girlfriend or called a doper… That just crosses the line for me. I’m adamantly against doping and about clean racing and that’s just an attack on my integrity. People should be creative and heckle funny stuff. Feel free to heckle, but when you go for personal attacks, that’s going too far. There have been so many [bad heckles] that it soured my taste. I hope that it doesn’t make me sound like a jerk, but where does the line get drawn? Sometimes when there is something funny, if I can hear it and identify with it, I’ll laugh. Sometimes you only remember the ones that hit home that left such a sour taste.

Do you get star struck moments when you meet some of your racing heroes?
I have a lot of respect with all the guys I race against. I know the realities of the sport, and I don’t have a lot of ‘oh my god’ moments. That was a huge mental change for me in the last couple of years. I used to be mentally beat before the race, but I gained a level of confidence from racing in Europe. I have enough palmares to remind myself that I belong there. I don’t get fanned out, but we don’t have a real relationship (with the racers in Europe). US cyclocross is different than European cyclocross. I have a lot of respect for what Europeans do, and I hope that they give a lot of respect [to us].

As a DJ – who would you like to open for?
Ahh man, I don’t know! There are so many DJs I’d love to open for! I think it would be fun to open a really big cyclocross race up with music and a superstar DJ – who knows when cyclocross in the USA will get to that level. but If I could be on the turntables before I started my event, I think that would be one of the coolest ways I could ever represent my sponsors!

Determination of a winner

I stepped carefully into the next question about Worlds. A week after Worlds, I felt shy about asking the almost obligatory question for an interview like this about Jeremy’s experience. It was shyness out of respect for someone who I could only assume to be as introspective as I am after any performance that could be scrutinized. The World stage was both huge and personal at the same time.

Do you feel you were best prepared for Worlds?
I did train a lot for it. I did a lot of specific training – intervals in the middle of intervals. An interval with 20 second max intervals inside of an effort to get a taste of that type of intensity that was specific to that event. I took 30 seconds off my lap time as a result. I lost a majority of the time in the first few laps. Unfortunately, the trip didn’t go that well. I had a head cold, and in general my trip to Europe this time around was hard.

I want people to know that I wanted more than what I put out and I looked at it [the results of the laps and all] and I was pissed. I analyzed it [my performance] with my coach. They [UCI race officials] pulled me, and did so when it wasn’t true or real to what happened out there. You see the time gap, and the leaders took 3 minutes and 30 seconds out of me, and they pulled me?

Jeremy has a somber tone and definitely reflective of the true competitor of the most elite level. He pauses after his last statement, and with such a professional aplomb, led into this next statement.

It’s up to me to do a better job. I want to be the best ‘crosser I can be. I’m 28 and I analyze everything. I learn from my mistakes, my coach, and I have the opportunity with Louisville [UCI Worlds 2013] that I can make a big leap for US cyclocross racing. I put that pressure on – we all put that pressure on, we should all be expecting more from ourselves – it’s not just racing for ourselves but for our country.

Will you keep the ‘Behind the Barriers’ webisodes going during your road season?
They were cool to keep it going but it’s [road racing] really not the same type of event. In cyclocross you have to really walk around and keep the vibe of the event. It’s a lot easier than a road race [where] it doesn’t have the same type of excitement. I don’t see myself going down that same type of release with ‘Behind the Barriers’, but we may have some irons in the fire. [The episodes] are dependent on the sponsors and if people are interested in seeing them.

We had a laugh about Bart Wellens and his reality show. Jeremy says that a lot of European racers are watching his [Bart’s] show, and that it’s even cooler that some Europeans have said they watch the ‘Behind the Barriers’ webisodes. All ‘ten Europeans’ he states and has a good laugh at the great divide of the public interest in reality TV on Wellens in Europe versus US cyclists.

It really has served its purpose, more people are looking at cyclocross results and racing. If people have gone out and bought a cyclocross bike and raced, as a result of watching the show and if that happened to five people, then it was worth it. It helps build momentum, it’s a fun thing to showcase. The stuff you see is real. You putting yourself [out] there and people want to see it.

What are you final thoughts before you head to Jelly Belly camp?
It’s about having a good time, and keeping it fun!

How sweet it is indeed - JPOW!

We thanked Jeremy for his time, especially given the coughing circumstances – he was not only professional about it, but genuinely spirited to share his insight and feedback on the sport that our friends participate in as amateurs seeking the same qualified glory. The sport is slowly gaining recognition and traction as a legitimate professional cycling avenue, and it is because of riders just a few generations before Jeremy that have paved this route for him to carry the challenge. He has proven equal valor in continuing the journey on that route all the while reminding us to keep it as enjoyable as we can, and along with him, we hope to keep the tradition of fun alive in cyclocross. Many Chicagoans who have met, worked, and supported Jeremy at the races have all shared the same thoughts – he’s a true champion of the sport, and an absolute blast to be around. Here’s to 2013 Jeremy!

All Photo Credits: Amy Dykema

You’ve no doubt seen the ads or heard about how great these trips are: hop on a plane, bring your gear, and they do all the rest – because you don’t speak the langauge and you have no idea what roads lead where. They take care of all the details; all you do is pedal and eat. Could life be any better? Probably not. Top-notch accomodations and food that might make you forget about riding tomorrow. Trek Travel has been at it for 10 years, and they want you to come and see what they are all about. On hand will be John Burke, President of Trek Bicycles, talking about his travel experiences. The President of Trek Travel, Tania Worgull, will also be present to highlight the special 10th anniversary destinations they have lined up for 2012. RSVP here.

February 9th at the James Hotel, in the Great Room Lounge from 6:30 – 8:30 PM CT.

Bicycle Dreams

This award-winning film about Race Across America (RAAM) is coming to Chicago as part of an ongoing nationwide tour and will be at the ViaDuct Theatre sponsored by The ChainLink. This is going to be a killer event, with RAAM riders in the house and an after-party sponsored by New Belgium. We love movies and we love beer. What better way to spend an evening? Additional information here.

February 16th at the ViaDuct Theatre, starting at 7PM CT.

We have come to expect that the off-road racing scene has a more lax atmosphere, thereby, making it a more accessible arena to get up close and personal with our cycling heroes. In spite of the meteoric rise of the cyclocross sport across the country, the pro level has remained consistently approachable and eager to share the excitement with their fans. There is even a spectacular showing of the younger elite crowd that were once overshadowed by the masters elite group and now forcefully taking the front of the group and perhaps the reins of the sport.

This younger generation is the next bastion of fun and vigor that are taking the sport into new depths of skill and speed. We are confident that soon riders such as Zach McDonald, from the prolific Rapha-Focus Cyclocross squad, will become the bane of the elite Euro cyclocross racer. There is an energy that exists in cyclocross that is greatly exemplified by the youthful spirt and talent from Rapha-Focus, and it is indeed why we line the barriers, toll The Bonebell, and devote our personal lives to the sport – for the glimpse of talents that blow by in front of us in the mud-ladened courses could be the talents we speak of for generations to come.

Zach McDonald - Nationals Race Face

Thanks to the humbleness and grassroots approach of the cyclocross sport – we were fortunate to have been introduced to Zach McDonald through his team management at Rapha-Focus. They had sparked our immediate interest via our love of the elan-inducing Rapha name and its association with a jubilant star and incredible pro talent of Jeremy Powers onboard the Focus rockets that have become a fashion signature in the cyclocross US scene. Zach is not just a young gun on the squad, but an integral team member that showed style with his winning attitude as a U23 class rider, and as a veteran-smashing elite racer when it counted most. Zach is the future of the US cyclocross elite and we asked a few questions to see what is behind it all. Here is the excerpt from a set of interview questions we posed specifically to Zach – we have more questions we will be publishing on a separate date in conjunction with an interview with his teammate.

Tearing into the lead at the start!

After your roller-coaster start in the Elite race at Nats, you torched laps 2-4. Did you think you were going to catch that lead group and be a major factor in the race like you did?
I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen. I knew my legs felt good so I more or less just went hard and tried to see how long I could hold the pace for and how far I could move up. At that point in the race I really had nothing to lose so I put all of my cards on the table and just let it unfold.

You are known to be one of the best bike handlers on the North American cross circuit. Where did those skills come from? Where did you learn the wheelie that is quickly becoming your trademark? And do you have barrier hopping in your bag of tricks?
I think a lot of my handling comes from when I was just getting into cycling. I loved downhill and really wanted to race but we didn’t have too many races in the northwest at that point. I tried to ride as much as possible and got a chunk of days in cruising runs at whistler on a 5 and 5 trail bike. I never really thought twice about running the hardest runs on the mountain with the bike which made me pay close attention to line choice, especially since I’ve always loved going fast. When you’re ripping through a rock garden and make a mistake on a 5 inch bike, you pay for it more than a full blown downhill bike. I was always riding over my head and pushing myself to go faster and be smoother. I think helped a ton with line choice, speed and confidence. Now I’ve mellowed out on the downhill bike a bit but I still get out there and it definitely helps with line selection and just being confident going into corners at speed and nailing braking points. As far as the wheelie goes, my buddy and I always tried to see who could wheelie the furthest when we were kids, and he usually came out on top; I can get him now though, and yes, barrier hopping is in my bag of tricks but I rarely use it, it’s rarely fast enough to justify the risk.

How familiar with a course do you need to be before you can really let go and brake late in the right lines? Do you need a few runs on the course to dial in the tough sections, or is it mostly a fly by wire thing for you?
You just need to be comfortable with the conditions and the corner. How long that takes varies for everyone including myself, if there is solid traction and fairly basic corners than just a lap usually works. The more I’ve raced the less prep time on courses I’ve needed to get them more or less dialed. That being said, there are always places where you can corner faster, the possibilities are endless.

Zach - powering in the back half.

What advice do you give the juniors who look up to you and want to go down the path of professional cyclocross racing?
Well, I wouldn’t really say that I’ve quite made it down the path of “professional cyclocross racing” yet since I’m still a student, but make sure it’s fun and keep an open mind. If you aren’t having fun at some point of it then why bother. It’s important to remember that everyone is different and others might approach their racing and just life in general differently than you, if their approach doesn’t sit well with you and takes the fun out of it then keep doing it your way. The whole time I’ve been racing everyone has told me that my approach to racing won’t work or I need to do this or not do this and yeah, some of it might make me a little faster here and there (and the rest are old myths and the like) but it’s important to be able to be able to decipher what works for you as a rider. What works for one person doesn’t always work for another. I can’t even count how many times people have told me that a line I want to take in a corner or through a rough patch will be slow or impossible until I hit it and they realized it was faster. Sometimes you try it though and it doesn’t work out, but if you never tried you wouldn’t know. That and stay in school, seriously, cycling won’t last your whole life. It never hurts to plan for the future.

We see you are studying Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Washington. How do you balance racing and studies?
I’m currently (possibly only temporarily) out of the Aero program and into the business program due to a handful of reasons. The school and cycling balance is a delicate one but a good one. They each can hurt each other at times but it keeps me balanced and it keeps me on track. If I did just one or the other I would have to fill the void left by the absence of the other with something anyway. Training is no problem as well, the only thing that can get in the way is travelling. In my ten week quarter this year I flew roughly 45000 miles and was on the road 30 of the 70 days and didn’t miss a single class. So far I’m happy with how I’ve balanced it, the only thing that gets me is that I can’t get myself to work on plane flights, I can’t retain anything I read on a plane. More or less any poor grades can be put on my shoulders since for me it’s more of a question right now of finding something to study that I’m motivated to learn about. I’ve pulled 4.0’s in race seasons and I’ve pulled 3.5’s for me it’s really just about being engaged in the subjects I’m learning about.

Here at the Bonebell we are dirtbags – a name we coined for those who prefer to ride off-road. Can you tell me a little about how you think a roadie approaches cyclocross differently than a dirtbag? Does that difference even matter?
A roadie is like a drag racer, tons of power but hard to turn where the mountain biker tends to be more like a rally car where it has the handling but might need a bit of engine work to keep up with the drag racer on the straights.

What is your favorite MTB trail?
I don’t get on the mountain bike too often anymore but I used to run this sequence of trails at Whistler all day when I had my season pass: Original Sin to Goats Gully to In Deep to D1 to Upper Whistler Downhill to Lower Joyride to Heart of Darkness.

What are 5 tracks that you have been listening to recently on your iPod?
5? I tried to narrow it down to 5 and got to around 15ish…it rotates quite a bit depending on how quickly I’m bringing in new stuff but here’s what it’s been recently in no particular order:
I.D.G.A.F.O.S. – Dillon Francis
Blood Theme – DatA
Off to the Races & Video Games (DSTRYD Moombahton Edit) & Blue Jeans (Club Clique ‘Nothing Is Real’ Remix) Lana Del Rey
Fire Hive – Knife Party
Lofticries – Purity Ring
Not So Funny (Indo Silver Club Remix) – Sawgood
Novacane/Nostalgia Ultra – Frank Ocean
Make it Nasty & Rack City – Tyga
Sonata Rabidus III – b.hantoot
Smile Back & Donald Trump – Mac Miller
Dance Yrself Clean – LCD Soundsystem
Mr. Me Too – Clipse
Last Man Standing – Asher Roth
Trouble On My Mind – Pusha T

Zach McDonald - U23 National Champion 2012!

It was apparent that Zach gets into a groove musically as much as he found the groove on the race course ruts of the CX Nationals course – he won the U23 category on Saturday, January 7th in a commanding lead. Zach brings the prowess of downhill mountain bike handler to the powerful speed of CX racing in his own physical mash-up of a pro athlete on a bike. Speaking of which, his team manager made it a point to tell us about his off-racing activity of doing exactly ‘that’ with the music he loves.

We look forward to publishing the next interview finishing up Zach’s input from the CX Nationals course along with his team compatriot and Men’s Elite National Champion Jeremy Powers – Coming Soon!

All Photo Credits: Amy Dykema

There’s a great deal of dedication to any activity that you want to do well at. We simply don’t believe in participating in off-road cycling without the notion of improving your cycling skills in every way that you can. People can say they’re just in it to have fun – but we profess that you can have even more fun when your more fit, and definitely more skilled. The Bonebell Crew is made up of seasoned race veterans who have been racing for well over a decade. We are not all seasoned pros though some of our crew like Dave Norton, Greg Heck, Brian Parker, and Julia Daher have given the best of the best a run for their money and placed well on good old homegrown effort in the local racing scene.

We love to race and we love our bikes even more. Racing to us is nothing more than our ability to see how far we can push ourselves to our limits and witness the outcome, not matter what it is. It is there for public viewing amongst the small crowds of friends and fans. We say small, because even at our largest races that we’ll attend, we number in the low thousands compared to the running sport which can command tens of thousands of participants. We would love to see the sport grow into these numbers, and it starts with a little nugget of motivation to get folks to ride their bikes. Not necessarily race – but ride their bikes in epic fashion. Racing isn’t for everyone, and is usually unnecessary if all you want to do is get better at riding your bike. In 2012, we want to help you do that and get motivated to meet the greater challenge of riding and exploring more with the benefit of getting stronger and faster by reaching new limits, with or without, racing goals. There is a trail system that everyone wishes they could rip through faster. There is a farm road that inspires you to pedal into bliss. There is an epic ride that demands your greatest fitness to enjoy. Will you rise to meet those challenges?

Starting in January 2012 – we will provide you with a distinct riding plan to get you motivated to ride more, get healthier, change your perspective in long distance riding, and all at a homegrown and low cost effort. If you are new to exploring off-road cycling, this will be key to you gaining an understanding of how to approach the summer months at some great trail systems. If you are a seasoned rider, it can provide a fresh perspective to base training and skills focus to get you in gear for a summer of racing. This plan will be available for everyone who reads this site – free of charge and cataloged for easy reference. The plan will include phases of riding from beginning of the year through the end of the year with focus on riding points, skills building, and even nutrition options. It will be intended to motivate you to consider a different riding approach while meeting your riding goals in the summer whether they be an epic gravel grinding effort, a weekend trip at a trail system to blow your buddies away, or to enter the cyclocross season in top form. The options provided in the plan will also include some group rides with The Bonebell crew at various locations throughout the midwest to explore the off-road journey. If you follow the plan – every group ride will have its reward as you find yourself more confident and fit and we’d love to see your success along your journey.

There is no mystique about getting faster and stronger on a bike – it’s about putting the time in and enjoying the time you do put on your bike.

Be stronger, be fit, be epic in 2012. We hope you rise to the challenge and join the program.