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.

Come hang out with the bonebell crew as we celebrate those of December birthdate. All are welcome, we’ll be doin it right. We know it’s a school night, but we roll anyways. Hope to see you there!

Wednesday December 14th, 6:30pm to 10:30pm

O’Shaughnessy’s Public House, 4557 N. Ravenswood Ave. Chicago

Afterglow

Humbolt Park, no snow this year ah bummer, oh well… Still it’s in Chicago proper, and the Robots Powered by Love and Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will be throwing a proper ‘cross race so ride on over to the park and do it in the dirt. Remember, this one’s on a Saturday, lest we all get confused by the Sunday racing we have all been addicted to lately

The course is a decent cyclocross course. Admittedly, it is not as technical as many of the twisty and tight courses that utilize off camber features to strike fear in the hearts of roadies, but it is still a technically minded course. In fact, it is safe to say that compared to the entirety of the Chicago Cross Cup, it is a course that stands up to the series and even is better in racecourse features than a few of the races in the series. The course when previewed via YouTube is as deceptive as the course actually is when you race on it – while seemingly mundane at first glances, the notion is quickly stripped at the first jarring thuds your wheels take when hitting the bumpy grassy knolls robbing you of speed and reminding you to keep your wits about you.

The course is most definitely a European style cyclocross course, make no bones about it, it is indeed a reflection of St. Wendel’s course. The technical adversity on the Badger Prairie course does not lay in the individual technical sections, of which there are few, but as the sum of the total of the features put together. It was evident after a few laps at full on race pace, the riders that excelled were the ones who could capitalize on key points of the racecourse that were deceivingly simplistic but critical for maintaining a competitive position. The course is wide and has many wide enough berths both on the straightaways and on the climbs to easily get past traffic, if you can’t pass someone on this course, either you are truly on one of the few tight turns of the course, or you simply don’t have the fitness to make the pass count. It’s that easy to pass someone. The turns may be uninspiring in many parts of the course, especially in the transition turns from gravel to pavement or gravel to grassy climbs. The thought of uninspiring may turn into frightful as the winter introduces gnarlier elements to the already gravel strewn transitions. The climbs are substantial and weren’t very evident in the video, and at race pace, will be a deciding factor on whose fitness can sustain the punchiness of the elevation changes.

Rundown
Start is a typical paved start on a wide road with a 100M lead out to a soft right turn going into the course full speed from pavement to grassy transition with immediate bumps, possible hooked turns here depending on final course selection but the course changed from Saturday to Sunday by softening those chicane turns to minimize crashing at the very start. The grass section is deceptively bumpy and bucked every rider into finding the smooth line for another 200M to a 90 degree right hand turn for another 100M to a quick twisty right hander onto another straightaway leading to a right hander into the first introduction of tight turns through very rough terrain. It navigates leftbound pass the pit for the first time, and straight ahead 50M to your introduction of the first climb.

A 90 degree left embarks everyone on a 200m false flat (3-5%) to an 80 degree right onto a 10-12% 25M climb that really starts the grind onto yet another false flat for (3-5%) for another 100M. A right hand turn to a quick left downhill on a gravel strewn descent excellent for recovery that takes you to a fast flowy right hand turn, in all about 400M of fast descent before a turn into the first actual dirt of the course in the form of an uphill soft dirt introduction to a rail tie step feature of approximately 15 steps widely spaced apart. This section immediately ends at the top of the hill with a quick remount on a bumpy section that leads to a soft s curve transition to a 50M fast descent onto a paved road transition that immediately points upward at 5-7% for another 150M then slopes down slightly after a soft left curve onto a dirt transition once again that points upward another 5% for 25M before a hard 90 degree left onto one of the most gratifying long descents as your reward.

The descent is incredibly fast and met with many bumps and dips that with one misstep, you may find yourself in the thickets along side the 10 foot wide section. The descent lasts almost 400M onto a sharp right 5-8% climb into a double barrier with a sharp left turn into one the courses only tight sections that leads back past the pit area, and into twists and turns going left and towards a short sandpit, which no matter how it’s used, should not be much of a challenge given its quick 10M distance. Beyond the sandpit, the back section riding continues with a 100M straightaway that parallels the paved road from where the start was. The straightaway takes a sharp 90 degree turn into some very bumpy sections that follows alongside a pond that hopefully no one takes a dive in.

The course follows the pond shortly before going into the next climbing section which is about 5% for the next 100M and then rises a bit to 10% for 5M, and then continues for another 50M before arriving at a 15% pitch for 8-10M. After that immediate pitch change, you hook right for another reprieve on a downhill that cross a paved road section and maintains the bumpiness, into a very fast right hander that if miscalculated will lead you into the thickets again. The speed is very important to maintain as the right hand turn glides upward slightly into a left hand turn onto pavement, the turn here is critical for the entry into the grassy bumpy section again to keep at high speed to navigate the final twisty sections that will inevitably slow everyone down to their rough state and tight turning, this then leads to the lap leadout on pavement back to the start finish. In all, the maximum length of a CX course is raced at just over 2 miles.

Technicality
The degree of technical difficulty for this course is low – however – the true technical nature of this course has to be valued at the sum total of all it’s components. It’s not unlike an MTB course where the climbs are meant to separate people, and the downhills are not just the recovery but the ability to carry speed through the next section while maintaining the best line to keep that speed as every bump and hole scrubs speed. Taking the turns at the highest speed possible is going to be critical for conquering the laps on this course. There is little room for actual rest as the name of this cross game is getting up to speed and maintaining that speed as much as possible to not let the weight of the grinding climbs get you too far down. It was evident in how strung out the field was in every category at the damage the punchy climbs had, in addition, to the incredibly bumpy descents and straightaways. Power riders do not necessarily excel on this course, but neither did the incredibly technical riders as there was little to interact with and gain momentum on in technical sections – this blended the saavy of reading the course, attacking on the climbs, and being fearless on the descents.

Weather
Day 1 was 18 degrees and dry, with slight wind and no sun. It was a cold reminder of what we’re in for Nationals. Day 2 was a sunny reprieve at 40 degrees and perhaps the thank you we deserved for being out at the course both days. Two hours of full on racing on the course, and it’s evident that if this is the best that it will ride in good conditions, than come winter, with snow and ice, the course will take on another technical capability that can only be imagined as difficult climbing situations, slower and more cautious descents, and even scarier gravel to paved road transitions. The snow, if it comes, will hopefully smooth out the bumpiness of the chopped grass course which would be very welcome, but will pose challenges such as the steeper pitched climbs that were easier to hammer out of the saddle, but will prove meddlesome with ice and snow under our rear tires, especially the sharp pitched ones. The cornering, though in small quantities now, may still prove troublesome depending on conditions as they are in tighter areas with little room to pass causing traffic if a rider goes down. The rail stair run up – will be amazingly frightful if it freezes over. These are all good things to look forward to for a true CX course in the midwest.

Recommendations
Cross NEEDS to remain spectator friendly. If not for our friends and loved ones coming out to cheer for us and of course heckle us, we racers, do experience moments of mental weakness when we are exposed to the elements on our own in long lonely and desolate parts of a course. This is rare for over 90% of all the cross courses in many of the series across the midwest. A national caliber course should have mandatory access for spectators to get to various parts of the course without much hindrance. Especially in the conditions of January, the racers need spectator support and providing that access will be key to fully qualifying the event as spectator friendly.

The pit area should be reviewed for better placement for ease of access into and out of the pit in two viable directions that allow for an easy transition for racers to switch bikes or wheels. The current pit experienced definitely made for some cramped quarters that made for some sketchy transitions (don’t put the pit into a transition on a turn!).

The transitions should be reviewed closely in the coming weeks as the weather turns to snow and ice, gravel descents onto grass won’t be a major cause for concern, but the gravel descents onto pavement are a definite cause for concern. Icy pavements are no place for downhill transitions from an off-road course in the winter, and in the European races, they do pour sand over this transitions to ease it up. This should highly be considered to avoid any unnecessary carnage at critical areas.

Warming tents – this can’t be stressed enough – keep the spectators happy, not just the racers. Leaving folks from the ‘warmer’ states happy can go a long way in leaving a great impression on our hospitality.

Final Thought
The course is worthy. Granted, I, have only read and heard from friends experiences at National CX races in the past decade, so I do not have a first hand experience in how it can compare to those races. However, from what I do know is that every CX Nationals race isn’t without it’s challenges from both the promoting venue and mother nature. Cold weather racing is not for the faint of heart, and I’ve never known cross racers to be faint of heart. The conditions can be as gnarly as what has been experienced in epic cross nationals such as Tim Johnson racing to victory in a blizzard, or it could be a soupy wet and cold mess like Kansas City Nationals. The midwest brings you cold, icy, and a technically demanding course. If you truly believe that this is course is not worth the Nationals course, you haven’t given it a chance. We have two years to deal with Nationals at this course and we can make things accommodating and better for racers and spectators between now and January 6th – and even moreso next year with this year’s run.

We are all in the midwest together – and this is our gem we can highlight as ‘our own’ and we have the ability to make it shine despite any circumstance and put our best foot forward for our visiting racers. We are a great racing scene when spread across WORS, ChiCrosCup, DINO, ICA, WCA, etc. – let’s not let initial opinions misguide the effort to produce one of the best cross racing experiences this part of the country can offer. If a Californian thinks its retarded to race in sub-zero weather – well kudos to them for living in California. This is how we roll, let’s roll proudly and let’s roll together on this race.

That is exactly why The Bonebell is tolling for John Gatto for winning the Illinois State Championship in the Masters 30+ field.

Photo: Rachael Gatto

The Masters fields are littered with incredibly strong riders of every level and the lead roles played in every field, are generally the Category 1 racers from various disciplines. There is no denying that the Masters fields are as tenacious as the Cat 1/2 fields. This entire year the podium has been a rotating shift of Verdigris, The Pony Shop, and one lone privateer from Twin Six, John Gatto. We, at The Bonebell, have been following John’s career closely as by the spring and summer months, he’s tearing up the trails at the WORS and Illinois Homegrown MTB Series. We admire what John has been doing for both MTB and CX racing under the Twin Six Metal moniker representing the dirtbag spirit, but also being independent and supporting small frame builders by way of Form Cycles. John, is not alone in his endeavor as a privateer as his wife is also a fierce top competitor in the MTB scene. Together they have quietly dominated the toughest challenges across the midwest MTB racing scene, while raising a family and keeping to their busy work schedules.

The Twin Six team has provided John friends throughout his racing career, and the national network reminds him that he’s not alone when toes the line against the juggernauts of teams who have established presence and tactics. He takes on his challengers with a quiet and humble attack that hides a steely attitude and incredible technical grace. He is keen on his competitors and fits a training regiment in his schedule that keeps him honed on the podium finish. He appreciates the world of dirt as much, if not more, than we do – knowing that on the dirt, in every race, it’s you or your competitors. Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

John isn’t just a fast privateer dirtbag – he’s also a huge advocate of getting younger riders on bikes, excelling their efforts through mentorships that aren’t published grandly, but silently succeeding – as he does – following through on conquering the dirt. He is a selfless individual who appreciates the laid back nature of the mountain biking scene as much as the tortuous 24 hour relay journey of a National Championship. We are proud to share a beer with our friend and are not surprised that our prediction was spot on.

I saw John spinning for his warm-up shortly before the Masters race – I told him that this was ‘his course’. He smiled coyly and agreed that it was a mountain bikers course indeed. I knew at the moment, this championship was his. I didn’t need to say it. All he had to do was come across 1st to fulfill the prophecy, and he did, exactly that.

Congratulations John Gatto – Twin Six METAL privateer – and Form Cycles rider.

Photo: Amy Dykema

Those are haunting words for any athlete who sets some targets months in advance in the hopes of achieving success, and fails to meet them at the final hour. Racing is a tough experience that mentally twists your brain and not just your physical self. When its done, you may desperately aim to dull the sensation with swigs of whiskey and beer help settle the reality that you had a swing and a major miss. It’s both saddening and maddening.

Unfortunately, I had a not so stellar day, and no matter what I can muster to write about the silver lining, I found myself leaning more towards the fun aspect of racing and the friendships, and the whiskey, oh the glorious whiskey. It doesn’t compare to achieving success in the objectives you set, both little and large. I had but two objectives – just simply race harder, and place better than the previous year. Little target with large expectations on my part. Montrose is my bitch – and that hubris was my demise as she not only rattled my cage but destroyed any mental strength I could conjure. That evening, I sat and sipped some hard IPA, while talking to my great friend Nevada Dave as he asked about how the race went. He took the time to call me and ask the simple question of “Did you leave it all out there?”. My response was “I just didn’t have the eye of the tiger.” He understood me, and he went on to give me the good friendship chat about goals and objectives and bad days and the like. In the end – it was disappointing but really, only to myself, and thankfully so – as the only winner or loser is the one we all devise in our heads.

I’ve not had a great year of racing – cross is my special place to work hard and accelerate the ambition to start the coming year with a good fitness level. I left 2010 on a great note, entered 2011 with stellar fitness , and then soon after Gravel Metric’s unsettling conclusion, I just drafted. I was on the bike, but not in the zone. Yes, work and family come first – but in the grand scheme of achieving ‘eye of the tiger’ status – I hadn’t felt it all year long. I went into the 2011 cross season with one race under my belt, and even then, it was barely a race for me as I struggled to maintain cycling fitness through a summer happily plagued with new endeavors. The previous race to Palos Meltdown was the Gravel Metric Century, and prior to that the only recorded USA Cycling race of the Leland Kermesse – three races in a four month span before cross season doesn’t bode well for entering the competition in top form. Oh, and that crappy accident I had exactly four weeks before the official start of the cross season. I’ve worked hard and I had high hopes to at least regain traction before going into the rest of the season that I’ve convinced myself in doing, if anything, for the experience for ‘next season’.

That’s where my individual pity party ends. I didn’t get the results I wanted – and sometimes, that is exactly what needs to happen. Bicycle racing can be an elusively gratifying experience in which the moments that you succeed are a result of a very little luck, good circumstances, and twenty tons of hard work prior to race day. The experience through this season has been worth it. I find myself already focused on some targets for next year, another year wiser, and starting the new year with the best fitness I can gain. Despite my gloomy results from the Illinois State Championships, there are still regionals next week in Madison, The Afterglow, New Years Eve racing, and then the almighty Nationals race. So there’s still a lot left to get the engine going and arrive in the nook of the new year with more form than ambition and equal quantity of desire to look down the road of 2012. The stage is set now, and the heart is being reset by hugs from my daughters, and my incredible wife who has done everything to support my season and my efforts. She reminds me that every effort made does count for something in the eyes of your friends and family who love you.

So yes, there’s always next year. Chin up, buck up, and forward ho. There’s still racing to be done, and there’s a new year with my name on it. Thank you Bonebell crew, thank you friends who have been yelling my name on the course, thank you all indeed.

Pull Me Under Indeed!

For years now we have been celebrating those with a birthday of December, whether you’re a Sagitarius or a Capricorn matters not. El Maya, VeloGirl, Stiggity, and some of our bestest buddies all share December Birthdays. Everyone knows that all the cool people are born in December. Nevada Dave will be there to regale us with his yarns of impending doom, and tragedy narrowly avoided. So come hang out with us  as we toast the most awesome time of the year.  And we all know that the skinny knob jump off your bike and run season is winding down so it’s another reason to celebrate.

Wednesday December 14th, 6:30pm to 10:30pm

O’Shaughnessy’s Public House

4557 N. Ravenswood Ave.

Chicago

If you are reading this consider yourself invited. If you have friends, they can come too.

Our winning entry came from Rich Johnson of Hanover Park, who is affiliated with Athletes By Design as a racer, promoter, and event director. He puts on the Wednesday Night Training Crits in West Chicago during summertime.

Besides the typical things I am thankful for this year, family, friends, good health, I am also thankful that I am getting to experience off-road cycling for the first time in just over 20 years. My first ride off-road in 2011, just over a month ago, was at night. I hadn’t done any research on lighting systems and always thought the Planet Bike lights were really good. Boy was I wrong. I decided to go out the night I got the bike on a trail that is right down the street. It was pitch black, but I wasn’t worried, I had the trusty old Planet Bike lights. I didn’t even get a half mile in and I could hear all of the critters around me stirring in the bush. I was scared to death. Here I am, 220+ pounds of ex-football linebacker, scared like I was a child again. I can honestly say, turning around and heading back home was the fastest off-road cycling I have ever done as well. I now have lights everywhere, or should I say lumens. Which is nice, because now I see all those critters were stray cats and a ton of deer. Now riding down that same trail at night is really neat and one of my favorite things to do after dinner. I can even hit some of the single track off the trail without running into things or getting goose bumps from being frightened half-to-death.

Great story, Rich!!! Hopefully you can use the knee warmers as an extra layer of protection between you and the creatures of the night!

Click here to view the embedded video.

After you get your thanks given and your bird down, don’t fall into a stupor because there is no ‘Cross race for little old me. Go to Holland, Mi for the season finale KISS Cross race on Sunday the 27th. This has been one of their best events of the year, and they follow it up with a party at a local brewery. The course is a boatload of fun. It uses the park surrounding a local high school football stadium, one year even making a toilet bowl/gspot that used the entire field. It was like 2 minutes worth of going in circles. Go there get dirty, the forecast is calling for rain and about 40 degrees, so it’s on like Donkey Kong.

Barry Roubaix

The concensus at the bonebell for our favorite race might be held by the Barry Roubaix. A gravel grinder that has everything from 30+mph descents to 4mph climbs and gravel gravel gravel. (aka large rocks that will soon be turned into dirt if we ride on it long enough) Registration is opening soon…December 3rd. the race is capped at 1500 racers and may sell out very quickly so get on that.

Nationals Registration

Why isn’t anybody registering for CX Nationals? I know the points system negates the need to bumrush the servers on day one, but the fields look pretty slim right now.

Thanks to the Dirtbaggers

The bonebell crew wants to thank all our dedicated likers. We like you too. A long drawn out tolling will go out for thee. Thank you for being among the now 500 dirtbags who ‘like’ us on facebook. Maybe no where else, but at least it’s something. Thanks everyone.