I can’t stop thinking about cyclocross season! Devou Park Practice last night was great. We did Hot Laps (2-3-2). Everyone on the team seems to be getting really used to their new rigs, and we are already seeing improvement across the board. Our version of the practice course worked out really well, so we are probably going to stick with it until more trail building ensues.
Only one person who was not on Team Hungry showed up. Matt Bell, the brain behind the permanent park came and laid down some serious hurt on the course. Ouch! Where was everyone else? Be a pioneer!
After our first “official” practice at Devou last night, Alex and I decided to take an easy day and do some cx skills practice. We took our bikes to Mitchell Memorial Forest. This place has a mountain bike trail (a little under 4 miles) that is great for tuning up your cx skills. A cx bike can navigate through this trail without much trouble, and with long sweeping turns of varying degree, riding the trail seems to help dial in your handling abilities. The terrain of the trail gives the potential of a few pinch flats, but those can be easily avoided by tubees or by just picking the right line.
After working on our turning technique, we practiced our barrier skills. It seems like the only ay to get better at these is through repitition. Yes, it does get boring after jumping over the same set of barriers a few times, but it pays off in the long run. After all, honing in your mounts and dismounts can put you seconds above your competition.
