It was a hard fought negotiation but I now own a Rocky Mountain Solo CX. It is the entry level bike (good compromise on my part) and comes with groovy red bar tape.
After watching my friends at a Tuesday night cross race I had to have one. Everyone was so excited to be there and was having so much painful fun. Thanks to Keith for putting the order n quickly and even getting his wife Leslie to deliver it to my door. This was Friday Oct. 16, there was a race the next day but I had to much work to wrap up, the bike stayed in the box crying to be let out.
Saturday night I started putting it together. All went well except the front brake. Why would anyone build a 90 degree angle into a brake cable?? After visiting Lonn for some CX insight I had not put on the brake guide and did so Sunday morning. Just in time for my 1 pm start, in Open Men no less. Reid Cummings gave me a quick rehash on how to shoulder the bike, Andy Holmwood couldn't stand my long brake wire and proceeded to take me back to his car to fix it, 10 minutes before the start of the race.
How did it go you may ask??? Well.....too much fun! The Kid and my brother came just to watch a guy who has done almost nothing for a month go full tilt for an hour. My full tilt was only about half tilt and there was some residual wine in the system. I found myself in DFL. I fought up to 2DFL and held that spot. My goal was now not to get lapped. That didn't happen. Ryan Hopping came up on me near the end of lap 9 with 2 to go and was going to "kindly" let me stay in front for another lap. That didn't happen either. After trying to hold off the King of Cross I slowed just before the start of the up hill and got out of his way.
What happened in the interim:
1/found out that I can actually ride a CX bike
2/ Still have no idea how to run with one
3/ Can get on and off CX bike fast, used to wiping out on mtb
4/ battled with Keith Baley, in the sand, sprinting uphill, yelling yahoo as loud as we could
Ii had so much fun I went to the Tuesday night race and smiled the whole time. Things felt better and I could feel a little "snap" in the legs.
It's good to ride for fun again.
Oh ya, indoor cycling classes start this week.
Posts
