BASP #4 Candlestick Triple CX Race Report – Jordan Anderson 11.24.13

Just finished racing at candlestick for the second to last race down here in the bay. I started in the 4th row back because they did call ups by candlestick cup points, not the previous race’s finishing place. I made a plan to sweep the right side and pass as many guys before the first turn, which I did and made it to about 15th. The top 3 separated from the whole field by the end of the first lap. I got on Jim Huit’s wheel for most of the race, he pulled us to 9th and 10th, with a lap and a half to go and my hanger broke. The mechanics tried to make a single speed set up for me but didn’t have enough time. I ran the bike in, just to at least get finishing points. Oh well I still had a good time and collected some cross-cash while running in. Thanks Owens, the last race is December 9th, if anybody wants to race it let me know so we can car pool. ✌️

Southern Oregon CX Race Report – Jordan Anderson 11.16.13

Hey everyone, John, Scott, and I raced in Medford today, we finally escaped the dust! About 25 guys in the A’s, lots of grass, lots of gopher holes, and pavement straights made for an interesting but fun course. All three of us were fairly close on the start, I went down a few times but was able to recover. Fun day of racing though, a guy from the bay won it, I was second, John and Scott were top 10 I think. Next weekend the series goes back to Grants Pass for the final race, the same place John raced last weekend, he said it is a really fun one. Anyhow, thanks Owens and we’ll see y’all on Wednesday.

Race on the Rouge Race Report – John Friesen 11.14.13

Over the years of racing I appreciate a good venue vs. just a race…  Sunny day, tacky dirt, off camber turn into barriers, sand pit, beautiful park and racing along the Rogue (also great group of guys to race against)…  13 guys in the field, bad start, made up some spots, finished 5^th.

Kapusta Ranch Race Report – Jonz Norine 11.12.13

Race report from Jarret’s Sunday Funnies Cross Race:

This one was out at Kapusta Ranch, a flat venue with a couple long straightaways and a bit of river rock (where isn’t there river rock on his courses?) The big problem was the goat heads which sidelined a number of racers.

I figured this could be a good training day so I decided I’d ride out there from church, race, then ride home.  It was about 10 miles out and 15 miles back. Unfortunately, I flatted on the way there – and that was my one and only tube. Hope I don’t flat during the race. Or on the ride home.

Unlike Jordan’s races where there are 50 hard-charging studs out for blood, we had about 8 mellow dudes in the A race, including me, Jason, Scott, and Dooley (who was really sick). Jed was there but decided not to race. Isaac rode the kid’s race and I think Jed said that riding around the course with the tyke made him winded (or maybe it was that he was taking care of his back – not sure, I wasn’t listening too closely). 

Anyway, I thought that I heard that the plan was to just ride it and not kill it. Except when the gun went off Asbill shot to the front. Think he was mad about yesterday’s flat in SF.  I drifted to the back. I wanted none of that action.  Asbill pulled out at some point later, probably tired from the previous day, but Jason was going strong.

In the first lap my rear tire began going soft. Crap. I’m a goat head victim.  Maybe it’ll hold, maybe not. Let’s see how far I can go until it goes totally flat and I have to quit the race. I pick up the pace on the straightaways and after a few laps I’m catching folks and am nearly up to these 2 leaders on hard tail mountain bikes (cheaters), when on the 4th or 5th lap, the tire totally gives out.  Oh well. I’m done. No wheels, no tubes. I’ll just pull out when I get back up to the start/finish. I’ll need to borrow a tube to get home.  That’s all I’m thinking about.  Everyone passes me back because I just don’t care. Then I see Jed near the start/finish and I half-jokingly ask to borrow his Trance to finish up. He agrees. Oh no! I guess I’m committed now to ride some more.

So I make the bike change and decide I better do Jed’s bike some justice and I stomp on it. Of course “stomping” on a bike  with 2 feet of of travel front and back is a lot different than stomping on a cross bike. It is cushy!  For example, whereas jumping the barriers on the cross bike was not too hard, jumping on the Trance took Herculean effort because it sucked up all the bounce.  I laid waste to those barriers on several laps because I had a heck of a time getting air.  Just demolished them.  I ought to reimburse Jarret for the repairs he’s going to have to make. 

It was really fun railing Jed’s bike on the bumps and through the corners.  But I was in the red zone on the straightaways.  In the end I got everyone back except one and that’s ok. I wasn’t there to win.  (But if I had another lap, maybe I’d have gotten him too. If my legs didn’t give out first.)  That was challenging to see how far I could move up from the back. 

So after the race, I bummed a tube and a repair kit from Shane Swanson, repaired my flat, and rode home.Thanks teammate for agreeing to lend me your bike.  I had a good time.

The end.

BASP CX RR – Jordan Anderson Race Report 11.11.13

Saturday night, Paul, Scott and I raced the Sierra Point night cx, Paul and Scott raced the 45+ A’s, I raced elite. Their raced looked pretty stacked, but they were both doing really good the whole time. Scott flatted the second to last lap, and Paul finished in 18th, he had a little crash and lost a few spots. Last year the course was really bumpy, it felt much faster this year. I lined up in the second row back, and found myself in about 6th out of the first corner. Throughout the race I crashed a few times, but managed to hold my position for the most part and ended up in 9th. Most fun race of the season so far in my opinion! Anyhow, thanks Owens and I’ll see you guys Wednesday.

Sac CX RR – Jordan Anderson Race Report 11.7.13

Hey everybody, last Saturday Paul and I raced cx in Folsom, part of the series down there. The course was a lot of grass, but still pretty fast, and a good length, about 5 minute lap times. Out of the holeshot, I was sitting in the top 10 and passed a few guys on a road straight before the next corner. The following two or three laps placed everybody where they were going to finish. I was battling with two other guys for 4th place the entire race, and the last lap I fumbled in the sand, letting them get away, so I ended up in 6th. Paul’s race had a huge field, and he got the short end of the stick on the start. I’m not sure how the rest of his race went since his field started right after mine. Good day of racing though. Thanks Owens!

McCloud and Yreka CX – Jordan Anderson Race Report 10.28.13

McCloud – John, Paul, Jason and I raced Jaret’s first cx race of the series a few weeks back (sorry for the late report). It was pretty much the same course as last year, but with a chicane with barriers added in; really fun little course. I think we ended up doing close to 25 laps in the A’s. Anyhow, really fun day, the next one is at Nash ranch on Sunday, with a skills day on Saturday.

Yreka – Saturday, the first race of the Southern Oregon Outlaw CX series was in Yreka. It was John, Paul, Jason and me again, with about 10 other guys in the A’s. They took us through some of the greenhorn park trails, and then back into the park through the grass. They also threw in a few barriers, one pretty steep but ride-able run up, and a few zombies for Halloween. The first lap I was following Dooley and then he flatted, and then the other guy in front of me kept dropping his chain on his single speed, so I ended up winning it. Everybody had a great time, and Paul managed to roll his tubular tire off the rim and had to switch wheels in the middle of the race. Oh yeah, I also grabbed a dollar from a zombie, cx cash is always good! See everybody Wednesday.