With the bulk of season behind us, and the weather being near perfect for the majority of the races in KC thus far, Boss Cross #2 was quite a different affair. The conditions were drastically different than what we’ve had thus far; snowy, muddy, and slick, which challenged even the smoothest ‘cross racer. However, it gave us the opportunity to prepare for Nationals, which will most likely include similar conditions. Many of were caught unprepared for racing in these conditions, but with a few adaptations, we can be the most prepared group of riders at Nationals.
Preparation for both the bike and your body starts from the ground up. Tire choice is the first step to making sure your bike is ready for race day. When you’re railing an off-camber turn at 20mph in icy conditions, the last thing you want is that 32mm wide piece of rubber to let you down. If you have the option to run tubulars then you most likely have your tires glued already for the season, either a Challenge Grifo, Dugast Typhoon, or some variation of the Clement mold. Great all conditions tires that allow you to run a very low air pressure, but may not be the best tire in muddy conditions. The new Challenge Fango is a great tubular mud tire, and worth checking out. When it comes to clinchers there are many great tire options. The biggest advantage to a clincher is the ability to quickly change your tires for different conditions. You can keep an arsenal of clincher tires, and throw on the ones you need the morning of the race. For clincher mud tires there are two options that continue to stand out. The Maxxis Raze and the Michelin Mud. Both tires are lightweight, durable, shed mud well, but also are diverse enough to be used in a variety of conditions. The next big thing that should be taken into consideration for Nationals is gearing. Those of you that raced the preview race last month know that there is some major elevation gain and loss during the race. Therefore, a wide range of gears will be a good option, especially as the mud starts to cake on you bike and weigh it down. I’ve been using a 1×10 setup on my cross bikes for several years now and have been very happy with it. Depending on the course, I typically use a 39t with a tighter cassette (11-23) on the rear, or a 42t with an 11-26 on the rear. Not to say that a 1×10 won’t get the job done for Nationals, but a wider rang of gearing might a better option. Maybe a 36/44 or similar up front, paired with a 12-27 on the rear. If it’s muddy and icy, a lower gear will be necessary for the climbs. In order to pull away from the rider on your wheel on the pavement or in a sprint finish you may need that 44/12. Sram makes a 10-speed cassette that is 11-28. If you are running a 1×10 this gives you a very nice range of gearing. It is compatible with both Sram and Shimano.
Making sure you are appropriately dressed for cold weather racing also starts from the ground up. Socks, wool, period. Keep your feet warm or you will be miserable for whole 45+ minutes. Another option is the Adidas Climaproof sock. Fleece-lined and wind-front. Put this over a thin pair of Merino wool socks and your feet will thank you. One of the main reasons to race ‘cross with warm socks is because wearing booties is out of the question if you actually want to dig those spikes into that nasty run up. Next up is the legs. Qoleum Hot (45-60 degrees) or Extra Hot (0-44 degrees) is the way to go. You put this stuff on your legs before warming up. It provides warmth for the legs and keeps the blood circulating and the muscles supple. You then put your tights on for warm-ups, while your legs are nice and toasty. As you line up at the start-line you shed the tights to find your exposed legs with a nice Euro sheen. The true “hard men” of Europe race and train year round in bibs, short sleeve jerseys, arm-warmers, and vests, leaving only their Belgium knee warmers exposed. Proper base-layers are also key for cold weather racing. Check out the Craft line. Apparently, when you make clothing for cross-country skiing in Sweden, it’s really warm clothing. They make a line of base-layers for year round riding. My favorite product is their Pro Zero Windstop under pants. They will keep your junk warm during the coldest of races. You will see a lot of pros race cross without gloves. They also get paid to ride their bike. I’m a big fan of a thin leather palmed glove for all riding fall-spring. If your hands tend to get cold then check out the Craft Power Glove, Pearl Izumi Gavia, or the Cannondale Windfront. All of these gloves give you plenty of warmth for an hour long race without being too bulky. You are still able to shift and brake in nasty situations while keeping warm. If your like me and have a few too many hairs on your head, then you may need some sort of head coverage for the colder races. Often times a rider wears a stocking cap that is too heavy or bulky on and it ends up over their eyes halfway through the race. Consider just wearing a traditional cycling cap, or even a fleece-lined one to race in. You will emit so much heat by the time you are done racing that a traditional cap usually gets the job done. Racing in these conditions can be miserable, but can be even worse if you are under or over dressed.