Finally put my Cross check together from parts that I ordered last year. Put on an LX rear deraileur, stole the 9-speed rear wheel from Gina's road bike, WTB dirt drop bars, Shimano 105 shifter/brake lever, blue bar tape, a couple of fat tires, wala! Cross bike! Not the lightest or prettiest cross bike out there, but it's not bad for a cat C crosser like myself. Took it for a spin this morning around the neighborhood and adjoining trails. Gotta love the freedom of a cross bike. Not confined to asphalt, but it also doesn't suck on asphalt like a mountain bike. Rode around Burke Lake, then hit the fields of the South Run rec center for some cross practice. I got a little bit of everything on this morning's ride: paved road, gravel road, singletrack, and the hardest surface of all: grass. I'll take mud over grass any day. Something about me and grass don't go together. It's sticky AND slippery, but only when you don't want it to be. I did a hard effort this morning and it sucked. Think I blew up after 15 minutes. Now I have a week to pull a 40 minute cross race out my a$$. Gonna do the Lake Fairfax race to wrap up the season and then get back to doing what I do best-- procrastinating on my "training" for next year. How I miss me those 100 milers.
