Sponsor Spotlight: Princeton Tech Lights

Princeton Tech has generously provided the Bob's Red Mill Cyclocross team with bike lights. For the front we are using the Push light, which has a lot of really convenient features. First, the light is 100 lumens and has three modes: bright, low, and flash (optimal for high visibility in traffic). Additionally, the lights have a row of small, flashing red LEDs on each side to make you more visible to cars and other riders from the side. Another smart feature of the Push is that it detaches from the mount towards the rider instead of away from him, so the light never flies off the bars by accident when you are adjusting it. Overall, the Push is a great light in a reliable, compact form. The team is also running the Swerve taillight. The switch on the Swerve is simple and never accidentally turns the light off when you hit bumps. The light is the brightest and most visible rear light I've used. In addition to being bright, the Swerve has a unique rubber band mounting system. This system lets you wrap the light around any part of your bike in seconds, without having to use a screwdriver to install a clamp to mount the light on. The light includes two different sized rubber bands or you can clip the light directly to your backpack or seatbag. In conclusion, Princeton Tech lights are the most functional and powerful LED lights I have used and I would recommend them to any rider.

http://princetontec.com

Push Front Light

Push Front Light

Swerve Rear Light

Swerve Mounting System

Sponsor Spotlight: The Stick

This season The Stick has provided me with one of their products. The Sprinter Stick is the recommended stick for athletes who travel because it is the perfect size to throw in your bag. The Stick allows you to massage your own legs, aiding recovery between repeated efforts. The Stick helps during stage races or after any ride. I will definitely have The Stick in my bag for my trip to EuroCrossCamp this year and I will use it between all the races to help me be at my best!

The Sprinter Stick

http://www.thestick.com/

Knoxiecross 2011

A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Sponsor Spotlight: THOMSON seatposts and stems

Thomson has generously supported me this year with seatposts and stems. As I have said before, Thomson products are the best on the market because of their light weight, strength, durability, and adjustablility. Thomson is based out of Macon, Georgia and their commitment of excellence and customer service is unparalleled. The seatposts are lighter than many carbon posts but have much more strength and reliability. The secret to the light weight of the posts is that they are reinforced only at the areas of stress, the front and back of the post. The two-bolt clamping system is easy to adjust and never slips, something especially important for the demands of cyclocross. Another thing that makes Thomson Masterpiece posts the best for cross is the texture of the post. Thousands of tiny rings are machined into the aluminum to create friction in the frame so the post never slips down! I am using both the Elite X4 and X2 stems this year and they are both working great. The X4 stem has four bolts and the X2 has two. The stems are super stiff and perfect for pulling on the bars while out of the saddle. All Thomson products are available in a wide variety of sizes and are entirely made in the USA.

 http://bikethomson.com/

Elite X2 stem

Masterpiece Post

Elite X4 stem

MSG #3 & 4

This weekend I did my first cross races of the year. My dad and I drove up to Domtar Park in Kingsport. I lined up and and had a good start position thanks to Dirk Pohlmann. I was second off the line behind Will Black. I almost crashed when me foot popped out of the pedal coming down the first straightaway but held it up. I rode in second for a while before I bobbled and Will Black rode away. Eric Meuhl rode by me and I rode for a few laps by myself before I was caught by a chase group. Eric Wondergem laid the hammer down and rode away. After that everyone pretty much stayed in the same position. Justin, Thatcher, and I sprinted for fourth and I timed the sprint right this year on what I believe was my fifth time finishing on that particular finish.
 Sunday.  I was really hoping to go for the win on Sunday. I was riding with Noah Niwinski and reeling in Will Black after 2 laps, but then I slid out and my chain fell off the ring and the cassette. I put it back on but my focus was broken. I chased for a few laps then just rode around. I was disappointed in myself but there are a lot more races left.

LOG HOPPING

BIKE RIDING

MORE LOG HOPPING

AFTER LOG HOPPING

EVEN MORE!

BIKE RACE START

BEFORE THE START

STARING AT THE GROUND BEFORE THE START

Thank you to all my generous sponsors: Bob's Red Mill p/b Carroll Composites, Fi:zi:k, Thomson, and Harper's Bike Shop!

Belgium!

I haven't had time to write a full report yet, bu to tide you over here is an essay I had to do for school:

                                            Lessons From Belgium

     Perhaps the most philosophical cat ever to grace the Sunday paper once said, “The problem with the future is that it keeps turning into the present.” I truly understand Hobbes’ sentiment after spending three weeks in Belgium in a haze of lactic acid and exhaustion. Sometimes everyone is guilty of thinking about what lies about ahead instead of what one is doing at the moment.

        As I landed in Brussels, I thought about how I would be back in the terminal in twenty days. At the onset of the trip, that seemed like a long time. In a jet-lagged stupor, I met with my teammates for the first time in an overpriced coffee shop. The car ride to the USA Cycling house, crammed in a van with five other racers, plus a coach, dragged on. Our meandering ride through town and on the canal path seemed slow. Back at the house, dinner was a relief because it signaled the end of our premier in Belgium. The first day, longing for sleep, seemed to stretch on like a rubber band that refuses to break before we were allowed to rest our heads in our bunk beds.

     Seemingly before we knew it, my new roommates and I were at our first race. As much as the coaches had tried to impress upon us tactics, concerns, and theories, the closest thing I can compare Belgian racing is being lifted from a kiddie pool and thrown into a raging river. No one can tell you how to accelerate up a sidewalk, duck under signs, or keep your wrists relaxed over cobblestones. It was an exhilarating experience and I had never realized an hour and forty minutes could pass so quickly. The paradoxical part of the racing is that during the race, I counted down the laps, anxious to be through with the pain, but as soon as I crossed the finish line I wanted to start again. Once our team had one race beneath our cycling shoes, they began to pass so quickly it was hard to tell one from another.

       Aside from racing, the other part of living in Izegem, Belgium one has to embrace is resting. It is far too easy to lie on one’s bunk and worry about one’s next race or what one will do when he returns home. I had to learn how to relax for a days at a time. I have a restless personality and just lying down and waiting is hard for me. One of the coaches told me he makes it a challenge for himself to see how long he can lie down without moving at all. Trying to heed his advice, I read three books lying in bed, absorbing myself in each one so I would not have to worry about the awaiting trials. Becoming a vegetable for a day may seem like something to avoid, but there is something Zen-like in enjoying doing nothing for hours without any concern for the future.

     Though these were important lessons to learn, I realize now that I am back in the United States that I also have to look to the future to plan how to live the present. I have many goals still to be accomplished and my cycling and academic careers have many years left. My trip to Belgium reminded me that though much of the training I do is with goals months and years away in mind, I should remember to enjoy every day because I will never have that day again.

Team Turner Prochain

As most of you probably know, for the 2011 road season I will be racing for the Turner Prochain Junior Development Team. We went to a training camp in Tucson, AZ a few weeks ago and it was really fun. I really got to know my teammates and they're all really cool. We rode a whole lot while we were there. We had our first race together last week and it turned out pretty well, with two of my teammates finishing 5th and 6th in a strong field. Here's the link to our website: http://www.prochaincycling.com/

Starting line

Drew attacking

The Pack

Brain

Luke (in the middle)

Drew

(Left to right) Drew, me, Brian, Mr. Murdock (our manager), Luke, Sam, Alexey

I want to say thanks to all the people who have helped and supported me in my cycling from the start. All of you have made cycling a really fun thing to do. I hope everyone is doing well and I'll try to keep the blog updated on what's coming up.
This Sunday: Birthday ride
April 2: Hell of the South
April 10: Tour of the Battenkill