SKC Racing Women's kit by JSteadman

JSteadman is "en feugo"!

This design represents a paradigm shift that I believe has plagued most designs for women's kits and clothing. This kit represents more than just a "cool, hip" design. It represents an investment in women's racing. The easy and often well traveled road for womens cycling apparel has been an overused formula: design a male version, add pink and or powder puff colors dash in a bit of flower petals or butterflies and voila, here's your kit. SKC Racing believes that there is so much more with womens racing and is trying to educate the cycling community the possibilities that are out there if we take women's racing serious.

Jeph Blanchard again was able to take my ideas and translate them into a design that I believe speaks to what we as a team want to accomplish. Thank you Amy and Jeph!

Thank you for reading,
JB

Jingle Cross Video of, my man! (dudes)

Straight from our own head knuckledragger and Off Road team director JP "the rocket" Brocket...

Check out the whole cast of characters-

KCCX/Verge Elite team memeber and on loan from SKC Racing- Alex Edwards (killin' it)
My Wife Inc- head honch Mike Heenan
SKCross - hole shot mad man Michael Gaherty

Midwest Wheelmaster | Lincoln Industries - Highgear -Troy Krause

Monkey Wrench- bunny hop Nate Woodman

BSR - not so jr, Luke Linger

Good to see all the "locals" dicing it, nicely. Thanks for the video JP!!!

Fresh from JSteadman's oven to your table

A huge thanks goes out to Jeph Blanchard, the man behind J.Steadman Design on creating the first of the 2010 SKC Racing kits. We have contracted him to redesign the road, CX/MTB and a new women's team kit. We are super excited about the partnership and know it will grow in the future.

J.Steadman is the go to gold standard in PROfessional looking racing kits. From the local team, to the regional elite powerhouse to a domestic PRO squad, all should be talking to JSteadman for their designs, because racing goes by too fast to be dressed ugly. (TM) (Copyright)

more later!
JB

Warriors of Cyclocross (review) zerotractionfilm.com

"Warriors of Cyclocross" trailer from Gizmo Pictures on Vimeo.

Have you seen it yet?! No not the above trailer, but the actual movie. Well, why not?

Keith Walberg and his team from Roll Your Own Films- has again captured the essence of racing at the highest level on the domestic scene. Last year- for the 2007 Cyclocross Nationals Keith and crew captured the pure suffer fest that we all endured throughout the long weekend. As you watched the original  ZEROTRACTION film, you felt the cold, wet, and ice as the races unfolded, culminating with Tim Johnson's incredible dog fight win. Having watched this over and over again...I was anticipating the 2008 Nationals version. I was not disappointed!

By no means am I qualified to be a movie, art, food or music critic. I do know what sucks and what does not...This movie does NOT suck.

The vision that Keith had for this film was expertly laid out as each category race was captured. Having raced the course on Thursday in the bitter cold and mud, then again on Saturday as it dried out...I recognized elements of the track that just flooded my memory as I sat there watching our locals duke it out with the country's best. Slow motion capture in sports films can be a bit cliche, but as the speed of the film slowed and you saw the bobbing of the shoulders or the rocking of the hips to get every last bit of power out of the peddle strokes, you the viewer (racer) are transported to that exact time. You feel the pain. The flip side to that is watching the segments in real speed and knowing what skills are needed to make the barriers look so effortless.

Both of these films allow the casual rider/racer and even the non-cyclist understand the sport of cyclcocross. Yes, the 2007 edition was all about the mud and suffering through the elements, but Keith didn't make it about that...he captured the sport without dumbing it down. The commentary in "WOC" is simple, straight forward and doesn't distract you from the beauty of the racing.

So if you are looking for another DVD for the indoor trainer carousal, you have to add this. If you are looking for a simple way of explaining to your family, co-workers, neighbors what in the world you are doing through the winter, Warriors of Cyclocross will do all the talking for you.

Break out the waffles and Nutella kick back and enjoy!

You may should order your copy here:

Thanks for reading (and watching)
JB

Group Ride.... Blue Moose? 75th Street? Hill Ride?

"nice kit"

DeStad Series Finale and KS State Cyclocross Championships (updated)

Be careful what you wish for...

Many had asked, begged, pleaded, prayed and sacrificed Dugast tires to the CX gods at the altar of Hoogerheide; to bless them with "true" cyclocross weather. Prayers answered, in spades. To the huddled masses of the Church of Pain it might as well have been sunny and 65 degrees with what was delivered on the campus of University St. Mary's.

The weather was at best in the low 40's and intermittent rain was replaced with a constant stream of rain, or was it tears of the infidels?

I would be what you call a back pew sitting believer in regards to cross weather. I believe that a well fought cross race can be held in any type of weather.If you look at the results from yesterday's race, the people on the top of the results are for the most part the racers at the top of the results, week in and week out. I know, I know, it is extremely fun to slosh around in the mud and cold. I just betcha that smile was quickly removed when the reality of the clothes hamper, or back of the car, or the bike itself sitting in the garage untouched for 24 hours smacked it off your face.

I must admit, I write this with a hint f cynicism. Yesterday was the absolute worst race of the season for me. I cannot "blame it on the rain" or the course design, which BTW was freaking cool or any lingering back issues. This race and result was clearly on my shoulders, hence the problem...it makes no sense. So I have given myself the 24 hour pity party window to cry in my stout and move on...

With this being the DeStad series final and the KS State championships the line up in the Master's categories were a little more crowded than normal. Without a preregistration call up and watching a few guys just roll up w/out being called I started on the 4th row.

We started down at the base of the bricks like we did last week. The start was pretty tame except for a few guys who were quickly shuffled to the rear. The typical left hand into the grass was followed by a bit of an uphill and then the first slippery corner of the course.

After a few "S" turns it was a downhill stretch with what would normally be a sweeping right hander back up a hill, but due to the course deterioration, it turned into a "wait your turn", turn. Up the hill that turned into mud tracks another tight left and right and then down a large chicane where the grass was quickly pushing the lines out to the far sections of the tape. Next came what would've been an optional run/ride obstacle turned into a nearly forced run for most. Yes, there were those that possess the skills or the clean look of the hill to get a good run at it. I took the conservative route and unclipped early and went right down the middle as other swung far right to set up for a ride...and i just ran it, dodging some carnage on a few of the laps. Once back on we dropped back down to the bottom near the ball field for a steep run up. Again, a few that had a low enough gear or who ran a MTB set-up had a bit of an advantage, all in all I think the risk/reward for running as opposed to trying to blow your kneecaps out of the back of your leg is a pretty easy decision. For the later classes, this was a non-issue, the turf was gone.

After cresting the hill and your eyesight has re focused it was a fun set of downhill turns that dropped us down to the low portion with the Spiral and Pond. The spiral was... then we set out for the pond. The turns down to the pond quickly eroded with each lap making your line selection crucial as well as watching out for lapped traffic. along the pond, it was the weirdest mud I have encountered. Through our race it was compleltley ride able but kept getting deeper and deeper. I noticed that by the 2nd time through the tape had been broken and I guess some took it as a freebie to ride to the left of the stakes as opposed to the proposed track. Up from the pond a few more slick corners and back out onto the bricks. Is this course over yet!?

On the other side of the bricks we climbed up a hill, off camber corner and down the other side and into the barriers. The freshly cut grass in this section made the bikes a bit nasty on warm-ups, so i only did that section once. Upon finishing the barriers you took a right back out onto the bricks up the hill (with a tailwind) to the finish.

We ended up with 5 laps and you worked for each and everyone. As I mentioned, went backwards with each lap, and really just cruising. I don't like that, but I hate DNF more. So with 2 weeks off of racing, I can get my head and legs straight, I know I was batteling some kind of bug this week, but since I never succumbed to it I don't like using it as an excuse. Because of my poor perfromance I missed the $ in the series point total by; 4!!! UGH. No matter, there is some more racing this season and the open class next year.

Thanks to Chris and Heather and the rest of their crew of volunteers for another great series! Get some well deserved rest.

Want to put on a race? Need help?

Sometimes...it can be like that