Sac CX #1: Folsom Rodeo

Last weekend saw the kickoff of the Sac CX series at Folsom Rodeo. It appears to be organized by the same people behind the PCRS MTB series with some of the same racers. The course was a 1 mile loop with 4 barriers and 2 run ups. The racers ran a variety of bikes, from hardtail MTBs (about 1/3) to Redline Conquests and higher end Ridleys and Lightspeeds.

It began with a Le Mans style start (over a ten foot woodchip mountain!), then hammering and running for 30 ("C" class) to 1 hour ("A" class). I was slow in the run (bad knees), last to my bike and had a hell of a time picking my way through the pack. I eventually made it to the mid pack before the bell lap (last lap) to finish 14th.

Equipment-wise, I think that the tires that I choose (Ritchey Speed Max Comp 700x35) were a good choice for this course. Might have been able to get away with something a little narrower (I didn't need much tread) but some of the gravel sections would have been dicey. People on mountain bikes probably did pretty well, but they certainly weren't a major advantage.


Photos have been posted here and the results are here.

Post race beer: Widmer Drop Top Ale. Malty, tasty and they have bike jerseys (nice). 4/5 stars.