My Cyclocross setup

As we creep ever nearer to the beginning of the CX season I thought I would share the setup I'll be using for this season.

The bike began life as a stock 2008 Raleigh RX1.0. After the end of last season I knew some upgrades were needed to make it a full on race worthy machine.

Frame - 2009 Raleigh RX1.0 w/ Easton EC90 Carbon fork
Wheels - Rolf Vector Comp
Tires - Challenge Grifo 32's
Rear Dérailleur - Shimano 105 9spd
Cassette - Sram PG950 12-26 9spd
Front Derailleur - None
Cranks - FSA Gossamer
Chainrings - 38tooth with a Salsa Crossing Guard and Third Eye chainwatcher
Shifters - Left Shifter - Tektro RL520; Right shifter - Campagnolo Xenon 10spd (to see how to make this work with the Shimano R/D please click here)
Cables - Gore Sealed Ride-On
Brakes - Cane Creek SCX5
Bar - Deda 40cm wide
Stem - Deda 90mm +/- 8 degree rise
Saddle - Specialized Toupe 130
Seatpost - FSA Alloy with 25mm setback
Pedals - Crank Brothers Eggbeaters

I've had the chance to test this setup on a few mountain bike rides and am really happy with it. Now to get out and prove it on the course and hopefully pilot it to a few wins!

Best
Captain Crunch

The Funniest Guys in the Peleton

Hey Everyone,

So while I may not be racing racing road this year in favor of putting my focus on CX, I'm still a roadie at heart. This month is a great time for fans of pro cycling as both the Tour of Cali and Giro are currently being contested. As I've been following my favorite riders, David Zabriskie, Jens Voigt, and Ted King, it made me realize that these guys are just as much comedians as they are bike racers. I'll link to a tibit from each one.

First we have Ted King. This guys writes and awesome and very snarky blog. Check it out at www.iamtedking.com. Also check out his t-shirt line, I Am NOT Ted King. Someone hacked his Twitter account a few months back and he just took the idea and ran with it. My favorite shirt is the Giro pink one!

Next up is Jens Voigt. One of the hardest working guys in the peleton, it is pretty much universally agreed that he is one rider who is most assuredly racing clean and someone that young fans can look up to. This clip from the documentary "Overcoming" sums up Jens in a nut shell. Remember, when in doubt think "WWJD?" - What Would Jens Do?

Now, my friends, I give you who I think is the funniest guy in the field - David Zabriskie. There is simply too much to say and too many videos to post so I'll put link to the three I think best show the kind of guy he is..
Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3

Hopefully I brought a little laugh to your day. Now I'm off to go watch some Giro coverage.

Best
Captain Crunch

Six-Eleven Bicycle Co.

Hey guys,

I want to introduce you to a great new up-and-coming builder that I had the chance to meet a while back at NAHBS. His name is Aaron Dykstra and he runs Six-Eleven Bicycle Co. He has an awesome story and the inspiration for his bikes is even cooler. Give his site a look. I've already decided that my next road bike and CX bike will be coming out of his workshop sometime over the course of the next two years.

Best
Captain Crunch

I hate flat tires

The Chinese have the "year of the cat" but for me so far it has been the "year of the flat". Four months into the year and I've already accrued 5 flat tires. Today, less then a mile from home I double flated. That's right - two in one shot. I simply turned around coasted back home and took care of it in my driveway and didn't have to waste a CO2 canister. The rest of the ride went off without any problems, except for my paranoia of getting another flat tire. Hopefully things will be better for the rest of the season.

Best!
C C