This post is going to be a bit of a Mullet. Business at the front, party at the back. So on to the business of SSCX. Which as PDX is reminding us is serious business! Which is hugely ironic if you consider that New England the epicenter of serious bike racing is becoming a haven for chill, fun SSCX racing. I will avoid a rant because we have so much to cover today but I don't need a website to establish that SSCX is real racing. The Zank SSCX series was created as a legit race series. Sure we have fun and we always welcome everyone but like this post it has always been business at the front and party at the back. And honestly the only race that is a party race is Ice Weasels. The rest are USAC full tilt boogies. I love that it has become really competitive without losing its fun and sense of community. So I will leave it at that. First rule of the Zank series is everyone is welcome. Second rule is we race the SSCX bikes til we can't see straight. And then we hang out and party.
The first race of the Zank SSCX series p/b Mad Alchemy will be at Quad CX on 9/11. We have a few new twists. One is the introduction of the race leaders denim vest. Yes you heard that right. Inspired by a legion of metal fans the overall points leader of the men's and women's Zank SSCX series will be awarded the leaders denim vest after each race. Yes this will probably tax my ADHD brain to do quick points crunches after each race but it will be worth it. Maybe like the Stanley Cup we will create a group of keepers of the vest to ensure it is safe and sound. But until then some basic tenants. The leader is awarded the vest. The leader needs to add something to the vest before the next race. It can be a patch, button, safety pin, bedazzling. Anything. Just be creative. The leader must bring the vest to the next race. If the leader cannot make the next race the leader must give it to someone to bring to the next event. At the end of the season the two overall winners can keep the vests. Cool?
And on to more business. Ok this may be more a party post. Not sure. As the title implies I hold Stan's on high as some faction of the Dark Arts. I suspect Snape concocted the original formula for some muggles as a favor. Or perhaps for a fee. Anyone who mountain bikes is all in with tubeless. Maybe there are a few holdouts. But the system is so dialed and the advantages so obvious that any serious mountain biker is running tubeless. Sure things can go bad as I learned at Adam's Farm with my sidewall cut. But that was more a factor of thin sidewalls than a tubeless problem. I forget who commented at the race that Stan's "doesn't work" Hey we all have been let down by something failing. But saying Stan's doesn't work is just silly.
For example, I am almost all in on going full road/CX tubeless. This is a bit of uncharted territory and we all have heard horror stories. But the wheels and tires have come a long way. As long as you stick with tubeless rims and tubeless tires you are pretty much good to go. Its when you start going DIY that things get weird. I honestly would never use a non-tubeless tire or rim on a tubeless CX or road set up. Stan's rims just work too well to mess with it. The rims aren't perfect. God knows I have beaten my Grails to hell. They have so many dents from running 25 psi on rocky trails I have given up counting them. But the rims still hold air. So who cares.
Here is why I like tubeless. There have been more than a few times lately where I hit some glass or something and Stan's sealant is literally shooting everywhere out of the tire. And whether out of laziness, stubbornness or faith I just kept riding. One of the ways to seal a hole in a tire with Stan's is to shake the whole tire around anyway so rolling with a puncture is basically the same thing. I had this happen in Cutler this past week. By the time I got out to the road the tire had sealed.
Basically I have formed a system for dealing with punctures with tubeless. Step one: Ignore it. Step two: Stop and hit it with the pump Step three: Stop and hit it with Co2. Rinse and repeat until you get home. You don't need to even take the wheel off once you get home. Just peel off a bit of the bead from the tire and put a scoop of Stan's in and pump the tire up. I have so many Stan's scabs in my tires it is ridiculous. Sometimes they tear off and Stan's starts spurting out. I just go through the steps and end up ignoring it til the bleeding stops.
Ok the new #CXiscoming patches are sort of equal parts business and party. The whole patch idea comes from the non-stop party that is CX. And HUP's enthusiasm for CX and fun and cupcakes. Alex Carlson did the awesome art for us. We have a limited amount of patches. If you would like one paypal $5 to velocb@mac.com. Or look for one at the HUP Deathstar at a race or ride near you. You know where to find me let's face it. I will be at D2R2 and will bring some with me. I love patches. One of these bad boys will be going on the ZSSCX leader's denim vests. This CX season is feeling different. Not sure why. Maybe it is that so many teams are already so hyped. We had a Night Weasels meeting in July! That is mind-boggling. And Speaking of Night Weasels we have some pretty cool news to unveil in the coming weeks. But August is pretty much adventure season. At least for me. The NEBRA Adventure ride was a great way to kick off August. D2R2 is this weekend. Then August ends with VT Overland. I have been in full #filetreadlifestyle. The Triggers have been awesome. I had one big crash doing some CX enduro but in general I am learning the boundaries of file treads. I guess maybe I have gotten a bit smarter in my old age. Doubtful but that is my hope.
Ok party people. I hope to see you out on some crazy adventure ride soon. Lots of cool stuff coming. Keep the rubber side down and the plastic side up.
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