Steel City Endurance Racing

Carp boots (before the first bike race)

When you think of Rachel Weaver, you think bike racer, bold sprinter, one of the fastest women on two wheels around Pittsburgh, but if you know Rachel, you also think of cyclocross!!! Last year, at the end of her first road racing season, Rachel got a cyclocross bike, and was one of the first SCE women to race cross, with Coach Suzanne. She raced 3 races that year, enough to whet her appetite and make her hunger for more. So this season, Rachel was an absolute madwoman about cyclocross, and it showed. She excelled technically, and raced at least 3 times as many cyclocross races this season as the last. She and Coach Suzanne were also ‘cross missionaries, bringing many of the team into the fold, and teaching some of the rest of us how to choose the lines, shoulder carry a bike up stairs, and just have fun in the Fall on the bike in the mud! It is only fitting that the last cyclocross race report comes from Rachel, wearer of the carp boots, SCE queen of cyclocross.

Check out Rachel’s race report, and take a look at the cold and snowy course! Racing in December!

Capital ‘Cross Classic

Reston, VA

December 6, 2009

by Rachel Weaver

The Capital ‘Cross Classic in Reston, VA on December 6 was my last ‘cross race of the season.  I had done the race last year so I was looking forward to trying it again to see if I could do better.

I headed down on Saturday with Chris Mayhew (JBV Coaching), Steevo Cummings (IRMC) and Eric Lundgren (Iron City Bikes).

The drive down brought us through some rough weather.  Snow and some icy roads made for a long drive but we arrived in one piece.  I had only been paying attention to the race-day weather and didn’t know that there was going to be about 4 inches of snow to greet us on Sunday morning.

We arrived at the race venue about 8:00 am and there was snow and ice everywhere.  Race organizers were dropping sand on a stretch of pavement that ran over Lake Fairfax to try to provide some traction for the first race at 9:00.

Chris and I walked a bit of the course to try and see where any tricky spots were and the best lines to take.  It was still below freezing so none of the snow had melted so we knew that conditions were going to be dramatically different once the temperature got above freezing.

I did not want to pre-ride the course as there were rivers of water from the melting snow and ice pouring onto the course.  There was a combination of thick mud and watery mud on the course.

My race started at 1:30 and the referee started us at the same time as the Cat 1,2,3 women.  I got a decent start but went down unexpectedly on an off-camber section about 2-3 minutes into the race.  I got up quickly, but several women were able to get by me.  I kept a steady pace as best I could.  There was so much mud, it was difficult to remain upright at times.  There was a muddy, hilly section that I had hoped to ride but I was not able to get too far up the hill until I had to dismount.  I stumbled a bit with the dismount and a few other ladies were able to get around me.  I was able to maintain an effort that I felt was “just hard enough”.  Another girl and I battled back and forth for the entire race.  She was able to beat me on the run-ups but she was a little more cautious on some of the more technical sections and I was able to pass her.  It was only her and I together so I wanted to stay close.  By the third and final lap, she had fallen a few times and I was able to stay in front of her for good.

I didn’t expect too much for this race as I pretty much stopped riding my bike since daylight savings time ended.  I noticed my fitness had dropped dramatically so I just wanted to do my best and have fun.

I had a great time as usual and I can’t wait for next season!