I haven’t been blogging much, but neither have you!

So here is some reverse chronology for you:

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This past week-end (Jan31-Feb1) was the UCI Cyclocross World Championship races in some place I can’t spell or say in the Netherlands. We all know I love me some time spent in the nether regions, but Verča had some yoga seminar on Saturday and driving 8 hours 45 minutes each way for a scant few 45 and 60 minute bike races seemed silly, plus the World Champs will be about 35 minutes away next year in Tábor, here in the Great Czech Republic. I could probably go on about diesel prices here (that even at all time low) are still 2.5-3 times higher than in the US even though (somehow the US of A’s dollar is quite strong now and) the glorious Czech crown is in the tank, but I won’t, so we’ll leave it at that…

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Anyway, Sunday was the UCI Elite men’s and women’s races, so Verča and I decided to honor it, czech-style (like old pueblo-style, only colder and with less weed.)

We linked together a road ride out of a few familiar sections that tie together some of our fairer weather mountain bike trails. What Verča didn’t realize is that I had been riding a bit more recently and knew good and well that there is no such thing as a road ride in the Czech Republic in January or February.
It’s pretty much all cyclocross here now!

the missus riding a snow covered bike path

We had mud.
We had snow.
We had mud and snow.
We even had ice and snow.
(luckily no mud, ice, and snow! not sure if we could have handled that.)

Verča riding along still

suprisingly it took me like 6 tries to get us both in the frame. (as you can tell by my look of astonishment!) which I blame on the thicker winter gloves.

Verča crossing it up along the river on the way home. As you can see, she was channelling Marianne Vos

but she is truly her own smart ass self!

Verča wasn’t too happy with the last 205 meters of cobbles just before home on the cross bike, as her wrists were tired from yoga the day before and some long hairy braking sections on the day (where she has a tendency to over brake.[veronika's eds. note: i wouldn't over brake if the damnit bike would slow down when I need it!]) I had to remind her that it was the first and last section of my fixie commute to work, and that it is our last section at the end of nearly all mountain rides (which apparently doesn’t bother her on the squishy bike!)

at the end of the ride my bike was muddy, but not nearly as bad as the day before, when it was too dark to photograph

I was pretty happy. We were relatively clean, warm, and dry when we got home. And not dark yet.
(read on to see relative to what.)

so about 40km & ~3hours on cobbles, asphalt, dirt path, and crusher run
with starting out Sunny (for 10 minutes) then total overcast with a high temp of -3.3 °C

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Saturday was the Junior and U23 WCXChamps so I saddled up the XMY♡ and headed out with a youthful vigor while Verča went to a yoga clinic somewhere warm.

I opted to take Ole’ No. 7 out with James recommended Ruffy Tuffy 28′s for the first half of a favorite urban mountain bike ride with a road (but marked bicycle route) connection and the riverside city bike path finish. I thought I could hammer it since I was alone with no problems.

In the first section of single track I crashed hard going about 35km/hr right as it was about to dump me back onto the street. Apparently all that pretty snow was covering the sheets of ice from a thaw we had a few weeks ago. Out on dryish asphalt I was fine again and put the ice behind me. 200 meters down the road and 10 meters in the next section of trail and I was laying on the ice again this time on the other side for a balanced aching effect.

It was pretty much a skating rink.

Needless to say I slowed down on the trail.

But it was a beautiful ride and quiet. (not too many people out and very few if any tire tracks in parts.)
A few old ladies stepped out of the way and made jovial comments as I rode down steep trails sheeted in ice.

I managed to not lay down on the ground again (or maybe only one other time) but definitely benefit from those Sidi toe spikes. (Why is it that I don’t have studded tires? Not even I can answer that one!)

On the road section there was some welcome adventure as well.
It seems the construction of a new beltway with a few tunnels and spectacular bridges around the south of Prague resulted in the closure of the road the bike path was on, to make way for the highway construction. So I got to have about 1km of ground roughed up by dump trucks and track loaders then hard frozen over, followed by 500m of active winter dirt construction access road, which we all know means a thin coating of slippery mud (awesome!), followed by about 5km of soupy paved road (as there are few if any silt fences or rock tracking pads on czech sites.)

the bike in its natural habitat, come f-ed up trail out of season

Needless to say the Clark Custom Cycles XMY♡ Ole’ No. 7 looks good in its campy record (pre-11 shenanigans) livery covered in snow and mud.

plenty of clearence in the AlphaQ even paked with snow

clark custom down tube logo, protected from the elements inside the front triangle

record works even when it's cold!

As for the build: The AlphaQ fork is very stiff to the point of being rough at times. The Campy Khamsin wheels with weirdo G3 lacing (which really only makes sense in the rear wheel) are quite stiff as well and have proved admirably durable. The Panaracer Ruffy Tuffy 28′s measure up just shy of 26mm mounted and are really just a road tire (but one durable enough for my stupid adventures.) I’d like something more like Verča’s big 35mm Paselas for true on and off road adventuring and exploring. The Nitto Randoneur bars are pretty but completely inappropriate on this bike. Their drop is too small for my medium-big hands, hand positions on the tops and hoods are narrow and yield a twitchy instability on a fast handling cross bike. They are more suited for a relaxed head angle, high rise stem, loaded lowrider pannier equipped forked touring bike, where the curvy shape will make for nice hand positions. I am thinking that I will try either a bell lap or another Midge. So I love the Fizik saddle. White synthetic leather Arione is sweet, and the matching pseudo leather perforated white bar tape is nice and tacky (more ways then one?!) but it’s pretty much a gray color now, strangely similar to road spray?

As an added note, it is amazing the quality of shifting you get from a complete campy drive train (with the bling of a gold KMC chain.) I highly recommend it.

classic czech open field crossings, luckily the ruts were frozen solid

so about 65km & 3.5hours on cobbles, asphalt, crusher run paths, single track, and a construction site
with it totally overcast & light freezing rain, avg. temp of -1.7 °C, & a nice 45km/hr wind out of the north