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Green Mountain Sports CX#1 |
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Written by Rick Noyes
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Sunday, 27 September 2009 |
Green Mountain Sports Cross #1
Littleton, CO
September 19, 2009
The Green Mountain Sports ‘cross was my first race with the Salsa Chili Con Crosso, and well, the first ‘cross race ever for me. After several years of mountain bike racing, I had decided that I needed a way to jump start my desire for racing again. I had spent a bunch of hours commuting on the Con Crosso this summer, but never really used it off-road. The only mod that I did for the coming ‘cross season was convert the Mavic Aksiums to tubeless using the Hutchinson Bulldog and Stan’s sealant, both of which are available here at Bikeman.com. Anyone who is familiar with the supple and bombproof nature of Hutchinson mtb tires will enjoy the Bulldog for ‘cross. They aired up very easily and held the bead well.
Race day was a typical Colorado September day – 80 degrees and dry. Actually, it could have been snowing and still been a typical Colorado September day. But 80 and dry was fine on this fast course near the Jefferson County correctional institute and the county building in Golden. As it was my first ‘cross race, I started dead last in the line-up, thinking that I’d stay out of the way and not drag Bikeman.com name through the mud (or dust in this case). With 70 riders on course at the start, the first lap was a bit of a parade lap, although the top 10 that lined up early could be seen making good time off the front. I passed on every lap and got familiar with the bike. The Con Crosso has a similar feel to the Salsa Mamasita in that the bike wants to charge forward and feels incredibly stable. The bike is definitely confidence-inspiring and the tubeless setup worked well at 35psi. The Bulldogs lost no air during the race, and they remain aired up after sitting for more than a week. My first race was good for a mid-pack finish. Maybe I’ll start up near the front next time, but no matter, as it was the most fun I’ve had racing in the last two years. It is easy to see why many consider ‘cross season their favorite part of the racing year.
Rick
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