I have a K-Edge computer mount that has a GoPro/Garmin Virb compatible mount underneath. So the camera sits under and in front of the stem, dead center on the bike.
Eddie,
Don’t know if you’ve heard through the CCC grapevine, but a few teammates and myself recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for a direct stem mount with compatibility for cycling computers, GoPro cameras and phones. (the GoPro accessory comes with it free to all backers) Check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1187300751/formmount-bicycle-computer-mount
Please feel free to reach out with any questions at: f3cycling.com
-Mike
I wish we could Eddie, but we just hit our Kickstarter goall today and will begin production. We are shooting for end of year to deliver to all backers. We believe it’ll be worth the wait.
Great course design PSIMET crew! Loved the hard off camber, tough climbs, and run-ups. We are getting really spoiled with the beautiful weather this year!
Its Monday and literally every part of my body hurts. A sure sign that I raced a Rob Curtis designed CX course the day prior. Hats off on that one. That is truly some off-camber madness for the record books.
This is that Junior’s dad. Thanks your concern Rob, Jonathan is recovering quickly and is already back on the bike. Fortunately it was just bruising. He’ll be racing on Saturday.
What happened was that on the downhill switchbacks a rider above him going the opposite direction crashed and his momentum carried him into lane below and into Jonathan who was setting up for his turn on the high side of his lane. Jonathan was looking into his turn and never saw him coming.
I know you didn’t ask about that part but i wanted to get that out there to the course designers to plan for some buffer between lanes on downhill switch backs to prevent these types of collisions.
What’s the point of USAC having MANDATORY upgrades if they’re not going to enforce them. Looking at you Cat4s. Some of you guys are WAY over the limit and have been for a few races now.
Just for the sake of discussion: Whats the point in having a season long points competition for Cat 4 and 4/5 if the contenders are going to be force upgraded halfway through?
Signed, a cat 4 racer who would probably benefit from those sandbaggers moving to the 3’s but who also understands that they probably want their shot at the overall first.
The category has nothing to do with it…a Cat3 rider in the same situation would also need to upgrade. It’s why we have points, it’s why we have categories….
Cat 5 to 4: Experience in 10 races is a mandatory upgrade.
Cat 4 to 3: Voluntary upgrade with 10 points. Fifteen points or two wins if the field had at least 30 competitors is a mandatory upgrade.*
Cat 3 to 2: Voluntary upgrade with 15 points. Twenty points or two wins if the field had at least 30 competitors is a mandatory upgrade.*
Cat 2 to 1: Voluntary upgrade with 20 points. Twenty-five points or two wins if the field had at least 40 competitors is a mandatory upgrade.
I stopped racing in Cat 4/5 after I upgraded to Cat 4. I feel like 4/5 (actually just Cat 5) should be a true beginner category.
I’m old enough to remember Citizen Class.
USA Cycling has a provision for the issue Zach is asking about:
(c) Riders who are more than halfway through a series may request a waiver of a mandatory upgrade so that they may finish out the series under the conditions below:
(i) The series is covered by a single permit and one race director.
(ii) The request is approved by the race series director and USA Cycling.
(iii) The waiver is granted for a maximum of three event days.
(iv) Such a waiver may only be used once per rider per category.
Brandon,
Thanks for pointing out the USAC rule which we are aware of.
Unfortunately this rule does not actually apply since each CCC race is hosted by a different promoter and under a separate USAC permit (aside from ILR). Hence the hybrid approach to how we approach rider upgrades.
Sandbagging is a longstanding Midwest tradition. And cycling is all about tradition. FOMU – fear of moving up. No way that riders getting top 10 or top 5 in fields of 100 and beating many cat 2 roadies could possible be ready for a higher level of competition.
Ha, yes. Definitely seems to be a hot topic halfway through the season. CAT 4 (until USAC emails me back) here and I hit 15 points on the nose Sunday and contacted USAC about an upgrade this morning. It’s unfair to anybody else not to. Only a couple of my points came from the 4’s only racing, but it’s so dang hard to do any better than that when there’s REALLY good guys racing each week. I don’t really want to go to CAT 3 because 1) the timing of the 3’s race conflicts with my Sunday schedule and 2) I really had hoped to get a podium in a 4 race before upgrading, but I suppose the rules/guidelines are there for a reason.
I have heard the argument that points from the 4/5 race shouldn’t count towards upgrades (or weighted differently) for 4’s, so some may be operating on that idea. I don’t agree with that. 5’s would (almost) never get points if that was the case. It does suck that points don’t go deeper for bigger fields of racers. There should be more points for 75+ or 100+. That’s a USAC problem. 5th place in 55 riders sure feels harder than 5th place in 125 riders.
It’s also tough to snag those hard-to-get upgrade points when there’s guys refusing to upgrade and constantly taking the upgrade points they don’t need/want. You really gotta want that upgrade in order to race back to back and snag points when you can.
The “Series Champion” is also part of the problem for people not upgrading. That’s on CCC. Either enforce/strongly encourage upgrades by calling people out or don’t do Series Champion standing for the lower ranks.
That being said, CCC does a really good job overall. PSIMET did a really good job Sunday too. The fact that CCC is very well run, very fun, and has good partners means I keep driving over Rockford and will keep trying to push more ‘off-season’ CX races in Rockford to emulate the fun and comradery I get to experience in the Fall.
We here at the series don’t “call people out”. We evaluate the entire situation and speak with riders individually about their racing future. We also have a great working relationship with the USAC upgrade coordinator and communicate often to determine what makes the most sense for those rides.
Believe it or now we actually review all the results every week and keep an eye on those Cat 3’s and 4’s that are close to upgrading. If its egregious and riders are winning every week by large margins, we are not afraid to make strong recommendations, but we also encourage riders to request the upgrade themselves, which almost all of them have done. Riders winning consistently by >1 minute are a lot different than riders barely winning a sprint and then placing 7th or 8th the next week.
Also consider that over the years we have seen more than a few riders who technically had the points but upgraded before they were really ready. Similar to how Juniors are exempt from the mandatory upgrade rule, we’d rather have riders around for the long term than upgrade too fast, get discouraged, and stop racing all together. There is value in learning how to win before getting spit out the back of the faster category.
We would also ask everyone that if you are going to point out racers that need to upgrade you should also cheer for them even harder in the next category once they make the jump up.
I apologize if I came off as complaining about how you guys run things. I’m not. You’re the gold standard as far as I’m concerned. Again, I really admire what you’re doing. As a compliance guy during the week, I firmly believe that there’s no point in having a system if you (USAC) aren’t going to follow/enforce it. I did not know that you (as a series) “speak with riders individually about their racing future” and “make strong recommendations” to upgrade when they are killing it instead of keeping quiet or publicly calling them out. I am not good enough to have had that opportunity for a one-on-one chat with you guys, so this is the first I have heard of it. Kudos to you. That’s probably best policy.
You make a great final point. I would much rather make friends than enemies at these events and will continue to cheer on the guys we’re all thinking of. The few times I have gotten to ride WITH them instead of behind them has been awesome. They force you to be on your game. They (and many others) are very strong and talented riders. I would cheer harder for them if they moved up. There’s a system in place for a reason and most people follow it. Playing by the rules makes it better for everybody as a whole. Plus I don’t want to have to race 4/5 for points anymore. The spectators have been a little over the top the past couple weeks between pouring water on the first switchback section at Groundhog and throwing candy/food at riders at Campton Hills.
The best solution is probably to quit worrying about others, cobble together a single speed and join the group that looks to be having the most amount of fun.
She said she threw it away because it was thought to be poisoned since it came from her direct competition….
Just kidding of course, I just heard it was good, really good…
We want to thank Psimet for hosting #psicx. We thought the new course was fabulous both as a racer and as photographers. We always appreciate when promoters change up the course, as it giving us new perspectives and vantage points to find your best angle. Photographing the same course year after year is as tedious as racing them. We also noticed and appreciated the increased number of “portable bathroom facility units” especially the 2 oversized/stroller/handicap units.
We wanted to say thanks to all the people who stopped by to introduce themselves and thank us for our work. We appreciate your kind words more than you can know.
Personal and commercial licenses can be purchased for all photos in our galleries for use on social media or the web. You can also order physical prints on a number of different mediums (we recommend “metal”) and tchotchkes to commemorate your moment of greatness or a really great fail.
One of our favorites stories is of a racer who ordered a print of their nemesis on a coffee mug to serve as a daily reminder of why they were up so early practicing and training.
As always, feel free to send us your comments, needs or suggestions.
I stayed for a bit after my race and took some pics of the cat 4’s hopping the barrier on the first lap. There were a couple stumbles but no falls! Good work!
feel free to like, share, download, and use for whatever
Went tp Emricson Park today as a spectator, great event, great course, an all out great day. Conrats!
Thank you Psimet for a great day! Your volunteers were awesome and the course was cool! Well Done!
Team INTENT thanks you!
Here’s some carnage from the Cat 4 and Cat 4/5 races: https://youtu.be/sJWAf_7z60M
Video of the Cat4 race: https://youtu.be/t3gI7Q2CYas
How many 4s DNS’d the 4/5 race? That was a tough course.
Nice video, how do you set up your gopro so that it doesn’t show the hoods from the handlebar?
I have a K-Edge computer mount that has a GoPro/Garmin Virb compatible mount underneath. So the camera sits under and in front of the stem, dead center on the bike.
Awesome, thanks!
Eddie,
Don’t know if you’ve heard through the CCC grapevine, but a few teammates and myself recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for a direct stem mount with compatibility for cycling computers, GoPro cameras and phones. (the GoPro accessory comes with it free to all backers) Check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1187300751/formmount-bicycle-computer-mount
Please feel free to reach out with any questions at: f3cycling.com
-Mike
Yes ^^^ this also looks cool, and I’m glad to see you’ve added the camera attachment accessory.
Can I get one by this weekend? 😛
I wish we could Eddie, but we just hit our Kickstarter goall today and will begin production. We are shooting for end of year to deliver to all backers. We believe it’ll be worth the wait.
Great course design PSIMET crew! Loved the hard off camber, tough climbs, and run-ups. We are getting really spoiled with the beautiful weather this year!
Pics from all throughout the day are here – https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102257525782407.1073741843.37616672&type=1&l=5b52d6eac2
Its Monday and literally every part of my body hurts. A sure sign that I raced a Rob Curtis designed CX course the day prior. Hats off on that one. That is truly some off-camber madness for the record books.
Hey does anyone know how the junior is doing that was hurt during the 15-18 race? If you know him please give him our best from Team Bicycle Heaven
This is that Junior’s dad. Thanks your concern Rob, Jonathan is recovering quickly and is already back on the bike. Fortunately it was just bruising. He’ll be racing on Saturday.
What happened was that on the downhill switchbacks a rider above him going the opposite direction crashed and his momentum carried him into lane below and into Jonathan who was setting up for his turn on the high side of his lane. Jonathan was looking into his turn and never saw him coming.
I know you didn’t ask about that part but i wanted to get that out there to the course designers to plan for some buffer between lanes on downhill switch backs to prevent these types of collisions.
Cat 4
https://youtu.be/XbMD9BhI7IU
Cat 4/5
https://youtu.be/Adw6E3nObCM
What’s the point of USAC having MANDATORY upgrades if they’re not going to enforce them. Looking at you Cat4s. Some of you guys are WAY over the limit and have been for a few races now.
Agreed, typically becomes topic of conversation about this time of year. What’s the point in calling them mandatory if nobody enforces?
Just for the sake of discussion: Whats the point in having a season long points competition for Cat 4 and 4/5 if the contenders are going to be force upgraded halfway through?
Signed, a cat 4 racer who would probably benefit from those sandbaggers moving to the 3’s but who also understands that they probably want their shot at the overall first.
The category has nothing to do with it…a Cat3 rider in the same situation would also need to upgrade. It’s why we have points, it’s why we have categories….
Cat 5 to 4: Experience in 10 races is a mandatory upgrade.
Cat 4 to 3: Voluntary upgrade with 10 points. Fifteen points or two wins if the field had at least 30 competitors is a mandatory upgrade.*
Cat 3 to 2: Voluntary upgrade with 15 points. Twenty points or two wins if the field had at least 30 competitors is a mandatory upgrade.*
Cat 2 to 1: Voluntary upgrade with 20 points. Twenty-five points or two wins if the field had at least 40 competitors is a mandatory upgrade.
Im aware of the rules. I was just positing a reason why riders wouldnt take upgrades and why officials may not strictly enforce the rule.
I stopped racing in Cat 4/5 after I upgraded to Cat 4. I feel like 4/5 (actually just Cat 5) should be a true beginner category.
I’m old enough to remember Citizen Class.
USA Cycling has a provision for the issue Zach is asking about:
(c) Riders who are more than halfway through a series may request a waiver of a mandatory upgrade so that they may finish out the series under the conditions below:
(i) The series is covered by a single permit and one race director.
(ii) The request is approved by the race series director and USA Cycling.
(iii) The waiver is granted for a maximum of three event days.
(iv) Such a waiver may only be used once per rider per category.
Brandon,
Thanks for pointing out the USAC rule which we are aware of.
Unfortunately this rule does not actually apply since each CCC race is hosted by a different promoter and under a separate USAC permit (aside from ILR). Hence the hybrid approach to how we approach rider upgrades.
Sandbagging is a longstanding Midwest tradition. And cycling is all about tradition. FOMU – fear of moving up. No way that riders getting top 10 or top 5 in fields of 100 and beating many cat 2 roadies could possible be ready for a higher level of competition.
Ha, yes. Definitely seems to be a hot topic halfway through the season. CAT 4 (until USAC emails me back) here and I hit 15 points on the nose Sunday and contacted USAC about an upgrade this morning. It’s unfair to anybody else not to. Only a couple of my points came from the 4’s only racing, but it’s so dang hard to do any better than that when there’s REALLY good guys racing each week. I don’t really want to go to CAT 3 because 1) the timing of the 3’s race conflicts with my Sunday schedule and 2) I really had hoped to get a podium in a 4 race before upgrading, but I suppose the rules/guidelines are there for a reason.
I have heard the argument that points from the 4/5 race shouldn’t count towards upgrades (or weighted differently) for 4’s, so some may be operating on that idea. I don’t agree with that. 5’s would (almost) never get points if that was the case. It does suck that points don’t go deeper for bigger fields of racers. There should be more points for 75+ or 100+. That’s a USAC problem. 5th place in 55 riders sure feels harder than 5th place in 125 riders.
It’s also tough to snag those hard-to-get upgrade points when there’s guys refusing to upgrade and constantly taking the upgrade points they don’t need/want. You really gotta want that upgrade in order to race back to back and snag points when you can.
The “Series Champion” is also part of the problem for people not upgrading. That’s on CCC. Either enforce/strongly encourage upgrades by calling people out or don’t do Series Champion standing for the lower ranks.
That being said, CCC does a really good job overall. PSIMET did a really good job Sunday too. The fact that CCC is very well run, very fun, and has good partners means I keep driving over Rockford and will keep trying to push more ‘off-season’ CX races in Rockford to emulate the fun and comradery I get to experience in the Fall.
Patrick. thanks for your comments.
We here at the series don’t “call people out”. We evaluate the entire situation and speak with riders individually about their racing future. We also have a great working relationship with the USAC upgrade coordinator and communicate often to determine what makes the most sense for those rides.
Believe it or now we actually review all the results every week and keep an eye on those Cat 3’s and 4’s that are close to upgrading. If its egregious and riders are winning every week by large margins, we are not afraid to make strong recommendations, but we also encourage riders to request the upgrade themselves, which almost all of them have done. Riders winning consistently by >1 minute are a lot different than riders barely winning a sprint and then placing 7th or 8th the next week.
Also consider that over the years we have seen more than a few riders who technically had the points but upgraded before they were really ready. Similar to how Juniors are exempt from the mandatory upgrade rule, we’d rather have riders around for the long term than upgrade too fast, get discouraged, and stop racing all together. There is value in learning how to win before getting spit out the back of the faster category.
We would also ask everyone that if you are going to point out racers that need to upgrade you should also cheer for them even harder in the next category once they make the jump up.
Thanks,
The CCC Series Directors
Awesome reply.
I apologize if I came off as complaining about how you guys run things. I’m not. You’re the gold standard as far as I’m concerned. Again, I really admire what you’re doing. As a compliance guy during the week, I firmly believe that there’s no point in having a system if you (USAC) aren’t going to follow/enforce it. I did not know that you (as a series) “speak with riders individually about their racing future” and “make strong recommendations” to upgrade when they are killing it instead of keeping quiet or publicly calling them out. I am not good enough to have had that opportunity for a one-on-one chat with you guys, so this is the first I have heard of it. Kudos to you. That’s probably best policy.
You make a great final point. I would much rather make friends than enemies at these events and will continue to cheer on the guys we’re all thinking of. The few times I have gotten to ride WITH them instead of behind them has been awesome. They force you to be on your game. They (and many others) are very strong and talented riders. I would cheer harder for them if they moved up. There’s a system in place for a reason and most people follow it. Playing by the rules makes it better for everybody as a whole. Plus I don’t want to have to race 4/5 for points anymore. The spectators have been a little over the top the past couple weeks between pouring water on the first switchback section at Groundhog and throwing candy/food at riders at Campton Hills.
The best solution is probably to quit worrying about others, cobble together a single speed and join the group that looks to be having the most amount of fun.
I just want to know one thing: how good were the pies? please describe
Your teammate got one? She didn’t share?
She said she threw it away because it was thought to be poisoned since it came from her direct competition….
Just kidding of course, I just heard it was good, really good…
Through mine in the oven as soon as I got home! So tasty.
Threw*
We want to thank Psimet for hosting #psicx. We thought the new course was fabulous both as a racer and as photographers. We always appreciate when promoters change up the course, as it giving us new perspectives and vantage points to find your best angle. Photographing the same course year after year is as tedious as racing them. We also noticed and appreciated the increased number of “portable bathroom facility units” especially the 2 oversized/stroller/handicap units.
We wanted to say thanks to all the people who stopped by to introduce themselves and thank us for our work. We appreciate your kind words more than you can know.
Pics from Groundhog’s Day can be found here:
http://www.snowymountainphotography.com/Sports/Cyclocross/2016-Cyclocross/CCC1607PsiCX/
We can be contacted via email: Flash@snowymountainphotography.com,
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snowymountainphotography/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/SnowyMountainPhotography/ or Twitter: https://twitter.com/SnowyMtnPhoto.
Personal and commercial licenses can be purchased for all photos in our galleries for use on social media or the web. You can also order physical prints on a number of different mediums (we recommend “metal”) and tchotchkes to commemorate your moment of greatness or a really great fail.
One of our favorites stories is of a racer who ordered a print of their nemesis on a coffee mug to serve as a daily reminder of why they were up so early practicing and training.
As always, feel free to send us your comments, needs or suggestions.
All our best,
Nathan and Morleigh
I stayed for a bit after my race and took some pics of the cat 4’s hopping the barrier on the first lap. There were a couple stumbles but no falls! Good work!
feel free to like, share, download, and use for whatever
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1290727094305143.1073741838.100001035931058&type=1&l=957ae56016
Masters 35+ https://youtu.be/oUImyfIA8Mo
Masters 45+ https://youtu.be/EG4SGLl4bV4
Masters 45+ full race. Great course design! THANKS ROB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKwKuf1i6tw