Lightweight Cyclocross bike # 40: Mark's Veloforma

One of the few carbon cyclocross racers in the Plus One Lap Lightweight Cyclocross Gallery is this newest addition from Veloforma. Built up with Sram Force, this thing looks pretty cool, plus I bet the carbon feels pretty pro riding in the rough.

Frame: Veloforma
Fork: Alpha Q
Drivetrain: full sram force
Wheels: Rolf vigors schwalbe tires
Saddle: fizik arione
Seatpost: veloforma slx - carbon post (and no it won't break)
single ring in the front: 42t with a 12x27 in the rear.
Brakes: TRP euro cx brakes

If you have a sub 18 pound cyclocross bike or a handmade one, email it to me at plusonelap at gmail dot com

Kruger's Crossing CX (Portland CX Scene)

Got an email from Kris Schamp regarding the Kruger's race this weekend, the weirdest and coolest thing being the corn maze that racers will have to navigate. Sounds like a fun time, might actually be fairly dry too.

1) Course & Maze:
Last week, I was at the farm to check out the course and the corn maze. Here are some photos of the maze and other parts of the course. With the rainfall of last weekend, there has been some debate whether we should include the corn maze in this year's course. Well, our current plan is as follows: if the maze is ridable on Saturday, we'll design two routes, one around the maze, and a slightly shorter, more technical route (or two) through the maze. Depending on the weather and course conditions on Sunday, we'll decide to run the race over either section. We might also give racers the option to choose either route. And - with or without the maze - we'll make sure the course will be plenty of fun and challenging!

2) Parking:
Like in the past, Kruger's Farm will be charging a $5 parking fee per car, which will be payable when you enter the farm. Please make sure to bring $5 cash (exact change please!), so they can keep the flow going. And since parking at Kruger's Farm is not unlimited (about 500 cars max.), we strongly encourage you to carpool with friends or even better, ride over to the farm on your bike.

3) Food, Beer and Other Goodies:
As always, we'll make sure to take good care of our racers and spectators and make it more than just a race. Salvador Molly's will be at hand to serve gourmet food (incl. hot chili, brats, pretzels and salads). They will also serve serve locally brewed beer (Laurelwood organic red and golden!). Throughout the day, Kruger's Farm Market will be serving FREE Nossa Familia coffee in the farm store and they will also sell hot cider and sodas. In addition, everything in their store will be 20% off, including their popular baskets from Ghana, which make excellent Christmas gifts. To top it off we'll have a bonfire, Cyclosportif's ever-popular waffle stand and FREE karaoke, brought to you by the fine folks at Cyclepath.

4) Awards and FREE Raffle:
In good tradition, we will end the event with awards for Cat A Men and Women and a free raffle for all racers and volunteers. We have some great prizes, including:
- headsets and other cool bike bling, courtesy of perennial local bike race sponsor Chris King.
- gift certificates, donated by Portland's very own Bike Gallery.
- an assortment of Kona beer glasses, a super-cool Kona Longboard, and - our grand prize - a Kona Unit 2-9 singlespeed frame!
We will also have some goodies at hand from our other sponsors Clif Bar and Laurelwood.
Thank you sponsors!

That's it. If you have any questions, check our web site or just shoot me an e-mail. I am looking forward to seeing you all this Sunday at the farm. Let's have a party!

Lightweight Cyclocross bike # 39: Brian's Santa Cruz

The first Santa Cruz cross bike for the +1lap galleries? This is a cool bike, check out the mono stay.

Yo here is one for your galleries. Built this up 3 weeks ago and it is tipping the scales at 16.8. A super sweet machine that races very well. A great start for Santa Cruz in the cross market. $800 is the cost for frame only. These frames are special request only and are not publicized on their website.

08 Santa Cruz Stigmata.

Specs

Stigmata frame - Easton EA6X tubing

Chris King headset

Winwood Carbon Alloy CX fork

Ritchey WCS Axis 4 Stem

Bontrager Race X Lite bars

Shimano XT Canti Brakes (old school)

Blackwell Research 50 Carbon Clinchers

Swiss Stop Yellows

SRAM Rival Team Shifters

SRAM Rival Cranks

SRAM Rear Der

SRAM Front Der

Shimano Dura Ace 12-25 cassette

FSA 36 c-ring

TSA 44 c-ring

Ritchey WCS Carbon post

Selle Italia Max Flite Saddle

Crank Brothers Egg Beaters SL

If you have a sub 18 pound cyclocross bike or a handmade one, email it to me at plusonelap at gmail dot com.

Lightweight Cyclocross Bike #38: Robert's Cannondale

Another sweet Cannondale for the lightweight gallery. Thanks Robert for the submission!

Hey guys here's a 17.3 lb. rig for you.

Cannondale frame with Alpha Q fork.
Deda Newton bar and stem. Deda carbon blackstick seatpost
SRAM Force levers and derailleurs
Spooky Carbon brakes with Swiss Stop yellow pads (if you haven't tried them get 'em next time!)
Fizik Ti Airone saddle
Cannondale cranks with FSA chainrings
Crank Bros. Candy Sl pedals
Zipp 303 with Vittoria tubulars
Dura Ace chain and cassette.

I hadn't owned a Cannondale before this bike and it definitely gets the job done.
Great handling bike, wouldn't change a thing.

Thanks!

If you have a sub 18 pound cyclocross bike or a handmade one email it to me at plusonelap at gmail dot com.

Handmade Cyclocross Bike #22: Michael's Rocklobster

Michael sent in his Rocklobster that almost came out under 18 pounds to put it into both galleries. No matter, this bike looks great. Love that sky blue with the cream panels.

Rock Lobster with Scandium tubing, slight sloping top tube and corners like nothing else

Fork: Easton cx90
Wheels:Ksyrium SL & Hand built wheelset Salsa Delgado rims lace to Chris King Hubs both with Dura Ace 12-25 cassette
Tires:Vittoria Cross XG
Drivetrain: Dura Ace Drive train
Ultregra Chain
FSA 46/38
Brakes: Pauls Touring
Pedals: Shimano XTR
Seatpost: Salsa Shaft
Saddle: Fizik
Stem: Salsa Scandium
Bar: Deda 215
Tape: Deda
Headset: Chris King

Weight 18.2lbs with Ksyrium wheels and 19lbs with Chris King wheels

If you have a sub 18 pound cyclocross bike or a handmade one, email it to me at plusonelap at gmail dot com

My First Cross Race by Jason Autrey

I'm proud to feature a story by Jason Autrey about his first cyclocross race:

What possessed me to think this was a good idea? I mean how does a guy with little to no racing experience decide to race Cross. They don't make low enough categories for guys like me. Unlike mountain or road racing Cross offers little in the way of recovery. Me? I need all the recovery I can get. Not once have I ever considered lactate threshold or ideal heart rate. I simply ride to ride. And to drink beer guilt free.

Several years ago I attended my first cross race as a way to expand my photographic portfolio. I expected to see stereotypical type A's riding around in circles and getting "dirty". I expected great action shots, I never expected to see people just as intent on tapping kegs as making the starting line on time. I certainly did not expect to see people having fun. Yet here were 100s of people who obviously subscribed to my way of thinking. Most of my adult life has been fashioned after two mottos "It doesn't have to be fun to be fun" and "There is such a thing as a good kind of hurt". Needless to say I was intrigued.

Shortly thereafter I purchased my first cross bike. I began to take it on all my local singletrack and the trails came alive. Riding Cross for me was always a ride on the edge of disaster. Cantis instead of discs, 38/26 instead of 22/34. Hook, line, and sinker. I left the racing for the guys with single digit body fat. I was having as much fun as they were and never had to shell out an entry fee.

So then, why am I toeing the line with 30 or so strangers waiting to suffer? Curiosity more than anything. Cycling forums tout the sheer joy and pain of racing cross and in my experience as a spectator I had to agree with them. Plus it was only 45 minutes and who among us cannot suffer for 45 minutes. The thing about time, however, is that it is all relative. For instance 45 minutes on a date with a sultry vixen flys by, conversely 45 minutes with your heart rate pegged and your legs exploding seems to last for days.

Too late to turn back now. No fake mechanical is gonna save my sorry ass. Were off. I sprinted off the line as I wanted to run with the lead pack for at least one lap. Oh well one-tenth of a lap would have to do. By the time I finished the first lap I was worked but had no visions of giving up. By the second lap I wanted to puke. Luckily, I don't bother with such things as cyclocomputers or heart rate monitors. Had I seen what my heart was probably doing I would have more than likely ridden straight to the ER. By the last lap I had reached the "it doesn't have to be fun to be fun" zone. My 5yr old son was propelling me around the course with shouts of "Go, Daddy, go!". How could I disappoint? Unfortunately little boys have no concept of lactic acid and exploding heart rates. All he would understand was daddy quit. So I persevered. The last lap was the best and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. The barriers were no longer obstacles, merely minor inconveniences, my legs no longer hurt, they were just numb. I have no idea what my lap times were but I would guarantee my that last lap was definitely my fastest. And in keeping with Cross the finish line was at the top of the hill. I rolled across somewhere between first and last (closer to last) and right over to my son. "Daddy, did you win?" was all I got.

Biggest lesson learned was that all the technical skills in the world do not make up for a lack of fitness. And while I don't plan on getting a heart rate monitor or cutting back on beer consumption, you can bet you will see me on the line next weekend. If you find yourself off the back in the Cat 4s, say hello. I will more than likely be the guy right behind you.

Adding a rear derailleur mount

Say you have a frame that doesn't have a rear dérailleur hanger. Or maybe yours broke off and you want an easy fix. A cheap/quick fix is to run one of these:



Note you might need to drill into your frame to secure it (ala the little hole in the part above, so it doesnt pivot)

It might not be elegant, but many bikes in the 80's came stocked with this part for derailleured bikes for some reason. Also, it would get you by in a pinch.

Some guy is selling them on Ebay, but I'm sure QBP or BTI or your local LBS could get you one too.

Anyone ever done this with success of failure? Reply in the comments.

Lightweight Cyclocross Bike #37: Dylan's Kona

Dylan sent in his highly customized Kona Major Jake (btw he works for Yakima):

"Like to send you my 17.75lb Kona cross bike. Here's the skinny:

2008 61cm Kona Custom Yakima Edition Jake the Snake
Full SRAM Force
Zipp Carbon Tubular Wheels
Tufo Red/Black Special Edition Tires 2 of 100
Alpha Q CX 20 Carbon Fork
Alpha Q Carbon Post
White Sella Italia Saddle
Kore Brakes and Levers
White Crank Bros Pedals"











If you have a sub 18 pound cyclocross bike or a handmade one, email it to me at plusonelap at gmail dot com

Cheap Weight Tip #14: Custom Canti studs

Sean of Vertigo Cycles sent this one in:

"Do they have to be simple?

Let's say you have a couple of feet of 1/2" O.D. 6/4 Ti bar stock lying
around, some time on your hands access to a lathe. It would also help if
you were an enormous geek. I made some Paul's specific brake mounts for my
Reynolds Ouzo CX fork. The little buggers save 16 grams...unholy."

Basically, Paul's brakes require a metal sleeve. Sean fabricated a canti stud so that you wouldnt need that sleeve. Sweet!





If you have a cheap weight tip email it to me at plusonelap at gmail dot com

Cheap Weight Tip #13: Campy lever mod

Rachel sent in this tip:

I just recently discovered your site off a link from race.cx I have really enjoyed reading through the site. You have some great content.

Here's a tip for the weight savvy 'crosser...

If riding Campy with a single chain ring, you can easily convert a regular ergo lever into a lighter weight and cheaper alternative than buying a Record brake lever. (which are the only brake levers currently available from Campy.) Of course you could also use a cheap aero lever from Cane Creek which has the same hood shape, but why ditch the Campy if you don't have to?





Remove all of the shifter gut as well as the thumb lever. I used a 5mm spacer and cut out a chunk so that it fit nicely in the spot where the thumb lever once went. If you're really a fanatic, you could drill the spacer. If you aren't particular about how it feels, just leave it empty for an even lighter set-up.

Anyhow, make sure the altered spacer fits in nicely, and then cover it with electrical tape. Wrap the remaining area around the shifter pod with double-sided tape or carpet seam tape for ultimate hold. The hood is prone to slip without the thumb lever in place. Be careful to ensure there is not tape covering any of the three holes intended for the notches on the inside of the hood. Carefully place the hood into position and you have a sleeker, lighter bike.



If you have a cheap weight tip email it to me at plusonelap at gmail dot com

Bad ass deeeeeeep cross brake hanger

Not my auction, but a pretty bad ass front hanger on Ebay right now. We discussed this on RBR a few years ago when someone asked what hanger Bart Wellens was running. Now you can buy one. Cool.

Here's a cool pic of Wellens but not a great pic of his gold front cable hanger.



Doesnt look like he's still using it. Maybe he decided to drop a few grams?

And the winner is...

Ryan L. from New Hampshire for his submission of the Arione trimming. It saved some weight, made the saddle more cross friendly and just looks really pro.

Thanks Ryan, your shirt's in the mail.

There are some more submissions that will be entered in November's contest for the best cheap weight tips. So keep them coming in. plusonelap at gmail dot com

Cyclocross Magazine

Got my copy of CX Magazine last week and had breakfast with one its creators, Andrew Yee, yesterday. The mag looks great for a first copy and talking with Andrew yesterday was cool too. We of course discussed bikes and the direction of the mag amongst other things.

If you picked up a copy of the first issue, you read my first article on dropping weight from your rig. I'm working on the next part in the series for issue #2. Andrew reported that their hopes are to have issue 2 out by Xmas.

If you haven't subscribed, its only $12 for 4 issues. Subscribe now.

New Layout

I decided it was time for a change in the layout of Plus One Lap. I will slowly be adding more features to the site. Thanks for reading.

Lightweight Cross Bike #36: Eric's Merlin

Eric sent in his Merlin cyclocross bike. This thing looks like it rocks.

Eric reports: "It weighs... 16-17 lbs (I used a poor quality analog scale that was imprecise) and rocks."



Merlin custom cyclocross frame (55 cm virtual top tube, 31.8 mm seat tube diameter)
Easton EC90X fork
Chris King headset
Shimano Dura Ace 7800 crank
Single 40 tooth Salsa chainring
CyclocrossWorld Wetzikon chainring guard
Jump Start chain deflector
Mavic Ksyrium ES wheels
Michelin Mud 2 tires
Bontrager tubes
Shimano Ultegra 12-27 cassette
Shimano Dura Ace chain
Ritchey WCS Logic Bars (42 cm)
Ritchey WCS 4Axis Stem (100 mm)
Thomson Elite seatpost
Ritchey WCS Streem saddle
Crank Brothers Egg Beater SL pedals
Shimano Dura Ace 7800 rear derailleur
Shimano Dura Ace 7801 right lever
Shimano R400 left lever
Radius top mount brake levers (I suck)
Cane Creek SCX-5 brakes
SwissStop RX GHP brake pads (these rule)
IRD Long cable hanger
Deda bar tape

If you have a lightweight cyclocross bike or a custom made one, email it to me at plusonelap at gmail dot com

Dual Gallery bike: Mark's Primus Mootry

Another dual gallery bike (Custom and under 18 pounds) is Mark Legg-Compton's (Mr. Katie Compton) bike. This bike is #21 in the Custom Gallery and #35 in the Lightweight Gallery.


Frame: Primus Mootry Tenbosse-X carbon3. Custom geometry Carbon 3 main tubes with Scandium tubing

Fork: Reynolds Ouzo Pro Cross

Wheels: Rol CX 38 carbon tubulars. DT Swiss 240 hubs, Sapim CX-Ray spokes, 20F, 24R
Rol D'Huez clincher wheels

Tires: Dugast Rhino by CyclocrossWorld.com 32mm
WTB CrossWolf Clincher 32mm

Drivetrain:
Campagnolo Record QS 10spd Shifters
Campagnolo Record Rear Derailleur with Enduro Ceramic pulley wheels
Campagnolo Record QS Front Derailleur
Campagnolo Record 13-26 cassette
Campagnolo Chorus Crankset, 34/46 175mm
Campagnolo Record Bottom Bracket with Enduro Ceramic sealed bearings

Brakes
TRP CR950 cantilevers
TRP RL 950 brake levers

Pedals
Crank Bros 4Ti Eggbeaters

Seatpost
Thomson Masterpiece 27.2

Saddle
WTB Silverado Ti

Stem
Thomson Elite X2 110mm

Bar
Deda Newton 42cc

Tape
Deda

Headset
Cane Creek Solos

Extras
3rd Eye chain Watcher
IRD Long drop brake hanger
Enduro Ceramic Bearings

Weight sub 17lbs



If you have a sub 18 pound bike or a custom tailored one, email it to me at plusonelap at gmail dot com