I’ve finally got my cyclocross bike together.  For those who aren’t familiar, at first glance it looks like a road bike, but there are several important differences.

The frame geometry is slightly different to provide more clearance between the wheels and the frame.

The bike uses mountain bike pedals
(in this case a variation on mountain pedals with a bigger surface area to push against while you’re not clipped in)

And also mountain shoes rather than road shoes

Complete with tread and spikes for running in the dirt and mud.

Probably the two biggest differences – cantilever brakes to provide extra stopping power and clearance around the wheels for mud, and knobby tires wider than a standard road tire.

That’s the cleanest you’ll ever see the bike again, more than likely.  I took it out yesterday to Mt. Tabor with some teammates, where I proceeded to learn the basics of the cross dismount, shouldering the bike, and remounting the bike.  Once you get good at it,  you can dismount into a full-on run while shouldering the bike, and take a flying leap still at running pace to get back on the bike.  I’m not that fast yet, but I got a pretty good rhythm going towards the end of the day.  Now I just need to do it more so it becomes habit and my form doesn’t fly out the window in my first cross race (whenever that may be).

Today I started out on a road ride with several friends and managed to have two flats within the first several miles of the ride.  I called it a day and hopped the MAX back home.  I still wanted to get out for a ride though (in a moderate downpour at times – I’m crazy), so I pulled out the cross bike and rode up into Forest Park for several hours, and ended up riding probably 25 miles in the dirt/mud.  I got a great feel for the cross bike today and how it handles at higher speeds after I got comfortable on it.  The bike feels like you’re riding a road bike, but it has the cornering and maneuverability of a mountain bike in the dirt.

I had a blast, and I’m guessing I will be riding in that area a bunch this winter.  With all the rain and mud, it was perfect conditions to get downright filthy.

On my way home I rode back through the Pearl District in downtown Portland, where I proceeded to get all sorts of interesting looks (from being covered in mud and all).  I could tell most of them were envious that I’d been out playing in the mud.  I also got a cat-call from someone who told me I had a “great ass”.  Speaking of great asses…

“Oh wait, let me put down my uzi so I can throw better”

Gotta love the celebratory fist pump at the end.