Last week USA Cycling was proposing legislation to try to help hold down the costs for juniors by restricting the equipment they could race on. Now it costs $75 for juniors to race the National Cyclocross Championships if they enter the race at the venue. That is just ridiculous. The other entries are just plain wrong too. This is our governing body that is supposedly promoting the race for us, or having it promoted for us by someone else, and it costs a minimum of $65 to race if you are over the age of 18 and not in college. And all this is for no prize money. The Tulsa Tough entry fee is less than this and there is a $100,000 prizelist. It is a racket. I’m pretty sure that the first Nationals I raced in Milwaukee on the road, the entry was free. Definitely less than $5. Back then it was about the sport. I guess it is just all about the money now.

So, if you plan on racing Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, you should enter by tomorrow, click here, or you’re going to be paying a lot more. Stupid.

This gluing cross tires onto carbon rims is getting kind of old. And trying to upkeep the tires after they are already on the wheels is not easy either. I don’t really have enough energy for it. This mainly concerns Dugast tires. A couple years ago at Jingle Cross, Chris Horner told me – “I haven’t bought a bike part since I was 14, and now these fuckin’ Dugast tires cost $120 each, and they’re not even very good.” I agree with him completely.

I’ve been measuring a ton of tires and no tires measure what is printed on their sides. The new improved UCI rule is a 33mm tire. I have 34 mm Dugast that measures under 33mm. I have 32 mm Dugast that measure over 33mm. I have 30mm Michelin Mud 2’s that measure over 33mm. It is stupid. Trying to keep these Dugast tires in race condition for a full season is nearly impossible. They are a one season tire at best. That seems wrong, since every other tubular cross tire lasts much longer.

I’ve never rolled a cross tire. Not even close, I think-knock on wood. (Actually, now that I think about it, I’ve rolled two Dugast tires off their rim strips.) But, I’ve seen a bunch of guys that know how to glue tires correctly, roll them. That is kind of scary. So, I’m over gluing tires now, if that is possible. But, it is possible. You know that by mildly destroying them when trying to remove them.

So, you have these “super tires” that you have to cover with $7 worth of sealant to make them waterproof and use another $10 worth of tape and glue to get them to stick right to your wheels. It makes you think it isn’t worth it. That is until you get into a race with the wrong conditions for anything other than the “super tire” and then they are priceless.

BTW-Anyone out there have any extra 32mm Dugast Rhinos they don’t need. I have a couple 34mm new ones to trade or I’ll buy them outright.

It takes an arsenal of stuff to get them to stick to your rims correctly.

UCI race legal?