We made it Austin sort of late last night.  Pretty much just in time to go to bed.  Today it is supposed to be the stellar day for the next week.  It is supposed to be nearly 65 today and then half that and rain/snow on the weekend.  So Bill and I are going to go and ride all day.  I’m not sure what Vincent is doing.  He is racing the single speed race tomorrow afternoon.

Speaking of the single speed race, here is what Vincent is planning on doing tomorrow.  Think it will work?  He only brought one bike, a Di2 regular cross bike.  So he is planning on just removing his battery, thus disabling his shifting, making it a single speed.  Personally, if I were an official, I’d let him race, but I’m not an official, so I’m thinking that he is going to be watching.  It is just the same as not have a cable and blocking off your gears, but for some reason it seems different.  I guess, if he was a real devious guy, he could carry a battery in his pocket and then put it back on during the race, but you’d think someone would see that.  It is the Nationals Championships though, so I’m sticking with my original guess.

Bill and I only got to bring one bike each, since Vincent’s new Sprinter was stuffed full of bikes from Denver.  We both brought our cross bikes with cross tires.  That isn’t going to stop me from riding west out into the hill country.  I figure it is just that much extra resistance.  I have only ridden 7 miles so far this year, so I plan to increase my mileage at least 10-fold.

I’m hearing from the other side of the room right now that Vincent is planning on riding all day too.  He says that he came down here to race as an excuse to come somewhere warm to ride.  That isn’t how I have ever thought at Cyclcross Nationals, but it will be nice having him on the ride.

Okay,  CNBC shows that oil prices are dropping like crazy again today.  I’m thinking that the prices are going to drop into the 30’s before it goes back up to the 70’s.  It seems to me that the US is beating up Russia right now through economic means, thus oil  Whatever the reason, it is great for getting around to bike races this year.

Yesterday was the stellar day of the week, weather-wise, for Austin.  It is just going to be going downhill from now on.  It was nearly 70 yesterday, 45 today, and then the 30’s and rain/snow for Friday-Sunday.  Cross weather.

Bill, Vincent and I rode about 65 miles yesterday.  On our cross bikes, with cross tires, mainly on pavement.  I felt alright, other than my neck, from face planting skiing a week again, was super stiff and giving me a splitting headache.  Or maybe it was because I was out for 7 hours and didn’t have a bottle, thus didn’t drink anything?

Anyway, the ride was good, out by Lake Travis and back.  Man, that lake has no water, like the docks are hanging like ladders on the shore.  Nearly vertical.  It is going to take years to fill that back up, even if they do get some rain.

We ended back up at the Nationals course and I rode just one lap.  It is going to be very technical.  It is nearly all on the side of a small hill and it just zig-zags up and down the hill pretty much the whole course.  It is a good course, don’t get me wrong, but there aren’t that many places for just full-on pedalling.  And if it get wet, like it is predicted to be Friday-Sunday, it is going to be very, very technical.  Lots of u-turns on off-camber hills.  It could make for a lot of dismounts and running.

The course is very tight in many places with only one line.  The start is going to be very important in these large fields at Nationals.  I wish I would have taken a photo of the rock run-up.  It is scary steep and the “steps” are more like ledges.  I think you could pick a way up where the steps are less than 16 inches, but it would be tricky.  If that gets covered with mud, there are going to be a bunch of ripped up shins come Monday.

I ended up staying around until nearly dark and had 8 miles to ride back.  It was fun riding through Austin in the dark.  I rode through downtown, then the university and up through the neighborhoods.  It was getting a little cold, like in the 50’s by then, so I was chilled, but felt good.

Okay, we need to go and try to get Vincent’s bike singlespeed legal.  He has some spacers lined up and is going to take off his extra chainring.  He races at 4 pm this afternoon and then again on Friday.

I think the course is going to be pretty good, even though I only did one lap.

Out on the low water crossing by Lake Travis on 620.

On the pedestrian path under MOPAC. They are making MOPAC a toll road, so it is really under construction.

Riding back towards Austin near dusk.

It was dark by the time I got by the Capitol.