First Cyclocross Race of the Season and Slingshots

Still hot here in Northern California and the first race of the season was a dust fest. The folks out in Livermore always put on a decent race. Inexpensive entrance fees, freebies for racers, and a good, classic cyclocross course. There's run ups, grass field riding, some mud and enough room to pass in on the course. My results - mid pack. Probably should have trained more before the season started, but life has a way of making other plans for you some times.
Next race, I hope not to be so cross eyed that I run into the tape, bouncing off of it like Wile E. Coyote and his enormous rubber band.

One interesting tech note - I saw a guy using a Slingshot cyclocross frame.
I chatted with him about it. He said it wasn't any lighter than a normal frame since the tubes were made of steel and reinforced for the flexing loads. He also showed that he had to shoulder it by grabbing the top tube and slipping his arm through. One cool feature, is that you can break it down for easy transport:

Best of luck to him and his Wile E. Coyote machine.

Tater on the Logs

This video, entitled "Tater ridin' Puglsey on the Logs" is cinematic genius, and goes nicely with our ongoing conversation regarding rollers. Enjoy:

Seen at the Velodrome

More half length rollers. I wrote about this way back on the very first entry to the Nippleworks blog - in an article titled Mini Rollers - Half as Heavy, Twice as Sketchy! At the time, the mini rollers were under the strong and shapely legs of a female racer, here they are used by a track competitor in one of the coolest kits I've sen in a while. Kind of makes you want to do the Haka. Notice the tight grip on the nearby bike rack. Eventually, he got down onto the bars, but he never stopped looking at those things, making sure they weren't going to squirt out from under him.
I also noticed that the drums were smaller diameter than the first ones I saw. Even lighter? Less smooth?

Mini Rollers - Half as Heavy, Twice as Sketchy!

You know those moments when you see something that is kind of rare, in that "it must be European" kind of way? Smart cars, men wearing capri pants, women with mullets and little square glasses?

I present, the mini roller from Kreitler. I spotted this set under the pedals of a fast looking lady racer at the Cat's Hill criterium. A small crowd (me and a woman with a mullet, who I don't suspect was European) gathered and were asking her questions about them. She said that she had a cheaper, full size set for home, but that she bought the minis off the web for throwing in the trunk of her car. Can't blame her, rollers are a pain to travel with. Why not a fluid trainer? Or perhaps jogging on stilts to warm up?

Officially known as Hot Dog rollers, you'd have to be looking for them to find them. I haven't seen them in any catalog and didn't notice them on previous visits to the Kreitler web site. Is she a hot dog? Notice in the picture she's set up next to a sign post, which she held the entire time I watched her. Any way, a unique peice of kit that is good for breaking out when everyone's watching, as long as you've practiced in your mattress filled basement for a while first.