Jingle Cross

Jingle cross in Coralville Iowa features one of the toughest cross courses in the Midwest. White knuckle descents, slick, muddy run-ups, log jumps and a technical sand pit favor the mountain biker skill set yet the many wide open power sections and relentless hill climbs favor the roadie type that can churn out huge power.

Big payouts in all categories and UCI status ensured a big turn out for the weekend of racing.

On both days the 3/4 field was over 100 deep. In terms of field size, it was probably the biggest cross race I ever lined up for. There was no cat 2 race at jingle cross so the field was probably filled with a bunch of cat 2 sand baggers such as myself who did not have the required UCI license to do the elite race.

It was the first time I got to line up next to Tim all season, and he gave me a beat down on both days. Well done Tim. You're performance shows you are ready to bump it up a category and do well in the 3's next year.

One of the highlights of the weekend was getting to see the elites race. I learned a few things by watching their technique, how they ration out their effort, and studying their bike set up. I also learned that I have a long way to go if I plan on racing with them in the future.

It was a good weekend of training and even though I was disappointed in my results, I am glad I went to this race.

I would like to send a special thanks to Tim for getting us a nice hotel room with all the sweet hook ups for a pretty good price. I would also like to send a thanks out to the Coralville police department for having pity on a poor bike racer and not issuing him a ticket for speeding.