USGP: CAT 2/3 Mens.

Aaron Mock and John McNeil representing Trek Product

Development. I do not envy them at all. While the rain

may have died down during their race, the damage to the

course had been solidified by the previous two races.

Trek's making moves!

USGP: Environments.

The rain makes it better.

Leah: 'Crossing.

She had to slap her Ion CX frameset

together at the last minute using borrowed

parts, but she was looking strong on her

first race of the season.

USGP: Day Two. Jengineer.

Jen P, an engineer at Trek was riding the race after my

Cat 4 mens outing. On the last lap my race, the rain came

and it came hard for the entirety of the women's race. Things

got slick and Jen wiped out a few times, but she seemed

to be doing really well in the Cat 4 women's field.

She rides a Cronus CX, so you know she's serious.

USGP: Cronus Aftermath.

She took her licks and kept on kicking. After a

really terrible start, getting caught behind a few

crashes, we started our slow attack. Coming back

to reel in everyone who shot past in the beginning.

I would finish 2 spots north of where I started, a

success for my first outing. I aim to increase on

these results tomorrow.

Getting after it.

The first race is in the books. Tomorrow is round 2.

Calm before the Storm.

38 degrees. Dew. Fog.

Cyclocross season has begun.

So has my amateur CX career.

Product Managers.

With PM's like this, who wouldn't push themselves

to create awesome products?

And yes, the Obi-Wan on ML's tie is in a lightsaber

fight with his t-shirt doppelgänger.

Trash Night.

By the amount of flat-pack furniture boxes out there, it would

appear that someone just moved in.

New Bike Day: 2012 Trek Gary Fisher Collection Cronus CX Ultimate.

Weighing in at a scant 16lbs 15oz while with knobby tires

and heavy wheels makes this bike my lightest by a fair

margin. Perhaps it's not fair to compare the weight of my

race CX to a Madone that is set up more for commuting

and touring across Iowa, but weight is not the only advantage

that the Cronus holds over its Carbon brother. Benefiting

from a stiff BB90 bottom bracket, an E2 Headtube and the

Fisher Control Column front fork/wheels, this bike it

twice as stiff as the Madone with significantly more control.

The slacked out head tube angle and elevated bottom bracket

suit the bike more for the muddy stuff but after throwing my

RXL wheels on the Cronus, she soars as a road bike as well.

The dropouts have hideaway rack/fender mounts so she can

be converted to an Uber-commuter (but most definitely won't

be). I can say, with very little hesitation that this is the nicest

bike I have ever owned. She begs to be ridden hard on uncertain

ground and rewards you with responsiveness, stability and wicked

stiffness.

There is a small face with the words, "Mans best friend" at the

BB/Chainstay crotch.

Pretty accurate.