HERMANN CROSS...BEER SWEATS, BROKEN BIKES, AND BRUISING CRASHES!!!!

 

So it's been a while since we've dropped an old TRW update on the blog.  Well, frankly with a summer so damn hot that everyone begins to smell of sizzling bacon due to the +100 temperature, all we've done is guzzle mass quantities of our favorite beer, Tall Grass.  Now that the weather has been freakin' awesome, we're back to hammering the cranks and turning rubber in the dirt.  The annual Dog Fish Hermann Cross came upon us once again, and as always, Jeff Yielding put on another delightful event.  Hundreds of riders from around the state came to race their bikes, gargle brew, heckle riders, and inflict the awful pain that cx has a tendency to do.

This year's course did not disappoint, unless you don't like dismounting your bike everytime you feel like you can catch your breath.  Barriers, sand, and stairs...lots of freakin' stairs.  So many damn stairs I'm dreaming of escalators.  So many damn stairs my legs hurt while I'm writing this.  So many damn stairs I wish I had a motorized wheel chair.  So many damn stairs I'd rather listen to Justin Beiber for 24 straight hours than walk up another step.  So many damn stairs swimming in a pool of rotten pig fat sounds more appealing.  So many damn stairs that I'd rather spend a day at a sweater knitting convention.  So many damn stairs I'd rather wipe my dirt hole with broken glass.  So many damn stairs...well, you get the point.

 

Day one was fast...real fast.  Especially those darn single speeders.  Turbo, Stoney, and myself lined up and pedaled hard.  Turbo placed in the top 5 which is very respectable considering who was racing in this class...fast mofo's. This was also my wife's first cross race.  She was crapping britches at the starting line...but she did it.  Nice work Cole!

Up next...the cat 4's.  There were over 50 riders in this category.  Of course it was crowded and the first technical section was sort of like hearding cattle.  As soon as we hit the straight away, the carnage began.  Gears were popping, riders were smashing pedals, and wreckage...yes wreckage.  Over the bars crap and bike breaking...and freakin stairs.

The cat 3/4's is by far one of the greatest points of the night.  Turbo, Bopper, and Ira lined up and came out crushing.  Ira was top 5 for the first couple of laps with Turbo and Bopper not too far behind.  They all finished respectfully(Bopper wrecked hard and screwed up his bike but finished hard)...even with the epic amount of heckling that occurs during the 3/4 race.  Beer hand outs, dollar bills...sheer hooliganism.  Honestly, this is my favorite part of Hermann Cross.  A bunch of crazies that dig bikes and having a good time...and the 3/4's is just an appetizer.  The open race is just as fun. 

Courtesy of Dan Singer Photography

The next morning came with sore livers, aching kidneys, and pulsating brains.  It lead me to wonder why they hell I do this to myself...dumping ale down my mouth or racing this crazy shit?  The great Peat Goode showed up right before the morning cat 4 race and before you ask...no he didn't ride his bike there, but he did ride it all the way back the Lou after the race. TRW lined up again all with sore legs and toughed it out...and the stairs...those freakin' stairs...the pain those stairs caused...stairway to heaven my ass...THOSE DAMN STAIRS!

Later in the afternoon Ira and Turbo took back to the starting line for the cat 3/4s.  Unfortunately Ira destroyed his bike.  Ira...get the wrecks out of the way now!  Turbo finished a strong 6th.  Nice work fellas.

Once again a big thank you to Mr. Jeff Yielding.  TRW are some of your biggest fans!

Jeff-you da man!

NEXT WEEKEND GET YOUR DIRT FETISH ON!  OUR VERY OWN TALL OAK 6 HOUR!  YOU BETTER FREAKIN' BE THERE!

 

Comments

[Casey F. Ryback]

Wish I could have been there to hooliganize wif you. see you Sunday, jerks.

[Stoney]

So you're digging the single-speed now, right? We should all do Dirty Kanza on single-speeds next year.

Cole did kick butt in her first race and took some great pictures as well - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dragonflycole75/sets/72157631563733931

I borrowed some pics from other photographers and put them here.

[Jeff Yielding]

Thanks for racing Hermann CX TRW, great to see you all there, great group indeed!

[matt]

Stoney-I wouldn't say I'm diggin' the single speed, but I'm not saying I didn't enjoy riding it. Sounds like you've been talking to Nick about an all out single speed assault for DK next year.

[Stoney]

No, I just heard about Nick's grand idea last weekend. I briefly considered riding gears at DK next year, but if everyone else wants to ride single-speed I'll do it.

[Peat]

What's this grand idea for DK? I was thinking of going gears for next year's DK200. Six times on the singlespeed seems like enough. Then again maybe it's my creaky, old knees that a just bitchin'. I can tell them to STFU and do singlespeed again if it's a "team thing."

[Nick]

I changed my mind. I think the team should all buy geared cross bikes from me. Thats a better idea. What was I thinking?

[Nick]

I changed my mind. I think the team should all buy geared cross bikes from me. Thats a better idea. What was I thinking?