2012 Arkansas Super-Prestige

The 2012 Arkansas Super-Prestige (ASP) cyclocross points series will be contested over eight races in central and northwest Arkansas, running from October through December. Medals will be awarded three-deep in five race classes---Open, Women, Fours (USA Cycling CX category 4), Masters (40+), and Juniors (18-)---and the overall highest-scoring team will be awarded the Arkansas Cyclocross Cup.

The 2012 ASP is co-sponsored by Arkansas Cycling & Fitness, CARVE, Chainwheel, The Community Bicyclist, Phat Tire Bike Shop, Spokes, and Leborne Coaching. Thanks to their generous support, the ASP will be awarding $900 $1100 to the top Open and Women's class racers:
Open payout: $150 / 130 / 120 / 110 / 100 / 90
Women's payout: $150 / 130 / 120

Cyclocross ("CX", "cross") is a 30- to 60-minute bicycle race covering a roughly one-mile closed circuit of mixed terrain including pavement, grass, gravel, and dirt. Racers are forced to dismount and portage their bikes over a variety of hurdles, log-piles, or steep ravines, earning the sport its reputation as "the steeplechase of cycling." Because of its unique challenges and spectator-friendly nature, cross is the fastest growing form of bike racing in the U.S.

The ASP season opens with a weekend of racing in Little Rock. On Saturday, October 13, the ASP Night Race takes over Kanis Park for fast and exciting racing under the lights, followed on Sunday with Reservoir Cross, over a tough, hilly, rocky circuit in Reservoir Park. The entire season is listed below.

Bookmark www.arkansascyclocross.com for the latest ASP news, a complete set of series rules, and ongoing coverage of the races.

Date	Location		Presented by
Oct 13	Little Rock	ASP Night Race	CARVE
Oct 14	Little Rock	Reservoir Cross	The Community Bicyclist
Nov 3	Fayetteville	Highroller's Cyclocross Adventure	Highroller Cyclery
Nov 4	Fayetteville	De Pijp's Smoke & Suds	De Pijp Cycling Team
Nov 11	Russellville	Old Post Cyclocross	Poppa Wheelies
Nov 25	Little Rock	Turkey Burn	CARVE
Dec 2	Bentonville	Phat Tire Cyclocross	Phat Tire Bike Shop
Dec 9	Little Rock	Series Closer	CARVE

August is Cyclocross Base Training Month

The cross-monkeys are hard at work making this year the CXbest ever.  The series calendar is holding steady.  We've got several generous sponsors lining up to give the Arkansas Super-Prestige points series its first cash purse.  We'll be rolling out the finalized calendar, series rules, and prize schedule in the next couple weeks.

These hot months are a great time to get low- to moderate-intensity mileage done.  The better your tanline in September, the better your performance in December.  Carry plenty of water and salt.  Wear a cabbage-leaf under your helmet to keep your head cool and sunburn-free.  Be happy in the swelter.

Series schedule...are we there yet?

We're getting very close to finalizing the series schedule.  CLICK HERE to see the calendar as it currently stands.


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Tubeless experiment, part 1

I've had a keen eye on the Michelin Mud 2 ever since seeing this photo of Adam Craig's rig a couple years ago, with Mud 2 tread glued to Dugast tubular casings:

cyclingnews.com

The Mud 2 is widely touted as good for tubeless conversions.  Time for a little summer project....

NoTubes "29er" rim strip

The Mud 2 measures 34mm wide,
even though it is listed at 30mm

Setting up a tubeless conversion isn't most people's idea of a good time, but this one went smoothly and mostly hassle-free.  My first ride, which included some rocky/rooty trail at Allsopp, and a Pfeiffer Loop, went fine at 40 psi.  I'll post a follow-up after trying some lower pressures and riding this set-up a lot more.

Here are some numbers for you gram counters, weighed on our digital kitchen scale:
Velocity A23 rim 450g
Cloth rim tape 17g
NoTubes "29er" rim strip 61g
Michelin Mud 2 tire 332g

2012 Arkansas Super-Prestige dates

Pencil the dates in your calendar. Save the ink for another month or so.  Details are still being ironed out, but it'll be good.


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June update

Opening weekend
There's been a slight juggling of dates for this fall's cyclocross season.  The opening weekend of the Arkansas Super-Prestige will be October 13 & 14 with the Night Race followed by Reservoir Cross.  If you were there last year, you know it will be pretty flippin' cool whether you're racing or watching.  There will be prizes, merchandise, and $800 up for grabs.  Watch this space for more details.

Showdown at Sundown/Ruts n Guts
The opening weekend was moved up a week to allow Arkansans to race in Tulsa the following weekend.  They offer quite a bit of cash, so it attracts really good racers from a wide area, which in turn attracts large fields across all categories.  Highly recommended.

Tubeless experiment
A lot of people coming to CX from mountain biking are interested in going tubeless.  In the next month or so, I'll be trying out a set-up with:
1) Velocity A23 rims
2) Stan's No-tubes rim strips
3) Michelin Mud 2 tires
and I'll be reporting on my experiences.

My oh my how time has flown.  The AMBCS season is in full swing, the temps are hitting the 90s, and le Tour starts in a couple weeks, which means that fall is coming!

Low-cost chainwatcher

If you're going to run a single chainring next season, here's an idea:

From mudandcowbells.com