ELEMENT: AIR - IN TRANSITION FROM SUMMER TO FALL
Another unique element to the North American cyclocross season is the transition from late summer to fall. It creates extremely dynamic colours, from the final few blooming flowers, to the turning leaves. The light dips lower each week and the shadows cast longer shapes across the course. We are spoilt for colours and light this time of year and the shifting weather conditions make challenging but interesting racing with hot sun one day to cloudy wet conditions the next. You can feel it in the air as the warm and cool temperatures meet and the seasons change as we approach the wetter colder months.
Acrylic on canvas
Kenza Barton Schlee
“I look forward to the time of the year when the air begins to get crisp and you can feel the seasons begin to tilt. Not only does it mean that it’s cyclocross season, but it’s the most vibrant time of the year when nature begins to put on it’s annual show and explode into a warm sea of yellows and red. ”
CHARM CITY CX - DAY 1
After Rochester, again the team all went their separate ways for the midweek reset. Katie, Kenza and Raylyn kept the train moving to their annual retreat in Shawnee on Delaware, PA where they stay along the Delaware River and get a week in nature enjoying the seasonal transition being engulfed by trees.
The buzz begin on Friday when our pre-ride was cancelled due to rain. We woke on Saturday to a wet ground and knew we would have the chance to break out the mud tires! As our course inspection would close the sun came out, and the air got toasty! The ground dried quickly. Because of the rain the air would feel extra warm with the humidity at a high and temps in the 80s. Katie and Raylyn both had great starts nuzzling themselves into the front group. Katie would battle it out in a group for 3rd - finishing the day with a strong 4th place. Raylyn would finish the day in 6th. Curtis (our birthday boy) would battle it out in the mix of the chase group - the heat would ultimately get to him and he finished the day in 13th.
CHARM CITY CX - DAY 2
We knew Sunday would shape up to be cooler than what felt to be the sauna we raced in on Saturday. We would again wake to a wet ground and misty air. The contrast from Saturday to Sunday was much the contrast of summer to fall. The air would continue to be misty and the course that was reversed from the Saturday direction, would be slippy! The ground was hard, but the surface was slick. Making for challenging conditions, and great early season mud prep - dialing in our tire pressures and tire choice.
Katie would finish the day in 5th place after another strong ride. Raylyn felt empty after the warm effort on Saturday and would cling to a top 10 finish - ending in 9th. Curtis would finish the day in a steady 8th place.
We just want to give a shoutout to our team staff. Our races may be over, but the staff works until the dark hours of the day cleaning up after the muddy weekend. Wiping down our tent walls, cleaning all of the bikes and wheels to make sure nothing is stored wet. They break down our race day setup and perfectly pack things back up into the trailer to be hauled to the next event. We couldn’t do this without those guys!
Enjoy more images from our weekend stop in Baltimore! All images by: Kenza Barton Schlee
