NATS INJURY REPORT AND SINGLE SPEED HOMAGE DAY - ALSO REVERSE CROSS VIDEO

Susan Shaw, happier at State Championships than she is at Nationals - get well fast and come back strong Susan!

The first report in from Nationals is a sad one - our good friend, and super Michigan Cyclocrosser Susan Shaw broke her ankle yesterday in a pre-ride. More people are injured in pre-rides than they are in actual races. I have no facts to back that up but just ask Ryan Trebon. We all wish you well Susan!

Here's Susan's bike I'm assuming after the fracturing pre-ride. I'm glad I didn't go. One more time cleaning a bike like this year and I'd snap. Yeah, I really would. Slippery mud over frozen hard ground too - there's a mixture for trouble.

In related Nats news that's not sad, another Woman Michigan Cyclocrosser, Kim Thomas is also at Nationals with a series of races lined up in the upcoming days. Yesterday she kicked off by her racing in the Women's Single Speed Championship race. New to Single Speed racing, I guess Kim's gearing was a little to low and she was spinning while the others are gunning. In single speed racing picking the right gear is tough. Too tall you're on foot or blown. Too low, spun out and left behind. That's why I have raced SS yet. Well, lesson learned, but Kim still has more races to come - and with a bike that has all the gears. Good luck Kim!

 Is that the Single Speed bike that won the World Single Speed Championship in Seatle and a National Championship yesterday in Madison? No, it's not this one, but one exactly like it - I know who owns this one and where it lives.

Maybe Kim would have had a better day if she had been riding the Redline Dirty Mudder Single Speed.   Women's National Single Speed Champion Kari Studley (what a name for a racer) was, with the same gearing (42 x18) strangely enough, that the same bike, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, is rocking in the photo. Here's a nice interview with Kari right after the race. I love the reporter's "Awesomenesssss."

In other dumb news from Nationals, I'm in this never ending discussion on Face Book over the construction of the barriers, of all things.

Kimberly Bailey

Lynne from Podiuminsight.com took a picture of the barriers at Nats, how is this Nats caliber?http://lockerz.com/s/171590187 The barriers under my house is nicer and so is the approach. Ok enough of me, I'm not usually a hater but this just doesn't feel right...

National Championship quality barriers, or repurposed bee-hives?

 Kimberly said, in effect, that these barriers looked a little lame for Nationals (my words not hers), which is what I took her to mean - so if I'm wrong about her intent don't throw anything at her, it's my take. I agreed with her and said it didn't look like Nats quality stuff (in fact the views of the course look like that old race we had in Holland behind the barn). Now everybody and their brother, including Adam Meyerson, has chimed in about safety, USAC, UCI rules, and  I think even NASA (which is now out of business) was even mentioned but I'm not sure why. I'm sure these things are safe, but the stakes and taping is wrong (Meyerson pointed this out too, and I knew it when I saw it). I'm also not a fan of the "flow-through" centers. There really should be banners or fencing instead of just tape. Guess I'm a snob, huh? But I really have to wonder if this is how these barrier started out in life ...

I'm sure that's where those barriers orginally came from. Notice the open centers? Now that's what I call sustainability. Do you think riding over the barriers will wake the bees up? Maybe it will get J-POW riding faster than he was last week if they do!

IN WORLD NEWS TODAY: NYS AND STYBIE JOIN UP TO BECOME A SUPER HERO CYCLOCROSS CRIME FIGHTING TEAM!

It's like "The Pink Hornet and the Green Kato" isn't it. I'm glad I haven't eaten anything today because the look of this color combo is enough to make you want to hurl.

With Super Powers, these Crime Fighting Cyclocrossers can turn back time and prevent crime before and after it happens - whatever. Found this video yesterday and thought it was pretty cool. Watch as Albert, or one of his teamates, can't tell, just saw off the front end of his carbon bike while trying to hop a barrier.