Logan makes his final preparations for CX showdowns © Logan VonBokel
Logan VonBokel, entering his final season as a U23 racer, is balancing his energies between pursuing a full ’cross calendar with finishing up his economics degree from Colorado State and working part time. He races for the KCCX-Verge Elite team and will be writing periodic updates throughout this season for Cyclocross Magazine. If you happen to be in the Ft. Collins, CO, area, join Logan, Georgia Gould and Meredith Miller for a Free cyclocross clinic on September 7th and 14th.
It’s finally upon us. My mind has begun to churn with thoughts of pimping out the ’cross bikes, and leaving the road bike on the corner hook of the garage for the next few months. Team camp came and went much too quickly for all of us on KCCX-Verge p/b Challenge Tires, but everyday the mornings get cooler, fall gets closer, and the air smells more like cyclocross. Well, maybe not the outdoor air, but the basement smells distinctly like freshly-glued Challenge tubulars on Reynolds wheels.
With the changing weather comes a change in attitude. The constant training and racing has died down for a while. This weekend will be what I consider my start to the ’cross season – at least my mental start to the season. I have “started” my season in a very anti-’cross way these past couple of years, and this year will be no different. I kick-start my season with, get this, criteriums. Yes, I’ll be racing the Gateway Cup weekend again in St. Louis. The Gateway Cups are the only races that I’ve done every year since I started racing.
Time to Build Bikes! © Logan VonBokel
Gateway will once again get me into full-on cyclocross mode for the rest of the year. I don’t know if it’s the dizziness I experience from riding in circles all weekend or the excessive heat and humidity, but after Gateway is over I’m always more fired up for ’cross.
It’s a good thing too, as I just read the article about the stacked field I’ll be lining up with at CrossVegas. Humbling would be a severe understatement for the emotions I’ll have that night. I look forward to seeing the expo, especially some of our sponsors on KCCX – we’re very fortunate to have the support we do. My new bikes from Scott USA showed up last week, and they look awesome, especially with the TRP carbon brakes and custom K-Edge chain catchers. The great mechanic assistance we have is the best, the guys at Trek Store KC really hook it up for us. It’s hard to put a pre-season summary on paper, since I’m thinking about everything ’cross at once. Let’s just hope that I remember how to dismount at Mach-1 speeds, because I hear Vegas is fast!
Expect an update from Logan soon, once the race season is in full flight. You can find info about his team at www.kccrossnationals.com, and you can follow Logan himself via Twitter @KCCXLogan.
