I recently saw this post on what is definitely one of my favorite cycling blogs, Belgium Knee Warmers. It’s about a new documentary on Connecticut frame builder Richard Sachs called Imperfection is Perfection. The post got me to reading a little more about Sachs, which led me eventually to the blog for the Richard Sachs Cyclocross Team.

That’s where I found today’s video. It’s sort of a home-movie recap of the team’s experience at the 2007 U.S. National Championships in Kansas City. It’s got some inside jokes that are probably most enjoyable if you’re actually on the inside, but it is still fun even if you aren’t, and it’s got some great footage of the frozen ruts and snow that were the hallmark of that event, including a pileup in a ditch at the start of one of the races.

With the cyclocross season now over, I thought I might spend some time in the spring and summer months rooting around the Internet for some good instructional videos.

First up is bike cleaning. There are actually quite a few videos out there purporting to be about this subject, but most most have their usefulness limited by being poorly produced (turn some lights on please), of dubious educational value (do we really need a three-minute video of someone spraying off their commuter bike with a garden hose?), or too intent on pimping one particular product or brand (I’m talking about you CyberFoxy).

I finally did find this one, which details a pretty thorough cleaning and lubing regimen. It does prominently feature WeldTite cleaners and lubes, but the same techniques could be used with other products.

And if you want to be inspired to do a really thorough, loving cleaning job, check out this clip from the beginning of A Sunday in Hell, a documentary about the 1976 Paris-Roubaix spring classic.

This is a nice little compilation from an older world championship race (1997?), focusing on run-ups and barriers. It’s a nice opportunity to observe a variety of PRO mount, dismount, and shouldering techniques.

While trolling the video sites for interesting cyclocross clips, I’ll occasionally come across something pretty good that I may have missed in previous searches. The An Hour in Hell documentary is a good example of this.

The “Cyclocross Crash Bloopers” video, however, is almost impossible to miss if you are search the word “Cyclocross” on YouTube, since it is typically the first or second item in the results. And its popularity is undeniable. In addition to maintaining a four-and-a-half-star rating, it has been viewed nearly 70,000 times. The next-most-viewed cyclocross video is the excellent trailer for Pure Sweet Hell, with less than 37,000 views.

Even if you extend the definition of “cyclocross” to include Lance Armstrong’s unintentional ride across across a field after dodging the crashing Joseba Beloki in the 2003 Tour, today’s video still wins the popularity contest, because “Lance Armstrong’s Incredible Shortcut 2003″ has only managed 32,000 views.

[Read more →]

 OK kids. It’s finally here. The full Sporza TV telecast of the Elite Men’s race at the 2008 Cyclocross World Championships in Treviso, Italy on January 27, 2008. Knock yourselves out.

A pretty sweet little video from DH Productions of Tim Johnson’s win in the Elite Men’s race at the 2007 U.S. National Cyclocross Championships in Kansas City.

I still haven’t been able to find a video of the complete telecast of the 2008 Cyclocross World Championships in Treviso, Italy, but I do have this one of the last five minutes.

The quality is a little sketchy, but it has some great moments, including some nice aerial views of the course and the huge crowds. I’ve got to say that I would prefer the original television commentary to the new soundtrack (”The Final Countdown” by Europe, I’m sorry to report), but hey, I didn’t post the video, so that’s not my choice to make.

This is a pretty good documentary short produced for a University of Oregon electronic media class. Jealousy alert for people outside of Oregon: It offers a tantalizing glimpse into the exciting Portland cross scene, including the legendary Cross Crusade series.

Although my French is a little spotty, I believe that this is is a pre-race ride-through of the course for the 2008 French national championships. With no other riders around, you do get a pretty nice view of the course.

I must warn you, however, that I did get a little queasy midway through this video, although I’m not sure if that was because of the jittery, handlebar-mounted camera, the unfortunate dance soundtrack, or some combination of the two.

The full (about an hour and fifteen minutes) Sporza TV coverage of the men’s elite race at the 2007 Cyclocross World Championships in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium on January 27-28, 2007.

Favorites Sven Nys and Bart Wellens are taken out by a plastic traffic barricade that is knocked onto the course by a camera motorcycle, opening the door for defending champion Erwin Vervecken to win after a dramatic final lap.

And here’s the women’s elite race. Maryline Salvetat of France take the gold but American Katie Compton surprises everyone by grabbing the silver.