Rasenmäher

We are selling off this Rasenmäher ridden by Henri Lesewitz at this year's Critical Dirt Cyclocross stage race. The Rasenmäher frameset features oversized Columbus Life tubing, 44mm headtube with a tapered carbon 3T disc cross fork. The build is solid with SRAM Force, Chris King, Thomson & 3T. The bike is very clean and in excellent condition.

Geometry
TT - 55
ST - 53
HT - 135
CS - 425
BB Drop - 67
HT Angle - 72
ST Angle - 73.5

Rasenmäher CX Disc / 3T Luteus Fork
Chris King ISO (Brown)/ NoTubes Crest29 Wheelset by Lightwolf
SRAM Force Group/ Rival OCT Cross Cranks & BB7 Brakes
Chris King Inset Tapered - Brown
Chris King SRAM BB - Brown
3T Ergoterra CX handlebar
Thomson X4 Stem
Thomson Masterpiece Seatpost
Clement PDX Crosscrusade Tires
Fizik Tundra2 Seat
Parlee Carbon Derailleur Clamp
POP Titanium Quickrelease

Price - 2995 EUR

Inquiries - info(at)cremacycles.com

Crosstivus

This time of the year always presents a paradox. Cyclocross is in full swing, the muddy, gnarly (not too mention) fun part of the season, while it also is a season for hunkering down to enjoy some good homemade, slowfood, seemingly trying to put on a nice layer of pre-winter insulation. Then there is the anticipation of the ensuing snow season and all of its sweet winter sport treats. Ah the torture...

Some good friends of mine in the eastern part of Germany have embraced the season are are combining a couple of my favorite aspects of the season to create some really cool events. If you happen to be in or near Leipzig, then I would implore you to check out Winter Radale. A crosstivus of special sorts with a grassroots cross race followed by good food, drinks and healthy helping of some the of nicest people I have had the pleasure of being around. Here is a teaser:



another event deserving of a visit is the Glühweinrennen in Dresden. 4 EUR, a helmet, a mug (you'll need it if you want some spiced hot red wine) and  costume get you in for what is sure to be a good time. Need proof?



Last but least are the CX Single Speed Italian Championships put on by the single speed mafia and Biciclista. This one is for a not to miss (unless your name is Julie or Chris - in which case you might be held down and branded...)

http://loslobos06.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/events/132469646863604/

Besides great racing, food and prizes, there is a contest for the "Best Single Speed Crosser", make sure to bring your Blingle-speed because you will be going up some seriously stylish Italians!

Go!

Started off the Cross racing season for myself this past weekend with the Bavarian CX Championships in Mindelheim on what was more an XC than a CX course. Dominated by a splintered climb to the top of a hill, the course had quite a bit elevation gain in it with a fast downhill that was singletrack at the top before opening up onto an open green field for the rest of the descent. All in all the course was boring, too bad because they could have laid out a much nicer course given the terrain they had to work with...

For me I was just trying to ease myself into the pain-cave for the first time this season. With a strong field on hand, my goal was mid-pack to kick start things. Starting from the back, I picked a few off in the super loose first few gravel corners, then had to dismount the only time over the double barriers since everyone else was fumbling just to get through them. The best came when we hit the fly over the first time, couple people got tangled go up the ramp and with out carpet or some sort of texture, the ramp face became a slide for those with not enough momentum to make it up. Seeing a hole on the very left side I dismounted at the bottom, grabbed the railing and dashed up the side before remounting at the top. That was another few spots in the plus.

From there I just put down the hammer and tried to make steady gains with out blowing myself up. In the end I landed just outside the top 10 with an 11th, a respectable result to start the season. One thing that I enjoyed a lot was disc brakes, given the speed and length of the descent, I was able to descend faster than the others with my extra stopping power.

This weekend we have a double header on tap, Mannheim and Lorsch. Mannheim will be a mere tune up for Lorsch, but I still have a ways to go fitness wise to be able to ride with the front guys. Will have to look at races further down the road to be in the mix up front...

Afterglow

it was the perfect weekend. cool, clear and crisp autumn air, gathering of like minded souls and golden fall foliage pitted against a storybook Alpen backdrop.













Thanks to everyone who made the journey and shared in a memorable weekend with us!

Crosstoberfest Flickr page

Photos: Gerrit, Martino, Michalis, Dirk & Ulf

In case you forgot how to...

Crosstoberfest

a weekend dedicated to cyclocross...


www.cremacross.com

CD 2011

Part of me was at the 2011 edition of Critical Dirt, a hardcore 'cross stage race across former Eastern Germany, 480+ kilometers of body punishing roads, forest trails and other obscure pathways that the Harry Otter Punk Society cooked up over four days. In my absence we still fielded two of our CremaCycles Rasenmähers piloted by two of our good friends, Henri Lesewitz and Stephan Geiss. Henri will be doing a write up on the bike in an upcoming issue of Tour Magazin here in Germany, Stephan will spread the Crema love via ProCycling. Stephan also became our one-man team for Biciclista and CremaCycles and did a stand up job in the process with a 4th, 1st, 2nd and 2nd place on all four stages and being a contender for the overall. Our buddy Benno from Switzerland rightfully nabbed the overall from Stephan, but both came away with mutual respect and best of all fond memories from their experience.

Big Thank You to Stephan for representing! Here are some snapshots from his journey, we will post more photos and links as they come available.

Barista

Chris King paid us a visit during EuroBike. Check it out here

just a year ago a group of 80-some riders rode across sun-scorched roads, gravel, cobbles and other un imaginable pathways as part of a 4 stage cross race from Dresden to Leipzig. It would be one of the most memorable events I have had the privilege to take part in. This year Critical Dirt will play host to another cyclocross stage race, this time 4 days and 500kms... Sure to be a memorable one!

Freshly Brewed Goodness

Freiburg retrospec

STXC Freiburg

STXC racing has a appeal for its simplicity. Not just for the format, but the courses you can create out of simple layouts. Freiburg provided us with a great venue to put a super rad event - part dirt jump park & part crit. This combo made for some fast paced, 'man did I just pull that double?', elbow on elbow racing. What looked like an event tailored to the dirt riders (they did dominate the qualies with each of the 3 heats being won by a dirt jumper), turned out to be a battle field that saw the XC guys with skills come back late in the game to take the win. Stephan Geiss beat out series leader Arne Thoma for the win (taking home a starting spot in this year's edition of the Critical Dirt). 3 races thus far - 3 winners. The table is set for Willingen - another bmx-style course for what is sure to be a sweet weekend of racing! David G & I will line for the STXC - while David & Basti will rock the enduro. Ouch!

In the meantime here are some pics from this past weekend:

11XC004

It is not the first CremaCycles frame that we built, but it is the first to be ridden. This sweet pearl-white 29er went to a good friend in Colorado and is now on tour through the southwest part of the US riding various single tracks during Mike & Soph's spring break. Soph was in the need of a new bike to replace her old Litespeed soft-tail so I was stoked when she let me build a 29er for her and even more glad to hear that she loves it! Thanks Mike & Soph - looking forward to hearing about you adventures from the road! And good luck on the expansion of Aemono (great local food spot in Telluride).

Re-Cycled

we are rapidly approaching our first Freiburg Collective show, and things have come together nicely. Still plenty to do, but things look good. A nice, and I feel very fitting addition, to the weekend is the Fahrstil Classic MTB Ride, a mountain bike ride on vintage mountain bikes from Freiburg to Kirchzarten, site of the 1995 World Mountain Bike Championships, which I happened to be at with my buddy DG. He had his YoEddy and me with my Brodie Expresso milling around the living legends of the sport. Besides taking in the races, we hung out with guys like Brian Lopes, Mike King, H-Ball, Frischi and others. It was all so accessible and laid back - the same atmosphere we wish to instill for the FC.

We love classic mtbs too, they are not only asthetically appealing, the are the renaissance of mountain biking when designs were clean and simple. The parts were mostly machined, rough and industrial yet still beautiful and elegant. They oozed style.

But what old is new again. Looking and the handbuilt sector there is a number of companies with healthy demand and production schedules, and niche's like cross and 29er's keep ferrous metals in demand. We have been building not only what I would consider modern, high-performing machines for customers (ie SSR road bikes and Ti 29ers with Lefty's), but have done (with more in the que) more classic style bikes with a modern flair. Take this Deluxe 29er for instance. A classic frame and fork of steel transformed into a more modern 29er, relaxed geometry accompanied by a parts list that reads like it is from the golden era of mtbing - Avid, Chris King, Paul, Phil Wood, King Cage...yet all of which are modern, finely machined and precise component choices. Mix in some new names like Enve, Fizik and you have a stealthy modern classic.

we are looking forward to building more rides like these while also pushing the perceptions of what was previously thought possible. Our customers challenge us to create dream rides and the companies we have the pleasure of working with help us in this endeavor. The Freiburg Collective will show what other builders are coming up with in the department of dreambikes, we are looking forward to all of the inspiration and stoke on hand!