The 2018 Southeast Tracklocross Finals descended on Ellenwood, Ga. a few miles outside of Atlanta. Qualifiers from Florida, Louisiana, & Georgia, with track bikes in tow, ripped through 6 laps of the 1.3 mile course laid before them.

Photo Credit: Andy Lovell/Jay Ritchey

The 1st race of the day was the Open ‘Rung what cha brung” category. Some racers nrought the rukus, others brought precious cargo:

Photo credit: Ezz-Eldin Hassan

Photo Credit: Jay Ritchey

Open Category Results

1. Eric Stewart-New Orleans, LA

2. Jacob Cronan- Atlanta, GA

3. Shared Chanel Zeisel-Atlanta, GA/Greta Cappelmann-New Orleans, LA

Photo Credit: Sharif Hassan

After a break and few beers the Tracklocross Finals were looming, and the course readied for the destruction of the track bikes brave enough to weave and wind through it’s steep climbs, and frisky descents. The Men’s and women’s finals were merged together and riders were ready to rip!

photo credit: Jay Ritchey

Photo Credit Jay Ritchey

Gallery Photos: Andy Lovell

RACE RESULTS

OVERALL:

1st: Joseph Chapman (Atlanta, Ga.)

2nd: Eric Stewart (New Orleans, LA.)

3rd: Molly Russell (Atlanta, GA)

WOMEN’S TRACKLOCROSS

1st: Molly Russel (Atlanta, Ga.)

2nd: Erika ( Florida)

Photo Credit: Andy Lovell

MEN’S TRACKLOCROSS

1st: Joseph Chapman (Atlanta, Ga.)

2nd: Eric Stewart (New Orleans, LA.)

3rd: Taylor Mills (New Orleans, LA.)

Photo Credit: Andy Lovell

Photo Credit: Jay Ritchey

Big thanks to all the racers that came through and our new friends from all over the Southeast who brought all the stoke for the weekend.couldn’t have made this possible with out our Sponsors Loose Nuts Cycles, Thomson USA, Southern Brewing Company, & Montane Sparkling water for helping us set off the 1st Southeast Tracklocross Finals with fury, looking forward to next years festivities!

The Southeast Tracklocross series is upon us with racers from Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Georgia all rallying at the chance to make the finals here in Atlanta. The ATL crew came correct on there rigs, so we though we'd showcase some of our favorites. Be sure to check out the finals October, 13th 2018 at The Ellenwood CX ranch in Ellenwood, Ga. 

All Photo's by Andy Lovell

Molly Russel's State Warkhawk switched to a flat bar, new fixed wheel by Loose Nuts Cycles. 36x18 gearing on Maxxis Raze Tires. Mega fun to rip around! Molly took 3rd overall and 1st Womens.

Chris Bartlett's vanilla chromo Felt Fixe Frame that's been built up in as many ways possible since 2010, stock fork w/ riser bars, track drops, road drops, pursuits; first dirt/gravel build. Swapped All-City Nature Boy fork in 2013 with 3sp sturmey archer fixed gear hub, had to braze on rear canti bosses and cable stop; current build is medium length mountain risers, front mtb v-brakes, 42:19, 172.5 cranks, 30mm Kenda kwicks (don't sleep on cheap kenda rubber). This my go-to bike period because of its versatility and how fun it is to ride no matter the terrain. The steering is twitchy with street track frame geo and 45mm cross fork, skinny tires and short gearing make it easy to stay spun off pavement. Also fixie tricks are a kinda fun

Jonathan Agee's 50cm Kilo TT purchased in 2012 or 2013. It's seen commuting, group rides, and an MS150 before being put out to pasture in favor of Japanese steel. Brought it out of retirement with a smattering of parts, 45x19 gearing, and 28c tires for tracklocross. The oldest parts (seat and the BB) are from 2008. Out of the 4 track frames I have, it has the largest clearance and I wouldn't be bummed if I bent it.

Eric Nicoletti's Bianchi pista, c. 2000, flat black. I put the cheapest CX fork I could find on it, chrome.  Stole a cheap wheel off my sisters bike the morning of the race. I should ride this thing more. Nico took 2nd overall and 2nd Men's.

Jason Started with a stock All-City Nature Boy Reynolds 853 complete bike. Swapped cranks for late 90’s Dura-Ace track 165mm and 46 tooth chainring. Threw on an old Specialized Roman saddle. Got some Chromag OSX bars. We The People grips are my favorite touch. Had Loose Nuts Cycles build a Phil Wood disc fixed up up to a DT Swiss R460 db rim. Avid front disc brake. Shimano SPD XT pedals. 19 tooth All-City cog on back. 

Gike's 2001 Bianchi CUSS, the third of 11 SS’s they produced, with the guidance of Sky Yeager. (3 steel, 8 Aluminum. Mine is aluminum). Came stock with a Cars-R-Coffins sticker, Paul Hubs, RaceFace cranks (which I snapped a drive side crank arm on a nasty climb up the backside of Mt Telemark during a Chequamegon Fat Tire event). I built a fixed wheel for this badd girl in 2004 and its been this way most of the time since. One of our favorite rigs of the race!

Opie didn't even get to wipe the  TNGA dust off before hitting the Traclo-course with his All-City Log Lady with Paul hubs laced to 700 wheels. Tires were 700x33 in the back and 700x42 in the front. Running 36x?? for gear ratio. Risers for my handlebar set up. Opie took the top overall in the qualifier.

Spindlero Sharif's long distance dirt destroyer is a custom built track frame from a
former Atlanta bike builder, Seth Snyder. Built 3 years ago with heavy gauge Columbus tubing with plenty of clearance for 35+ knobby cross tires and a high bottom bracket for jumping shit. I’m rolling on Phil Wood hubs, laced to H plus Sons SL42s with Challenger Dunes 33s to the
ground. For longer gravel, I run 47 x 15 for Tracklocross I’m running 46 x 19.

Recently, the Spindleros have been expanding the brands we carry as well as our retail space to include a cafe with a kitchen full of pop ups and a sundry of pies and pastries from Tinkertown pies. Though we always allocate time to ride, gathering our scattered thoughts on paper has been a bit difficult. Luckily, we have amazing friends willing to put our recent brands through the ringer.

Recently, Chris Scott Smith from the Toecutters, a bikepacking and touring crew, took some notes on his tried and tested Topo Designs Climb shorts. We had the privilege to shoot him and extreme model and filmmaker, Jay Ritchey for the review to coincide with his recount. Enjoy this in all its glory!

Topo Design Climb Shorts

I’ve always been on a constant search to find a pair of pants or shorts that feel comfortable while riding a bike. I have certain requirements and needs, unfortunately everything has fallen short.
My requirements are simple enough. Something sturdy, made out of material that can withstand miles in the saddle and has deep enough pockets while showing off my gams. The last requirement being the most important. See, for me, I see all these shorts designed for cyclist, mountain bikers and tourers and my main issue is that they always end either just on the knee or perhaps a little longer than the knee. The problem is, with every pedal-stroke, I hate that constant feeling that you are wearing shorts as the hem kind of drags on your knee. To me, that just isn’t comfortable and it’s another area for possible hot spots. Plus I’m pretty sure fashion trends in men’s shorts are going the way of shorter shorts.  Now, there are commuter shorts out there or even touring shorts but in my search I just haven’t come across anything that doesn’t wear out over a short amount of time, stitching coming apart or fades after a couple miles in the saddle.

Enter the Topo Design Climb Shorts. The climb shorts were designed for scrambling around rock cliffs because of the high range of motion they provide. If you are like me, you aren’t dumb enough to climb to stupid heights clinging for your life on the side of a mountain and prefer to stick to a leisurely jaunt on two wheels… on the ground…..where it’s safe.

I found these shorts after seeing them on a friend. He let me borrow his (as most teenagers do) and I found them liberating. The shorts are made from a cotton and Lycra blend. The Lycra is only 2% but it gives these shorts a nice stretch in the legs while pedaling. They feature a button pocket and a zipper pocket which will ensure your wallet doesn’t fall out while heading the bar.

In the saddle, they don’t give me that bunching which causes uncomfortable fabric rub in the seat of my buns. Also, they fulfill my most important requirement of being short so everyone can admire my powerful stallion legs.

There are several other features on these shorts that are beneficial to cyclist making these more versatile than the climbing they were made for. Since the shorts have a more traditional form fitting fit but the gusseted crotch not only allows for more range of motion for those pedaling legs but helps against wear and tear over time from long rides. The side hand pockets are deep to keep your cellphone safely in your pocket.

One thing Topo is also known for is the built-in cinch belts on their pants and shorts. Riding around town or on tours, most of your favorite pair of shorts require the use of a belt. Anything with a large belt buckle can tend be too bulky riding around. The cinch belt simplifies the experience allowing for pulling up, hooking the T-lock fastener and heading out the door. It also allows you to hike up your trousers and and cinch em tight without having to stop.

They come in several, non-offensive colors but the red belt gives them a pop. Even though they come in darker colors, after several hundred miles and almost a year later I haven’t noticed much discoloration or fading in the seat of the pants. These pants are awfully tough, as well. I have yet to experience any tears or threading coming undone.

Here are my gripes though:

Sizing: There are only 4 sizes (small, Medium, large, Xlarge) This is due to the fact of the cinch belt allowing for them to fit a wide range of waists. For me I had a little bit of difficulty finding the right size. I bought several of their pants and shorts and between them I found different sizes fit better. Typically, I’m a 32”-33” and thinking most of my pants fall in the medium range found the medium to be really constricting. I switched to a large and have had no problem. Since I am in the lower size of the large range, they tend to stretch a little much after use so I’m having to cinch the belt a bit more often.

Fabric: This one isn’t that big of a deal because these are DURABLE. But, the material can make it get a little hot and sweaty down unda’. After a long day these will be wet and the cash in your pocket will most likely not be accepted by any gas station attendant. They also, don’t dry incredibly fast so taking a dip and jumping back on the bike is not going to be comfortable. Topo does make another short that is perfect for this but sacrifices long term durability.

Other than these two I honestly can’t say enough. I buy most of my pants from them now. Their climb pants are amazing for cold rides and have the same movement as the shorts. Both the shorts and their pants are stylish and have a slim fit making them look great on and off the bike.

Yesterday, a young man was killed by a driver who was fleeing from a police traffic stop here in Atlanta. The cyclist was hit in the bike lane, where he so called ‘belongs’. Now this incident is a little different from the norm because the driver was fleeing from the police when he hit the cyclist and was out of the usual ‘he was not where he was supposed to be’ or ‘the driver was on their phone’ or even the standard ‘I didn’t even see him’. But what was odd, but not so different, was the response it got, when I clicked to scroll through the story, hoping it wasn’t one of my friends, I told myself the same thing I tell myself I read any local article pertaining to anything cycling related…’Don’t Read the Comments’. But of course, without fail, I did.

Many of the commenter’s did not read the article at all, just readying their fingers to type any nonsense that came to mind stemming from their hate for people who ride bikes. For example, a few wrote ‘he shouldn’t have been on the road’, ‘he deserved it’, or ‘we should ban bikes from the streets’. Aside from missing the fact that the cyclist was a casualty of a driver alluding police, these people commenting in this fashion are basically saying this man does not matter. Husband? Who cares? Father? Not important, the only thing in their minds was that this gentleman was on a machine that they believe shouldn’t be on the road, even though all the traffic laws in the world say he should.

To say a human deserves to die because he/she’s commuting by bike is asinine, plain and simple. Because a person chooses to use a different form of transportation other than a car, should that person automatically deemed DOA because of his freedom of choice? Or is it because we’re so desensitized by other deaths around the world, whether it be by war, rampant murders, video games, etc. that we just blurt out the ‘they should die’ phrase without understanding what that person meant to their self and others? Did they not make someone smile? Did they not have parents that adored him/her? Or maybe even their family who won’t get to see their father/mother/brother/sister ever again?

This guy was immediately chastised because he was on a bike, didn’t matter the circumstances, didn’t matter that the driver was fleeing police, he was on the road where he shouldn’t have been and he got what was coming to him. Just because another human being wants to ride his bike to work, to clear their heads, to get exercise, why would any one get so mad at this person to suggest his/her death? Did he make you get to work 1 minute later than you wanted? Or did she make you miss that green light only to be stuck behind another car at the next light?

Now, do cyclists obey all the traffic laws? Run red lights? Roll through stop signs? Cut cars and so forth? Sure they do, shit I do (well, except cutting cars), even though I always make sure it is safe and I don’t cause an accident, which some drivers do as well, which is what it is, but some drivers are also speeding, on their phones (A LOT), and are times very angry and impatient due to sitting in traffic or other things happening in their lives. The thing is a split second bad decision due to any of these circumstances can cost another driver or cyclist their lives.

This disregard for human life is unsettling, as a commentator on Barstool Sports calls for ‘Death to cyclists’ and even made a T-shirt for it, I wonder who’s next? The College student who can’t afford parking, a father/mother who needs to bike because they can’t afford a car, the ‘New year New Me’ who is hell bent on finally losing weight in 2018 so they start commuting by bike, or me, a father of two amazing kids and a loving wife who can’t imagine not being around for them and commutes daily.

We need to stop throwing these phrases around so loosely, these cyclists are human beings, like the man asking for change in the streets, like the child starving in Sudan, like you driving your car to work everyday. No one deserves to die in any unjust fashion just because someone ‘belongs’ there and they don’t, or because they are in your way. We can start a conversation and make our cities better for all people no matter mode of transportation they have the freedom to use, or, maybe I just need to stop reading the comments…

This year has brought many great new things to the Spindle. We've opened in a new location, upped our custom bag making a thousand fold and one Spindlero brought another child into this world. While we were busy building a greater foundation for the brand, some of our friends have been conquering other goals. For instance, local legal battler, Gerry Weber, chooses exotic locales to take his gear, just for testing purposes. He's kindly lent us his skills in testing Acres Supply 14L Hydration Pack. When he's not defending artists in Atlanta or suing Athens for not allowing the likes of GWAR to play, he's getting sicky gnar gnar on trails around the world. Heres is account...

In their commitment to you the customer, The Spindle recently sponsored my 350 mile mountain bike expedition into the Mongolian steepe for the sole purpose of testing the Mission Workshop Hauser Hydration Backpack.  The rigorous test-hurdles included dust and hail storms, yak dodging exercises, sandy/rocky 20 percent downhills that produced three broken ribs for other non-Spindle riders, and an inexplicable requirement that this writer get drunk on fermented mare’s milk.   The route was all off-road (save about 10 miles of tarmac), and a mix of single track, vaguely defined jeep tracks and literally no track but a GPS coordinate.  

Before we see the Hauser in action, let’s take a tour of the bag.  The bag comes in two sizes, a ten liter and fourteen liter option, but why go small when they weigh almost the same amount?  The bag is weatherproof, and well into the water-resistant category.  Included is a tool roll, which I liked, but takes up too much room in a small bag to use for that purpose.  There are three small weatherproof pockets (one of which has pull-out straps for a roll bag or blanket) and a fourth larger pocketwith easy access to hydration.  The main pocket can roll or flat as the spirit moves you, and you can attach the helmet with ease.  The bag pocket can handle a small laptop plus papers.  Six areas in all!  The bag comes in nine colors, including some camo varieties.

The Hauser is roomy, light and comfortable.  Rarely do I use a backpack on extended bikepacking trips – the shoulders rebel.  But even packed with a (1) camera, lenses, pelican case (2) jacket and other provisions for inclement weather, and (3) a bunch of snacks: never a pained moment.  The bag felt nearly invisible due to the strapping system and perfect fit.  It was often hot, but the system separating the bag from back proved cool and far less nasty than expected. On steep descents, or dodging the various animals that crossed everywhere, the bag was fixed.  Even on a couple of oh-shit moments where death was near inevitable, the bag never sent me off a cliff or into a camel.  Yes, and one river crossing did not go so well,  but the bag’s waterproofing capabilities proved just fine for a brief dip in the river.  

The pocket system proved efficient, with just a few issues.  The main all-around back pocket is great and roomy, but remember to close it all the way, or stuff falls right out.  The camelback outside pack likely works well for that purpose, but is also your easy access to snacks and binoculars or a small camera.  I wish they had a second small side pocket.  I used one for sunglasses, but it would be nice to have another for phone which I ended up putting in a protected pocket on the inside.  Also, if they had a small add on for the belt where you could put sunscreen and bug juice, that would make sense.  While I tested the larger bag since the weight difference is small and you can never refuse extra space, The Spindle has promised a similar sponsored journey to Africa to test the smaller bag.

The Hauser has become my go-to bag for light hauling on the bike, or just rolling around town from work-to-bar-to-wherever.  The sheer comfort and practicality of the bag has replaced its larger competitors for most excursions.