Here in Colorado, the leaves are certainly turning but there sure isn’t a crisp in the air-at least not yet. Take, for example, this past weekend. Sunday was the official ‘cross season kick-off here in Boulder. Held at the local reservoir, it somehow felt a bit odd hoofin’ about while jet skiers slalomed past and Eliminator jet boats shot up mile-high rooster tails under a relentless 80-degree sun. Somehow racing seems so much easier when you’re not forced to watch attractive women sipping lemonade and laying out on the very beach you’re running across.

While not in the hunt for the lead (but furiously fighting for publishing world bragging rights againstBicycling/Mountain Bike magazine’s own Joe Lindsey) I was able to etch-in a few mental notes:

First, what compels ‘cross racers (most notably here in Boulder) to feel that their ‘cross bikes MUST be as extravagantly equipped as their road steeds? I mean, Campagnolo Record 10-speed is a beautiful thing when adorning your DeRosa Dual, but honestly, how important is it to run top-of-the-line components when it’s only a matter of time before you’re dragging carbon derailleurs, wheels and chain guides through knee-deep mud? Turns out a Shimano 105 drivetrain works about as crappy as a three-times-as–expensive Dura-Ace group after a few laps ‘round a muddy ‘cross course.

Why not buy sensible, mid-level Shimano or Campagnolo components and use the money you saved to invest in a back-up bike? Just a thought as I saw a fellow competitor riding a pair of $1500 Zipp carbon 404 tubulars adorned with $100 Dugast tubulars (each) through wet (bike-killing) sand.

My advice? Invest a quality frame that fits perfectly and rides to your satisfaction (“steel is real” is more than just a catchy slogan, by the way). Throw on sensible aluminum bars, stem and seatpost. Add a pair of sensible deep-section hand-built wheels (easily and readily repairable) and run mid-level (Shimano 105 or Campagnolo Centaur) components. When stuff breaks or wears out (as it likely to do when ridden in sand, muck and mire) you won’t suffer a myocardial infarction or be forced to take out a second mortgage.

As you know, it takes more than good looks to get to the finish line. I couldn’t help but have a chuckle as I was able to solider on, even as many around me fell victim to a nasty harvest of goat head thorns which littered the course. I was fortunate enough to be running SpinSkins Kevlar tire liners which did a first class job of fending off those devilish thorns. For racers who buy their own stuff, leave the pricey puncture flat-prone tubulars to the pros (who have people buy stuff for them, get it?).

The Shipping News
For anyone who’s ever crammed a cumbersome bike box into the back of a two-door Subaru, lugged the thing to the check-in counter and paid the $75 “oversize” luggage fee (one way) to your race in Atlanta, listen up. Just got a message from Matt Smith (of former Barracuda mountain bike racing fame) who’s now in charge of promoting an extremely helpful web-based service. It’s called sportsexpress.com and is a Durango, Colorado based web service which will organize pick-up, transport and delivery of your precious bike to just about any event in North America (and some in Europe). The official party line is this:

The company was founded in 1999 to simplify the hassles of traveling with luggage and sports equipment and to provide individual and group travelers an alternative way to transport gear. Through advanced technology and innovation, Sports Express has developed and built an information technology infrastructure/service system to facilitate the pickup of travelers' sports equipment, gear and luggage at their residence, office or country club and deliver the items to travelers' final destinations and back. Sports Express partners with leading firms including FedEx, UPS, national and regional airlines and numerous travel, resort and hospitality companies.

In speaking with sportsexpress.com’s marketing spokesman Dave Wells, I found out more about this innovative service. While any of us would be able to ship a bike using FedEx, UPS or DHL service, none of us could gain access to these company’s internal customer service centers when things go wrong. Wells explained it like this, “for about the same rate as you could get these companies to ship your bike on your own, sportsexpress.com will offer personalized shipping from the minute your bike leaves your doorstep, to the second you pick it up at your destination. If, for any reason, your bike gets re-routed on its way to its final destination, our customer service center will be alerted. Unlike the average customer, we have the power to reroute packages and step-up service to ensure your bike arrives precisely at the time you requested. Since we have business accounts with all three shippers, we know the second your package gets off-course and we can fix it before the average person would even know anything is wrong. In extreme circumstances, we’ll hire a private courier to hand-deliver your bike at no extra charge to you.”

Wells went on to explain the degree of customer service his company is willing to go to. “In a worst case scenario, if a customer’s sporting equipment is completely lost or damaged, we’ll find a comparable replacement for the duration of the customer’s stay-at no extra charge. Customer service is job number one with us.”

Check out sportsexpress.com for more info next time you need to travel with your bike (or just about any other sports equipment).

I’m off to Interbike on Friday with none other than our lovable Lennard Zinn (to be joined later in the weekend by VeloNews's Charles Pelkey and Jason Sumner). Check back to VeloNews.com for daily (even hourly) updates on all the latest bikes, components and goings-on from the oh-so-very-Vegas event.