Do you like music and have the tunes to get the party started?? Here at the MSG HQ, we’ve decided to open the floor for guest dj’s this year (once we find a PA). The only criteria is that the playlist is clean/edited and that there is about 5-6 hours of music.

Interested? Contact eric at msgcross dot com.

The tour is over and cross is on the horizon. If, like me, you are thinking about how out of shape you are, fear not! The good folks at Biowheels in Asheville are putting together a low-key cyclocross training series over in Hendersonville. Check out the flyer for dates.  The first one is on Sept. 10.

Yeah, I can tell you’re already thinking about it. It’s not even mid-summer yet and your thoughts are turning to cross. Been dreaming up that new fancy wheelset? Maybe this is the year you try tubulars! Definitely need to cobble together a SS for an end o’ the day croSS. This is the year you are going to learn to step through. Man, it’s going to be a great season.

BUT! A great series is made even better with great prizes, and this is where we need your help. Do you, or someone you know, want to sponsor our series with either product or cash? We’d love for you to download our sponsorship proposal (in pdf form), read it over, and get back to us. If you love MSG CX, you want to make sure it continues. This is your chance. Thanks, in advance, for your consideration.

eric at msgcross dot com

Redline Bicycles has supported our series from the beginning in 2004, and this year, they stepped up their sponsorship in a major way making us a part of their Redline Cup o’ Cross Series. Redline has a long history in the bicycle industry and traces its roots back to 1970 and BMX racing. However, in recent years, the company has been making waves with their line of cyclocross bikes and support of grassroots cycling.

At the awards ceremony following the 6th and final race. Jake Braswell took home a 2007 Redline Conquest that should fit him in a year or two (it’s a 54cm). The Conquest features a double butted aluminum frame with disc tabs, S-bend seatstays for great mud clearance, and a replaceable derailleur hanger. It has a responsive U6 aluminum fork with disc tabs, a shimano 105 rear derailleur with Tiagra STI shifters matched up with a FSA 46 x 36t crankset, and a 9 speed 12×25 cassette. The Gruppo is rounded out by a Ritchey Comp wheel set with Maxxis Raze tires that are ready to give you a great ride over any terrain. The Conquest is available in 7 sizes (44cm-60cm) and retails for $1000.

Pure and simple, our series would not exist without our great sponsors. If you enjoy the MSG Series, please take a moment to email them with your appreciation of their support. Please be sure to mention our Mud, Sweat, and Gears CX Series! Contact info can generally be found on the various company websites linked down the right side of this page. Thanks for taking a few minutes to take this simple and free action that will help Dwayne and I as we plan for 2008 (and yes, we’ve already started….).

MSG #6 Results - 12/8/2007

The results and photos from MSG #6 are posted. Finally, the weather was nasty, and the wet conditions turned the course into a slippery and sloppy mess. This was classic cyclocross, folks! Hopefully, the racing was fun for everybody, and the chicane before the Hammer Heed runup leveled the playing field and forced racers off their bikes.

After the race, we had our usual final race cookout/awards ceremony at the Meredith Pavillion. Jake Braswell took home a 2007 Redline Conquest that should fit him in a year or two. Congratulations to all of our Series winners, and we hope you enjoy your custom homemade trophies. Extra special thanks go out to the Lang’s for their grill expertise. How many other series offer low entry fees, great prizes, and a free lunch?!? Not many.

And like that, the 4th annual Mud, Sweat, and Gears Cyclocross Series drew to a close. Thanks for making this the biggest and best season yet, and we hope to see each and every one of you back again next year.

2007 MSG Overall Points Standings

Some sports drinks are not much more than artificially colored sugar water that does little to aid your performance and even less for your health. Hammer Nutrition’s HEED’s all-complex carbohydrate formula goes down easily and supplies you with consistent, long-lasting energy and the electrolytes you need to keep pushing the pace. HEED (High Energy Electrolyte Drink) has no citric acid so will not burn your throat or stomach no matter how long you drink it. HEED’s sweeteners - stevia and xylitol - are actually good for you, xylitol being especially beneficial for helping promote oral health. The full-spectrum, all chelated mineral, electrolyte profile helps satisfy your body’s mineral requirements. L-Carnosine and Chromium Polynicotinate help to buffer lactic acid and support stable blood glucose levels. If you prefer sport drinks over energy gels or like to use the two together, try HEED and find out what a sports drink done right can do for your athletic performance.