GamJams.net: Where Mid-Atlantic bike racers roll: GamJams Tech: Premes, Picks, Promos p/b November Bicycles

Mark Savery placed fifth in the Masters 40-44 race last weekend at the US National Cyclocross Championships in Madison, Wisc. Photo by Joshua Stamper

As a cyclist, the search for newer and better gear is constant — there's always something else out there. Premes, Picks, Promos will highlight both the next big thing and the sleeper deal.

Mark Savery has been thinking about this weekend for more than two years. Chances are, he'll keep thinking about it for years to come. The Omaha rider is in Louisville, Ky., for the UCI Masters World Cyclocross Championships this weekend. (And he was on a local TV morning show yesterday.)

Savery, who rides for Trek Midwest CX, placed fifth in last weekend's US Masters 40-44 Championship race. He made plans to race this weekend when the venue was awarded to Louisville in the fall of 2009. He drew the No. 1 slot for today's 30-minute seeding race, which will set the call-up rows for Saturday's championship race. UPDATE: Savery finished third in today's race.

The weather forecast for the next few days in Louisville is abysmal. It rained most of the day on Wednesday, and snow is on the way for later today. An already soft course will likely be a slop-fest by the end of the day.

We spoke with Savery this morning about his equipment plans for the next few days.

"It's going to be a total mud slog, basically," he said. "It's gonna be brutal."

Savery will ride a pair of Trek Cronus Ultimate bikes with a SRAM Red drivetrain on his A bike and a SRAM Force drivetrain on his B bike. Both have Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes and Bontrager bars, stems, seatposts and saddles.

With the sloppy conditions, the Challenge Limus tire is really the only choice. Tires will be glued to a set of Bontrager XXX-Lite carbon wheels on the A bike and Bontrager RXL aluminum wheels on the B bike. Savery has a set of the new Bontrager Aeolus 5 wheels as well, but they're glued up with dry-weather Challenge tires.

"At this point it's coming down to how good you are in the conditions," he said. "How good of a bike handler you are; how good of a runner. It's power-heavy course."

With plunging temperatures, clothing may turn out to be more important than the bike, which almost turns into an afterthought after tire selection.

Underneath his helmet, Savery will go with a traditional cycling cap — to better keep the mud off of his glasses.

"Everybody thinks the mud comes from below, but by the time it hits you it's on the downward arc," he said.

Savery won't put the aero rainshell cover on his Lazer helmet, though. At temperatures above freezing, it's too hot at race intensity.

He'll use a long-sleeved thermal skinsuit, paired with Castelli's Nano-Flex leg warmers. The fabric coating on the warmers is water resistant and helps shed mud and moisture. He's been using Mad Alchemy's pre-ride warming oil underneath for additional warmth.

Castelli's neoprene Diluvio glove will tackle the potentially wet conditions.

"I'm thinking about putting some embrocation on my hands, too," Savery said. "Staying warm is going to be a key."

For shoes, Savery has a full-Lorica version (no mesh) of the Sidi Spider, which have 3/4-inch toe spikes installed. Instead of going with a thicker wool sock underneath, Savery prefers to go with a standard sock and normal blood circulation.

This is all well and good pre-race, but once things get started, Savery will be focused on keeping his bikes clean for as long as possible.

"I've been thinking about taking two bikes per lap, since it's a double pit," he said. "We'll do what we have to do to keep it clean for 10 minutes at a time."

—

In addition to being GamJams Tech Editor, Bryan Redemske has managed the Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha, is a professional writer and a Cat 3 racer. He drinks a lot of coffee.

—

Sheesh, some of that stuff is expensive. Good thing you get your frames and wheels at Pro Deal pricing. Wait — you don't? You might want to look at November Bicycles. They've got a new racer-specific model designed to strip unnecessary pricing out of the cost of your new bike. It's like a Pro Deal for everyone.