3 Questions: Kermesse QA w/ Benjamin Storrar.

Ben Storrar started racing Kermesses last year and ended up the Cat 1/2/3 Kermesse Series Champion.  How'd he do that?

What was your first Kermesse race and what was the biggest surprise about it?

My first kermesse was the Mashel Nisqually Kermesse in February 2012. The biggest surprise was how out of shape I had gotten during the Holidays, I’m sure mostly do to my love for any dip that has mayonnaise as the main ingredient. The second surprise was how well a road bike can ride through a small, muddy stream.

If you had one piece of advice you can give to someone trying a Kermesse for the first time, what would it be?

I have two things.

First, don’t get all wound up about your bike needs. You don’t need a special bike to do these races.  A road bike or cross bike with some large 25’s, or preferably a 28c, works just fine. Race whatever road-ish bike you have just put bigger tires on it.

Second, go fast. The faster you go the less bumpy it is. 

Why do you even do kermesse races?  I heard they are super hard!  Are you crazy?

I do them because it's fun to do something with a road bike that it wasn’t really designed to do.  I also think the kermesse series this year will be a great because it fits perfect between the road season winding down and the cyclocross season almost starting.  

Yes, they are hard.  All racing is hard if you do it right, but that’s not a reason to not to do it. And lastly, I hope not.