'Cross on the Rock cyclocross series prelim dates

[Lister Farrar]

Mark your calendars: Seven races for any rider, all on the island from Sept 11 to Nov 20. It's a short but fun season. Cross skill clinics will be offered.

http://www.crossontherock.com/

New:
Some changes to C.O.T.R. for 2011.
Contest…for best photo from the series. Take some pictures. Send us your best. We will fire up a gallery…we will decide which one rocks the best!
Kids races…working on this but we would LOVE to get this going again.
Masters…should we change the ages to 40+?
Beer Gardens…we wish!

This is probably the most fun you can have racing. Ride the midweek series in Victoria, then try some of these. 'Cross is a hoot. Not too long (less than hour usually), races for everyone, no might-get-dropped factor, everyone has someone to race with, great for braking/bike handling/ shifting/agility, excellent threshold level workout, soft(er) landings if you fall, courses are short and in nice places that appeal to spectators (wear boots though!).

It's not much like mtb, courses are wider and smoother, and you have to get off your bike and do a run-up or hurdle, so there's lots of fun skill stuff to work; it's not all down to training and genetics.

Use an mtb or a cyclocross bike. A cx bike can double as a rain bike, and save your road rocket for good weather.

Some photos:
http://oakbaybikes.com/cross-on-the-roc ... up-photos/

[Lister Farrar]

Oops, I see Roland already posted this info in the racing section. Apologies.

[sylvan]

soft(er) landings if you fall

"if", haha, as if. "When" you fall it's way softer. And actually racing cross makes it cooler to watch sketchy, pirated streaming video feeds of actual pro Euro cross races in the middle of winter with Stybar, Nys, Albert and Pauwels who make it look so awesome and easy.