It's almost cyclocross season!

[Roland]

What is cyclocross? It can't be explained, it must be experienced.

It's like a criterium in the mud.
It's like a triathlon but you never know when you'll be swimming (in mud), riding or running.
It's like steeplechase on a bike.
It's like a mountain bike race, but you're on your road bike.
It's like doing 30 second intervals for 45 minutes.

But it's not really like any of that. Typically courses are 2.5 - 3.5 km in length and consist of sections of gravel, pavement, grass, mud and dirt. There are also obstacles where you must dismount and run with your bicycle. Races are ~45minutes in length, and you complete as many laps as you can within the time limit.

Cyclocross is more fun and low key compared to road racing. You don't get pulled from the race if you aren't fast enough. You don't break your pelvis, because you just fall in the mud, not on a curb. There is no pack, so drafting doesn't come into play. You race isn't over if you get dropped. If you lack technical riding skills you can make up time on the flats. If you are a runner, you can make up time on the steep run-up hills. It's full effort for 45 minutes with constant changes of position, not 44 minutes of drafting with a sprint at the end.

The best part is the great prizes, which is usually beer. Win the first lap prime = beer! Win = beer! Most spirit = beer! Tons of other prizes as well. It's fun for all ages and abilities, last year the youngest rider was 10. The oldest 65.

Don't think you can get out of racing if you don't have a cyclocross bike. You can also use a touring bike, mountain bike, bmx bike, hybrid. Anything you can get a slightly knobby tire on. You probably won't have much fun on a road bike. And I've seen lots of cyclocross bikes on the tripleshot rides as winter bikes, so don't try and tell me you don't have one.

The schedule is as follows:

September 13th - Beban Park Nanaimo
October 4th - Bowen Park Nanaimo.
October 18th - Providence Farm in Duncan.
October 31st - Intercontinental Single Speed Championships of the Universe! At Fletchers Farm.
November 7th - Slugget Farms in Central Saanich
November 8th - possibly at Juan De Fuca or possibly a new location.
November 22nd - Shawnigan Lake school

More info will appear here: http://www.island-multi-sports.com/CX_BC_CUP/index.htm

Dave Shishkoff runs a cyclocross clinic on Saturday mornings at Beacon Hill. http://thevictoriavegan.com/organicathl ... ocross.pdf

I expect to see lots of baby blue getting muddy! Mark these days in your calendar now.

Roland

[Roland]

To get an idea of what local cyclocross racing is about, what my videos from last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGO9ShO67iw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrrRRaCGl5g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unPYyQckl8w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_EthMwUvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEXF8Xmz0_8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asHdkE9t8UA

[Roland]

Some of my favorite cyclocross photos

[Plawless]

As fun as this looks (and I admit I am going to give it a try this year) did anyone else notice the problem with at least 1 photo? Tha's right NO BIKES!!!! Its just a shot of a bunch of dudes running in a field wearing cleats, spandex & helmets ???????????

[Lister Farrar]

As fun as this looks (and I admit I am going to give it a try this year) did anyone else notice the problem with at least 1 photo? Tha's right NO BIKES!!!! Its just a shot of a bunch of dudes running in a field wearing cleats, spandex & helmets ???????????

I think they were just heading for coffee after...

[Rolf]

I revive this entertaining thread with a great clip of a slippery downhill from the Cyclocross World Cup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqzgbJS8Fs4&hl=un" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false

It's only 1:01. Go on -- waste some time. It's funnier than Pete's jokes.

[JohnT]

I think I recognized a separated shoulder in that mess. Not nice at all.

[Rolf]

Yes, I suppose once I've suffered my first serious cycling injury I'll be much less prone to such schadenfreude.

But it's hard to deny a sense of humour conditioned by years of Tom & Jerry, Elmer Fudd, Roadrunner and Itchy & Skratchy.