Time to Ride Cyclocross style!

Spencer, Kaylee, Michael, Ryan, Taylor, Richard, Julie, Deb

One of the most exciting aspects of racing bikes for me is racing Cross, I love riding bikes but when it comes racing Cross is the thing I look forward to every winter. Yes, I said winter! That’s because the majority of cross racing happens in the winter months, rain, snow, mud, and fun is the name of the game.

After taking a few (read 6 years) years off from racing bikes, and somewhat from riding, I am back and fit for this year. One of the best aspects this year is the Tensegrity team, we have a large contingent of people wanting to race cross and have fun. The practices have been super fun and keep getting bigger and more intense every week. I am really impressed with this group of cyclist, they love to have fun and ride their bikes fast and hard. I am looking forward to hanging out and racing with each one of them this year.

When I stopped racing the cross scene in Eugene was starting to grow, over the past few years it has really taken off and it is exciting to see something I worked hard at promoting getting better. There are two local race series, first starting in September on every Monday evening – The Twilight Cyclocross Series, and the weekend series -  Physco Cross. Both of these typically take place at Camp Harlow in North Eugene and are great courses for racing as well as spectating.

Hollis making the run up look easy

Speaking of spectating, cross is one of the best cycling sports for watching. The courses average 1 to 1 ½ miles in length and riders do multiple laps. With the obstacles such as barriers (riders have to jump off their bike, run and jump a wooden barrier and then jump back on their bike – all while at full speed!), run-ups, mud, turns, stairs, the list goes on and on…. Spectators get a chance to see racers challenging themselves while at the same time racing 100 of your closet friends. There are usually several different categories of racers on the course at the same time, which adds to the excitement of watching because there is always someone there. Did I mention you get to yell and scream them, and ring a cowbell! Can you tell, I almost like spectating as much as I like racing.

Deb doing some barries at Cross Crusade in Portland

The racing, oh! The racing – you talk about hard, this is quite possibly the hardest 60 minutes someone can spend racing a bike, and at the same time the funnest! Start with the spectators, they are hardcore, standing out there yelling and ringing the cowbell, you can’t stop or you get ridiculed beyond belief. Sometime the noise is so loud it is deafening. The other racers, did I say 100, well how about 1000+ at our biggest venue the Cross Crusade in Portland Oregon. They have grown the sport in the NW beyond what anyone ever expected. They can get over a 1000 people at the events, split them up into 5 or 6 races and you have 200 people at a time out on a 1 ½ mile race course. It is insane! You are bumping elbows, passing people with hairball moves and pushing yourself above any anaerobic level you thought possible.

The first Cross Race

Then there is yourself, or in this case myself, I’m sure we all have different reasons for wanting to ride our bikes, and for those of us who race cross there are numerous different reasons. For me, it is the pure fun of pushing myself beyond my limits. Every time I go out on the cx bike, for practice or for race, I can dig deeper into myself and push harder than I did last time. I also love seeing all my friends, racing against them and with them, and as I noted above this year is exciting with such a great group of teammates on the Tensegrity team.

It’s time to go ride my bike, Cyclocross bike that is.

Richard