The final Cyclesmith Kona Kupa Soup Kross (sic) cyclocross race of the season is this Sunday (Dec 13th) at Seaview Lookoff Park in Halifax. To find it, ride down Gottingen, proceed straight on as it turns into Novalea and when you get to the end, carry (no pun intended) on straight through the gate and down the hill (under the MacKay). Then just follow the caution tape.....
For those of you not familiar with cyclocross it is basically a non-technical(ish) mountain bike race done on modified road bikes; wide tyres, lower gears, cantilever brakes and a ton of clearance.
Whispy, lightweight, windcheating Cervelos these are not. As a sport, 'cross maybe considered a bit of an anachronism and despite STI (Shimano Total Integration that is, not the other STI), SRAM, tubeless, aluminium and crabon these bikes have a touch of the "back-in-the-day" about them. That said, this race is all about fun and mountain bikes are welcomed, our friends at Cyclesmith just ask you remove the bar-ends.
The course has something for everyone, a real crowd-pleaser! There are steep muddy climbs and descents.....
.....gravel.....
...... and at least two places where you have to get off your bike and carry it up hill or jump over barriers.
And all of this is considered de rigueur.
It's short, it's fast, it's unrelenting, you should expect to crash at least once and if you're into that kind of thing it's insanely good fun. Some magazines will try and tell you it's a good way to "maintain post-season form" but don't drag that into it! If you can't enjoy yourself in December, when can you eh? Plus at $5 per race and no day fee (or about 50c a lap including warm-up) it's way too cheap not to!
This is the last chance to pin on (well zip-tie on) a number this year and unlike some end-of-season events, this one will be raced in dead earnest. It's a 45 minute race and typically you'll be racing with the throttle wide-open, think of your 10K effort and you'll have a rough idea.
Several triathletes have taken the 'cross plunge, in some cases literally, over the past few years; take a bow Norm Lai (sorry, but I can't find a pic of you), Tony Walker, Gerald Lewin (dude, Lemmy form Motorhead called, he wants his mustache back), Tyrone "for reasons of national security now known as" Grande, Marie-Claude Gregoire, Antar "if you're not wearing that can I borrow it" Fuentes and yours truely.
We're all doing it for a variety of reasons. I think one of them is to dispel the myth of triathletes as dodgy bike handlers. Of course it would help if between us we hadn't racked up an insane number of injuries; swathes of road-rash, a cracked rib, at least six stitches and a reputation for running far more of the course than anyone else. I think you can safely say we're collectively taking one for the team!
If the prospect of red-lining it in person two weeks before Christmas doesn't fill you with joy, come down to watch instead. Especially if you have that blood-sport type of mentality; why hurt when you can watch other people hurtin' for you (and for entertainment)? Ave, morituri te salutant indeed! Gun goes at 11:00. Dress-code is welly boots, big coat, hat, gloves and a cow-bell.
Traditionally 'cross also goes with frites, mayonnaise and insanely strong Belgian beer (one concept: post-retirement Eddy Merckx. Need I say more?) but I'll leave that up to you.
AD
Photos & video of Cyclesmith 'cross events from Steve Fougere, Lawrence Title and Ed Rushton
For those of you not familiar with cyclocross it is basically a non-technical(ish) mountain bike race done on modified road bikes; wide tyres, lower gears, cantilever brakes and a ton of clearance.
Whispy, lightweight, windcheating Cervelos these are not. As a sport, 'cross maybe considered a bit of an anachronism and despite STI (Shimano Total Integration that is, not the other STI), SRAM, tubeless, aluminium and crabon these bikes have a touch of the "back-in-the-day" about them. That said, this race is all about fun and mountain bikes are welcomed, our friends at Cyclesmith just ask you remove the bar-ends.
The course has something for everyone, a real crowd-pleaser! There are steep muddy climbs and descents.....
.....gravel.....
...... and at least two places where you have to get off your bike and carry it up hill or jump over barriers.
And all of this is considered de rigueur.
It's short, it's fast, it's unrelenting, you should expect to crash at least once and if you're into that kind of thing it's insanely good fun. Some magazines will try and tell you it's a good way to "maintain post-season form" but don't drag that into it! If you can't enjoy yourself in December, when can you eh? Plus at $5 per race and no day fee (or about 50c a lap including warm-up) it's way too cheap not to!
This is the last chance to pin on (well zip-tie on) a number this year and unlike some end-of-season events, this one will be raced in dead earnest. It's a 45 minute race and typically you'll be racing with the throttle wide-open, think of your 10K effort and you'll have a rough idea.
Several triathletes have taken the 'cross plunge, in some cases literally, over the past few years; take a bow Norm Lai (sorry, but I can't find a pic of you), Tony Walker, Gerald Lewin (dude, Lemmy form Motorhead called, he wants his mustache back), Tyrone "for reasons of national security now known as" Grande, Marie-Claude Gregoire, Antar "if you're not wearing that can I borrow it" Fuentes and yours truely.
We're all doing it for a variety of reasons. I think one of them is to dispel the myth of triathletes as dodgy bike handlers. Of course it would help if between us we hadn't racked up an insane number of injuries; swathes of road-rash, a cracked rib, at least six stitches and a reputation for running far more of the course than anyone else. I think you can safely say we're collectively taking one for the team!
If the prospect of red-lining it in person two weeks before Christmas doesn't fill you with joy, come down to watch instead. Especially if you have that blood-sport type of mentality; why hurt when you can watch other people hurtin' for you (and for entertainment)? Ave, morituri te salutant indeed! Gun goes at 11:00. Dress-code is welly boots, big coat, hat, gloves and a cow-bell.
Traditionally 'cross also goes with frites, mayonnaise and insanely strong Belgian beer (one concept: post-retirement Eddy Merckx. Need I say more?) but I'll leave that up to you.
AD
Photos & video of Cyclesmith 'cross events from Steve Fougere, Lawrence Title and Ed Rushton
Race done, fast and furious on frozen ground! No serious crashes, report to come...
ReplyDelete