Cyclo-cross is here!

Beginning on Saturday November 7 and concluding on January 24 Bio-Wheels will be hosting a 9 race PSYCHO-CROSS series. A flyer is available on the Bio-Wheels site. The individual races will be co-promoted by Bio-Wheels, Fat Dog Promotions (Lexington, KY) and Queen City Wheels. The first event will be at Burnet Woods. The QCW event will be on December 6th at Cowan Lake State Park near Clarksville, Ohio.

Each venue will host 3 separate races: m1/2/3 & w (60 minutes), m (45 minutes), and m 4/5 & w (30 minutes). Racing will begin at noon. Entry fee is $15.00 and there will be one prize per 5 registered racers.

If you do not know much about cyclocross check out the insert in the October 5th issue of VELONEWS or checkout www.ris.net/~velodog/. I won't pretend after just one race to be any kind of an expert but here is what I do know:

  • You do not need a special bike - stick some narrow tires on your mountain bike and take off the bar ends, or cram some nobbies on that old road frame, a la Scott Denny.
  • The courses will be all in parks w/ grass, pavement, run-ups, barriers & maybe even a little sand. Short loops and fun to watch.
  • It is hard Š try spending 45 minutes at your AT - the crit from hell.
  • It is fun Š not as technical as mountain bike racing but there is an amount of skill involved. Mounting and re-mounting your bike, over barriers, up hills - you get the picture. The places where you are most likely to fall down are nice soft grass (if not frozen, that is).
  • It is better than spending an hour on that goofy wind trainer!
I am sure that each race will need itÕs share of volunteers, so if you are not racing, come on out and help.

-Chip Ellison

Adam Krause, member of 1998 US National CX Team and QCW Elite Team, shows winning style at Harbin Park.