Cyclocross in the flatlands

And so it begins again. Another 'cross season has started. After missing the first round of the Lincolnshire League last week to do the Sherwood XC race, my season has begun. Time to remember the pain and joy of racing once more. So Sunday saw me lining up at RAF Cranwell on a sunny (too hot) Sunday with 50+ others to blast around in the dust.







A long course including a steep gravel descent, horrid run up and some nice singletrack through the woods took its toll on me, especially combined with the hot weather. By my last lap I had finally got back into riding a cross bike, able to jump off and on smoothly and handle the twitchy bike through the woods and over roots with only 35mm tyres and without 130mm of suspension fork.

I got an absolute beasting but remembered why i enjoy cross. It hurts but there is always someone to have a race with. Hopefully now I have remembered how much I need to push, and can move up a couple of places next time.

For contrast, this weekend will be Dusk til Dawn, and after missing last years mudfest due to injury, I am looking forward to it. Am taking the singlespeed (with a low gear) and aiming to enjoy it.


I did also get asked where my friends were (after the other Fig Rolls came cross racing at Christmas) I said they all thought it was too fast and had been scared off...

XC Racing is ace

when it is warm and sunny. Did the last round of the midlands XC today at Sherwood Forest. Thought I would use the singlespeed to get a bit more time in on it before dusk til dawn. Hmm, I forgot that I really am not a short course racer. Ouch. The elite mens leader lapped me 3 times I think, so I was hoping that I wouldn't have to go out for my 4th lap after I had started cramping and run out of drink. Yes I did. Oh well, at least it was fun.

Almost no fireroad and constant singletrack = smiley Matthew. Just a shame by back now feels broken and my legs don't work. Having done 2 hours of pain, as of next week it's back to the local cross league for just 1 hour of horror every Sunday. Good times.

Mrs. Lea enjoyed it too, she had a picnic blanket, a picnic and a book to read. She thought it was much better that all the other rubbish bike races she has been to (SITS 08 in particular)

'Cross the Rock CX

This Sunday I (Andrew) left my DH bike behind in Whistler and headed to Vancouver Island with Marc for my first CX race of the season at Beban Park. The weather was inappropriately nice and the atmosphere was pretty relaxed. I also counted at least 10 Kona CX bikes... including mine. For me, the race involved just under 47 minutes of puke-inducing sprinting around a course that included a BMX race track and the "Whirly whirl", a bi-directional spiral thing in a huge sandpit. Good times. I ended up in 12 place (of 30 intermediates), just behind a man who I now know was Mr Wade Smith from Cowichan Bay. Mr Smith and I had an epic battle all through the race, which disappointingly ended with him crashing in the Whirly Whirl, right before the finish and me taking the glory of 12th place. A hollow victory. Thank you Mr Smith for a great race.

I ran into the guy who came 5th on the ferry on the way home and apparently the lead pack had got a bit rowdy, almost ending in fisticuffs. Drama. Obviously this is why I chose to languish back in the middle of the field. Right?

There's lots more CX coming up and Lina and I are planning on getting a few races done. Stay tuned for more sketchy-bike action. Hopefully it will pour with rain next time.