Cyclocross
“the only time I have taken money out of a man’s front zipper in his pants in front of several hundred cheering people including my family”
sam..........describing the mad house scene at the top of the infamous 50 METER run-up at Jinglecross rock in Iowa City, IA.
I have found that most of the things in life I absolutely love, a large portion of the world doesn’t even know they exist. I will lump Cyclocross in with the “What Sports” The sports you say the name and you get “What?” “Cyclo what??” After a lengthy explanation and a blank stair you go about your day knowing you just confused or entertained someone with huge gestures of you throwing the bike over you shoulder and running up a hill.
How can so much pleasure come in disguise with so much pain. I have stopped trying to explore why I am so motivated and excited about activities that have brought me little if any monetary reward and so much discomfort. Cyclocross was a sport I had never heard of and didn’t understand until I randomly found myself at the start line of a local CX race in Knoxville, TN. I had heard rumors of a small gathering of bike racers in a small park that involved a bit of running and jumping of obstacles. It was mid-winter which made the decision even sillier. I really can’t explain why I would be so excited about such an odd sounding sport but here I was Saturday morning 4o’ degrees with a 7 speed road bike ready to take on all comers. From the start it was painfully obvious I had no idea what I was in for. These guys were fast. I really hadn’t wrapped my head around full speed dismounts over railroad ties and throwing my clunky Trek over my shoulder and sprinting up a hill. When the dust settled I had totally destroyed my relatively fit body in just 60 minutes. I was completely covered with bruises and had pulled muscles in my groin I didn’t know I had. I have taken many beatings in life attempting new sports, but none had been this brutal or so quick. It took days to walk normally but, for some reason, all I hoped is that I would heal quickly enough to race the following weekend. To say I was hooked is an understatement. I had fallen in love on the first date—painful beating and all. After several seasons of Cyclocross I have found I am not the only racer with this affliction. Cyclocross passion is simple…. You either love it or you hate it. There is no middle ground. I was now the guy when someone said Cyclo….I finished their sentence with a grin “cross”. If you are looking at this blog and wonder why the guy is running a muddy hill carrying his bike many thoughts might be going through your mind. Is this some sort of joke? Does he have a flat tire? Does he owe money to the guys chasing him? Five years ago I would have been asking the same question. I owned a road bike and a mountain bike. Heck, I even tried to ride a unicycle with no luck in college. I had an older brother who raced a ton on the dirt and road and I had watched the Tour de France as an avid fan for years. I had no idea that cyclocross even existed. Times have changed a ton in those five years and cross has grown leaps and bounds here in the US. For the most part it has moved from the freakshow opening act to the main stage. All of the major bike brands have all come to the party with some pretty impressive off the shelf cyclocross bikes. What was once a non-uscf licensed event is now the fastest growing segment of racing on two wheels. Cyclocross is here to stay and, for some of the very same reasons I love this sport, so do many of you. I hope this blog serves as a big welcome to many of you who are just getting started. You are about to start a journey into a sport that will make you wish Fall never ends. For those of you who are already hooked I hope this blog serves as a resource for the sport and propaganda to support our cause so we don't have to hear.......
“the only time I have taken money out of a man’s front zipper in his pants in front of several hundred cheering people including my family”
sam..........describing the mad house scene at the top of the infamous 50 METER run-up at Jinglecross rock in Iowa City, IA.
I have found that most of the things in life I absolutely love, a large portion of the world doesn’t even know they exist. I will lump Cyclocross in with the “What Sports” The sports you say the name and you get “What?” “Cyclo what??” After a lengthy explanation and a blank stair you go about your day knowing you just confused or entertained someone with huge gestures of you throwing the bike over you shoulder and running up a hill.How can so much pleasure come in disguise with so much pain. I have stopped trying to explore why I am so motivated and excited about activities that have brought me little if any monetary reward and so much discomfort. Cyclocross was a sport I had never heard of and didn’t understand until I randomly found myself at the start line of a local CX race in Knoxville, TN. I had heard rumors of a small gathering of bike racers in a small park that involved a bit of running and jumping of obstacles. It was mid-winter which made the decision even sillier. I really can’t explain why I would be so excited about such an odd sounding sport but here I was Saturday morning 4o’ degrees with a 7 speed road bike ready to take on all comers. From the start it was painfully obvious I had no idea what I was in for. These guys were fast. I really hadn’t wrapped my head around full speed dismounts over railroad ties and throwing my clunky Trek over my shoulder and sprinting up a hill. When the dust settled I had totally destroyed my relatively fit body in just 60 minutes. I was completely covered with bruises and had pulled muscles in my groin I didn’t know I had. I have taken many beatings in life attempting new sports, but none had been this brutal or so quick. It took days to walk normally but, for some reason, all I hoped is that I would heal quickly enough to race the following weekend. To say I was hooked is an understatement. I had fallen in love on the first date—painful beating and all. After several seasons of Cyclocross I have found I am not the only racer with this affliction. Cyclocross passion is simple…. You either love it or you hate it. There is no middle ground. I was now the guy when someone said Cyclo….I finished their sentence with a grin “cross”. If you are looking at this blog and wonder why the guy is running a muddy hill carrying his bike many thoughts might be going through your mind. Is this some sort of joke? Does he have a flat tire? Does he owe money to the guys chasing him? Five years ago I would have been asking the same question. I owned a road bike and a mountain bike. Heck, I even tried to ride a unicycle with no luck in college. I had an older brother who raced a ton on the dirt and road and I had watched the Tour de France as an avid fan for years. I had no idea that cyclocross even existed. Times have changed a ton in those five years and cross has grown leaps and bounds here in the US. For the most part it has moved from the freakshow opening act to the main stage. All of the major bike brands have all come to the party with some pretty impressive off the shelf cyclocross bikes. What was once a non-uscf licensed event is now the fastest growing segment of racing on two wheels. Cyclocross is here to stay and, for some of the very same reasons I love this sport, so do many of you. I hope this blog serves as a big welcome to many of you who are just getting started. You are about to start a journey into a sport that will make you wish Fall never ends. For those of you who are already hooked I hope this blog serves as a resource for the sport and propaganda to support our cause so we don't have to hear.......
“Cyclo what.”
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