published 8.6.2001

Cyclo-Cross in July? (pt1)

by Chip Sovek

It is July 12 and I’ve just made the absolute ‘best’ purchase at my local bike shop! You might think it would be some cool new part for my mountain bike because it’s prime season and I’ve got my sights set on the MTB “SuperSeries” that’s taken the Mid-Atlantic by storm. Perhaps it could be an addition to my newly ‘carbon forked’ road bike. Nope! – It’s Cyclo-Cross tires. In a people-packed bike shop I spotted those bright green Michelin Muds clear across the shop. Being a ‘Cross junkie, I can spot anything Cyclo at 20 yards with one-eye closed.

As I nonchalantly strolled my son into A1 Cycling on a Saturday I could feel that strange tingle in my veins. You know the one…that feeling that slowly creeps into your nervous system and then hits your emotional debate center where you have to justify making a purchase where you really don’t need it, but you really want it. Before you know it your entire vision has gone hazy and you’ve forgotten why you originally went there in the first place.

If you’ve ever ridden in a Cyclo-Cross race you might have noticed that the majority of racers are riding what looks to be ‘road bikes’ with knobby tires. The tremendous growth of the sport has led most major manufacturers to produce legit cross bikes. Basically, it’s the best of a road bike and MTB bike styles melded to one bike. Higher bottom brackets, wider clearances for mud, drop handlebars for speed and cantilever style (v-brake) for better, more confident braking in those sloppy conditions.

This isn’t to say you can’t race if you don’t have a cross specific bike, it just puts you on the same playing ground as most riders in the higher racing classes. A beginner or someone with the itch to try this crazy sport will do fine a mountain bike, just as long as you remove the ‘bar-ends.’ These are extensions that most promoters prohibit in cross races for safety. A mountain bike is certainly sturdy enough and doesn’t mean you have to spend the extra money on another bike when you aren’t sure you’ll like the sport.

Since Cyclo-Cross season is so short (Sept. through early Jan.) it’s imperative that your bike is ready to hit the ground running once that first start gun gets fired. You definitely don’t want to be left behind with faulty equipment or last years abused parts that you aren’t sure are all that stable. Let’s face it; how many of us actually ride our cross bike the other 7 months of the year?

This years cross calendar if packed! There isn’t a single weekend where you could take a breather, perhaps Thanksgiving weekend but only because most of us have at least one day off from the daily grind. Not only is the calendar filled, it’s filled with only the finest Cyclo-cross racing this side of New England. You’ve got the continuing ‘MAC Cup’ suffer series (the Mid-Atlantic Cup) which gives all the top-notch local boys a chance to mingle with some of the elite from other regions. I personally was shaking at the knee’s last year as I looked around and spotted Tim Johnson (US National Cyclo-Cross Champion) next to me on a startline somewhere in Pennsylvania. Let’s just say that it was the only time I saw him.

Here in the wonderful state of Virginia you will have the return of the “Virginia Cyclo-Cross Series.” This will be the best courses of Northern VA and Charlottesville. This 4 race series will have 2 races Lake Fairfax Park in Reston and 2 races hosted by the Charlottesville Racing Club. The premier event “All Hallows ‘Cross” (Oct. 28) will have a $1500 cash purse. Classes will fill in the Elite Men/women – Masters – Juniors, and of course the mighty ‘B’ race. PVC is also working on getting a ‘B’ women class too. All info on Cyclo-Cross racing in VA will be available at www.potomacvelo.com. Tentative dates are currently posted under the cross racing link, be sure to check frequently with more updates

Unlike years past, the new buzz this year is a huge (Mid-Atlantic) promoter effort to work together on the fall calendar. By bringing a cohesive schedule to the region everyone gets to run their race on the weekend that they prefer. Since there are literally 14 (or so) weekends and fewer sunday’s (the prime race-day) it’s been a struggle the past few years to jockey all the great races that go on, since then most of the regional promoters have shared their interests and preferences. This year’s cross calendar for the Mid-Atlantic has really taken shape and has even planted some UCI sanctioned events within a 2hour drive of DC. Who knows, perhaps in 2002 Northern VA’s “All Hallows ‘Cross” will be among them hosting the first ever UCI cross event south of the Mason-Dixon line. Yankee ‘Crossers eat-your-heart-out! The Mid-Atlantic is becoming the new hotbed for cross.

So run (really, I mean run) to your local shop, fire up the Cyclo-Cross radar and get those parts that are tried and true because come October you had better be ready. By the time Cross season hits it’s too late to be ordering anything special…you snooze, you loose.

At least I can say, “I’ve got my tires.”