Losing my Cyclocross Virginity

Following IMC 2009 I decided to try cyclocross. This, of course, meant I NEEDED a new bike.  After a few a few visits to Bow Cycle, I decided my third bike in 3 years should maybe be secondhand. Two days before leaving for Spain I found a great deal...in Kelowna. I contacted the seller (a mechanic in a Kelowna bike shop) and said if the bike was still available when I returned, I'd really consider it. A week later, I was assembling my newest family member. 

Jump ahead 21 months and I was finally signed up for my first cyclocross race. On Saturday night I raced the newbie category at the Dark Knight Cyclocross out at Canada Olympic Park. I spent a whole 2 days training my mounts and dismounts and riding over some bumpy grass in Inglewood prior to the race. I was ready!  Cyclocross has a reputation of just being a really fun time, even among the more elite riders. So I wasn't too nervous. Until I saw the course!  I quickly realized the hundreds of kilometres I rode along straight roads in aero position wouldn't be of much assistance here. I signed my waiver, pinned my race number onto my jersey, pulled up my leg warmers, and headed out for a practice lap. I spent the last week watching cyclocross videos on YouTube...either everything looks easier on video or this is the hardest course in the entire universe. I'll settle for something in the middle.

My race started at 6pm so at least we'd be racing in daylight. In cyclocross, you don't do a set number of laps. Rather, it is a timed race and the number of laps is based on the pace of the first place rider after his/her first 2 laps. Seeding ourselves was fairly easy...there were only 8 noobs signed up. We started off on a gradual asphalt uphill. Two guys pulled away right off the front. A girl and I were next. And then everyone else dropped off the back early on.  The course consisted of grass, sand traps, a downhill dirt trail, tight corners, off-camber sections, and obstacles. I raced in my small chain ring and by the third lap I was hypoxic. It was a totally different type of fitness than I'm used to. But the adrenaline kept me going strong (well, maybe strong is too, um, strong a word). I was a bit tentative on the first couple of laps, but started to really go for it on the 3rd and 4th laps. By the 5th, I was spent and made a few tactical errors. But asides from 2 close calls, I survived the race without hitting the ground. I was in 3rd place for the first 3 1/2 laps, but the girl kept on my wheel most of the time ("come on Ally, you got him. Hey buddy, don't get chicked!") and after a short downhill, tight corner, and sharp uphill in the wrong gear, she finally made the jump. I stuck on her wheel for a bit but her road racing skills were obviously more suited to the technical course. Yup, I got chicked. But I was happy with my 4th place finish and not getting lapped. And Bow Cycle donated swag for the top 5 in each category.

The cyclocross vibe is totally different than triathlon. It's a real party vibe. They had a DJ spinning throughout the races (the elite dudes went at 9pm) and the post-race (or pre-race, or spectator) food consisted of pumpkin pie, whipped cream, chocolate, nibs, coffee and hot chocolate. Nice. Racers even wore costumes. I was amazed at how fast the elite guys were, but it was good to see that sometimes they slipped or wiped out too. I can't wait to do the next one.

Dark Knight video: