Cyclocross season nears in East Tenn.
Entry updated Feb. 12, 2008 at 4:56 p.m.
It's still warm here in upper-east Tennessee, but that doesn't stop the countdown to cyclocross season.
Most folks know that I'm a cycling goon. For that I get the usual comments about wearing lycra or shaving my legs (I do both).
But fewer know of my now year-old love for the cycling discipline of cyclocross.
This sport can roughly be described as a style of racing using modified road bikes off-road usually in the fall to winter months. Races last from 30 minutes to one hour, and often require riders to dismount their bikes to negotiate hurdles and other obstacles around the course.
Weather conditions during cyclocross season can be pleasant or miserable as one can imagine since it's held during a time when most reasonable folks would be riding the couch and not a bike.
But I'm not the reasonable type. And fortunately for me neither are the growing number of fans for this fun-to-watch sport (my girlfriend claims to be one of them).
Last year was my first effort at racing cyclocross. I competed in all but two races in the "Mud, Sweat and Gears" series held in the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee. I placed fourth overall -- this is really good considering my inability to make all of the races -- and whet my appetite for another, more series, go at the sport.
This year I'm dedicated to making all of of the series' stops. I'm also going to race another series held here in Knoxville, and might make it to a race or two in North Carolina.
The racing season doesn't officially start until October 13. And that means I only have a few more weeks to train before the pain begins.
If you've never experienced a cyclocross race, plan a visit to at least one of the events this fall. Make sure to bring your cowbell!
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