My son Ryan is an avid cyclist. He is involved in many cycle sports including mountain bike races and a sport called Cyclo-Cross. Cyclo-Cross is an interesting spectator sport because you will see riders hopping off and onto their bikes during races. The competitors often have to lift and carry their bikes over variousobstacles. The sport combines speed on the flat stretches, with technical abilities on the steep short and long hills, tight turns as well as manoeuvring the bike through a maze called the Death Spiral.
The latest race, was hosted by Prairie Cycling Development (PCDI) https://www.prairiecycling.com/ . There is a local road racing group called Cycledelia http://www.cycledelia.ca which includes Cyclo-Cross, as well as the Northern Bush Rastas (NBR) https://www.facebook.com/people/Northern-Bush-Rastas-Mountain-Bike-Club-NBR/100057205880318/ which is a mountain bike group and hosts “learn to Cyclo-Cross events” through Susan Clark at Bruce’s Cycle Works on Central Avenue in Saskatoon https://www.brucescycleworks.com/ which is where I bought my Town Cruiser bicycle a few years ago.
The race was held at River Ridge Trails, on Sunday, October 16th, just outside of Langham, Sask. If you haven’t been out there to hike, walk, bike, snowshoe and/or ski, you should go! It is located north of Langham, right along the river and is a beautiful, hilly spot in which to enjoy nature. https://riverridgetrails.ca
Here are some photos and a short video of competitors manoeuvring the Death Spiral, so you can have a glimpse of what Cyclo-Cross is all about!
The racers are lined up at the start, getting
last minute instructions and cautions
from the race officials. (Ryan is second
from the right in the black helmet and tinted sunglasses.)
Me, dressed for the weather. It was a bit cool out there so
I brought along my winter toque and neck warmer, both of which I needed!
(You’ll notice that the racers didn’t have the problem of being cold! It was only
when they finished their race, hot and sweaty, that the cool weather began
to get to them.)
At the signal, the racers took off!
This is what the Death Spiral looks like! The racers must navigate in smaller and tighter circles, on an uphill section of the race. It doesn’t look like much on a hill, but it’s a tough part of the race!
Comments