Cyclo-cross

Thanks to Chris Davies for providing content here.

I think I maybe preaching to the already converted here as quite a number of Oggies have got into this branch of the sport in the last year or so. Nina and I do all the races including the National Trophy series but in the Welsh last year there were regular appearances by Chris M, Tony, Biscuit and, of course Tim Raine is a stalwart of the discipline.

It's the best type of dirty weekend you can get (possibly!). You need to be able to handle your bike, jump on and off fluently and ride on your limit (like a TT) for 50 minutes. By the time you ride the course beforehand and warm down after you can easily have got in 3 hours including some impressive hard work. You can get a special bike for this too. Basically it looks just like a road bike but with slacker angles, much more clearance for the mud to fall off, canti-brakes and mud tyres.

In the Welsh league you can ride on any bike including a MTB. In the NT races you can only ride a cross-bike. Go on ---- give it a go! Skills count here too. Last season I could enjoy giving a much fitter CM a good old kicking for the first few races - happy days. Then he learned how to get on and off his bike at speed and I got on the receiving end of the kicking pretty quickly. In the Welsh league it's entry on the line - just turn up, pay £8 and race- simple.

For more information on Cyclocross in Wales, check out the Welsh Cyclo-cross League website.

Message board

To keep up to date with news and exchange messages with other members, use the cyclo-cross section of the message board

Timetable 2009

Welsh Cyclo-cross League

SUNDAY	EVENT/ROUND	VENUE	POSTCODE	ORGANISER
4 October	Getting Cross at Ty Mawr/1	Ty Mawr Farm, Penperlleni	NP4 0AA	Andrew Baum
11 October	Dambusters Classic Cross/2	Penlan Sports Fields, Brecon	LD3 9SR	Liz Slater
18 October	Gateway Cross/3	Crickhowell High School	NP8 1AW	Claire Bowen
25 October	Calf-Burner Cross/4	Pentwyn Leisure Centre, Cardiff	CF23 7EZ	Craig Standage
8 November	Cathedral's Shadow Cross/5	Llandaff Fields, Cardiff	CF5 2AZ	Simon Nurse
15 November	Darran Valley Cross/6	Parc Cwm Darran, Deri	CF81 9NR	Allan Elliott
22 November	Cross in the Park/7	Margam Park	SA13 2TJ	Tim Raine
29 November	Cross by the Sea/8	Pembrey Country Park	SA16 0EJ	David Seward
13 December	Glanusk Cross/9	Glanusk Estate, Crickhowell	NP8 1LP	Sara Randle
20 December	Christmas Cross/Final	Blackweir Park, Cardiff	CF14 3AJ	Alan Haycox

 

Welsh Cyclo-cross Championship

DATE	VENUE	POSTCODE	ORGANISER	CLOSING DATE
6 December	Cwrt y Gollen, Crickhowell	NP8 1TP	Claire Bowen	23 November