Skills, Drills and Spills
What: The First Annual CRCA/Bandit Racing Cyclocross Clinic
When: Saturday, October 14, 2006, 10 am.
Why: Are you gearing up for cyclocross season, or interested in learning more about it? Would you like to improve your bike handling, sprinting, power, and confidence? Do you like getting muddy? Cyclocross is about the most fun you can have on a bike. Don’t fall for that old jive about how you need to rest after your long road season. What you need to get you going through the winter is the invigorating influence of ‘cross: crazy, intense races, 30-45 minutes long, where you jump on and off your bike, run up hills and bomb down them, slide around in the grass, fall down without hurting yourself and get up laughing.
Where: Meet on the ball fields at the level of 160-165th street in Fort Washington Park (almost below the GWB). This is directly along the Hudson River Greenway path. The fields are between the path and the river, on your left when going north. If you come to the tennis courts next to the GWB you have gone too far. They are elevated above the level of the path where the path runs along the train tracks.
What you need: A helmet, shoes, and a cyclocross bike. Or a road bike if you can fit knobby tires on it. Or a mountain or hybrid bike, or a paperboy special. Whatever you’ve got is fine, it doesn’t require high-modulus carbon nanotechnology. You should be able to run in your shoes (i.e., no road cleats). Also bring: CRCA membership card, USA Cycling license, and a team or club jersey.
What you’ll be doing: The clinic is intended to be a fun, casual introduction to the sport for all levels and abilities. We’ll go over basic skills — starting, dismounting, jumping over barriers, running with your bike, etc. — and do some low-key race simulations.
Topics to be covered:
- Equipment and clothing
- Preparing for racing
- Mounting and dismounting the bike
- Running for ‘cross
- Tactics and strategy
RSVP if possible (info *at* banditcycling.com) so that we can get a rough idea of how many people are coming.