Cyclocross from Sin City 23/09/07

Get Cross
Well it is just over 1 week to go to the Scottish Cyclocross season starting which I was looking forward to but will have to cool my heels until I get this back sorted. If you want to try a bit of friendly easy to get into racing off road give Cross a try and you might even get hooked.

Dates / Venue / Organising Club

1. 1st Oct /Peebles / Peebles CC
2. 14th Oct / Blairadam Forest / Dunfermline CC
3. 21st Oct / Auchentoshan /Glasgow United
4. 28th Oct / Mugdock Country Park / Glasgow MTB Club
5. 4th Nov / Glenrothes / Kirkcaldy and District
6. 11th Nov / Carron Valley / Glasgow Ivy
7. 17th Nov / Bannerman High School / SCX Association
8. 18th Nov / Gatehouse of Fleet / Glasgow United
9. 25th Nov / Dundee / Dundee Discovery CC
10. 1 & 2 Dec / Cross at the Castle, Mull / Glasgow United
11. 9th Dec / Scottish Champs, Plean / Stirling BC

A definition of Cyclo-cross from Wikipedia:

Cyclo-cross has some obvious parallels with cross-country cycling and criterium racing. Many of the best cyclo-cross riders cross train in other cycling disciplines. However, cyclo-cross has reached a size and popularity that racers are specialists and many never race anything but cyclo-cross races. Cyclo-cross bicycles are similar to racing bicycles: lightweight, with narrow tires and drop handlebars. However, they also share characteristics with mountain bicycles in that they utilize knobby tread tires for traction, and cantilever style brakes for clearance needed due to muddy conditions. They have to be lightweight because competitors need to carry their bicycle to overcome barriers or slopes too steep to climb in the saddle. The sight of competitors struggling up a muddy slope with bicycles on their shoulders is the classic image of the sport, although unridable sections are generally a very small fraction of the race distance.

Compared with other forms of cycle racing, tactics are fairly straightforward, and the emphasis is on the rider's aerobic endurance and bike-handling skills.

A cyclo-cross rider is allowed to change bicycles and receive mechanical assistance during a race. While the rider is on the course gumming up one bicycle with mud, his or her pit crew can work quickly to clean, repair and oil the spares. Having a mechanic in the "pits" is more common for professional cyclo-cross racers. The average cyclo-cross racer might have a family member or friend holding their spare bike.

Don't worry if you have not got a Cross bike as a Mountain bike will get you started.

Have Fun!

Knackered back
Well where to start, I was getting back into shape training for the kick off to the Scottish Cyclocross season when I started getting twinges in my back. The twinges started to happen more frequent about 7 weeks ago, then about 5 weeks ago the pain got that bad I am now off the bike altogether and having trouble walking and sleeping.

So fast forward to today, I have had an x-ray with nothing showing and have just had an MRI scan yesterday which I should get the results from on Mon the 1/10. Fingers crossed that they find something wrong as I am totally sick of not being able to get about properly. Speaking to the Physio he has said that it might be a bulging disc that is pushing on the nerves but until I get the MRI scan results it is guessing.
See the pic below of the strapping the Physio had me wear last week that did give me a bit of pain relief after the first few hours of excruciating pain as my back was pulled into shape.