the gods may be smiling upon us

did you ever feel like a badly stuffed sausage?

so i get home and there is this fedex delivery notice on the door, hmmmm. dose not say where the package came from. i checked the tracking number on the notice and this is its path here:

yeun long, HK
lantau island HK
anchorage AK
memphis TN
winnipeg MB

the package weighs 27 lbs

we may be wearing skinsuits this weekend - i am off to retrieve the package from the depot. more to follow.

Last Year's Supercross

In case anyone needs more convincing that Supercross is, well, super, go take a look at last year's report. The course is always awesome, the mud bog is muddy, and the Belgian Club puts it over the top. Don't miss it.

I've never raced at Wildwood, but I'm sure it will be sweet as well. It is, after all, where we will crown some provincial champions.

It looks like there's still some hope that the North Carolina might race this weekend as well. It's in the mountains again, at Lenoir. With all the fall colours, it's kind of pretty out there these days. They actually have "leaf reports" every day to tell people where the best scenery can be found.

other than southern cross

or maybe even before southern cross (let the debate rage), supercross is an event not to miss. hoping to see some club members out to support their fgbc racers jon and leann (making an assumption that they are going to race this one) in supercross. consider this an invite to watch a race and relax post race enjoying a belgian brew and the ever classic fries and mayo. we may even need a volunteer or two - hey, the impaler has stepped up.

Saturday night

New shit has come to light

Thursday Anticipation

There are only three more races to go in the 2008 Manitoba cyclocross season. In case you've just emerged from a cave, here they are once again. I suppose a case could be made for calling this weekend the pinnacle of the season. Provincials followed Supercross at the Belgian Club, which is always a good time.





New course for this year, including Bruce Park. Live music and chilli too. And yes, you can race even if you were too cheap or lazy to buy an annual license. Lots more information at the Training Co-op.

Treks in the City

More info here.

Mmmm, sand

These and other fine Southern Cross photos here. Courtesy of Johnny S, Johnny's folks, Cheryl's folks, and Julia T.

Supercross once more

The Poosher just sent me an email asking that the Supercross poster be posted. At first I assumed that he hadn't noticed that it was already posted a couple of days ago. But then I noticed that this version is different. Perhaps he found a spelling error to include. In any case, here it is:


Check out the sweet prize payouts. That should help make it a fast field--i.e., FGBC unfriendly. We may be exactly what we are, but we are not terribly fast. But then again, kids race for free. Much more FGBC-friendly. Same thing on Saturday. This is a good trend. Out of province riders race for free too. If it wasn't a 30 hour drive, I'd consider it.

Ian adds the following:

- New course for 2008!

- A total of $1000 of prizes, including $500 cash!

- New course is fun and fast – a little bit easier than past years, since it’s part of a double cross weekend (but you won’t be unchallenged)

- This year’s course is even more spectator friendly than past years, and, as always, the Belgian Club will be open for those needing to “warm up” with a beverage or snack. Bring your noisemakers, bring your friends and cheer the racers on!

TNR

Where and when TBA.

Bike Lanes!

(lifted from the WFP)

Is Winnipeg finally growing up? Even sleepy little Durham, NC puts the Peg City to shame on the bike lane front. And it's not exactly known as a cycling mecca. But at least this is a start. I hope they found some better paint than the stuff they used for those pathetic "sharrows" in the spring. It would be nice if those lanes were still there in the spring. Or next week, for that matter. Full story here.

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

This event has earned the coveted FGBC Seal of Approval:


In celebration of World Town Planning Day 2008, Manitoba Professional Planners' Institute and Planners Network Manitoba present William H Whyte's classic film:

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

Monday November 3rd, 7pm
the Gas Station Theatre
445 River Avenue at Osborne Street
panel discussion to follow

FREE!

"This witty and original film is about the open spaces of cities and why some of them work for people while others don't." - DirectCinema.com

"With the publication of The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces and its companion film in 1980, the world could see that through the basic tools of observation and interviews, we can learn an immense amount about how to make our cities more livable." - Project for public spaces

FGBC CX Pool Roundup

Three more races this weekend: two in Lousiville and one in Tabor, Czech Rebublic. Trebon and Johnson won in Louisville, as did Nash and Gould on the women's side. In Tabor, Albert exacted his revenge on Nys for catching him at the line last week. Stybar and Martin Bina rounded out the podium, while Nys finished 4th after carshing earlier in the race. Hanka Kupfernagel won the women's race. Rerports and results: USGP #1 men, women; USGP #2--men, women; WC Tabor--men, women.

Tabor highlights here:



You can also catch the final lap here.

Though we're making progress with the women, there are still some problems. I had originally assumed we'd just be dealing with the US races. But Simms was in Europe. And Compton likely would have been too, had she not been injured. So I've decided to treat the women the same way we're treating Page, and possibly Trebon and others later in the season--i.e., results count wherever they're earned. But the points system for the women will be the same across the board--i.e., no additional points for World Cup races.

Detailed results can be found here.

Overall Standings after 10/26:

Gary 2825
Rachel 2750
Olli 2570
Chris H 2500
Charlene 2415
Tomek 2385
Chris A 2385
Paddy & Naomi 2315
Jonny M 2255
David S 2240
Jonny G 2135
Matt 2100
Deanna 2070
Brad 1975
Vic 1805
Adam 1740
Ian 1655
Dallas 1565
Andy 1465
Bill 1370
Hal 1345

supercross

sunday - here

This Just In

And Supercross (i.e., the Belgian Club race) follows on Sunday. I'm sure a poster is on the way.

Psycho Cross Results

Same day service. All you have to do is click here. Photos are here. Where are all the costumes?

menno cross

menno cross 08 is in the books. 15 riders took part in yet another classic at the cmu grounds. following the classic route the race was run for 35 minutes +1. bellow are pictures (captured by gianni who was too sick to race).

oops - big faux pas. thanks to deanna for keeping track of laps, gianni for taking pictures, allan for cow belling, cmu for letting us use the grounds, and all of those who helped with set up and take down.

pre race lap

lemans start

dallas heading into what used to be the ampitheater

dylan leading on the first lap

vic on the new wheels

half way through the race the hail started

at first it was more like snow - that changed and it turned into stinging pellets of death

indy fab

picture of the year candidate - teagen and adrian rocking the hill

adrian on the road, having finally shaken teagen

the list of participants and placings:

teagen

tomek
dylan
adrian
craig
tim t
dallas
chris
dave l
hal
bill
clayton
leann
matt
vic
monika

Maredsous 8

Quite possibly the best Belgian brew I've ever tasted. Of course, that only says so much. There are several thousand varieties I've still yet to sample. It's a life-long research assignment. But the Mardesous 8 was good. If FGD were brewed in Belgium, this is what it would taste like. Kind of a cross between Old Peculier and Duvel. Sadly, it's no longer brewed at the Abbey. The monks ceded the brewing operations to Duvel in 1963. I don't recall seeing it at the Belgian Club. It's got an FGBC colour scheme, so I think I'd have noticed. But it would be worth inquiring about.

I had it at a place called Tyler's Tap Room, while watching the home team Devil Rays (the Bulls are their AAA team) even up the World Series last night. They have an impressive 40+ beers on tap, and a whole bunch more in bottles. Check out the menu. This is only what they have on tap, not the bottles. Too bad the atmosphere sucks. And the tunes too. Let's just say it's no F&H. Between Tyler's and Sam's Quik Shop, there's a lot of exploring to do.

Is brewmaster Dave brewing up anything good these days? I guess it's probably Sweet Nikki Brown time.

menno feast

menno feast is on. confirm your attendance to me hal_loewenATshawDOTca.

Thursday Anticipation

Two more cx races this weekend. This is, after all, what weekends in fall are for.

1) Menno Cross


(H)alberto has been talking up something called Menno Feast as well. But he also hinted that it wasn't exactly confirmed. Perhaps he'll let us know where that's at. It seems like a good idea.


2) Psycho Cross

Haul out your speedos and marshmallow suits, boys and girls. It's time for the annual dress-up cx race.




3) NCCX

The NCCX series heads out to beautiful Boone, NC for the next race. Unfortunately, I will not be there. Among other things, it's hard to justify six hours of driving for a 45 minute race.


4) Southern Cross 2009

Finally, let us cast our gaze into the distant future for a moment. Look all the way to October 2009, to be exact. Before the excitement of this year's event wears off and everyone moves on, I should let you know that Johnny S and I have already begun conversations about next year's edition. Nothing's confirmed just yet, but it is very likely that we'll be looking at something that's less like a race and more a bike festival. Two races at two different venues and plenty of fun and games for everyone in between. Stay tuned.

Anyone go to the MCA forum last night?

A report for those of us who couldn't be there would be greatly appreciated. Kevin?

Southern X Photos

(H)alberto has added a bunch. This one's my favourite. The pained grimace/smile hybrid is the essence of cyclocross. Check out the new helmet. And I love how those racing shorts scream "we are exactly what we are!" Sweet.



I found some more photos of Chick'n X as well. Here are only a few of the ones that feature the sweetest jersey in the world:

Just so we're all clear: I'm riding those suckas off my wheel

Some Things I Will Not Attempt

This Hutchinson ad is also making the rounds. May as well throw it up here too. Tastefully shot. Flirtatiously suggestive. And pretty clever with the open-ended ending too.

Nordic Cross

I just got back from a ride. I wore my Nordic Cross jersey. And gloves. Last week's 30+ temps are a distant memory, as we've had a string of nights where it's almost dipped below freezing. I just thought you folks up north might like to know that. More importantly, however, wearing the sweetest wool jersey in the world got me thinking about the race series after which it is named. I don't suppose there's been any talk yet at the F&H about what the Nordic Cross season might look like this year. It's still pretty early, I guess. It will be hard to top last year's series. But I'm sure the FGBC and friends are up for the challenge. We are exactly what we are.

Speaking of Nordic Cross, this brilliant invention might prove to be a useful accessory for the races--especially if it could be adapted to accomodate guampas.


Available from Rickshaw Bagworks.

An Apology is in Order

Specifically, to the organizers of Chick'n Cross. My complaints about their boring course appear to have been misdirected. It's mother nature and the people who run the BMX park who are the real problems here. Apparently, they had intended for the course to be decidedly less blase. But all the rain made the BMX park folks a bit antsy, so they decided to cut the portion of the course that would have taken us through the BMX loop. Looking back through the photos, this is rather obvious. But, like the tractor, I completely missed it, even though I rode around it 9 times. I wonder what else I missed while I was concentrating on not puking. In any case, it's too bad. That looks like it would have been a lot of fun.

menno cross

for those who can not get enough. menno feast to follow (i think - definitive word to come), you need to let alberto know (hal_loewenATshawDOTca) if you want to replenish your energy stores following this race and before psychocross (see below), please do so by thursday.

Southern Cross Results

Southern Cross results are now available for your viewing pleasure. Let the second guessing begin. Look at all those names! That is so awesome. It's going to be even awesomer when we top 100 racers next year. Johnny S is my hero.

If anyone has any photos, don't be afraid to share them. Photos are good. So is sharing. If you aren't among the fortunate few to have posting privileges for the sweetest bikes and bullshit blog in the world, you can always send them to fortgarrybikeclubATgmailDOTcom. The Training Co-op has a few photos up.

Also, I've finally managed to get the spreadsheet for the FGBC CX Pool uploaded. Check it out. Please let me know if you catch any mistakes.

TNR

Unless someone comes up with a better plan, meet here:


I bet you could even take in most of the films before Hummelt hockey starts.

FGBC CX Pool Update

Three more races this weekend: Granogue Cross, Wissahickon Cross, and World Cup #1 (click on them for results and reports from CN). We're still having some problems with the women. They're not racing where they're supposed to. So nothing on the women's front for this week. That should change next week when the USGP series kicks off.

Highlights from Kalmthout:



After six races, here are the current standings. Full scoring breakdown here. Olli and Gary both had the top three finishers (Nys, Albert, and Simunik) in Kalmthout, so they're the weeks big winners. Olli actually had each of the top 4 riders (Pauwels was 4th). Almost a 900 point day. Not a bad haul.

Gary 1905
Rachel 1790
Olli 1745
Paddy & Naomi 1630
Chris H 1580
Matt 1535
Tomek 1515
Chris A 1500
Charlene 1460
Jonny M 1430
Jonny G 1425
David S 1345
Brad 1245
Adam 1215
Vic 1125
Deanna 1115
Ian 1070
Bill 1035
Andy 875
Hal 805
Dallas 705

southern cross video report

well dr. h, you missed a dandy. great weather, great turnout, great course, great times.

I've thrown together a really quick video retrospective. (Apologies to all FGBC members and friends if you did not make it on... if you would be wearing the sweetest jersey in the world, it would be much easier to spot you... (In particular for my wonderful videotaping wife, Krista, who did the B-race) Little did we know that our humble design would be so distinctive on the course. Yes, soon, many more will be able to enjoy FGBC notoriety.)

Enjoy.


Southern Cross 2008 from darryl neustaedter barg on Vimeo.

Thursday Anticipation: Special Monday Edition

Lots going on this week. Some of it can't wait until Thursday to be announced. So here's a special edition of our weekly announcements series.

1) Bike Shorts: Bike to the Future presents the first (and hopefully annual) bicycle film festival. What a great idea! It's this Tuesday. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that this be the starting point for this week's Tuesday Night Ride. There should even be plenty of time to ride between the end of the screening and the commencement of the weekly gathering at the clubhouse.


2) Hot on the heels of the film festival is the MCA Forum. For those who have understandably given up on the MCA website, you will have missed the announcement. So I'll repost it here. Here's your chance to share some of the wisdom gleaned from our carefully nuanced discussion of the state of racing in MB during the summer. It would probably be good to have one or two folks from the FGBC represent'n. President?

Wednesday October 22nd 7 pm : Strategic Plan Forum

The Board of Directors of the Manitoba Cycling Association has recently embarked on creating a four year strategic plan. As part of the process the MCA invited members to send us their vision for the future. A draft plan identifying the priorities and goals through to 2012 has been developed. The MCA would like to invite the membership to join us and review the work that has been done to date. The MCA will host an open forum on Wednesday October 22nd from 7 - 9 p.m. at the Sport Manitoba building 200 Main Street. Refreshments will be served.

Free underground parking for cars and bicycles is available.

3) Last but certainly not least, Psychocross is coming up. The 6th annual. It's the day after Menno Cross. So we have another two race weekend. As all weekends should be. Maybe even the marshmallow man--or whatever Tomek was supposed to be last year--will make another appearance.

NCCX #2: Cary

Lesson of the day: be careful what you wish for. Yesterday's lament about a rather blase course was more than adequately compensated for today. The course was a gem. I might even go so far as to say it's one of the better ones I've raced on. That it was in a park instead of an open field was the first mark in its favour. Tough off-camber swtichback descent, steep and long run-up, volleyball sand-pit, tight chicanes, lots of roots to throw you around, and some fast trail through the forest with just enough tight corners to keep you on your toes. Sweet course. Not sweetest course in the world sweet. But sweet nonetheless. Perfectly suited to expose my less than stellar bike-handling skills.

It started out well enough. I was right there in the top five off the start. Unfortunately, that lasted for all of five seconds. I was just starting to feel pleased with myself when the dude in front of me rolled his tire (on a straightaway) and swerved right into my path. The front of the pack morphed into the back of the pack in a hurry, as fifteen riders blew by while I was trying not to run him over. By the end of lap two, just as I was getting close to rejoining the main pack, I knocked my helmet with my bike as I was picking it up for the run-up. One of the rear straps came undone. By the time I got it fixed, the train I was chasing was long gone, and so was any chance of salvaging a decent finish. Still, it was good times all around. Two races in two days. Always nice to race with a decent sized group.

20th out of 27. Full results here (why no times?). I guess they don't list DNFs. There were 32 at the start line. Let's say 20th out of 32, then. It sounds a little better.

Did I mention there are lots of real fast dudes down here?

No photos today. The rest of the gang stayed home. But here's another one from yesterday. Just because it reminds me of that race Jonny N did last year in Washington. Wasn't it called tractor cross? I have absolutely no recollection of that tractor (at least I think it's a tractor), but apparently I rode past it 9 times.


Sadly, the next several races are all 2-3 hours away. I won't make it to all of them, but there will be more.

How was Altona?

NCCX #1: Chick'n Cross

Let's start with the good news: I didn't get lapped. Then some news that is equal parts good and bad: there are some really fast dudes down here who like to race cyclocross. They're all little, chiselled, race hardened, and super intense. They just look like they're meant to go fast. The scene, as they say, looks pretty solid. What's good for the scene, however, is not so good for doctor divisive. I finished 12th out of 19. Full results here. I was hoping to crack the top half. Not quite. It was a much smaller field than I expected. Last year's season opener had about 45 racing the 35+ race. The big group today was the Cat. 4 (i.e., C) race. 60+ guys took off in that one. We had to leave before the Cat 3 (=B) and Pro/1/2 (=A) races. The bad news is that the course was kind of disappointing. Only one pair of barriers. That's it. No hills to run up, no sand. Nothing worthy of the description technical. It was all on the bike except for the barriers. If this course was at all typical, our cx courses most definitely kick ass. Especially Altona. This was basically a criterium on grass. Squishy, muddy, energy-sapping grass. The string of 30+ days turned cool(er) and rainy just in time for cx season. It was only 11 C. when we took to the start line. Perfect cx weather. When it comes to mud, though, NC has nothing on MB. We have mud. This was basically red sand. It barely slows you down, and doesn't gum up the brakes.

Here's a good shot of one half of the course. Kinda boring, eh?

Lots of juniors (i.e., 10-16). Do we have any who are not named Algeo?

My buddy Alex's kid, Cody.

The U-5 field was rather small

The prize package, however, was definitely a winner. Even a bouncy ball!

This weekend in the FGBC CX Pool

First, check out this nice little video from last weekend's race in Gloucester:


2008 Erdinger Gran Prix of Gloucester from scott bumpus on Vimeo.

And here is a highlight package from last Sunday in Ruddervoorde:



All the boys and girls in America are racing in the same place this weekend. Saturday in Wilmington, DE and Sunday just outside of Philly. That makes so much more sense than splitting the field in two. CXW has a brief preview. Don't miss the following: "Meanwhile, people are already asking if anyone can beat 15 year-old phenom Jeff Bahnson in the “B” men’s division. Bahnson is undefeated against adult competition this year, having extended his winning streak with three straight wins in Cincinnati this past weekend. Bahnso faces his toughest competition in the MAC Powered by SRAM, as the series includes Category 2 Men in its top amateur division as well as the usual Category 3’s." 15 years old. Not bad.

Over in Europe, we have the first World Cup race of the season in Kalmthout, Belgium. CN provides a nice overview of that one. Remember, there are more points on offer for the World Cups. This could be a big weekend.

Finally, here's a list of all the teams that have been submitted. Note that today is your last chance to make a substitution for Kabush.

Chris H

Lars Boom
Niels Albert
Bart Aernouts
Richard Groenendaal
Davy Commeyne
Jan Soetens
Ryan Trebon
Barry Wicks
Georgia Gould


David S

Sven Nys
Zdenek Stybar
Dieter Vanthourenhout
Sven Vanthourenhout
Marek Cichosz
Philipp Walsleben
Ryan Trebon
Andy Jacques-Mayne
Georgia Gould


Vic

Sven Nys
Zdenek Stybar
Jan Verstraeten
Thijs Al
Jan Chrobak
Jan Soetens
Jonathan Page
Jamey Driscoll
Wendy Simms


Chris A

Bart Wellens
Zdenek Stybar
Kevin Pauwels
Sven Vanthourenhout
Jempy Drucker
David Derepas
Tim Johnson
Barry Wicks
Katie Compton


Hal

Lars Boom
Niels Albert
Enrico Franzoi
Gerben De Kneght
Jempy Drucker
Martin Nijland
Jonathan Page
Todd Wells
Katie Compton


Paddy & Naomi

Bart Wellens
Neils Albert
Dieter Vanthourenhout
Gerben De Kneght
Jan Soetens
Marco Bianco
Ryan Trebon
Andy Jacques-Maynes
Katie Compton


Jonny M

Sven Nys
Klass Vantornout
Christian Heule
Rob Peeters
Davy Commeyne
Davy Willemsens
Ryan Trebon
Geoff Kabush
Georgia Gould


Brad

Lars Boom
Zdenek Stybar
Francis Mourey
Enrico Franzoi
Davy Willemsens
Marco Bianco
Ryan Trebon
Barry Wicks
Katie Compton


Andy

Lars Boom
Niels Albert
Dieter Vanthourenhout
Francis Mourey
Zdenek Mylnar
Phillip Walsleben
Jonathan Page
Todd wells
Katie Compton


Dallas

Bart Wellens
Zdonck Stybar
Enrico Franzoi
Peter Dlask
Marcio Bianco
Avrelian Duval
Jonathan Page
Barry Wicks
Georgia Gould


Adam

Bart Wellens
Zdenek Stybar
Jan Verstraeten
Rob Peeters
Martin Nijland
Birkenfeld
Trebon
Parbo
Compton
 

 
Jonny G

Lars Boom
Niels Albert
Christian Heule
Richard Groenendaal
Jempy Drucker
Marco Bianco
Ryan Trebon
Barry Wicks
Katie Compton


Gary

Sven Nys
Niels Albert
Peter Dlask
Kevin Pauwels
Davy Commeyne
Jan Soetens
Ryan Trebon
Todd Wells
Katie Compton

 
Ian

Sven Nys
Zdenek Stybar
Richard Groenendaal
Sven Vanthourenhout
Aurelian Duval
Pirmin Lang
Jonathan Page
Barry Wicks
Katie Compton


Matt

Lars Boom
Klaas Vantornout
Christian Heule
Kevin Pauwels
Marek Cichosz
Jempy Drucker
Ryan Trebon
Geoff Kabush
Katie Compton


Charlene

Sven Nys
Niels Albert
D. Vanthourenhout
Peter Dlask
Milan Barenyi
Marek Cichosz
Jeremy Powers
Jamey Driscoll
Wendy Simms


Bill

Lars Boom
Klaas Vantornout
Richard Groenendaal
Rob Peeters
Jonathan Lopez
Mariusz Gil
Jeremy Powers
Geoff Kabush
Katie Compton


Deanna

Bart Wellens
Niels Albert
Richard Groenendaal
Rob Peeters
Davy Willemsens
Lukas Kloucek
Tim Johnson
Todd Wells
Wendy Simms


Rachel

Sven Nys
Zdenek Stybar
Enrico Franzoi
Thijs Al
Mariusz Gil
Pirmin Lang
Ryan Trebon
Jamey Driscoll
Rachel Lloyd


Tomek

Bart Wellens
Niels Albert
Richard Groenendaal
Francis Mourey
Mariusz Gil
Martin Nijland
Tim Johnson
Barry Wicks
Katie Compton


Olli

Sven Nys
Niels Albert
Kevin Pauwels
Radomir Simunik
Simon Zahner
Jan Soetens
Jonathan Page
Barry Wicks
Katie Compton

As if you need another reason to head to Altona

$8 at the MCC Thrift Store for Johnny S's latest acquisition. The bike, not the lovely lady, that is. He's pretty coy about revealing how much she set him back. In any case, apparently David S and Paul B both passed up on the bike before Johnny pounced. They're so dumb. Lucky for him I was still perusing polyester shirts at the time. He's got it set up with his favourite white walls, and turned it into a two speed for now. Apparently it does a stellar job in hauling the kids around Altona.


OTT: Bend Sinister, The Same Things

Thursday Anticipation

1) Southern Cross is nigh. Who is going? I wish I could be there. Make sure to take lots of pictures.


Yes, I know "competitive" is misspelled. But don't look at me. I didn't make this poster. My correctly spelled efforts were rejected. Not that I'm bitter or anything. Just deeply wounded.

Spelling errors notwithstanding, Johnny S has got the hype machine revved up into turbodrive. It sounds like he's got a super sweet event planned once again. See below for an article that appeared in the local Altona paper a while back. The radio interview on CFAM is tomorrow. If any of you Winnipeg race promoters would like some tips on how to put on a race, I'm sure Johnny S would be willing to share his wisom at the post-race soiree on Sunday. If provincials is indeed at the Forks, as has been rumoured, that would be a huge opportunity to get some media coverage. Winnipeg media loves the Forks.

Gearing up for Altona cyclocross

By Greg Vandermeulen
Friday October 03, 2008

You don’t have to be a professional to have fun riding a bike. That’s the message Jonathan Sawatsky is trying to get out to the public as he organizes Altona’s second annual Southern Cross cyclocross race.

Last year the event attracted close to 60 riders of all ages, but Sawatsky said he would love that number to grow. “I’m hoping to get a lot more kids and first timers involved,” he said. He described the race course as “an obstacle course for bikes”, which includes grass trails, pathways, ditches, sand, mud, hills, bridges and even barriers which force cyclists to dismount and carry their bike.

Organizers and participants were very pleased with last year’s event, and Sawatsky said he hopes this one is even better. “I love riding bike and want to promote it as a fun and healthy way to get around,” he said. “We had great participation last year and the elite racers raved about the course and the community support.”

Sawatsky said kids in Altona did show an interest. “There were more kids riding in the Altona race than all other cyclocross events combined,” he said. “I’m hoping more local riders get involved, both kids and adults. It’s a good opportunity for people to try something new.”

The only necessary equipment is helmets, and Sawatsky said you don’t have to have the most expensive mountain bike to take part. “Any bike will do,” he said.

To help attract entrants, an introductory session will be held on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. at the park.

The main event takes place the following day at the Centennial park with the kids races starting at 1:30 p.m. The kids races are in two categories, ages 9-13 and eight and under. The 15 and 30 minute adult races start at 2 p.m. and the 45 minute race starts at 3 p.m.

Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. and ends 30 minutes before each race.

Registration is free for kids and only $10 for adults.

Well done, Johnny. I hear the print edition was accompanied by a photo of some good-looking red head. If that doesn't bring out the masses, I don't know what will.

2) As much as I'd love to be racing the sweetest cyclocross course in the world, at least the North Carolina chapter has some racing to look forward to. The NCCX season kicks off this weekend with races on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is at a BMX park, which could be fun. Jonah and I are signed up to do both. I'm racing masters 35+. It seems like they usually get a field of 40+ for the masters race. By all accounts, the cx scene here is pretty awesome. But they could use a bit more work on the posters, don't you think?

OTT: The Violet Archers, Tired

Bike to the Future Forum

If anyone was there and feels inclined to reflect on it for the rest of us, send me something and I'll post it. If not, at least the Free Press has an article here.

Ian has responded in the comments. But it deserves a more prominent place, so I've taken the liberty to bump it up to the main page. Thanks Ian.

A few observations from a forum attendee:

1. Consider the progress bike to the future has made in 3 years - the first year's forum was small and speakers were all volunteers (Kevin Miller, I think, was one). The next year was a little more substantial with a presentation by City of Winnipeg planner Kevin Nixon (before he was the active transportation planner, I recall), talking about parkways (not really a broad approach to AT infrastructure. This year - heavy hitters/decision makers speaking, very well organized, event broadcast live on the radio... wow.

2. Although questions were pre-screened, the panelists were blindsided by the questions (including the first one: do you ride your bike to work? Why not?)
Despite this, they all seemed really open to new ideas (like... giving cyclists the opportunity to participate in road safety education instead of being ticketed for Highway Traffic Act violations). The police representative struggled a bit with the quesitons, preferring to quote from the HTA, and Marilyn McLaren (CEO of MPI) was really impressive. The politicians were okay, but (not surprisingly, I suppose) non-committal.

3. I participated in a discussion group about bikes and buses, a topic I knew little about. The facilitator was a straight-shooting Wpg Transit guy (turns out he rides/novice races, and he let slip he is the son of the director). Some interesting [dis]connections came out about bike parking at key transit hubs, ability to take bikes on transit buses (since only 35 of 530 city buses have racks), etc.

4. Perhaps a more diverse group of forum participants this year, in terms of age - more people in the 40-60 age group than last year, when seemed like everyone was 20-40.

5. Sometimes FGBC-er and all-times Home Street resident Colin B. won the big prize for taking out a new membership - a big package of schwag donated by MEC (thanks Donna).

Re-reading my post, I only talked about outputs - but outcomes should be what is talked about. Everyone from the mayor to the police said that BTTF is a great org to work with and has done much to advance the cause and get the ball rolling as far as building an AT network in Wpg.

If you're not a member, give it some consideration.

BC BIKERACE

Buddy of mine from work is looking for a teammate for this

he has potential partial sponcership from a winery connection he has.
He thought that a FGBC teammate may be a good match.

let me know

penner

World Cup CX Preview

I suppose this might have been helpful before the CX Pool kicked off. But that would have made it too easy for those of us who can't read the Flemish blogs. That and it wasn't available until today.

the other honorary assistant captain

like in hockey, there is often more than one assistant captain on any given team, dave weins should be considered for that position in the fgbc.

oh and watch the video also, it's cool.

TNR

And now comes one of my favourite parts of the week: watching everyone try and sort out where and when to meet. Have at it.

We Have Results

Busy weekend of cx racing. Trebon beat Johnson twice in Gloucester, MA. Nys finsished ahead of Vantornout and Albert in Ruddervoorde. Katie Compton won twice in Cincinnatti. Even though that was not originally included in our calendar, I've made an executive decision to include those results. It appears the women were there instead of Gloucester because they were offering them the same prize money as the men. Nice. Only Wendy Simms was absent. She was busy defending her title as National Champ up in Edmonton (Kabush is the men's champ). CN has all the results, as does CX Mag.

So after three races, here's how things stand. A big spread right off the bat. Needless to say, we have a long way to go. There are still 46 races left, or something like that. I'll get all the teams posted in the next little while.

Rachel 960
Paddy & Naomi 900
Jonny M 870
Matt 825
Adam 790
Chris H 770
Tomek 770
Jonny G 765
Gary 765
David S 730
Chris A 730
Brad 640
Deanna 585
Bill 575
Ian 540
Vic 505
Charlene 495
Andy 490
Hal 475
Dallas 320

Honorary Assistant Captain Profiled in CN

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. No holiday celebrations here in Durham, though it feels a bit like Thanksgiving at Duke. It's fall break, and all the undergrads have gone home to California and New Jersey to see Mom and Dad. So the campus is pretty quiet, as it should be on Thanksgiving. We had pumpkin pie on Friday with some fellow Canucks, and I'm going to see the Hurricanes take on the Red Wings tonight. Very Canadian.

Speaking of Canadian, CN has a nice profile of the Honorary Assistant captain. It seems like it was done just after his silver medal in the worlds ITT. But they've only put it up now. Read it here.

CX Pool results are coming soon. I'm still waiting to hear back from Charlene about a few issues with her team. As soon as that happens, they'll be posted.

CX season starts here this weekend, with races on Saturday and Sunday. Jonah and I will be doing both of them. We're pretty excited. It doesn't feel like cx season, though. Temps are still pretty summer-like. High of 28 today. Then 30 and 31 for Tuesday and Wednesday. No need for that skinsuit just yet. But hopefully it'll be here for the Winter series.

Turkey Cross

Courtesy of Gary:

Chris A , Allan, and Gary with some help from Dave, Seema, and Bill set a course which utilized the full range of gears with some long fast straights, flowing single track, high and low speed corners, stairs, and a steep little run-up for good measure. Thanks to everyone, including Seema and Colin for keeping track of us, and Tom for the schwag. We'll do it again next year.

Unofficial results:

Tim T
Allan R
Ian H
Chris A
Gary S
Craig?
Dave D
Rod V
Bill A
Dave L
John G
Tomek
Matt

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