Fall is here, and that means the cycling world starts to talk about cyclocross. You know, that race through the dirt and mud where riders have to dismount and carry their bikes over obstacles? It would seem that during October, cyclocross racing is the only kind of riding you should do — everybody is doing it!
Well, everybody isn’t. I’m not, I can tell you that. I’m not knocking cyclocross. I’m sure it’s a lot of fun, if you like to race.
There are a number of cycling events that get a lot of play that I don’t take part in. Time trials, for instance. Oh, I’ve actually done a few of them, but when the company that put them on decided it wouldn’t anymore, I stopped. And when another company stepped in after a year and decided to revive our local time trial, I decided to opt out. I just don’t care anymore (And I know just how fast I can’t go, anyway).
Around here, everyone is talking about the Livestrong ride, which comes up this weekend. But I find myself doing only a few organized rides per year now, and the Livestrong isn’t going to be one of them.
Maybe I’m just an old stick-in-the-mud, but I still enjoy just good old road cycling. That’s what I’ll continue to do. I don’t particularly care how fast I go, and I’m not really yearning to slop through the mud and gasp for breath.
Have you taken a shot at a cyclocross race, or are you of the non-competitive bent as well?