The Ottawa Bicycle Club’s Cyclocross racing season kicked off at Calabogie Peaks Resort on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, it is a variation of road racing, but without the roads. Instead, courses tend to be 3 – 4 km of mixed terrain – grass, gravel, sand, some pavement and feature challenging turns and obstacles that may or may not be passable on bike. As the OBC series is a recreational series, any bike may be used, but purpose built bikes look similar to road bike but feature slightly wider tires with knobby tread patterns for traction. Brakes and frames also are designed to prevent clogging up with mud, sand and other debris.
Between the two races held (the first for beginners, the younger and older riders; the second for the elite and fast masters categories) over two hundred riders ranging in age from under 10 to over 65 wove their ways around the sandy course at the base of the ski hill, completing as many laps as possible within the one hour allotted time.
The course featured some deceptively complicated sections, off-camber turns, and numerous barriers forcing riders to carry their bikes multiple times each lap. Riders who were smooth on the braking and picked the best lines were heavily rewarded in the sandy turns as many riders were unable to negotiate the more challenging turns and lost time either by falling or by riding off course.
More information on the series can be found at http://www.cyclocross.org.
