11.10.06
Sport offers exhilaration, great seating
i did this kind of racing and it was fun. you should go out to hart park and check it out and then get a run in. i think we will go out on saturday around ten and get a long run in and then watch the racing.
Sport offers exhilaration, great seating
BY JEFF NACHTIGAL, Californian staff writer
e-mail: jnachtigal@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, Nov 8 2006 9:30 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Nov 8 2006 9:34 PM
Here’s the recipe for a perfect cyclocross race: First, modify a road-racing bicycle with knobby tires and strong brakes so it can ride off road, then design a circuit race in a local park that covers equal parts grass, dirt and concrete. Throw in a few sets of barriers that force racers to dismount and jump back on their bikes, and revel when inclement weather strikes on race day (this is a fall and winter sport).
More Information
Cyclocross racing at Hart Park
• Saturday and Sunday
• Hart Park; Racecourse is next to the soccer park as you approach the park from Highway 178. Look for the signs.
• Cost to watch: Free
• Food: Sequoia Sandwich Co. box lunches; coffee and hot chocolate from Lengthwise Brewing Co.
• Races are staggered by skill/ability categories: Junior-level racers start at 8:30 a.m.; top women race at 11 a.m.; top men race at 12:15 p.m. each day. New racers are welcome; beginning men race at 1:30 p.m. on both days.
• Photos and information about bikes and racing: www.socalcross.org; 330-3630
Welcome to cyclocross. If you’re thinking this style of bike racing sounds a little wacky, you’re on track. But it’s a fan-friendly sort of wacky that has a long history in Europe. The sport is picking up steam in this country as more racers dip their toes into racing, and fans are following.
This weekend, check out the sport up close and personal when the Southern California Cyclocross Series visits Bakersfield for a pair of weekend races at Hart Park.
From the spectator’s perspective, cyclocross racing is one of the most exciting types of bike racing to watch.
Race director Sam Ames expects at least 120 racers to tackle a “fast” race course in Hart Park each day of racing.
“I think it’s exciting racing for people who haven’t seen bike racing before. It’s just a gas to watch,” said Ames.
The short-circuit races are fast and furious affairs, with the longest race (for the professional-class men) running about one hour.
On the Hart Park course, racers will loop back and forth on the twisting course and complete laps in under seven minutes, Ames said.
There is no cost to watch the race, and due to the sport’s still-cozy culture in this country, up-close, front-row seating alongside the course is all but guaranteed for fans — or the curious onlooker.
“The best part about the race is that it’s a lap-style race, so spectators have multiple vantage points to watch the race. And the course is very fast,” said Ames, who has put on this annual race series at Hart Park since 2002.
Cyclocross dates to the woods of France more than 100 years ago, when cyclists used off-road, winter cyclocross training to prepare for the Tour de France.
While cyclocross’ popularity hasn’t reached the European level in this country, there’s a conscious effort on the part of cyclocross race directors to build the festive atmosphere of the beer gardens that crop up at races in Europe.
Watching cyclocross racing with a cold brew in hand might be in Bakersfield’s future if Ames gets his way.
“The goal next year is more Belgium style. I want to take it to that level,” he said.
There won’t be a beer garden set up this weekend, but spectators won’t go hungry: Lengthwise Brewing Co. will provide coffee and hot chocolate, and Sequoia Sandwich Co. will offer food. Several bike vendors are scheduled to be on hand to show off the latest cyclocross technology.
Bring your cowbells or noisemakers, and a folding chair. Racing takes place rain or shine, Ames said.
