Cyclocross a twist on bike racing
The remnants of a bike race last weekend still can be seen in the terrain of Alameda Park.
Bicycle tire tracks are etched into the grass, some that resemble squiggly lines that show how a biker maneuvered around a hairpin turn or slick bend.
The off-roading wasn't sloppy racing because, for cyclocrossers, off-road is the race.
“The easiest way to describe it is it's cross-country track, but you do it on a bicycle,” said John McLaughlin, one of the race promoters and bike team leader. “It is a temporary course about a mile-and-a-half long, with a combination of grass, sand, mud, asphalt, gravel and barricades you have to jump either by running or riding.”
The Western Pennsylvania Cyclocross organization had its final event of the season Saturday and Sunday at Alameda. It consisted of multiple races in several categories that gave every biker the chance to ride. McLaughlin said more than 140 people participated in races, and the viewing crowd was large as well.
The timed races took bikers in a loop around the park, and racers were awarded based on how much distance they could cover in that time. The course, like in all cyclocross races, included obstacles that forced bikers to either maneuver around a bend, or jump their rides over an obstruction. Some people had to get off their bicycles and carry them over obstacles they couldn't clear.But according to McLaughlin, victory is not the only priority for events in the cyclocross community.“You can heckle your friends while they're racing,” McLaughlin said. “The cyclocross community is very much a family, and people come every year from as far away as Brooklyn (N.Y.) and Cleveland and as far south as Fairmont (West Virginia).”The race categories go from entry level in category five to elite in category one, and each level has slightly different race parameters. McLaughlin said the variety of category skills levels allows basically anyone with a working bike to compete in cyclocrossing. Racers ranged in age from 5 to over 60.
Henry Dimmick, one of the race promoters and team leaders, said that although the courses have obstacles and include long stretches of intense effort, their closed loop routes normally consist entirely of grass, asphalt and even muddy terrain. So, there is not much risk of getting lost or falling off the course as could happen in other bike race styles.“It's not scary, not dangerous; you never get too far away from anybody,” Dimmick said. “It's a great way to bring new people into the sport where some of the big barriers like safety and getting left behind are no longer a concern.”The softer course doesn't mean the competition is easy, however. Dimmick recalled a race where he was on a rider's tail for miles, but eventually couldn't keep pace. What bothered him wasn't that the rider was better than him, he said, but that he was beating him on a cheaper bike.“Don't worry about having the perfect bike; race what you brought and don't worry about bringing top-notch equipment,” Dimmick said. “It's about the engine, not the chassis.”Julie Saeler, of Oakland Township, has been cyclocross racing for seven years and competed in category two in the Alameda Park race. She and her husband, Travis, ride bikes frequently, and after so many years in cyclocross, every park layout becomes a potential course.“If you can find a park with an open field of grass and sand pit, you create twists and turns and maybe a pinwheel to ride through,” Saeler said. “It's like I'm gonna do a figure eight around these trees and go through the volleyball pit a few times and curve around the slide there.”The courses laid out at cyclocross races aren't all that different from Saeler's imaginary course. Additionally, their relatively short nature allows viewers to see racers almost the whole time, and get their verbal cheers or jabs in along the way.“The courses are so viewable because we set them up in the park with tape,” Saeler said. “For families and friends to come out and cheer and be supportive, it's so much friendlier than a mountain or road race.”Saeler, Dimmick and McLaughlin each said being at a cyclocross race to watch is a good way to get integrated into the sport because it is a welcoming community of people, despite the heckling.“That's how I started, just going and watching and thinking, 'There is no way I could ever do that,'” Saeler said. “If you are looking to meet like-minded biking people, just find a local race and bring your outside voice.”McLaughlin agreed that the rush of cyclocross comes from the combination of every aspect demonstrated at last weekend's race. He said the WPCX has a Facebook page where people can keep track of races and open rides, and encourages anyone with a pair of wheels to try out the sport.“It's like you're a kid just playing in the park doing anything you can to get from point 'A' to point 'B,'” McLaughlin said. “It is so much fun. To me, it's the greatest sport out there.”
