Transition time

As of this weekend, it is officially cyclocross season now. Not that it hasn't been for a few weeks, but the Jamestown road race marks the end of the 2008 road season and that was Columbus day. There's nothing left now but the sweet pain of mud, rain, snow, and hour long rides flirting with the anaerobic threshold.

And since it's now full on cross season, here once again are the top 5 reasons why 'cross is bigger than ever. It's a repeat from last year, but since no one is likely to look that far back on the blog, I thought it was worth repeating:

#5. What else are you going to do in November and December?

#4. No matter how slow you are, it never lasts longer than an hour.

#3. Mud is better than road rash so crashing is no big deal (usually). Added benefit: shaving is not necessary because the legs are usually covered with either lycra or mud, maybe both.

#2. Cyclocross may be the excuse you need to indulge your bike buying addiction because you're going to need to get a bike specifically made for 'cross. That old mountain bike in the shed weighs a ton and you wouldn't want to ruin your nice road bike in the mud. If you are romantically involved, you might need to get permission but don't say "I just need this one more bike". See #1 below.

#1. What could be better than a sport that justifies the purchase of not just one but two new bikes? You're going to need a B bike for the pits too because what's the point of even trying to race 'cross with only one bike? Stuff breaks and gets clogged with mud. If you have no back up bike in the pits, you DNF and lose your entry fee. DNF 20 times in your career and that's enough wasted entry fees to buy a decent pit bike for free. Don't wait any longer. Hopefully you didn't use the "just this one more bike" thing to get your first 'cross bike approved by your significant other.

By the way, I have a perfect B bike for sale if anyone is in the market. It's a 56 cm Faggin 'cross bike, circa 1988. Columbus SL tubing with a mishmash of components. It's a bit heavy by today's standards at 24 or 25 pounds, but as a pit bike, it could be perfect. It would also be decent for someone getting into the sport that wants to try it on the cheap. Send me an email if interested.