Cyclocross Season Recap

The 2010 cyclocross season has been very fun and successful here locally in KC. Each event has been well attended and the competition has been strong. As the season nears an end (check http://kscycling.org for the remaining local events) and the National Cyclocross Championships take place this weekend we look back....

John Williams had a great first year in Cyclocross. "Mr. Pot Pie" turned in some great performances and reached the podium which showed his hard work ethic.
Tim Greene, another first year crosser, put in some solid performances. Tim above is ripping the beach section at Smithville.
Our "Single Speed Demon" John Wagner traded in his normal SS MTB rig for a full on cross bike. John had a great season with several podium spots and a win.
Mr. Guru's season started early and ended that way with an injury. Hopefully a recovery will allow a late season charge at the end of year events. Bring on the snow and ice...

Mr "Styling" Damian Almanza put in some solid rides including a podium spot at Smithville.


Tige Lamb came out of retirement for one race this year before heading back....

Jeff Arnaud also went full on cross with a new rig. He is working it hard at Smithville on his new ride.
Bob Tarne looking good at the De Stad Cross Cup.
Ashley Blum flowing through the University of Saint Mary course on his SS.
Rick Barrett came out of retirement with some good rides sporting the Cow Town colors.

Brent Gowin working his new rig at USM. Brent rode strong in the events he was able to attend.
Christopher took the year off from racing, but helped out with course preparation.

The Gobbler Ride

Cow Town Cycling invites you to join them on a nice Thanksgiving day ride....

De Stad Cross Cup

Cyclocross in Kansas City has continued to grow in 2010, both in participation levels and permitted events. So far this season, cross events have been held every weekend locally and have had great turnouts.

This year’s exciting cyclo-cross season continues November 14^th with the De Stad Cross Cup. Cyclocross-crazed racers and spectators will descend upon the beautiful campus of the University of Saint Mary for a day full of Cyclocross fun. Another classic course has been designed by the Cross Guru and will include all the popular natural elements that this great venue offers – tree lined course, cobbles, hills, short steep run-ups, fast straights, gravel, dirt and flowing corners.

Online registration closes Wednesday, Novermber 10^th at Midnight. Please visit our registration link: De Stad Cross Cup Registration to register. All pre-registered riders will receive a goody bag compliments of the Wheel Cyclery which will include products from our sponsors Chamois Butt'r , Hammer products Sugoi, Tifosi, Crepes on the Square and Allure Salon and Day Spa. Riders will be called to the line based on order of registration so don’t delay. Race day registration is available and opens at 8:30am. See event flyer for more details.

Women have been a big part of this year’s growth. We are pleased to be a part of it and will continue to support women’s cycling. The Women’s 1/2/3 class is brought to you by BreakAway Consulting. Don’t forget the addition of the Women’s 3/4 class. The Kansas Cycling Association is proud to again sponsor the Women’s Beginner Cat 4 class. Thanks to a partnership with the KCA and our event promoters, the entry fee for the Women’s Cat 4 division isr educed to $10.00.

The Santa Fe Trails Bicycle and Coffee Shop will sponsor the Men’s Cat 4 division and Masters 35+ B division. Prizes include an autographed Team Lampre jersey.

Registration, post race food, coffee and award ceremonies brought to you by The Wheel Cyclery and Cow Town Cycling will be held indoors. Be sure to stop by for some great food and congratulate the winners of each division.

Cross Season Full Steam Ahead

The 2010 cyclocross season is in full swing. Attendance at local events have increased with very good participation numbers across the board. Masters classes continue to grow and the single speed class is has seen some good numbers as well. It is also good to see a few new women out there having fun.

Smithville Cyclocross results are in. A very solid turnout on a very fun course that got rave reviews. Not very many venues top Smithville and only one comes to mind at this time - University of Saint Mary. Cow Town Cycling will be hosting the De Stad Cross Cup next weekend so be sure to come out and experience this classic event on the USM course designed by Cross Guru.

Cow Town in action:

Smithville Cyclocross Challenge

CHILLI, CROSS, COWBELLS

The Smithville CX Challenge presented by The Wheel Cyclery looks forward to the first of the 2010 De Stad Van Kansas Races. The fourth annual Smithville CX Challenge will be held at the beautiful Sailboat Cove, Smithville Lake, MO just 25 minutes north of Kansas City.

Promoters Heather Jordan and Chris Locke said, “We are excited about the 2010 season. With growing attendance at each event, Kansas City is fast becoming the hotbed for cyclocross. As the numbers rise, the series attracts more sponsors to grow higher payouts and more prizes. This weekend will be no different.”

A well balanced course has been designed by the Cross Guru for the Smithville CX Challenge. The course features 158 feet of climbing per 1.8 mile lap with plenty of pavement, flowing turns, a few off camber turns, a natural steep run up (one the Guru is famous for) and Hammer Beach along the shores of Smithville Lake. As always, the money tree will be in full bloom for Sunday’s events. This is a great venue for spectating!

The Wheel Cyclery, Clay County Parks, KCA, Tifosi, FRS, Hammer Nutrition, Weston Brewing, Dynamic Earth, Allure Day Spa, Sugoi Performance Apparel, Cow Town Cycling and Chamois Butt’r, bring the event more than $5,000 in prizes.

Prizes are plentiful; and the food abundant. Sunday will feature a Chili Extravaganza. Don’t forget…coffee by the gallon and lots of sweets! Weston Brewing is currently cooking up a custom brew for the event- so don’t miss out!

Racing at Sailboat Cove begins Sunday at 9:30 a.m. with the “First Timers” Class. Races continue throughout the day with the Finale - Category Men 1/2/3 racing at 2:00 pm. Ladies, don’t forget that KCA is sponsoring the Category 4 women by supplementing your entry; which means you race for only $10!

Get your cross bikes ready to roll, there are categories for Men and Women from Pro to beginner and everything in between. Visit www.kansascitycross.com for all the details.

Cross Out Cancer

The 1st annual Cross Out Cancer race was held Sunday at Shawnee Mission Park. All the fair weather crossers were out to enjoy another hot day racing cyclocross. Results from KCA and the awesome officials that we have.

Congratulation to John Williams for stepping up on the podium for the first time. John used his experience of riding rough terrain to take 3rd in the Masters 35+ Cat 4 division.

Some of the Herd caught in action by Roger Harrison.

Kuat Bike Rack Review

Our own Bob & Michael Tarne reviewed the Kuiat racks recently. Here is what they had to say about NV.....

My son and I took the Kuat NV on a recent trip to Arkansas to do some mountain biking before I dropped him off at college. The rack performed flawlessly and looked good to boot.

I have a 2 inch hitch on my car, and the rack mated up nicely. After getting it in place, a few twists of the knob at the end of the rack gave it a nice tight fit. I’ve had other racks that bounce around; the tight fit of the Kuat was a nice change. The rack held our 2 full suspension bikes nicely. As we drove down the road, I found myself looking in the rear-view mirror just to make sure, but the bikes weren’t moving at all.

After we took our bikes off and stashed them in our hotel room, the rack folded up nicely as we headed off to dinner. I just had to remember I had an extra foot or so of length to my car as I was backing up.

The Trail Doc (repair stand attachment) also came in handy. After our first day of riding, my bike was not shifting right. In a matter of seconds, we put the attachment on and got my bike on so we could tweak my shifting.

The NV even comes with an integrated cable lock which comes in handy to secure your bikes and takes away any worries if the bikes were left on during an extended meal or anything else taking you away from your car for a while.

Having used less expensive racks such as Thule, this seems much more solid. If you’re looking for a solid rack that works well with full suspension bikes, this is a winner. And while the rack only holds 2 bikes, Kuat is releasing an extension for 2 additional bikes. The NV is advertised as working well with downhill, free ride, or other large bikes.

KC Cup Cyclocross Race

The local Cyclocross season started with the KC Cup Cyclocross race. Held at Swope park on a very unique and challenging course that featured about 3/4 of a mile of single track, log crossings, miniature barriers, a long road section and plenty of twisty stuff to keep things interesting (if the log crossing in the single track did not do that for you...)

A nice little video:






Mark Cole represented ole Cow Town well in the Men's Cat 1/2/3 event. A well earned 2nd place earned some cash and beer.
Chris Locke working hard trying to come back after a very poor start.
John Williams with some good form over the barriers.
Tim Greene over the barriers given her hell

Prairie Spirits Trail Bike Ride

Traffic Skills 101 Class

Traffic Skills 101 is an intensive, on-bike class designed to help you safely and confidently bike in traffic. The two-part series is on October 2nd and 9th.

Whether you are an aspiring bike commuter or a seasoned cyclist, this class will give you invaluable knowledge and practical bike handling skills. This is the first time Kansas City has seen this class in several years, so don\'t miss this great opportunity.

Space is limited, so sign up today at: http://mobikefed.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=7415

Traffic Skills 101 is offered by Eric Bunch, a Licensed Cycling Instructor with the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, a partner in the Car Free Challenge.