Cyclocross!

So we went to a cyclocross race today, the Mill City Cyclocross Classic, held in Powderhorn Park. Cyclocross is a type of bike racing that hasn't really caught on in Texas yet. It's incredibly popular in Europe and in the norther parts of the US. It's gaining popularity in other places and I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't significantly more well-known in Texas than it was when we left just 9 months ago. Basically, you take a road bike and modify it to take tires that are slightly wider and slightly knobbier than a standard road bike. You tweak the brakes a bit to handle the mud and then you race relatively short laps around a slightly technical course (compared to mountain biking) for 30 minutes to an hour. As I said, this race was held in a city park, and since the course is fairly short, it makes for a very spectator friendly event. We hung out in the center of the park next to the playground and let the action circle around us. Oh, and did I say mud? That's right, the muddier and colder and nastier the conditions, the better. Today was dry and in the 50s, but it had been raining all week and so the ground was plenty muddy by the end of the course. Also, there are a series of obstacles (including stairs and log barriers), that require you to dismount your bike and carry it for a stretch and then hop back on again. Mini-B had a great time telling all the racers to "Go, guys! Go, guys!" Here are some photos taken with my new cellphone.