For me cyclocross racing is over, the colder days are here, the lower light in the sky and now the preparation for next seasons racing season about start. After months and months of training, travel and racing it all comes to a close, it all comes with the seasons changing. To me there is a sigh of relief and a bit of reflection. This year especially the “off the bike” time was really great, 2 weeks of just hanging and not a bicycle insight but at the end of the tunnel is the start of rebuilding for 2011 and a lot of lonely miles. Cycling is a lonely sport. The lonesome road awaits, the process of layering up, pumping up the tires and taking the first pedal strokes in utter silence with the brain calculating, singing, digesting what might be ahead. A grunt or 2 as the water splashes while preparing bottles, a sigh of disgust at the lost arm warmer and optimistic task for the day which for me often comes up short – “Gonna ride 4 hours today”, but in reality I get 2.5 hours in. The lonesome road is more lonesome with winter gear on, the tight wraps around the head with senses slightly altered and the sound of breathing enhanced brings us closer to ourselves enhancing the lonesome road. Daydreaming turns hours into minutes, amazingly a 3 hour ride can pass by in blink of the eye when the brain is allowed to wander and creatively [...]

Over the years cyclocross has brought out the creativity in people and attracted the DIY’ers, artists, designers, photogs and such. Similar to the skateboarders of the 80′s/90′s and into the 2000′s where video was a HUGE part of the skateboarding culture, capturing the style and expression of the skater, edited and mixed with a rad music track. The essence that drew me to skateboarding in the 80′s and 90′s is what keeps me interested in cyclocross as a racer and also a spectator and fan. From art schoolers, hipsters, seasoned pro wedding photogs and experienced creatives are throwing their hats into the ring with well done videos and not so well done. Some are made in Final Cut/After Effects and shot with a 7D and some are shot with Flip cameras and edited with basic software. One thing is for sure, that music is a big part of the movie, similar to the skate vids where the music set the tone for the part. Rad. Some goodies from the USGP Edited with Music: Fort Collins Cx usgp ’10 from David Lowe on Vimeo. Just Footage: New belgium Cup USGP – Sunday 35+ Lap 1 from Dale Riley on Vimeo. Helmet Cam: New Belgium Cup day 2 45+ (part 2) from Rod Yoder on Vimeo.

In the matter of minutes it looked as if my cyclocross season was over. A build up for weeks, intervals, racing, resting, then culminating on one perfect cyclocross weekend then ending in one giant thud and crack. The thud was a wood post the crack was my body. Preriding and warming up is a ritual to me, perhaps even more fun and important to me than the actual race. I slow warm up lap looking at the lines, calculating corners, seeing the spots to pass and recording the moments where my strengths should be played and weakness shown. Next up is to do the slow lap FAST, race pace, hitting the corners and spots that my mind recorded as if I was racing. Trying the lines that I think might be faster, the areas where I know I might be forced to run, the one legged BMX style turn. This weekend was no different, in fact it was amplified because of the magnitude of the race course which was top notch, the competition and last but not least the weather and conditions which was sloppy, rideable and greasy. Pre ride lap #2 – I hit it all just right and then in one lapse of concentration it all ended. I slipped and slided though the lap as i had planned, as I had envisioned and as I charged up the finishing stretch and on to the first greasy section as I did the lap before I took my eye off [...]