Northern California Cyclocross Is Now!
The racing rage hits out early September for Nor-Cal Cross, and will continue to roll full speed ahead as the days get shorter and winter months become reality!
If your not dreaming about fast & smooth dismounts over man made obstacles, hitting turn after turn at supreme speed, tire selection for bone dry or sloppy wet courses, and running full tilt with bike on your shoulder up steep hills....
then time is now to get in gear!
BASP, CCCX, SURF CITY, SANTA ROSA CUP, SACRAMENTO CX, LION OF FAIRFAX,
STAFFORD LAKE CLASSIC,
SINGLE SPEED WORLDS,
LIVERMORE FESTIVAL,
EL DORADO HILLS CLASSIC,
FRESNO HOMEGROWN, SAGEBRUSH,
NCNCA DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Each month of the Cross season in Nor-Cal there are many options to lace up the shoes and step into the fastest game in America for Cyclocross racing.
Northern California has a strong list of successful races & events that give
the high grade athletes from this region an arena to test themselves
against their contemporaries week after week.
This weekly race action in turn produces the most outstanding racers in all the U.S.A.! Constant competition delivers the best grounds
for skill level and strength advancement.
Get out and race and in turn get faster from the efforts...
this is what Nor-Cal Cyclocross is all about!
September is the start to the NCNCA Cyclocross race season. On tap first is the Central Coast Cyclocross Series, which is in it's 17th season of hosting Cross races. Huge thanks to all the talented racers and enthusiastic people who have helped make CCCX Cyclocross so successful over the many, many years of racing!
Keith DeFiebre & Rod Hernandez love to race Cross
and share this joy with others, so the series they host endures.
This series is the best way to get in the groove on your Cross bike for the
events down the road on the NCNCA calendar. It is a perfect way to prep for other races and start your Cross racing campaign off in a enjoyable fashion.
The CCCX Series is about fun and good times! So try CCCX Cyclocross to race against some of the best competition in America- as fast folks always have a go at the CCCX races, and most of all enjoy the ride!
September 23 is also a super cool new event on the calendar,
Rodeo Grounds in Livermore, where Shane Huntoon and
Bob Liebold hosted races for many years. Velo Promo's Bob Liebold put on some epic races in the dirt lot near the Rodeo Grounds years ago. While Shane Huntoon put forth a great effort for his courses at the Rodeo Grounds and kept many riders very challenged. Using the CCCX course standards as his goal Huntoon plotted out some fantastic routes in the grass sections on offer near the Rodeo Grounds in Livermore. I am sure the Livermore Cyclocross Festival will produce an equally thrilling course for the super fun festival they have planned.
Also in September the Sacramento Cyclocross Series kick starts their multiple race season. Sacramento Cyclocross has 8 races on their schedule
which is big news for their regional riders. Brian Joder and Gene Redmon put together awesome courses with the help of Asa Salas, and their entire team of helpers always show the riders what fun Cross racing truly can be! The Sacramento Series keeps on growing year after year... from it's early days when John & Linda Elgart started the action- to those two passing the baton to Rich Maile who did such an outstanding job with the Sac. Town CX races. Now Sacramento CX is thriving and the level of competition is very high.
One thing for sure is there will be many great times had racing Cross bikes in the State Capitol area during 2012.
The always awesome Bay Area Super Prestige Races heat up for Nor-Cal cross for the first time starting in September, with their season opener taking
place at the home of the 49ers, Candlestick Point.
Alec and Tom Simpson do stellar work to create the big show of Cross
in Nor-Cal, and hats off to those two for their hard efforts!
The BASP races at one time outgrew some of their locations, simply because it was the biggest game in Nor-Cal Cyclocross. Tom & Alec made some very intelligent decisions and installed pre-registration into their books, as well as field size limits and other small adjustments to control the environment with the goal of making it more fun for all. I do think these adjustments have been successful and now the BASP races are ready to roll on with 5 races on their schedule for 2012. Healthy Bay Area Super Prestige events leads to great racing for all the Cyclocross events in Nor-Cal. Please remember to not get carried away with the pressure or racing these popular events, and always put forth effort to keep the spirit of the competitions fun at the BASP races!
The Sagebrush Series near Reno, NV. also starts in September! The Reno Wheelman love their Cyclocross and if you really want to test yourself in true Cross conditions go race in Reno when snow is on the ground and temperatures remind one of a cold Belgium afternoon near quaint cities of Middelkerke or Hoogrstraten. Cyclocross racing has a very long tradition in Reno and the surrounding area's. If possible do plan a trip to Reno to race Cross if you are the Bay Area crowd who deal with casual weather conditions most of the time. Reno can be beautiful in the Fall & Winter time of the season, and the racing is very fast paced. Riders from the Reno area always seem to have incredible strength and skill when it comes to Cross racing. Best of all they enjoy hosting the races and are happy to share the terrific racing Reno has to offer with all...
October the Cyclocross action really gets rolling downhill fast with quick paced events like the ultra classic Lion of Fairfax race. This event is a charitable cause that brings Cross racing to Fairfax on a challenging course.
Big Swingin Cycles hosts the event & The Lion of Fairfax is a great day at the races. This event is a classic and a must do for all Nor-Cal Cross racers!
Folsom Bikes is hosting a new one day event in El Dorado Hills near Folsom on October 13. Folsom Bikes is fired up to produce a epic course that will feature a plethora of grass sections. They promise a splendid course that could quite possibly have the most grass portions used for any route on the 2012 NCNCA Cross calendar. This will guarantee great racing and thus making the El Dorado Hills Cyclocross race an instant classic!
The end of October always means the best and biggest Halloween Cyclocross race in America is set to explode with the opener of the world famous Surf City Cyclocross Series. The Surf City Halloweeen Cyclocross race is far and away one of the must make events on the calendar. The racing is top notch, and the costume ride litterally is off the charts fun! If your going to travel out of your region for one event the Halloween race at Surf City has to be one of the top choices. As far as tradition and Nor-Cal Cross history go, the Surf City is the "Grand Daddy" of all Cyclocross in Nor-Cal and America for that matter. The longest running Cross Series in the USA is the Surf City legacy. It has so much history, so many great riders have participated in the Surf City show over the years...
This is something all of Nor-Cal should hold dearly, as the
Surf City Series truly is an American Cyclocross classic.
Both David Gill and Jeff Clark have loads of experience in putting it all together for the NCNCA Cross races, and the Surf City Series
thrives from their leadership and dedication.
Nor-Cal Cyclocross is larger then life for 2012, and two of the biggest shows in the game come from the great man Murphy Mack. The Stafford Lake Cyclocross Classic near Novato is first up for his crew, and this event really is a classic! In it's first year of existence last season the Stafford Lake race put out some of the best racing and most stellar photographs of Cross all year. Stafford Lake Cross is one of a kind!.. and a event that will only leave smiles
on all faces when it concludes!
Then on the first week of December is the 2nd year of Nor-Cal hosting the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships. Sure this is an "un-official" World Championship race, as there is no UCI distinction to the competition. Yet this event is legit and "super-official" for those who love fun and racing their Cross bikes Single Speed style. This SS World Championship event gets huge publicity on a National and World press level, and Murphy Mack deserves a great amount of praise for hosting the party. Santa Cruz County is where the SSWC fun
will go off during the first week of December, the rest is still to come...
Brian Staby, CX Nation, Bike Monkey, and Carlos Perez have great things in store for their Santa Rosa Cup Cyclocross Series. The Santa Rosa races have produced some of the most epic races of all Nor-Cal Cross the past few seasons. It just seems the farther North you host events the better the action can be for high grade Cross conditions. Just a few seasons ago, the rain poured in Santa Rosa making for some legendary conditions that still make
non mud lovers toss and turn in their sleep!
For 2012 the Santa Rosa Cup looks to be hosting events at two new locations! One new location has been a work in progress over the years for the S.R. Cup Series, and this is the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds. The Santa Rosa Fairgrounds are an ideal location to host a Cross race and for this season the dream becomes a reality! The course will feature over 85% grass sections, making for a memorable day at the races in Santa Rosa. Big props goes out to the City of Santa Rosa for allowing Cross to take place in it's City Parks & Fairgrounds. More cities in
Nor-Cal could learn from Santa Rosa's positive attitude toward Cross racing!
Another option for very solid Cross racing for Nor-Cal racers is Fresno and the Homegrown Series. Over the years the Fresno Cross races at Woodward Park have thrived and prospered thanks to good folks having fun racing their Cross bikes!
Awesome effort from the Central California Off-Road Cyclists have kept the Homegrown Series relevant and on track for continued success. Woodward Park, like much that is Nor-Cal Cross, has a long history of hosting great races- dating back to the very cool races J.P Sickler used to host. I do recommend getting to Fresno for the Homegrown races, you will not be disappointed.
Another Cyclocross Classic event in Northern California is the
Woodward Park "Lou Fest" Night race!
The "Lou Fest" is a true night Cyclocross race where riders use their own light set ups to bring enlightenment and spotlights to the trails during competition. Highway flashers are also placed along course to guide riders through the route, making for one outstanding night of Cyclocross racing!
Plus we have the USA Cycling District Championships, USA Cycling National Championships, the traditional North Vs. South Challenge from Sam Ames in Bakersfield, and the UCI Masters World Championships on tap for this banner Cyclocross season ahead...
Now get out there and race!
Good luck to all this year!
Ride Safe..
&
Keep it fun!
Zack Beekler showing all how it goes Nor-Cal style...
