I've been bitten by the Cyclocross bug..

Today I watched my first cyclocross race.

It was my husband's first race / first cyclocross race.

IT WAS AWESOME.

SO MUCH AWESOME.

It was like 30 minutes of hardcoreness from all sorts of different people on all sorts of different bikes.

Really strong road cyclists on cyclocross bikes, mountain bikers on mountain bikes, mountain bikers on road bikes, girls on commuter bikes, kids on kids bikes, kids on road bikes, just all sorts of everything!

Everyone just going around and it didn't really matter if you got lapped, everyone was just going for it as hard as they could.

So much pain face, even from the start.

I was ringing a cowbell (because that's what you do at Cyclocross and trying to be as encouraging as I could (but I'm not really a coach-y sort of person) which was bit of "awesome work" and "great effort".

I think I scared some people into thinking it was the last lap..

But most people gave me a smile or a grinace (grin / grimace aka pain face) when they went past.

I think my favourite response was someone yelling out "STOP SMILING" when I was positioned near some uphill switchbacks.

My husband's mud covered bike.

I was totally inspired by another girl who was racing today on a flatbar commuter bike with a rack and everything - in normal sneakers.

I saw her and thought I CAN DO THAT!

And it was cool that once the field spreads out, it doesn't matter who's lapping who, it's just sort of everyone going for it as hard as they can at their own pace.

It wasn't obvious who was coming last.  (I'm a very sore loser and I can find it very embarrassing to come last).

Cyclocross was so awesome that I rushed straight home to google Liv / Giant Brava (cyclocross bike) - to see if there was a secondhand one available, to buy it immediately.

(I have been researching it recently and wanted to get one as a commuter / start into cyclocross - but it appears they may be sold out in Sydney).

I don't want to just put knobbly tyres on my commuter because I currently have Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres (for super protection against glass) and I understand they're one of the most difficult tyres to get on the wheel - and my tender fingers ache at the thought of swapping tyres frequently...  It's just easier to buy another bike, right?  :p

So my plan is to perhaps ride some offroad / grass on my commuter to start training up for a cyclocross event.

(The next cyclocross event in this series is the day before the Rapha Women's 100 - which would be not a great time to do my first cyclocross event!)

I think I will have to wait until the next season of bikes to come out and hope that the 2014 women's cyclocross bike is not too ugly coloured...

The (pink) Liv / Giant Cyclocross bike I missed out on..

Maybe one day I'll even look like this.

(via cxmagazine.com)

The mud.

Not the winning.

Or the riding in the snow.

I'm pretty sure I don't have the time to be the next Marianne Vos.

#notwiththatattitude

Ku Ring Gai National Park in Autumn (West Head & Akuna Bay)

Today we did West Head & Akuna Bay (of the Ku Ring Gai National Park).

I hadn't done West Head before - I'd heard 2 things about it:

1.  When you turn the corner at the end and you can see the big hill, it is customary to swear.

(I swore, my husband didn't swear, but he laughed hysterically.  Which is sort of the same thing).

2.  The view is awesome.

Not my picture.  My pictures didn't look this good.

(image via kanga-tours.com.au)

West Head wasn't that hard.  Even the big hill.  It felt like some rolling hills.  Not a huge deal compared to Akuna Bay.

(Yes, I know how ridiculous this statement sounds to people that don't ride - I cover that later).

I had done Akuna Bay as part of the Bobbin Head Classic which I wrote about The Night Before My First 80km and My First 80km.

I remember Akuna Bay as being one unrelenting very steep hill and was quite scared but excited to do it again.

My husband had not done it but he is a hill climber (enjoys the hills) and it was exciting to have him experience it - even though it mostly means watching him ride away from me really really quickly while I ride in my granny gear (lowest gear) very very slowly.

It's weird, Akuna Bay felt like hell on the Bobbin Head Classic ride, but today it felt fine.

Perhaps it was the espresso I had before the climb.

Or it was my second time so it was no longer an unknown..

Or, 1 month has made a huge difference in my fitness.

I was talking to my husband and saying how weird it was, like it feels hard but it doesn't feel like I'm getting destroyed any more and he said that's the kms on the bike => base fitness.

Things I Am Glad About

Having glasses to protect my eyes from the wind (I got pretty teary on the descents).

Having gloves to cushion my hands from the bumpiness going fast down the descents.

Now I think riding big hills (eg. Ku Ring Gai National Park) as excitingly scary but fun.

Toilet Tip

P.S.  There is a public toilet at Terrey Hills here - which was my SAVIOUR..  As it's a pretty long car ride up to Terrey Hills (a good place to start the Ku Ring Gai National Park rides).

It's near the tennis courts.

(Terrey Hills shops on Booralie Rd is a good place to meet).

I Am A Cyclist

So yeah, what's with my "West Head wasn't that bad, it was just some rolling hills"?

I am very conscious that I'm already starting to sound like a "cyclist".

I used to think my husband was nuts.

Now I am also nuts.

We are nutty together.

And it is so much fun!  :)