Bust out the cowbells, here comes cyclocross. The cyclocross season dawns this year with a fresh coat of snow, perfect for oft-numb racers. Cyclocross marries road racing and mountain biking in a run-a-bike mudfest in which racers gallop their lightweight knobby-tired rides through frozen bogs and over hurdles between lung-searing sprints around technical singletrack loops. The races are short loops, which lends each race a festive vibe elevated by rowdy spectators. It’s easy to catch all the action of a cyclocross race with a short stroll inside the winding singletrack loop. There’s nothing like sipping a hot toddy in a down jacket while a pain-wracked professional rider a few feet away spits blood in the mud on the way to cyclocross victory. Most Americans think fall is for football. Cyclocrossers and their fans know better. Apparently so do the cycle-crazed brewers at Boulder Beer Company. They’re releasing a small batch of special brewed Cyclocross Ale to celebrate the Boulder Cup.
Learn more — Check out www.dbcevents.com for the lowdown on upcoming races, including the Nov. 5 Boulder Cup, part of the national 2006 U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Series.
