 photo courtesy of BIKEIOWA Have two weekends of BIG races worn you down? Has the endless cheering and world class/World Cup partying tired you out? Next weekend's low key, grassroots festivities in Des Moines might be just what you need. Saturday, approaching like an old friend you haven't seen in years, is the return of Capital City Cross to Stone Park. Sunday, for something completely different, is the non-sanctioned fundraiser "Relaycross," two hours of cyclocross fun downtown at Mullets. On to the brae After a two year absence, this will be the fourth edition of Capital City Cross at Stone Park, just a stone's throw away from downtown Des Moines. Home to the Renegade Cross cyclocross practice, the eight acre park between Hartford and SE 5th streets is mostly flat except for the "brae" on the south side of the park. (Brae is a Scottish term for "slope or side of hill" and is pronounced "bray.")  According to Race Director Scott Sumpter, "The brae is where the magic happens. This is where the spectators and hecklers congregate. This is the more challenging part of the course, with off-cambers, run-ups, and fast descents. From the brae you can see the whole race. Actually all parts of the park offer a great vantage point to the entire race."  photo courtesy of BIKEIOWA Over the years Capital City Cross has become synonymous with BIKEIOWA. In 2010, the race's first year, it was held at Ewing Park and was the first race promoted by the newly formed BIKEIOWA. "We still tackle races from a grassroots angle," says Sumpter, "You'll see many first-timers, once/twice a year folks, and seasoned racers. Part of our team motto states 'we will promote both cycling and fun in our community' and we do just that. Every race we promote is fun, unique, and challenging." Register at https://www.usacycling.org/register/2017-1486.  Stone Park is close enough to downtown Des Moines to make all the restaurants, hotels, and nightlife close by. "Our top 4 spots to visit downtown for post-race eats and drinks would be Iowa Tap Room (all Iowa food and beer), el Bait Shop (superb beer selection), Mullets (great breakfast), and the High Life Lounge (offbeat homage to the Midwestern beer halls of the 1960s, dishing up old-school comfort food and in same building as Bait Shop)." Sumpter promises that "The BIKEIOWA Cycling Team will be out afterwards as well. Ask us where we will be day of!"  Relaycross Sunday
This year Capital City Cross is only Saturday, but make a weekend of it and Sunday afternoon you can join the fun for a 2-hour cyclocross-style relay race with 4 teammates at Relaycross at Mullets. This year the event will benefit the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry, a grass-roots non-profit organization that feeds the homeless in Des Moines. Check it out at http://www.bikeiowa.com/Event/12141. John Stonebarger Originally published by Goosetown Racing Club
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 The deadline to pre-register for Jingle Cross is Monday, September 11, and at first glance it may seem that everything has already been said about this amazing race. A huge accomplishment to attract a World Cup event to Iowa City? Check. The thrill of seeing the world's best race in our back yard? Check. Kudos for kicking enough euro-cyclocross-butt that all the pros were in awe of the course? Check. Maybe it has all been said, but one thing bears repeating, and more important acting on: Jingle Cross has been unique in its commitment to offering a full weekend of amateur racing in addition to an amazing World Cup event. Until the Trek CXC World Cup race this year (the week after Jingle Cross) no one else has even tried to make that happen. In parts of Europe cyclocross is hugely popular -- and profitable -- as a spectator sport. You can watch men's and women's races at the highest levels on television every weekend throughout the season. But those events aren't generally open to amateurs, or may include an "under 23" or junior field at best. In the United States cyclocross barely registers as a money-making spectator sport. Its popularity has grown as a participatory sport, a party on wheels, a big mess with beer hand-ups. Jingle Cross has remained loyal to those grass roots by continuing to offer races to every amateur category of 'crosser out there, and even helping to invent a few new ones (fat bikes, relays, speedos...). Whether you race with a passion or you're thinking about trying cyclocross for the first time, honor that participatory tradition by signing up now. Overweight and undertrained? Do it anyway -- this is too big to pass up. Exhausted from all the volunteer hours you've put in on Jingle Cross already? First, thank you. Second, sign up to race.  We'll see how this goes over at Trek Headquarters near Madison in a few weeks. We'll see if Trek CXC and Jingle Cross and whatever World Cup race happens in the United States next can make amateur racing an integral part of cyclocross events at even the highest level. In the meantime we can help make that happen, and have a blast doing it, by signing up today.
John Stonebarger Originally published by Goosetown Racing Club The Dirty Wooden Shoe This coming weekend is an old favorite on the south shores of Lake Red Rock between Pella and Knoxville, The Dirty Wooden Shoe. Now in its ninth year, the sixth at Lake Red Rock, the race’s grassy course features a bit of everything including three unique obstacles and the infamous “Dutch letters,” a series of tricky turns on a hill. “We target racers of all abilities and try to give them something that will challenge them,” says Race Director Jacob Oyen of Pella Bike Racing. “Our course has long, power-sucking straights as well as tight, twisty, and technical sections. Some of our obstacles are rideable by top level racers, while newer riders find running them equally challenging.”  photo courtesy of run4central Oyen explains that the race organizers tweak the course slightly every year, and this year is no exception. “The Dutch Letters might change a bit this year. Also, we haven’t seen much rain this year and so we are working to minimize any damage. This might mean re-routing some sections of the course.” Apparently serving as race director and president of the Iowa Bicycle Racing Association (IBRA) wasn’t keeping Oyen busy enough, so he spearheaded recent efforts to start the Iowa Cyclocross Series (iowacx.com). “We are very excited about the Iowa CX Series and that The Dirty Wooden Shoe is the second stop. The series strings together some great races across the state to get more people racing bikes. This will really help our race since we are a bit of a drive from the major metro areas in the state.”  photo courtesy of run4central For the record, the venue at Lake Red Rock is just over 100 miles from Iowa City – under two hour’s drive – and the race is well worth it. On your way stop in Pella for some tasty (and less painful) Dutch letters, and after the race plan for a stop in Knoxville: “Peace Tree Brewing has been great as presenting sponsor for our race. Stop in the tap room in Knoxville with your free drink ticket and enjoy some of their delicious brews.” Mmm… Blonde Fatale…  Register today at https://www.usacycling.org/register/2017-1208.
John Stonebarger Originally published by Goosetown Racing Club |
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