Stuart blasts through in the Men’s B heat on a single-speed. // Photo Jon Snyder

The Cyclocross race this Sunday at Farragut State Park in Idaho made for a nearly perfect November afternoon. OTM columnist John Speare hired Loren Dudley and his fifteen person-van with bike trailer allowing us to assemble a serious posse for the event. Call us team Fred. My wife and I grabbed the kids, some sandwiches, and an Atom And His Package CD and we were off. Our group consisted of 5 racers (2 of which were cyclocross virgins) and 7-man cheering section. If you’ve never done a cyclocross race before it is the perfect combination of mountain biking and road racing–the best racers have skills from both disciplines.

I saw racers from Vertical Earth, North Division Bike Shop, Cyclesports, and Mountain View Cyclery. These people were incredibly fast and seemed to float through obstacles. But one of the coolest things about the event was the other end of the competition. Lots of rookies, juniors and folks without hardcore cyclist physiques having a go at racing.

This gentleman got my vote for “Best in Show: Bike Jersey.”

This is a picture of my friend Patrick and me after finishing our first cyclocross race. We came in the back of the pack of the mountain bike division but we add a great time. Don’t let the smiles fool you. We are in pain here. Notice my skateboard helmet and AC/DC jersey. If I can look that goofy and still race surely you can too.

The last race of the season is supposed to be the best and it takes place at Riverside State Park next weekend. Thanks to Emde Sports for putting on a great race. Hopefully we’ll see you next weekend.

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Though it’s been sold out for months this Sunday’s West Plains Wunder Woman Triathlon in Medical Lake will still be fun to watch. (The race’s 700 entries sold out in February.) CHER will be on hand to offer free BMI screenings to anyone who wants one from 9am to 12 noon.

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