Bike News from Arizona: Cyclocross Series Starts Soon

The bicycle community in Phoenix is full of good ideas. People want better bike lanes. They want pump tracks. They want more singletrack, a velodrome, and so on.

And they talk about cyclocross. Alright, then, people: I give you the Heavy Metal Hammerfest. Or more accurately, Brandee Lepak gives it to you, starting Nov. 10. If you don’t already know Brandee, you should: She’s an owner at Global Bikes, and also active in the cycling community through her service to Trips for Kids Phoenix and the Mountain Bike Association of Arizona.

Brandee also plans to step up her role as an event promoter through her Arizona Sports Marketing venture. With the Heavy Metal Hammerfest, she will give Phoenix-area cyclists something many have talked about. She has  sponsors like Raleigh, Clif Bar and San Tan Brewing Company. She has venues. She has courses. Now she needs more people: None of this works without racers.

Cyclists in the know will tell you that cyclocross racing is awesome. It’s spectator-friendly since it’s held on short tracks – and the event itself is short. It’s all about intensity.

If you’re reading this, you might have an idea of what cyclocross is all about. If not, let me fill you in from the Hammerfest’s own description: “CX consists of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5 km or 1.5–2 mile) course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike while navigating the obstruction and remount. Races for senior categories are generally between 30 minutes and an hour long, with the distance varying depending on the ground conditions.”

Spills, dismounts, running, obstacles, thrills for all. So sign yourself up for some cyclocross racing – the first race is at Mother Nature’s Farm in Gilbert, Ariz. Like the Heavy Metal Hammerfest on Facebook. Do more than talk about cyclocross – get involved. Race, watch, tell everybody who’s ever mentioned it that, finally, they can take part in some CX racing action. Go!