August 27, 2009 (Nanaimo, BC) – Are your tubulars glued properly? Then we will begin. Tick…Tick…Tick… the second hand is counting down until the first cross race on the Island for 2009. I can’t WAIT!!! Unfortunately (and fortunately) it has been a stupid-busy summer combined with a skeleton crew here at the shop so I have been scrambling to get this update out to you guys and get the details out on the ‘cross series. SO here there are for now.

First of all Wendy has JUST finished up our advertising coaster/fridge marker/dash decorizer/wallet filler… they are sweet and an indicator of the cool T’s that will be available this year, so keep an eye out for them in bike shops that support ‘cross so you can carry it around with you (or give it to someone that should be racing cross).

Cross on the Rock 2009 Schedule
I know this is the most important part of this update. I did send an e-mail out WAY back in March or so and very little has changed, BUT people delete it and forget, get distracted by their mountain bikes etc. etc.

– September 13 – Series Race #1 – Beban Park, Nanaimo
Located where we left off – BEBAN PARK, Nanaimo (I hear clapping!!). We thought we would have a new venue for this date, but there was a conflict with users, so we are back to Beban. Almost the same course, but we have tweaked it a bit.

– October 4 – Series Race #2 – Bowen Park, Nanaimo
I know it kind of sounds like “Beban,” but it is NOT. Bowen is where we usually practice for cross. Lots of awesome features including SAND, pavement, gravel, hills, grass. Oak Bay Bikes in Nanaimo is designing the course and will be out in force to make sure it is dialed and wicked!

– October 18 – Series Race #3 – Providence Farm in Duncan
Last year this course had “le petite massive,” which made for a different turn out at the front in some of the categories. Experience Cycling Club will be organizing this event and we hope to use even more of the terrain that is available.

– October 31 – Intercontinental Single Speed Championships of the Universe – Fletcher’s Farm
Not a series event and NOT one to be missed. This will be quite a bit different from some of our other races. Full details to follow, but needless to say we will have some different course options set up than past Fletcher’s Farm Races. One GEAR only – will be the most fun cross race this year.

– November 7-8 – Series Races #4 and #5 – Victoria
#4 is a new venue at Slugget Farms in Central Saanich and #5 possibly at JDF and possibly a new location. IF it is at JDF, it will be a slightly different course than last year as the BMX track is gone, so stay tuned on this one.

– November 22 – Series Race #6 and Series FINAL – Shawnigan Lake
Ian Craib has organized a new venue and thus a new course at beautiful Hogwarts Castle. OK it is not Hogwarts but it is Shawnigan Lake school which should be awesome!

And that is the schedule. Are you EXCITED!!!!

Cross on the Rock Sponsors for 2009
We are very lucky to have almost all of our 2008 sponsors returning for 2009.

Back to support cross on the Island again are: KONA (#1 Bike of the Cross on the Rock series) Oak Bay Bikes in Nanaimo and Victoria. FSA. Frontrunners Nanaimo. Aviawest. Cycles Lambert. The Howard Johnston Harbourside Hotel, Lighthouse Brewery and Crankbrothers (#1 Pedal of the Cross on the Rock Series)

New for 2009 and welcome to: Action Motorcylces. Saltspring Island Coffee, Pedal Magazine, Oakley and Nanaimo Daily News (which has sponsored us before)

Not returning for 2009 is Converse All Star – and we thank them for their support for the last 2 years!

Look for more details about our sponsors in upcoming e-mails.

KONA at OBB in Nanaimo
Corey and Sean wanted me to pass it on that the 2010 NEW Jake, Jake the Snake and Major Jakes should be in within the next couple of weeks so feel free to pop by and check them out.

Short-Fun-Competitive training events in Victoria this year… by our favorite Vegan
From Dave Shishkoff: I have come up with four short, fun events for this year, planning on these dates. All are at Beacon Hill Park, riders go individually and collect a time:

– 09/12 – Sand Pit Invitational (there’s a soccer pitch that is all sand, wicked Tokyo Drift style cornering, set up a figure 8 course in there, and time people for fastest flying laps..)
– 09/26 – Second Annual Whirly Whirl World Championships
– 10/17 – Shoulder & Run Hill Climb Sprint (basically a timed run-up, don’t expect too many for this one 😉
– 10/24 – Short Track Sprint Showdown (timed on short course, ~1-2 minutes
long..)

CX Practice in Victoria… for any Lower Islanders
Saturday mornings (unless there is a race). Click here for the info.

Some of your Favourite Island CX’ers caught on Pedal’s video camera post-BCBR
Click here

Cross on the Rock Series to be sanctioned and supported by Cycling BC for 2009
Our series for 2008 was sanctioned and insured through GRMBA, but unfortunately GRMBA has folded this year which left us with a few options to look at. We have spoken with Cycling BC and worked on some of the past issues that gave us some difficulty and have come to an agreement for 2009. We will see how things go this year but will all the progress and development we have seen with Cycling BC this year we do not expect any problems to arise for our series.

Licensing requirements for the Cross on the Rock Series for 2009
Unfortunately, the licensing options are not the clearest part of our new agreement and sanctioning with Cycling BC. We will be working with Cycling BC to make this more simple in 2010, but because of the structure of their organization everything has to pass through the AGM to be changed… and the AGM is in the fall, so we are stuck with this for 2009. But the good news is that we can work with it and see how it goes.

So to try to clarify the requirements:

Everyone is welcome at our events!
Our series will have an option for those that do not have any Cycling BC affiliation or license as we did in 2008. This will be available for a higher price than the regular price of the race. In 2008, it was $5 as the events were subsidizing those that did not have a GRMBA license. This year it will be between $5 and $10 depending on what the events decide to do. SO those without ANY LICENSE can race cross our events in 2009

You can do our events without paying any extra:
– If you have purchased a full UCI race license for 2009 for EITHER Road OR Road with MTB
– If you have purchased a Cycling BC citizen license for 2009 for ROAD
– If you have purchased a Cycling BC citizen license for 2009 for MTB you have to pay $9 to upgrade your license add road/cyclocross -d o it NOW!

For a description of Cycling BC licensing options, click here.

The Citizen License allows you to race any event in the Provincial calendar for Road, MTB and Cross.

A Citizen License does NOT allow you to race at the National Championships or outside of B.C.

I hope that is kind of clear? If not fire questions to me and I will try to get them sorted.

Other races in the Province and away
You might think that our series is the coolest so WHY race anywhere else? Well there are other races going on… in fact there is one BEFORE our first series race. Here is the link to the Cycling BC web page for the cross Calendar. I think there might be a couple more changes coming to this calendar so be sure to check back before you travel or make plans.

Cycling BC Calendar here.

ALSO you might want to check out if you want to do a COOL race in Washington: www.starcrossedcx.com Star Crossed, you can double it up with the RAD Racing CX event the next day and make an awesome weekend.

OK that is it for Update #2. I gotta book my tickets to Nationals tonight as there is an Air Canada Seat Sale on right now… back to Edmonton.

If you have any questions fire them to me.

If you know someone that wants to race ‘cross forward them this e-mail and drag them out to the first race.

I will send a pre-event update out the week before the first event for everyone to check out.

Until then… check your tires, tune up your KONA… and mount your new FSA SLK Canti’s on your rig,’cause they are COOL!

Cross is coming – I can not wait!!!

Normon and Crew.