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Since the list has been pretty quiet lately, I figured I would stir up some
discussion. DISCLAIMER: I am a first year cross racer. In fact, this is the
first year I have raced anything in over six years. Also, I missed the
Johnson Farm race so I can't rank that course.
An interesting read is the UCI rules regarding courses. See the following
link and start with section 5.1.012
http://www.uci.ch/english/about/rules/ch05_cyclox.pdf
<http://www.uci.ch/english/about/rules/ch05_cyclox.pdf>
Also, I am NOT ranking the courses as to how well then conform to UCI specs.
I do like the UCI statement that 'cross should have changes of pace.
That said, here they are in order from best to worst with an arbitrary 10
point scale rating.
1) Jackson Middle School (10). Hands down, that has been the best course by
far. Wide open with opportunity to pass the entire length of the course.
Lots of off camber and up and down. Vervecken said that this was the best
'cross course he had seen in the States. This was a great course in the wet
and it would have been just as good in dry conditions.
2) Alpenrose 1 (9): Unfortunately, I flatted at the end of the first lap so
my whole experience with Alpenrose 1 was a warm-up/pre-ride lap and a almost
full race lap. Still, it was a really fun course and I wish that I had
gotten to ride it for the entire race. The course had good transitions and
lots of room for passing. The course designers did a lot with a limited
area. Personally, I liked the winding part just east of the BMX track. Of
course, 'crossing on the 'drome is classic.
3) Barton Park (8): Demanding and lots of opportunity to pass. I know that
this race took its toll on equipment and riders but it was a great 'cross
course. Barton had the fastest sections on any of the courses but it also
had the cruelest run-up and the river stones were nasty. The V-ditch had
riders balking -- and if you ran it, you were forced into deciding whether
to run to the next hill of try to remount on that rocky terrain. I loved
that first hill off the starting straight since I passed riders there on
almost every lap.
4) Bend Cyclocross (6): You thought I was only going to rate Cross Crusade?
The Bend course was really fun. Most of the track was open enough for
passing and there were a couple of really fast sections. Some of the
highlights include: the sharp sandy 90 degree at the bottom of the steepest
hill, the sandy off camber switchback after a fast section, the sandy
run-up. Did I mention that it is a pretty sandy course? Well, it is the High
Desert out there. This course couldn't handle more than about 20 starters
though and it could be longer. Brad has done a great job out in Bend.
5) Alpenrose 2 (6): 2 short.
6) Hood River (5): Hood River was really fun but if the event had attracted
as many riders as a typical Cross Crusade race, it wouldn't have been nearly
as good since there was just too much singletrack. At least the trail
sections usually offered sections where passing was possible. Also, we got
of the bike something like 8 times a lap! The barrier at the base of the
little hill out in the playing fields really bugged me for some reason -- a
contrived run-up.
7) Memorial Park (5): I had a lot of fun at this race but I hated that
passing was very difficult in the woods. I finally adopted the strategy to
wait until the guy in front of me slipped and then I would get by and hope
that I didn't slip before I created a gap. If conditions hadn't been sloppy,
that course would have been pretty fast and passing wouldn't have been too
big a deal. The irony is that the sloppy conditions actually made the course
more fun but really exposed the passing limitation.
This season has been a lot of fun and the race promoters have done a really
excellent job across the board. Thanks.
Brooke Hoyer
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<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>Since the list has
been pretty quiet lately, I figured I would stir up some discussion. DISCLAIMER:
I am a first year cross racer. In fact, this is the first year I have raced
anything in over six years. Also, I missed the Johnson Farm race so I can't rank
that course.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>An interesting read
is the UCI rules regarding courses. See the following link and start with
section 5.1.012</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><A
href="http://www.uci.ch/english/about/rules/ch05_cyclox.pdf">http://www.uci.ch/english/about/rules/ch05_cyclox.pdf</A></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>Also, I am NOT
ranking the courses as to how well then conform to UCI specs. I do like the UCI
statement that 'cross should have changes of pace.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>That said, here
they are in order from best to worst with an arbitrary 10 point scale
rating.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>1) Jackson Middle
School (10). Hands down, that has been the best course by far. Wide open with
opportunity to pass the entire length of the course. Lots of off camber and up
and down. Vervecken said that this was the best 'cross course he had seen in the
States. This was a great course in the wet and it would have been just as good
in dry conditions.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>2) Alpenrose 1
(9): Unfortunately, I flatted at the end of the first lap so my whole experience
with Alpenrose 1 was a warm-up/pre-ride lap and a almost full race lap. Still,
it was a really fun course and I wish that I had gotten to ride it for the
entire race. The course had good transitions and lots of room for passing. The
course designers did a lot with a limited area. Personally, I liked the winding
part just east of the BMX track. Of course, 'crossing on the 'drome is
classic.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>3) Barton Park (8):
Demanding and lots of opportunity to pass. I know that this race took its toll
on equipment and riders but it was a great 'cross course. Barton had the fastest
sections on any of the courses but it also had the cruelest run-up and the river
stones were nasty. The V-ditch had riders balking -- and if you ran it, you were
forced into deciding whether to run to the next hill of try to remount on that
rocky terrain. I loved that first hill off the starting straight since I passed
riders there on almost every lap.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>4) Bend Cyclocross
(6): You thought I was only going to rate Cross Crusade? The Bend course was
really fun. Most of the track was open enough for passing and there were a
couple of really fast sections. Some of the highlights include: the sharp sandy
90 degree at the bottom of the steepest hill, the sandy off camber switchback
after a fast section, the sandy run-up. Did I mention that it is a pretty sandy
course? Well, it is the High Desert out there. This course couldn't handle more
than about 20 starters though and it could be longer. Brad has done a great job
out in Bend.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>5) Alpenrose 2 (6):
2 short.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>6) Hood River (5):
Hood River was really fun but if the event had attracted as many riders as a
typical Cross Crusade race, it wouldn't have been nearly as good since there was
just too much singletrack. At least the trail sections usually offered sections
where passing was possible. Also, we got of the bike something like 8 times a
lap! The barrier at the base of the little hill out in the playing fields really
bugged me for some reason -- a contrived run-up.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>7) Memorial Park
(5): I had a lot of fun at this race but I hated that passing was very difficult
in the woods. I finally adopted the strategy to wait until the guy in front of
me slipped and then I would get by and hope that I didn't slip before I created
a gap. If conditions hadn't been sloppy, that course would have been pretty fast
and passing wouldn't have been too big a deal. The irony is that the sloppy
conditions actually made the course more fun but really exposed the passing
limitation.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>This season has
been a lot of fun and the race promoters have done a really excellent job
across the board. Thanks.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=242182321-17112003><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>Brooke
Hoyer</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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