Well Ring My Bell

Cowbell that is.

Cyclocross. Do it wrong, and it’ll be the coldest, muddiest, most painful hour of your life. Do it right, and it’ll be the coldest, muddiest, most painful hour of your life. It’ll also be the most fun you’ll have on your bike all year. Cold, mud, and pain are non-negotiable. —BikeSnobNYC

That’s right the 2014 Arkansas Super-Prestige Cyclocross Series is about to begin and they have a few surprises this year. Let’s start with the calendar.

• Oct 11, Smoke n Suds #1 p/b De Pijp Cycling Federation (Fayetteville)
• Oct 12, Smoke n Suds #2 p/b De Pijp Cycling Federation (Fayetteville)
• Oct 19, Jones Center Cross Race p/b Dickson St Cycling Club (Springdale)
• Nov 1, ASP Night Race p/b CARVE (Little Rock)
• Nov 9, Yell County CX Classic p/b Carr’s Chain Reaction (Dardanelle)
• Nov 22, Cedar Glades CX (Hot Springs)
• Nov 30, Turkey Burn p/b CARVE (Little Rock)
• Dec 7, State Championships p/b De Pijp Cycling Federation (Rogers, NON-SERIES)
• Dec 13, Asher Grand Prix p/b The Community Bicyclist (Little Rock, NON-SERIES)
• Dec 14, CX@Western Hills p/b The Community Bicyclist (Little Rock, SERIES FINALE)

That’s quite a list, 10 races between now and Christmas. You can keep up with details for all the races in the series on our 2014 Cyclocross Calendar.  First up is the Smoke-n-Suds weekend in Fayetteville. The Lake Fayetteville course is always exciting. This venue is relatively flat putting the hurt on competitors as they have to pedal the entire course, always look for surprise course changes at this event. Remember, it’s two races in one weekend. A new race in the series, the Jones Center Cross Race will be up the following weekend in Springdale.

Also note a change in venue for the Yell County CX Race, moved from the traditional spot at Old Post Park to a new venue along the Arkansas River.

It seemed like it might not happen this year but the Cedar Glades CX is back. Don’t miss this one, great venue, nasty course. I’ll fill you in on the rest as we get farther in the season.

Remember!

This is a spectator friendly sport. Bring chairs, warm clothes, proper hydration and COWBELLS! Lets fill the course with screaming, noisy fans. (Detailed instructions on how to watch cyclocross including helpful videos are available in this article.)