The Roots Grow Deep

Hey! Have you ever raced a DDCX event at Darebin Parklands? Would you like to continue racing DDCX at Darebin Parklands? Then how about giving something back to the community this Sunday and come along to their community park care day and 40th birthday celebration and spend a couple of hours planting grasses at Mt Puffalo before eating some cake.

Without the efforts of the DPA back in 1973, the area would either be a tip or a development, not a sweet green space that lets a bunch of bike dorks come in each year and cause a ruckus.

DDCX will be there in force and we'd love to have a strong CX contingent with us to show them that not only do we tear up grass in hairpins, we plant it too (so that future racers have something to tear up ;) ).

From the DPA website:
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Darebin Parklands community park care day and DPA 40th birthday celebration

Sunday 19 May 1-3pm

Please join us for a rewarding afternoon planting native grasses at Mt Puffalo, on the Alphington side of the parklands and then help us to celebrate our 40th birthday. All equipment and afternoon tea (including birthday cake!) supplied. All welcome!

Directions to the site:
From the Alphington side: enter via the main entrance at the end of Separation Street. Turn right inside the gates and walk across the flat grassy former tip site to Mount Puffalo.
From the Ivanhoe side: Enter via Rockbeare Grove and walk down the hill. Turn right at the bottom and cross the footbridge. Walk up the bluestone stairs and turn right. Walk past the picnic shelter and across the grassy former tip site to Mt Puffalo.

i ride, you ride, we ride together

When people at their first cyclocross training session ask about bunny hopping barriers, you know the session is going pretty well.

Close to 30 women came along to the CycloFemme Mother's Day CX skills session at the Brunswick Cycling Club Velodrome. Run as part of Cycling Victoria's Chilled Tapas program to encourage new road riders to try a range of winter cycling disciples, the session was the second in Dirty Deeds women's development series.

It was great to see another big turn out of new faces, keen to try cross out for the first time, as well as those coming along to build on their skills from the last session. We also had a good turn out of young cyclocrossers who brought the energy.

The newbies were super quick to pick up the dismounts and running remounts, keen to put it together with barrier jumping.

After a quick barrier refresher, the skill development crew got to work on some bike handling skills, cornering at speed, some shouldering technique work with run ups and down. A few brave souls even gave some down hill remounts a go. No easy feat on the concrete velodrome bank!

The session was finished off with some racing around a small course on the inside of the track. If the mock race starts seen today are anything to go by, the competition is going to be fierce in 2013.

Thanks to everyone for coming out, especially Alan Mok and Monique Hanley from Cycling Victoria, and of course the Dirty Deeds crew, Blakey, Jez and Duggan for their expert coaching.

More photos of todays event can be found here.

Next Saturday 18 May is the last of the DDCX women's skills sessions at Darebin Parklands from 10am-12pm. It will be a great chance to practice new skills before the 2013 season Prologue.

Plain Sailing Weather

Emerging from amidst a flurry of CX related news here is the latest dispatch from the DDCX command bunker (where we discuss Blakey's love for sewing machines and Duggan's DIY backyard rocket past).

The prologue is now 2 weeks, 1 hour and 40mins away and while it resembles previous year's highly entertaining soirees there are those who are just joining us (or like James "Wizard Staff" Kent can't really remember last year).

Photo courtesy Andy Rogers

So in simple terms:
Location: Harrison St Velodrome, East Brunswick
Course opens: 6pm
Racing starts: 7pm (kids are first up)
Racing ends: 9pm (kids will be done earlier if this is a concern)
Presentation and post-race high fives should be complete by 9:30pm wherein our effervescent MC Brendan "Ginger Beer" Bailey will be leading a migration to wherever he is organising the after-party to be.
Race categories: Kids/Open/CX Men/CX Women
Cost: $10 adults/$5 kids

We will have CX Season passes on sale and you WILL need one or a valid CA/MTBA/BMXA licence.

The big news is that we will be offering pre-registration, so you don't have to pretend to have as early a Friday afternoon dentist appointment. There will be more details on this very shortly, but you will need to be there by 7:15 to claim your spot.

Entries will be limited as we are working to a tight timeline and it's a short course, however as those who have attended previously know, it's a great way to kick off the local CX race season and make encouraging/disparaging comments towards your friends whether you are racing or not.

Plus: National Series Entries are now open!!! We have something quite good planned for our round this year. Even better is that you will hopefully be able to congratulate the inaugural National CX Champ from the (awarded the day before).

Cause you're never safe around whittlin' man

We'd heard the rumours, but now it's gone public, Whittlesea CC are hosting a CX series this winter.

Here's what we know so far:
Race 1: 26th May, Sycamore Reserve, 11am, $25 entry.

The club website is staying mum on the issue, so stay tuned to their facebook page for more information.

BMX track plus more clubs hosting 'cross races: High stoke factor!

STOP THE PRESSES, THERE'S A FLYER.

I never wanna shame the blood in my veins

You know you've made it when He-Man turns up to your CX race.

Oh, and Robbie McEwen.

Looks like a cracker of a day. I bet there are a lot of banana benders who are kicking themselves for not going. Read more about it here. Top work Gavin / Brad and everyone else involved.

Hot Chilli Woman

Ladies, miss the Death Crits already? Not enough CX races in winter to keep you happy? (ProTip: Work with your club and put one one!) Sick of riding the rollers in the garage? Then does Cycling Victoria have a deal for you!

This winter, CV is putting on a series of 'tasters' for different kinds of cycling that you might not have tried before, or would like more exposure to. Chilled Tapas kicks off on Sunday May 12th with our very own Women's & kids CX skills session x International Cyclofemme Global Women's Cycling Day event x Mother's Day collabo down at Australia's spiritual home of cyclocross, Harrison St Velodrome, East Brunswick. 

A 'cross bike is ideal, a MTB will suffice, but anything with two wheels and a brake will get the job done.

In case you missed the first session, read all about it here.

Emily is not to be trifled with

It's $20/per plate, or $50 for the degustation, but in the spirit of DDCX, ours is with the compliments of the chef, so you can put your Diners Club away.

The session line up is as follows:

Sunday May 12th: Cyclocross (HSV)
Sunday May 19th: Handicapped Road Racing (Albert Park)
Friday May 24th: Indoor roller training (DISC)
Sunday May 26th: Intro to Track Cycling (DISC)
Saturday June 1st: Victorian Road Series - Road racing (Kew Blvd)


You can find more information here.

DDCX Women's development - first session

If the first DDCX women's development session of the season is anything to go by then 2013 is going to be a cracker year for women's cyclocross in Australia!

A total of sixteen women from experienced road cyclists to casual commuters came out to Darebin Parklands yesterday to develop their cyclocross skills.

During the two hour session the group took a step by step approach to the seemingly daunting barrier jump. Under the watchful eye of Nik Cee we covered dismounting, remounting and lifting exercises then put it all together with some serious barrier jumping practice.

The group picked up the skills really quickly and were looking so pro we put them through their paces with a few mock race starts.



On the sidelines DDCX's own Steve Duggan also put on an impromptu kids training session. The kids field looks set to break new records in 2013 as well!



The development sessions are designed to equip participants with the skills and confidence to start racing cyclocross. Hopefully those who came out yesterday will be able to practice the things they learnt and build on them at the next session.

The next session will be held at Harrison Street Velodrome at Brunswick on May 12 at 12pm. Its a special Mother's Day edition for bike riding mums who want to give cyclocross a go but all women & kids are welcome. We will run concurrent sessions for newbies as well as those wanting to develop their skills further.

Remember these sessions are open to all skill levels and bikes. You don't need a racing license to participate and they are free!

Hope to see you there!