2013 Ditch Cross

Yes,
it's happening again.

BLTDC - Better Life Through Ditch Cross

Start Date: Tuesday August 13, 2013.

Start Times:  6:00 PM

Location: The Ditch (center of photo below)

Tuesday Nights for as long as we have enough daylight or the weather holds out into late October.

If you wish to volunteer to help set-up flags and barriers, show up at the Ditch around 5:30 or so.

We will always appreciate help placing flags in the ground and picking up flags, putting barriers away and cleaning up at the end of each practice.
It would be cool if anyone had time to make a safe ridable bridge over the creek in the back (near 315), it would open up another hill and more grass.

Practice Requirements for 2013:

• Cyclocross bike (or mountain bike)
• Helmet (no helmet = NO practice)
• PMA - Positive Mental Attitude
• Willingness to listen, learn and have an open mind.

Weather
Weather will always be a factor. We will try to update this blog in case weather is looking ugly.  Practice will be canceled in the event of heavy rain to preserve the integrity of the Ditch. Always come back to this blog if you are wondering.

Is your cyclocross bike ready yet?

Pretty much every bicycle shop in town should be able to get you what you need and get you ready for cross practices. Don't wait to order or buy parts or bikes, do it Now. Parts and bikes go fast and they are selling earlier and earlier. Again, hit up the local bikeshops and start buying now.

Outline for Ditch Cross Practices
Beginners are welcome - please make yourself known if you are a beginner and need some additional assistance throughout the season and at any of the practices.

Weeks 1 & 2 - Skills - we'll break down some of the parts of cross with some repeat skills & drills.
Including:

• Bumping drills
• Race Starts
• Cornering
• Dismounting
• Portaging/Shouldering
• Remounting
• Run-Ups
• Off-Camber Riding
• Barriers

Weeks 3 & 4 - Skills & Drills fine tuning. Short courses.
Weeks 5 & 6 - Skills & Drills as needed.
                        Adding Mid-length & longer length Courses

Each week, will consist of a warmup with some skills work and then a series of mock mini-races. All abilities (or no ability!) are encouraged to attend. Even if you can’t attend the we’ll help where we can to get you up to speed. All riding stays in the ditch, so there’s no worry about getting lost or left out on the road! Grass is way softer than pavement. In years past we’ve had all levels from new juniors to elites - from 15 to 75 people show up. 

Practice Races
After some skills n' drills - we'll start adding some courses in (Red flags on right, Yellow on left) so everyone can start putting their skills n' drills to use.
We'll line up at a start-line in groups, related to skill level for X number of laps.
As the season progresses, the courses will become more difficult and longer.

What Other Stuff Should I Bring to Practices?

• Frame Pump or C02 Air
• Spare Tube / tire levers / multi-tool
• Lights for your ride home (as darkness approaches earlier and earlier)
• Water Bottles or whatever you like to drink (Johan not present for hand-ups)
• Food for you to eat to make you go faster
• Working Bicycle - (fix it before you come to practice please)

---------------
See you on the 13th!! 

2013 Cyclocross Races and Resources

2013 Ohio - Cyclocross Schedule and Local Series Info

CapCityCross - Website ->> Central Ohio Cross Series
Columbus Cyclocross Group on FB - Home to anything Cross in The 'bus.

NEOCX - Website ->> Cleveland Cross Series

OVCX - Website ->> Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana Cross Series

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Aug 14 – Kings CX TT Week 1 – Cincinnati Cyclocross – REGISTER
Aug 21 – Kings CX TT Week 2 – Cincinnati Cyclocross – REGISTER
Aug 24 – Mayhew and Antonneau CX Clinic – Cincinnati – REGISTER
Aug 28 – Kings CX TT Week 3 – Cincinnati Cyclocross – REGISTER
Sep 4 – Kings CX TT Week 4 – Cincinnati Cyclocross – REGISTER
Sep 7 – Lionheart CX – Lionhearts Junior Racing – REGISTER
Sep 8
Sep 11 – Kings CX TT Week 5 – Cincinnati Cyclocross – REGISTER
Sep 14
Sep 15 – (non-Ohio, OVCX) – BloomingCross – Bloomington, Indiana
Sep 15 – NEOCX – Metro Parks / Cleveland Bikes
Sep 18 – Kings CX TT Week 6 – Cincinnati Cyclocross – REGISTER
Sep 21 – OCXCup – Cap City Cross – Team SixOneFour.com
Sep 22 – NEOCX – Brooklyn Park – Snakebite Racing
Sep 28 – (non-Ohio, OVCX) – St. Mary’s-Indianapolis, IN
Sep 28 – NEOCX – North Coast Grand Prix – CX Stage Race – WAS Labs
Sep 29 – OCXCup – NEOCX – North Coast Grand Prix – CX Stage Race – WAS Labs
Oct 5 – Cap City Cross – Team Jeni’s
Oct 6 – OCXCup – OVCX – Gun Club Cross
Oct 12 – Cap City Cross – Team SixOneFour.com
Oct 13 – NEOCX – Todd Field – Bicycle Hub
Oct 13 – OCXCup – OVCX – Caesar’s Ford – Team Dayton
Oct 19 – NEOCX – ORADC – Soupcan
Oct 20 – OVCX – John Bryan – Biowheels Racing
Oct 26 – OCXCup – NEOCX / Cap City Cross – Paradise Garage & ODU
Oct 27 – NEOCX / Cap City Cross – Paradise Garage & ODU
Oct 27 – (non-Ohio, OVCX) – Eva Bandman-Louisville, KY
Nov 1 – Cincy3 Cyclo-Stampede – Darkhorse (Northern Kentucky)
Nov 2 – Cincy3 Lionheart International – ZWS & 7 Hills Racing
Nov 3 – OCXCup – Cincy3 Harbin Park International – Biowheels Racing
Nov 9 – NEOCX – Blue Sky
Nov 9 – (non-Ohio, OVCX) – Derby City UCI – Louisville, KY
Nov 10 – Cap City Cross – Big Run (Fun) – Cap City
Nov 10 – (non-Ohio, OVCX) – Derby City UCI – Louisville, KY
Nov 16 – Cap City Cross – COMBO Race Team
Nov 17
Nov 23 – OCXCup – Rock & Roll Cross – Ohio CX State Champs – NEOCX
Nov 24 – OCXCup – Rock & Roll Cross – Ohio CX State Champs – NEOCX
Nov 24 – (non-Ohio OVCX) – Major Taylor Velodrome – Indianapolis, IN
Nov 30 – PostGiving CX – Darree Fields – Cap City Cycling
Dec 1 – (non-Ohio OVCX) – Promotion Cross – Lexington, KY
Dec 7
Dec 8
Dec 14 – NEOCX – Velodrome Urban Cross / Season Finale
Dec 15 – Cap City Cross – Backroom Roasters
Dec 15 – (non-Ohio, OVCX) – OVCX Finale – Brookside Cross Cup – Indianapolis, IN
Dec 15 – (non-Ohio, Midwest) – Midwest CX Regionals – Chicago, IL
Dec 21
Dec 22 – Cap City Cross – Paradise Garage
Dec 28
Dec 29
Jan 4
Jan 5

Drawing an Early End to the Practice Season

I'm afraid we're calling off practice tonight., which brings an end to the Tuesday evening bitchn ditchn sessions. With the wet ground and pending weather, we're not wanting to tear up the grounds that we have been granted permission to use. Thank you to OSU for having us.

And thank you to everyone who set-up the courses and took them down. To those who put on the drills, and everyone who helped newer crossers get the hang of things.

And of course, thanks to everyone who came out and took part in practice. We have a pretty damn cool community here in Columbus.

The season isn't over, hope to see you out there!

And if you have a little pocket change to help the millions effected by the hurricane, consider a donation:

http://www.redcross.org/hurricane-sandy?scode=RSG00000E017&subcode=brand_donations_paid&gclid=CMeZqdiOqbMCFa9xOgodIm8Amg

Earlier Start / More Racing

Great to see the group out last night! Thanks to everyone who showed up, set-up, and helped tear down. And thanks to Noah for taking the reigns.

Being that we're losing light, let's try to kick things off a little earlier. Let's start the racing at 5:45 to give us over an hour of racing, tear down at about 7.

We'd like to keep rolling for 2-3 more weeks, until the end of October. So try to get there on-time, so we can take advantage of the little light we have.

See you at the ditch!

Tuesday September 4, 2012

Practice is on.

Christopher will be setting up around 4:30 and practice will start around 6ish.

Head over and help set up, stay late and help tear down.

Practice, as always, will be at the ditch.

See you there.

Cbus 'Cross practice people.

Tuesday 8/28/2012

Practice is happening.
Are you?

- Tonight -
Cornering
Turns
Preparing for the turn

- mock racing

same place, you know.
6:00 PM

be there with helmet on, ready to listen, learn and apply.

hang out after to help tear stuff down and clean up please.

Farm

Practice etiquette?

I'm going to keep this short and simple;

Don't come to practice if you don't want to learn. If you want to socialize, go to the bar. If you want to get better at racing cyclocross, come to the ditch.

It is disrespectful to Mason, and everyone involved, to talk over and ignore him as he gives VALUABLE advice on technique and skills.

That is it.

See you next Tuesday.

Tuesday 8.21.2012 Ditchcross

Cross practice is on tonight starting around 6ish. Show up and help set up and stay late to help tear down. 

More skills and drills with the possibility of a few mock races. 

Come continue to GROW and LEARN with your friends in the ditch!

We'll be at the ditch off Fred Taylor Dr. behind Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

MAP!

See ya there!

Cross practice people

8.14.2012 Ditchcross Practice

Hello everyone,

just a quick reminder that we will be over at the ditch for 'cross practice tomorrow night. Show up early and help set up, practice skills and help tear down. Thank Mason for being a creative, yet highly informative, instructor.

Hope everyone remembers what they learned last week and is ready to bring it back this week.

See you tomorrow.

Ditchcross is held on Fred Taylor Dr. across from Jesse Owens Stadium and starts around 6ish PM.

MAP!

See everyone tomorrow!

Cbus 'Cross people

Columbus 'Crossers unite! DitchCross is back - August 7, 2012

It's August and that can only mean one thing. . .

Cyclocross season is nearly upon us.

With that, the 'cross practice crew will be bringing DitchCross back nice and early this year. . . but with a new format for the early practices.

Sure! Mock races are fun and going all out is a blast, but what about those skills!? Sure you've hit P2 a few times or slayed the chutes for an afternoon, but now is the time you really want to dust the cobwebs off those mediocre handling skills. Speed isn't ANYTHING if you can't control the bike.

For the first couple of weeks we will be focusing on skills. . . you know. . .turning, running, jumping, dismounting, remounting, passing, starting, stopping and all those good things that will help out when lining up against those fast guys and girls from "other" cities.

And sure, there could be a mock race. . . but don't plan on it just quite yet.

If you're unfamiliar with the location of DitchCross, all you'll need to know is that it is on West Campus off Fred Taylor Dr. in a drainage ditch.

HERE

We'll be setting up around 4:30 or 5 and starting practice at 6ish.

Somethings to remember -

• Helmets are mandatory - no helmet, no practice. If you need to borrow one, ask. 
• Ride within your limits - be smart and mindful of other riders.
• Don't park in the OSU lots. This isn't an issue when school is on break, but once school is back in session, the OSU parking control will policing the lots.
• If anything else comes up, I will update this post.

So we'll see you next Tuesday. (August 7, 2012)

-'Cross practice people