cycling

Cyclocross

February 14, 2024
cycling
cx, races

CX #

Cyclocross (also cyclo-cross, ‘cross or cx) is my favourite discipline of riding bikes. There are a bunch of reasons for that, which I’ll be detailing below, along with some history and further reading1 by people who know more than me.

Cyclocross as a Sport #

So you know about riding a bike right? Bikes have two wheels and pedals and handlebars to steer. The important thing you learn as a kid is how to balance and then off you go. You ride around on the sidewalk, on the road, in fields, through the woods and maybe build a ramp and do some sick jumps. You’re just riding a bike.

spring classics

April 14, 2026
cycling
club, vcc, edmonton, track, commissaire, wout van aert, races, paris roubaix, mvdp

Over the winter Edmonton opened a new velodrome and I have been taking advantage of my Velocity club membership to ride it weekly. It’s great having an indoor place to get together with other cyclists and go fast with no brakes. I haven’t crashed yet.

Swooping!1

And though it’s fun to keep riding and keep the legs working2, I’m much happier to be out riding on the road again. Our club did a warmup 70km ride to kick off the outdoor season on Saturday, and I feel like I should have gone with the fast group. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not actually fast, but maybe it’d be good to push myself a bit more.

my 2025 cx season summary

September 11, 2025
cycling
aba cx cup, cx, races, wnw, edmonton

Twentytwentyfive was a short ‘cross season in Alberta. We were down a couple of ABA Cup races in Edmonton (no Tubs on Tubs or Velocity CX), the Canmore races were cancelled, and provincials were early and it all felt a little lessened.

Wednesday Worlds #

This year I thought ahead and planned out my ‘cross seaon at work so I wouldn’t have to miss any of the Wednesday Worlds1 nights. I just like them for the camaraderie and the feeling that I am part of a community of weirdos riding around too hard in an inefficient manner.

welcome to the nishidome 2025

September 7, 2025
cycling
cx, races, southern baptist seminary, peloton, aba cx cup, cochrane

Race Info #

The Peloton Cycling Club put on “Welcome to Nishidome” the day after Deadgoat Supercross on the same grounds but in the opposite direction1.

Results #

Open Women #

  1. Christiane BILODEAU2
  2. Susanne MCARTHUR
  3. Justine SAGAN3

Open Men #

  1. Sean GERMAINE4
  2. Shawn BUNNIN5
  3. Mark KNOLL

Expert Men #

  1. Eton KOHLENBERG6
  2. Devin ERFLE
  3. Jason REDFERN7

Sport Women #

  1. Alina CUSTODIO
  2. Emerson ERFLE8
  3. Charlotte CHALKLEY9

Sport Men #

  1. Mathew LI10
  2. Josh BARKER
  3. James ROBBINS11

Novice Men #

  1. Spencer ELLIS
  2. Eli BARKER
  3. Reed MCARTHUR

My Results #

  • Did not race.

Read More #

  1. I had to go back to Edmonton so I wasn’t there for the race. ↩︎

before cross comes

August 21, 2025
cycling
cx, races, mtb, edmonton, bikeedmonton, vcc, ftt

The summer is almost done and I haven’t updated this site in ages. But that is okay. I’m fine with not having written. Really and truly.

This year I haven’t biked as much as I did last year. Part of that is because I’ve started volunteering once a week at Bike Edmonton, which takes up time. Part of it is just being tired, and demoralized for being slow. I took up the mantle of Mountain Bike representative for VCC which meant I missed a few ftt races riding alone in capilanopark instead. When I did get in a couple of races, I was oh so slow, even though I worked so hard. I didn’t make it out to the good mountain biking at all this summer. I didn’t ride to work as much as I wanted. Just generally a blah kind of year.

the range gravel race 2025

July 19, 2025
cycling
gravel, races, claresholm, race reports

Race Info #

Race Report #

In 2024 I did my first gravel race. I crashed but managed to do the final 40km with a bent up handlebar, finishing in under 6 hours. So in 2025 I decided to come back and I’d be sure to do better, right?

Back of the starting pack again1

What ended up happening was not that. It’s actually kind of a shame because the weather this year was so much nicer than 2024 (when it was super-hot). A high of 22ish Celsius, no howling winds, rain the day before so it wasn’t too dusty, all super good attributes. I did the same thing I did the year before and stayed in a motel the night before (the Lazy J this time). I ran basically the same bike as last year except for the replacement handlebar/bar-tape and a different front tire (tubeless Renee Herse Steilacoom to match the rear). What wasn’t the same was my training for the year.

my 2024 cx season summary

November 1, 2024
cycling
aba cx cup, cx, races, wnw, edmonton

The cyclocross season starts in September for us in Edmonton. Some years we’ve (apparently) had snow right for the first races. There are kind of three aspects to the season for me. A bunch of training, the casual races and the sanctioned Alberta Cup races.

Training is training. I ride up and down hills and in parks.

Wednesday Night Worlds #

Much like the Fat Tire Tuesday races, Edmonton has a series of $5 cx races in ‘cross season. The A group starts a minute before the B group which starts a minute before the C group and everyone races for about 25 minutes.

snakes & ladders IV 2024

October 26, 2024
cycling
cx, races, snakes and ladders, cabc, aba cx cup, snake hill, sundre

Race Info #

Final race of the season. I’ve still never been to this one. Maybe 2025.

Results #

Open Women #

  1. Jenaya FRANCIS
  2. Annie SCOTT
  3. Elizabeth RUSSELL

Open Men #

  1. Mark FAGNAN
  2. Karol MICHALSKI
  3. Graham FRANCIS

Expert Men #

  1. Devin ERFLE
  2. Niels VAN OMMERERN
  3. Jason PROCHE

Sport Women #

  1. Morgan PINNOCK
  2. Sophie ERFLE
  3. Emerson ERFLE

Sport Men #

  1. Carson BROWN
  2. Vaughn SHEARS
  3. Mike HOLROYD

Novice Men #

  1. Maxime BRUN
  2. Reed MCARTHUR
  3. Luke CAMERON

My Results #

  • did not race

Read More #

tubs on tubs 2024

October 20, 2024
cycling
cx, races, strathcona science park, aba cx cup, edmonton, tubs on tubs, prw, race reports, provincials, masters, junior

Race Info #

Provincials! The runup that a few people could ride.1

Another race in Argyll Park and this was a fun one. The runup pictured above was super steep and I was so happy we were going up it. A few years ago this was a downhill section and one person broke a collarbone. I ran down it that year because I am not a confident descender at the best of times.