Blood, Sweat, and Tires in Possibility City

Attention: Gear Heads and Gutter Bunnies
Calling all gear heads and gutter bunnies, vultures and BSGs. This weekend, the gnarliest mud boggers from around the globe will descend on Louisville to shred the trails, catch some air, negotiate around baby heads and death cookies, and avoid the dreaded bonk. (In other words, the Masters Cyclocross World Championships are coming to the U.S.A. for the first time, at Eva Bandman Park’s world-class cyclocross course.)

Cyclocross — a combination of mountain biking, road biking, and trail running — has skyrocketed in popularity during recent years. Riders tackle several laps on a short course that could be pavement or wooded trails or steep grassy hills. And to keep it interesting, some obstacles are so freakin’ arduous that the rider may have to carry his or her bike. We’re talking muddy slopes and boulders here, dudes.

A Different Type of Tailgating
So all you sportsmen and bike commuters, spectators and Bike Store Guys, come check out the world-class competition this weekend. Eva Bandman Park is just down River Road from the KFC Yum! Center. Racing starts on Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 a.m., giving you plenty of time to get to the UofL basketball game.

But don’t get too inspired. The last thing you want is an involuntary dismount leading to an endo and crash rash. That would suck.

Did you know?

• Cyclocross probably began in Europe in the early 20th century, when riders would cut across fields racing from town to town.
• The Nulu neighborhood recently unveiled a really cool bike rack sculpted from bourbon barrel wood and steel.
• Looking to join a racing team? Louisville has many.
• Baby heads and death cookies are nicknames for small, dangerous rocks along a bike trail.