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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1981)
Muddy Spokes Cyclo-crossers run, ride, jump to slick victory By HARRY ESTEVE Of Ww Emaratd It's no glamour sport. Winter cyclo-cross competitors walk away looking like World War I trench soldiers Few congratulation kisses are offered, even to the winners In most latitudes, bicycle racing sea son ends in September. Cyclists take a needed break, hang their expensive bikes where they won't get wet, and let the hair grow back on their legs But some keep riding They race cyclo-cross to stay in shape, to practice bicycle handling, or to pacify a constant urge for competition "I preach it because it helps riders learn to ride their bicyles," says Russell Morton, the recognized cyclo-cross “coach" for most local racers Cyclo-cross “eases a lot of tear" many first or second-year bike racers have about hurting themselves in a race, Morton says “The stiffness that comes with fear limits their ability " Summer bicycle racing takes place on asphalt roads at speeds hovering around 30 mph, and crashes can be painful if not disabling A typical cyclo-cross race however, is held on an unpaved course, and the average speed is considerably slower Spills, although more frequent due to the nature of the race, generally are less destructive The ability to control a bicycle under extreme conditions becomes crucial, as most races entail cycling down steep, muddied embankments, turning against the camber of the embankment, and sprinting up hills with the bicycle slung over one shoulder In some races, a rider will spend as much time running as riding "It’s real demanding," Morton says, and good practice for serious bicy clists “They can overstep their means without much physical damage," he says "Overstepping" means trying to leap barriers while still on the bike — a feat expert cyclists accomplish by pulling the bicycle into the air by the toe clips as they ride Or it means trying to take a 90-degree turn at 25 mph Veteran cyclo-crossers normally bring at least two bicycles and a pit crew along As the first bike becomes caked with mud, or a tire suffers a puncture, the rider simply switches bikes Immediately after the switch, the pit crew hoses off the mud, or replaces the punctured tire, and the first bike is set to go again Often the competition seems to pit the individual riders against the course itself, rather than against each other, Morton says. Some beginners have an easier time of it because they are not as self conscious about being beaten That doesn't mean the competetive aspect is not taken seriously; it is In Europe, where cyclo-cross enjoys its biggest popularity, it is a profes sional sport, with big purses for the winners Riders there are subiected to some of the harshest weather condi tions known in athletic competition They wade across rivers, pedal through snow fields, crowd up outdoor Continued on Page 12 Photos courtesy of Puss*I Morton Cyclo-croaa racers can expect apllls like this, but softer tells and slower speed make the sport safer than Its summer counterpart. Yet racers In this sport are subjected to worse weather conditions than almost any other athletes. outside. But you can keep your toes nice and toasty when you wear socks with your Birkenstocks. Though any style of Birkenstock is fine with socks, our clog is perfect for 4 those cold and rainy winter days. Ahh! Birkenstocks with your favorite socks. What a way to weather the weather. CD Birkenstock. TWO STORES TO SERVE YOU: 2nd floor Atrium 10th & Atrium 687-0065 Mon-Sat: 11-6 Now in the fifth street public market as well! 342-6107 46 scientific functions at your fingertips $28.50 MODEL EL-506S • Some of the 46 (unctions performed at the touch ol a key are hyperbolic (smh, cosh tanh) and their inverses trigonometric (sin cos. tan) and their inverses rectangular/polar coordinate conversions exponential (base 10 and base e) and their inverses (logarithms) power (y x) and its inverse ("x root ot y"), factorial (nl). mean sum and standard deviation • Scientific notation (8-digit mantissa, 2-digit exponent) 13th & Kincaid Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30 Sat 10:00-3:00 Textbooks MA-3S20 • General Books Mft-3510 Supplies M6-4331
