Monday night was a special night. I drove to Chelsea, Quebec for a cyclo-cross practice session with a group of pretty cool people. The plan for the session was to focus on the basics, keep things relaxed, and in the end have fun doing it. Speaking for myself, it was a great evening of riding, learning, discussing, and simply being outside enjoying the night.

This is the second such cyclo-cross practice session I’ve done and I’m thoroughly enjoying them. It is a great feeling to be able to give back to the community. There is nothing I like better than helping others and showing them that yes, you can learn to ride that tricky corner or get comfortable in the squishy sand. I know what it was like when I was learning – at times floundering around trying to figure things out. So it is just a super feeling to be able to help others who are going through the same things.

We discovered some fantastic trails for a good session of follow the leader and then it was back to the slow heavy grass for some skill work. Dismounts and mounts, breaking these techniques down to a slow speed and gradually increasing the speed, eventually adding in the barrier. Then it was time for turning and more turning.

At the end of the session everyone had rosy cheeks and I could see the improvements in each person. What a great feeling. Thanks for coming out to the cyclo-cross practice session. Looking forward to next week when we tackle some sand, do a bit of running, and uphill dismounts.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again – it is the cyclo-cross community that makes this sport so darn awesome!