We’re teaming up with pals at Team Velodash and WBPHL Racing for 5 weeks of beginner-focused cyclocross practices!

This 5-week beginner cyclocross school takes place Tuesdays, August 14th – September 11th, at 6:15 PM in FDR Park. Scroll down and check back for updates on each week’s sessions.

*WTF stands for women, trans, and femmes. We welcome beginners of all gender identities to CX School, but note that misogyny and transphobia will not be tolerated.

Here’s some background info on cyclocross, and some basics on bikes, racing, and more. 

Links to local/regional race calendars:

Events tagged Mid-Atlantic on BikeReg, event registration site

Pennsylvania Cyclocross Series

Mid-Atlantic (MAC) Cyclocross Series

Here’s a great resource on cornering, written by Star City CX School‘s Josh Rice.

On Saturday, women from the Philadelphia area gathered in Ft. Washington State Park for a cyclocross clinic hosted by Team Laser Cats, with expert instruction from Arley Kemmerer and Rachel Rubino of Level Eleven Racing.

The clinic started with bike checks from professional mechanics Rubino and TLC’s own Michaela Albanese, followed by some tire pressure checks. The morning included drills on mounting and dismounting, barriers, and cornering using tricks from Kemmerer’s ski racing past.

After crucial lunch snacks and a Q&A, clinic attendees were treated to a session on one of cyclocross’s more challenging features: SAND PITS! TLC friends Willem Heydendael (known for being Dutch and therefore keen on sandy cyclocross course design) and Frank Stec worked with TLC’s Lindsay Hall-Stec to set up a demo course, and after the women encouraged each other practicing the sand pit, they put all the pieces together for a series of one-lap races. Click below for the full photo gallery!

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