It seems that anyone with any interest in cyclocross are on a steady countdown to the season's opening salvo. If plans aren't being made, then there's are niggling feeling that plans should be made, to the extent of list writing and box ticking.
Bikes being built.
Wheels being changed.
Technique being perfected.
Intensity being increased.
So where's it all happening? The Secret Spaces.
Out there somewhere, in the woods, there are cyclocross riders quietly tearing around, afraid to give themselves and their secret spot away. Or are there?
The world of BMX has many secret dirt jump trail hidden away in a far away magical corner of a woodland. Some you find, others you won't locate unless by invite. They're a protected environment for the use of a select few who have toiled to create their playground.
The world of surfing have the secret spot. The mysterious cove that can only be accessed by a winding path, hidden from view until the last minute. A break that only works in a particular weather condition that only those in the know can figure out. And those in the know only want to let a small select few into their secret.
I could go on. The Snowboarder with secret powder stashes. The Rockclimber with a secret bouldering cellar. I even have a secret parking space in my local supermarket.
Yet as for the Cyclocross rider the secret spot may well be alive or may be a concept worth thinking about. Someone's out there in the woods somewhere with a course of mythical proportions, barriers, steps, flyovers, the works.
I have my eye on a few spots that may start as secret spaces but will end up being inclusive rather than exclusive.
It's good to share, right?
