A double weekend of Cross Racing in Bakersfield- although I don't have the commitment this time of year to race both days, or drive more than an hour from home. Luckily for me Eric Woods @ Specialized and the guys @ Surf City Cycles stopped to pick up a hitchhiker on Sunday- Thanks Guys :-). The course was the most fun of all the cross races I've done, lots of loose corners that required sideways action, and a nice bunny hop over a curb- followed by a good 2 foot drop. It wasn't easy, with it being in the middle of a 90 degree corner with loose sand on the entry and exit, plus the thought of "how much more fragile is a cross bike than a MTB, guess we'll find out", it was daunting enough for me to roll up to it 3 times before actually committing to it. Come the race, jumping it made all the difference, Gary Douville and I used it to get away from the first lap, we worked well together for the rest of the race to build up a minute + lead, I

managed to get a small gap at the finish to take the win.

Sid Taberlay