Yup, that’s what we’ll be doing on Sunday Nov. 23 at the 2008 Ontario Provincial Cyclocross Race in Riverdale Park East here in Toronto. (Click here for the poster.)

Well, OK, we won’t be playing in the mud ourselves, but we’ll be watching, and that’s almost as good! If you’ve never watched the grueling, messy sport of cyclocross, you should really go. And if the sight of grown men and women willfully torturing themselves isn’t your cup of tea, then just come by for the free Jet Fuel coffee!

Also, there’ll be a few vendors with cool gear, including UTW, so you can pick up a bargain while you’re there.

I BIKE TO writes about it here.

“1) Consider going fixed gear in the winter, for two reasons. For one thing, nothing can freeze. Ever had your derailleur freeze solid on a slushy, freezing day? It inevitably freezes in a most inconvenient gear - way too big or way too small, never just right. Ever have your brakes freeze solid? You always find out right in the middle of a corner, when you need to slow down now, and failure to brake means sliding under the wheels of a bus. (don’t laugh, it nearly happened to me). With a fixed gear, you’re always in the right gear, you always have steady dependable braking where you can get your rear tire spinning at exactly the right speed for the conditions - no sudden unexpected grabbing of the brakes after several nail-biting revolutions with no braking at all.

2) Stay quiet on ice. Don’t panic. When you feel that all traction has gone, just stay pointed straight ahead, don’t make any sudden movements and wait until you know you have traction before you try braking or steering. That can be scary, but relaxing and going with the flow will usually get you through it. And remember, if you’re going to go down, look for some nice soft snow to cushion the blow. Every courier goes down a bunch of times each winter, we all survive to ride another day.”

-Frank, messenger for 10 years, dispatcher for 3 years, current 50 km round trip bike commuter.

An article in today’s Globe and Mail gives us hope that this winter more Toronto cyclists will be able to keep commuting, as the city is planning to clear some major east-west bike multi-use trails. Not having these cleared in the winter has meant that many people were forced onto less safe routes, or off their bikes altogether once the snow piled up.

Is Toronto finally going to be a true year-round cycling city for everyone? Maybe not quite, but at least it’s a step in the right direction. Yay Toronto!