Charlie Beeson, a junior at Community High School, claimed third place in a local cyclocross race on Oct. 24, 2021. This biking race was held at Vets Park and the best part about it is it’s very close to Beeson. Besson doesn’t have to walk or drive there, he can just bike there, which is more convenient to him.

“I’m glad that Ann Arbor Velo Club sets this up and I’m glad that they have something so close to me,” Beeson said. “It’s really nice to have local races.”

In a cyclocross race, participants have to ride a gravel bike on grass and race on a short loop. Racers sometimes have to get off their bikes and run up steep hills, which makes it more challenging, said Beeson. To him, the cyclocross race is a fun but competitive race in which everyone is willing to take more risks in order to win. Although Beeson may have gotten third in this race after getting a flat tire, he still had a great time.

“I got third, which is kind of crazy,” Beeson said. “I was in the lead for a while and was definitely going to win my group, but then I got a flat tire. So yeah, that’s kind of where it started to suck, but I was in the lead for a bit, so that was pretty nice.”

If you’re thinking about doing cyclocross racing, just know that it isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for people who are willing to get wet, fall a lot and challenge themselves to win. Beeson said that you need to have some biking experience to do this race, so it’s not recommended that you jump right in.

Cyclocross racing may not be Beeson’s main biking category, but this race was still enjoyable for him and he can’t wait for the next one.

“Cyclocross for me is more like something that I do as a joke because it’s not my main biking category, so it’s just something that I do for fun,” Beeson said. “It’s definitely a great experience.”