Its disappointing, therefore, that Sunday's cyclocross race seemed to choose a mud-free route.
Down the "non-technical" side of the woods, a bit of a zigzag in the trees, then uphill
While not dry, it isn't mud. Not like 50 acre wood or even the entrance to Ashton Court itself. And as for Leigh Woods, well, that's something to fear.
While its more fun than, say, a sunday morning road ride out in that biting wind, it's not really Cyclocross. Here, for reference, is a video from a recent event in Oregon, a video by my friend John "Mud Bath" Wilson, someone who has the luxury of a hot water tap in his back garden so he can hose himself and his bike down after such events, all in one go.
That's what cyclocross is about. Watching grown men wallow in mud. Perhaps at the next event on the schedule things will be better.