Cyclo-what?

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Cyclocross:   think “motocross…cyclocross”.    Cyclocross has very little in common with motocross other than the name, multiple laps and dirt.   Have you ever ridden your road bike through the yard or on a dirt road and found it to be defiantly fun?   The fact that the bike you're on isn't made to be used this way but you're making it work anyhow is wildly exciting to some of us, especially when we discover that a road bike is fast even off of pavement.   Are you tired of the local trails closing every time it rains?   This fall and winter, when the weather gets nasty and you try to stay fit but every ride ends with frozen, dripping feet and a grit-covered bike, you may be telling yourself, “there's got to be a better way; this just isn't worth it”, you'll know that there is a better way to stay fit over the winter.   It includes not tolerating, but embracing the dreadful conditions and finding ways to accommodate for it.

Cyclocross, or ‘cross, for short, was invented by some European road racers in the 40's or 50's as a way to race and stay fit over the winters when the roads were too icy to ride.   The parks and fields didn't have the glaze ice that had developed on the roads and were perfectly ride-able.   They kept the races short to increase intensity as well as warmth, preventing hypothermia.   To keep their feet warm, they constructed barriers that would force them to dismount and run, carrying their steeds, for a few meters (often uphill) before re-mounting and continuing.   This required a new and unique skill-set: handling a skinny-tired bike with modified tires and brakes on grass, mud, gravel and some pavement, dismounting at speed, carrying your bike without tripping over it, and re-mounting in minimal time.   It also attracted a special breed of cyclist: those who thrive on adversity and enjoy technical challenge and variety.

Back in those days, a cyclocross bike was an old road bike with cantilever brake bosses soldered on, wide knobby tires (tubulars, of course), and a slightly more upright positioning.   These days, since road bike frames don't have as much tire clearance or excess strength, cyclocross calls for specialized bikes that look, at first glance, like a road bike…until you notice the knobby tires (we have clinchers for ‘cross now), mountain bike brakes and pedals, and beefier frame construction.   Why the special bike?   Wouldn't a mountain bike work?   Due to the milder terrain of most ‘cross courses, the narrower tires and drop bars of a ‘cross bike offer greater efficiency than a mountain bike.   Narrow tires roll through grass faster than fat tires as well.   This brings the speeds of ‘cross races to somewhere between those of mountain bike and road races.   Functionally, a mountain bike will definitely work in a ‘cross race and is permitted, without bar extensions.   I must admit even recently being beaten quite handily by a guy using a mountain bike on a ‘cross course that favored light, efficient bikes.   This proves once again, that it's not the bike but the motor that wins a race.   At the beginner levels, mountain bikes are quite common and competitive.   Some promoters even include Fat Tire categories in ‘cross races.

The races only last 30-60 minutes, depending on category level, and one's combination of fitness and bike skills are a greater determinant of finish order than one's tactical abilities, much like mountain biking.   Tactical racing does occur more at the elite levels, however, and makes for great spectating.   The emphasis on fitness and the intensity imparted by intermittent running has earned ‘cross a reputation as, “the hardest hour in bike racing”.   Having done every type of bike race that lasts an hour or more, I can say that it's true.   Even in the fastest criteriums, you'll get a chance to sit up in the draft and recover.   This seldom happens in ‘cross.   This may sound like a reason not to try it, but after a few ‘cross races, you'll have a new reference point by which you measure the difficulty of an event.   You'll find yourself thinking, “this is hard, but not ‘cross-hard” .  

The feature of ‘cross that redeems it from the suffering that accompanies it is the roller coaster ride that is a typical ‘cross course.   A good ‘cross course has adequate width that passing is never difficult and has what we call a “flow” that carries momentum in and out of turns, up and over climbs and through barrier sections.   The technical challenge of handling your bike in various conditions on numerous surfaces is a learning curve with no plateau.   The joy of handling a tricky section for the first time, saving a near-fall or just sliding both tires in a corner and staying up will leave you glowing.   The bike skills you earn in ‘cross season will imbue you with newfound confidence and comfort during road or mountain bike races when spring comes around.

For significant others who have outgrown the novelty of watching races in which you pass by every 30 minutes or more and may even be indistinguishable in a sprawling pack, accompanying you to ‘cross races can be refreshing—they can usually see most of the course from one position and you'll pass by multiple times at speeds where eye contact is even possible.   They may not want to see what's in your eyes, however—agony, fear, fury, or even mud.

Any cyclist or multisport athlete can potentially enjoy ‘cross and benefit from the experience, either via skills, mental toughness or raw fitness.   Each type of athlete has their own qualities that will be an asset in ‘cross racing.   Roadies bring their fitness and pain tolerance.   Mountain bikers bring skills and power, and adventure racers can bring their versatility and tough mentality.   This is truly a discipline that blurs the lines between different sports and can bring athletes of various backgrounds together on the same racecourse.   Whatever facets you bring to ‘cross, the most important one is the ability to laugh at yourself.   There are some spills that everyone takes in ‘cross, and you won't do anything that looks dumber than what every experienced ‘crosser has done.   The list includes the simple slide-out crash, the tripping over your own bike in the barriers fall, the crashing into a barrier fall, and the missing your seat while remounting spill.   These are all quite embarrassing when they happen, and sometimes painful. We've all done it, though; they're funny after the fact and make great stories for the eternal future.