Somewhere in the void between road cycling (skinny slick tyres, drop handlebars, no suspension, solid ground) and mountain biking (fat nobbly tyres, flat handlebars, usually suspension, mud/gravel/rock) there lies a weird sport called cyclocross (CX for short).
Cross bikes are like a weird hybrid of the other two. The frames are similar to those of road bikes, with no suspension. They have drop bars. But they have massive clearance for fat tyres/mud buildup and generally lower gearing than road bikes.
CX races are usually on short, twisty tracks on a variety of terrain - mud, grass, gravel, even sand - and last for maybe 30-60 minutes. There are usually short hills. Obviously this isn't hard enough for people, so they are also littered with obstacles such as barriers and stairs; these require a running dismount-lift/carry-remount manoeuvre. Races happen in any weather - rain, sleet, snow - and frequently do, because the season runs through the winter.
Heckling, costumes and beer complete the CX experience.
And, of course, cross bikes can be ridden on trails year-round... trails that road bikes cannot!
I have a couple of friends here who race at quite a high level and they're trying to get me into this silly, silly sport. So this morning I set off with one of them on a freshly-built bike to get a feel for throwing a cross bike around a variety of environments.
And, of course, it was awesome fun. I think the absolutely torrential rain that set in almost immediately and didn't really stop probably added to it. Trails are harder to navigate when they're under 3+ inches of water!
Hopefully in the coming weeks I can really get a feel for the bike's handling in different conditions, and try to learn proper dismounting and remounting technique for fast, smooth transitions between riding and running.
There's a prologue race in late September, then the season begins in October. Let's see!
And, of course, it was awesome fun. I think the absolutely torrential rain that set in almost immediately and didn't really stop probably added to it. Trails are harder to navigate when they're under 3+ inches of water!
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| Before the heaviest rain - all too clean! |
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| At the top of the biggest, steepest climb. So very, very wet. |
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| If you're not filthy, it's not cyclocross! |
Hopefully in the coming weeks I can really get a feel for the bike's handling in different conditions, and try to learn proper dismounting and remounting technique for fast, smooth transitions between riding and running.
There's a prologue race in late September, then the season begins in October. Let's see!
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