Cross Dressing Part 1: What the hell is Cyclocross?
“I am not sure how I found myself here, in a Scottish field, on a snowy November day in nothing more than lycra shorts and a jersey that’s tighter than a coat of paint. I have mud literally everywhere and my heart rate feels to be at least a million BPM, and as I swerve around in the thick mud like a drunk on Friday night I am very aware that the bike I am riding looks very much like it was built for tarmac. If you are clinically insane, by which I mean you wake up in the morning and you think you’re an onion, Cyclocross is your sport, and it’s just brilliant!”
We could not resist the lure of Cyclocross racing so our UK editor Trev signed up to do battle in the mysterious and eccentric world of Scottish Cyclocross racing. Welcome to our new 4 part series where we investigate what it is, what you need and find out how to get the most out of the winter season.
What the hell is cyclocross?
Cyclocross is probably the most popular sport that you have never heard of. Riding around a muddy spectator lined off-road course on a glorified road bike with knobbly tyres may sound crazy but….. actually no, it is crazy, bonkers, in fact, but it’s also ridiculously popular. Cyclocross is one of Europe’s (and the US’s) fastest growing sports and boasts the highest participation of any competitive discipline. Currently exploding on both a grassroots and international level all over the world, it’s a wacky fusion of mountain biking and road biking and the perfect winter pastime for those who want to have a great laugh while also improving their bike skills and getting an awesome cardio workout too.
Where can I find a cyclocross race?
There are now thousands of cyclocross events all over the world, ranging from tiny club races to World Cup events that attract gigantic crowds. Traditionally a Cyclocross race is held on a park or playing fields, allowing easy access for spectators to check out the action. In fact, the connection to the spectators is so close you will have people yelling in your ear for the entire race. Races last from between forty minutes to one hour depending on your category, and your heart rate will go from nervous to berserk in an instant and stay there for the duration while you will be on and off your bike like a light switch. After a pointy elbowed mass-start sprint the pace will be furious and never dip until the last rider crosses the line. The short courses will feature obstacles that will require you to hop off your bike and run, steep steps, hurdles, gates, anything goes; and will make the most of the space available to keep the action frantic for the spectators. The number of laps doesn’t matter, you just do as many as you can until the hour is up, and because you are lapping the course there will always be riders around to race, crash into or laugh with.
A history lesson, where did cyclocross come from?
Cyclo Cross is a quirky sport for sure, but it was born for a reason, the simple desire to race bikes through the winter. Early races started to appear in the turn of the century when, for a bit of winter entertainment, European racers would race to the neighbouring village via any route possible; through ditches, over woodland and down farm tracks, there were no rules! Running was encouraged as it helped push warm blood back to cold toes. Often the only visible landmark was the church tower, making the perfect finish line, so the popular phrase of steeplechase was born. Over time the sport started to catch on and racers started modifying their bikes with increased mud clearance and wider, more aggressive tyres, and the sport of Cyclocross was born.
Where is cyclocross popular?
Things have changed since those early days and the bikes have come a long way, but the events still retain that same welcoming spirit. The sport now has a huge following throughout the globe, from regional to national to international, and some events even draw up to 60,000 spectators. Belgium is where the main action is! There Champion Cross racers are household names and celebrated in the same way as footballers, film stars and celebrities. Traditionally Cyclocross is a winter sport between October – January, but the growing popularity of the events means that the season is getting longer and longer, but the time to give it a go is right now! Cyclocross is one of the most welcoming forms of competitive cycling, and despite the lycra and drop bar ties to road racing, offers a brilliant day out for a mountain biker, boosting both fitness, skills and being a riotous laugh to boot. With entry prices only a fraction of the price of an enduro, it’s the perfect way to keep fit during the winter.
What do I need?
Clothing wise, just normal MTB kit will do. You will be amazed how much heat you can put out when working hard for one hour straight, so if you are warm on the start line you will be like boil in the bag rice when you get into it. A pair of warm neoprene gloves will do wonders when it’s cold and some leg warmers help keep the heat in while you wait for the start. You need a bike, of course, but when you are starting out at local races, a mountain bike will be fine. Once you catch the bug, and you will, there is a great range of cyclocross specific bikes out there for every budget and in our next instalment we will be talking all about what makes a good Cyclocross bike.
Join us in the next instalment when Trev finds out more about what makes a good cross bike and gets to grips with the lairy coloured Vitus Energie Pro. If you are excited by the idea of racing Cyclocross, or indeed enjoy any form of drop barred fun, you should check out the new GRAN FONDO magazine which is coming very soon!
Words and photos: Trev Worsey