” Uhuh, and I’ve never seen a ‘mountainbike course’ in this country set up specifically for racing where a cross bike wouldn’t be faster. With the exception of any of the downhill courses.”
I’d disagree with that. One example would be 10 under the Ben, Drumlanrig’d be another. The Scottish Champs course from 2008, on the other hand, was a cyclo cross race on big tyres and as a result it was awful. Completely disappointing.
As an XC racer I’d consider CX as winter fitness training to force me to go out and do it, but in real world terms it’s a roadie sport, to keep roadies out in the winter, and not something most people would enjoy in terms of day to day riding- I had a CX bike but it was so incapable in my local woods that I just got a proper road bike.