Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)
  • Is cyclocross, the new black?
  • JCornford
    Full Member

    It seems like cyclocross is the new in thing at the moment, loads of people seem to be talking about it and trying it, why the sudden upturn, or has it always been this popular and I’ve only just noticed?

    xc-steve
    Free Member

    It does seem to be gathering some momentum, however now is prime season for the sport so that’ll probably be the main reason why your hearing more about it.

    The-Swedish-Chef
    Free Member

    It’s that time of year, wait 4 months and everybody will be finding hidden patches of cobbles to ride on.

    Still, great for the sport to see more people try it. Its also a lot cheaper and easier to enter CX races, and they take less time.

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    aP
    Free Member

    I think its b2w having an effect as all the IT guys got their first road bike 2 years ago, their ss last year and this year a cx bike.

    Starrman28
    Free Member

    I’d like to think it’s because people have discovered just what an ace sport it is, you can take cross as seriously as you like, you don’t need a special bike, it’s cheap to enter (compared to other bike events)and most areas have a cross league reasonably local.
    I think the other reason is that the yanks have woken up to cross so there are far more mainstream manufactures producing cross bikes. When I first started riding cross there wasn’t the choice of cross bikes that there is now.

    IanMunro
    Free Member

    Nah, cyclocross was last year. This year it’s xc running 🙂

    geoffj
    Full Member

    aP – Member

    I think its b2w having an effect as all the IT guys got their first road bike 2 years ago, their ss last year and this year a cx bike.

    😆

    aP
    Free Member

    My first cx bike in 96 was built for me by Isla Rowntree, and it is still in the loft waiting for a gruppo transplant, at that time unless you went Alan the only other option was custom.
    There’s loads of them around now from different manufacturers which makes it easy to get one – particularly at the all important sub £1k price for b2w.

    ThurmanMerman
    Free Member

    4 or 5 years ago we were getting <15 riders turning up at Western League races. Now we’re getting >50.

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    A little bit of fun.

    ThurmanMerman
    Free Member

    Is cyclocross, the new black?

    And let’s not forget that CX predates MTB by about 70 years. And has dipped in and out of fashion periodically…

    It’s cyclical! *ba-doom tish*

    AnalogueAndy
    Free Member

    Thurman Merman – Member
    4 or 5 years ago we were getting <15 riders turning up at Western League races. Now we’re getting >50.

    A few years before that you’d be lucky to get 5 of us 😉

    aP
    Free Member

    I used to do Midland Region in the early 90s, I met someone last month who remembered me from Aldersley in 94! which was rather disturbing.

    Starrman28
    Free Member

    Chas, Andy

    I remember not that long ago turning up at Ashton Court with just three others…………and one of them was Clive T.
    I’d still be racing if it wasn’t for the boys discovering Football..:)Not retired yet though

    leggyblonde
    Free Member

    It is getting more popular, especially among the new to cycling. As mentioned above the C2W scheme has played a big part. People have bought cross bikes as a supposedly tougher bike to commute on than a road bike and then ended up giving racing a bash.
    I’m organising a race this sunday and helping organise muddy hell and there will be journos from non-cycling publications at each event to see what the score is as cyclocross has crept on to their radars.

    clubber
    Free Member

    It’s not rad or gnarly but it’s fun and it’s accessible. As above, several people are getting cross bikes for B2W and that’s leading to them giving it a go.

    Plus many mtbers have realised that all the local bridalways/etc locally that are dull on an mtb can be brilliant fun on a silly bike with crap brakes and poor position for technical riding 🙂

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    There seems to be a big explosion in the USA, where it seems to have found its niche in replicating the atmosphere of European races, not taking itself overly seriously, and allowing all sorts of people to enter their first bike race.

    Road racing is hard to get into, and a bad day means being dropped and limping home. there’s very little track racing TBH, and MTB racing feels like it’s much more focussed on enduros than short XC blasts.

    I’ve been to a Superprestige race in Belgium (won by Sven Nys, natch) and the atmosphere was extraordinary. 13,000 people, in a field between some houses in a small village, huge ber tents and thick snow. Genius.

    [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/59714726@N00/3061867012/]Super Prestige Cross (Zogge Belgium Nov 08)[/url]

    I’ve done a few races. I’m hopeless, hampered by an MTB I can’t shoulder and not fit enough to be any more than mid-pack. But I love the idea more and more, so next year I shall buy a CX bike and do a full season. For now, however, I’m up to my eyes in nappies….

    ChrisHeath
    Full Member

    I’ve been to a Superprestige race in Belgium (won by Sven Nys, natch) and the atmosphere was extraordinary.

    CX Worlds 2009, Hoogerheide:

    There were ‘quite a few’ people there.

    😀

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    They know how to support cycling in that part of the world, don’t they..!

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    I have only ever used my crossbikes as a winterbike or for touring.

    It’s my mountain bike with skinny tyres again this year as drop bars off road just feel wrong (to me).

    As said above, when you look at how much an XC race costs is it any wonder they attract the numbers .

    nonk
    Free Member

    ourman that pic has just filled me nose with the smell of embrocation 🙂

    Starrman28
    Free Member
    leggyblonde
    Free Member

    hopefully more UK events can get a similar atmosphere, it is possible…

    LS
    Free Member

    Cyclocross is also a very easy way for youngsters to get into competitive cycling, as it’s away from roads and requires no equipment beyond a helmet and whatever bike they’ve got already.

    At the Notts and Derby league event the other week there were 61 finishers in the under-10s race, 34 in the under-12s and 38 in the under-16s (not to mention 165 in the main race).

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    Anybody at Leeds in 92 when Roger Hammond won the junior worlds?.
    That was a great crowd,everyone going nuts when they knew he was going to win.

    The-Swedish-Chef
    Free Member

    Anybody at Leeds in 92 when Roger Hammond won the junior worlds?.

    No, but he kicked my arse around Shirely Hills a few weeks before though

    ThurmanMerman
    Free Member

    Starrman28 – Member
    null

    LOL! I was Pit Bitch for you that day… Still the most *appalling* conditions I’ve ever seen for bike racing!

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    Ha ,Shirley hills,there’s a name from the past.

    It was usually Steve Douce and Barrie Clarke that used to lap us in to the ground

    ThurmanMerman
    Free Member

    Anybody at Leeds in 92 when Roger Hammond won the junior worlds?.

    No, but I was 10th to his 1st at a race in in Gloucester back in January. Still the highlight of my year. Nice to chat with and he posed for pics with us mortals afterwards. Top bloke.

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    I went to a midweek evening ‘cross race in Bend OR last year. there were over 100 riders. Its really popular over there. Nae mud though. Just pooder JoJo

    leggyblonde
    Free Member

    shirley hills 😀

    I was cross riding round there a few weeks ago, shame there are no races there anymore, the london champs was always ace!

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    shirley hills

    I was cross riding round there a few weeks ago, shame there are no races there anymore, the london champs was always ace!

    Shirley Hills used to be a regular riding spot for me when I lived in S London, the only downside was the 8 mile ride on busy roads to get to it. I helped organise one of the London League/London Champs races there once. 🙂

    plop_pants
    Free Member

    Shirley Hills and The Nower; both lost to cross racing as some dogs walkers put up a stink about losing access to their park ONE day a year!
    Shirley Hills was great especially the big dipper.

    Starrman28
    Free Member

    Yeah Chas I reckon you must be in that pic somewhere, the worst rain I’d ever raced in for sure.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Shirley Hills and The Nower; both lost to cross racing as some dogs walkers put up a stink about losing access to their park ONE day a year!

    There was some dog walker kicked up a fuss about the Todmorden CX back in Jan this year. He insisted on walking down the middle of the course because he always walked there and he was threatening to sue anyone who hit him. Unfortunately no-one did hit him but what he failed to realise was that he was the one who would have been at fault!

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