Ha. Got your attention.

But genuine question. Clearly a lot of people like it and it seems to be growing as a sport.

So can people explain the attraction? It looks like road riding but on a soft surface to make it more difficult and unpleasant but without the thrill of MTBing. Yet I assume there is more to it than that.

Please, then, fill me in and see this as a chance to wax lyrical about a form of riding you enjoy.

That’s got to be the wors troll I’ve seen for ages!

Originally it started as a thing for roadies to do for some competition in the winter.

If you are enjoying it, they you are not doing it right.

It’s designed to test your lungs ability to stay in situ whilst shooting vomit outta your nostrils

It’s incredibly motivating. You know the pain will end soo. There are always people around you to chase even when you are being lapped. And your brakes don’t work!

ourmaninthenorth – Member

That’s got to be the wors troll I’ve seen for ages!

It is honestly not a troll. I have no idea about cyclocross, so you could tell me anything about it and I would believe you.

Judging by the two comments following yours, O.M.I.N., I assume it’s bl**dy hard… something I wouldn’t have known before.

It is bloody hard. I think it’s great. But only when I’ve regained enough sense to remember what my name is.

So hacked off to have had to sit out this season. I’ll be back next year for another muddy kicking every week.

Oh yes, it’s religion in Belgium. And they know a thing or two about riding bikes.

Sockson rider .Grab your bike and head down to the nearest park.
Sprint back and forwad across the grass area as fast as you can for an hour.
If there are any fallen trees to bunny hop/jump across ,this is a bonus.
If after the hour you still have a working set of lungs,and you are enjoying yourself,then CX is going to be for you. 🙂

Did my first cyclo cross today on a mountain bike. Very hard sport the lads and lass at the front are motoring , trust me. It’s not as technical as xc.
Today’s course was mostly on grass so super hard as you just don’t roll at all. The race lasted around one hour. You can do it on a mountain bike but am not sure you could win it on mountain bike as cyclo bikes are far quicker. I do them this time of year to start my training for xc racing next year.
Do one it’s good fun in a sick kind of way!!!!!!! PS has anyone seen someone win a cyclocross on a mountain bike, at a good level?????

Cyclocross works as a race, and a cyclocross bike works well to get out and see the countryside on less technical trails, but no, you wouldn’t really want to go out with friends and just ride around a field for a couple of hours.

The last Scottish cx race was at fox lake, Rab Wardell won it. However rob friel was second on an mtb. Punctured on the cross bike on lap 2 so changed to his mtb chased back to the front and stuck with Rab till the last lap.

penglish1 where were you racing today?

Raced in the Lincoln series it was at the Police HQ site.

It’s like XC racing only worse. So if you’ve ever done an XC race and thought, this isn’t horrible enough- cx time.

i’ve never raced cyclocross.

but there’s bikes, and racing, and mates, and crashes.

so it must be ace, no?

penglish1 – Member
Raced in the Lincoln series it was at the Police HQ site.

That was without a lot of the fast boys there…my team mates were at the national trophy! You should have done the previous round at Ostlers Plantation in woodhall…was technically a mtb course in woods!

I beat a load of cyclocrossers up a large fireroad climb at CyB once, with my seatpost slammed on a 32lb Nukeproof Mega using a Supertacky high roller on the front and flat pedals.

That was a good day. Their faces were hilarious when I gave them a big smile and said “Alright lads”, I was wearing baggies as well and they were out in club kit. Good times.

Bikes, they’re always fun. I like racing 🙂

Other than as an excuse to buy a new bike that occupies the niche between your road bike and your hardtail, I really can’t see the point of cyclocross.

But then, an excuse to buy a new bike is never completely without merit.

Those “along the side of a muddy field” stretches that are a necessary evil in joining up the good bits of a ride are enough to put me off the idea of cyclocross.

I remember Mark Thwaites smashing the yorkshire points cross week in week out on a Yeti full sus.

But have seen a few top riders switching between cross and mountain bikes at recent events.

If there is the slightest possibility that’s true paarp, we can only hope they died of shame.

It’s like XC racing only worse. So if you’ve ever done an XC race and thought, this isn’t horrible enough- cx time.

Ah, I guess I’ll never race my caadx then!
Done loads of xc races and hated 99% of em!

I’m not going near the racing but think a CX bike is a better option to a roadie for winter training. Means I can get the miles in but still pop down the odd bridlepath to stave off the boredom.

DezB – Member

Done loads of xc races and hated 99% of em!

Probably because they weren’t horrible enough.

mate of mine regularly races cx, his description went along the lines of ‘sprint your bollox off for the first 100 yds……….then keep that pace for an hour’. Thought that apt.

…. but no, you wouldn’t really want to go out with friends and just ride around a field for a couple of hours.

Seems to be no shortage of people prepared to do this annually at Eastnor!
Soft and/or Muddy Field – check
Round and round for a few hours – check
Doesn’t roll so chuffin hard going – check
Without the thrill of MTBing – CHECK!

Hmmmm, rethinks next years plans…

sancho Ian Taylor last sunday at Dirtwheels swapped to his mtb on a not very tech course. Its been my first year doing cx and what a great time im having. It teaches you to be a better bike handler, pace yourself, cough blood, ride harder, get fitter, and is very friendly. I would say give it a go even on a mountain bike you would have a good time, you could be lucky enough to end up battling with chipps or should he be known as frites while in cx mode!. 40 mins or an hour means you can nip out race and get back home and still have time to fit something else in to the day. The only down side is waiting a few days to see how bad you have done and the amount of washing the bike/clothes is needed when you start training in the loosest sense of the word. Have a go what have you got to loose

[

This is what its about, in a world of your own making, suffering not knowing left from right everything turning black and white, wondering how long is left when can I stop I cant keep this pace up or ride up that incline another time. 5 mins after the end your thinking of when the next race is.

Cross looks bloody daft from the sideline but makes loads of sense when you’re participating. Just give it a go.

Would say give it a go. I do it on my winter mountain bike, it’s the best way I think to get your fitness up ready for the xc season. Its very friendly and from what I can see its well organised.
You can go at your own pace if need be and if you do it on a mountain bike it’s a win win situation, if you do a good ride everyone think your have done well on a mountain bike and if you come last everyone thinks, he/ she was on a mountain bike..

I did my first cyclocross race on Sunday. My 7 year old does it as it’s the only competitive cycling he can do at this time of year at that age. I did it in solidarity to him on a MTB, but I did put on some 26 x 1.35 cyclocross tyres.
It’s very hard, like other posters have said you basically go as fast as you can for 30-40 minutes (novice category) without being able to roll and on a variety of surfaces. When you’re in the zone just turning the pedals and you have to get off and run up a muddy bank it really saps your energy. My lungs were burning after the first lap and I still had two to go. I sort of enjoyed t in a sadistic, mustn’t give up kind of way. I did finish ahead of some riders on cx bikes but the benefits of a proper cx bike was obvious.
Oh and mustn’t forget the friendly banter from the spectators who tend to gather round the very short steep technical sections.

The last Scottish cx race was at fox lake, Rab Wardell won it. However rob friel was second on an mtb. Punctured on the cross bike on lap 2 so changed to his mtb chased back to the front and stuck with Rab till the last lap.

There’s a video somewhere of this, possibly on Facebook. Friel is an animal on a bike, I went to school with him & tried to ride with him, but it hurt too much!
cross racing is a painful, muddy, cold, wet miserable sport but it’s awesome!
edit video found

There’s two ways I try to describe it to people who haven’t ever riden or raced.

1; Get on your bike and from a standstill sprint as hard as you can for 2/300 yards (remember how hard you’re finding it), stop and turn around and do it again but this time don’t stop until you see the chequred flag.

2: Think of you hardest mountain bike race and double that feeling and you’re still not close.