As an avid XC racer (mid pack Sport/Masters), I want to try CX racing over the winter.

Having never ridden a CX bike before, do I start in the Novice category or go straight in at Senior?

Just one category to enter as seniors and vets race together .In the Western league ones I do they call the series leaders to the front as a sort of gridding

According to the Central league, they do a Novice race too

Just go by age, if you are already racing, you don’t need to be in the novices.

You might like to do a novice one first to get used to handling the bike then move up a class if you find you are ok .Expect to see roadie race whippets disappear off the front though

Straight into Seniors/vets. I think novice is for total newcomers or riders with zero race experience.
Which race or league are you thinking of racing in?

I’ve done two now and just leapt into seniors. Its fast!
I’m a fast ‘Fun’ / good ‘Sport’ category xc rider but am bottom 25% at this game.
I’ve built up my old GT Mtb into a rigid forked, 1×9 CX machine and to be honest, machinery is the least of your worries- it’s just out and out fitness.

I like it though- there’s something purer and less mystical about it than the xc scene. It’s just a field, some tape and a load of people on bikes. You’ll be amazed how much resistance damp grass has and if nothing else, it’s a proper good workout.

I’ve just stated racing in the London league where they split Vets and Seniors due to number of entries. I went straight into Vets and it was fine. You’ll find as an MTB racer you’ll have excellent handling skills and could do better than you think, but you’ll be amazed at the top end fitness and speed of the proper CX racers / roadies.

I’m a total convert to CX racing now and much prefer to MTB. Much closer racing and generally more accessible I find.

Gaz, you will be fine in Seniors, just expect to get lapped once or twice. Lou and me both did our 1st CX race a few weeks ago and went straight in at the deep end, I was somewhere mid table and Lou was 2nd. Constantly people to chase/chasing. In comparison the novice race had about 6 people of fairly mixed ability, you would probably have won that fairly easily without too much of a race.