I wonder also if banning 2 bikes from everything under juniors might help (across all competitive cross not just NT)
100% this. 2 bike stuff is an absolute nonsense in younger age groups IMO, definitely in anything below NT.
Son moved up to U14 this year and the whole "I need a pit bike" push is strong, especially for those kids so immersed in it.........watching Cammy, all the Instagrammers, youtube vids etc. There's a massive excitement about getting to U14 and having a pit bike, for parents it's just a pain in the backside and additional cost to what for many is already a secondary sport to their MTB/Road bike.
Observation at Knockburn was there was probably 10-20 bikes in the pits for U14/16 and one got used. At Camperdown I think I saw 2 get used.
Feels a bit old fart thing to say "what happened to CX being the most accessible form of the sport, turn up for a fiver in your local park", I get that things have moved on and professionalised but it's a simple change that would at least make it FEEL more accessible again.
What's the push for a second bike, in case of mechanicals or just the competitive advantage of having a second bike to jump on to?
I mean I get it, but I take solace in the fact that I'm just not fast enough that the extra weight and drivetrain cloggage of a muddy bike really matters, and I mitigate for mechanicals by e.g. running slightly higher pressures. It's certainly not making a difference between 1st and 2nd, let's put it that way 🙄
I guess an enthusiastic 14 year old might not be as happy to forego an extra few places on the result sheet if they can get their parents to shell out, but I'll be explaining to my wee boy that he needs to EARN that second pit bike! 🤣
We've got a weekend off this weekend but enjoyed a great race at Camperdown last weekend. Perhaps just because I'm finding some form, or perhaps because it was less brutally hilly, but I actually felt like I was racing this time instead of just plodding round. I missed an opportunity to practice some race-craft on the tight and very slippy corners after the hurdles where I suspect running with the bike would have been faster than teetering around ON the bike, but I did have the wits to get in front of my main nemesis every time before the tight wooded section where I knew he couldn't pass and I could recover a bit before the one hill climb that he usually reeled me in on.
Trossachs next weekend, looked lumpy and stoney but I've been talked out of fitting the mixed condition gravel tyres, plus I remembered how badly they clogged last time I raced them, I desperately need the extra 3mm of clearance either side!
What's the push for a second bike, in case of mechanicals or just the competitive advantage of having a second bike to jump on to?
A little bit of those but in reality a 12 year-old being a 12 year old and all the peer pressure and looking cool that comes with it. Bikes for kids racing has become a bit of a silly arms race at best of times without adding spare bikes into the mix.
Well that was a fantastic course at Clanfield. My first time racing a national trophy course and definitely a step or 2 up in technicality but primarily as a mtb racer that was fantastic! The hundreds of videos I watched in preparation totally undersold some of the bits.
I do have to say though that I don’t think the organisers/british cycling/UCI were all on the same page though… Whilst the post above (entry information) says
Any lapped riders will be allowed to continue in the race but will be directed off the course at the start of their last lap
I got pulled fairly early on, upon discussing this with the UCI lead he was adamant that he was never going to let it run as described in the above post (in the UCI categories) as British cycling were breaking the UCI rules and this was a UCI race.
I get not wanting to interrupt the final outcomes with the top racers, I had even entered before the idea of dropping the 80% rule had been talked about, expecting to be pulled. But let’s be clear with what is and isn’t agreed rather than putting out false comms please. (As well as sorting out that uci/bc beef 😉)
@iwbmattyt
My apologies if I caused confusion within this community - I just copied the comms from the organising group that had been agreed with BC but it seems that was a mistake...
I wasn;t at the start of the last race but I understand from the few riders that I spoke to that the Commissaire at the start had said that riders WEREN'T going to be pulled, to find themselves pulled with lots of laps left - very dissapointing.
However, it's so good to hear that you enjoyed the course - many hours are spent on it by the parents of the kids whio ride at Solent Pirates Youth CC, the club who organised the race. I will pass on your comments.
That was exactly the situation I found myself in, somewhat frustrating.
Anyway, apologies, my comment wasn’t supposed to be directed at you, I thought you were just relaying information (and trying to resolve under attendance issues) It was more just at the organisers/bc/uci thing that is going on. Just the point is that in general the organisers should be clear about what is actually agreed and then put out comms that match that. Rather than putting out unconfirmed things that match their desires.
It won’t take much to burn the good will associated with making these events viable.
I had a thoroughly enjoyable day at Clanfield on Saturday. The new layout with start area in the heart of a relocated event village gave a much better atmosphere, I hope this layout gets reused for Wessex and Southern XC events in the future.
I found the course tough and with hindsight I definitely rode bits it would have been quicker to run. Physically I wasn't feeling quite there though that might have been the slippiness making me stiffen up which never produces a nice feeling. As expected I was towards the back but achieved the two goals, 1. don't finish last and 2. don't get lapped. I need to work on my carrying though as current over the top tube hand position resulting in a very painful crank/bone interface that stopped me dead for a few seconds.
In the U14 girls my daughter went much better than last year. The difference between this years result and last was great to see (last year she was lapped multiple times and finished 10-15mins after the nearest rider). The effort she has put in over the last year meant this year she was competing, didn't get lapped, and with a better first lap could have been firmly in the midfield.
I mean I get it, but I take solace in the fact that I'm just not fast enough that the extra weight and drivetrain cloggage of a muddy bike really matters, and I mitigate for mechanicals by e.g. running slightly higher pressures. It's certainly not making a difference between 1st and 2nd, let's put it that way
Well these words quickly came back to haunt me at Tross Cross in Aberfoyle yesterday! I could literally feel the bike getting 5kg heavier and the wheels and frame clogging through some of that mud, so I had to start running long sections with the bike on the shoulder to avoid it picking up more mud, which brutally exposed my lack of running fitness! 😆 I do think the higher tyre pressures were a good idea though, gave me more confidence to attack technical features like velodrome/wall ride corner!
The drivetrain starting clogging badly too but that seemed relatively common across the board, not sure if there's anything you can do about that other than pit bikes and jet washing!
Maybe next year it's time to invest in a new disc brake gravel bike with a view to using it as a CX bike with mega tyre clearance in the winter, although the howling cacophony from the disc brakes in the earlier (raining) races was a reminder of why I've avoided discs to date... 🙄
Brilliant course though, the technical features were equal parts hilarious fun and actually a bit scary but all of them relatively forgiving to a hit-and-hope mentality, with the exception of the rutted embankment which was just an undignified tip-toe every lap.
I still haven't figured out what I'm doing wrong in terms of fitness/pacing though. as I don't think my placings really reflect my fitness or ability (I'm 92kg and maybe 265W, I guess I shouldn't be expecting much at 2.9W/kg). Perhaps it's just lack of explosivity, I've spent all summer plodding out looong days, or at best doing 20 minute time-trials. Run-ups kill me as well, I'm going to move my interval work out doors I think and try and fit in more run-ups, just need to find an embankment long enough and steep enough!
Vintage Kona top was earning recognition from commentator and spectators alike, even if my riding didn't deserve it
A successful return for James in the U10 after coming off the course in tears last time out. The Aberfoyle course suited his running abilities it seemed
Interesting discussion about the 'problems' with the National Trophy (which reminds me, nice to bump into you at Gartmore Tenacious_Doug!). What I find interesting is that I can't relate to any of these problems 😆
Clearly the more serious riders are looking for that professional experience, but I wonder how many people really care about the lack of hard surface starts, jerseys and Mark Nulty... Am still looking forward to Irvine which feels like a more and more realistic prospect for me, I'll have a clear month of additional training for it in December although I'm not sure that's enough time to develop running legs...
Interesting discussion about the 'problems' with the National Trophy (which reminds me, nice to bump into you at Gartmore Tenacious_Doug!). What I find interesting is that I can't relate to any of these problems 😆
I think it kinda hits the nail on the head of the point discussed previously in this thread (and I think I mentioned in passing at Gartmore), kinda caught between a bit of a rock and a hard place between those that want to profesionalise it, and those that want it to remain accessible.
Seems at the moment it's ended up not really doing either and had a bit of an identity crisis!
Oh and nice to meet you too!
I think it kinda hits the nail on the head of the point discussed previously in this thread (and I think I mentioned in passing at Gartmore), kinda caught between a bit of a rock and a hard place between those that want to profesionalise it, and those that want it to remain accessible.
Ah yes, you did mention that and I kind of see what you mean now 👍 I guess they either need a critical mass of people willing to pay for it to be more professional (and willing to travel the length and breadth of the country supporting it), or more funding from BC (which I think Dave hints at in his video).
Tricky!
How horrible and amazing is cx?
Today's race at Chatelherault in Scotland was probably the best course of the series, it had a mixture of everything, and was quite challenging. Shame I didn't have the legs to do it justice. I still had a blast! Now feel exhausted, that happy mellow type of knackered where you just want to sit down next to a fire with a cup of tea and chocolate hobnob and watch a crap film, maybe with Adam Sandler in it.
Anyone race this weekend? Some very heavy courses out there I reckon.
I've not raced for a while getting over some illness, but did the N Wales league today outside Wrexham - hard course with a mix of park and woodland and some serious mud, plus a very testing steep chute (which I trotted down). Was a bit off the pace but great to get out racing.
One bike league and the vitus held up good - rain probably helped thin the mud a little, but I managed to burp my front tubeless (with insert) completely flat end of lap one. Didn't think this was possible, I'd changed the rear recently and needed pliers and a gripper tool to get the tyre off, the insert was that packed down on the rim. But apparently a cross race will do it. Very luckily it went straight back up and held, with a track pump at the end of the lap. Lost some places but not the worst thing to just work back into the race.
Not me, there had been a gap in our calendar for a few weeks. Next race is this weekend coming.
I let what I think was just a touch of the black dog stop me from racing my last two rounds at Linlithgow and Chatelherault, felt physically quite low and wondered if it was some sort of bug that I didn't want to race through, but in reality I think it was just the shorter days or something dampening my mood. Funnily enough I had one of my most enjoyable (and most physical) gravel/CX rides the week after which I almost sacked off until someone messaged me a route suggestion on the morning of, it was like flipping a light switch and suddenly the motivation came pouring back!
Anyway, amateur psychology aside, I got serious FOMO watching my son race at Linlithgow and Chatelherault and watching videos of Didn'thurt diving in to the big slippy descent at Chatelherault, so am looking forward to the Superquaich Series again next year, first race is end of Jan at Linlithgow, I'll have spent a month off any sort of serious training in the run up to Christmas as I try to get the strength training back into my routine, will then start throwing in some 'maintenance' intensity just so the racing doesn't come as a complete shock.
Last race of the season is my home race at Strathallan so naturally I'm obliged to try and win it. Hopefully The cut for A/B categories places me just at the top of the B category but it hasn't worked out that way in the past, perhaps I'll at least finally at least achieve that mid-(B)-pack finish I've been targeting all winter 😆
I've never bothered with the national trophy. As a senior, even when I was on form, I wouldn't get a full race. The difference between the winner who are often pros and normal riders was vast. That said, the main reason was always the travelling and costs. Spend weekends driving around the country for an hour long race. You need two bikes and someone in the pits to be competitive in the mud. Back when tubs were the best option you'd probably need some spare wheels as well so you could have mud and intermediate options through the season.
The lack of coverage kills it for me more recently. There's nothing. Coupled with the fact that the cost of watching it on TV went nuts with the TNT buyout. I don't have a subscription. Means a lot of the hype is gone from watching big races.
This season has been a bit of a non event. Was never going to finish the local league because of another, bigger race clash and then a holiday. Lost motivation to go and race one bike in the mud because I simply can't compete against people with more kit. That and life got in the way - (Job searching and moving house). Might try and enter one this weekend and would love to do the nationals. I think my fitness is ok as I've been doing lots of short sessions. No idea on skills...
Re burping - it is a problem at low pressures when you have grip. It is one of the downfalls of tubeless on mixed courses. You are fine in constant mud as you are pretty slow and the wheels slide. The challenge is when you have sections with some grip and you corner hard. I learnt this on a course that was mostly mud with a bit of tarmac.
I'm fortunate enough that I'm just not competitive enough to have to worry about spare bikes, pits etc. and I mitigate for burping etc. by running higher pressures and inserts.
I can relate to recent arguments for banning pits, spare bikes etc. as then the faster boys might need to make similar compromises, e.g. running harder pressures and sacrificing grip etc. although I would like the option to have your own wee jet wash to wash out clogged drivetrains, the only alternative to maintaining drivetrain performance in claggy courses appears to just be running everything with the bike on your shoulder, or going singlespeed! 😎
Cross racing has finally provided a convincing reason to go disc though, I'm one of only maybe two or three stalwarts still on rim brakes and the football sized clump of mud that builds up around the brakes can be a bit de-motivating...
I'm hoping to do more NT bringing up the rear of the 40s. Daughter has requested trying to get to more of the series next year so if we are going then I'll be racing. I'm actually selling the second bike at the moment and changing my gravel bike to something that could cover both bases.
I'm not mad enough to race but have been along to a couple of the Scottish ones and loved watching and cheering on the club riders who have entered.
Rather chuffed with the overall results as we have 3 Scottish champs as club members.
The pits have changed since I last pitted for someone - man that was seriously stressful.
I think I'll stick to stupid hats and a loud voice for cheering!
Absolutely brilliant racing in all the age categories and it is brilliant to see the youngsters getting properly stuck in.
Dave Haygarth has a few videos up from the NT at Bradford this past weekend - very hard conditions, great riding on display.
Would be a tough day out for the enthusiast - all those small rises that the top riders get up would have you dismounting, makes it hard to find the flow of the course.
Last race for me yesterday - anyone else wrapping their season up?
Good one to finish on - Tabley in Cheshire which is a big flat muddy attritional farmer's field, right up my street. Been down the field last couple, I missed a few races mid season and it was hard getting back on it, plus starting at the back of the grid doesn't help. Went better here, type of track where you focus on the guy 10 secs ahead of you and reel them in over two laps. Mud was pretty wet, so just stuck with the one bike as the limus' were feeling good and a change might have slipped a place or two.
That's the tubs put away for another season. Planning on doing some road riding now - I recently bought an actual road bike for the first time in my life. Have a Fred Whitton entry for May so some steady climbing will be a nice change of scenery.
Last Wessex race is this Sunday coming.
Andover Supercross was cold, very cold. Solid ground for a large part of the course was interesting as I've only trained in those conditions before. The long off camber was so hard and icy slippy, so much so a corner was taken out during the juniors race (I was quite glad as had not found a way around either on wheels or foot I was ok with!). I went into the race with a main goal of getting off the line better. In my head I wanted to get into open space so I could put the power down and rider around people. This worked initially and for the first few corners I was up with a faster team mate. The rare air then got to my head and I screwed up on an off camber I'd had a chance to pre-ride resulting in all those places being lost. The first pass across the big off camber also didn't do well with a little coming together with another rider resulting in an over the bar (and his bike) crash down the camber. By the time I'm untangled my bike most of the field had come past! Most of the next lap was just trying to regain some composure. I made ground up, mainly by hammering the straights, and ended up not far from riders I normally finish around. Fun race but definitely one to file under experience rather than a strong performance.
The last series race (Crowe) I remember being quite stony ground for a lot of it so I'm planning a gamble of inters instead of mud tyres. I don't think there is much chance of improving my league position now so going to use this as test race and try a few things differently.
A few of us from the club have then got a extra bonus race planned in Belguim. We are going to head over to Ledegem and take part in a local Belgium event ( https://www.ledegem.be/ledegem/vrije-tijd/activiteitenkalender/cyclocross-ledegem). Past event pictures suggest lots of mud :D. As that also the CX worlds in Hulst on the Sunday we are going to watch how the pros do it.
Last race for me yesterday - anyone else wrapping their season up?
I'm done, finished with my usual whimper. Sadly I just don't think I have the correct fitness to really enjoy it, the Scottish season this year certainly required a lot of punch for some of the nasty spikey little climbs and run-ups, and not only was I too heavy but I just couldn't find that punchy power. Once the initial itch was scratched (as one of my comrades in arms put it) the motivation gradually tailed off. I really wish there were more flat, twisty and muddy courses and fewer steep and punchy courses! 🤣
Was all lined up for the second half of the season up here (Superquaich) but since Christmas my turbo sessions haven't been going very well and the wet cold weather has got the motivation at a low ebb so I'm just ticking away for a couple of months before ramping up for the spring classics (some long, relatively flat gravel rides I have planned 😎 ).
Sort of sad to see the season is ending, we used to be big cx fans; raced occasionally (Mrs Kilo did the 3 Peaks one year) watched everything on tv, marshalled our club races, went to the Worlds a few time, etc. But the Eurosport price rise just killed access to easy viewing and I’ve not followed it at all this year and the season has passed me by (I presume M VdP won everything?). Even my cx bike now has road tyres on it 🙁
But the Eurosport price rise just killed access to easy viewing and I’ve not followed it at all this year and the season has passed me by (I presume M VdP won everything?).
It was really good, lots of close racing, different winners and always the chance that Cameron Mason could bag his first win. And then MvdP came back 🙄
I sacked it off at that point, I was willingly paying for TNT for a couple of months but with the adverts that they shoehorn into the middle of the live footage I eventually got pissed off and cancelled on principle, especially after we somehow missed the middle three laps of Namur trying to fast forward the ads and seemingly being stuck in a never-ending loop as punishment!
Just come back from Belgium where we saw the 2 races over the weekend. It's pretty cool watching the elite's go full blast! Now inspired to give it a go next season!
I managed to watch quite a few full races on youtube, always enjoy watching MVDP but it's not really racing, prefer the women's races, much closer and more exciting with stacked fields, although Brand did win loads, but the likes of Puck and Alverado were always in with a chance and Neff adding some colour
There was no MVDP this weekend, so we saw 2 different winners in the mens and womens races! Brand and Alverado were both hugely impressive in two different races and Michael VanTourenheart won on Sunday and should've won on Saturday bar a puncture. It was a mega weekend and I'm very keen to learn the skills and have a go next season.... I just need to find a bike!
Sad times up in Scotland, looks like the last two races of the year are in jeopardy due to lack of volunteers and lack of riders.
I feel a bit guilty as the last round is very local to me and I know the organiser (ish). But I just don't want to race any more CX this year and am in no shape to do so anyway.
I volunteered to help out on the day and will do so if asked but of course this is at the expense of a longer ride I was looking forward to doing somewhere else, which maybe sums up my whole season, not fit enough to enjoy some properly tough courses, and generally with half an eye on the other rides I was missing out on.
There seems to be a general malaise about the racing and I wonder what it is. For me, it just turns out that you can't really enjoy the racing unless you are already 'race-fit'. I had planned to swallow my pride and just enjoy pootling around at the back but I still found it ridiculously tough at times. Not sure if CX has always been like that or if it is just the Scottish courses, I definitely look on enviously at some of the flatter courses down south 🙄
The long season (September to March) and the recent cold wet spell is maybe another factor, perhaps everyone's motivation is just at an ebb. If the season had just been Oct-Dec then that might have been better, although ideally I would have wanted a decent interval between finishing with the summer riding (e.g. end Sept) and getting some training in for CX season, but that would push the start of the season back to November!
That is a long season! Not surprised the last races are struggling though also not good.
I've been done now for a few weeks. Last league event retuned my best result of the season. It seems those events that have significant running sections suit me, I did lots of overtaking running past those struggling to get the wheels turning in mud or up slippery hills.
The Ledegem race in Belgium was eye opening. It was flat, completely flat on a farm with a very short lap. But the road was closed (and used as part of the course), the landowner had built a significant number of features in his farm yard and there where several scaffold bridges (including a down bridge into a dyke). The whole organisation was very different, no chip timing and simple sign-up on the day. The local version of the commissiars seems to travel to each event and there lots of them. 5 just on the finish line counting laps! There was beer on sale 😜 and the vast majority of competitors hung around for the presentations at the end (giving a much more social to the whole event). All in it was great fun and we will be back next year if possible.
Having planned a much fuller season, finally got round to my second race of the season yesterday, fun times at a new course in Fife with a lot of riding packed into a very small space in the closed road circuit.
Would agree with previous couple of posts though that the season has stretched out too long. Numbers were decent yesterday but off a cliff next week, which is really little surprise since it's also the Scottish road season opener next weekend.
I'd say the malaise is a combo of cost and time for many. The CX season started before the MTB/Road season ended and finishes after the MTB/Road season starts. Everyone needs some down time sometime.
I'm keen to get involved in racing cross next season. Typical I've just got interested in it as the season finishes near me in the North West....
Still it gives me time to source a bike! Any suggestions on what I should be looking for?
Still it gives me time to source a bike! Any suggestions on what I should be looking for?
Perfect time of year to buy as folk get rid of bikes at season end. Recommend CX Buy & Sell on Facebook, or just FB marketplace in general. Generally lots of options this time of year. Last year I picked up great condition bikes for both myself and my boy for c. £400 from here.....good frames (Ridley & Merida), discs, 105/Apex level groups, nice wheels, great condition.
There aren't many pure cyclocross bikes available nowadays - they have been gravelised to greater or lesser extents as that is a way bigger market. So it's a question of whether you want something to ride year round, and more of a gravel style is a good thing, or something really focussed on the race season. Both the spesh crux and giant tcx are well quoted as bikes that have retained their cx character - very versatile bikes that race well. Plenty of others - I race a vitus energie which is a mainstay of the UK scene, but I don't know what happened to them post crc going under.I'm keen to get involved in racing cross next season. Typical I've just got interested in it as the season finishes near me in the North West....
Still it gives me time to source a bike! Any suggestions on what I should be looking for?
It doesn't matter a huge amount if you race a gravel bike to start with - you could race a MTB even. Cornering is the quintessential cross skill, and gravel bikes don't do it as well, but this is a subtlety that will be lost in the general maelstrom of legs and lungs.
Second the cx buy sell group. Lots popping up on that at the moment. What size do you need, if 58 hup still have a few of the older model frame left? That would be a good start if building up.
My first cx bike build was in the region of £800 using mostly new parts (hubs and bars I already had). I made what I'd now consider a few mistakes with the gearing spec though. I started with a more gravelly 11-42 cassette and 42t chain ring. This worked fine but does give fairly large steps between gears and the low gear encourages you to ride bits where really you are better off on foot. Now run 11-34 with a 38t ring. I found on the back that a 160mm rotor is too much and leads to more rear wheel locking. 140mm is enough and is easier to control. GRX levers have a nicer brake shape from the hoods, which is where your hands will spend most of their time. The 10 speed level is fine to reduce cost (don't connect the right hand shifter) but 1x11 with a LH brake is lighter. The 400 series 10 speed GRX mech can be used with 11 speed shifters (same cable pull). It's cheaper which is a good thing given the battering the mech takes. Clutch off unless the course is very bumpy (even then I have reduce the clutch tension for nicer shifts). XTR pedals seem to clear mud better than the lower levels. If you are one biking then mud clearance is an important consideration. Some frames (especially alloy with cross braces behind the rear wheel) clog quicker. Most of the carbon designs are smoother in that area which helps. Light wheels are your friend, low mass make a decent alloy set at around 1500g that don't break the bank.
It doesn't matter a huge amount if you race a gravel bike to start with - you could race a MTB even. Cornering is the quintessential cross skill, and gravel bikes don't do it as well, but this is a subtlety that will be lost in the general maelstrom of legs and lungs.
Exactly this, this is the first season I actually raced a bona-fide cyclocross bike, previous seasons it's been my old singlespeed commuter or my MTB with CX tyres on. Best results were actually on the MTB but I think that's more reflective of my fitness this season ☹️
Second the cx buy sell group. Lots popping up on that at the moment. What size do you need, if 58 hup still have a few of the older model frame left? That would be a good start if building up.
My first cx bike build was in the region of £800 using mostly new parts (hubs and bars I already had). I made what I'd now consider a few mistakes with the gearing spec though. I started with a more gravelly 11-42 cassette and 42t chain ring. This worked fine but does give fairly large steps between gears and the low gear encourages you to ride bits where really you are better off on foot. Now run 11-34 with a 38t ring. I found on the back that a 160mm rotor is too much and leads to more rear wheel locking. 140mm is enough and is easier to control. GRX levers have a nicer brake shape from the hoods, which is where your hands will spend most of their time. The 10 speed level is fine to reduce cost (don't connect the right hand shifter) but 1x11 with a LH brake is lighter. The 400 series 10 speed GRX mech can be used with 11 speed shifters (same cable pull). It's cheaper which is a good thing given the battering the mech takes. Clutch off unless the course is very bumpy (even then I have reduce the clutch tension for nicer shifts). XTR pedals seem to clear mud better than the lower levels. If you are one biking then mud clearance is an important consideration. Some frames (especially alloy with cross braces behind the rear wheel) clog quicker. Most of the carbon designs are smoother in that area which helps. Light wheels are your friend, low mass make a decent alloy set at around 1500g that don't break the bank.
Great info, thanks!
I'm 5.11ish, so would be looking for a 56cm frame. Those HUPS would be a bit big unfortunately!
It doesn't matter a huge amount if you race a gravel bike to start with - you could race a MTB even. Cornering is the quintessential cross skill, and gravel bikes don't do it as well, but this is a subtlety that will be lost in the general maelstrom of legs and lungs.
Exactly this, this is the first season I actually raced a bona-fide cyclocross bike, previous seasons it's been my old singlespeed commuter or my MTB with CX tyres on. Best results were actually on the MTB but I think that's more reflective of my fitness this season ☹️
Was the different bike handling characteristics noticeable?
No, but at the time I didn't know any different (and it was an XC racing hardtail).
Now I've spent time on MTB, gravel and CX bikes I do think I notice the difference. Don't let it put you off though, it's all good fun 👍
