[Closed] CX Racing advice please..

Where are you based cloudnine?

In Swansea, Gower Riders do CX training in Gorseinon every thurs and I believe that other clubs do similar. Good fun and a good way to get prepped.

Running depends on the course and mud content. Not a massive amount generally though. Worth practising mounting and dismounting and lifting bike over hurdles.

Lose the 50t chainring, you'll never need it. 42 or 44 outer is fine.
Any intermediate-tread tyre is a good all rounder, those Nanos should be fine until it gets properly muddy.
Your shoes and pedals are fine.
Up until the mud season very little running is required, but the ability to get off and on quickly with a short sprint between hurdles or up a steep bank is useful. This just requires practice. A lot of practice.
Being fit and able to do an hour flat-out is a good start, but CX is all about stop:start efforts on top of riding at the redline. It hurts. Get out there and train by riding at what you think is the limit and then throw some 30s-1min efforts in on top.

And enjoy it. Cross is great 🙂

Riding your bike steady for long distances isn't anything like CX, it's more like:
Flat-out sprint to start and watch as 60 riders try and squeeze through a gap big enough for one rider; sprint to the next narrow gap / obstacle; dismount to leap over a barrier and squash your "gentleman's relish" on remount - whincing with pain....and so it goes on for 45-60 minutes. You will also learn to breathe out of orifices you didn't know you could, plus fall-off a few times. If it's muddy, you'll probably have to stop to clear mud/grass/leaves/twigs from a totally clagged-up drivetrain and after one lap you'll be lucky to have more than one functioning gear....

All I'll say is have fun. It's a right laugh and addictive.

Not much running in most races, often none at all. If you are running, it's usually through unrideably wet mud or up a steep hill with not enough grip to ride. When you do have to shoulder the bike and run, that's when your heart rate will rocket, and it's more about being able to sustain that than how good a runner you are. Short steps, nice and steady works best for me.

Races are short compared to most other disciplines - too short to worry about feeding for instance, I don't use a bottle.

In terms of training, split what you're doing between conditioning and technique, you need both.

CX races feature loads of intense short efforts interspersed with short recoveries, so interval workouts are pretty useful. After a while you'll realise that a big part of racing is identifying whereabouts on the lap you can get a little recovery and making sure you use it.

However strong you are though, you'll only get so far without decent technique. Slippy off-camber surfaces, dismounts & remounts, climbing & descending with difficult grip, tight cornering, maintaining speed through wet mud and over wet tree roots, standing start sprints (the sprint is at the start, not the end) - these are all things to work on. Great thing about CX is you can do lots of this in a nearby park.

Your kit sounds fine to me, tyres are a personal kind of thing that comes with a bit of experience. Play about with tyre pressures, you probably want them lower than you think but that's dependent on conditions and the course.

Having useful, practical warm clothing for the time between getting out of the car and the race starting is essential IMO. There's a lot of hanging about and the weather's usually not good. Layers you can warm up in then discard as soon as possible before the start are worth being organised with. Those Outeredge full zip longs are the business. A good pair of wellies comes in handy too.

Loads of people use portable washers - fair enough if you need to put the bike in the car after the race. If you don't, either jet wash it at a nearby garage or do it when you get home.

Give yourself time on race day - getting there early enough for good practice is very worthwhile.

Don't forget to enjoy it, CX racing is the best!

Everything they said.

Take a look at this you tube video of the CX racing on Anglesey

Gives you an idea of what to expect

I've heard you have to wear a cap under your helmet

Get used to starting as fast as you can followed by a tiny mid corner breather then go as fast as you can, repeat until you come across something you can't ride over / up / through and then go as fast as you can. Repeat this for around an hour in God awful shitty cold wet conditions and you're there.

Don't develop any format of mechanical sympathy for your bike(s) you'll end up crying if you do.

Do look at the weather and think, I know it's December a based layer and long sleeved jersey will do, you'll cook.

Get used to nearly destroying the washing machine after every race and fit big ass studs in the front of your shoes.

It's ace, honest.

If you are on facebook there's a welsh cyclocross group for more info about the league / pics etc.

Apologies for the thread hijack, but any recommendation for shoes for CX? My current SPD shoes are very uncomfortable and am planning to try some races this season so would like to get something suitable.

Something like the Lake MX331,or if you have the money..Lake MX331s.

Err, is one of those options supposed to be something that doesn't cost over £200? 🙂

I've got northwave ones that were about £50 in the Evans sale, got a ratchet and threads for the toe studs

Just get anything broadly XC based with the capability to take toe studs. [url= https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=mountain+bike+shoe+toe+spikes&safe=off&tbs=cat:187,pdtr0:924868%7C924869,pdtr1:938451%7C938455,vw:g,p_ord:p&tbm=shop ]Here[/url]

MX331s are the nuts, best cross shoes I've ever used.

Thanks for the tips.. might skip the lake shoes though.
Just looking at gearing and it almost seems cheaper to buy a new crankset to get 46/36 chainrings. Currently running 11spd mix of 105 165mm cranks and Ultegra everything else. Is there a cheaper way to get a 44 or 46 outer ring 110 bcd?

If you're on a 5-bolt chainset, Stronglight or TA are good rings at a good price. Inner rings in that size also work, the chainring jump is so small that there's little need for ramps or pins. Gebhardt do durable, cheap rings that make great outers. I used them for years.
Forget a 46. It's too big for racing on.

Some good advice here already, but re: running - you won't do much in a race, but what you will do is get off the bike from full gas, pick up a bike, run with it for anywhere between 5 and 50 metres, get back on it and get straight back up to full gas again. So you need to train to be able to deal with that!!! Best way to do that is through practising the type of stuff Lee and Ferrals suggest in training, but if you're used to a bit of running to begin with then that's a head start.

Personally I run a fair bit of trail running during/around cx season, as I find the general fitness beneficial. But plenty of folk faster than me do no running-specific training at all.

Oh and try zepnat.com for cross chainrings in sensible sizes (LS is spot on - the fact that CX bikes come fitted with 36:46 for all-round versatility, but for most 'cross races it falls between two stools - 36 is too low, 46 too high) at sensible prices.

but what you will do is get off the bike from full gas, pick up a bike, run with it for anywhere between 5 and 50 metres, get back on it and get straight back up to full gas again. So you need to train to be able to deal with that!!!

Or for the mid field majority: get off, pick up a bike, start to run, realise your bike was heavy before it got another 5kg of mud on it, start a somewhat disconsolate jog, put bike down with a clatter, drop chain, put chain back on, hammer your knackers jumping back on, miss your pedals and clout your shins, curse a bit, and then get back to full gas 😆

Regarding gearing for racing. I use single ring 36 setup and never find that I need more, in fact this year I may go 34. I am top half vets racer in the Wessex League. My team mate who is a regular podium placer uses a 34 single ring.

So if your 105 is compact then just buy a ring.

I am wanting to do the same this year.

Not got really anything yet, but been looking at bikes. Is there anything that I should look for over anything else? I am not fussed about disc brakes, been looking at Condor, Glider/Viner and Cinelli bikes currently.

ferrals - Member
but what you will do is get off the bike from full gas, pick up a bike, run with it for anywhere between 5 and 50 metres, get back on it and get straight back up to full gas again. So you need to train to be able to deal with that!!!
Or for the mid field majority: get off, pick up a bike, start to run, realise your bike was heavy before it got another 5kg of mud on it, start a somewhat disconsolate jog, put bike down with a clatter, drop chain, put chain back on, hammer your knackers jumping back on, miss your pedals and clout your shins, curse a bit, and then get back to full gas

And then slide into the hole that everyone else is jumping over. Luckily nobody noticed. (Or were to embarrassed to laugh.) 😆