I know a 53 year old bloke, who has plans to have a go at cx this coming winter, just for fun and keep active through the winter.
he is a life long cyclist, but has never raced.

any tips for him?

Get bike, enter race, get to start line, prepare to be on the edge of vomiting for 40mins*

*lucky auld bastards, some of us have to do an hour

I will save you some bother. Its not fun, it hurts. Dont do it.

Try doing one now in the summer. Do it on your MTB, as on a CX bike it will be far too uncomfortable.

Then add in cold and mud. Enough mud to stop you actually riding, enough to rip off your mech. Sound good ? Then go ahead 🙂

I tried a couple in the winter – utterly daft and horrible.
I do enjoy the summer ones, but do them on my MTB. Its more comfy and grippy and so far this year its been so dry all I had to do was dust it afterwards.

This is where CX is interesting, I have no interest in summer ones as it’s not daft and horrible. For me it’s about riding a terrible bike, in terrible conditions, feeling like I want to die…. but knowing everyone else is feeling the same way and trying to pass as many folk as possible

1×8 for cheap replacement drivetrain bits every other race. 😉

Ride the bike like you stole it at the start….theh keep it up for 40 minutes or an hour!

Friends seem to enjoy it. I did one when it happened at the bottom of our road. Would do again but don’t fancy hunting out dismal muddy parks through winter. Ended up mtb as my xbike tyres got laughed at and I didn’t fancy wrapping someone else’s carbon round a tree.

Was fun in an at the limit kind of way. Main thing I remember, having got to the group from back of the grid and keeping up for the time being was thinking ‘this is okay’. Then glancing at my HRM and seeing I was painlessly somewhere in the mid 170s which is about as high as I go and somewhat exceeding manufacturers warranty. Races = altered state of consciousness.

It’s hard AF but at 53, never raced, your body will prob just naturally do what it can do, so you’ll get round fine. Some properly big lads and lasses going round the NW series last season.
The top men are very limber off and on the bike over the boards, but you don’t need to be and a lot of grassroots races won’t even have these features. It’s a friendly vibe, even the Yorkshire series, so very accessible just to show up and give it a whirl. Cx gets healthy fields and is superb for the race within the race, battling it out with those around you – you can have an intense race whether you’re 7th or 77th.

Go for it. I’ve had a 15 year lay off from cross racing, but am starting again this September at the age of 54.(Leics. League).
I expect to be at the back, as my fitness is awful at the moment. But Im not bothered, if , at 25yo, I’d think of my older self not doing much at all, yet I’m more active now than in my 20’s.

Can I slightly hitchhike/highjack the the thread please? What drivetrain is recommended? Currently 2x road compact.

It’s a meh from me. Did enjoy the three peaks very much but the racing (Scottish cx) wasn’t fun at all. Think I did half a dozen races and realised I’d much rather be mountain biking. All the faff of MTB and cleaning for an hour of crap racing around a park. If you must try it though I found and old rigid and singelspeed mountain bike better than my cx bike.

Turbo intervals whilst being water boarded should assist his preparation.

Was CX curious myself until I watched a couple of friendly mixed ability CX races in my local park.Guys at the front were great riders and real athletes,awesome to watch.Plenty of youngsters and oldies out having fun too on a variety of bikes. However,there were a couple of complete d*cks towards the rear who were complete arseholes, barging their way through and literally knocking folk out of their way and more often than not only to be overtaken again shortly after.They were of a certain age and had top kit.I know that ifI’d been competing and they’d done that to me I would have lost my temper and lamped the tw*ts.

Being fit and being race fit are two different things.

Some people enter just to ride hard for the 40-60 mins and being relatively fit they will get around easy enough. Lots of people are happy just to finish/ride a race and pretend they are racing – then others enter to actually race for the 40-60 mins … and if they have never raced will find it mentally as well as physically tough/painful.

If you intend to race (not just ride hard) and never raced before .. its the fast starts that will be the hardest to get used to .. you will ruin yourself within the first 10 mins.

Agree ^ the speed everyone goes for it off the start is always quite something!

Another thing that can be entertaining is the obvious differences in riding background. E.g. getting your legs ripped off you under power but making up time in more technical sections. If you enter a race with a good number of folk you should pretty much always find yourself in battles

Nicely timed thread! I’ve been getting a bit CX curious as riding time is short for me due to family commitments, so the idea of a 1hr smash appeals!

ton, am I right in thinking your Yorks based? If so what races are you planning to get to? I’m S.Yorks and have only really found the Yorkshire CX Series.

Finally, where best to pick up a cheap (c. £500) CX bike? My only MTB is a Cotic BFe with Pikes so I don’t fancy dragging that around!

2 seasons of Scottish CX under my belt now, only managed 3 or 4 races per season so far but am utterly hooked, my summer has more or less been devoted to getting fit for CX season and until recently I never even thought that turbo sessions in the garage with the fan on in mid-summer might seem a bit odd…

The racing is the best bit for me, reeling people in slowly or making gaps in muddy corners or sprinting to the line for the glory of a mid-pack placing etc etc.

Although I agree with the guys above that a fast start seems essential for making a good placing, I’d actually suggest that for the first few you try to pace yourself for the first lap or two before getting stuck in, I’m obviously not fit enough to be jostling for placings at the front but I get involved every race and sure enough am a wheezing mess by the third lap and need to back right off. My best result to date has been when I just held position at the start rather than making up lots of places, then gradually warmed into the race, rather than spending most of it recovering from the first laps!

Choose your targets wisely, don’t be afraid to stick your front wheel up the inside of any corners, just remember to back off if the guy in front closes the door on you, keep it friendly!

Oh and remember to do all your braking BEFORE the muddy off-camber corners, however slow that needs to be. Best course of the Scottish season had a lot of really greasy off-camber and I was on my arse constantly because I was going steaming into stuff and then braking through it.

Can I slightly hitchhike/highjack the the thread please? What drivetrain is recommended? Currently 2x road compact.

I run a 36 tooth single ring and don’t think I creep much above my 32 tooth sprocket at the back. On the Scottish courses where it’s typically muddy, anything steep enough to need that low a gear is probably no slower running or walking anyway!

If you’re on a road compact with a 32 at the back it should probably be fine to start out, unless you have some really muddy or really hilly courses. In fact, I think the standard ‘Euro’ double chainset is a 36/46 so you’ve probably got lower gears than those guys already.

As garry_lager says, the NW league has the full cross (sorry) section of ability, age and size. About 80-90 over 50yr blokes and all the women in the same race so always somewhere to hide and someone to “race” with. I presume Yorkshire league is similar (but does have a reputation for producing some of the fastest national racers). Full range of courses if you’d prefer flat-ish and fast or hilly and almost mtb tech. Almost always mud in the north.

I’d avoid any novice class race lumped in with the kids – they are too damned fast 🙂

Suggest to him that he spends 40 minutes warming up before his race. Then just get on with it.

Finally, where best to pick up a cheap (c. £500) CX bike

A second hand Boardman off Facebook or the likes would be a good start

Go for it! I love it I’ve done the north Wales league for last 4 seasons and it’s great fun (in a leg burning way) you always find someone of similar abilities to race and the vast majority of people are sound. Tips get a good warm up, practice leaping off and on the bike (YouTube vids) and practice off camber stuff… our courses are nuts more like mtb at times with river crossings etc, not BC affiliated so more exciting than usual parks, last year one was part DH course! Only downside is doldrums when season finishes 😥

I did my first ever races (of any type) last year, also aged 53 – there’s a vet50 category so he’ll get to race other old giffers (some of whom are unbelievably fast)

Doing the “full” league series this year 🤪

It’s fun and friendly. I’ve raced on proper cx bikes, on a singlespeed mtb (the course was so boggy my average speed for the hour was 8mph), and I was within the top third), full suspension mtb when recovering from my back being broken.
There’s always someone around the same level to race against and have a laugh with. Yes there are choppers but there are choppers anywhere cyclists meet.
Make sure you know where the nearest good pub is for something scran after.
Eat some rice pudding beforehand.

Eat some rice pudding beforehand.
So you can look hilarious puking it all up at the end?? 😉

Cross is ace 🙂

My 2ps worth…

If its muddy, rainy and cold organise your stuff and bring plenty of spare clothes/towels; always nice to have something dry to put on afterwards and when you are knackered post-race its suprisingly easy to drop all your clothes into a muddy puddle. If its really really rank I sometimes also bring a spare change of cycling kit to switch between warm-up/practise laps and the race… or at least a dry pair of gloves and a dry pair of socks. Depending on how clean you like to keep your car, bring a black bag for the mud-staurated stuff. Baby wipes are great for removing the congealed snot/mud mixture from your face. Good to have a pair of welly boots as parking is often in a muddy field.

If you’ve never raced in any form before I’d not stress about tactics or technique for your first races, just enjoy the experiance. You’ll end up having a good tussle with someone anyway. I found cross to be a pretty easy sport to make big technique improvemensts with a bit of practise and its nice to see that come to fruition in races.

If its really muddy, and you deicide you want to take a bit mroe seriosuly, fill up one of theose cheap garden weed-killer sprayers with water and spray the worst of the mud off your bike after doing a practise lap… will keep the bike working well that little bit longer!

It’s strangely fun in a rather perverse kind of way.

The NW league is ace with a right mix of venues from flat out dirt crits to parks with techy sections to fields covered in cow poo – Houghton Tower! It’s pretty friendly too and there are always roadies you can undertake only to be smashed to bits on any straight that’s longer than about 10m!!

There’s something rather weird about racing on a frozen town park with just enough grip to keep you upright until you push it that little bit harder and you slide down the tiny off-camber slope on your behind.

My tips are:
– get used to slip sliding about, a lot.
– ride your tyres as low as you can without smashing the rims to bits
– get used to being scared by what your HR monitor is saying
– don’t race with a chest infection, you might end up collapsing, not remember getting home, wake up in bed with a paramedic leaning over you and then don’t ride for about 4 weeks afterwards.
– don’t be surprised when you get through a set of disc brake pads in 45 minutes!!

Can I slightly hitchhike/highjack the thread please? What drivetrain is recommended? Currently 2x road compact

Personally 1x is where it’s at, less to clog with mud / grass / leaves / other bikes, if you’re approaching the top of the cassette you’ll be quicker running anyway, less to replace when it wears out (which isn’t very often).

Must be the week for rash decisions, as I’ve signed up for the local race in the Scottish Series. Not attempted a cross race in years and not expecting much after barely riding for 5 months due to first baby. Race in late October and just hoping not to suffer cardiac arrest.

Hi,

By rule I’m not doing ANY racing but managed to enter local CX event few years ago.

On a fixie bike.

Came 83rd in the pack of 85 xD

It was ace 🙂

Go for that!

Cheers!
I.

ton,you got anything in particular in mind.
would be up for a go(drop bar mtb)

ton,you got anything in particular in mind.
would be up for a go(drop bar mtb)

dates are not out for the 2019/2020 calander yet mate.
will let you know when I plan anything.

Well before the 1st race have a play on the bike and play with tyre pressures, generally as low as you dare without risking pinch flats. Practice figure of 8 turns & getting them smooth.

Practice getting on & off the bike, doesn’t have to be fast just reliable.

On the day get there early, get some sighting laps in looking for things that might cause a pinch flat do this at or near to race pace.

Warm up.

After 10 mins ignore the voices in your head telling you you’ll never finish, you’re not quick enough, feign a mechanical etc. Most others are having the same thoughts.

When the weather turns take a large towel & big Ikea bag for dumping wet & muddy kit into in car parks.

Enjoy it, if you are at all competitive you’ll soon find yourself racing against the same people each week trying to get one over each other.

Get a tap & hosepipe set up at home for washing down the bike when you get back.

Drag along kids and get them racing / spectating, very family friendly environment.

If you are doing the Yorkshire series and come to the 1st one on the 8th September at Bishop Burton, I’m organiser come and find me and I’ll buy you a brew.

I tried CX racing a few years ago.

It was brutal. Basically spent an hour at maximum HR and finished the bottom 10 every week. Bloody loved it though!

I’m going to give a couple of races a go this year starting with CX in the City in Milton Keynes. I’ll be riding singlespeed so it’ll no doubt be even harder than it was last time and I’m sure my results will be even worse.

Can’t blooming wait for it though 😂

– get used to being scared by what your HR monitor is saying

I go a step further and remove that field from the display

quick question, can you use flat bars for cx?

quick question, can you use flat bars for cx?

Yup. You can ride pretty much what you want in local leagues.

…although they can be quite fussy about bar-ends…

Tony, I do a bit of juniors coaching as you know. The cross riders are the fittest of the whole bunch, closely followed by track, then MTB. You’ll be fine 😀

Ive done a few and for the 50 plus minutes its a living hell , that said the feeling of having done one and not came last is very satisfying. I did one last year purely to beat a work mate didnt matter if I was 2 nd last as long as I beat him. Sadly I think I came 75 out of of 130 and he came 73rd . The thing is if your sad enough like me to want to get a small victory over a pal you have to be first to the corner or you will spend an hour burst trying catch them up .If I wasnt so unfit Id try an XC mtb race but they are apparently even harder. Give it a go Ton the CX’ers have always seemed fairly friendly in my experience.

Super strange to be looking for pain but I did 3 races here in Chicago last year.
Bunch of very serious people riding but spectating its a different story.

Usually cold enough to be frozen ground here or at least fairly hard. I did last year on my 2009 Roadrat commuter. The amount of bacon I got offered because the locals thought I was riding with my forks were on backwards was incredible. Thanks to Cy front caliper design.

Got a cross bike off eBay for this year, will probably be slower. It’s a 2x so I can use as a road/gravel bike too without fiddling.

Good thing here other that not incredible mud everywhere, the cat5 I have been doing was 25mins and finish the lap. Almost manageable.