The Wonderful World of Cyclocross (What Is It?)

This is a general introduction to cyclocross. It is intended to give you the basics, without too much detail.

Much of this material was sources from the Wikipedia entry about Cyclocross.

What Is It?

Man-made barriers are some of the many
obstacles races need to overcome.

Cyclocross is a form of bicycle racing. It is sometimes called "bicycle steeplechase".

Racers ride laps around short courses.

The courses are usually a mix of pavement, trails, grass, steep hills, and obstacles.

Obstacles may include mud pits, sand pits, man-made barriers, natural barriers, stairs--whatever challenges riders skills. Many obstacles require the rider to dismount and carry the bike for short distances before remounting.

It usually takes place in the fall and winter.

Where Did It Come From?

There are lots of stories about where it started. This is one of the best:

In the early 1900s European road racers would race from one town to another. There weren't many rules. They would cut through farmer's fields, over fences, or shortcuts to get there first.
It was called "steeple chase" because the only visible landmark--the only thing they could see to guide them was the church steeple. It was the only thing sticking up over the hedges and trees!

Why did they do it?

Cyclocross races are held in all conditions!

It helped these racers stay in shape during the winter. Also, riding off road in difficult conditions made them better riders. It improved their on-the-road bike handling.

Why running? I thought this was a bike race?

The forced running sections, or portage, were first used to help riders deal with the cold! Running got warm blood to the feet and toes, during the cold, wet, muddy, wintery races.

How Is It Different from Other Bike Races?

Cyclocross isn't road racing, nor is it mountain biking. It's...different!

Road races have been around since the 1860s (150 years ago!). They take place on paved roads, and feature high speeds. The bikes are lightweight and they are designed for speed.

Mountain bike racing came along in the 1980s. It is specifically off-road racing. It requires heavy-duty equipment to handle the rough terrain.

Cyclocross tactics are simple; the emphasis is on the rider's aerobic endurance and bike-handling skills. In this sense, it is a lot like mountain bike racing. Drafting—where cyclists form a line to take advantage of the wind shield formed by the lead riders—is much less important than in road racing, where speeds are much higher than in cyclocross.

What about the bikes?

You absolutely can race cyclocross with a mountain bike. But it's not ideal.

Cyclocross bicycles are similar to road bikes. They're lightweight, with narrow tires, and drop handlebars.

From a distance, it looks like a road bike.
But the knobby tires, cantilever brakes and
high clearance make this a mud-gobbling machine!

Cyclocross bikes also take ideas from mountain mountain bikes! They use knobby-tread tires for traction, and either cantilever or disk brakes (So the brakes will work in the mud!).

Remember, they need to be light, so that riders can carry their bike over and through obstacles. Carrying a mountain bike up a muddy hill is not easy! But a road bike wouldn't survive the trails, either!


Enough reading about cyclocross...get out there, do it, and have fun!