Bicycling

Cyclocross: Where Road and Mountain Biking Meet

by Dave Beals

Cyclocross is a form of bicycle racing that has its roots in Northern France and Belgium. It was originally a form of racing that allowed cyclists to continue to race and stay fit during the cold and nasty months of October through December. European cyclocross racers would meet at local parks and race off road on wooded trails, open fields of grass and park trails. This was all long before the “mountain bike” ever existed. The circuits would include obstacles that would require the riders to dismount and run with their bikes. The sport evolved into organized competition with its first World Championship held in Paris, France in 1950.

Today, cyclocross is extremely popular in Europe. Championship races draw in excess of 10,000 spectators. In the U.S., cyclocross it’s surely a fringe sport but has a rather large following in the northeast and northwest regions of the country. Although the number of spectators may not number in the thousands, hundreds of racers and spectators enjoy this fall sport. Right here in New York and in neighboring New England states, cyclocross races take place every weekend from the end of September until the middle of December.

The U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross is a series of six races to select the best U.S. riders to send to the World Cyclocross Championships in St. Wendel, Germany in February 2005. Races will be in Washington, Oregon, New Jersey, and two in nearby Gloucester, Massachusetts. See www.usgpcyclocross.com for more details.

The Sport
Cyclocross is considered to be the most demanding type of bicycle racing as it incorporates speed, power, technique, running and no place for rest. There is no drafting or coasting or recovery. The race is usually a timed event that lasts between 45 and 60 minutes, requiring the best racers to go all out for the entire event. The course itself is a closed circuit of 2 to 3 kilometers. The racers will circuit the course repeatedly for the 45 or 60 minutes depending on the racers level of expertise or his or her category.

The sport also requires that a cyclist dismount the bike at various locations on the course. The courses are typically laid out in a park that provides a mixture of trail, grassy field and some pavement. Very steep hills that cannot be ridden, but require the bike to be carried up, are often included. Some devious course designers may route the racers up a staircase. Wooden barriers that are 18 to 20 inches tall are also added as course obstacles. These barriers require the racer to dismount at speed, run over the barrier with the bike in hand, and quickly remount to continue the race. This is where technique plays a big part in gaining precious time on the course. All of these obstacles that force the rider off the bike make for an exciting race, requiring changes of speed and frequent mounts and dismounts.

Skills and Techniques
The cyclocross dismounting, remounting and shouldering abilities can be gained by practice. The dismount at speed is something that is quite difficult to do correctly. The rider has to dismount while the bike is speeding towards an obstacle, swinging the right foot over the seat, momentarily positioning the right foot between the left foot (that is still on the pedal) and the bike frame. This allows the rider to step with the right foot first, then the left, lifting the bike with your hand on the top tube, and then striding over the barrier at speed. It sounds odd and it is. The best way to practice is to watch someone who is good at it.

The remount is equally critical. The rider must place, not drop, the bike back to earth, each wheel touching at the same time, each pointing straight ahead. All of this is important to prevent the bike from bouncing. You can’t easily leap back onto the bike if it’s bouncing around. Those that can master the dismount and mount technique make the maneuver look smooth and fluid. The key is to keep the speed high. I first witnessed this maneuver at a cyclocross clinic where two elite racers demonstrated proper technique and provided helpful hints and tips. To see these guys hurtle towards an immobile wooden barrier 20 inches tall, run over the barrier with the bike, then remount and continue racing at breakneck speed was something that made me want to learn more about cyclocross!

The other interesting aspect of cyclocross is the traditional shouldering of the bike when a portion of the course requires the rider to run for any distance. Some courses will have steep hills called ‘run-ups’ that require the racer to sprint up a hill that, because of its incline, cannot be ridden up. The bicycle is shouldered on the right shoulder with the right arm wrapped around the down tube and the right hand holding the bars.

The Bike
A specially designed cyclocross bicycle is specific to the sport but a beginner can start out using a mountain bike. The cyclocross bike is lightweight, very much like a road bike, but with important differences. First, the frame and the front fork of the bicycle need to be strong to take the punishment of off-road terrain. The wheels are stronger than lightweight road racing wheels for the same reasons and these will have larger diameter tires with small knobby like tread patterns.

The brakes on a cyclocross bike are similar to mountain bike brakes and need to be powerful enough to stop in all sorts of adverse conditions, such as dirt, mud and even snow. If you see what appears to be a road bicycle with mountain bike cantilever brakes and fat knobby tires, that’s a cyclocross bike. True cyclocross bikes have somewhat higher bottom bracket clearances and wider clearances for the larger tires.

Getting Started
To start out in the sport of cyclocross, a beginner would be most comfortable using a mountain bike. The larger diameter tires are not as fast as the typical cyclocross bike tire because of the additional rolling resistance but the added traction would give the beginner more confidence when learning technique. The heavier mountain bike is also more difficult to lift and shoulder, but again, learning the technique and gaining fitness is most important for the first timer. Many of the local bicycle shops are now stocking cyclocross bikes and can offer advice if you are interested in converting an old bike or looking for a new one.

The best way to learn about cyclocross would be to first come out and watch one of the cyclocross races being held in and around the Capital District. The Capital Bicycle Racing Club (www.cbrc.us) has a race scheduled for October 10 in Schenectady’s Central Park. The Capital District National Riders Association (www.cdrna.com) is planning two races in the Capital District on October 31 and November 14. Other races scheduled in the northeast can be found at www.spokepost.com.

The races are usually held in parks that make it easy for the spectator to see all the action. Several races are held over the same course during race day and there is always some excitement for spectators, especially at the barriers. Come out and watch, or better yet, try it yourself — it’s a lot of fun and a great workout!

Dave Beals of Niskayuna is a member of the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club and the Capital Bicycle Racing Club.

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