Swichio Blog Cyclocross!

When the leaves start to change, it can mean only one thing...cyclocross season is here! What is cyclocross anyway? Some people call it steeplechase on bikes. It's like nothing you've probably ever seen before. Let's start with the basics. Cyclocross is often referred to as cross or cx by seasoned racers. What type of bike do you ride for cyclocross?Of course this sport would require yet another type of bike to add to your stable of bikes. Cross bikes look a lot like road bikes. The main difference is that they have wider, knobbier tires than a road bike and the brakes are setup to allow for mud and debris. You won't see water bottle cages on cross bikes either. They just get in the way and there is no time to grab a drink in this race unless it's a beer being handed-up from one of the spectators.Cross courses are typically over grass and mud terrain. It's possible to ride a mountain bike, but it's definitely not advisable to ride a road bike. A mountain bike will give you the grip you need on the uneven terrain, but will be difficult for the very unique feature of cross which often times requires you to shoulder your bike and jump over barriers or run up hills or stairs.Say what? Why would you jump off of a perfectly good bike and then run with it? The most unique feature of cyclocross is that most courses will throw in obstacles such as wooden barriers or run-ups which are steep hills requiring you to run up a hill pushing or carrying your bike. In addition, there can be several wooden barriers in a row, requiring you to dismount your bike and then leap over a few sets of evenly spaced barriers. Make sure you get your foot steps right in between and lift your bike high enough or you could find yourself face-planting into some plywood. The course is usually a pretty short. You will complete course several times. This makes it very spectator friendly. Chances of a crowd of people witnessing you face-plant or getting a picture of it are high! This is something you want to practice. Practice? What are the skills required?Bike handling skills are a must! The better your skills, the better you will fair in cross. Mountain bikers usually rule the roost in this sport. The course will likely include lots of insanely tight turns and might even include a spiral of death which is exactly what it sounds like. It spirals you into the middle as it gets tighter and tighter and then eventually spirals out. To get in and out of this quickly requires some mad skills. Barrier height varies. Some are lower than others. Those with great bunny hopping skills have a great advantage of not having to hop on an off the bike.If you cannot bunny hop the barriers, there is definitely a science to mounting and dismounting your bike. You want to do this as quickly as possible. The pros do this is a fluid motion and it almost doesn't even seem like anything has changed when they've dismounted, leaped the barriers and then mounted their bikes again. Flying mounts are key. If you can do it without a double-hop on the mount, you will look pro and people will probably yell at you to upgrade. There is also usually some body contact. The courses are tight. Everyone is racing for the shortest lines. Racers will bump each other throughout the course. Staying upright isn't always easy. Is it easy?Definitely NOT! This race is a 100% pure anaerobic race where you will likely puke at the end or at least you will have the "cyclocross cough" for the next few days where you will feel like you are coughing up pieces of your lungs. If you manage to stay upright for the entire race, consider yourself lucky. Otherwise, be proud of your battle wounds. You earned them.If it hurts so much, why do it?Cyclocross is like being a kid again. You get to play in the mud, snow and rain. There is no bad weather for cross. It is a go, rain or shine. There are serious racers, but it's all about fun. Spectators get into the sport too to see who they can sway away from chasing down that person in front of them by throwing money on the course and handing up cupcakes or beer. Anyone who stops for any of these diversions gets bigger cheers than the leaders for winning.You must be intrigued or at least want to check it out. Check out this short YouTube video, An Hour of Hell, of what it looks like in action. If you are in VA, we have a list of races here. If not, you can find a list of many races in your area at bikereg.com. Need a bike or have one to sell? Check out our bikes on Swichio. Have fun and we hope to see you out there and make sure you bring your cow bell!If you are in Richmond, VA be sure to come out to the Richmond Festival of Cross at Chimbarazo Park and Bryan Park on October 5th and 6th. I guarantee you will have a great time. Bring the family. Food vendors on site as well!Also as a bonus, if you are in Richmond, VA there is weekly cross practice on Tuesdays at 6pm. Find out the schedule and more information.