Different Perspective Sports Magazine Issue 3 | Page 16

An Introduction to Cyclocross by Alan
Dorrington
Ever performed mental agility tests, on a slippery
balance beam while your heart hits its maximum
rate and tries to jump out of your chest? Enjoy
riding a bike offroad, sliding around in mud whilst
getting a short but effective workout? Either way
cyclocross, a fast paced winter-based branch of
cycling, may be for you.
What started as a bit of off-season winter fun
for European road riders at the turn of the
20th Century has now morphed into its own,
increasingly popular sub-genre of cycling. It took
50 years of ad hoc races before the first World
Championship were held in 1950 but now ‘cross
is a distinct branch of cycling with large grassroots participation at one end of the sport and
professional cyclocross specialists earning six
figure sums at the other.
At its heart, ‘cross is based around races of around an hours duration on short (sub 10 min)
offroad laps, in parkland and woodland, with natural
obstacles designed to slow down the rider and at times make them dismount and mount,
whilst carrying their bike. The bikes themselves are closest in form to a standard modern
road racing bike with small alterations in tyres and brakes to cope with the terrain and
conditions under wheel. Riders are allowed more than one bike and can make changes to
a clean bike in a dedicated pit area, with helpers cleaning and maintaining bikes in between
changes. And whilst ‘cross started as a winter sport and remains focussed on this part of the
year, its growing popularity and accessibility means some form of it practised pretty much all
year round.
Whilst courses years ago originally covered rough open terrain with river crossings, walls
and other large natural features t o negotiate, modern ‘cross courses tend to be mostly
rideable, with a mixture of grass, gravel and tarmac surfaces, short climbs and banking,
single track sections through woods and strategically placed barriers or sand sections to
make riders dismount. Depending on the ground conditions and the level of mud, running
can be a factor in some races where it is quicker to shoulder the bike and run rather than
attempt to ride particularly slippy or boggy sections.
Physically, ‘cross is demanding. The mass start is fast and furious, as leading riders jockey
for position into the first technical or slower sections, and as the course itself weaves around
the terrain and in and out of corners and obstacles, riders rarely get into a rhythm, having
to perform a series of short, sharp efforts to maintain progress. But it only lasts an hour, or
less depending on your age category, and all riders finish on the same lap so no-one is left
behind on their own.