Cyclocross is a cycling discipline whose season takes place between September and February each year. Courses are generally between 6 – 10 mins in duration and races last between 40 – 60 mins, depending on your category. Courses vary in terrain and difficulty, but generally combine tarmac, grass fields, sand pits and other tracks of varying grades. With the season taking place through autumn and winter, plenty of mud is to be expected and most CX racers say: “The more mud, the better!!” CX bikes visually resemble road bikes but have a higher bottom bracket, have wider space between frame and wheels for mud clearance and lastly the tyres are much wider and are “knobbly” to aid traction. However, in regional races if you have not got a CX bike you can compete on a MTB. At national events you will require a CX bike.
Virtually every county/region in the UK has a CX league and for the 2019/20 there will be Army Riders competing in the following leagues:
- Western league
- Yorkshire league
- Leicestershire League
- Lincolnshire league
- North East league
- Wessex league
- Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire league
- Central league
- Eastern league
If you want to race or just want to support and or see what it is all about, then put the league into a search engine, click on the link and you will quickly find when and where the races will take place.
Out of all the cycling disciplines CX is arguably the most inclusive and friendly. The races are extremely spectator friendly and there are race categories for all riders between the ages of 3 yrs all the way up to 70yrs+. If you have kids and want to get them started in cycling, CX is a great way to introduce them to it. Or you are maybe someone who wants to get into competitive cycling in a relaxed and friendly environment – if that is you, then come and try Cyclocross.
However…………. please be warned, CX can become very addictive!!
