I Love Bicycling

I Love Bicycling is a website that is geared towards cycling for beginners with road cycling tips, training articles, nutrition tips, weight loss, how to’s and bike repair articles.

How To Make Your Bike Gravel Ready

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Gravel riding is exploding in popularity. Is your bike gravel ready so it will not explode when you hit the first section of dirt on the ride? Taking a few steps to prepare your bike appropriately for the conditions you face will keep you pedaling and not waiting for the broom wagon or calling home for a ride.

gravel riding

Dirt Roads

Dirt roads come in a variety of forms, from smooth, packed dirt to roads covered in loose baseball-sized rocks. Your approach will differ for each that you encounter, although you should prepare for the worst road you will see on the ride. If you have an overbuilt bike on smoother roads, you are sacrificing speed, and if you have an underbuilt bike on harsh roads, you sacrifice durability and maybe even your ability to ride the bike. Get it right and you will optimize your ride.

For each of these types of rides, double check that your bottle cages can handle the bumps and vibrations. What may work on asphalt may not work on a gravel road. There are a couple of tricks to adapting your current cages. One is putting grip tape on the surfaces that contact the bottle. It may mar your bottles, but it is better than being two hours from home with no bottles. The other is to girth hitch a wide rubber band or two on the front edge of the bottle cage. It could provide that extra friction your cage needs to do its job with an item you have lying around the house. If you have a metal cage, you can also bend in slightly to hold the bottle more secure.

Your bike should be in pristine working order before an adventurous gravel ride. Make sure the chain is lubed, the derailleur hanger is straight, the cables and bearings are clean and the tires are free from ruptures in the casing. These are easy maintenance tasks that, if you skip, will make a great day a miserable day.

Smooth to Medium Dirt

Despite what many people think, you can ride a road bike on smooth dirt roads. There is not much you need to do different to prepare your bike. The same rules apply to riding on the road – take good lines and stay out of potholes. Once it gets a little wet or the surface gets a little loose, drop your tire pressure a bit for better grip, but only if you are comfortable with avoiding said potholes or other debris on the road. Lower pressure will increase your likelihood of pinch flats.

Medium Dirt to Rough

This is where you need to start adjusting your equipment. Ideally you switch to a cyclocross bike with thirty-two or thirty-three millimeter tires that have less aggressive tread, maybe a file tread, unless you foresee loose dirt and gravel, and you could use all arounders. Mud tires will have too much rolling resistance. To have less rolling resistance, pump your tires higher than you would if it was a regular cyclocross ride. It will also help resist pinch flats. You will ride at a bit higher speed on a road like this than a standard cyclocross ride with fewer hazards, although the hazards may be more dramatic – a loose rock or deep pothole.

The Roughest

The roughest roads require the most volume in your tires. If your cyclocross bike can handle it, get forty millimeter tires. Again, the tread does not need to be super aggressive, but file treads probably are not ideal here. If your cyclocross bike is not up to forty millimeter tires, riding a mountain bike with less aggressive tires is a fine choice. There have been plenty of winners of gnarly gravel races that have used mountain bikes. Another benefit of a mountain bike is suspension. While your legs and arms are the best suspension tools you have, a little help is nice. There are a few gravel or cyclocross bikes with light suspension to take the edge off; this is an ideal application for such a bike.

Additional Considerations

Tubeless tires excel in the aforementioned conditions. There is a far lower risk of pinch flatting, and if you do flat, you can repair the flat with a tube. And depending on the conditions you may come across and duration of your ride, you may want to carry a spare tire too. You definitely want to carry a multi-tool that can fit all of the bolts and screws on your bike, two tubes, a patch kit, a few dollar bills to boot a tire and a real pump (not just CO2). It sounds like a lot, but a reasonable seat pack should fit it all, except for the pump, which should go somewhere on your frame. You want patches and a real pump so you can handle more flats than your two spare tubes can repair.

Get Gravel Ready

You can be gravel ready with most of the equipment you already have. A few tweaks to your setup can make gravel riding a more enjoyable and successful experience. Go get dirty! And if you’re looking for other tips on gravel riding, check out another one of our gravel articles: “Everything You Need To Know When Riding Gravel.”

 

Women’s Cyclocross – What, Who, Where, & Why It’s Awesome

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womens-cyclocross

More women are getting on bicycles, loving it, making friends, and becoming a part of the cycling community.  Somewhere in between road cycling and mountain biking is a super rad type of biking known as cyclocross.  Cyclocross provides an environment where undoubtedly you will fall in the sand pit, slip in the mud, get a hand up of bacon when going through the feed zone and get a really hard workout.  It is a cycling event where the worst conditions are favored, when wearing costumes is allowed, and where everyone is super encouraging of everyone, including women’s cyclocross where more and more women are joining the fun.

The What

Cyclocross is a type of bicycle race that occurs in a circuit of about 2.5-3.5km and consists of off-camber tracks on grass and dirt, sand pits, tight corners, stairs, and barriers.  The races take place in city parks and organizers line up tape and obstacles to create the courses.   The cyclocross season begins in September and runs through January, so be prepared to race in some cold, wet, muddy, and occasionally snowy conditions!  Women’s races typically last 30 to 45 minutes and depending on the conditions, a lap will take anywhere from 8-12 minutes, while the men complete laps faster they just do a few more of them.

The Who

Any woman can get involved in women’s cyclocross!  Whether you are a beginner cyclist or experienced racer, you can find a niche in cyclocross.  Many women enter the sport from road cycling as the road season wraps up just as the cross season begins.  While their fitness translates seamlessly, many roadies learn they need to improve their bike handling skills while on the cross course.  Typically the women, who enter cyclocross from mountain biking pick up the sport faster than the roadies since they spend more time on the technical aspect of the sport such as: lines to take in and out of corners, wheel overlap, and mounting and dismounting.  Joining a cycling club or getting a few girlfriends together to practice and go to the races with is often the easiest way to get into cross, and is sure to provide the most fun.

The Where

Women’s cyclocross is growing each year and with that grows the number of races.  Around the country bike clubs, teams, and shops hold cyclocross races.  Lots of cities have a race series where events move around each weekend.  So many groups are jumping on the cyclocross bandwagon that most are also providing cross clinics on weeknights for people to come and practice barrier jumping, mounts and dismounts, running with the bike, and just getting better at cornering and riding the technical bits.

The Motherland of Cross – Belgium

As with most sports, there is a top level. In cyclocross, the epicenter is the country of Belgium for both the men and women.  Europe in general is more keen on following professional cycling than North America is, but specifically there is a huge fan base for cyclocross in Belgium.  With races occurring several times a week, hundreds to thousands of spectators appear to indulge in plenty of beer drinking and heckling.  Belgians are so dominant in cyclocross that in the 2015-2016 season both top male and female racers on the World Cup circuit were Belgian. A great way to further enjoy the sport as well as to learn a thing or two while further being motivated to ride your bike, you can watch ‘cross races week in and week out from the end of September through February. Websites such as cyclingfans.com often have links to where you can watch.

The Equipment

Cyclocross is somewhat of a blend of both mountain and road biking, and for that reason a lot of the equipment can transfer among the three sports

  • A cyclocross bike is the biggest investment for the sport, however most of the time people don’t spend a ton on them because they tend to get gummed up with mud, and are ridden pretty hard in races.
  • Most people use mountain bike shoes and pedals as you need to be able to get off your bike and run.
  • Warm clothes for before and after the race and sometimes during.
  • A solid pair of gloves for the wet, cold days.
  • A fun and easygoing attitude. You can’t not have fun at a cross race.

The Why of Women’s Cyclocross

Women’s cyclocross is a sport that brings women cyclists of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities together. With its blend of fitness, finesse, power, and its uninhibited atmosphere, it is the perfect blend of awesome. So in short; get a cross bike, find some friends or a group to ride with, seek out a race, and have some fun!

Your First Cyclocross Race

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Your First Cyclocross RaceShowing up for your first cyclocross race can be daunting. Where do you register, where do you start, how do you pin your numbers, what are the “pits”? These all are some important questions that having an idea of their answers ahead of time will give you a bit more comfort and less stress going into an already crazy race. Ideally you want to arrive at the race venue two hours before the start of your race. This will give you enough time to prepare for your race without rushing as well as to enjoy the other races and make friends. If you have more time, by all means show up even earlier.

Parking

‘Cross races are normally held in a park type setting that can have a regular paved parking lot but be prepared for having to park in the grass or a field. Also be prepared for mud. Don’t back into a spot. You want plenty of room to be able to unload your bike as well as to change and get ready for your race. Since races a lot of the time can be muddy, a good pair of boots is a wise choice. If you know it’s going to rain and you have a pop-up tent, bring it. Getting ready in the rain is a pain so avoid it if you can.

Registering

Once you’re parked you should find where registration is. If it’s far, get your bike ready and ride, otherwise walk to registration. Make sure you have your wallet so you don’t have to make the trip twice. As you’re heading to registration, scout out the lay of the land. You may have to ask around but find where the start is as well as the finish. They are never the same location. Also, you will want to see where the pits are. If you don’t see them on your way to registration, ask when you get there. Once you’re registered, make sure you have enough pins to pin your numbers before you head back to your car. If you didn’t hit up the bathroom already, find it and make sure you know where it is to visit right before your start.

Pinning Your Number

Depending upon the race organizer, you can have one to four numbers. At registration, they will show you where to place your numbers. The main numbers on your back are fairly straight forward. Make sure the bottom of the number goes down your side and not squarely on your back. In bigger races smaller shoulder numbers will be given. These are a bit tricky to pin. Look around to see how other people have pinned theirs and follow suit.

Remember that your jersey is going to stretch so place the pins slightly closer together on the jersey so when the jersey stretches it doesn’t rip. Once you’re pinned, get dressed and ready to ride. Set out the water bottles and food you need for right before your race as well as what you are going to need after. If it’s cold, and/or wet, make sure you have warm clothes laid out ready to put on.

Warming Up and Pre-Riding the Course.

Both warming up for ‘cross as well as pre-riding the course is imperative. The race will designate times between races where the course will be open for pre-riding. Make sure you know when these are as to not miss them. Typically you will want to ride the course before the race immediately ahead of your race. Once you’re on the course, don’t ride it hard. You want to see it and know the good lines. If you can, follow a few riders who seem like they know what they’re doing to see where they ride and how they get through different sections. See where you can go hard and where you can relax a little throughout the course.

After you have ridden a lap, which is probably all you will have time for, go back to your car and top off on food and water. Now you will want to do an actual warm up where you ride hard to get your legs ready to go full gas. If you have a trainer or rollers, they can be a great warm-up option. Otherwise go find a good stretch of road to ride. Make sure to do a few short max efforts. Also make sure you don’t go too far as to miss your start time. Depending upon your set-up with a spare bike or spare wheels, place them in the pit before your warm-up. Don’t wait until right before your race to try and put them in.

The Start

The start of a ‘cross race is crazy as well as one of the most important elements to placing well. The start is organized into lanes that are normally marked. Riders are called by name or number into their starting spot. Being your first race, you will be one of the last called. The more you race and the better you do the better starting spot you will get.

Make sure you are in a good gear that’s not too big or too small so you can clip in and get up to speed quickly without having to shift straight away. The official will give the final instructions and will then call out “thirty seconds”. At any time in the following thirty seconds the official will blow their whistle indicating the start of the race. The start is super critical as this is the time where you can pass the most amount of riders in the shortest amount of time. Navigating your line through all the riders will come with practice.

Afterwards

Once you finish your race you will want to spin around for a little bit to warm-down your legs from the effort. Before you do this however, go back to your vehicle and grab something to eat and drink as well as to put on any clothes if it’s cold. Then go for a short spin. After, go back to your vehicle, change, and then go check out the results and to collect any prizes as enough time should have passed that they are ready. After and during the above, drink beer, eat sausage and Belgian Waffles, and have a good time. You’re at a ‘cross race after all.  It’s what you’re supposed to do from the time you get there until you leave.

What is Cyclocross?

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What is CyclocrossWhat is Cyclocross?

Cyclocross is a discipline within cycling that is a crossover of mountain biking and road biking. Back in the day in colder climates, riders needed a way to keep riding their bike through the winter months. A standard road ride was too long and cold. A mountain bike ride could have snow and other inconvenient factors along with being too long as well. They needed a way to ride that limited their time in the cold as well as was hard enough to keep them warm. The answer was cyclocross. Cyclocross is a cycling discipline that is ridden on a short, technical course of pavement, grass, dirt, mud, sand, and snow which includes features such as barriers and run-ups which force riders to dismount their bike.

What Races Consist Of

The main discipline within cyclocross is ‘cross racing. Races are thirty to sixty minutes in length, depending upon your category, and are raced on a taped off course that is about two to four kilometers long, or about five to fifteen minutes per lap.

Races typically start out on a long opening straight of pavement or dirt, and then take a turn to pretty much anything. The surface is always changing and is often very technical with turns. Races, a lot of the time, are run in parks so they take advantage of whatever features are around and can be utilized. Things like steep hills, stairs, sand volleyball courts, and off-camber sections are used a lot to create a difficult course for you to ride a bike on, let alone race. To top these features off, wooden barriers are used to force you off your bike, unless you’re a real savvy bike rider and can bunny hop them. Also, super steep sections are often placed on the course so you have to dismount and run up them.

If you’re not already a good bike handler, the technical nature of ‘cross racing will definitely make you better. Along with being a good bike handler, the races require you to go really hard for a short amount of time so you have to be able to ride your bike well while at your physical limit.

What Kind of Bike is Used

A special bike is ridden that is a “cross” between a mountain bike and a road bike. The bike more closely resembles that of a road bike but with mountain influences. The first thing that is different from a road bike is that the tires are bigger but smaller than mountain. The tires are also knobby to give traction through the corners and up hills. To allow the wider tires, the frame has a larger fork along with a wider rear end of the bike. The clearance not only allows the tires to fit but also creates room for mud to accumulate without bogging down your wheels.

The brakes are also a bit different to allow the larger tires along with having the option of disc brakes like a mountain bike. Aside from those minor differences, everything else is the same as a road bike; the shifters, the derailleurs, except for the gearing. A bit smaller gears are used as the speeds are slower than down an open road. A ‘cross bike for racing is also a great tool that can be ridden on gentle trails, dirt roads, and in some snowy conditions making it a great all around bike to ride.

The Culture

Just like any other sport, cyclocross has its own niche culture. It’s not road and it’s not quite mountain. ‘Cross culture has a bit of the seriousness of road with the laid back atmosphere of mountain. Riders can take their training, racing, as well as equipment very seriously but at the same time they’ll have a few bottles of Belgian beer to heckle the other racers as well as to enjoy after their race with friends.

‘Cross culture in Europe, particularly in Belgium where pro riders are celebrities and races are watched by thousands, is another level of craziness. Courses are more challenging and the support riders receive is unmatched but North American ‘cross races have their own awesome culture that gets riders hooked from their first weekend of racing.

Cyclocross is growing tremendously all over the world and for good reason. Because of how awesome it is. Just riding the courses are a lot of fun and racing adds another level of fun to it. That along with the ‘cross culture creates an appealing sport not only for those who ride road or mountain but anyone in general. ‘Cross is a great way to get into the sport of cycling. Although a ‘cross bike is best for a ‘cross race, a mountain bike can still suffice. A road bike will not however. And as you get hooked you can easily make the switch to a ‘cross bike. Cyclocross is not only quite the sport within cycling but quite the sport in general. Get hooked now otherwise when you do in the future, you’ll have wished you did before.

Getting your Legs Ready for Cyclocross

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Getting your Legs Ready for CyclocrossThe endless number of accelerations, steep ride up’s and run up’s, barriers, as well as the intensity of cyclocross racing all add up to create a sport within cycling that is very demanding on your legs. Road or mountain bike fitness is great for coming into a season of cyclocross but adding in a variety of workouts will help you to better adapt to the racing as well as to set you up to do well. Cyclocross races are short so the training for it doesn’t have to be long either. You can do a variety of workouts which are hard and intense but also fun in a short amount of time a few times a week.

Accelerations

Cyclocross consists of a lot of turns which require you to slow and then reaccelerate out of each one of them. If you are only used to riding at a steady effort and accelerating a couple of times each ride, then after a few laps of a ‘cross race, your legs are going to ache. The best way to prepare for this is simply doing a lot of accelerations. If you are not yet on your ‘cross bike you can still do these on a road bike.

There are a number of intervalshttps://www.ilovebicycling.com/cyclocross-tips/ you could do but the easiest is to do 30 second intervals. Accelerate in the saddle for five to ten seconds alternating in and out of the saddle and then spinning easy for the remainder of the thirty seconds. Then when thirty seconds is up, do it again. Start with five minutes of this and build to twenty minutes. If you are on a ‘cross bike you can set up a mini-course that requires you to accelerate every thirty seconds.

Running

There is not a lot of running in ‘cross but the little bit that there is can really hurt you if your legs aren’t ready for it. The only real times that you’re running are when you have to get over barriers or up a steep hill, both of which put a lot of stress on your legs. The best way to start getting that stress is to do a short five to ten minute run where you run easily for thirty seconds and then walk for a minute. Build to one minute on, one minute off, and after about a week of doing this every day you can do the whole ten minutes. Once you can do this your legs are ready to practice the harder stuff.

Barriers

Assuming you already know how to dismount and mount your bike properly, set up two barriers about two meters apart and about 40cm high. Ride into it, dismount, run over it, remount and loop around and do it again. When you first start, do it slowly making sure your technique is good and then gradually increase your speed. Once you are up to speed, do five to ten of them with about thirty seconds between each one.

Run-Ups

Next are the dreaded run-ups where the hill is too steep and/or technical to ride up. Find a steep hill that is too steep to ride up and takes about ten to twenty seconds to run up. In most races you probably won’t encounter run-ups quite this long but simulating them longer will ensure your legs are ready. Ride into the hill, dismount, shoulder the bike, run up the hill as hard as you can and then remount your bike at the top. Ride around easy for a couple of minutes and then do it again. Build from three to eight.

Ride-Ups

Some steep sections that some run up can actually be ridden but doing so requires practice. Riding a super steep climb necessitates a lot of strength that needs to be built. Even if you can do it once your legs are going to feel it after during the rest of the race. Like the run-ups you want to get your legs used to doing the effort over and over again.

Find a steep climb that you can barely ride up but you can still ride it without having to unclip. Sprint into and up it. Technique along with power is going to be what gets you up it efficiently. You will need to practice a lot to be able to do it in a race but once you’re good it can save you a lot of time each lap. Like the run-ups, start with three and build to eight, riding around easy in between each.

Overall Fitness

Along with needing specific fitness for ‘cross, having a solid base of fitness is essential. Ideally you come into ‘cross season with a bit of road or mountain fitness. If not, build your riding into longer and longer rides incorporating some intensity and then do these workouts to get ‘cross specific fitness. When you do come into the ‘cross season from a road or mountain season, it’s important to take a little bit of rest before you dive right in.

You will be tempted to keep racing with your fitness but if you do, after a weekend or two you will burnout and not have the intensity and drive to continue the ‘cross season in most cases. Instead, take a week or two easy and recover. You will start the ‘cross season fresh with these workouts which will have you feeling good in your races and most importantly, lessen the likelihood of injury.

Making the Switch from Road to Cyclocross on the Cheap

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With ‘cross season coming, or here depending upon where you live, there’s no better time to check it out and start racing. ‘Cross offers probably the best medium to get into racing as well as gives the most variety of riding. Races are also short enough that you don’t need hours and hours of training to do well. The two biggest barriers to ‘cross riding are having the skills to navigate the course and having a cyclocross bike. Of course you can use a mountain bike in a ‘cross race but it’s not ideal and won’t be nearly as fun.

Making the Switch from Road to Cyclocross on the Cheap

The Bike Set-Up

A ‘cross bike is essentially a road bike with a wider fork and chain and seat stays to accommodate wider tires. With the wider tires, which are fatter and knobby, there are also wider brakes. Other than that, the bikes are essentially the same so taking the parts from your road bike and switching them to your cross bike is highly doable and way cheaper than buying a full ‘cross bike.

Parts to Buy

The first thing you need to get to switch from a road set-up to a ‘cross set-up is the frame and fork. An aluminum frame is generally the best bike to start with as it’s cheaper along with being more durable and can better withstand the crashes you are going to put it through. Size wise you generally want to go one size smaller than your road frame. Once you have a frameset you have the basis to build your ‘cross rig.

Brakes

The second thing you’re going to need since they’re vastly different on a road bike is the brakes. Now-a-days there are disc brakes but that only adds complications as you need dedicated wheels for them along with added cost. They are something to grow toward if you want them in the future. The brakes to get for ‘cross are cantilever brakes which open up and allow a larger tire to slide in and out. With the brakes, you are also going to need a mount for which the brake cable is going to attach to the frame. On the front fork, typically this is a spacer that goes on the steerer tube of the fork and has a mount on the front of it for which the brake housing is inserted in to. For the back brake, typically there is a mount that attaches to the seat post collar. Your local bike shop can advise you on which one you need for both.

Tires

The next thing you are going to have to buy are tires. There are an endless amount of options so you’ll have to read up on the different styles and brands as they are made for specific conditions. First, there are two types of tire: clinchers and tubulars. Tubulars are the best for ‘cross but they are expensive and not where you want to start. Clinchers are just fine and if your wheels can accommodate tube-less tires, that is your best option. They essentially get rid of the tube and seal with a tight fitting bead to the rim along with liquid sealant. Either way, getting an all-around tire that can be ridden in the mud to dry conditions is the best starting point so you’re not limited to what you can ride in. The best width to get is 32mm to 34mm as these are big enough to roll over most obstacles but not so big as to slow you down a lot.

Shoes and Pedals

The final thing you are going to need are shoes and pedals. Cyclocross uses mountain bike shoes and pedals because of the need to get off your bike and run along with the potential muddy conditions. Getting a second hand pair can be a great option and then you can upgrade down the line as your ‘cross riding progresses.

Parts to Switch

The first place to start is with the bottom bracket and crankset. Most bikes have different kinds of bottom brackets and some you can use with different cranks but not all. Your local bike shop can again guide you to what you need and your best options. Once you have the crankset you want you need to have chain rings that are suitable to ‘cross. If you bought a new crankset you can get a cross specific one with smaller chain rings already on it. Otherwise you will want to find the number of bolts the chain ring attaches with and the BCD, or the distance between the bolts. Depending upon your strength a 34/46 is a good starting point that will give you the gearing for faster courses and dirt road riding along with a small enough gear to get up the super steep climbs. The 34 also more easily lets you keep your same road cassette.

Seat Post

The next thing you need to switch, and potentially buy a new one, is the seat post. There are a number of different sizes but if your ‘cross frame is the same diameter seat post as your road bike you’re golden. Just switch the post and leave your road saddle on it.

All the Remaining Parts

After that everything else should be a straight forward switch. Change over the derailleurs and chain (replace the chain if it’s worn as you will be putting a lot of torque on it with ‘cross). You can leave the shifters on the bars and just take the stem together with the bars off the road bike and put it on the ‘cross bike. The wheels are a simple switch over and you can leave the cassette on it as well.

With the shifters you will want to install new cables and housing for two reasons. One is that where the housing goes will probably be different from your road bike so you will need to shorten or lengthen it. Second is that ‘cross is notoriously dirty and muddy. Your shifting is going to suffer at times so starting with new cables and housing will help ensure that cable drag is minimized.

Things to Upgrade

As you race more and more you will find that you will want to upgrade parts here and there. The first thing to upgrade is tires as you will quickly find that traction means everything in ‘cross. They can be upgraded by staying with clinchers, assuming that’s what you’re riding, or you can make the leap and upgrade your wheels as well to tubulars. These are more expensive as well as require more upkeep but they are the very best for ‘cross.

Another area you may want to upgrade for a fraction of the cost of tubulars is brakes. Stopping quickly is critical in ‘cross as the quicker you can slow down the longer you can stay at speed going into a corner. After that, the only thing you would really want to upgrade is the components or the frameset.

‘Cross can be expensive as you get further and further into the sport but starting out it doesn’t have to be. With a road bike you already have most of the equipment necessary to get a ‘cross bike rolling. The few additions that you do need, namely the frameset, don’t need to be expensive and you will find that you can get second hand equipment relatively cheap and with good quality. Once you start riding a ‘cross bike and/or racing it, you will find that your investment was well worth it for the amount of fun you are going to have with the bike.

5 Winning Cyclocross Tips

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5 Tips For a Successful Cyclocross Season

If you were disappointed with how you raced last cyclocross season, had some issues with your cx skills, or simply felt you could have been faster, then these simple (and in many cases obvious) tips can make your next season a winning one.

1. Ride Your Cross Bike  Star Crossed Craig Richey

If you are serious about cyclocross you should not touch your road bike all cyclocross season, and limit your time on a mountain bike. Also mix in cyclocross rides during the spring and summer so you don’t look as shaky as a new born baby deer when you do a cross dismount in August. Most elite cross racers will mix in some cyclocross rides in the off-season, riding the bike more starting in July, and exclusively by September. Most racers will have a set of wheels mounted with road tires for their cross bike for training on the road and group rides. When you spend a lot of time on a bike it starts to feel like an extension of your body and becomes very predictable both on and off road. Predictable equals fast.

2. Do Your Cyclocross Workouts Off-road

When you start doing cross specific workouts and intervals make sure to do them off-road on mini-cross courses. It is easy to get sucked into wanting to do your intervals on the road where you can hit predictable power numbers, but in a cross race you are going to have to put power down on bumpy, slippery, and twisty terrain. Make your cross workouts into real cross workouts and do them off-road

3. Learn Proper Cyclocross Technique

Having proper technique for carrying, dismounting and mounting your bike in all different scenarios not only makes you a faster more efficient rider, but also cuts down on mechanical issues because you are not banging the bike around. Sadly many amateur riders have some holes in their technique and enrolling in a cyclocross skills clinic is the best way to fill those holes.

4. Strengthen Your Core

Cyclocross has a lot of weird unbalanced repetitive motions such as jumping on and off your bike from the same side as well as always carrying your bike on the other side. These repetitive motions can lead to weird and debilitating overuse injuries.

5. Take an Off-season

If you race cross all fall it is easy to jump into training for the upcoming road or mountain bike season after only a few weeks rest. For most people your body and soul need more than a few weeks rest. Take the time to recharge and do some other activities. Here is a list of the most popular off-season activities for cyclists.

 

About the Author: Louisville CX World Championships Craig Richey

Craig Richey is a multiple time Canadian National team member, representing Canada at mountain bike World Cups and cyclocross World Championships. Craig is currently doing an MBA in Boston and recently launched SponsorConnected.com

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