Why don't you ride CX?

[c-record]

Why don't more of you ride cyclocross? Really, what's your excuse??

[rugbysecondrow]

:) It is hard.

The truth for me is that by the time fall rolls around, I am more in the mood for a lower level of intensity. I do triathlons and train for those in the spring and summer, so I like dialling it back. I did a cross race on my MTB once and it was fun, but it is a different type of fitness I am not prepared nor want to get prepared for now.

Although, I am good at barriers and could beat people running up the hill, the problem was that I was on foot and not a bike...defeats the purpose. :)

[akelman]

I do. I'm covered in mud* right now.

* Well, it's really dust, but still.

[wasfast]

I'm a road cyclist (that means pavement) and prefer it. My training schedule runs October to July or August. By that point, I'm ready for a break for sure as is my body.

I do envy the cross training schedule, with the main training really getting underway in the summer. Dec-March around here is cold and wet.:-(

Obviously quite a few others like the schedule and events as Cross Crusade has broken attendance records every year, last year was north of 1400 riders.

[rnhood]

I live in the South and, Fall is king for road biking. And I love it. I've never been interested in biking around in the mud but, many like it and that's great. I'm happy that it is as popular as it is.

[Dave]

It looks kind of stupid to me. I like clean roads and no wet conditions.

[akelman]

You live in Thornton but don't ride offroad at all? That seems like a waste to me.

[MattTuck]

I wouldn't mind picking up a cross bike and doing some single track/dirt road riding.

As for racing, I once saw a video showing about 50 people crashing on the same corner in a CX race. Maybe crashing in the mud is easier than on pavement, but it is still crashing.

For what it's worth, the first few days I was on the board, I saw a picture of a serotta CX bike hanging by it's saddle at a race. it made that much of an impression.

[false_Aest]

4) Twizzlers taste different in Los Angeles.

[mtb_frk]

I do, it is all I train for, and it is about to start. I am so pumped!! :banana:

[Blue Jays]

Never got around to it yet.

[fiamme red]

I've been a spectator at cyclocross races, but have never had the slightest desire to try it myself. I just don't "get it."

[rice rocket]

Riding in circles doesn't wet my willie.

Disclaimer: I don't do crits either.

Edit, that said, I'm building a bike w/ cross components, because I want a lightweight mountain bike for trails. ;)

[mike p]

I'd love to try it but my wife is pretty sick and tired of anything bike related after the RR season is over and truth be told I'm a little tired and need a break too.

Mike

[TimmyB]

1. I can't afford/don't have any space for any more bikes.
2. It starts at the end of the road season when I'm burnt out on training hard.
3. Cross season gets in the way of doing long cold base miles, which are my favourite.
4. Having to clean your bike all the time sucks.
5. I like going fast. I don't think you guys get 50+ on descents?
6. The whole getting on and off the bike a trazillion times and jumping over barriers has no appeal to me. I'd rather, you know, simply ride my bike the entire time.

That being said. Too many of my good friends ride CX and hassle me all the time saying I should get into it. I wouldn't be surpised if I ended up getting a CX bike once disk brakes gets maintstream and everyone ditches their canti bikes for cheap :D

[Ken C]

therefore running is out of the question.

[Onno]

Two shoulder surgeries, after 5 dislocations and a separation. Not sure I want to do a sport that pretty much guarantees crashing, and with my luck, more shoulder problems.

Plus, CX bikes have cantilever brakes.

Still, it does look badass.

[rice rocket]

Hey man, discs are legal now!

[Ray]

Why don't I RIDE cyclocross? Because you can't really ride cyclocross - you have to RACE cyclocross. Aside from a couple of mtb races when I was new to riding, I don't race ANYthing.

I can ride road or mtb recreationally, but nobody really rides cross recreationally, do they? Just feel like going over to the local cross course and riding around the circuit for an hour or two?

That said, I did have a cross bike for several years and I used it for all sorts of riding from road to relatively hard-core mtb type stuff to dirt road touring. But I never really felt like I was riding CX in any sense other than the bike could have been used for that too.

I guess I don't ride cross for the same reason I don't ride crits...

-Ray

[gdw]

Excuse? I can't find one to race cross. It seems like a crime to waste most of a fall day just to ride and run for 40 minutes around a field.

[67-59]

I came to cycling after years of running marathons resulted in compressed discs in my back. Now, running around with a bike on my back just seems like a bad idea....

[rustychisel]

not interested.

How come more of you don't ride track? (or is that a seperate topic?)

[MRB]

Cross improves bike handling that's why I do it.

[130R]

I'm from Sacramento, and there is a TON of cross going on there. Cody Kaiser is the big prodigy from there. I'm all for cyclocross, but...

1.) i don't have enough money

2.) i have too many bikes (the cause of my financial predicament)

3.) not enough space in the apartment

4.) not really practical for me

5.) cyclocross seems weak here in San Luis Obispo (but i just moved here so i dunno yet)

[norcalbiker]

Because I have a mountain bike.

[gone]

1. Just not interested.

[fiamme red]

Excuse? I can't find one to race cross. It seems like a crime to waste most of a fall day just to ride and run for 40 minutes around a field.Exactly how I feel. The autumn has some of the best riding days of the year.

Besides, most races around here (the NYC area) aren't accessible by mass transit, and I don't own a car. Even if I did, the idea of driving two or three hours to a race, racing for 40 minutes around a muddy course, cleaning myself and bike, then driving back, has no appeal to me.

[William]

Why don't more of you fight Muay Thai or Full Contact Stick fighting? Really, what's your excuse?? :D


Ok, I dig cross. I think it looks like fun. I love riding my cross bike on trails and fire roads. But really, I'm planning on gearing up for the Track. I'm built for it and it's something many people tried to get me to do...and I'm going to at least give it a shot.

People do what they like. :cool:



William

[Dave]

You live in Thornton but don't ride offroad at all? That seems like a waste to me.

I used to live much closer to the mountains, in Highlands Ranch (last 7 years). I rode into the mountains from my house 3-5 days a week.

I just moved in June. The riding around Thornton sucks - the roads are flat, there are few shoulders and no bike lanes. If I went offroad, I'd be on the same type of boring flat terrain. I prefer the mountains. Thornton is just a temporary middle ground while my wife completes her last 2 years of working in downtown Denver and I build a new home in west Loveland.

Off roading of any sort has just never apealed to me. I prefer to spend more time riding and less time cleaning my bike.

[gdw]

West Loveland :eek: .....you're a brave man.

[Dave]

West Loveland :eek: .....you're a brave man.

Actually, just west of the Loveland city limits.

http://www.betsyburns.com/listings/backbonemeadows/backbonemeadows.html

[dimsy]

i cant really afford a new build right now
i have absolutely no idea where i can ride a cross trail anywhere around here (brooklyn ny).
even if i knew where there were some trails, i don't own a car, therefore getting to and from said locations would be pretty tough.

that said... i've been considering trying it, but at this point i don't really know where to start.

[fieldrecordings]

I'd love to ride CX, just so I could justify buying an awesome looking bike. If I get enough miles in on my road bike this fall & on the trainer this winter AND (BIG and) spend enough time running over the next 11 months, I might try it next season.

Mostly I just want a CX bike, though. :p

[gdw]

http://www.betsyburns.com/listings/...onemeadows.html

Very nice but ....Betsy Burns! Priceless. I hope they aren't having a fire sale this week.

[Dave]

You're talking about the recent fires, west of Loveland. At least there are no trees where I'm building - it's former pasture land. Anyone who lives in forested areas needs to take heed of the recommendations for a defensible area around the home. Those who didn't paid the price. A lot more people lost homes in the Boulder fire. Most of the homes that were spared had removed the trees close to their home.

[Ralph]

I used to live much closer to the mountains, in Highlands Ranch (last 7 years). I rode into the mountains from my house 3-5 days a week.

I just moved in June. The riding around Thornton sucks - the roads are flat, there are few shoulders and no bike lanes. If I went offroad, I'd be on the same type of boring flat terrain. I prefer the mountains. Thornton is just a temporary middle ground while my wife completes her last 2 years of working in downtown Denver and I build a new home in west Loveland.

Off roading of any sort has just never apealed to me. I prefer to spend more time riding and less time cleaning my bike.

Ah.....Loveland....Fort Collins.....A place I would move from Central to if wife felt the same way. We have vacationed numerous times in the Boulder and Fort Collins/Loveland area, and grew to prefer the area around Fort Collins/Loveland best.

[buck-50]

1. No time for regular riding, let alone racing.

2. Meh.

3. no, really, meh.

4. They're purposely limited right out of my interest zone- they''ve got the worst parts of everything for a guy my size- the tires are too narrow for singletrack (believe me, I've tried), the frames are too light for the kind of beating they get and the not light, larger tire frames might as well be a 29er anyway.

5. I'd rather just get one of these: http://www.singularcycles.com/gryphon.html and ride it wherever I feel like.

6. I really, really hate racing.

7. Mustard+black pepper tastes better on fries than either ketchup or mayonnaise.

[FlashUNC]

Bike's been collecting dust since last Fall. I do need to get out. Though not sure how active the cross scene is here in Charlotte.

[gforce]

Cross is on another level from other types of racing and offers a great deal of challenge and use of different skills. I guarantee your bike handling skills will improve. First, you are racing against others on a fixed course diving into turns
side by side. Then you have to conquer the terrain - barriers, hills, mud and whatever the weather throws at you. Conditions can also change making some
areas very tricky and slippery. The there is managing your heart rate as cx is
really an off road time trial with other racers mixed in. At the end of the race, everybody is pretty much a winner and the vibe at cross races is much looser then crit races. It can be a lot of fun and addictive once you give it a chance.

[Johny]

Cross is on another level from other types of racing and offers a great deal of challenge and use of different skills. I guarantee your bike handling skills will improve. First, you are racing against others on a fixed course diving into turns
side by side. Then you have to conquer the terrain - barriers, hills, mud and whatever the weather throws at you. Conditions can also change making some
areas very tricky and slippery. The there is managing your heart rate as cx is
really an off road time trial with other racers mixed in. At the end of the race, everybody is pretty much a winner and the vibe at cross races is much looser then crit races. It can be a lot of fun and addictive once you give it a chance.

+1.

And then you realize there is another level of enjoyment (and suffering) in cycling.

[jmeloy]

no not that kind! tried a cross race and DAYUM it was hard. Wasn't fit enough and got in a heat with over 120 riders. Pure chaos. 4 knee ops makes the off/on and barriers really tough. That said, I took off on his mtb trails around the cross course and had a blast. Have a Strong "Dirt Road" on order to do rails-to-trails, a little xc, etc.

[sivat]

Why don't I RIDE cyclocross? Because you can't really ride cyclocross - you have to RACE cyclocross. Aside from a couple of mtb races when I was new to riding, I don't race ANYthing.

I can ride road or mtb recreationally, but nobody really rides cross recreationally, do they? Just feel like going over to the local cross course and riding around the circuit for an hour or two?

There are plenty of people who just "ride" cross. As Chris Kostman pointed out, you don't need 2" knobby tires and suspension for 90% of the trails out there. Riding them on a cross bike makes easier trails challenging enough to be fun, plus it makes the ride to and from the trails better.

[fiamme red]

There are plenty of people who just "ride" cross. As Chris Kostman pointed out, you don't need 2" knobby tires and suspension for 90% of the trails out there. Riding them on a cross bike makes easier trails challenging enough to be fun, plus it makes the ride to and from the trails better.But riding trails on a cyclocross bike isn't the same thing as riding cyclocross.

[TBDSeattle]

Yes, I do race CX, and I love it. I've raced Road and Track as well, but CX is different.

I love the road for the purity of the fitness and the work. I rolled a 100 mile day on my road bike this Saturday and we finished the last 25 miles at 24 to 26mph. That is a ton of fun, but it is different fun from CX. The motions are constant and consistent. You make the same motion over and over again. There is a purity to that type of riding.

I love the track too, but not as much. There is something about riding in a pack in the mid 20's mph and coming up on then embankment. I feel like I'm flying when I ride the track. Nobody has any brakes, nobody can quit pedaling. You are locked on a roller coaster and loving every minute of it.

But Cross... Cross is pure hell. Your heart goes to red-line as soon as the races starts. You are cross-eyed with pain but you have to handle your bike through track and mud and sand. Then there are barriers and run-ups. You never have a moment to rest; every instant you must be pushing hard.

It is a full body and full mind challenge. I'm not saying that the other disciplines are not, but CX asks more of you.

The thing about CX is that you are on the rivet just like a TT on the road, but you have to be ready to jump off your bike and jump over hurdles, then remount and get right back on the rivet.

And the weather... I love the mud, I love the rain (I'm in Seattle, so I had better love the rain). I love the fact that every person out on the course is giving it their all. In this way it is not like the road. You can be off the lead pack, but still driving yourself to the limit. You see people 5 min back turning themselves inside out for their own satisfaction, not to win the race (though that is a delightful feeling).

Say your race is 40min. That is pure hell. Say your race is 90 min. Welcome to the cave of pain. Crawl in there and suffer for as long as you can. There is an opportunity for every person that loves the rough ride of CX to push their limits.

This weekend I'm racing two CX races. At one of them I'll watch world class athletes hit curves in two wheel drifts in dirt, mud and grass.

It's not the wool jersey, lugged steel and classic campy of the road purists, but it has its own beauty that draws me back over and over.

Best- TBD

[shorelocal]

Only reason I'm not riding/racing 'cross this season is due to injury ... and it's killing me. Starcrossed is this weekend and it's a blast. I just have to keep telling myself that once my surgeries are over, I can spend the entire 2011 Winter/Spring/Summer looking forward to 'cross again.

[TMB]

I have a job

I have a family

I have a house and yard

I prefer to look after those things, they are priorities to me.

[TBDSeattle]

I have a job

I have a family

I have a house and yard

I prefer to look after those things, they are priorities to me.


To me all those sound like reasons not to ride any bike-- not just not ride a cross bike!

[sevencyclist]

I had an ACL surgery 4 months ago. Still can't run yet. Pedaling out of saddle still hurts.

Will be cheering my son on a mountainbike and rooting for my friend pdmtong on his new rig.

[rockdude]

I train for cross
I hurt for cross
I live for cross
I die for cross


I am cross and cross is me....

[learlove]

cross is way more popular than it was back in my racing days (late 80's thru the 90's). Back then cross was a way to ride/race/stay in shape so come Jan/Feb you were not killing yourself to get ready for the road season. Plus remember the 90's were MTB crazy times so "cross" racing became riding your MTB in the fall/winter.

I did race cross in my racing days, here in PA/NJ area we had 2 or 3 races each month from Oct/Nov/Dec. Mostly they were season themed races like Halloween in Oct, Turkey Day in Nov. and Xmas in Dec. I used a old Fuji touring bike as my cross rig/winter/rain bike. The cross races seemed way more laid back 15 years ago compared to today.

Anyone remember the cross race series held in Tyler Park, Newtown, PA? I took a swim in the creek on the last lap of one of those races on day.

Cross bike make great rain/winter bikes if you don't race cross.

[TMB]

To me all those sound like reasons not to ride any bike-- not just not ride a cross bike!

I have decided that I am too polite to say go p up a rope.

So I won't.

[TBDSeattle]

I have decided that I am too polite to say go p up a rope.

So I won't.

Nice restraint!

I'll start thinking of reasons not to ride my bike too. Then we can share them! You want to start the new thread, or shall I?

Best- TBD

[I Want Sachs?]

Need Sachs.

[Jack Brunk]

Because I ride my butt off in the mountains and the thought of riding on grass doesn't jazz me. I can combine HAB on wicked serious trails, run them if I feel like it and ride in sand like conditions. I like my 2.25's racing ralphs.

[93legendti]

I'm with Jack. I have a Serotta Hors Cat CX which I love to ride on dirt trails and dirt roads. When I ride it on grass, I can't wait to get back on the dirt.

I don't race in the fall/winter. If that's someone's thing, more power to them.

[moran]

I do race cross!

Sorry...I know, wrong thread. It's just that I love to race, and with 3 kids, it's pretty easy to get out of the house for a 45 minute race.

We are fortunate to have more and more races each year here in Arkansas.

OK sorry...back to why you don't race cross.

[Volant]

Blowing frozen snot-rockets while CARRYING my bike is just not my cup-o-tea.

[Karin Kirk]

I'm a cross newbie and I am definitely getting a kick out of it. I enjoy the combination of new skills with old ones. It's also a highly efficient workout - amazing how tired you can get in just an hour! Riding cross provides a fun change of pace for this time of year, and having a team cross ride today got me out on a ride I otherwise would not have done.

The best part is mastering the barriers. Tricky, but doable. Lots of fun to practice it and make incremental improvements. To me, this is what makes all sports fun, and it's important to be a beginner at something every now and then. That's a very healthy thing.

So count me in! :)

[Lifelover]

Because I don't want to.

[sg8357]

The guy making cross bikes isn't taking orders anymore, no bike, no ride. :)

Michelin stopped making the green tires.

Dr. Ferrari stopped taking my calls.

[zap]

Why don't more of you ride cyclocross? Really, what's your excuse??

I like xc single track so cx would be cool off road cycling (if it where 2+ hours) with minor technical bits thrown in.

Problem for me is that it's the end of the road season. Time to chill out, start lifting weights and add a thin layer of fat.

Our local creamery will start delivering egg nog next month.

:banana: :beer:

[Seramount]

I'm too prissy, intentionally getting my bike dirty would cause me to blow a brain gasket.

[gasman]

I ride cuz it makes me hurt, think, laugh and get a great workout.

[victoryfactory]

I'm really not interested in riding a bike on anything but smooth roads

Sounds like a dangerous cult to me. Too many people too excited about something...
Or maybe it's just "Irrational Exuberance"



VF

[54ny77]

Because I'm too heavily involved in trying to understand the cosmos.

[bigmatt]

I am too fat and slow. Plus, this year I have been barely able to ride a bike. I got some good mileage in the spring in preparation for 200 k brevet which I di and finished. But since then I have done one road ride that was 25 miles. I work 7 days a week so I don't have any free time.

The only good thing this year for me has been playing bike polo 2-3 times a week.

I have a cross bike so I might give it a try if I can get some riding in before the local cross race.

[Ti Designs]

Why don't more of you ride cyclocross? Really, what's your excuse??


Well, you've taken one little part of riding, put a new name on it, heaped on some pressure (races and barriers to jump over) and you want to know why we don't take part?

OK, here it is. I ride a bike. If there's a dirt road or a trail, and it's going my way, I'll ride it. My road bike has probably seen more dirt roads than most cross bikes and I've taken more air on my fixed gear than I ever have on my mounatin bike. I don't call it riding cyclocross 'cause there's a difference in attitude - let me explain:

A mountain biker and a cyclocross rider come up to a very steep little hill, what they then do is very different. The mountain biker tries to ride it, if that doesn't work they move over to cheer or heckle the next rider. The cyclocross rider dismounts, runs up the hill, remounts and keeps going. Where's the fun or challenge in that?