2024 Cyclocross Thread - Gin, Trombones, Freezing Rain, and Chocolate Pudding

[christian]

Anyone racing cyclocross this year?

I'm planning on racing part of the ChiCrossCup. Haven't raced cross since the early 2010s... so going to line up in the 5s. Looking forward to suffering, suffering, suffering. I unceremoniously ended my earlier foray into cross when I ran into a stump at a cx race in upstate NY and cracked the downtube of my old Zanc, so I also picked up a cross bike with discs. She's an ex US-pro bike, so she's a five-footer for sure, but will get the job done. Currently on tubeless with inserts, but I have some tubular wheels coming next week.

Would love to hear your cx plans and/or results.

Probably going to ride:
10/20/24 – Jackson Park
10/27/24 – ABD Sunrise Park
11/03/24 – Campton Cross
11/17/24 – Wheeling Heritage Park CX
11/24/24 – Quarry Cross at The Forge
12/08/24 – Montrose Beach

[ldamelio]

Good luck. It's immense fun, but you already know that.

Fields in my area (mid-Atlantic) are about half what they were pre-Covid. I think it's rough going for promoters.

I raced every weekend in season from 2003 to 2019. I didn't pick it back up in 2021 when things resumed post-pandemic. As I get older (racing age 65) , I'm just less willing to suffer through the necessary training for a 45 minute event plus the travel, maintenance, etc.

Plus I was never very good . The time away made me realize I was beating my head against a wall to a certain extent. Part of me misses it but at this point I'm good with the memories and JRA.

[christian]

Originally Posted by ldamelio

As I get older (racing age 65) , I'm just less willing to suffer through the necessary training for a 45 minute event plus the travel, maintenance, etc.

Yeah I get that. I do dread driving an hour and a half for a 30 minute race when I could just ride out my door instead. The real reason I'm doing it is that in Chicago, it's way too easy to hang up the road bike in October when the weather turns. This will keep me riding into December with some effort. Add to that my usual commutes and then a training week in Southern California in February or March, and I am hoping to enter 2025 with a bit bigger base. So as long as I'm not DFL, I'll be happy just riding my bike through the muck.

[robin3mj]

Originally Posted by christian

Yeah I get that. I do dread driving an hour and a half for a 30 minute race when I could just ride out my door instead. The real reason I'm doing it is that in Chicago, it's way too easy to hang up the road bike in October when the weather turns. This will keep me riding into December with some effort. Add to that my usual commutes and then a training week in Southern California in February or March, and I am hoping to enter 2025 with a bit bigger base. So as long as I'm not DFL, I'll be happy just riding my bike through the muck.

Your first sentence is why I quit racing CX when my first kid was born. I did enjoy riding year round in Chicago though, ice permitting. Laps on Northerly Island with no one else in sight was always a treat.

I had a love/hate relationship with Montrose in that I could ride there from my house, but the sand always intimidated me more than it ought to have.

[christian]

Originally Posted by robin3mj

I had a love/hate relationship with Montrose in that I could ride there from my house, but the sand always intimidated me more than it ought to have.

I live in Lakewood-Balmoral, so I am super close too. And I pass it on my commute (I work in the Loop), so I have every excuse to go play in the sand or ride up Cricket Hill a few times a week.

Originally Posted by professerr

Watching a cyclocross race is like watching a high school band – it is fun if you know the guys in it, but just kinda awkward and goofy looking if you don’t. And like a high school band, I bet it is great fun if you’re in it.

Also, I was reminded of this great quote from the "Anti-cyclocross" thread from many years ago. That thread was locked FWIW. I guess hating on cyclocross is just not done LOL.

[catchourbreath]

Northeast season is in full swing. Aiming for a 10+ this year, 4 down already. Not doing particularly well but that's mostly my own fault!

[bigbill]

In my 20s, in the mid to late 80s, I was stationed in the PNW. The LBS owner put on a series of cyclocross races, all within an hour of where I lived. I went through a series of cross bikes including a Pinarello and an Alan. The LBS knew a guy (Hans) in Oregon that made them tig welded steel frames that retailed for around $450. Courses were usually muddy and the choice of tires was pretty narrow. Most of us ran Barum tubulars on Wolber rims. I transferred to South Carolina in 92 and didn't race cross again. I look back fondly on the experience, but sometimes I recall how cold and wet the races were.

[Gummee]

I don't have the fire in my belly like I used to so while I'm planning on racing CX, I'm not willing to drive too far to do it.

Driving north of Baltimore to race? Pass.

There's a Wed night CX training ride put on by a local shop next town over, but I have a mental block about riding hard at that ride for some reason.

I even went as far as putting the 50t ring back on one of my 2 CX bikes to ride more road/gravel. Can ride out the door and be on coutry roads. Still have the other set up with tubulars and a 44t Wickwerks ring.

Rode the gravel bike with strap-on fenders the last 2 days of rainy weather. 30c tubeless and a carbon bike is mo bettah than riding 28c tubed tires and the steel bike in the rain.

M

[fignon's barber]

I used to do that Chicago series every year when I lived in Michigan. Lots of fun. Down here in Florida, I wish there was a cross scene. I would have thought that cross would make a comeback with gravel bikes being all the rage.

[superbowlpats]

Partially tore my hamstring going over a barrier a few weeks ago in my second race of the season here in Mass so not sure what's left of my CX season

[crankles]

I've got about between 8 and 16 races on the schedule this season. One series runs through december and is very pro; announcers, timing chips, live lap-by-lap race updates. The 2nd series is sooo very mom&pop with scoring on clipboards. Both and great. The former has really great courses. Honestly, though, the latter if for no other reason than the role call at the start, waiting if someone needed to hit the head.

I loved/hated those Chicago races. I lived in Indy in the early 90s and would make the trek, stay with a friend in wrigleyville and freeze to death the minute I stopped racing. couldn't get to the car fast enough. One memorable December event had more than 10lbs of ice frozen to my old Alan. Shifting was impossible, Pedals were just balls of ice. Glorious Frustration. Never forget it.

[redir]

I'm more of a spectator now. It's been a couple years since I've held a license. A couple weekends ago we Spectated one of the first UCI races in Roanoke VA. It was dry and dusty! A climbers course for sure.

[BRad704]

2020 Boone Crew!

I'm in for the Boulder-area CycloX Series. 6 races total, plus there are additionnal local CX races on basically every nonCycloX weekend all season!

CX in CO is so much different than anything I've done in the last 7 years in TN, AR, MS, or AL. These fields in CO are YUGE and goshdang everyone is legit. And they line up Cat 1/2/3 Single speed with the Men's OPEN. So on my 50 minute SS race, I got lapped by Eric Brunner TWICE.



Aye, thar be mountains.


Don't know if the video will work from Imgur, but here goes... Start of the Men's Masters Cat 3 at Harlow Platts.
https://i.imgur.com/muoP2Ya.mp4

[holliscx]

[isaacneff]

First year in a very long time I am not 100% focused on CX and Nat's.
I tore a tendon in my ankle earlier in the summer and have had a slow return.
That said, our team (Neff Cycle Service) race is tomorrow, a part of the Wisconsin CX Series and I will be toeing the line for the first time. We'll see how it goes. In the coming weeks I will make plans for the rest of the season.

We are lucky, cyclocross is alive and well in this region. Wisconsin had the largest turnout at races ever last year and so far this season things to be on trend for another awesome fall.
We also have incredibly high quality fields in Wisconsin which is super fun.