Just started to get into this sport:
Just bought a stock Jake The Snake with the Clement MXP tires. I ran them at below recommended pressure at 35 or so on a super hot grassy course. Didn't know to scuff the disc pads before the race. I did about 40 min. First ride was a race! The Season starts next weekend here in Connecticut but last weekend opened it up for New England. I am full on hooked now, what took me so long?

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Tri Yoda,

Do you have any insight into the best place/series for me to get my feet wet in the cross world in PDX? I know of a few of the series races, but wasn't sure if one was better for a first-time racer? A bit of info that may help (or may be useless):

1) I have a Cross bike (Specialized Crux), just haven't raced it
2) I'm not in great biking shape right now as I've been training for a fall marathon, but in decent shape
3) I raced tri's on the "pro" level for a short stint and have jumped in a crit or two in my day, so I'm not a total newb on the bike

Any insight you can provide would be awesome. Any other tips for cross in PDX? I've lived here for a few years and can't believe I haven't jumped in yet! Best of luck at the race this weekend!

Drew

Here in Chicagoland Cross does not start for a few weeks --but racing Sunday Single Track up in Lake Geneva - a very twisty technical course with a kick ass Rock Garden --- just trying to stay upright!!! :-)

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Graham Wilson
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the series starts in two weekends down south in New Mexico, but I'll be getting my feet wet at 'Cross vegas to kick things off.

It's a good thing I'm moving up to Portland/Vancouver here in the near future, you guys give me the dream of having a cross race each weekend during the season...

ahaberkorn- I've found most of the races/series are equally good to jump right in. They all usually have a beginners wave, which I'd recommend doing if you are a little tentative on racing cross. Must even have a pre-race clinic. I did the first PDX Trophy Cup series this past Tuesday at PIR and had a blast. It was fairly laid back and it seemed like everybody was still getting into the swing of things (i.e. good for practice). I'd suggest doing either this series or Blind Date at the Dairy (Alpenrose) for mid week races and any of the GPRM races (David Douglas being the first) on the weekend. This should get you ready for Cross Crusade, which is the biggest cross series in the world!

I like the GP races (5 race series, starting with DDCX this weekend). Fields are manageable size and the courses are good. You can get out and race.
Cross Crusade is kind of a clusterfuck of two many racers (the Masters B and 50+ are combined into a one race with over 200 riders for the biggest races) for a lot of the fields, where without a callup, you really never get to actually race. If you are racing A it is a different story. My goal is to get an upgrade to A's by the end of the season.
The weeknight series are good, again you can actually race. Lots of weekend warriors, so no need to worry about your fitness, just do it. Just race beginner's or C the first time out, if you are in decent shape you will probably get a good result.

Started our local training group two weeks ago.
My first race will be CXVegas.
SoCal racing starts end of September and will go nearly every weekend until mid January.

Thanks for the info, guys! I ended up biting the bullet and went over and raced David Douglas this AM. Some poor planning led to me not getting there in time for the beginner race, so I jumped in the Cs. Didn't get a chance to pre-ride the course so hung pretty far back on the first lap and then really enjoyed the rest of the race. Quite possibly the most fun i've ever had on a bike!

Drew

Cross season is definitely here in full swing.
Raced yesterday and this morning in wet, cold, and muddy conditions. Regardless of cat, and even place within the field, i honestly believe its some of the most fun you can have on a bike. Short races, generally close locations (better than any road race in terms of travel), and just the overall community feel, makes CX one of the most fun racing disciplines.

The fact that CX for most is just an excuse to extend their other primary discipline race season means most of the field is there to just have fun. For me with the road/crit season winding down in late august, CX is just a great use of the race season fitness into the fall before having to go lock myself in a dark room on the trainer for the dead of winter.

Labor day cross opener here in Seattle, and then MFG series along with Cross Revolution series begins ~ 2 well run race series requiring no license.

I have a carbon Crux and run Clement PDX in front and a Clement MXP in the back (both tubs. excellent cx tires...tubeless tubular with no cotton sidewalls to rot or to fuss with, ez to mount as well) just dail in the psi based on conditions...

and agree about Cx...total fun for the family (everyone gets their own heat) and a way to use Tri fitness...and wonder why I do triathlon in the first place - Cx way more fun!

DDCX is probably the best course I have ridden in OR. Glad you enjoyed it. The course actually has room to pass in a lot of places, so you can actually race. Unfortunately I rolled a tubular (about 200 meters past the pit) on lap 2, so I called it a day.. I was using a glue job from 2012, so it serves me right. Now I need to spend all week re-gluing 2 sets of tires.

That makes me nervous. Glad you're okay. I'm planning to race on a rear MXP tubular mounted in December, and your experience only adds to my anxiety. LBS dude seemed pretty confident. It's only been raced twice since being mounted and has sit unused for 6 months until a shakedown ride today.

My local races don't start for another 3 weeks. Its might be a slow start for me. I'm riding a century next saturday, my first olympic tri the following saturday, and then CX season begins the saturday after that. I'm considering skipping week 1 and kicking off my CX season in week 2 since the course is quite a bit closer to home.

I ended last season racing a Clement MXP up front and my commuting tire the clement Xplor USH in the rear. I expect the courses will be pretty dry and fast as usual. I did use the USH's for a 40 mile gravel grinder the day after it rained a few months back and was surprised how well they worked in the mud.

Not trying to derail the thread but how many people use mountain bikes for cx races? I would love to try a few races but don't want to invest in a cross bike just yet.

Andrew

Go for it. Raced my first season on my mountain bike. Quickly became addicted.

CT opener at thread city next weekend. I plan to be there with my Jake the Snake too.

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"It never gets easier, you just go faster."
-Greg LeMond

Im racing Cat 3/4 and coaching the JR races!

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I saw a few people doing that last year.

I built up my cross bike as a commuter and figured I could just use it for that if I didnt like racing.

At my local races they have bikes to rent. That might be another option.

Chances are, it's fine.
Deflate the tire and try to peel it off. If you can, it needs to be reglued. CX tubulars ought to be on well, such that even with moderately strong effort it won't budge. If you only test it gingerly, you aren't really testing.

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No reason you couldn't or shouldn't. I saw a guy line up in the Men's open and dominate on a mountain bike, the dude was a pro mountain biker and absolutely stomped the field, with a few Cat 1's. Fitness is fitness, and you probably won't have a problem keeping up with other dudes who have 'cross bikes.

Chicago here and we've got a few more weeks till things really start up. I am super new to the sport (started at the tail end of last year) but am very much hooked. Coming off of tri season it's great to actually be out on a bike whereas I'm not the only one getting punished..the bike is in it with me ;)

Love that the races are much more accessible, the time spent racing is more manageable, and the crowd is very friendly and fun. Not to mention you can usually (depending on your local) find a race within a few hours every weekend Sept - mid/late December is fantastic.

With regards to what I'm running it's Clemont MXP's in the front and rear (40psi front, 33 or so psi rear). As mentioned I'm very new to the sport but in that small amount of experience I really dig these tires. I also run my Cross Check (steel baby!) as a double since we're in the flat lands of Chicago but with an impending move back to the NW I'll be going back to a triple. Cross is so fun even on the relatively flat courses here, looking forward to introducing more elevation gain etc in the NW.

Thanks for tossing this post up. Life has been crazy lately and with my last tri for the season being a week ago cross has really crept up on me. Glad to me thinking about it again!