Most fun you can have on two wheels. You can use a mtb or a road bike in a pinch.You just need tires with nobs. On the cheap, an older steel road bike from the 70's will work as they had a lot more clearence for mud back in those days. You can usually buy one of those bikes for under $100.

Plan on getting your ass handed to you the first race, but the learning curve is pretty quick. I would wager you that if you did three or four races this year you will buy a crossbike for next year. It is totally a rush junkie sport. It starts fast and gets worse as you go. Plenty of crashes that you don't get hurt in and you will be laughing,crying, and calling for your momma the whole time.

Most towns that have cross at all usually have a midweek practice series, there you can learn how to get off and on the bike on the fly and how to handle the bike in grass.

I hope you try it at least twice, cause the first day is more of an adventure than a race, then you "get it" and start having fun. G

Prepare to taste your own blood!

Cyclocross is awesome and IMHO the best way to stay in shape over the winter months. It is all out lung busting sprinting.

CROSS RULZ! Sorry had to throw that in there.

Depending on where you are there is probably a group that is hardcore into cross. Oklahoma has a 12 race series that is really good. Pays good money as well in both the A and B races. Texas has a good series but seems a bit too spread out to be worth doing all the races tons of travel.

You can get an excellent cross bike reasonably cheap. There are a ton of them for sale on some cross sites. You don't need to go high end.

The most difficult thing for me to master was the dismount/mount. You should practice it so it becomes smooth.


Then JFR

Thanks for the info -- can you give me some of those cross sites you referred to where I might find a good, inexpensive cross bike to start with.

http://www.texascyclocross.com/

Check the classifieds. This is a local forum that is brand new. Ebay always has a ton of them. Where are you located?

Where are you located? Some races are located on truesport.com you might check there for your region.

http://www.kentuckycyclocross.com/ is the site for our area. Here in Cinci, a local bike shop has Cross 'practice' every Thursday at 6 where you can try it out and get pointers from folks.

It is a ton of fun and a great way to push way beyond your thresh hold. Hurts like hell in a fun twisted way.

I did it one season on my mountain bike, which was a bitch to carry over barriers. I did one season on an older CAAD 3 Cannondale road frame with tiny knobby tires then finally bought a cross frame when I knew I loved it. Give it a shot!

Total no shitter there. I swear the first time I raced I thought DEAR GAWD! It is so much fun once you learn to ride/race cross. I about shit the fist time I got a check for being on the podium. Nice to get paid.

ATX Trihead and Trigoneroadie -- I'm in Georgia, and it looks like there is a good series here running from mid-October through December (www.georgia-cross.com). I'll check out the sites you mentioned. And I've already looked at the offerings on e-bay. Nothing that'll probably go under $500 at this point, but I'll keep checking. Thanks, I'm getting psyched about this now!

cross is also the best way to trash your body and wear yourself out. after three full cross seasons, each of which tore me apart and set back my prep for road season by a good two months, I finally got some sense and only do one or two races a year. it will trash your gear as well.

Thanks G-man. So I'm guessing putting nobbies on my Trek 5200 would not be a good idea!