Seems like a fun end-of-season way to suffer. Includes cycling and running (and I guess swimming if it’s muddy enough). Anyone try it before? Advice on getting started? Will my hardtail 29’er be ok?
Generally good fun. Just show up and race in the appropriate “noob” category. Your 29er is fine, though you may be soon looking for a CX rig.
I have been doing it for a few years. Don’t think of it as running. There is no real running. More dismount, continue a few steps, mount.
Use your 29er to try it out. Cx bike is much better though and you will want one quick. I have low investment in my bike to match my expectations.
Also, be prepared to be humbled.
I tried it early last year. I just rode my 1990 Specialized Stumpjumper MTB (pink and green). My goal was to not finish last. In a field of about 20 I think I was 14th or 15th. I was the only one with a MTB and got some interesting looks 
Practice the course if you can before the actual race if you decide to give it a go.
Yeah the “running” is a few steps to carry the bike over the barriers.
Cross is a great time and the atmosphere is always fantastic. Nothing like racing at redline for 50 minutes!
Yes! CX is a lot of fun. In a painful, I thought I was faster than this sort of way.
MTB is fine, some mtb pros show up to races and do great on their mountain bike.
Cross is fun, and a great way to work on mount/dismount skills and bike handling. Be prepared to be humbled… It’s a great way to keep some fitness, and to feel like you’re having a heart attack for an hour… But most importantly it’s a chance to play on your bike, rather than simply to ride. Du/Tri/Road racing I take seriously, cyclocross is for play. I should be good at it, but even after a decade of doing CX, I still suck (I just ebb between sucking less and sucking more, depending on my fitness)… There’s always new things to learn, different approaches to try, etc.
A MTB is fine to start, many start that way… But it’s addictive, so don’t be surprised if you are quickly shopping for a new axe for the quiver… For races, make sure to remove any bottle cages… they get in the way of carries… and don’t count on much running (the only CX race I’ve done in a decade with any appreciable amount of running, was a race, with 6" of fresh snow, riding many sections was futile, so I literally shouldered my bike for the first lap, and ran the lap, but after that it packed down better and became much faster to ride.), mainly a few steps here or there, or short hill sprints after a barrier, or sections of mud or sand that aren’t rideable… Also, prepare to crash, probably a lot at first, but the upside is that they don’t usually hurt (and you may get standing ovations from the crowd for them… I have a few epic supermans in sandpits)…
It’s great fun, go try it out! It’s also a great spectator friendly sport. Short courses and fun “features” make watching entertaining. Around here lots of races happen at school fields, so there is usually a playground for the little ones.
Hardtail 29er should be fine at most races.
If it’s a mudfest, be prepared to be passed by the guys who have more than one bike and all their offspring working as a pit crew cleaning the bike.
A bit of YouTube and a bit of practice at dismount/remount skills is handy.
It’s a great way to put a grin on your face and an ache in your legs.
CX is very fun for racers and spectators. And races are cheap especially compared to triathlon. A whole season of cross entry fees may cost me around the same as a 70.3.
A MTB is fine for a first race. On some courses around me a MTB may be faster on some days.
At my local races before the races start they have someone do a course ride through for beginners and give them tips. They also have a 1 lap first timers race.
It is great training, but be assured it is all cycling. The 29er is fine for cat 4/5 but you will want a CX bike for serious racing. The best advice is just go out and have fun, you will learn quickly. Don’t get discouraged, there are a lot of guys like myself who are cat 1/2 road cyclists who play around with cross at the end of the year and therefore are racing cat 3/4 races. There will be some very fast people even in the beginner races because of this, just let them go and have fun.
Practice mounts and dismounts, drop your tire pressure, and possibly add in some 20/40 intervals, 20 seconds all out, 40 seconds recovery.
Your hardtail 29" will be great. Run the lowest tire pressure you can without flatting (or burping if you’re tubeless). It’s rare that a decent hardtail will really be outclassed by a similar level cyclocross specific bike at the entry level.
What part of the country are you in? I’m between Chicago and Madison and it’s a fantastic cyclocross scene out here. If you’re out this way, I can give you some more info.
Show up early and look for the opportunities to get some practice laps in. Getting a couple practice laps at 85% race pace makes a HUGE difference. Typically before the first race of the day and then normally around lunchtime is open course for practice. Usually you can sneak a quick lap in between races. Hang out by the start finish and wait until the end of the last lap and you should get the go-ahead from somebody to go get a practice lap in.
Thanks! I live in New England (southern New Hampshire) which seems to be a Mecca for these races. I like the idea of a race where the kids can see me for more than 30 seconds over 5-6 hours.
I have a 3x9 setup. Years ago I took the outer ring off and swapped it out for a bash guard. That something I would be better off throwing back on for some top end speed? Or is that not as much of an issue?
I tried it last season and loved it. I did 6 races and this year I am registered for another 6 so far. I’ve seen guys racing on MTB’s and there’s no problem doing that just to try it out and stuff. But, like others have said, you may like it and be looking for a CX bike soon after. I bought a CX bike for short money just to see how I liked it. The bike actually is great for gravel riding like on the Rock Rec trail and does a good job for the racing. Plenty of high end bikes in the CX scene just like the ironman tri scene and other bike racing. GUS’ bike shop in North Hampton does a free CX clinic on Tuesday nights @6pm at the Rye Air Field in Rye, NH. It’s a great way to get some work on CX skills and learn more about the sport. You just have to sign a waiver for the year inside the skate park before you go to the clinic. Last year they held the clinic once or twice at Stratham Hill Park too later in the season. And as far as putting the big ring back on your MTB for CX racing, I’d say don’t bother with it. I bet you really wouldn’t be using it too much.
Thanks! I live in New England (southern New Hampshire) which seems to be a Mecca for these races. I like the idea of a race where the kids can see me for more than 30 seconds over 5-6 hours.
I have a 3x9 setup. Years ago I took the outer ring off and swapped it out for a bash guard. That something I would be better off throwing back on for some top end speed? Or is that not as much of an issue?
You definitely sound like you have the right idea. My wife doesn’t want to go to triathlons anymore (not that I really do either), but is usually up for a cyclocross race. Many will have a kids course off to the side too.
As always on ST, people are going to disagree…but here goes anyways.
The average speed of an entry level cyclocross race is ~10mph. It’s highly course dependent, but that’s probably pretty close for a Category 5 cx race. You’re losing most of the speed in the turns, not wide open straightaways or downhills. There’s many spots that getting off the bike and running will be faster than riding, especially when things bunch up. I’m a middling CAT 3 and have run a 1x with a 40 front and 11-32 rear the previous two seasons. It’s rare that I use the 11 or the 32 as well. I’m guessing that your middle ring is somewhere in the low-mid 30 tooth count and if it’s a 9 speed, you have an 11-32 or 11-34 in the back. Truthfully, I think you could leave it in the middle ring and never look back. IF you ever wind up needing to pedal in the >20mph range, it will be for a very brief period and you will be jamming on the brakes 7 seconds later.
The bash guard may even come in handy if there’s things like logs or other natural obstacles that you want to ride over on a mountain bike vs. dismounting and running over on a cross bike.
I really enjoy CX. I actually have a low end CX bike which helps, but a hardtail will do fine. It’s a totally different animal than tri/TT type riding, but it’s a good thing for your handling and VO2 training.
And anytime you’re getting beer hand ups on the bike…it’s a good day.
And anytime you’re getting beer hand ups on the bike…it’s a good day.
And speaking from experience, a chicken nugget hand up, is a bad thing. Learned that lesson several years ago. No water on me to wash it down either.
I did race cross for 4 seasons - about 10-12 races a year so here goes my observations from a little more then newbie:
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Yes, 29’er is good. If you have old school bar-ends, those will need to be removed typically. Pick tires for the course but courses are faster and less technical than a typical mountain course so choose fast tires. This isn’t the sport for your trail heavy tread 2.4s. You can go far with a 29’er hardtail and good tires so I somewhat disagree with others. I have a dedicated cross race bike, so it’s not like I am biased against, just see if you like it first is my thought.
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It’s more like an all out Sprint tri effort then a steady state mid distance effort. If you haven’t raced bikes, you should do some sprint work before showing up or be prepared to “diesel” it around the course if that’s your strength. You will sprint, then set-up for a corner, then try to come back to speed, then time trial effort - so like a time trial with a whole host of micro-accelerations.
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Not a lot of running, but practice your dismounts / remounts due to barriers, steep run-ups, etc. I am not a fan of the “step thru” dismount especially for new people because it forces your weight forward which can cause you to fall on your face. I swing my right leg around behind my left and unclip the left when I dismount - Youtube has plenty of examples between the two methods. Practice remounts also - lots of them so it’s more automatic.
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It’s fun, make it fun with the right attitude and you will build a lot of cycling power. It’s shocking how taxing a 45 minute race can be!
You’ll figure it all out pretty fast. It’s a very fun style of racing.
Good luck!
J
'Cross is awesome. Awesome end of the season, awesome fitnesss, difficult, cold, muddy, wet, miserable fun. Next try Single Speed Cross
Thanks! I live in New England (southern New Hampshire) which seems to be a Mecca for these races. I like the idea of a race where the kids can see me for more than 30 seconds over 5-6 hours.
I have a 3x9 setup. Years ago I took the outer ring off and swapped it out for a bash guard. That something I would be better off throwing back on for some top end speed? Or is that not as much of an issue?
Standard cross gearing is a double up front with 46/36. I can’t say I have ever touched the 46 on my bike in a race. I am not fast by any means, but the courses are technical and tough, there typically isn’t much if any opportunity to build up much speed. Y
Your 29’er set up as is will be just fine for your first race. Go have fun!