Originally Posted by
flargle
Get in with the roadies. Slap some road slicks on your cross bike and get out there with the roadies. If you have any good group rides in your area, it will teach you A LOT about riding your bike. Skills, etiquette, how to push yourself to the brink of destruction to STAY ON THAT WHEEL. Sadly, Strava seems to have replaced Tuesday Worlds as the way people ride bikes together, and it's a damn shame.
In summary: (1) Get with the roadies, (2) Eff Chris Carmichael, (3) Eff Strava.
THIS ^.
Flargle you crack me up, but I've found your advice to be sound so far. For example I'm glad I didn't waste my time converting my steed to single ring after my first race. I'll stick with the double and give myself options (I actually used the big ring on a fast course) and keep the damn chain on my bike.
Good advice on the road riding. 'cross races last what, 30-40 minutes and you'll do half a dozen or so in a season, so where are you going to get all your fitness miles in? On the road, that's where. Sure I'll do some 'cross specific work like mounts and dismounts in my local park, but mainly all of us here need to improve our fitness and that means road riding. I'll use my road bike for that of course, but yeah if you don't have one, throw some slicks and fenders on your cross bike and use that.
I've found some group rides and they're even organized by pace so you can pick your speed. I'll also ride on my own and use a ring road or hill to try some intervals. I don't know if I can incorporate a full on regimen (i.e. Carmichael) into my life so I'll do what I can. Riding with others is great for motivation and camaraderie, but I do use Strava, it's an easy way to at least track your overall mileage so you can see if you're keeping up with your goals. And hey the bragging rights help motivate, for example there's a climb on a route I take probably 2-3x a month to get downtown for meetings and I'd love to get the KOM. I think I've moved up to third place. I have to ride the route anyways so why not kill myself for 2-3 minutes on it trying to get that stupid KOM? ;-)