Cyclocross - Thinking of racing, what sort of prep?

OK, outside of the physical conditioning (HA!) and having a decent bike, I guess what I am thinking of is: Very first race, should I worry about extra wheels or a whole 'nother bike? A whole bike is probably out of the picture. Scrub bucket? Pit crew?

Basically, what should a "citizen" racer bring along and be prepared for?

Thanks in advance for the time and consideration.

Extra wheels are good if you got them. I bring a pit bike, some friends (cute friends) to pass out bottles, and a trainer for warming up.

What about scrub bucket, small pressure washer... what would be considered neccessary?

scrub bucket and pressure washer are about as far from necessary as it gets.

if you have another set of wheels it couldn't hurt, but a lot of people don't even bring that.

i bring another bike (cause i have one, but also not neccessary), lots of water (!), something to eat, sunscreen, arm/leg warmers or tights, gloves/sunglasses/helmet, safety pins for my number, some basic first aid stuff, and a beer for the finish. belgian, if you wanna do it right.

What about scrub bucket, small pressure washer... what would be considered neccessary?None of that is absolutely necessary, but can sometimes come in handy. For example, between the pre-ride and the race, if the course is especially muddy. Some races provide a neutral wash area, but waiting in line for it can be a drag.

Most important is just getting your bike in tip-top shape before the race, double-check the cables, drive-train running smoothly, etc. If the course is especially sticky, I sometimes use silicone spray lubricant on parts of the bike that would get build-up. Pedals and cleats too. That stuff gets everywhere, though, so use a rag to prevent overflow.

I would definitely bring a brush and bucket but not for the pit, just so you can clean your bike up after the race. I used a pit bike for years but am down sizing to a spare wheel set. I just got tired of lugging two bikes around when I've used it once in the last two years. It can't hurt to throw a multi tool in the pit with your wheels ;)

Something to emphasize:

Unless you have two bikes and someone working for you in the pits, then bringing a spare bike and/or wheels is little more than anti-DNF insurance. It's not like a crit, where if you flat you can grab a spare wheel, take your free lap, and hop right back into the race. If you flat or have a mechanical during a cross race, you've pretty much conceded any reasonable placing, but it still is worth finishing out the race to cobble together as many series points as possible.

but it still is worth finishing out the race to cobble together as many series points as possible.

and because running 4/5 of a lap and finishing a lap behind the top 10 guys is more gratifying than dnfing. this happened to me last year and i definitely became a crowd favorite from that point on.

but agreed, once you've got a mechanical your final placing is usually pretty much shot.

Thanks all for the help. I'm looking at probably a second set of wheels - if it were a pit bike it'd be my wonderfully heavy (but wonderful riding) Concours road bike. Clearance for mud and tires, certainly as it's an older frame but still it's a tank.

So wheels, and hopefully I can draft one of my kids to hand up a water bottle & a toolkit. Cool. I can handle that much. And a bucket and brushes for afterwards. Now, about that physical conditioning bit....