Cyclocross Racing - Single Speed CX racing tips with the geared guys.

So yeah, I got the cross racing bug after converting my commuter (Van Dessel Country Road Bob) into a full out CX bike, but I have a pretty small problem. Or make that a really big problem: I am slow. Like unbearably slow when I'm mixed in with my geared Cat4 brethren. Some courses with a good section of back single track I can hold on to, but today at Lowell CX (A fast, very smooth/straight course) I was a moving chicane for everyone (Especially the 35+ Masters). I am tired of being a DFL turtle!

This is a very big disappointment when I know for a fact how my fitness is to another racer, and I can utterly stomp on him be it on the track, or on the road. Yet on cross, with his gears, he's gone and I'm huffing, puffing and ready to blow that house down.

Yes, I did read the single speed cross page on ole Sheldon's site. I want more stories on how to really mix it up there.

One of my own problems that I think I have is that I end up staging in the back, and like most races, they start off on the straight, hard pack that I have very little chance of keeping up with (I have a good spin, but it isn't that good). But as time goes on as I ride, they just keep edging away. Then I'm stuck in my own little world and end up cruising half the time as I have no real incentive to catch anyone.

I train at least 3-4 nights a week on a fluid 2, gym it twice with free weights/squats/lats/pulls, run for an hour three times a week, and dudes on gears who drink all day are like "See ya!". I'm running a 38x18 gear ratio, Conti Twisters, and cheap Shimano brakes. Nothing out of the ordinary for a SS cross bike.

So tell me if you run SS Cross with geared guys, and how you are successful (or not) at it.

(BTW: thankfully next week they have a SS cross class. I am very much looking forward to it.)

have you run cross with gears? Cross is very dependent on skill and equipment choice so just saying you have fitness does not necessarily help you. I know dudes who are ok 3s on the road, but are unholy terrors at cross.

We have separate ss classes here so it's not an issue. If you want to be competitive against geared racers then you probably need to race a geared bike because you're always going to be dropped in the flats.

We have separate ss classes here so it's not an issue. If you want to be competitive against geared racers then you probably need to race a geared bike because you're always going to be dropped in the flats.

This.

If you have the fitness, can you run taller gears? That gives you more speed on the flat bits, but might require you to run some hills that the geared guys are riding, but might result in faster overall laps.

Also, who are you trying to compete against? What Cat are you? If you're a new Cat4, I'm not surprised that you're being dropped by experienced Cat3 Masters. Masters races (in just about any sport) are FAST and competitive.

it's been discussed alot here and there...but i remember hearing somewhere that SS is best on muddy, off-camber, twisty, off-your-bike-alot courses...avoid the flats and nice weather races...!

if lowell is as i've heard it (and as you've described), then it's about the worst possible terrain for ss against geared folks. robot won northampton last year on an ss - the course featured lots of turns and accelerating out of them. there were some big long drags, and some paved areas, but lots of twists, too.

don't forget that cross takes skill. like, more than you think. last year i placed 4th in my first cross race, at the end of the season. "cool," i thought. "i can be good at this." this year, i hopped on my cross bike and went out to race and started piling up a list of stuff i really, really needed a lot of work on, as i realized i was not very good at this. barriers, cornering, gauging appropriate tire pressure, ride-ups, run-ups, and running can all determine your place in a race more than your gearing.

but, if it comes down to how fast you're going on the flats and straights and fast, then you're not gonna be able to compete with the gearies. like i said, though, that's course-specific. half the handful of races i've done this year, i don't think i would have missed my gears.

and also, staging - that's pretty important for placing. you start at the arse and play the "did i pass more people than passed me?" game, or you can try to stage and holeshot well and aim for a result. each is fun, but it's hard to do both.

dudes in my district win regular races against geared guy on there SS. you just need to develop the strength, handling, and fitness.

dudes in my district win regular races against geared guy on there SS. you just need to develop the strength, handling, and fitness.


Sounds like they're sandbaggers in the wrong class to me.

Sounds like they're sandbaggers in the wrong class to me.

Nah, I'm in the same district as Lithuania. Those guys just aren't much slower on a SS than on a geared bike. And I don't think it's happening in the elite races - the guys I'm thinking of are in the Men's B and Master's B.

...avoid the flats and nice weather races...!

Not totally true. A truly flat, dry course can be great for SS - you just have to gear appropriately.

It's the truly mixed courses that are the worst. Long climbs and downhill pavement? That's a conundrum for SSers - gear for the climb and you get shot off the back when you reach the pavement - gear for the pavement and you're walking the climb.

Thanks for the tips guys, I'm going to close out the year on SS and maybe run next season half SS, but see what I can dig up for some brifters/9 or 10 speed rear/derailer hanger if I can get around to it.

I do like the reliability of SS though (other than my first time out when I dropped my chain from piss poor tension), as I dragged about 8 feet of caution tape that got all caught up in the drivetrain and still finished like it was never there.

I run ss against geared guys. There are two ss classes where I am at but the timing of the races never works out for me so I just run with the geared since I find it more fun to run in big groups. First race I did I was intimidated and started in the back, then I realized I wouldnt be much slower. I would second the above suggestion for running bigger gears. I run 38x16 and am not the strongest guy. Also, I always tell myself that there are sections you need to make up time such as technical sections and remounts. With that being said, I might move to a geared bike.

Not totally true. A truly flat, dry course can be great for SS - you just have to gear appropriately.

It's the truly mixed courses that are the worst. Long climbs and downhill pavement? That's a conundrum for SSers - gear for the climb and you get shot off the back when you reach the pavement - gear for the pavement and you're walking the climb.

yeah, i can't say i know at all from experience...i think this was the article i had read that gave me the impression:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlecross.html

in my experience flat course have been the worst for SS. i can deal pretty well with courses that go up and down but flat just wears me out. The hilliest race in the district was one that a SS guy ran away with.

Maybe you should add gears to see if you can keep up?

Cross is a balance between power and skill. You gotta have the power but if you don't have the skills to put the power down, you are useless. If you have the fitness/power you say you do, you should be able to catch back up on the flats. You can tell roadie converts because they blow past you on the flats and you pass them back in the technical sections.

Okay, I know I am late to the party, havent' been on this forum much since the season ended for me. I race SS in a geared class, and I am pretty confident that where I finish is not the bike's fault. Locally the courses tend toward muddy and technical, although there were two this year with killer hills. I actually had one of my best races of the season on a flat course. Without knowing anything about the OP beyond what he has written hear, i would suggest some skills clinics, and then try to stage closer to the front.

Two other observations: around here, most of the SS class racers are animals. I will probably race the SS class next season, but not without some fear and trepidation.

Second, I've watched Trebon "warm up" by embarassing the field in the SS class, then go on to win the A class still on his SS bike. Admittedly, not too many of us on this forum ride like Trebon.

I would say don't give up on the SS, you should at least beat the geared guys who are carrying their bikes across the line with a broken derailler/hanger :)

I know this thread is a little old, but if you are starting to look forward to cross season (as I am!), don't give up on singlespeed. A few quick things: Definitely up your gear ratio. I often use the same as winebelly: 38x16. Even 38x17 would be much better. But for a flat rolling course, I've even run a 38x15 and ended up finishing top 3. Gearing totally depends on the race and your comfort, but undergearing is a quick way to be in the back unless you can spin like a mad man. One good way to boost your rpms is to ride your singlespeed in the city during the week. It pretty much sucks because you are riding so slow (compared to anything with gears, or geared for the road), but I've noticed a huge boost to my cadence after riding my 38x16 cross bike on the road for 30-40 miles a week.

Part of the reason i love singlespeed cross, is because I can keep up with so many cat 3 geared racers. I love starting a minute behind them, and then catching a lot of them within the first lap. And the second lap. A little twisted, but it is quite fun. I hope you get to try singlespeed out again, and have a little bit more fun in the pack this year.