how hard is it to train a kid to become...

[wheelie1993]

a good cyclcross racer?

[velocipedio]

kids take to it pretty quickly. the team i managed this year had a development squad of a half-dozen peewees, and they took to the sport like pigs to mud. there was another kid on the circuit this year, on another team, who outrode a lot of the masters.

the key, i think, is to keep it fun [after all, you're just playing in the mud] and don't make it training. make it riding a fun obstacle course. also, outfit the kid with an appropriate bike. a 40-lb kona jumping bike will be a hard ride and carry. a lightweight xc mtb or one of the 24" wheel redline cyclo-cross bikes would be better.