Other name for this forum section...
04-19-05, 11:11 AM
#26
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Originally Posted by Timo
Why is this section of the forum some sort of gatthering point for people who ride commuter bikes, single speed bikes, bikes with suspension, and all sorts of other bikes that have nothing to do with cyclocross.
Is there anybody here who actually uses his bike(s) for cyclocross? I mean the actual sport and not touring some dirt roads or single tracks.
I mean, no offense, but people here present commuter bikes with road tires, fenders, disk brakes, headlights and a pump and think it is a crossbike. I get this feeling that most people have no clue what cyclocross is really about.
Is there anybody here who actually uses his bike(s) for cyclocross? I mean the actual sport and not touring some dirt roads or single tracks.
I mean, no offense, but people here present commuter bikes with road tires, fenders, disk brakes, headlights and a pump and think it is a crossbike. I get this feeling that most people have no clue what cyclocross is really about.
that being said, I think "cyclocross" is an activity (namely a specific type of racing), not just a certain type of bike with certain branding. people can race cyclocross on CX-targeted bikes, but also old mtn bikes, tourers, road bikes, etc.
it's not about the label on the bike, it's what you do with it. CX bikes of course aim to be well designed for a certain type of riding.
in simon burney's book "cyclocross" (i think that's where i read it), he says that 'mountain biking' with a cross bike is good practice for cyclocross. so implicitly, he doesn't view riding around on the trails as cyclocross, even if you jump off your bike here and there!
also, not sure why people figure that CX bikes must be some sort of cumbersome tanks. the frames needn't be much heavier, if at all. most of the parts are standard road, including wheels (or even lighter than road, such as compact cranks).
basically- if someone asks you if you are into "cyclocross" and you don't race (at whatever level) then the answer is closer to no than yes.
-marc
04-19-05, 11:51 AM
#27
Get the stick.
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Ok, I submit. From now on, my bike shall be refered to only as a Psychocross (tm), never to be confused with Cyclocross, which would naturally imply that I race.
Incedentally, I took my PX (tm) bike out this weekend, and it kicked butt. On saturday I took my PX bike (not to be confused with road bike) out on a 60 mile club ride, and hung with the fast group without too much difficulty. Then, to mix things up some, on Sunday I threw on my dirt wheelset and took my PX bike (never to be confused with mountain bike) on some steep, technical single track trails. Many of the mountain bikers I passed seemed to share my confusion as to what the roll of my bike was playing. I got a few "you're crazy dude" comments, and the like-but I didn't bother slowing down to discuss the classification of my machine-I was having too much fun. It was a blast. To finish the day off, I cooked it downtown on my PX (not to be mistaken for commuter) and bought some coffee beans.
Incedentally, I took my PX (tm) bike out this weekend, and it kicked butt. On saturday I took my PX bike (not to be confused with road bike) out on a 60 mile club ride, and hung with the fast group without too much difficulty. Then, to mix things up some, on Sunday I threw on my dirt wheelset and took my PX bike (never to be confused with mountain bike) on some steep, technical single track trails. Many of the mountain bikers I passed seemed to share my confusion as to what the roll of my bike was playing. I got a few "you're crazy dude" comments, and the like-but I didn't bother slowing down to discuss the classification of my machine-I was having too much fun. It was a blast. To finish the day off, I cooked it downtown on my PX (not to be mistaken for commuter) and bought some coffee beans.
04-19-05, 12:28 PM
#28
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I'll just call it my 10-speed as that what half the folks who comment on the singletrack call it while riding their 30 whatever speed contraptions, as in "dude, your riding your 10-speed out here, crazy"
Al
Al
04-20-05, 10:57 AM
#29
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want some cheese with that wine?
honestly who freaking cares if you have to look at *gasp* a picture of a commuter bike. How in the world does that impact you? I feel your elitist attitude is precisely the wrong thing to encourage others to join your sport.
Worrying about semantics is ridiculous. I ride a cross bike. I commute, ride the roads, and bust my hump on it. I don't race cross. Now who freaking cares?
honestly who freaking cares if you have to look at *gasp* a picture of a commuter bike. How in the world does that impact you? I feel your elitist attitude is precisely the wrong thing to encourage others to join your sport.
Worrying about semantics is ridiculous. I ride a cross bike. I commute, ride the roads, and bust my hump on it. I don't race cross. Now who freaking cares?
04-21-05, 02:04 PM
#30
Tiocfáidh ár Lá
I race cross and I rarely look in this forum or post in here out side of cross season, Oct. through Jan.
04-27-05, 06:48 AM
#31
Enamoured of bicycles
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If you see a couple of torso-naked guys playing in a courtyard with a ball that they bounce against the ground and fling to a basket hung in a wall, what would you call it? I'd say that they are playing basketball, though not what you see in an NBA match, of course. Same with cyclocross. The sport is what the person does with the machine, not the machine itself, though not necessarily following the exact regulations of the professional sport. The guys above may use the playground as a parking place for their car after the match... One could use the cyclocross bike for commuting, grocery hauling and as a leg for an improvised table...
UCI's regulations are important because they rule the competitions, but anyone playing with their machines (whichever they have at hand, mtbs, pure cx, ...) in a cyclocross-like environment/rules, etc., is properly doing cyclocross, and they are entitled to take their steeds as cyclocross machines. Again the guys of the story could call the driveway they were playing on, 'the basket court'.
That said, I think the 'cyclocross comp' subsection is a good idea. The 'ordinary' section would do more with the specific anatomy of the machine, etc. Some threads may be merging into 'commuting' or 'touring' lanes... at some stage, but that's okay.
UCI's regulations are important because they rule the competitions, but anyone playing with their machines (whichever they have at hand, mtbs, pure cx, ...) in a cyclocross-like environment/rules, etc., is properly doing cyclocross, and they are entitled to take their steeds as cyclocross machines. Again the guys of the story could call the driveway they were playing on, 'the basket court'.
That said, I think the 'cyclocross comp' subsection is a good idea. The 'ordinary' section would do more with the specific anatomy of the machine, etc. Some threads may be merging into 'commuting' or 'touring' lanes... at some stage, but that's okay.
