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.

nope :) - BTW that'd be a baracchi cross.

try this instead - http://www.cyclocrossprosport.be/

I don't know of any cyclocross races around here. At least not that I've heard of. With all respect to the CX racing scene, I could care less. To me, my CX bike, or whatever you want to label it, is just a fun way to push the limits of what a road bike can do. If you want me to call it something else-OK. Sport Tourer? Really, it's just semantics.

Then again, maybe my idea of what cyclocross is really about is correct, and you have no clue?? Who is to say?

I'm to say. Simply because cyclocross is a sport with rules. Would you play a game of basketball with a volleyball and say "hey, because I use a volleyball this must be a game of volleyball regardless the rules for that game"? Or worse: "I push the limits of volleyball that way"? :rolleyes:

Sure, I'd do both if I felt so inclined. And I wouldn't lose any sleep about it. And look, just because I own a basket ball, doesn't mean I can't play another game with it. Maybe I like to lawn bowl with it. Owning a piece of sports equiptment doesn't commit you to live by a code.


I think tradition plays a little too much of a roll in some branches of cycling. For example: Mountain biking began in mountinous areas in california, and the pioneers of the sport rode thier bikes up and down the dirt fire roads in the mountains. I have seen that part of the world, and I can tell you that no such topography exists here. However, I still own a mountain bike. I ride this bike in conditions that I feel are challenging to me and the machine. It is certainly different, but no less valid. By your logic, I am disgracing the tradition of the sport by riding my bike in an unconventional area. Should I write Gary Fisher a note and appologize to him? Should I call my bike a "ravine bike" as not to offend the "real" mountain bikers? Maybe. But I'm too busy riding in the dirt to care. I'll continue to ride my cross bike with the same disregard for tradition.

If you lawn bowl with it, would you call it basketball? :rolleyes:

Sure. It is still a basket ball, and my cyclocross bike remains a cross bike weather I choose to race it in a UCI santioned event or not. Before cyclocross existed as a sport, road bikers were riding thier bikes in the dirt, and presumably enjoying it-just as I do. I doubt they were too concerned about what people thought their bikes should be called.

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to create a sub-forum (or, at least, a sticky) that deals specifically with the
'sport' of cyclocross, much like the Road Cycling forum has the Road Bike Racing sub-forum.

I will post this on Forum Suggestions.

Definately a good idea. Mountain bike has it to .

Yeah, good idea. Timo and velopedia can talk to each other on there.

:D :D :D :D :D :D That is so ****ing funny!

It makes sense that folks who ride a CX bike would post about it to a CX forum. If you want to buy one, it makes sense that the most knowledgeable folks about options woudl be on a CX forum.
It makes sense that off-CX season there is not much to post about CX racing.
I can't see that there would be enough traffic for pure CX racing discussion. There is so little here as there is.
I've never raced an official CX race, but in addtion to using a CX bike for commuting and riding single track I practice all the CX skills and am developing endurance and strength with the goal of someday entering an official CX race.

Al

That does not make commuter bikes with fenders, disk brakes, road tires, etc. a cx bike

i do.

but you're going to be beaten-up by the commuters and tourists.

good luck.

Perhaps I am too much of a greenhorn to appreciate the issues here, but I thought I would take a risk and offer my two bits.

I want to cyclecross - badly. You know why? Because I was told, by a big bunch of racing CXers here in Portland, that it was so flexible. They (the Portland CXers) ride their CX bikes *everywhere*. Most keep two wheelsets (one road, one mountain) and claim to ride everything - commuting, singletrack, CX racing, road racing, touring, whatever - on their CX bikes. It has always appeared to me that the proud heart of CX was the desire to do conquer everything. If not, why in the name of all that's sensible are you in an alleged bike race where you get off the bike and run?!

I dont like basketball because it's just one game - ball, hoop, it never changes. Basketball will never be hockey, or foosball for quiet days, or soccer if I feel like running farther. I was drawn to CX by its lack of boundaries. I've taken my roadie off road. It *sucked*. With my CX super commuter-touring-road racing-uber bike, I hope to change that.

So, a newbie's request: if not about this gloriously prophesied flexibility, what *is* cyclecross all about?

Roadies, but muddier?

This seems to be a very touchy subject for some. I don't give a flying funk, I'll continue to commute, tour, group road ride, trail ride, etc. on my cross bike. I'm with you, Stove, that the lure of CX to me is the lack of boundaries. In this ever-evolving sport of bicycling, it's ironic and unfortunate that some try to give it so many boundaries. I think it stems from the fact that it's an elitist sport with very few competitive members, so veteran CX racers feel threatened when their facet of the sport starts to become common to the masses. Touching on what Darkmother pointed out, it would be a shame if mountain biking was still just riding on rolling grassy hillsides in California. Now mountain bikers are drawing in so many more people to the sport with their extreme twist on it. It has even become a good option for someone to use a mountain bike for commuting and even touring. As a longtime mountainbiker, I don't have any problem with someone choosing this route. Even if they call themselves a mountainbiker for commuting on a mountain bike, so what? It's all just riding.

Timo,
What are you doing with your CX bike these days?
Al

Right now, my bike is serving as my daily commuter, weekend rider on roads or otherwise, & race bike for the duathlon series that I compete in.

Come fall, it's my cyclocross bike & I race cyclocross. Period. If there was such thing as a spring/summer series, I would be racing cyclocross on the weekends now. The rest of the stuff is for fun.

The old one is for occasional field training while I am building a new one for the next season (see the thread about this). Meanwhile I mainly (basically only) ride my road bike during the summer.

Why?

Well, because I didn't think you were currently racing, but probably still riding your CX bike, perhaps on road, perhaps it seems actually in the 'field'.

Are you putting shocks, disc brakes and fenders on your new bike your building up? ;)

Don't you think is a good thing that folks learn about the versatitly of bikes designed for CX racing, buy them, use them for whatever, but perhaps develop an interest in the actual sport? That is what happened to me. I absorb everything CX I can (articles, pictures, video), have bought CX training material, practice skills. I also only own one bike (and three types of tires) so its gonna be used for a variety of things, all day road tours, dirt road tours, single track, commuting and practicing CX specific skills and having unofficial races in the park with friends. But I also want to race in a real race at some point, but as well all know there is only a short season and races may require signifcant travel to get to (at least 100mi in case) so it is somewhat hard to get into.

Al

Noisebeam - A cyclocross race bike cannot have disc brake or shock --> Not allowed by governing body.
Timo - I agree with your comments; but your going to get beat up a little in this forum.

SAR2525 - I very well know this, hence the ;) behind my question to Timo. Timo was complaing about all these non-cyclocross posts to do with single speed, shocks, fenders, etc. so for fun I asked if he was putting them on his new bike.

Al

I took the same road as you. Did my research, settled on a cx bike, read as much about the race, found a bike that I could afford on ebay, 4 months later & showed up at a race & the rest is history. After 2 yrs, I am still not any good at it but love it! Looking forward to it already. I hope you can find a nearby race & give it a go. For a beginner, you could not pick a better type of racing to get into/started with.
Don't remind me of the driving distances but nevertheless I think we had an all time record of 4 including me with all the bikes too (91 Honda Civic hatchback here folks!) & that was also the all time longest driving time because we were going the slowest down the highway
Have a great day!
Go for a ride!
Kinda cold in shorts this morning in Montreal.
:)