tips for newbies, eh? not sure how much i have to offer, being a newbie myself - but here is what i've learned so far.

the start is everything in this game. when i pre-ride a course, i do so with this in mind. what side do i line up on? where will the pile up be? where are my lines going into the first crucial turns/barriers?

look thru the turns. prior to giving cross a try, i had ZERO off road riding experience, and quite frankly was scared to death at times. it was pointed out that i was staring 5 feet in front of my wheel. we go where we look.

core strength is required.

exit speed in the turns is crucial

drills pay off (dismount, remount, shouldering techniques)

i definitely need more time to prep for a cx race than i do for a crit/road race.

i have very little good info to share regarding tire pressures - lots of tinkering and learning to do here.

these are some of the big things that come to mind for me. this cx business is really new to this roadie, and i'm having a blast with this whole new discipline. i've found that the other racers are all too eager to share their ideas/techniques, when asked.