Hey guys,

I've been bike commuting for about two years and about a year ago I caught the bug and also bought a road bike, a Felt F5. I'm interested in ditching my hybrid commuter and getting a cyclocross bike as my around-town/commuter bike (looking at the Jamis Nova Race).

Once I get the cross bike, I feel like I should at least try out a cyclocross race. I've done centuries and organized group rides on the Felt, but haven't done any actual racing yet. Am I nuts to start racing on the cyclocross course, or is it easier to pick up than your average Cat 5 road race?

Thanks!

grass doesn't hurt as much to crash on. I think CX is a great place to start... get used to riding close to other riders without freaking out... rubbing shoulders etc. Everything is a bit slower on grass, and the cost of istakes is less on grass vs pavement

I'm a commuter too and this Summer decided to give cyclocross racing a shot. Last racing experience was a couple decades ago in college in a crit that didn't end well. I was taken out in a crash that wrecked both my bike and left shoulder.

My experience with cross racing this fall was much different. Raced 11 times this season and had a blast. I crashed several times but speeds are low and most of the surfaces are somewhat forgiving (grass/dirt/sand/and of course the dreaded mud). I just got back up and kept going. My "best" wipeout was a very slow motion fail going through a sand pit.

Best thing I did was to join a club and attend a pre-season clinic. Couple of Saturday mornings learning some basic skills and getting pointers from experienced guys during the season really helped.

Give it a shot next season. Worst case scenario is if cross racing is not your thing, a cross bike makes a really good wet weather commuter . I'm hooked and will be using my commute to work on skills and conditioning that will help improve my performance next season.

Good luck.

Place you lose time is hesitating going over barriers, so Practice that, until its fluid.
and learn to Run fast carrying the bike up steep slippery slopes

This +1. I've just started doing competitive cycling, and decided to try cyclocross. Crashing after overloading your front wheel going around a muddy corner hurts a lot less than going down on a graveled corner.

Cross is where I started! For reasons mentioned above plus:

You will more than likely get dropped in your first road race. This is humbling and can be a discouraging experience.

In cross, if you or not in the lead group, you can just race at your best pace. Other than the leaders, none of the spectators know who is 2nd - last place. Lots less intimidation factor.

Also, you have a pretty good chance of not coming in last in your first cross race. This really can't be said for RR or crits.

Give it a go! Cross racing and road racing = apples and oranges.

In a cross race, being a closed loop, you get Lapped..

The best/worst thing about CX is that after a lap or two you have no idea what place you're in.

I agree with everything said so far. Cross is the only bike racing I do.

Pick a bike that will suit your budget and your other planned uses. If you really get hooked you'll probably want a dedicated race bike eventually.

If I can count the other racers at the start I usually have a pretty good idea.

It's a no-brainer. CX is the place to start racing.

Get it and race it. The racing is a LOT of fun and the atmosphere at the races is just as much fun. Practice your skills beforehand and you'll end up with a good experience racing. If you can, go to a clinic. It's a great way to start and get your feet wet.

CX is also one of the safest racing disciplines, so you don't have to worry about killing yourself. The speeds are slow (relatively) and most of the course is softish. Enjoy!

+1 since 2007 never looked back hit race # 100 at the end of the 2012 season SO MUCH FUN has made the last 5 years of my life awesome, now I just need to win a 3 race.

I have to beg to differ slightly from the previous posters, in that I think cyclocross is a great place to start racing if that's the kind of racing you are excited about! I just wouldn't say that it's an objectively better place to start, overall. If cyclocross racing is what you want to do, start by racing cyclocross. If road racing is what you want to do, start racing road. If you want to try both, just start with whichever one happens to be in season when you decide to try racing, and then do the next one when that comes along. I started racing road two years before I ever did a cyclocross race, and four years before I actually raced a real cyclocross season (albeit a short one). I wish I had gotten into cross sooner, but I don't regret starting on the road one bit and I don't see how starting with cyclocross would have been any better an experience for me.

It's a lot of fun, and I think that CX is a welcoming way for beginners to get started in bike racing. My first bike race was in 1979, BMX. My first road race 1989, MTB 1992. If those disciplines were as low-key as they were back then, I'd say it wouldn't matter. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.
CX racers remind me of the road and MTB racers back when I was starting out.

Los

how does one get into doing cross racing? Does it cost money to enter events? Are they always in the morning?

1) find a CX race.

2) get a bike. (CX bike, mtb bike, road bike that can fit wide knobby tires all can be used for most races, but check with the race organizer if you're planning on using a MTB )

3) show up, pay money, sign release, pin on number, go race.

Yeah, that.

In a lot of areas shops or organizers will put on free clinics before the season starts where you can learn some of the skills involved, etc...