Expalin what the heck cyclocross is to me PLEASE!
I never heard of it before I started reading these forums and, frankly, I just don't get it. Today, I actually SAW cyclocross in action and I get it even less! Why are these guys NOT using mountain bikes since it is an off-road course? Is a cross bike nothing more than a road bike with kind of knobbie tires or a mountain bike with big wheels and dropped bars? What advantage come from having dropped bars in an off-road setting? Why would a sport get developed wheer you would have to carry the bike instead of ride it? Why, again, aren't these races run on MTBs?
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Originally Posted by mr,grumpy
(Post 10062199)
Why, again, aren't these races run on MTBs?
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Wow! I thought that it was the NEW thing! LOL!!!! I guess NOT!
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Cyclocross tracks are designed for a mixture of surfaces and while a MTB might work on one of those surfaces, they would be at a disadvantage on the others. This is where a cyclocross bike would be an advantage. Two equally matched riders where one was on a MTB and one was on a cross bike, the MTB rider would be on the losing battle of that race.
edit to add: maybe if you'd participate in one of these races you'd fully understand what it's all about. It's about having fun! |
Originally Posted by knobster
(Post 10062259)
Cyclocross tracks are designed for a mixture of surfaces and while a MTB might work on one of those surfaces, they would be at a disadvantage on the others. This is where a cyclocross bike would be an advantage. Two equally matched riders where one was on a MTB and one was on a cross bike, the MTB rider would be on the losing battle of that race.
edit to add: maybe if you'd participate in one of these races you'd fully understand what it's all about. It's about having fun! |
Originally Posted by mr,grumpy
(Post 10062297)
don't have twelve hundred bucks for a new bike.
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Originally Posted by mr,grumpy
(Post 10062249)
Wow! I thought that it was the NEW thing! LOL!!!! I guess NOT!
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I've raced cyclocross, I found it to be amusing at times. I'm in a bicycle race, yet I'm RUNNING. Not running, RUNNING WITH MY BIKE! Like a triathalon? No, they leave their bikes. The history was explained in the beginners clinic. 1908. It was fun, that much was certain. The thing is, if you go for a long and varied route with a cyclocross bike, you'll end up doing everything you would in a race, just without the race. There are barriers (physical and artificial), "run ups", sharp curves, varied terrain. The easiest explanation is it is an odd race that doesn't make much sense outside of the race. The advantage of a cyclocross bike can easily be seen though. I rode a century today, mixed singletrack and road. Ran on both fairly well. Do that with a road bike, or mountain bike.
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Here ya go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWGnM_1ViZA |
Good grief! I'll wait here...
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I don't know much about cyclocross/cyclocross racing, but it seems the equipment and skills might be useful in "real" situations. When I was a kid I'd walk into the mountains (extreme Southwest Virginia, U.S.A.). I never dreamed of trying to bring/ride my bike in "virgin" forest. There were trees of varying age/thickness every few feet, with rocks and holes camaflaged by layers of dieing leaves. There were also great variations in incline as one climbed. If climbing to the top of a mountain it would seem one would be pushing/carrying the bike a lot. On the otherhand if decending, or traveling on leveler spots along a constant altitude, there might be some hope of making good time on a bike (with a lot of adventureouts twists and turns). I still don't think I will ever try to take a bike into "untamed" mountains (I assume even most mountain bikers use trails of some kind), but I would probably try it if someone invited me. I assume it might be really exhausting and the bike might be more of a hinderence than a help, but it might be fun.
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Originally Posted by knobster
(Post 10062403)
Nor do you need it. I see them on craigslist all the time from $400-$whatever. But you could easily use a MTB and have just as much fun. Wouldn't be as competitive, but it's a good way to start racing.
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Originally Posted by mr,grumpy
(Post 10063480)
I'm still not sure why the MTB would be at a disadvantage.
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Originally Posted by mr,grumpy
(Post 10063480)
What about an old Raleigh Marathon or even older peugeot with knobbie tires? Wouldn't the bike break? I'm still not sure why the MTB would be at a disadvantage.
You could do what you're talking about with the older bikes and it would do ok on dry conditions. The biggest issue is where you encounter mud. Cross bikes have a lot of clearance for mud and also the proper brakes for mud clearance. These road bikes don't and in a muddy situation, it could be a deal breaker. Would work ok in dry. Again, weight matters in cross. |
Originally Posted by Jay D
(Post 10063801)
I'm in this same boat. Prompted by this thread, I checked out a few cyclocross videos online to see what it was all about. From what I can see, the majority of the riding is off road and I don't see what the advantage having drop bars would be for this. I would think a MTB would be able to perform these functions better.
But the difference was showing up in the lap times. Those cyclocross boys were fast. I still could not see the interest in riding a road bike over a muddy course till the Second MTB race. We had the juniors on cyclocross racing with us as there were not many MTB's and not many juniors. They may have been fit- they may have been young but we had the right bikes for the course. Those Juniors creamed us. Thank goodness they did not put us out with experienced cyclocrossers. |
Originally Posted by Jay D
(Post 10063801)
I'm in this same boat. Prompted by this thread, I checked out a few cyclocross videos online to see what it was all about. From what I can see, the majority of the riding is off road and I don't see what the advantage having drop bars would be for this. I would think a MTB would be able to perform these functions better.
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There are still quite a few of enthusiastic folks who off road with drop bars so these do not limit where you can go although the set up and specific bars used are a little different.
Early cross racers used road bikes but preferred touring bikes because of their increased clearance and more robust frames and now cyclocross has evolved to a point where bikes are specifically designed for this. On the flip side... many people opt to use cross bikes as commuters and tourers because of their excellent ability to do everything. I know guys here who ride cross bikes on challenging single track, do some serious drops and don't really give up much to the guys riding mtb's and when it comes to riding on smooth sections the cyclocross bike is superior. |
Originally Posted by Fern53
(Post 10062974)
Good grief! I'll wait here...
http://www.g4events.com/data/gallery...6_439_1370.jpg |
Originally Posted by mr,grumpy
(Post 10063480)
What about an old Raleigh Marathon or even older peugeot with knobbie tires? Wouldn't the bike break? I'm still not sure why the MTB would be at a disadvantage.
A conversion of an older road bike for cyclocross can be done but it requires lots of maintenance or changing to dirt resistant parts if it is going to survive. No visible frame or fork damage though from it's cyclocross use. |
Helmet cam from a DCCX, a local cyclocross back in October:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcfqNqClKPc It just ain't gonna be Leadville -- the terrain isn't extreme enough. A mountain bike would be more of a hindrance than a benefit like stapfam found. |
Originally Posted by Jeff Wills
(Post 10063964)
OK, you can watch these guys:
http://www.g4events.com/data/gallery...6_439_1370.jpg Please do tell, what's the story there? |
Originally Posted by Jay D
(Post 10063801)
I'm in this same boat. Prompted by this thread, I checked out a few cyclocross videos online to see what it was all about. From what I can see, the majority of the riding is off road and I don't see what the advantage having drop bars would be for this. I would think a MTB would be able to perform these functions better.
And, ideally, everybody should be using the same, exact equipment. |
Originally Posted by njkayaker
(Post 10071062)
A mountain bike might "function better". The point of the race isn't necessarily to use the "best functioning" equipment. In cyclocross, the interest is in making the race challenging (not easy).
And, ideally, everybody should be using the same, exact equipment. |
Originally Posted by stapfam
(Post 10072317)
May have been the same in the US- but up to a few years ago- There were regs that stipulated that you had to use 700c wheels and drop bars in Cyclocross in the UK. Then it was relaxed so you could use 26" wheels and flat bars. So basically you could use a rigid MTB in Cyclocross. It did lead to a few changes in the bikes- but within a few years- everyone one was using bikes that Conformed to the old regs. They worked better.
Regardless, the purpose of the such regs (in any sport) is to make sure that people use equipment that is basically the same. That is, the idea is that the race results are distinguished by the ability of the athletes, not by differences in the equipment. That there might be better equipment/technology out there is kind of moot unless everybody uses it. |
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