published 8.18.2000

The “Steeple Chase” of Bike Racing

You would never think of running with your bike thrown over your shoulder during a bike race, but Cyclo-Cross isn’t your typical bike race! It’s a “race designed with the psychotic in-mind” says, Ben Williams, president of Potomac Velo Club of Virginia. Running with your bike on your shoulder is a common site in a Cyclo-Cross race. In fact, when you see a pack of racers doing this it can be quite exciting. It resembles a pack of gazelle’s gracefully bouncing through the woods.

Cyclo-Cross is fast becoming one of America’s favorite weekend style of cycling recreation as more and more cycling enthusiasts are learning about Cyclo-Cross. It’s fast paced; tight riding and easy spectating have an appeal to the entry-level rider as well as the seasoned pro’s. It’s the “steeplechase” of bike racing, with its mandatory dis-mount sections where riders are forced to hop-off the bike and run with it. Because of it’s shorter race times, high intensity and technical skills, this style of racing benefits the mountain biker, road racer and fun seeker of any age and gender.

Cyclo-Cross got its start in Europe as training for road racers in the ‘off-season’ and pre-dates mountain biking by 3 decades, easily. Typically held in the fall and early winter months, Cyclo-Cross starts up just as the leaves turn on their vibrant colors. The cold mornings signal the transition from road or mountain bikes to Cross! Resembling a circus more than a bike race is what one concludes while watching racers dismount their bikes, run over a wooden set of barriers and then re-mount their bike. This happens several times per lap along with racing across pavement, gravel, sand, grassy fields and of course mud! Mud and frozen ground are common sites in a Cyclo-Cross race due to the time of year.

Break out that extra layer of clothes, pump up your skinny nobbies and head out to a local park for some cross practice because your gonna’ need it before jumping into a race. The most obvious technique is the dismount-barrier-remount sections. This requires a short lesson and a handful of courage. Heading into a high wooden barrier spanning the course while riding at 15-20 mph can be quite unsettling. What you want to do is un-clip your (typically) right foot, swing your leg over and bring it through your left leg and the bike. Once your comfortable with this maneuver, the next step is to grab your top tube (this is to be done after you have brought your foot around, and should be sticking out front) with your right hand and coast towards the barrier. Some cross racers switch their brakes because, as you might have guessed, your now a little vulnerable in the position you should now be in. Grabbing a handful of front brake would NOT be wise, it can be painful and embarrassing.

The whole idea with transitioning in Cyclo-Cross is to keep moving forward, whether riding or running. Being smooth and not wasting valuable time wins most races. While you ride up, stop, get off, run –over a barrier or up a hill, stop, get back on your bike and then continue. Other racers will simply ride or run right around you and continue about their business.

A typical ‘Cross’ race is approximately 2 miles or less (much like a criterium), held in open fields for easy spectating, wide enough of a course (NO single track) for easy passing and visibility and, lastly, the famous ‘run-up’ sections. These are, normally, un-ridable sections of steep short hills that often, at times, include some wooden barriers that must be dismounted to go over. Races are anywhere from 30 minutes to 60 minutes in length depending on the class you choose to enter. Plan on racing anywhere from 6 to 12 laps of the same circuit, so you can get lot’s of practice over the sections you might have had trouble with on the previous lap.

This years “Virginia Cyclo-Cross Series”, presented by the Virginia Cyclo-Cross Association, is a great way to try out a cross race for the first time. Races are at Lake Fairfax, in Reston and Chimborazo Park in Richmond, VA. The “Virginia Cyclo-Cross Series” will have 2 races at each location and the finals, on January 7 th, in Richmond will conclude the series.

Information can be found at Potomac Velo’s website ( www.potomacvelo.com), where you can also find links to the region’s other Cyclo-Cross races, as well as info on Potomac Velo, a club of riding, racing and race promoting enthusiasts that have come together for the joy of cycling. Potomac Velo is also hosting a Cyclo-Cross clinic once a week through the month of November. Please visit www.potomacvelo.com for further info on Cyclo-Cross in the Northern Virginia area.