Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. The races take place typically in the autumn and winter. It consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike whilst navigating the obstruction and remount in one motion. Cyclocross is a fun and challenging mix of road and off-road racing on a closed circuit with obstacles such as sandtraps, berms, and barriers.



Cyclocross boomed in the late 1990s. Cycloross become favorite winter sports in Europe at that time, cyclocross combines riding in tricky terrain with jumping off to carry the bike over obstacle and up or down the hills that are too steep to ride. There are two countries annually hold this Cyclocross racing, Belgium and France. Cross-country racing is more attractive for people to watch because it shows a lot of unique attraction and skill.

Cyclocross can be done using a mountain bike, but for more serious competition a cyclocross bike is a better choice, it's like a road bike but with more features like wider tires and greater wheel clearances that help it to handle muddy conditions, cyclocross biggest advantage is weight, which is several pounds lighter than that typical mountain bike, and make cyclocross bike easier to hoist and carry.

Simon Burney, the expert on cyclocross racing and trainingmentions, said that competing in cyclocross races will improve the skills of all cyclists, no mater what their discipline. He says that cyclocross riding can be a perfect winter activity for road cyclists to be involved in: "As an aid to improved bike handling it cannot be beaten. After a winter riding 'cross, bad road surfaces, racing in the rain, and descending will be a lot easier to cope with, as 'cross teaches you how to race and handle your bike well in all conditions."

Techniques and Tactics

For anyone new to the sport of cyclocross, it is probably not a bad idea to watch a race or two, as a spectator, before signing up for their first race. Running, leaping over obstacles and quickly mounting and dismounting the cross bike are all key components of an average cyclocross race.

Mastering the mounts and dismounts required in cyclo-cross takes practice and lots of it. Start out slowly on a smooth surface; as you improve, try practicing on progressively less friendly terrain.

The Role of the Mechanic

Cyclocross racing puts a lot of wear and tear on rider equipment. Burney mentions that serious cross racers own two cyclocross bikes. While the cx racer is out racing on the course with one bike, their mechanic can work on cleaning and maintaining the spare bike. Most cross races have a pit area, where the racers can exchange one bike for another, while giving the mechanics an area to work on the bike that has just been exchanged.

There are a lot of websites that talk about Cyclocross technique and tactics. CyclocrossMagazine.com is one of my favorite cyclocross online magazines. They tell us about cyclocross online by showing the video tutorial and articles for each technique and tactics. We can learn theme easily and practice it well, better than buying a lot of video and book to learn about cyclocross which can spend much money for it.