Cyclocross with MTB

Hi all,

I have noticed from the past few emails from the community a lot of talk about Cyclocross in the Chicago area. It has piqued my interest. Doing some research online it seems like you can run a MTB for cyclocross so I was thinking of doing a bit of updating to an older Trek I have and diving casually in. I have read up on changing out the tires and some other tweaks to the bike.

I think I have a good handle on bike adjustments, but what about some other things to expect on the course; clothing, weather, hydration, etc. Anyone have any general advise or comments to share?

I am probably looking to do the cyclocross as a more "casual" sort of exercise for the fall and winter.

Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Arturo G on September 18, 2015 at 1:59pm

I'm assuming you mean racing cyclocross? If so, you can definitely race on a MTB, just make sure you take off the bar ends if it has them. You'd be starting as a Cat5, which is the beginner category, and those races are 30 minutes long. I wouldn't worry about nutrition for a race that short, just make sure you are hydrated before the start as carrying a water bottle during the race is difficult. Check out chicrosscup.com for more info. The series runs virtually every weekend until the end of December, with the first race at LaBagh Woods this weekend.

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Permalink Reply by Matt on September 19, 2015 at 3:17am

Thanks. I didn't realize the races were so short.

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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on September 19, 2015 at 4:08am

Hehehe. It doesn't feel "short" because it is pretty intense. 30 minutes feels like forever. ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on September 18, 2015 at 2:37pm

Some people do race with an MTB at first (before buying their CX bike). You may want to attend the clinic and/or a practice if you would like to know what to expect e.g. dismount/remount, barriers, sand, etc.

We added a lot of the information in the cx 101 and the cx starter kit with links to all of the registration pages. Hope that helps!