Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

Also does anyone have any CX specific training drills? I'm coming off a mixed road season and would love to carry what I have left through to Feb.

Learn to bunny hop mountainbike sized mud holes.

Find a local coaching session

There are loads of useful articles on the CX magazine website;

http://www.cxmagazine.com/category/cyclocross-training-and-skills

If you are a complete beginner, then I'd recommend you work on cornering and dismounts and remounts before anything else.

the GCN show did a series of CX videos which I found were pretty informative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28LnQcMuk7o

Get out and ride in as much varied terrain as possible (says the man who has only ridden on rollers for his season prep so far). That way you'll get a feel for when it's quicker to run than ride and things like that.

Find some sharp slippery corners and try belting around them. Remember to lean the bike not the rider - you want as much of those side knobs in the dirt as possible.

Dismounts / remounts take a bit of practice. I reckon they are more important on a fast dry course.

Don't worry about bunnyhopping stuff, just do a bit of pulling up on the front wheel to get over roots and ridges.

If you want books on the subject: the Simon Burney book is OK, the Scott Mares is not so great.

CX mag articles are useful, GCN I've seen before and thought they're useless. I've ridden a little off road on my cross check so I'm not completely new. Hope to see some of you in Battle on The Beach again (and that I have more success than this year).

Might see you at some of the western league racers later in the year (after hill climb season is done)

sweet, I'll be the f*cking massive guy clogging up the course.

what's the consensus on tyres for the budget racer? I'm thinking rocket rons over the grifo, but what's the thinking man's equiv of the limus? pref gumwall for the look :D

If you find a budget gumwall at all let me know!

I think you need two pairs; an intermediate for dry and damp conditions, and a full mud tyre for when it gets properly wet in December onwards.

Are you running clinchers?

Gumwall are fine for Instagram likes, they won't stay clean and pristine for long once it gets muddy. Personally I'd get a pair of Vittoria XLs for mud and rocket rons, grifo or the Michelin Mud 2s for the intermediates.

I've got Clement pdx for intermediates with latex tubes in clinchers. They have done me really well right up to when the mud comes.
The xl Andy is talking about are on my next list.

Thanks Andy. Certainly went better than last week at Hog Hill, where I was cornering like a sack of potatoes, crashed 3 times and was riding fairly terribly in conditions I usually fare well in.

Regarding cross training: at first I'd just ride a cross bike in the woods fast. It's more fun than any kind of rigid structured training, is generally a better simulation of a race and will develop your handling skills way quicker. Though obviously learning to dismount, remount and shouldering the bike does take a bit of repetitive practice.

If a tubeless wheelset is an option it's definitely worth considering. If you're big I'd disregard UCI rules and go for 35mm tyres, particularly for intermediate conditions.

Any of you lot taking part in the 3 peaks this weekend?

This just looks mental and seems so far removed from a normal CX race.

What can you say? The age of GPS units has made people completely clueless about what they should do when they lose theirs.

Not this year. Been there done that got the sweatshirt etc...

It's great fun though.

Anyone know if the Hackney GT Wednesday training thing at Hackney Marshes is on tomorrow? Quite fancied checking it out.

Might head over that way anyway for a bit of training. Thinking I might need a winter 'Wednesday Worlds' in my life.

Yeah should be, it's on every Weds. It's good fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZHdpNGEW4w

Cross Vegas is on at 5am, then on youtube after that.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sven/182956406

Sven: The Final Year for £4.53

^^^^^ are cyclingtips not screening it FOC at the same time it streams live at interbike and crossvegas? At about 02.00 BST?

Anyone setting alarm early for crossvegas live?

Van Aert looks unbeatable at the moment, despite his best attempts to handicap himself.

No London League this weekend but there is Central League at RAF Halton. One of the best courses I've ridden.

no, I think it's pay only

"To coincide with the live screening at Interbike and CrossVegas, we’ll be showing the film here (press ‘play’ at the top of the page and ‘watch now’ on the top right corner while the trailer is playing after 8.30pm PST) for a small donation that goes towards the creators of this brilliant film documenting the greatest cyclocross racer of all time."

Have you been giving him tips?