My First Foray into 'Cross

Ok, so I had heard things about cyclocross... not many good things, I was told: it was going to hurt, you won't be able to ride a cross bike well and you'll probably not make it to the end of your first cross race.. but I still got my 'cross bike (which I broke the first time I rode it) and decided to give some racing ago, after one technique session.

Cyclocross take one!

Rd2 of the Eastern Cross league, at Springfield park saw my first ever cyclocross race - I was gridded on the back row and was feeling optimistic, despite the pan flat course with 3 dismounts!

After the gun went I knew it was necessary to move up quickly, so I set about doing so and made good progress, until I got tangled with another rider... and I lost a considerable amount of places.  So, I get back in the pedals and start picking off riders one by one, trying not to embarrass myself on the dismounts.  Which I got right once and made four places in the process, only to leave the bike in a massive gear and lose all the places bake when remounting!  Amateur, I know...  It was nice to turn the pedals in anger for the first time after my prolonged 'brake' from cycling, over-rested is a term I would use!

Yup, that hurt! I did finish though.

Whilst my finishing position wasn't so great - the fact that I made up 50 places on my starting position certainly makes it sound better!

Race data:  http://app.strava.com/activities/22155685

Cyclocross take two!

A trip to Hog Hill for the Hoggenberg 'cross saw my second cross race, again an Eastern League race.  This course had a couple of small climbs, had far more singletrack, a very interesting spiral and only one dismount!  I was quite looking forward to this, the course was far more fun than the previous weekend but I was feeling tired after doing a series of fitness tests the previous day.  

Yet, as always the courses that are fun to ride, aren't so great to race on, you really needed to be on the front from the gun to place well in this race, guess where I was again?  Yep, the back row.  So, off we went up the Hoggenberg and then into the spiral, I made up a few places before getting caught in bottle-neck.. but I kept plodding along like a trooper and having to stretch by back every time I hit a straight, probably due to the insanely bumpy course, which didn't help much at all!  I decided to back off a bit towards the end as any hope of a good position was well out of the window - but I decided to have a bit of fun, attempting to add some style to the jump half way round the circuit (whoever it was taking the pictures - if you got a decent one please contact me!).  This was one of those races where the bell couldn't come any sonner - and I was glad when the leader lapped me - it meant one last lap!

I made up around 30 places on my starting position and finished mid-pack again.  Whilst there were fewer riders, this was definitely a stronger field, with a few london based riders present.

This is how you carry the bike, right?

Race data: http://app.strava.com/activities/22792096

So, what do I think of 'cross?  Did I enjoy it?  Yeah- in kind of perverse way.  Will I be doing it again?  Definitely, it'll make me stronger... 

Most of all I learnt you need to be able to do 3 things to be strong at 'Cross:

-Be a punchy and powerful rider 

-Be able to ride a 'cross bike well + be good at low speed cornering

-Be able to do the 'cross specific stuff

These three things I am unequivocally not able to do!  Cyclocross is everything I'm weak at, which why I feel I should be keep doing it!  I'm convinced it'll make me far stronger on the mountain bike - particularly on the flatter courses.

My next race will be the local Amis Velo Supacross in Colchester.  Next week marks my return to training with plenty of 'strength and conditioning', now that I've finally sorted all the UCAS stuff!

Thanks for reading!