Monday, 1/22/07 at 12:09 PM
by Sara Jarrell
by Sara Jarrell
Winter Riding?
The big question, the one that comes up every winter, you know the one, think hard, most of us have tried to block it out…
How am I going to ride in this foul weather?
Well I am here to tell you that it is possible. Depending on how foul the weather is in your location you may have to invest in a trainer or a gym membership or it could be that you need to invest in some warmer biking clothes, meatier tires, or maybe you need to try cyclocross racing!
This year I decided to try my hand at cyclocross racing as a way to have some fun and stay in shape during the winter season. Cyclocross is a hybrid of road racing and mountain bike racing requiring skillful handling of the bike, strength and speed. The bikes used in cyclocross races are road bikes with drop bars, knobby tires, and cantilever or disc type brakes to accommodate the larger tire size and increase braking power. Mountain bikes are allowed in cyclocross races as long as the handlebars or any handlebar attachments are not facing forward. Race circuits are a mile or two long and include some paved sections, dirt sections, and barriers. Barriers are obstacles about 16 inches in height that require one to dismount from their bike and hop over or bunny hop if you are so skilled. Other impediments include super steep climbs, sand, mud, rocks, roots, ice, and snow that often require you to dismount and carry your bike. Race length is determined by time, most of the women’s races are anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes long.
Sounds like fun huh? Well despite the difficulty and the grueling nature of cyclocross it is a ton of fun! I participated in three races this year and hope to catch a couple more after the holidays. Cyclocross keeps you on your toes, there is not a second in a race when you can ease up or take a breather. It is an all out effort from start to finish. My first race was a good introduction-- the course was plenty difficult but the weather was pleasant making some obstacles less of an issue. A couple of things that came to my attention during this race was that this type of racing requires one to be in tip top shape and that I needed to practice dismounting and remounting my bike and hopping over barriers. So with a little guidance from a friend and a couple of cyclocross books I practiced. In spite of muddier and colder racing conditions at my second race my practice paid off, I was able to tackle barriers with greater confidence. My confidence continued to grow with practice and my third race was a bit better than the last. I am hopeful that this streak of small improvements continues to grow and holds strong through the rest of this cross season and on to future seasons.
Racing cyclocross has been a goal of mine for years now and I always got a case of the wet feet when the season came around – “ Oh, that is too hard” or “I don’t have the proper equipment” or “I can’t ride in that weather”. It is easy to talk ourselves out of doing something that is out of our comfort zone but in those moments when we prevail and meet our goals it feels great. So I will end this with a challenge for all of those women out there to try something they never thought they would do on their bike for the New Year. Downhill anyone?
See you on the course,
Sara
How am I going to ride in this foul weather?
Well I am here to tell you that it is possible. Depending on how foul the weather is in your location you may have to invest in a trainer or a gym membership or it could be that you need to invest in some warmer biking clothes, meatier tires, or maybe you need to try cyclocross racing!
This year I decided to try my hand at cyclocross racing as a way to have some fun and stay in shape during the winter season. Cyclocross is a hybrid of road racing and mountain bike racing requiring skillful handling of the bike, strength and speed. The bikes used in cyclocross races are road bikes with drop bars, knobby tires, and cantilever or disc type brakes to accommodate the larger tire size and increase braking power. Mountain bikes are allowed in cyclocross races as long as the handlebars or any handlebar attachments are not facing forward. Race circuits are a mile or two long and include some paved sections, dirt sections, and barriers. Barriers are obstacles about 16 inches in height that require one to dismount from their bike and hop over or bunny hop if you are so skilled. Other impediments include super steep climbs, sand, mud, rocks, roots, ice, and snow that often require you to dismount and carry your bike. Race length is determined by time, most of the women’s races are anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes long.
Sounds like fun huh? Well despite the difficulty and the grueling nature of cyclocross it is a ton of fun! I participated in three races this year and hope to catch a couple more after the holidays. Cyclocross keeps you on your toes, there is not a second in a race when you can ease up or take a breather. It is an all out effort from start to finish. My first race was a good introduction-- the course was plenty difficult but the weather was pleasant making some obstacles less of an issue. A couple of things that came to my attention during this race was that this type of racing requires one to be in tip top shape and that I needed to practice dismounting and remounting my bike and hopping over barriers. So with a little guidance from a friend and a couple of cyclocross books I practiced. In spite of muddier and colder racing conditions at my second race my practice paid off, I was able to tackle barriers with greater confidence. My confidence continued to grow with practice and my third race was a bit better than the last. I am hopeful that this streak of small improvements continues to grow and holds strong through the rest of this cross season and on to future seasons.
Racing cyclocross has been a goal of mine for years now and I always got a case of the wet feet when the season came around – “ Oh, that is too hard” or “I don’t have the proper equipment” or “I can’t ride in that weather”. It is easy to talk ourselves out of doing something that is out of our comfort zone but in those moments when we prevail and meet our goals it feels great. So I will end this with a challenge for all of those women out there to try something they never thought they would do on their bike for the New Year. Downhill anyone?
See you on the course,
Sara
Comments
Although I'm a newbie, I'm actually quite interested in trying out cyclocross. I've got questions.
Before committing to a bike purchase, could I just get a used road bike and do some upgrades? We have a local shop that sells ancient road bikes. I noticed that cross bikes allow options for tire width. Why is this? What size tire is actually used for racing? I've also struck out on finding a cross bike for women. They only come in men's sizes as far as I can tell. What size men's frame would a 5'6" woman use? I was told that the frame of a cross bike runs smaller than a standard road bike. Any tips on practicing dismounts/remounts? Would you advise disc brakes?
Tons of questions, I know.
Tiffany in PA
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