Cyclo-Cross Biking
Never taking no for an answer, cyclo-crossers defy the mud, streams, and hills of ultimate cross-country racing. If you're a 'crosser, you live by this credo: Everything is accessible.
In 1903, the French journalist Géo Lefèvre organized the world's first 'cycle-pedestrian cross country race.' The event had more in common with cross-country running than cycling, but the idea caught on. Soon, hard-core Belgian and French cyclists took to the woods during the cold, wet, and muddy winter months. They'd ride alongside horses through muddy trails, across streams, and over fallen trees. When the trail became impassable, they'd carry their bikes and keep on going.
What got started as an extreme winter mud fest through the woods quickly became a great way for bicycle racers to stay in shape during the off season. By the 1940s, enthusiasts regularly devised obstacle-filled courses for impromptu races. In 1950, the sport finally came into its own. Paris held the first international cyclo-cross event. Jean Robic, winner of the 1947 Tour de France, became the cycle-cross's first world champion.
Now-a-day, cyclo-cross is practiced all over the world, and the sport has some followers in Thailand.
Cyclo -Madness
For serious cyclists, cyclo-cross is the ultimate extreme biking experience. A typical course challenges racers to a grueling test or rough terrain, artificial barriers, mud pits, grasslands, near-vertical climbs and descents, thick woods, streams, and hurdles. Racers need to have more than technical skills; they need razor-sharp reflexes and the ability to make split-second decisions. 'Crossers need to know when to ride, when to run, when to shift, and which choice will be the fastest. More than any other bicyclers, cyclo-crossers need to be masters of bike-handling skills. In the course of a single race, 'crossers pedal at top speed, run up hill, jump over obstacles, carry their bikes, and leap on and off their bikes without pause.
Cyclo-cross courses are typically 1.6 to 3.2 kilometers in length and last about an hour. But don't be fooled: This sport isn't for the weak at heart. Cyclo-cross is one of the most intensely difficult forms of bicycle racing. 'Cross riding build incredible cardiovascular strength in addition to physical strength. Everything you can do on a road bike or mountain bike becomes harder on a cyclo-cross course. Ultimately, 'crossers are master cyclists. If you do 'cross, you'll become faster, learn how to use your energy more efficiently, develop incredible handling skills, and get in the best possible shape for every kind of bicycling.
The Pits, and Support
One of the main advantages for cyclo-cross racers is that they are ale to change bicycles several times during the course of a race. Pit crews stand by, ready to swap a mud-encrusted bike with a clean one after each lap. These high-speed mechanics will change tires, fix brakes, replace chains, and take care of just about any bicycle breakdown that can happen on the treacherous course.
Why would a 'crosser swap a muddy bike if it's still working? Because a super mud-gunked bike can weigh as much as 10 kilogram more than it does clean! That's a lot of extra load to lift during an uphill sprint.
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