What makes Cyclo-Cross Special
What happened when the first road racers took their bikes across the fields of France? Sliding down wet grassy hillsides and confronted by fallen logs they became aware of the limitations of their-road-specific bikes. Inspired by the thrill of cross-country freedom, riders began to experiment, hoping to get an edge over the difficult terrain. Tested by time and heavy abuse, a number of these modifications became standard in today's cyclo-cross bikes.
As you blast down the treacherous and boggy hill, mud spins off your front tire and splatters your face and torso. Your legs have been caked since the first straightaway. The scary thing is that the mud is building up on your wheel rims. If your brakes get jammed with mud, you're sunk. At the bottom of the hill, the track spills into a sudden left turn. You squeeze gently, and the brakes clamp down, scraping through the mud to bring some much-needed control to your ride. Because 'crossers remove their right hand first during a dismount, they often prefer to switch their brake levers so that the left lever controls the rear brake. Why use the rear brake instead of the front? It's easier to feather when your weight's forward.
Rounding the turn, your eyes focus on the hurdles stretched out ahead and then on the long climb that follows. You'll need to do a fast dismount for the hurdles and remount quickly for the climb. You shift to an easier gear, and at the last moment, your hand flies off the handlebar as you spring form the pedals and swing your bike up onto your shoulder.
Moments like these highlight the special nature of the 'cross bike. As the sport evolved, shifters moved from the frame to the handlebar ends so 'crossers could keep their hands on the handlebars at all times. Recently, 'crossers have began using shifters integrated with the brake levers, but many veterans still prefer the old end-mounted variety for better crash survival.
Two obvious details separate a cyclo-cross race from a road event: the muddy course and the riders jumping on and off their bikes. Engineered to deal with the mud, cyclo-cross bikes use knobby tires. Unlike mountain bike tires, these knobbies are thin, mounted on 700 centimeter rims like those on a standard road bike. Many 'crossers also like to run fewer gears in the rear cassette. Fewer chain rings have more space between them, which allows greater mud clearance. 'Crossers can afford to lose a few climbing gears because they tend to run up the really steep stuff. Because of all the dismounting and carrying, 'cross bikes also need to be very light.
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