Health & Fitness
It's Fall, Which Can Only Mean One Thing
It's fall, which can only mean one thing: CX! Cyclocross racing, a kind of hybrid of road and mountain biking, kicks off in the Chicagoland area this weekend.
It’s fall, which can only mean one thing: CX! Cyclocross racing kicks off in the Chicagoland area this weekend with the Chicago Cross Cup series kick off at Jackson Park in Chicago.
Cyclocross is a kind of hybrid of road and mountain biking. The races usually have a mix of grass, pavement, dirt, mud and sand. Races are between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on your category. The race course is between 1-2 miles. Because the course is so short, it is easy to cheer on, or heckle, racers multiple times during a race. The races are usually held at parks so the events are very family-friendly as well. Riders have to get off their bike for obstacles, such as wooden barriers, and then hop back on. It looks odd at first but there is a beauty and ballet-like quality in watching it done well.
I did my first cross race in 2005 and was immediately hooked. It is hard to describe the allure. The race is an all-out effort that makes you feel like you might die. And, yet, it is insanely fun. Some of it has to do with the party-like atmosphere. Racing cyclocross means partying with your closest 400+ friends every weekend for three months….I realize I am not doing it justice. There are videos here, here and here. But, the best is to experience it.
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Come out to a race this fall and see what it is all about. Heckle some racers. Need tips? You can also check the Heckle Hall of Fame.
Then, race. For your first race, sign up for the Men’s 4B, Women’s 4 or juniors race. Practice getting on and off your bike first, as there are a couple of dismounts each lap. But, otherwise, just have fun. Don’t worry about having a specific cyclocross bike or even bike-specific clothing. People will cheer you on and you will feel like a rock star.
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The Chicago Cross Cup will have about a dozen races this fall in Chicago and throughout the Chicagoland area, as far south as Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood all the way to DeKalb and Woodstock. There is also a Pride Incorporated Cyclocross Race Series (PICX) in southern Illinois.
Want to watch the pros? New Year’s Resolution will be from Dec. 31-Jan. 1 in Bloomingdale. It will be a two-day UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) C2 race and will bring pros from across the country as well as internationally.
