Anyone racing Cross for the 2025 season?
I know CX has been losing out to Gravel in popularity but I know that there’s a few of us left.
I’ve been riding my CX on the road and doing some mounting/ dismount drills to get use the the thing again, even starting to like the 1x gearing for the road.
Our training races are begin in two weeks, been starting to get hyped up.
Trying to get back out there after a few seasons off! What’s the best all around masters -width tire these days?
I’m still on some 33mm. I wonder how some 40mm will feel
I’m running some Challenge 38 CX tires again this season. Used Grifos last year. Trying out the Baby Limus this year.
That’s exactly what I’m doing.
I’m trying out some Tufo Swampero in 36 this year. I’ve really liked their Thundero gravel tire, and my races are mostly MN grass crits. I used inserts last year with my Challenge HTLR Grifo 38s, and they worked well for bead retention and rim protection. I’ll see how tight the Tufos are on my aging Stan’s Avion rims, but based on the Thundero fit, they should work well, just not sure about super low pressures.
I haven’t raced CX in 10 years and I am 57 years old. I have a Crux that I ride for gravel. I wonder if anyone would say anything about my oversized tires. Schwalbe RX Pro 40mm, if I signed up for a 55+ 3/4/5 race? Supposedly the official max tire size is 38mm.
Depends on whether or not they will enforce tire size for cat 5’s. Typically promoters encouraged new riders to show up to the start on whatever they had to get them into cross and you would see full suspension MTB’s, Sirrus and FX’s etc. It was a fun way for the whole family to be involved. Now I’m not sure if they will enforce tire size if you are riding 4’s but I imagine if it’s a 3’s race and it’s either USAC or UCI umbrella’d they will. Some random local race directors are sticklers also so I’d either check the specific race rules or shoot them an email. Have fun!
That how I got started. I race a Full Suspension Specialized Epic my first few races to try out for fun, thing was a pain to pick up.
Once I was able to try it on a proper Cross bike that I borrowed I was hooked and ran out to buy a CX bike.
From the USA Cycling page (https://usacycling.org/article/complete-guide-to-getting-started-in-cyclocross)
Tire Width Rules for Cyclocross
The condensed version is that any tire width is allowed for local USA Cycling-permitted cyclocross races. Yes, this means you can use a gravel bike with 40mm tires at your local cyclocross race.
Maximum tire width regulations start at USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships, where Elite, Junior (17-28), and U23 riders must comply with the 33mm maximum tire width set by the UCI. Masters competitors can use a maximum tire width of 38mm at National Championships, but only 33mm at Masters World Championships. Junior (15-16) riders can use any tire width at US Cyclocross National Championships. Tire width is ‘as measured’, not as marked or advertised by the manufacturer.
Always worth double checking with the race organizers, but anything goes unless (a) you’re racing Elite, U-23, or Juniors at a race that’s giving explicit USAC/UCI points, or (b) you’re competing in Master’s worlds. The 40’s should be fine
CX is still very much alive! I’m 73, (USAC/UCI race age 75). I plan on racing in our local five race series beginning in October, (The Rustbelt Ruckus). I am testing out my new 38m Challange Limus tires. I raced with 33m PDX All Terrains in the past. I think I can run the 38’s at a lower pressure. Anyway, I am getting into CX training and am so excited for the upcoming season.
Only if Southern California did cx 
I have heard about the diminished CX scene in SOCAL. You guys should try to hold some renegade CX races to jump start things back up.
I wouldn’t be against doing something like that, but I live in an area where the nearest races are 1hr from my home….unlikely I would be the right catalyst for something like that. I don’t even know here I would hold a CX race where I live lol.
We still have some Cross races left here in the northeast but some really good races did go away.
I’m hoping this year is a good turnout, I don’t want to see CX go extinct.
The local Tuesday night practice series starts in Sept and runs through the end of daylight savings time. I’ll be doing it with my 1st grader and I THINK I’ve actually gotten my spouse interested.
Our race season is pretty short, a handful of Sunday races and two Sat/Sun races. They’re part of a local race series and I’ve mostly ignored the travel races, probably will again this year. It’s hard to justify a 3-4 hour round trip and a lost Sunday to do two 30-45 minute races. When my kid is old enough to race juniors, and if he still has the interest, we might start making a day trip out of it.
I look forward to it every year, though I did take a couple years off when my kid was born. I’m just a middle aged mid-pack Cat 4 on a singlespeed but it’s still the most fun I can have on a bike.
EDIT: I bought a set of 26mm internal width rim-brake wheels to use on the SS. I’ll probably stick with 33mm as I have no complaints about the size (raced on 31s on 25mm internal rims on another bike and was happy). It’s dry, dusty grass courses around here. Everybody seems to love their Baby Limus tires, so I might give those a go this year. The geared cross bike is holding station as a gravel/road bike with 38mm slicks (Vittoria Terreno Dry, I don’t recommend but will run them through the winter) and I don’t see much point in swapping tires when I have a 2nd CX bike to run.
Our training series start next Wednesday, a four week series with our local races starting in September to November.
If all goes well I want to do the all seven races in the local series with one fun race in December if I’m still feeling up to it.
I been off the bike for a few years and hope that I can hang mid pack but as long as I’m not dead last and get some good skills work in, I’m good.
I raced on 38 Vittoria Mix last year. Were pretty solid. No one cares what tires you run out here in CO. I’ll probably go with Schwalbe RX Pros since that is what’s on my gravel bike now. They are pretty fast.
Our season starts pretty soon and will run through end of November. Numbers are still decent.
What size RX Pros do you have on your bike, 40, 45, or 50? Let us know how they hold up in a CX race.
Yes, I’m in for cross! I do like gravel but cx is still my main thing. First race is in two weeks (that’s dumb, it’ll be 75 and dusty).
I wish we could move cross to the spring, mid January to end of March. It would be SO muddy! Mud races have been very few and far between here in the PNW (where we are famous for rain) the past few years.
I’ll start the season on Vittoria dry and then (hopefully) switch to specialized terra pro.