With August here we know Cross is coming.
Just finished at a weekend CX camp and boy I’m sore all over.
Wondering what is everyone’s CX plans for this season.
I’m getting the bike ready for this season, hoping to do about 15 to 17 races this season.
Head is saying yes right now but I remember how tired I start to feel come early November.
Wife and I are starting to fill in the calendar. Cross season for us will be October, November and finishing with Nats in December. Will be a lot of driving all over wisco, iowa and minnesota.
Cross is the best! Looking forward to some fun weekends of racing.
I’m pretty excited for cross. We have about 15 race days in Colorado. I’m hoping to do 10 or at least our state champ series. I was about midpack last year, but am now much lighter and more fit. Bike is ready. I’d like to go nationals this year, but depends on budget and holiday planning.
Last season I was so close to being Mid pack, best race got within three places.
I started the CX plan back in late March, I feel the fitness will be better this year but the technical skill still needs work. On that alone I think it’s worth five places.
Here in the north east I’m glad we still have a lot of races, it like you have to check yourself so you don’t race too much.
End of August our training series begins.
Looking forward to it. Last year was my first time trying CX, did 10 races. Enjoyable for the most part when a bit of effort is made to lay out a decent course. I only have one bike and view the races as good hard training sessions for XC which is my main thing. Need better tyres though, had some Schwalbes last year, no good in mud.
Other than one race in October, I haven’t heard anything about the cyclocross calendar. Our weeknight series is a lot of fun, but the weekend races have declined. Training wise I am going to do a different plan than last year. Setting my A race as cyclocross resulted in pretty much just VO2 work. This was great for some courses, but I got dropped quickly on courses where the power was more sustained. So I want to make sure my training plan is more balanced.
I’m super excited for CX season, coming back after a few years off. Doing a skills day with some local coaches in Seattle in a couple of weeks. How hard is it to remount again??? I’ll be trying some single speed this year since the single speed CX world championships are in Washington this year first week of October, they are promising a pirate ship and water slide, seems like a fun time.
Starting to get excited for CX as my excitement for road racing is waning at the end of the season. Hoping to get 8 race days in this season in Seattle between the two series that we have. Last year I did very little structured training for cross and then had two weeks off for a vacation and really felt it. This year I plan on sacrificing some crit fitness for some cross fitness and hopefully getting some more consistent top ten results in the Cat 3 masters.
Oddly enough, Frisco CX was my best result last year! I used my gravel bike with a 50/45 combo and went full send on the descents and twisty single track. Was dying on the climb back to the top and eventually held off a small chase group for fourth. Valmont was my other top result with a 6th.
I’m looking to do more skills and drills, and running once Breck Epic is over and hopefully be able to hop the shorter barriers used at some of the venues to save time (how much, idk honestly hah). My fitness feels much better than last year. Gotta order new tires soon before I forget! Harlow Platts will be here before we know it hah
I got my tires! Still size limited since I use an old Boone with cantis. Going with Conti Terra Speeds in 35c. I figure for most courses here we don’t need much knob height for traction so I am prioritizing rolling resistance in the sizes I can fit.
Decided to pull a TR plan together to support a 7 race series through a Scottish winter, so I might need this thread to get me through 
Hoping it provides motivation for another winter of wind, rain, sleet, snow and dark mornings/nights! Going to try Schwalbe X-one bite tyres for a change as I’ve heard really good things in real Cross conditions. Will still keep my Challenge Limas on the spare bike just in case.
Last year the first year for maybe 20 that I didn’t race cross - mostly because they’d removed an old man’s division and I didn’t fancy getting beat down by kids. This year because of family “stuff” I haven’t been riding much but want some fitness heading into November so I thought perhaps a handful of CX may help meet that goal. I just have to decide what bike to ride.
Could anyone recommend a good tubeless 33mm tyre for primarily muddy conditions. I’ll take grip over pure rolling speed but will not be changing out tyres based on conditions. Last winter was probably like 30% dryish conditions and 70% pure slop. Currently have Schwalbe X-one allround which are not great in mud.
It used to be the Clement PDX, which became Donnelly which I think went under. Now, I’d probably go Limus or Baby Limus from Grifo. If pure slop, then Limus.
I’ll probably run Grifos this year, but am kind of intrigued by the Terra Speeds in a 35. Our courses in CO are pretty fast and dry with a few grass heavy ones. Ran Vittoria mix last year, they blow up kinda wide and was leaving some marks in my rear on my older crux. I’ll keep them on my backup wheels, and run something new I think.
As I said, I’ve always ran Limus but in off-camber I’ve seen the competition on X-one bite tyres hold a higher line and for longer…may be skills related . Either way I think I’ll give them a punt as I’ve only heard good things.
Leaning towards Baby Limus, has anyone used the TLR version? there seems to be ‘pro’ and ‘race’ versions. I assume Pro is better since it’s more expensive 
Also considering Vittoria Terreno T90 CX
My wife and I have both been using Baby Limus in the 35 TLR since last year, with Limus for the occasional mudfest. Very happy–only downside is that they are EXTREMELY difficult to install. If you want to have a second option for different conditions, probably not worth it unless you have a second wheelset.
Vittoria Terreno Wet now known as, I think, T90 mud. Lots of grip in the mud and roll pretty fast in most conditions.