Cyclocross 101 Part 1
By Tyler Wren

Cyclocross is cycling’s most fascinating and technically challenging discipline. It combines fitness, bike handling, cornering, pack riding, running and of course, dismounting and remounting. It is also much more exciting than slogging out base miles through our east coast winters or watching last year’s Tour de France while pouring sweat over your trainer.

The best way to become a better cyclocross rider is simply by training on your cross bike. Make sure you start slowly and act deliberately ensuring you build on good habits. In Philadelphia we have a great free cross clinic every Wednesday night at Belmont Plateau at 6PM. Each night there is a brief lesson with a question and answer period, followed by a short ‘cross race around the plateau. The practice is open to ‘cross riders of all abilities, including beginners. In the meantime, below you will find the fundamental cyclocross skills and ideas that you need to get started.

First and foremost, you will need proper equipment. All major bike shops in the city carry quality cyclocross bikes. They have slightly knobby tires and a more upright geometry than your road bike. You also will need a good set of mountain bike shoes and pedals, your road bike shoes will not suffice, and neither will toe clips.

The most important skills to be mastered in cyclocross are dismounting and remounting your bike for barriers and run-ups. This art form is best perfected with the help of a second set of objective eyes belonging to an experienced ‘crosser. I also like watching YouTube clips of ‘cross stars like Sven Nys, Lars Boom or Americans Ryan Trebon and Tim Johnson to see perfect technique in real time. If your a beginner or on your own, practice with these basic instructions.

Focus on perfecting your dismounts before thinking about running with your bike or remounting. Practice dismounting by setting up a small barrier, like a small log in a grassy field. Approach the barrier at a moderate speed with your hands on the brake hoods (or bar tops if you have brake levers there). Unclip your right foot and swing your right leg behind the saddle, over the rear wheel and leave it behind your left leg. Next, let the saddle rest against your right hip as you grab your top tube with your right hand, leaving your left hand on the bars. Grab the top tube close to your seat post. Unclip your left foot and hit the ground running, landing on your right foot first. At the same time, lift the bike off the ground and over the small barrier. There are some situations in ‘cross where it is more efficient to shoulder your bike, such as dismounting before a steep run-up. However, concentrate on perfecting the simple bike lift first, as this is the most basic and commonly used method.

Once you feel smooth and unafraid of crashing while dismounting and getting over that small barrier, start working on remounting your bike. Begin by practicing this separately from your dismounts, at a walking speed. Your right pedal should be at 12 o’clock (top of pedal stroke) after your perfect dismount. Put both hands back on your bars, either on your tops or brake hoods, whichever feels more comfortable. Then leap off your left foot, throwing your right leg over the saddle and landing on the inside of your right thigh. Remember that you are doing this at walking speed for your first few attempts, to avoid the inevitable beginner’s stutter-step. You want a clean, stutter-free leap from left foot to the saddle. The leap should propel you forward, so avoid jumping too high in the air. Once you have landed on your right thigh, slide onto the saddle, clip your right foot in and begin pedaling, clip the left foot in as its pedal comes to the top of the pedal stroke.

When you feel confident in both your dismounting and remounting, it is time to combine the two into one fluid motion. Again, keep it slow and deliberate until you feel confident. Place your bike softly back on the ground after lifting it over the barriers so that you do not lose your chain or control of your bike. Work on dismounting just a few steps before your small practice barrier and remounting as soon as possible after clearing it.

Stay tuned for a more advanced discussion of cyclocross techniques and basic race strategies in the next issue. Hope to see you at the Wednesday night ‘cross practices at Belmont this fall!