Travel and the Outdoors

"The Mud Squad: A European bicycle racing tradition that combines mountain biking and racing, cyclocross is taking off in the U.S."

By Lucy Burningham

Published in Men’s Journal, December 2007

What it is A bicycle race for masochists. Cyclists ride laps of one and a half to two miles each for 30 to 60 minutes on a course composed of grass, dirt, and sometimes asphalt (and, if the weather cooperates, mud and snow). Obstacles such as shin-splitting barricades, slippery stairs, and steep hills often force riders to shoulder their bikes and run. Races have seven to 70 riders at a time.

Where it’s done Cyclocross began in Europe and migrated to the U.S. about 30 years ago; it took hold in New England and the Pacific Northwest but has recently gone nationwide. The USA Cyclocross National Championships, held the past two years in Providence, Rhode Island, will be in Kansas City, Missouri, this year, December 12-16.

Why you should try it It’s dirty fun. Think wild slide-outs and beer-fueled spectators ringing cowbells. It has technical aspects, and you’ll need a decent pain threshold, but anyone can do it. “Once people watch a race, they usually try it,” says Brad Ross, race director of Cross Crusade, the largest cyclocross series in the country, which takes place in Oregon each fall. “That’s why so many different types of people participate.”

How to get in on the game Cyclocross bikes look like road bikes, but have cantilever brakes and a slightly different frame design. First-timers can use mountain bikes; eventually you’ll switch to narrower tires, which pick up less mud and roll faster on hard-pack course sections. If you get hooked, buy one of the many ’cross-specific bikes on the market, such as the Redline Conquest, Kona Jake the Snake, Bianchi Axis, or Lemond Poprad.