Cyclocross (CX) has become a hugely popular aspect of cycling. Recent Scottish series races have been attracting 600 plus riders of all ages to their events.
Among the many reasons for its appeal is the camaraderie at events and just the plain old good fun to be had racing and getting caked in mud.
Another draw for me is knowing that I will never be in contention with the front riders, but unlike a road race, where getting dropped can mean a lonely ride back to race HQ, riding laps on a short circuit means that you always feel like you are in the mix of the race.
The courses are always inventive and fun to ride too – the “Spiral of Doom” is one that is gaining popularity at many events.
Last week at a weekly CX training evening a group of us rode our own home-made “spiral” – an ever-decreasing circle where, when you reach the middle you spiral back out again without crossing paths with the incoming riders. It sounds complicated and I am glad I didn’t have to set up the poles and tape-out the course – I was dizzy enough riding around it.
When I go out for a ride it is usually on a road bike for a road ride or a mountain bike for an off-road ride and never the twain shall meet – that all changed last week. I was commuting to a job in Blairgowrie and my cyclocross bike was sitting there in the kitchen, still muddy from the previous night’s riding around in circles (I know, my wife already told me – “a dirty bike in the kitchen?”).
I decided, rather than get another bike dirty I would use that one for my commute. For those not au fait with cyclocross bikes they look like road bikes with drop-handlebars, but have knobbly tyres and brakes suitable for off-road and muddy conditions.
Riding to Blairgowrie I took the direct road route there. Although not having slick tyres was noticeable, it was not the effort that riding with mountain bike tyres on a road was – that particular effort is akin to the difference between driving a tank or a Ferrari. Incidentally I have always thought it should be the other way around, we drive a bike and ride in a car (or tank for that matter).
On my ride home I was set to retrace my tyre-marks, but as I passed Cleaven Dykes near Meikleour I decided to take a wee detour through the woods. Then as I cycled through Spittalfield I noticed a sign I had never seen before pointing to a track towards Newtyle Hill.
One track led to another, neatly joined up by short road sections and all of a sudden I had opened up a new route for myself. It gave my riding a whole new dynamic as well as my perception of the topography of my local riding patch.
As I rode I noticed lots of other roads and routes on my left and on my right that I took a mental note of to ride sometime soon. I had never taken much notice of these linking paths and cross-country routes before; they were too rough for a road bike and not rough enough for a mountain bike, but for my CX bike they were perfect.
My CX bike has now become my best friend this winter and has consolidated my argument that I do indeed need more than one bike, an argument which I think my wife has resigned herself to. Now if I can only convince her that the kitchen is a good substitute for a heated bike shed.
Where to Ride? Beecraigs MTB Trails – Linlithgow
Suitable for? mountain bikers of all abilities
Distance: Various
Start: OS Landranger 1:50000 Map 65 : NT006 746
Sat Nav postcode EH49 6PL
Description Beecraigs Country Park, just south of Linlithgow, has several graded trails with a 7km graded red route. Off this route are some black graded options. For those looking for some easier options there are 9km of blue and green graded trails as well as a skills area.
There is a very active cycling community here and projects to add more cycling tracks are being driven by West Lothian Clarion Cycle Club (who have a large youth section) in partnership with West Lothian Council’s Countryside Section and the Outdoor Education Team.
