Cyclecross?

I think it's spelled "cyclocross."

Cyclocross bikes generally have 700c wheels. So should yours. When
competing against bikes, you want speed. If some sections are too
technical, run over them. That's what cyclocross is all about! You'll
appreciate the speed you get on the majority of the course. Of course
this may not be 100% true depending on the course.

If it were up to me and I had to guess, I'd easily pick my 29".

--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
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How strange that you should post this question today. I just returned
from a cyclocross race about an hour ago. I took my MUni just to play
around with on some of the hills. I agree with John, the choice of
unicycle would depend on the course. Our course was set up on the
grounds surrounding an ampitheatre. The route included some steep climbs
and descents with barriers on the climbs. This would have made hopping
almost impossible unless the unicyclist was very good at hopping while
climbing. The course also had quite a few transistions from the grassy
area onto paved walkways and included a 4 step climb on one path. All in
all, it was designed to be a very fast course. A uni wouldn't have done
very well against our 2 wheeled, multi-geared brothers on a course of
this design 🙁 This was the first cyclocross that I've ever attended
and it was much more spectator friendly than any mountain bike venue
that I've been to.

--
Krashin'Kenny - Crash Tested

If you ain't crashing, you ain't going fast enough!!!!!!!!!!!

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Okay, I guess a 29er would be ideal. I think I'm gonna enter in one of
the races in SF sometime soon, and see how it goes. It ought to be
fun.

I call it cyclecross now just because I prefer to, although at the time
of the post I didn't know it was actually cyclocross. Thanks for the
correction.

--
gerblefranklin - Trials Unicyclist

http://gallery.unicyclist.com/Trials-Muni

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The thread 'Muni races in Portland, OR' (http://tinyurl.com/4mw2u) got
me curious about cyclocross. If you follow the link in that thread to
Cross Crusade you will see they have a category for unicycles. They run
them on the last lap of the beginner race.

I stopped by a local cyclocross race last weekend, I sent this message
to the Seattle group:

Quoted message said:

I swung by the course during the last race yesterday afternoon.

The Magnusun course is reportedly about 2 miles long. The final race
was something like 7 laps, it was an hour long race.

The course was a combination of pavement, grass, obstacles, mud,
water, etc. Some of the turns were tight but it appeared speed would
be paramount, agility next.

I think a lap or two would be do-able on 29er or Coker with long
cranks. Muni would probably be too slow, maybe with shorter cranks and
higher pressure in the tire.

It would be a fun exhibition race. We should follow up on this for
next season.

Depending on the course a couple laps on a 700c or Coker would work.

I got quite a few "cyclocross" hits on the search. Another recent thread
'cyclocross racing' (http://tinyurl.com/562mj).

Keep us posted if you race, I want to try this next season on a race or
two.

--
UniBrier - Its Time to Ride

Steve

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. - C.
S. Lewis

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A unicycle would not be competitive against the cyclocross bikes. The
bikes go fast. In the cyclocross races I've seen, they've averaged 15
mph to 17 mph or faster per lap. And they hold that pace for an hour.

The courses are usually designed to favor the cyclocross bikes rather
than mountain bikes. That means that the off-road bits are not rocky
rooty technical where you need suspension and fat MTB tires. They're
riding on beefed up road bikes, so the course is appropriate for that
style of bike. Cyclocross courses can be muddy because cyclocross
season is in the Winter when things are typically more wet (at least
here in the Northwest US). The courses also include pavement sections
where the road bike style cyclocross bikes can open it up and go fast.

If you race cyclocross on a unicycle you're going to want to race
against other unicyclists. Racing against the bikes would be no fun,
even in the beginner category.

A 29er would probably be the best choice for a cyclocross course. A
Coker with long cranks might also work, but you give up maneuverability
with the Coker. It would depend on the course.

--
john_childs - Guinness Mojo

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john_childs said:

*
The courses are usually designed to favor the cyclocross bikes rather
than mountain bikes. That means that the off-road bits are not rocky
rooty technical where you need suspension and fat MTB tires. They're
riding on beefed up road bikes, so the course is appropriate for that
style of bike. *

Most courses are like that. The "three peaks" cyclocross race in the UK
is a famous 60k race, which has massive rocky downhills and stuff in it.
It's famous for people pinch flatting and breaking wheels, yet the
really good people just kind of float their absurdly fragile bikes right
over all the technical stuff.

Some cyclocross races allow only 700c/29" wheels, to stop mountain bikes
entering, but I think a lot allow 26" wheels.

The only way to possibly go fast enough would be with a coker and short
cranks, but you'd be screwed due to not having a mud tyre. You'd also
have trouble because to go as fast as the bikes you need to be able to
draft and you're too big on a coker to get much help from a bike.

Joe

--
joemarshall - dumb blonde
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Good luck- however well you do, you'll probably be one of the first
people in the world to ride a unicycle in a cyclocross race. Sounds
like fun.

Ride fast. And run fast too 😉

Ken

--
GizmoDuck - NZUNI

o-kO
'www.adventureunicyclist.com' (http://www.adventureunicyclist.com/)

'NZ Herald Article' (http://tinyurl.com/54xmj)
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GizmoDuck said:

*Good luck- however well you do, you'll probably be one of the first
people in the world to ride a unicycle in a cyclocross race. Sounds
like fun.

Ride fast. And run fast too 😉

Ken *

One of the first ....

http://gallery.unicyclist.com/album56/aaj

Leo White

--
leow - Unicycling oldbie

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One of my classmates this semester said he was into cyclocross when I
mentioned I ride MUni. I didn't know what it was so I googled it and
found the following article:

http://tinyurl.com/4y764

A little ways down I saw the following:

“But depending on the type of race, a cyclocross bike is not necessarily
required. You see mountain bikes, fixed-gear bikes, commuter bikes and
even unicycles.”

😄

Andy

--
quark soup - Frood who knows where his towel is.

quark soup

"OK, so ten out of ten for style, but minus several million for good
thinking, yeah? " - Douglas Adams
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