MILWAUKEE — It's a sport that's been around for hundreds of years.
"Cyclocross originally started at the turn of the 20th century, so late 1800s, early 1900s, as a way of offseason training for road cyclists," says Alex Zacher, Ben's Cycle General Manager and a cycle enthusiast.
By default, that means a more complicated route than your typical ride in the park.
"At least one section where you have to dismount the bike and jump over barriers. Often it's sandpits or mud pits that you are aren't able to ride through. Extremely steep hills and riding across hills in awkward situations, where sometimes it might not be even possible to ride. It's a lot of fast turns and fast acceleration, so your top speed isn't all that high, but your maneuverability is key," says Alex.
Instead of riding from point A to point B, cyclocross is a lap-style course.
"It's not going to be, just seeing one guy ride past and then you don't see him for another 100 miles down the road. You get to see a whole bunch of laps and stuff, so it's a fun part of cycling and heckling is a big part of it too. So it's fun to watch," says Alex.
With the cyclocross season just starting in southeast Wisconsin, there are plenty of races for every level and every age.
"There's the day of registration, there is the day of race licenses, 100 percent yes, you can run one race and never race again, 100 percent yes," says Alex.
Still need some convincing? Just visit your local bike shop. Chances are, they're racing too.
For more information, click here.
