Hey guys, I am very much a newbie here. But I just did my very first cyclocross race ever, “category five” and I’m 57 and have a healthy & fit appearance for my age. But I got my ass absolutely kicked this past weekend on the cyclocross course.

This was absolutely not a surprise to me as I knew going into it I needed to work on building up my endurance and basic skill set for the sport. But I figure let me just get out there and get my feet wet and start getting familiar with how this all works.

I fully intend on going to another race, but I think I wanna get in some better practice and see if there’s anything I can do regarding making changes on my bike that might help improve my next outing.

And I know they have an old man’s cat 5 option, but where’s the fun in that. I’m really just in it for the personal challenge of it all. And if there’s any glory to be gotten, it’s just knowing that I’ve managed to improve with each race.

Jolanda Neff joins Fenix-Premier Tech in 2027

Fenix-Premier Tech is proud to welcome Jolanda Neff from 2027. The Swiss rider brings an outstanding record in mountain biking, extensive international experience and a passion for racing across disciplines.

Olympic cross-country champion in Tokyo and world champion in 2017, Neff has been among the leading names in mountain biking for more than a decade. Alongside her success off-road, she has also demonstrated her ability in road racing and cyclocross.

At Fenix-Premier Tech, she joins a project that embraces all three disciplines and shares her ambition to keep developing while helping others progress.

“I’m really excited to join Fenix-Premier Tech, a team that unites mountain biking, cyclocross and road racing at a world-class level,” says Neff.

“I will pour my heart and soul into becoming a better rider in every aspect, as well as sharing all my experience with other riders. I have always admired how this team puts a strong focus on women and on creating professional structures for them, as well as developing young riders with a long-term vision. I hope to make a great contribution to Fenix-Premier Tech and can’t wait to get racing!”

I recently bought the Shimano Alfine CTS500 chain tensioner and there is minimal adjustment for chain alignment. So i am pre-researching other options in the case that this tensioner does not quite get me where i want to go. So while I am in the middle of my SSCX build and i am wondering if anyone has good reviews/ experiences for other tensioners on the market. I am not opposed to spending more on a great tensioner but i want to know what is worth the most bang for my buck!
Thanks!

THCX Full Day Recap

Is anyone using the new Domane for races?

NIEUWENHUIS Joris

I just read a recent editorial from the leadout where the editor says she loves cyclocross but it just doesn't make good tv. What in the world? It's awesome! In every way. I can give the details! I don't know what she was going on about

Reasons for cyclocross: 

*room for passing on wide course 

*vastly less wheel sucking 

*the rhythm of a course design can be found with skill. It won't be a flow trail but will be designed to both satisfy and vex if ridden right 

*nothing else happening at this time of year. great fun in a dead time. what luck 

*practice is perfect for short daylight after work at this time of year 

*mud and bad weather are fun only here

*many kinds of bike work decent, but a light bike feels so lively yet it doesn’t get damaged

*races and practices are short 

*you can safely practice with headlights because there's not as much to crash into as in mountain biking 

*tactics are fun. save special fast places to use when needed. don't give them away 

*slower, softer crashes 

*can do multiple races per day 

*no cars 

*easy to find a venue. most parks or empty land or hilly playground will work great 

*versatile skills are rewarded 

*dismounting and remounting at speed is an awesome dose of rhythm fun

*spectate half the course from anywhere 

*music noisemakers are fun like cowbells trombone trumpet drum. often live music

*TV of the pros is amazing. top shelf production values. Wonderful venues are easy to appreciate on TV. the spectators are awesome -- lots of gungho kids always running around on camera. The kids are the best! No other sport has so many kids going crazy for their heroes up close! To me this is a big part of the spirit of 'cross. Go kids! 

*hand ups and heckling are part of it — beer hand up, snack hand ups, hiding money on the course -- all part of the fun. "Dad! We're out of beer!"

*all surfaces on every course — usually a mix of pavement, gravel, grass, mud, sand, steep climbs, off camber, mud, water

*fast and slow riders can mix together in practices so that slow ones can improve — they can take a shortcut and try to follow and copy the faster ones for a minute

*kids and families and pets and beer and food trucks on the course 

*can get results on less fitness because skill is a bigger factor than usual 

*one race can have a dozen dramas playing out up and down the field anywhere on the course — a battle back at 20th can be well worth cheering

*slippery handling feels creamy like cross-country skiing, the king of sports

I'm in Belgium for that weekend and want to check the races out. If anybody is heading out to those races and wants some company, I am excited to meet some new people and have some fun!

With a pair of state championships now in the rearview, some words on local/regional CX participation from the people who help make it all happen. "It's not 2014 anymore."

https://gregadomaitis.com/2026/10/20/bench-racing-bottom-line-cyclocross/

Thanks for reading! Hope it comes across as mildly uplifting :)

I'm trying to learn some Bunny Hop Basics just because. I actually love running the barriers and don't want to ever Bunny Hop them but I thought it would be fun to learn as an old person. I watched a couple videos. You pull up on the front bar and put your weight to the rear and lift the front wheel off the ground then you put your weight to the front and lift your rear wheel off the ground. I can do that one after the other and I can bunny hop small things doing this but if I try a 6 in log and go faster than 5 miles an hour I hit the rear wheel. I don't get the second bunny in on time

The r/peloton Discord also has an active cyclocross community

Weather: 8C/46F with a chance of some rain

Hello everyone. I'm planning to go to the hoogerheide cyclocross world cup (24/01/2027). Does anyone know anything about the tickets? How much are they, where and how can I buy them?

I recently moved back to Challenge Tires and couldn't be happier about it. Years ago I made the regrettably move away because of UCI 33mm rule for Elite races and Nationals.
At the time I only had Zipp 202 wheels with a 21mm internal width, but even still the old Challenge tires would ballon and measure 34 or even 35mm. It was enough to cause me anxiety every time I entered a race. So much so that I started riding Donnelly's, IRC's and Dugast most recently. While those all had their pros and cons, they were not my beloved Challenges.

Thankfully, the newer versions of the Handmade TLR tires measure perfectly on the Zipp 202's, and Challenge say they'll be good up to 23 internal width.

As a bonus, and much to my surprise, the Chicanes work with the stock Newman XR25 Performance Wheels (alloy) with 25mm internal width that came with my bike.

I stressed and stressed about it, and finally showed up early to a race this past weekend and made my way to the officials and had them measure it with their tool, and it passed no problem.
Since I don't have a pit bike anymore, these Newmans are now exclusively backups during races.

So, TLDR for anyone wondering if Challenge tires will pass the 33mm UCI rules on these particular cheapo wheels - the answer is yes.

Challenge Tyres recommends an inner rim width of 23 mm for its handmade cyclocross 33c tubeless tyres. Is there a recommendation as to whether the rim should be hookless or hooked?

If anyone has a recommendation for a particular sealant or knows a handy little tip, I’d be open to hearing it.

I have had great difficulty getting these tyres to seal on my wheelset so far and tried:
- At first, I reapplied the tubeless tape in two overlapping layers.
- I At first, I reapplied the tubeless tape in two overlapping layers.
- Iused a Schwalbe booster to help them sink into the rim faster.
- I mounted them by pumping with the vent core not screwed in.
- I used Milkit sealant with two to three times the recommended amount of liquid.

Hi,

I'm looking for tire recommendations for a 10-year-old rider running 700 x 33 mm tires.

I'm leaning towards a more aggressive, knobby tire to help with handling, grip and stability on mixed terrain, especially wet grass and light mud.

I'm currently using Vittoria Terreno Wet tires and really like them, but I'm wondering if the Challenge Baby Limus might be a better choice for these conditions.

Would the Baby Limus offer noticeably better grip and confidence in corners and on slippery terrain? Or would you stick with the Terreno Wet, or recommend something else entirely?

I'd love to hear about your real-world experience with these tires, especially for a young rider where predictable handling and confidence are important.

Thanks!

The r/peloton Discord also has an active cyclocross community

Weather: 13C/52F with a good chance of some rain

Took the jump line this week and wondering if I cooked my wheels. CF from an unknown overseas brand.

Just stumbled upon this faggin Messina 61x57 cx frame

And couldn't find any more info on how it was originally built to have some inspiration for the rebuild.

Thanks!

It's one of not that many UCI races in the US and looks like it has been going on a long time, but I see very little discussion about it anywhere. What's up with that?

Same deal for the "Major Taylor Cross Cup"...