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What makes a good cross course
http://www.crazyfast.blogspot.com/
Maybe I'll give you the rundown of a typical Belgian or Dutch 'cross course
minimum 200m start stretch, normally paved/cobbled
-most of course is 2-5m wide, sometimes a short (100m or so) singletrack section
-plenty of corners on a variety of surfaces/speeds - 180 degrees is very common
-one double set of barriers, no more than this, sometimes none
-one 8-12 stair runup; maybe one additional short hill/stair runup
-lots of grass
-sketchy overpass bridges as required
-slippery pavement/cobblestone corners
-unbending 200lb. fencing and support posts
-total disregard for rider safety
-shitty weather
So what makes a great American cross course?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by GeWilli on
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makes a good cross course?
the racers...
there isn't one - the beauty is that every course is different... if they were all the same it would be pretty boring... i love the diversity we've got around New England...
if we could just get a little mud on the weekends where the courses can handle getting turned into a mud bog... that'd b awesome
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Permalink Reply by vanwacx on
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Crap. Mr. Willi beat me too it again. I'll have to start checking on more often.
That said, I like a bunch of interesting transitions. A couple off the bikes. Barriers? Who cares if you need to get off the bike anyway. The transitions separate the wheat from the chaff. Do you have what it takes to sprint out of every transition? That ability is in your head more than in your legs. Lose a half second on those 15-20 transitions a lap and suddenly you're a minute down on a guy with identical fitness and a little more urgency in his legs.
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Permalink Reply by Surly Bastard on
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Vanwacx, that's it; transitions, but it's not only the sprints out of the tight turns, its transitions to whole sections with different styles ... some that are loopy with big weaving turns, to the tight blast off out of the corner stuff. I think we could also use a little more (not much) barriers, stairs, on and off the bike sections.
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Permalink Reply by andrew on
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I agree - transitions make it interesting, and I love ones that make you have to make a decision - do I try to ride it? run it? hop it? spin it? mash it? using your brain, despite oxygen debt, makes racing interesting. otherwise I'd just go do TTs. Not that you don't have to manage a TT, but much less so.
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Permalink Reply by Josh on
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Great pics!
I watched Transition 2 today to help get me pumped for the season. Two things I'd like to see more of in my neck of the woods: sketchy ramps/bridges and pumptrack-esque roller sections.
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Permalink Reply by elgee on
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cultcrossin it...
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