How to Work with Obstacles on a Cyclocross Course

Video Transcript

"MICKEY DENONCOURT: Cross bikes can take some good hits, absorb some big bumps. They're not mountain bikes; they don't have suspension. The tires are pretty small. But the main thing that makes you able to absorb a bump on a cyclocross bike is your body position. Lots of times--you know, we're in a park right now. There's a little horseshoe pit in front of me, little broken pieces of wood and stuff. So as I ride through here depending--I'm probably going to be going faster but I want to absorb stuff by moving my arms up. I don't have to pick the bike off the ground but move my arms up, rise off the seat a little bit, you sort of hover above it when I'm riding through the rough stuff, and then when I get over I sort of put my wheels down. So now I'm going to ride through this with some real speed so I sort of ride across it, which is just going to be harder because it's slippery and go that way, and you'll see how I sort of absorb the bumps as I ride through. Also notice that I'm usually on the tops when I'm riding stuff like that. It makes it easier because I'm also stretched out. It makes easier to move my weight forward and backward which is what you need to do when you're riding through a section like that. A good course designer will have you go around something like that and go through it. But if you're just out riding your bike in the woods or, you know, also just--you're faced with something like that on a race course, being able to just pump your bike through it is going to keep the wear and tear in your bike and body down significantly."