3 Peaks Cyclocross

I’ve entered the 3 Peaks, it’s a cyclocross race in Yorkshire.

When I say ‘it’s a cyclocross race in yorkshire’, I’m not giving the whole story. Your average CX race is an hour or less, round a park or woodland or some similarly friendly terrain, with a few small sharp hills, lots of mud and sometimes the odd barrier to leap over. You do a bit of it on foot usually, with the bike on your shoulder. The races are full of skinny roadies on skinny cross bikes, riding offroad much faster than you’d expect roadies to do. If you are a tough old mountainbiker, who thinks he can show those roadrats a thing or two about riding in the dirt, prepare to wake up. That was my experience anyway.

I’ve got a cross bike (it’s my commuter). I’ve done a few cross races, badly. I can hold my own off road with most mountainbikers, which must be qualification enough for the 3 Peaks. The ‘Peaks’ however is 60 odd km, covers 3 mountains over 700m high on rough moorland , and is patently unsuitable for cross bikes. The rules don’t allow mountainbikes. It’s the toughest race of its kind in the UK, and I’m frankly nervous as hell about it.

‘Training’ is something that I just don’t do these days, mainly because I’m short on time and large on other priorities, so my preparation so far comprises putting wider drop bars on the commuter last night. It’s a month away now and I’m regretting entering it and excited in equal measures. I need to order some tyres. The maximum width allowed is 35mm, which hardly a tyre at all in my view, more like a rubbery hoola hoop. More later.