Summer racing to aid Cyclocross

btwright1987
btwright1987 Posts: 11
edited December 2017 in Training, fitness and health
Hi all,

I race cyclocross during the winter. I have not really raced during the summer and as a result come into the season flat and it takes a few races to get into it.
I’d like to race next summer to try and arrive in September in better race shape.

So, in people’s experience, would it be better to race primarily on the road or xc mtb? I have very good road racing within reach and there are mtb races that I can get to as well.

All opinions welcome.

Thanks

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Do both..
  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    where abouts do you live .. around here they have a summer Cyclocross series .... its nice because all the hardcore are off road racing so its full of people that are just getting in to it or better riders keeping there foot in
  • joey54321
    joey54321 Posts: 1,297
    I imagine both are good (XC is perhaps more specific, road racing perhaps longer and more similar to a 'base miles' model?) but remember that having a full or even significant 'season' during the summer can make lasting the winter in CX pretty hard.
  • btwright1987
    btwright1987 Posts: 11
    fat daddy wrote:
    where abouts do you live .. around here they have a summer Cyclocross series .... its nice because all the hardcore are off road racing so its full of people that are just getting in to it or better riders keeping there foot in

    I live in Surrey, race the London and south east League.

    Yeah I saw the summer series, did one of them this year.

    Should really clarify, I was just wondering if one is better in terms of cyclocross specific performance in people’s experience. Road for endurance and power and xc for technical skills I imagine.

    Road racing is easier logistically as there is more of it nearby but from what I have seen there are plenty of xc racing, just might have to travel a bit further.
  • btwright1987
    btwright1987 Posts: 11
    joey54321 wrote:
    I imagine both are good (XC is perhaps more specific, road racing perhaps longer and more similar to a 'base miles' model?) but remember that having a full or even significant 'season' during the summer can make lasting the winter in CX pretty hard.

    That was my thinking, I did a few road races a while ago but didn’t enjoy it as much as I do cross. I’ve never tried xc before, there doesn’t seem to be so many xc racers nearby.

    I was planning on racing from roughly the start of May until the end of July, that should also include my leagues summer cross races
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    btwright1987 wrote:
    Should really clarify, I was just wondering if one is better in terms of cyclocross specific performance in people’s experience. Road for endurance and power and xc for technical skills I imagine.

    If you're that committed to CX, then I would lean towards to XC. It will give you endurance (MTB XC races are hardly short duration), power and technical skills, pretty much like CX. The sustainable effort levels will be similar (neither CX nor XC generally involve much in the way of bunch racing) and you will be used to riding in the dirt.

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