Characteristics of the Cyclo-Cross Bicycle You Must Know Or Else

If you've seen someone carrying a bicycle on the back of their shoulders, chances are, you probably have seen someone carrying a cyclo-cross bicycle. Having said that, ask any random person on the street and he or she would be hard pressed to tell you the difference between a cyclo-cross bicycle and a road racing bicycle. After all, both bikes are designed specifically for racing rather than for leisure activities.

Cyclo-Cross Bicycle vs. Road Racing Bicycle

The main differences lie in the frame of the bicycle itself. Cyclo-cross bikes have wider clearances and are equipped with cantilever brakes. Because there is a segment in cyclo racing that requires the biker to man handle the bike over portage sections, the upper right side of the top tube is also installed with a rear brake cable not found on your generic road racing bicycle. While the latter bikes are equipped with front brakes connected to the left brake, the opposite is true for the cyclo-cross bicycles which have the right brake as the front brake.

The tyres on cyclo-cross bicycles are also relatively knobbier at about a mere 700c width to allow better movement on unpaved roads and unmarked trails. Other than that, one other differing factor is that cyclo-cross bicycles also come installed with lower gears to help in steep climbs and high altitude areas.

The Lightweight Frame

The average cyclo race would have its participants manually carry their bikes at least thirty times in an hour race, which means that it would greatly benefit the contestant to have the lightest bicycle as possible. Hence, the best way to decrease the weight of the bicycle would obviously come from choosing a lightweight material as the frame. Aluminium frames used to be light enough for cyclo races, but modern technology has now spawned a new breed of cyclo-cross bicycle frames that integrate aluminium with carbon fibre to ensure that the bicycle frame is lightweight yet robust enough for rough usage. Passionate racers with healthy pocket change can now also consider frames made up of steel as well as titanium which further promote the lifespan of the bicycle frame.