Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclo-cross News, Race Reports, Bike Reviews, Forums and More

Please do stories on the "common man" out there cross racing. I think we all get pretty tired of reading about just the pros...tell stories about how much it sucks to show up every week and race with no call up in big fields and have no chance of finishing top ten because of it, and about the chaos at the start of a Cat4 race start with a field of 100 racers....keep the mag real and at a grass roots level. Interview some racers who show up every week and finish 87th. I think that is much more appealing to most of us who race.
Best...
Larry Grossman
Mountain Pedaler, Eagle, Colorado.

Hi Guys,
Very interested in the mag. Beginner to the sport and would be willing to subscribe if there where articles on training. Any thoughts???
Thanks.

I agree with most everyone else here, I got into the sport because of the accessibility of the grassroots series. If I were to read a magazine about cyclocross, I want to read about what's going on at other local series, not what the pros are doing at US nationals and overseas.

Also I like the idea of profiling not only the racers from different series, but also the guys who are behind the scenes busting their asses to make things like this possible.

It would be great if you were able to print results, race reports, and photos from some of the regional action going on around the US. In addition to this there are great riders in each region that deserve to have a profile done on them. This would also be a nice thing to add.

Ditto on what Carr and Damian mentioned. The h/s and collegiate level needs to be developed and covered by a zine such as yorselves.

Here's an idea that has worked elsewhere: It'll promote your zine, youth cross development, and give some good ad exposure for clients: Have business clients pair up w/a bike shop to sponsor a junior level team made up of kids , from a couple East Bay schools to race at the Livermore/Sacto events and a junior level team from a couple Penninsula schools to race the Pilarcitos/Velo Bella events?

If you do give money for junior development/racers getting to worlds etc, be careful in giving it directly to USA Cycling. Instead think of setting up your own scholarship type effort. The money would go a lot further that way.

The PROs are covered, and while Lance did a lot to promote cycling, he operated in a race that has much higher visibility than the International Cyclocross scene/races. I would hope that local support is garnered before more paper is given to pros who receive enough coverage as it is. Maybe rider profiles in the magazine, as in a different pro each month - like a short piece giving the reader a picture, some background, etc etc. Like a baseball card. Ya know? As far as advocacy, look at what Dirt Rag has done over the years and how they have maintained one of the better cycling magazines out there. Rotating staff, local reports, races, clinics, reviews - they really have a good format over there.
I know that IMBA and other regional trail groups enjoy the help and awareness, too.

So start small, with things folks can do locally, etc. Keep it refreshing, simple, and approachable to get the readers interested and involved. Thanks
Josh

IMO you should focus on CX culture which is the foundation of the sport's strength regionally and nationally. Sort of like a BIKE magazine for cyclocross. Let Velonews and Cyclesport report on the sponsored pros - make this a zine for the rest of us.

Ditto what was said re. the NorCal High School league - that is a thing of beauty. Ditto the collegiate scene. These guys are growing the sport not milking it.

Brij emailed us the following comment:

Great ideas---both for the mag and growing the sport. Personally I'd advocate for something in-between sponsoring specific elite riders and IMBRA-level scale: getting young people on the local level intro cross. Several ideas come to mind: free races for juniors, working closely with the Northern California High School MTB league to get those kids involved. I think they'd have a blast and the infrastructure is in place---they have suitable bikes, kits, the club structure, etc. Also, I think the collegiate cycling clubs are an untapped source for growing the sport. It makes great sense--minimal travel, no pre reg., short races, fun scene. Outreach to collegiate clubs could help. It'd be great to eventually have races back at UCSC, something in Palo Alto, Berkeley, etc. Both with the high schooler and collegiate racers short clinics race day and then 30-40 min. races. Make it free or really cheap.

That's my thoughts after way too much fun on the CX bike today...

I have always liked the Northern Cal High School Mtn bike series and wonder if something similar could be done with Cyclocross. Most of my friends who race bikes started out either competing in high school as cross-country runners or cross-country skiers. High school Cross crountry races are run during the same time of the year and on similar courses. Put in the minimum UCI barriers of two and run it after the running races as an experiment call it a three lap race. have four or six person team and score it like a cross-country running race. Yeah, bikes can be expensive but compared to football, hockey and ski equipment it's about the same if not less.

Pfeif