What grade should I ride? It’s a question we receive regularly.
Those new to cyclocross sometimes worry about selecting the right grade. This generally occurs for one of two reasons;
- They race in other cycling disciplines, but are new to cyclocross
- They have never raced before
What grade should I choose? Please be guided by your motor.
What exactly does that mean? It means that you should ride against riders of a similar strength to yourself; not drop down to a lower grade because of a perceived disadvantage around your technical skills.
For example, if you race A grade on the road or on the MTB, we request that you enter the Elite category for CX.
If you don’t race already but you are a similar fitness level to some of your training buddies who race in B grade on the road or on the MTB, please enter B grade for CX.
If you’ve never raced and aren’t able to gauge a grade off any of your training partners, enter C grade in CX and see how you go.
You will be asked for grading information at entry. Please provide information that helps the race director either confirm your requested grade or determine the correct grade for you. This info helps get you into the correct grade, and ensures fair and fun racing for all. Please note that when you request a grade, it may be changed by the race director when taking into account other information. The published final start list is confirmation of your grade for race day.
The race director will encourage riders that are capable of riding up in the next grade to move up. If you are in a lower grade and are consistently recording lap times that are above the mean time in the grade above, you will be promoted.
Cyclocross is all about challenging yourself and having fun while doing it. If you have any questions about racing CX or advice on which grade to enter, just get in touch.