Cyclocross Was a Different Beast

A Different Kind of Suffering#

Last fall I raced the Kelso Cyclocross Series for the first time, and it ended up being one of the hardest things I did on a bike all year.

I already had some confidence from the Kelso MTB series, so I thought I knew what bike racing would feel like. I did not. Cyclocross was a different beast entirely. It was shorter, more explosive, more violent on the body, and much harder to settle into. In mountain biking there are at least moments where you can find a rhythm. In cyclocross, it felt like the race started at redline and then just stayed there.

Some races were so intense that afterwards I felt dizzy and mentally foggy. That was one of the first things that struck me about CX. It is messy. It is repeated accelerations, corners, remounts, little punches of effort, and just enough recovery to trick you into thinking you are okay before the course asks you for more again. After one of the early races, the best summary I could come up with was basically: pain, pain, pain.

The Kelso Hill#

And then there was the ski hill climb at Kelso. Brutal. That climb alone made the whole race feel heavier. It exposed everything right away: leg strength, lungs, technique, and your ability to stay mentally composed while your body is screaming at you to back off.

Survival First#

My first race was basically survival. I was happy just to finish and not be last. But that was also the hook. Even though it felt chaotic and overwhelming, I could already tell it was going to make me better. It showed me exactly where I was weak. I needed stronger legs. I needed to carry momentum better. I needed to handle the bike more smoothly. I needed to suffer better. I also realized very quickly that cyclocross is so intense that there is barely any room to relax and have fun while you are in it. At least in the beginning, it felt like constant pain with no time to enjoy the ride.

Getting Better Every Week#

That is what made the series so rewarding. I got better every race. Not perfectly, and not in a straight line, but enough to feel the difference. I got more comfortable with the pace. I got more deliberate with the course. I improved at the obstacles. By the middle of the series, I could feel the suffering becoming a bit more manageable. I still was not exactly having fun in the traditional sense, but I was less miserable. I was not as gassed late in the race, and I could feel myself going through the obstacles a little better. I started thinking less like someone trying to survive the event and more like someone actually racing it.

The People Around It#

Another part I did not expect to enjoy so much was the people around it. I met a lot of fellow bikers through the series. There is something about showing up on a cold evening, pinning a number on, warming up under the lights, suffering together, and then talking after the race that makes the whole thing feel special. It was hard and competitive, but also welcoming.

A Rough Ending#

Not every week even got a proper race. One round was cancelled last minute because of a thunderstorm. Then the ending of the series got even unluckier. In the second last race, my derailleur went out of commission and I had to DNF. In the final race, a buddy let me use his spare bike, which already says a lot about the kind of people you meet around local racing, but then I got a flat tire and had to DNF again. At the time that was frustrating because by then I knew I had become a much stronger rider. But looking back, those last setbacks do not define the season.

Why It Still Matters#

What defines the season is what cyclocross did to me as a rider. It exposed all my weak points, forced me to train with more intention, and gave me a new level of confidence on the bike. It was intense, humbling, and at times borderline miserable. But it also made me sharper, tougher, and more excited to keep improving.

That is why I am looking forward to the next cycling season already.

Cyclocross was a different beast. Now that I know what it asks of you, I want another shot at it.

Race Table#

Race	Date	Placement	Notes
Race 1	2025-09-16	9th overall	Survival mode. Happy to finish and not be last. Pain, pain, pain.
Race 2	2025-09-23	Cancelled	Called off last minute due to a thunderstorm.
Race 3	2025-09-30	5th	Still figuring out cyclocross. Constant pain, no time to settle in.
Race 4	2025-10-07	6th	Wet and muddy. The hill was brutal. Better on the obstacles though.
Race 5	2025-10-14	4th overall	Felt a bit less miserable. Not as gassed late in the race, smoother through the obstacles.
Race 6	2025-10-21	2nd overall	Best result of the season.
Race 7	2025-10-28	DNF	Derailleur went out of commission mid-race.
Race 8	2025-11-04	DNF	Borrowed a buddy's spare bike. Got a flat tire. Season over.