Clancy BriggsBlog

**UPDATE - The Cyclo-cross Masterclass originally scheduled to take place on 8th November 2020 will now go ahead on Sunday 6th December 2020.  Last few remaining spaces available.  To book:  Visit our Academy Page**

We are so excited to announce that Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy has secured Pro Cyclo-cross rider and expert coach, Ian Field, for our upcoming masterclass on 18th October 2020!

Ian says: “I’m really excited to work with the Clancy Briggs Cycling academy to hopefully inspire the next generation of cyclo-cross riders by teaching them the tips and skills to compete”.

The day long masterclass at Ranby School in Retford is for 10-16 year olds who have an interest and some experience in Cyclo-cross.  The cost for the full day including a hot lunch is £48.50.  Places are already booking up fast and we have limited availability, so book now to avoid disappointment.

Read on for information about the masterclass itself, an introduction to Ian Field and some general details about the cyclo-cross sport.

Hone your racing skills with expert tuition from Ian Field alongside our own Graham Briggs and Ali Slater.

You’ll spend the full day from 10am-4pm exploring all aspects of CX racing and developing your skillset.

These sessions are aimed at those with a strong interest in CX racing and a cyclo-cross bike is highly recommended.  A high level of fitness is essential.

The morning session will focus on essential techniques training: starts, dismounting and remounting the bike, carrying the bike, cornering techniques, steep descents and steep ascents.

Then there will be a break for a hot 2 course lunch, providing energy for a more competitive afternoon!

During the afternoon session you’ll be putting new techniques into practice with coach-led racing and games, using your new techniques under a little bit of pressure, whilst having fun.

Kit needed – warm clothing, off road shoes and pedals and a cyclo-cross bike or a mountain bike.

Ian is a Cyclo-cross legend. He has been the British standard bearer for the sport for over a decade, winning 5 British titles and the British series 6 times in total.

Having started his cycling career at the age of 12 setting up a cyclo-cross team at school with a friend, he began cyclo-cross racing professionally 15 years ago and has been a mentor for up and coming talent joining the sport.

The sport is based mainly off road - the most iconic image of the action is the classic shot of competitors carrying the bike on their shoulder.

It takes place in the winter months when, in the UK at least, you can expect harsh conditions, muddy fields, and plenty of natural obstacles which may or may not have been made more hazardous by the rain, snow or ice.

Whereas road cycling focuses on tactics and fitness, cyclo-cross is fitness based but with important bike handling skills that can be taught, such as the techniques for starting and clipping your feet in quickly and being able to dismount and remount the bike smoothly and efficiently.

As Ian explains: “There’s a lot of basic skills that you can be taught at a young age and carry through the rest of your life”.

They’re often thought of as a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike, as Ian explains:  “A cross bike looks like a road bike but the main differences are fatter tyres with grip, lower gearing for when you’re racing off road but apart from that we have disc brakes now too so they really look more like a road bike.  There’s a little more mud clearance on the frame for bigger tyres”.

The course for a cross race is made up of a mix of terrains.  There will traditionally be fields, woodland and some tarmac sections for a straight finish.  Competitions take place on anything from school fields to beaches.

The elite men’s race is unusually an hour long, the women’s race is 40 minutes and the kids typically 30 minutes.  

The biggest challenge the competitors face is the conditions.  The season in a normal year runs from September to the end of February so you can expect a range of weather conditions.  Unlike road races, the courses get cut up after 500 to 800 people have been round in one competition day across all the categories, so by the end of the race day the course is in bad condition and competitors have to be able to adapt accordingly.

Ian explains more:  “In my 15 years of racing, I’ve only known 2 races to be cancelled, one due to stormy high winds with the danger of falling trees, but in terms of actual conditions nothing stops it.  Categories go in order of age and skill, traditionally the youngest kids go first, then go up through the age categories and eventually finish with the senior men, so theoretically the strongest cross racers go last in the worst conditions”.

Book your place on the cyclo-cross masterclass

You can find out more about British Cycling Events for cyclo-cross bike racing and lots of other tips about the sport on the British Cycling website.

Read an interview with Ian Field on the British Cycle Sport website