Road Cycling is the most basic form of cycling. It involves bikers trying to cover the longest of road distances in the smallest possible time. There are no obstacles involved and is just the purest form of Cycling there is.

Mountain biking on the other hand is a very adventurous sport. It involves competitions including high levels of risk and skill. Biking at the fastest speed possible on such high altitudes and such rocky terrain takes confidence in oneself and dedication towards the sport. Mountain biking has seen a lot of accidents and one must be very careful while indulging in this particular sport.

Now imagine, road cycling with its speed and enthusiasm and mountain biking, with its adventure and thrill both combined together. And add a series of obstacles and difficulties to it. And you get the sport of Cyclocross. There are various crazy forms of cycling, as this is definitely one of them. A sport full of variation, excitement and thrill, fans know it simply as cross.

Cyclocross is a mixture or an amalgamation of road cycling and mountain biking. Cross bikes are almost the same as road bikes, except that they have a wider front fork and more space between the seat and the chain to allow wider tires. The handlebars are standard road drop handlebars, but cross riders generally use smaller gear ratios because of the sharp, steep climbs which characterize cross courses.

Cross courses are known to be tougher than regular courses since obviously they are on a much steeper and tougher terrain. Cross courses are generally short and races generally last for around an hour. Courses usually feature obstacles which riders either have to dismount and carry their bikes over, or bunny hop over. Yes, a bunny hop seems ridiculously funny and easy but is much tougher when you have been biking for long time and then you have to carry your heavy metallic bike over the obstacles. Bunny hopping is a very difficult and complicated task which can either minimize time or make the rider look very foolish, if not done properly. There are also frequent sand pits, which the riders can either ride or run through, while carrying their bikes on their shoulders. Seems like fun isn’t it? But it is too a very tough job. Cyclocross courses mostly have stairs, which the riders must run up, carrying their bikes on their shoulders.

The final major element or cross courses is the steep climbs. These climbs need a huge amount of skill in biking which should be done properly; otherwise, it can result in major injuries.

As thrilling as the experience is, the winner should be an experienced biker and can cross the hurdles in the smallest time possible. It is important to have been trained in this activity first. It is also essential to be very careful while performing these dangerous tasks because if anything goes wrong, they can even lead to loss of life. Biking accidents are common phenomena in this specific event.