How is Cross Different from Mountain Bike Racing?
After Americans developed the sport of mountain bike racing in the 1980s, European ‘cross racers moved in to dominate the new sport. But there are big differences between the two. In simple terms, mountain bike racing is more of a race against a course, while cyclo-cross is a race against racers. Whereas mountain bike racing has ‘single track’ sections with room only wide enough for one rider, ‘cross courses have a minimum width of about 10 feet. Cross races are shorter and more intense, with pro-elite men racing for just one hour. Whereas a mountain bike racers must perform nearly all the repairs on a bike, ‘cross racers have pit crews in dedicated zones and can swap entire bikes. A cyclocross bike, which resembles a road bike, is far lighter than a mountain bike, with some machines weighing just 17 pounds. But the bikes have many elements of mountain bikes, such as knobby tires and cantilever brakes that shed mud.
