The Let’s Talk About CX crew had former junior men’s CX world champion Jens Dekker come along to a session in September 2018.
Let's Talk About CX runs regular training sessions during the leadup to the CX season and across winter.
Our training sessions are usually run on weeknights between April and September. We meet at Guide Dogs Victoria at 6:15pm, roll out at around 6:30pm, and run for an hour. Please bring lights, a helmet and tools to fix any basic mechanical mishaps.
Below we have a calendar with all our training sessions, including special clinics, and training camps.
What We Do During Training
Whilst we try to vary it up between sessions there is a range of core cyclocross skills that we cover on a regular basis, ensuring you'll be well prepared for your first, or fiftieth race!
We practice our core skills, do fun drills, and mock races.
Race start technique
A good start requires fast reactions and the right gear choice
Shouldering the bike
Shouldering your bike can be quicker than pushing it on long or steep slopes or over mud or sand
Cornering & body position
The correct line through a corner increases your exit speed. Weight distribution, positioning, and braking all contribute.
Barriers and Bunny Hopping
A bunny hop will allow you to simply hop over smaller obstacles, rather than having to dismount. But we also teach alternative methods too.
Bike dismounts and remounts
Obstacles and unrideable sections may require you to dismount. We practice on flat ground, starting slowly and gradually increasing speed as you build confidence.
Hills - Climbing and descents
Get the confidence to ride both up and down hills and the skills to do so consistently and safely
Terrain conditions
Riding through sand and mud and other CX conditions can take practice, but the skills to ride both are not dis-similar and are easy to practice
Riding in close confines
With a bunch start and lots of tight corners, getting the confidence to ride in close confines to others will ensure you can stick at the pointy end.