With cyclocross season just around the corner, there’s still time to hone your skills and pick up valuable seconds on the competition. To help you accomplish that, CXHairs LLC is pleased to announce a new book dedicated to teaching the techniques necessary to improve your cyclocross game.
Written by Bill Schieken and Dan Tille, “Skills, Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer” contains detailed descriptions of the fundamentals of cyclocross as demonstrated by U.S. Cyclocross Champion Jeremy Powers. Photographed by Bruce Buckley, the full-color images highlighted in this book show each skill in an easy-to-follow format, providing new and experienced ‘crossers a valuable resource for learning the sport.
“’Skills Drills and Bellyaches’ is an incredible addition to the cyclocross community,” Powers says. “The contents of this book are going to help you improve your cyclocross riding without doing any intervals, without any long rides, and without any rigorous training plans.” Powers added that learning the concepts and techniques explained in the book “will be one of many steps in a long journey to becoming a cyclo-boss!”
If you have been racing ‘cross for several seasons, you may ask yourself why you need a book teaching the fundamental skills of the sport. Schieken and Tille look at it like this:
Every time you dismount from your bike you are either gaining or losing time on your competition. For instance, if you are a habitual stutter-stepper on remounts, this can cost you around one second each time you get back on your bike. If you are on a course that requires three remounts per lap and you do six laps in your race, that’s 18 seconds wasted. Let’s say you have similar issues on the dismount. Same math, 18 seconds lost. You are now 36 seconds behind a competitor who is equally fit, but gets on and off the bike more proficiently. Even if you have years of ‘cross racing under your bibshorts, you can always make improvements to your game. What is discussed in this new book helps show you the way.
“Skills, Drills and Bellyaches” teaches the techniques and skills that all racers, from beginner to elite, should learn and apply to become a better cyclocross racer. It covers basics such as what to wear and how to get back on your bike after carrying it over an obstacle, as well as more nuanced starting techniques and how to mentally prepare for your race.
This book serves as a solid primer for new racers, as well as a means for experienced riders to hone their craft. If you master the skills and techniques covered here, you can go into the cyclocross season with the same fitness you had last year, yet achieve better results.
A portion of proceeds from the sale of “Skills, Drills and Bellyaches: A Cyclocross Primer” go to support the JAM Fund, a non-profit organization created by Jeremy Powers that is committed to nurturing and growing the next generation of American cyclists.
“Skills, Drills and Bellyaches” is available for pre-order now. Books will ship the week of September 22, 2013. To order your copy go to www.cyclocrossbook.com.