FAQs

Ah, Cyclocross...the weird and wonderful dicipline that's a bit of road, a bit of gravel, a bit of MTB, and a bit of...obstable course? It's a little tough to explain at first, but you may have seen videos online of people running with their bikes over planks or up stair, surfing seas of sand, or plodding through axle-deep mud - thats Cyclocross. But there's so much more to it than the YouTube highlight reel...

Why CX? 

• It's probably the most spectator friendly cycling sport out there - most races are in a park or smaller venue. You'll see racers several times over the course of the race, and maybe even multiple times per lap! Try that in gravel...

• You only need to race hard for 45 minutes, and then you can hang out, cheer your friends, and have a beverage.

• Since the races are shorter, that also means that you don't need to devote all of your spare time to train for a 5-9+ hour day.

• Short races also means that you can do something else with your weekend. Like...chores...?

• Short races (seeing a trend here?) also mean that you can usually get 'race fit' in only a few weeks, or simply race yourself into fitness.

• Summer free time! With Cyclocross being a fall & winter sport, if you commit to CX you'll have more time in the summer to do fun summer things.

• Low risk, high reward. You'll be riding at a relatively slow speed on soft surfaces, so the consequences of a crash are pretty low. Scary features are pretty rare, and it's usually safe to push your limits without needing to worry about your insurance deductable.

• Preride laps! If you've got enough time before your race, you can do a bunch of preview laps to boost your confidence, dial in your lines, or figure out that tricky feature. No more surprises because something was a 2 hour drive from the start line and you couldnt check it out.

• Skills! It's probably the best way to work on your bike handling skills. Riding skinny tires off road (and fast) is tricky so you'll learn so many things that pay off in any number of situations all year long. Get ready to fly past everyone on a technical gravel section in the summer with your mad skillz. Some say that Cyclocross is the spirit of underbiking...

• Don't tell me you actually like riding the trainer?! Cyclocross is a fall/winter sport, and you'll have a heck of a lot more fun keeping fit doing some CX racing than you will riding around an imaginary volcano or staring at a power number in your basement.

• A race for everyone. There's a category for everyone to race in, so doesnt matter your age, gender, or ability level - you'll have a place to compete against people on your same level.

• Bring any bike! No cyclocross bike, no problem. This is one of the few diciplines where you can just 'run what you brung' and race the bike you've got. No judgement if you rock up on your mountain bike.

• Hangs! Heckles! Vibes! Cowbell! The atmosphere at a CX race is like nothing else and you'll probably feel like a rock star out there with the support of the crowd. 

Convinced yet? Need we go on...

Because the world doesnt need another Master Men's racing team. 😉

But seriously, Square1 exists to support women in the sport. We are a co-ed team (and our Men are all great allies) but take a different approach than others since our support is focused on our women. 

What does that mean? 

• A welcoming, encouraging, and inclusive environment, regardless of your skill or experience.

• You'll find the tent set up for the Womens races, but not necessarily the Men's.

• If you need some help getting your bike set up or dialed, we'll be there to help.

• Want some friends to pre-ride with before your race? We'll be there.

• Need someone in the pits to handle bike exchanges, mechanicals, or hydration? Just ask and we'll be there.

• On-bike clinics and practices to help you build your skills and achieve your goals.

• Training rides with other Women at an appropriate pace. You might see the boys on a training ride, but they can go off and play by themselves if they want. All training rides are no-drop!

Yes! As a matter of fact up until a few years ago everyone was riding gravel on their Cyclocross Bikes before 'gravel bikes' were a thing. 😉 Nowadays its just about the opposite, but the good news is that a gravel bike is pretty dang close to a purebred cyclocross bike. The best cyclocross bike is the one you have* so don't worry about exactly what you are riding, just show up and have fun! 

(*unless that bike is a road bike, that usually isnt a good idea)

We are a cyclocross race team, which means that our main focus is CX and that is where you will receive the most support. However we love all the bikes, so you'll see our members out at all sorts of events! If you're not ready to race quite yet...no worries, you can join us anyways and work on those skills, join the training rides, or just hang out.

Keeping in spirit with our low-pressure envionment, the requirements are low-stakes too. We won't make you interview to get a spot on the team and we won't police your sock or jersey choice. You can read the full membership agreement here, but lets keep it simple...

• Membership fee: $50/year - mostly to help us keep the lights on and so we know you're committed. The budget not only helps us with administrative costs, but allows us to do fun things like order swag and organize social events.

• Participate as much as you are able to in team races, rides and events. Stay in touch with us on our social channels and group chats!

• Purchase, at minimum, (1) Jersey - the team store is open year round, so no worries about being without a fresh kit when you need it!

• Wear the official team kit during races, whenever possible. We do not have rules about kit use, especially for riding, but prefer to see you in team apparel when racing.

• Represent Square1 in a professional manner, by good sportsmanship at every race and ride, both on the bike and off.

No worries! We don't care if you want to be on another team for other disciplines. We realize that CX is a bit specialized and not every team out there shows up for CX. Since Square1 focuses on Cyclocross you may not get the same type of support at other races, but that doesnt mean we don't do them. Our members race year round at Cross Country MTB Races, Gravel Races, Crits, etc because #crossiscoming and they're training!

There are a lot of teams to join in Colorado, but we are one of the few cyclocross specialists. Cross is our jam and what most of our members focus on, so you'll have direct access to all of those years of experience. If this lines up with what you want to focus on, then we might just be the right team for you - remember that you are still free to be active on other teams outside of cyclocross season.

What are the benefits of a focused team?

• Race weekend support & a team tent (with a heater in the winter! 🤗 )

• Raceday support (pit crew, mechanical support, water handups, etc)

• Cross-specific bike setup and expertise (What pressure you running? What tires you running? What's that gear ratio? Tubulars?!)

• Cross-specific skills & drills (IYKYK - cornering, barriers, sand, power climbs, cornering, shouldering, remounts, etc etc)

We do have a bit of a reputation for loving Single Speed Cyclocross, its true. But no, you are free to race any category! Don't be suprised if someone tries to peer-pressure you into some SSCX, though...😉 (because its a blast)

Men are free to join the team, we have plenty of husbands of members in our ranks. Just be aware of our 'women first' focus and that your role should be to support our women (after your racing is done of course) however you can. If you are an ally of women and want to support women's cyclocross, then you are welcome!

Team applications will stay open year-round...procrastinators rejoice! Dues are annual, so you will need to re-up each year you want to stay on the team. Keep in mind that 'Cyclocross season' is usually (late) August through December in Colorado. 

The CX season is terribly short (in our opinion), but bikes are rad and a great thing to do year-round. When its not Cyclocross season we'll still be out riding in the mountains of Colorado, shredding MTB trails, hitting those gravel roads, and maybe even getting up to some other heavy 'Type 2' fun on the bike. There will be plenty of opportunities for group rides & events outside of Cyclocross....but if you just want to CX with us that's cool too!