North Carolina Cyclo-Cross (NCCX) announces the 26th season of the NCCX Series. This season will feature Hickory as the sixth race in the series. Hickory will feature all categories from Kids, Novices, Age Groups, Single Speed and Elite Pro Categories. Race day will include two local bands, food trucks and great views to watch racers make their way around the Stanford Park grounds.

Cyclocross is a unique discipline of cycling that can best de described as a cross between road cycling, mountain biking and steeplechase. Watching cyclists dismount their bikes to run up stairs and steep embankments often arouses questions about the origin of the sport. Although it is difficult to find the exact reason, many legends have it that cyclists would race from town to town off road to bring a new element to road racing.

Cyclocross races generally take place on a closed circuit in a park or other open land with competitors racing multiple laps. Since the cyclo-cross season generally takes place from September to February, races are often times plagued with adverse weather conditions such as snow, rain, wind and mud – all of which add to the sport’s allure.

While many people refer to type of bike used for cyclocross as a “cx bike”, “cross bike”, or “cyclocross bike”, most competitors actually use modified road bikes. These road bikes are then equipped with skinny, knobby tires, disc brakes and slightly different geometry which allows for better clearance when passing over various obstacles.