Cyclocross Bike
Cyclocross is a sport where participants (usually road-racers in the off-season) complete as many laps of a course that features a mixture of off-road cycling and cross-country running terrain. Competitors typically race for just over an hour on bicycles that appear to the layman to be modified road racing bikes.
The geometry of a CX bike is different from that of a road racing bike in that it tends to feature slacker angles and a slightly longer wheelbase for stability, a higher bottom bracket for clearance over rough ground, and more frame clearance for bigger tyres (30-35mm is common).
Bikes are usually found sporting cantilever brakes rather than the dual-pivot callipers found on road bikes (for mud clearance). A recent change in UCI rules, however, means that disc brakes (previously only found on mountain bikes) are quickly becoming popular due to their enhanced stopping power in even the worst conditions.
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