You may have heard, there’s a new event in town… like, right in town. This May, the heart of Melbourne CBD, Federation Square, will turn into a one-off bike riding playground for Bicycle Network’s City CX.
...hang on, what’s ‘CX’?
TELL ME MORE 👇
Picture this, you're lining up at a Grand Prix style starting grid with your bike right in the middle of Fed Square, which is already ridiculous. They call your number forward with a handful of other riders. You think you hear your partner hurling encouragement from the fan zone and then BANG! You’re off pedalling.
You’re zipping through Fed Square and security aren’t yelling at you. In fact, everyone’s cheering! It feels a little surreal as you ride right by museums, bars and restaurants, before spilling out on River Terrance. Here there are a few obstacles to navigate. Some people jump, some people walk, some people ride around. You do you.
Next thing you know you’re flying through a tunnel full of lights and sounds and into… a carpark? But there’s no cars today. Today is for bikes. You follow the twists and turns of the covered carpark before popping out on the top level to some cheers from the gathering crowd. You look up to see the most incredible view of the CBD, but now is not the time to ponder.
Down the ramp, through the carpark, jump off your bike to tackle some stairs and before you know it, you’re back in Fed Square zooming toward the finish line. How’d you go? Ready to go again?
HOW IT WORKS 📋
City CX is not your typical CX race. It’s an open event, with time trial qualifiers grading you into a final group stage with riders of a similar standard. You can complete up to five laps of the course in the morning at your own pace, with your best lap time being used for seeding.
If you’re thinking of dusting off the mountain bike, BMX or Brompton to take on the course, you’re more than welcome! The course is open for one day only for everyone to enjoy. However, there are some technical aspects of the course, so you need to be confident handling your bike around obstacles and riding alongside others.
If you’re a seasoned CX rider, you’re more than welcome too! We can’t wait to see you tackle the unique urban terrain on your bike. Oh, did we mention there’s $50 cash prizes for group stage winners, and a $1000 podium split for the final race? That’s sure to get the pedals turning!
You will be ultimately grouped with riders of similar ability in the afternoon. You and your group will ride two more laps of the now familiar course, with the first across the line declared the winner. The group stages will build toward the fastest qualifiers championship race at the end of the day, so we all can watch them ride.
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY 🎉
But it’s not all about bikes. City CX is a free event to watch, with an action packed entertainment hub in Fed Square to keep the party going all day.
There will be live entertainment, music, food and drinks to enjoy, as well as numerous vantage points around Fed Square, River Terrace and the big screen to soak up the on-bike action from 7am – 5pm.
Tell your friends and family, watch this hype video, and we'll see you at Fed Square!
WHAT IS CX? 🤔
CX, short for “cyclo-cross” is a form if bike racing that consists of many laps of a short course that features numerous challenging terrains and obstructions, occasionally requiring the rider to dismount and carry the bike over obstacles.
It is sort of like a cross between mountain bike racing, cross-country cycling and criterium racing, with popular CX bike setups being similar to road racing bikes: lightweight, narrow tyres and drop handlebars, but typically with greater tire clearances, lower gearing, stronger frames and a more upright riding position.
Having said that, City CX is not your average CX race. It’s an open event with no specific experience required other than being confident on your bike. We’re expecting riders of all abilities to show up with all sorts of trusty steeds. The morning time trials will sort you with riders of similar ability for the afternoon group stages.