Cyclocross - why do they do that?

[StreetCowboy]

Drop handlebars?

 

Anyway, the previous thread on the topic has been prematurely archived, so I’ll post my additions here. 
 

What’s cyclocross all about?  I’m sat here in Sid’s watching the UCI world championships, and it looks like blokes on road bikes riding a BMX trail.

 

To be a true test of “go anywhere” point to point cycling, they should have: long tarmac, up, down and level; gravel; mud; kerbs (small, that everyone will bunny hop the first time, medium, and large, that most will not bunny hop, even the first time), stairs or riverbed that may be quicker walking or cycling, and something that you need to throw your bike over, before climbing after  - or try to climb carrying it.

[damascase]

Are you sure you are watching the UCI Cyclocross World Championships? The 2019 version was in Denmark, in February, and next February the 2020 edition will be held in Switzerland.

An extremely popular and very, very demanding winter sports in some European countries. The bikes are not road bikes, but have been specifically designed for this purpose.

[StreetCowboy]

Just now, damascase said:

Are you sure you are watching the UCI Cyclocross World Championships? The 2019 version was in Denmark, in February, and next February The 2020 edition will be held in Switzerland.

The words UCI and ‘world’ cropped up in the TV titles; but the queries remain valid whether it was UCI world championships or Scunthorpe Cyclocross Municipal Challenge.

 

Surely riding through mud, an adapted road bike is not the solution; but most of us ride a lot more gravel than mud.  And there should be more kerbs and steps (up and down) that you might choose to ride, or choose not to.

[damascase]

1 hour ago, StreetCowboy said:

The words UCI and ‘world’ cropped up in the TV titles; but the queries remain valid whether it was UCI world championships or Scunthorpe Cyclocross Municipal Challenge.

 

Surely riding through mud, an adapted road bike is not the solution; but most of us ride a lot more gravel than mud.  And there should be more kerbs and steps (up and down) that you might choose to ride, or choose not to.

So you made the situation up. It is irrelevant whether ‘most of us’ ride a lot more gravel than mud. Local circumstances dictate the kind of track - e.g, in Belgium (where the races attract enormous crowds) where you wouldn’t find any gravel at all, but lots of mud. BMX tracks are completely different.

[StreetCowboy]

Fair point. 
Today we had a bit of gravel, some soft stuff, a bit of single-track tarmac, and 60 km of road.

 

I had to suddenly dismount on the first muddy section, and again on the steepest hill