Didn't know there was anyone else on this forum who had raced without suspension (front and rear). I look back and that and thank god that most of my racing without suspension was in California (not so rocky and rough)!

Cyclocross is similar to that, but usually the courses are not too technical as far as rocks, etc. Most promoters know that you will be riding a cyclocross bike and if it was as rocky as a mountain bike course, everyone would have a perpetual flat!

I don't always use my cyclocross bike to race up here in Flag, cause the boys that put on the races are a bunch of kamikazes and they like to make the courses as hard as they can. When they are hard courses, I ride my Klein mountain hard tail mountain bike. Besides, it is lighter than my cyclocross bike (hard to believe) and so it is easier to pick up than the cyclocross bike!

Those that haven't raced cyclocross before, remember to bring the PAM. Spray it on your cleats and your pedals escpecially when it is muddy or icy. Sometimes when it is really cold, I don't use clipless cause all you end up with is a big ball of ice on the bottom of your cleat and it won't engage anymore. For State Competition one year, we had about 1 1/2 feet of snow. That year, it was flat pedals and hiking boots! It worked great