Table of contents
Note: Rules in our official participant and promoter guidelines supercede any information on this page. In cases of conflicting information, only rules in the Official Racer guidelines will be used.
Beginners
Cyclocross is a very beginner-friendly sport, thanks to the 3 S’s:
- Slower speeds – While still being a high-intensity sport, racing on grass and dirt is slower than racing on pavement
- Softer landings – Falling can be annoying, but rarely is it debilitating, because grass and dirt is softer than pavement. Falling is common in cross, but it happens less often in beginner fields because they are less likely to push the limits of what a tire can bear.
- Spread out field – Unlike crit racing or road racing, after the mass start, CX fields spread out very quickly, so you are rarely riding close together. This drastically reduces the amount of proximity crashes.
How do I prepare?
Roll on over to our pre-race prep page. This page should help you get ready for your race the night before, get you through registration, and into the starting gate.
Do I need to be fast?
No. Novices will start in lower-level competitions (Cat 5) and, if they work hard enough, they can advance up to higher levels. But many people don’t race for speed; some are happy to stay where they are and enjoy participating for other reasons.
You may still get lapped by faster riders, and that’s okay. This is a common occurrence and cross racers are normally very good about sharing the field with riders of all levels. Everyone on the course is entitled to their own race, including you, but if faster riders do call out that they’re passing you, please let them pass.
Do I need to commit to the whole Wisconsin Cyclocross Series?
You may participate in as few or as many race days as you want, and you may participate in multiple races on each day.
Bikes
Do I need a cyclocross bike?
No, you can ride nearly any bike in the Wisconsin Cyclocross Series.
Can I ride a mountain bike, fat bike, hybrid bike, road bike, gravel bike, adventure bike, single speed bike, etc.?
Yes!
Can I ride a fixed gear, tandem, electric bike, or unicycle?
No. Bikes must be exclusively human powered, and have a functioning front and rear hand brake, and a freewheel/freehub.
However, occasionally these are explicitly allowed in certain novelty races. These are usually advertised per race if they are available; check with race organizers for details.
Is there a tire size limitation?
No. While most cyclocross-specific tires adhere to the 33mm limitation set forth by the UCI (the elite-level governing body), the Wisconsin Cyclocross Series does not require a specific sized tire and encourages you to find the right tire size for you.
Clothing
Do I need special clothes?
Mostly no; nearly any sport or civilian clothes are acceptable. However, shoulders must be covered, so tops with sleeves are required (no tank tops, muscle shirts, racer-backs, camisoles and the like are allowed).
Age Groups
What is the minimum age for participation?
Participants must be 9 years of age are older, according to their cyclocross race age. However cyclocross racing age is very weird. Keep reading!
What is my cyclocross race age?
It is different than your real age and will usually be +1 or 2 years.
Your cyclocross race age is the age you will be on December 31st of the following year. This is because age is calculated at the end of the year that the CX World Championships are held. Our season starts in September, but ends the following year in January.
[Example: You are 33 years old. Your race season starts in September 2025 (you are still 33), but you have a birthday in October 2025 (making you 34 at the end of the year). The World Champs will be in January 2026 (you are still 34) but your age is taken at the end of that year. You will have another birthday in October 2026 (making you 35).
Thus, your real age on December 31, 2026 will be your race age for the entire 2025 season. This means as a 33-year-old you may race in the 35+ races, or as a 14-year-old Junior, you will be required to race in the 15-18 category.]
Am I required to race in my age group?
All Ages races welcome racers of any age, including Juniors, 35+ and 50+ racers. As far as age-restricted races go:
- Junior racers may race up age categories, but not down.
- 35+ and 50+ racers my race down age categories, but not up.
Are there races for kids 8 or younger?
Not officially. Occasionally individual race organizers will build cyclo-tot courses. These are usually advertised per race if they are available; check with race organizers for details.
Registration
Do I need to pre-register?
No, but, you can save some money when you do, and it helps our officials stay better organized on the day if you do.
Do I need a race license?
Yes. 1-day licenses can be purchased for $15 when you register for your event. If you plan on racing 5 or more events in the year, (sanctioned by USA Cycling—including road, crit, mountain, track, gravel, etc.), you may want to consider a yearly license.
Racing categories
Which race do I enter?
Races are divided by skill, age, gender and occasionally bike style.
- Skill – Beginners may join any Cat 5 races. After a certain amount of podium placings, Cat 5 racers can upgrade to higher levels. More on beginners, above.
- Age – Racing age is a little tricky. Read more about it, above.
- Gender – Open races—often erroneously referred to as Men’s races (a legacy designation)—are open to all genders. As of September 15, 2025, women’s races have been restricted to those assigned female at birth. *See below for more.
- Bike style – Nearly any geared bike is welcome in nearly any cross race. Single speed bikes are also welcome in any cross race, but single speed races are restricted to single speed bikes only. More on bike styles, above.
*Transgender racers are welcome at WICX Series races. While the WICX Series has historically stated that transgender women could race with women without issue, in September 2025 USA Cycling—the national governing body for bike racing through which we are permitted—modified the rules of who is allowed to participate in the women’s field, restricting participants to the gender they were assigned at birth. You can read that policy here.
Nevertheless, the WICX Series has always tried to operate with a generous policy of inclusion, and will continue to strive to make sure everyone feels welcome at our races. WICX Series will not tolerate sexual or racially based harassment or other discriminatory behavior, whether physical, verbal or digital, and such behavior, or accommodation of such behavior will result in dis-inclusion from the Series.
Additionally, since 2024, the WICX Series has offered a Non-binary category which welcomes transgender folks as well as those who do not identify themselves along binary gender rules.
Do I need to be fast?
No, all skill levels are welcome. Everyone will start in lower and slower groups, but you may advance to more competitive levels if desired. You can race for fun, personal goals, or results.
Will there be a kiddie cross, tracklocross, fixed gear, unicycle, fat bike, or cross country competition, etc. at any race?
Unofficial novelty races are usually held at the end of the day, and are up to the discretion of each individual race organizer. We will note this information on each race info page when we can.
Practice
It’s raining! Is practice still on?
The Wisconsin Cyclocross Series does not run regular practices, so this is at the discretion of individual practice organizers. Please reach out to them to find out more. Mud is kind of our thing, but we also want to respect the spaces we use; if you expect a lot of egregious turf damage, or hazardous weather, please cancel.
Teams
Do I need to be on a team?
No, team participation is not required; any individuals are welcome.