Cyclocross season is upon us, and that means training. Lots of training.
CX racing is all about technique, especially with technical sections and barriers to maneuver. Good technique could mean the difference between the place you’re in, and the one you want. And the only way to get there is through practice.
Like most cyclists, I prefer to ride my bike to the park, but it can be hard to negotiate traffic with oversized PVC pipes strapped to your back. So with the help of my father-in-law, Corky, and a little inspiration from the design of the Pony Shop barriers, we set off to create two compact, portable barriers. Here’s a step-by-step look:
REQUIRED PARTS:
2 – 10′ long 3/4″ PVC pipes (or 1″, whatever you choose)
2 – 3/4″ to 3/4″ PVC pipe connectors
4 – 3/4″ 90º “corners” with side 3/4″ threaded side outlet
4 – 3/4″ threaded to slip connectors
Miter box
Hacksaw
Fine grade sandpaper
STEP One
Cut twelve 18″ sections. Sand the ends – up to about 1″ up from bottom – with fine sandpaper. Some ends will act as a base and touch the ground, so don’t sand the ends of eight of your sections.
STEP Two
Using the Miter Box, measure a good spot to line up the PVC to make 45º angles for the base. Mark the box with pencil so all ends you’ll cut are the same. Create 45º angles on the non-sanded side of eight sections.
STEP Three
Put the connectors together. You might need to use channel locks to screw the threaded connector into the 90º corners. For each barrier, press one 18″ section deep into the middle connector for the top bar. Leave the other side “snug” (i.e. not pressed all the way in) so it comes apart easily for transport.
STEP Four
Put together like a Lego set. We chose 18″ sections so everything is easy to transport and made for easier math (Pythagorean theorem).
Our barriers are just over 13″ tall, come apart easily and fit nicely into a large Chrome bag (not the XL, mind you). Perfect for commuting.
We also developed a system with elastic so we could fold up the barriers like a tent pole, but it’s not necessary yet (we were worried about the barriers coming apart with any load during practice). Any improvements I make will show up here.
Thanks for all your help, Corky. It was fun working with you on this project. Now to get deep into my weekly practices…
Nice!
Don’t you worry – we WILL have something for you to ride on your next trip to Chicago sir.
We have to talk ‘bidness’ too – more to come.
Awesome. I’ll bring my shoes and helmet.
Bidness – sweet!
Excellent directions! Thanks for the plans. Building the barriers now. Goodbye clunky hops, hello seamless bounding. Cross Crusade!
Nice. You should send a picture when you’re done building them, Matthew.
Good luck this season. Your company looks cool. I’ll look for your products.
Very nice, thanks! Printed the instructions and paid my 9 year old $5 to build them for me. He says it was fun. We made one minor design mod – instead of cutting all pieces to 18″ we cut 4 of the pieces to 24″ (so each 10′ pipe gives you 4 x 18″ and 2 x 24″). No leftover pipe that way and my barriers are a foot wider than the plan says. Makes it a little less compact to carry tho, but the tradeoff suited me.
Thanks, John. I love that your son built them for you. Sounds like a handy fella.
Have a great season.
Joe, I like your design…
But similar to John V(erheul?), I went longer, by going ~22.5″ on all the segments, you get to a 40cm barrier that is max UCI height…
Beneficial to practice bunny hopping on the highest thing you might see – that way, if the barriers at races are lower, it’s that much easier…
g
I like it, Greg. Hope away and take home the medal.
Have a fun season.
Just stumbled across your design…which is exactly the design I came up with two weeks ago. There are only so many ways to skin a cat. I had my daughter do the math to come up with the length of the angled portions so that the height would be 40 cm.
Question, though: what’s the purpose in the miter? Does that make them come apart easier in case of a bike/rider/barrier collision?
Also, you mention one that uses shock cord; any tips on building those?
@chris, I skipped the miter…
I figured that if I did that, when I crashed into them and they bounced around they would pierce my abdomen as I landed on the ground…
Just sayin’…
g
Hey guys.
I used the mitre to make the make the barrier legs perpendicular to the ground. A little more stable that way.
Plus I carry them on my back in a bag since I made more narrow ones, so I don’t worry about the impaling.
The same can’t be said for shoddy courses with exposed rebar or wood stakes. I fear those things.
Hup hup, fellas. Eye of the tiger and shit.
Good luck!
Joe
Great plans, but all the different measurements used by different users don’t all make sense to me. How does a 120″ pipe divide into 22.5″ sections? Why use 18″ sections when 120/6=20? 20″ sections may not result in the perfect 40cm height but it would come close enough, and not waste any pipe. Am I wrong here?
Hey Greg.
They end up being 18″ after I cut the “feet” at an angle to sit on the ground level. As you can see, many of the CX’ers here took a custom approach to theirs. I hope yours turn out well!
Rubber side down!
Joe