Anyone who does cyclo-cross can sympathize with the slogan and knows what I’m referring to. I’m referring, of course, to that deep muscle tissue burn one feels as the lactic acid builds in the exertion of riding, dismounting, and running repeatedly.
When you think of cycling, you probably don’t think of running with your bike. Cyclocross is a unique cycling sport that marries the two sports. It’s kind of the off-road version of road cycling. Cyclocross is ridden on a closed circuit that features some paved but mostly dirt, gravel, or sand roads.
The races tend to be short and intense on courses that range between 2.5-3.5km long. The courses can include barriers and steps requiring riders to dismount and run while carrying their bikes. Often raced in winter or fall months, inclement weather conditions will make it too difficult to ride all sections, which forces riders to run through sand or mud to get through sections of the course.
Cyclocross bikes generally resemble road bikes but with more aggressive frame geometry in addition to larger tire clearance for wider knobby tires and disc brakes. Tubular tires are run at low pressure to add traction and grip.
Inspired by some of Sheppard Fairey’s posters, I created this image using the same limited colour palette. I relied on bold shapes and patterns to create an eye-catching graphic with the rider being the main subject. This was one of my earlier works in the cycling series created in 2011 using Illustrator.
