Cyclocross typically takes place during the fall and winter months of the year, and world cup season is between September and January. It’s a great way for cyclists to keep their training going throughout the year off-season by riding cyclocross. Many of the cyclocross racers are also experienced in other cycle racing disciplines, such as road racing and mountain biking. More resently cyclocross has come into its own as a racing discipline, and many riders choose to solely concentrate on the cyclocross event. Unlike other cycling races, cyclocross is shaped with pretty straightforward tactics, and the race greatly depends on the cyclist's aerobic fitness and their bike-handling skills.

The actual event itself is comprised of a short course, typically 2-3km/1-2miles lapped several times over and races last for 30mins-1hr long, depending on the total course distance, the specific number of laps need to complete the course, and weather conditions etc. The course itself is made up of a number of different sections, there can be sections of grassy track, steep hills, Astroturf areas, paved and gravel areas, obstacles that require dismount, and muddy, wooded areas too. Cyclocross has many parallels with cross country mountain biking and road racing, particularly criterium racing.

A Cyclocross racing bike has some similarities to a road racing bike and a mountain bike. The cycloross bicycle is very lightweight like a road racing bike and are typically made with an aluminium frame and carious carbon-fibre components. Cyclocross bikes also have narrower tyres than a mountain bike, and dropped handlebars like on a road-racing bike. Some differences between a cyclocross bike and a road racing bike is that on a cyclocross bike the cyclist positioning is much less extreme and more relaxed for comfort and control than the typical racing position on a road racing bike. Also on a cyclocross bike the tyres are knobbly rather than being slick to provide better traction during the varying sections of a cyclocross course and are often said to be a little bit better with grip than conventional mountain bike tyres.