AusCycling CX National Series 2025
CX National Series to open in Geelong; no major changes to technical regulations
Welcome to CX Down Under’s preview of the AusCycling Cyclo-cross National Series (CXNS) for 2025. There’s a whole lot of quality racing to look forward to this year across seven rounds of National Series racing in Geelong, Sydney and Adelaide before the series concludes with two days of racing in Ballarat in mid-August, including the national championships.
These tyres and wide bars would have been disallowed in age-group races in the CXNS before 2024, but that’s no longer the case.
Photo: @rideadelaide
No changes to tyre and handlebar regulations for 2025
What happened in 2024?
In April 2024 we posted an article debating the arguments for possibly expanding the maximum allowed tyre width for CX racing and it certainly struck a nerve, sparking off some of the most extensive (yet thoughtful) debate we’ve ever seen on CXDU.
When AusCycling published their technical guide for the 2024 CXNS last May, a number of changes were announced for the non-UCI grades (all Masters grades, as well as Experts, U13s, U15s and U17s).
The most impactful of these was an increase in the allowable tyre width, which increased from the previous maximum of 35mm up to a new limit of 42mm, based on the number stamped on the wall of the tyre.
The limit on handlebar width (which had previously been limited to a maximum of 500mm) was also removed, though riders still needed to use drop handlebars rather than the flat bars typical of mountain bikes.
We included a summary of the changes in our preview for the 2024 CXNS, where the news of those changes was…not exactly well-received.
The rules for riders in UCI categories (Elites, U23s and U19s) remained in line with the guidelines for international competition, with a maximum allowed tyre width of 33mm measured (i.e. what’s measured with a set of calipers, not what’s stamped on the wall of the tyre) and a maximum handlebar width of 500mm.
So what’s changed for 2025?
The big news here is that there is no news.
After instituting changes to allowed equipment last year the equipment requirements for the 2025 CXNS are unchanged from 2024. That means 42mm tyres and wide drop handlebars are here to stay for the non-UCI categories listed above, while UCI categories will still have a maximum of 33mm tyres and handlebars less than 500mm wide.
If you’re in the Open category, you can still ‘run what ya brung’, as all bikes with two equally sized wheels and one working brake are allowed (you do need a freewheel though, so tracklocrossers are out of luck). This makes it a great option for those new to the sport to give it a try, though there is no overall series prize to be won.
You can see the full list of equipment requirements in the 2025 CXNS Series Guide, but we made this handy chart to make things easier.
If you want to study the CX National Series Guide in full, you can read that here.
Now that you know what your bike needs to have to race - where will you be racing?
Rounds 1 & 2
The Belmont Criterium Circuit will see riders swap 28mm slicks for 33mm rubber for the opening two rounds of the CXNS.
Photo: Geelong Cycling Club
Where: Belmont Criterium Track, Geelong, VIC
When: May 31st-June 1st
The opening two rounds of this year’s CXNS are headed to the Belmont Criterium Track in Geelong. The venue, just a stone’s throw away from the route of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and the 2010 UCI Road World Championship circuit, is located on Wadawurrung country an hour’s drive south of Melbourne.
As the name suggests, the venue is a regular host of criterium racing for the Geelong Cycling Club, and isn’t just a track around a city block – it’s a purpose-built tarmac track that features several sharp turns and plenty of changes of direction, although not much elevation change*.
There hasn’t been a cyclocross race held at the venue since 2019, but we’re expecting to see a relatively flat course that alternates between the fast-rolling tarmac of the crit circuit and slower sections through the grass (and even mud, depending on Victoria’s weather).
We’ve managed to find some footage from a race run at the same venue by Geelong Cycling Club in November 2018^, as well as a more recent video of a lap of the criterium track.
In terms of practical considerations, there’s plenty of nearby parking at the Barwon Valley Activity Centre next door, and there are toilets and other amenities at the Geelong Cycling Club building on-site. There’s also a shopping centre over the road in case there’s anything you need at the last minute.
You can enter Saturday's round 1 here: https://entryboss.cc/races/25157
You can enter Sunday's round 2 here: https://entryboss.cc/races/25159
*It also doesn’t resemble a phallus when viewed from the air, which can’t be said for some other Aussie criterium circuits.
^Who else is trawling through Facebook videos from 6 ½ years ago to bring you insight for your next CX race? NOBODY, THAT’S WHO.
Rounds 3 & 4
Miranda Griffiths accelerates uphill during her Elite Women’s race at Heffron Park in 2024.
Photo: CX Down Under
Where: Heffron Park, Maroubra, NSW
When: June 20th-21st
The second race weekend of the 2024 CXNS will take place at the cycling hub of Heffron Park, located on Gadigal country 10km south-east of Sydney's CBD in the suburb of Maroubra. The folks at Randwick Botany Cycling Club will be playing host to the CXNS for the second year in a row
Although Heffron Park is most well known among the cycling community for hosting criterium racing on its paved track on Tuesday nights in summer, it has hosted CX racing for the past two years on a course that combines grassy hills, sandy corners and sections of the famous crit track.
One factor that can also play havoc with rider and course alike is the wind - the large, open space that is Heffron Park is a notoriously gusty venue, and last year we lost more than one snack from the food truck after it blew clean off a picnic table.
It would take a serious wet spell to create muddy conditions here (especially given the wind and how well the sandy soil drains) and there can be long sections of pedalling between technical features, so based on racing there last year we’d say this one tips more in favour of roadies with big aerobic engines.
With Maroubra Beach a 5 minute spin away, some riders might even be tempted to have a post-race swim instead of an ice bath!
You can enter Saturday's round 3 here: https://entryboss.cc/races/25244
You can enter Sunday's round 4 here: https://entryboss.cc/races/25245
Some of the sandy corners at Heffron park are technical enough that even the Elite riders are forced to run, as demonstrated by Nick Smith (L) and Chris Aitken (R) in 2024.
Photo: CX Down Under
Though most of the Heffron Park course is mostly wide open, some sections still get tight and twisty.
Photo: CX Down Under
The course’s sandy turns make for great spectating.
Photo: CX Down Under
Rounds 5 & 6
The combination of mulch dust and late afternoon sunlight at Ellis Park makes for quality photo opportunities.
Photo: CX Down Under
Where: Ellis Park (Park 24), Adelaide, SA
When: July 26th-27th
The penultimate race weekend of this year’s CXNS heads to the parklands of Adelaide for two days of racing.
Located on Kaurna country just west of Adelaide’s CBD, the circuit – nicknamed ‘Not The Circus’ by organising club Port Adelaide CC for the travelling carnival that regularly occupies the park – is an annual stop in the Pedla Crossfire Cup Series, but hasn’t hosted a round of the CXNS since 2019.
The circuit features a fast tarmac starting straight, twisting turns through dry and dusty mulch and undergrowth, and a steep runup that often forces riders to sling their bikes on their shoulder in order to make it over cleanly.
It’s the quality of the mulch that really makes this course unique – in dry conditions it’s even looser than the sand pits you might be used to, and makes for truly fantastic photos!
While ruts will form in especially loose sections, unlike in sand there’s very little water holding that mulch together, so any attempt to lean your bike into the side of a rut for a better cornering angle will result in you blowing straight through the side of the rut and finding yourself on the ground.
Given that South Australia has received very little rain so far this year, there’s a decent chance this one stays dry and dusty. If the heavens do open and there’s a little more moisture on the ground, it’s more liable to be similar to the conditions at last year’s third round of the Crossfire Cup, as shown in the above video from C-grade stalwart Carl Purczel.
Entries for these races will open closer to race day, and we’ll post them here when they do.
Future WorldTour pro Amber Pate gets stuck into the Elite Women’s race at the Not The Circus course in 2019.
Photo: CX Down Under
Cornering in the mulch of Ellis Park can prove treacherous, as this rider discovered in 2019.
Photo: CX Down Under
National Championships
Izzy Flint won her maiden cyclocross national championship in Ballarat in 2024.
Photo: @shotbyleealexand3r
Where: Victoria Park, Ballarat
When: August 16th-17th
The 2025 AusCycling Cyclo-cross National Championships will be held at Victoria Park in Ballarat for the third year in succession, with a new National Championship venue due to be chosen for 2026.
The course is in Victoria Park on the western edge of Ballarat, just under two hours drive west of Melbourne’s CBD and only 90 minutes drive from Tullamarine airport.
Each of the three prior years of racing in Ballarat has delivered very similar weather and course conditions – wet, cold and muddy. The law of averages would suggest that we’re due for a change in those conditions, but the law of averages never went to Ballarat in August.
There aren’t many races in Australia that dictate a change in equipment for a single race, but we’d strongly advise fitting some mud tyres if you want a good result in Ballarat - we splurged on a set of muds for last year and they paid for themselves before the end of the first lap!
The fun will continue after the National Championships with the final round of the CX National Series on Sunday, with a UCI C2 event for those in the Elite, U23 and U19 ranks and a standard (if slightly shortened) CX National Series round for the age-groupers.
Entries for these races will open closer to race day, and we’ll post them here when they do.
Keep an eye on the CX Ballarat website as the season progresses for updates.
Conditions were especially filthy at the 2023 CX National Championships.
Photo: @shotbyleealexand3r
The 2024 National Championships saw the introduction of a ‘pro-only’ runup that burned the legs of the Elite and U23 competitors - as well as making a great vantage point for spectators.
Photo: @shotbyleealexand3r
The descent from the pro-only section of the 2024 was pretty gnarly too!
Photo: @shotbyleealexand3r
What are your thoughts on this year’s CXNS? Will we see you on course? Let us know in the comments below!