With the amount of abuse dealt to a bike in the event, I think a steel cyclocross frame is the way to go. I’m not saying that just because I build with steel, but because it has certain properties and lends itself to abuse in a way that aluminum and carbon don’t.

Strengths of a Steel Cyclocross Frame

Durability is a necessary thing in CX, unless you’re a pro who can afford to lose a race because his frame disintegrated underneath him mid-race. A steel cyclocross frame is going to be tolerant of the dings and dents that are doled out during the mayhem of a typical race, which is not something that can be said of aluminum or carbon fiber. Aluminum tends to fracture around dents, and with carbon, cracks tend to propagate out from the source.

Steel is also fairly easily repaired. New top tube? No problem. New head tube? Do-able. Seat stay? Cake. Try that shit with carbon — first you have to find someone who will actually enact carbon repairs. Aluminum? Once one tube goes, the whole thing is basically a done deal. Good luck.

And the Weaknesses…

Weight. OH GOD IT’S SO HEAVY WHAT THE HELL. I’ve heard that. Repeatedly. And the best counterpoint ever is: if you lost a single pound of weight, you’d make up the difference. Skip the ice cream, buddy. With the weight of modern components and the UCI-enacted minimum bicycle weight, the extra weight on a frame is a non-issue.

Low-Tech. OH GOD THAT’S SOOOOO 1980′s. Okay, I haven’t heard it put like that, but I’ve noted that there are people who will berate steel for being antiquated. If you’re into the whole Materials Science Cold War and making yourself feel better about your oh-so-deprived childhood by buying flashy, mostly-disposable gear, then by all means, skip the steel.

Steel Cyclocross Can Compete

While it’s nice to think that having a super foo-foo carbon or aluminum frame is going to give you the edge on the race course, the bottom line is that the most important part of a bike is the motor: you.  Frame material for the event should be selected not on what’s the lightest, but on what’s going to get you to the finish line.