A beginner's guide: The art of heckling

The AusCycling Cyclo-cross National Championships are back this weekend in Ballarat and while the racers have been busy training, and practicing their dismounts, bunny hops and bike changes ahead of their bid for glory, spectators too have been preparing for the big event.  

 CX fans will know that at the heart of racing is heckling from spectators, and it can sometimes be a sport within itself.  

 What is heckling, you ask? Just like frites and hand-ups, heckling is a cyclo-cross tradition made popular in European countries like France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

It is basically meant to be good-natured ribbing from spectators.  

Good heckles are witty and get a grin or a response from the rider. Personal insults and profanity are a big no-no.  

So, after scouring the internet, we’ve have put together this handy guide on the art of heckling ahead of the CX national champs. 

1. Keep it fresh by make humorous observations. For example, as one person wrote on Reddit: “Once I was trying to get rid of my gloves and had gotten only one off when from out of nowhere I hear "Who is this guy? Michael Jackson?" 

2. Throw the riders a little encouragement. CX racing is hard, it’s most likely wet and muddy, but that’s why we love it. These riders are out there giving it a crack and might be suffering through a hard day. If you see them do something cool or have a close call, call it out. Think: "you almost bought the farm there!" or "nice save! didn't know you had that in ya!" or "yeah, that corner stunk, but you can catch that rider again."  

3. Be original. Some suggest asking riders questions about news and politics to really throw them off.  

4. Remember to keep the heckles light-hearted, fun and don’t be mean-spirited. Basically don’t be a jerk! 

Here are a couple of not-so original heckles we borrowed from the internet to give you some inspiration for the weekend:

• When you see someone riding alone hit them with a “work together” 

• "Do you need a leash for that bike? Cuz you sure do walk it a lot!" 

• Tell a rider their shoes are untied (works best for those with BOA shoes) 

• Call out parts on their bike "Put that gold chain to use!" "Your white tape is dirty!....again..."  

• Exaggerate the lap count, then when they look at you in disbelief, say "yah it's actually [number that is even more than what you originally said] laps...I was just trying to be nice". 

• "Why can I hear your freewheel?"  

Main photo: Huge crowds cheer (or heckle) Australia's Gary Millburn competing at the 2024 CX World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic. (Felix Fellusch)