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Bubble Cross

20 comments · 211 views
mugwump
Nov 09, 2017 at 04:48 PM
The race has been around long enough, we send enough people there, 
that it deserves its own thread.

I have a few minutes to decide still, but I'm thinking of doing the 1/2/3 because it's mid-afternoon.

Who else is going?  I think I saw Brendan, Max, Niall, and some others registered.
Brendan Rigby
Nov 09, 2017 at 06:11 PM


CARPOOL COORDINATION TIME!

I need to get to the Men's 4 race at (WTF!) 8 AM?!?!

Clearly I thought it was at 9 when I registered

@DavidHocker @MaxThorn you're reg'd, are you also racing?

mugwump
Nov 12, 2017 at 07:45 PM
It was a tougher, rockier course than I remembered.  The wooded section was particularly rough--glad I had tubeless tubulars.  They also put in a tough ride/runup that I couldn't master.  The cold weather made the sand compact more and the beach was easier to ride.

I was 15th in the 1/2/3.
DFL.
Except that 4 guys didn't finish.

Others?
mugwump
Oct 26, 2018 at 10:08 PM
Bump.

Anyone going?
eloy
Oct 26, 2018 at 11:48 PM
I am a definitely maybe. It'll depend a bit on how I feel after HPCX.
if I race, would hit the 10:30 am race.
AnthonyOtt
Oct 30, 2018 at 03:02 AM
Planning on going - one way or another.  Will probably race the 3s at 2:45
mugwump
Nov 02, 2018 at 02:14 AM
Anthony and I are carpooling up at 11:30 or so from Harlem, killing it at the 2:45 race, and then heading home.
It's a combined Category 3 Masters 40+.  I had considered doing the elite race for my first race of the year, then came to my senses.
mugwump
Nov 05, 2018 at 07:45 PM
Anthony and I did the same race.  After the start, we were together, taking turns.  After a few laps, he started to pull away.  But then the gods frowned on him.  He flatted out of the race.  

I kept going.  For fourth in the Masters 40+, though a slipping saddle clamp (didn't torque it enough when I assembled the post in the morning before the race), meant I lost a good bit of power in the final two laps.
eloy
Nov 06, 2018 at 12:21 PM
Awesome JP!

Word on the street is that @MaxThorn hit the podium! congrats! Max! so much awesome -- also, report, report ;)
MaxThorn
Nov 16, 2018 at 06:07 PM
Yes! I did. 3rd place of 31 in the Cat 4 race. I was second or third into the holeshot, lost a few places, gained a few places, and spent the last of our five total laps racing alone for 3rd. By then I was pretty far behind the second place rider and pretty far ahead of the fourth place rider, so it wasn't the most thrilling race for the podium--but that course is always really fun. Weather was--you guessed it--pretty muddy. 

My instinct is to write detailed reports, but with grad school and work I just haven't had the time this season. I'm learning how to be brief. Next goal is to be punctual. Better late than never? See y'all at Supercross, likely my final races as a Cat 4. 
PatrickGrehan
Sep 23, 2019 at 01:21 AM
Good to see Rob and Phil on today’s hot and challenging course. There was nowhere to recover on the course. 

Here are a few pics from Rob’s race


RobertMullen
Sep 19, 2021 at 11:17 PM
I raced BubbleCross today for the third time in the past few years. Every year, this race kicks my ass and this year was no different. The course was less technical than usual but it was still very fun. A section that used to have 2 very steep, rarely-ridable hills was changed into a straight, off-camber section. They still had that crazy descent into the sandy section and the never ending false-flat field sections. 

Recap:
-I had a front row call up but didn’t get a great start. I’m happy I avoided some slip ups around me I was top 10 in the first lap. 
-I could not seem to get going on the fields today and kinda felt like I was always in the wrong gear 🤷‍♂️. Looking at the stats post race, looks like we climbed more than the course appeared to at first glance:

-I’m really pleased with how I rode the sand and most of the trail sections. These were those type of sections where you can’t win the race but you can def lose the race. 
-As I got tired, I def started to feel myself getting real sloppy out of desperation for speed so I tried to shift focus on just hitting the right lines and not worrying about futilely chasing.
-I ended the day just out of top ten in 11th place. I think last year I was 12th and definitely crashed like 3 times in the 5s, so I’ll take it! 

I was the lone KCC representative there today so no pics but this great plate. 

Jules
Sep 19, 2021 at 11:21 PM
Did they have the beach-to-steep-steep singletrack this year?
RobertMullen
Sep 20, 2021 at 12:53 AM
The beach section came after a fairly steep single track descent so maybe they’ve run it in reverse before? There was one very steep single track section but just a gravel road leading up to it. 

Lawrence from ROR got this wild series of photos from a KruisCX guy going OTB in the sand: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUBQOVplvfQ/?utm_medium=copy_link

mugwump
Sep 20, 2021 at 01:10 AM
@RobertMullen  

they've run it both ways in the past.  Last time I was there, it was steep downhill onto the sand.  Mike Margarite gave himself a concussion doing it.
Jules
Sep 20, 2021 at 04:29 AM
Used to be sand into the uphill…
Matt Budofsky
Sep 20, 2021 at 01:07 PM
Pretty sure the rider going over his bars is Kevin, the president of CRCA
Matt Budofsky
Sep 11, 2023 at 06:45 PM
Quick race report for me.

  • used the bathroom right before race, missed call ups and started DFL
  • snake my way through the field and make up 10-15 positions in the opening run through the grassy switch backs
  • holy shit I forgot how much cross hurts
  • first pass through the wooded section, ehhhhhhhh not to bad but lose traction on the steep bit and end up running
  • hit the sand and power through
  • holy shit I really think I'm dying at this point but everyone else looks like they feel the same
  • back to the switch backs, more speed, more power, ignore wahoo's dark red heart rate box
  • me vs. woods round 2, woods win. Not clean, not good, but run past some people who were struggling more than me so not bad
  • lap 3, part 1, lose a couple places in the switch backs but sticking close
  • lap 3 part 2, lose contact in the woods, seeing side ways and take very bad lines
  • lap 4 leaders of the masters race are behind me, give them the choice line and know my race is gonna lap me soon
  • woods are slightly better but still not wonderful, officially lapped
  • it started to rain a bit so rideable sand is now super rideable
  • lap 5, suffering is almost over, just hang on
  • woods still suck but last time through so just send it
  • send it a bit too hard out of the woods into the sand, can't really turn much, careen for a fence and kinda hit the fence but not really and get heckled by some juniors, it's deserved 
  • try to finish with dignity and eek out what little power I have left as I cross the line
  • cross is everything racing should be, everything hurts, candy feels like acceptable recovery
eloy
Sep 14, 2023 at 06:33 PM
A sweet BubbleCross report from TBD, including a solid set of great photos...

https://www.tobedetermined.cc/journal/bubblecross-2023-race-report


mugwump
Sep 14, 2023 at 07:36 PM
How pro is @PatrickGrehan ?

White socks on a muddy day pro.
GregHoge
Sep 14, 2023 at 08:30 PM
That second pic is intense!