Branchbrook:
#1 - Saturday March 3rd
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=15169

#2 - Saturday March 10th
http://www.bikereg.com/events/Register.asp?EventID=15170

#3 - Saturday March 17th
http://www.bikereg.com/events/Register.asp?EventID=15171

#4 - Saturday March 24th
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=15172

#5 - Saturday March 31st
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=15173

Has anyone taken the train then ridden over to Branchbrook ?

I am signed up for the Cat4\5 saturday 3/5 and 3/12 (probably cant make the Sunday central park races those wknds)

the directions from : http://www.njbikeracing.com/files/2011/branchbrook.pdf

are to: From Newark Penn Station: Make a right on Raymond Plaza West and a left onto
Raymond Boulevard. Go four blocks and make a right on Broad Street. Follow Broad Street
for ½ mile and make a left on Bloomfield Place. Bear Right onto Bloomfield Avenue and
follow Bloomfield Avenue ½ mile into the park.

Is this where reg is ? the car directions point to what appears to be further north in the park
(turn off Heller Parkway, go to "end of the block", this is where reg is)

Google mapping the area shows its 1.1 miles on broad to Bloomfield, not .5, so with the various inconsistencies, I am hesitant to fully trust their directions.

So, major questions for the gang:
a) Any recommendations from those that have biked before re routes to take or avoid, for bike-ability as well general safety in Newark at 6am?
b) Can anyone pint point the exact location of registration ?

thanks,
Joshua

Z. come to the Kissena Saturday at the Track on3/5

A. The directions you cited I've used with no problem. Newark during the day seems pretty safe overall.

B. can't help you with this.

thanks JP

re z: I am a 50/50 shot at coming out to the Velodrome on 3/5 , nothing to do with going to NJ, has to do with a conflict at noon.

If I do make it out, I have the train times and route planned, should be there between 9:45 and 10, coming straight after the finish in Branchbrook.

i believe registration is usually at the north end of the park

Joshua and all considering racing at Branchbrook park this season, I have the inside scoop on course conditions from two locals and teammates (Andy and Konrad). They tell me the road "is basically all gravel" these days. So consider that when you are making your wheel choice.

Also, come out to Sunday rides and pick their brains yourself!

I don't know if I'm going to be racing at the park in early March, but I do ride in BB frequently. The gravel bit was mostly in reference to the general filth, debris, and muck that poor maintenance over the winter has lead to. Hopefully they have been cleaned up a bit - I'm going to try and get a few laps in today, and I can post and update to let you all know how the roads are looking.

Riding to the park is fairly simple too. Last year reg was at the north end of the park, but you can ride through the park no problem to get to it (getting off of Bloomfield Ave will leave you near the Southern end of the loop).

The roads in the park seem to have been cleaned. A few sections are still pretty pebbly and the patchwork done on potholes has, for the most part, been pushed above the rest of the pavements level, making for some nice bumpy areas. These raised, rough areas range from 1 foot to maybe 20 feet in length, so keep an eye out for that. There is a series of turns where, if you're on the lefthand side of the road, you have to ride over pebbles, and if you're in the center of the road you will be bombarded with bumpy pavement. However, the last section of the course leading up to the start/finish line has been repaved, (last year it was rough as well) so that is nice.

I'm thinking about racing both the 7 a.m. and the 7:57 a.m. Cat 4/5 races in Branchbrook Saturday. Anyone else considering it? Would I be a horrible teammate for not showing up to CP for the Spring Series race?

Info/signup here:
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12398

i'm probably doing race #1 then going to work. i did top 10 at the first one, but they had camera issues and only placed the top 5. looking to podium again.

Jeff,
I think the wiser course of action is to make sure we've got Joe ably supported before committing to BB. He's riding great, Kissena is riding great as well. I think it would be good to keep that going.

crummy 7th for me in race #1. boxed in the run in, and broke a spoke in the sprint. everyone else?

Between eric and I in the masters and 123, we got 9th, 12 and 13th. I made and cramped out if one winning break and blew being in the other.
Eric

Team,
I'd like to do well here as a team (and individually). I'd really like to have some teammates. Its also a 3/4 race, so one of the few times I have to race with the 4's which I love to do.

You may be wondering, if I am doing Battenkill the next day, is it a good idea to race at Branchbrook the day before? Well, BB is 26 miles, Batt is 64 miles. So, if you are fit enough to complete Batt, BB is a warm up.

So, to recap:
1. good race, good opener for Battenkill
2. race with more experienced teammates (er..., that's me at the moment)
3. Not get destroyed at Battenkill - yet
4. I am not racing Battenkill and am looking for a race.

Eric Ragot

http://www.njbikeracing.com/files/2011/cherry-blossom-flyer.pdf
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12401

Sounds like fun!

I have room for 1 person in my car
Eric

Spot taken as of 11:45

Getting there via transit is not hard.

Bike or bike+subway over to Vesey Street and West Broadway to get to the WTC PATH station.

Take the PATH train to Newark, about 20 min, and they take metro card (though if you happen to have a path card, its even easier, tap your wallet and go, very nice when travelling with bike).

and then bike over to Branchbrook park (about 20 min, give yourself some buffer space to make sure you get the turns).

The directions on the bikereg page are:
Make a right on Raymond Plaza West and a left onto Raymond Boulevard.
Go four blocks and make a right on Broad Street.
Follow Broad Street for ½ mile and make a left on Bloomfield Place.
Bear Right onto Bloomfield Avenue and follow Bloomfield Avenue ½ mile into the park.
(Once at the park, turn right on Lake st, turn left at the first entrance to enter the park, then ride up the road till registration)

I did it a few weeks ago, got lost (my fault, not the directions) and got there in ~ 20 min.


OR - if your name is Wojciech and your coming from Staten Island:
- bike all the way, including riding over a decidedly non bike friendly truck route
- get a nice 25 mile warmup in
- establish a nice break
- Excitedly scream "we are winning" as you go around
- grab 3rd place.
- get a choice of a floor pump or tires as a prize
- grab the tires, cause who can ride 25 miles home toting a floor pump?

Hahaha, just don't forget a dust mask for when going over the route 1 bridges!

Il be there on Saturday doing both the earlier cat 4/5 race and the 3/4

Work means I'll be in the 4/5 only. Looking to crush souls in the sprint. What's your game plan?

Hey Eric,
Looks like Rich and I are going to leave early Sat to pre ride Battenkill. Will there be a race the following sat the 16th?

Nope...
Last one for a while.

Race reports please!

Short report:

Half-hearted attacks, Kissena at the front most of the race, but nobody else either knew how to rotate or attack. Last lap ended up setting up for a field sprint, except Eric & Rene roll off the front. Michael and I doing a quick slowdown to block the response. People start to bridge and I feel a crash happen right behind me. I gun it and it looks like there are 6-7 of us off the front and trying to stay away. The field reassembles, Eric and I try to do a very long leadout for Rene. Rene comes in 8th in the field sprint.

Dan pretty much summed it up. We were working hard to get a break established but everyone was trying to take 2 minute monster pulls and then dying out. It was pretty silly on a course like that. It was frustrating, but I am glad I'm getting better at staying at the front (maybe too close to the front) and Kissena was well represented.

Fun time. I am enjoying learning how to ride that course.

doodoo in the 4/5. it andy, wojciech, and i. the pre race plan was for wojciech to go for breaks and try and stay away and if it came together for andy to lead me out for the sprint, and wojciech possibly to be the first in the train to string it out. wojciech did a good job attacking, rolling off the front at least 4 times, but no one really made a concerted effort to go with him. andi and i did our best to soft ride the front to create a split whenever he was off, but to no avail. in the closing laps andy and i moved up, but we couldn't spot wojciech. on the bell lap i was glued onto andy, but i think he spent most of that lap in the wind on the sides. coming into the finishing straight for the sprint, the pack slowed up and we got boxed in. when they kicked, there was already pretty big seperation and i sat up. no point in sprinting when you're that far back, just created a dangerous situation. better luck next time!

For those who've done this race/series before, what's the crack?

Road surface?
Field (size/sketchiness)?
General thoughts on how well it's run?

Well run; they do it "cross style" so the field starts and after a lap or two they give you the countdown in laps to the finish. Each field races for 40 minutes.

After race number 1 you typically have about 5 minutes to ride slowly back to the start line and do it again.

Field size was about 50 if I remember, and there are no hills - it's a nice winding, windy course with just one 90 degree turn - for which there is a lot of room.

Pavement can be a bit sketch - not as bad as the final straightaway in prospect before they fixed it, but you can definitely find yourself on one side or the other of a damaged stretch of road.

At registration (if I remember right) they give you 2 numbers; pin one over the other and tear the top one off before you start the second race.

Pretty good parking (for those who drive)

will this fill up? (for the 4/5s)

Chris, I don't remember any of the 4/5 branch brook spring series races filling up last year.

The "crack" most likely is in reference to an approximately 200-300 meter section of rough pavement on the west end of the park. I've honestly never felt the pavement to be all that treacherous. The danger of the "crack"(in the 4/5 field at least) comes more from the erratic riding that results from racers trying to avoid it.

I love racing in Branch Brook... partially for sentimental reasons connected to park, but equally because it is a fun, well run race.

Andy, are you doing this? I am thinking about make the trip a couple times.