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Cyclocross!

5269 comments · 100773 views
eloy
Oct 12, 2021 at 05:15 PM
Also, quick note, Ellen Noble turns out is a remarkably good race commenter.
eloy
Oct 12, 2021 at 05:58 PM
Cyclocross schedule shaping up for the next weeks.

if in bold I am very committed to being there.
Not sure past Rainey, these are in the radar:
GregHoge
Oct 12, 2021 at 07:00 PM
Is the Rainey Park date confirmed?  That's the same date as the last PP race... :(
eloy
Oct 12, 2021 at 09:11 PM
GregHoge said:
Is the Rainey Park date confirmed?  That's the same date as the last PP race... :(
um double checking -- Rainey seemed to have moved to Nov 20 -- if so, this changes the calender quite a bit, because the Rad Festival would be in play. 

Edited the schedule above accordingly.
James Reeder
Oct 12, 2021 at 10:09 PM
I will be at:
HPCX
Cooper River Cross
NohoCX
Rainey Park Cyclocross
Beastcross


Still deciding:
Cheshire Cross
Bishop's Orchard Cyclocross
Twining Valley
NBX GP


Cross practice still happens at Randall's Island, Wednesdays 7-9pm, by the way, and confirmed for 10/13.
PatrickGrehan
Oct 18, 2021 at 01:52 PM
HPCX?

I missed it this year. Last time was an ankle deep mud fest. Can’t wait to hear of the ecstasy and heartbreak had by you all at a dry and Sunny HPCX 
eloy
Oct 22, 2021 at 01:18 PM

Walmart is now title sponsor of the 2022 cyclocross world championships

https://www.velonews.com/news/cyclocross/walmart-is-now-title-sponsor-of-the-2022-cyclocross-world-championships/?utm_source=velonews&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=dd416e94-4b49-4c6e-a245-b3a253f895b2
mugwump
Oct 22, 2021 at 04:29 PM
eloy said:

Walmart is now title sponsor of the 2022 cyclocross world championships

https://www.velonews.com/news/cyclocross/walmart-is-now-title-sponsor-of-the-2022-cyclocross-world-championships/?utm_source=velonews&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=dd416e94-4b49-4c6e-a245-b3a253f895b2
Kind of thinking this is a bad sign.

The Walton grandkids have put millions of dollars into making Northwest Arkansas a cycling destination, both for vacation and the industry.  They've done it both through non-profits and profit-seeking ventures.  It can be seen as a way for them to foster economic development for the area.  Cynically, it can be seen as making a remote southern outpost more enticing to the kind of people WalMart might seek to employ at their HQ.  

Either way, a sponsor not directly linked to the Waltons would be a sign that other businesses see what they're doing and think putting their name with an international event in remote Arkansas would be good for that company.  

I don't know if the anti-Trans legislation was an issue.  I don't know if the Walton grandkids and WalMart have been working to undo said legislation, though they should be because of reasons mentioned above.  

WalMart doesn't strike me as the kind of company that would benefit from the association with cycling in general or cycling in particular, even though they sell bikes and have messed around with high-end road bike.  But it is in their backyard, so maybe, maybe there's a chance that even if the grandkids weren't responsible for the event, WalMart might still sponsor.
eloy
Oct 22, 2021 at 07:00 PM
JP, What cycling needs is more sponsors that are not bicycle related to get involved, that they see value on cycling is good. The bigger they are the better.

Instead of Rapha/Canyon, what cycling needs is more Mercedes Benz, Coca Cola, Google, Motorola, Walmart, Apple, etc... 
mugwump
Oct 23, 2021 at 11:13 PM
eloy said:
JP, What cycling needs is more sponsors that are not bicycle related to get involved, that they see value on cycling is good. The bigger they are the better.

Instead of Rapha/Canyon, what cycling needs is more Mercedes Benz, Coca Cola, Google, Motorola, Walmart, Apple, etc... 
I agree.

I"d love to know if WalMart was always going to be the title sponsor, or if the organizing committee had it as a back up in case they couldn't secure any other big dollar sponsor.  Love to know what efforts they made on this front.

I think it should also be pointed out that many, many European pro teams get their sponsors not by pitching the marketing genius of being involved with a bike team, but the desires of the big bosses to sponsor a bike team.  Astana, Bahrain, UAE, Israel Start Up Nation, Bike Exchange, all at the very least have a big money backer who isn't looking at the marketing benefits.  Previous to this era, the same could have been said of Saxo Bank and Liquigas and many more.

I don't see the Americans who'd go to CX worlds as a WalMart demographic, nor do I see the people around the world who might tune in as their demo' either.  That it's probably more of a gift to the grandkids means that they won't be regular sponsors.  But maybe they justify it as supporting the area and they see a benefit in that.  

Perhaps we can hope that if WalMart does it, then other companies will look at cycling and start to sponsor--much in the way that the hype around the Lion's Den race in Sacramento next week suggests it's a seed or a spark.  

There seem to be certain companies that are so big they seem to have a need to advertise everywhere because their competition is so big and they want to keep their names in people's minds.  Like Coca Cola (and their myriad brands) and Pepsi (and their myriad brands).  But in that same realm are banking, mobile phones, insurance, alcoholic beverages, cars.  I don't understand why these companies barely seem to have a toehold in US professional cycling.  It would seem to be a marginal cost, considering what their yearly marketing budget is.    

I've been pondering this issue for years.

https://redkiteprayer.com/2011/11/getting-rational-in-crazytown/

https://redkiteprayer.com/2012/01/targeting-the-market-finding-the-champions-part-i/
GregHoge
Oct 24, 2021 at 12:40 AM
I'm no marketing expert, but what demographic would sponsoring a cycling team reach that couldn't be reaches through other means (which would also hit a broader demo in general)?  I've just never understood why a company would back a cycling team other than the fact that they're passionate about it.

That said, I do like how, during Le Tour, Simon Gerrands and Anthony McCrossan would go through the major sponsors of each team and say what kind of company it was.  They weren't full on sponsor segments, but just a little mention can go a long way when the name doesn't make it obvious.
PatrickGrehan
Oct 26, 2021 at 04:28 PM
Rainey Park is scheduled for November 20th. BikeReg opens on 7am Nov 1. Mark your calendar and register early as fields are small and often fill up.

https://www.bikereg.com/raineyparkcross#
eloy
Oct 26, 2021 at 04:52 PM
I don't understand why these companies barely seem to have a toehold in US professional cycling.

Lance Armstrong.  He single handedly destroyed cycling's market value for these larger brands.

James Reeder
Oct 26, 2021 at 06:16 PM
This weekend: Cheshire Cross with Eloy and Rob. The following: NoHoCX with Patrick.

Then SCCX / Rodeo CX, or Really Rad CX... so many choices...

If anyone's going to Really Rad Festival of Cross I'm in. << who else is in? @eloy ?

Otherwise I'll commit to SCCX, Rainey Park CX, and Beast Cross, and possibly Bishop's Orchard Cross if I haven't already left for MI for the holidays and some slowww winter break gravel rides. 


If anyone's considering Twinning Vally Cross in PA, 12/11, it's on an old golf course. In 2019 it was quite muddy, with all mud off-cambers, and a fair amount of elevation. A highlight of the races I did that year. Recommend.
eloy
Oct 26, 2021 at 06:58 PM
This is my calendar/radar:
Have to kinda check what life throws at me for the first two weekends of November. I am signed up for NoHo Saturday, but might stay in NYC, if so, Really Rad is a very real possibility. If I race NoHo, I might then race Prospect Park on the 13 and SCCX on the 14. Either way, what an awesome array of possibilities, specially considering this is all post-still-in-a-pandemic.
mugwump
Oct 26, 2021 at 08:47 PM
eloy said:
I don't understand why these companies barely seem to have a toehold in US professional cycling.

Lance Armstrong.  He single handedly destroyed cycling's market value for these larger brands.

It's possible but it feels a bit simplistic to me.  While Armstrong was pretty bad, the major sports in the US have had long had doping and domestic abuse problems for years and seems to have resulted in no mass exodus of sponsors.

Even during Armstrong's feel-good era, he didn't really seem to bring in sponsors--I mean there was a Subway (sandwich shop) team on the national stage which was sponsored by a regional office, not part of the national advertising effort.
Jules
Oct 26, 2021 at 08:54 PM
I don't think LA was "singlehanded" in his damage. He headlined the damaging scandal for sure.

I'm also not sure I agree that fewer, larger sponsors are inherently bad. I feel like it's a tossup between single point of failure and too many cats to herd. Big name sponsors usually have an inertia to them that means multiple years of stability. As we see with teams that are constantly cobbling together sponsorships, it doesn't take but a couple of ill-timed withdrawals to sink a ship.

Either way I'd far prefer a franchise model. People want to watch cycling even when they aren't in the market for floor tiles or cement....
eloy
Oct 26, 2021 at 11:02 PM
ok, take away single handedly, is just that he is the summon of the debacle. 
eloy
Oct 26, 2021 at 11:11 PM
mugwump said:

While Armstrong was pretty bad, the major sports in the US have had long had doping and domestic abuse problems for years and seems to have resulted in no mass exodus of sponsors.

Even during Armstrong's feel-good era, he didn't really seem to bring in sponsors--I mean there was a Subway (sandwich shop) team on the national stage which was sponsored by a regional office, not part of the national advertising effort.
Perhaps this no longer belongs in the cyclocross thread.

The infrastructure, and specifically the marketing infrastructure, that soccer, baseball, basketball, American Football, running, etc, have set up more than makes up for any doping issues. In the US, these sports are engrained in culture, high school, college, etc.

There's no question that the amount of money coming into cycling in the Armstrong feel good era was substantial. So many easy examples: How many races at the regional, national, and international level have disappeared in the US? How many continental teams, etc... how did EF come up as a sponsor? This is all related. Cycling is not as marketable as it could be, or once was, because outside educated fans, it is better known for doping than anything else.

-- sidenote on infrastructure... this is partly why I encourage you all to attend National level cyclocross races, like Charm City. We get to witness what actual infrastructure looks like. World & National champs, National teams, etc... it is amazing to get a taste of this, and then think what role we want Kissena to play -- as sponsoring club of the Brooklyn races as a starting point, for example.


James Reeder
Oct 26, 2021 at 11:27 PM
eloy said:
ok, take away single handedly, is just that he is the summon of the debacle. 
I think single-handed is accurate. don't forget that MF had this whole' cancer survivor hero' livestrong foundation that made him a household name beyond the sport of cycling...
James Reeder
Oct 26, 2021 at 11:35 PM
But, on cyclocross and infrastructure, the course setup for Kings CX was amazing! The way the course looked from above, from the drone footage, was really well done. And the racing both days was a master class in how little errors (and drastically different conditions on identical courses) add up to break or make the race. Both days are on GCN+.
Remy Forgues
Oct 27, 2021 at 01:02 PM
My son's soccer schedule has cleared up. I am completely out of shape but that's a different conversation. I will try to race the following:


AndrewJohnson
Oct 30, 2021 at 01:05 AM
Apologies for the delay:
https://awjbikeracing.wordpress.com/2021/10/27/2021-10-24-belltown-cyclocross-day-2/
Race recap with embedded video and such...
-Andrew
PatrickGrehan
Nov 01, 2021 at 01:43 PM
For those who are not going to Really Rad on the 13th-14th, a new CT race was posted for Nov 13th. Similar to the Newtown CX it is part of the CT state "governor's guard" which is the equestrian center where they train the horses.

In other words its got lots of space and they don't care if some bikes rip up their grass.

From the event notes:
The venue is perfect for cyclocross! The course is 80% fast-flowing grass with just enough elevation to keep it interesting.
The woods sections are just as flow-ier and nearly as fast!
In order to balance all the rollercoaster speed on our course, expect to get a boot's worth of courage-sapping sand each lap.

https://www.bikereg.com/gg-rodeo 
AndrewJohnson
Nov 01, 2021 at 02:37 PM
Looks like I'm a go for Rainey, which btw reg opens on the 4th at 7:00am... Hope to see you all there...
RobertMullen
Nov 01, 2021 at 02:48 PM
I raced an XC short trackish race at Governor's Guard back in May. I would expect some short, steep hills in the woods and some grassy sections. If they kept the same exact course for this race, i wouldn't be surprised. I'm debating between this race and SCCX before finishing up at Rainey. I think I'll be better suited at GG (and last time i was there, I won  ;) )
eloy
Nov 01, 2021 at 02:56 PM
I should know by Wednesday night where I'll race Nov 13/14, motivation is high for Really Rad, but teammates always carry significant weight.

Worth note, SCCX will also be a new venue & course.
eloy
Nov 01, 2021 at 08:02 PM
Cheshire CX Report.
  • First time at this venue
  • Rain Thursday, Friday, Saturday and even race day, so expecting crazy muddy slip slide two bikes god help us all 
  • The mud threat did not deliver, that said, there are some mud bogs and ruts and so on, and mud threads were preferred by all
  • 35ish starters in the Masters 50+ field, including James, Patrick, and myself. 
  • The 40+ field starts a minute ahead (foreshadow)
  • Don't love the course, it is mostly single track, not super cyclocrossy, but yeas buddy... let's race!!
  • The main feature of this course is hearbreak heckle hill!! 
  • Before the race, James and Patrick insist is rideable -- one says the left line is better, the other the right line
  • Is 10 minutes enough to change my cassette from a 32 to a 36?? - James says he can do it in 5... I ask him to stand by for support.
  • It works, shifting is sweeet! low gears FTW
  • During the race my Wahoo recorded over 30 fucking percent and over 500 watts each lap up the thing WHAT WHAT!!!??! HOTNESS.
  • The screams and heckles each lap up the hill are the stuff of legend. OMFG, so much fun to hurt and ride so hard
  • Had the worst start and first lap of any race this season
  • Settle in and chase the kissenistas
  • First rabbit is James, he is riding like the fire, takes forever to pass him
  • Next rabbit is Patrick, so much work to get him, I get ahead a bit before we see 2 to go, he stays on my wheel
  • During that lap (before the bell) this super fast sharp looking guy passes us at the speed of light
  • As we bomb some single track, I ask "are you winning?" 
  • "yes"
  • "amazing!! looking sharp! go go go!!"
  • "thanks"
  • Patrick and I know what it means for us: Whatever is left is THE FUCKING RACE
  • We get to heartbreak heckle hill
  • I ride it clean AF
  • my heart rate is maxed, my gears are maxed, my power is maxed, my handling is maxed
  • THE SCREAMS, THE HECKLES ARE MAXED TOO!! SO OMG AWESOME INSANE!
  • I may not like this course, but this moment, this moment is made of dreams!
  • Patrick still on my wheel, we bomb down the thing
  • We get to the more cyclocrossy portion and somehow I have a gap
  • I'll finish barely ahead, to learn that Patrick developed a flat on the bottom last few turns
  • Doubt I finish ahead without the mechanical, but I'll take it ;)
Those of you that race cross know this..., here we were, lapped, and Patrick and I have a battle that rivals any Wout and MVdP battle. Last week at Cooper River, did not have a great race, and same, somehow last lap I'm in a battle with some guy, for 20th place (at a NJCX Masters race) that literally looks the same that any gold world championship battle.

And then past the line, BFFs.

Cyclocross is everything you want cycling to be.

Let's go race bikes!!

Photos by James


Oh got a sea sucker from RedBeard, love it, highly recommend

eloy
Nov 01, 2021 at 10:24 PM
Also, Koppenberg cross was today, it's on GCN, go watch it, Clara Hosinger had a really awesome day!
eloy
Nov 02, 2021 at 02:29 AM
Some photos from the Cheshire Cycling Club