Whirlybird : https://www.bikereg.com/Net/whirlybird-cross2013 - Opens 12:15am on Aug 1st.

Jules said:

Ok Hotlist I've got to start planning - lets hear it for the MUST RACE HOLY WEEK breakdown... what do you reccomend?

Hotlist recommends doing Holy Week.

http://www.cxmagazine.com/midnight-ride-cyclocross-2012-dates-announced

Rumor has it Bertucco's wife actually suggested a week-long family vacation this fall around "some cyclocross races" after which he promptly rejoiced. So this year, in addition to Gloucester and Providence, the mid-week, "Night Weasels Cometh" race may be on the race calendar as well. Lodging for the 5th most awesome vacation ever has yet to be determined.

Hotlist has a few thoughts about this week of racing to simmer in your brain as you try to figure out why your cross pedals won't spin anymore.

Gloucester...I've given up hope that this course, that would be challenging and technical in the dry, will ever be anything other than a mud-fest. Last year Bertucco thought he was the shit, lining up with his Fangos, ready to tackle the slop. Except he was wrong and humbled into 28th and 37th place finishes despite 2nd row call-ups. This year he's got a true mud tire, the Limus ready to go. He also is hoping to be less fat and disgusting. Hotlist suggests you pack your finest mud rubbers too.

This year, Gloucester is "only" a double day of C2s, so guys who have their hearts set on watching J-Pow, TJ and RT do battle like we did last year, may not have that opportunity. Who knows though? Those dudes never write Hotlist with their schedules.

Hard to think of another backdrop that is more New England and picturesque than the seaside town of Gloucester that was home to the true-life tale of "A Perfect Storm." But race day parking is tight, if that sort of thing matters to you. But, there's a castle nearby that was featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters, so that kind of balances things out for me.

Night Weasels Cometh...Hotlist has never been. But it appears that it's really only a night race for the elites, but is usually a muddy party for everyone. Probably the closest thing we'll ever get to a "Cross Crusade" race, but we'll have to find Derek Chilies (who is probably walking around with one of those tin-foil space blankets right now getting ready for his next running race) to know for sure.

Providence...This weekend is Richard Fries' baby and he seems intent on making this weekend bigger and better every year. Or at least that's what the press releases say. Like last year, day 1 is C1 and day 2 is C2 so unless the big guns are going to be racing the Toi Toi Cup in Kutna Hura (I did not make that up), I expect to enjoy watching Canadian Mike kill the hole shot with Powers, Johnson and Trebon close behind. Actually, if Powers races like he did last year, he'll be about 10 riders back the first couple of laps. Johnson though, he's no dummy, he'll be up front early.

At first blush, these courses include a gimicky section of roller coaster whoopty-doos, that might raise your cross-purist ire, but once racing them under speed, they are suprisingly manageable and fair. BUT, they do create some serious traffic jammage that's tough to recover from (ask Bertucco and Joaquin for more details).

Also of note, is that there are two seriously good breakfast joints nearby the course. Also, Providence is extremely family friendly, with old fashioned carousel and zoo within the huge park. Also, very nice Holiday Inn Express nearby that allows/welcomes pets--which is good for the furry family circus that is "The Bertuccos!"

Registration opens up July 15...

https://www.bikereg.com/Net/2013-green-mountain-cyclo-cross-weekend

I was wondering if there were any plans re scheduling for a cyclocross clinic?

@Rick that's crazy talk man; it's barely even July.

Nittany is about 7 weeks away.

So here's a question regarding tire choice. This year, it turns out, that I have two sets of mud tires. One set are Challenge Fangos. They get high marks for being superior mud tires, right? BUT...

I also have a set of Maxxis Mud Wrestler tires which, I'm guessing aren't as good a tire overall, BUT...

They are a UCI ILLEGAL 35mm wide versus the 33mm Fangos. Since I'm a cat 4 crosser and not subject to the UCI overlords, which tire would you go with in muddy conditions?

Go with the challenge limus tires you have for mud! The maxxis are probably fine but my guess the Linus are more supple.

Jules said:

Town Hall CX

https://www.bikereg.com/Net/townhallcross

Thanks Jules, added to my cal alert!

Same day as Granogue though, so definitely a Holy Week conflict.

Granogue was cancelled last year. That prettymuch makes it a must do for me this year. Good time to see Philly friends too

Duuuuh. Think Ieant to type "Glouscter"
Granogue is gone baby gone. Dude sold his race kit and everything. Tears.

Not true. Fat Marc vanderbacon is still racing.

Granogue...Adam Myerson once described those races best. "It's just one booby-trap after another..."

Last I saw the Granogue dude, he had that cold, uncaring thousand-yard stare when the subject came up. I'm not optimistic it'll be back anytime soon. My favorite course.

Marc Vanderbacon

Who could this "Marc Vanderbacon" person be? He might as well be John Henry.

Awoke. Maybe another for my stable.

Rick Perner and I are officially registered for the Green Mountain Cyclocross weekend! Can hardly wait!

FatMac Vanderbacon is of course Marc Vettori his email address is marc.vettori@gmail.com 

Eloy! We gotta get you back on the cross bike for reals. We love your pictures, but we love to see you racing more!

eloy said:

2013 MAC Schedule:

7-Sep-13 Nittany
8-Sep-13 Nittany
21-Sep-13 Charm
22-Sep-13 Charm
12-Oct-13 whirlybird
26-Oct-13 HPCX (tenative)
27-Oct-13 HPCX
9-Nov-13 Fair Hill
17-Nov-13 Kutztown
30-Nov-13 Limestone (tentative)

Race.

Kissena's own Supercross Cup returning to NY in 2013! Nov 23rd and 24th, mark your calendars!

Couple of things:

• Is Supercross going to be at Eisenhower Park, or is Myles still kicking around the idea of finding another location to help draw more regional racers?

• There was another summer cross race, this time in Utah, won by a dude on a Mountain Bike who was able to ride a set a stairs and bomb a rocky descent with abandon. Page was not a happy camper. But, it was legal. Which begs the question, are there races/conditions that YOU do, which would favor a mountain bike? If so, would you consider bringing a MTB as your primary or pit bike? Discuss.
  

Why are mountain bikes allowed anyway?  Don't they have dedicated races for MTB?  

Phillip, I think, because it's a "grass roots" thing. When I first started cross racing in the 90s, courses, in the midwest, were basically MTB-lite courses. And this allowed more folks to try it out, without having to add a dedicated cross bike to their stable. It was frustrating for me, because at the time, I was on a touring style bike with 35-ish mm tires and I was at a distinct disadvantage at the time. And by the time I got a proper MTB, course design had changed and folks were now racing proper cross bikes.

Today, especially in the Cat 4 races, there are always 2 guys who race mountain bikes in the cross races. One of the guys is OTB and lapped instantly, the other dude is like a 14-year-old wunderkind who podiums.

I just wonder with this relatively high profile "incident" if more folks in non UCI events will consider bringing a MTB to some races? Maybe in the Northwest, where those racers take themselves less seriously than us "New England Crossers?"

A few years ago, like 3, I was on the hunt for a proper cross bike, I had trouble finding one at a shop. Strictly Bikes, fancy pants, Strictly, had nothing, literally, but a story about how they had one cross bike in their shop once. A bike shop on 96th/Broadway, part of a chain of NYC shops, had exactly one cross bike, in one size, in pretty low spec parts for a lot of money. A few other shops had basically "touring-lite/commuting" bikes they tried to pass off to me as cross bikes.