There are a handful of weekends a year in New York where Mother Nature grants us her favor and produces days during which we constantly pinch ourselves, mesmerized by how perfect they are. The weekend of May 6-7 in 2023 was one of those weekends and the combination of ideal weather, a tantalizing line-up of sponsors, friends, and pristine Westchester County road and dirt made ACME Neutal Ground 2023 one for the books.

Our friends at ACME

Many of us on TBD are intimately familiar with ACME Bicycle Co, whether it’s shopping for a new bike or dialing in bike fits, we trust the folks at ACME to provide top-notch services and goods. I personally trust Jonathan Blyer with my life at this point; With his help, the time I spend riding my bike has become infinitely more enjoyable. ACME’s eye for detail, engineering aptitude, and incredibly friendly and approachable vibe can help any rider be more comfortable, go faster, and have more fun on the bike!

When we see a bicycle festival organized by ACME at their Katonah location, we’re showing up in droves.

A perfectly coordinated group ride

With Katonah being easily accessible by the North County Trailway and by train, a group interested in riding up to the shop before the event started planning. With some ambitious teammates training for Unbound, many Brooklyn-based TBD members met at the Manhattan Bridge at 8am.

Everyone was punctual and we made it up to the George Washington Bridge at 9am on the dot to meet up with another bunch. Soon, we were rolling across the Tappan Zee, and only Greg was left with leg warmers. Another hour on the North County trailway and we arrived in Katonah where ACME had converted their rear parking lot into a festival-style expo.

Sponsor lineup

There was tons of gear available to try free of charge. A fleet of Factor, Time, and Moots bicycles were available to take out on the organized rides, as well as a handful of Zipp wheelsets courtesy of the team at SRAM. No22 and Rapha also showed up with the goods.

Friend of TBD Cesar Gallego manned the SRAM tent, getting everyone sorted on demo wheels with the help of Vince from TUNED, another favorite Brooklyn shop of ours. Cesar even made sure everyone who asked acquired the day’s prized piece of swag—a reversible SRAM bucket hat.

I had the pleasure of testing out a set of Zipp 303s with Quarq tire pressure monitors. Riding the 303s on my Ritchey Swiss Cross made the day a real delight – the hubs made the wheels a definite upgrade from my usual Service Course 30s and the tire pressure felt dialed on both dirt and fresh tarmac.

The riding

Most TBD folks opted for the “long dirt” option for the day and clocked two hours of ride time over some of the best roads Westchester has to offer. Between dirt climbs the group cruised through some pristine paved roads. The pace was fairly tame, and though there was a bit of spice up some of the day’s climbs, there was ample time to chat and regroup. Factor athlete Caroline Wreszin made the trip out from the west coast for the event, and it was a pleasure to chat with her throughout the ride. Coming in second place at this year’s Mid South, she’s certainly an up-and-coming professional to watch.

Our dirt ride ended with a jaunt through the Cross River recreation area—over the dam and down a gently winding dirt descent was a perfect way to end a long day out on the bike.

Post ride

The good vibrations continued after pulling back into Katonah. A food truck was slinging whole 8” personal pizzas and there were coolers of ice cold beers and non-alcoholic options. After five hours of riding, we all had a chance to relax, soak in the atmosphere, and sport our new bucket hats.

Personally, I had a blast coming out to Neutral Ground this year. Chatting with Jonathan Blyer after the event, ACME seemed to have a good time putting the event together as well! We can’t wait to see Neutral Ground back next year and will certainly show up for whatever they have in store!

Full Photo Gallery by Daghan

Photos by Steph