I may get cancelled for saying this, but Bubblecross is my favorite local race. What it lacks in pro athlete attendance, clever social media marketing, and flashy event production, it more than makes up with a super fun and technically interesting course that serves a quintessentially welcoming, low-key grassroots feel. Speaking of which, have you reg’d yet?

Weather

With the disclaimer that no one can be trusted to predict the weather, least of all a lawyer, I will simply share that the long range forecast calls for a delightfully sunny and warm, but not brutally hot day on Sunday. This comes after a few days of rain, so we could expect some relief from the dreaded swamp-ass conditions that plagued us all summer. We could also see some muddy/slick and perhaps even puddled/boggy sections if saturation is an issue in the lower lying lake-adjacent & grassy areas of the course, as we saw at Whirlybird.

Temps may range from 65°F for the first Junior races of the day at 9am to 74°F for the last M5/Jr races in the afternoon at 3pm. Essentially, delightful end of summer conditions (which, now that I’ve made this declaration in writing, swamp-ass conditions are almost certain to manifest). Speaking of swamps, do bring the bug spray because a recent visit to West Milford taught me that mosquitos are in obscene abundance this year.

Course

Now on to my favorite thing about BubbleCross: the course. BubbleCross is located in West Milford, NJ (a mere 30 miles from NYC) in Bubbling Springs Park which boasts 40 acres, 2 softball fields, 2 lakes and a beach, hiking trails, playground, and picnic areas. 40 acres sounds like a lot, but the race itself feels pretty compact, yet takes full advantage of many of these features. There’s truly something for everyone here, but this course traditionally favors an all-arounder: technical skills are good to have, but you still need an engine.

Now granted, the last time I raced here was in 2017, but I watched Clay’s video from 2019 and the course essentially remained the same. So, assuming status quo, here’s what you can expect course-wise on race day.

• Starting grid is on a deep & loose coarse gravel road. Some years the start chute is straight, and some years, there’s a turn. So, definitely check out the start before your race and test out your gearing & lines.

• Winner of the hole shot is whoever makes it to the first turn up a grassy hill. Watch for a few terrain changes: loose gravel > hardpack > asphalt > grass all in the first few seconds of the race!

• The first grassy section is situated on slight hill and the course designer typically does a great job using the terrain undulations to create tricky hairpin, tight, awkward & off-camber turns. Smooth lines, short bursts of power and letting off brakes will help you through this grassy maze. This section could be slick depending on how much rain saturation is leftover, but certainly won’t be dusty like in 2019.

• After the Grassy Section 1, the course takes you back over an asphalt driveway to the playground/picnic area and through the first short section of beach sand: Sand Pit 1. This section has a slight bend to it and is usually rideable so long as you carry enough momentum into it. But, be careful to not have too much weight on your front wheel entering the sand, lest you join the many others who have gone OTB here (thankfully sand is soft!). Given the rain, it’s possible this sand section will be more packed down and easy peasy to just glide through.

• Once out of Sand Pit 1, you’ll pedal through a short and wide hardpack section that is typically where the finish line is set up.

• But, heads up because the first and arguably trickiest of the 2 woods sections is right after the finish line, starting with a little flowy dirt chute teaser before the hard right uphill into tricky singletrack. One year, they even incorporated a few railroad tie steps, but 2019 seems to have skipped that feature. Expect a few really tricky off-camber, rooty, loose and potentially muddy steep down/ups that many folks will botch or just dismount and run entirely. Definitely a section to examine and session during pre-ride.

• After coming out of Woods Section 1 is Grassy Section 2, that features some more tricky off-cambers, tight turns and a set of double barriers of medium height. This section goes around a softball field so there is usually more sand to navigate among the grass, including a tiny but deep Mini Sand Pit, that you can mostly just pedal right through but still good to be aware of and evenly weighted on the bike here.

• Next is Woods Section 2, which winds its way up and down and around several trees, a shed, and lots of rocky/rooty singletrack. It’s difficult to pass through here, so if you know you’ve got better technical riding skills, it might be worth burning a match to get in front of folks before this section. This section ends with a screaming fast and rocky/sandy/rooty & rutted out descent into Sand Pit 2 which is a legitimate beach. Depending on moisture retention levels, and your skills, this much longer sand section could be totally rideable. Otherwise, anticipate jumping off and running.

• After Sand Pit 2, you’re basically back to the start.

• In prior years, the course has extended back toward the lower lake making a turn around a gazebo, and has gone through the playground at the center of the course. Also, when BubbleCross was a 2-day event, they’ve run the course in reverse. We haven’t seen these features in more recent iterations, so more likely than not, they will not be part of this year’s course. BUT YOU NEVER KNOW!

HANGS

Registration seems very light as of the writing of this forecast Thursday afternoon, there are 117 registered racers - only about half of the numbers from 2019. I know several NYC folks are traveling to GoCross, and this is definitely typically a smaller local event, but what gives? As I’m writing this, I have to admit that I have become one of those assholes who is waiting for the last possible moment to reg (mostly as I decide whether to race twice and spring for a tent spot). So, perhaps the rest of NYC, NJ & PA cross community is doing the same.

Confirmed racer numbers aside, there is great spectating to be had, a playground in the middle of the course (bring your kids!), lots of space to run around (bring your dogs!), indoor park bathrooms, and typically great announcing and food trucks*. There are orchards nearby and where there are orchards, there are fresh apple cider donuts. Start tasting those fall vibes!

*Given we are still in COVID times, I suggest bringing snacks and water just in case food trucks are not available this year.

Gear

There is some debate as to whether one should prep for the most technical bits of this course - the rooty, loose singletrack and sand pits - or the grassy turn-y bits. Do the technical sections justify more aggressive tread or will you be better served saving time & energy with lighter tread on the grass? Given this course is pretty evenly split between techie and grassy, I plan to go with a mix tire (assuming I’m able to swap them before Sunday without any catastrophic mechanical issues).

Some folks have even raced BubbleCross on mountain bikes and have not finished last! But, having done both, I can attest that a mountain bike certainly will not be faster on this course.

Enjoy some photos below from Matthew & Clay from prior years’ races and good luck if you’re racing!