Most of the team’s first big UCI weekend of cross season is finally here, and we couldn’t pick a better race than Charm City CX in Baltimore. It looks like we could get the tail end of a hurricane starting on Saturday afternoon, so this is looking to be one of the most epic editions of Charm City yet.

WEATHER

Okay, first thing out of the way: there’s a hurricane headed toward Florida as of this draft on Tuesday night. The trajectory is still a little unclear, but as of this writing it’s either going to be a full weekend downpour OR a really nice, warmish, great for spectating weekend. We don’t know yet, and there’s no in between.

In all likelihood, though, it’s looking like a mudfest mirroring some of the most epic conditions of the 2018 season, and we hope everyone is planning to bring 2-4 of everything.

GEAR

Charm somehow always involves mud even if it is not raining. The section by the pit just before the flyover is the lowest point of that part of the park, so any moisture collects there (and if it does rain, the runoff from pit power washers also ends up there). Plan for mud, even if the hurricane heads back out to sea.

You’re likely to need your knobbiest tire—a full mud tire if you have it, whatever the closest you have is if you don’t. This is the week to bring your second bike. Bring your rain pants, rain jacket, rubber boots, and a thermos full of whatever gets you through the day.

A towel is a must. Two pairs of shoes if you have them (sucks to lace up wet leather on day 2 if it rains on day 1). Two kits/skinsuits per day. When it’s really muddy, especially if you don’t have rain pants and a jacket to pre-ride in, it really makes a difference to have a nice dry skinsuit to put on between your pre-ride and lining up to race.

Wet clothes are your enemy on a muddy cross weekend. It’s really fun to play in the mud, it’s less fun to stand around in 60 degrees with every part of your body wet and cold. The key to enjoying muddy cross is to plan a way to get wet and then get dry again 2-3 times per day.

If you’re running disc brakes, also throw at least one if not two or every set of brake pads you can find in your bag. On a really wet day, you can go through an entire set of brake pads in one race. Make sure they’re metallic, not resin, because they will last longer. Still running cantis? Good luck and god bless (you’ll be fine).

We gotta talk more about the shoes. On a two-day mudfest, there’s nothing more important than taking care of your shoes overnight. The problem with bike shoes is that they are not particularly drafty, and they don’t dry well. So mud on Saturday means a big squelch getting into them on Sunday, unless you are very vigilant. Time was, we used to stuff newspaper inside them to soak up all the moisture, which would get them at least less damp if not dry overnight. Unfortunately the print newspaper industry has died, and along with it the easiest way of getting bike shoes dry. Paper towels are fine, shop towels are better, in a pinch stuff a hotel towel in there. The main thing is that you have to get the shoe as open as possible (make sure the tongue is completely out, take the laces out if they lace up), and stuff something in there to encourage the moisture out of the wet leather.

The other major gear issue you will want to think about is toe spikes. If there’s anywhere near the amount of rain that we are looking at here on Tuesday night, you’re going to want them. The treacherous off-camber is hard enough to walk on when it’s dry and dusty. If it’s wet, it will likely become a long run, and for that you’re going to want spikes to dig into the mud. Beg, borrow, steal, do whatever you need to to acquire some before Saturday. BEWARE said spikes on the stairs! They catch! You gotta do high knees on the stairs if you’ve got spikes in, but I promise it will be worth it.

COURSE

The thing to know about Charm is that a lot of the course is a grind. There isn’t much quick elevation change, just moderate, slow slogs uphill. Then stairs, more uphill, and more stairs. As neither a climber nor a runner I can’t say I’m enamored of the Charm course, but that’s not because it’s not good. It’s just hard and not for me. Something like 18 TBDers are coming out to Charm this year, so it’s certainly not a course everyone hates.

The race within the race in Baltimore is at the top of the course on the off-camber, which is longer than most off camber sections in Northeast races. It means that if you nail it and are able to ride smoothly, you can gain dozens of seconds on someone who messes it up and ends up having to run. It’s also quite steep, so it’s best to stay up high where you have a better chance of being able to pedal without your inside foot hitting the ground and stalling you.

Practice the off camber. Not once, not twice, but until you feel comfortable riding it. (This is advice that assumes it’s not an unrideable slopfest, I take it back if it rains buckets—just do what other people do and run.)

The map of the course this year looks very similar to last year, with more riding up the hill toward the off camber and no railroad ties/sand (if you remember that from the pre-panda days). In 2021 Clay (in yellow) and I (in black) annotated the map:

This is what the second flyover looked like last year (unclear its status this year):

HANGS

EVEN IF IT RAINS, it’s going to be a great weekend with a high chance of crab and beer handups.

The Charm course is sort of bowl-like, with tent row in the middle, next to a double straightaway and not far from the 3-story flyover for maximum heckling. There is historically multiple food trucks and a large expo area also within that center of the bowl. The course flows around the area where most people hang out, and it’s pretty easy to be able to see multiple areas of the course from one spot, making spectating easy and fun.

The pro races seem to be stacked, with all the top pros vying for the extra UCI points that come with Saturday’s C1 designation. If you’re not in Baltimore this weekend, the pro races will be broadcast on GCN, at 2:30 for the women and 3:45 for the men both days (Eastern time).

Not convinced it’s going to be a good time? Check out Matt’s photos from previous editions of Charm: