Weekend Forecast: Crossasaurus Awesome
Though we mourn the sudden cancellation of Croton Cross (someday we’ll get local NYC cyclocross back, I hope), let us take comfort in the fact that our calendars are now free to attend Dino Cross and win some crisp $2 bills. So, get in the car, losers, we’re going to Pennsylvania (again).
Weather
I know there are at least a few regular readers of this journal who have probably read more than one of my weekend previews. And to those people I say, is it not yet clear that I am a sorry excuse for an amateur meteorologist? I said it was going to be hot and dry at Charm, and this was not true for most people all day, until it was very suddenly true in lap 3 of my race. Awful. I have recently discovered there are some Very Serious People who use NOAA and check actual precipitation levels, but this is not a weather enthusiast* blog, this is a blog for Very Serious Bike Racers who want to spend all week debating their tire choices based on mostly vibes and minimal data.
Here are the poorly researched facts on the ground: it has not rained, and it appears that it will not rain, in Upper Salford Township, Pennsylvania between now and Saturday, and it will be sunny and 76 degrees. I am therefore, once again, urging you to enjoy the cool embrace of the humble ice sock.
*All cx racers are amateur meteorologists, actually.
The Course
I heard a rumor at Charm this weekend that the way this course is made is by two people walking in squiggles around the park until they meet somewhere in the middle. This rumor was followed up by an email from the team behind the race, Philly Ciclismo, sharing the following info and a helpful satellite image annotated with MSPaint. What we learned from this email was:
The course will look “something like” the 2023 Crossasaurus Strava segment.
The course runs counter clockwise.
The rumor about two people just walking in squiggles is probably true.
Mike Festa’s passion is graphic design.
In seriousness though, this course has all the trademarks of what we have come to associate with PACX - a course lovingly constructed by folks who truly love cross and also have a sense of humor about it. Were the barriers in a ditch once? Yes, that is my recollection. Was there something bordering on a pump track that was not quite a pump track last year? Also yes. (The promoter has assured me that they have “improved and added bike park features to the pump track section” this year.) Finally, while I have not been specifically informed, there will probably be a log, or 5, or even 75 because PACX really loves a log.
Gear
You probably do not need mud tires.
But what you do need, is a tandem bike. (New bike day!)
Yes, people you heard me right, Crossasaurus is the only cyclocross race in America (I did not fact check this) offering a chance for you and a very trusted friend to be Tandem Cyclocross World Champions (I also did not fact check this). Look at what a great time these folks are having together (fact check: true).
Vibes
Critical to the vibes at any race is feeling welcome in the town and park where the race is held. Upper Salford Township loves Crossasaurus and invites the race back year after year. They even gave townsfolk a heads up about the “annual cyclocross” last year, and maybe unintentionally recruited some new racers. (What even is cyclocross, indeed).
In addition to the warm welcome from the town, there will be a food truck from the Tricycle Cafe, and prizes from Rudy Project, Honey Stinger, Cannondale, and Endgrain. There’s also equal payout for the men’s and women’s elite fields provided in the form of $2 bills, the greatest and most useful form of currency. (Do I still have the $2 bill I won in 2021 because I don’t want to make my bodega guy mad at me by trying to pay for my breakfast sandwich with a $2 bill? No comment.) Also, I repeat, there is a tandem cyclocross race!
Thanks to Mike Festa for providing photos, info, and to Philly Ciclismo for helping keep PACX alive. Reg closes Thursday, October 3 at 5pm.
