NBX CX 2017 Weekend Recap
There's a camaraderie at NBX centered around the end of 'cross season. It's the last big cyclocross weekend in the Northeast, and the end of the year for many of the mid-Atlantic and NECX racers.
The milestone of finishing the year permeates the conversations around the many wood-burning fires that crackle across the grounds of Goddard State Park in Warwick, Rhode Island.
These fireside chats involve many nostalgic reviews of "how the season went," where racers talk through poor and strong performances alike. There is unanimous excitement about no longer needing to do CX-centric intervals during every single training ride, and folks are eager to start doing base miles again on the road bike. "I need to rest" is another common refrain.
I should add that the bike racing and course at NBX are outstanding. And naturally much of the talk was about the incredible seaside venue.
The course
NBX is a roots-and-sand course. About 90% of the course is composed of those two elements--often juxtaposed--and it makes for a completely unique CX experience. It also means mechanicals and bike swaps--and I visited the pit twice on day two as a result.
The races
Clay Parker Jones and I represented TBD at NBX in category 3, and Daghan Perker was on the scene for event photos.
Clay and I are recent upgrades from category 4. In my case, I upgraded from category 5 to category 3 this season. I can tell you: This progression will make you feel good about yourself. Your ego will expand significantly. "I can do this 'cross thing," you will think. After you complete your category 3 upgrade, someone will say, "Congratulations, you're fast." And you will believe it.
So imagine my sense of surprise after getting completely blown off the back in my first real taste of Cat 3 New England cyclocross. The ego shrunk back down to normal size quickly, and I quickly remembered that I still have everything to learn.
Photo: Daghan Perker
Photo: Matthew Story
NBX did not yield strong results for the folks at TBD, and luckily we sell handy T-shirts for exactly this sort of occasion.
Nevertheless it was good to celebrate the last big weekend of cyclocross this year with the other folks who have been there week-in, week-out, up and down the Northeast corridor. We'll miss you.
Signing off,
Clark Fredricksen
We’re two months into a new year, which means it’s time for our first newsletter of the year!