Despite our best efforts, the 2022 road season is about to kick off. The bad news is that a lot of these upcoming races will take place in freezing temperatures, especially those races with start times coordinated to sunrise. But New York City cyclists have shown time and time again that cabin fever contributes to peak eagerness for racing early in the season, and so there is a busy month of March bike racing ahead on the TBD Race Calendar.

Here is a look at the races that we’re most looking forward to, and as always keep an eye on the TBD Race Calendar for the full race schedule:

• March 5-6: the opening weekend features three of the four early-season series that the tri-state area has to offer. It starts on Saturday with the much loved Branchbrook Series in New Jersey and the Randall’s Island Crit in NYC. Last year we named Randall’s Island one of the best race venues in the city and we look forward to getting back out there in 2022. Meanwhile Sunday kicks off the CRCA Club Series in Central Park. This is a CRCA members-only race, but we just published a guide to joining CRCA for those interested in the 12-race club series in Central Park.

• March 12-13: the second week in March is similar to the first, with Branchbrook and Randall’s Island on Saturday, but then Brooklyn gets into the mix with the start of Prospect Park racing on Sunday. We don’t see the Prospect Park race up on Bikereg yet, but it should be out there soon.

• March 19-20: benefiting its rich history as a former national-level event, the Mengoni Grand Prix is traditionally one of the biggest races of the year in New York City. For 2022 there are some changes in store as the race shifts to an early season date, when weather will almost certainly play a role. But as one of just a handful of non-CRCA member events in Central Park, this is a great race opportunity, assuming you don’t mind the likely cold temps as the race kicks off at dawn.

• March 26-27: the first month of racing of the 2022 season wraps up with Branchbrook, Randall’s Island and Prospect Park all on the calendar. But there is also the Shake N Bake Criterium in Augusta, New Jersey. This is one of our favorite local crit venues so while it is a bit of a drive from NYC, it is usually a fun day out. And for those who prefer dirt, New Jersey’s H2H Series kicks off on March 26th with the Aistriu Mayhem Mountain race. Though it’s a little far south in Medford, NJ, it’s flat and not too technical, so a great race to dust off your skills or try a new discipline.

If we are missing any races from the calendar just drop us a note using the contact form on the TBD Race Calendar page. We want to make sure the calendar is as comprehensive as possible.