There has been so much excitement for Croton Cross, it's hard to believe it's the newest race on the New York Cyclocross Calendar. A testament to the great course, great vibes, (and maybe a little to its proximity to New York City), Croton Cross is sure to deliver as spectacular a time as it did last year.

Weather

Last week, as I shivered in the locker rooms at the T-Town Velodrome after a muddy Sturdy Cross (#Nottany), I ordered a pair of rain pants and a new rain jacket, since both were destroyed in the epic mud of the early 2022 season. They arrived yesterday - three days before Croton. What I'm saying is, I manifested this weekend’s rain. It’s me, I am the virus. Or maybe you are not a big baby like me and think this is great news, in which case, you’re welcome.

I tried to find any weather forecast that might give the faintest hope that Saturday would be dry, but alas. It is going to rain. And for some of the day, it's gonna rain pretty hard. On the plus side, it's going to be a high of 66, which means that it's the fun kind of racing in the rain and not the "I'm also so very cold" version of racing in the rain. There’s also a bike wash available, which always makes the post-mud race cleanup a little less stressful.

**as I wrote this article, the TBD slack, expectedly, engaged in a rousing weather debate.

Point: This also suggests though that total rainfall will be ~0.5in right? that is a dusting.

Counterpoint: Also even if there’s just a dusting, there’s been so much rain recently that the ground is likely pretty saturated and can turn into a bog.

Choose your fighter.

So that's Saturday. But SUNDAY. Sunday is PERFECT. The rain is supposed to last until about midnight so don't expect a dry ground, especially for the early races, but the rest of the day will be perfect cross weather. Low 50s for the morning races, high 50s for the afternoon races. *chef’s kiss*

With the amount of rain expected on Friday and into Saturday, a mud tire probably couldn’t hurt for Day 1. For Day 2, it's really hard to say, since this is a new course, there's no historical anecdotal data about how it drains. It’s likely safe to say, you can probably leave the file treads at home.

For Saturday remember to bring rain fear (this was supposed to say gear, but I am leaving it) and extra changes of clothes. Particularly socks. Bring all the socks you own.

Course

The folks who design this course clearly know and love cross. It is a crossers’ cross course. It is the kind of course that really rewards folks who go to cross practice every week. The most common review from last year was "this course was fun." It was really fun! It has everything.

"The Bowl" features lots of swooping grass turns that utilize the little bit of "elevation" and really reward picking your lines and letting off the brakes.

"Camel's Hump" tested everyone's off-camber skills in a way that only Rainey Park could rival.

"Nature Hike" has changed a bit for this year to account for some trails that can longer be used, but the park worked with the course designers (!!!!) to cut new single track for the race that I am assured is "similarly technical." Considering the course is designed by a few mountain bikers, I expect that is an understatement.

Of course, there are also Belgian stairs. Ride them and impress your friends.

Perhaps the best part of the course is that the race commentator will be none other than New England's Erin Faccone, former UCI racer turned race MC. If you don't know Erin, you are in for a treat. She's one of the best to take the mic, and you can expect she will have something to say about every single racer.

If you're new to cross, or just want to hop in to a race for fun, there's a non-USAC "open" field where you can ride any bike you choose. A single speed! A tracklocross bike! A mountain bike! Your commuter! Bring that tandem!

If you find yourself lucky enough to end up on the podium, you'll be rewarded with podium beers and pies courtesy of Captain Lawrence brewing and Baked by Susan. Look, money is great, but a post race pie? Sign me up.

Hangs

The race promoters have put a lot of thought and care into making this more than just another race, which is reflected in how quickly the NYC crew has officially adopted this race as our own. The race is sponsored by local teams and community members (thank you KruisCX and Randy!) and BE Cyclocross is hosting a BBQ/Potluck on Saturday (rain date Sunday). The course designers and promoters are all members of NYC based cycling teams, and neutral support is being provided by Sleepy Hollow Bikes and Travis of Gambit Racing. The race also relies on community volunteers, so navigate over to the volunteer sign up. (Volunteering also gets you a first row call up!)

I’ll wait.

Croton Cross has also taken the important step of releasing an inclusivity statement. Everyone is welcome here.

Even if you're not interested in racing, ride up to the venue, share some food, take some pictures (check out that peak foliage!) volunteer, and heckle your friends. You can volunteer while you heckle your friends! Maybe by the end of the day, you'll find yourself hopping into that open race.

 What are you waiting for? Register today and we’ll see you this weekend. (and seriously, don’t forget to volunteer!)

Photo Gallery by Daghan