Racing
Racing has always been a core part of the TBD Journal, across an ever growing list of disciplines. See all Road Racing | Gravel | Training | Cyclocross | Mountain Biking entries on the To Be Determined Journal, and don’t miss our State of the Sport and Race Director Diaries essays.
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In one of the biggest adventures we have ever shared on the Journal, Naveen takes us on her South African bikepacking expedition
I wanted the UCI to know I was there, and that I thought their exclusionary policies sucked. Bike racing is about tactics, and my chosen tactic for UCI cyclocross was visibility.
Epic conditions open the door to epic photographs at Day One of Croton Cross
I’ve always wondered how I’d fare in one of these big gravel races and particularly at SBT - this past year I found out.
Returning to Unbound after an 8-year hiatus and finding that all the mud was right where I left it
Our preview for 10 days of racing in Chicago at the 2023 edition of Intelligentsia Cup
The longstanding Tuesday night race series at FBF in Brooklyn needs your help
A look inside one of the longest running and most unique weekly race series on the East Coast: Fifth Street Cross
A full look at the 2022 edition of Charm City CX in Baltimore
Everything you ever needed to know about racing cyclocross in NYC.
The Mount Washington Hill Climb is one of the most difficult events on the East Coast. Ben, Dana and Matt tackled it this year.
Our wrap of the racing side of things at the Grant’s Tomb Criterium, featuring a massive photo gallery from TBD’s Daghan Perker
eMTB racing at one of the biggest races on the East Coast
Some collected thoughts on the 2022 edition of the Harlem Crit from Lucia D, with photos by Daghan Perker
The 2022 edition of the Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic as photographed by Daghan Perker
We dive into the latest NYC race registration data to assess the State of post-pandemic Road Racing in the region
New York’s biggest road race is upon us - what does it say about road racing post-COVID?
There are some rides that you know you’ll always remember. Riding in fresh snow at Stillwell was one of those!
A look at a grueling and beautiful edition of the Rapha Prestige that ventured through New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts with 110 miles and more than 10,000 feet of climbing.
A hidden gem of grassroots cyclocross racing reminds us of how great local events can be
GMSR is the hardest stage race on the East Coast. And it was Ben’s first ever road race.
Our guide to Kingdom Trails Mountain Biking in Burke, Vermont, full of on and off the bike tips
Naveen from To Be Determined f/ b Metropolitan Dental Care gives a first hand look at what it is like to sag at Unbound Gravel
A late event cancellation leads to an impromptu team adventure in upstate New York
After a year long hiatus, bike racing has officially returned to New York City
On those rare snow days in NYC, catch us on two wheels exploring the city by bike.
A weekend of gravel, fall color, and good times on the backroads of Westchester
It is a special thing to be able to race cyclocross in New York City - as such we recount last weekend’s Rainey Park CX from multiple perspectives.
The Ten Best Cyclocross Tires – you won’t believe Tire 7! This post has been optimized for SEO, but it’s actually pretty good on its own merits. Like, comment, subscribe!
A beautiful morning of racing and riding in Central Park
Get an introduction to New York City bike racing at this weekend’s CRCA race in Central Park
Our latest race typology: the now defunct Tour of Millersburg
A look at one of New York City’s biggest bike races - the CRCA Grant’s Tomb Criterium
A look back at the 2013 edition of the Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic
A hot week in Chicago racing the Intelligentsia Cup
Checking into one of NYC’s biggest races at the Dave Jordan Central Park Classic
An excellent morning spent chasing polka dots in Prospect Park
James recaps an incredible experience watching World Tour Pros at GP Montreal
View from the break that stuck in an early season CRCA race
TBD’s women’s squad opens their race season in New Jersey
A damp morning of racing in Central Park puts TBD in the polka dot leaders jersey
Road racing kicks into full gear for 2024 with CRCA’s season opener in Central Park, NYC
Its that time of year: the definitive guide on how to pin your race number
TBD’s own Barb Blakely looks back at an incredible day at the NYC marathon
Race registration trends at New York City’s last road race - the Bear Mountain Spring Classic
Bike racing is back with the earliest ever start to the NYC race season
Looking back at the summer that was for TBD
One of our favorite days of the year returns: NYC”s race day, beach day
One of New York City’s biggest criteriums took place a few weeks ago, and Scott checks in with the race report
A great day of racing at one of the most famous crits in the country: the Tour of Somerville
TBD night at FBF features the biggest women’s field in recent history!
Our preview for 10 days of racing in Chicago at the 2023 edition of Intelligentsia Cup
To Be Determined is sponsoring FBF on July 11th - including FREE registration for the Women’s field!
TBD’s updated guide to the CRCA Grant’s Tomb Criterium
A successful day racing at the 2023 Dave Jordan Central Park Classic in Central Park
This is it, the 2024 cyclocross season is coming to a close with one of the best events of the year
The 2024 cyclocross season enters its final phase with Moran CX in Connecticut.
Welcome to the TBD Newsletter: Fall 2024 Edition
We’re pleased to announce the first round of TBD Cycling Grant recipients
Recounting one of the biggest CX weekends of the season at Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross
TBD’s official weekend forecast for a huge weekend of cyclocross at RRFCX
A look back at one of our favorite CX races: HPCX in New Jersey
Checking out the best dinosaur themed cyclocross race on the East Coast
Now that we’ve shaken off all the dust that accumulated on our cross bikes and replaced it with some real dust (boy, it has been hot), it means it’s time for one of the best CX weekends of the year, the third race of the USCX series: Charm City Cyclocross in Baltimore.
Another week of CX coming up at Carpenter CX
The To Be Developed (TBD) Cycling Grant application for 2024 is now live
It is an omnium weekend for CX on the East Coast and us such we have our second Weekend Forecast for the week covering Pineapple Crush CX
The PACX season kicks off this weekend with Whirlybird CX on Saturday, at the new venue, Twining Valley Park.
In our latest gear guide, we look at carbon rim prep for cyclocross
An unseasonably warm day spent ripping trails at Cunningham Park
We’re two months into a new year, which means it’s time for our first newsletter of the year!
Closing out the team’s Belgium cyclocross adventures with a recap of some of our favorite moments and races
For much of the TBD squad the 2023 CX season came to an end this past weekend at one of the best races on the East Coast: Noho CX in Northampton, Massachusetts
One of the biggest and best cyclocross races on the East Coast is here: Noho CX in Northampton Mass
Lucia makes a trip to Belltown Cross and discovers a top notch race!
I wanted the UCI to know I was there, and that I thought their exclusionary policies sucked. Bike racing is about tactics, and my chosen tactic for UCI cyclocross was visibility.
Closing out the 2023 edition of Croton Cross with our race report and the final day one photo gallery
The first part of our mega photo gallery from Croton Cross in Westchester, New York
Epic conditions open the door to epic photographs at Day One of Croton Cross
Get ready for one of NYC’s few ‘local’ races: this weekend’s Croton Cross
The weather looks great, but we would be remiss to talk about hangs at Charm City without acknowledging our friends who won’t be at this race because the UCI has chosen fear and transphobia over true fairness and inclusion.
There’s a new promoter this year, but the venue and course previously known as Nittany is back for 2023 as Sturdy Cross at the Velodrome.
Cyclocross season kicks-off for the squad with a special double header: running the NYC 5th Avenue Mile followed by racing Bubblecross in West Milford, New Jersey.
Cyclocross has arrived in the New York tri-state area and its kicking off with Bubblecross, one of our favorite races of the entire season
We’re pleased to announce the first round of TBD Cycling Grant recipients
A look back at the 2024 edition of SBT Gravel in Steamboat Springs Colorado
Rounding up the second edition of ACME’s Neutral Ground
The 2nd Annual Neutral Ground at ACME Katonah is coming up
In one of the biggest adventures we have ever shared on the Journal, Naveen takes us on her South African bikepacking expedition
Looking back at the summer that was for TBD
One of New York’s biggest gravel events, as captured by Steph
Returning to Unbound after an 8-year hiatus and finding that all the mud was right where I left it
Steph’s guide to the Central Connecticut Gravel Loop featuring Barkhamstead Reservoir, Lake McDonough, Nepaug Reservoir, Tunxis State Forest, and Satan's Kingdom Recreational Area
Recapping our annual pilgrimage to the Rasputitsa Gravel Grinder in Vermont
One of New York’s biggest gravel events is this weekend and TBD has your guide
Recapping a special day on the bike in Westchester County with our friends at ACME Bicycle Co.
Images from the 2023 Toad Strangler Gravel Grinder in New York State
A new series on the TBD Journal: a quarterly (or thereabouts) recap of our favorite posts
TBD’s collected thoughts and tips ahead of the Rasputitsa gravel event in Vermont
Newfound Buddies, Greg & Tom, head up to northeastern Connecticut (aka “The Quiet Corner” ) for the fourth edition of the Natchaug Epic (aka “The Quiet Hell”)
Friend of the team, ACME Bicycle Co, is hosting a three day bike festival in Katonah, NY in May
Old Man Winter Rally 50K didn’t go the way I expected but it gave me what I needed.
Big Sugar is a 100-mile gravel race that serves as the final event in the Lifetime Grand Prix. Greg offers an offseason recap of the event and his thoughts on the Bentonville cycling scene.
The C&O Tow Path was created to bypass Great Falls and now exists as a recreational trail. You’ll find the canal teaming with geese, ducks, and turtles with the occasional muskrat or heron.
We return to one of the biggest gravel races of the year - SBT GRVL
One of our favorite rides of the year, spent exploring gravel and fall foliage in Katonah, NY
Vermont has an entirely different style of gravel racing than the rest of the USA, the name of the game is shorter miles, higher elevation, and gnarlier terrain. The Vermont Overland is no exception, 59 miles, 7,500 ft of climbing, and 8 class 4 sectors (a road that is not maintained by the town or state and can be in various states of disrepair).
A guide to NYC’s beloved Old Croton Aqueduct or the OCA trail.
Naveen recounts her first experience racing Unbound Gravel in Kansas
One of New York’s biggest and best bike events: Farmer’s Daughter Gravel Grinder
The variety of roads/paths isn’t what makes it so hard, it’s the terrain, elevation gain, and weather all together that make it a grueling, yet rewarding day on the bike.
Katonah is a hidden gem for New York City cyclists, and now with Acme Bicycles Katonah it is the perfect launching point for cycling in Westchester
A recap of one of our biggest adventures of 2021: SBT GRVL in Colorado
An incredible photo gallery from the UCI MTB World Cup in Lake Placid
A guide to some of the country's best mountain biking in Durango, Colorado
Kicking off the NYC MTB racing season with Mayhem in Medford
New Yorkers storm the desert outside Tucson, Arizona for a 24-hour mountain bike adventure.
We’re two months into a new year, which means it’s time for our first newsletter of the year!
The squad is ramping up for an epic weekend of racing at 24 House in the Old Pueblo
For those who have time off during the holidays, are looking to spend time with family outside (or avoid them), or are just newly trail-curious, TBD presents the Twelve Trails of Christmas—a dozen of our favorite trail systems within an hour(ish) from New York City.
A weekend at Santos, a trail system is just outside Ocala in central Florida, and has over 50 miles of trails crisscrossing the Cross Florida Greenway.
Reviewing Rockshox’s new electronic suspension system - RockShox Flight Attendant.
I hope with some helpful guides, we here at TBD can convince you that my hometown trails are certainly worth a visit.
TBD returns to Colorado for a women’s DH MTB camp
The gang goes to Vermont for a weekend of some of the East Coast’s MTBing at Kingdom Trails
eMTB racing at one of the biggest races on the East Coast
As we reach the height of the 2022 road season we take a look at the TBD Race Calendar for July
The team scores a double podium in the latest H2H MTB outside New York City
Of trails and teenagers.
A new year and a new season for East Coast bike racing. With lots of (likely very cold) racing on offer
Shane and Lucia are in the middle of a little winter desert escape to Las Vegas, Nevada, and St. George, Utah.
It’s been an incredible week. A full post is coming soon, but until then, enjoy this short photo essay on riding in a world with full sunshine, few trees, and monumental rock formations.
There are some rides that you know you’ll always remember. Riding in fresh snow at Stillwell was one of those!
To Be Determined f/b MDC heads to Asheville for a weekend of MTB’s
A race rivalry that spans most of the country: Barb and Shane offer dueling MTB race reports
Our guide to Kingdom Trails Mountain Biking in Burke, Vermont, full of on and off the bike tips
For the first time in a year, we’re talking about bike racing on the Journal
Exploring a new MTB destination in Colorado
Taking advantage of some of the lesser known mountain bike trails just outside New York City
Alvaro takes us to Guayama, in the south of Puerto Rico, to show us a huge mountain bike trail system called Monte Brujo.
We head a bit further afield than normal as Alvaro goes mountain biking in his native Puerto Rico
On those rare snow days in NYC, catch us on two wheels exploring the city by bike.
With a new mountain bike and new team kit, a perfect day of riding MTB at Sterling Forest State Park
Specialized recently revamped their XCO line-up and we’re fortunate to take a look at a very color S-Works Epic
We interviewed a sports nutritionist to get her insight
It’s Marathon Week in NYC, which means that “Other Sports” are back on the Journal
One “winter” (almost) down on Zwift’s new indoor smart trainer.
A new cyclocross race outside NYC is the perfect excuse for a long day in the saddle
Getting ready for cyclocross season with a long weekend from the pro racers and coaches at Cycle-Smart
It’s my favorite time of year. It’s August and it seems like the really unbearable part of the summer heat is behind us. There’s still road racing to be had, but for those of us who gravitate off the road see the best season yet to come: cyclocross.
The team takes in a weekend of trails, cyclocross preparation, and beach lounging
Every year Rod does his longest ride of the year on the longest day of the year. This year’s goal? 200 miles round trip from NYC
An ode to the motivation found in riding with teammates who are willing to drop you repeatedly during a sprint workout
If you lack the experience and racing instincts that come from it, I have some tips for you. These may or may not work for you, but hopefully you will get the idea and figure out what works best for you.
If you’re thinking about starting a lifting routine but don’t know where to begin. I thought I’d provide a few tips that have come in handy for me over the years.
The story of the 2021 NYC Marathon as retold by three TBD cyclist / runners
Race season has (almost) come and gone, which means we have one eye on the off-season.
Tackling one of our favorite, most difficult, climbing rides from NYC on the road back to fitness
With racing back on the horizon, it is time to start thinking about watts… and threshold testing
In 2021 the annual ‘oh sh*t’ moment comes a bit later than normal, and with greater than usual severity
With a new mountain bike and new team kit, a perfect day of riding MTB at Sterling Forest State Park
With no bike racing to speak of on the near horizon, the team has been exploring other type-2 fun ways to keep ourselves occupied.
Sometimes training means maintaining a precise routine. Other times the best training is doing something slightly (or even very) illogical. A look back at one such weekend of training for the team.
A new year means rebuilding fitness and setting new goals - including newfound focus on a new discipline
Lucia writes about her experience participating in the Sober October Challenge and the unexpected challenges and discoveries along the way.
Our racers have all manner of schedules: some are up at the crack of dawn, others are training in Central Park at 11PM. In our latest Daily Grind training feature, Clark makes the case for morning workouts.
As the road racing winds down after a long season that started on cold March mornings, an important reminder that it’s okay to embrace the burnout and get back to riding purely for fun.
After schedule conflicts ruled us out from the Cycle-Smart Cyclocross Camp that we know and love, our friends at Cycle-Smart did the next best thing and brought cross camp to us as part of an incredible weekend at the beach.
Feeling tired? Struggling with training? Consider asking whether you are getting enough sleep.
Scott hits the halfway point of his half and has a long weekend in Australia dodging danger noodles
Team TBD’s Scott Rettino documents the next phase in his pursuit of both a fast time at the NYC Half Marathon and a successful season on the bike
Closing out the first block of 2019 training with a weekend of all around decent weather and many good times
Winter base training… and running?!?! It is all in the latest Daily Grind entry from TBD’s newest member.
Believe it or not we are just 50 days from the start of the 2019 race season, which means it is time for the annual ‘oh-shit’ moment