Weekend Forecast: Bubblecross RETURNS for 2025

After a one-year hiatus, Bubblecross in West Milford, NJ, is making a triumphant return to the NJCX calendar (the first race of the series) and we could not be more excited.

Bubblecross has it all: grassy uphill pedaling, trickier-than-it-seems grassy downhills, singletrack woods sections, and not one, but two sand sections, including a longer beach section that always yields prime photos. As of this writing - still several days out - the weather forecast is calling for a dry, sunny, and warm day. Here is what we think this year’s race put on by Team Town Cycle is going to look like.

2025 Registration: NJBA CX Cup Race #1 Bubblecross presented by Team Town Cycle Online Registration (bikereg.com)

2023 Race Report: The Bubble Double: 2023 Bubblecross + 5th Ave Mile — To Be Determined Journal

The Weekend Weather Forecast

Most years, Bubblecross has been dry and warm, bordering on hot. The last year this event was held - 2023 - we had rain! This year, with the caveat that we are still 5 days out, the weather forecast is looking dry and sunny with goldilocks temps ranging from 60 deg for the morning races to 70 deg for the afternoon elite races. This could all change by Sunday, but so far looking like a pretty nice day to be out racing & spectating!

Assuming things stay dry throughout the week, it could be a challenging day through the sand pits. If we end up seeing some rain later this week, however, that sand could firm up a bit and result in an easier section to coast through. Woods sections could be loose & dusty, but morning dew could mean some greasy corners in the grass for the earlier races. All to say, we have no idea - that’s what pre-ride is for!

the Course At Bubblecross

Bubblecross is sneaky hard. With all the tech, one might assume it’s a course that suits mountain bikers over roadies, but it has a deceptive amount of pedaling, and much of it uphill or through some bumpy ass terrain. A good third to half of the course takes place on single track-type sections, which tend to change slightly from year to year but generally consist of the typical rocky, loose soil of Northern New Jersey and can test the limits of your ability to maintain traction. Some years, the entire woods sections are rideable, and some years, not so much. This year with it being drier, it leans toward being more rideable, but then again, depending on how dry the soil is, it could get loose and dusty and soft, making track trickier than expected.

The park has a small pond surrounded by sand, and usually the course builders make full use of it, famously forcing a full send down a rocky descent into the longest of two to three sand sections. Fully committing means being able to ride the full section, but misplaced weight on your front wheel means you’re in for a long run. The smaller sections of sand are much shorter and a bit easier, but tend to be deceptively deep, and people often get caught up in the entrance and exit - this photo gallery highlights some of those problem areas.

Regardless of conditions, Bubblecross is ultimately one of the most fun and most technical courses in the tri-state area, and always draws great local competition. Though the course does change year over year, this annotated course map from 2019 still gives you a good idea of the flow of things. Note that in more recent years the start line has been alongside the playground in this diagram and “Grassy Area 2” has featured a few more turns and is usually where the barriers are located. The video below shows a racer’s POV from the most recent iteration of the race course.

The Hangs at Bubblecross

Bubblecross is one of the closest races to NYC, and always has a great grassroots family vibe. The course is relatively compact, and there’s lots of team tents in the parking lot and cheering (and heckling) near the sand. The course also meanders around a playground, so cross parents tend to be found in the center of things chasing around their lil belgians.

The park has indoor restrooms and a water hose hook-up on-site. You’ll want to come prepared with all your nutrition and hydration needs as there’s not a lot of amenities nearby, but you can get good sandwiches, baked goods, and beverages at the Vreeland Store just down the street. Just note that they do close at 3pm on Sundays. If you are newish to cross, know that people will stick around after they race to heckle their friends and frenemies, and with lots of kids and likely very good (leashed) dogs at the venue, the vibes will be high. Be sure to bring a chair or a blanket, and a cowbell, so you can join in on the fun!

Gear For BUBBLECROSS

With how varied the terrain is at Bubblecross, I’d say it’s safe to choose a tire with some knobs. I am a set and forget kind of racer so I will be mounting my Challenge baby limus tubeless ready tires and that will be my tire of choice for the remainder of the season. But, if you’ve got good bike handling skills, a file tread with some side knobs may be a good choice as well given we will likely see dry conditions this weekend.

As for tire pressure, Bubblecross is usually a course where a couple extra PSI is prudent for avoiding flats in the rocky & rooty singletrack sections.

Good luck and hope to see you there!