Crossbay Roubaix: The Chonky Tire Race of your Dreams
Everyone’s favorite off-road race went off without a hitch this past weekend. You may argue that Crossbay Roubaix isn’t a race, it’s an event, and you’d be right. You might argue that it isn’t an event, it’s a bike hang, and you’d be right. You might even argue that it’s a day of trash talk, shenanigans, hard riding, getting lost, getting found and getting stuck in wet sand like the horse in the Neverending Story… Well, that last one is probably the most accurate.
The Crossbay Roubaix route took us through singletrack in the woods and beaches around the Belt Parkway, and up the gravel paths of Shirley Chisholm State Park to the highest point in the area, allowing a lovely panorama of the sea, Staples and a Dave & Busters. And like all great races, the organizers were still out on course with course markers as we lined up to start.
You may ask, how exactly did you find yourself riding sandy singletrack under highway bridges and next to the ocean? And the short answer is, “My fun bike friends told me to do it, gave me a route and fed me hotdogs afterwards. How could I not?” The longer answer is that several years ago Chad Shackelford, Alden Copley, Robert Mullens and Nathaniel Picard-Busky were training for cyclocross in the area. After hearing a lot of complaints from other riders about the lack of places to train off-road in NYC, Chad decided to create Crossbay Roubaix and introduce other riders to their playground. Chad took the reins, Alden created the route, Robert did the scoring and start wave organization and they all cleared the course. Crossbay Roubaix was born.
The race is designed for riders to set off in small waves, with a leader in each group to keep riders on course and generally together. After a “Le Mans” start where we lined up on foot and ran to mount our bikes, we dove into the first of seven timed segments. A little sand, and a little winding single track gave us a taste of what we’d experience throughout the day.
After the first segment my wave regrouped and our group leader mama-ducked us to the next segment as we rode and chatted in his draft. At each segment we’d be set free to either attack or relax through the segment, before regrouping and riding to the next timed segment. The winner of the race was the rider with the fastest cumulative segments according to Strava. Some people were going for the win, others were using the segments as training efforts, and many were just out riding and having a good time.
I personally went semi-hard on the segments having only been out to Shirley Chisholm twice and never having explored the local gravel. I’m pleased to report that I chased my friends, was chased by said friends, fell over twice, managed to ride the ridiculously wet and soft ocean sand, spectacularly failed to bunny hop a plank of wood, missed at least 3 turns, and walked through a river only later realizing that I could have just ridden through it and saved my shoes.
My race finished to the cheers of earlier waves, the smell of sunblock and grilling burgers, and the chatter of everyone recapping their rides. The winners’ podiums were done on a park bench and prizes were handmade t-shirts. But I think we were all winners here.
In the words of current race organizer, mensch and cat dad Nathaniel Picard-Busky “It’s less about the folks behind it and more about the people that come to race. Crossbay is theirs as much as it’s Chad’s or mine. Speaking for all of us who’ve had a hand in it, we’re so glad we’ve gotten to share it with you all.”
A perfect day. 10/10. No notes.
