Cross is Coming: TBD CX Camp Edition
After such a long break from cyclocross racing, the whole team was both excited to get back into it and ready for a tune up. In early August we headed out to East Hamptons to recreate some of the magic of our 2019 CX camp. For three days, we had four modes: riding, swimming, eating, and sleeping. We rebooted our cyclocross brains on miles and miles of nearly empty sandy trails, recharged in the pool afterward, and even made it out to the beach for a team bonding bonfire and s’mores.
Every team member that came out (save Winnie the bulldog) took a minute to reflect on the weekend and what they’re looking forward to in the coming cyclocross season, interspersed into the photos below:
Lisa
A typical cx season comes after a long year of training through winter followed by getting up early and/or traveling to road races fairly nonstop from spring through end of summer leaving me a little beat down by the fall with only the mental and physical capacity for a small handful of races. Though the pandemic has made everything weird, the one thing I am looking forward to is being able to come into the cx season a little more fresh and with a little more focus through the year on riding dirt hopefully a little less pathetic at my skills. Cx camp provided the perfect jump start for a season of shreddy turns and fun team hangs.
Scott
My CX bike has been gathering dust and not the good kind since the end of the 2019 season. Although my season will be starting very late this year I’m really looking forward to team hangs and getting sideways again. The CX camp was an excellent way to bust the rust, remember how to turn, chase teamies up hills and hang out off the bike afterwards.
Leah
It’s been quite a while since I’ve ridden my cross bike, let alone raced it. I had to remind myself how to turn, how to stay loose, and how to stop grabbing the brakes on every descent! But the muscle memory slowly returned and I had so much fun swooping through the woods and riding through sand with teammates. Very excited for lots of CX hangs this season!
Lucia
With such a long break from racing and training, I’ve been anxious about not being fit and forgetting how to turn a bike. This weekend of chasing teammates through twisty, sandy singletrack was not only fun, but reminded me of how cumulative the sport of cycling is. My body and brain remembered what to do, and in many ways, is doing it more efficiently. Can’t wait for the season to begin!
Shane
I was so excited to spend the weekend on the sand. I remembered how much I love the feeling when your wheels transition from firm ground to soft sand, a brief floating before you lose whatever control you might have had over where your bike is going, and give yourself over to pedaling and praying. It’s the feeling of HPCX Day 2, of NBX, and of cyclocross bliss.
Matt
TBD cross camp was a great reminder of just how much I missed the weekend adventures that define CX season. Being able to spend the weekend outside, on the bike, and hanging with great people was my favorite element of CX camp and it's the same thing that I'm most looking forward to during CX season.
Photographs by Matt
A New York City based cyclist and sometimes photographer. Part adventure rider, part crit racer, and fully obsessed with an English bulldog named Winifred.
Instagram: @photorhetoric
E-mail: matthew@tobedetermined.cc
The team takes in a weekend of trails, cyclocross preparation, and beach lounging