Events: Late Summer/ Early Fall 2022 Events
(2022) The mid-summer lull is in full effect as people have started texting us about someone named “Cross” coming. Despite a lighter schedule for the remainder of the year, solid events are confirmed for the calendar. There are up-and-coming events that possess some extra flare while one event is disappearing from the calendar. The creakybottombracket.com office seems to get fully excited for some of the late summer/ early fall cycling events in our area.
Tour of the Catskills (Anthem Sports Tour) August 13
After fifteen years, the Tour of the Catskills will run its last event in August. At one point the Tour of the Catskills was a three-stage, two day race. Even further back the Tour of the Catskills route was included in professional races. This year’s event sees three distances of 25, 52, and 70 mile routes.
The recent version of the long route sends riders essentially downhill for the first twenty miles. This is how we advertise the Tour of the Catskills: it’s a fifty-mile ride with a twenty-mile warm up and a brutal closing. That’s right, Devil’s Kitchen, the notorious climb up Platte Clove Road would be remiss to be omitted from the final Tour of the Catskills. Be sure to bring extra grit, extra gears, and a healthy dose of determination to avoid a lifetime of regret walking the last attempt up the inconceivably steep and long climb.
Tour of the Catskills once again throws a party at the finish line at the wonderful Last Chance Antiques and Cafe in Tannersville, NY. It is the perfect place to send-off one of the most enjoyable events in our area.
Tour de Pines (Kermesse Sport) September 29 - October 2
Launched amidst the pandemic and social distancing, Tour de Pines is back with a four-day tour that could see a rider cover nearly 200 miles. The event, put on by both Kermesse Sport and Pinelands Preservation Alliance, shows riders one of the most pristine areas in the mid-Atlantic region.
All four days feature a route that loops back to the start. Each route focuses on Pinelands features for riders to explore. Since this part of New Jersey is flat, this is an event for the sprinters. Courses visit landmarks such as lighthouses, cranberry bogs, and vineyards to highlight the area’s beauty.
Ride one day or all of them. Per the Tour de Pines website riders who register for multiple routes will receive an entry fee discount. Given our Strava heatmap is blank in this region, it is imperative to roll over Pine Barrens roads one route at a time.
Covered Bridges (Central Bucks Bicycle Club) October 16
This year marks the 41st year for the Covered Bridges Ride in Central Bucks County. With four routes, the Central Bucks Bicycle Club sends riders to numerous covered bridges in the center part of the county. The event can be family friendly, too, as there is a flat twenty-mile route option.
One of the attributes pushed by Central Bucks County is the unique character of covered bridges. Sure, trucks try to demolish them on a regular basis, but the passion for these bridges is stronger. Each bridge has its own character, outlined by the County website that discusses the type of structure each bridge is, the history, and many other facts surrounding these waterway crossings. Not all covered bridges are crossed in the event, but from Tinicum Park, the routes explore many of the northern Bucks County bridges.
Each year nearly 1,000 participants select one of the several routes and head out into the fall foliage to explore - or revisit - our area’s structures. We have completed the long course twice and pick up the Covered Bridges Route every once in a while for inspiration. With beautiful Tinicum Park as the start/ finish of the experience, you can pull up a camping chair, enjoy the views, and rehash some of the beautiful wooden bridges that were crossed earlier in the day.
Oktoberfest Ride (Kermesse Sport) October 30
No hurricane, nor pandemic, nor cold driving rain can keep Oktoberfest Ride from happening. Each year is a different experience. Last year’s edition saw rain and an altered course due to a damaging hurricane wiping away one of the most picturesque parts of the ride. But Oktoberfest continues on. (Magically Eichele Hill Road escapes all these issues.)
Another ride with multiple route options, Oktoberfest departs from Blueprint Brewing Company in Harleysville, PA. Almost immediately the route plunges into Pennsylvania Dutch farmland with peaceful roads. But the peace is earned with a grind up the apathetic Eichele climb. There may be three KOMs on the course, but this is the official hill that occupies the imagination. Some even say the ride starts after summiting Eichele.
Once the tank is near empty, expect to roll into Blueprint Brewing and enjoy a German-inspired post-ride meal with brats and sauerkraut. Sit back and rehash elevation discrepancies or whether one in your party walked Eichele. This is another solid post-ride experience, and the addition of Blueprint over the last few years has heightened the enjoyment.
Guy Fawkes Ride (Kermesse Sport) November 5
Remember, remember last fifth of November and you missed out on the inaugural Guy Fawkes Ride? Here is a change of pace to ride roads quite literally out the office’s back door. Departing and finishing at Bucks County Brewery in Pipersville, PA, the Guy Fawkes Ride meanders around upper Bucks County farmland. This is a ride to celebrate the fact that Parliament was not blown up by Guy Fawkes and his men. It is also a ride to celebrate the 2022 cycling season as it comes to a close. This ride steps away from numerous traditions to provide a unique experience.
Starting near mid-day, the Guy Fawkes Ride heads out into the countryside with the goal of having riders return as it gets darker to light off fireworks in the British tradition. Maybe a ‘cross rider can do no-handed wheelies with smoke grenades in each hand ala Tom Pidcock? But Kermesse Sport sees this as the perfect bookend to a season that has tried to return to normal. Instead of slaying riders with a monstrous course, it’s more of an exhale. With the clock change happening shortly after the event, participants can benefit from an extra hour of sleep should anyone decide to race the course.
We rode this event last year and loved the course so much we rode it again the next day. Bring the significant other and roll the beautiful miles. Bring the teammates to bid each other farewell before team transfers. The Guy Fawkes Ride is the perfect way to end the road riding year before some guy named Cross comes for us all.
