Last Sunday was the inaugural Substance Cross race and I was able to race in the Single Speed category. I’ll try to give a bit of a recap here so folks can know what it may bring in future years!
Venue: This was hosted at the family farm of Tyler Clark (CX national champ) and was pretty well laid out for parking, tents, etc. The only main thing you had to watch out for was horse manure outside the course!
Event: Reg wasn’t overly expensive ($66 with tax if I recall?) and there were some door prizes, free beer, a pizza/coffee vendor, and a couple other tents. The vibe of the event was really laid back but competitive, overall really fun!
Course: You could tell the course was designed by someone who races cross. It featured loose turns on a downhill, a sandy uphill left turning climb, belgian stairs, a tricky off camber section, punchy climbs, and enough twists, turns, and elevation changes to keep the flow going. On a single speed it was actually pretty enjoyable as there were enough flats mixed in with the rolling terrain to keep me from wanted to keel over. I’ve got a recording of the course pre-ride that will hopefully upload. (I’d recommed 2x speed and mute unless you like listening to a rattling gopro and a freehub for 11min)
Race: The single speed category had 5 registered, 4 started, 3 finished. I managed to be that 3rd so took a default podium (still a podium!). They had a few categories, from beginner, intermediate, to some more competitive ones. Racing in the heat with intermediates, I noticed a lot of M2 faces.
Overall: I’ll be going back. It was a fun race and I think I’d probably try to get the beginner (I’m M3 at the back typically) and a SS race in. This year I could only get a babysitter for the afternoon so SS it was!
