Friday, October 1, 2010

2010 cyclocross race review: Suckerbrook Auburn, NH

Suckerbrook in Auburn, NH September 26th
Stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/51258719

Score: B+

Pros:
- reasonable distance from Boston (60 miles)
- great turn out of New England cx faithful
- parking and spectating is easy to manage
- laid back, fun atmosphere for racers and non-racers
- the promoters LOVE promoting this race and it shows
- every year, there are enhancements to the course. they do a great job with the terrain they have
- the race is fairly priced and second races are only $10. plenty of opportunity to get your money's worth and your day's fill of cx racing
- the race is run in support of a chosen area resident who is fighting cancer. yeah, that's right, the money goes to charity, not the promoters. AWESOME!
- dick ring on the mic
- results were up, online within 24 hours

Cons:
- it was super dusty this year. that's not the race's fault, but if you are not a fan of dusty courses, you'd want to avoid Suckerbrook if it has been dry.
- pre-race staging is a free for all (like Quad Cross). it would be a HUGE improvement if the promoters used crossresults or even pre-reg order to line people up. as races grow in size every year, the "race" to the start line gets wackier and wackier
- due to a crowded schedule, pre-riding the course was not allowed between some of the races. this makes it hard for people to get familiar with the course before they race
- maybe we could see a single speed category here next year? i'd do 3 races if they add a single speed.

Suckerbrook has achieved "must do" status on many New England cx racer's calendars. Do it next year if you missed it this year.

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