Cross on the Rock 2026. Season #20
Newsletter #3 – Crosstoberfest – Sunday!
Tell your friends that ride bikes to come out to COTR – – No License Required!
The Short WU Laps:
As part of our EXTRA SPECIAL 20th season we are doing a RELAY race at Crosstoberfest RIGHT after the Launch race and before the Riverway Dental Hot Lap. Adjust your pre-ride schedule and jump in! 3 riders. One lap! Register your team Sunday Morning. Everyone racing must be registered for Crosstoberfest. Grab 2 of your friends and make a team.
- Socks are NOT HERE YET but will be coming soonish (hopefully for the Muc Off Cup). Limited inventory!!
- Number fee. If you are on the list of people that have paid twice this season we will have a refund for you at registration at Crosstoberfest.
- If you are racing in the lower mainland or out of COTR DO NOT let them re-write your timing chip. It messes our timing up!! Take you chip off for any race outside of COTR please.
PRE-RIDING the COURSE
A reminder from Patrick the timer and all of the organizers: We need to remind people that are pre-writing to enter the course at the finish line or just past the finish line and not to just jump in wherever we’ve had 10 or 12 Riders come through the Finish Line at Coal Cross while we’re waiting for the last six women to finish.
Some Tips:
- NEVER Pre-ride sections of the course that have racers still racing on it.
- There is a LOT of time during the day to ride the course so get your schedule together to make it work.
- WHEN the course is open and clear….start from the start line area and go FORWARD so that if you come across people still racing you will see them and be able to stay behind them
- When you are pre-riding don’t go across the finish line. 5 position penalty for the first offense. Back of the grid for the second one!
- When you do pre-ride make sure you are BEHIND everyone still racing and on the course. IF you pass them you will be relegated to the back of the call up.
1. Crosstoberfest Preview
We are beyond excited to be bringing back Cross On The Rock racing to Transfer Beach in Ladysmith. Last year was a huge success and we are excited for this year. Expect another great course full of grass, stairs, sand, beach and maybe some seawater depending on the tides and the time of your race. We want to thank the Town of Ladysmith for allowing us to bring this race back to town. The weather is looking amazing and will be much drier course conditions then last year.
Parking
There is ample parking at Transfer Beach but it will fill up fast. The small lot near the washrooms will be reserved and coned off for race organizers and volunteers. The bulk of race parking will be at the overflow parking area to the left of the park once you drive down the entrance of Transfer Beach Boulevard. Once this lot fills up, we will be directing people to park along the side of Transfer Beach Boulevard on the right-hand side as you exit the park.
Washrooms
Transfer Beach has many washrooms at the center of the park so no lineups this time around.
Team Tents
Please see map for Team Tent location. There will be plenty of ocean view spots. Please bring tent spikes as it may be windy.
Registration
Registration will take place at the Kinsmen Shelter (Please see map-below)
Food Truck
JLA food truck will be on site serving up jerk chicken poutine all day long.
We look forward to seeing you all on the 4th.
2. Coal Cross Review
From RD Tom: My highlight of the weekend: seeing so many people hitting the jump and still not having any crashes or injuries on it. That thing is smoother than my heckles of the masters race.
Just want to say a big thanks to all of the Cumberland community and Trail team members and parents who volunteered and made the weekend great. Our sponsors were fabulous too, including Trail Bikes, Biblio Taco, and Easton/Fox/RaceFace.
GAME FACE in the Little kids race
From SD Norm: I think Mike Tunnah had the best heckle I have heard for me in a while. It was something to the effect of, “Don’t look behind you Norm because you will see all your strongest performances back there”. Long heckle. Super funny!!
Great day in Cumberland to conclude 3 weekends in a row racing up there. Great to see some racers we have not seen in a while like Sarah Roberts and Katrinna Roth.
The Alleycat event on Saturday night was REALLY fun. Fighting daylight and searching for checkpoints and clues. We did not ride through the Waverly but it was still pretty awesome!
3. Weekly Training
If you have a weekly training session let us know about it.
So many practices going on!!
Up Island: @trailbicycles Club has their practices on Wednesday.
Nanaimo: @rockcitycyclesnanaimo practices at (One hour earlier) 5:00. Also on Wednesdays
Greater Victoria a few options:
a) Cross Club is the racy one. Also on Wednesdays BUT not every Wednesday.
b) When Cross club is not happening or if you want to add something on a THURSDAY night @bluebridgeracing has their CX after dark rides on October 8,22 and November 5th. They will have demo lights from Full On Lighting as well.
Cross is here! 🔥 Come celebrate the start of the season with us by riding in the woods at night! We’re hosting a series of group rides leaving from the shop. Expect 1.5 to 2hrs of fun, with a sprinkle of technical single track. We will have an A and B group depending on how many people come out, so please let your friends know! @fullonlighting with be out riding with us with some demos – let us know if you’re in need of some lights for the ride; more details to come. Route will be posted at the start of the week. Meeting at the @oakbaybikes parking lot at 6pm
c) @uviccycling has their Cedar Hill Corners practice tonight (September 24th) and October 14th (as there is no cross club those days).
Sending out an SOS!! MORE CROSS MORE CROSS
Cross Club can’t run every Wednesday, so we’re here to fill that void!
Join us for some practice laps of our newly constructed course at the Cedar Hill Cross property
Enter via 2400 Cedar Hill Cross Rd
Parking will be limited to street parking, so if you can ride over(call it a warmup?)!
Thanks to Cross Club Victoria for setting us up and advising us on course design and providing tape and stakes 🙏🙏
*THIS IS NOT A RACE*
If there is any other practices happening (@buttcatracing @cycletherapybikes ) let us know and we will promo them.
Remaining Series Races:
October
Race #3 will be Crosstoberfest on October 4th. This will be the EARLIEST ever race at the amazing venue of Transfer Beach.
Race #4. Normally our biggest race of the year will be the Muc Off Cup on Thanksgiving Monday. October 12th. If you are run the Marathon the day before we will move you up 10 grid places and have an ice pack for you at the finish line. Half Marathon gets 2 grid places backwards. We hope to have a fun Alumni race at this event
No race on the 17/18th weekend as we leave it open for the return of the Cross Fondo. One of our favorite non COTR races!
October 25th we will be heading to Port Alberni (Race #5) and praying for MUD. New Venue Alert! We will be at our 4th venue in the Alberni Valley at the Alberni Moto Cross center. This event will also have the Dog CX championships and/or the Single Speed Show down to start the day! One gear only….none of this zap strapped shifter nonsense! Who is the best SS racer out there?
November
Our past research as shown that a race after a Saturday Halloween is NOT great. So no race on November 1st! NO TIME CHANGE…..which might compress the set up for….
Race #6 on November 8th will be the Blue Bridge Cross , Jordie Lunn Bike Park. Langford!! A perfect spot for a potential bike shop challenge so think of who you might have on your team if you work at a bike shop.
AND Hot Crossed Bunnies on November 15 to finish off our 20th season. We will be having a PARTY at Beban park and finishing the year off with a NAKED Bikes Bike Frame!! Hand made by Sam Whittingham.
Thanks to our series sponsors:
MUC OFF Coastal Community Credit Union Eleven Speed Coffee
Hotel Zed/Accent Inns Frontrunners – Nanaimo River Way Dental
Rock City Cycles Re/MAX Camosun Cycles West
Parting Shot (Upcoming Muc Off Cup….8 days after Crosstoberfest)
|
