Cycling events, clubs, and general fun and nonsense near Cape Cod
A nice location is fine and all, but what makes a place fun is what's available to do there. In terms of cycling, the Cape may not host any UCI sanctioned events, but it offers a wide range of events for many disciplines throughout the year. Mountain bike events have lagged since the 1980's, but with a resurgence in the sport's popularity it's only a matter of time. Below are some of the great events and clubs that Cape Cod has to offer.
Clubs and Organizations -
- C4 (Cape Cod Cycling Club) - Hosting mostly road bike events, this club spans much of the Cape and throughout the year, including most of the Winter, dedicated members lead a ride through the quieter roads and villages, a great way to get to know the area. Their Facebook page is always overflowing with rides and events for visitors or locals to attend.
- Cape Cod NEMBA (New England Mountain Bike Association chapter) - As the name implies, the counterpart of C4 for the trails. There's a large membership overlap, but as a NEMBA chapter this group has connections across the state and members often attend events as far as the Kingdom Trails in Vermont. They're also responsible for maintaining much of the singletrack on Cape and publishing a monthly newsletter. Their Facebook page is also an invaluable resource for joining the club for a ride.
- Rock Hard Racing - Affiliated with a bike shop in Taunton, these guys put on some of the most fun events in the area. These events are mainly off-Cape, so a bit of a drive is required, but it's worth it for the fantastic time that can be had and the obvious fun that the organizers have putting it on in the first place.
- Riverpoint Cyclocross Park - This place hosts some great CX races, including Scrub Zone and Ice Weasels. It's in Rhode Island so it's a bit of a drive, but the course is a fun mix of tough, technical singletrack and classic CX field sections.
- The Last Gasp - 60 mile charity ride from end to end of the Cape; tons of fun, go your own pace!
- The Pan-Mass Challenge - An enormous two-day charity event covering about 190 miles and all proceeds going to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. If you can COMMIT to the fundraising, definitely worth doing at least once in your lifetime.
- Crosstoberfest - Easily one of the most fun races I've ever participated in; night-time Cross race and short track MTB race gets your heartrate up, and a fantastic group of people to get drunk with afterwards.
- Sea Sports Crossmas - Only in its first year, but a hell of a fun course and I'm looking forward to a more structured heckle-pit next year
- Gut Check Triathlon - I'm no Tri-guy, but this is a great event in Brewster's own Nickerson State Park. There's also the Sprint Triathlon series across the Cape throughout the Summer.