Breinigsville, Pennsylvania. Population 4,138. A similar size to Paeroa without the world-famous-in-New Zealand beverage and with bigger, closer neighbours. We’re not the first Kiwi cyclists to race in this neck of the woods. Home to Trexlertown velodrome, this spot is more often frequented by our fixed wheel cousins with a penchant for turning left. However, this weekend it hosted a UCI C2 double banger known as Nittany Lion Cross.

We couldn’t quite justify trekking 2,500 miles west for Reno to turn around and go back 1,700 miles east for Waterloo. The pull of C1 points and Interbike brand exposure for sponsors draws a number of the big North Am hitters on the pilgrimage way out West with some checking in via Pennsylvania and most electing to put their feet up this weekend ahead of a long block on the road. 

The women who hit RenoCross will be justly rewarded with a 60-minute elite race and more-than-equal prize money. An additional $1k is up for grabs on the penultimate lap of the women’s race, which is sure to stimulate some exciting racing towards the close of the race.

The surrounding environs of Trexlertown make for superb riding with rolling hills and big lawns a plenty. A sojourn onto the MTB trails was interspersed with an impromptu game of Which Bridge Did We Park The Car At? ‘Cross bikes rock for adventures, happily transitioning from parklands to singletrack bringing heaps of smiles in between business weekends. Oh, and the car was eventually located.

Day One on the rivet was flatter than a flat thing. Both me and the course. After feeling just peachy for the opening ten minutes of the race, I went down harder than a homesick mole and pushed through just to finish. The paddock camo Niner gotta lotta love. Again. There was enough sticky mud on course to make the clean up job afterwards a bit of a mission but if your bike is winning fans trackside, it would be rude not to look after it.

Day Two was opposites day. Racing ran anti-clockwise. Fog made way to sunshine. I was more hammer and less nail, following some fast wheels to tenth and taking the last UCI point of the day in a sprint finish.

Moral of the story: If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself and get back after it!

Next up is the long haul to Madison, Wisco.