One less car. There’s nothing like a few days in a big city to remind you of the efficiencies of the humble bicycle. Faster. Cheaper. Better scenery. New Yorkers are increasingly rollin’ from A to B in the Big Apple orchard. 450,000 daily bike rides may go some way to explain the insatiable appetite of Strava segment creators in NYC and unsurprisingly America’s most ridden segment lives in Central Park’s core.

Of course, more people riding bikes doesn’t necessarily mean plain sailing and a few rules and regs are needed to keep the burgeoning herd in check. There are a shed load of people here all trying to co-exist in a small spot and we don’t need any Island Bay Cycleway tensions.

Salmoning is your hotline to a Darwin Award. The art of riding the wrong way up a one way street (so, upstream) aka your quickest route to the ER. Shoaling is frowned upon. Rocking up to a red and jumping to the front of the queue of riders hanging out for the green light is a big thumbs down. And all of this urban cycling etiquette will definitely be superfluous to requirements when we hit Waterloo, Wi in one week. The cornfields don’t care.

NYC couriers River Road almost right to the door of downtown Manhattan. This 7-mile stretch of scenic rolling hills is apparently usually popular with the flock but early in the morning on a rainy day mid-week and it was a haven of solitude. One ranger in a ute, one Kiwi tourist on a Niner and a bloody great training ride.

Of course, I ended up with a ‘cross bike in the middle of Manhattan because of racing.

The varsity city of Rochester is nestled in upstate New York on the banks of the Genesee River and hosts the annual freshman’s outing to the start of the new term in the School of USA Cyclocross. While, Australia and New Zealand have been sitting exams since May, the Northern Hemisphere is awakening from its ‘cross slumber and everyone has their new pencil cases ready.

Rochester Cyclocross is determined to graduate from any accusations of being a grass crit. The course designers cranked it up a notch on the tech level this year adding camber wherever they could alongside the much loved Belgian stairs, the much hated steep run up and the spectator’s choice aka the tricky drop that threatens to dump you in the Genesee if you overshoot the hard right exit at the bottom. There was also dust. A lot of dust. Queensland’s iconic Koala of Flanders would have been proud of that amount of dust.

Day One wasn’t ideal for the Kiwi. Take home lessons included: if the shoe fits, buy a pair, then buy a second pair and always put the spare pair in the pits on race day (#coachisalwaysright). Mercifully, I’d taken heed of the instructions and, after a wardrobe change, rode across the line in 21st. Cinderella got another crack at the ball for Day Two and after a solid race came home in 15th. For those who are wondering, the pace at the front of the Elite Women’s race is scorchio and I’m stoked to be closer to the furnace this season compared to last.

And who doesn’t love seeing friends have a great day? Maghalie Rochette whacked chicken dinner on her menu for the whole weekend. That’s a plus one from the Kiwis on tour to rename it Rochettester after her 2018 performance. Look out for the French Canadian on your screens for the World Cups.

Of course, the big news coming out of EnZed is that we’ve got a UCI sanctioned CX National Championships back on the calendar in 2019. Finally, that squeaky wheel got some lube. Watch this space for Aotearoa CrossFest stoke.

Next up is a short ride to Pennsylvania for Nittany Lion CX this weekend. The week opened with thunderstorms and the humidex has stayed cranked ever since. Expect mud rather than dust in PA.

Although #crosshasgone in the Land of the Long White Cloud, you can still find a fix for your fever on cxhairs.com. Give them a follow.