Woodlawn, Maryland · Sunday, September 13, 2026
The PTF 2026 - Rally In The Valley is a cycling and mountain biking event held on Sunday, September 13, 2026. It is located at 8125 Johnnycake Rd in Woodlawn, Maryland.
Women’s & Juniors’ Intro to Crit Racing @ Chocolate City Criterium
Visit www.chocolatecitycrit.com for more information
This 3-week clinic is designed to help beginner women and junior riders safely enter the sport of bike racing and feel prepared to line up at Chocolate City Criterium.
No racing experience is required. This clinic is for riders who are curious about racing, new to criteriums, or looking for a supportive environment to learn basic race skills on the actual CCC course.
Clinic Schedule
Clinics will take place on Wednesday evenings from approximately 6:00–7:00 PM on the Chocolate City Criterium course.
Week 1: Wednesday, July 29 — Intro to racing, bike handling, cornering, and race readiness
Week 2: Wednesday, August 5 — Pack skills, drafting, contact confidence, and race positioning
Week 3: Wednesday, August 12 — Race starts, hot laps, bell lap practice, and controlled race simulation
Please arrive early for check-in. Week 3 check-in may open earlier to allow for USA Cycling license verification.
Who Should Register
This clinic is intended for beginner women and junior riders who are interested in road bike racing or considering racing Chocolate City Criterium but unsure where to start.
Riders should have a road-racing legal bike under USA Cycling rules. Helmets are required. Aero bars are not permitted.
What to Expect
Each session will begin with a 10-minute rider briefing, followed by rotating skill stations and controlled group riding. Riders will be grouped by comfort level so true beginners can learn at an appropriate pace while more confident riders can progress into more advanced drills.
Clinic topics include:
Basic bike handling and confidence
Cone drills and bottle pick-ups
Cornering fundamentals
Drafting and spacing
Paceline basics
Bump and touch drills
Moving safely in a pack
Race starts and staging
Hot laps and race-speed cornering
Bell lap and finish-line practice
USA Cycling Sanctioned Final Session
The final clinic on Wednesday, August 12 will be USA Cycling sanctioned. Eligible riders who attend and hold a valid USA Cycling license may be eligible for upgrade points, subject to USA Cycling requirements.
Riders without a USA Cycling license may still participate in the clinic, but only eligible licensed riders may receive USA Cycling upgrade credit.
Chocolate City Criterium Race Entry Discount
Riders who complete the clinic series will receive 50% off entry into Chocolate City Criterium.
The discount is intended to support riders entering beginner-appropriate women’s and junior fields at CCC. Field eligibility still applies based on age, category, license status, and USA Cycling rules.
MORE volunteers have been working hard to build trails and expand ride opportunities in Patuxent River State Park. We're excited to show off their work at the Patuxent Ride & Picnic on August 8!
This event is free for MORE members, volunteers, donors, and prospective members. Please to sign up to help us with a headcount. MORE will be providing burgers (veggie option available) and non-alcoholic beverages. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share and serving utensils.
!! Please bring your own reusable cups, plates, and utensils (we won't have disposables available) to help us minimize the waste we create at our events.
We'll be meeting at the Izaak Walton League and starting/ending our rides there.
26430 Mullinix Mill Rd. Mount Airy, MD 21771
REMINDERS FOR SIGN-UP
If you plan on joining any of the group rides, please sign up for those and no need to sign up under the Picnic category.
We could always use volunteers to help with setup and cleanup. If you are able to help out, please sign up under the Volunteer category in addition to your Group Ride.
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
9:00 - Sign-in for rides opens
9:30 - Announcements, group photo, rides depart
12:00 - Lunch
3:00 - Picnic ends
We're back for another year!
Cyclocross season is just around the corner, and now is the time to start preparing!
We'll have programs for both beginner and experienced racers alike!
Just like on race day, the clinic will be held rain or shine.
Beginners Group
This is for the true CX beginner. Sign up here if one (or more) of these describe you:
You've been curious about giving cyclocross a try but didn't know where to start.
You've raced for three or fewer seasons and haven't upgraded past Cat 4 yet.
We'll cover everything you need to get started: equipment, race day prep, fundamental skills, training strategies, and more.
There is a nominal registration fee for this field. We've done our best to keep the price as low as possible for beginners - come give cyclocross a try!
If you don't have a USA Cycling racing license, you will need a one-day license ($15) for this event. You can purchase this at checkout.
Experienced Group
Already have experience on the course, but looking for a refresher on skills or want feedback on what you're already doing? We'll have experienced, pro-racer coaches working with you in small groups to get ready for the season. Sign up for this if you feel like you've got the basics down, have a few seasons under your belt, or don't otherwise fit into the Beginner category.
Not sure what to register for?
Reach out to us using the “Contact Us” link below and we'll figure it out with you!
FAQ
This is the perfect opportunity to give it a try! The Beginners group will cover everything you need to give racing a try, plus the fundamental skills you will use in all of your races. We'll also provide ongoing resources throughout the season to help you progress.
Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to host juniors at this clinic. All participants must be 18 years old on the date of the event (NOT racing age). Fortunately, there are some great resources in the DC-Baltimore area for junior racers. Check out Rock Creek Velo (RCV) and Baltimore Youth Cycling (BYC) for programs they are running.
While a cyclocross bike is great, don't worry if you don't have one. Gravel bikes are also great for cyclocross, as are mountain bikes. If you have a hybrid style bike, that can also be great. Road bikes don't generally have the greatest clearance for the bigger tires used in cyclocross. A lot of people race with clipless pedals (which are great), but flat pedal are also great. But if you're not sure what you have will work (or if you don't yet have the perfect bike), reach out to us and we'll figure something great out! Bikes are great!
One of the main goals of this clinic is to get new people into the sport, so we are subsidizing the beginner fee. (If you think you're being clever by registering for the beginner level to save a few bucks, don't worry - we'll be checking Cross Results.) ;)
Contact us using the link below and we'll figure it out. But in general, the beginner group is really just for those who are starting their journey in cyclocross - Cat 4/Novice and have raced 3 or fewer seasons. If you've already upgraded to Cat 3 (or beyond), or have more than 3 years of racing experience, that's probably not you, so go ahead and register for the experienced group. The main difference will be the subsidized registration fee - if you end up being a better fit for the beginner group, we'll shuffle things around day-of to make sure you get the most out of the experience!
The registration fee covers the insurance and permit fees for USAC. We'll also be providing lunch and some snacks. And we'll have a professional mechanic on hand to deal with any bike troubles. And we want to help cover our coaches’ travel and incidental expenses. Anything left over will go toward further encouraging the growth of the local cyclocross scene. As many have learned, there's no money to be made in local cyclocross - it's all for the love of the sport. (And as a wise woman has said, “If I end up paying someone $80 to force me to practice for 8 hours, that's money well spent.”)
Yes! All participants will need a current USA Cycling (USAC) license! If you've had one previously and it's expired, now is a great time to renew. And if you've never had one, you can get a novice one-day license during registration.
We'll have a mix of short lessons, followed by on-the-bike practice. Skills covered will include race starts, dismounts and remounts, cornering techniques, barriers, bike shouldering, and hand-ups. More advanced racers may cover additional skills, like bunny hopping, as time allows. We'll also spend some time during lunch talking about bikes/tires/tech, training, nutrition, and race-day prep.
The clinic is being put on by folks from Crosshairs Cycling Club and Bluemont Connection Cyclocross, as well as a choice selection of Mid-Atlantic cyclocross heavy hitters for coaching expertise.
Our coaches this year will be:
Rachel Rubino (Haute Factory Racing)
Cole Oberman (Haute Factory Racing)
Kelly Roberson (Haute Factory Racing)
Mike Birner (Sportif Coaching Group)
Taylor Jones (Crosshairs Cycling)
Craig Etheridge (C3 Wagner Roofing)
Hit the “Contact Us” button on the bottom of the page and we'll get you an answer!
The Kenzie Rose Youth Triathlon is a multisport race geared toward the youngest competitors, ages 5-15 - the future of the sport. This is a USAT-sanctioned race, and will be timed. PLEASE NOTE THAT AS A USA TRIATHLON EVENT, YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE IN THE CATEGORY FOR THEIR AGE AS OF 12/31/2025!!!!!!
The swim will be held at St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club in Severna Park, MD.
The bike and run courses will be held on the trails of Kinder Farm Park, directly adjacent to the swim. Please visit the Course Info page for detailed maps of all courses.
About Kenzie
When Mackenzie Rose Beach was born on July 10, 2015, no one knew that this tiny baby possessed the spirit of a warrior. She was a happy little girl, and brought joy to everyone around her, especially her parents, Kate and Andrew, and her big sister, Maddie. However, life as a typical baby came to a screeching halt when, on March 22, 2016, Mackenzie began vomiting and was taken to the Emergency Room, where a scan showed a buildup of fluid as a result of a mass at the base of her brain. Mackenzie underwent surgery to insert a drain for the excess fluid and remove a portion of the tumor for biopsy. The pathology results returned as a malignant cancer, known as Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT). This is an extremely rare, aggressive cancer seen in only 3 children out of 1,000,000. Mackenzie endured many brain surgeries and flourished under a protocol by St. Jude, administered at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, involving an experimental drug and chemotherapy. In July
2016, a scan showed the result everyone was praying for – no evidence of disease! As Mackenzie and her family prepared for the next step in the treatment process – traveling to Boston in October 2016 for 6 weeks of radiation – an MRI confirmed the worst possible news. Despite being cancer-free just four months prior, the tumor had returned and spread to other areas in her tiny body. Mackenzie fought with all she had, but she passed away in the arms of her sister, and surrounded by her mother and father, on December 18, 2016.
Kenzie Rose, as she was affectionately known, showed us all what is important in life – family, spending time together, enjoying our blessings, and not taking a single moment for granted. We all hope to make her proud by continuing to live as she would want us to live. To honor her memory, we are organizing this triathlon to raise awareness for childhood cancer and as a fundraiser to support The Mackenzie Rose Foundation. The Foundation was incorporated at the beginning of the year to provide essential items to families experiencing unexpected admissions to the pediatric oncology unit at Children’s National Medical Center. With your generosity, we will be able to fill and deliver care packages containing everyday essentials directly to the hospital. These “Kenzie Kits” will allow parents to spend more time with their sick child instead of worrying about picking up a toothbrush, notebook, or snack - all things that are often forgotten with an unexpected hospital admission. All proceeds
from this event will fund the Foundation to help provide comfort and support to other families dealing with this devastating disease.