BSU Bike Tour 2026

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.

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

1. What if I've never tried cyclocross before?

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.

2. I'm a junior and I'd love to attend, but it's not letting me register! What gives?

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.

3. What bike should I bring? What if I don't have a cyclocross bike?

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!

4. Wait, why is the beginner clinic cheaper?

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.) ;)

5. I'm not sure what to register for - help!

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!

6. What do I get for my registration fee?

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.”)

7. Do I need a USAC license?

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.

8. What kinds of things will we cover?

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.

9. Who's putting this thing on?

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)

10. I have another question!

Hit the “Contact Us” button on the bottom of the page and we'll get you an answer!

Cranky Monkey Mountain Bike Race

The Cranky Monkey heads to Rosaryville State Park in 2026! Join us for an awesome day of bike racing and community.

Race Date: Sunday August 30, 2026 (rain date 9/27)

Race Courses: 4 XC courses varying in length from about 6 miles miles to over 30 miles. See course notes below for course information and maps.

• Beginner – 5.6ish miles

• Base – 9ish miles

• Sport – 20ish miles

• Expert – 30ish miles

Rosaryville State Park in Upper Marlboro, MD is an absolute gem and one of the most beginner friendly and fun parks in our area for mountain biking. We’ve been hosting races at Rosaryville for over 15 years and are excited to bring back the Cranky Monkey to this very special park. We’ve designed four courses for this race – beginner, base, sport, and expert. They are each described below. All courses start and end at the day use pavilions near the power lines that traverse the park. The start of the race is designed to allow for an exciting, but not overly crowded race start.

• Beginner (~5.6 miles) – the beginner course is just shy of 6 miles long with about 400 feet of elevation change. It is designed to provide a safe and achievable entrance to mountain bike racing for participants of a variety of ages. The course highlights the western portion of the Perimeter Trail, which is the main multi-use trail in the park.

• Base (~9 miles) – the base course is a step up fro the beginner course both in length and difficulty. It is about 9 miles in length with 600 feet of elevation change. The base course also highlights the western portion of the Perimeter Trail and also adds in the more technical Tilly Trail.

• Sport (~20 miles) – the sport course provides a grand tour of the Rosaryville trail system and comes in at about 20 miles in length with about 1,500 feet of elevation change. The sport course highlights the entire Perimeter and Tilly Trails plus a bit.

• Expert (~30 miles) – the expert course provides a grand route of the Rosaryville trail system and comes in about about 30 miles in length with about 2,200 feet of elevation change. The expert course highlights two complete loops of the Perimeter and Tilly Trails plus a bit.

All the trails at Rosaryville are largely maintained by volunteers organized by the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE). All racers will have the opportunity to donate to the Rosaryville Trail Fund during registration.

Race Day Schedule

Sunday August 30, 2026 (rain date 9/27)

• 8:00am – Beginner race start

• 9:00am – Base race start

• 10:00am – Sport and Expert races start

Race Start Procedures

We are separating each race into wave starts to allow enough space to spread out the field of riders. Each wave will be separated by a few minutes. Exact start times will be based on the number of riders in each class.