ThunderCross

What is ThunderCross?

Party vibes, party people and party racing. ThunderCross is a cyclocross race for everyone. Whether you’re in it to win it, or just want to see what all the fuss is about, you will be made to feel welcome and at home.

This time we’ll have races for Tracklocross, Single Speed and Fun Bike utilising our gender neutral Thunder and Lightning categories that have been a success ThunderCrit. Taking place the week before Christmas, we want to celebrate the year that racing returned by signing off in style. There will be great prizes to be won and a fun atmosphere for the whole family. So whether you want to have a go at racing the best ‘cross race of the year or you just want to enjoy the vibes and bring the noise from the sidelines, this is the place to be.

Want to know more? Read on… (apologies for the nearly nude Will Fox in the first image).

Tracklocross – START TIME TBC (40 mins + 2 laps)

Tracklocross is racing a fixed gear bike on mud. You can run with or without a brake, but please remember to use suitable foot retention and a gear suitable for your skill level and the course.

Single Speed -START TIME TBC (40 mins + 2 laps)

You can run a single speed specific build or we can fix any regular cyclocross bike into a selected gear using our high tech zip tying technique to keep your gear choice to one. All single speed bikes must have functioning brakes front and rear.

Fun bike – START TIME TBC (30 mins + 2 laps)

This race is just for fun, the wilder your ride the better. We’ve had a selection of weird and wonderful bikes enter ThunderCross before – Folding bikes, fat bikes, clunkers, tall bikes and even a bike led by a husky. This race is for those that really want to get into the spirit of the race.

Sign on – START TIME TBC

Race Categories

We aim to create an inclusive racing environment for all, and welcome all gender expressions to our races.

It shouldn’t be up to racers who do not fall into traditional gendered categories to face pressure to fit into them and feel uncomfortable or misgendered as a result, so this year, we’ve changed the categories themselves to remove the emphasis on binary gender and allow everyone to race as their authentic selves in a similarly-matched field.

We now have two race categories – Thunder and Lightning – that invites those of similar physical ability to race in a category with a gender neutral name. It is a radical rethink of what a race could look like, celebrating the differences between riders but offering a level playing field in terms of competition.

Thunder Category

This category is for:

• Cis-men
• Non-binary people who would be the most evenly matched against cis-gender men
• Trans men and women who would be the most evenly matched against cis-gender men

Lightning Category

This category is for:

• Cis-women
• Non-binary people who would be the most evenly matched against cis-gender women
• Trans men and women who would be the most evenly matched against cis-gender women

Our goal is to attract as many non-binary and trans athletes to our races as we can, so that the number of non-cis racers in both categories will enable the races to feel truly gender-diverse and inclusive. We would appreciate your support by sharing news of the race far and wide to spread the word and help us get there.

Notes

• Cis-gendered people cannot choose their racing category. Cis-men will race in the Thunder category, cis-women will race in the Lightning category. 
• We recognise that this new format may be confusing, so if you’re not sure please email us (info@nltcbmbc.com) and we will be very happy to help you choose the right category. We may also contact riders to double check that they have selected the correct category.
• We will not require any proof of performance, we trust competitors to select the category most appropriate for their ability.
• Transphobic behaviour will not be tolerated. Edgelords will not be tolerated. 
• However, we are open to constructive feedback. We don’t have all the answers and we recognise that this is not necessarily the perfect solution, so we are open to ideas and suggestions on how we can improve in the future.