Events: Registration for the 2018 Kermesse Sport Spring Classic Series

Cover photo is courtesy of Mike Maney Photography. Be sure to check out his work; he is a fellow cyclist in the Bucks County cycling community with multiple KOMs to his name.

(2018) Just how trusting are cyclists in a team setting? A few years ago a major race was moments away from opening registration. Text message flew back and forth amongst teammates checking in to state they were on the registration page. The countdown was on. Once the clock struck registration time, I imagined each team member sitting at their desk, faces aglow with electronic giddiness, snatching up spot after spot for the starting line.

Moments later bedlam broke out. Some of our team members were being held in some sort of electronic limbo as they submitted payment information. The screen did not allow the use of the ‘back’ button, nor did it ever advance to a payment confirmation page. I had successfully put myself in as a registrant. My phone buzzed with panic-stricken mates who did not know what to do. They were stuck in an electronic limbo with time ticking and no registration confirmation. Going back in the browser may have given up the last registered spot for the race. Submitting again may have charged the card once per click. And then came the calls.

I had suggested to those who could not get their browsers to work (it was a browser issue) with the registration page to give me their information and I would sign up for them. One by one I quickly registered each teammate for the race. The call was brief. I had to move on to the next person. Thirty minutes later our anxiousness was quelled as the last racer’s entry was confirmed. The race’s social media page was announcing registration milestones as they happened. Some races sold out in thirty minutes.

I find many of my fellow riding friends and myself mimicking the electronic cyclocross start to register for Kermesse Sport’s Spring Classic Series. One ride in particular, the Hell of Hunterdon, revives that approach of researching when the servers open and being ready to hand over the registration fee to take on 82 miles of effort. The ride, to take place on March 18th is the biggest of the four spring classic rides put on by Kermesse Sport. The registration for the Hell of Hunterdon as well as the other three rides: Sourland Semi-Classic (February 25), Fools Classic (April 7), and Fleche Buffoon (April 28) open online on BikeReg.com on January 15 at 7:00pm. I can hear the spring classic fanatics now sliding into their swivel chairs and queuing up their information.

While those spring classic aficionados are anxiously counting down the seven o'clock hour on Monday, there's one event that should not be overlooked. While the Hell of Hunterdon eats up much of the press for Kermesse, the Sourland Semi-Classic sold out in fewer than twenty-four hours in 2017. Want to get your season started directly? The Sourland Semi-Classic is where 2018 starts. Want to get to four Kermesse finish lines? Registering to start in Hopewell is the first order of business. Of those that did get into the 2017 edition of the Sourland Semi-Classic, twenty-five percent went on to complete the remaining events in the series.

The possibilities do not end just on the course though. Since the the Hell of Hunterdon is on a Sunday this year the organizers have planned a pre-Hell of Hunterdon Irish dinner the night before at the Elks Lodge. For those who register for the Hell of Hunterdon, riders can get an entry ticket for $9. With an Irish menu, cash bar, and open mic, there’s hardly a better way to pick up your registration packet than on St Patrick’s Day the night before touring Hunterdon County.

As a participant who has completed each of the Kermesse Sport Spring Classics – though not in the same year – it is certainly a challenge. With substantial miles and challenging terrain ahead, participants will come into the 2018 cycling season with remarkable base fitness and accomplishment for events in the summer. Kermesse events have attention to detail. Lining up on January 15 at 7pm to register for one or all of the events will be without the anxiety of not being confirmed. Once the confirmation email has been received, perhaps then the anxiety will start. Am I fit enough? Will I get to the finish in a decent time? Can I start and finish all four Spring Classic events? We will never know until we register Monday to start the process.

Registration for one - or all - of the Kermesse Sport Spring Classic Series events will take place on January 15 at 7pm. You can register here for all of the events. Each event also offers deals for volunteers. Be sure to look for volunteer registration for each - or all - of the events.