I registered the 62 mile since I can’t do Lumberjack next year. Probably should’ve down the 30 miler since I haven’t done any gravel before.
For me doing the 36 vs the 62 miler is more of a weather decision. If this race was in the summer or early/mid fall I’d do the 62.
But I have a Reynaud’s problem and anything more than two hours in cold and/or wet conditions make things really painful. Although, last year it was almost 80 degrees on race day and I was really excited about the 36 mile distance because I wasn’t even remotely heat adapted and was struggling with cramps. The year before it was 26F at the start … lol … what a crapshoot.
“Spring” in the Midwest……I hate it. 
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Last year they moved the race a month later for 2023. In 2022 it was in late March instead of late April. It used to go back-and-forth depending on the year, but It’s my understanding it won’t be in March anymore so weather should be more predictable… kinda. At least it probably won’t be freezing cold. Last year’s heat was a fluke, it’s never that hot or humid.
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I actually signed up for the 26F race, woke up and looked outside and decided I was going back to bed.
I had an older 29er frame built into a drop bar gravel bike that I never rode since I built it factor into that decision. This time around I’ll find a proper bike.
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So glad to hear it won’t be going back to March. I think the date used to have to do with where Easter landed (but not sure about that).
The 2017 version was not only my first BRX, but it was my first bike race ever. I can’t believe I didn’t quit then 
… it was 37 degrees and raining sideways (anyone else do that one??) my wife told me they were making announcements at the finish line imploring finishing racers to get indoors or to the car as soon as possible because everyone was so soaked they were worried about hypothermia on a mass scale. That is still the worst weather I’ve ever ridden my bike in.
The October 2021, pandemic-delayed version was easily the best weather I’ve ever had for a bike race …
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Correct…not certain what the exact relationship to Easter was, but the race date was based around it.
Still regret not doing that one….
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I signed up for it again… I kick myself every year for doing it because of the time of year and I really am not a fan of weather.
Now to figure out which tires to run, I think everyone in this thread should do GP5000 slicks, just saying.
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Since Easter weekend moves on the calendar, I think it was just to make sure it didn’t fall on Easter weekend. That and what weekends were available in the city/county and promoters schedule compared to other conflicts.
“Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon which is on or after March 21st. This means it is celebrated in March or April. It can occur as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.”
Easter is on March 31, 2024.
Plus … if you do it on Easter the priest/pastor can’t come out to do the ‘blessing of the bikes’ which, even though I’m relatively non-religious is one of the coolest traditions I’ve seen in bike racing.
The BRX is cool. I just love the vibe*
Those goddamn bagpipes at the top of the wall make me sick/give me chills every time.
*check back with me on April 21st to see if I still feel this way if I get crashed out again
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Only 160 spots left in Barry Roubaix and no 100 mile slots left. It’s like buying big concert tickets, except no concert, and adding some suffering and the risk of crashing and potentially being in horrible weather and covered in mud…. Other than that it is just like a concert… See you out there
I also opted for the 36 this year… After doing the 62 for a few years, I’ve realized I hate the last hour of it and want to be done… To early in the year to be racing that long 
I am in flight 1 for Barry. Hope I can stay healthy though the winter
This is from the BRX site:
"WHEN IS THE BARRY-ROUBAIX?
The race usually takes place the 3rd Saturday in April. If that weekend conflicts with the Easter Holiday, we move the race date forward, avoiding the typical early April, Spring Break weekends."
- April 20, 2024
- March 29, 2025
- April 18, 2026
- April 17, 2027
I signed up for the 36, but thinking I’ll switch to the 62. Last time I did it was 2022, and I don’t think it’s likely that I will beat that result. Sort of want to leave it at that and try a different course.
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Passing on Barry Roubaix this year. I was too frustrated with the race last year. Admittedly, it was almost 100% my fault. I came to the line for wave 1 15 minutes early, and that was waaay too late. I was at the very back of wave 1. And the roads out of town and onto the gravel were too narrow to make any significant movement upwards. I tried my best though for 20 plus minutes going all out anytime I got daylight. Riding straight into a cloud of dust where I couldn’t see more than 20 feet ahead of me. Every time I made some progress, there would be a crash that slowed me down. In the end it was futile and just a waste of effort. I got close enough to see the front group ride away, but too far to get there. What really frustrated me was that I was passing Co-ed tandem mountain bikes, dudes with 20 lbs of bags on their 30 lb bike, or dudes with 30 lbs too much weight on their midsection. In short, people who shouldn’t be in wave 1. I know there isn’t an easy answer for these large races, but I have come to the conclusion that you need to be dead serious and show up to the line 40 minutes early, or just treat these races as fun rides. It is certainly a ME thing, and my issue, but neither of these sound awesome to me. Just going to focus on smaller races where it feels like less of a rat race.
Yeah, I am a back of the pack guy but I can see where that would be annoying. I wonder when new people sign up if they have no idea how fast they will go. Iceman uses previous results, Which stinks if you are a fast first timer but is fair in the long run
This definitely is a problem. I liked the format they had in the 2021 race … where you could race for the overall win OR the age group win. In 2022 they went to their current format, and I was disappointed to get to the start too late and was sandwiched in the back. Last year I showed up to the line 30 mins early and was in the 4th row.
I got a little swamped at the start (which was my fault) and ended up in the mid-pack going into the first climbs and was crashed out by another rider … a couple of us on this board were.
It’s not perfect, but there probably isn’t a perfect answer for a race of this size.
Maybe enough fast guys/girls select wave 2 and their lead group can rival the first wave? I noticed they moved the estimated time ranges down 5 mins this year.
I’m going to give it a go🤘… desperately trying to get an AG podium
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I like that Iceman vets the riders in all the early waves. I’m sure it’s a major PITA for the race organizers, but it makes things reasonably fair.
It does make it harder for first timers but thems the breaks. You can use other race results and your Strava history to at least be in a decent non-podium wave.
2024 will be my first BRX. Riding the 36 miler hopefully at the head of wave 3 to stay out of trouble.
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Wave 2 “winner” went a 1:48:44min last year and I went a 1:51 while crashing on Sager in wave 2, this was right at about 9-10min back from the overall winner.
I went into wave 2 (as opposed to wave 1) last year as my fitness was down and I wanted a more “chill” ride and holy crap was that the wrong choice. We had to pick off a lot of traffic and it was sketch city the entire time.
I know … but the podium for my age group all finished 1:47 or better, and that’s my goal. So I’m kinda right on the edge.
I’m probably not too far away from my AG podium being in the 1:50 range lol … but dudes in their late 40s are annoyingly fast.
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