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| Iron Cross' BikeReg header from 2021 |
Those types of events then sprung up in the Eastern part of the USA and were noted for their fun atmosphere and adventurous nature. A YouTube video posted on 2013 for the 11th Iron Cross said this about those events:
"Turned up to 11! The Original North American Ultra CX Race! Iron Cross, a 68 mile race with 7,000+ feet of climbing inside the Michaux State Forest in Pennsylvania, USA. It's not a dirt road race, nor a mountain bike race, but it's not a 'cross race either. At this race you'll see 'Cross, MTBs, 29ers, 26ers, 650Bers, FrankenCross, MonsterCross, UltraCross and SuperUltraDoubleUberCross bikes. The organizers don't care. If it has wheels and is human powered, it's in."
So, it would seem that, at least in 2013, when the gravel scene had a strong foothold in the cycling scene, that Iron Cross was forging its own identity. Even up until last year, their BikeReg header claimed that Iron Cross was "North America's Original UltraCross". But, as you well know, dear readers, if'n ya ain't got tha gravel, ya ain't got nuthin'!
Or, that's what the marketing folks seem to think. Take a look at that screen shot mentioned earlier that I received from N.Y. Roll.......
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| To Hell with 20 years of marketing as an "UltraCross" event! We're Gravel! Always have been! |
Yeah, I think this speaks volumes about what seems marketable and what will make an event successful now in 2022. It's odd, isn't it? 20 years of an identity thrown away to say that your event was the "Original Gravel Race"?
By the way, the Flint Hills Death Ride would like to have a word with you, Iron Cross......
Anyway, like I told N.Y. Roll- Marketing folk will rewrite history however they see fit to turn a marketing plan into a success. Even our podcast guest, Dave Pryor, who is a Pennsylvania resident and knows all about cross and ultra-cross said what those events were doing wasn't really "gravel". But it doesn't matter.
Expect to see a lot of this sort of nonsense in the future.
7 comments:
Many years ago, I had heard about the Flint Hills Death Ride. When trying to figure out if race was still happening, I was surprised to learn about this entire cycling subculture in the Midwest that rode gravel. Finding that intriguing a group of us signed up for a new event in Lincoln that year Gravel Worlds. Been addicted to gravel since.
@Mr Big Ring - That's a great story. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, the FHDR was also something I had been aware of for many years. I heard about it during the 1990's from a sales rep at a bike shop I worked at and then again in the early 2000's from a guy who had actually ridden in the event who was a sales rep.
It sounded pretty rad. I should have done it but at that time it was a big trip for a 70 mile event and I didn't know anyone else that was interested.
Sometimes you should just jump, ya know?
@G-Ted Why bemoan smart marketing? Why bemoan a grass roots race doing what it needs to do to evolve and stay relevant. This is not throwing away history. This is what any event should do to be successful and secure a future.
@Unknown - Why "bemoan"? I'm not complaining, I am merely pointing out a gross inconsistency and appropriation of another genre' of cycling's name, which Iron Cross said for 20 years it was not.
It is disingenuous. That's what it is. "Smart marketing" is what you are calling it. Have it your way. Is it evolution? They are not doing anything that is different from their past. Other than appropriating a popular name. That's not "evolving".
Are they not relevant? 20 years of tradition and reputation as an "ultra-cross" event apparently doesn't help with being relevant these days? Merely making a name change won't make you more relevant.
It really isn't an opinion. It's right there for all to see.
I have nothing against Iron Cross, "ultra-cross" in general, or any of that. But denying your history and trying to appropriate another, alternate version is - at best - weird. I am only pointing that fact out.
Guitar Ted,
I'm sure the Iron Cross folks did want to capitalize on the buzz associated with "gravel," but why do you characterize this as the "appropriation of another genre' of cycling's name, which Iron Cross said for 20 years it was not?"
Did they say there were NOT gravel? Or did they just NOT SAY that they WERE gravel? To me it seems like they were kind of pioneers of gravel but maybe didn't know that's what they should call it. So I'm just wondering, in a friendly way, when/where did they say they were "NOT gravel?" I think that would be the smoking gun for your argument.
@DJ Wicky Wick - You say this, "I'm sure the Iron Cross folks did want to capitalize on the buzz associated with "gravel,"
Are you sure they weren't capitalizing on the way they characterize the event now?
Anyway, they used to say they were one thing, not this thing, but now they say they are that thing.
Iron Cross never said they were a gravel event back in the day. If anything, they were drawing more from mountain biking, but all I was pointing out was that, as I commented above, "They are not doing anything that is different from their past. Other than appropriating a popular name".
They and many other products and events are picking up the term "gravel" because they hope that it will sell their event or product. That's my point in the post.
@DJ Wicky Wick _ Oh, and one more thing. If you weren't a gravel race for many years, how is that suddenly you ARE the original gravel race? What a croc. C'mon....
It's not just appropriation, but rewriting history to make yourself look better. Why not relish your ultra-CX past and be what you "originally were"? They are not "just capitalizing" on gravel here. That's also a point I made in the post.
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