Registration for the North Country Subaru ~ Black Fly Challenge opens at 12:01am on Thursday February 2nd… Groundhog Day!
BFC Instant Results
Race Course Report
Thanks to the Inlet and Indian Lake highway departments the Limekiln-to-Cedar River Road in the Moose River Plains is in very good shape. The shoulders are soft throughout, as usual for this time of year. If the weather forecast holds the road should be relatively fast.
- Between the Limekiln gate and Red River there is a sharp curve with loose gravel. This curve has a huge (road sign) right arrow. Don’t take it wide!
- Between Red River and Big T is another sharp curve on a fast downhill marked with a single down arrow. Again, don’t take it wide!
- The flats heading West from the Big T intersection seem to be rather well-packed for this time of year but of course this condition is completely weather dependent.
- At about mile 23 there is part of a culvert collar sticking up in the middle of the road.
It has been marked with paint. This could puncture a tire. - After exiting the Cedar River Gate there are some long, smooth downhill sections that should be exceptionally fast.
- From the Cedar River gate the road is smooth with soft shoulders all the way to the pavement at about 28 miles.
- As always, remember to keep right! The roads are open to two-way traffic.
Event Schedule – Race Starts 10am!
Don’t forget the race start time has been moved to 10am, therefore the entire morning schedule is now a half-hour earlier!
- 7:30am – Shuttles Leave Indian Lake School for Inlet
- 7:30-9:30am – Packet Pickup at Inlet Town Hall, Rt. 28, Inlet
- 9:45am – Official’s Instructions – Be on the starting line!
- 10:00am – Race Begins
- 11:30am – Post Race Party begins at Indian Lake School
- 2:45pm – Awards Begin
- 3:00pm – Timing Ends
- 3:00pm – First Shuttle Leaves Indian Lake School for Inlet
Packet pickup will begin Friday at Pedals & Petals, 10am-8pm.
Also, check out these #parking posts!
BFC 2022 Start Line Parking Info
BFC Start Line Parking: Parking areas include a lot in front of the Woods Inn, Inlet Community Church, Fern Park and the downtown public parking lot. See the parking map below.
#parking
BFC 2022 Finish Line Parking & Shuttle Info
Morning & Afternoon Shuttles (for racers with shuttle reservations only) will line up on Crow Hill Road. AM Shuttles will leave by 7:30am – Don’t be late! PM Shuttles will start leaving about 3pm.
Shuttle Riders Parking will be in the West School lots off of Crow Hill Road. No parking allowed on the sides of Crow Hill Road. Once the West School lots are full, overflow should go to the soccer field – enter through Community Bank.
General Parking will be on the Indian Lake School Soccer Field and can be accessed by turning into the Community Bank driveway and following the signs.
Town Hall Lot – Please Note: Indian Lake Library is open until 1pm on race day. Do not park directly in front of the Library entrance while it is open. Those spaces are reserved for Library patrons until 12noon.
See the parking map below.
#parking
Tee-Shirt Deadline is Monday May 23rd
If you already provided tee-shirt size at BikeReg ignore this post.
BUT… if you never gave us your size, or don’t remember,
Go to BikeReg NOW and add your tee size!
We Need Your Tee-Shirt Size!
Many registered racers have not given us their tee-shirt size. Please log into your BikeReg account NOW and add your tee-shirt size!
Click Here to Add Your Tee-Shirt Size, and remember, if you do not provide your size you will not get a race tee-shirt.
Do not respond via email with your size.
If you remember adding your size when you registered you are good, but many registrants have not provided a tee shirt size.
This is because, somehow, the tee-shirt size question failed to reappear when the 2020 race was cancelled and renewed for 2021 and subsequently 2022.
We apologize for any inconvenience but after two consecutive cancellations the size question appears to be the only registration glitch and we’re trying to correct the issue.
While you’re at it, double check your category & age class to be sure they’re correct and remember that for BFC your racing age is your age on race day.
See you in June!
BFC Jersey – Race Day Delivery Deadline April 25th
If you want to pick up your BFC 25th Anniversary Jersey or Tech Tee on race day go to Shift Cycle Wear and order now!
The deadline for race day pickup is April 25th. Orders placed between April 26 & June 20 will be shipped to your address by July 31st.
Wait List Closed – Transfers on Strava
Since BFC 2022 sold out we have received dozens of emails asking to be on a wait list for registrations… So many, in fact, that at this point we can no longer accept wait list requests. Please DO NOT email us asking to be on the wait list, it is closed.
The #BFCStrava group has become one avenue for registration transfers. If you are looking for a registration or if you’re one of the few people with duplicate registrations please post to the BFC Strava discussion page.
That the race sold out should come as no surprise as registrations have topped 900 for the last several years. We have been asked why we have a cap of 1,000 racers and why we are sticking to it. The answer is that the planning and production of a race as big as BFC are not easily changed on short notice.
Numerous Town, County and State agencies are involved. BFC is required to obtain permits from multiple State agencies. The Incident Action Plan (IAP), EMS and numerous other logistics are based on what we consider to be our maximum capacity. Blatantly ignoring safety and capacity to allow more racers is irresponsible and we will not jeopardize the race or our racers by doing so.
Those that don’t get to race BFC 2022 are welcome to show up and cheer for their racing family & friends. And remember to sign up early for BFC 2023!
BFC 2022 Almost Sold Out
BFC 2022 numbers as of Sunday afternoon:
- Registrations – 989 out of 1,000
- AM Shuttle – 97 out of 100
- PM Shuttle – 84 out of 100
Please let us know if you’re NOT racing and/or not using your shuttle registration. Remember, BikeReg allows you to Edit or Transfer Your Registration.
Also, as stated in the BikeReg email that went out this weekend, you do not need to contact us to confirm that your 2020 or 2021 registration has rolled over to 2022, however…
We have refunded several duplicate registrations because some of you have created multiple BikeReg accounts and registered twice. If you have duplicate registrations please cancel one of them.
See you in June!
UPDATE: Registration has reached the 1,000 entry limit. If there are cancellations we will let you know.
BFC Has New Title Sponsor!
The BFC race committee is pleased to announce that North Country Subaru has stepped up to become the BFC Title Sponsor through 2024. The new official name of the race is now the North Country Subaru ~ Black Fly Challenge.
North Country Subaru is a family owned and operated Subaru dealership located in Queensbury, New York first opened in November of 1976 under the name of North Country Imports.
North Country Subaru is dedicated to helping the community in a variety of different ways. They see their success as something worth sharing and want to give back to the community that supports their business.
They support dozens of community events and organizations and were recipients of the 2021 Subaru Love Promise Customer and Community Commitment Award. The award recognizes elite Subaru retailers who not only provide an exceptional customer experience but also demonstrate outstanding commitment to supporting their local communities.
North Country Subaru is also a big supporter of the cycling community, as evidenced by their BFC sponsorship and recent acquisition of Rick’s Bike Shop, also in Queensbury, where they feature bikes by Trek, Specialized and Electra, plus trainers, joggers, parts, tools, clothing and accessories from all the top brands.
At Rick’s Bike Shop they promise “We have almost everything. If we don’t have it, we’ll get it.” At North Country Subaru their motto is “Cars you can count on. People you can trust.” But that’s more than just a motto, it’s their mission and philosophy. BFC is truly honored to have their support.
Visit their website or stop by the dealership at 616 Quaker Road in Queensbury. And please tell them the Black Fly sent you!
The race is cancelled but the route is open!
For the only the second time in the last 26 years the Black Fly Challenge, America’s Original Gravel Grinder, will not race through the Moose River Plains between Inlet and Indian Lake in June.
The race is cancelled, but the race route is open! Is anyone doing the race route this weekend from Arrowhead Park to Indian Lake School? As of now the weather forecast is 72 and partly cloudy, great day for a ride!
If you do plan to ride the BFC race course PLEASE REMEMBER:
- Ride in small groups with your friends or teammates.
- There are no water stations, spotters or EMS on the course.
- There is no cell reception or radio communication on the course.
- Take plenty of water & energy supplies.
- If you’re on a CX bike, take a flat repair kit.
- Consider having someone drive through after you.
- Be safe and have fun!
Lastly, before you head out join the BFC Strava club, then record your ride and post it to Strava. Stay tuned for further news – we may do ‘Ride the Fly in July’ again!
BFC 2021 Cancelled
After extensive discussions the Black Fly Challenge race committee has agreed that BFC 2021 must be cancelled. The 25th Anniversary Black Fly Challenge will be now be on Saturday, June 11, 2022.
Successfully producing the Black Fly Challenge requires a web of logistics too numerous to detail in this post. This includes over 100 volunteer jobs and the cooperation of numerous State, County and Town agencies.
The race committee did the usual preparations for BFC 2021, a few of which are: obtaining insurance, securing timing and filing for necessary permits.
As of this writing we are told by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that we may only be permitted for 200 people total (including volunteers) and that racers must wear a mask start to finish. It’s simply not feasible to produce the race under these restrictions.
Even if DEC were to raise the number to 500 it would likely still not work because we have over 600 registrations … how would we choose who gets to race? We would still be required to deduct all race personnel from the 500 maximum.
And that doesn’t even address banning spectators from the start and finish and verifying that everyone present has been tested and/or vaccinated. This makes BFC’s already challenging logistics nearly impossible.
Black Fly Challenge sincerely appreciates the support of our racers, volunteers, communities and sponsors, especially North Country Subaru, Pedals & Petals and Trampoline Advertising & Design. Thanks to all of you, Black Fly Challenge is truly The Adirondacks’ Greatest Race!
We will again roll everything over to next year, including registration, jerseys, raffle tickets, etc. and with the distinction of being America’s first and oldest gravel grinder, BFC will be back, bigger and better than ever!
If you would prefer a refund contact us.
BFC 2021 – Take the Survey
As of now the BFC race committee is preparing for the 25th Black Fly Challenge on June 12, 2021. We are working on a COVID Safety Plan with the current NY restrictions in mind, but hoping that things will be different by June.
We are also hoping we will know what’s possible in June by mid-April when we make a final decision on if and/or how to hold the race.
A survey was recently sent out to the 500+ who are already registered and the response rate has been nearly 50%. We value your opinion!
It’s only five questions so please take a minute to answer our survey
