A World Cup in Our Backyard: A Completely Different—and Way More Fun—Approach to Bike Racing

Every fall, thousands come to Trek’s global headquarters in Waterloo, WI, for one weekend to witness riders from all over the world race at the Trek CX Cup. From juniors, to weekend warriors, to the top riders, everyone is welcome at Trek’s CX Cup. And all certainly feel welcomed when greeted with cowbells, people in costumes, a world-class course, food, beer, and one hell of a good time. 

But the Trek CX Cup that started in 2017 is more than just a good time; it has been instrumental in getting more people on bikes, the standard of equal pay between men and women professional riders, and exposing more people in the US to a very European-dominated aspect of cycling. In today’s episode, we sit down with Chad Brown, CFO of Trek Bikes, to break down what cyclocross is, how cyclocross began, the significance of Trek’s CX Cup, and even what the secret bar is.