Terrain, weather, hardness, all-or-nothingness and, of course, pavé combine to make the Spring Classics of Europe so special.

The Kermesse Sport Spring Classic Series lays on a slice of Northern European cycling culture in tribute to those one-day races.

Descents to test your bike handling. Credit: Kermesse Sport
The four rides near the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border substitute the region's dirt and gravel for the pavé cobbles. They have gained a deserved reputation for fun and challenging early season rides. Tires wider than 23mm are recommended, but all the courses are suitable for road bikes though there is always quite a range of equipment on show.

Registration opened last night (January 25) and 12 hours later over 500 had signed up for a slice of Paris-Roubaixesque pain at the headline Hell of Hunterdon, which is always a sell-out.

The series kicks off with the Sourland Semi-Classic, a tribute to the lesser-known second tier Belgian classics, in Hopewell, NJ, on February 26. At 60 miles it is described as a "gentle way to prepare for the main spring events". Up to you to judge how gentle a metric century with 3,500 feet of climbing and gravel sections in late February will be.

A month later comes the Hell of Hunterdon in Central New Jersey on March 25. The course of 82 miles features 19 sections of dirt, gravel, and hardscrabble roads making up around a sixth of the total mileage.

{media6=2=pos1"You will get a great day on the bike, on a unique and challenging course, a post ride party, free beer, a finishers "trophy" and pre-registered riders are eligible to win door prizes," Kermesse promises.

The 2015 (Ride Report) and 2016 runnings (Ride Report) were great days, but make sure you have been training over the winter before taking on L'Enfer.

Hell of Hunterdon profile
The Fools Classic on April 15 in Point Pleasant, PA, is billed as the Mid-Atlantic's Ronde Van Vlaanderen and uses the dirt roads of Bucks County to substitute for the Ronde's cobbles.

This was Kermesse Sport's original Mixed Surface Ride, and is one of the oldest spring classic themed rides in the US. 78 miles, 6,000 feet of climbing and a quarter of the course on gravel means that post-ride refreshment will be well earned.

Grinding Up the Gravel. Credit: Kermesse Sport
Not all Spring Classics feature pavé and the Fleche Buffoon in New Hope, PA, on April 29 is billed as a "A 'Spring Classic' for those who don't like riding on dirt roads!" in the spirit of the Ardennes Classics (Fleche Wallone, Amstel Gold Race & Liege-Bastogne-Liege).

The course straddles the PA/NJ border of the Delaware River and makes full use of the steep climbs on both banks with 6,000 feet of climbing in 75 miles (Ride Report).

If you are Belgian enough to take on all four rides a series pass is available for $165.

If free entry sounds good then either volunteer yourself or find a family member or friend to help out. Details are on the website.

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