Joel Fletcher

Technical definition of Kermesse:
"Kermesse, or kermis, or kirmess, is a Dutch language term derived from 'kerk' (church) and 'mis' (mass) that became borrowed in English and French, originally denoting the mass said on the anniversary of the foundation of a church (or the parish) and in honour of the patron.”

——
Joel Fletcher
> On Apr 27, 2017, at 10:56 AM, Bennett via OBRA wrote:
>
> I understand that the words "Roubaix" and "Kermesse" are sexy, and may help inspire some folks to sign up to race bikes, and that's great. And while I am all for races with unique courses, I'd like to point out that a Kermesse is a distance-specific (120 kilometers, for example), road race where traditional road bikes with 23-25mm tires have been the weapon of choice. A Kermesse is not a timed cyclocross race confined to a farm, where 30c tires are necessary to ensure cornering safety, and the course surface is a mix of dirt/grass/gravel/???. Paris Roubaix is a nearly pan-flat race that ends on a velodrome and features exactly zero gravel. The cobblestone sectors of Paris Roubiax are entirely different surfaces than Dry Creek Road in Mosier, or the gravel roads that cut through the Ochocco National Forest. If there's a race that these "Roubaix"s are reminiscent of, it's Strada Bianca, which takes place in Tuscany, a far cry from Northern France. My point is that races with unique formats or that include a memorable segment of road, should have an original, creative name. Rowena Gravel Spactacular? The Dirty Tulip? Or, if race's name is derivative of another race or race discipline, there should be *some* connection between the two events/disciplines. Thanks.
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Mike Murray

Oddly the idea that a kermesse is what people in Oregon think it means has
been promulgated by a Belgian guy.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: OBRA [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On Behalf Of Bennett via OBRA
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 10:57
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] I googled "Kermesse"

I understand that the words "Roubaix" and "Kermesse" are sexy, and may help
inspire some folks to sign up to race bikes, and that's great. And while I
am all for races with unique courses, I'd like to point out that a Kermesse
is a distance-specific (120 kilometers, for example), road race where
traditional road bikes with 23-25mm tires have been the weapon of choice. A
Kermesse is not a timed cyclocross race confined to a farm, where 30c tires
are necessary to ensure cornering safety, and the course surface is a mix of
dirt/grass/gravel/???. Paris Roubaix is a nearly pan-flat race that ends on
a velodrome and features exactly zero gravel. The cobblestone sectors of
Paris Roubiax are entirely different surfaces than Dry Creek Road in Mosier,
or the gravel roads that cut through the Ochocco National Forest. If there's
a race that these "Roubaix"s are reminiscent of, it's Strada Bianca, which
takes place in Tuscany, a far cry from Northern France. My point is that
races with unique formats or that include a memorable segment of road,
should have an original, creative name. Rowena Gravel Spactacular? The Dirty
Tulip? Or, if race's name is derivative of another race or race discipline,
there should be *some* connection between the two events/disciplines.
Thanks.
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Bennett

I understand that the words "Roubaix" and "Kermesse" are sexy, and may help inspire some folks to sign up to race bikes, and that's great. And while I am all for races with unique courses, I'd like to point out that a Kermesse is a distance-specific (120 kilometers, for example), road race where traditional road bikes with 23-25mm tires have been the weapon of choice. A Kermesse is not a timed cyclocross race confined to a farm, where 30c tires are necessary to ensure cornering safety, and the course surface is a mix of dirt/grass/gravel/???. Paris Roubaix is a nearly pan-flat race that ends on a velodrome and features exactly zero gravel. The cobblestone sectors of Paris Roubiax are entirely different surfaces than Dry Creek Road in Mosier, or the gravel roads that cut through the Ochocco National Forest. If there's a race that these "Roubaix"s are reminiscent of, it's Strada Bianca, which takes place in Tuscany, a far cry from Northern France. My point is that races with unique formats or that include a memorable segment of road, should have an original, creative name. Rowena Gravel Spactacular? The Dirty Tulip? Or, if race's name is derivative of another race or race discipline, there should be *some* connection between the two events/disciplines. Thanks.