Ben Van Couvering (Team Pegasus Chicago) got this great footage from the CCC #1 race at Jackson Park. i realized two things as i watched this video:
One, Brian Parker (The Bonebell/xXx) makes some seriously sweet courses. the other promoters (ourselves included) will need to step up their game. most of this coure felt (and sort of ended up being due to the rain) like good singletrack.
Two, i totally love the fact that you can have just as much fun racing in the back as you can at the front.
North Central Cyclery, Half Acre Cycling and ROBOTS <3 are extremely
pleased to announce the prizes for top man and woman finisher of the
Official Unofficial Illinois State Single Speed Cyclocross
Championship! On October 2, 2011 at Hopkins Park in DeKalb, IL,
alongside race #2 of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, racers with only one
gear will be competing on a grueling course full of obstacles and
shenanigans for a complimentary entry into the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship weekend being held November 18-20 in San Francisco,CA. In addition to entry, the OUILSSSCXC organizers are providinground-trip airfare to the winners, all inclusive!
This top woman and man will have the honor of representing the State
of Illinois, Home of Pizza, in a three-day event spanning the entire
Bay Area. CCC Series sponsor and SSCXWC promoter Sheila Moon will be
organizing a number of rides, events and parties all weekend long.
Winners are required to participate in the qualifying event, which
will choose the final start list of the main event in Golden Gate Park
on Sunday November 20. Air travel must be decided by October 15. Chris
Jensen of ROBOTS <3 will arrange travel on an individual basis. Bike
transport, housing and meals are ultimately the responsibility of the
winners, but the OUISSSCXC organizers will do what they can to help
make arrangements. If the winners of the OUISSSCXC are unable to
attend SSCXWC, they are encouraged to gift their prize to the
runners-up. The winner of the SSCXWC brings the race home for the next
year!
OUISSSCXC start time is 4:15pm on October 2nd. Registration for this race is on-site only, and limited to infinite amounts of racers.
Cyclocross season is definitely here. Roadies are putting up their SPD-SLs and putting on their Eggbeaters. Teams and shops are getting very regular in their cross practices. But in Chicago the biggest indicator that cross is here is Church Cross.
Sunday was the beginning of 2011′s Church Cross, the amazing and utterly informal series of Sundays that now bring 40 or 50 riders across every skill level. Put on by a couple guys from Flatlandia (they who bringeth the Kermesse), it’s nigh-impossible to win but it’s extremely good for going to the pain cave with your friends. It’s enough to just mark the people you really want to compete against, and a great barometer for gauging your skills across the entire community. Whomever finishes “first” is just a number. The serious factor is lower than the tire pressures.
One of the rules, appropriately, is “Don’t be a dick.” It can’t be stressed enough how important this concept is. we were cut short due to someone engaging in dickery, and it all could have been avoided (for better or worse) and we could have had that extra 15 minutes of metrics gathering. Hopefully we haven’t put ourselves on the bad side of the forest preserve district and can continue Church Cross unabated until the Cup is in full swing.
Speaking of, Relay Cross is this upcoming Sunday and I hope you have a partner! ROBOTS <3 will be there, this being one of the more interesting races on the calendar. We won’t have our kits but we should have our t-shirts at the very least. We’ll be kitted up in time for Jackson Park however.
We’ll be pulling the flyover out of stasis, further improving it so more people feel confident they can go over it. We’re also looking at the course again to make it even better than last year. More swoops and things to go up.
Unofficial Official Illinois State Single Speed Cyclocross Championships are of course going on again and we’re moving it out of the standard CCC schedule in order to modify the course to our liking. that liking isn’t necessarily in USAC’s guidelines for courses, so it’s not a USAC race. The rules are: At least two wheels per bicycle, at least one rider per bicycle, and only one usable gear may be fitted. Take that as you will. We’re only doing on-site reg for that and it’s $15. Same-day second races apply! Bring your A Game and a grappling hook.
Hey all you’s, There’s going to be a Robots <3 ride on Sunday, meet at 1430 W. Taylor St. by the fountain at 7.45 AM, rolling out at 8ish, going down to Willow Springs/Lemont area. There might be some wondering about, exploratory riding, nothing skinny tires can’t handle. It’ll be a comfortable, no-drop pace and it looks to be warm that day so remember water! 60-70 miles from the start.
