• If this arctic blast was all just part of Disney’s clever marketing campaign for Frozen 2, consider us impressed. Well played, Disney. As Elsa, Anna, and Olaf prepare to journey into the unknown, we’ll be journeying into cyclocross, hosted by the Northbrook Bicycle Club.
• Thanks to the Wheeling Park District, the new fitness center addition to the Community Recreation Center provides the backdrop with front row seating (stationary bikes) and standing room only (treadmills and ellipticals), overlooking the course.
• The center is open to the public. Take the chill off while checking out a pickleball match, but please leave bicycles outside.
• Please use hashtag #WheelingCX
• Parking is encouraged in the North parking lot closest to registration, staging, finish, pit, food, and that guy with the magic mic. Please leave the diagonal parking lot in front of the center available for community center patrons. There’s plenty of additional parking near the backside of the course in the West parking lot. Park in the lots only—not on the grass.
• No drones are permitted in the air within the park due to the proximity of the Chicago Executive Airport-PWK.
• No kids race is scheduled (keep those kiddos warm), but there’s a brand new playground. Swings, slides, balance features, etc. appropriate for ages 2 to 12. There’s even a two-tiered merry-go-round. Please DO NOT RIDE BICYCLES ON THE PLAYGROUND SURFACE. There will be plenty other surfaces to ride on within the park. Also, please avoid setting up tents in the amphitheater grass to avoid the electrical and irrigation underneath.
• Preliminary staging will be posted here.
• There are paths for warming up throughout the park. As always, be mindful of pedestrians and other patrons while enjoying the ride.
• Food: When it comes to food trucks, Mario’s Cart doesn’t play games. Look for it in the North Parking Lot from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They’ll be serving up street tacos, burritos, flautas, fries, nachos, Cuban panini, steak sandwiches, pretzel bites, quesadillas, soda, water, and hot chocolate. Wow, that’s a mouthful. Better wear your bibs (pun intended). They also have a location without wheels on the 2nd floor of Northbrook Court.
• No alcohol permitted per park rules.
• Weather:Warmth on the horizon, relatively speaking of course. Cyclocross weather returns.
• The Course: runs anti-clockwise. Flat at the start and finish, but in between you’ll ride the camber along the pool embankment until you hit the course elevation; enjoy the views of the lake and surrounding areas from the top before heading back. Upon your return, there will be hops of the double bunny varietal (10 IBUs – ten-inch barrier units).