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CCC Tuesday Updates

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Published December 22, 2015

CCC Tuesday Updates

  • This Saturday the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew hosts Afterglow – A Cyclocross Race… now with #INSANEDEOMNIUM2015!!!
  • Then on Sunday its the 2015 CCC Awards Party, we’re not going to make up some silly story that tickets are selling fast, there’s plenty of room, but please help us and EJ’s Place plan for how much food to make. Winners get their cowbells… and everyone gets something. Come join the fun.
  • With the winding down of the CX season here in Chicago the CCC will crawl into its den evile lair and updates here on the site will be few and far between until summer 2016. Have great winter and ride safely as much as you can. Given the trend in competition over the last few years we expect 2016 to be another fast CX season.
  • Want to keep in shape over the holiday and race your CX bike in January??? Well luckily for you USA Cycling is having CX National Championships in Asheville, NC January 5-10. Good luck to everyone traveling and racing!
  • And finally… thanks again to everyone who made a series donation this year. With donated entry fees from Melas CX the CCC will make just North of a $2,100 donation to each of our three causes… West Town Bikes, Blackstone Bicycle Works, and Big Marsh. THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Published December 15, 2015

CCC Tuesday Updates

Photo: Tipping Point Photography

Photo: Tipping Point Photography

  • That was another fun Montrose Harbor and Illinois State CX Championship. Many, many thanks again to Ten27 Bicycle Club and Spidermonkey Cycling for making the event happen and to everyone, and we mean everyone who came out to make the day special. All results are online in the normal places.
  • Its been another fun, exciting, and action packed CCC series with plenty of twists and turns (literally and figuratively), but we had a ton of fun and we hope you all did too. Someone pointed out to us on Sunday that every race this season (except the cancelled Melas CX) was above 45 degrees at some point in the day and we had no rainy/muddy races. Thanks el Nino! As we’ve said in the past, its the racers and community that makes a race, not the weather or even the course itself. So we are very thankful for everyone who participates in the CCC, on both sides of the tape, and look forward to hanging out with you all again next year.
  • Speaking of results, congratulations to the 2015 Illinois State CX Champions (roughly in the order they were awarded, i.e. the CCC race day schedule)
    • Masters 35+ – Christopher Pike (The Pony Shop)
    • Masters 45+ – Michael Naughton (Unattached)
    • Masters 55+ – Gregory Anderson (Spin Doctors Cyclewerks CX Team)
    • Masters 65+ – Albert Weigel (Verdigris-Village CX)
    • Single Speed – Christopher Pike (The Pony Shop)
    • Unofficial Women Single Speed – Daphne Karagianis (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew)
    • Junior Women 17-18 – Audrey Ernst (EGO p/b Sammy’s Bikes)
    • Junior Men 17-18 – Juan Gonzalez (Heritage Race Club)
    • Junior Women 15-16 – Ella Neurohr (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew)
    • Junior Men 15-16 – Juan Gonzalez (Heritage Race Club)
    • Women Cat 4 – Amelia Van Maldegiam (Spin Doctors Cyclewerks CX Team)
    • Junior Women 13-14 – Brianna Urban (ABD Cycling Club)
    • Junior Men 13-14 – Evert Lindberg (The Pony Shop)
    • Junior Women 9-12 – Ellie Hosey (UPB Cycling)
    • Junior Men 9-12 – Bennett Lindberg (The Pony Shop)
    • Cat 3 – Stephen Parkes (Comrade Cycles Racing)
    • Women Cat 1/2/3 – Maria Larkin (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew)
    • Women Cat 3 – Amelia Moore (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew)
    • Cat 1/2/3 – Brandon Feehery (Unattached)
    • Cat 4 – Benjamin Schlarman (Unattached)
  • And since this is the website for the CCC series, the 2015 Chicago Cyclocross Cup overall winners:
    • Team Competition – The Pony Shop
    • Masters 35+ – Christopher Pike (The Pony Shop)
    • Masters 45+ – Danny Warner (Verdigris-Village CX)
    • Masters 55+ – Gregory Anderson (Spin Doctors Cyclewerks CX Team)
    • Masters 65+ – Albert Weigel (Verdigris-Village CX)
    • Single Speed – Christopher Pike (The Pony Shop)
    • Junior Women 15-18 – Ella Neurohr (Chicago Cuttin Crew)
    • Junior Men 15-18 – Juan Gonzalez (Heritage Race Club)
    • Women Cat 4 – Amelia Van Maldegiam (Spin Doctors Cyclewerks CX Team)
    • Junior Women 9-14 – Brianna Urban (ABD Cycling Club)
    • Junior Men 9-14 – Jonathan Costin (The Pony Shop)
    • Cat 3 – Kevin Hathaway (Unattached)
    • Women Cat 1/2/3 – Maria Larkin (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew)
    • Women Cat 3 – Amelia Moore (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew)
    • Cat 1/2/3 – David Reyes (Heritage Race Club)
    • Cat 4 – Mitchell Dutczak (The Pony Shop)
  • That does it for the CCC series, but there’s one more officially sanctioned (i.e. legit) CX race here in Chicagoland before the winter truly sets in… Afterglow – A Cyclocross Race hosted by the other CCC (Chicago Cuttin Crew) on Saturday 12/19/2015 in Douglas Park. Come race, stop holding grudges, and do some good with all proceeds going towards Chicago area youth cycling programs.
  • Then the next day the CCC officially, officially comes to an end with the 2015 CCC Awards Party. Come raise a glass and leave with some swag. Seriously, everyone gets at least something.
  • Attention Chicago Cyclocross Cup Ladies! Sad to see the season come to an end? Interested in keeping connected with your competition friends? Come out for some leg burning, lung bursting, and sweat freezing on your face good ole’ fashioned outdoor fun on January 24th for a stair climbing challenge at Swallow Cliff stairs. We will run stairs and then regroup at Imperial Oaks Brewery for some more socializing. Wait! There’s more….Ultimate Pro Bikes along with other racers/teams are donating great items for a raffle. T-shirts, hats, fitness classes at INTENT, foam roller, art work and more! Start time 11:10 am at the Swallow Cliff stairs in Palos Heights. Meet at the base of the stairs. Imperial Oaks start time: 12:55 pm. Questions? Contact [email protected] Stay tuned for more details at https://www.facebook.com/events/1672778696328212/
  • In other news, the Illinois Cycling Association (ICA) has a new website… check it out.
  • And finally… speaking of legit, setting goals, working hard, believing in yourself, and holding no one but yourself responsible for your own success… and having it pay off big time, we’d like to give a hearty congratulations to Anthony Clark of Squid Bikes and Psimet sponsored rider for taking his first UCI win on Sunday and earning the VERGE NECXS elite overall title. Way to go Anthony!
Photo: Tipping Point Photography

Photo: Tipping Point Photography

Published December 8, 2015

2015 Montrose Harbor – State CX Championship Pics, Vids, and Race Reports

Published December 6, 2015

2015 Montrose Harbor Preview

Photo: Eric Goodwin

Photo: Eric Goodwin

  • #MontroseCX
  • Ten27 Cycles and Spidermonkey Cycling host the last stop of the 2015 CCC… the Illinois State CX Championships at Montrose Harbor. We ask everyone to bundle up, bring your cowbells, cameras, drones, noise makers (leave the vuvuzelas at home please) and make a day out of Montrose…
  • Registration: We’ll be running reg the same way as every other CCC race. Please allow all 35+ racers to pick up their numbers first since they have to get ready first. Several fields are either already full or very close. Online waitlists are on BikeReg. After No-Shows are removed we put in the online waitlisted riders, then its first come, first served until we hit the field limits. Online pre-reg closes tonight… so if you’re not yet reg’d, do everyone (yourself included) a favor and reg now!
  • Montrose is once again sponsored by Goose Island’s 312 Beer which will be awarded on the podiums to everyone of age (or their parents).
  • Staging: Staging will follow the same protocol we’ve been using all season long in the series. See the procedure here.
  • Preliminary staging will be posted here. Email us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail if you have problems.
  • State Champion Requirements: Ten27 Cycling, Spidermonkey Cycling, and the ICA will be presenting 19 Illinois State CX Champion Jerseys (on the podiums) to the first IL rider to cross the finish line in every category (excluding the 4/5’s). This means Juniors 17-18, 15-16, 13-14, AND Juniors 9-12… boys AND girls, Women Cat 3, and yes even the 65+! Remember that in order to win the state championship you must be a permanent Illinois resident (we’ll be checking state/federal ID’s), a US citizen or permanent resident, and hold a valid and unsuspended 2015 USAC annual license before the start of the race (yes, we’re looking at you Cat 4’s). There must also be a full podium of IL riders (that means 3) to win the state jersey. This should not be a problem in any category.
  • The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also be awarding medals and matching cash dollars +$1 for the top 3 women in the Single Speed category in the same way they have been doing since 2013.
  • All races are championships except the Cat 4/5’s.
  • Podiums presentations for each race (top 3 overall in the race) AND and for the IL state championship (top 3 IL riders in the race) will occur immediately after each race finish… so pay attention after your race, Kenny Labbe may be calling your name!
  • Payouts: 5 deep per the 2015 CCC minimum payout schedule.
  • The Pony Shop and Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also have their usual extra prizes for Junior categories.
  • While 5 riders have already locked up their CCC overall titles (see riders in yellow), there are still 10 very, very, very close categories still to be decided on Sunday. Overall titles will be  posted Sunday, but all official overall series awards will be presented at the CCC Awards Party on Sunday December 20st at EJ’s Place. We look forward to celebrating with all of you.
  • The weather usually makes Montrose the special event it is. Right now the forecast is for sun and highs in the upper 40’s! In any event, the weather and wind can always change on a dime, especially next to the lake, so bundle up, dress appropriately, and come prepared with extra warm & dry gear.
  • The Big Star food truck will be serving their famous tacos and other food at the curb between 11am and 3:30pm.
  • A few series and race sponsor tents will be gathered into an Town Square/Expo Area between registration, the finish area, and the podiums where the state champion jerseys will be awarded throughout the day of racing.
  • Team Tents: Given the ever present potential for strong winds, bring weights and stakes. Also, Ten27 will have an expo area near registration with designated tent spots for race sponsors, so please do not set up your tents in these spots or you will be asked to move.
  • Parking: Parking will be on the street only along Simonds Dr. Simonds Drive will be closed to through traffic between the staging grid and finish line.  You may approach the race course on Simonds Drive from either Wilson Avenue or from Montrose Avenue, but you will have to turn around and leave the same way you came in.  Please do not park adjacent to the road closure barricades, as Ten27 is required to leave enough room for all cars to turn around at the barricades.  Only authorized vehicles (i.e. officials, CCC staff, event organizers, BigStarTruck, etc) will be allowed within the road closures. Please do not give the traffic marshals a hard time about this, they are just doing their job. No Parking at all on the grass, anywhere, period (except for the SRAM NRS car).
  • Team trailers: Plan to arrive early between 6:00-6:30am to park your trailer. The streets will be closed at 6:30am. Please drop your trailer and move the tow vehicle to the general parking area. We are trying to keep the barricade area as car free. It is possible to park your trailer Saturday evening by 5:00pm. Security watching the area overnight. Please contact the race directors through BikeReg to make any other special arrangements.
  • Alcohol is prohibited in the park without permit, so please act appropriately and responsibly.
  • Pack out what you pack in. A large trash dumpster will be provided in the street for any refuse.
  • Bib Numbers: On your LEFT SIDE as always. All riders with longer hair are reminded that their hair MUST be pulled up and can not obstruct your bib # while racing. Riders are reminded to not sit up while coming across the finish line, this is especially noted for Juniors – wait to post up until AFTER you’ve safely finished and have been properly scored by officials. Numbers must also be clearly visible to the officials checking you in at staging. Failing to have numbers visible slows down and delays starting fields on time.
  • One2Go Event Services will again be providing camera timing and lap times. However if your bib number is on the wrong side, you will NOT be scored. So pin those numbers correctly.
  • Speaking of scoring… Montrose being the State Championship and the last race of the CCC series, the USAC officials will be pulling out-of-contention riders so the race leaders have a clear course. However, everyone will be placed, even if you are several laps down. The only way riders will be listed DNF (did not finish) is if they stop voluntarily. So keep racing until the chief referee tells you to stop. Riders will only be asked to exit the course near the finish line.
  • Speaking of the finish line, SRAM Neutral Service will be in the equipment pits helping you get there in the case of a mechanical.
  • The equipment pit is on the other side of the road from the start and finish lines. Please do NOT leave your spare bikes and wheels in the pit after your race. The next category needs to use the pit too.
  • The Course: Ten27 Cycling’s course designer Chuck Judy has tweaked last year’s course again while retaining all of Montrose’s classic features. The course runs clockwise this year, which is the opposite from year’s past, beginning at the staging grid which will now be on the North side Simonds Dr. The start will be long, and wide, and without sharp turns. The finish line and registration tent will be in nearly same location as years past, just off the road to the North and near the sand, however the finish line will now be on the paved path. Riders will again have the full width of the tunnel heading southbound under Simonds Drive.  The course will then cross back over the tunnel on Simonds Dr to complete the loop, resulting in essentially a paved flyover. Yes the main sand pit will be back but backwards, where spectators are all but guaranteed a great view of all the action. As always the final course track will be determined Saturday afternoon and may be altered from the map below.
  • Also, with yesterday’s snow showers the ground is a little wet, so please NO GROUP PRACTICES on the course. We want to leave the grass in as good of shape as we can after Sunday so we can come back and race next year. Thanks!

Published December 3, 2015

2016

As usual the season flew by. Montrose is going to be a blast as always and especially nice with the weather that the Cup has ordered up.  Once it’s over, and still fresh in your head, lay out your annual training plan (ATP) as the first step in realizing your potential next year.

Montrose...Sand. Photo Courtesy of Corey Brink

 

The first phase of importance is the transition phase, which is easy because it consists largely of nothing!  Taking time off the bike can feel odd though after such a sudden STOP. Your body craves it and your mind misses it.  Hang in there because while it can take some time to process this phase of your training is an important part of the equation.  It’s good to be active, including some cycling, but let your mind and body take a break from the grind and just have fun.  More on that here.

The 2015 ChiCrossCup has once again been a blast!  Thanks to everyone out there who is reading what we love to write about.  The coaches at Training Bible Cycling have experience in all disciplines and specialize in taking the time and tools at your disposal and helping you get the most out of the effort you put in. Shoot us a note, set, repeat and better than ever…

See you Sunday.

Rob Kelley

TRAINING BIBLE CYCLING

Published December 2, 2015

Tuesday CCC Updates

Published December 1, 2015

Tuesday CCC Updates

Photo: Kenny Labbe

Melas Frozen Basin – Photo: Kenny Labbe

  • Wow, this turned out to be a long post for a weekend without racing…
  • Well, that was a major bummer Melas CX Basin Racin’ was cancelled. This has been one crazy weather season between flooding rivers, record snow fall, etc. And despite what some people may believe, we know neither a larger group of volunteers, fatbikes, woolly mammoths, tauntauns, nor abominable snow men could have made the track ride-able much less race-able. With 10+ inches of wet, heavy snow and the timing of the storm ending just hours before nightfall we don’t see how any team could have made the race happen. Not to mention the parking lots were still being cleared Sunday morning at 10am, the park district did not clear the walking path at all, cars were getting stuck, and roads were slippery. Obviously a bit more extreme, but if Louisville had more people setting up the course could they have stopped the river from rising and flooding the CX Worlds course 3 years ago? Nope. As we mentioned on Saturday, safety for everyone involved is always our first consideration. The way we see it a race should be held if safe and feasible, not “the show must go on at all costs”.
  • Concerning “real” cross racing and what Belgians might have done… the only people in our series who can actually say what “real Belgian” CX racing is like are Brian Matter, David Lombardo, and Scott McLaughlin (once. a long time ago. he got pulled when lapped by Adri Van Der Poel). Everyone else only has an idea of what its like. Furthermore, in our opinion “real” CX racing isn’t about the weather but the course and competitors racing on it. We like watching the Namur race on our computer screens just as much as everyone else, but we’re not so sure we’d want to race that course in cold mud, and we certainly wouldn’t want a bunch of Cat 4/5’s and Juniors on such a course. At its heart the CCC is an amateur series and we have to do what’s right for the greatest number of riders, from the fastest Cat 1 down to the most novice Cat 4/5, from the 9 year old Junior to the 65+ FOG*.
  • Regarding Melas CX race entry and One Day license fee refunds… for those of you who don’t know, each race in the CCC is organized and promoted by a separate group, not the series… so we can’t just transfer your entry fees to another race (i.e. Montrose). That also means each race promoter has some very real sunk costs (think not-inexpensive park permits, USAC fees, porta-poties, tent rental, supplies, Grateful Dead cover bands, etc) to pay regardless if a freak case of bad luck means the event gets cancelled. That being said, we realize some of you may have spent every last penny on that pair of sweet carbon rims and are now on a budget and need a refund. So if you need/want a refund (less BikeReg service fees) please let us know by filling out this Google Form by Monday 11/30 at 6pm CT. Otherwise if we don’t hear from you all money collected through BikeReg, minus the race promoter’s sunk costs, will be given to the series donation causes of Big Marsh, West Town Bikes, & Blackstone Bicycle Works. Please email us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail if you have any questions.
  • Now for the good stuff… Next up… TURKEY… and stuffing… and cranberry… and pumpkin pie! The CCC wishes everyone a great Thanksgiving holiday.
  • Then the weekend after that we’ll see everyone at the Illinois State Cyclo-cross Championships at Montrose Harbor hosted by Ten27 Cycles and Spidermonkey Cycling. As of right now all fields are open so register now if you want to race and not be on a waitlist.
  • After that, don’t forget about Afterglow and the CCC Awards Party.
  • Speaking of Overall Series Awards… due to only one race remaining in the series and only so many series points available, a few riders have already locked up their CCC overall categories. There is still plenty of racing to be had and some categories are separated by only 1 point. In any event, an early congratulations to the follow riders and we’ll see you at the CCC Awards Party:
  • Need a new bike or just looking for another to fill out the quiver? The Pony Shop is having a close out sale on four different Cannondale models. Call or email with questions: ponyshop.com
  • #PutARingOnIt to win at Big Marsh – Spidermonkey Cycling is challenging ALL Chicago Cyclocross teams to put your money where your heart is to build Big Marsh! Spidermonkey Cycling invites all teams to compete for donor rings and bragging rights – and an exclusive party at SRAM HQ – by raising the most money as a team by December 6‘s IL State Championships to build the park at Big Marsh. The contest starts TODAY. To enter, go to bigmarsh.causevox.com and register your CX team. Add your team members, then use your personalized fundraising page and e-mail tools to ask your fellow crossers, your friends, and your training partners to support the park with a donation. You can watch your progress and check in on other teams. Raise $500, and your team gets its own permanent donor chain ring installed on the donor wall at Big Marsh. Raise $1500, and your team receives a larger donor ring for display. Raise the most money of any team, and enjoy an exclusive team party at SRAM’s new headquarters! Rings are also available for individuals giving $500 or more. For more information, contact [email protected]. Get the hole shot – sign your team up at bigmarsh.causevox.com today!
  • And finally… Because we all need to remind ourselves from time to time that if we can’t laugh at ourselves than who can we laugh at? Thanks Greg! #SecretHandShake

*Fast Old Guys
Published November 24, 2015

2015 Melas Park Basin Racin Pics, Vids, and Race Reports

Since we couldn’t race today, please share your pics/vids of what you did on your CX day off. On the bike, off the bike, whatever… Just please keep it PG-13 or less.

Published November 22, 2015

2015 Melas CX-Basin Racin’ Preview

UPDATE: Due to the significant amount of heavy, wet snow the Chicagoland area received on Saturday and freezing temperatures forecast for all day Sunday… the Melas CX Basin Racin’ event is CANCELLED. Details are forthcoming so please check your inbox.

  • #MelasCX and more here. Preliminary staging will be posted here.
  • Chris Henning and Ted Berger (Northbrook Garner Bicycle Club and Flatlandia) take us racin’ through the basin.
  • Parking:  There is no parking at Melas Park. We need to keep the lot clear for the locals using the dog park.
  • Parking will be at Multi Pack Solutions @1804 W. Central Rd., Mt. Prospect, IL which is behind (to the north of) Robert Bosch Tool Corporation.  Registration and S/F are adjacent to the Multi Pack lot.  There is a pedestrian gate to access Melas Park from the Multi Pack lot.  The Multi Pack lot is located to the West of the Melas Park entrance, just east of S. Arthur Ave.
  • Team Trailers.  Please e-mail Chris Henning if you’re planning on bringing out a trailer, he will try and coordinate a setup location for you.
  • Food truck: The Chicago Pizza Boss food truck will be onsite serving brick-oven pizzas.
  • Warm Ups:  Please stay off the ball fields while warming up and if you do use the walking paths please making sure to yield to any pedestrians / other park users.
  • Speaking of cars, no parking on the grass – anywhere.  There is plenty of parking available.  This includes team vehicles intending on dropping off team tent and compound equipment.
  • Park rules: Sorry, we don’t make them but we do have to follow them… no alcohol allowed. Please be respectful of the park.
  • Dog Park:  Unfortunately you must have a membership to get inside the fenced dog park which is available from either Mt. Prospect or Arlington Heights and unfortunately they don’t sell daily passes. Dog park membership
  • Breakdown: Please help tearing down the course after the Cat 4/5 race. 
  • Weather: It’s going to be chilly on Sunday, so please bundle up and bring appropriate clothing for before, during, and after your race(s)!
  • Cleaning up: The race does not have access to a hose. There is a self-serve car wash (Z Auto Wash) just west of the Bosch lot @ 820 S Arthur Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60005 less than a half mile away.
  • No kids race this weekend.
  • Volunteering: Melas CX is still looking for a few volunteers spots to be filled. Volunteers race for free & lunch is provided. Please sign-up here.
  • The Course: Similar to last year. Same tough hill(s) getting out of the Basin. Please remember the course might change based on conditions encountered during setup.

Published November 19, 2015