• From everything we heard and saw Randall Oaks was a resounding success. Results and links are here but we are still working out a few discrepancies. Hold tight and we’ll have everything fixed in a few days and certainly before next Sunday.
• Next up the CCC heads to Barlett, IL for the always windy sufferfest fantastic ABD Sunrise Park.
• Remember if you want 1/2  your CCC series points to follow you to the next category you MUST upgrade this week before the next race. And by before the next race we mean before Thursday night when online pre-reg closes. Submit your upgrade through USACycling.org and then forward your confirmation email to us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail.
• Regarding upgrades, there is no glory in being a sandbagger and being that guy/gal no one appreciates being in the race because they are racing below their true achievement level. Remember there are
  rules and the series can and will point out mandatory upgrade candidates to the USAC upgrade coordinator. So if you are a Cat 3 or 4 (man or woman) do the right thing and upgrade when appropriate.
• And finally… just a reminder the comments section of this website is public and while we are not in the business of censorship we reserve the right to reject any comments we wouldn’t read alou to our grandmothers. You can still disagree with someone without being a jerk, so please keep the language clean and civil

• #RandallOaksCX
• Preliminary staging will be posted here.
• This is a one-off CX venue as we wait for the dust to settle at Carpenter Park, so a rare chance to race the rolling hills of Randall Oaks. If you have trouble reading maps, search for the “Randall Oaks Petting Zoo” or set your GPS to 1180 North Randall Road, West Dundee, IL 60118.
• Randall Oaks Park is hosted by Main St. Bicycles Sasquatch Squadron (owned by CCC series director and all-round awesome guy Jeff Provisor). Main Street Bicycles started  hosting their event in 2005!
• Registration is on the South side of the park.
• Bib #’s always on your left.
• No dirt rollers, or corn maze, but a great variety of rollers to conquer, with a good mix of speed, off camber, and punchy climbs.
• The driveway that takes you to the parking area is one way, and crosses the course twice in close succession, so please drive slowly and watch for the course marshal’s directions.
• Parking will be a little tight, so please carpool if you can.
• Dave’s Slow-Food will be serving up their awesome fare.
• There is a no alcohol policy in the park, please respect park rules.
• Porta-johns will be near registration.
• There is a fee to visit the petting zoo, but there is a nice playground near the course and potentially a kiddie Strider event hosted by the park.
• The Course: Obviously totally different from past years since the event is in a different park.

One of the Best Descents….Ever

It’s October. If you’re somewhere south this means you’re just getting a jump on next year’s road season. If you reside close to the best amateur CX series in the country , it means you’re getting ready to pull out the winter gloves and buy some thermal insulated boots. Maybe you’re searching for a great coach to help maximize your potential during the next race season. Hopefully you’re not hanging up the spandex for too long while implementing daily donuts into your diet.

Whatever you’re doing you should also be racing cyclocross. Yeah. Cyclocross. That sloppy, wet racing with the funky bikes that look like glorious road bikes but aren’t really glorious road bikes. That weird, chaotic sport where you might have to actually run with your bike (gasp!) or grow a beard. “Why?” You ask. Why should you race cyclocross?

Because You Don’t Want To Be Paolo Bettini, That’s Why.

We’re not talking about version 2006 of Paolo Bettini. That guy won the world championship and deserves to do whatever he wants. We’re not talking about the 2007 Paolo Bettini here, either. That guy won the world championship for the second straight time and deserves to do whatever he wants twice-over with a side of full-fat whipped cream.

What we are talking about is the 2008 Paolo Bettini. The man who, having twice won the world championships, appeared to eat all the donuts. And the whipped cream. We’re talking about the one who ate all the cheeseburgers and then retired. That Paolo Bettini went from being at the top of his game to being un-competitive pretty quick. Sure, he had some injuries. On the other hand, once he decided he would retire, he sure didn’t seem very motivated.

Motivation is a tricky thing. Nobody is saying you have to race cyclocross with the same discipline, gusto, or intensity that you attack road season. On the other hand, a couple of Sunday CX races a month very well may keep you intrigued enough to avoid eating all the cheeseburgers. Some CX racing worked into your off-season program can keep the bottom from completely falling out from under you.

MORE

UPDATE: The CCC would like to re-address the events that happened during the cat 4/5 race on Sunday. We did not mean to downplay the significance of what happened at all and we’re sorry if it seemed that way. We put the comments at the bottom of the update so it would be the last thing everyone read and stuck in everyone’s mind longer. As a number of people have pointed out to us the events that occurred were actually assault which has absolutely ZERO place in society in general and more specifically at CCC events. Hindsight is always 20/20 and the correct course of action would have been for someone (a racer, race director,  USAC official, anyone) to call the police and file an assault report immediately. We are sorry this did not occur. However, we at the CCC are committed to making cyclocross events in Chicagoland a positive and safe experience and we are dedicated to creating the best racing environment possible for everyone. We are extremely embarrassed such an assault happened at one of our events and would ask that anyone who has questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, etc. reach out to us directly at [email protected].

Photo: Jill Curty Photography

• Oh man that was a tough one! Thanks to BBVP and everyone who made (both days at) Dan Ryan Woods another successful event! John Roberts, the Chief of Police for the Forest Preserve of Cook County was out on Sunday and really enjoyed and supports the event. He had the same feeling last year and was happy to see that the Caldwell Labagh Woods Forest Preserve property was used too. Chief  Roberts is extending an invite for everyone to join the Trail Watch Program. They are having an event at Dan Ryan Woods in November and another on the North side. Dates are not yet posted but check it out here: http://fpdcc.com/trail-watch. Results in all their various formats are consolidated here for you easy viewing enjoyment including lap times from One2Go.
• Speaking of One2Go… they are great and might respond anyway, but there is a reason all of their emails say in big bold text at the very top “PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL“. One2Go are at the races to provide timing services, not approve upgrades, not to provide directions, nor to look up the weather forecast. If you have results issues you need to speak with the USAC officials at the race and if you have series scoring issues, questions, etc… email us, NOT One2Go. Thanks!
• Next up the CCC heads NorthWest to Randall Oaks Park. The venue has moved temporarily down the road but the crew is the same bunch that has hosted Carpenter Park since forever. Look for details at the normal time on Thursday. #randalloakscx
• Speaking of Randall Oaks Park… if you are thinking about upgrading (from Cat 4 to Cat 3 or Cat 3 to Cat 2 [men or women]) Randall Oaks will be your last race to earn points. You’ll then need to upgrade BEFORE ABD Sunrise Park. CCC Series Points are NOT USAC upgrade points. Read the rules here (page 21 & 22) and apply for your upgrade on USACycling.org. After you receive your upgrade confirmation forward it to us here at the series and we’ll transfer your points. PLEASE contact us as soon as possible… and by that we don’t mean the Saturday night before ABD Sunrise Park as we won’t have time crunch the numbers. Thanks and good luck!
• And finally… and we can’t believe we even need to say this any more… but when riders are on course, racing just as hard as anyone else, no one should interfere with anyone else’s race. This includes moving stakes, leaning too far into the course tape, out right standing in the middle of the course, etc. Creative and funny heckling is obviously still allowed and encouraged. 99.99% of all of you know what to do and set great examples, but there is always one bad apple out there that spoils it for everyone. In particular we’d like to address an incident this past weekend where a man by himself in plain clothes was up on the last hill making lewd comments to the ladies racing the Cat 4/5’s and slapping them on the bum as they rode by. To be clear as Belgian mud, this is not only just plain creepy, but unacceptable and inexcusable. Maybe this guy wasn’t a rider or even associated with the CCC, but if he was and we find out who he is, he will be asked not to return. We’re all out there just trying to have fun, right? Let’s keep it civil, clean, and respectful to all riders. K, thanks!

Photo: Jill Curty Photography

UPDATE: We need a little help… If you are a pro/semi-pro photographer, available to shoot this Sunday, have more than an iPhone 6s, and want your work showcased on the most visited international cyclocross cyber-site in zipcodes starting with “606”, please contact us ASAP!

• This weekend Beverly Bike*VeePak is bringing you some fun adventures to Chicago’s Southside!
• Additional details can always be found on the preview page.
• Preliminary staging for Sunday’s CCC event will be posted here. If you recently upgraded and are eligible to take 1/2 your points with you, please email us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail so we can update our records. Staging for Saturday’s Beverly HILLS race will follow CrossResults.com rankings and will be posted here.
• Afternoon of Cross: A fun preview of Sunday’s full day of racing. Check out the Bunny Hop Challenge at 3:15 pm. You must sign up and sign a waiver to participate. Highest jumper gets $25!
• This Sunday stop #3 of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup (CCC) heads to Chicago’s Southside at Dan Ryan Woods-CCC#3.
• Food: Make sure to bring snacks to get you through on Saturday. We will not have food or water on hand for the Saturday afternoon cross races.
• On SUNDAY for all PREREGISTERED racers, BBVP has once again graciously contracted some good eats for all of our racers. This year we are bringing back free made to order crepes from culinary and pastry students from Kennedy-King College and Le Cordon Bleu. We will have two kinds: Sweet and Savory. Sweet includes bananas and Nutella. Savory includes ham and cheese. BBVP is paying for all of this food… so preregister and ENJOY! Tickets will again be stapled to your bib #’s for redemption at the crepe station. Do not lose the ticket and if you enjoy it, make sure to tip your chefs. We do not expect to have more than preregistered quantities so preregister NOW.
• Water: BBVP will NOT be supplying water (saving the world with less plastic). There are two water fountains on site, but hydration by riders should be planned for by bringing fluids with.
• Beer: Again this year, BB*VP has teamed up with Imperial Oak Brewery. In doing so, we will be offering the first 320 preregistered riders – aged 21 or over of course – one free beer coupon. They are valid while supplies last at the venue.
• For the 3^rd year in a row One2Go Event Services is here for professional timing and results. All preregistered riders (with valid email addresses included in their BikeReg profiles) will receive race results and lap times for their race via email shortly following their race. Riders MUST be preregistered to enjoy this feature. Results will also be tweeted by @One2Go_Results following each event.  Your #’s go on your left SIDE! Failure to follow properly place bib #’s risk you not being scored and potentially a $20 fine. Live scoring of the races can be found at www.livelynxresults.com.
• Parking: Parking is free, and the best spots are off of the 8500 S Western Ave entrance to the park… follow parking lot to the South.
• The Chicago Marathon is being run on Sunday so please plan your travel times to and from the race accordingly.
• Online pre-registration on BikeReg.com closes TONIGHT. Please remember on-site registration closes 30 minutes prior to each race’s scheduled start time. All bib #’s must be picked up prior to registration closing so please be timely and considerate to all those you race with and DO NOT show up 15 minutes before your race expecting to still get in, even if you preregistered. Your numbers must be picked up no later than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of your race. We will be doing a hard cut off 30 minutes prior to handle waitlists. If you’re late, you go to the end of the wait list. No exceptions so come early and get your numbers!
• Weather looks great with 100% chance of awesome.
• The Course: Runs counter-clockwise. The course will once again be offering a little something for everyone. It will have straightaway power sections, hills (and we do mean hills), technical turn sections, and the infamous bunny hop barriers will be back. Energy management will be key. Bring your awesomeness!

Bunny hopping is a huge skill to possess in any cycling sport.  This is obvious when it comes to BMX, cyclocross and mountain bike racing.  Road racing not so much, but it can save your @$$ when things go haywire.  It is a learned skill involving a few important steps with a bit of body English mixed in.  Not everyone will be able to perfect their technique to the point of being able to sky over the barriers.  We can all learn to hop over roots, rocks, curbs and small barriers (Indian Lakes, Campton CX and Dan Ryan Woods) to save the tubulars and maintain momentum.

Take it in a few steps, and best to practice on a nice soft grass surface:

1. Coil by crouching your legs and arms down a bit, like a cat.
2. Unleash the coil so that your back goes back up and your arms and legs straighten out. Once your front wheel is at least as high as the object you’re going to clear, your arms should be almost completely extended (straight).
3. Lift the front end of the bike just a little bit more by slightly coiling your arms again.
4. Unload the weight on your back wheel by coiling your legs up toward your body slightly while pushing the front end of the bike by simultaneously straightening your arms.

This is a tough thing to describe and so here is a good video as well:

It’s more of a teeter-totter action, as if you have an invisible fulcrum beneath your bottom bracket.  Be careful on the landing to not come down with too much weight on either wheel so that you don’t damage the rim or tire.  It takes a bit of finesse which can only be gained through repetition.

Practice the two main steps one at a time.  The coil and subsequent unleashing by popping your upper body up to get the front wheel up is one step.  The second is un-weighting the back wheel.  If you can do those two steps, and neither is very difficult, you have it in you to catch some air sans-lip.  Work on each individually, over and over again.

Once each is comfortable put the two steps together.  Jump a small stick at first and slowly move up as you become more proficient.  The best set up we’ve come up with at TBC is a garden stick as you’d use to prop up wilted plants and two of the plastic course marking stakes that we use on our CCC courses.  You can buy these at pretty much any hardware store.  Position two marking stakes with the tabs on the side farthest from you.  Place the garden stick on the tabs at the appropriate height.  If you hit the stick it will harmlessly fall to the ground and you can keep upping the ante tab by tab.  It’s a very safe set up that still adds some pressure to your situation.

Good luck, take it slowly and safely and have fun out there!

Rob Kelley

Director of Coaching

Training Bible Cycling

Photo: SnowMountain Photography

• Thanks to Comrade Cycles, Axeltree, and everyone who helped make Hopkins CX another great event. A pavement start, super flowy turns, and a nice wide track made for very, very fast racing. We understand the flyover has moved on to greener, or rather colder, pastures but we’ll always have the memories.

Photo: SnowyMountain Photography

• Up next this coming Saturday the folks at BBVP want to soften up our legs at their non-CCC event at Dan Ryan Woods – Beverly Hills CX. This is NOT a CCC series event, but in the same location and still a boatload of fun and great way to get in some warm up/extra CX racing.
• Then on Sunday the CCC series continues at Dan Ryan Woods.
• Remember on Sunday the Chicago Marathon will be running its way around the city, so please plan your travel times accordingly to make it to DRW on time.
• In general almost everyone is doing a great job of pinning bib numbers to their left side… but did you ever wonder why it takes One2Go a little longer to score some races? Ever wonder what your image looks like as you cross the finish line? One2Go was kind enough to share a few choice images with us here. It should be pretty obvious (besides the file names) who pinned the number correctly and who didn’t. Please make an effort to pin your numbers correctly so all categories can be scored quickly and accurately.
• The CCC is putting together a few new playlists for you listening enjoyment during the day. Let us know if you have any requests.
• Another note from our friends up North… Grafton PumpkinCross is on the horizon – next Saturday, October 17, 2015 at Lime Kiln Park, 2020 S. Green Bay Rd., Grafton, WI. The race is proud to announce some new course features for 2015 including a several hundred meter paved start & finish, PRO only (well, they may do masters 35/45 123s as well), the grueling sledding hill climb with a DJ hillside and an open mic for heckling (or giving words of encouragement…), and the death grip slalom descent! Plus local food vendors: Hop In Smoke BBQ, the local crepe food truck for morning, pizza, beer, drink. If that’s not enough the FIRST FOUR CCC riders to use the promo code: “TOLL” gets free entry to PumpkinCross. Take their prize money! If you weren’t quick on the draw, “CHX” gets 25% off entry fees. Register at: https://www.usacycling.org/register/2015-2319
• And finally…  as the CCC grows and grows and grows and we try to give everyone a chance to race please remember that even in what should be similarly skilled categories the front of the race is going a lot faster than the back. As fun as mullet metaphors can be, if you’re in the back of the pack (party in the back) please be aware of  your surroundings… and if you are about to be lapped, please do the right thing and allow the leaders to pass you safely and as best you can do not interfere with their race. In other words, don’t take the best/easiest line and let the fast guys/gals fly by, especially if there are several people riding together who are battling it out for the win. And to the leaders (business up front), please be respectful to those riders you are lapping, let them know which side you are passing on, and take it easy. You are already lapping these poor souls, there’s no reason not to be excellent to each other. Thanks!