– For the 4th year in a row the Carpenter’s Park race, hosted by Main St. Bicycles (owned by CCC director and all-rounder Jeff Provisor) & North Branch Cycling, will be held along side the Carpentersville Oktoberfest as stop #5 of the CCC. The festival will once again have a beer garden (which will of course be located right next to the course). Great food vendors, live music, raffles, kid rides (inflatables), and much more. Full details of the festival and a sample of some of the Oktoberfestivities are here.

– Remember the previous day the CCC is just up the road in Wauconda at Psycho Cross. See the preview for Saturday’s race here. Online pre-reg on BikeReg.com is already closed for Pyscho CX but closes tonight (Thursday) at midnight for Carpentersville. All categories are still open.

– Registration should be in the NorthEast corner of the park not far away from the Staging/Start/Finish area.

– The weather forecast again looks fantastic.

– The Spidermonkeys will be back and distributing CCC 2011 series t-shirts and Mad Alchemy custom embro. Sock will be available next week at Sunrise Park.

– Jeff and the village of Carpentersville have asked that we please keep the beer drinking in the beer garden. It always seems there are a few people out there that can’t find access to the Interwebs, so if you see someone with a can or two of High Life on the other side of the course, please ask them to be respectful of the park, other spectators, and racers. Bacon and Twinkies are allowed and in fact encouraged to roam freely.

– Overflow parking will be East of the park – in the school lots off of Spring St (to the South), and at Cross Container off of Maple (to the North).

– The beer garden (did we mention there is beer) will be located on the NE side of the course. There will be many tasty food options as well… however Kenny’s famous Chubby Spud unfortunately will not be in attendance. Apparently Kenny moved to Arizona and no one has been able to convince him to return.

– Bring a canned food item for the local food pantry, and the $2.00 I.D. wrist band fee to purchase adult beverages in the Beer Garden will be waived. Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest will be featured in the garden.

– For all you kids who aren’t yet old enough to race in the 10-14 category, the Oktoberfest will feature a Free Kids race for 5-10 year olds held at high noon near the bandshell. Just bring your bike and a helmet!  Also for the kiddies, a huge inflatable jumpy thing to keep ’em busy & happy for .50 cents a ride.

– Bikes not your thing? There will also be a Classic Car Show in the Otto parking lot down the road.

– The Course: This year’s course will be nearly identical to last year with such class Carpentersville features as creek crossings, one of the CCC’s longer sand pits, and a little hill which is always great for spectating and taking photos. Returning in yet another variation from 2009 and 2010, the course will again shoot riders through dirt rollers (pump/rhythm section). Take notes from Sven Nys here (0:11). The new wrinkle this year is (unless the farmer decides to take down the corn this week) the addition of a corn maze to the roller section. The corn tunnel (sorry, not our words) is at least 8′ tall on either side and 10′ wide. Warning!!! You will break your teeth if you take a feed corn handup. Speaking of… Twinkies will be sold for a fundraiser by the Carpentersville local Rotary at their booth in the Oktoberfestival… not that you all need convincing but they are waaay tastier than the feed corn.

– Back again for another year race promoter Ted Schweitzer returns with the rebranded Verdigris Village CX team to host stop #4 of the CCC with their Psycho Cross race in Wauconda at the Golf Farm. The race also has a website at: www.psychocrosschicago.com. Pre-reg closes tonight at midnight on BikeReg.com.

– Speaking of night time… Ted is also experimenting with a night race this year on Friday. The Friday Night Race is not part of the CCC series (so no points to gain or lose), but will surely be fun for those of you looking to get in a little more racing. The course will be at least partially lit, but please bring your own lights. Camping spaces are available for $12.00 per person including  a bonfire and a band. Online pre-reg is on BikeReg here and additional details can be found here on the PsychoCross website.

– Speaking of more CX racings… on Sunday the CCC travels just down the road to Carpentersville. See the preview for Sunday’s race tomorrow. Online pre-reg on BikeReg.com closes for Carpentersville tomorrow (Thursday) at midnight.

– Travel Times: There is road construction and occasional major traffic backups in the vicinity of Route #12 (Rand Road) and Old McHenry road, as well as other construction in the area: Route #12 (Rand Road) south of Rt. #22 in Lake Zurich, Midlothian Road in Hawthorn Woods, and Lake Cook Road in Deerfield. Please plan accordingly as registration for each race closes 30 minutes prior to the start of each race.

– Per the owner of The Golf Farm, please leave your beer coolers and/or grills at home. This is private land and there is a restaurant/bar, so we have to play by the owner’s rules. The main parking will be on the South side of the course. Limited parking is available next to the restaurant/bar.

– Verdigris Custom Homes’ “Bridge of Sighs” will be riders’ main obstacle for the day. The flyover is 22’ tall, 51’ long, and 11’ wide with 13 steps that lead you to the top.

– And bobcat was also set  loose on the course and create some other fun features.

– The Gold Farm is a full service facility with a bar, restaurant, and of course bathrooms. Please use them all.

– The Course: There isn’t a terrible amount of terrain to speak of but Ted and the Verdigris Village CX crew have been very creative in designing a fast power course with all the trimmings including grass, dirt, gravel, mulch, twists, turns, straightaways, and of course the flyover.

Photo:Ed White

– Thanks again to Beverly Bike-Vee Pak and Region Racing for another great race at Dan Ryan Woods. This year’s course may have been the best so far, so we can’t wait to see next year’s torture over the hill and through the woods. Thanks also to everyone who came out and raced, cheered, snapped photos, heckled, etc.

– This coming weekend is the first of the CCC’s two double weekends at Psycho Cross and Carpentersville. Online pre-reg closes on BikeReg.com on Wednesday and Thursday night at midnight respectively.  But before the weekend even gets started you have a chance to race in the dark at Psycho Cross After Dark. Additional details at PsychoCrossChicago.com.

– The new staging system worked better than we hoped and from your comments it seems you all liked it as well. Huge thanks to Jim Brady (The Pony Shop), Cliff Golz (The Pony Shop), Lew Chin (Rhythm Racing), and Nathan Schneeberger (Johnny Sprockets) and our USAC officials for helping to make it all happen so well on the first try. Thanks also to you the riders for helping us work out a few minor kinks. We will continue with the same procedure for the rest of the season. The only race that will be slightly different will be the State Championships at Montrose Harbor to accommodate down state riders who can’t make it up to Chicago every weekend (details to come). Please continue to submit your constructive criticism comments here on the site or directly through our email address because, you know, we’re committed to making the series better in every way possible and we need your suggestions to do so.

– Upgrades: If you upgrade please send us a note at [email protected] so we can make sure to transfer your points for staging for you. Remember half of your points travel with you to the next category if you do so before Carpentersville. See the Series Rules/FAQ page for details.

– The Active Transportation Alliance is having their 25th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, October 13. Word has it that John & Christian Vande Velde and Robbie & Lori Ventura will be there. No reports yet of bacon or Twinkies.

– Friends of the series REKLAIM apparel have a Kickstarter associated with World Bicycle Relief... The Calling. Check it out here and donate if you can.

– – The Spidermonkeys will be back and distributing CCC 2011 series t-shirts and Mad Alchemy custom embro at Carpentersville. Socks will be available next week at Sunrise Park.

– An unidentified rider was spotted at DRW who we have never seen before.

– Two riders we do know were seen and we’re happy to see them together again.

– We saw a few crashes on Sunday. Here’s why you should always, always, always wear your helmet any time you are on your bike.

– The course preview for Saturday’s Psycho Cross race will be posted tomorrow (Wednesday). Sunday’s Carpentersville race will be posted at the regular time on Thursday.

– And finally… we here at the CCC don’t talk much about the really, really, really fast guys all that much, but this story from Sunday caught our attention as we think it exemplifies the spirit we see every weekend in CCC races. Whether its the fastest Cat 1 or a mid pack Cat 4B we all are out there having fun, achieving goals, and making memories. Fantastic ride Scott, and if you need a new derailleur, we know a local company who might be able to help you out.

Photo: Ed White

– This Sunday stop #3 of the CCC heads to Chicago’s South side at Dan Ryan Woods. Hosted by Beverly Bike-Vee Pak with support from Region Racing and food from Strack and Van Til. There is no theme this year so leave your white sequin jump suits at home.

– Food: BBVP will have free chicken tenders, PBJ sandwiches, and bananas from a generous food donation from Strack and Van Til courtesy of Region Racing.

– Water: However, BBVP and RR will not be supplying water (saving the world with less plastic). There are two water fountains on site but hydration might be important with the warm weather forecast. CarboRocket will be on site in the morning with coffee and mix.

– Neutral support from Beverly Bike and Ski will be at registration.

– 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.

– Speaking of running, our friends at Spidermonkey Cycling are apparently runners too and will be attending the marathon. There is an outside shot we will have the 2011 CCC series shirts for distribution, but if not you’ll be able to pick them up next weekend at Psycho CX or Carpentersville. CCC Mad Alchemy Embro will be available for pick up. Socks are still on schedule to arrive at ABD Sunrise Park.

– Online pre-reg on BikeReg.com closes tonight at midnight. Please remember on site registration closes 30 minutes prior to each race’s start time. Why you ask… see below.

Photo: Ed White

– Big thanks again to North Central Cyclery, Half Acre Cycling, and Robots Powered by Love for hosting yet another great event at Hopkins Park. If you couldn’t make it out to Dekalb for a stupendously wonderful Autumn day to watch the races be sure to check out all of the pix and vids posted here.

– Congratulations to James Lalonde (Chicago.CX) and Christina Peck (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew) who won this year’s installment of the Officially Unofficial IL State Singlespeed CX Championships. James and Christina won complimentary entry into the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship weekend being held November 18-20 in San Francisco as well as round-trip airfare. If you didn’t know, whomever wins SSWC’s gets to bring the event back to their home city the next year… so good luck and do us proud James & Christina (no pressure)!

– Next up Dan Ryan Woods (DRW). No theme this year… just some fast long straight-away CX racing with a little hill thrown in for good measure. Look for the standard course preview on Thursday.

– Just a heads up for this weekend… the Chicago Marathon is again being run (literally) the same day as DRW on Sunday. Please plan your travel times to the race accordingly.

– Hopkins Park was dry… but did you get your bike dirty somewhere else? Iron Cycles is still running their bike cleaning special.

– We have been asked by our promoters and officials to again remind everyone that registration closes for each race 30 minutes prior to its start time. This may seem like an arbitrary time cut off, but there’s a lot of stuff that needs to happen in that 30 minutes to get all races started on time (No shows pulled, waitlisted riders entered, start sheets printed, riders checked in at the starting grid, call ups prepped, donuts consumed, tires inflated, chains lubed… sorry, we got lost… where were we? Oh right, 30 minutes… Do yourself and everyone else a favor and just get yourself to reg on time. Arriving to pick up your bib number 5 minutes before your race start time and then asking someone to pin your number on is not acceptable and will no longer be tolerated.

– Speaking of registering… there are only a handful of spots left in the Cat 4A race. Get in there now if you want to race.

– CCC Series Director Jason Knauff was profiled on CX Magazine.

– Speaking of the New Years Resolution… Jason took a scouting trip to the East coast to visit the GP of Gloucester this past weekend. While very disappointed with New Englanders’ hand up and heckling skills, he did bring back quite a few best practices ideas… so look for them soon in the CCC as we prepare for our big show on New Years. Jason also had a chance to chat with a few pros and their handlers about racing in Chicago. Updates coming soon.

– Speaking of handling… thanks to Spidermonkey Cycling for handling our merchandise distribution at Hopkins Park. We only have a few tshirts left, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Socks are on the way and Embro is here now. All items are pre-order only.

– In case you missed it… our friends at CrossResults.com have introduced their Cross Clash. Check it out and challenge your friends or mortal enemies to a season long competition.

– There’s a new Blue Steel in town… but we always appreciate classics.

– And finally… we know there are quite a few carbonated hops flavored beverage enthusiasts racing (and lets be honest… heckling) in the CCC. If you happen to be out in Utah, maybe bring back some of this for everyone to enjoy?!?! HT Rhythm Racing‘s Michael Shea.

– Stop #2 of the 2011 CCC takes us to Hopkins Park hosted by North Central Cyclery, Half Acre Cycling, and Robots Powered by Love. Driving out to beautiful Dekalb is well worth it for the flyover alone… even before Brian Conant tells you that such a trip is mandatory.

– In addition to the full CCC schedule of races Hopkins Park will again be the venue for the OUILSSSCXC (Officially Unofficial IL State Single Speed CX Championships) immediately after the Cat 4B race. This race is NOT USAC sanctioned but will be loads of fun. See details here. As an added bonus the men’s and women’s SS winners earn a complimentary entry into the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship weekend being held November 18-20 in San Francisco, CA. In addition to their entry, the OUILSSSCXC organizers are providing round-trip airfare to the winners, all inclusive! See more details here.

– The Hopkins Park promoters are also awarding a prize for top men and women Cat 3’s in the Cat 1/2/3 races:

– M123: Top Cat 3 that also raced the regular Cat 3 race gets a $250 gift certificate courtesy Johnny Sprockets.
– W123: Top Cat 3 gets $250 gift certificate courtesy Johnny Sprockets.

– If that wasn’t enough payout for the Cat 1/2/3 and Women 1/2/3 races will be doubled. See the CCC standard payout schedule before increases here.

– We look forward to seeing our Women Cat 4 (Kim Brokhof – Spidermonkeys), Junior 15-18 (Mitch Bogardus – Williamson Bikes), Junior 10-14 (Max Hall – Verdigris-Village CX) series leaders in their new Pactimo Series Leader Jerseys. Note, our Cat 4A leader from Jackson Park (David Bowers) has already upgraded to the Cat 3’s so no one will be wearing the leader’s jersey in the Cat 4A’s at the start. Who will grab the bacon this weekend? You’ll have to be in Dekalb on Sunday to find out.

– Also, remember that the Women Cat 4 and the Cat 4A fields are both racing for the Mad Alchemy First Lap Hot Legs Sprints. You will receive instructions on the start line for where the sprint line will be, but we’re told it may be at the bottom of the other side of the flyover… so you have to get up and over the wooden monster first!

– The World Famous Half Acre Cycling Bake Sale is going on in the morning, and HAC will be grilling food (both meat and veggie) for purchase in the afternoon.

– The Spidermonkeys will be in Dekalb not only cheering and heckling but will also have the 2011 CCC t-shirts and Mad Alchemy Pome d’Émbre for distribution. If you ordered either item on line you can pick it up on Sunday. Sorry but we cannot sell CCC merchandise on site… so don’t even bother asking… although you’re welcome to swing by to look at the shirts and smell the embro.

– The transition out of the flyover will be “softened up” for those who might hesitate. Promoter Chris Jensen reminds us all however that none of the 12-15yr girls hesitated last year. So man up!

– NCC, HAC, and R<3 want to very clearly note that bullying riders in mixed fields on course to get out of the way will not be tolerated. We have lots and lots of guys and gals coming out to race this year and each rider has a right to be on course while having a safe and enjoyable race. In CX racing it is up to the rider who is passing to communicate and pass SAFELY, even if it means moving off the racing line. The rider being passed does NOT hold the onus of moving out of the racing line, especially at the cost of their own positioning/split in the race. Note USAC rule 1Q6:

1Q6. Abuse.
(a) No rider or licensee may be disrespectful toward organizers, officials, riders or spectators [warning for minor offense; possible relegation of rider; and/or up to a $50 fine]. (b) No rider or licensee may use foul or abusive language or conduct during a race event [disqualification and 15 days suspension].

– Start Grid: NCC/HAC/RpbL will have 10 lanes in the staging area, long enough to handle 100 riders (10×10). Everyone needs to line up inside a lane and NO overlapping other riders.

– Callups: As with all other CCC races the top 10 riders in the overall standings get call ups.

– Course Opening: N/H/R will be opening the course for riding at 7:30am. Please no riding the course before that time.

– Waitlist: Waitlists are only on-site on Sunday. Get there early if your want a spot!

– The great thing about CX and especially here in the CCC is that we have rivalries between our closest competitors. We can’t all be at the front winning, but we can certain try and beat those 2 or 3 guys or gals near us. Our friends at CrossResults.com have picked up on this and have introduced their Cross Clash. Check it out and challenge your friends or mortal enemies to a season long competition. There’s even prizes!

– Congrats to everyone who raced at the USGP of CX in Sun Prairie this past weekend. We saw some great results by CCC regulars and as we said back in August… its going to be a fast season. We also saw the pro races broadcast courtesy of CyclingDirt and VeloNews… so thanks for showing the rest of the country how to properly heckle and disseminate hand-ups.

– Next up the CCC heads to Dekalb, IL for Hopkins Park. The Cat 4A’s AND 4B’s are already full again (we’ll run wait-lists on race day)… but there is still room in all other categories. Look for the course preview on Thursday morning. UPDATE: Promoter Chris Jensen writes in to tell us the payout for the Cat 1/2/3 and Women 1/2/3 races will be doubled. More info on Thursday.

– Did your CX bike get dirty again at the USGP?  2011 CCC Series Title Sponsor Iron Cycles will be running their super duper cleaning special until the weather runs dry.

$45 CX-specific clean includes:
– Chain and cassette removed and cleaned (customer may need a new quick link depending on chain, slight upcharge)
– Bottom bracket and headset bearings cleaned whenever possible (sealed bottom brackets are limited somewhat)
– Clean/true wheels
– Clean frame
– 48-hour turnaround time or less

– Concerning team names, the CCC matches names, team names, etc on your USAC annual license. Please make sure your USAC license number is up to date in your BikeReg.com rider profile… and your team information is correct in the USAC database.

– For all the Juniors (and their parents) and Masters out there… your CX racing age is your age as of 12/31/2012 (the year of CX Worlds Championships). We can switch you to the correct category, but its much easier if you pre-reg for the correct category in the first place.

– If you enjoyed the live video coverage of the USGP in Sun Prairie over the weekend the CCC would like to do something similar. We have some ideas on how to do it but we need some help. If you’d like to help and have the CCC broadcast on the Interwebs please contact us.

– CCC merchandise is for sale on the store page. We have very limited quantities of all items and when they’re sold out… they’re sold out. The t-shirts will be available this weekend at Hopkins Park (and all subsequent races). Please see the Spidermonkeys for your shirt. Shirts will NOT be for sale at the race… you must pre-order here on the CCC site. If you’ve pre-ordered embro we’ll have it for you next weekend at Dan Ryan Woods. Socks will arrive in time for ABD Sunrise Park.

– Project 5 Racing and Chicago Winter Bike Swap invite all women racers and cycling enthusiasts to join them on October 8 for their 4th Annual Ladies Kit Up ‘n Chat Ride. See the flyer here. The ride will rollout at 9:00 am from Twin Lakes Park in Westmont (150 W. 59th St, a couple blocks west of Cass Ave on the north side of 59th St) and will ride 30 miles of trails and suburban roads at a conversational pace before returning to the park for some more chatting and a picnic. Project 5 Racing looks forward to seeing the powerful sight of so many women in a dual pace line rolling down the road! To help with the food count, please RSVP either via email to [email protected] or call 708-772-2087.

– Paul Swinand has CX practice for Juniors. Find more info on FB here.

– Its not quite cyclocross, but our friends at Burnham Racing are hosting their annual Apple Cider Donut World Championship Demilitarized Ride on Saturday October 22nd. Everyone loves a donut right? Please RSVP on their fb page here.

– In case you have been living under a muddy rock for the last few month, the CCC is hosting a UCI level race this year. We need some help with course set-up, crossing marshals, pro-rider translators, snow shovelers, etc, etc, etc. If you’d like to help out or better yet be our volunteer coordinator, please contact us. We will be forever grateful and will certainly make the weekend worth your while with race discounts.

– And finally… we’re experiencing record racer numbers again this year and that’s a lot of bodies to pass through registration. To help our promoters, reg desk volunteers, and officials deal with the volume we absolutely need to close registration for each race 30 minutes prior to its start time. We try not to ask much of all of you (besides racing hard, having a good time, and the occasional bacon hand-up) but if you pre-reg’d you must have your bib # in hand 30 minutes prior to each race so we can remove all no shows (DNS) and enter in any waitlisted riders. If you know you’re not going to make it to your race, please let us or the promoter know so the reg desk volunteers can get ahead of the ball. Thanks!

– Watch the pro Women and Men here: http://live.flocasts.org/planetbikecup.html

– The first pro race of the season comes to the Midwest this Saturday and Sunday in the form of the USGP Planet Bike Cup in Sun Prairie, WI. We know of quite a few Chicago area riders heading up to Madison for the weekend and we wish you all good luck. This past weekend’s race at Jackson Park should have prepared you all for navigating your way through large fields.

– By the time you read this online pre-reg via BikeReg.com will be closed, but you can view your competition here. As far as we can tell all fields are still open except the Pro races which are mandatory pre-reg.

– Day of reg incurs a $10 late fee.

– Note that registration for each field closes 1 hour before the start of the race. Please leave yourself plenty of time to get reg’d and numbers pinned on. Also, see the BikeReg page for call up protocols.

– We’ll leave the course description heavy lifting to the USGP here. A guide for enjoying Sun Prairie and Madison is here.

– USGP promoter Joan Hanscom want us all to know the Planet Bike Cup Friday Night Number Party is at Cannery Grill in downtown Sun Prairie. Swing by between 6pm and 8pm, grab your number, mingle with the pros, and grab some munchies and beer. Only inches from the course!!

– Good luck to everyone racing and we’ll see you all in a week at Hopkins Park where the Cat 4A field is almost full again.