Photo: Nathan Schneeberger

– Thanks to everyone who came out and raced, heckled, etc at xXx Racing‘s CX Relay Race on Sunday. This “race” is quickly becoming not only a great way to start off the season on the right foot (literally… the lemans start makes sure of it) but a great way to make new friends, catch up with old ones, and get new people interested in the sport (even if they’re not sure what a hand-up really is or why in the world we would want to take one). Thanks to xXx Racing, all their sponsors, the officials, and of course the racers for making it all happen. Photos and videos are here.

– Up next on the racing front, Wild Card Racing brings CX to Rantoul, IL on 9/11/11 with their new race Patriot CX. Please pre-reg as soon as you can as the promoter needs to get a good handle on how many racers to expect. If pre-reg is too light they may be forced to cancel the event.

– Ladies, don’t forget about Half Acre‘s Womens’ & Trans Cyclocross Clinic taking place on 9/10 in Humboldt Park.

– Voting for the 2011 CCC series t-shirt design has begun here (or just see below). Please pay attention to the rules, but by all means vote for your favorite design.

– We only received one sock design for the CCC SockGuy socks. We’ll reveal what they look like shortly (after we decide on the cuff height and color) and the winner will be introduced at Jackson Park where s/he will receive a call up.

– Our CX buds just North of the Cheddar Curtain are hosting the MidWest CX Regional Championships on 12/10/11-12/11/11 on the same course that will be used for the CX National Championships just one month afterwards (in January).  Find details and more at BadgerCross.com. Registration was quietly opened last week here. Saturday’s start order is based on the order of registration and Sunday’s start order is based on Saturday’s results.

– And finally… then there’s this. Yeah, we’re speechless too.

The 2011 t-shirt entries are finally in and its again time for you, the riders of the CCC to vote for your favorite! Thanks to everyone who submitted designs, but as we all know, just like in a race, only one design can win.

See the designs below or follow this link to our Picasa page.

Please review the 7 designs carefully and pick your favorite… and obviously the one you’d want to wear. Then vote below or in the side bar to the right –>. Please only vote once (yes, just like the last 2 years if you figured out a way to get around the super-secure interwebs security we want you to do the right thing and still only vote once). Polls will be open until midnight next Sunday (9/11/10) and we’ll announce the winner at Jackson Park.

Remember to click the yellow “Vote” button when done to save your vote. Anyone can vote, but if you get all of your friends, shop owners, quasi-random strangers, long lost aunties, and pet greyhounds to vote… they have to buy a t-shirt and wear it too!

We’ll have the shirts for sale here on the CCC website’s store page for $15 (opening later this week) and the first batch should be ready for pick up at Jackson Park. We will ship shirts but you’ll have to pay for the shipping so please contact us first before purchasing.

Our friends at Think B!G will be printing the shirts on supple American Apparel t’s… colors and model to be determined depending on the winning design.

Our friends at Spidermonkey Cycling will be taking care of distribution at the races and as in years past the CCC will donate a majority of all profits to our year end donation to World Bicycle Relief. So buy a shirt or 3… as it all goes to a great cause!

Good luck to all of the contestants and Happy Voting!

You all know what to do. Please post links to your photos, videos, and race reports in the comments below.

– This Sunday is the 2nd incarnation of xXx Racing’s CX Relay race. Pre-reg closed last night but there are still spots open in all categories except the Co-Ed Open (last race of the day, which will also have a wait list). Day-Of reg incurs a $15 late fee… so bring your cash dollars. See your competition here.

– Also, be sure to read the tech guide for all the specific rules that apply to this unique event. We know of a few of you are still looking for buddies to high five, so if you need a partner, email us or leave your request in the comments below.

– Remember the parking lot at Jackson Park is metered, but only costs about $10 for all day. We don’t want anyone getting a ticket, so you’ve been warned. If the lot right next to the course fills up, there is parking to the west of the course on Hayes Drive.  However, the lot south of Hayes Drive south of the main parking lot is off limits.

– Please note that the Chicago Triathlon will be taking place along the Lakefront Path on Sunday morning. xXx and the CCC urge all CX’ers riding down to Jackson Park for the race to exercise due caution and courtesy when traveling along that route. If traveling by car, you should probably try another route besides LSD.

– The CCC is trying to be green… take a look under the floor mats of your car, dig into to seat cushins and bring your own safety pins to properly attach your bib number. But how will you remember to bring pins each week? We suggest visiting one of your favorite local bike shops and purchasing a patch kit… we like the Genuine Innovations large patch kit in the green plastic boxes. Whether you use the patches is up to you, but we like to put a handful of safety pins in the plastic container and always keep it in our race bag. Mother earth thanks you!

– The weather looks delightful for Sunday, and almost CX list. Bring your arm warmers for after the race.

– Podiums will be awarded immediately after the conclusion of each race and before the start of the next race. So if you finish in the top three head straight to the podiums (look for the CCC flags) after your race so we can stay on schedule.

– Before we start racing… let’s review a few rules of engagement. Yes, we’re all racing, yes many of us are aggressive, yes you will fall down, yes the officials might not get your placing correct, and yes tempers might flair here and there… but remember first and foremost we’re all out there to have some fun and enjoy each other’s company. So please smile, have a lot of fun, and enjoy this precious time we have together. Oh, and don’t forget the high fives and handups… even if you’re not racing.

– The CX relay course will be similar to last year with a few new twists and turns, but more importantly it will be slightly shorter to allow everyone to race more laps. Check xXxRacing.org for more info.

– At the beginning of the summer we were worried we might only have a few sponsors this season due to the weak economy. Not only have nearly all 2010 sponsors returned but we’ve added a few new members to the CCC family as well. Please see our series sponsorship proposal here or if you’d like to be a part of the big show, see our New Year’s Resolution proposal here.

 – Rob Curtis, founder & owner of CCC series sponsor Psimet Wheels was interviewed in CX Magazine. He discussed wheels, CX, racing, and how during his first ever CX race he “… wasn’t even a full lap in before I found myself feeling like a kid who just found out that girls smell nice.” We wonder what flavor of embro Rob was thinking of? In any event, big thanks to Rob and Psimet for supporting pedal bike racing in IL and giving the CCC a nice shout out.

 – The biggest name in bikes (get it?) Giant puts it name in the ring for the 2011 season. RIDE LIFE. RIDE GIANT.

  – Back again after spending a summer on the road ripping rider’s legs off at will, Enzo’s Buttonhole Chamois Cream returns to please everyone’s hinter regions. Look for Enzo and his Psimet masters crew to tear up the old guy fields this year as they prepare for CX Masters Worlds in Louisville in January.

 – New to sponsoring the CCC but no stranger at all to a hops fueled 5 o’clock Happy Hour, Smart Bike Parts officially joins the CCC sponsorship family.

– A few more races (Hopkins Park, Dan Ryan Woods, & Carpentersville) are now open for online pre-reg on BikeReg.com.

– Half Acre Cycling hosts their Ladies Cross Skills Clinic on Saturday 9/10/11 in Humboldt Park. In addition to Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com’s Kaitie Antonneau, French CX National Champ Caroline Mani will help lead the clinic. Reg is open on BikeReg here.

– We know many of you have been diligently practicing dis/remounts, riding endless circles in the grass, shining your shiny steads, and working on your heckling… so get ready for the first real CX race of the season. xXx Racing unofficially opens the CX season here in Chicago with their Cyclocross Relay Race in Jackson Park (just South of the city). The CoEd Open main event has filled up but there are still plenty of spots in other categories. We’ll have a full course preview at the regular time and place on Thursday morning, but make sure to read through xXx Racing’s official flyer for a few specifics about this unique race.

– Speaking of course previews… NCC, HAC, and Robots <3 checked in this week to tell us that at CCC #2 Hopkins Park in Dekalb they will once again have the NCC/HAC flyover with some improvements to help those that are not confident with the descent. Anyone that wants to come out Saturday night is welcome to join the setup crew in having a beer and riding a mechanical bull Saturday night.

In addition, NCC/HAC will again host the Official Unofficial Illinois State Single Speed Cyclocross Championship, which will go off AFTER the 4B race at 4:15pm. It will feature a 30-minute race on a shortened course with some *interesting* features. Note this is NOT a USAC-sanctioned race. Allowed bicycles must have at least two wheels, at least one rider, and no more than one usable gear. Registration is on-site only and $15… The “race” is open class, men and women of any age are eligible.

– And finally… this is absolutely the last call for 2011 Series t-shirt and sock designs. Remember the winner of each design gets a shirt/pair of socks with their winning design, free entry into one race of their choice, a much sought after call up, and most importantly… adoring admiration (read: heckles) from the entire CCC populous. We’ve received a handful of entries but will continue to accept designs until Midnight this coming Sunday (8/28/11).

– Lots of series sponsors from last year keeping finding their way back into the dirt and grass while a bunch of new friends are joining the CCC family. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention all of the 2010 sponsors who graciously came back for more. Sheila Moon, CarboRocket, Mad Alchemy, Main Street Bicycles, Mox Multisport, The Pony Shop, Van Wagner, Verdigris Custom Homes, Spin Doctor Cyclewerks, BikeReg.com, and Tipping Point Photography are all back again. New for 2011 the CCC welcomes:
 Alchemy Bicycle Co. – Last year somewhere in the depths of Texas word started to spread from town to town that Chicago was the place to race (and heckle) CX. The message eventually reached Austin and the good folks at Alchemy Bicycle Co. knew they had to be involved. From Carbon to Titanium to Steel each of Alchemy’s frames is handmade in Austin, TX by their team of craftsmen dedicated to building perfectly fit performance bicycles. Check them out at AlchemyBicycles.com

 
 Well-Fit Triathlon and Training – Located in the Western Loop, Well-Fit’s mission is to be the “premier coaching company creating world champions and everyday heroes.” Come to think of it, the CCC views its riders in much the same light from the fastest Cat 1 to the last finisher in the 4B’s. Well-Fit is lucky to have CCC regulars Ted Ramos and Russ Kuryk as coaches at the facility, which may be a perfect place to hit the trainer in the depths of winter… or right before the New Year’s Resolution races.

– We’ve always got room for one more, but if you’d like to be a 2011 series sponsor please hurry as we need to order up t-shirts soon and we want all sponsor logos to be represented. 2011 series sponsorship info is here. Sponsorship info for our New Year’s Resolution race is here. If you’d like to be involved in any way please email us at [email protected].

– Speaking of t-shirts, we only received two entries in the 2011 CCC t-shirt design competition. You all must be out racing and riding your bikes or something. Maybe your dogs ate your homework? In any event, in order to have a deeper pool of t-shirt designs we’re pushing back the deadline 2 weeks to midnight on Sunday September 4th. This means we won’t have the CCC socks until after the start of the season, but you won’t need 18″ wool SockGuys until at least the end of October anyway.

– Last week we told you about Cyclo-Cross Sitters who will watch your little ones… but what to do if you want to get your kid(s) racing? Paul Swinand is back again can help with his Friday evening kids cross training Beginning Cycling Training at the Northbrook Velodrome starting the 2nd week in September.

– Last week we also mentioned inviting food trucks to races. Well, wouldn’t you know it 694 Wine and Spirits made it really easy for you. Stop by the Food Truck A Go-Go every Saturday in August and September and invite your favorite truck. Coincidentally coinciding with the start of CX season? We think not! Don’t forget the schedule.

– Online pre-reg on BikeReg.com is available for about half the series here. Though not part of the CCC series, reg for Patriot CX and the xXx Relay CX race are also open. The Co-Ed race is full (xXx will run a waitlist on race day) but there are plenty of spots in the other categories.

– And finally… we know many of you have been getting your CX rides ready for the season. We’d love to see what they look! Please post links to glamour shots of your bike(s) in the comments below or Tweet a picture and include our @ChiCrossCup tag so we can retweet!

Oh man, less than 3 weeks until the xXx Relay Race… less than 6 weeks until the official start of the CCC at Jackson Park. There’s lots going on all over the place and this update is a big one… fasten your seat belts and please read all the way to the bottom.

– The CCC is still accepting 2011 series sponsors. If you’d like to be involved please email us at [email protected].
 – EJ’s Place in Skokie returns to sponsor the CCC for what seems like the 82nd time. EJ’s will be sponsoring the overall series prizes for the Juniors (10-14 and 15-18, Boys and Girls). All juniors still race free (no entry fees) thanks to our generous promoters.

 
– Spidermonkey Cycling. New to (officially) sponsoring the CCC is Spidermonkey Cycling who will be supplying the Juniors prizes every week (10-14 and 15-18, Boys and Girls). Make sure to swing by the big yellow and orange 312 tent and say Ka-Kaw!

 
– Pactimo. New this year the CCC will award Pactimo Leaders Jerseys to the Cat 4A, Cat 4 Women, and both Juniors categories. The overall leader in each of those 4 categories will receive a Pactimo Leaders Jersey after each race that they will be required to wear at the next CCC race (in that category… so if you’re a woman or junior racing in another category you do NOT wear your Pactimo Leaders Jersey from the Women 4 or Junior races). We’re starting out with just the Cat 4’s and Juniors since we realize the masters and higher categories like their team skinsuits. But if things go well this year we’ll expand the Pactimo Leaders Jerseys to other categories in 2012.

– The New Year’s Resolution race sponsorship proposal is now available here. If you’d like to have your name in bright lights at a UCI race the week before CX Nationals email us at [email protected].

– Apparently you all really do want to race CX. Online pre-reg for xXx Racing’s Relay Race is already starting to fill up.

– CCC series races that are already permitted have online pre-reg opening now. We match rider information to your USAC license number so please make sure to update your BikeReg.com rider profiles as needed. Online pre-reg for all other CCC races will be available as those races are permitted by each individual promoter (likely very soon).

– Online pre-reg for Patriot CX is also open. Jason Rassi will allegedly be in attendance.

– If you’re new to CX remember you can race at your USAC (or NORBA mountain bike equivalent) category or one category below. For example, if you are a Cat 3 on the road you can race as a CX Cat 3 or CX Cat 4. There are no Cat 5’s in CX. All upgrades must be submitted to the USAC upgrade coordinator via your MyUSACycling account. See USAC’s page on the subject here. The CCC is not in the business of forcing riders to upgrade… but any egregious sandbagging will be dealt with accordingly.

– Got kids? Two entrepreneurial young ladies whose parents race CX have started Cyclo-Cross Sitters to watch your infant to teenage children at races (so there is no excuse NOT to race). Contact the Cyclo-Cross Sitters here.

– The great thing about CX is that every year each course changes from the year before, making it Feel Like the First Time. Sometimes just a little bit, other times quite a lot. But the same general terrain at each venue does stay the same from year to year. Since so many new people try CX each year we thought it would be a great idea to consolidate in one place all the helmet/handlebar camera videos from over the years to get a general idea of what each venue “feels” like. It turns out there are a ton of videos out there… but thankfully local Cat 4 lady racer and professional Andy Schleck TDF heckler Vanessa Buccella (Spidermonkeys) has a PhD in YouTube searching techniques and helped us scour the Interwebs for the best videos. Check them out here. Also as we mentioned, courses change every year, so please do NOT try to pre-ride courses now… they won’t be the same anyway, you’ll have plenty of time to pre-ride on race day, and most importantly some park groundskeepers are very sensitive about their grass.

– Half Acre Cycling hosts their Ladies Cross Skills Clinic on Saturday 9/10/11 in Humboldt Park. In addition to Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com’s Kaitie Antonneau, French CX National Champ Caroline Mani will help lead the clinic. Please RSVP on FB here.

– We’re still looking for entries for the 2011 CCC series T-Shirt & Sock design competition.  Entries are due by midnight on Sunday August 14th (less than 1 week from now!). Otherwise we’ll need to design these things ourselves… and no one likes stick figures.

– The CCC tries to be as green as possible and one sore spot we’ve recognized over the years has been the large number of Tyvek bib numbers that end up in landfills because of our weekly bike parties. This year the CCC will do its best to recycle old bib #’s using these Tyvek recycling kits from Waste Management. If you’d like to help us out by either purchasing kits or helping to gather old bib #’s at each race please let us know.

– And finally… Last year more and more promoters starting having food vendors at their races to literally feed the hungry masses. A few trips to a city taco stand that serves killer margaritas got us to thinking maybe we could have even more options at races this year. Food trucks are all the rage these days and the CCC (through some friends who know a guy who knows a guy) have an inside line on getting this truck and this truck (designer cupcake handups?) to some of the city races. But if you have a favorite food truck or trucks you’d like to see at the races, the next time you’re chowing down on a taco, burger, cupcake, fro-yo, hot dog, etc… print out a few of these schedules and invite the driver to stop by. Tell him/her over 500 ravenous skinny people on bikes will buy them out of whatever they’re serving!

– And finally… FINALLY… the CCC and long time friends at Mad Alchemy Embrocation have been thinking for a while the CCC is ready for its own embro blend and this year our collaboration finally came to fruition. We asked around to see what scent you all preferred to slather on your legs and responses varied from fresh cut grass to pumpkin spice to bacon to Jack Daniels to Twinkies. Fortunately for your significant others and co-workers Pete at Mad Alchemy told us he will only work with the highest quality, all natural, essential oils (we thought bacon WAS an essential oil). But in the end MsChiCrossCup had a spark of genius that led to the final blend we’re calling the Chicago Cyclocross Cup Pome d’Embre Embrocation blend. We think you’ll all really enjoy the scent of the blend that is evocative of Autumn and the holiday season and can’t wait to get the stuff on your legs. Mad Alchemy’s brew monster is working overtime getting ready for CX season but the CCC custom blend should be available soon over on the store page. We’ll let you know as soon as it is!

– xXx Racing kicks off the Chicagoland CX season with their Jackson Park Relay race. Reg opens on BikeReg.com tomorrow! Make sure to read the rules on how to register and how the high fives work. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

– Online reg for Patriot Cross is already open on BikeReg. This will be a great race just outside of Chicagoland to sharpen your knobbies ahead of the full CCC series. On top of the cash payouts promoter Wildcard Racing has secured over $2,000 of  extra prizes and tells us call-ups will be based on reg order. Special call ups for anyone in “patriotic dress”. We’re not sure if something like this or this would count, but we’re guessing it wouldn’t hurt.

– Speaking of online pre-reg, we’re sure you all are chopping at the bit to reg for the series. Online reg for all CCC races will once again be on BikeReg.com (same it with us… Reg… like REGistration) and will be open in the next few weeks for most races. While we would love to offer a season pass for all races, please remember each race is hosted by a different promoter and we’ve got too much going on to keep track of transferring money all over the place… so you’ll still need to reg for each race separately. Thank you for understanding.

– Half Acre Cycling hosts their Ladies Cross Skills Clinic on Saturday 9/10/11 in Humboldt Park. In addition to semi-local superstar Kaitie Antonneau, French CX National Champ Caroline Mani will help lead the clinic. Please RSVP on FB here.

– The CCC is still accepting 2011 series sponsors. If you’d like to be involved please drop us a message at [email protected].

– We know it might seem like there hasn’t been much activity here at the CCC, but we have at least a half dozen projects we’re working on for the upcoming season. We’re finalizing details this week on many of them, so check back next Tuesday for updates on things like… something new for overall series leaders, course previews, incentives for juniors, bib #’s, smelly smellies, food trucks, and more!

– 2011 CCC series T-Shirt & Sock design competition entries are due by midnight on Sunday August 14th (2 weeks from now). Anyone can submit designs and anyone can win.

– Apparently in France they have ‘cross races on the sides of mountains!

– And finally… we always like to think of the CCC as one big, crazy family… so we’d like to officially welcome the newest member of the PonyShop CX Team U1 Age group, Maxwell Klug, into the (CX) world. Mom Holly is doing great and Dad Kevin has already been back out doing interval workouts. Congrats to you all!

– Just a few quick updates this week.

– Half Acre Cycling continues to support ladies cyclocross with their Women’s skills clinic on September 10th 2011 in Humboldt Park. Just announced last week current women’s U23 CX champ Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld) will help lead the clinic.

– The xXx Racing Relay race will be on Saturday Sunday August 28th. Check out the race’s FB page for updates.

– The 2011 CCC series T-Shirt & Sock design competition entries are due by midnight on Sunday August 14th (3 weeks from now). Anyone can submit designs (shirts and socks can and probably should be different) and anyone can win.

– CCC series sponsor Mad Alchemy will have a new CX Vegas flavor available September 1. The new scent sounds delightful and we wonder what other new blends MAE might have up their sleeves… or rather leg warmers.

– And finally… while this may not be CX we think everyone can appreciate the enthusiasm and creativity that goes into such an event… and we’re guessing all of these guys would easily fit into a CCC heckle crowd just fine. Congrats to Chicago native Nordic Thunder on his championship.

We at the CCC are elated to announce Iron Cycles has signed on again to be the CCC’s 2011 series Title Sponsor. Brandon and the guys over at Iron Cycles stepped up in a major way last year to sponsor the entire series and had so much fun they decided to do it again in 2011. Follow Iron Cycles on Facebook, Twitter, stop by their tent at any CCC race, or swing by the shop at 3134-3136 W. Montrose Ave Chicago, IL 60618 and let them know how much you appreciate their support for the CCC.

The CCC feels very fortunate to have Iron Cycles and all of our sponsors (past, present, and future) who allow us to avoid that awkward debt ceiling discussion and to do fun “extras” for our riders throughout the season. Look for more announcements over the coming weeks about our other 2011 series sponsors. And if you’d like to become a series sponsor yourself take a look at our 2011 proposal and drop us a line at [email protected].