Not a race, but we’re sure there are plenty of memories to be shared

The 2010 t-shirt entries are in and its again time for you, the riders of the CCC to vote for your favorite! Thanks to everyone who submitted designs (including the 12 year old junior!)… but as we all know, just like in a race, only one design can win.

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

Please review the 15 14 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 last year 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 Saturday (9/18/10) and we’ll announce the winner at Jackson Park.

UPDATE: The Bluebirds design has been removed at the behest of the creator. If you voted for the Bluebirds please attempt to vote again.

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 on series sponsor website REKLAIM Apparel for $15 and the first batch should be ready for delivery (or pick up) around the time of Elvis Cross (Dan Ryan Woods). Our friends at REKLAIM have been gracious enough to not only print the shirts for us, but also donate a majority all of their profits to the CCC’s year end donation to World Bicycle Relief to help us reach our season long goal of raising $5,000. So buy a shirt… heck buy 5… as it all goes to a great cause!

Good luck to all of the contestants, and Happy Voting!

– The CCC Kick Off Party is this Saturday 9/11/10 at 4pm at Iron Cycles! If you’re on Facebook, please RSVP here. Music, food, drinks, and some special giveaways and deals will be waiting for you. Support the series sponsors as well as Team Iron Cycles sponsors and maybe get yourself some new race wheels or other schwag!

– More new series sponsors continue to pour in… please help us welcome two more!
– Carbo Rocket – Staying hydrated is key, especially when you start racing CX in August!
– Enzo’s Cycling Products – Keep your button happy.

– Just a friendly reminder that Cyclocross racing age is calculated as of 12/31/2011… not 12/31/2010 like on the road. For example, if someone was born November 13, 1996… as of today, that rider is 13. As of December 31, 2010 they are 14 but as of December 31, 2011 they are 15. So even though right now this rider is 13 years old, their cross age is 15. Juniors, please make sure you are racing in the correct age group! This rule also applies to the masters, but to their benefit since a 38/39 year old can race 40+ or a 48/49 year old can race 50+. Of course then you have to race against these guys. Good luck!

– Also for juniors… Paul Swinand’s “beginning cycling training” for CX starts this Friday in Evanston. Check out the Facebook page here.

– Concerning rules, guidelines, regulations, and such… now might be a good time to review the CCC overall series standings rules on the ‘Series Rules and FAQs‘ page. It is your responsibility to make sure you are signed up for the correct race, and as we mentioned a while back we’ll let you know if you really need to upgrade (especially out of the 4A’s or 4B’s), but don’t be afraid to send us an email if you are unsure. However, actual upgrades are handled by USAC (not the CCC).

– Pre-reg for all CCC races (except Northbrook… coming soon!) is now open on BikeReg.com. Jackson Park is already starting to fill up. While registering, please consider making a donation to World Bicycle Relief to help us reach our goal of donating $5,000 by the end of the series. That’s enough to purchase one nice new Blue Norcross SL for yourself… or 37 WBR bikes that will equip almost an entire school with simple, sustainable mobility. Think about it. Update: Planet Bike has just pledged $5k to WBR as well… let’s make sure we match our friends from Madison!

– Speaking of, pre-reg for Jingle Cross just over the border in Iowa Thanksgiving weekend is now open.

– Our friends up North in WI are putting their races on BikeReg.com as well. See all the WI reg pages here. Besides the USGP Planet Bike Cup there are 2 other races that sound fun at the No Good Double Cross which will have a working bar for those of legal age (and apparently if you race fast you win a prize) and the Cross the Domes (which The Pony Shop has $5 IL toll vouchers for).

– But if you’re heading up North on that Saturday just make sure to save some energy for our own CCC Hopkins Park/Dekalb race hosted by North Central Cyclery & Half Acre Cycling. Tobie at NCC and the good folks at Half Acre always host a great event, and rumor has it there will be a special surprise awaiting everyone who makes the trek out to Dekalb. Half Acre is also hosting a Women’s Cyclocross Clinic on Saturday 9/11/10 (the morning of the CCC Kick-Off party).

– A new CX racer pointed out that the old links to the VeloNews.com series of CX how-to videos was broken. Thankfully VN kept the videos and just moved them here. We found these videos invaluable when we first started out racing and hope you will too. Have a watch and then go practice in your local park.

– Ever wonder why your comments take a while to show up here on the CCC site? Become a registered user and your comments will be displayed almost immediately.

– And finally… Don’t forget about this year’s CCC t-shirt design contest. Entries are due this Thursday… so sharpen up your pencil’s and Photoshop skills.

– The CCC continues to be blessed with plenty of wonderful series sponsors. Please help us welcome the two most recent additions.
– Blue Competition Cycles – There was a need for a company that could design and build the same world class framesets that were capable of giving elite athlete a competitive advantage and offer those same, identical frames to the amateur athlete or serious enthusiast. That’s how Blue Competition Cycles got its start.
– Verdigris Custom Homes – “Old World Excellence, Modern Technology, Mindfully Green”

photo by Liz Farina Markel

– Well that was a lot of fun! xXx Racing put on another great event with the Relay CX race. There are too many to post here, but check out the pix and vids. Results are here. A quick video is here. A quick Google search finds even more.

– Online pre-reg is now open on BikeReg.com for all CCC races (except Carpentersville and Northbrook… they’ll be up soon). If you’d rather wait, bookmark this address for all CCC races on the calendar. While you’re pre-reg’ing, please consider making a donation to World Bicycle Relief. Last year the riders of the CCC donated over $3,400 to this worthy cause, but this year we’re challenging you to hit the $5,000 mark. Let’s see what you can do!

– Concerning call-ups at Jackson Park… they will have nothing to do with the order of pre-registration… but you must pre-reg to qualify. Got questions… well, you’ll just have to wait 3 weeks to find out!

– Don’t forget 2010 series t-shirt design submissions are due by Midnight Thursday September 9th (just make sure it says Chicago Cyclocross Cup somewhere in the design). Voting begins the next morning and ends the following week… just in time for Jackson Park. We’ve only received one design so far… so your chances are currently very good.

– We recently received a big ‘old box full of mellow, medium, and Uber Secret embrocation from our good friends and series sponsor Mad Alchemy. MAE creator and brewer Pete Smith wants us to be creative with awarding these goodies, so in the Category 4A races we’ll be introducing the Mad Alchemy “First Lap Hot Legs Sprints”… think criterium primes, but always on the first lap, and not at the finish line. We’ll announce sometime before the race (probably on the start line) where the sprint line will be, but you can expect it to probably be at the top of a run up, at the end of a sand-pit, or somewhere else fun and exciting. Don’t worry, we won’t make you stop and apply a layer… that is of course unless you’re into that sort of thing.

– Check out the upgrade the ICA webmaster recently made to www.IllinoisCycling.org… you can now find great pictures from last year’s series on the homepage. The webmaster also has a little picture project he needs help with. Check it out here or email him at [email protected] for details.

– And finally… Don’t forget about the CCC Kick Off Party on Saturday September 11 at 4pm at Iron Cycles (3136 West Montrose Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60618, 773-539-4766 ). We’ll get the shop to put up an event RSVP on their FaceBook page soon, but feel free to let us know if you’re going to attend.

Just a friendly reminder that online pre-registration for all races (except Carpentersville & Northbrook) is opening in 3… 2… 1… now! Bookmark this BikeReg.com address for all CCC races:
http://www.bikereg.com/events/?et=120

While you’re pre-reg’ing, please consider making a donation to World Bicycle Relief. Last year the riders of the CCC donated over $3,000 to this worthy cause, but this year we’re challenging you to hit the $5,000 mark. Let’s see what you can do!

Call-ups at Jackson Park have nothing to do with the order of pre-registration… but you must pre-reg to qualify. We’ll see you all in 3 weeks back in Jackson Park!

If you’re new to ChiCross here’s how it works… Post links to your Flickr, Picasa, SmugMug, YouTube, Vimeo, etc galleries for this race. We’ll have dedicated posts after each CCC race as well for you to share your handy work.

The CCC directors recognize that our racing population is infinitely more creative and talented than we are… so we’re once again putting the 2010 series t-shirt design in your hands…

From now until Thursday September (9/9/10) at midnight anyone can submit a t-shirt design (email it in .jpg, .png, or better yet vector format to [email protected]). Just make sure it says Chicago Cyclocross Cup somewhere in the design. We’ll again put all of the designs up for a vote here on the site (the next day 9/10/10), and let the riders of the CCC decide which one they want/like the most. Please keep it clean and simple, and absolutely no submissions will be accepted after midnight (central time!) on Thursday 9/9/10.

Like last year, the winner will receive the following:

1. A copy of their masterpiece in any size they like,
2. Free entry into one of CCC races,
3. Their name all over the CCC website, and
4. Heckles… lots and lots of heckles.

Once a design has been chosen the t-shirts will be put up for sale on series sponsor site REKLAIM Apparel, made of sustainable materials, and all proceeds will benefit the CCC and World Bicycle Relief.

So let’s see what you’re made of. The clock starts ticking… now!

– First up, this Sunday is the xXx Racing CX Relay race. Remember pre-reg (which closes at 11:45pm on Thursday) is always easier on everyone… so get yourself over to BikeReg.com. Also, be sure to read the xXx’s non-denominational race bible for all the specific rules that apply to this unique event. We know of a few Cat 4’s still looking for buddies to high five, so if you need a partner, email us or leave your request in the comments below.

– Before we get started racing however… 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.

– For those of you who would rather not start off the season in your chamois… clear your calendars because we’re having a 2010 CCC kick-off party at Iron Cycles on Saturday September 11th. We’ll have some adult beverages (and stuff for the kiddies too) and food while we hang out and chat about the impending fun to come.

– Hello there… remember me? Details about the 2010 CCC series t-shirt contest will be posted later this week… so start getting your designs cleaned up. We’ll run the contest with similar rules as last year and the shirts will be printed and distributed by our good friends over at REKLAIM apparel. Check out last year’s submissions here.

– Speaking of orange… series sponsor Tati Cycles is running a promo for CCC racers at the shop. $500 for a pair of handbuilt tubular wheels and properly glued tires (Challenge Fango/Grifo/Grifo XSs). Tati loves the exotic stuff as much as anyone, but if you’re looking for some workaday hoops, basic=better!

– Someone asked us the other day what this year’s CCC theme would be. We didn’t have a good answer. Then later that night while starting up iTunes we realized the CCC did not yet have good theme music. We got a little PA for the start line this year (yes there are that many of you and no the bullhorn is not going away) where we can play some tunes at each race while you all go around in circles. We have plenty of music but not enough time to comb through it all… so we’re now accepting requests. In the comments below let us know what you’d like to hear, assuming you don’t have sand in your ears. As always, please keep it clean, we won’t play music with foul language.

– And finally… Many of you are racing cross for the first time this year… and many of you have been racing for a few years… but have you ever wondered what the CCC looked like waaaay back when it started in 2004? Original series promoter Joe Doyle reminds us of our humble beginnings here when there were only 4 races on the calendar, categories were letters, juniors paid to race, Jason Meshberg & Joel Feinberg actually raced, and there apparently were no cowbells or bacon.

Final round up of series sponsors. If you’d still like to be involved we always have room for one more, but please hurry!

– Iron Cycles – We at the CCC are pleased to announce our first ever series Title Sponsor. Brandon and the folks over at Iron Cycles have stepped up in a major way to sponsor the entire series from start to finish and the CCC is excited to be partnering with yet another great local bike shop. Follow Iron Cycles on Facebook, their blog, stop by their tent at any CCC race, or swing by the shop itself at 3134-3136 W. Montrose Ave Chicago, IL 60618 and say hello.
– RoadID – The name says ‘Road’, but the IDs still works on grass, dirt, and sand.
– SockGuy – Keeping your tootsies stylish and comfy.
– Verizon Cycling Team – Young guys, old guys, it doesn’t matter… the Verizon squad rips legs off at will, and then tweet about it on “the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless network.”
– REKLAIM Apparel – Organic, Repurposed, Upcycled clothing and gear.
– BikeReg.com –  Simple, easy online bicycle race registration. You can register for all 12 CCC races on BikeReg.com… just add this address to your favorites and look for the CCC logo.

– Some of our race promoters have been working ultra hard to secure extra merchandise and product above and beyond the standard CCC payout for their races. However, they don’t want to hold on to this stuff forever, and we don’t want it in the trunks of our cars. So make sure to check the flyers for each race because you (or a designated  teammate) must be present to win. Otherwise your winnings will be offered as handups at the next race.

– In thinking about what we missed in last year’s CCC one thought kept popping up in our minds…  all of you were working overtime for your placings but we at the CCC didn’t recognize those achievement until later that evening online. So this year we’re making it a priority to hold podium presentations for the top 3 finishers immediately after each race. If you finish in the top 3 in your race, don’t go to your car, don’t head to the beer tent, don’t go kiss your girlfriend, definitely don’t go kiss someone else’s girlfriend (unless they’re into that sort of thing), don’t go eat dear jerky, and don’t jump in the back of the Cuttin’ Cruiser to… well, whatever it is they do in the back of the Cuttin’ Cruiser. Don’t worry, in colder months we’ll have something to keep you warm. Please head immediately to the podiums (probably somewhere near the start/finish line… you’ll see them) where you can bask in the glory of all your admirers and stand on a step. We won’t start the next race until the podiums are done from the prior race… so please help us stay on schedule.

– We know almost all of you race every weekend anyway, and most categories are decided in the last one or two races, plus we’re not sure why you wouldn’t want to race all 12 races anyway… but just in case, we’re making a slight change to the series rules for 2010. Starting this year you must race at least half of the series (6 races) to win the overall.

– CX Clinic with Jeremy Powers and Randy Warren was a hit this past Sunday. The weather might have been completely un-cross-like, but a few lucky souls got to learn from the best. Check out the photos below from the morning session and more from Liz Farina Markel at Tipping Point here.

– We know you keep looking for it, and registration for Jackson Park (and all other races) will open soon on BikeReg. We’ll post here and on our twitter feed as soon as it is.

– Registration is however already open for the xXx Racing Relay Race. We know of several people looking for partners, so if you’re looking for a buddy too let everyone know in the comments below.

– And finally… The weather seems to almost be turning to Autumn and everyone is itching to get racing. We may have heard of a few CX practice that may have started popping up around town where people may have been riding on grass, dirt, etc, etc. Please remember that if you are using public spaces to respect everyone and everything out there… other people (yes, even those people on rollerblades) have just as much right to use our public parks as we do. So be kind, say hello and wave. You never know… you just might introduce someone new to CX!

– More new Series Sponsors!
– Avid – A division of locally headquartered SRAM Corporation… new this year Shorty Ultimate brakes!
– Rapid Transit Cycleshop – Bikes, service, and a fleet of Kona’s in Wicker Park/Bucktown.
– Spin Doctor Cyclewerks – Bikes and service in Bartett… home of the original “Heckle Hill”
– Tati Cycles – One offs, customs, rare vintages… if you can’t find it anywhere else, Tati has it in stock, today. Tati is also starting up a junior CX team.

– There’s still time and space to register for this Sunday’s IIT Cyclocross Clinic with Jeremy Powers & Randy Warren. We’ll be there to pick up a few tips ourselves and look forward to seeing everyone.

– If you are switching teams for the CX season or looking for an upgrade make sure to get that process started soon. License upgrades and team names are handled through USA Cycling on your ‘My USA Cycling’ page. But make sure to update your BikeReg profile as well.

– Registration for CCC races will be opening up soon on BikeReg. Look for updates here and on our Twitter feed. Remember you can always see who’s pre-reg’d for each race by checking out the ‘Confirmed Riders’ link on each race’s reg page. Like last year we’ll call up the top 10 riders in each category before the start of each race. We know you’re probably wondering, “How will you do this at Jackson Park since its the first race of the series?” You’ll have to wait and see, but we’ll have a special call up procedure on September 19th based on who pre registers.

– Speaking of… look who’s matched up together at the xXx Racing Relay Race. We aren’t betting people, but if we were, we’d be looking for Cat 1/2/3 state champ Scott McLaughlin and Mike Hemme of  the composite team SRAM/Courage to set a blistering pace at the front of the Cat 1/2/3 field. Are you looking for a buddy to high five? Post your request in the comments section below and we’ll see if we can play match-maker.

– For those of you recovering roadies that slipped and found yourselves on the sidelines at the Grayslake Cycling Classic this past Saturday, you were treated to a show during the kids races just before the P/1/2 race. Below we see 6 year old Peter Swinand giving his best Cavendish post-up impression at the end of the 5-6 year old category. We can’t wait until he’s old enough to race in the CCC… but in the meantime Peter’s dad Paul will be hosting kids cyclocross introductions/training on Friday evenings in September in Evanston.  If you’re interested in getting your kids hooked on CX too, check out the Facebook site “beginning cycling“ or contact Paul here.

Photo by Andrew Rizzo

–  The US Gran Prix of Cyclocross has a new video. Check it out here. Registration for the Planet Bike Cup in Sun Prairie, WI is open NOW!

– And finally… racers always ask us lots of questions before, during, and after races. Things like “What tire pressure should I run?”, “What side does my number go on?”, Where’s the start line?”, “How much further?”, and “How much embro should I apply directly to my chamois?”. Note… DO NOT put embro anywhere near your chamois! But we here at the CCC have a few nagging questions of our own that have been stewing in the backs of our minds for a while now… things like:
– Will Flannel Mike where spandex this year?
– Can anyone challenge The Pony Shop juggernaut in the team competition?
– Can anyone pry the Cat 1/2/3 cowbell from Scott McLaughlin‘s hands?
– Does Wayne Simon really have small motors inside his bike?
– If gravel is the new dirt, and white is the new black, then what will the new bacon be?

We can’t wait to find out the answers this year (okay we already knew Wayne had motors surgically implanted in his legs long ago) and we hope you’ll help us… in just 4 weeks!