This just in… a little more media coverage for the CCC.

SRAM‘s Scott McLaughlin and xXx Racing‘s Jeff Holland grace the cover of the Nov/Dec issue of Chicago Athlete Magazine!

–  Thanks to Sheila Burt for the great article with comments from the CCC’s Jason Knauff, the Pony Shop‘s Lou Kuhn, and Iron Cycles Brandon Elliot and Katie Isermann. Check out the full article starting on page 28.

– The Daily Herald also has an article about Carpentersville here titled “Challenging Cyclocross come to Carpentersville“. Thanks to Steve Zalusky for the insightful article!

– Speaking of Scott… it might be difficult… but see if you can spot him on the front page of SRAM.com. If you ride mountain bikes at all you’ve probably heard of SRAM’s new XX grouppo. Not only is Scott a ridiculously fast and talented CX and MTB racer, but he’s also a brilliant engineer who was instrumental in bringing the XX concept to market. Read all about it here.

– Another big thanks to Jeff Provisor, North Branch Cycling, and Main Street Bicycles for putting on another great Carpentersville race. The new pump/rhythm section was a hit, as was the timeless sand and toilet bowl. The spectators were out in full force as well. In addition to the now traditional dollar handups, we saw hotdogs/snickers/butterfingers and sliders! We can’t wait to see what you all think of next (just keep it clean please)!

– Up next… Bartlett/Sunrise Park hosted by Athlete’s By Design (ABD). Hopefully we won’t have 30 mph winds like last year… but race promoter Jim Nowak always seems to have something tricky up his sleeve. We know a few of you are heading down to Louisville to eat some Papa John’s Pizza… but if you’re not into driving 4.5 hours one way for a 40 minute race… come on out to Barlett. Look for the usual Friday race preview on, well… Friday.

– Online pre-reg is now open for Northbrook here. Big thanks again to promoter Chris Henning, Garner Northbrook Bike Club, and Flatlandia for bringing back this great race venue. Chris reminds us all that we must only park in legally marked spaces and do NOT park in the main park parking lot or we won’t be able to race at the Northbrook venue again. Watch for details closer to the race day for parking specifics.

– Are there extra bikes or scooters in your garage that you have outgrown? Would you like to donate them to kids who don’t have a bike or a scooter? The Jane Addams Hull House Association in Chicago will also be at the Northbrook race accepting donations. These bikes are being collected to reward kids for doing well in school and to recognize students’ commitment and achievements in school.  Many of these kids have never owned a bike. Think about how much fun you have (just on your CX bike for 45 minutes once a week) and help bring a little sunshine into a kid’s life! Find more details at www.gopedalpower.com.

– Lots more details to come about the Hilton Indian Lakes race… but here’s a teaser… Room rates $79.  Up to 5 people can stay in one room at no extra charge.  Roll away beds provided at no extra charge. Stay Friday night or Saturday night… or the whole weekend! Indoor locker room.  Change in the warmth.  Take a shower after your race. All day, all you can eat buffet. More to come, so watch the site.

– Wanna race on the cheap? Dr. James Kearns, promoter of the Woodstock race, needs some helping setting up his course. The good Doctor will let anyone who shows up at 7am on Sunday November 22nd and helps set up the course race for $10 all day. If you’re interested and can commit to being there on time and helping, please email the Doctor your email address and mobile # at [email protected].

– Good news all around for the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew. First, a very belated congratulations to Avi Neurohr who is the first ever Officially Unofficial Illinois State Cyclocross Single Speed Champion. See details on the Half Acre site here. Thanks again to HAC and Tobie at North Central Cyclery for hosting the special event at the Dekalb race. Second, after a minor major tragedy that led to the quietest ever CX race at Dan Ryan Woods, the Cuttin’ Cruser is back in action. We’re glad to hear she’s okay, was back at Carpentersville, and we all look forward to more action from the ‘crew.

– Join Cycle Smithy Johnny Sprockets on their Zombie Bike Ride. Wednesday 10/28/09 at 3030 Broadway, Big empty lot.

– Local “pro” Ben Popper shares some of the behind the scenes antics of a CX race in CX Magazine.

– Red Bull is having a photo contest. Check it out here and the rules here. Let’s see if we can get some CCC pix in there!

– Speaking of contests… CX Magazine is having another Race Report Contest. See it here.

– They’re not from the MidWest, but Recycled Bike Art has some nifty cycling related nick-nacks. Check them out at www.recycledbikeart.com.

– And finally, don’t forget submissions for the 2009 CCC t-shirt contest are due no later than midnight this coming Saturday 10/24/09.

– Thanks again to Beverly Bike Vee-Pak for putting on another great new race in the Dan Ryan Woods. We’ve heard plenty of stories of pain, suffering, and dry-heaving (not due to the free ‘cue!)… so we’ll consider the course and competition a success. BBVP tells us they’re already making plans for next year and we’ll be happy to have them back as part of the CCC. Also big thanks to our USAC officials Nikki Cyp, Steve Feehery, Loch Miwa, Chad Cole, and Dan Labovitch for getting all results up so quickly and accurately. Full results and overall standings were posted by 9:30pm Sunday night!

– Up next this weekend is Carpentersville. Online pre-reg is open until midnight Thursday night here. Thanks to everyone who has consistently pre-reg’d for the first 3 races! As always you can see who your competition is beforehand by following the “Confirmed Riders” link… and there should be plenty of competition again this year. Carpentersville was actually the largest race (by # of riders) in 2008 and with the turnout at Jackson Park this year we can only imagine what will happen this year.

– The race is held in tandem with Carpenter Park’s Oktoberfest and there will again be food, live music, fun for the kids, and more. Look for a full preview on Friday.  Continuing the trend in CCC races this year, Race promoter Jeff Provisor tells us that he, Main St Cycles, and North Branch Cycling have more than a few surprises in store for races this year… and a totally new obstacle never before seen in the CCC… oh, and the sand pit will be back again for sure!

– Just a reminder for all of you Cat 3 Men, Cat 4 Women, and Cat 4 Men… if you want to take any of your points with you to the next highest category you must upgrade BEFORE Carpentersville as set forth in the CCC series rules here.

– Rob Curtis (who rides for Bicycle Heaven) is building, renting, and selling nice carbon CX wheels with tires already glued. Check him out at his separate business site… http://www.psimet.com.

– The MWCCC (midwest collegiate cycling conference) just released the collegiate cross schedule and Purdue’s weekend is 10/31 and 11/1. On 10/31 Purdue is putting on a USAC race along with the collegiate race. There’s no CCC race going on that day and Purdue is hosting a unique Halloween themed race. The flyer can be found here and registration is here. Collegiate riders will need to register for the collegiate races day of, but can pre-reg for the other USAC races online. Please note this is NOT a CCC series race.

– Speaking of Halloween, the St. Charles/Campton race hosted by Bicycle Heaven is the day after Halloween. Hopefully filling up on 3 Muskateers,  Snickers, and Smarties the night before will give you plenty of energy to race on Sunday… but we’d like to see what you’re made of. The CCC will be awarding special callups (after the top 10 in the overall standings) in each race category for the best Halloween costumes. Please keep it clean and safe (for riding a bike), but let’s see if anyone can dare challenge Super Girl for best costume… you’ve got plenty of time to come up with something!

– Looking for a little Saturday warm-up? Burnham Racing is organizing a group (road) ride leaving from Wicker Park this Saturday at 8:30 AM, riding to the Apple Haus in Long Grove. You can see the route here. The ride is 35 miles out and 40 miles back… so bring some money for Apple Fritters and Cider at the turn-around point! A few CX’ers will be on the ride but NOT doing the full distance… CX races aren’t that long!

– And finally… a big, big congrats to Flatlandia on the newest edition to their CX team… Maxwell John Firak!

– Please remember to update your BikeReg rider profile here with your current USAC annual license. If we don’t have your license number you may not be properly scored in the overall standings. If your license is pending and in the mail, input the license number anyway. If you don’t remember what your license number is, you can look it up on the USAC site here. If you never plan on buying an annual license (shame on you) please input “ONE DAY”, but please DO NOT put “Pending” in the field. We match all riders to their USAC annual license numbers to help with scoring.

– Pre-reg is open for Bicycle Heaven’s St. Charles/Campton race. See all CCC races here.

– Two of our sponsor shops made it on CX Magazine’s list of best CX shops!

– Need another or new set of tires? VeloNews does a good review of lots of rubber.

– Want to see what each course looks like before you race on it? We suggest showing up early (hey, you can watch other races too!) and pre-ride the course in between races. There’s usually a small gap in time between when the previous race ends and the next race begins. The best way to know when you are allowed on the course is to hang out at the finish line as a race is finishing. The officials will let you know when you are allowed on the course. However, be aware that your are NOT allowed on the course to pre-ride while another race is in progress, and you MUST wait until an official tells you it is okay to enter the course. All riders finish on lead lap, so as the winners cross the finish line the officials should allow you to get on course. Need more time and want to get in a little more riding while you see the course? Just ride on the outside of the course tape next to the course. This will give you a good idea of what the terrain is like without actually being on the course. Just be careful when the course doubles back on itself that you don’t actually enter the course.

– On a similar note, if you are pre-riding, never ever ever ever pass a rider who is still racing and do not ride through the finish chute. The finish line will always be on a flat, straight section of the course so you shouldn’t have to pre-ride this section anyway. Plus, riding across the finish line may confuse the officials who may think you are finishing the previous race.

Jackson Park starters… the largest CCC race ever!
30+ = 27
40+ = 55
Men 3 = 61
50+ = 24
Women 1/2/3 = 13
Women 4 = 27
Juniors = 14
Men 1/2/3 = 33
Men 4A = 76
Men 4B = 76
Total = 406

Thanks again to everyone who came out to race, cheer, and be a part of the fun!

– If you missed the earlier announcement last week… xXx Racing received all of their permits for the first CCC race of the season at Jackson Park and registration is live and open on BikeReg.com. Please pre-register as it makes all our lives a lot less hectic on race day and help the officials tabulate results much more quickly!

– Other races including North Central Cyclery’s Dekalb’Hopkins Park and ABD’s Barlett/Sunrise Park races are also online. Holy cow the CCC just threw up all over BikeReg’s midwest CX calendar!

– North Branch Cycling’s Carpentersville and Bicycle Heaven’s St. Charles/Campton races should be up soon. Will anyone bring their Halloween attire to St. Charles this year?

– The South Chicago Wheelmen are moving their venue from the South Chicago Lansing venue to the North West suburbs Hilton Indian Lakes Resort. That’s right… crossing it up on a golf course! Fairways, sand pits, rough, maybe some hybrid Kentucky Bluegrass, but hopefully no gophers. While final details are still in the works, the Wheelmen promise to have lots of fun in store for us this year, including a title sponsor of Fat Tire! Registration is live and open here on BikeReg.com.

– More big news… Beverly Bike Vee-Pak (of professional CX video fame) have stepped up and will be hosting a race at the newest CCC venue on 10/11/09 in the Dan Ryan Woods. We unfortunately lost our Hawthorn Woods venue  but are very excited for BBVP to be the newest CCC promoter. Look for more details soon. Online registration will of course be on BikeReg and will be up and running soon.

– In still more venue news, Garner Northbrook & Flatlandia continue to meet with the folks up in Northbrook to try and bring the November 8th date back to that park. Promoter Chris Henning tells us however that if the race is approved to expect even bigger and better things than last year!

– CX Magazine ran a great article last week on gluing CX Tubular Tires, written by none other than New England CX Junior Phenom Nick Keogh. Of if you want to go the Belgian way, Stu Thorne of CyclocrossWorld.com offers his tips and tricks. But if you’re not up to the task yourself, we know a guy up in Evanston who glues a lot of tubies. Then again, for many of you, “thinking before you glue” might be a good idea. But if you still want a set of sew-ups, Rob Curtis from Bicycle Heaven has some killer deals on hand built tubular wheel sets… check them out at Psimet.com.

– Speaking of, we haven’t heard directly from any of you with pix of your new or refurbished CX rigs, but it seems more than a few people are getting some fancy new bikes. We can’t wait to see them all in action in just a few short weeks!

– The Illinois Institute of Technology will be hosting a Swap and  Hop on Saturday October 24th. Admission is $5 at the door. Sell your old gear, pick up some new (or “pre-owned”) stuff, and learn some cross skills. Details at SwapandHop.com.

– Still wondering how to get on and off your bike properly? Looking for a little competition to test yourself? Or just looking for some more CX fitness (read: puking on your handlebars)? Burnham Racing holds informal cross practice in Humboldt Park on Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting ~5:45pm complete with barriers. Stop by if you want a nice mid-week ride.

– And finally, there’s a new team in town called Rhythm Racing and they are our newest CCC family member. Rhythm Racing, headed by Lew Chin & John Villena, will be providing neutral support at all CCC races throughout the season starting after Jackson Park (where Get A  Grip will be wrenching). Please note RR’s neutral support is free of charge before and after your race but NOT during your race. All CCC races are run under USAC CX rules which state you can NOT accept help from others during a race… so the pit is always wheels in, wheels out (or bikes in, bikes out for all you Masters and P12 racers). Rhythm Racing will help you get ready for your race, or help to assess any carnage afterwards, but they will NOT be supplying spare wheels, pedals, seat posts, stems, bars, or anything else that happens to jiggle loose during the race. Also, please do not show up on race day and except the Rhythm Racing guys to rebuild your bike. Please be friendly and thankful, and remember these guys are helping all CCC racers. Many thanks to Lew, John, and the entire Rhythm Racing team!

– Felt issues recall on 2007/2008 CX bikes.

– New this year the CCC we’ll be keeping track of team standings. That’s right… you and your teammates will be competing for the best all around team. Complete rules will be posted to the Series Rules and FAQ page soon, but here’s the general idea… The overall series points from the top 5 riders (men/women/juniors/masters) for each team will be combined and ranked. If you race more than one category (i.e. Cat 3 & Masters 30+) only your highest point total counts towards the team competition. We haven’t done the math, but a certain team in green probably would have won last year… does anyone dare challenge them this year?

– Winning isn’t always everything though… but here’s a guy who has done it a few times. Watch, learn, then go practice!

– We’ve mentioned it a few other places, but we’ve been fielding a few questions recently regarding online pre-registration for CCC races. We’re still working out the permits with the parks and villages for most of the races, but Yes, we will have online pre-reg for all CCC races on BikeReg.com. We’ll put up notices and links here on the CCC site for each race as soon as registration is open (or scheduled to open), and you’ll be able to recognize CCC races by the little blue logo next to each race. That being said, please head over to BikeReg.com now and make sure your rider profile is up to date with your correct USAC license #, CX category, Team name, Emergency contact info, etc. Updating this info now will make all our lives much easier this season.

– Planet Bike just signed a rider to their squad. She’s won a few times herself.

– They’re not a sponsor, and we’re not sure we’ve ever even seen a set here in Chicago, but there are new CX wheels out there.

– And finally… cross in August?

SRAM makes great stuff and is a series sponsor of the CCC.
Hopefully you’ve all seen this on other sites, but we figured we’d post it here as well to make sure everyone knows about the 10 Speed PowerLock recall.
Check your chains ASAP and if need be visit your nearest local SRAM dealer.