• Hey everyone… Happy New Year!!!

• Before you hunker down and go into cycling hibernation for the winter we’re having one more event… an Awards Party after all!
• Who: You, and us, and anyone who wants to join.
• What: 2022 CCC Awards Party
• When: Saturday February 4th 2023
• Where: Specialized Fulton Market (thanks Specialized for hosting us!)
• Why: Who doesn’t want to hang out with our cyclocross family with free food, dranks, and prizes?
• Food: Pizza & Salad
• Beverages: Beer and Non-alcoholic options 
• Raffle: Chances to win loads of cycling-related prizes!
• Series Winner Awards, announced by the greatest MC in Chicago – Kenny Labbe
• Schedule:
  • 6:30 pm Start
  • 7:30 pm Awards
  • 9:30 pm Closing Time
• Please join us! Get out of the house for a little bit. Free entry (just don’t make a mess of the place), and a chance to hang with the CCC community not in a sweaty or freezing cold pop-up tent.
• Please RSVP here –> https://forms.office.com/r/LdvWr8JqPP
• See you there!

And finally… Looks for details soon concerning the best cycling fundraiser ever… Afterglow – A Cyclocross Race… to benefit West Town Bikes and Blackstone Bicycle Works… happening sometime in May at Big Marsh!!

• The final race of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup at Montrose Beach, the Ald. James Cappleman Midwest Regional p/b Specialized Chicago, is fast approaching, and the organizers Spidermonkey Cycling and Half Acre Cycling have a few early notes to munch on along with your turkey.
• Get a limited edition race poster designed by Half Acre Cycling’s own Matt Maniscalco. Purchase early at either Specialized Chicago retail location, series sponsor Tailwind Cycles, or when you register EARLY on BikeReg — and avoid getting it muddy when you pick-up your bib number EARLY on Saturday, December 3 at Specialized Fulton Street. Any remaining posters will be available at registration. 
• Also remember our friends to the east are holding Region Riot CX this coming Sunday; a great way to make sure your legs are ready to battle for midwest bragging rights! #OPEcx
• And finally… we here at the CCC wish everyone a fantastic and restful Happy Thanksgiving. Fuel up, the season isn’t quite over yet!

• Hey everyone! The 2022 Chicago Cyclocross Series begins this Sunday at SCHILLER Woods (Picnic Grove #12), hosted by xXx Racing-Athletico. Note the venue change to SCHILLER Woods and not Caldwell Woods. We can’t wait to see everyone at SCHILLER WOODS!
• Online pre-reg closes Friday night 9/30/2022 at midnight, but please don’t wait until the last minute.
• We’ll have more info posted Thursday for the course preview.
• And finally… a friendly reminder to please make sure you have your bikes tuned up, tyres filled with air, USAC licenses renewed, online waivers initialed within BikeReg, and gear bags ready. It’s been a while since we all raced with each other, so let’s get back into the rhythm.

• Okay, we know its actually Thursday, but we’re trying to enjoy the last bit of summer too!
  
• All 7 series events are now up on: https://www.bikereg.com/events/Cyclocross/ILLINOIS/. Reg will open tomorrow, Friday 9/9 at 9am for Schiller Woods, Glenwood Academy, ABD Sunrise Park, Campton, and Montrose. Groundhog and George Garner Memorial will open for pre-reg as soon as they are permitted with USA Cycling.
  

• A bunch of changes to note for 2022:
• We have two related changes to the race day schedule. The Cat 3 time slot will now be Cat 3/4 and the Cat 4/5 time slot at the end of the day will now be just Cat 5.
• We’re keeping the Masters age group races as open category (i.e. Cat 1-5) but will unofficially score the Cat 4/5’s separately in the Series Overall Standings.
• xXx Racing will host the first race of the series at Schiller Woods… not Caldwell Woods. Its not that far away, but please don’t show up to Caldwell Woods which is undergoing construction.
• We unfortunately will not have leader’s jerseys for the series (inflation and supply chain issues affect everyone) but we will award winner’s jerseys at the end of the season.
• Speaking of inflation, race entry prices have increased +$5 across the board and +$10 for juniors. The CCC has kept entry fees constant for a long, long time but need to increase to pay for lots of things. Want to race for cheaper? Get in touch with the race directors through BikeReg… they’re always looking for an extra volunteer hand on race day.

• What’s NOT changing:
• You know him, you love him, and this year he’s got a brand new, extended range wireless mic… Kenny Labbé is announcing the entire series from the ‘Not Reg’ tent. Send playlist requests his way.
• We won’t have One2Go running the finish line camera this year, but our local rockstar Nikki Cyp (who ran timing for all our events over the past several years anyway) will be behind the ICA’s new FinishLynx camera providing timing and lap times. We won’t have LiveLynx live results, but you’ll still have your results emailed to you shortly after each race assuming your pre-reg’d with a valid email address.
• Numbers on your left side, always.
• Staging by CrossResults.com points for the first race, then the first row (8 racers) by series points and everyone else by CrossResult.com points. You need to be pre-reg’d with your correct USAC license number for us to pull in your CrossResults points. Day of Reg’d racers will be staged at the back, unless you’re in the top 8 (because we’re good at spreadsheets). We’ll post preliminary staging online the day before each event… please check at that time to make sure you’re staged properly, not the day of the race!
• Email us at [email protected] any time with questions, suggestions constructive criticism, praise, & random thoughts in the middle of the night. We don’t have a Patreon, although we do accept fine baked goods… just show up and race your hardest!
• Good vibes, fair and enthusiastic competition… just like a big, weird, family.

• And finally… Cross is almost here! Get yourself and your bike(s) ready now. Obviously, support your local bike shop(s)! Let’s have another great season and enjoy each other’s company on both sides of the course tape. See you soon!

• Hey’all are you ready for cyclocross season? #crossiscoming

• We’re still looking for a few Series Sponsors to help make the series go, so if you love the CCC and/or have some dollars burning a hole in your pocket… get in touch with us at [email protected]!
• Speaking of sponsors… longtime friend of and racer in the series, Paul Warloski has a coaching service called Simple Endurance Training and a new strength training e-book. Check him and it out online and at the races! http://www.simpleendurancecoaching.com/
• We realize it’s a little late in the season, and the CCC is not the decider here, but we have a website that lots of people look at with their eyeballs, so we’re helping get the word out. There are two entries being considered for the 2022 Illinois State Cyclo-cross Championships and the Illinois Cycling Association (ICA), who is the governing body that decides, needs your input. Team leaders/admins should have received an email about casting a vote by this Wednesday 8/24/2022, so if you haven’t received that email or cast your vote, please get in touch with the ICA ASAP.
• Our CX friends down and mid-state in the Heartland of Illinois CX (HICX)series are running a “Dungaree competition”. Check it out, make some cool art, and win some cold hard cash dollars:  https://hicx.us/dungaree/

• If you haven’t already reg’d… get on it!!! xXx Racing Relay Cross is THIS WEEKEND 8/28/2022 in Jackson Park at the usual spot.
• Relay CX Transportation Logistics & Parking:
• The Chicago Triathlon will be operating on Lakeshore Drive, the Lakefront Trail, and other roadways in and around downtown near the lakefront on Sunday. Plan accordingly and leave yourself PLENTY of time to get to Relay Cross.
• All southbound lanes of Lakeshore Drive will be closed between Randolph Street and Hollywood Avenue between 5am and 12pm.
• The Lakefront Trail will be clogged with Chicago Triathlon runners, aid stations, volunteers, and spectators between Randolph Street and 31st Street.
• PARKING at Relay Cross:  Parking at Jackson Park for Relay Cross is available in the parking lot on the NORTH SIDE of Hayes Drive (6300 South) just west of Lakeshore Drive. Street parking may also be available. NO parking is available in the parking lot on the SOUTH SIDE of Hayes Drive just west of Lakeshore Drive. Relay Cross attendees may drop off equipment in the lot, but parking is not permitted. Parked vehicles will be ticketed and towed by the City of Chicago.
• Let’s kick off the Chicagoland CX season in the best way possible. See you all this weekend!

• And finally… we’re still getting over our 2 year COVID hangover, and making a few changes here and there to host the best series we possibly can. We’ll post updates and changes here in the weekly updates, but please make sure you review the schedule and rules/faqs pages to make sure you’re up-to-date. We’re excited to get back to a more “normal” season and can’t wait to see you all out at the races!

USA Cyclo-cross National Championships starts today at Cantigny Park in Weaton! 

There are still a bunch of “volunteer opportunities“ (i.e. we NEED your help!) available this week, mostly for course marshals and course crossing guards. Remember, every volunteer receives an admission wristband good for the entire race week, plus lunch, t-shirt, beanie hat, cow bell and other goodies.

Pick-up of online wristband purchases, or in-person purchases, will be at the official host hotel: Sheraton of Lisle all week through Friday, December 10, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Then at overflow parking at the DuPage County Complex on Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Thanks to everyone who has helped to make this event a reality and good luck to everyone racing, especially the Chicago Cyclocross Cup community!

Nationals is only two weeks away! It’s been a long road to get to this point and it’s actually happening, who’s excited?

Volunteer signup is open, We had over 100 people put their hands up to help and now you can. We need help both the week before the event and during. Remember, every volunteer receives an admission wristband good for the entire race week, plus lunch, t-shirt, beanie hat, cow bell and other goodies.

If you just want to come watch, you can purchase your admission wristbands online through December 6. Wristbands allow admission for all days of the event, ages 10 and up. Pick-up of online wristband purchases, or in-person purchases, will be at the official host hotel: Sheraton of Lisle beginning Monday, December 6 through Friday, December 10, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Then at overflow parking at the DuPage County Complex on Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

And finally, we wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

• Thanks to everyone who came out to Wheeling this past weekend for the final race of the 2021 un-series this year. We really appreciate everyone racing safe and taking the ongoing pandemic seriously. Hopefully in 2022 we’ll get back to “normal”.
• Note that Region Riot CX is now the Midwest Regional Championships. The race is in 2 weeks over Thanksgiving weekend and Reg is open on BikeReg.

#CXNats is a month away! Volunteer roles/time slots were posted last week! If you haven’t signed-up to receive volunteer information, you can do it here: 
https://forms.gle/WpNdfq2ppPZ8eFTB6

Also, registration for team parking is still open. The regular spots (like you’d see at a CCC race) are available here.  But if you want to look or feel #pro, the large/pro team area is available to any team and can accommodate vehicles/trailers/etc… (sorry, no hot tubs).
https://forms.gle/RmHfpwqQuQL3oPVg8

Finally, sponsorships and/or space in the event expo is also still available. Get your company’s message to the masses, both in-person and on the live stream on FloSports!

Wow, its already November… that went fast! Thanks to everyone who has come out to race safely.

– Here’s a friendly PSA that as the weather turns colder and nastier, the officials need to see your bib number when being staged into the starting grid and One2Go absolutely must be able to see your bib number at the finish line in order to properly score you. So if you’re wearing a jacket at staging, make sure you pull it up so the officials can see your number, and if you’re wearing a jacket during the race make sure your bib number is pinned on the outside so One2Go can see who you are. Thanks!

– Unfortunately, Spidermonkey Cycling will not be running this year’s cyclocross race at Montrose. The team debated this decision for a while, and the reasons for canceling are multiple. Ultimately, the direct and indirect effects of COVID, plus the National CX Championships happening at the same time, all contributed to the decision to cancel. The Spidermonkeys hope the CCC community understands this decision and encourage everyone to pitch in and help out with the USA Cycling National Cyclo-cross Championships at Cantigny Park in Wheaton!

– That leaves 2 more local amateur races on the calendar, the first being Groundhog Psi-clocross hosted by Psimet in Woodstock this coming weekend and The George Garner Sr. Memorial CX Race host by the Northbrook Bicycle Club in Wheeling the weekend after.

– Speaking of, it takes a community to host a National Championship caliber event. The local organizing committee and the Dupage Sports Commission need some help. Plenty of volunteer spots available here, as well as info on hotels (ok locals will just in their own beds), sponsorship opportunities, admissions, and race info are here –> https://www.discoverdupage.com/sports/events/cyclocross-2021/

There are many updates about the 2021 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships out today! 

First, on the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau event site, admission wristbands for the entire week of the event are now available for purchase. If you are going to race in the event, your admission will be included in your registration fee and is good all week. This is for additional wristbands for spectators, family, friends, hecklers …  Also, for those coming in from father away, discounted area hotel info is posted. Additionally, spaces in the Pro and Amateur team areas, as well as vendor expo space, can be purchased. All of this goes toward the cost of hosting the event.

Over on the USA Cycling event page, race schedule and registration info is posted. 

Once again, this event will not be possible without support from the Chicago CX community. From helping with the course build the week before, to course marshals during the races, to staying warm and toasty in the registration room helping check racers in, the event will need all kinds of people. Let them know you are interested here. Volunteering will score you free entry for the week and some sweet swag!

The Cantigny Park course design is in the final stages and will feature something for everyone, especially spectators. Guaranteed there will be tanks involved, and we hear a sand wedge might be needed.