• We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
• Half Acre Cycling and the Chicago Cyclocross Cup have made the difficult decision to cancel Montrose Beach — Illinois State Championship on December 7, 2025. It was not an easy decision, but the safety of everyone involved is paramount.
• The combination of the recent deep snow, the forecast for more snow, and severe cold all week/weekend (turning the snow to ice), makes us err on the side of caution – both for racers, but most of all for the volunteers/officials who would have to endure these conditions all day. We hope you understand, and we are already looking forward to Montrose Beach in 2026!
• For the 144 of you that already registered (thank you for not waiting until the last minute!) while all series events have a no refund policy, Half Acre Cycling will refund entry fees (sorry service fees are never refundable) for anyone already registered if they would like it, since the race is not happening. Please contact Half Acre Cycling directly to request your refund. Conversely, if anyone would like to donate their entry fee to help defray the costs already outlaid by the team (Chicago Park District fees are no joke), Half Acre Cycling would be greatly appreciate it. Any remaining funds will be go towards next year’s Montrose Beach event, the team’s BIPOC and Gender Equity Grant programs, as well as other racing events in the future.
• In lieu of racing, event sponsor Reed’s Local (who was to host the number pick-up party), will host a race memorial party where you can pour out a Malört for good ol’ Montrose 2025 and get your poster. Details to come on Half Acre Cycling social media accounts.
• While this is a bummer for everyone and a really hard decision to make after months of planning and anticipation, HAC and the series appreciate your understanding. No team or individual should ever feel the need to endanger themselves, their volunteers, officials, racers, etc. just to put on an amateur bike race… nor should they have to go into the red and lose money to host an event. In the last 15 years this is only the 2nd time we’ve cancelled an entire day (2015 Melas being the other) which was also due to heavy wet snow. And we did cancel part of the day for 2 other events (2010? Carpentersville and 2013 Indian Lakes Resort #2) due to tornado warnings/thunderstorms. So we’ve had a good run so far.
• But… the season is not over yet. We still have the Awards Party at Specialized Fulton Market to look forward to on Saturday January 10, 2026. More details to come shortly.
• And finally… good luck to everyone heading to Fayetteville, AR for the USA National Cyclocross Championships next weekend. Represent the CCC well and make the midwest proud. Have some fun too!

• Some absolutely 6 7 excellent weather and the best Quarry Cross course yet this past weekend! Results are here. Thanks to the DuPage Cycling Foundation, EMC^2, and The Forge for hosting the event.
• Speaking of results, if you look through the GoogleSheet you’ll notice a handful of riders are highlighted in yellow. This means they have mathematically secured the overall series win for that category since they are at least 40 points ahead of 2nd place. Congrats to those riders for racing well and consistently so far. That being said, there is still plenty of racing still to be had at the last event in the series.
• But before we get there… this week the series takes the weekend off to celebrate Thanksgiving and spend time with family and friends.
• But after that the series returns for one last weekend of racing at Montrose Beach and the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships hosted by Half Acre Cycling. The weather looks to be turning colder and snowier… and Montrose is unique in our series with the amount of sand… so batten down the hatches and get ready.
• But wait… there’s more! Since the Christmas holiday season is already filled up, we’ll have our Awards Party again in the new calendar year at Specialized Fulton Market on Saturday January 10th. More details to come, but expect the format to be similar to previous years with jersey and cowbell awards, pizza, beverages, a raffle, and general merriment.
• And finally… We truly hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving and extended holiday weekend with their family and friends… just don’t eat too much turkey or PO TA TOES!

• The 3rd annual Quarry Cross at The Forge is hosted by EMC2 / Elmhurst Masters and the DuPage Cycling Foundation Sunday November 23rd.
• Saturday, November 22rd: Open Practice 10am-4pm. The course will be fully set up. A great chance to familiarize yourself and practice the unique features.
• Venue provided by The Forge Lemont Quarries  forgeparks.com
• Online pre-registration on  is open until midnight Friday: https://www.bikereg.com/quarrycross
• Preliminary Staging will be posted here Saturday morning.
• The Forge ’s Kids Adventure Zone adjacent to the race is $20 for an all-day pass. The new Mini Golf area will also be open.
• Team tents are welcome, and can even be set up on Saturday. Note that the shallow bedrock makes tent staking difficult, so weights are recommended. The Forge has three huge permanent tents that can host up to 500 people. If there is one race to not haul your team tent to, this will be the one.
• Directions: Please use 227 Heritage Quarries Drive in your GPS. Follow signs from there to the main parking lots. Please obey the 10mph speed limit on the mile plus gravel drive in. 
• Parking: There is plenty of parking, please park in designated lots and do not block entry/exit roadways.
• No vehicles are allowed to drive across the bridge. This is per the The Forge’s insurance policy. Also, please do not ride bikes on the fenced-in, re-seeded areas in front of the main stage. Let’s not jeopardize our welcome at this great venue.
• Prizes:
  – All podium finishers will receive park vouchers compliments of The Forge.
  – Age Group and Category Winners will receive THE GOLDEN CROWN OF CHAMPIONS provided by Walden Florist of Downers Grove.
  – Juniors that make it to the Candy Podium will receive Thanksgiving Swag.
• The winner of the Cat 5 race will win the third annual Golden Turkey Trophy sponsored by Honey Acre Woods. 
• All racers 21 and older will receive a ticket for a free beer provided by Pollyanna Brewing of Lemont. Other adult beverages are available at The Foundry on site, where you can also find The Creamery where they sell concession food.
• The Flyin Hawaiian food truck promises tropical comfort food and vegetarian options. https://www.flyinhawaiianchicago.com/
• The noon local event is an Adaptive Cycling Demonstration Race, in cooperation with The Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. If you pre-ride at this time, remember these riders have the right-away!
• The Course: Runs counter clockwise. The course has about 20% new lines due to the wood berm area has been changed. Expect some gravel straightaways, woodchips, off-camber, Belgian Stairs, and singletrack.
• One wooden berm is relocated to the laser tag area, and the single track has three wooden bridges. Each wood feature has a “B’ line around it, so please race your ability and take the flatter, safer option if you are not confident you can ride the planks safely.
• If any of the wood features are deemed too slick, the “B” line will be the only option. 
• The large pit area  is accessible twice per lap.
• 2025 course map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1qXiCe4SR0nl4nEFwong0KBpVr8IIONc&usp=sharing

• Another great race day and course at Wheeling Heritage Park. Cold and windy, and you all made the best of if. Per usual, all results are here.
• Next up, the series heads south of Chicago to Lemont for Quarry Cross at The Forge hosted by DuPage Cycling Foundation & EMC2. Look for the course preview at the regular time on Thursday. Online pre-reg closes Friday night over on BikeReg.
• And finally… Remember next week (after Quarry Cross) the series takes a week off to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. Then we’re back at it for the 9th and final race of the 2025, which is also the Illinois State Cyclo-Cross State Championships at Montrose Beach.

• The Wheeling Park District welcomes us back for another day of cyclocross racing at Heritage Park cohosted by the Sasquatch Squadron powered by Main Street Bicycles and the Northbrook Garner Bicycle Club.
• Online reg is open until Friday night on BikeReg.
• Preliminary staging will be posted here Saturday.
• Please park in the North Parking lot east of the course to be closest to registration and the start. Please do not park in the lot adjacent to the Community Center to keep spaces open for folks heading indoors. All are welcome in the building where you’ll find additional rest rooms and hot showers, but please leave your bicycles outside.
• The Cart will be put before the course once again with Mario’s Cart providing midday Mexican food. 
• Lots of open grass and paved pathway for warming up, but as always, be mindful of pedestrians and other patrons of the park. Please refrain from riding on the playground surface and don’t set up tents in the pavilion grass due to underground electrical. 
• Also a special note, DO NOT EVER overtake a rider who is still finishing their race. We’ve had a few complaints about this and pre-riders getting too close to racers still finishing. Please give everyone the respect you would expect while you are racing. Thanks!
• No drones are allowed to take flight within the park due to the proximity of the Chicago Executive Airport. PWK for those of you booking last minute arrivals.
• Staging is in the northeast corner nearest the North Parking lot access road.  
• The course runs clockwise again. The classic.  The start is a long power drag.  The finish is a long power drag.  Everywhere else is tech.  So, get those primers in on Saturday and sharpen those elbows because on Sunday we’re doin’ super serious amateur racing with nothing on the line but bragging rights (for most races).
• The two-way pit is just east of the aquatic center.  It ain’t midway ’round and it’s nowhere near the start so don’t get a mechanical in the techy sections where it’s most likely to happen.  Get your mechanical somewhere in the easy part near tent city.  Look… on a serious note, the park gets a lot of local traffic and the only other flat spot is out of the way where things could disappear and we don’t want that.  Anyways, we’re toying with the idea of an A/B line, again.  Last year had a lot of people wondering if one or the other was faster and we liked that.  Opt for A longer unobstructed route that may or may not be rideable or a shorter Barriered route that may or may not be rideable. Be choosey (if it happens).  No itty-bitty drop this year.  It was, apparently, too big.
• Course Preview https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1wYi-SX_LgtU4ilId1aSQDNqySY8AfLA&usp=sharing

• Another great Groundhog PSI-clocross weekend out in Woodstock hosted by PSIMET. Results are in the normal places, all linked here for you. There was a mix up with dates on USACycling.org and Saturday results will be posted there soon. This does not affect series scoring or CrossResults.com rankings.
• Next up the series heads back closer to the city of Chicago for Wheeling Heritage Park CX.
• We are now 2/3’s of the way through the 2025 series. With the recent “cyclocross-y” weather, now would be a GREAT time to get your bike(s) serviced at your local bike shop. They are there, ready, and waiting to help get your trusty steed through the rest of the season!
• And finally… xXx Racing would like to share this folder of photos from Big Marsh with you. If you have more photos please share them below.

Phil : Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster?
Mrs. Lancaster : I don’t think so, but I could check with the kitchen.

• Why is this race called Groundhog PSI-Clocross? Well, in 1992 the downtown square of Woodstock, IL was used to film the movie Groundhog Day. Rob Curtis and the PSIMET crew have carried some parts of the movie into the venue.
• This is a double race weekend brought to you by PSIMET Racing at Groundhog PSI-clocross. Note
  there are TWO BikeReg pages, Saturday and Sunday. If you want to race both days you need to register for BOTH days. Each race day is separate so there is not a multi-race discount across days. The multi-race discount still does apply for the same day. Online reg for Sunday’s race will still close at midnight on Friday, but online reg for Saturday’s races will close at midnight on Thursday (tonight). Finally, Saturday’s results will affect staging on Sunday, meaning overall series points and CrossResults.com points will be updated Saturday night for Sunday’s race. If you have any questions, email us.
• Preliminary Staging will be posted here for Saturday and Sunday.
• There is plenty of parking throughout the park. As with all previous years there is NO PARKING ON
  THE GRASS. This is the strictest rule the park and city have for the facility. This also means no vehicles on the grass to drop off gear early in the morning <looks at masters teams>. We say this every year and yet it still ends up being a problem at some point in the day. No cars on grass anywhere for any length of time. Police WILL BE PRESENT all day and may be ticketing
• Speaking of tents – There will no on-site security overnight but there will be regular police patrols
  through the park Friday and Saturday night for those that would like to leave tents or gear overnight at their own risk.
• You will receive a different bib number each day for each race. Please do not re-use your Saturday
  number on Sunday.
• Enter from either of the Park’s North entrances (Kishwaukee Valley Rd or Jackson St). Parking is
  available throughout the park. The entrance on South St as well as the lower lot near that entrance will be closed to allow for staging.
• There is an Open Event at Noon on both days. The course will be shortened. Everyone is invited to
  ride the course. No Fee. 15 Minute event. This is your opportunity to try a cross course or wear a great costume or throwback kit and ride with your friends. We are hoping we can get some of the family friendly circus of the CCC of old to help cheer everyone on. All can participate we just need you to sign up so we have a waiver. Sign up on the BikeReg page or we will have waivers available on site at reg. if you have already registered to race that day you do not need to fill out an additional waiver.
• Food: Perk and Pickle Food Truck will be on site all day long serving breakfast, lunch and an early
  dinner if needed. Serving hours will be from 8am-4pm. The menu for race day is available on their site now – https://perknpickle.com/woodstock-cyclocross-1
• Weather: In the event of rain or mud there is no water source readily available within the park so please plan for your own needs and refrain from making a mess or destroying turf outside the course. The weather forecast is for very cold temps on Sunday, so please pack and dress accordingly.
• There won’t be much if any daylight left after the last race ends, so please plan accordingly. Also if you can, please help PSIMET tear down the course on Sunday so they aren’t doing it all in the dark.
• There is an informal Car Show that we are hosting on site like we did last year. If you bring a notable car for display (classic, antique, etc.) we will have an area for you to park at the top of the hill near the food truck. You will also receive a free food truck meal and/or beer garden voucher from the PSIMET coordinator.
• Kerrie Kurth will be hosting a Canine Cross on Sunday any time between 10:30-11:30am. You will run a course with your pup. Award for fastest and not so fastest. Donations go toward All Herding Breed Dog Rescue. There may be “recovery with puppies” available as well!
• If you’re interested in looking over the filming locations for the movie there is a great map for self-guided tours here: http://www.woodstockgroundhog.org/walking-tour/
• Remember to use #psiCX on X and Instagram.
• The Course: Hill repeats and toilet bowls. Actually it is a similar course as previous years with a few small modifications. We will run the same course but different directions for both days with minor variations. Day 1 Counter-clockwise and Day 2 is Clockwise. See the map here and you can un/check Saturday vs. Sunday.

• Another great Halloween event out at Campton CX this past Sunday. You all looked great in your costumes. Please post some links to photos here if you don’t mind so everyone can see them. Results are in the normal places, all curated here for you.
• Next up we head a bit farther Northwest to the township of Woodstock for Groundhog Psi-clocross for the series’ only double race weekend. Note there are TWO BikeReg pages, one each for Saturday and Sunday… and no you do not get the 2nd race discount on Sunday if you race on Saturday. However Saturday’s placings will affect staging on Sunday for both Series points and CrossResults rankings.
• Online pre-reg is now open on BikeReg for Montrose Beach CX which is not only the last race of the series (🥹) but also the Illinois Cyclocross State Championship.
• And finally… Specialized Fulton Market is hosting a cool, informative, and FREE event this Thursday with bike fitter Lou Glaser. There will be light snacks and beverages for the hour long presentations and then time for Q&A afterwards. Check out details below!

• Guaranteed Rate Cycling are back at it again at Campton CX for the series’ second, or is it third, hilliest race.
• The race director added an Adaptive Bicycles category for the local event at 11:50pm. Please reg on BikeReg.
• Anderson Park in Campton Township (5N180 Brown Rd, Campton Hills, IL 60175). Need directions? From I-90: Randall Road South, to Rt. 64 West, past LaFox Road, turn right onto Brown Road and park is on your left. There are other Anderson Parks in the Chicagoland area, so please go to the correct one. The map on BikeReg is correct.
• Pre-reg closes Friday night on BikeReg .
• Preliminary staging will be posted here on Saturday. Make sure you double check your preliminary staging on Saturday, not Sunday.
• Dave’s SLO Food will again be serving up some fantastic BBQ. This year with more veggie options; burger, wraps, and chili.
• Sorry, NO alcoholic beverages are allowed in the park.
• Campton is our Halloween race. Wear a costume, or not… keep it fun, keep it safe! There will hopefully be a costume contest. We are always waiting on the edge of our saddles to see what you all come up with each year.
• Please do NOT warm up on/around the soccer fields to the East of registration. The village has asked us to keep off the areas visible when you pull into the park. If you carefully ride North on Brown Rd for about 200 meters you can hop onto the Great Western trail, which is a great place to warm up. Thank you.
• Temps will be quite cold on Sunday. Please plan and prep your clothing and nutrition accordingly.
• There is plenty of parking on site. Please do not ride or drive on the grass surrounding the course.
• Remember if you have already done so or plan on upgrading your USAC category… and you want half of your series points to follow you to the next category for overall placings and staging purposes… you need to do so AND EMAIL US THE DETAILS before this weekend’s race… meaning no later than Saturday at noon. Details are pretty straightforward over on the Rules and FAQ page.
• This year Guaranteed Rate brings back the class counter-clockwise course.

• A fun new venue at the Sycamore Speedway did not disappoint for ABD SYC Speed Cross. Results and standings are at the normal page here.
• Next up the series heads 7 minutes due East from the speedway for Campton Cross. Reg closes Friday night and look for the usual Course Preview at 9am on Thursday morning. Remember this is the CCC’s Halloween event, so dress up if you want, but you don’t have to. Keep it fun and leave the masks you can’t see out of at home.
• But if you want to get in some extra racing, and maybe a win a regional championship, the Kringle Kross-Midwest Regional CX Championships being held Saturday, November 1st, in Waukesha, WI. Online pre-reg closes tomorrow (Wednesday) night at midnight. Day-of reg is +$10. If you have already raced a Wisconsin CX race (excluding Trek Cup) you’ll be using the same WICX bib number(s).
• With the change in the USAC membership portal and rider database, we know there are a few incorrect Team Names and racing categories. Make sure to check your USAC annual license for both. We have this page in the overall standings GoogleSheet with everyone’s Team Names. Please take a look and email us if you see anything that is incorrect. Thanks!
• Remember this Sunday morning is the daylight savings Time Change. We set our clocks back an hour, so at worst you’ll be an hour early arriving at Campton… but still, pay attention!
• And finally… remember if you want to upgrade your USAC category and have half of your CCC series points follow you to the next category (this is mostly for Cat 4’s), you MUST upgrades before this weekend. As always, there are some rules, so please check our our Rules and FAQs page were we have it all spelled out. We’ve already seen a few rider upgrade (congrats on your placings!) and there are a few more of you out there that might be interested. If you do upgrade, please email us and let us know as USAC does not automatically tell us about rider upgrades. After this weekend if you upgrade, or are auto upgraded by USAC, your series points in your previous category will be forfeited. Good luck!