In a previous post Devon provided a picture of a UCVC jersey from the late 1980s and early 1990s. I thought that I would give a retrospective of the years that followed.
The UCVC Rises Again (c. 1995-1999).
In the mid-1990s, Greg Munson (formerly a student in Assyriology, but who eventually graduated from the College of Medicine) and two other students discovered that the University of Chicago used to have a cycling club (the University of Chicago Velo Club=UCVC). They decided to reactivate the club and gather up former members (Craig Gartland, Tim Belton) of the defunct UCVC of previous years. Munson also reintroduces the Monsters of the Midway Criterium on the University of Chicago's Midway Plaisance. A long and solid partnership is
established when American Bicycle Racing provides a generous grant to get the race off the ground. During this period, Monster's draws some of the biggest names in Midwestern cycling, including the Trek women's regional team, and members of the US Postal Service, and features as the Illinois State Championship.Munson and company were fans of Laurent Jalabert and had Voler create a jersey based on the ONCE team uniforms. They incorporate ONCE's yellow and black color scheme, and create a UCVC logo to imitate the ONCE logo. The jersey includes the University's of Chicago's phoenix and crest, but the choice of yellow instead of maroon starts a debate for years to come.
Most riders are new to the sport and poor. Their base layers consist of cotton waffle-knit long johns. Emory Creel rides in the liner of a hockey helmet.
Team leaders: Greg Munson, some Asian dude, Emory Creel.
The Biemme Debacle (2000-2004).
With the increased team membership and Craig Gartland's interest in getting a skinsuit, the team switches jersey manufacturers from Voler to Biemme. The decision to use Biemme as a manufacturer was a mistake that the team management regrets for several years. Biemme misses production and shipping deadlines by several months and cannot maintain basic quality. They promise to color match the jerseys from previous years, but cannot even come close. Some jerseys have strange red spots in them.
Towards the end of this period, Biemme ships an order that is beyond horrible. The color from previous years is of a completely different shade of yellow, the logos have been shrunk by 50%, and the design elements do not reflect the final approved proofs. The fabric also has a strange metallic sheen. Some jerseys arrive without finished pockets (i.e., instead of three separate rear pockets there is just one enormous pocket). Biemme claims that they "mixed their colors wrong" and will give the UCVC a discount on their next order, but eventually stops answering calls and e-mails.The Monsters of the Midway race experiences two years of tough weather that impacts its financial well being. During one particular year riders face 30-40 mph wind gusts and rain that push riders into the ditch and blow race barriers all over the course. Despite the difficult times, the UCVC leadership manages to squirrel away funds for a rainy day. Team racers are still required to pay their own expenses.
Racing highlights:
1. The team enters into its first MWCCC race
2. Gold medal state time trial championship
3. Victory in Superweek's Lakefront road race.
4. The team finally has enough members to order shorts.
5. The first female racers start riding for the team: Jen Robinson (alumnus) and Debbie MacDougall (grad-anthropology) from Erie, PA.
6. 9th place Collegiate Ironman National Championships.
7. Riders are finally capable of achieving 25 mph on the lakefront path.
Team leaders: Greg Munson, Eric Norstrom, Jon Tenney, Kent, Jean-Jacques Cabou, Sam Yount, Craig Gartland.
Critique:
Stay away from Biemme. Any company that takes full payment for a product, sight unseen, produces a beyond inferior product, and then refuses to remedy the problem is extremely unethical and should not be allowed to conduct business. They are a bad, bad, bad manufacturer. Several riders complained that you could see people's butts through the back panel of the shorts when they sweat. My response would be that everyone has a butt and that butts sweat when you exercise, regardless of the color of lycra used to cover them. Newbies liked the big, cushy pad in the shorts, but they cause mad saddle sores after 33 miles.
On a positive note, Biemme was one of the only companies at the time that would make some of the more exotic clothing items (like tights), and their ATEX winter coat was beyond warm. I also really liked their European sizing, which fits thinner and taller people better.
A NCCA National Championship Victory (2004-05).
The UCVC returns to Voler to manufacture their jerseys, beginning nearly five years of ordering bliss. Voler never misses a single deadline, has consistent colors and never, ever makes a mistake.The team also acquires its first product sponsorships, Orbea, Reynolds, Look, Rudy Project, and Sidi.
The University tightens its control over club funds and makes it nearly impossible to pay for vendors and services for the team and the Monsters of the Midway. In the first year after this policy change, Patrick Meyers is forced to put the entire up-front cost of the race on his credit card. On a positive note, Student Government increases Sports Club funds and the team leadership is allocated a few hundred dollars to cover race expenses.
Monsters has a few years of nice weather. ABR is rewarded for its safety record and is able to reduce the per rider insurance costs for its promoters. Monsters is able to stay on stable financial ground. USCF continues to increase its fees.
A small core of racers circulate e-mails amongst themselves to keep slower riders and one poisonous ex-girlfriend from showing up on their rides.
Team Leaders: Todd Yezefski, Jon Tenney, Eric Nortstrom, Joel Roth, Tim Belton, Craid Gartland, Megan Myrick, Andrew Nicholson, Patrick Meyers.
Racing highlights:
1. NCCA National Criterium Championship Victory
2. 2nd place National Collegiate Ironman Triathlon Championships
Critique:
The design is still yellow and black, done mostly to appease members who already owned clothing from the previous year. It is not a terribly inventive design, and is basically the same as that used in 1997. Riders still complain about the back panel of the shorts.
The Last Yellow Jersey (2006).
2006 was the last gasp of the yellow jersey. Essentially a continuation of previous years with more prominent display of some sponsors, including Get A Grip Cycles and Orbea.2006 marked a significant split in the activities of the team. The club splits among 2 parties: the collegiate racing team and recreational riders (mostly U of C staff and faculty who ride sweet bikes) who start their own 60-mile ride to northern Indiana. Faculty and staff generally take over the running of Monsters (Joel Roth, Tim Belton, Patrick Meyers), while the collegiate team just sucks up funds and races on Monsters weekend. Things come full circle when the recreational riders start their own e-mail list to keep the racers from disrupting their ride.
The team finally reveals its rainy day fund to the Sports Club Office.
Team leaders: Jon Tenney, Todd Yezefski, Megan Myrick, Franciso Torralba, Joel Roth, Tim Belton, Kevin Covey.
Highlights:
1. 2nd place NCCA National Championship Road Race
2. The start of the Schererville ride.
3. Joel Roth starts racing cyclocross.
4. Monsters features the largest Category 4 field ever seen.
5. The team no longer has any triathlete members, marking the UCVC as a true road racing team,
Critique:
It is still yellow. The design at this point is beyond boring.
A Good Team Kit is Like A Good Essay (2007).
After years of battling with the powers of conservatism, the UCVC management manages to change the basic color scheme of the jersey. Significant changes bring the jersey more in line with the themes and mentality of the University of Chicago, including replacing the UCVC logo of the 1990s with the Maroon "C", and lettering that reflects the University's own design.Notable is the back panel of the jersey, prominently displaying the team's association with the biological science division.
The color change is made in relative secret by just a few student members from the collegiate racing team. A portion of the club feels hoodwinked and betrayed.
New leadership spends all of the money saved by the previous membership in a single year. The riders who were involved in saving the money (Norstrom, Roth, Munson, etc...) never get to enjoy it.
Highlights:
1. First MWCCC victory in women's field
2. Schererville ride grows in popularity.
Team leaders: Francisco Torralba, Joel Roth, etc.
Critique:
This kit reflects the high standards of quality that the University tries to instill in its students. It also argues that the same qualities that go into a good essay are the same as should be used to design a cycling uniform. These qualities are: 1) all of the components must form a comprehensive unit; 2) simpler is always better; 3) fonts should be consistent; 4) contrast, contrast, contrast; and 5) proofread. Drafts, as my mentor told me long ago, should be proof read by crusty old men with high standards who examine things with a hard nose and a jaundiced eye. Commentary such as "I like it, "its good," "wow," make a person feel good but ultimately reinforce the mediocrity of early drafts.
This design also managed to use simple colors in a manner that made for a very striking image. Most notably is the very simple rendition of the university phoenix in white (on the shorts and long sleeve
s, not really shown here). It was pretty dope. Plus, the entire kit was distinct in both the regional (MWCCC) and National Championships, which is something that the previous design failed to achieve. Nobody ever complemented our jerseys until we came out with this one, but it happened a lot last year. For example, during the NCCA National Championship Criterium, an entire family picked me out from the 100+ racers and adopted me strictly for my team kit and silver shorts, screams of "Go, Chicago!" encouraging me lap after lap (I guess they could read the font). In fact, the son asked me to sign and give him my race numbers after the race was over. It didn't matter to him that I only lasted for 50 minutes of the race, and that it was still going on while I was signing the numbers.
Notable negatives include the fact that the maroon color is really red (everyone thought that we were getting maroon based on the proofs, but this could have easily been altered in the next batch), some of the black type does not standout on the gray background, and that the silver lycra of the shorts shows sweat (once again the butt obsession comes to the fore). However, cycling is cool because you get to wear the super hero outfits that you never could sport in the office. Nothing screams superhero (or prostitute) like silver pants.Finally Maroon (2008).
In 2008, club leadership decided to change manufacturers to Champ-sys because it is slightly cheaper than its competitors. It is a relative newcomer to the cycling clothing field, has a very limited in-house design team, and its production is done in China.A real cycling shop enters the Hyde Park neighborhood. Tati brings a much needed influx of Keirin/Retro/Portland style to the UCVC.
Highlights:
More victories in the MWCCC than we can count.
Team leaders: Francisco Torralba, Devon Haskell, Carly Schuster, Dan Houle, Aspen Gorry.
Critique:
Champ-Sys used a very heavy lycra and a double layer of fabric on the back panel of its shorts, which hopefully will eliminate the decade-long butt sweat debate. They also incorporate a nice cell phone/i-pod pocket into the shoulder straps of its bib shorts. The pad is acceptable, but some complained of saddle sores. In terms of construction, it is a good value, but they screwed up the arm warmers and failed to make some items.
The triumph of this jersey is that it finally includes maroon (but not as the primary color). From a design standpoint, however, it has problems. It has an inconsistent design between the jersey and the shorts, the weird use of red and yellow next to maroon, way too many logos (including two different bike shops), and a manufacturer that can't provide the crisp lines as its competitors. The image of the white phoenix doesn't work , the font colors on the side of the jersey do not match the same lettering as on the shorts (black vs. white), the logos on the shoulder panel are odd, and the rear pockets are just a solid block of black which looks really bad on jackets and vests without pockets. It is not up to the standards of the University of Chicago, and I feel like I am wearing bad grammar when I ride in it. The biggest negative, however, is that the entire package is invisible in the MWCCC peloton.
A better move would have been to stick with the compositionally excellent Voler design from the previous year and just swap out the accidental red color with a true maroon and turn some of the U of C font from black to white (since the official U of C colors are maroon and white).
What are the themes of the second incarnation of the UCVC? The first is that constitutionally, the students hold the reigns of power and have consumed more and more resources as their racing has grown in strength and success. The non-racing component shoulders the greatest burden of the team, the Monsters of the Midway, but they have little voice in the direction of the entire club. These two components have different reasons for riding their bikes, and they started to grow further apart sometime after the Biemme years. The saving grace seems to be the cyclocross season wherein elements of both sides can come together. Other themes include the battle between the team and the Sports Club bureaucracy, the difficulty in introducing and maintaining the club's female membership, that there is a weird obsession with fannies, and that designing a good cycling jersey is a difficult task. Lastly, the great nemesis is really the Chicago weather.
18 comments:
Thanks for your views, JT.
My favorite part was the history of UCVC. Could you write some more about that? I don't think many people (including myself) are aware of the accomplishments of this club over the years.
I agree that the red-grey uniform stood out a lot more, but unfortunately those are not the school's colors.
I don't think the club will represent the university unless we get the basic color right, and this year we did it. The maroon we have now on the uniform matches the official numerical code of the University's maroon. I don't know if there is a way to make the uniform stand out more in the pack while retaining the maroon color. (Of course, there's a whole separate debate about whether the team's image should be in accordance with the university's; I think it should.)
I do agree that some things in this year's uniform don't work (too many colorful logos, or the white bird on the shorts, for example). I think it was hard to see that on the pdf files.
In defense of this year's uniform:
1. It was the first time that people said "This is something I would expect to find in the university's official gift shop."
2. The person who designed the uniform did it from scratch, with no previous experience in uniform design, and he did a terrific job.
And about last year's uniforms (the red-grey ones):
1. Nowhere was the text "University of Chicago" visible. The text was included only on the side panels, and the characters were very thin, so it was impossible to see it.
2. The back side of the jersey only included the phoenix, not the entire school's shield.
3. The back of the shorts had the UCVC logo on them, rather than the school's logo or name.
Considering 1, 2 and 3, it was impossible to tell that the rider was a UofC cyclist from the back, and only at very short distances from the side. While the "big C" on the front was a good idea in terms of representing the school, the elements on the rest of the uniform were a step back in that regard.
I've got one that's even older -- circa '97. Maybe I'll bring it by so you can have a complete history.
Whoops -- I have the one Devon already posted.
I'll keep adding things so keep checking back.
1) One of the reasons we switched to Champion System is that Voler cannot provide the UofC maroon, as far as I know. They have Red, Ruby Red, Brick, and Crimson Red, but not maroon.
2) I hope it's clear to every one that JT's opinions are JT's only. Every one has his own, and it's impossible to please everyone. There are the people who prefer yellow to maroon, then the people who prefer Voler to other brands, and then the people who don't like the phoenix, etc, etc etc.
From the survey I ran a few months ago, most people who responded were highly satisfied with the design.
3) Voler is not a guarantee of quality and speed. To begin with, the tone of the shorts didn't match the tone of the tops in the past. Second, their delivery time is not shorter. In fact, Champion System's delivery time is much shorter than Voler's. The team approved the final proof right before Christmas, and the uniforms were here at the end of January. Voler cannot provide that. Moreover, one year Voler sent clothes with the wrong size tag--that is, items that were a size L actually had a tag that said they were a size M, or vice versa. It didn't happen to me, but I'm pretty sure it was Voler, not Biemme.
Finally, the lycra of Voler's shorts wears out very quickly. I haven't had the opportunity to compare it with the Champion System lycra, since I haven't used it.
4) Whether the designer, Liam, was "thrown into the job by the powers that be" is up to Liam to say, not to JT. This affects me directly because I was "the powers that be" who asked Liam to design the kit. And I have to say I am very happy with what he accomplished, and very proud that a UCVC member produced the design. The design feels a bit more like our own that way. But I don't like talking about Liam. If he has anything to say, he should, either here or privately.
To JT -
dude, I thought you had a dissertation to write!!!
This is a great work - and all these relics came from your dig in your basement, didn't they? They've stayed in nice condition, much like the Dead Sea Scrolls.
It is easy to lose the history and you have done a good job of capturing it. I wish you all could have known Ed DesJardins and others from the early '90s.
The UCVC has a long and proud tradition.
-craig.
It has an inconsistent design between the jersey and the shorts, the weird use of red and yellow next to maroon, way too many logos (including two different bike shops), and a manufacturer that can't provide the crisp lines as its competitors.
Technically the 2007 jersey also had two different bike shop logos. But I will say that if this is an issue, I don't mind removing mine for 08/09 whilst still providing support to the team.
Make no mistake, my critique is biased. It reflects the very high standards that I have been taught as a student and my own personal tastes.
Team kits - it's impossible to make everyone happy. Despite having a strong emotional attachment to the yello velo, I think the new kits look good. It's true that they are a bit busy, but that's what you get with a lot of sponsors. The kits from last year looked great dry, but they totally failed the "pee your pants and not see it" criterion. Not that that's something I do or anything. I'm still dreaming of the day when both yellow and maroon can co-exist happily, as they do on the Spanish national team kits.
D$
P.S. Despite what JT says, those see-through back panels on the Biemme shorts were a problem when it rained.
P.P.S. I'll try to post up a shot of the vintage jersey that Tim Belton kindly gave me.
Just heard from Craig. He is going to send me photos of the very early days of the UCVC. Sweet!
The team should drop Get A Grip not Tati.
A lot of people have e-mailed me and called me with more facts about the team's past, and I have added them and modified things over the course of the last day or two. At this point, I think that it is fairly concise and hits the major themes of the team. I guess that it is about as finished as I want to make it. This has been a fun exercise for all of us, and I hope that other people add their own recollections to the post. I was laughing while I wrote most of this, mostly because I was in charge during most of the major debacles. Somehow we made it through them, mostly because we are all passionate about the organization and are not afraid to speak up when something is done wrong.
Thanks for writing this Jon! I gather from the emails and blog postings that have gone past me recently that some people are feeling frustrated/over-worked/discouraged/disappointed with the UCVC. Reading what you wrote brings back lots of good memories. It reminds me that despite some frustrations there was a lot of fun along the way. I hope that those who are feeling frustrated/over-worked/discouraged/disappointed will leave with more good memories than look back at their time here with more good memories than bad.
Now about that color change. I don't remember it as a stealth move by the club leadership. I remember it as a much discussed topic and one that was opposed by me. "But! But! But my new stuff won't match my old stuff and I won't look good anymore and looking good is all I have left."
I am going to blame my decline on the resolution of the "butt sweat" issue. Once I no longer had to ride hard and stay in the front on training rides so as to avoid the site of Joel, Craig, David, Kent, Andrew, Jon or Eric's butt my fitness began to suffer. Its been one long downhill slide since the days of those yellow shorts.
P.S.: I should have signed my "anonymous" comment.
Thomas Berube
Nice history of UCVC JT. It would be nice to see if anyone had any history on the original incarnation of the club.
It might also me noted that the yellow maroon switch was made by a small core of members which also involved a disinformation campaign about the color switch.
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Insightful review of earlier work. What was not noted however, that the GM's electronic files containing the jersey artwork were festering with viruses and nearly killed my computer. I still love the old jersey, but the zipper is too small and crappy and gets caked with salt when I ride more than 30 min, which I don't do anymore. I don't think JT's opinions are opionions at all but the absolute truth, and anyone with a contrary opinion should either ride into or be struck by a garbage truck on the path, unknown b/c gt drivers will panic and flee the scene. The new jerseys are nice, but they are not the old ones. That is not an opinion.
-emory creel
what was "some asian dude's name?" his email was chickenmonkey and he had a cosmetics web sits.
Great piece of work, JT. Sorry I didn't see it for over a year!
Some modifications to the early reincarnation of the UCVC. I responded to an ad in the Maroon about the UCVC because I thought bicycle racing might be fun. It was placed by a Div School Ph.D. student (who was moving on to a school in Iowa?). He was the last active member of the UCVC at that time and wanted someone to inherit the club. I remember emailing him later to ask who the hell this Craig Gartland guy is.
One of the first guys who joined after me was Mate Adamkovics. (He moved on to Berkeley; his name was said Mah-tay'.) He's the one responsible for designing not only the UCVC symbol, but also the first jersey. And, yes, I was in the pro-yellow camp. It was Mate who liked the ONCE design.
Chicken-monkey was the email of Kent Fitzgerald, who (IIRC) was married to U of Chicago student Rose who was a friend of Eric Norstrom's. And, Emory, I don't remember anything about a cosmetics website, but neither was Kent Asian.
I have a team photo of the UCVC hanging on my wall. Kent, Charlie Newell, and I are in the back row with some others whose names I don't remember. Eric Norstrom and Taylor (last name?) are in the middle row with another guy whose name I've forgotten. Math whiz Ben Breyer is front row left with his Litespeed and Craig Gartland is front row right with his Cervelo and aero helmet.
The one person whose name is probably familiar to everyone from the early reincarnation is Chunae Zoh. He was a U of Chicago alum by that time, but rode with us frequently. He lived up on the northside and would join us on the trail.
- Greg Munson
Just seeing this almost two decades after I got the Biemme kit as a grad student living in PA. Funny, because I’m always thankful to have gotten it when I ride with the winter tights and jacket - it is the best stuff to keep me going through mid-December! (The bibs go way up the torso with a zipper, and are really warm. Yes, the pad leaves something to be desired, but I can get 40 miles out of it). Out here in central PA still riding in about 7 different versions of UCVC kit for decades…
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