Saturday, May 31, 2008
Giro d'Italia Live and Free
Click here to watch the Giro d'Italia live, free. (And in Italian! How awesome is that???)
An interview with Devon at cyclingnews.com
Cyclingnews.com published a short excerpt of an interview with Devon yesterday. (Hat tip to Loren Bo.)
Nature Valley announces women's collegiate team
By Mark Zalewski, North American Editor
The Nature Valley Grand Prix, one of the top NRC stage races in America, will once again have a special collegiate women's all-star team comprised of the top riders from the recent US collegiate nationals. Each member of the team will race in her school's team kit, garnering national exposure for the school, while the rider gains exposure in front of the top women's teams.
The first year success of the program prompted its continuation, as half of the 2007 team were signed to pro contracts for this season – Penn State's Erica Allar (Aaron's Pro Cycling), Fort Lewis College's Kristin McGrath (Colavita-Sutter Home), and Lehigh University's Andrea Luebbe (Verducci Breakaway Racing).
Devon Haskell (University of Chicago) is returning to the team this year. She told her school newspaper, The Maroon, after last year's race that being the test group meant a lot of unknowns, but was happy with the result.
"Nature Valley is one of the biggest and most competitive races in America for women's cycling," said Haskell. "All the big pro teams are there. [It was] my first year bike racing so it was a pretty cool experience to be racing with the best. [It was] the first year that they put a collegiate all-star team together, and I think nobody really knew what to expect, [but I] think we came out of the event feeling like the team was a success."
Collegiate cycling is seen as one of the biggest potential recruiting venues for women's cycling in the US, said USA Cycling board president Mark Abramson, who sits on the board as the collegiate cycling representative. ""The Ryan Collegiate All Stars is a great way to build awareness of collegiate cycling and to help talented women move up the ladder in the sport."
Ryan Collegiate All-Stars: Chloe Forsman, University of Arizona; Devon Haskell, University of Chicago; Anna McLoon, Harvard University; Amanda Miller, Colorado State University; Jen Stebbins, Dartmouth College; Carla Swart, Lees-McRae College.
Nature Valley announces women's collegiate team
By Mark Zalewski, North American Editor
The Nature Valley Grand Prix, one of the top NRC stage races in America, will once again have a special collegiate women's all-star team comprised of the top riders from the recent US collegiate nationals. Each member of the team will race in her school's team kit, garnering national exposure for the school, while the rider gains exposure in front of the top women's teams.
The first year success of the program prompted its continuation, as half of the 2007 team were signed to pro contracts for this season – Penn State's Erica Allar (Aaron's Pro Cycling), Fort Lewis College's Kristin McGrath (Colavita-Sutter Home), and Lehigh University's Andrea Luebbe (Verducci Breakaway Racing).
Devon Haskell (University of Chicago) is returning to the team this year. She told her school newspaper, The Maroon, after last year's race that being the test group meant a lot of unknowns, but was happy with the result.
"Nature Valley is one of the biggest and most competitive races in America for women's cycling," said Haskell. "All the big pro teams are there. [It was] my first year bike racing so it was a pretty cool experience to be racing with the best. [It was] the first year that they put a collegiate all-star team together, and I think nobody really knew what to expect, [but I] think we came out of the event feeling like the team was a success."
Collegiate cycling is seen as one of the biggest potential recruiting venues for women's cycling in the US, said USA Cycling board president Mark Abramson, who sits on the board as the collegiate cycling representative. ""The Ryan Collegiate All Stars is a great way to build awareness of collegiate cycling and to help talented women move up the ladder in the sport."
Ryan Collegiate All-Stars: Chloe Forsman, University of Arizona; Devon Haskell, University of Chicago; Anna McLoon, Harvard University; Amanda Miller, Colorado State University; Jen Stebbins, Dartmouth College; Carla Swart, Lees-McRae College.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Last 2k of 17th stage
Notice how Ongarato, the Milram guy, does a lead-out only to realize that Zabel is not on his wheel. Notice also how Bettini gets squished between the pack and the outside of the last turn and how, miraculously, he doesn't crash into the fence. These guys know how to handle a bike...
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Watch Out for Waves!!
It's windy out there on the path today... and with the wind comes some crazy wave action from Lake Michigan. The waves are especially vicious along the Oak Street Beach stretch of the path. The waves were coming over the edge and flowing up onto the path this morning... most of them can be avoided by riding up high on the path. However, on the corner after the long straight away, there were some monster splashes that shot up in the air almost 20 feet and then came crashing across the whole path. You might think a good strategy to minimize wave damage would be to continue cycling as far from the water as possible and close to the far wall. I used this strategy this morning... just as I came around the corner with monster waves, the water struck, shot up in the air, and came rushing across the path about 1.5 ft. deep when it hit me (and this was the shallow part because I had the brilliant strategy of staying close to the wall). Then my plan backfired because the wave hit the wall, traveled up the wall, and came back and dumped on my head. Meanwhile, I got laughed at by an oncoming rider. Oh dear! So - I would not recommend riding close to the wall around this corner! I do not have a good alternative strategy... on the way home I just kept my fingers crossed and rode really fast through that section of the path - I escaped with relatively minimal wave wetness.
A view of the Plan de Corones course
A view of the course of the Plan de Corones time trial (gravel section only). Via steephill.tv
(The dude riding the course wears the exact same Rudy Project helmet I use.)
(The dude riding the course wears the exact same Rudy Project helmet I use.)
Points ride--Classifica generale
Dopo la terza tappa of the "Points ride" series, including volunteering at Monsters, here's the new classification:
| Classifica generale - ventiquattro di maggio | Points | Miles |
| Elisabeth | 20 | 85 |
| Araba | 19 | 85 |
| Bernard | 19 | 85 |
| Dan | 19 | 85 |
| Francisco | 19 | 85 |
| Jeremy | 19 | 85 |
| Jonathan | 19 | 85 |
| Ari | 15 | 50 |
| Suchandra | 15 | 50 |
| Jesse | 14 | 35 |
| Sarah | 14 | 35 |
| Aspen | 10 | 0 |
| Carly | 10 | 0 |
| Devon | 10 | 0 |
| Mickey | 10 | 0 |
| Saud | 10 | 0 |
| Liam | 10 | 0 |
| Ricardo | 10 | 0 |
| James | 10 | 0 |
| Tim | 10 | 0 |
| Paige | 10 | 0 |
| Jason T. | 10 | 0 |
| Jason F. | 10 | 0 |
| Eric | 10 | 0 |
| Matthew C. | 10 | 0 |
| Matthew M. | 10 | 0 |
| Bruce | 10 | 0 |
| Robert F. | 10 | 0 |
| Jon | 10 | 0 |
| J/Tati | 10 | 0 |
| Rasi | 5 | 50 |
| Charlie | 5 | 50 |
| Miles | 5 | 50 |
| John B. | 5 | 50 |
| Jeff N. | 5 | 50 |
| Claus | 5 | 50 |
| Noah | 4 | 35 |
Sunday, May 25, 2008
What to bring to a race
This is a list of things to bring to a race. It was posted originally by Charles, an experienced racer, on the blog.
-Race clothes, including shorts, jersey, skin suit, arm and leg warmers, socks, gloves, rain jacket
-warm up and cool down clothes - jacket / tights
-helmet
-shoes
-glasses
-bottles for warm up / race / post race
-food pre-race / race / post race (I always pack food because I don't want to be scrambling to find some place open when I should be warming up -- I've learned that lesson too many times.)
-HR monitor / strap / computer
-trainer (plus front wheel prop and iPod)
-license
-pump
-tools
-cash / checkbook / phone / wallet / keys
-sunscreen
-towel
-spare wheels
-race flier / map / directions
I would add
-coins (for the road tolls)
-a large bottle of water, aside from the water bottles (there's no such thing as too much extra water)
-an extra set of racing clothes
-health insurance card
-chamois cream/jelly (for those who use such things)
-sugary drink/sports recovery drink (to avoid the sugar crash at the end of the race)
-spare tubes
-Race clothes, including shorts, jersey, skin suit, arm and leg warmers, socks, gloves, rain jacket
-warm up and cool down clothes - jacket / tights
-helmet
-shoes
-glasses
-bottles for warm up / race / post race
-food pre-race / race / post race (I always pack food because I don't want to be scrambling to find some place open when I should be warming up -- I've learned that lesson too many times.)
-HR monitor / strap / computer
-trainer (plus front wheel prop and iPod)
-license
-pump
-tools
-cash / checkbook / phone / wallet / keys
-sunscreen
-towel
-spare wheels
-race flier / map / directions
I would add
-coins (for the road tolls)
-a large bottle of water, aside from the water bottles (there's no such thing as too much extra water)
-an extra set of racing clothes
-health insurance card
-chamois cream/jelly (for those who use such things)
-sugary drink/sports recovery drink (to avoid the sugar crash at the end of the race)
-spare tubes
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Movies about cycling or bicycles
Jacques Tati, in "Jour de fête"
Here's a list of movies about cycling or bicycles. In some of them bicycles play a really secondary part (did you know that Goldeneye or Tomorrow Never Dies were movies about bicycles!?). But all the important ones are there, I think, up until 2007. I think we can consider the list comprehensive.
Here's a list of movies about cycling or bicycles. In some of them bicycles play a really secondary part (did you know that Goldeneye or Tomorrow Never Dies were movies about bicycles!?). But all the important ones are there, I think, up until 2007. I think we can consider the list comprehensive.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Monsters wrap-up -- from an organizational point of view
Thanks to all the volunteers who showed up to make the race happen. It wouldn't have been possible without you (I know this sounds like an over-used line, but it's literally true: one needs tons of people on race day to keep the event going).
The day started with a major problem: there was a ditch on the course, on the eastbound side of the Midway, between Ellis and Woodlawn. I learned about this on race day, at 5.30am. It's totally my fault that I didn't know: I should've inspected the course a couple of days before. I wish the guys who were distributing "No Parking" flyers would have noticed.
The ditch was about one-foot wide. It was covered with gravel, but the passing cars had scattered the gravel all over the place and there were rocks the size of fists near the ditch.
Fortunately, Mickey Eder saved the day by bringing some wooden planks and taping them to the asphalt to cover the ditch. The sweeping crew promptly removed all gravel and rocks from the course. Big, big thank-you to Mickey.
The second problem arose when the Ida Noyes building manager didn't open the doors of the building by 6.30am, as they had promised (eventually they opened past 7.30). This was a big problem because:
a) The tables and chairs we were going to use were inside
b) We had no access to restrooms
I was prepared for a), by asking Devon to bring our own chairs and table. But I made no preparations for b), and this is my fault again. Lesson: do not trust Ida Noyes Hall again and rent portapotties. This is the second year that this happens. I felt like an idiot when dozens of people kept asking me for a restroom and all I could do was apologize and tell them that the building wasn't open yet. It doesn't matter that you reserve your space with Ida Noyes months in advance, as we did; that you reconfirm your reservation twice on the week of the race, as we did; that you go talk to the manager of the building the day before the race, as we did; that you call the building manager on the morning of the race to ask him to open the building, as we did. None of that guarantees that the building will be open at 6.30. JUST RENT PORTAPOTTIES.
The rest of the day went more or less smoothly. The registration table worked like a well-oiled machine, thanks to Steve and Paul.
The races were slightly behind schedule, as usual, and the officials had to shorten almost all the races. This, I must say, was not really UCVC's fault, since we were ready to go at 7.30 sharp.
I couldn't make sure that every corner marshal was where he/she was supposed to be 100% of the time, but most of the time, I think, they were. Thanks for enduring the boredom of standing on a corner for hours.
The announcer was really good. I love that he started collecting a big prime from spectators for the P/1/2 race. People were really enthusiastic and the money starting piling up fast. I think that Jon actually enjoys himself as announcer. And thanks also to Carly, who was forced to stand in for Jon for the first 15 minutes of the event. I hope some day she'll forgive me.
We had few and minor crashes, so the ambulance was never necessary.
We didn't lose any race sheets. We had an abundance of trash bins near the finish-line tent. The registration table was safe from the wind (can you imagine dozens of banknotes flying across the street?), and we had plenty of change. Basically, things that don't make an event, but avert disaster or the discomfort of the race attendees. Except for the restrooms, of course. Did I mention that WE MUST RENT PORTAPOTTIES next time?
I couldn't watch much of the racing, so I encourage people to write another post with a chronicle.
The day started with a major problem: there was a ditch on the course, on the eastbound side of the Midway, between Ellis and Woodlawn. I learned about this on race day, at 5.30am. It's totally my fault that I didn't know: I should've inspected the course a couple of days before. I wish the guys who were distributing "No Parking" flyers would have noticed.
The ditch was about one-foot wide. It was covered with gravel, but the passing cars had scattered the gravel all over the place and there were rocks the size of fists near the ditch.
Fortunately, Mickey Eder saved the day by bringing some wooden planks and taping them to the asphalt to cover the ditch. The sweeping crew promptly removed all gravel and rocks from the course. Big, big thank-you to Mickey.
The second problem arose when the Ida Noyes building manager didn't open the doors of the building by 6.30am, as they had promised (eventually they opened past 7.30). This was a big problem because:
a) The tables and chairs we were going to use were inside
b) We had no access to restrooms
I was prepared for a), by asking Devon to bring our own chairs and table. But I made no preparations for b), and this is my fault again. Lesson: do not trust Ida Noyes Hall again and rent portapotties. This is the second year that this happens. I felt like an idiot when dozens of people kept asking me for a restroom and all I could do was apologize and tell them that the building wasn't open yet. It doesn't matter that you reserve your space with Ida Noyes months in advance, as we did; that you reconfirm your reservation twice on the week of the race, as we did; that you go talk to the manager of the building the day before the race, as we did; that you call the building manager on the morning of the race to ask him to open the building, as we did. None of that guarantees that the building will be open at 6.30. JUST RENT PORTAPOTTIES.
The rest of the day went more or less smoothly. The registration table worked like a well-oiled machine, thanks to Steve and Paul.
The races were slightly behind schedule, as usual, and the officials had to shorten almost all the races. This, I must say, was not really UCVC's fault, since we were ready to go at 7.30 sharp.
I couldn't make sure that every corner marshal was where he/she was supposed to be 100% of the time, but most of the time, I think, they were. Thanks for enduring the boredom of standing on a corner for hours.
The announcer was really good. I love that he started collecting a big prime from spectators for the P/1/2 race. People were really enthusiastic and the money starting piling up fast. I think that Jon actually enjoys himself as announcer. And thanks also to Carly, who was forced to stand in for Jon for the first 15 minutes of the event. I hope some day she'll forgive me.
We had few and minor crashes, so the ambulance was never necessary.
We didn't lose any race sheets. We had an abundance of trash bins near the finish-line tent. The registration table was safe from the wind (can you imagine dozens of banknotes flying across the street?), and we had plenty of change. Basically, things that don't make an event, but avert disaster or the discomfort of the race attendees. Except for the restrooms, of course. Did I mention that WE MUST RENT PORTAPOTTIES next time?
I couldn't watch much of the racing, so I encourage people to write another post with a chronicle.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Second article in the Maroon
We got some more love from the school's newspaper.
They say that Devon placed second in the omnium, which is not true, she won the omnium. This is my fault because this is what I announced in the first place, following the list published by USCF. I corrected this information on the club's website and on this blog as soon as Devon and Megan told me, but the Maroon wasn't aware of the change. Oh well, I guess it wouldn't be the Chicago Maroon if all the information was correct.
But, again, for the record, Devon won the omnium, as well as the road race.
Here's the article:
They say that Devon placed second in the omnium, which is not true, she won the omnium. This is my fault because this is what I announced in the first place, following the list published by USCF. I corrected this information on the club's website and on this blog as soon as Devon and Megan told me, but the Maroon wasn't aware of the change. Oh well, I guess it wouldn't be the Chicago Maroon if all the information was correct.
But, again, for the record, Devon won the omnium, as well as the road race.
Here's the article:
Haskell wins national title for cycling
By Steve Saltarelli
16 May 2008
The University of Chicago Velo Club (cycling) may not be the best-known team on campus, and they may not even have the title of “varsity sport.” They do, however, have something other teams on campus don’t have—a national title.
On Saturday, economics graduate student Devon Haskell took home the national championship at the D-II road race, dominating the field in Fort Collins, CO. Haskell, along with her teammates, economics graduate student Aspen Gorry and anthropology graduate student Carly Schuster, qualified for the race by earning enough points at the conference championships. The trio took on the rolling hills of Colorado, and Haskell came away with her first national title.
After the first climb, the pack started to break up, and Haskell established her place among the five pace-setting racers. She made her break from the front six miles from the finish and never looked back, crossing the line for first with 24 seconds to spare. Taking the gold marked an improvement from a third-place effort in last year’s race in Lawrence, KS.
“I’ve been training all season with this race as a priority,” Haskell said. “The road race turned out to be a challenging course with strong winds, long and steep climbs (which you can’t find anywhere in Chicago), and tough competition. [The win] was definitely a highlight of my cycling career.”
While Gorry and Schuster weren’t able to join Haskell among the top finishers, they completed their races successfully and earned valuable experience in their first appearance at nationals. They didn’t have much time to rest, and Haskell was unable to savor her victory because the next day the three were back on the bikes and competing in the D-II Criterium race.
Shorter and usually held on closed-off city streets, the Criterium featured a much tighter race. Gorry and Schuster both turned in solid performances, with Schuster finishing in a strong position and Gorry among the pack. Haskell was again at the front of the race, this time taking fourth. No clear break occurred in the Criterium, and Haskell ended up being part of a mad dash for first.
Combining the points from her results in the road race and the Criterium, Haskell wrapped up the weekend tied for first in the ominium classification but had to settle for second overall. Taking runner-up honors bumped her up from last year’s fourth-place standing.
The strong showing at nationals by Haskell, Gorry, and Schuster is a sweet end to a successful season that included a Midwest Collegiate Conference championship for the Maroons. Haskell’s individual title is the second of its kind for the velo club; the first came when Todd Yefezski won the Criterium race in 2005.
This is an especially amazing accomplishment given the difficult competition at nationals, where powerhouse programs are able to qualify more riders with their large budgets. Chicago’s cyclists, on the other hand, are part of a club sport that gets the majority of its funding through donations and sponsorships. In addition, riders have to balance the rigorous demands of academic pursuits with a world-class training schedule.
“I have a great coach, Brian Conant, who helps me keep a manageable workout schedule that fits in well with a grad student’s agenda,” Haskell said. “My training actually provides me a good balance with my studies.”
Haskell will continue to train and compete in races over the summer, but for now the Velo Club’s focus is on this Saturday’s Monsters of the Midway Criterium, when the UCVC will play host.
The race, which attracts over 400 participants from the Chicago area, has been organized by the club every year since 1993 and perhaps earlier. The one-day event, which takes place on a 1.1-mile rectangle around the Midway, features categories for all ages and skill. The youngest competitors fall between 10 and 12 years old, and the oldest bracket is from 60 to 69, while the experience ranges all the way up to the professional level.
The Monsters of the Midway competition gives UCVC riders an opportunity to compete without traveling, as well as to gauge how the young riders are progressing.
The first race will start at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Midway Plaisance between Ellis and Dorchester Avenues.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Hawaiian news
In case you don't know, UCVC has a one-man outpost in Hawaii. His name is Mark Kadowaki, and in spite of the oceanic distance, he continues to race for UCVC.
He participated in the "Tour de Big Island," a stage race in Hawaii, and placed 2nd in the overall classification of his category!! Check out the results.
Tony Lang in action
Incidentally, while at the race he bumped into Tony Lang. Tony Lang is one of the founders of UCVC and creator of the UCVC logo, back in 1989. Tony won the overall classification of the 1/2/3 category at the same race!!
Here's an interview with Tony, where he briefly mentions his initiation to competitive cycling, while at the UofC. I've tried to find his e-mail address to ask him to write a summary about the origins of UCVC, but his contact info proves damn hard to find (maybe it's because he works for the FBI). Hopefully he'll read this and will contact me...
He participated in the "Tour de Big Island," a stage race in Hawaii, and placed 2nd in the overall classification of his category!! Check out the results.
Tony Lang in action
Incidentally, while at the race he bumped into Tony Lang. Tony Lang is one of the founders of UCVC and creator of the UCVC logo, back in 1989. Tony won the overall classification of the 1/2/3 category at the same race!!Here's an interview with Tony, where he briefly mentions his initiation to competitive cycling, while at the UofC. I've tried to find his e-mail address to ask him to write a summary about the origins of UCVC, but his contact info proves damn hard to find (maybe it's because he works for the FBI). Hopefully he'll read this and will contact me...
Monday, May 12, 2008
Official Monsters poster
Soon on display all over Hyde Park. Art by Mitchell Malinowski Art Partners.
MONSTERS WEEK
This is Monsters of the Midway Week. For UCVCers, this is the home stretch of the lengthy preparations for our race. For all racers in the Chicago area, a week of eager anticipation of one of the few criteriums in the city proper.
This year we'll have a pace car, sponsored by Zipcar, which should make the race safer and even more professional.
We've also added a women's cat3 race. This race is not combined with masters or cat4. It's all for you, cat3's. It's hard to go from racing against 4's to competing against 1/2's, so we wanna help you a little bit, ladies. Of course, this also means that you, poor cat4's, don't have to race against those super-fast, daredevil cat3's, and that you'll have a better chance of placing well in your race.
Check out the schedule of races and come out for a fine day of cycling next Saturday!
This year we'll have a pace car, sponsored by Zipcar, which should make the race safer and even more professional.
We've also added a women's cat3 race. This race is not combined with masters or cat4. It's all for you, cat3's. It's hard to go from racing against 4's to competing against 1/2's, so we wanna help you a little bit, ladies. Of course, this also means that you, poor cat4's, don't have to race against those super-fast, daredevil cat3's, and that you'll have a better chance of placing well in your race.
Check out the schedule of races and come out for a fine day of cycling next Saturday!
Second article in the Maroon on Friday
Our second article in the Maroon is coming out on Friday, not tomorrow.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
DEVON NATIONAL CHAMPION
Devon won the Division II Road Race today at Fort Collins, Colorado!!!!!
Check out the full results here.
This is HUGE, guys. I don't know if you realize how incredible it is that a club as small as ours, that does not even have a team coach, that is not a varsity sport, in a place with a dearth of good roads to train on, wins a National Championship.
Big congratulations to Devon on her victory, and to Carly and Aspen for making it to Nationals.
All three must be pretty tired tonight, but I'm sure they'll be strong enough tomorrow to put on a great performance at the criterium!!!
We're cheering for you from Chicago!!
UPDATE: Devon placed fourth in the criterium on Sunday. After winning Saturday's road race,she secured a second place in the omnium, although tied in points with the winner her fourth place in the crit was enough to secure the victory in the omnium too (she has the same number of points as the second rider, but NCCA breaks ties using the number of victories). I spoke with Devon. She said that no break stuck in the crit and that it ended up in a mass sprint. With a few laps to go, Devon was far in the back of the pack but she pushed herself to the front to sprint for fourth.
Carly was placed 30th. Aspen finished with the pack. I was worried about him, after not seeing his name in the results of Saturday's road race. Don't worry, he didn't crash. He just had a hard time following the pack in the climb and decided to save himself for today's race.
Congratulations to all three.
UPDATE (5/12/08): We got some coverage on Chicago Bike Racing too.
Check out the full results here.
This is HUGE, guys. I don't know if you realize how incredible it is that a club as small as ours, that does not even have a team coach, that is not a varsity sport, in a place with a dearth of good roads to train on, wins a National Championship.
Big congratulations to Devon on her victory, and to Carly and Aspen for making it to Nationals.
All three must be pretty tired tonight, but I'm sure they'll be strong enough tomorrow to put on a great performance at the criterium!!!
We're cheering for you from Chicago!!
UPDATE: Devon placed fourth in the criterium on Sunday. After winning Saturday's road race,
Carly was placed 30th. Aspen finished with the pack. I was worried about him, after not seeing his name in the results of Saturday's road race. Don't worry, he didn't crash. He just had a hard time following the pack in the climb and decided to save himself for today's race.
Congratulations to all three.
UPDATE (5/12/08): We got some coverage on Chicago Bike Racing too.
Matteson practice crits
UPDATE (5/18/2008): the practice crits are temporarily suspended due to construction work on the course. Check the website for updates.
I want to bring the Matteson practice crits to people's attention. This is a series of crits that takes place in an access road around a factory, in Matteson, IL. Matteson is about 40 minutes away from Chicago, by car. The event is held on Tuesdays at 6 pm. Check out the website.
Depending on hours of sunlight, they hold two or three crits on any given Tuesday. The first one is about 15 laps, the second one is about 40 laps, and the last one, if it's not too dark to keep riding, is either 10 or 15 laps.
They split riders into two groups, A and B. The A's start first, followed by the B's shortly after. In theory, if you're a cat4 or 5, the officials will make you do the B race. After a while, when you've proven that you are a safe and fast rider, they'll let you do the A race. (I was lucky to know someone at the event who could attest that I was strong enough to start with the A's right away, a year ago.)
Good things about the event:
a) Good atmosphere.
b) Safe course.
c) Very low racing fees.
d) Good cornering practice. Since the course has four corners, you end up doing over 200 corners in one evening.
Not-so-good things:
a) Easy corners. It's a flat rectangle with a wide road and excellent pavement. You can zoom by the corners; you don't even have to stop pedaling.
b) Riders are quite less aggressive than in a real race, because there's nothing at stake.
I want to bring the Matteson practice crits to people's attention. This is a series of crits that takes place in an access road around a factory, in Matteson, IL. Matteson is about 40 minutes away from Chicago, by car. The event is held on Tuesdays at 6 pm. Check out the website.
Depending on hours of sunlight, they hold two or three crits on any given Tuesday. The first one is about 15 laps, the second one is about 40 laps, and the last one, if it's not too dark to keep riding, is either 10 or 15 laps.
They split riders into two groups, A and B. The A's start first, followed by the B's shortly after. In theory, if you're a cat4 or 5, the officials will make you do the B race. After a while, when you've proven that you are a safe and fast rider, they'll let you do the A race. (I was lucky to know someone at the event who could attest that I was strong enough to start with the A's right away, a year ago.)
Good things about the event:
a) Good atmosphere.
b) Safe course.
c) Very low racing fees.
d) Good cornering practice. Since the course has four corners, you end up doing over 200 corners in one evening.
Not-so-good things:
a) Easy corners. It's a flat rectangle with a wide road and excellent pavement. You can zoom by the corners; you don't even have to stop pedaling.
b) Riders are quite less aggressive than in a real race, because there's nothing at stake.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Something I read
I read this yesterday and I was wondering what you guys think:
When riding in a group, keep your front wheel 12 inches behind the wheel in front of you. If the gap gets narrower than six inches:
a) Soft-pedal, don't coast. If this is not enough to keep you more than six inches behind, then
b) Coast. If this is not enough, then
c) Move slightly to one side and lift your upper body, so that air resistance slows you down. But don't let your front wheel overlap with the rear wheel of the person in front of you.
Do not touch your brakes, unless it's an emergency or the group is coming to a halt.
What do you guys think?
When riding in a group, keep your front wheel 12 inches behind the wheel in front of you. If the gap gets narrower than six inches:
a) Soft-pedal, don't coast. If this is not enough to keep you more than six inches behind, then
b) Coast. If this is not enough, then
c) Move slightly to one side and lift your upper body, so that air resistance slows you down. But don't let your front wheel overlap with the rear wheel of the person in front of you.
Do not touch your brakes, unless it's an emergency or the group is coming to a halt.
What do you guys think?
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Points championship: first ride
The first ride felt like a success. We had a peculiar mix of alpha types and recreational folks, who got along surprisingly well as riders.
The group had to turn around near McCormick Place because there seemed to be some kind of walk or race on the path. So we went south to Calumet Park and then we rode the path south of there to that other park by the lake. But we still did 35 miles.
The racing types got rid of some of their testosterone at a couple of sprints and a mini-crit at Calumet Park. But overall they behaved, waiting for everyone and doing almost the whole ride as a group. Thank you guys for waiting.
Jesse turned out to be the offender of the day, skipping two red lights. Yes, they were pedestrian red lights, but we were using them to cross the road, so they still count. We'll let it pass this time, but remember: pedestrian red lights are still red lights.
Extra point of the day for Elisabeth, who rode without water. Somebody give a couple of bottle cages to this girl! (Orange would match nicely her Orbea frame...)
Some of us stopped for an après-ride café at Bon Jour.
The group had to turn around near McCormick Place because there seemed to be some kind of walk or race on the path. So we went south to Calumet Park and then we rode the path south of there to that other park by the lake. But we still did 35 miles.
The racing types got rid of some of their testosterone at a couple of sprints and a mini-crit at Calumet Park. But overall they behaved, waiting for everyone and doing almost the whole ride as a group. Thank you guys for waiting.
Jesse turned out to be the offender of the day, skipping two red lights. Yes, they were pedestrian red lights, but we were using them to cross the road, so they still count. We'll let it pass this time, but remember: pedestrian red lights are still red lights.
Extra point of the day for Elisabeth, who rode without water. Somebody give a couple of bottle cages to this girl! (Orange would match nicely her Orbea frame...)
Some of us stopped for an après-ride café at Bon Jour.
| Classification générale - May 3rd | Points | Miles |
| Elisabeth | 5 | 35 |
| Araba | 4 | 35 |
| Bernard | 4 | 35 |
| Dan | 4 | 35 |
| Francisco | 4 | 35 |
| Jeremy | 4 | 35 |
| Jesse | 4 | 35 |
| Jonathan | 4 | 35 |
| Noah | 4 | 35 |
| Sarah | 4 | 35 |
Friday, May 2, 2008
UCVC points championship
Dan and I came up with the latest crazy idea to keep ourselves riding bikes for months on end. We proudly present the "UCVC Points Competition" --the name is provisional; we haven't found a sexy name other than the "UCVC Brioche Competition."
The idea is to have a series of weekly rides, on Saturdays, from this weekend until October. Every ride is assigned a certain number of points, based on distance and difficulty. Every person who comes to the ride earns the points assigned to that ride. The person who accumulates the most points by the end of the series becomes the championship winner. Dan and I will keep track of the points. THE FIRST RIDE IS THIS SATURDAY! See the schedule and other details below.
At the end of the season we'll have a dinner/awards ceremony, an *Ibex* champion jersey made especially for the occasion, trophies for everyone who accumulates at least 500 miles,... the whole shebang. Details are below. The schedule of rides is below too.
I am perfectly aware that this is one of those "grand plans" that don't take off in this beloved club of ours. I wanna give it a try anyway. I think there is a void in terms of activities organized by the club that we can fill.
The idea is actually not that crazy. In fact, it's inspired by the practice of neighborhood clubs in Spain, Italy and France. In Spain we call it "cicloturismo." (Rough translation: "cyclotourism." In spite of the name, it does NOT involve sightseeing, visiting places of cultural interest, or eating brioches out of a basket while your ride.) This championship is for people who don't compete, but still wanna feel the rush of riding fast in a pack. Or for people who do compete, but just feel like going out for a recreational ride once a week or once in a while.
Neither Dan nor I are sure that we'll be able to make it to every ride (we might be racing some weekend, or out of town) but we hope that the project gets some traction soon and some other person can lead for us in our absence.
I'll post this permanently on the website when I find the time.
Schedule:
An asterisk (*) means that we need to drive
-May 3: Metropolis (~35 miles). 4 points.
-May 10: Schererville (Starbucks) (~50 miles). 5 points.
-May 17: Monsters of the Midway (Volunteering, not racing. Racing doesn’t carry any points.) 10 points.
-May 24: Highland Park (~70 miles). Optional alternative: Bike the Drive (May 25). 7 points.
-May 31: Metropolis (~35 miles). 4 points.
-June 7: Schererville + short extra loop (~70 miles). 7 points.
-June 14: Italian coffee bar, Evanston (~40 miles). 4 points.
-June 21: Barrington ride* (70 miles). 8 points.
-June 28: Schererville (Starbucks) (~50 miles). 5 points.
-July 5: Fort Sheridan (70 miles). 7 points.
-July 12: Argonne ride* (70 miles?). 8 points.
-July 19: Schererville + short extra loop (~70 miles). 7 points.
-July 26: North suburbs route (basically the Team Judson route). (~100 miles). 10 points
-Aug 2: Metropolis (~35 miles). 4 points.
-Aug 9: Schererville (Starbucks) (~50 miles). 5 points.
-Aug 16: Barrington ride* (70 miles). 8 points.
-Aug 23: Schererville + long extra loop (~100 miles). 10 points. Note: Chicago Triathlon! Don’t use the path.
-Aug 30: Italian Coffee Bar, Evanston (~40 miles). 4 points.
-Sept 6: Highland Park (~70 miles). 7 points.
-Sept 13: Schererville (~50 miles). 5 points.
-September 21: North Shore Century (100 miles) Leaves from Evanston. 10 points. (Extra 5 points if you ride from Hyde Park to Evanston.)
-September 28: Apple Century Ride* (100 miles) Note: need to drive to Michigan. 10 points.
-October 4: Schererville (~50 miles). 5 points.
-October 11: Time Trial: bike path, from 55th to 72nd and back. 4 points.
-Dinner and awards ceremony (some time the following week)
-October 18: Champion Honorary Ride (the winner gets to ride to Metropolis in the champion’s maglia). No points.
Details:
-Italian, French and English are all official languages of the campionato.
-Every participant in a ride will earn the points assigned to the ride, as long as he or she follows the established corso, all the way. Two or three UCVC folks will keep track of the points.
-The winner of the championship is the person who accumulates the most points. In case of a tie (highly unlikely after such a long series of rides) the champion is the person who wins la course contre la montre (TT, see the calendar above).
-Everyone is welcome to participate —of course riders of Team TATI too! We only ask that you are able to ride safely dans le peloton. However, only members of UCVC can get points and sweet awards (sorry). The definition of UCVC member is on the club’s website.
-At the end of the campionato we will have a dinner/award ceremony and we will give the winner a UCVC maglia rossa (maroon jersey) especially designed for the occasion and a trophy. We might also give certificates to various categories (the least-young person, the best anecdote, the guy with the cutest Spanish accent, etc) and cycling swag... It depends on the resources that we can either spare from our budget or forage out there.
-Every eligible participant who accumulates at least 500 miles will receive a trofeo.
-Pénalisationnes: Minus 2 points for anyone who doesn’t stop at a red light (messengers and people in a hurry don’t get a waiver).
-We believe in gender equality. So, given that this championship is based purely on participation and guys don’t have an advantage over gurls, we won’t have a separate winner by gender. Unless… a male and a female are tied in points and the time trial needs to break the tie. In that case, there will be a winner award for the both the ragazzo and the ragazza, regardless of who wins the TT. (Exception: if Devon is the ragazza, she’ll have to win the TT.)
-Bad weather cancellation: On verra (in English, TBD).
The idea is to have a series of weekly rides, on Saturdays, from this weekend until October. Every ride is assigned a certain number of points, based on distance and difficulty. Every person who comes to the ride earns the points assigned to that ride. The person who accumulates the most points by the end of the series becomes the championship winner. Dan and I will keep track of the points. THE FIRST RIDE IS THIS SATURDAY! See the schedule and other details below.
At the end of the season we'll have a dinner/awards ceremony, an *Ibex* champion jersey made especially for the occasion, trophies for everyone who accumulates at least 500 miles,... the whole shebang. Details are below. The schedule of rides is below too.
I am perfectly aware that this is one of those "grand plans" that don't take off in this beloved club of ours. I wanna give it a try anyway. I think there is a void in terms of activities organized by the club that we can fill.
The idea is actually not that crazy. In fact, it's inspired by the practice of neighborhood clubs in Spain, Italy and France. In Spain we call it "cicloturismo." (Rough translation: "cyclotourism." In spite of the name, it does NOT involve sightseeing, visiting places of cultural interest, or eating brioches out of a basket while your ride.) This championship is for people who don't compete, but still wanna feel the rush of riding fast in a pack. Or for people who do compete, but just feel like going out for a recreational ride once a week or once in a while.
Neither Dan nor I are sure that we'll be able to make it to every ride (we might be racing some weekend, or out of town) but we hope that the project gets some traction soon and some other person can lead for us in our absence.
I'll post this permanently on the website when I find the time.
Schedule:
An asterisk (*) means that we need to drive
-May 3: Metropolis (~35 miles). 4 points.
-May 10: Schererville (Starbucks) (~50 miles). 5 points.
-May 17: Monsters of the Midway (Volunteering, not racing. Racing doesn’t carry any points.) 10 points.
-May 24: Highland Park (~70 miles). Optional alternative: Bike the Drive (May 25). 7 points.
-May 31: Metropolis (~35 miles). 4 points.
-June 7: Schererville + short extra loop (~70 miles). 7 points.
-June 14: Italian coffee bar, Evanston (~40 miles). 4 points.
-June 21: Barrington ride* (70 miles). 8 points.
-June 28: Schererville (Starbucks) (~50 miles). 5 points.
-July 5: Fort Sheridan (70 miles). 7 points.
-July 12: Argonne ride* (70 miles?). 8 points.
-July 19: Schererville + short extra loop (~70 miles). 7 points.
-July 26: North suburbs route (basically the Team Judson route). (~100 miles). 10 points
-Aug 2: Metropolis (~35 miles). 4 points.
-Aug 9: Schererville (Starbucks) (~50 miles). 5 points.
-Aug 16: Barrington ride* (70 miles). 8 points.
-Aug 23: Schererville + long extra loop (~100 miles). 10 points. Note: Chicago Triathlon! Don’t use the path.
-Aug 30: Italian Coffee Bar, Evanston (~40 miles). 4 points.
-Sept 6: Highland Park (~70 miles). 7 points.
-Sept 13: Schererville (~50 miles). 5 points.
-September 21: North Shore Century (100 miles) Leaves from Evanston. 10 points. (Extra 5 points if you ride from Hyde Park to Evanston.)
-September 28: Apple Century Ride* (100 miles) Note: need to drive to Michigan. 10 points.
-October 4: Schererville (~50 miles). 5 points.
-October 11: Time Trial: bike path, from 55th to 72nd and back. 4 points.
-Dinner and awards ceremony (some time the following week)
-October 18: Champion Honorary Ride (the winner gets to ride to Metropolis in the champion’s maglia). No points.
Details:
-Italian, French and English are all official languages of the campionato.
-Every participant in a ride will earn the points assigned to the ride, as long as he or she follows the established corso, all the way. Two or three UCVC folks will keep track of the points.
-The winner of the championship is the person who accumulates the most points. In case of a tie (highly unlikely after such a long series of rides) the champion is the person who wins la course contre la montre (TT, see the calendar above).
-Everyone is welcome to participate —of course riders of Team TATI too! We only ask that you are able to ride safely dans le peloton. However, only members of UCVC can get points and sweet awards (sorry). The definition of UCVC member is on the club’s website.
-At the end of the campionato we will have a dinner/award ceremony and we will give the winner a UCVC maglia rossa (maroon jersey) especially designed for the occasion and a trophy. We might also give certificates to various categories (the least-young person, the best anecdote, the guy with the cutest Spanish accent, etc) and cycling swag... It depends on the resources that we can either spare from our budget or forage out there.
-Every eligible participant who accumulates at least 500 miles will receive a trofeo.
-Pénalisationnes: Minus 2 points for anyone who doesn’t stop at a red light (messengers and people in a hurry don’t get a waiver).
-We believe in gender equality. So, given that this championship is based purely on participation and guys don’t have an advantage over gurls, we won’t have a separate winner by gender. Unless… a male and a female are tied in points and the time trial needs to break the tie. In that case, there will be a winner award for the both the ragazzo and the ragazza, regardless of who wins the TT. (Exception: if Devon is the ragazza, she’ll have to win the TT.)
-Bad weather cancellation: On verra (in English, TBD).
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