Tip #12: Shop for a team

With the road season two-thirds in the books, now is not the time to be joining a cycling team. However, this is an excellent time to think about joining a team.

Over the next few months I'll have more to say about the trade-offs of being on a team. (Abstract: Many benefits, few costs.) The first step to having a good team experience, however, is finding the right one to join. Proximity is important, but more so is chemistry, so if you're unattached, spend the rest of the summer doing your research.

Start now. Go on various team rides. Get a feel for the atmosphere and values. Is it a weekly hammerfest? Do older riders help the new guys? Are the rides too fast? Too slow?

Pay attention to the other teams in races. Which teams look like they'd be fun to compete with? Which teams display the level of sportsmanship that best matches your own? Do some teams put too much pressure on winning? Not enough pressure? If some teammates tend not to block for one another, are you cool with that? If teams are consistently sacrificing themselves for the good of others, are you cool with that, too?

Finally, talk to people. All it takes is one "Nice race" and you've made a new friend. Ask them how they like their team. See if they'll be back next year.

Like any organization, cycling teams tend to be insular and intimidating to outsiders, but what strikes the outsider as elitism or standoffishness is often simply camaraderie and friendship (or even shyness). The sooner you get to know future teammates, the better, and the sooner you get on the inside yourself.

The largest teams in the Chicago area are XXX Racing-AthletiCo and Athletes by Design. Both are open to the public. The former tends to draw city riders, the latter from the suburbs. (Full disclosure: The Editor rides for XXX.) There are also many quality small teams with open memberships. North Branch Cycling, South Chicago Wheelmen and Spin Doctor Cyclewerks come to mind, but there are many others.

High on my to-do list is completing a directory of Chicago cycling teams. If you represent a team and haven't done so already, feel free to comment here or e-mail me with relevant information, especially if you're looking to recruit for 2008.

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