It is apparent that this problem is not just localized to Chicago

Per the Illinois Cycling Website...

Also new, there will be a Chicago Criterium in downtown Chicago on July 27, 2008, and there are plans for a Spring Training Series to happen the last week of March and first two weekends in April in the Vernon Hills area.

Spring Training Series in Vernon Hills?? Sounds sweet! Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the ICA races all USCF? Would this mean March races for USCF Points? That would be Awesome to help my early hopefull upgrade to 3's!!

Meh. I continue to discourage people from discriminating between ABR and USCF races, especially when it comes to upgrade points. I've yet to meet someone who had their Cat 3 upgrade denied because they had a legitimate case for an upgrade but had their points split between the two bodies.

Kill them all, I say, and let Fawkes sort them out.

Either way, the proposed ICA series won't overlap with Parkside, which is starting early this year, but it may overlap with the Hillsboro Roubaix.

While we're on the topic of the ICA web site, can someone tell me why it sucks so much and why the ICA Cup hasn't been updated since halfway through the '06 season?

In that same vein, the '07 Chicago cross series standings were never updated after the fifth race—something you think competitors would want to know before the sixth and final event (the state champs, no less)—but I haven't read any bickering about it yet.

What's with everyone slacking on the kvetching?

While we're on the topic of the ICA web site, can someone tell me why it sucks so much and why the ICA Cup hasn't been updated since halfway through the '06 season?

They had some technical problems this year -- running a Web site ain't easy! -- and are working for a solution for 2008. The Cup stats exist and I've asked for them to be e-mailed to me. As soon as I get them I'll post them.

What's with everyone slacking on the kvetching?

I dunno ... maybe because it's bad form to kvetch about volunteer labor? If there's anything I'd kvetch about it's the fact that there are so few people doing so much to enable us to race, and that we don't do nearly enough to show our appreciation.

Well said, Luke. In that spirit, get me in touch with whoever does the ICA site and takes care of publicizing the cup points and standings.
I'm fairly well-versed in the hypertext world, and, if what they need is an extra person to regularly spend some hours on it, then I want to step up and help get things done!

Less kvetching and more menschlichkeit. I like it.

For the record, Michael Wex would argue that kvetching IS a Gebot der Menschlichkeit. But maybe we could get into that on a different forum. Hehe.

Concerning the spring race series, a person very familiar tells me that the details are in no way finalized, but if the races do happen:
1. They will be USAC and point bearing races (start your upgrade quest early!)
2. The ABD Parkside series is slated for the first 3 weeks in March.
3. The proposed dates are the last Sunday in March and first two in April. Enjoy your Easter holiday.
4. Hillsboro is the last Saturday in March so all you hardcore bada$$es can drive down to the Roubaix and then make it back in time for a short flat crit on Sunday. Or depending on the weather, stay in town, eat some bonbons, drive 30 minutes, and race a flat 45.

Concerning the cross cup, Luke is right... its all done by volunteers with their free time. I've been helping out where I can and seem to see the same faces all the time. Props to series promoter Robert Sliwinski and all the individual race promoters (Heck, Nowak, etc, etc, etc) who give us a chance to race in the grass, dirt, and (maybe next week) mud. Perhaps next year some more people can chip in to help and possibly have a few more races.

Concerning cross results... while standings are great to see, cross is unique in the cycling world in that it is not at all about the results... and those high up in overall for each category generally know who and where they are. Furthermore, the overall Cross Cup standings have no bearing on the single race IL champs.

Finally, for those of you new to cross, a great intro is ABD/HarperRide.net's bandit cross series... but you'll have to wait until next year to try it out.

Seth brings up something very important about the ICA that should not be ignored. We should not give their organization a pass on this one.

I was approached by Steven Hansen, the vice president of the ICA, a week or two ago about hosting one of the Chicago Time Trial Series Races. I was very frank in expressing my disappointment in their organization, and pointed to their woefully un-updated results list as my biggest gripe. The Illinois Cup is announced with much fanfare every year, but the entire event is meaningless if we do not even know the final standings. In my eyes, the whole thing (not the individual races) is a joke, and the ICA should seriously re-evaluate their efforts

I am not sure who funds the ICA; but, if it is USA Cycling, then they need to be more responsible with the money that we give them every year via our license and race fees. I am going to suggest to them that they ditch the Chicago time trial series because 1) our calendar is already pregnant with time trials and there is no reason to drain riders from the well-established MATTS series, 2) time trials only appeal to a few specialists and the occasional triathlete so you are not really boosting the cycling community much and probably just wasting money, and 3) none of the time trials are being held in Chicago.

Instead, the ICA should focus all of their energies on actually making the Illinois racing scene better by 1) giving the Illinois Cup some credibility by updating their website and 2) establishing one long, safe, and difficult road race featuring significant elevation changes. They already have a winner in the Hillsboro Roubaix, but we need one more. Criteriums are fun, but the calendar is loaded with them.

I agree with Knauff and think that the ICA, who have had several years to get their act together, could learn a lot from the organizers of the Chicago Cross Cup and especially the WCA.

ICA is funded by our USAC dues. (I believe $2 of each membership goes to the state association). That money pays for a gazillion state championship jerseys (masters! women! track! road! cx!), plus a small stipend for the technical director, who spends countless hours tending to upgrade requests, race permits and other matters. There's not much money left after that, but this year it paid to help send the president and VP to a conference of state associations. (In other words, they each gave up a weekend of their lives to go learn from other associations how to serve YOU better.)

People would know this if their teams had sent representatives to the last ICA meeting. As I recall only three teams were represented (XXX, Clif Bar and Mack, plus North Branch and SCW via the ICA officers), which tells you how much teams are truly interested in making things better.

As I put it to Seth off-list, people are very quick to start sentences with "You should ..." or "They should ..." but never seem to come out and say "I should ..." or "We should ..."

Take the example of the road race. The ICA doesn't throw races. Promoters and teams do. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe the WCA or MCF throw races either.) I hear a lot of whining about the paucity of road races (it breaks my heart as well), but who's standing up and saying, "We should put on a road race!"

10speed, how many races did your team put on this year? How many did your team volunteer at?

Yes, you're young and small. But so is TCBM, and yet when I raced Hillsboro it was Jason Mindeman taking my registration, and it was other Cliffies helping out at Sherman Park.

Sorry if I'm so cranky about this. I want complete results (with, God willing, correctly spelled names) as much as you do. But these days I'm spending about 20 hours a week in service to my sport and my team -- this on top of a 40-hour job, training for next season and trying to maintain some shadow of a life -- so I have a short fuse when it comes to those who would be so critical of the service of others.

Three things:

1) I think just because only a few people step up and volunteer doesn't mean they are beyond criticism. Even if it's unfair that 100 lazy people online say the 5 people who are willing to take charge aren't doing an adequate job, that doesn't mean their arguments aren't valid.

2) If the ICA needs so much help, why doesn't it ASK FOR IT? I wrote the message here complaining about it and got responses saying I should help out instead of complain. Well, if this need was so desperate, why not, instead of leaving the web site un-updated for so long, post a big message saying, "We need help getting this going. Contact so-and-so."

3) All that said, I'm glad that this post and these comments have gotten the ball rolling. Luke has put me in touch with Steve Hansen, and I'm volunteering to help keep the web site current, once they've got it all set up for '08. I want to see things done, now I know how I can help which is good, and, while trying to get things done, I WELCOME frequent critiques and criticism from anyone who has valid points. (Again, I don't think it matter who says what needs to be said—-even if they're lazy jerks about it, though they shouldn't be-—so long as it gets said, i.e. the ICA web site needs work!).

I do not want to turn this into one of those threads, but I would like to defend myself and my team from some a previous comment.
The accusation about volunteering , at least about me personally, is way off the mark. I have sacrificed a lot of my time for the local cycling scene.

I was the director of the largest and longest running criterium (one which you have attended many times) in the city of Chicago for three years, and have been a volunteer at that race for more years than I can remember. The organization that I established continues to run that race with a great deal of class and enthusiasm and a great number of your own team mates race there.

I volunteered at the Jackson Park cyclocross race (a race which your team organizes) in 2005 and 2006 and planned to do it again this year but an injury the morning of the event kept me on the sidelines (ask Heck if I contacted him).

I have been the President and Vice President of the University of Chicago Cycling Team for five years, and during my tenure the team grew from just three riders to winning three national championship medals and one national championship title.

Last year, I took a little break from organizing races to develop another Chicago Cycling Team so that some of us who live in the city could have a team of our own.

I have invested at least as much time into the local cycling scene as as you and probably even more. I know a lot about thankless sacrifice in the name of cycling.

As a long-time race promoter and team director, I certainly have a right to suggest a different approach to the ICA.

It's true. And you're one of the best race announcers around. I apologize for suggesting you haven't given more than you've taken from the local scene. Indeed, you're a pioneer.

I just want to disabuse people of the notion that the ICA is "their organization." In truth it is "our organization."

Does its voluntary status put it above criticism? Of course not. My plea, however, is that people remain gracious when they do so.

Does its voluntary status put it above criticism? Of course not. My plea, however, is that people remain gracious when they do so.

Point well taken.

About ICA Meetings: Have you guys actually ever gone to one of these meetings? I have, and I can think of a lot better way to spend time. The fact that the meeting was sparsely attended says much more about the meeting than the absent would-be attendees.

Non-attendance at the meeting does NOT equal lack of interest in helping the Illinois scene.

Updating a web page with results would not take time. There is simply no excuse. If they need help, like someone said, ask for it.

The worst thing you can put on a webpage is the promise that the web page will be better.