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Grand jury indicts Thomas Lynch

A grand jury on Wednesday indicted Thomas Lynch on six counts of aggravated battery and one count of failure to stop after an accident causing injuries in connection with September's paceline incident on St. Mary's Road. These are felony charges, largely in relation to just two of the 17 victims, and the state's attorney may add additional counts to reflect the full scope of the alleged attack. (Full disclosure: I was one of the 17 riders in the paceline.)

This is a major step toward trial. Lynch will be arraigned and enter a plea at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the Lake County Courthouse.

Tour da Lafayette information

Benga Sports this week released information for its Tour de Lafayette stage race in May. This new event -- criterium, stage race and time trial -- is interesting for several reasons: It's scored by time. Its only fields are men's 3's and 4/5's (save for citizen and junior fields at the criterium). And note this warning: "For safety reasons, if one rider violates the yellow-line rule, the race will be stopped, the stage cancelled, and no prize will be given to competitors for the stage."

Lafayette, Ind., is two hours from Chicago. Unfortunately the May 17-18 event conflicts with Monsters of the Midway, a Chicago favorite, and at 20 and 32 miles the circuit races are on the short side. Nonetheless, stage races are fun, and I'll be curious to see how Indiana and Illinois racers receive this one.

What's your dream crit?

A local promoter has asked me to quiz my readership about what qualities you'd look for at your ideal criterium. What are your dreams? What are your pet peeves? If money were no object, what would you have? Bigger purses? Smaller fees? Better marshaling? New categories? Jumbotrons, blimps and a twilight performance from the Rolling Stones?

I don't want to set a precedent of doing other people's market research, but I think all race organizers could benefit from this exercise. Plus, I know some of you to have strong opinions on such matters, so let's see 'em in the comments.

Hump day links

• » An angry driver attacked Mike Sherer (Pony Shop) and a training partner near Bloomington, Ind., this weekend. Nobody was injured, and police arrested the driver.

• » In Lake County, an SUV struck and killed a 25-year-old man riding at night on Highway 59 in Ingleside. Police are still searching for the driver, but he or she was kind enough to leave evidence at the scene. Let's hope an arrest happens soon.

• » Projct 5 Racing has rolled out its new Web site. The team has new uniforms as well. (Red and black appears to be the new black.)

• » How cold was it at Sunday's Tour da Chicago alleycat? this cold. Fifty riders showed up. Last week's interviewee Jeff Perkins (Chicago Cuttin' Crew) won the stage but Nico West (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) retains the coveted orange sweater.

• » Last week our mayor introduced some bike-friendly legislation. As is often the case with such stories, the anti-bike reaction was dispiriting, but worth reading is Payton Chung's rejoinder: "Cars kill more Americans than guns do. That’s why we license drivers -- but not bicycles, which kill fewer Americans each year than beds do. Yes, beds.

Hillsboro flier is up; no waiting lists

I'm sure there are dozens if not hundreds of people disappointed at being locked out of Hillsboro-Roubaix, and many women are upset at the shorter women's fields, but I'm extremely sympathic to the organizers for doing so much with limited resources. They're doing the best they can to make sure what has become one of our most popular races runs smoothly and safely, and somehow they do it with admirable good humor and patience.

Rich Pierce this morning posted the following over at STLBiking, and a low-res flier is now up at Hillsbororoubaix.com.

All, I appreciate your patience and trust. Work has been very stressful this year and I have not been as organized as I like.

Why fewer fields or less miles or both?
We are trying very hard to appreciate the dangers present in road racing after a young lady was killed in a race in Illinois last year. She placed 6th at Hillsboro last year. So in the interests of safety, order, and scoring, we are reducing the numbers of fields and some distances so we can manage the race as well as it can be done.

Oops on the flyer not being published yet
I did intend to have the flyer out before pre-registration opened. But there were 2 old guys involved, me and Dave Ploch who runs www.2wheeltech.com. We both sometimes find ourselves down in the basement of our homes, wondering, "Now what did I come down here for?" So we had a miscommunication and pre-registration opened before I intended and before the flyer got out. Old guys.

No waiting lists, sorry
We don’t keep and manage a waiting list. The logistics are very difficult. It takes a lot of time to manage all the communication, who is in, who is out, and we don’t have the personnel to do it. We all work regular jobs and in a guy's mid-50's, losing that job is not good.

On race day, we don’t know that “no shows” are “no shows” until registration closes. Once it’s closed, we can’t open it up- there are 100 emergency details that have to run like clockwork as we wind down to start time.

I don't get to race the race either
If you are disappointed that you won’t be able to race, I know how you feel. It’s "my" race (actually my team's race and a few other guys helped me plan the course) and I’ve never been able to race it, because I manage it. My team says they will arrange it so I can race, but I'd be so stressed and exhausted by the time it begins, I'd have nothing, nada, and get shelled. At least I'd have an excuse, though! I'd love to feel how it is on some of those downhill chicanes, in the pack.

Thanks for your support for the Hillsboro race and I hope we or another team is able to put the race on again next year.

Hillsboro 3/4's race full

I knew the Hillsboro-Roubaix fields would fill quickly, but I didn't imagine they'd fill this quickly. The 3/4's field filled overnight, joining capacity fields in the 4/5's and 5's. All that remains are the women's fields, juniors and masters fields, and the P/1/2 field.

What does this say about the demand for quality road racing in Illinois?

Let's see who was on the ball from Chicago-area teams:

Cat 3/4
8 Vitaminwater-Trek
7 Team Get a Grip Cycles
7 XXX Racing-AthletiCo
5 ABD
3 Flatlandia
3 Vision Quest
2 Cuttin' Crew
2 North Branch
1 Half Acre
1 Northwestern
1 WDT

Cat 4/5
10 XXX Racing-AthletiCo
9 Beverly Bike/Vee Pak
6 Vision Quest
5 Get a Grip Off Road
4 Half Acre
2 ABD
2 Killjoy
1 Cuttin' Crew
1 Team Pegasus
1 Turin
1 WDT

Cat 5
9 XXX Racing-AthletiCo
6 Vision Quest
1 Team Pegasus
1 UCVC

Race calendar updated

I've updated the CBR calendar with the rest of what is known about the 2008 season. All that remains to be settled are the details of Superweek, which will run July 11-27 and include at least four races in the Chicago area.

I've also added some links to schedules for disciplines outside my purview, including the recently updated Northbrook Velodrome calendar. Racing there starts May 15.

Hillsboro registration is open

Registration for Hillsboro Roubaix is open. I don't see a flier yet, but men's 3/4's are capped at 100, 4/5's at 75 and 5's at 50. I expect all three of those will fill up, starting with the 5's, as this is one of the most popular road races in the Midwest, and deservedly so.

Congratulations to Vitaminwater-Trek for apparently winning the race before the race and being first to register.

1 P.M. UPDATE: Four hours later, the 5's field is almost 50 percent full, the 4/5's field is 33 percent full and the 3/4's field is almost 25 percent full. Happily, most of these registrations are from the Chicago area.

2 P.M. UPDATE: Promoter Rich Pierce posts the following over at STLBiking:

"In the interest of safety (#1!) we have made changes:

"The men's 5 race will be one lap. That's right, 22 miles of heck-for-leather racing and then you're done to recover and watch the pros duke it out.

"The women's 4 race will be one lap only, 22 miles instead of 44 miles.

"The women's 1,2,3 race will be 2 laps (44 miles) instead of 66 miles.

"This will allow us to have these fields fields finish quicker and then we'll have fewer fields on the road to manage. We had to do it! If we could we'd have 13 fields, 3 of them being men's 5's! But it's not possible to do it and score racers and keep them safe."

4 P.M. UPDATE: Good-bye, Roubaix Tuesday! The 5's race is now full. Your options are either to register for the 4/5 race or to ask -- politely, with sugar on top -- to be put on a waiting list.

By the way, how awesome are these pre-registration lists? Surely I won't be the only one who will be spending the next 45 days sizing up my competition by seeing how they did last year and looking up their results at USA Cycling. (Tip: Googling a person's name along with "compid" will usually return a list of their USCF results.)

7:30 P.M. UPDATE: Theres no time to lose, I heard her say;
Catch your dreams before they slip away. And now the 4/5's race has filled. Now a Cat 5's best shot of participating is to work the feed zone. Cat 4's, there's still room the 66-mile 3/4's race.

Tip #26: Don't cross wheels

Crashing is a fact of cycling but often can be avoided if you have good habits and good handling skills. It's no coincidence that experienced cyclists tend to crash less than beginners. After years of racing they've developed instincts for avoiding danger.

One important habit is monitoring your front wheel so that it rarely overlaps the rear wheel ahead of you. If your wheels overlap and the other rider makes a sudden move -- to pull out of the paceline, to attack, to avoid a pothole -- your wheels will strike and it's going to be you who pays the price.

That said, should the paceline slow, there's no need to slam on the brakes in order to avoid the overlap. Rather than panic and cause trouble, coast and hold your line until you can get back behind that wheel.

Another good habit: Monitor your "outs." At any given time, you need to know what you'd do should there be a crash ahead of you. Can you escape onto the shoulder? Is there a curb or a driveway you can ride onto? Are you completely boxed in? Then you might want to find another spot to be.

Hump day links

• » I didn't think Bike Snob NYC had a sentimental bone in his body, but Sheldon Brown always did bring out the good in people. Naz Hamid (Half Acre) has a graphical tribute on his blog, one of thousands of tributes available on the Web, most along the lines of "I owe my bike to Sheldon Brown."

• » The Rivendell Reader had a long interview with Brown in 2001. Interesting fact: His wife's first words to him were, "Oh, you're riding fixed-gear!"* And here is Brown's last post to Bike Forums, one of 2,302 he made over the past six years, in which within 30 minutes of it being asked he answers a question about threading an obscure freewheel. Cycling this week lost a giant.

• » Looking for new trainer fodder? Netflix not keeping up with your insane base mileage? Cyclofile has cyclocross DVDs on sale. (Thanks, Keith.)

• » This summer's Bike the Drive will be a part of the American Diabetes Asosciation's Tour de Cure, and Geneva will host a fundraising ride on June 7.

• » Oh, Magnus!

• » Blush. (Some people will say anything for a link.)
  

* Uninteresting fact: My first words to my girlfriend were, "Are those carbon wheels?"

CBR interview: Jeff Perkins

Ah, the bicycle messenger. Bane to cabbie and security guard. Savior to architect, lawyer and anyone in urgent need of a sandwich. While you're sitting in your warm cubicle, whining about insufficient foam in your latte, someone out there is risking his neck -- or her neck, natch -- through rain, sleet and inattentive drivers so that your closing documents arrive before deadline.

With 22 years having passed since "Quicksilver," they don't do it for the glory, and God knows they don't do it for the money. They do it because they love being on a bike all day, and they love going fast.

One such cog in the downtown machine is Jeff Perkins, 24, a new member of 4 Star Courier, the messenger collective you may remember from its 2006 cover story in the Reader. He has a strong racing background, having run the 400m and 800m at DePaul, and has become a well-known -- and feared -- figure on the local alleycat scene. He's 9th after two stages of the Tour da Chicago, and after an overnight drive to Minneapolis this weekend he won the prize for 1st out-of-town finisher in the Stupor Bowl, finishing 8th out of 360 registrants. Perkins spent 2007 with XXX Racing-AthletiCo, but now he's looking to tackle sanctioned road, track and cyclocross racing with the Chicago Cuttin' Crew, a team he helped found with fellow messengers.

This week I caught up with Perkins to discuss alleycats, messengering during winter and a certain set of leopard prints. (Note: CBR's official stance on alleycats is that they are illegal, dangerous and irresponsible. Also, that they are extremely fun and fascinating.)

What's scarier: Running red lights during an alleycat or racing a Cat 4 criterium?
Crit. Hands down.

Alleycats are scary for sure, but cars will stop when you're in a pack. (Thank you, cars.) Criteriums? I'm the worst when it comes to riding with people. I hate pedestrian and bike traffic the most, so I avoid them at all cost. When I'm surrounded by a bunch of squirrelly people who feel like wiping out is the end of the world, it stresses me out way more than necessary.

How do you compare the competition?
Alleycats can be so much more brutal. `When I'm surrounded by a bunch of squirrelly people who feel like wiping out is the end of the world, it stresses me out way more than necessary.’It's just a case of go out and burn yourself up and hope you are the lucky one who navigates the best and doesn't get caught at an unbeatable red. Competition wise, there's always the camaraderie of making it through the course safely and having so many stories to tell. Sanctioned racing brings out a vendetta between people that isn't nearly as prevalent in alleycats.

The Cuttin’ Crew is stacked in the Tour da Chicago but so far hasn’t come away with a win. What the hell?
This shit doesn't come easy. I will say on my behalf I'm not thrilled with my performance this year. Don't sleep on da Tour. It brings some heavy hitters. Last winter's time trial runner-up, Nick Frey (Time Factory Development Team), was also last fall's U23 time trial national champion.

Is it time to employ team tactics to beat guys like Nico West (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) and Ted Burger (Flatlandia)?
We're not the best with tactics yet. Had we gotten those down we would have locked up the last stage but that's why we're out there working and riding together. Nico rode brilliantly last stage. He never lost track of Adam Clark (Cuttin’ Crew), his early competition, and I wish we could run tactics that well. Ted? Ted's pregnant. You can't bully a man that awesome.

Pregnant? Is that some messenger slang I'm too old to get?
Ted's expecting a kid come September. He broke the news to Andrew Nordyke (Cuttin' Crew) and everyone in the middle of the race on our way down Grand. It was awesome.

Why form the Cuttin' Crew?
It was a goal starting as early as June 2006. I remember talking to Nico after the Velo-City Tour and he was flowing about how people should actually experience being on a team before they consider starting one.

In February of '07 I got word of the messenger posse being formed on XXX. It was perfect for a few reasons. One key thing being we wouldn't have to give over half a week's paycheck to join and race. It also got a buzz going in the city about racing and everyone started to consider racing.

With the posse we gained experience and interest. Within XXX, however, there was a chemistry issue. We have XXX to thank for our base, no doubt about it, but it wasn't exactly hitting the spot. We felt like there was a time warp from what the old-school cats were saying about XXX and the team now. I traveled and met a few more founders, and the stories they told and experiences they had were something incredible. I understood and could see us having those.

Those opportunities are gone with XXX being the team that it is now. It's too large and a stranger to us and its founders. This sparked that idea of branching off and starting something for the street circuit again. Once the idea was said aloud, it just spread like wildfire.

What's something you've learned about running a team?
C.R.E.A.M.

Huh?
Cash Rules Everything Around Me. It's a Wu-Tang reference. We've set goals of having the team pay for uniforms, licensing, registration and travel. The bar is high but we've had fantastic support so far.

Sponsors are a trip. We've had some people offer us discounts if we buy their random stuff, and they consider that a sponsorship! I saw it all like: "Wow, that's some decent gear. Not at all necessary, but cool." Everyone else was thinking: "Why the hell should we pay someone so we would have to advocate their product? We don't even need that stuff!"

We needed money to get off the ground and luckily we've had fantastic support from friends and very cool, like-minded people to help get us started financially. We intend to make them feel good about it.

It is very nice that people show faith in us, and we couldn't be happier representing them everywhere we go. With Marcus Moore of Yojimbo’s on board for all our services and planning needs, it doesn't get any better than that.

And I should correct you: It certainly isn't solely me running this thing. Everyone has a hand it and we are all learning the administrative steps.

Where do you see the team in 2018?
Maintaining the velodrome leftover from the Olympics!

Come on, Luke. You're asking 24-year-old where he plans on being in 10 years? A 24-year-old messenger?!? My mother must have sent you.

You're delivering to 555 W. Monroe, headquarters of Gatorade, and find yourself sharing an elevator with its executive vice president of marketing and product placement. What do you tell him about the team so that the Crew never wants for electrolytes ever again?
First of all, 555 Monroe doesn't let us messengers into the building. We have to use the dock because it has a mail room, a.k.a. the latest popular way of making sure we don't destroy their building or something, because we're such a threat to society and all.

Anyway, I would thank his employer for curing hangovers and show off the sponsors on my jersey when I wear it for work. (Yes, I'm the jersey-at-work guy.)

How long have you been messengering?
I'm an industry rookie. I'm only going on year four. I will tell you: A year in Chicago goes far everywhere else given the low wages and lousy weather.

Tom Skilling is calling for 14 inches of snow tonight. What's work going to be like tomorrow?
One thing that's great about 4 Star is we all know we won't call in to skip a day. Never for reasons like weather, anyway. It helps each of us get through the nasty stuff, and a sense of humor is always a must. Most streets will be plowed for necessary car traffic so I'm going to be running a blinky light all day, take it slower than usual and try to get noticed by insane drivers.

Another thing is to know appropriate hideout spots. Keeping feet dry is a myth. No matter what insane technology people think `You gotta commit to having wet and stinging toes. Once you realize there's no way around that, things are a lot easier.’they've come up with, unless you have some full-on wetsuit with booties you gotta commit to having wet and stinging toes. Once you realize there's no way around that, things are a lot easier.

Another thing is remind yourself it's only 10 hours out of your day. When people would ask me how I handled bad weather I used to tell them it wasn't that bad no matter how nasty it was. Eventually I realized that, yes, it actually is horrible, but I would say that to convince myself it is just a matter of dealing with it. Plus you get to brag about it.

Do you ride with brakes?
Aw, man, c'mon! Sex, business, politics and brakes -- all taboos.

OK, OK. I'm riding brakeless now because my beloved Bianchi is on its last stand. Most components are on that bike. I had to get rolling again, so I've had to resort to my backup.

It's funny how that air of elitism returns so naturally when I don't have a brake on my bike. Brakeless is fun and all but my Bianchi was the greatest set-up ever, and nothing stops you better than a fixed rear wheel and a front brake.

Bullhorns with a front brake attracts scoffs from the rookies until you carry two mail cartons on your handlebars and still stop in time for kids darting all over the place. I would tap the brake two or three times a day because it might keep me upright. It makes it so much easier and it always helps for when those city vehicles -- buses, cabs and especially cops -- stretch those yellow-to-red-to-blatantly-illegal-disregard-for-smaller-traffic "grace" periods at intersections.

Many coaches recommend two days of rest a week. What's a messenger do on a "rest day"?
Aren't people wondering why messengers never show up to races anymore? And now talk of rest days? I know it gets played out but there is truth to it: This shit is exhausting. In the winter? Forget about it. You go home and pass completely out by 10!

This year's Tour [da Chicago] says it all with the addition of the "Messenger" category. It's not easy getting back on the bike for another 10-hour stint every day. `It's not easy getting back on the bike for another 10-hour stint every day.’Plus, very few of us own cars, so when we go somewhere on the weekend, guess how we get there.

Rest day? I wish. At least now I can dispatch one day a week. That's a trip. Instead of being on my bike for a day I'm just thinking of what I would be doing on four or five other people's bikes.

You're starving in the Loop. You've got $5 and 10 minutes. Where do you eat?
Gotta hit up Gina while she's working at the Reggie's Pizza truck at the Madison entrance to 1 S. Wacker. She's great for a hug, a $2.50 slice and the best company around.

It's not good for my cred to eat at chains but I've been paying the rent for Potbelly.

Oh, and Billy Goat! Not the tourist one on Michigan but the Washington/Franklin or Wells/Van Buren ones. Three bucks gets you eggs, hash browns and toast. Good burger specials all week, too.

This joint called "AsiaGo Express" on the west side of Wells, just south of Lake, has a huge thing of fried rice for a little under $5. (Eat large Asian dishes in the middle of the day at your own risk.)

What bike shop treats messengers best?
Most every shop treats us well. It's a side benefit to having a low-paying job. Mechanics and sales people respect us for being out there and loving our equipment and their help.

Of course Yojimbo's first. Upgrade as close as second gets. Cycle Smithy, Irv's, Kozy's, Rapid Transit, Blackstone, ReCycle, Working Bikes -- all these places need props because they definitely look out for us.

My style-conscious readers want to know: Will you be rocking the leopard-print arm warmers again?
I love how everyone thinks those are arm warmers. I have the entire top and bottom to make it a complete disgrace to myself and the sport of cycling. Don't you worry, honey, they'll make a cameo.

ChiCrossCup banquet this Sunday

The Chicago Cyclocross Cup will celebrate its season with a buffet banquet this Sunday, Feb. 10, at 4 p.m. at E.J.'s Place, 10027 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. All participants are welcome. RSVP requested.

Wisconsin schedule is posted

The Wisconsin Cycling Schedule has posted its 2008 road schedule. It's very similar to past editions, although I'm chagrined to see the Leland Grand Prix scheduled for the same day as Monsters of the Midway (whose 2008 flier has been posted, BTW).