Welcome to Chicago Bike Racing

Making the leap from rider to racer can be daunting, and it's easy for a beginner to be intimidated by established racers. I want to help people find as much enjoyment and support from this sport as I have. Since May 2007, Chicago Bike Racing has been a resource for all bike racers in the Chicago area, from prospective and beginning bike racers to cyclists who are already experienced and acomplished.

At CBR you'll find news, links and advice pertaining to Chicago-area road racing. Your editor is a Cat 3 racer and Level 2 coach. Will some of my advice be ridiculously obvious to experienced riders? Probably. But I'm not necessarily writing for them. I'm writing for the guy who might not know the difference between Campy and Shimano, for the woman who rides a lot but might not have ever needed to know what a cassette is. One thing that bothers me about cycling, after all, is the way we expect new participants to know everything already. I believe this elitism and insularity hinder our sport's growth.

What's here
Chicago Bike Racing maintains directories of local teams, nearby races and area group rides. CBR's centerpiece, however, is the blog, which tracks news about Chicago road racing. Although I'm affiliated with XXX Racing-AthletiCo, I try to remain impartial as I report on races around the area and will remind readers of my affiliation whenever it's relevant.

Production schedule
By each Tuesday I hope to have published a synopsis of that weekend's races, including links to any race reports I am aware of. (Feel free to e-mail me to alert me to your blog or report repository.) On Wednesdays I publish the Hump Day Links, a weekly collection of news or sites that may be of interest to my readers. By Friday I will publish a preview of the upcoming weekend's races. Other posts are written as news happens.

Comments
I promote a vibrant, supportive community here. You must be registered in order to comment. To create an account, go to this registration page.

What I cover
My scope is limited to mass-start, sanctioned road racing, because that's what I know best. No track. No mountain biking. No alleycats. Just a little cyclocross. And I'm defining "local" as anything within about a four-hour drive of Chicago. That's roughly Indianapolis to the south, Quad Cities to the west and Madison to the north, give or take.

Advertising
Sponsorship is accepted on a limited basis. E-mail me for current rates and availability.

Luke Seemann
The Editor

Updated: Feb. 24, 2008