I’m excited to announce that Chicago Bike Racing will continue.

Starting immediately Pat McNally and Ralph Schroeder, will be the owners, editors and your main contact points for Chicago Bike Racing. I will continue to provide my thoughts and perspectives.

If you’ve ridden or raced with Pat or Ralph, you know that they share my passion for cycling. They’ll be curating CBR for the same reasons I did: They love Chicago bike racing, and they want to help its community have all the information and resources necessary to thrive. (McNally is no stranger to CBR, as his CycleAnalyze coaching service was a longtime sponsor.)

Pat and Ralph will continue with the formula I used over the years, and they look forward to building and involving the Chicago racing community. The 2013 race calendar is being compiled and updated, and the regular flow of news posts will resume soon. Indeed, the 2013 season is already gathering steam, and their first news report should follow shortly.

Please join me in welcoming our new hosts. I’m grateful for their support, and I think we’re all going to benefit from their contributions.

After six seasons of maintaining Chicago Bike Racing, it’s come time to wind things down completely. I’m afraid there will be no more weekly notebooks, and I will no longer be updating or maintaining the team, ride or race directories. I will keep them online, but use them at your own risk.

Like racing itself, maintaining CBR involved thousands of hours of work and quiet suffering, but the occasional triumph made it all worth it, as did the dozens if not hundreds of friendships and acquaintances it created for me. Thank you, readers and fans, for joining me.

See you at the races,

Luke

It’s not yet five months until Hillsboro-Roubaix and already I’m hearing chatter about 2011 preparations. People are changing teams or planning improvements to what they have. Some riders are taking a much-deserved rest, while others are starting their first base mesocycles and setting up new trainer spaces.

And so it is in that spirit of change and renewal that I have an announcement of my own for 2011: Chicago Bike Racing will be going into semi-retirement.

I will still maintain a calendar of regional races, both USAC and ABR. And I will still publish a weekly notebook of fun or newsworthy links. But I’ll no longer be aggregating reports into wrap-ups, I’ll no longer be previewing upcoming races, and it will take news of substantial urgency and importance to rise above a line in the notebook.

Since output will approach a trickle, I’m also going to cease running advertisements effective Jan. 1.

Why?

Because I’m tired.

CBR never quite became the site I originally envisioned, but even with lower ambitions it chewed up more mornings than I can count, mornings I came to wish were spent sleeping, riding my bicycle or — heaven portend — having fun with non-bike activities.

Well-meaning readers have suggested I outsource work to volunteers. It’s a good idea. But I’m a terrible manager. I would spend just as much time hewing others’ work to my standards and my voice as I would spend just doing it myself.

It’s funny: I’ve had this post in mind since mid-June, but I’m still at a loss for words. I’ve put off writing this for weeks. This change doesn’t come lightly. CBR has been fun for the past four years, and I’m grateful for all the connections and friendships it’s created in our community.

I’m especially grateful for those who supported me through advertising, including ABD and CycleAnalyze, who have hogged that upper corner almost since the beginning. And I’m grateful for the dozens of you who bought my calendars over the years or who contributed when I passed the hat two years ago.

That said, this project has always been about love more than money, so most of all I’m grateful for anyone who came up to me at a race to just say “Thanks.” Several times I’ve thought about hanging it up only to have a Cat 5 tell me they were doing their first race and it was all because of CBR. That’s all it took to commit to another season.

When I’m feeling nostalgic I like to look up any ancient results sheet and study the names in the lower categories. It’s a fun exercise. See who has made it to the elites, see who has disappeared, see who is still sandbagging in the 5’s.

Indeed, a lot has changed in the past four years, and we’ve been through a lot together. Like any family, we’ve had our share of triumphs and tragedies, fights and love fests, beginnings and endings. Races have come and gone, equipment has evolved, and race promotion has gotten much more professional. 

And some of the changes make it easier to say good-bye to CBR. Relative to 2007, race information is easier to come by, and thanks to Facebook and Twitter, it’s easier to get results and swap stories.

In other words, my work here is done. See you at the races.

Every now and then I get a polite e-mail from someone wondering why I didn’t include their result in my weekly wrap-up.

It’s complicated.

It takes me 2-5 hours to research, write and edit each wrap-up. That’s time I could spend sleeping or training or hanging out with my friends, but that’s OK, because I don’t like doing any of those things. Instead, I do what I do because I feel most people enjoy reading about results and whatever context I can add to them.

While scouring for results and reports, I consider a complicated matrix of factors.

• » Whether you’re from Chicago, or on a Chicago team, or on a team that races near Chicago a lot. That’s what the ‘C’ in CBR stands for.
• » Whether I had the good fortune of seeing your race. If I didn’t see your race and if nobody in your race has written a report, I have nothing to go on. I’m just performing stenography of the results. I don’t do stenography.
• » The prestige of the race. Big-name races with big purses get more attention than industrial-park crits.
• » The size and competitiveness of your field. Cat 1’s and 2’s get exalted more than 4’s and 5’s. Get top 10 in a 120-person NRC race? Impressive. Win a race with five people? That might pass without mention. Sorry. Alas, this means that men’s races tend to get more attention than women’s, juniors and masters races. Again, sorry. (But please note how consistent I try to be in pointing out women’s results and using photos of women racing.)
• » Whether there’s a story. Is this your fifth podium in a row? Have you won this race three consecutive years? Did your team get 5 of the top 10? I try to notice such patterns and highlight them.
• » Whether it’s a busy weekend. If there are a half-dozen races on a weekend, each with a dozen fields, it is impossible to celebrate each winner. I must be picky, or the 2-5 hours will become 5-10 hours.
• » Whether you’re a nice person and a good sport. Just kidding. That has no bearing. Unpleasant people will sometimes be celebrated, nice people will sometimes be ignored. That’s racin’.

And yet, despite all this careful consideration, deserving results sometimes fall through the cracks. Oversights happen. I’ll try to get you next time.

Time to start crossing names off your holiday shopping list: Chicago Bike Racing calendars are here! Perfect for all the coaches, wrenches, parents and significant others in your life.

New this year: A cyclocross-only calendar!

There are two ways to order: For $17.50 plus shipping, you can order either calendar online. Follow this link for road and cross or this link for cross-only.

Or, I will have a limited number of calendars for sale in person. Price: $15. Cheap! I will have them available at remaining cross races and XXX Racing-AthletiCo functions, or I can have them available from my office in River North. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to make arrangements.

Buying 10 or more? $12.50 each.

As in previous years, this is not a big money maker for me. It’s just a chance to share some of my favorite photos with some of my favorite people. Note that there are still several cross races I expect to shoot. If I get any gems, I may publish an update in December. Stay tuned.

All photos are from the 2009 season, and all your favorite races and racers are included:

Road and cross
Cover: Ryan Freund (ABD) cruises through the BK Stacker at the Evanston Grand Prix.

January: A masters races makes its way up the challenging Circuit of Sauk climb.

February: Debbie Dust (PACT/Dish Network) beats Kristen Meshberg (Team BH USA) in an exciting sprint at the Winfield Twilight Criterium.

March: Wayne Simon (Verdigris) leads the charge up the ski hill at the Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge.

April: Devon Haskell (Team BH USA) negotiates a wet corner off the front at the Glencoe Grand Prix.

May: April showers lead to May flowers: Some color at the Cat 3 Tour of Elk Grove.

June: Adam Lesniakowski (PACT/Dish Network) had a perfect endgame to win the Downers Grove Cat 2 race.

July: Ryan Freund (ABD) bridges to a move in the Chicago Criterium P/1/2 race.

August: Who will ever forget Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing) and the thrilling end to the USPRO National Championship?

September: Seth Meyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) gives it full gas on the final climb in Willow Springs to claim the 2009 state championship.

October: Bobby Lea (Team OUCH) takes Turn 8 at the Downers Grove pro-am.

November: State champion Scott McLaughlin (SRAM) is first up the hill at the Dan Ryan Woods cyclocross race.

December: It takes a village: Heckle Hill gives every kind of encouragement to Jacob Thom (Half Acre Cycling) as he gamely rides up through the thick mud.

Cyclocross only
Cover: Jacques Cartier (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) leaps over a barrier at Jackson Park.

January: It was a cloud of dirt and fury as the 4A’s charged across a softball field at Jackson Park.

February: Pony Shop is there, so this must be near the front of the race.

March: Robin Williams (Mercy-Specialized) rolled through the women’s 1/2/3 field at Dekalb.

April: Uh-oh. Something has made Henry Loud (Team Pegasus) angry at Dekalb

—

very angry.

May: That’s Ed White (Half Acre Cycling) escaping from the 4B scrum at Dan Ryan Woods.

June: Cat 4 powerhouses Brittany Barran-Stanley (Verdigris) and Janette Rho (Bouledogue Tout Noir) march up the Dan Ryan Woods run-up.

July: Andrew Yeoman (Team Pegasus) shows good shoulder form at Dan Ryan Woods.

August: Ara Oggoian (Bicycle Heaven) leads the P/1/2/3’s over the barriers at Sunrise Park.

September: Dave Norton (The Bonebell) pops a wheelie for the adoring tifosi at Sunrise Park.

October: Ah, fall. Tim Boundy (Verdigris) gives Andy Daley (Burhnam Racing) a nice draft at Sunrise Park.

November: The crowd erupts as Jacob Thom (Half Acre Cycling) tops Heckle Hill.

December: The shot you’ve been waiting all year for: Super Girl is queen of the hill, and dozens of her loyal subjects cheer the latest muddy pratfall.

I’m off to Louisville to watch Wayne Simon (Verdigris) defends his masters national championship. I don’t know what the Internet situation will be like in Kentucky, so our next update might not be until Wednesday, and if I’m ignoring your e-mail, it’s not because I don’t like you.

I’ve started to populate the 2009 race calendar. There are still dozens more to add, but this gets us started. Please note the new Web address. Also note that there is now an RSS feed if you would like to be notified of additions.

Various other improvements should follow, including the ability to filter by discipline and proximity. Reasonable suggestions welcome.

Is your team’s information in the team directory accurate? With so many people thinking about joining teams for 2009, this is a good time to make sure. Some of these listings haven’t been updated since I first created the directory, and in most cases I’m counting on you to help me keep the listings current. Please alert me to any errors, as well as any errors in the ride list.

Speaking of group rides, I’m alerted that Judson will be convening Thursday and Friday this week. The rides will leave at 8 a.m. from Plaza del Lago. Four straight days of Judson to work off that Thanksgiving chow!

Attention, holiday shoppers! Your 2009 Chicago Bike Racing calendar is now available.

Once again I’ve selected 12 of my favorite photos from the season, hoping to capture the gamut of our great sport. There’s some road, there’s some track, there’s some cross. (Sorry, Paolo. I didn’t hit any mountain bike races this year.)

Price: $17.50 plus shipping through CafePress. Cheap!

Super discount opportunity: I will have a limited number of copies in my possession, available for $15. E-mail me if you’d like to purchase in person, either at an upcoming cross race, a XXX Racing-AthletiCo function or at a meet-up in downtown Chicago. I can also arrange for discounted bulk orders of 10 or more.

Don’t be selfish by limiting yourself to only your home and office. Think also of all the people who help you get through the season:

• » Your significant others!
• » Your mechanics!
• » Your coach!
• » Your teammates!
• » Your massage therapist!
• » Your family!

What’s inside? Maybe you!
January:  Tristan Schouten (Planet Bike) leaps over a barrier at the 2007 Montrose Harbor state cyclocross championships.
February: A women’s field takes its neutral lap at the Northbrook Velodrome.
March: A Jittery Joe’s rider takes a corner at the Beverly Hills Cycling Classic.
April: Kayle Leogrande (Rock Racing) takes the line at the USPRO national criterium championships.
May: Shane Winn (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) wins a sprint against teammate John Tomlinson and Chris Mosora (Lucas Oil) at the Northbrook Velodrome.
June: Chris Kelley (Indiana Hand Center) screams down the descent at the Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge.
July: Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Verducci/Breakaway) sprints to her latest Superweek win, taking the Evanston Grand Prix and wrapping up the women’s overall.
August: Brooke Miller (Team Tibco) celebrates her national championship victory at Downers Grove.
September: Cat 3/4 racers take Turn 1 at the Downers Grove Criterium.
October: Cat 4 racers turn onto Michigan Avenue at the inaugural Chicago Criterium.
November: Newt Cole (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) braves the sand pit at Carpentersville Cyclocross.
December: Is it winter again already? Brian Boyle (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) cuts a solitary profile at the 2007 Montrose Harbor state cyclocross championships.

I’m not looking to make a huge profit here — mostly it’s a vanity project and a fun souvenir to offer the friends who enjoy this sport as much as I do — but your support will be appreciated. Thanks!

To repay the generosity you showed last week, I’ve created a service that several of you have long requested: A ride board for carpooling.

It hasn’t been rigorously tested, but I’m hoping that it can see some use during cyclocross season and that by the 2009 road season it will enjoy so much use that none of us will ever again drive to a race alone.

To use it, you must have an account and be logged in. Once you are logged in, e-mail addresses will become visible. Users should also read these guidelines. Contact me with any problems or ideas.

Big, big, fast-twitch thanks to everyone who has thrown in to the tip jar I set up. It’s extremely gratifying. I feel like George Bailey at the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In fact, I just heard a bell jingle, which I think means someone somewhere just got his upgrade.

In racing news, be sure to check out this video preview of Saturday’s road race course. I’m a little concerned by all the traffic, so let’s be sure to be smart, safe and respectful out there. Don’t you dare cross that centerline, no matter how boxed in you are Spring Street. (I know, I know: I’ve been guilty of cheating across the line, too. Feel free to yell and scold me as well.) And always check over your shoulder before jumping out to attack.

 

I’m going to be in California for the next 10 days, so unfortunately I’ll be missing the Tour of Elk Grove this weekend, plus two days of great races next week in the form of the Grayslake Cycling Classic and the Glencoe Grand Prix. I’ll still file my usual wrap-ups, previews and other news as it develops. Anyone watching the racing in person, feel free to e-mail me any colorful details.

Speaking of the Tour of Elk Grove, results are already online for Friday night’s 4.5-mile time trial. Tom Zirbel (Bissell) is your leader heading into tomorrow’s road race through Schaumburg and Elk Grove Village. He leads Chris Horner (Astana) by 3 seconds. Local product Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies) came within 11 seconds, good enough for 6th.

The field of 55 is down from the 97 that started last year, when the event was on the National Racing Calendar, but the notables include Tyler Hamilton (Rock Racing), 2007 Stage 2 winner Freddie Rodriguez (Rock Racing), and 2007 Stage 3 winner Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United).

With several teams having an outsized presence in the field

— Rock Racing, Jelly Belly, Kelly Benefit Strategies, Bissell, Team Inferno, Successful Living and Toyota-United all have five or more —

I wouldn’t be surprised if a break got away tomorrow. Kelly Benefit Strategies has three riders in the top 10 and may feel it has license to be extra frisky. But with half the field within 30 seconds of one another and lots of time bonuses available, this could also come down to a contest between the sprinters.

An administrative note: I’ll be racing in Wisconsin the next few days and will be off-line. Expect your next update Wednesday or Thursday. By then I hope to populate the latest Superweek post with more reports and photos from Evanston. If there are any I may not be aware of, feel free to drop me a line.

What’s the best kind of girlfriend for a cyclist to have? That kind who’s so busy with law school that she wants you out of the house for entire weekends at a time. And so it is that I’ll be heading to Fayetteville, Ark., in a few weeks for the legendary Joe Martin Stage Race. Who else is going? I think I’m set, but feel free to use this post to offer or solicit rides and hotel space.

Much of our sport depends on the goodwill of sponsors, and CBR is no different.

ABD has been a longtime sponsor here. I don’t know if if anyone produces as many events in the Chicago area. Its next event is Sunday’s John Fraser Memorial Time Trial, the finale to its annual time trial series, where I see an astounding 280 names on its start list. ABD has also released the flier for a Memorial Day weekend series of masters races. More than $13,000 in cash and prizes will be on the line over three days, and Cat 5 masters can race for as little as $10.

Sharing sponsorship starting this week is CycleAnalyze, a new coaching system from Patrick McNally (MetCycling) that promises to put an emphasis on communication and feedback. We’re also joined by the Glencoe Grand Prix, which after a successful 2007 debut returns this year on Sunday, Aug. 10.

I couldn’t be happier to have this support, and I thank everyone who’s helped CBR over the past year.

I’m leaving tomorrow morning for my team’s winter camp in California, so posting will be light this week.

I’ll be missing the season-opening criteriums in Kenosha, but I’ll post wrap-ups as best I can. Feel free to help out by e-mailing me links to your reports or other observations.

Last week's system upgrade prompted me to do a complete overhaul of the CBR look and feel. I hope you like it.

A few notes:

• » Members can now submit avatars that will show up alongside their comments.
• » The top logo features two new sprinters. Same contest as last time: A Clif Bar to the person who can correctly name both riders.
• » A wider canvas means photos will run even bigger this year.
• » IE 6 has a few issues with the site, but I don't have a very good way to debug. If what you see is hinky, feel free to send me a screen shot -- along with a 200-word essay explaining why you continue to use the Huffy of browsers.
• » Coming within a few weeks: An upgrade of the race calendar, including search and sort features.

Again, feel free to contact me with any bugs or errors you find.

First, a thank you. Readership at Chicago Bike Racing is at an all-time high, and we're still two three weeks away from our first outdoor race. It helps me keep doing what I do knowing there are so many of you following along.

Second, some news: I spent the weekend changing content management systems here at CBR world headquarters. Good-bye, Movable Type. Hello, Expression Engine. Here is a new RSS feed, and here is an RSS feed of the comments. Most changes will be invisible, but you will notice this: You must now register in order to post comments. Why? I got tired of having to monitor comment spam. Also, a recent spate of anonymous posting made me sad. I don't mind people being anonymous. I don't mind people who are jerks. What I can't abide are people who are both. You can still remain anonymous, but you must have a valid e-mail address on file in order to post. The upside is that comments will now appear instantaneously. You can also edit your personal information so that your team appears with each comment, and you can select a Web site to include instead of your e-mail. You may already have an account! If you commented at any time over the past year and included your e-mail address, the system has automatically created an account for you. Submit your e-mail address at this page and your password will be mailed to you. To create a new account, go to this registration page. Accounts are automatically approved. This should not take more than a few seconds. I have a few kinks to work out (categories did not transfer well) but please feel to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). This switch should make my job easier, and it should help introduce new features in the future. Expect a major overhaul sometime in the next few months, depending on how much training I want to cut into.