Considering hosting a team for a race? Read this first.

http://michael01612.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2D894EF96C8FC0!2574.entry

I would (once I have a home large enough to host more than 1 guest). I was on the other end once, and it's very nice to not have to scrounge up money for a motel room. Of course, we viewed food as our own responsibility and restocked anything we took from the pantry and fridge. That was a pleasant surprise for our hosts most of the time. Besides, it was rather fun grocery shopping as a group of 4-6 teenagers with shaved legs and funny tans.

Awesome. Good to hear that you had a good experience with those guys. I'll probably be hosting some Pro/1/2 guys from my team (hopefully including myself) and maybe another team for the USPRO crit championships in Downers Grove this year. I don't live right near the course, at around 25min away, but free food and housing, as well as much better areas to ride friday, and saturday/sunday mornings will probably entice them.

Huh. I'd be willing to let people stay at my place... but the races that are close aren't really all that great...

Fantastic! I thought about it but I am an hour away from the races and don't know if that would be realistic.

From the title of the thread, I was expecting to read that a bunch of immature frat boys stayed up late and trashed your house. It was so great to read that these kids (college age = kids IMO) were well-behaved, respectful, and appreciative.

--Steve

A traditional thing at some races. Used to do this for the A to Z in OH. Sometimes your host family would show up and cheer you on at the Crit or the RR start.

All I can say is: thank you.

Throughout this season and last I have been put up by a series of incredible people. It brings another level of enoyment to bike racing.

In fact, I have a house to stay in for a stage race this weekend (it's remote family though, so it hardly counts).

One thing to do before hosting a team, is to talk with the manager or captain and fully explain what "you" expect from them, before they show up and forget to courtesy flush. It's very rare to have a messy team.