Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.Mr. Scrooby
08-22-07, 09:25 AM
Come race! Come watch! Come enjoy one of Chicago's most historic parks!
Here's the description I posted to Chicago Bike Racing (http://www.chicagobikeracing.com/blog/archives/2007/08/this_weekends_r_8.html):
Saturday's Sherman Park Criterium takes place in one of Chicago's great parks, a hidden treasure of the South Side with a gymnasium designed by Daniel Burnham. The famous Olmsted brothers had bicycle races in mind when they designed the park. Apparently technical crits were not in vogue in 1905 as there's not a single hard corner on the course. This makes it a perfect, manageable course for beginning cyclists, men and women alike. (Men should know that there's a 50-rider limit in the Cat 5 race, and there currently are no provisions for a second field.)
Sight lines are limited, so it's not unusual for breaks to get away. Otherwise it's essentially flat. Did I mention that there are no hard corners?
Primes have improved over last year. In fact, I have it on good authority that a certain cycling Web site is donating cash primes for the lower categories.
The neighborhood around Sherman Park, well, let's concede it's not the North Shore. It's still a safe, beautiful venue. Residents may not be accustomed to bicycle racing, but most are curious and accommodating. Just don't be surprised if some need reminders not stroll down the course. (XXX Racing-AthletiCo will be throwing all available resources toward marshaling, but keep your head up and be alert.)
Your second race is $5 cheaper. Masters riders could potentially get in 90 minutes of racing for about the same price as the 20 minutes they got at Downers or Elk Grove.
And don't miss the children's races at 1 p.m. Watch as kids tear off from the start line not quite realizing how far a mile is. Ten minutes later they will limp across the finish, coughing up lungs and collapsing in the grass. Good times!
Note also that the women's 1/2/3 race will include a special dedication for XXX Racing-AthletiCo's teammate Beth Kobeszka, who lost her life racing in July.
Here's the description I posted to Chicago Bike Racing (http://www.chicagobikeracing.com/blog/archives/2007/08/this_weekends_r_8.html):
Saturday's Sherman Park Criterium takes place in one of Chicago's great parks, a hidden treasure of the South Side with a gymnasium designed by Daniel Burnham. The famous Olmsted brothers had bicycle races in mind when they designed the park. Apparently technical crits were not in vogue in 1905 as there's not a single hard corner on the course. This makes it a perfect, manageable course for beginning cyclists, men and women alike. (Men should know that there's a 50-rider limit in the Cat 5 race, and there currently are no provisions for a second field.)
Sight lines are limited, so it's not unusual for breaks to get away. Otherwise it's essentially flat. Did I mention that there are no hard corners?
Primes have improved over last year. In fact, I have it on good authority that a certain cycling Web site is donating cash primes for the lower categories.
The neighborhood around Sherman Park, well, let's concede it's not the North Shore. It's still a safe, beautiful venue. Residents may not be accustomed to bicycle racing, but most are curious and accommodating. Just don't be surprised if some need reminders not stroll down the course. (XXX Racing-AthletiCo will be throwing all available resources toward marshaling, but keep your head up and be alert.)
Your second race is $5 cheaper. Masters riders could potentially get in 90 minutes of racing for about the same price as the 20 minutes they got at Downers or Elk Grove.
And don't miss the children's races at 1 p.m. Watch as kids tear off from the start line not quite realizing how far a mile is. Ten minutes later they will limp across the finish, coughing up lungs and collapsing in the grass. Good times!
Note also that the women's 1/2/3 race will include a special dedication for XXX Racing-AthletiCo's teammate Beth Kobeszka, who lost her life racing in July.