2008 Chicago Time Trial Series.

[midschool22]

I found this time trial series through Bike Journal. Has anyone here rode in it?

www.chicagott.com

[BootsyC]

I haven't but I can't believe the spelling and grammar errors present on that site. If they're shooting for credibility, they have a ways to go.

[Moochers_Dad]

I find it slightly amusing that none of the races are actually in the city of Chicago. I would only really consider the one nearest Oak Lawn as being passable for being in Chicagoland; the rest is Illinois, IMO.

Secondly, Homemade Pizza confuses me. They put together a pizza that YOU have to bake yourself? I don't get it. Most of the cost of pizza is the cheese and the baking of it. Basically, they're making frozen pizzas before freezing. However, they do redeem themselves for sponsoring a cycling event.

[aham23]

inaugural means first, so i am guessing no one has done this before. :)

later.

[John Wilke]

Prize money is decent for this time of year, other USCF races are giving merchandise right now.

[midschool22]

inaugural means first, so i am guessing no one has done this before. :)

later.

Whoops. I didn't see that. :o

[timmyquest]

inaugural means first, so i am guessing no one has done this before. :)

later.

Stop being so damn logical!

I think i'm gonna be in South Carolina for the Richmond one but i'm def. going to do the Woodstock one (my home town).

Hopefully i can do both...

[Psimet2001]

Hmmmm....thinking I might give this a shot. The first one is close and it shouldn't take too long....for me to find out that I suck.

[Moochers_Dad]

Hmmmm....thinking I might give this a shot. The first one is close and it shouldn't take too long....for me to find out that I suck.

Let's compete for Lantern Rouge. I'll bet I'd win. I think here in Chicagoland it's called "Da Red Lanterns"

[timmyquest]

Hmmmm....thinking I might give this a shot. The first one is close and it shouldn't take too long....for me to find out that I suck.

I anticipate you passing me, somehow...

[Psimet2001]

Let's compete for Lantern Rouge. I'll bet I'd win. I think here in Chicagoland it's called "Da Red Lanterns"

Without a doubt. Without. A. Doubt.

He who isn't last buys beer.:D

I'm actually thinking about getting a clip on tri bar for the F of it for this thing. I could talk nice to my buddy at work and see if I could borrow his Kuota....or his Zipps.....;)

[SmokinMiles]

Ok...guys, what do I need to do this? Can I just show up with my road bike and normal helmet? This looks fun to me and inaugural year always intrigues me. I see myself at 80 being honored at some event that I rode/ran the inaugural (35 years prior) and every year since. :D

Time trailing...Psimet, do I just ride as hard as I can???? That's what I'm thinking. Do I leave my aerobars on??? My blinky light? :p

[Psimet2001]

HAHA...I am just going to show up with what I have. Like I said I might get some clip on bars just because. Fact is they would most likely be worthless to me considering I would not have enought time on them to make them comfortable.

Show up with what you have. Maybe ditch the blinky though. Remember....this is a race....:rolleyes:

[nerobro]

*looks* 30km. That's 18 miles. ... So, how bad would a 90 minute time look?

[Psimet2001]

*looks* 30km. That's 18 miles. ... So, how bad would a 90 minute time look?

It would like like you wouldn't be buying the beer. :D

[timmyquest]

i wish i had more miles under me this season and i'd be at the 1st

[timmyquest]

Secondly, Homemade Pizza confuses me. They put together a pizza that YOU have to bake yourself? I don't get it. Most of the cost of pizza is the cheese and the baking of it. Basically, they're making frozen pizzas before freezing. However, they do redeem themselves for sponsoring a cycling event.

You're missing a key component; the pizza's and the toppings are all fresh and somewhat "primo". A frozen pizza is weeks old (if not more) and consists of factory made and very cheap products not to mention...frozen.

Pappa Sevario is one of the more popular such pizza franchises growing in my area (McHenry County) and according to my old boss, who owns an Italian restaurant/pizza joint, this is the fastest growing market in the pizza industry.

It's for good reason too. While it isn't like buying a pizza from a good pizza place, it is worlds better than a frozen pizza. Lastly, the price is somewhat in the middle.

:)

[Porkchopwi]

it shouldn't take too long....for me to find out that I suck

That's the best part of TTs, except for the one or two riders that pass you (well, me, anyway) on the course it takes until the results are posted to find just how much you do. So there's usually 45 min to an hour where anything is possible. You'll probably do better then you expect
As others have pointed out, race what you have and have fun. Yeah, there will be people there with the full aero set up (and some of them can really fly), but there are usually more than enough people running stock bikes or clip on equipment.
I may try to swing over for the event in this series on 5/11 since I'm planning on doing a 2-person TT near Rockford on the 10th. We'll see since that would require an over night trip (and gas is gonna cost enough to get to Rockford).
Props to the organizers and sponsors for putting this together.

[timmyquest]

I'm down for 4, maybe 5 (if i'm in town) and 6

anyone else going to any of those?

[midschool22]

I'm thinking 4 and 6.

[whitesox]

hey this looks interesting and fun.. why not... the Monee one is close and what do you have to lose? I just might do this!:eek:

[Scummer]

Let's compete for Lantern Rouge. I'll bet I'd win. I think here in Chicagoland it's called "Da Red Lanterns"

You better pray then, that I'm not going to show up. You won't stand a chance otherwise.

[Psimet2001]

Just signed up for Sugar Grove (1). See you guys this weekend. Don't know if I signed up correctly (I think I did) - I signed up for Elite 4/5. I know that the 4/5 is correct, but the Elite part is definitely not.:D

[aham23]

man, i totally want to do this. however, like i said somewhere else, me and the bike will not be seeing much of each other the next two weeks. for example, i am traveling south of sprinfield (IL) this weekend for some quality in-law time and even higher quality matzha balls. good luck to all. later.

[CyLowe97]

Hmm.....

[CyLowe97]

Just signed up for Sugar Grove (1). See you guys this weekend. Don't know if I signed up correctly (I think I did) - I signed up for Elite 4/5. I know that the 4/5 is correct, but the Elite part is definitely not.:D

Good luck on Sunday!

[Psimet2001]

Danke. Don't need luck to finish last though. At least I get to suffer alone.

[aham23]

you can do it!!!

by do it i mean NOT finish last.

later.

[Psimet2001]

Intense. I knew it would be, but not only was this my first race in about 18 years, but it was my first TT ever. I remembered more and learned more in that hour than in the last 20 years. Holy crap.

I didn't puke, but I felt like it for sure.

I bought clip on bars a few days before and just slapped them on. Never got a ride on them before the race. Mistake. They weren't setup right. I also needed to raise my saddle even higher (I had moved it up about 1.5-2cm :eek:) and move it forward.

If my setup would have been right I would have done much better. I am pretty sure I was dead last. I might have beaten a few of the juniors, but I don't consider it fair...they had to do rollout and I spent a lot of time in my 53X12. :o

I did better than I thought I would, but in the end I sucked. I think this jump started my season. I so totally suck, but I am hooked again. Only way to get faster is to suffer more.

EDIT: I left my HR strap for my Garmin at work so I had to use the Polar. So I don't get the nice breakdown that the Garmin gives you. Even then....The highest HR I have ever seen since I started using HR monitors 5 or so years ago has been 185. Today my max was ...185. My average for the ride was 171. :eek:

[timmyquest]

Today my max was ...185. My average for the ride was 171. :eek:

I guess you certainly get an A for effort than...

[SmokinMiles]

"Intense. I knew it would be, but not only was this my first race in about 18 years, but it was my first TT ever. I remembered more and learned more in that hour than in the last 20 years. Holy crap"

Sounds like it was worth it! I was wondering how it was going when I glanced at my watch around 11.

How was the turnout?

[Psimet2001]

Not a ton of riders. Maybe 30-40 tops. Maybe more. We were pretty spread out.

Headwind for the first half and uphill. I still managed to drop it just under 20 mph I think - haven't seen the official postings.

[nerobro]

*grumbles about moving bikes instead of moving HIS bike...* I'm glad you had a good time psimet. I wanna do the may 11th one.

[whitesox]

hey nice job psimet:D I'm going to sign up for May 11th... I'm sure I'll be dead last... hopefully then won't close the race waiting for me, LOL!:p

[midschool22]

Psi-

Don't feel too bad. I seen the results and three riders finished behind you and one DNF.

If I showed up it would have been four riders...;)

[atomship47]

Not a ton of riders. Maybe 30-40 tops. Maybe more. We were pretty spread out.

Headwind for the first half and uphill. I still managed to drop it just under 20 mph I think - haven't seen the official postings.

i live in s-g so i ride those roads regularly (used to be daily but i try to ride into the wind for the first half of my rides...wind has been out of the south a lot lately!

anyway, just under 20 is pretty impressive (to me)! by the end of last year, i was just beginning to avg 18 mph.

[nerobro]

hey nice job psimet:D I'm going to sign up for May 11th... I'm sure I'll be dead last... hopefully then won't close the race waiting for me, LOL!:p

I just signed up. My "goal" is 12mph. :-) Who else will be there?

[Psimet2001]

I might have to just so I can say I "beat" someone in a TT. ;)

I believe this next one is on the far South side. That and it's a 40K? Not too sure if I'll make it. :(

[nerobro]

Yeah, it's down in monee. I know i'm going to have my butt handed to me. But I'll enjoy it. ;-) I've lost enough paintball tournaments, time to lose a bike race.

[Psimet2001]

Sugar Grove results were finally posted to my USCF license profile online. Kind of cool to see some points from it. I am now officially ranked.....and there's like....30 or 40 Cat 5 riders in this country that are slower TTers than me :)....
....
...

.....out of about 700.:(

[timmyquest]

Sugar Grove results were finally posted to my USCF license profile online. Kind of cool to see some points from it. I am now officially ranked.....and there's like....30 or 40 Cat 5 riders in this country that are slower TTers than me :)....
....
...

.....out of about 700.:(

Give me a few weeks.

[aham23]

Sugar Grove results were finally posted to my USCF license profile online. Kind of cool to see some points from it. I am now officially ranked.....and there's like....30 or 40 Cat 5 riders in this country that are slower TTers than me :)....
....
...

.....out of about 700.:(

its not about the stats. its about the bike. wait? never mind. later.

[timmyquest]

its not about the stats. its about the bike. wait? never mind. later.

I would join that band wagon but i'm poor. Talk about being up a creek...

[whitesox]

I just signed up. My "goal" is 12mph. :-) Who else will be there?

I plan on being there (for the 5/11 Monee TT)... weather permitting. If it's raining, not going... if it's nice, I'll be racing... my goal is to finish with as little embarrasment as possible...:eek::p

[Psimet2001]

Just realized that is Mother's day. That would make it a big "No" for me. Have fun guys.