"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Superweek!

Ok so I'm trying to plan out my schedule for superweek next month. I only did two races last year, and neither of them are back on the schedule for this year sooo... what are the must do races?
I'm definitely in for both road races, and whatever crits I can do.

Oh, what should I do to get ready for so many races in such a short time span? I looked at the schedule, and I have like 6 or 7 days straight of racing. Is this wise? Should I take some brakes? Just HTFU and race? I guess I should read Freil's Bible on stage racing.

Last thing - I like an hour and a half north of Milwaukee, the epicenter of most of the racing. Should I try to get one of the host families? Should I drive it every day? I think sleeping there would be a better idea, and with the price of gas it will probably be cheaper too.

Obviously I need some guidance here. Help me out!

Where do you live? Green Bay? Will you be in the same catagory as you are now?

Well, as of today, the schedule is:

Friday, July 11 Chicago, IL
Saturday, July 12 Blue Island, IL
Sunday, July 13 Homewood, IL
Monday, July 14 TBA
Tuesday, July 15 Bensenville, IL
Wednesday, July 16 Bensenville, IL
Thursday, July 17 Shorewood, WI
Thursday, July 17 Milwaukee, WI
Friday, July 18 Ripon, WI
Saturday, July 19 Waukesha, WI
Sunday, July 20 Evanston, IL
Monday, July 21 Hartford, WI
Tuesday, July 22 Cedarburg, WI
Wednesday, July 23 Hales Corners, WI
Thursday, July 24 Racine, WI
Friday, July 25 Kenosha, WI
Saturday, July 26 Milwaukee, WI
Sunday, July 27 Whitefish Bay, WI

Depending on what races you are planning, maybe you could get a temporary home base in Chicago at the beginning and perhaps Milwaukee at the end, but stay at home for a break in the middle.

Personally, I used to race all the races I could. Was it hard? Sure, but after you've recovered, you'll come out of that series a different rider. Stronger, smarter, and technically better. Boy, there's nothing like getting up in the morning and thinking: "Ummmm ... what town is this?" and knowing that you'll be racing today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the NEXT day .... :roflmao2:

Where do you live? Green Bay? Will you be in the same catagory as you are now?

Well, as of today, the schedule is:

Friday, July 11 Chicago, IL
Saturday, July 12 Blue Island, IL
Sunday, July 13 Homewood, IL
Monday, July 14 TBA
Tuesday, July 15 Bensenville, IL
Wednesday, July 16 Bensenville, IL
Thursday, July 17 Shorewood, WI
Thursday, July 17 Milwaukee, WI
Friday, July 18 Ripon, WI
Saturday, July 19 Waukesha, WI
Sunday, July 20 Evanston, IL
Monday, July 21 Hartford, WI
Tuesday, July 22 Cedarburg, WI
Wednesday, July 23 Hales Corners, WI
Thursday, July 24 Racine, WI
Friday, July 25 Kenosha, WI
Saturday, July 26 Milwaukee, WI
Sunday, July 27 Whitefish Bay, WI

Depending on what races you are planning, maybe you could get a temporary home base in Chicago at the beginning and perhaps Milwaukee at the end, but stay at home for a break in the middle.

Personally, I used to race all the races I could. Was it hard? Sure, but after you've recovered, you'll come out of that series a different rider. Stronger, smarter, and technically better. Boy, there's nothing like getting up in the morning and thinking: "Ummmm ... what town is this?" and knowing that you'll be racing today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the NEXT day .... :roflmao2:

July 27th: same day as the Chicago Crit...bike racing in the middle of downtown Chicago! (sorry, promo is now ended)

I'm in Appleton, and unless I top 5 both races this weekend and the race next weekend, I'll probably still be a 4.

I kind of planned on not going to any of the Illinois races, and just doing the ones north of the boarder. I guess I was planning on racing the 21st - 27th, along with the 17th and 18th.

Blue Island / Evanston are fun crits

Blue Island / Evanston are fun crits

Blue Island, in my opinion, is an incredibly boring course. A 4 turn, really long and narrow rectangle. Woo hoo. I did 80km there last year; even with a good team to race with/for, I can't imagine how boring 100km will be.

Bensenville, at least the course from last year (two Bensenville races this year???), is a far better course than Blue Island. Call me crazy, but I like turning both right AND left while doing a crit. Evanston was my home race last year, and I tried perhaps a bit too hard to force a break (not waiting till the field was dying, and killing myself instead), but a super fun race regardless.

And like Johnny W said, if you race SuperWeek, and I mean really do a good amount of racing, you'll come out of it a different, better racer. You have the opportunity to race against some of the best crit competition in the country, every day of the week, for two weeks. Last year I had a race with 25+ states represented, or so the announcer told us. If you do well there, you'll easily get your upgrade to the next category.

To be honest, I recieved my upgrade to the 2s on not just my results, but how I raced my bike at SuperWeek. I didn't have the full amount of points, but when the same officials see you in breaks over a span of two weeks, either taking them to the line or at least being aggressive and RACING your bike, they're more than happy to help you along. Heidi Mingesz, one of the head officials, told me to use her as a reference when I applied. I think I had 17pts, and then my SuperWeek results.

I would race the entire series if I could, but honestly I can't really afford it. Racing 10 time is pushing it as it is. If I'm a 4 I'll hopefully make some money along the way, and help defray costs that way,but if I get my upgrade before hand I'll probably be paying for the honor of getting my ass kicked by a bunch of super strong 3's.

I mean I would rather get beaten up all week in the 3's and gain that experience, then sit but have better results in the 4's. I want to move up, and I know that racing is like pouring money down the drain anyways.

Another question - Has anybody ever used the host housing? That kinda scares me, but free housing is free housing. That would make racing much much much cheaper. Potentially a few more day of racing cheaper. ;)

Blue Island, in my opinion, is an incredibly boring course. A 4 turn, really long and narrow rectangle. Woo hoo. I did 80km there last year; even with a good team to race with/for, I can't imagine how boring 100km will be.

I guess I said that because it is so close to me...What are some of the good road races? I want to do a few of those as well. I'm signed up for Blue Island, the first Bensenville, and Evanston as of right now.

Definitely do the Waukesha race! I'll probably be there cheering you on. I think that it is also fairly well liked by the riders.

I guess I said that because it is so close to me...What are some of the good road races? I want to do a few of those as well. I'm signed up for Blue Island, the first Bensenville, and Evanston as of right now.

Races I've done:

Alpine Valley
Bensenville
Evanston
Waukesha
Blue Island
Brewer's Hill

This year, there is no Alpine Valley. That pains me, as it was the hardest race I've done to date, and my best result, really. In my opinion one of the hardest races in the Midwest.

The only two "road races", Holy Hill and Whitnall Park, are circuit races of 8.1mi and 2.3mi circuits, respectively. They can get hard real quick too, as I understand.

A race you definitely shouldn't miss is Downer Avenue, which is the last Saturday. There is a big street festival going on, and this year they have an all-day Belgian beer fest as part of the happenings.

Races I've done:

Alpine Valley
Bensenville
Evanston
Waukesha
Blue Island
Brewer's Hill

This year, there is no Alpine Valley. That pains me, as it was the hardest race I've done to date, and my best result, really. In my opinion one of the hardest races in the Midwest.

The only two "road races", Holy Hill and Whitnall Park, are circuit races of 8.1mi and 2.3mi circuits, respectively. They can get hard real quick too, as I understand.

A race you definitely shouldn't miss is Downer Avenue, which is the last Saturday. There is a big street festival going on, and this year they have an all-day Belgian beer fest as part of the happenings.

Ill see what I can work out, I don't know what I want to do before the Chicago Crit yet...I'm hoping I can snatch a few points for my upgrade to a 2...but we'll see how that one goes..I still have quite a few to go.

Ill see what I can work out, I don't know what I want to do before the Chicago Crit yet...I'm hoping I can snatch a few points for my upgrade to a 2...but we'll see how that one goes..I still have quite a few to go.

If you can get 10pts at SuperWeek, you're golden. The upgrade dudes realize how hard those races are, and will bend the rules for you.


I want to do the Chicago Crit, but it depends how our individuals are doing in the overall and sprint points competitions at SuperWeek. If we have a guy gunning for some serious cash, I wonder what we'll do. Unless we're up for the sprint points win or several positions could be gained in the overall through a good result, I'd imagine we'd send our full team to Chicago. I'm not really privy to those sorts of decisions yet, though.

I would race the entire series if I could, but honestly I can't really afford it. Racing 10 time is pushing it as it is. If I'm a 4 I'll hopefully make some money along the way, and help defray costs that way,but if I get my upgrade before hand I'll probably be paying for the honor of getting my ass kicked by a bunch of super strong 3's.

I mean I would rather get beaten up all week in the 3's and gain that experience, then sit but have better results in the 4's. I want to move up, and I know that racing is like pouring money down the drain anyways.

Another question - Has anybody ever used the host housing? That kinda scares me, but free housing is free housing. That would make racing much much much cheaper. Potentially a few more day of racing cheaper. ;)

This close in, I agree with staying a strong 4 for Superweek rather than upgrading. Hey, maybe they'll have some of those infamous Superweek 3/4 races with 200+ riders! Oh those are fun. http://emoticons4u.com/happy/009.gif In the past, I've stayed at some dorm's for Superweek (Oshkosh I recall) and also stayed at team mate's friend's, etc. It helps the legs if you don't have to sit in that car too much.

If I may, let me suggest not making Holy Hill your first race unless you climb like a mountain goat. Can you do Ripon on Friday? The drive wouldn't be that long and it would start getting your body ready for the beating it's about to receive at HH. http://emoticons4u.com/happy/028.gif Take a rest day in the middle of the week to save $$ if you have to. With some luck, maybe you can cash in on a prime here or there. Other than that, ride like you already know how, and have fun!

The ripon course has a long, pretty steep hill on every lap, thats definitely not going to be one of the easy races. But I don't think that race will be as popular, because the races that are 1/2 an hour north of Milwaukee never are.

I guess I think I climb ok. I've been in the front group in both of the Baraboo road races, and they have had the most climbing I have ever done. I don't climb like the 1/2s on my team but... I guess thats kind of expected.

+2 on the Downer Avenue Race. That is an awesome super fast course and this is the first year that all cats get to ride on it, not just P/1/2. I'll be in for that one - few thousand spectators - beer - food - tunes! Awesome venue. I've also heard that Evanston was really cool last year and I may do that one. I'm in for Cedarburg, Whitefish Bay, Downer and Evanston. There are so many I'd like to do more, but I know my abilities are not there yet.

Anyone having frustrations with Superweek this year?

We're about 3 weeks out and the schedule is still changing (Homewood appears to be gone) and I'm trying to find the times of the races but haven't been able to find the information.

The lack of organization is frustrating.

Although they'll take your money, that doesn't seem to be a problem.

If you sign up, they'll have a race for you. I can't imagine that organizing such a big, multi-week, event doesn't come without it's snags. If there is a way, they will pull it off. I've seen them gather up a bunch of burly looking spectators to bounce cars off the street and onto the sidewalk just before the Downer Avenue Criterium. :D

I know the races will take place but I've got to schedule work, family and bicycle racing: as do many of us.

In years past, I knew the time my event was taking place within a comfortable time frame.

This year the first week's schedule seems so precarious.

I know the new promoters are working hard but I am still frustrated.