Great Lakes - Fall Fling!

Provisional schedule just announced (see www.abdcying.com). I'm in for the first weekend (RR saturday, Crit Sunday). Who's going? What races?

HAHAHAHA I was just about to do this thread after my psimet invitational one. I have made arrangements and it looks like I will be in for the whole deal - both weekends. I am looking forward to it. Hopefully I can race in the "I suk" category....

http://www.abdcycling.com (http://www.abdcycling.com/)

fixed.

so, i guess this means the Psi Invite is a definite no go as previously planned. can we have a Psi Invite without the Psi? :)

later.

I started a poll for a reschedule date already. Looks like 2 weekends back is the early lead.

Real quick here is the Fall Fling schedule:
Stage 1: 9/27/08 - Road Race
Stage 2: 9/28/08 - Criterium 1
Stage 3: 10/3/08 - Time Trial
Stage 4: 10/4/08 - Criterium 2

aham....because I know you already had the day open looks like this would be a good time to try a race. It's even a road race.

Crap.
They changed sked.
Now to see if I can get the 27th off work for the RR (Cat. 4)

Thanks for the heads up.

since my schedule just cleared up i am in for the road race on 9/27. they normally run this up near Rockford right? time to work on finding some speed i guess. later.

HAHAHAHA I was just about to do this thread after my psimet invitational one. I have made arrangements and it looks like I will be in for the whole deal - both weekends. I am looking forward to it. Hopefully I can race in the "I suk" category....

I thought long and hard about not doing the FF this weekend, but I'm going to try to end this year on a high note. BTW, the ABR "schedule" does show another race or two, but they were probably "hopeful" races that were originally scheduled and never came together. I'm still technically an ABR Cat 5 (the flyer from last year again says that a 5 is "less than 15 mass starts"). If they use the same classes/distances as last year the RR will be about 28 miles for the 5's and 40 for the 4's...

I saw your other thread. I'd love to do the ride. I'm not sure if I can weigh in on the timing, but will do my best to make whenever it ends up!

I'll most likely sign up under their "5" even though my license says 4 because I technically have "less than 15 mass starts"....I think....do you count juniors ;)?

I don't have any expectations, but I just want to slam some races together and see what comes out.

The RR course is 4 right turns with some rolling hills, nothing major (IIRC)... assuming it's the same as last year. I ended up TTing most of the 4 race after getting caught on the fringe of a crash. We'll see if we can improve on this this year.
Seemed to draw a good number of riders.

The RR course is 4 right turns with some rolling hills, nothing major (IIRC)... assuming it's the same as last year. I ended up TTing most of the 4 race after getting caught on the fringe of a crash. We'll see if we can improve on this this year.
Seemed to draw a good number of riders.

I just looked at the results from last year. Looks like both the 5's and 4's races were filled up pretty good!

I have the weekends free so I plan on signing up as soon as possible to ensure my field position....


...BTW - where do you sign up for "OTB"?

I may be in for the RR and TT.

I may be in for the RR and TT.

There are also 2 crits.

Your Funny MJH ... I skipped those on purpose. ;)

Your Funny MJH ... I skipped those on purpose. ;)

Just enter the friggin crits. You can do it. Just like Saturday with like....20X the number of corners and accelerations.

Your Funny MJH ... I skipped those on purpose. ;)

Call me crazy, but I'd say that cramming 75 sketchy Cat 4/5 riders down Spring road was more dangerous than 80% of the crits I've done.

Assuming that they use the same crit course as last year, I'd say it will be as safe as any open road race:

Seriously? If it's safer I might consider it.

Seriously? If it's safer I might consider it.

I would agree with MJH2 on this one. Only thing to consider is that with crits you have lapped traffic and/or will be lapped by the pack quickly if you fall OTB. This calls for following a set protocol (not really different than any other time) regarding your placement on the road, and the lines you take.

Easy stuff really, but something you should learn before going. Just always take the outside line when being approached by the field and don't shift your line in the corners.

Be mindful of prime laps and try not to be in a position where you are being lapped at the same time as the pack is sprinting for the prime. Also be mindful of the last lap. Don't be mixing in the last corner(s) when it's ape$hit sprinting time.


....of course you could just ride with the pack the whole way and not worry about it. :D

We'll talk on Tuesday night Psi.

Seriously? If it's safer I might consider it.

Assuming it's not the Olympia Fields death course (complete with hurricane force wind), or something overly-technical I'd say that the safety will be on par, if not higher. You should have tried any of the 4 crits so far this year at Wooddale. Wide, open, flat with corners that were so mild they could hardly be called corners.

Seriously? If it's safer I might consider it.

If they use the same course in Lombard, it is WAY safer than Tour of Oak Brook! The turns are not 90 degrees but tend to sweep. The road is closed so you have the whole road which is approx three lanes wide. This is an industrial park so they made the road wide. It has a slight down hill from turn 4 through turn 1. Turn 1 to turn 2 is basically flat and from the middle of the back straight through turn 3 to turn 4 is up hill. I won't call it a hill but it rises. A hill is what we saw in Tour of Oak Brook.

I recommend this for anyones first crit. With that said, sweeping turns can lull you a bit and I've seen guys crash just because the overlap wheels.

I'm going for this race....I just have to count my ABR races to see if I hit 15. With the way I have been racing, Cat 5 allows me to be in the mix while cat 4/5 races I have been in are hit and miss.

This is sounding better and better.

Schedule cleared... ready to get hammered in the RR Cat 4 again this year!

I'm going for this race....I just have to count my ABR races to see if I hit 15. With the way I have been racing, Cat 5 allows me to be in the mix while cat 4/5 races I have been in are hit and miss.

Says the guy who chided me into the M 4/5's at Oakbrook.

I'm still, technically, a 5 in ABR. Assuming they run the same races they did last year, I'll likely apply for an upgrade and do the 4's on this one.

Up in the air depending on other team plans (;) ) but I may just do 5's across the board on this one. Shorter races and from what I have seen the ABR 5's seem a little more like "real 5's".

Might give me a chance to hang.

Don't get me wrong I like riding with packs that kick my ass instantly, but a pack finish would be nice every now and then.:D

Up in the air depending on other team plans (;) ) but I may just do 5's across the board on this one. Shorter races and from what I have seen the ABR 5's seem a little more like "real 5's".

Might give me a chance to hang.

Don't get me wrong I like riding with packs that kick my ass instantly, but a pack finish would be nice every now and then.:D

As much as it would be nice if you could, again, contribute the the Bicycle Heaven ONE LAP TOTAL DOMINATION plan, I'd go 5's if I were in your shoes. ABR 5's = A lot of fun! Plus, it's a 4 race "series". A decent placing in the series would be nice momentum to carry into next year (when, I'm sure, I'll be pestering you to upgrade).

It would be nice if they rand a Master's 4/5's with a combined race field and separate scoring...

Schedule cleared... ready to get hammered in the RR Cat 4 again this year!

I looked at your blog. You doing the Wisport race next weekend? Whitewater this Spring was my first mass-start race. A bit of a "different" format, but seemed like a great deal for people (like me) who wanted to take a stab at racing. I'd do more of their events if there wasn't so much racing in this area.

Real quick here is the Fall Fling schedule:
Stage 1: 9/27/08 - Road Race
Stage 2: 9/28/08 - Criterium 1
Stage 3: 10/3/08 - Time Trial
Stage 4: 10/4/08 - Criterium 2



That's 'cross season in Wisconsin. I see that's there's no conflict in the Chicago area for Stages 1 & 2, but those dates are already booked for races up here. :(

That's 'cross season in Wisconsin. I see that's there's no conflict in the Chicago area for Stages 1 & 2, but those dates are already booked for races up here. :(

Yeah...I heard last night that the Chicago Cross Cup race in Carpentersville is actually on the 27th. Boo if true. Heard it from a North Branch guy talking about Jeff (promoter, owner of Main Street Bike in Carpentersville, North Branch member/organizer(?)) discussing preperations.

Have to check the schedule for sure though.

Either way I am in no way ready to do any cross racing and would do the fall fling anyway, but did want to do the Carpentersville race. :(

EDIT: Just checked and Carpentersville is the 19th of October. Hmmmm....you'd think that guy would know....oh well.

I'm not complaining that there's more than one bike race on any given day at the end of September. It's starting to sound like we've got a little European scene going on here! :D Plenty of riders around.

Check out roadie Chad Hartley (Jittery Joe's) of Illinois hand it out to the trackies last night in Kenosha:

5 lap race (click) (http://peloton-pix.smugmug.com/gallery/5810680_KKiTJ/1/#360108349_edFpu-A-LB)


Madison Race (click) (http://peloton-pix.smugmug.com/gallery/5810680_KKiTJ/1/#360083398_WohNV-A-LB)

Good motivation. :love:

MJH2:
Yeah I rode WW back in April (ahh, that was a fun wind, wasn't it?) and hit almost all the WiSport events.

I'll be at Ride the Rock (Ft. Atkinson) next weekend as well. They're chaging it to a circuit race this year, I think 3 laps, from the 60ish mile course they used last year. Not sure what part of the course is being used. I should prolly look at a map next week. LOL

I like the WiSport series (we lost a few RRs earlier this year, hope they come back) as some races I have a shot a decent finish, but on most I'm a mid-field finisher. I'm just happy to get out and race. I like ABR and USCF as well on the weekends there's no WiSport and I see some of the same people.

Looking back at what I wrote after the FF RR last year, I remember how much I had my butt handed to me in the 4s. Despite having a ABR 4 license, wonder if I could/should ride 5?

Says the guy who chided me into the M 4/5's at Oakbrook.

I'm still, technically, a 5 in ABR. Assuming they run the same races they did last year, I'll likely apply for an upgrade and do the 4's on this one.

I may be dumb but I'm not stupid!!! 4/5 30+/40+ gives me some chance given the age and cat but a Cat4 with no age limit and I would be dropped. Besides I've learned from experience.

I may be dumb but I'm not stupid!!! 4/5 30+/40+ gives me some chance given the age and cat but a Cat4 with no age limit and I would be dropped. Besides I've learned from experience.

I don't know about that. There were A LOT less 4's this week running up Spring Road than the mess we had to deal with. I'll check the chip timing results and get back to you on which race was quicker, though! ;)

I don't know about that. There were A LOT less 4's this week running up Spring Road than the mess we had to deal with. I'll check the chip timing results and get back to you on which race was quicker, though! ;)

CHIP TIMING!!!!!! Where?? They posted the data??

CHIP TIMING!!!!!! Where?? They posted the data??

Yeah...it looked like this:

Rider......time
300........fast
301........faster
302........faster still
303........meh
304........was he in this race?
305........we thought this chip was supposed to be for a junior
306........-3

Registration and Race flyer are up:

www.abdcycing.com

And, for some reason it talks about both crits being on Wood Dale. The first one on the North Course... the Second on the South Course... and both on the same course?

I hope it's the same Wood Dale course that they ran the Memorial day crits on. I like that one.

Registration and Race flyer are up:

www.abdcycing.com

And, for some reason it talks about both crits being on Wood Dale. The first one on the North Course... the Second on the South Course... and both on the same course?

I hope it's the same Wood Dale course that they ran the Memorial day crits on. I like that one.

Here's a link that works....:thumb:

http://www.abdcycling.com/racesevents/2008/Fling/08_FlingFlyer.pdf

TT distance anyone? Didn't say in the flyer.

Registration and Race flyer are up:

www.abdcycing.com (http://www.abdcycing.com)

And, for some reason it talks about both crits being on Wood Dale. The first one on the North Course... the Second on the South Course... and both on the same course?

I hope it's the same Wood Dale course that they ran the Memorial day crits on. I like that one.

My guess is that at least one day it will be the same course in wood dale. They did have two courses used over the last 3 years in the same complex. I like the wood dale course.

10 mile TT course - map and results from last year: http://abdcycling.com/racesevents/2007/FallFling/index.htm

Edit: The 10 miles I mention is what they did last year. I'm not sure what they have for this year.

I'm in for all 4...just signed up!

I'll be in the 4s too in the RR, registration going in the mail tomorrow. Look for me off the back!

I will register most likely tomorrow. All 4 events. Turns out by going "Cat 5" in this one I can save quite a bit of $$....but end up driving long distances for 20 minutes of racing....:wtf:

Just registered. All 4 events. "Citizen" :(.....I mean :D

Thinking about it. Need to check my schedule.

Inputflangeman is thinking about it as well. :(....he's wicked fast as a TT'r from being a triathlete, but I don't know how he'll do in crits...

I'm awaiting word from ABR on my upgrade request. Once I hear that I'm officially a 4, I'll sign up for Crit #1 and the RR. If they don't let me go with the 4's, I vow to spice up the 5's to the best of my abilities.

RBJTrek- got the PM's. Thanks!

My guess is that at least one day it will be the same course in wood dale. They did have two courses used over the last 3 years in the same complex. I like the wood dale course.

10 mile TT course - map and results from last year: http://abdcycling.com/racesevents/2007/FallFling/index.htm

Edit: The 10 miles I mention is what they did last year. I'm not sure what they have for this year.

I might go and scout out this course tomorrow after whatever group ride I decide to do in the morning. I have ridden most to all of these roads, but I want to see what everything actually looks like.

I'm awaiting word from ABR on my upgrade request. Once I hear that I'm officially a 4, I'll sign up for Crit #1 and the RR. If they don't let me go with the 4's, I vow to spice up the 5's to the best of my abilities.

RBJTrek- got the PM's. Thanks!

You're already a 4. The ABR license starts at 4. The move up from 5/Citizen is based on 15 mass starts. From what I understand, given your ABR card, you can signup for a cat 4 race.

Just registered. All 4 events. "Citizen" :(.....I mean :D

I'm in this category as well....next year will be in the cat 4s.

You're already a 4. The ABR license starts at 4. The move up from 5/Citizen is based on 15 mass starts. From what I understand, given your ABR card, you can signup for a cat 4 race.

Not really. They started with 5 this year, but didn't tell anyone. My license from early season states "4" very clearly...and yet I can register for "citizen/5" because of the "15 mass start" deal-e-o.

I'm such a sandbagger....

wait! wasn't I trying to grab YOUR wheel during Oakbrook??!! ;) :D