2008 Chicago Cyclocross Cup

The Chicago Cyclocross 2008 Series schedule has been announced, as well as the schedule there are some new start times as well.  There will be 10 or 11 races in 2008!   Wow, getting a bit nervous already.  Between Cross Vegas, a couple wisconsin races, and nationals, that makes a very busy fall.  

Are you getting ready?

Tip from Brian at BSC Coaching:  "Cross is just around the corner.  If you are not racing the road, now is the time to get serious and start training.  Start those LT's.  --BSC Coaching."  Contact Brian at bconant@msn.com now to get set up on a plan for Cross season!  It's not too late......now is the perfect time to get rolling.  

Sven Rides the Fat Tires

Sven riding dugast tubular mountain bike tires at the mountain bike World Championships 2008.  He DNF'd the race, but his tires look awesome.  photo cred.  

BIKE 1

Motivation

Mike Sherer has provided me with some much needed motivation.  I've been seeing little bits and pieces on the order sheets I enter during a hectic week.  TRP, Fizik, 42's, 12-27's, mostly ordered in quantities of 2 or 4.  We open at 11, but Mike has been rolling through at 9 am on most mornings to sneak in a coupe hours of work on his bikes.  Mike is a Category 1 road racer and in the heat of his season, he's had one weekend off in the last 4 months, but he's in early working on these.   They're stunning bikes really, just slightly different, but so esthetically pleasing.  Mike runs one double and one single.  He has the legs and does the nationals where a 42 just isn't going to cut it, wish I had that problem. 

I walk past these two bikes at least twenty times a day, just taunting me.  I packed up both my cross bikes in bike boxes and put them in my basement at home in January last year (this year I guess) but needless to say I couldn't resist the temptation any longer.  They're out and one is all built up, spun it around today, feels crazy strange.  I'm used to SRAM Red now and the DA is so odd, my thumb feels trapped on the hoods somehow.   I have it in the window so I can stare at it while I work.  Two more cyclocross bikes to build, the training bike with power and the A bike.  Can't wait to start gluing up some fat tubulars.

2007 Series Champion

Got this in the mail today.  This is the jersey that is presented to all of the overall winners of their perspective categories in the Chicago Series.  It is an awesome looking piece that has a lot of Chicago Style.  It is kind of nice because it really rewards consistency, it doesn't depend on just one day.  I have to thank my family more than anyone for this.  Getting all these days to ride away from home is truly a gift, and I appreciate it.  Thanks also to everyone involved in the Chicago Cyclocross cup, without your hard work we wouldn't have a series.  I remember 2005 I think there almost wasn't a series at all.  It was mid September and we were still all looking at each other wondering if it would happen.  The cup has come a long way since it all started.  Thanks again.  

PRO Cross Style

It doesn't get any more pro than this.  I have been looking for one of these for years.  Maybe I should run two rings?

KIT

2008 Pony Shop Cyclocross Team.  Jersey pictures, skins will be the standard of course.

Double it up

Since cross season is still a couple of months away I keep my body occupied with the road, but thoughts of the cross bike keep creeping in.  I keep starting to build them back up but something tells me to hold off just a bit longer.  I still have to figure out what I'm building up with parts wise.  Doing new Crank Bros pedals and headsets this year for certain.  These or their white brothas are going to be a must for the stoppers, even though stopping in cross is so not important.  I'm considering setting one bike up as a double and one as a single, ala Mike Sherer.  I am just such a nerd for having the two bikes be the same.  I used the pit bike a lot last year, more than I would have thought, and it was nice for them to be identical.  

Once the parts are figured out then the training has to start.  People are already talking about it.  Mike's lining up parts for the fall even though he has another 50 road races to do this year, Mark and Jim were talking today about when we started cross practice last year and if we could move it up to July this year.  I'm really getting tempted to try and sit in on the Judson ride on the cross bike in lieu of some actual motor pacing.  I was talking with RF today and actually kind of got reminiscent about doing some cross intervals that Brian set me up with last year.  Man those are going to hurt.   Anyone who is new on the BSC Cyclocross train I promise you will be ready for this year after these workouts.  Riders ready.....

Sponsor News

The Pony Shop sponsor list is complete for 2008, introducing our newest sponsor World Point.  World Point is the premier source for educational and training aids for CPR and many other life saving procedures.  They are an official distributer of product for the American Heart Association.  If you have taken a class on first aid or CPR, chances are you have used products and materials from World Point.  

New Sponsor!

The team welcomes COMMA music.  COMMA music composes original music for commercials, the web, TV, and film.  Check out everything they do and listen to some of their award winning work here.  Thank you again for joining the team.   

Belgian Mafia

Check out our man Luca riding the pave in Belgium.   Cross season awaits those Euro legs in Chi town.  If you run into Sven over there say what's up from The Pony Shop.

New Sponsor!

We want to say thank you and welcome to our newest sponsor, City Soles.  City Soles is the location in Chicago for the world's best designer footwear for men and women.  They have stores in Wicker Park and Buck town, and offer free domestic shipping.  Check them out online or in person, you can never have too many shoes or bikes!  Thanks again City Soles! 

Brakes

Wow these brakes are really nice, they're so light they feel fake when you first pick them up.  I'm hoping TRP will do something for the team this season because these are unreal.  The coolest thing is they weigh exactly what TRP says they weigh.  That never happens.  Things are coming together well for the team.  I'm hoping to have some more sponsor announcements shortly.  Working on the clothing, looks like more of a Euro trashy flavor for this year's kit.

2008 partners

I'm very pleased to announce that crankbrothers will be joining our list of sponsors for the 2008 season.  Thanks very much guys.  

Glue

I've been gluing lots of tires for roadies and TT guys recently, nothing fatter than a 24 sadly.  The fumes and slight head rush are bringing me back to cross season again.  How many days till cross practice starts?  

Nationals Video

Tim Johnson Cannondale/Cyclocross World winning the 2007 National Championships.  Watching him float through the mud and icy ruts is unreal.  Nothing was stopping him from the jersey that day.

2008 Chicago Schedule Tentative

This is a Tentative Schedule for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup. I've heard of other races in the works as well. The cup is really growing. Anyone remember three years ago, we almost didn't have a series at all? People stepped up and we ended up with four races, next season we could have over 10 all within an hour from downtown.

9/21/08 Jackson Park Cyclocross Chicago
10/19/08 Carpenter Park Cyclocross Carpentersville
10/26/08 ABD Sunrise Park Cyclocross Bartlett
11/1/08 Campton Cross St.Charles
11/9/08 Old Towne Vande-Cross Moline
11/16/08 South Chicago Wheelmen Cross Lansing
12/7/08 Illinois State Cyclocross Championship Chicago

Results for 2007.

Just a run down of the team's results for 2007. We had a lot of great racing in 2007 in Chicago, Wisconsin, and at Nationals.

Lou Kuhn Chicago Cup Jackson Park 30 plus 1st
Lou Kuhn Chicago Cup Carpentersville 30 plus 2nd
Lou Kuhn Chicago Cup Sunrise Park 30 plus 5th
Lou Kuhn Whitewater trash dash pro 1/2 7th
Lou Kuhn Viking Cross Wisconsin pro 1/2 6th
Lou Kuhn Chicago Cup Campton Hills 30 plus 1st
Lou Kuhn Chicago Cup Lansing 30 plus 1st
Lou Kuhn Wisconsin State Championship 30 plus 8th
Lou Kuhn Illinois State Champoionship 30 plus 1st Gold Medal


Mark Feary Chicago Cup Jackson Park 30 plus 16th
Mark Feary Chicago Cup Carpentersville 30 plus 8th
Mark Feary Chicago Cup Sunrise Park 30 plus 7th
Mark Feary Viking Cross Wisconsin 35 plus 6th
Mark Feary Chicago Cup Campton Hills 30 plus 12th
Mark Feary Chicago Cup Lansing 30 plus 15th
Mark Feary Wisconsin State Championship 30 plus 10th
Mark Feary Illinois State Champoionship 30 plus 10th


Brian Conant Chicago Cup Jackson Park 30 plus 2nd
Brian Conant Chicago Cup Jackson Park Pro 1/2 9th
Brian Conant Bradger Prarie Pro 1/2 6th
Brian Conant Chicago Cup Carpentersville 30 plus 1st
Brian Conant Chicago Cup Carpentersville Pro 1/2 dnf
Brian Conant Chicago Cup Sunrise Park 30 plus 1st
Brian Conant Viking Cross Wisconsin Pro 1/2 1st
Brian Conant Chicago Cup Sunrise Park Pro 1/2 3rd
Brian Conant Chicago Cup Campton Hills 30 plus 2nd
Brian Conant Chicago Cup Campton Hills Pro 1/2 5th


Mike Trulson Chicago Cup Campton Hills Jouniors 1st
Mike Trulson Chicago Cup Campton Hills 4's 18th
Mike Trulson Chicago Cup Sunrise Park Jouniors 1st
Mike Trulson Chicago Cup Sunrise Park 4's 5th
Mike Trulson Chicago Cup Lansing Jouniors 1st
Mike Trulson Illinois State Championships Jouniors 1st Gold Medal


Mike Sherer Jackson Park Chicago Cross Race Pro 1/2 1st
Mike Sherer Tour de Louisville Cyclocross Pro 1/2 12th
Mike Sherer UCI Cincinnati Pro Elite 19th
Mike Sherer UCI Middletown Pro Elite 26th
Mike Sherer UCI Grand Prix Lousiville Saterday Pro Elite 44th
Mike Sherer UCI Grand Prix Lousiville Sunday Pro Elite DNS
Mike Sherer Campton Cross Pro 1/2 1st
Mike Sherer Gun Club Cross Pro 1/2 5th
Mike Sherer Brookside IN state Championships Pro 1/2 1st
Mike Sherer West Lafayette Cyclocross Challenge Pro 1/2 1st
Mike Sherer UCI Jingle Cross Saturday Pro 1/2 15th
Mike Sherer UCI Jingle Cross Sunday Pro 1/2 17th
Mike Sherer Kentucky State Championships Pro 1/2 4th
Mike Sherer IL State Championships Montrose Pro 1/2 3rd Silver Medal
Mike Sherer Nationals U23 Under 23 14th
Mike Sherer Nationals Collegiate Pro Elite 9th

Man that's a lot of races! Again this blog is going to be used in the future to update frequently not once a year! This is just to get up to speed with what the team accomplished last year in terms of results. More importantly I think that combined we had a great sense of involvement in the sport. I think setting up practices, encouraging new riders, helping out new guys with tips, and just being excited about the sport is as important as any result.

2007 Recap

Thanks to all of our sponsors for 2007 including, Staktek, EJ's Place, BSC Coaching, The Pony Shop, RM Metals, and Sensation Station, without them the team wouldn't have been possible. We are looking forward to growing the team for 2008 and continuing to have a great group of guys to race and train with. I am going to use this blog to keep our sponsors up to date, and plan to have some interesting cross related information as well. Thanks again, and good luck in 2008!