You’ve no doubt seen the ads or heard about how great these trips are: hop on a plane, bring your gear, and they do all the rest – because you don’t speak the langauge and you have no idea what roads lead where. They take care of all the details; all you do is pedal and eat. Could life be any better? Probably not. Top-notch accomodations and food that might make you forget about riding tomorrow. Trek Travel has been at it for 10 years, and they want you to come and see what they are all about. On hand will be John Burke, President of Trek Bicycles, talking about his travel experiences. The President of Trek Travel, Tania Worgull, will also be present to highlight the special 10th anniversary destinations they have lined up for 2012. RSVP here.

February 9th at the James Hotel, in the Great Room Lounge from 6:30 – 8:30 PM CT.

Bicycle Dreams

This award-winning film about Race Across America (RAAM) is coming to Chicago as part of an ongoing nationwide tour and will be at the ViaDuct Theatre sponsored by The ChainLink. This is going to be a killer event, with RAAM riders in the house and an after-party sponsored by New Belgium. We love movies and we love beer. What better way to spend an evening? Additional information here.

February 16th at the ViaDuct Theatre, starting at 7PM CT.

Come hang out with the bonebell crew as we celebrate those of December birthdate. All are welcome, we’ll be doin it right. We know it’s a school night, but we roll anyways. Hope to see you there!

Wednesday December 14th, 6:30pm to 10:30pm

O’Shaughnessy’s Public House, 4557 N. Ravenswood Ave. Chicago

Afterglow

Humbolt Park, no snow this year ah bummer, oh well… Still it’s in Chicago proper, and the Robots Powered by Love and Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will be throwing a proper ‘cross race so ride on over to the park and do it in the dirt. Remember, this one’s on a Saturday, lest we all get confused by the Sunday racing we have all been addicted to lately

For years now we have been celebrating those with a birthday of December, whether you’re a Sagitarius or a Capricorn matters not. El Maya, VeloGirl, Stiggity, and some of our bestest buddies all share December Birthdays. Everyone knows that all the cool people are born in December. Nevada Dave will be there to regale us with his yarns of impending doom, and tragedy narrowly avoided. So come hang out with us  as we toast the most awesome time of the year.  And we all know that the skinny knob jump off your bike and run season is winding down so it’s another reason to celebrate.

Wednesday December 14th, 6:30pm to 10:30pm

O’Shaughnessy’s Public House

4557 N. Ravenswood Ave.

Chicago

If you are reading this consider yourself invited. If you have friends, they can come too.

After you get your thanks given and your bird down, don’t fall into a stupor because there is no ‘Cross race for little old me. Go to Holland, Mi for the season finale KISS Cross race on Sunday the 27th. This has been one of their best events of the year, and they follow it up with a party at a local brewery. The course is a boatload of fun. It uses the park surrounding a local high school football stadium, one year even making a toilet bowl/gspot that used the entire field. It was like 2 minutes worth of going in circles. Go there get dirty, the forecast is calling for rain and about 40 degrees, so it’s on like Donkey Kong.

Barry Roubaix

The concensus at the bonebell for our favorite race might be held by the Barry Roubaix. A gravel grinder that has everything from 30+mph descents to 4mph climbs and gravel gravel gravel. (aka large rocks that will soon be turned into dirt if we ride on it long enough) Registration is opening soon…December 3rd. the race is capped at 1500 racers and may sell out very quickly so get on that.

Nationals Registration

Why isn’t anybody registering for CX Nationals? I know the points system negates the need to bumrush the servers on day one, but the fields look pretty slim right now.

Thanks to the Dirtbaggers

The bonebell crew wants to thank all our dedicated likers. We like you too. A long drawn out tolling will go out for thee. Thank you for being among the now 500 dirtbags who ‘like’ us on facebook. Maybe no where else, but at least it’s something. Thanks everyone.

Rob Curtis and his PSI Met crew are hosting the Norge Ski Jump Cross Race SATURDAY November 19th, in what is definitely one of the most unique settings in the state. The race is not part of the ChiCrossCup Series, but don’t let that fool you, this is going to be one hell of a course. The site is home of the only ski jumping park in the state. You need really steep hills for a ski jump right? Well, that means a really steep hill for a cross course that is being installed. Some of our skinny tired friends will know this area as the site of the Fox River Grove Criterium. I don’t really know that much about crits, but this has to be one of the most grueling crierium courses in the country. So that said, if you go on Saturday, be prepared to clean the dirt off the tongue you’ve been dragging in the dirt for the past 45 minutes or so. Hopefully Marty the Viking will make a special appearance to heckle you. Prereg for this race has been a little light, but the prizes on offer are well beyond average. With such small fields you should be able to scoop up some winnings even after you experience the agony of defeat.

Ted’s Excellent Double track Adventure

The bonebell has received a communique from the Boyaux Bandit and the Bergermeister. What they have told us about their course has made us very happy…Singletrack (both kinds, up and down)…When the bonebell hears that word we get that special feeling in a special place. Yep our minds drift to shredding the gnar gnar. What special place did you think we were talking about, yah sicko. Doubletrack…Sandpits…Sledding Hills…Stair run ups and a TeePee.. a proper effen teepee in the middle of the course to ride around. But don’t get any ideas about taking a nap in that thing or going on some kind of vision quest while you hang upside down from eagle claws, you are still in the middle of a bike race. If you are really lucky, they might send us through the middle of a live archery range. They will be hosting the race at the YMCA Camp Duncan in Ingleside, IL on SUNDAY November 20th. It’s not close, but as most of you know, when the Flatlandia crew put their name on a race, they do it right. Hey Wisconsin, if you cross the cheddar curtain, you can race for $10. That’s right we value our neighbors to the north so highly, that if you make the trip, you get the Cheddar Discount. For Real, I have it from word on high that if you flash a valid id, you get the $10 special. No word on if you actually need to bring any gorgonzola or not, but stinky cheese is always appreciated.

Two races. Two different courses. Both sound like they favor the dirtbags, looks like a good pile of goo piled on a plate, grab a fork, this weekend might get sloppy. Pray for rain… Seriously, I don’t want to rake any more leaves this weekend.

Indian Lakes Resort is hosting the two day cross extravaganza. Stops #9 and 10 will be weaving in and out of the sand traps and driving ranges of the course for one of the big fun races of the series. Don’t get caught out in The Cave, you never know what might happen after the sun goes down. But rest assured it is the stuff dreams are made of. And if that dream turns a little sour, no problem, you can just stumble your goofy self onto the course and warm up for your handupallooza.  Aside from that there will be some great racing going on too.

Cocktails with Christian

CAMBr is hosting the Cocktails with Christian this Sunday at the Tin Fish in Tinley Park. Last year they pulled enough green to bring in a new power wheel burrow. And that wheel burrow moved enough dirt to make your favorite trail more favoriter. It’s a great fundraiser for the CAMBr crew, and word on the street is there is some sort of gaunlet being thrown down. A little something about a challenge on the New Years Eve CX Race weekend. Even if someone else threw down the glove. Does this go anywhere? Who knows.

Once we got to the race, I gathered my gear and got ready to go. In between the embrocating and the tieing up of the loose ends, I saw the “rainbow stripes” of World Champion Catharine Pendrel riding around. It sent a little shiver up my spine and a grin to my face. The image of that jersey riding around in northern Michigan was very powerful. One of my goals was not to let the World Champion catch me, as the women started a couple of minutes after the men. But, to be honest, if the women’s cross country World Champion is going to pass me in a race, I don’t have a problem with that at all. But I never even got to see the “stripes” go by while I was tending to my bike in a crash and a mechanical. I’m pissed I missed the “stripes” go by, it was the only spectating I wanted to do during the day.

After botching the start and lining up at the back of the pack, I looked around and noticed a few Chicago riders in the field, it was good to see some familiar faces in the main event. The race began just like a cross race, full gas and eyes rolling into the back of your head to keep up. I began to advance in the pack on the paved residential run to the first section of dirt. Suddenly, there was the unmistakable, hollow echoing boom of a mailbox getting hit. I glanced to my right and a racer had run full speed into a mailbox 200 yards into the race.  What an awful, awful noise… We got into the dirt, and I continued to advance, and maintain. Until a sandy section that was very close to the sandy section I crashed in last year. My seat was twisted, and a brake lever was pointing straight up. So I punched my bike a few times and everything was back in order. On my way again I quickly caught up with the group that had just ran over me. Feeling good, having more fun than usual in a bike race, I plowed ahead big ring in full effect. Until a weak sauce rise in the course had me changing to a smaller chainring, and all of a sudden the chain locked. I looked at the cranks and my heart sunk. The chain had wrapped around an extra half rotation and was just locked in place, it looked like the end of the race for me, and my bike. With no choice but to slam on the cranks to release it, or walk for untold miles in the woods all alone, I slammed away and the chain finally freed from the chainring’s grasp. The miles ticked off at dizzying speeds that are well beyond what the normal mountain bike race averages.

As the end of the race approached you could hear the announcers and the spectators cheering, you knew you were getting close. Until the course did a 180 and the crowd noise disappeared. And it’s so frustrating knowing the finish is just right around the bend and another bend and another bend. This year they added another climb in the final 2 miles that was a special punch in the mouth. The final hills were stacked with people screaming, spilling beers, ringing cowbells, and clanging bonebells. It was made abundantly clear to me from the spectators that I was being beat by the World Champion. The wall of noise was unlike any other race I’ve ever done before. It’s amazing having that many people scream at you while you ride by. It gives you wings and you float up hills that would otherwise demoralize you. In the end I finished 8 minutes faster, on a course that was almost a mile longer than last year, it was an awesome day.

It was a race of firsts.

First masters race of the year, starting all the way back, no special front/second row call up. But I got a great start and was into the top 20 by the first set of barriers.

First time rolling a tubie, now I know what that feels like…Guess what, it sucks. It sucks even more when you crack the top ten and are still gaining on the riders in front of you…Not anymore.  But not to worry, the Boyouax Bandit will be setting the tires back to right.

First time embrocating…Guess what it does not suck. I gotta get some more of the that coffee flavored heat butter. Later that evening watching 60 minutes after I thought I had cleaned all the embro off. Bernie Madoff’s wife was making me a little bit uncomfortable, I realized it wasn’t her or Bernie. It was the Mad Alchemy coming back for round two, almost 8 hours later, the heat made Morley Safers interview so intense I almost felt bad for the Madoff family.

 Just to many firsts for me to possibly take first in the race, maybe next week. But probably not.

Iceman Cometh

Did you see who’s in the field for the race this weekend? It’s bonkers. To drop a few names the dirtbags will recognize; Sam Schultz, Jeremy’s Bishop and Horgan-Kobelski, Troy Wells, Mike Simonson, Tristan Schouten, last years winner Brian Matter. Don’t forget the Swiss Brothers…former u23 world champion, as in, 2010 former world champion Matias Fluckinger, and his brother Lucas, who placed 5th in this years World Championship race). For the roadies we have the current US Criterium Champion Eric Young, and Cole House. For real dude, this race is stacked up like the Halloween candy on my fridge that I’m going to eat before the kids do. Chasing me down, will be the 2011 rainbow stripes. Catherine Pendrel the reigning 2011 XC World Champion will be leading the women through the woods, with Amanda Carey, last years winner, hot on her heels. And five time winner Kelli Emmett, wait, five times is that right…Wow, that’s bad ass. The woman start a few minutes after the men. If the world champion woman passes me on the course, well, that’s probably not the worst thing that could happen to me. But, I will be to busy riding my ass off to be worried about a world champion catching me from behind.

El Maya and Stiggity on the gas attacking the start. Photo: Duane Higgs

Sunday the 13th of November, CAMBr South is hosting a cocktail party fundraiser with Christian Vandevelde, Captain of Team Garmin-Cervelo; Robbie Ventura, owner of Vision Quest Coaching; and John VandeVelde, Father of Christian, and supporter of all things cycling in Chicago…and official starter for the 2011 Palos Meltdown. Last year the event raised enough money for the CAMBr South Crew to buy a power wheelborrow. The fundraiser will be at the Tin Fish in Tinley Park from 1:00-4:00pm. Admission will get you drinks and hors’devours, and all the Tour de France stories you can handle. For us, there is never enough Tour stories. Or Downers Grove horror stories, all good stuff.