Chicago’s geographical location in the midwest has made it possible to be involved in various off-road racing opportunities in Mountain Biking and Cyclocross and even some rare European style ‘Pave’ events {road bikes in off-road like conditions}. The tri-state area of Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan have made most races accessible within a 4 hour drive. We are grateful and proud to have excellent budding race promotions being born directly in Chicago to provide access to a racing scene much closer to the Windy City.

Currently there are two organizations that provide racing in the Chicagoland area (less than one hour away from downtown Chicago!).

Chicago Area Mountain Bikers (C.A.M.Br) proudly puts forth a mighty fine mountain bike race that rivals the trail systems and competition of the well known Wisconsin Off-Road Series (WORS). This year their race is August 22 and is organized through a great volunteer effort with various Chicago sponsors. Read about it here and check the race out, even if you aren’t racing and you can see true Chicago dirtbags in their element on the trail.

The Chicago Cross Cup is the cowbell clanging organization that brings the Belgian attitude and love of Cyclocross Racing to the City of Chicago. This is an incredibly important organization in the dirtbaggin’ community as it brings not only racers together, but family and friends together at a part of the year when most people consider retiring from the bike path and visiting parks because of the weather. In fact, the Chicagoland area parks bustle with the excitement of watching brave souls give it their all on seemingly ordinary courses with extraordinary challenges. This is a win/win for spectators, promoters, and Chicago to be able to have a race series dedicated in ‘Sweet Home Chicago’.

The Bonebell will be highlighting many and hopefully all of the efforts of the above two organizations heavily on this site. We hope to encourage more race participation and promotion among the racing community to keep Chicago thriving in the midwest racing scene and hopefully revive the desire and capacity to bring back a National Racing Event for Off-Road Cycling, back home.

Check out the Teams page to see who exactly is dirtbaggin’ and representing this great city at off-road cycling events.