Recap: Bike Handling Clinic

It was a lovely sunny day in South Beloit, IL for the 8th annual Spring Super Criterium hosted by Burnham Racing and Spidermonkey Cycling.  Chicago Women's Elite Cycling was there bright and early recruiting riders for our second in its series of development clinics: Bike Handling. The discussion and on-bike practice, lead by Francine Haas, was aimed at improving confidence and sharpening skills on the bike. 

Cathy Frampton setting up. Photo by Kelly Clarke

FRANCINE HAAS, CLINIC LEADER AND CWEC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Before the clinic got underway, the Women's 3/4 (with 34 starters!) and Women's Pro/Open races were held with CWEC members and clinic instructors Daphne Karagianis (Chicago Cuttin Crew) and Leah Sanda (PSIMET Racing) taking the top steps for the Women's Pro/Open. 

Photo by Rob Curtis

 

BIKE HANDLING: A CLINIC TOLD IN PHOTOS & GIFS

Photography by SnowyMountain

The clinic kicked off with some pace lining on the course for a little cool down and group riding.

Francine, Daphne, and ellen direct the group

 

Next up: Looking over your shoulder while using your partner as a guide...

...and removing items from your pocket and passing them around.

 

Bumping (getting comfortable) and bottle pick up (practicing good balance). 

 

Track standing and turning in a short radius.

 

And then sometimes you take a tumble.

 

But you always get back up.

Thank you! Please join us next time.

 

Big thanks to SnowyMountain Photography, Burnham Racing, Spidermonkey Cycling, and all of the clinic participants. 

Next up: Track Clinic on April 25th at the Northbrook Velodrome.

Feedback? Questions? Keep in touch! 

chicagowomenselite@gmail.com

Instagram @chiwomenselite

Facebook

Twitter @chiwomenselite

#CWECDevelopment

Didn't get the chance to donate at the clinic? Do it now!

Recap: Key Concepts Clinic

some chicago women's elite riders and directors: Francine haas, sarah szefi, daphne karagianis, dani arman, jannette rho, cathy frampton

A BIG thank you to all of those who attended the Key Concepts clinic this past Saturday. With over 40 participants the conversation was lively and very educational. Everyone asked questions, shared stories, and got excited to ride. If you couldn't make it, fear not! Our next clinic is April 11th and will focus on "Bike Handling" —more details coming soon.

Incase you missed it, here are some key take aways from the Key Concepts Clinic No. 1:

Chicago Women's Elite Cycling is a collective designed to support Chicagoland Elite Women racers and develop future talent (YOU!) in women's cycling.

cathy frampton

Cathy Frampton thought being a "Master" meant you had mastered the sport of cycling. (We all have our newbie moments from back in the day...)

Francine Haas was a great presenter and has a lot of info in her jersey pocket. Check out her blog and sign up for her email list! https://francinehaas.wordpress.com/

Manuel and Johnny Sprockets have the best space in town and we are forever grateful and hope to return again soon.

Half Acre Cycling's Gapers Block series is a no brainer for beginning aspiring bike racers. You can register and get more details here: www.bikereg.com/gapersblock. Chicago Women's Elite racers will be out there to cheer you on and watch your mad skills.

francine haas: how to pin your number

Important basics to consider when becoming a bike racer and attending races were discussed at length. The topics of discussion included:

BIKE PREP

REGISTRATION

LOGISTICS

PRE-RACE

Photos by Ronit Bezalel www.thechainlink.org/photo/albums/chicago-women-s-elite-cycling-cweC

RACE LENGTH

RACE START

Key Concepts were then presented and discussed. These key concepts are important to keep in mind when racing. They all feed off of each other and help you become a better bike racer.

VISION

POSITION

ANTICIPATION

CONSERVE

EFFICIENT

Reminder:  these clinics are open to everyone! We may be Chicago Elite Women, but we love men too.

Next up! bike handling clinic. more info coming soon.

Feedback? Questions? Keep in touch! 

chicagowomenselite@gmail.com

Instagram @chiwomenselite

Facebook

Twitter @chiwomenselite

Thank you to CWEC sponsors for helping this development series become a reality. 

CWEC 2015 Development Series No. 1: Key Concepts

Chicago Women’s Elite Cycling (CWEC) hosts the first in its series of rider development clinics at Johnny Sprockets in partnership with Half Acre Cycling.

This discussion will heighten your awareness of five key concepts you should keep in mind each time you get on your bike:

Vision
Position
Anticipate
Conserve
Efficient

Your Moderator:
Francine Haas, CWEC’s Development Director, is an accomplished athlete in both triathlon and cycling disciplines. She began her cycling career in 1983 as a triathlete and turned her focus to cycling in 1999. Francine has earned numerous accolades, including state championships on the road, track and in cyclo-cross. She is also a medalist at the Masters level on the track in both national and world competitions. In 2002, Francine began a campaign to empower women in cycling by hosting clinics, group rides and promoting bike racing. Francine has encouraged many women to exceed their expectations. Follow Francine Haas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/francinehaas

Chicago Women's Elite Cycling and Half Acre Cycling thank shop sponsor Johnny Sprockets for graciously offering up space to host this event. 

About Chicago Women's Elite Cycling:
Chicago Women’s Elite Cycling (CWEC), is a not-for-profit established in 2015 by Chicago women bike racers, is a collective designed to develop future talent in women’s cycling and support Chicagoland Elite Women racers competing in professional races, effectively putting the stamp of Chicago on the national racing scene. Your financial contributions help CWEC maintain these cycling development clinics and achieve its mission.www.chicagowomenselite.com/give