Bike Course question for Chicago 1st timer . . . .

It is a flat, fast course.  Pack two spare tires though.....ruff road with debris.  I saw lots and lots of flats in 2006.  FYI

Best wishes!

Spinning off the above entry...it's basically dangerous as hell.  Super, crowded, with speeds ranging from the 55 year old lady on her mountian bike to the disk-wheeled tri bikes going 35 all on the same course, at the same time.  The road is hazardous due to the potholes/cracks, and TONS of water bottles that people apparently just finish and then throw on the road (i had no idea people ever did this until competing in this race last year).  I even saw 2 cars that got in an accident in the road traffic lane pull over into one of the race lanes to exchange information and everything! You really gotta be alert in this one.

 All that said, I'm doing it for the second time and will probably continue to do it for years to come, but that's the reality of it...constant passing/getting passed, and lots of things to look out for on the road. Good luck to all, and let's all try to be alert and follow the rules out there so everybody finishes safely!

Yeah, it was rough out there.  Not only the cracks and potholes in the road, but soooo many people don't follow the "pass on the right" rules, or the blocking rules about staying in the left lane unless you're passing someone.  I realize getting back and forth b/w the two lanes was no picnic, but when I go to the left to get back into the left lane after passing someone, I wasn't expecting some a$$hole to be buzzing by in that lane and almost crash us both (a few times).  I always looked over my sholder when going to the right because there may be someone passing me there, but I'm not supposed to have to do that when returning to the left.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to do the sprint in Chicago next year and find a different race for the Oly.  It will allow me to go off earlier (wave 50 this year, 9:37 start time...that SUCKS finishing after noon in the heat and wind). Also doing the sprint will limit the amount of time I have to bike on that dangerous road and risk breaking a wheel (or my head).

Congrats to everybody who survived the landmine of a course.  I didn't race it this year, but remember in the past how bad the road was.  Hopefully with them repaving LSD this fall it will be in better condition next year.  It's supposed to be fully repaved from Irving Park to the end. 

Matt

Agreement the course and passing although there were a lot of beginners out there. I had to ride the right lane sometime to avoid masses of bikers riding side by side. Honestly, I did not see ONE USAT ref on a motorcycle during the ride.

What was up with the crappy turnaround? Haveing 9000 bikers go through a small median opening? That was slack and i saw many good bikers slamming into each other to avoid the wide turning beginners...overall, the bike course was not friendly to speed nor the masses of riders.

I will agree that LSD is not in the best condition, but I really have no complaints, since I had an excellent race...but I also did the Sprint, and I think everyone else that had bad things to say were in the Olympic, so that may have something to do with it.

I think Accenture does an excellent job considering how large this event is.

Good to meet my fellow BT'ers at dinner...it was fun!