February 2026 Archives

The paceline stands as cycling's most fundamental group riding formation. For newcomers to competitive cycling, mastering this technique can feel daunting, but understanding the basics makes it much more approachable. Let's break down the four primary variations: single line, single rotating, double line, and echelon formations. While each has unique characteristics, they all share common principles.

Here's how the standard single rotating paceline operates:

• Two distinct lanes exist: the Working Line sets the pace while the Recovery Lane allows riders to rest. The Recovery Lane plays a crucial role in maintaining group efficiency, despite being where riders recuperate.
• Efficiency drives everything in a paceline. Sudden accelerations waste energy, so maintain consistent speed in the Working Line. When you reach the front, resist the urge to accelerate. Simply pull through smoothly and you'll naturally clear the Recovery Lane leader.
• After clearing the front, swing into the Recovery Lane and reduce your speed. Many riders miss this critical point: the Recovery Lane actually controls the entire paceline's rhythm and windbreak effectiveness. Your deceleration here conserves everyone's energy.
• Position yourself carefully in the Recovery Lane relative to both the rider ahead and the Working Line. Tight formation maximizes the collective draft. If the Recovery Lane leader isn't falling back, communicate this. The Recovery Lane should rotate backwards noticeably, typically two to three mph slower than the Working Line.
• As you approach the end of the Recovery Lane, prepare to rejoin the Working Line. Avoid overlapping wheels. Executed properly, you should merge back to Working Line speed with minimal effort.
• Repeat this rotation continuously

Proper wind assessment is essential for paceline efficiency. The Recovery Lane should always face the wind, which aids deceleration while sheltering the Working Line from crosswinds.

Review the video to see these concepts demonstrated. While not flawless, it illustrates the fundamental elements effectively.

[Fundamentals of Road Racing is an ongoing discussion series where we explore competitive cycling techniques for riders at all experience levels. We welcome your constructive feedback, insights, and perspectives. Everyone benefits from reviewing the fundamentals]

• Jon Skaggs and the Tuxedo Thunder Cycling crew are hosting a Road Race Clinic at LaBagh Woods on Sunday, March 16th at 10AM. If you're considering racing or just getting started, this clinic offers excellent foundational instruction. Professional cycling coach Eric Blankenship from Gambit Race Smart will lead the session. Registration is capped at 75 participants, so sign up soon.
• Half Acre Cycling is also running a beginners racing clinic on Sunday, March 30th. Reach out to Half Acre and Erica Gaddy for details.
• The Gapers Block Crit series presented by Half Acre Cycling is now accepting registrations. Four consecutive race days run from Monday, March 31st through Thursday, April 3rd. Racing takes place at Calumet Park on the south lakefront, with 6PM start times. This Cat 4/5 event welcomes both men and women, providing an outstanding early-season skills development opportunity. Fields are capped at 50 and filling quickly. Check out videos and photos from past years.
• SCW announces their Tuesday Night training series returns to the Joliet Autobahn for 2026. Dates are being finalized: April 22, April 29, May 6, May 13, June 24, and August 12. This venue offers exceptional training opportunities. Don't dismiss it because of the location—leave work thirty minutes early and it's completely manageable!
• If you haven't thoroughly reviewed the 2026 race schedule, now's the time. Most beloved traditional races return, plus several exciting new events, particularly around Milwaukee. The road season looks fantastic!
• Our community sends healing thoughts to Craig Heywood, who suffered a stroke last week. Craig is a highly respected Wisconsin USA Cycling official. Wishing you a swift recovery!

The updated 2026 calendar is now live. This remains a work in progress, with ongoing updates as races are announced and details finalized. Track races will be added soon. Please share any missing races or corrections with us.

The variety of racing options in our region is truly remarkable. Nearly every weekend from April through July features events, with most weekends offering multiple choices depending on your preferred direction. Beyond single-day and two-day weekends, we have extensive multi-day series: Memorial Day Weekend Quad Cities (May 23-26), Tour of the Americas Dairyland (June 19-29), Intelligentsia Cup - Prairie State Cycling Series (July 18-27), and the Staenberg Group Gateway Cup (August 29 - March 1). This year also brings the USA Cycling Amateur Championships to Madison (July 2-6).

We invite club sponsors and race directors to send race preview information and post-event results, photos, videos, and more. We'll share everything we receive.

Here's a Friday afternoon diversion for you. Browse through the BR411 Photo galleries for recent additions.

• EGO p/b Sammy's Bikes shared several sponsor-related updates. View them here.
• Check out these coverage innovations: video 1, video 2. The future of race broadcasting? We're exploring how to bring this to our local events!
• Half Acre opens Gaper Block Crits registration next Monday. These excellent beginner-focused events fill rapidly.
• Both Spring Super Crit and Hillsboro Roubaix are accepting registrations. These launch The Pave Liga as races #1 and #2.
• Our News at BR411 section maintains a steady stream of updates. Explore the site—we're adding features regularly. Also review the Races section (click "Choose Area" to filter by Midwest region).
• Discovered this article—fascinating Chicago cycling history. Makes me think: Support the Chicago Velo Campus!
• Follow us: @bikeracing411, @chibikeracing, and @paveliga

Quick update on recent developments here. We're implementing several changes—nothing dramatic, primarily aesthetic improvements to modernize and add visual appeal to the site. Race Directors can submit 330x100 .jpg images for "Next Races" banners (or let us create them!). We're also reintroducing photos and hopefully videos in our posts—we appreciate any content or guest contributions.

You've noticed references to BikeRacing411.com. This site focuses specifically on amateur competitive cycling. While we all follow Velonews, Cycling News, Pez, and similar outlets for professional racing coverage, amateur cycling news, results, training rides, team updates, and calendars typically come through scattered bloggers and a few excellent regional sites. BikeRacing411 consolidates all that information into a single destination. Early support has been outstanding, and we're excited to see it become the primary resource for amateur cycling information.

The Pave Liga is taking shape. We've been relatively quiet while finalizing scoring mechanics, confirming races, securing team commitments, and more. Multiple announcements are forthcoming—we promise! This is going to be exceptional.

Finally, follow us on Twitter! We're integrating Twitter into our post and announcement distribution. @chibikeracing, @bikeracing411, and @paveliga

Still catching up after our break...

• xXx Racing-Athletico earned 2025 Division I Team of the Year honors. This represents a tremendous achievement. The xXx organization excels across all aspects of our sport—organizing races and training events while supporting every category including juniors, women, elite, masters, track, cyclocross, and more. This year one of their members even stepped up to lead ICA! Congratulations, xXx!
• Kyle Selph, team director of Sammy's Elite, is elevating his program significantly. He secured major sponsorship from EGO, a power tool equipment manufacturer, along with numerous other sponsors. The roster is expanding with an ambitious regional and national Cat 1/2 race calendar. Review the press release.
• We recently connected with the Women's Cycling Association, led by Robin Farina. Their mission: "to develop, maintain, and support a network of women cyclists and supporters of women's cycling." This national organization views the Midwest as a women's cycling hotbed with tremendous potential—we look forward to collaboration and supporting their efforts.
• Wisconsin Cycling Association posted their road race calendar.
• We've been developing a new amateur cycling directory—BikeRacing411.com—it's operational and being updated regularly, with final features being implemented. Use the "Select Location" menu, then choose Region or State from the top. More announcements coming regarding new features, news, photos, videos, and more.
• Regarding Pave Liga, apologies for the delay on updates—they're being finalized. Coming soon, we promise!

Time to resume our Wednesday Notebook tradition! Plenty of news accumulated during our hiatus—here's what you might have missed:

• No weather commentary—it's February.
• The Pave Liga is progressing well with 31 teams now—view the roster. The Challenge Cup has a 32-team limit with one spot remaining, while the Team Championship has no cap. Contact us to participate.
• Two early-season races now accept registrations (both are Pave Liga opening events): Spring Super Crit on , April 5th, and Hillsboro Roubaix on , April 26th. For Hillsboro, Cat 4 and Cat 5 fields are approximately two-thirds full. Other categories need participants! Pre-registration is crucial for these events, so establish your early-season racing objectives (reminder: these launch the Pave Liga).
• MATTS, our premier time trial series (established in 1988!), is finalizing their schedule. Check their new website (launched last year, but recently discovered!). Everyone should participate in one or two time trials during the season!
• Our local multi-day event, the Prairie State Cycling Series, announced dates: July 18th - July 27th. Only the NCC calendar event at Lake Bluff on , July 19th is officially confirmed. We can't announce others yet, but rumor suggests a mix of traditional and new venues. Keep it fresh!
• Tour of America's Dairyland also announced their schedule: June 19th - June 29th. Registration opens in March.
• Calendar links until ours is complete: Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri.
• Illinois Cycling Association published the Illinois Cup schedule today.
• Finally, we're significantly more active on Twitter this year—follow: @chibikeracing and @paveliga