Carpenter Park project uncertainties mean new location for bike race

The uncertainty of a park improvement project caused the annual Chicago Cyclocross Cup bicycle race in Carpentersville to change venues for the first time in nearly a decade.

Since 2005, the race has drawn hundreds of people to Carpenter Park each year to compete in various levels of racing on difficult terrain, often with obstacles, said Jeff Provisor, event coordinator and owner of Main Street Bicycles in Carpentersville. The event is part of a series of 11 races held throughout the Chicagoland area in early fall.

"It's probably one of the most exciting styles of bike racing there is, as a racer and as a spectator," Provisor said, noting that the race always comes with supportive fans and some good-natured heckling.

But bikers will be faced with a new challenge this Sunday: unfamiliar territory. The race, starting at 8:30 a.m. and running throughout the afternoon, will instead be held at Randall Oaks Park, 1180 N. Randall Road in West Dundee.

Initial race plans went awry earlier this year when state funding for a Carpenter Park Master Plan was frozen, thus halting the renovation of its facilities.

Village President Ed Ritter said the park was cleaned up so families could still use it in the meantime. But when it came time to start planning the bike race, the uncertainty of the park's condition left Provisor scrambling.

"It was in limbo of whether the park would be ready or not," Provisor said. "I had to find another venue to cover my bases."

Stuck in a bind, he reached out to Dundee Township Park District about using Randall Oaks Park.

"I wanted to keep it in the area. It's not Carpentersville, but it's pretty darn close," he said. "(Park district officials) decided they'd give us this shot, but they pretty much made it clear that it's a one-time deal there."

The location won't be the only change this year. Since its inception, the bike race has been held in conjunction with an Oktoberfest event, put on by Carpentersville. Unsure of the resources and space available at the new venue, "We kind of did away with it this year," Ritter said.

In the past, the joint festival offered rides for children and other fall-related family events. It also had a beer tent and several food vendors.

"We'll miss some of that at the Randall Oaks venue, but it's not like it's a desert out there," Provisor said. This year's event will still offer a food truck with breakfast and lunch options, he said, as well as the Randall Oaks Petting Zoo and its large playground.

"It's still a very family-friendly type of environment," he said.

Bikers can register and pay for the race online, Provisor said, but the event itself is free and open to the public. Though he hopes to return to Carpenter Park next year, he said he is embracing the change in scenery.

"Randall Oaks is an awesome venue with a lot more twists and turns and hills," Provisor said. "It'll add that different taste to the race."