Members,

The CRCA Board has been hard at work behind the scenes and we are excited to announce that CRCA Membership will open on February 1st with significant enhancements planned for the CRCA Club Series presented by Lucarelli and Castaldi, detailed below.

In addition, we’ve made some important changes to our membership fee structure and marshaling policy. All of these changes are intended to improve the overall race experience for our members as a whole, as well as to ease administrative burden for the CRCA Board and our volunteers and staff, which we hope will ensure CRCA’s continued success for many years to come.

1. Professional Chip Timing. CRCA will be the first club in our region to adopt professional chip timing for our Club Series races, allowing for live results and eliminating race morning check-in lines. In addition to your Club Series numbers, members will be assigned a chip, which members will attach to their bicycles. The chip is yours to keep for as long as you race as a CRCA member - they last 5 years or more. Members will be responsible for the cost to replace a lost or damaged chip. More details soon. We believe this investment will significantly improve racer and staff experience across the Club Race series.

2. Updated Membership Tiers & Fees. Implementing professional chip timing system, along with significant increases to our USAC insurance fees, and ensuring improved marshal and club race operations staffing, will increase CRCA operational costs. However, thanks to the Club's volunteer-based model, generous sponsorships, and several years of sound fiscal planning by the CRCA Board, we will still be able to offer the best value in NYC for an entire season’s worth of bicycle racing: 12 Central Park races, free coaching, and membership programming. The 2020 Membership Tiers and Fees are as follows:

   • Donor Membership: $450

     • Entry to all 12 Club Races, access to free CRCA coaching sessions, no marshaling requirement, partially tax deductible, VIP invitations to special Club programs & events

   • Regular Season Pass: $150 ($160 after Feb 15)

     • Entry to all 12 Club Races, access to free CRCA Coaching sessions, 2 marshal duties

   • Volunteerism Season Pass: $100 ($110 after Feb 15)

     • Entry to all 12 Club Races, access to free CRCA Coaching sessions, 3 marshal duties

       *New for 2020: this membership tier requires commitment to three (3) marshaling duties. This tier will be limited to 30 members on a first come first served basis and is intended to be reserved for those racers who are willing and able to serve an additional marshal duty for the Club.

   • Associate Membership: $45

     • No entry to Club Races, access to free CRCA coaching sessions, no marshaling requirement

   • Junior Memberships: FREE

     • Entry to Club Races, free CRCA coaching sessions, no marshaling requirement. (*USAC Junior age definition applies)

     Other than the new Volunteerism Season Pass membership tier, no changes were made to the benefits and obligations associated with each of the existing Membership Tiers. For details on each membership tier, please visit How CRCA Membership Works. Sign up early - early bird discount of $10 for Season Pass Memberships are good for only 2 weeks!

3. CRCA Logo Patches. CRCA will no longer require new members who are unaffiliated with a Sub-Team to purchase and race in the traditional yellow or blue CRCA Club Jersey/Kit. Instead, new members must simply ensure they attach an official CRCA logo to both shoulders of any existing jersey that otherwise meets USAC Rule 1J5 (e.g., a blank retail jersey that does not have another team, club, event, or organization’s name or logo). Logo placement shall comply with CRCA Sub-Team Rule 9. Heat-transferrable CRCA logos will be available for purchase at each Membership Number Pick-up event and at every Club Race. This policy is intended to further reduce barriers to entry for folks looking to join and race as an independent member of CRCA.

4. Marshaling Policy. Our Club and Open races cannot happen without the volunteerism of our Members - racers make the best marshals because you understand fully the nature of racing bicycles in Central Park and NYC. Our collective goal is to ensure safe racing - for racers and other park users alike. As such, we urge Members to perform their marshal duties themselves if at all possible. However, if you need to engage a substitute, please choose someone you trust and ensure they understand the importance of the role. Our former Marshal Captain, Paulette, has retired, and Members will no longer be able to hire paid marshals through Paulette or her successors. If a Member cannot find a substitute on their own, they must contact the Marshal Director to seek a paid substitute. Please see the Marshal Policy for full details.

Members are encouraged to reach out to any of the members of the CRCA Board of Directions if you have questions regarding any of these changes. We look forward to another successful season of bicycle racing with all of you, and stay tuned for more exciting announcements in the days to come!

~ The CRCA Board.