Tuesday Outdoor Ride

Team,

I hope everyone is doing well so far this Christmas season. I am super excited about the 2012 season and another great year with Speed Theory. 2012 is the year of the triathlon for me. I am very excited about competing at Ironman Coeur d'Alene and then racing the World Championships in the fall with Michael Godfrey in Aukland New Zealand. This is going to be a freaking epic year!!!

Tomorrow, December 27, is my birthday and I'm planning to celebrate it by riding outdoors. I'm thinking about heading out around 1:00pm. I am willing to drive somewhere to meet others that are off from work and willing to head outside for a ride if necessary. I saw quite a few cyclists on the paths on Saturday when I was out running, so that is an option. You don't have to bring me presents unless it is a Blue Helix, medium tall wetsuit, or a super fast rear disc. New shoes would be awesome too!

If there is anyone interested in coming out, let me know. I can be reached by email at echeloncad@gmail.com or cell at 403-607-4523.

Have a great break and have a safe new year.

slayer dan

Merry Christmas, Speed Theorists!

Fellow Speed Theorists (and all the other ABA/ATA members that read our blog),

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Pack in all the Christmas baking you can this week: January 1st means off-season is officially over. Stay tuned to the blog for a Speed Theory x-country ski day in the new year.

Darcy "Finally in Cat 4" Gullacher

RR speedsuits

I'm seeing a lot of pros wearing these now... essentially skinsuits with pockets:

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2011/04/22/castellis-new-road-race-speedsuit-showcased-in-roubaix-victory

Champion System now has a "distance skinsuit" in short and long sleeve versions:

http://champ-sys.ca/custom/cycling/skinsuits/custom-distance-short-sleeve-skinsuit.html

What does everyone think? Do we want to make it part of our club kit?

Silver Springs XC video

Teammates Melody Switzer and Marilyn ran with cameras last weekend, as did Simon's 13 year old daughter Sarah. Cat Brown's (now Cat Young's) husband Mike wore my fourth camera and had a solid race.

The race route followed the trails just west of the traditional 'Side Show Bob' and included a lot of the trails you would have ridden if you own a MTN bike in Calgary. This was the hardest race of the series in terms of its relentlessness.

Shelley Bender had a breakthrough race and Brad Barron (of the Crankys) continues to improve. It was great to see Mark Fewster (formerly of Gary Alexander's TRS Cycling) back in the action and local triathlete Cam Ellum make an appearance as well.

Here is the link to the video.

Trev

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Tucson 200KM Brevet, base Miles, sort of !

A few of you know that Trev and a few of the Speed Theory team members have participated in a cycling sport that you hear my brother Tom and I talk about called Randonneuring. For the past couple of years a number of us have headed down to Arizona to participate in a few of their events and this year is no different. Trev, Paul and a perhaps a few Rando guys are heading down to the 200KM event on January 7th. I think a few more of the team members should join us this year so I'm extending an invitation. It's a way less crazy sport than Ironman and contrary to Trev's approach to the sport it is not a race. You can get event details and a run down on the sport on the Arizona Randonneur WEB site. We usually let Trev tire himself out the day before the event so he drops below super-human on the bike. For team members interested in hanging out in Tucson until the following Thursday your welcome to stay at my home.

The only word of caution for those wanting to ride together; the Canadians have developed a reputation for coming down and hitting this event hard so if you want to hang with Trev's group count on a 28-30km/hr pace while riding. Of course you can ride at whatever pace you want, you have 13 hours to finish the event. For those staying on we will re-group back in Tucson. Others may choose to head up to Phoenix if they're flying out on the Sunday.

If your interested let me know and will sort details out.

Lockie, I'm hoping to drag you out from the east for a third kick at your favourite event:)

Stephen Kenny

AKA Relentless

Bike Light

I bought this light a few weeks ago and it’s so crazy bright I want to buy a second one for my helmet. http://spokegrenade.com/

It’s rated at 1000 lumins which is seriously bright. At MEC you can buy a 1000 lumin light for $400.00 or a 1400 lumin light for $770.00. This baby was only $110.00.

The problem is they don’t sell them in Canada. I had mine delivered to my brothers place in Tucson and it finally made it to me here. I emailed the company and they’ll send me one (after some begging and pleading). I can get a 10% discount if I order 10 or more.

The light is not quite a spot light but it’s not really broad. They claim 3hrs on full, 5 hours on medium and 8 hours on low. I suspect medium will be fine for most road riding, high for mountain biking. Even low is pretty bright.
I have not had it very long so the jury is out on the long term durability, however, it gets good reviews so confidence is high.

Let me know if you want one. So far I have two on the list. I’ll put the order in by Friday so get back to me quickly if you want one. If I can get 10 then they would be around $100.00 plus some shipping. tom(at)mapitfirst(dot)com

Tom

One step closer to an AB Superweek of Cycling. ..and a dream (inside Calgary) hill climb route

I just got our 'Event Application Package' emailed from the city for our JayLap Downtown Criterium. Even though it is a fair bit of work, the filling of these forms and waiting for confirmation is standard procedure now for this event and since we continue to host an exciting, safe, family-oriented, race it should be approved. The city seems to be really good with quality control on the events it lets happen. This means more work for organizers, but their event planning department really has it going on in terms city service coordination at the right times.

The more exciting news though is that we were also emailed an 'Event Application Package' for a hill climb route I have thought would be excellent within the city and put cycling and racing even more on display! I haven't applied for this route before for a couple reasons: we have been hosting enough races, I wanted our Criterium to gain traction within the city and not put that in jeopardy at all, and frankly I was hesitant since the route is on some major roads.

So I filled out the forms a while ago to apply for this route to be held on the Friday evening of our cycling weekend. It is a 7km predominately uphill prologue style event. This would bring the first event of the weekend into the city and separating it from the Criterium in time a little more will take a lot of stress off our membership!

So, as it stands right now, our vision of the JayLap weekend is a Friday evening Power Hill Climb Prologue, then the same two awesome races after that, the Crit and the Bergen Boiler. This takes the driving out of the equation on Sat, which I believe is significant.

We have been discussing a lot of exciting combination options with Joel from Niklas Group about an Alberta Superweek of cycling since our events are held on back-to-back weekends. This change in structure to our race reduces the overall driving involved (even for out-of-towners), ups the coolness, and would enable a better continuity for cyclists racing all events!

Below is my dream in-town hill climb route !! It would be crazy safe as there are ZERO opportunities for traffic to cross cyclists or vice-versa. Check it out!

Okotoks 8km X-Country Race Video

I put together a fun video of last Saturday's race. You can watch Frank attack me and show me a clean pair of heels by the end. It is also fun to watch the race from a younger person's perspective. Thanks to Josh Ukrainetz for filming for me! Lots of team mates in this race.

Video is here.

Throw it on during an indoor trainer session and sprint when each view finishes!

Trev

A rainy day in Siam

Here is a short race report from the Phuket 70.3. My swimming sucks, at least it was uneventful, 1250 metres in the ocean then 650 metres in a fresh water lagoon. Conditions were great,I just didn't go very fast. They describe the bike course as technical, that being negotiating villages with chickens, water buffalo, scooters, motorbikes and dogs. Also lots of tight corners, limited opportunity to be in the aerobars. Yes those dogs. On the route recon on Thursday I noticed hundreds of street wise Thai muts everywhere, lounging on the side of the road. Race day got them mobilized, you really had to be sharp and try to predict where they were headed. It started to pour rain at about 30k into the bike. Torrential downpour, Bangkok style, made the steep uphills and downhills really difficult. The only way to get traction was to sit and crank at about a 40 cadence. The upside of the weather was there was no sun, still hot and 100% humid but not bad for racing. Being a little bit fearless on the bike gained me a few positions, being half blind and riding without glasses made it interesting. The run was ok, I raced maybe slightly above my current level of fitness, almost collapsed in the last kilometre of the run. I talked to an Aussie in my age group after the race, he told me I had a good chance of a rolldown slot, Vegas is a little far for the asia pacific guys. So i went to the ATM and pulled out 12,000 Baht and was lucky enough to get the second and last slot in my age group on the rolldown, that was exciting. There was a Kona slot as well but that didn't roll down. I'm sure that's the closest I'll get to a Kona slot. Fantastic event, great organization and volunteers, the peninsula takes this event seriously, great for the economy. Now i'm going on Thai time for a while. Thanks for reading.

Mike's done the Thailand 70.3 (Asia-Pacific Championship)

Just looked up Mike's finish at the Thailand 70.3.

It is Sat. evening as I write this and he has already woken up Sunday morning and raced a Half-Ironman.

Looks like a tough bike and run. If you go to this website and type in Healy, you can see Mike's splits. The pros only rode around 2:14 for the bike, which indicates a tough ride that would sap the power out of the age-groupers.

Nice work Mike, 8th in your age-group.

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Okotoks 8km X-Country Race today.

Great racing conditions today made for some fun racing.

Comprising of the Strathcona-Tweedsmere nordic ski and running trails, today's race had well over a hundred competitors. For me it was for sure one of the best races of the year with me being taken by Fast-Legs Frank in a great back and forth which had both of us hacking up lungs at the end!

Lots of friends and teammates there.

The pictures are of Marilyn Taylor, Carl Miiller, Mike 'JC' Godfrey, Slayer Sigouin, Frank and me.

Here is the Garmin Data from the GPS Contour+ Camera

Here are the Results.

I heard Thomas went out for a big Cyclocross ride today.. no THAT is hardcore.

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race prep - thai style

Arrived in beautiful Phuket Thailand on Tuesday after 22 hours flying. The only people more uncomfortable than me on the long flight were the Chinese national basketball team, legs everywhere -Korean Airlines 777 are not configured for tall people, dinged twice for the bike box but at least the bike made it at the same time as me.

Temperature is steady every day, 33 C, 70 % humidity, great for the tourists, ok for racing I guess.

There's 1000 entrants here, mostly Aussies it seems. Someone actually recognized the Speed Theory jersey, asked if I was from Calgary or Vancouver. Good to be able to get my sponsors name out there. Thursday was an official bike course recon day, roads closed for the recon, which is a good thing. We were guided by Jurgen Zack, the Jens Voigt of the triathlon world. Good that half the racers turned the recon into a race, keeping up with Zack. Another rookie mistake might have been doing the entire 90 k three days before the race! Slayer, if you are reading this, I have 2 days to recover. I wanted to ride the steep hills, I have a 28 on the back, glad I did that, if it is wet, there's no traction and you have to get off and walk the hill, memories of Penticton gravel roads.

Disc not recommended here, should have brought 808 maybe, lots of road bikes too. Sorry Kyle, I will have to replace your speedsuit, the entire back ripped open today before I even got in the water. Big waves and swells in the Andaman sea, but no jokes about tsunamis.

Ah yes, I hate shaving, these ladies were sort of amused, something new for them, they are obviously not from Patong. 300 Baht, the looks from passers by, priceless. I'm 14 hours ahead of you guys, I can post a race report before the race really starts Sunday morning. I'm writing this on a Blackberry playbook so it might look awful on the blog.

Cycling Explained

Thanks to Brent T. for posting this on Facebook. Only too true...

Cycling Explained
by: nofinishline

Several of Stephen Kenny's proteges at Mount Royal ...

.. are working on an entrepreneurial project for cycling and they have requested some of us fill in a short survey about their proposed project for the University.

The link to the survey is here.

I just filled it out and it took me 3minutes. Sounds like a neat project. I wish I did stuff like this in engineering.

Trev

Compress yourself.

A patient of mine is the distributer for CEP compression garments and they are having a cycling products launch.


Learn about how medical grade compression can help you as an athlete.

We are launching our NEW CEP BIKE compression products at our Warehouse Sale at Entrix. The public sale is Dec 2 and 3. Please pass this along to any coaches, friends, teammates, etc.
It is the one time a year we open to the public, take advantage of this special opportunity.
We have introductory pricing deals on:
- CEP compression bike shorts, bibs and socks
- Custom built recovery tights
Plus, a limited number of Cycling Bundles at 55% OFF

Click here to see the invite: http://www.entrixsports.com/message/1089435/1000954

Ride on SUNDAY Nov. 27th at 1pm !! CANCELLED CANCELLED

THE WIND HAS BEEN RECORDED AT 120km/hr.... RIDE IS CANCELLED.

Everyone welcome! Will be a ride starting and stopping at the Marda Loop Phil and Sebastian's at 20th St. and 33rd Ave. and heading south toward Priddis. This will be a fun ride for anyone, but it is NOT a 'no drop' ride. As we head out of town there is bound to be some tempo riding since it is wicked to be riding outside in late Nov. !!

Meet at 12:40pm for coffee.... rolling out at 1pm.

We will head out south toward the Glenmore pathway and then the pathway along 37th to get out of town just in case you meet us along the way.

Come out !!

Trev

Got 'er dun. 200km Mount Lemmon Brevet.

I came down to Tucson to help Stephen Kenny out with a 200km Brevet that turned around on the top of Mount Lemmon, a renowned climb in Arizona that is 33km in length and is classified as an Hors Categorie. Cool! The event is a semi-self-supported affair that is run more like an attrition-style race rather than a typical cycling race with attacking. The pace is kept high and cyclists simply disappear off the back.

Stephen and I went for a ride the day before. He has been hitting it hard out here and is experiencing a solid turn of form. In this picture, I managed to pull up beside him for a moment to snap this shot. If you click on the picture you can see the difference in effort level.

The 60km that preceded the 40km run to the Mount Lemmon Community Center was anything but flat. It was roller after roller after false  flat. We hit the base of the climb in 1hour57min and after a 5min stop in a Subway to get water and pee, we started mile0 of the climb with 4 of us. Stephen and I started the climb conservatively as he has done this hill several times and knows the early grades are steep and the climb is relentless. This shot shows the two other Randonneurs with Stephen (as usual) pulling on the front. The rear rack storage holder on the blue jersey dude was the smartest move since Stephen and I packed everything on our backs and we envied the dude's sparse pockets and his ability to breathe. Next time for sure.

Stephen's pace shed the other two cyclists and I focused on his wheel for the 2hour20min ascent. We had to stop three times; twice for water, and once for a flat (on my 700X28 tire). So moving time up the mountain was about 2hour7min.  This shot shows Stephen after ascending from desert to snow!

Since Stephen is faster than me on flats and ascents I came around on the 33km descent which accounted for about 35min of the 7hours and 56min total time. I am starting to question how much help I was :)

The ride started at 7am in early dawn and we rolled back to the coffee just before 3pm. I told my classes I had hoped to complete in 7hours30mins, but I underestimated the 60km on either side of the climb and the climb itself was spectacular!! Here is Stephen flying down the 33km descent!

Oh, I didn't factor in the wait in the line up in the General Store up at the top of Mount Lemmon for fudge ?!?!  Stephen insisted it was a tradition regardless of if we were in an event or not. It was super, thank god.

Overall, it was a great day of riding and a solid sufferfest, what else would one ask for on a Sat. !  Today it is snowing buckets up there and the road is unridable to bikes. Good timing!

Raise your hand if you have crazy helmet head.

TNDR!

Hey - ring the bell, its warm outside, so we'll be riding from OJ's in Marda Loop at 8:30!

Next time, buy a FOCUS

If you have a Trek Trek 2012 FX or District bicycle READ THIS

http://www.bicycle.net/2011/bicycles-recalled-by-trek-due-to-fall-hazard

Oh… The Horror!!!

You've been a good bike these last 5 years… I'm sorry I killed you. RIP.

We still have our friend.

Teammate Carl Miiller somehow enraged history this past Saturday with Father Time sending a Spartan and some killer dogs to teach him a painful lesson. Luckily for all of us, Carl keeps himself in tiptop shape and the soldier was not able to close the gap. Congratulations to Carl for being faster than a trained professional.

Edmonton Indoor Track city survey

This is a message from Alan Schietzsch, he is heading a committee that has worked very hard the last 4 years to get an indoor cycling training facility in Edmonton. He has this request for the Calgary area cyclists.

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We have a chance to have an indoor cycling track included in a new Rec Centre proposed in Edmonton. Having a track at this proposed high-profile facility means cycling is more in the public eye, more visible, and more respected by regular Albertans. That helps ALL cyclists, whether you Tri, TT, road race, MTB or just love bikes. CALGARY can help - fill out: 

For Question 1: Choose 'Other' and write something like: "I live in (Calgary or Cochrane or _____) and want to come to Edmonton to use a cycling track. 

This will help the city will see the value! Thank you!And that’s ammo for YOU - you can then say “Edmonton has one, CALGARY deserves one too!” – good politics!

Please ask anyone who supports cycling to send the City of Edmonton a very short online question form so they hear from cyclists: http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/planning_development/coronation-district-park-development.aspx?mid=51
Question 4 is the important one. You can check "I support this concept with the following suggestions________"
and fill the blank with something like "Yes it is important to include a year-round cycling track".

(We try NOT to use the “V word” (velodrome). It is easier for the public to understand and support a “TRACK”.)

Please share http://www.facebook.com/groups/232932236766999/ so you and your friends are in the loop.

P.S.: If you are into TRIATHLON, think of the potential:
The centre that could have a cycling track is next to the Coronation POOL, and the Groat RUNNING trail to the River Valley – NEED I SAY MORE?

And... WINTER TRAINING!

- Alan
-- Alan Schietzsch, Past PresidentAlberta Bicycle Association

That's A Wrap On 2011 ABA Racing

Speed Theorists,

First of all, a big, big thanks to Tom and Lesley Kenny for hosting a truly awesome Gala a couple of weeks ago. Also, thanks to the team for the trophy and gift card. It's been a pleasure to help Speed Theory put on some great events. BTW, the Harley Borlee -- Darcy Gullacher Mt. Revelstoke Challenge is now the Harley Borlee -- Darcy Gullacher -- Thomas Yip challenge. Expect lots of trash talk over the winter...

Secondly, there has NOT been enough chatter about 'cross season on this blog, so I'll remedy that. Today was the Beans n' Barley 'cross, put on by the fine folks at Terrascape Racing. It was, in my opinion, a solid course, with a deceptive amount of climbing and one nasty stair run-up.

Speed Theory was well represented in Sport Men, with Rick C, Derek J, Matt J. and Robert W.racing to good spots. Clarke E. was in the hunt with Steve P., and I was the caboose of the bunch yet again. In Open Women Jenn J. rode to a great 7th place, Marcy K. represented well in the pack, and Melody S. worked hard in her second ever 'cross. In Expert Men, Charles B. rolled a tire, which ended his day early, but Thomas Y. won the sprint for the coveted 11th place. Sure, Thomas may have moved up to Cat 2 this year, but really, 11th in the BnB is about as good as it gets. And Harley? Harley was out for good times. It was a great day with great weather. What a way to end the 2011 ABA race season.

Thursday Night Ride

Last week was perfect weather for a night ride, and it looks as though it is going to be awesome for another edition this week. I have done this ride 2 times now and hope to hit it again this Thursday. Definitely worth it!

It is put on by Joel from Niklas Group and it is a great group of guys. You don't need a big headlight, since some of us have overkill lights that turn night into day. You 100% need a rear red blinky though.

Photo taken by Rich Bridgwater

The Thursday Night Ride Face Book page is located here. It will keep you up to date on that.

The ride starts at Marda Loop Original Joes at 8:30pm on Thursday night. Be there!

As an addition to this post: Joel has opened a great organic market below his Casel Tower on 17th Ave. and Crowchild. Marilyn has been going to it for a month now and really likes it. Here is a link to the Market, it is called CaselMarche.

'That's enough!'

Interview with Frank and Andy Schleck. 'I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with a little duck'

Saturday Oct 22 Ride Options

Hi everyone, I posted a few options for a Saturday ride in the Training Ride Forum.

Two cool shots I just got in email.

I was just emailed some photos from the Bergen Road Race from a local resident. The shots are of riders on there way to the start. I wanted to post them since they seemed so serene before the action (the calm before the storm?). It was great having the local residents of Bergen get behind the race and enjoy the spectacle of bike racers on their roads. This particular guy went out of his way to get my email address so he could get me the photos! Not a single complaint from a single entity... perfect!

Gala night a success.

Thanks to everyone that made last night so enjoyable. We had in excess of 50 people over at Tom's celebrating a great year for cycling and the club. We had lots of fun handing out serious and not-so-serious awards.

Tomo, just before receiving her 'RoboTomo' Award.

Andres receiving the coveted, 'Best New Guy with an Accent' Award.

Darcy receiving the 'Political Mercury' Award for dealing with Rocky View and Alberta Transportation.

Mike receiving an award that will go unnamed.

Marilyn getting nutrition to avert her 'Testy and Vocal Bonks' Award.

Thursday Night Ride Series

Got out for the night ride put on by Joel from Niklas Group last night. It was a great group and lots of fun. We rode for about 1hr20min. I was testing a new light for the camera, so I went to the front often. You can see in this video, I was riding as hard as I could and never ran out of light in pitch dark conditions. The camera isn't set up to run in low light levels, so it gives you an idea of how wicked the light is! To my eyes, it was lit up like daytime. I will get up some video of me being swarmed in the sprint after this weekend.

See everyone tonight!!

Trev

STC Annual Gala, Clarke, Kona, and a perfect cyclist's house for rent.

1.) STC ANNUAL GALA:   It would be great to get almost every club member at this. I would love to catch up with most of you after a good season and it will be fun. Make sure to be thinking of something you can present to your buddy that is either encouraging, or trash talky, or both. Tom and I have several ideas for awards and roast-type presentations, but we weren't on all the training rides or in all the races, and would love to hear about some stories we missed out on.
         1a.) I have had some interest in the van traveling from the Beer Mile to the Gala. Please leave a comment to let me know if you would like to be in it. I will not get one if no one is using it.
         1b.) Our very own 'MC' Mike Godfrey is going to professionally announce the Beer Mile! It will be a spectacle and I (personally) encourage you to come and participate. However, this is NOT a 'sanctioned' club event.
         1c.) Make sure to invite all your friends to the Beer Mile as this is not a 'member only' event whatsoever. It is hosted by the local BM Ambassador Carson Bannon and has nothing to do with the club other than some of our members will be there. In fact, there is currently a challenge out from the STC girls: Tomo, Shelley, Marie, and Marilyn saying they will crush Niklas Group girls:  Sherri, Tanya H, Sandra, and Kaylee !! Any answer from the Top Gear girls ??
         1d.) Unfortunately Mark M. broke his ankle last weekend at the XC race. Also, unfortunately for me, he will probably still beat me.

2.) Clarke Ellis and his wife were the happy recipients of a brand new baby boy late last Friday night. Congratulations to the Ellis family and I look forward to meeting Spencer.

3.) If you are doing a long indoor training session tomorrow afternoon, the World Championships of Ironman will be streaming live. Mike Healy, can you tell us the best place to watch this, I heard Universal Sports is covering it? I know ironman.com will be covering it too.

4.) I am completing my move out my house in Royal Oak and would like to rent it out since I like the location and would prefer to keep it. If you know a responsible person or family who would like to rent a 3-bedroom house, please get them to contact me.

Annual STC GALA, Oct 14th !! For all members. ... and Beer Mile!

It is that time of year. You get to place an 'X' on your calendar with giddy excitement in anticipation of Tom Kenny's Annual STC Gala !! Oct 14th !

The official invitation to this year's event is here.

Please bring a DD or a sleeping bag as the evening is open bar (meaning beer and wine). The appetizers and finger food would probably constitute a great dinner but this is NOT a 'sit down supper' affair. It is a casual get together to get to know your team mates better while drinking a (read: several) beer or wine.

This is YOUR opportunity to officially recognize other team members for their inspirational conduct, or for their ridiculous behaviour! Start thinking of fun awards to present a teammate now.

Even if you haven't made it out to any races this year, still come to this. Even if your belly grew more than your quads this year, still come to this. Even if your 5 year old daughter raced her bike more than you did this year, still come to this.

Carson (the official caller of Calgary Beer Miles) has officially performed his divine duty and called a beer mile on the same evening. I plan to attend this prior to the STC party as most people that know me know, I may not be a fast cyclist, but damn can I beer mile. If we have enough STC dudes heading to the BM before the Gala, I will arrange to have a huge van there to transport us down the road to Tom's. Last year Frank had to fit into Jaya's carseat. (read: comfortably fit into Jaya's car seat.) If you haven't been to or watched a beer mile, this is your chance. Bring friends to the beer mile, this is NOT an STC affair. The Gala is a member-only thing though.

See you on the 14th of Oct. . ... it's on!

Will Frank's new astonishing speed on the run translate to a fast BM time? Will I lap Paul Anderson? Could Rob Lukacs prove doing the 'double' wasn't just a fluke of amazingness? (incidently that was one of the most impressive things I have ever witnessed).

.

Dark Night 2011

Great day for crazy run race and a wicked Cross Race.

Today the skies cleared and the sun started shining just in time for the start of the River Park Classic Cross Country race (GPS file). It was great racing again and I love this series! It was my first XC race since my injury in Dec. ... I can't believe I haven't raced across any snow drifts or rivers since then?!?! Anyway, it was great fun. It was good to see Kyle out racing and hopefully he will have his injury figured out soon. He is a great example of not losing heart during a long injury. He knows he will be back and crushing it soon.

Micheal Godfrey, RoboTomo, Brad Barron, Melody, Marie and Mark Michalski, The Combine, Kyle, and I crushed it from the team. It was great to see good friends Cat 'Beer Mile' Brown and Jen Alexander out racing as well. Also, a good friend from Victoria, Colin McArthur, laid it down, looking forward to riding with him now that he is living in Cochrane.

Good luck to all the Crossers tonight !!

Trev

Sept 27 Midweek Mayhem

Kids having fun.

Sweet Ride

Thanks Tom for organizing such a great day!
Although I wish otherwise, I think it maybe the last big group ride of the year...
Cheers everyone
R

Social Ride - All riders THIS Sat. the 24th !!

The 100 kilometer-er - Year end Social Ride - Saturday, Sept 24th
Ok, it’s a little more than 100km but it sounds better in round numbers. The 111-er doesn’t roll off the tongue as easy.

Total group ride. Like Highwood pass a month or so ago, everyone and their dog is welcome. This is a non STC sanctioned ride so bring anyone and everyone you want.

Go as hard or as slow as you see fit. Hammer the hills, or ride with your slower buddies. And by slower buddies, I mean me.

As Jimmy Buffet would say (if he was a cyclist) “The weather is here, my bike is so beautiful , the skies are so clear let’s go riding today”… ok whatever. The forecast is for 21 degrees and sunny.

This ride is awesome, beautiful scenery and lots of hills to cause some suffering - if you so choose. There are two crossings that you need to be cautious about on Highway 22.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51194176/?open_ive_done=1

If you are not so keen to do the entire distance there are lots of shorter routes. See here

The 70 kilometer - er
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51194652/?open_ive_done=1

the 85 Kilometer- er
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51194802/?open_ive_done=1

Or simply do an out and back and turnaround whenever you want.

You can ride out to the start to add in another 70 km or so for giggles

Meet Time: Saturday - Sept 24 9:30
Roll out time: 10:00 am
Location: Bragg Creek Coffee Shop (I owe them for a sausage roll.. they don’t take visa)

TNDR - Sept 22

Here is the route for Thursday: Please See the post on TNDR or Facebook site for guidelines...

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/51237848/?open_ive_done=1

It is different format from last week in terms of a race but a “winner” could be the person with the most “sprint” points at the end.

(quick version is head down to the river, up and down some hills, loop the university then head for refreshments)

Start at Moose McGuires/Redwater parking lot across from the Hospital. Off 16th Ave, 29th St NW.

Warm-up by heading south thought the Hospital, down 29th Street, across Memorial to the bike path along Edworthy park. This part should be straight forward and give people time to warm up. At the bike/pedestrian overpass cross back into Westmont and make way over to 19th St. (wide open new pavement/bike lane).

At 8th Ave (or 6th) take a right down to the end and begin a series of 3 Hill Sprints. Very straight forward and should be fun as the roads are fairly wide. (Sprints points for the first two or three over the top on each.) After the last one head up 19th Street west eventually coming to Crowchild. This is a natural re-grouping spot as we have to wait to cross Crowchild.

Once back on the other side of Crowchild its across 7th Ave, up 29th and back over to West Campus Way. Here is a good place to have a sprint to the children’s Hospital (Mega Points).

After a quick re-group it is two laps of the University as outlined. Only caution is between the Engineering parking lot and the connection with Campus Drive we have to ride from the road on to the sidewalk. This means Slowing down/neutral though this area! (Besafe or be buying a new rim) Then once back on 24th Ave it’s a drag race sprint on the second lap to the closed road called Collegiate Rd. (Ultra Mega Points)

Then I figured riding back the way we came thought the Hospital or depending, another lap of the Uni. It is approximately 29km long but with 5 good sprint points I think it should be fairly fun and give alternatives to riders who don’t want to sprint. Person with the most points wins free beer and bragging rights. (Panache and flair will garner more points then anything else.)

If I get time I'll flag the sprint lines.

Cheers - see you there.

"The rules are:
1) Obey the rules of the road (stop at lights, signs, etc).
2) You need a headlight and rear flasher. Keep the flasher on steady as it will be a distraction in a group ride setting if it is flashing.
3) Be smart and don't take stupid risk. DO NOT PASS ON PATHS.
4) it is OK to be competitive and there are great sections along this route to hammer, sprint, etc. See above.
5) This is totally unofficial and unsanctioned. Come at your own risk.
6) Encourage others to attend.
7) All bikes (fixed, single speed, road, cross) welcome."

Midweek CX Series

What a race! Ok, so it's probably like every other Tuesday night cross race, but this past Tuesday was my first; and it was FUN!

It was a huge hammer fest - all out - for 5 laps. It is important to be at the front of these races, so I positioned myself about 10th at the start of the B race. It was really good that I did because 20 seconds later the pack encountered the first hill. It was tough going, and there was a corner on the hill where many people had to hop off because the person in front of them had slowed. After this hill the race was strung like spaghetti and everyone was hammering as hard as they could to regain position!

Lots of hills, straight sprints, and corners. At one point early in the race Derek passed me and I did my best to stay at the front. All I remember is trying to keep my mouth open so air would get forced into my lungs. This was totally the hardest race I've been in - and also the best!

I believe that Derek ended up 4th and I was 8th. Darcy was racing as well, but I pretty much collapsed after I crossed the line and didn't see his finish. Clarke and Kyle were racing the A race and had to suffer quite a bit harder from what I gather!

My brother, Phil, came out and took some pictures. Check out the rest of the album!

Fun poll for a pair of STC shoe covers... play fair!!

OK guys, I came across the complete prize money list for the 2011 TdF. Of course I went over the numbers and thought it would be fun to have a fun poll.

NO LOOKING ON THE NET, and if you have seen this list, you can't play!

Here is the question:

How much did Thomas Voeckler make in total prize money (in Euros) for the 2011 TdF?

Tiebreaker: How much did Cadel Evans make in total prize money (in Euros)?

No 'Price is Right' rules are in effect.

Answer like this:

1.) Thomas: 50 Euros

2.) Cadel: 150 Euros

Winner gets a brand new pair of sweet STC Shoe Covers !!

Any club member can play!, Leave your answer in a comment. Do not look at other's answers before leaving yours!

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For our members with an interest in youngsters being athletic for life.

Most of our club members have young kids, plan to have them, or look forward to when their children have them. I just saw this opportunity to listen to Dr. Norris. Sorry for the short notice. I went to a talk by Stephen about 4 months after I moved to Calgary, so about 10 years ago and really took a lot away from it. I still remember a lot of the key points from this talk. He is a very experienced coach and a resource for all parents wondering what their kids should be doing (athletically speaking) at different ages. STC will cover the entry into this as I think it would be an important talk for most parents like us. Make a comment if you can come and I will have you registered. Please, if you plan to come, please give me advanced notice (in the comments or email) so I can have you registered.

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On September 14, 2011 in the Glencoe Club Ballroom, nationally renowned high performance and excellence in sport consultant, Dr. Stephen Norris will be delivering a “not-to-be missed” presentation highlighting the latest information on physical and athletic development for our children. Dr. Norris will capture his audience with his passion and enthusiasm while delivering a life changing message vital to being active for life.

LONG TERM ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT MODEL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 7-9 PM IN THE BALLROOM
GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Steve Norris
COST: Non-Members $5 each
Parents and Athletes invited

Come and learn about the new Canadian Long Term Athlete Development.
This is a seven stage model based on the physical, mental, emotional and cognitive development of children and adolescents. Each stage reflects a different point of athlete development. The LTAD model positively affects the quality of training and competition by taking into consideration factors such as developmental age and critical periods of optimal trainability.

What a story !!

Last spring I started up a 'beginner/getting back into it' spin class on Tuesday evenings. I really enjoyed it as it was another opportunity to instruct cyclists with a vast array of histories and goals. While going around the class and introducing everyone to everyone, one of the new spinners said 'Yah, I used to ride here... penticton several times a year', I said 'oh cool, I know Penticton very well, our team just got back from a training camp there, where abouts did you ride mostly?'. He said.. 'No, no... I used to ride from here TO Penticton several times a year' WOW !

It was great watching him get back into the swing of things. He started the class with a steel 6-speed Miele that was rusted to his trainer where it had been attached for 14years and finished with a new Trek ready to crush the roadside !!

He was taking the classes as his son and son-in-law had heard all the cool stories of the Calgary-to-the-Okanagan bike trips and wanted to experience them with him. Cool family! Anyway, he currently owned a place in Vernon, so they planned a Calgary-to-Vernon tour and joined my classes to prep!

Last week was 'Le Tour de Vernon' and I was privileged enough to be invited to take part on the first leg from Calgary to Banff. I meant the entire family and really enjoyed myself (despite the torrential downpour about 75% of the way ?!?!) The energy from such a tight family was so positive I was excited to be part of it.

I got the day by day account of the adventure on email on Tues and I wanted to share their 'Day4', it was pretty eventful!! You'll get goose bumps reading it, I guarantee !!

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"Day 4 started out cold at Plus 2 at the top of the pass but warmed up to the middle teens by noon. We stopped in Revelstoke for lunch and a recharge. Ryan was on fire and still feeling stoked from conquering the pass the day before. When we left Revelstoke, the wind had picked up and we had to stay together and pace lined until we reached Three Valley Gap where Ryan got a flat tire. I had the tube out and was just inspecting the rim when a rock started falling down the mountain. It was knocking trees down that were in it’s path. We just stood there for a few moments until a rock about four feet wide hit the road and exploded. There were rocks flying everywhere and we started to run. Chuck had made it to the water and I was about four to five feet from him when a rock the size of a basketball hit the water right between us. At that point I thought that this was going to be my last stand. I looked up at the mountain and thought that the whole rock face may come down. It was just hailing rocks by this time and I remember hearing two cars getting hit and wondering if it had gone through the wind shield or where it had hit them. It finally stopped with all three of us alive and no injuries other than some skinned knees and arms from running through the trees. The road was impassable with rocks and trees everywhere. We walked back to the bikes to see if they had survived the incident. Trev, there were rocks all around the three bikes, but not a mark on any of them. I guess it just wasn’t our time, although I would say it was one of the scariest moments in my life. The end of day 4 brought us into Sicamous all together and in one piece."

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Holy cow !!

Cool steep hill in Fish Creek Park.

Mark, Tom and I found this crazy steep hill in Fish Creek Park last night while I was testing out my new camera that is linked to a GPS. My Garmin read 26percent grade, but Tom's only read 17, so I guess it is officially only 17.

Can you imagine some of those stages in the Giro and Vuelta that are over 20% for a kilometer or more ?!?! Crazy.

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Lower Springbank Road

Note:

They have started construction on Lower Springbank. It will be awesome when it's done ( I assume it will be wider and safer for us). But in the mean time, there are big trucks, graders, gravel and large, husky ladies stopping traffic.

Although passable, I recommend an alternative route.

Cross seizoen is hier!

I really suck at cyclocross, but it's always a good time (well, except for that one time last year when I cratered head-first into the ground at the Brian Kullman 'cross. That wasn't a whole lot of fun...). Here's a shot of me and Derek at last night's race, and Derek was having a "great" time in his first ever 'cross race.

If you missed signing up for the Midweek Mayhem 'cross series, you're out of luck for this year, except for the drop in dates late in the season. But, there's still lots of ABA 'cross action to come.

(Photo: Don Noot)

Spray Lakes Loop Ride .... logged it.

Well, that was a tough ride. Tomonator, Harley, Mike H, 'MC' Godfrey and I met at the Canmore Info Center at 9:30am in about 2 degrees. We had a tailwind as we rode the old Provincial ITT route along the 1A in the dawn. We headed toward Highway 1 after the Exshaw plant and only had to be on there for about 2km. We then turned directly into a killer headwind on Highway40 for the next roughly 45km to the gates of Highwood Pass.

We hung a right into the Kananaskis Lakes area, but instead of heading to Pocaterra, we hung another right about 3km later toward Spray Lakes and Canmore! Into a pretty brutal headwind, we entered the gravel portion of the ride. We were at 93km already and had 61km of gravel to go !! Holy cow.

156km later we were sitting at the Drake Inn enjoying a burger and a couple beers and talking about a massive ride that brought into some amazing terrain and beautiful scenery!

Here is the Garmin GPS log of the ride.

TNDR is here...

There is a new bike ride/race coming to town. It is the Thursday Night Dark Ride or TNDR. It will be going every Thursday night at 9:00 PM until the weather craps out. This is an urban night ride that will incorporate streets, paths, parking lots and more. Distances will range from 30 - 40 KM and will end at some type of pub or casual restaurant for a pint.
... so put the kids to bed, finish studying/working and come on out for some late night racing fun.

The rules are:

1) Obey the rules of the road (stop at lights, signs, etc).

2) You need a headlight and rear flasher. Keep the flasher on steady as it will be a distraction in a group ride setting if it is flashing.

3) Be smart and don't take stupid risk. DO NOT PASS ON PATHS.

4) it is OK to be competitive and there are great sections along this route to hammer, sprint, etc. See above.

5) This is totally unofficial and unsanctioned. Come at your own risk.

6) Encourage others to attend.

7) All bikes (fixed, single speed, road, cross) welcome.

Facebook Group

Route Map


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CONGRATULATIONS to FRANK WOOLSTENCROFT !

Frank went sub 33min (chip time) for a certified distance 10km road race today !!

Congrats Frank, that is mind boggling to me and absolutely braggable. The club will have a shirt made up for you !!

Results here!!

WOW!

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Banff rides Labour Day Weekend V3.0

So 1st change in the plan, new meeting time for Friday ride, 1pm, neither Trev nor I can make it up there before then.

And the 2nd change, the Sunday & Monday rides will be changing place. It works better this way for the driving, particularly on Monday, coming home.

There was snow in Banff today, but the forecast for the weekend is really good, Environment Canada

Friday - Hills in and around Banff this is a fun loop that never takes you far from Banff but will certainly stretch the legs - approx 130km - meet Starbucks Banff Ave 1pm

Saturday - Castle Junction - Radium loop this is a big one four decent climbs and lots of miles - approx 220km - meet Castle Junction 8am

Sunday - Lake Louise to Takkakaw Falls amazing scenery and one of the coolest switchback roads ever, if you haven't seen the falls you will be blown away - approx 110km (will depend on highway construction - meet Village Parking lot 9am. According to the BCAA the construction on the bridge at the bottom of the Kicking Horse pass is still ongoing, so we will make the call on that portion of the ride when we get there. If it proves to be too sketchy we can also return to Louise and ride up to the Chateau and/or Morraine Lake, nice riding as well.

Monday - Spray Lakes loop new ride this year - approx 150km (fair bit of gravel) - meet info Centre Canmore 9am

This schedule will firm up over the next day or so, so keep checking back and/or leave comments if you plan on making any or all of the rides. It is a great time of year to enjoy some scenery and great miles on the bike.

Ironman Aug. 29th

UPDATE: Well, the conditions were the talk of the day as there was a solid headwind down the Keremeos to Osoyoos corridor and the stifling heat. Congrats for any of the brave souls that toughed it out and got the job done.

Simon Forman had a fricken killer day out there! He came out of the water in 1762nd position and proceeded to mow down 1416 on the bike !! Holy Cow.. he left on the run in 346th position and went on a tear crushing a further 196 people to finish in 149th !! WOW !!

A shout out goes to my good friend Ryan Cain from Cranbrook (or as I lovingly refer to it as 'The Trailer Park'), who finally laid down a sweet IMC and finished 2nd age-grouper overall with a super time of 9:33. He was the finisher directly behind another good friend, his ex-Speed Theorist brother Dallas Cain. Both brothers were part of the 'Brookview 6' which sent 3 of the 6 friends to the NHL. So they know how to 'git er dun' !

This athlete tracker is really good if you are looking up a friend for results.

Simon Forman: 942 (10:34)

Wayde Bymoen: 707 (11:11)

Kyle Marcotte: 7 (10:09, looks like his injury was the factor there)

Kevin Aitken: 1502 (12:08)

Jen Mansell: 2600 (13th women overall 10:36)

Ian Pritchard: 945 (11:33)

Cathy Rankin: 3193 (14:27)

Stephen Burke is recruiting young riders.

As most of you know, Calgary is extremely lucky to have Stephen Burke living in our city. He is a super resource if you have a son or daughter that is interested in cycling and wants some more formal training. If the young riders join Synergy, Bicisport, or CycleMeisters, there is possible access to casino funds which can be used to offset the cost of coaching. Stephen is the right coach for your youngster or your paralympic athlete in the family.

I recently got to tap into Stephen's knowledge at a weekend long course and his reputation was not exaggerated at all. I look forward to taking every adult oriented course he puts on and highly recommend him for your youngster.

Here is a message from him:

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Dear Athletes, Parents and Calgary Area Clubs

I just wanted to let you know that I am planning a clinic for new
riders interested in the National Cycling Centre Development Program; for
those who have already started with us over the summer and for the few
people who I have been in touch with regarding the program for the fall. It
will be a good opportunity for everyone to get some cycling experience and
skills before we take a break and resume training in October.

The Clinic will run Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday from 1:00 to 4:00;
Monday will be a Track Focused Day, Tuesday a Road and Wednesday a MTB
Focus. We will provide bikes for the Track Session and you're responsible
to provide a road bike or MTB for Tuesday and Wednesday. If you would like
to rent a bike the Outdoor Program Centre here at the University can rent
bikes (Road or MTB).

Please email me so I can send you a Waiver and Novice Clinic Registration
form (Please note this clinic is Free)

The Clinic will run each day from the Glenmore Velodrome in SW
Calgary. Take Crowchild and exit at 50th Ave SW, Head East and when you see
the Athletic Fields your there...the Velodrome is next to the Skating Rink.

Finally if you have any questions please call me at 403-220-8008
(office) or on my Cell 403-681-9566

Stephen Burke ChPC, BKin
Head Coach National Cycling Centre Calgary

Place at Lakeside Resort and good luck to our IMC bound athletes!

Kevin Aitken has a last minute place to stay in Penticton if someone is looking for one. It is for Aug. 26th - 29th and it is a pimp room with a hot tub. Give him a call at 403-860-4695 if you are interested in going down and watching 'The Big Show'.

Good luck to teammates:

'The most consistently awesome IMC athlete' Kyle Marcotte. #7 (Seriously, look at the results.)

'The swimmer' Simon Forman #942

Cathy 'The Avenger' Rankin #3193

Wayde 'Vin Diesel' Bymoen #707

Are there any more out there?

Also, Mike 'DJ' Godfrey tore up Kelowna Apple Triathlon this past weekend letting 'Slayer' Dan pip him at the sprint to the finish. He took his spot for age-group worlds in New Zealand next year. Watch for a post from him on his annual Sept. long weekend training camp in Banff.

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It's Cross-ember. Let's race.

From Speed Theory Calgary to STC.

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Exclusive STC Cyclocross Deal!

With the road racing season now wrapping up, it’s time to start thinking about what comes next: Cyclocross! To kick off the cyclocross season Speed Theory Calgary will be offering all STC members special pricing on Felt cross bikes. Take your pick between the durable F75X for the reduced price of $1549.99 (regular price is $2049.99), or its lighter weight sibling the F15X at $2649 (regular price is $3599.99). Stock is extremely limited. This offer is exclusive to STC members only and is on a first come first serve basis. All bikes will need to be prepaid and will ship to Calgary the last week of August. Come in for help with sizing if you aren't sure.

For more information on the F75X check out here.

For more information on the F15X check out here.

For more information on this deal or to purchase one of these bikes please send an email to darcy@speedtheory.ca.

Thanks and happy riding!

The Speed Theory Calgary Gang

Lethbridge Road Provincials -- Cat 5 Race Report

Six Speed Theory Cat 5rs made the trip to Magrath, AB for the 2011 Provincial Road Race Championships. Here's my very biased opinion of how it all shook down.

It was pretty evident at the start that Speed Theory and TCR had the two biggest teams in the race, and we were doing the stare-down at each other at the start. However, I was confident that we would have a good showing, because we had Derek Jobson, the Most Interesting Man in the World, on our side.

The course was a 80 km out-and-back, with a $50 KOM on the line at 20 kms and "nice" crosswinds to keep the racing interesting. All teams shared the work at the front to the KOM, and then TCR threw the gauntlet down and the race was on. The climb shattered the group: Derek caught TCR's Robert Savin to claim the KOM, and Robert and me came over the KOM 2nd and 3rd. We hooked up with Derek for about 10 kms, after which three guys: Brent from TCR, Rob from Bici, and Andrew Paul from Bike Bros, bridged up to us. This turned out to be the winning move.

We all worked hard together to stay away. Everyone took a pull in the wind, and we had the echelon working perfectly with the wind. Coming back after the turn it was pretty evident we were going to stay away, because the rest of the cat 5s were in groups of two or three, and some folks were suffering hard on their own. With about 3 km to go Derek launched off the front, stringing us out. I couldn't go with the pace, but was able to keep the leaders in sight. Derek won the sprint, Robert from TCR took 2nd, and Andrew was 3rd. I didn't have the juice to catch Brent, so finished as last man in the break. That was the best road race I've ever been in, and it was a real pleasure to race with all those guys.

Reinier was the next in at 7th (that might also put him up to cat 4), Alan O. rolled in for 10th, Mike Healy was 12th, and Stephen Pickett was 18th.

Darcy

Provincials Road Race... preliminary results!

Rhonda became the Women's road provincial champion today !! Sure her husband crushed it at the Olympics, but now the family has something to be REALLY proud about :) Way to go Rhonda, sweet race and nice riding! They raced the women with the Cat5's today and I look forward to hearing the stories.

Derek extinguished the flames of all other Cat5's hopes and climbed the ladder of the podium to the top spot today. Darcy was sixth. This will send both those two into Cat4. For Darcy it is 'for real' this time!

Dave was 3rd in Cat3 which is awesome.

Harley was the sole Cat2 competitor for us unfortunately. I think I will make a push for us to represent better in that Cat next year (me included). Sorry Harley to leave you teamless for today.

More results to follow as the texts come through from Lethbridge.

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Congratulations Carol and Andy!

Carol Mayne and Andy Holmwood are getting married this weekend in Edmonton...

Garmin Brings Power to the People with Vector

This product has been in the works for many years and so it is great to see it finally coming to market. Garmin bought the technology a few years ago from MetriGear who did not have deep enough pockets to work out all the kinks and get it to market. Looks like it is here, and cheaper than most other power meter systems!

http://garmin.blogs.com/pr/2011/08/garmin-brings-power-to-the-people-with-vector-.html

Very cool!

Some great group ride options for Fri/Sat/Sun.

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Make sure to check out the training forum, there are still some great rides being posted.

Mayor Welch has posted two.

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Lethbridge Road Provincials -- Who's Going and Looking for a Roommate

Hey all,

I don't feel like getting up at some unholy hour next Sunday to get down to Magrath in time for the race, so I've booked a room at the Econo Lodge in Lethbridge on Saturday night. So, I'm looking for a (male) roommate to split the cost. Any takers? Should be about $60. I can also supply transportation.

Also, who all is racing this weekend?

Darcy Cat 5

Cyclist hit by burning fireworks hurt

This was on CBC News today.

Posted: Aug 16, 2011 8:48 AM MT

Police are looking for the person who tossed lit fireworks from a vehicle at three cyclists, causing one to fall from his bike and go into a ditch.

The injured cyclist fractured his arm and needed stitches on his arms and legs.

RCMP officers, who didn't release a description of the vehicle, are looking for witness to the incident.

The cyclists were biking eastbound near Cochrane on Highway 1A, about three kilometers east of Grande Valley Road.

Cochrane RCMP ask anyone with information regarding to contact them at 403-851-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Highwood Pass Ride

Photos by Mayor Welch: