Sometimes, Losing Pays Off

First of all, I have an announcement to make. I am proud to say that as of right now, I am the worst male cyclocross racer in Alberta. Today was the Collective Cross, put together at the last minute by the fine folks at Midweek Mayhem and Veloplzen. Now, as most of you know, my 'cross skills are a little, um, lacking (and that's probably an understatement), so I managed to over-brake in all the corners, screw up all the left turns, and poorly remount to a 30th place finish. Out of 30 finishers. In the Sport class.

But, much to my surprise, my "efforts" did not go unrewarded. A DFL prize in the form of liquid medicine can make a lot of embarrassment go away.

Secondly, a word of advice: don't challenge Marcy to a duel. She may appear all sweet and unassuming on the outside, but on the inside, the competitive fire burns and burns hot. Here's the context.

Saturday was the now-famous Dark Knight Cross, put on by Cyclemeisters, and if you missed it, you missed the funnest race of the year. Now, Marcy and me have gone head to head at Midweek Mayhem a couple of times, and we were in the same category for the DK. Just before the race began, I announced my goal for the race: stay ahead of Marcy. Bad mistake. Marcy proceeded to work me over the entire race. It wasn't even close. Kudos to Marcy.

In amendment to Darcy post above, the photo below sums up my experience at the Dark Knight Cross. [Thomas]

Revelstoke Hill Climb: 2012 Edition

This post is a little late in coming, but I was licking my wounds for awhile. Back on September 9th Harley and me traveled out to Revelstoke for the annual Mt. Revelstoke Steamer Hill Climb. This is a 26 km long climb up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway in Mt. Revelstoke National Park.

Those who were at the 2011 STC Gala will know I threw down a little smack talk at Harley. I had full intentions of beating Harley up the climb this year. However, it was not to be. Harley had a great ride, but I did not...

Harley's time: 1:21.48 (15th Overall)
Darcy's time: 1:29.47 (32nd Overall)

I guess that candle is heading my way...

It's that time of year...

...when the darkness falls upon us earlier every day.

That means Thursday Night Dark Rides (TNDR) are back in action. Here's the details from Joel:

This Thursday we will kick things off at 8:00 PM. Meet outside OJ's (map [blue marker not the red one]). We will do one easy lap to get everyone used to the loop the reconvene back outside OJ's and then do 3 hard laps. The hard laps will start at around 8:20 PM. You can check out the ride I did last week which maps out the course http://tinyurl.com/9rfx7gf

I created a few different segments which can be the sprint points. 

You need to have a light and a flasher. Ride smart. Ride easy across the river bridge and the pathway system. Call out any pedestrians and slow down if need be. The hammer can come out on Sifton, the KOM from the river and the sprint up 20th. These are the "safe" zones. Don't sprint or overtake on the pathways or in traffic. Keep it safe but fast and fun.

here is the facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/events/367666756648837/

BikeCat Cycling Tours Wine & Cheese

I wanted to extend an invitation to all STC Team members to attend a very casual Wine & Cheese event on Tuesday October 9th.  For anyone interested in European bike tours, it should be a must (though I am admittedly biased).  The owner of Girona based BikeCat Cycling Tours (http://www.bikecat.com/), and a close friend to those of us who have been on BikeCat cycling tours, will be in town and will be giving a short presentation on cycling in the various regions of Catalonia.  This is a perfect opportunity to learn from a local about the incredible riding in the region.  We have done four incredible cycling trips with BikeCat and referred many other groups and individuals, all of whom have come back with glowing reports of their adventures.

 

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday October 9, 2012 (note: the Midweek Mayhem CX is Wednesday that week)

Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Location: Ridley’s Cycle (223 10^th Street NW)

If you cannot make it but are interested in learning more, you will get another opportunity to meet and chat to Jaume at the STC Road Warriors Gala on Friday, October 12.

  

About BikeCat Cycling Tours

BikeCat is based in Girona, Spain and specializes in custom cycling tours in and around Girona as well as throughout Catalonia. BikeCat tours are led by local guides who want to share their culture and knowledge of the region with their clients. BikeCat’s focus is on the individual experience and they strive to provide the highest quality service, whether for single-day or multi-day guided rides or all-inclusive week-long cycling tour. All of BikeCat’s tours and accompanying activities are custom designed and tailored to each client or group.

 
If you plan on attending please RSVP to me by return email (matthew.joss@palisade.ca) so we can keep track of numbers.

Crazy huge Cross races tomorrow and Sunday at Deerfoot Park!

Thomas crushing it.

The momentum has reached a fevered pitch and the action in Deerfoot park is going to be amazing!

The biggest category tomorrow will be the 'Sport' class and I think it will have about 60 people starting all at once and heading toward the tight corners all at once! This race starts at 11:00am and has quite a few STC members in it!  The next biggest is the race Thomas, Jared, and I are racing in, which starts at 1:30pm. The really fast crosstastic dudes start at 2:35.

This is a family friendly race environment with mass amounts of laps and tons of fun places to watch. So bring the family down and walk around the course cheering at the barriers, the steep hill, the fast single track, and the tight corners!

Derek playing with fire in his legs and lungs.

Here are all the details. There is also crazy racing on Sunday if you are busy tomorrow.


Trev

Last night's Battle Royale !

It was awesome to watch 'The Cyborg' VS. Darcy last night. Great racing guys !!

Some photos from Midweek Mayhem Race #3

Barriers!

Holy Quads !!

View from about 30seconds after the start. Cool to see it lined out!

Velodrome fun riding and/or races before the Gala?

Guys, I just found out we can rent the Velodrome to use for club instruction and fun. I am planning on renting the facility next year to have the Cat4/5 men and women in there with more experienced riders to have a controlled environment to teach cycling skills without having to contest the noise of traffic or have random BMW's trying to run us off the road.

I was thinking it may be super fun to rent the Velodrome for the few hours before the Gala on Oct. 12th to have some fun and/or silly races all on road bikes. Basically just having fun on bikes. Email me or leave a comment if you think that would be fun to do before we hit Tom's house for the Gala. People could even bring their kids to watch/play with their parents for bit before dropping them off at the babysitter and going to the Gala? If there is no snow, we could have a pick up soccer game for the kids in the in field?

Wheels in Cambodia

Happy End-of-Summer Everyone,

Whether you're a person who loves riding bikes, or you love someone who loves bikes, or you barely tolerate me when I start talking about bikes, I hope you'll find my version of "what I did on my summer vacation" interesting enough to read to the end.

I left for Cambodia on August 18th to work with an organization called the 88Bikes Foundation (check them out at88bikes.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/88bikes). Very simply, 88Bikes provides bikes to kids in developing countries who have been challenged by poverty, war, conflict, disease or other regional hardships. In the case of Cambodia, 88Bikes has partnered with the Somaly Mam Foundation (www.somaly.org) and AFESIP (www.afesip.org) to support women and girls rescued from sexual violence, slavery and human trafficking in three recovery centres in the country. I was the lucky volunteer that went to Cambodia on behalf of 88Bikes to deliver bikes to 300 young women and girls in these recovery centres, to teach them some simple bike maintenance skills, and to ride bikes with them. This was pretty much a perfect summer vacation!

The highlight of the trip was riding with 50+ teenaged girls from the recovery centre in Siem Reap to the temples at Angkor Wat and back. A few things I learned on this ride: 1) 50 teenaged girls make a lot of noise; 2) riding a beater bike in 44C heat at 85% humidity for 3 hours is much harder than Banff Bike Fest; 3) bikes make people happy.

Don't worry, I am not ending this posting by asking for a donation, but if you are interested in learning about 88Bikes, you should check out their website to learn about their other projects around the world and about one of its founders, Dan Austin. I got in touch with 88Bikes after reading about Dan's story at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in 2011. If you are motivated to learn more about modern day slavery and human trafficking, check out the Somaly Mam Foundation and/or read the book Half the Sky by Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

I hope you are all having a great summer as well - Hope to catch up with most of you at spin class next week!

Lesley

 Me with the women who work in the Voice for Change program - survivors themselves, now working as advocates for women and children in communities throughout Cambodia.

 Bike Love! On the ride back from Angkor Wat.

A corral of bikes at the Kompong Cham recovery centre.

MitoCanada Riding on Empty - Ride Report

A great day in the saddle yesterday for everyone. About 15 riders completed the 250 k ride from Bragg Creek to Canmore. A little chilly at the start but it warmed up nicely around Longview. Having a support vehicle with our food and the ability to drop off our jackets was pro. We were joined at the various rest stops by more riders - fresh legs to take us to Canmore.

ST members were Darryl Parry, Kyle Marcotte, Dan Alboiu and Ernie Cosman. We made it to Canmore after about eight and a half hours of riding and average 30 kmh. I think Darryl and Kyle were a little quicker. We met up with the trail runners, those guys ran 100 k from Bragg Creek to Canmore. Darcy Bell and Jeff Krar were there, quietly reflecting on their ordeal or else sleeping with their eyes open, not sure which. 250 k in the saddle was easy compared with their ~18 hour run. Some sage advice from Darcy when I asked him how was his run - "Mike I don't recommend it".

The Legion in Canmore served up some gourmet hamburgers for the after party and awards ceremony.

I'm sure it's not too late if anyone wanted to donate to this worthy cause, see Kyle's post below for the donation link.

Indoor cycling classes for this winter.

I know the Cyclocross season has just begun and the weather is still pretty rad for riding outside, but it is worth starting to think of what you are going to do for training while the daylight hours are short and the temperatures are not super bike friendly.

As most of you know, I teach coached indoor cycling classes all winter. This will be my 6th year! I have been able to develop and constantly tweak a progressive development cycling class that I am extremely proud of. It has turned out that my morning classes are the most popular as most 'corporate' cyclists find that if they don't get their training session in before work, it is really up in the air whether they can squeeze it in after their kids are asleep in the evening.

I have decided to start a new cycling class to mirror my current sold out morning class. This new class will be Wednesday and Friday at 6am. The classes usually runs about 70min long and my cyclists find they can be in the office by 7:30am if they work downtown. They are tailored to have you ready for race season by the end of April.

These classes are not just for the team or for racers, but are open to the public, so if you have a friend that doesn't have a good training option this winter, make sure to let him know about this.

Here is the link to my cycling class link on my website.

Hopefully see a lot of you Tues night at Midweek Mayhem Cyclocross action!!

Trev

Professional photos from the JayLap race!

I asked Adlai Majer of Revolve Photography to come shoot some photos of the JayLap since the Hillclimb and the Crit provide some awesome shooting opportunities and it is good to collect some shots for promotional material for the next year. The club was prepared to pay him for his services. Alternatively, he came up with a super idea. He would donate his time and expertise and host the photos on his site for sale with every penny of the proceeds going to our JayLap Charity with the Parks Foundation.

Pretty generous move on his part and a great way to continue to raise a little money for the JayLap Greenway Project.

Please visit here to see if you are featured in any of the shots and pick it up if you like it!

Thanks Adlai.

Speed Theory Cycling.

Awesome racing tonight!

Jared rocking his new bike!

Two DeadGoats crushing the barriers!

MitoCanada: Riding on Empty

http://www.active.com/running/canmore-ab/mitocanada-running-riding-and-rockin-on-empty-2012


RIDING ON EMPTY ROAD RIDE
250 KM Charity Road Ride for MitoCanada
BRAGG CREEK TO CANMORE (via Longview)
=================================================================
EVENT TIMING:

0600 HRS.  RIDER CHECK-IN

0700 HRS.  LEAVE BRAGG CREEK (START)

0930 HRS. ARRIVE LONVIEW (REST STOP 1)

1130 HRS. ARRIVE AT HIGHWOOD PASS GATES (REST STOP 2)

1330 HRS. ARRIVE AT SUMMIT OF HIGHWOOD PASS (REST STOP 3)

1515 HRS. ARRIVE AT TIM HORTON’S RANCH (REST STOP 4)

1700 HRS.  ARRIVE AT CANMORE (FINSH)

TOTAL RIDING TIME 9 HRS

TOTAL EVENT TIME 10 HRS (1 HRS TOTAL REST TIME)

TOTAL RIDING DISTANCE: 250 KM

=================================================================

GENERAL INFORMATION:

-       This is a largely self-supported charity fun ride to raise awareness and funds for MitoCanada.
-       This event is not a race and there will be no official timing or timing chips during this event.
-       During this event there are 4 rest stops where riders wanting to join the event may enter the ride.
-       All riders must be registered on through the official registration website (Zone 4, see below)
-       Riders are allowed one bag that the support team will transport for them to each rest station along the ride.
-       At each rest station there will be basic rider and bike support items, but each rider is largely responsible for their own support items.
-       At all times safety is the primary priority and all riders are expect to ride in a safe fashion and respect all the rules of riding on an open road that will not have any official traffic control along the route.  Furthermore, all riders participating in this event need to ensure they themselves are safe riders and are confident to participate in an endurance event of this duration.
-       All riders participating in this event must discuss their prior road riding experience with the event coordinator to ensure they choosing the correct distance that matches their riding experience.
-       There are rider cut-off times established for each rest stop.  If a rider in the event is not able to arrive at the rest stop prior to the established cut-off time then they will asked to withdraw from the official event. Transportation to the finish will be arranged for the rider and their bike.  The rider may choose to continue the ride if they wish, but will be doing so in an unsupported fashion and no longer part of the MitoCanada event.

=================================================================
BIKES:

-       For safety of the event there are some basic bike and rider criteria that must be met:
o   Your bike must be in good working condition at the start of the ride as there will be no mechanics available for a last minute tune-up before the ride.
o   No fixed gear or single speed bikes.  No recumbents.  No mountain bikes or bikes with a flat handle bar. Basically you can ride a road or triathlon bike.
o   Each rider must carry with them a spare tube and way of inflating the tube (CO2/pump) and if the rider is using non-clincher rims they must carry a spare tire and be able to change it confidently on their own.
o   Each rider must ride with some way of carrying liquids on their bike or body (water bottles/camelback).
o   All riders must be prepared to ride in extreme conditions and carry adequate attire with them as the conditions dictate.

=================================================================
REST STOPS:

-       There are 4 planned rest stops along the course route
-       At each rest stop the rider’s bag will be available to them so they can get any supplies they require
-       At each rest stop extra riders may join the group
-       Riders are expected to bring their own nutritional supplies as there will only be a limited amount available at each rest stop
-       At each rest stop the following will be available for all riders to use
o   Extra water
o   Basic medical supplies
o   Foot pump for inflating tires
o   Spare tubes, CO2, tires and patch kits
o   Basic bike maintenance tools

=================================================================
COURSE DETAIL

-       This 250 km ride should be considered and extreme endurance event and only expert riders should consider the full distance.
-       Riders not doing the full 250 km distance are welcome to join the event at any of the rest stops.  These riders should arrive at the rest stop 1 hour prior to the arrival time of the rest stop to ensure they have adequate time to prepare and leave with the other riders.
-       Riders do not have to ride together in a peloton, but riders entering the event must start at a rest stop and inform the event organizers of their arrival.
-       A course map is available here:
o   http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5377237

=================================================================
COURSE TIMING
    START LONGVIEW HWP GATE SUMMIT TIM HORTONS FINISH
START TIME (HRS) 07:00:00 09:33:00 11:24:00 13:32:00 15:18:00 17:08:00
CUT OFF TIME (HRS) 07:00:00 10:33:00 12:24:00 14:32:00 16:18:00 18:08:00
REST TIME (MIN) 0.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 60.00
MOVING TIME FOR STAGE (HR/MINS) 2 hrs 33 mins 1 hr 36 mins 1 hr 53 mins 1 hr 31 mins 1 hr 35 mins 9 hr 8 mins
MOVING TIME FOR STAGE (HR) 2.55 1.60 1.89 1.51 1.59 9.14
TOAL TIME FOR STAGE 2.55 1.85 2.14 1.76 1.84 10.14
STAGE DISTANCE (KM) 68.90 43.20 37.70 60.34 39.86 250.00
EST AVG SPEED (KM/H) 27.00 27.00 20.00 40.00 25.00 27.8
DISTANCE REMAINING 250.0 181.1 137.9 100.2 39.9 0.0


=================================================================
EVENT REGISTRATION

- All riders must register through the official event registration page.

http://www.active.com/running/canmore-ab/mitocanada-running-riding-and-rockin-on-empty-2012

=================================================================
EVENT INFORMATION (Facebook)

- Event information will be posted on this Facebook Event page.

https://www.facebook.com/events/256211114468453/

=================================================================
EVENT FUNDRAISING PAGE

- Although there is no requirement that riders raise a certain amount of money for MitoCanada, they are encourage to let others know about the ride and the goal to raise money for MitoCanada.

https://sna.etapestry.com/fundraiser/MitoCanada/roeum2012/


Safe Travels,

Tues Night Cyclocross !! Midweek Mayhem

Team, we have a large amount of club members participating in the Tuesday night CX series!  As of Mon night, there are 10 in the A Group and 10 in the B Group.

One of the best aspects of this series is how family friendly it is. There are going to be a TON of cyclists out enjoying local parks. If you want to bring your family down to watch, this is a super spectator friendly sport, with short loops and lots of grunts and crashes.

Here is the schedule where all the races take place. Sept 4th is at Laycock park at 6:30pm. Come out and cheer on the team, bring the family, and have a great time!

Trev

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park Fundraiser Run

Team, there is a fundraiser run at the new Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park coming up. The fundraiser is to complete the pathway link from Calgary to Cochrane through the Park.

I was there with Marcy on Thursday and we filmed a big portion of it. All the cyclists in my classes will get to see the amazingness of the park even if they haven't been there themselves yet.

Marcy at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park

Here is the link to the run.

If you get a chance to ride down there, take it. I was amazed at how good of a job the Province has done with keeping the infrastructure toned down and making it still feel like you are out in the middle of nowhere.

Trev

Emerald Lake Ride -- Sunday, September 2

Just a reminder...

Sunday morning. Time: 9:00am. Meeting spot: Laggen's Bakery in the Lake Louise Mall:  Emerald Lake ride. This is a beauty. The plan is to ride to Emerald Lake and have an amazing meal over-looking the amazing view. Then ride back. Or meet your spouse at the restaurant and have a super meal and drive home. It isn't that long of a ride, so if we all split up, no big deal.