Polar Bear

Anyone doing this ride? I'm thinkin' 'bout it...

Hendersonville Cross Recap

This weekend was the UCI sanctioned NC Grand Prix in Hendersonville, NC. The course was at Jackson Park. The course was challenging with a barrier section, a run-up with steps/barriers, single-track style hill with leaves all over it, and the "wall." The "WALL" is a steep hill right out of a corner and off a paved parking lot that is rideable with a lot of speed.

Sirena and I both raced at 10:45AM and Saturday's weather was picture perfect. Sirena's race was a women's CX3-4 and the competition was ramped up for this. I had 61people in my race. I think Sirena had 25+. I got a bad start and had trouble getting clipped in. I had a good opening lap. On the second lap I over-cooked a muddy corner and went down. I regrouped and on the third lap I was passing a junior and called out "on your right." Once I was close to the junior he swerved sideways into me and we both went down on the gravel road. I did a split and the junior landed on my left knee. Needless to say I was hurting. I finished 29th. Sirena hung tough and finished 18th. She had a stacked field and did well.

Sunday's (today's) weather was nasty in Hendersonville. It was cold, rainy, and the course was getting muddy. I was out with my left leg hurting and my knee swollen. Sirena per-rode the course and decided to opt out. She said she didn't have it in her and we packed up and headed for W-S. I think she is somewhat burned out. I have never seen her quit a race before.

Anyway, the last cross race of the fall series is in W-S at Tanglewood Dec 6th.

Chancey

Matt Gfeller Memorial 5K Doughnut Run

Matt was a freshman at RJR high school who died during his first football game as a Demon. In addition to many other events organized to remember Matt, a 5K seemed a good way to highlight Matt's love of sport and...Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Jill and I live a stones-throw from RJR High School, and even though I am a Mt. Tabor Spartan through-and-through, we feel a certain attachment to the school in the neighborhood. When we heard of this 5K, we knew we'd do it. To our surprise, the race had a hitch: runners had the option of entering as "challengers" or as "casual." Challengers were required to eat 6 hot'n'nows at the halfway point, then run to the finish. Casual runners were under no such burden.

Jill and I both decided to enter as casual, because as good as KK doughnuts are the first time they pass your lips, we had no interest in seeing if they were as good or better the second time around. This actually happened to MANY who entered as challengers.

To the race: The sun was out, with temps in the upper 50s to low 60s by the start. At the gun, the racers - differentiated only by RED or BLACK numbers on their bibs - took off. With most of the climbing in the first mile, I knew this was where most of the race would be decided. The throngs surged ahead however, and I was pacing well to stay in the top 40.

At the halfway point, every single person ahead of me veered to the left toward the doughnut tables - all challengers. As a casual runner, I could opt for 0 - 5 doughnuts. The challengers started squishing KKs and shoving them in their mouths while chugging water. Before I realized it, I made the turn and was heading back to the start/finish...in 1st place and with no doughnuts in my stomach (or tucked between my gums and cheeks).

This is one of the great thrills of sport, to be in first, even if for only a moment. It is almost confusing, because most of the time we are playing our position off of those around us: listening to breathing, for shifts of gears, for the whoosh-whoosh of someone with carbon wheels standing to pedal...

This glory was short-lived, as by mile 2.5 I was passed by two runners: young whippersnappers who were barely even trying. No one else came by, and when I looked back at mile 3 no one was there.

Coming to the finishing straight, my friend Kristin snapped a shot and it's below. I landed 3rd overall, but as a casual runner, I don't command the respect or admiration (rightly so) of those who slammed down 6 hot doughnuts and ran it on home. The first challenger was only about 1 minute behind me. Impressive!

Memorial RIde from High Point

How can a 70 degree day in Mid November get any better? Well, how about 2 & riding for an awesome cause as to remember a fallen cyclist. Today, Chad, Jimmy, Dave, Richard & I participated in the Memorial ride in HP for the Dave who was killed by a motorist in GSO less than a month ago.

I was under the impression it was going to be a "recovery" ride, but when >500 people showed, it quickly apparent that some of the big boys had come to play & show off their Mid-Nov form. (Bert, we needed you!!)

I took my video camera thinking I would be able to practice my skills. I got 2 clips before we left & 1 on the bike (below) before that dang thing became weight I didn't need to be dragging around.

I will never be able to give this ride the credit it deserves nor wax as poetically as Professor Bert, so I'll leave it as this. Here's the video before my eyes started bleeding....

Pilot Mountain Team Training Ride

Saturday, November 14 was an epic day.

First, when does one get a 70 degree day in Mid-Nov?

Secondly, how often does one have sag support for a team training ride? (Thanks Lisa)

Bert, CHad, Kevin, Jimmy, John O'Leary & myself had all of the above & more yesterday. It was awesome. As Bert has stated in the post ride email, I had one of my best days ever. (losing 17ish lbs makes a difference going up any hill, much less trying to stay on O'Leary's wheel) Bert's new power meter is helping him go to new heights(no pun intended) but it's not helping his calves any. Jimmy had been hooked up to an IV just 24hrs prior to the ride & made it. (Jimmy, you know the pro's have stuff put INTO them, not taken out) Chad's diesel was firing on all cylinders & Kevin never seems to have a lull in his riding. Kev, thanks for the encourgement.

Good weather, good friends & a safe ride, what could be better?

Lisa took a couple of videos from the car & I'm attempting to attach.

Salisbury Cross Report

Today was the cross race at Salisbury Community Park. It was HOT! The course was fast and roadie-friendly. Team members Charlie, Danny, Sirena, and myself raced. The course was relatively flat and two woods sections and two barrier sections.

Charlie raced the master's race and did well. He rode strong and his Waterford Steel Cross bike looked fantastic. Danny raced the men's CX3 race and did well. Danny did ~100+ miles yesterday and then raced cross today...impressive.



Sirena raced the women's CX4 race and had 15+ in her group. She got a good start and was 4-5th after one lap. She had a tough second lap but regrouped after that. She begab reeling people in and in typical Sirena-style was mashing on the pedals in the bigring. With two laps to go she was 4th. With one to go she was in sight of 3rd. She closed in on 3rd but ran out of time at the line. Sirena finished a strong 4th and is riding well.

I did the men's CX4 race. There were 50 racers in my group. It was HOT and I started near the back. I got a good start and was midpack after one lap. I had moved up to the top 20 after two laps. My side-stitch flared up again and was troublesome the last two laps. With one lap to go I was ~15th (per Sirena). On a nasty 180-degree off-camber corner I lost it and hit the deck. I lost two spots but remounted quickly. On the last lap I caught a few more people and finished 13th.

It was painful and fun!

Boone Cross Report

The third race of the NC Cyclocross Fall Series was this Sunday in Boone, NC at Hawsnest Ski Resort. Literally, it is at an old golf course and you are racing on the side of the moutain. It was typical Boone weather...cold, misty, foggy, and there was MUD EVERYWHERE. It had rained for two straight days and I have never seen anything as muddy as this. Picture any video clip of the Oregon cross scene and you would have this race. The course was very challening and then throw in the mud and you have a race of survival. The course had long straights with deep mud and standing water. There were a lot of short step hills, an off-camber hill that was not really rideable, and a run-up that was very muddy and slick. There was one barriers section, a sand pit, and lots of fans screaming at you when you didn't make it up the hill.

Sirena raced the women's CX4 race and had around 15 racers (I think). She got the hole shot and held it to the barriers. However, she came into the barriers with too much speed and hit the deck dismounting. She regrouped and was 8th after the first lap. She reeled in racers and had moved up to 4th entering the last lap. Sirena was able to ride many of the muddy areas others weren't. The course was very much a power course. On the final run-up she had moved to 3rd. Coming down the final straight she could see 2nd but the ugly, thick mud reared up and snagged her. She crossed the line 4th!

I raced the men's CX4 and we went last. The course was torn up by then and the mud was getting worse. There were around 35+ racers in my group. I lined up near the back and got a bad start. A couple of racers went down in front of me and I had to dismount and run the first straight. I had a good opening lap and had moved up to around 20th. On the second lap I began to notice mud collecting on my brakes/wheels/tires. I had really bad tires for muddy conditions. They are knobby and collect mud. At the start of the final lap I had to stop twice to clean off mud from my wheels. Entering the final lap I had moved up to 15th. I had to stop again and 3-5 racers passed me. I was having a real hard time getting clipped in as well. Coming down the last straight my bike LOCKED UP! I could not pedal it. I had to get off my bike and run/walk to the finish line. Travis from Clemmons Bike Shop passed me! We have good battles in cross and he got me today. I have never ridden in anything like that!

Next weekend is Charlotte/Salisbury.

Chancey

Cyclocross Weekend

This past weekend saw Sirena and myself participate in the opening weekend of the Fall NC Cyclocross races in the Raleigh area. Saturday's race was in Cary, NC at Bond Park and Sunday's race was in Raleigh at Lions Park.
Saturday's course was technical and had a crazy off-camber hill in which you rode halfway down, had a 90-degree uphill turn and dismount to run-up this steep hill. At the top of the hill there was a 180-degree turn to the right and you had to remount your bike while descending down this steep hill. The bottom of the hill had a 90-degree left-hand turn...you had to SLOW DOWN to make it. Well, the rain held off until my race...more on that later. Sirena raced the women's CX4 race and took home 4th! She was super-strong and stayed up except for one crash at the nasty hill (oh, she did crash and do a split in warm-ups though). My race (the men's CX4) saw 60+ racers line up and the the sky opened up. It began raining at the start line and did not let up until after the race. It was muddy, nasty, and downright scary. The race was shortened due to lightning. That retarded hill saw me crash over and over. I crashed a total of 6 times during that race. A dude's front-wheel got caught in-between my chainring and fork. Needless to say I finished midpack or worse:(

Sunday's race was much more roadie-friendly and had lots of turns and long stretches. The entire backside was uphill. Sirena finished a strong 6th out of 15+ women. She stayed up the entire time and rode well. My race had 60+ again and I got lined up at the back of the group at the start line...a no-no in cyclocross. After an uphill start it went into a woods section that was single-file. The leaders were gone after the start! I started at the back and worked my way up to the front third by the end. I had a much better race and stayed up. I think I might adopt the strategy of starting at the back and seeing how many people I can pass...a lot more fun than the craziness of being at the front of a cross race.

Anyway...next weekend is Boone!

Chancey

New Digs

All CLMers are invited to come and see the new digs. The new townhouse is located at 117 Chrisfield...directly across from Calvary Baptist Church on Peacehaven Rd. Hopefully the move-in process starts Tuesday, with the heavy lifting occurring Wednesday. Feel free to come by Tuesday afternoon/night. Anyone with decorating skills is hugely needed.
Oh, anyone with extra furniture feel free to share!!

Later!
Chancey

Salem Lake 10K Race Report

Salem Lake 10K Race Report - September 26, 2009

Well, it was a fun day in the wet at Salem Lake. This race is a combination 10K/30K, depending on your preferred level of suffering. The 10K course, completed by Amy, Jill, Chris Gibby, and me is essentially 90% of 1 lap around the lake. The hard-packed dirt course is mostly flat, but tosses in one hill and a few rollers to keep you on your toes. The weather was perfect for a longer run - temps in the mid to low 60s with a mist and little wind.

Chris has been training all summer for a half-ironman, so his form is quite good. Jill and Amy have done this distance a few times before, so their preparation was also looking strong. I, on the other hand, had not run this distance in 2009 and honestly, I think it has been since 2007 or so since I raced at the 10K distance. I did manage to run the course with Chris on Wednesday, but I was still sore from that. Moving on...

At the start, Chris and I discuss a 7:30/mi pace, moving to 7:15 or 7 at the 3 mi mark. Unfortunately (or fortunately) we didn't do that at all. Caught up in the speed at the start, we cleared the 3 mi mark at 20:28, so were a few minutes ahead of scheduled pace. Not insignificantly, I took a misstep over a rock around mile 1 and inverted my ankle. I didn't fall, but definitely stumbled. It twinged for a few minutes, then I felt no more pain (until later...).

At mile 3, Chris starts to hold a slightly quicker pace, about 101% of my capability. Our small pack of runners (6-8) had now thinned to 3...one guy was simply using us to pace his run (he later told us his goal was 6:40/mi and we were close to that). Around mile 5, I accepted the fact that I could not hold this pace all the way in. We were already way ahead of our projections, so I was happy with that. I encouraged Chris to go on, and he moved ahead of me by about 20 seconds.

At the finish, one guy came out of nowhere and slipped between Gibby and me, but no matter - we were both very happy to run right at 42 minutes. I believe Chris was 42:11 and I was probably 15-20 seconds off that. This was a surprisingly fast time for us, landing Chris 3rd in his age group and me 2nd in mine.

The girls were racing well also. Jill's last run on this course was around 72 minutes, and I heard her mumble a few things about a PR today. She likes running the mist/rain and especially when it is cool, so you never know. In her post-race interview, she admitted a little left knee pain that may have slowed her down, but she and Amy also kept watch over a fellow runner who was feeling faint in the last half-mile. Kudos to them for improving on their time (around 67 minutes this year) and keeping watch over their fellow runner!

Now at home, I realize my ankle is sprained, maybe Grade III but definitely Grade II. I'm glad I didn't feel it until the end, because that was a wonderful race and a great experience with a strong racing companion - Chris. Check out the pics below...

Walnut Cove Reports and Pictures

The weather was beautiful today in Walnut Cove. Despite being busy the whole time I was able to take a couple of pictures.

Danny raced a tough cat 3 race and finished in the top ten. Ritchey Nance ended up winning this race. Danny's second race of the day was the Men's 35+ race.

Beverly finished 3rd in a hard women's 3/4 race.

I didn't get a picture of Michael Berry who raced a tough 50+ race. I thought the guy that won was a cat 2 or a cat 1.

Our friend Ben Swaim made a great attack during the cat 3 race.

Congratulations to our team mates and friends racing so well today in Walnut Cove.

US Pro Championships

Sirena and I went to the US Pro Championships in Greenville, SC this past Sunday (Aug 30). It was a blast! We got to see George Hincapie win his 3rd national road champioship. It was pretty cool that it was in his adopted hometown of Greenville. We did the VIP viewing at the start/finish at if you ever go to a national cycling event it is the way to go. We had a covered tent with chairs, a flat screen tv to watch the race, lunch, beverages, etc. It was great to be at able to get to the start/finish line at watch Hincapie, DZ, the Gramin squad, Floyd Landis and the Ouch team, RockRacing, team BMC, Kelly Benefits Strategies, etc. Team Mtn Kyakis was there (minus Mark though).

We did the Stars and Stripes charity ride (presented by P3 to raise $ for the Lance Armstrong Foundation) early Sunday morning before the pro race. We got to ride the same course as the pros and did Paris Mtn. The course was 22 miles long. There were around 500 charity riders on the course. Sirena and I had no idea what to expect of Paris Mtn but it wasn't that bad. Paris Mtn was around 2 miles long (maybe more?) but it isn't nearly as bad as any of the mountains around here. It is only steep at the top. We had a blast and would do it again in a heartbeat.

USA cycling announced at the race that the US Pro Championships will be in Greenville, SC again next year!

Anyone Seen Dwayne

Monday Night Ride

For the second consecutive Monday night ride we lost Dwayne Henderson. Has anyone seen Dwayne? He vanished with Dr. Rob this time.. He is wire thin, about 6'2'' tall and weighs around 160-170lbs. He is a climbing machine last seen wearing a paceline kit. He has been known to donn extremely tight cycletherapy bibs. Anyone with knowledge of Dwayne's location please contact CLM.

Thank you and have a good night!

Ramblin' Rose!

Here are a few pics from the 2nd Annual Winston-Salem Ramblin' Rose Triathlon. This is a women-only event put on by Endurance Magazine. The race was huge, with over 500 participants this year.

Jennifer Fox and Jill Grant raced in the famous blue 'n white kits for PVS. I believe this was Jennifer's first tri, and she really did well. Jill raced this course last year, and beat her previous time by around 4 minutes, so both ladies really showed up to race!

Saturday Ride!

Many team members were able to make it to the ride this morning. We did a slightly diminished version of the Lewisville Metric Century. We also had a few MOB riders, plus Joe, the Man in Pink.

All was peaceful until we started getting to a few rainshowers. The roads became wet, and several riders ditched their water-spotted shades. No fireworks yet, but round mile 30, Kelly Holmes started to ramp it up with his MOB teammate Jerry (?). We closed it down pretty quickly - as there is no other way to close down a Kelly-driver break or you will never see him again - and started rotating between 30 and 34 mph. Whew.

Returning to civilization, we arrived at the base of Powerline hill. I moved to the front in attempts to set a pace fast enough to keep attacks at bay but not so much to be overcooked. About halfway up, I moved off the front while Charlie, Kelly, Jerry, Scott, Joe and Bert rolled through. I missed the kick at this point and a chunk of us were left with a gap to close on those speedsters.

Coming back into Lewisville, I teamed up with Chancey, Richard, Chad, Kevin, and Jimmy to try and close the gap. Of course, if you noticed the names in the preceding paragraph and know those characters, you knew it wasn't coming back. We rolled into Lewisville as separate groups but smiling and happy to get in such a good ride on a drizzly day.

There is talk of a Sunday recovery ride, so watch your email!

Hanes Park Cat 4 Write-Up

The Hanes Park Crit took place today. It was only the hottest day of the year but we had new pavement!! Someone smiled on us and they (DOT) paved around West End. The day was a full day of racing leading up to an NRC pro men/women race(s).

The men's cat 4 race went off at 9:30AM and there were around 40 people in the race. The course was great and was actually run with the park to our left. It was nice having the start/finish line around MOB and a few businesses. The best part about it was the numerous shade trees!! The race was good and PVS was well represented with Bob, Pat, Scott, Kevin, Jim, and myself (sorry if I missed anyone). The pace was fast but nothing crazy. The long hill in front of Reynolds High School got troublesome after countless times up it. Our team looked good. There was one wreck during the race with a couple of races going down but nothing major. I decided to take a flyer with three laps to go and attacked at the bottom of the hill. I held on for one lap + but was caught at the hill. I went really hard and blew up. On a side note, I won the Mountain Khaki prime (only to realize it after the race). The pace picked up the last two laps and I barely hung on to the back of the pack. I think all PVSers finished safe and strong. I think 35 people finished our race and I was 33! I'll take it...stayed on two wheels and won a prime! Bring on cyclocross.

Oh, Dr. Rob Payter finished fourth in the men's cat5 race...I think it was his first crit! Sara, Robin, Lynn, Monti, and Beverly raced the women's cat 3/4 race and looked strong. Sara took numerous flyers off the front. Sirena and the MOB girls were in with the PVS women. Sirena finished 10th and was in the money.

Chancey

Interesting Reads

While everyone is prepping for the upcoming Crossroads Classic races I thought I might post a couple of links.

This one is from bicycling.com. It's an interesting read about Greg Lemond and the author.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-3-9-20350-1,00.html

I know there are other wood manufactures out there, but this one is cool too. Charlie should add this to his collection.

http://www.renovobikes.com/

Good luck to all that are racing.

The Future?

Snapped on a recent group ride, Bert's youngin' was seen closing a gap in the peloton. Just like his old man.

The View from My Bike: PTO Road Race

It goes without saying that the PainPathways/PVS cycling team was serious about making a good showing at our signature event. In the 4/5 35 and under road race, Chancey, Dwayne and I lined up with a few friends (60+) to roll 39 or so miles in the heat. Last year, Cat 4, and Cat 5 road races were separate events. This time 'round, the Cat 4 and Cat 5 guys were together, which promised an interesting event. I predicted that half the group would be lost before the last lap, and I wasn't too far off.



The COURSE: Approximately 13 mile loop. Containing mostly flat to rolling terrain with one scenic lake crossing. Two climbs, effectively back-to-back were located about 4-5 miles from the finish.



Rolling through the neutral zone, chatter was pleasant and lively. However, as we got to the course and went "live," things changed immediately. The pace climbed into the mid-20's and stayed there. As this was a 4/5 race, there was some yo-yoing with plenty of brake-tapping. I was riding in the top 10 for the first lap (to avoid the yo-yoing), just sitting on and watching riders attack, dangle out front, then slowly slide back to the peloton. This went on 3 or 4 times over the first two laps. Usually, only one or two attackers went off, and no one panicked.



However, when 3 riders went off on the first lap, I decided to bridge up to them and give it a go. It was a let down, as when I got there, they announced there were sitting up. Back into the peloton, we knew we'd need to wait a bit longer.



Finally, on the last lap I moved to the front and started to push the pace a bit. Climbing a low hill to Ridge Rd., the kid behind me said "you might as well back off, it isn't worth it." Yeesh. Is this a group ride or a race? Just then, a guy I met at the start line, Lee, comes up beside me and says "Let's go man, I gotcha." I hop on his wheel and before we knew it, the loudmouth kid was out of earshot. Lee, not realizing he'd opened up such a gap, said to me "Hey, we're in a break!" I confirmed his statement, then we put our heads down and hit it.



We had a nice crosswind, but were still about 9 miles from the finish - a long way for two Cat 4/5 guys. Lee did more pulling than I could, but we worked well together, going as hard as we could. Our break survived for 5 miles before I spied a small group of chasers coming up to us. I told Lee, and we agreed to push hard until they caught us. When they did, one said "There are 5 of us here, let's go!" About that time, I got a message from my legs that said be careful.



Crunch time. We still had the two hills to go, with a big downhill rush to the first one. A pack of 40 can go down a hill pretty well, so our group of 7 was potentially out-gunned. The goal was to get over the two hills before the peloton got to us - that would leave just ~3 miles to the finish - most of it flat. On the first hill, I started to fade and couldn't pull through our paceline. I moved off and realized we'd already dropped one guy and another came off with me. My cohort Lee was still in there and heading to hill #2.



At the top of the first hill, the peloton crept up and I jumped in - happy to see Chancey and our friend Dwayne. Dwayne was near the front, and seemed strong, while Chancey and I agreed we were hurting (he'd raced all weekend). On the second hill, I faded just a bit. Encouraging 3 guys around me, we worked together to get back on the peloton and tried to get set for the sprint.



With 1km to go, the full two lanes of the road were ours (we were only allowed one lane up to that point). Riders were tired, so the speed was not terribly high right away. As we closed in on the finish line, I was actually in good position, maybe 3rd wheel here, then 5th wheel a bit later. Finally, the group started to accelerate and rumble to the finish. I tried to stand and sprint, but cramps closed that down pretty quickly. I lost a few positions in the last 100 meters, but am truly happy to have stayed upright!



Two of the guys from our breakaway of 7 stayed away and went 1,2. For some reason, I am proud of that, even though they aren't on our team.



Hopefully I will post pics later, but the experience was great. Hot, hard, fun, and rewarding.

Omnium Write-UP

First off, the omnium was a lot of fun. Jim did a great job. Special thanks to all those who assisted in making this a great event.

Crit-
Friday night was the crit race. I did the under 35 4/5 race with Dwayne Henderson from CycleTherapy, Kem Newman from Gita Bikes, and Lee from UNCA. The field was huge and we went off at 8:35PM. It was dark and there was a huge group of fans at the finish line. The race started off fast and on the third lap a rider went down in turn one. Dwayne and I were behind it and had to come to a crawl. Dwayne got on my wheel and we blizted it back to the field by the finish line. The race stayed together from there but it was highly unsafe. Mix in a bunch morons racing in the dark and you get craziness. There were around 4-5 wrecks during the race. I made it to the front and tried to pull back a break of 3-4 riders. Coming around turn one I hit a bump in the road and both my hands slipped off the wheel. I thought I ate it but my shoulder caught the bars and I somehow stayed up. I had to hop on the sidewalk once to avoid a rider half-wheeling another rider. At one point with ~3-4 laps to go these two cycling saints around me began cussing each other and I thought they were going to come to blows. There were so many people in the race I had a difficult time getting to the front. On the last lap I let the group go and finished at the back of the pack. Dwayne and Kem were up with the group.

TT-
Saturday morning was the time trial around DCCC. I went off at 10:21AM. I missed my 10:11 start time because no one told me we needed new numbers for the TT. The TT course was challenging and we had to do the RR course backwards. There was a head wind on Ridge Rd. The course was around 13 miles and hilly. I did the TT on my road bike without aero bars or an aero helment. I averaged 22+mph and did it in 35:22. I was pleased with that effort. I ended up 15th in my group.
Pat Rimon rocked the 35+ 4/5 group and was in the top five (I think). Jimmy, Chad, Scott, Bert all had good showings. Sara Tussey and Deb put in strong performances as well. Robin and Ritchie did the tandeem TT and I think Michael and Lynn Berry as well.

Special note-Dr. Rob Paynter did great on his first TT with a sub 35 minute TT without any aero equipment. Dwayne Henderson rode strong as well.

Street Sprints-
Saturday night marked the street sprints. This was the event that scared me because I knew nothing about it. It was on the finishing straight of the crit in downtown Lexington. We raced the straight backwards. The sprint was ~500 meters and slightly downhill. We raced into a head wind and drizzle during the event.
I raced in the under 35 4/5 with Kem (Gita) and others. The first heat had 8 riders and Kem took off from the gun. I got on his wheel immediately and we raced to the line. I sprinted around him but he got me on the line by a wheel (photo finish). Kem and I moved on to the final. In the 35+ 4/5 race Mitch, Scott, Chad, Bert, and Kevin (think that is all all were there. Dr. Rob joined them. After several heats Mitch, Scott, and Bert all made the finals. I think Mitch and Scott both finished in the top 4. I think Bert got 5th. In the women's sprint Sara Tussey had a strong showing and made it to the finals. Sirena (MOB) won her second heat and made the finals.
In my final I got a horrible start because I wasn't ready and was way late off the line. I ended up 6th overall in the sprints. Kem won my division (impressive). Sirena was also 6th in the women's field.
Oh, I think the Hooters girls only dropped one racer at the start. They did flee when the rain started though!

RR-
Sunday was the final day and brought with it the RR. We all know the course with the challenging hills on Clodfelter and the head wind on Ridge Rd. Bring with it the insanely hot temps and huge fields and we had ourselves a race!
Doing the under 35 4/5 included E-Rich, Dwyane, Lee, Kem, Eric Phillips (Clemmons) and myself. Our field was huge and we went off at 10:40am. The race was 3 laps and around 39 miles. For the first two laps I was barely hanging on and E-Rich and Dwayne looked strong up front. On the second lap E-Rich and Lee took huge digs and got a big gap on Ridge Rd. They had what seemed to be a 1/4 mile lead on us. I tried my best to slow the pack. E-Rich held the break until the final climb on Clodfelter. E-Rich got to the back of the pack and recovered. By this time the peloton had dwindled down and was left to around 20-30 of us. Kem cramped on the last climb and Eric Phillips got off. Dwayne came to the front and was leading down the final straight. I came to the front and tried to relieve Dwayne. I led until past the 1K line and the rode opened up for the sprint. A guy came around me and cut me off. He leaned on me and I began leaning heavily on him. I was looking at the ground and thought I was about to hit the deck. I didn't panic and regained my balance. After that close call I dropped back and ended up ~15th. I finished right behind E-Rich and in front of Dwayne. E-Rich rode awesome! He was in the break, got caught, recovered, and the sprinted to a great finish.
In the men's 35+ 4/5 race we had Scott, Pat, Chad, Danny, Kevin, Bert, etc. The entire PVS train was there (except for Mitch who didn't pre-reg and the field was full at 75 riders). Don't know the results but hope everyone did well.

Omnium Write-UP

RR Pictures

I think there were at least 8-9 in the 4/5 +35. Unfortunately I didn't pre-register and didn't make the cut. The field was full at 75.

Jim at the start telling the guys to "think" during the race. Chad is already wiping the sweat off of his brow. Not a good sign.

And they are off.

The final parting shot. Chancey and Erich rode the 4/5 35 under. Sounds like they put in an awesome effort. I'm sure Erich will post later. I tried to ask Erich details, but he fell asleep before I had a chance. Jill said to just let him sleep. I tried to ask Chancey as well, but he was too busy talking about the pretty ants on the ground.

I'm not sure of the final overall results from the weekend, but when they are posted I will put them up here.

Omnium Results

I rode the Cat 4/5 35+ along with about Bob Land, Danny, Todd, Scott, Chad, Kevin and Bert from the team. I haven't seen the official results yet, but everyone made a good showing. The prize of the day goes to Scott who won a prime that I think was worth $25 to MOB.

On a side note, I signed my first autograph tonight(poor kid). I know Scott signed one too, but that probably was not his first.

Great job Jim on the organization and execution of the race. That had to be the most attended crit race that I have been a part of.

Good luck to everybody today on the TT and Street Sprints and the RR tomorrow.

Omnium time! I'm doing the TT and the RR and will be setting up and taking down the street sprints on Sat. If anyone wants to help the set up will be 3-5 PM and the break down will be 8-10PM. Call me at 671-1488 if you can help! Pat

The Omnium!

I think we're all excited about the return of THE Piedmont Triad Omnium. Last year, the race was a huge success, especially considering it was our first year. With Jim at the helm, and with much of the team volunteering AND racing, we're set for a great weekend.

What I want to know is: Who's doing what?

I'm racing on Sunday, and working a medical tent most other moments. Anyone else?

More Nationals Pictures

Nationals Pictures

Thanks for the pictures Charlie.

Yesterday Sara Tussey, Lynn Berry and Pat Roberts all raced in Road Race National Championship races. All three team members were in different age bracket races and all three finished on the podium for their own race.

Later the same day Sara Tussey and Daryl Rains raced in one tandem road race. They placed 4th against some tough competition.

Lynn and Michael Berry raced in another category and will both be sporting Stars and Strip Jerseys when they return home as they finished in first place.

Congratulations to all of these brave team members representing us at the National Championship events in Kentucky.

regards,

Charlie

Tour de France Fantasy League

I am going to be doing some sort of Tour de France Fantasy "league" for this years Tour. I am not sure exactly how I am going to do it or what the criteria is, but I will come up with something over the next few days. I'm not going to make it too complicated, basically just points probably for the podium finishers, maybe KOM and sprinters points. Like I said, I'll figure it out by Thursday and post it on here.

To get people interested I am going to be offering up a $25 gift certificate to Paceline Bicycles for the winner. To make this happen there will be need to be at least 10 people participating so hopefully I'll get a good response once the league rules are solidified.

Bert's ACE POV

The following is Bert's perspective of the Ace Speedway crit on Tuesday......

How to dominate Ace -- even at breakneck speeds:

1) Round up seven teammates. You can't go wrong with Scott, Jim, Pat, Chad, Dave, Kevin, (and me). Even if one of them is in Kannapolis, convince him that driving more than two hundred miles, to Altamahaw and then home, rather than simply going home and doing the local ride, is the right thing to do.

2) Carpool. Cramming three teammates in one vehicle can lead to talking smack, self-delusional talk of game-winning strategies, and talk of baboons copulating atop car hoods.

3) Register. Sorry, there's nothing more to say about that.

4) Change. Wrap a towel around your waist, drop your trousers in the parking lot, and put your kit on. If you break a sweat merely while changing, take both 24-ounce water bottles to the start/finish line. Drink one before the race and the other during the race. Then, refill them and repeat the process for the second race. (I wish I had done that).

5) Warm up. Get to the start/finish line on time. If the teammate driving in from Kannapolis happens to arrive a wee bit late, and registration is officially closed, lobby the promoter to allow him to race. It helps when one of your teammates is also a promoter. It worked last night.

6) This next step was contributed by Chad: "Jim offered me a Fat Tire (beer) before the race for every time I didn't chase a teammate who was in the break." Of course, Chad sucked back a beer from Jim's cooler after the race.

7) And we're off!

8) Flood the front with Blue-n-White. Get some guys (Chad and Pat) in the first break. When that break gets caught, get another guy (Scott) in the break. When that break gets caught, get another guy (Dave) in the break. When that break gets caught, get another guy (Yours Truly) in the break. Take a swig. Spit. Control the pace. Do this until the teammate in the break laps the field.

9) Once the break laps the field, flood the front -- again -- with Blue-n-White. Chad, Pat, Dave, and Scott, like pitbulls, can chase down anything that tries to break away. Jim can string out the field with three laps to go.

10) Sprint! Sprint! Sprint!

Sincerely,

Bert

PS: I hear that the 4/5 race averaged 26.6 mph and had 53 racers in it. If that wasn't fast enough, the second (3/4) race averaged 27.7 mph and had 63 riders registered. I barely remember the second race. I wish I had paid attention to Step 4. But I did manage to get third in the 4/5 race and 16th in the 3/4 race -- thanks to the six guys I rode with.

Wednesday Night Recovery Race

This Paceline-hosted ride is always lots of fun. Tonight, we had a good group of classic participants (Cam, Curtis, Jeff...) and some PVSers (Jim, Scott, Mitch, me) plus some late-arriving MOBers. And Jim Conrad.

In a nutshell, we yapped and joked for two laps of Dull Rd then got serious on the third lap. The MOBers (who I hear are at least Cat 3?) bridged an early gap and then hit the gas. A few of us stayed on, with Scott grabbing second in the sprint. I think Mitch was third. I was around 4th-5th with the ever-speedy Dr. Rob right there. Anyway, a good time was had by all. A nice way to spend a Wednesday night...

Speaking of that, I grabbed a frosty beverage at Big Shots and then someone took my picture. Ah well. The children (or anyone with style) should avert their eyes.

ACE Speedway Results

Fresh off the wire.......courtesy of Jim Martin

Sounds like the pace was fast and furious tonight at ACE Speedway with PVS having 7 racers there.

Jim said the C race average was 26.6 mph or 42.8 km/h for the true Euro's.

The B race average was 27.7 mph or 44.6 km/h.

Bert placed 3rd in the C race and Jim also said there were several high finishes in the B race.

Even more fresh off the wire........courtesy of Chad Chadwick.

53 in the C race and

63 in the B race.

Good job everybody.

Congratulations Sara

Sara won both "Queen of the Mountain" hill competition and the Overall for the females at the Tour de Kale on Saturday.

Good Job Sara.

State Games Crit Write-up

Mitch, Todd, and I did the State Games Crit in Mooresville, NC today. We raced in the men's cat4 at 2:30PM. It was very hot and slightly windy. The course was fairly long and had four left-hand corners. There was one uphill leading into turn four that lead to a flat finishing stretch. There were probably 30-40 riders (I guess). The pavement was somewhat rough, especially in the corners (more to come on that). There were a few teams with more riders in it than us. I am so used to racing first and at the buttcrack of dawn that I had a hard time figuring out what to eat throughout the day.

The race started and I missed my pedal. I was last off the line. Mitch and Todd were up front and looked good. The race was fast from the beginning and for the first 15 minutes I thought that banana I ate 30 minutes before the race was going to come up. The race was a little on the unsafe side. Mitch was leading a few laps and Todd was up there as well. In the third turn two guys in front of me touched wheels and then leaned on me. We were going up the hill and I had to jump up on the sidewalk and ride to the top of the hill on the sidewalk. About a lap later there was a crash on the backside in the long straight. We all dodged it and the race continued. Mitch was in the back with me and Todd remained up front. Somewhere in the next 15 minutes Mitch got off the back because of some slow riders got gapped in front of him. I moved up into the middle of the pack and with ten laps to go Todd and I were still there. Three riders had attacked and had 20 seconds on the field with 10 to go. With 9 to go the field (not the breakaway) sat up some at the finish line. I got some water and decided to attack. The bad thing was I did it way too close to turn one and was going to fast. I skidded into the turn and heard the aweful "BANG"! My rear tube blew and my tire came off. I rode the corner on my rear rim! The field managed to dodge me and I stayed up. Mitch was back on and stopped to offer me help. I was done by then.
Todd hung in there like a champ and with a few laps to go he went down in turn four. He was at the top of the hill and had the inside line and someone cut in on him. He is ok except for some scraps/bruises. I tried to get him to arrest the guy but he declined. Good thing I am not a cop. I would have clubbed the bastard! Anyway, 3 PVSers started and none finished. Good thing is we are all ok.

Later!

Memorable Ride

My most memorable ride would probably have to be the first charity ride I ever did. I ride the "Spokes for Strokes" ride in Yadkinville about four years ago. I just started riding that summer and the ride was in October. I had one cheap pair of shorts and wore a cycling jersey with a Nike longsleeve shirt over it. The bad thing was the temperature was 38 degrees that morning and only warmed up into the 40's. It was fairly windy and I was freezing from the start. I showed up by myself. I think I had riden around ten times with a group. My longest ride up until that point had been 20-25 miles. I signed up for the 40 miler and started the ride.

I was shaking from the start. I had one water bottle and no idea what I was in for. I started with the front group (not knowing any better) and about bonked 20 miles into it. I stopped at a rest stop and ate some. Thankfully, a female rider stopped and could tell I was in trouble. I rode the final 20 miles with her and she showed me how to draft and drink and ride at the same time. When I finished (in about 3-4hours) I felt like the scene from Dumb & Dumber with snot frozen to my face. I was so cold after the race that it took a day for my feet/hands to have adequate circulation to warm up. I learned a lot. I have pictures from it and when I look back I have to laugh. The t-shirt is classic.

More 36 North Pics and writeup

Sent out by Charlie:

Yesterday we had good team representation at the 36 North Triathlon at Tanglewood Park. The star from our team was Pat Rimron with a 5th overall place and 2nd overall in the master's division. Everyone on our team placed at least 3rd in their category either as an individual or as a relay team. This was a great event and a lot of fun. Attached is a picture of me starting the run. I will share more pictures as I get them.

Our fearless leader:

Charity Ride - Saturday June 27th

This was sent by Kevin Fox:

Pain Pathways/PVS Team and Friends:

The 3rd annual Saddles and Spokes ride will be held on Sat. June 27 leaving from Friedberg Moravian Church (near Mrs. Hanes cookie factory) and goes throughout Davidson County. Proceeds benefit the "Hoof and Paw" Therapeutic Riding and Activity Center (a 501-c-3), which is a tax exempt organization. The Hoof and Paw Center works with physically, mentally and emotionally challenged individuals through horseback riding and related activities.

Ride Date: June 27
Time: 8:15 am for 100k ride
8:30 am for 50k ride
Spaghetti lunch served after ride.
Price is $30 if registered by June 13 (add $5 after)

http://hoofandpawtrac.org/

I attend church at Friedberg Moravian with Helen Bee, the lady who runs the Hoof and Paw Center. I will be working the event and I hope to squeeze in the ride myself! We would love to have as many cyclists as possible if it fits your schedule, budget, etc. - goes to a good local cause.

Thanks, Kevin Fox

The truth hurts sometimes

My first venture into Cat 4's was this past weekend in East TN for the Roan Groan and associated crit race. I didn't do the time trial.

Basically the road race boiled down to this. I did the cat 4/5 race. There were 55 of us. I ended up 25th out of 55. My time was pretty much the same as it has been the past few times doing this race. I finished 10th last year with basically the same time. The 4/5's came within a minute of catching the regular cat 4's. Oh well. Better results next year.

The next day was the my first straight up cat 4 crit race. Right to the point. The race was fast from the get go. The race was unusual in that there were 7 turns. I stayed with the pack as long as I possibly could. When I finally couldn't go anymore I looked down at my timer.......25 minutes. That obviously is the typical length of a cat 5 race. Coincidence? I think not. I have more work to do. I made it 30 minutes and then got pulled. I wasn't even lapped and they pulled me......how rude. I ended up 20th out of 32. The good news from all of this was that 12 people were pulled before me.

Here are some pics from the race. Some people didn't like the course, but I personally loved it. It was different than your typical 4 turn race.

Here is the view coming out of the 3rd turn. You can see the 2nd turn in the back.

Coming out of the 3rd corner headed to the fourth. The fourth corner is a left turn followed by a quick right turn that was maybe 30 yards between then.

36 North Triathlon

We had a great time at the inaugural 36 North Tri at Tanglewood today. In a quick summary, Pat and Charlie had great rides, with Pat placing second in the Masters Category. Go Pat!

Tri-Divas (Jill, Amy, and their friend Dianne) placed second in the female relay division, while the Wheelsuckers (Erik, Drew, me) placed third in the male relay division.

The event was a real hit, with free pizza and beer at the finish party! All in all, the race was well organized, safe, and pretty fast (except for that hilly run course).

I meant to take a pic of Charlie finishing, but accidently had the camera set on video. So, what you'll see is one of the shortest, fastest videos ever.

First Cat 4 Race at Ace

I had always wanted to race at Ace Speedway and finally got the opportunity tonight. I recently cat'd up to the 4's and this was my first race. Danny, Chad, and myself did both the C race and the B race. It was very hot and the asphalt keep the heat in. Ace is cool: banked, smooth pavement, and balls out fast!
C Race-
The C race (Men's 4/5, Women's 4) had around 30 people in it. It was fast from the gun! We raced for 25 minutes and averaged slightly less than 26mph per my computer. We did almost 13 miles in 25 minutes. There were numerous attacks and Danny, Chad, and myself stayed with the group. Danny raced really strong throughout. I got caught out of the paceline with 5 laps to go. SO with three to go I decided to attack and break things up. I lead a lap with Danny on my wheel. We strung out the field and I pulled off the front with two to go. Danny stayed out in the front 1/3. I hung on with the lead group and finished around 10th-12th. Danny was up near the front at the line!
B Race-
The B race (Men's 3/4, Women's 3+) had around 36 people in it. It started out at a nice pace and after a lap or two the field picked up the pace. There were some speed enhancing primes! We raced for around 45 minutes (well those who finished...more on that later). With about 25 laps to go the pace ramped up. Chad and Danny looked good in the group. I was holding on in the middle of the group. With less than 15 laps to go disater struck: I crashed! Two guys went down right in front of me before turn one. There were people all around me and I saw a guy laying in front of me. I tried to bunnyhop him and needless to say did not make it; I ran over him. I crashed as well. A total of four people went down. I stuck my right arm out and did not hit my head!! I got up and assessed me and the bike. I have road rash on my right shoulder, shoulder blade, right hip, little below my right knee, and bruises on my left knee and elbow. My left wrist hurts the worst. The bike looks a little rough and the front wheel is not rolling. I tore up my handle bars. Paceline here I come.

I hate going down but at least this time I didn't hit my head and get a concussion. I hope everything else is well but I may need a visit to the MD. Hopefully, I will get to go back to Ace because the track is great but the speeds are scary.

Chancey

PVS Swap meet

Hi everyone. If you're like me you've got tons of bike related stuff laying around that you'd love to get rid of but can't bear to throw away. Using eBay or Craigslist is a pain and I rather deal with my friends insted of strangers. So I thought we'd use the blog to maintain a sort of "swap meet" list of used items we're looking to sell or trade. For example I have a Mavic 650 wheelset, a Mavic Helium 700 wheelset, dura ace 10spd shifters, 105 9spd shifters and derailleurs, a Ritchey crankset, sella san marco saddle, 90mm alum tem and CX fork and CX breaks. I even have a 10yr old GT Zasker MTB that needs a home where it will be used. I’m looking for a cycle computer with cadence function and a triathlon saddle. I you’re interested let me know! Pat patrimron@fcds.org

Assault on Caraway Mountain

Mitch, Scott, Rob and I headed out for G'boro Saturday afternoon for a "60-ish" mile ride from Revolution Cycles. Watts Dixion was organizing this one, and for only $10 we got a neat ride with a good climb, post-race food and Hummingbird ale (in growlers!) and a chance at some cool raffle prizes. On to the fun...

With a 1pm start time, it seemed auspicious from the beginning. We finally rolled out with a smallish peloton around 1:15 and immediately there was trouble. In addition to navigating city stoplights and traffic, a rider had two flats within the first 3 miles. Better than this, no one brough along sufficient supplies to fix it and keep going! We had to wait for the SAG waggon to bring a tire pump for the poor guy. Now, at 1:45, we were finally off and running.

After a slow pace in the city, the illuminati (cuz they knew where we were going) started to pick up the pace. Unfortunately, these guys loved to hammer and yo-yo vs. keep a steady pace. More than once we'd speed up a hill just to get to a stop sign and come to a complete halt with heartrates in the 160s. Eeesh.

Nevertheless, we arrived on the slopes of Caraway Mountain (which some had said was "like Pilot") with a small group up front. I was dangling on the back of this crowd, but again, not knowing the route or climb, I was hesistant to go 100%. By the way, I should add here that the first person to the top of the climb was guaranteed a sweet $140 Cane Creek headset. I was in the market...

Market or not, I wimpishly slipped off the back as the group turned for the summit. This section was just ridiculous. I heard one guy say the grade was 22% for nearly 1/2 mile. I'm not sure I believe that, as it was more like two steeps and a plateau in between, but on a standard crankset and with 30 disorganized miles in the legs already, it was quite painful. I ended up 6th to the summit with Mitch and Scott right there as well. I hear the guy who won was 13th at Mt. Mitchell last year. Again, eesh.

We took a quick break and then made for home. Here is where it got really hard. Again, the ride leaders were just hammering...over hills, down hills, but relatively easy on the flat. Our group splintered at mile 41 or 42 as we just lost interest in (and energy for) that kind of punishment. We formed a grupetto of 4, with a strong female rider from California. We rolled in pretty steady, but were a good 15 minutes behind the hammerheads. Rumor has it they took a shortcut back to the bike shop...

Despite all of this, there was great food at the post-race event. Chicken, corn, hot dogs, and growlers of beer. Nice. Oh, and Scott was cool and gave me the coffee he won in the raffle!

Now, what about that 3 Mountain Madness?

I think my facial expression says it all.

Ride this Weekend in Greensboro

There is a ride this weekend in Greensboro for those interested. It will be something different at least.

Rob, Scott Rapoport, Erich(?) and myself are going.

Read below.

This Saturday, Revolution Cycles, NC will be hosting our official name change party!

Firstly... There will be a store wide sale! Everything will be marked down with some items being on mega-closeout! And I mean "I don't know? what would you give me for it?" kind of closeout. I'll be dragging out a ton of stuff from our warehouse and sincerely asking you all to help me do some belated Spring Cleaning. From the bling, to the norm, to the esoteric, to the "one man's junk is another's treasure"... there will be alot of...umm...stuff. So come help us clear it out.

Secondly... There will be an Assault on Mt. Caraway bike ride with a few route options. The offical Caraway ride will be about 60 miles, minimum, with an 80 mile option climbing Dave's Mtn as well.
But here's the deal... At the top of Caraway, there will be a few KING OF THE MOUTAIN primes. First rider to the summit gets a Cane Creek 110 headset! valued at $140! Second place will get a blingin' prize as well! The other primes will be available to ANYONE who makes it to the summit! Crest the summit and your name will go in a drawing. So maybe you weren't the fastest... that's a tough little hill and you deserve the chance at a damn prime too, right?
Sadly, shorter than 60 and we can't ride to Caraway. But there will be a nice scenic route out on the east side of town for those looking for a nice 20-50 mile jaunt.
The ride will roll out around 1:00pm from the shop parking lot. Please park behind on the adjacent street, or across the street in the neighborhood. That way we keep the lot free for the festivities afterward.

Which gets us to Thirdly...
By the time we roll back in to the shop, Greg from Taqueria El Azteca will be cooking some burgers, chicken, and other goodies (fret not...veggie folks will be accounted for). Please BYOB, just in case.
New deal... $10 bucks gets you into the ride and cookout!
Please give me some heads up as soon as possible on whether or not you will attend the ride/picnic so that we have a rough idea on how much food we'll need. Thanks!
Cookout should begin around 4:00pm or so. If you couldn't make the ride, please feel free to join us for the picnic. Just let us know...We'll figure it out.
And PASS IT ON. Seriously, the more the merrier. We're going to have a TON of food. (BYOB please. No promises...)
And we want to see a TON of people. We're super stoked about all of this and can't wait to see folks.
Feel free to call us with any questions or comments, because I'm sure I've omitted something.
Thanks folks. See you soon!
Sincerely,

Watts Dixon
Grand Moff
Revolution Cycles NC
2823 Spring Garden St.
Greensboro, NC 27403
www.revolutioncyclesNC.com
336-852-3972

Good showing for the team at ACE

Last night 5 members of the team traveled to Ace Speedway to race. We were able to race 2 races back to back. In the first race we were able to get a rider in an early break. The rest of our team did a fantastic job of slowing the pace of the field so that the break could lap the field. At the end of the first race we ended up with a fourth place finish.

The second race was full of attacks. The first attack took off as soon as the race began. One of the attacks had 4 strong riders in it without anyone from our team. I chased to bring this break back and took a few riders with me. After about a lap of chasing I looked around to find I was by myself. I gave a try at catching up to the break, but was not able to catch 4 strong riders working together. The field never would work to bring back this break and it eventually got a lap on the field. Several riders from our team made great attempts at breaks but all of them were eventually chased down. With about 3 laps to go 3 riders crashed hard. No one on our team was involved. The crash was right in front of me. I was fortunate enough to slip between the crash and the guard rail as the fallen bikes and riders slid down the banking of the race track. The race was neutralized for a few laps and then ended in a sprint finish. Everyone was happy to just get to the line safely.

We had a fun night of racing and got in a lot of speed work. Everyone on our team rode strong.

regards,

Charlie

Thanks for the pics and writeup Charlie

Wednesday Night Recovery (Race) Ride

What a fun night. Drew, Mitch, and I showed up to enjoy Paceline's Recovery Ride. This ride is all about having a good time, so we yacked for two laps around Dull Rd. before the mood turned more serious. Unfortunately, Drew (being the gentleman he is) escorted two riders who were having trouble back to the shop. He missed the fireworks.

Ride leader Curtis was looking to repeat last week's smashing of the peloton by playing the waiting game. In his post-race interview, Mitch confessed that his strategy was to 'take it easy' up the first big hill then crank on it. I recalled Curtis' advice from last week's win ("hit it at the bottom of the hill"). What would happen, especially with Young Drew out of the picture? Well, here's the play-by-play of the 3rd lap:

Taking the right on Styers Ferry, all was quiet. Sure, there were the usual twitchy moments and squirts of speed that signal the rising anticipation of a break. Scott was playing mind games with all of us by speeding off and letting up. He had a follower in Jeff at one point, and pulses began to rise, but by the time we got to the big downhill, Mitch was holding steady, Curtis, Rob, and I were sitting on, and Scott was still dangling out front a bit. No one was really punching it.

At the bottom of the hill, I let out some slack and drifted left to avoid braking, grabbed a reasonable big-ring gear and got on it. Curtis and Rob came with me and before I knew it we were a trio cresting the hill. Rob calmly (barely breathing) utters "C'mon E-rich!" but my body wanted to rest a bit so I dug deep. Curtis was on my wheel, and we had a healthy gap in the works with two workhorses and a twerpy climber.

Curtis, no doubt still recovering from his iron-fisted dusting of all-comers last week had to fade a little after taking a long pull. Rob and I now found ourselves trading off and (at least I was) looking back to see who was on the trail. After Curtis, there was a good gap to the chasers, so the Curt-dawg was in 'no man's land.' Looking back 15 seconds later, Curtis was closing the gap (with Mitch and Scott closing) so I actually pulled out my whip and began to lash Rob and shout "hyah!" This helped things considerably.

With the Speed Limit sign in sight, Rob and I were clear with clean wheels. Whew! I shudder to think what might have happend if Drew were there...ugh. Here's a pic of Curtis (chatting cooly on his cellular telephone) & crew before we made for home.

Weekend Racing

Hopefully most of you are getting out to burn some rubber this weekend. Charlie, Jill, and I are going to race a sprint Triathlon in Statesville on Saturday. It should be a good race and we're hoping for good results.

It also looks like Dave Reid is putting together a training ride for the Three Mountain Madness, so contact him if you're interested.

Congrats to Mitch and Chancey, who have now upgraded to Cat 4. I hear that at least Chancey is racing in the Triangle...and that others may join him, including Professor Hurt. Good luck and carry the blue 'n white flag!

I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE.......

..........and it's the Shimano Dura-Ace Electronic. I'm not one to shy away from technology, I like it. There are people who like to wait on the second or third generation product before they buy it to make sure all the kinks are worked out. Then there are people like me who don't do that. Most people I talk to aren't to enthused about the idea of electronic shifting. Then there are people like me who want to know how much it cost. There are people who think it just complicates things, why change a good thing? Cables are tried and true. Then there are people like me who think things can improve. Anyway, I digress.

To make a long story short. Rob Paynter is riding a Storck with Electronic Dura-Ace for the time being. He is thinking about buying it. I have read positive reviews on the shifting, but reading about it and using it are 2 completely different things. I don't use the same pedals as Rob so I only rode it around the parking lot, but that little time was enough to convince me that I need to start selling some plasma to raise money.

If you ever get a chance to test ride it you will most likely not be disappointed.

Erich didn't test ride it because he was afraid he might like it too much. I should have had that will power.

On to the pics.....