Category — Bicycle Racing/Training

Last Saturday I participated in my very first pure mountain bike race. I had a blast! The course was fun and fast, totaling 20 miles, with rolling single track and a few short climbs. I got off to a good start and plowed up the first steep double track uphill to get good position before the singe track began. The first loop was challenging as the course was crowded with racers from other categories and the Front Range 50 event. I was aggressive but friendly in my passes and was able to pull ahead of many of my competitors. At the start of the second loop, myself and a girl from Title Nine had a significant gap on the other riders.  We battled it out to the finish and she ended up beating me at the line by three-tenths of a second. Nonetheless, I won my age group and meet a new friend to train with. All and all, it was a great day. My new Specialized ERA FSR Expert performed like a champ. Thanks to Warrior Cycles for putting on a great race.

2 Wheels 4 Hope 2010
Sunset Time Trial & Moonlight Fun Ride
Bringing hope… Changing lives… Raising awareness!

Benefiting Heidi Clayton, Local Cyclist Hit by a Car on Training Ride
100% of event and raffle proceeds go to benefit the family

June 5 – 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
McDowell Mountain Park – Competitive Track

Time Trial Starts at 7:15 pm – 20 Second Intervals

TT Course –Long Loop (approx. 8 miles)
Categories: Pro, Cat 1, 2, 3, SS, Masters, kids race, Awards 3 deep
USAC License Required. $5 One Day License Available, helmets and lights required

Fun Ride – starts at 7:00 pm

Short & Tech Loops Open -Long Loop opens after TT -approx 8:00-8:15)

$20 minimum donation for time trial  (includes Fun Ride)
$15 minimum Fun Ride donation

Register online at www.BikeReg.com

For more information, visit the race website 2 Wheels 4 hope.

The team had a great weekend of racing from California to Arizona to New York.  In California, Ruth won the Dana Point TT in style.  Meanwhile, Cara went and conquered her first mountain bike race in Santa Ynez, also taking home the W.  In Arizona, Judy and Melanie went 1st and 2nd respectively in the TT, RR, and overall omnium at the Colossal Cave Stage Race in the 1/2 field, while Kimberly and Erin scored 3rd and 4th respectively in the Cat 4 field.  Way over in New York, Arielle powered to an awesome 3rd place finish at the brutal Tour of the Battenkill. [Read more →]

In an attempt to have some fun on a bike, I decided to try racing on the dirt. It worked. I entered, and won, the XC race (cat 3, of course) at the Santa Ynez Valley classic. It was cold, raining a bit, and windy. Lovely.  The binder bolt on my bike broke 7 minutes before the start, so I borrowed a bike (and shoes) from JL who had just finished his race, and (in the rush) ended up racing with a non-breathable plastic rain jacket. Luckily the race was only 9.5 miles. The passing thing is a bit trickier on single track then, say, at Gila, but I worked it out quite nicely. Thanks to Melanie for the excellent advice.

Women's 3 Podium

The Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus team is off to a grand start this year.  While we have done less on the local scene in Arizona and California, we are very focused on the NRC.

Our first true test — The Redlands Bicycle Classic.  The first NRC race of the year!  This invitation-only pro race never disappoints and never takes any prisoners.  With most of our NRC riders ready to roll, this year, we took on an additional guest rider by the name of Katie Donovan.  Katie had a really solid race at San Dimas — the RBC primer.  Furthermore, teammates Ruth and Cara also had solid races preparing them for the stacked competitive field of RBC!  I was hoping to report on this race real time; however, the news of our teammate Heidi derailed me a bit.  I’m happy to report she is strong and making a solid recovery. [Read more →]

This is just a quick note to encourage all the girls out there in the Phoenix area to get out and support the local racing scene.  The Cat 1/2 fields have been a little sparse at times this year (crits, specifically) and racing is a lot more fun with bigger fields – so please get online, check out www.azcycling.com for the schedule, and get out there and race!

Also, the Tuesday Night Training Races (going through the end of April) are a great way to get some intense efforts mid-week. There are races for all levels. To give you an example of what to expect, last week’s “B” race averaged about 24 mph, with lots of surges (up to about 30 mph). The “A” race is faster, but generally a more steady pace. You can pretty much get whatever kind of workout you need (steady speed, jumps and surges, etc.) based on which group you race with. It’s also a great way to test your fitness or try a “move” you might not regularly try in an actual race.  Come on out and give it a try!

The final stage of the Redlands Bicycle Classic is a difficult 6.5 mile loop through the hills above Redlands.  Not only is there plenty of climbing to split up the field, but the course is quite technical as well.  To top it all off, the first lap starts out with the Queen of the Mountain competition.  Whew!

Four of us started the stage last Sunday – Chloe, Cara, Ruth, and Melanie.  Going into the race, our team was 11th in Team GC.  After more than three long, hard hours of racing, we had moved our team up into 7th in Team GC, the first amateur team just behind the heavy-hitting pro teams!  In the Individual GC, Chloe was 24th, Melanie 27th, Ruth 31st, and Cara 69th.  Overall, it was definitely one of our team’s best placings at an NRC!  Unfortunately, I was so tired after every stage, that I didn’t even manage to take one picture to post here!  I’ll do better next time.

Many thanks to our great team director – Maggie Williams – and her husband Don for all of the great support this weekend.  Also, thanks to both of our great host families for sharing their homes with a bunch of hungry, lazy, and sometimes smelly bike racers!

We are looking forward to a great season ahead!  It’s only March, and there are many more months of racing ahead.  Not to mention, we are finally getting our new team kits in, so stay tuned for photos.  Until then, happy riding!

Just a short post tonight, as I am ready for bed!  The crit today was hard.  Enough said.  Technical, gazillion corners, tons of top women riders, and some serious attacks.  Add to that two days of racing prior to the crit, and it was brutal.

But the team has done absolutely great!  We still have three riders in the top 30 going in to tomorrow’s hilly Sunset Loop road race through the hills (and I mean some serious hills) of Redlands.  Legs…don’t fail us now!

Unfortunately, our guest rider Katie Donovan was not able to start today due to a crash she suffered last weekend at the San Dimas Stage Race.  As I can attest, racing too much with an injury is not so smart.  So Katie played it smart and made the tough decision to pull out.  This is also Heather’s first race of the season, and she sure did pick a hard one.  She also pulled out of the crit today.

Chloe, Ruth, and Melanie all held on to finish with the main pack, while Cara finished a bit back from the main bunch.  Due to a significant breakaway, the GC changed significantly for the entire top half of the field, as the race leader’s jersey changed hands.  Chloe now sits in 20th overall, Ruth in 23rd, Melanie in 27th, and Cara in 76th.

I probably won’t get a chance to update tomorrow, so check results and stay tuned for a race update next week.

Wowza!  Today’s Stage 1 road race in Beaumont was fast and furious.  No biggie…just 68 miles in 3 hours and 6 minutes.  The team rode really well today.  Katie is still sitting pretty in 14th, Chloe in 16th, Ruth in 20th, Melanie in 27th, Cara in 73rd, and Heather in 96th.  You can see the full results from today’s stage here.

We managed to stick together pretty well today with our “buddy system”, since the new race radio bans make it more difficult to know where your teammates are at all times.  Nonetheless, it definitely makes you pay more attention to your surroundings, so I don’t think it’s too big a deal.

Tomorrow is the infamous gazillion corner crit in downtown Redlands.  Then on to Sunday and the Sunset Loop road race through the hills of Redlands.  Stay posted for updates!

The infamous Redlands Bicycle Classic began today here in sunny California.  The Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus Team had some great rides this morning in the brutal, hilly 3.1 mile time trial.

Our guest rider, Katie Donovan powered herself into 14th place.  Shortly behind her are Chloe Forsman in 16th, Ruth Clemence in 19th, Melanie Meyers in 27th, Heather Sborz in 55th, and Cara Gillis in 71st.  You can find the full results here.  The team is in a great position going into tomorrow’s difficult Stage 1, which is a tough road race through Beaumont (fondly referred to as Blowmont…due to the high winds) tomorrow.  Let’s hope last year’s 50 mph gusts don’t repeat themselves!

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