Snow anyone?

Riding in Colorado during the winter can be tricky, especially because we all know the weather guy is not always spot-on when predicting the forecast. If you’re a fair weather rider (defined as: will not ride outside if the day’s high is below 40 degrees) and you have raynauds in your hand and feet like me, you might be spending the better part of the winter months inside on the trainer and/or rollers, which translates to losing your mind after watching one too many Tour de France and Giro DVDs.

As someone  who has now proudly survived two winters in Colorado (thanks to snowboarding), you can imagine my excitement this year when April rolled around and I was able to hit up the trails, which I  hadn’t seen since November. Problem is, my favorite trails are often times not-so-quick to dry out, hence the snow patches at high altitudes. Last Saturday (4/17/10) I decided I’d had enough of driving to Boulder and Lyons  (where the trails tend to dry out much more quickly), so Francis and I headed out to  Deer Creek Canyon Trail outside of Morrison. This trail is tough but fun, with big rocky climbs and fun single-track descents through pine forests. Overall, the trail was in great shape although I have to admit I was a bit skeptical of the snow patches like the one in the photo. However,  once I figured out how to ride over snow (no, you will not die!), I hardly even noticed the vast array of  mud and wetness covering my bike and entire body until I attempted to get into the’ car (sorry ’bout that, Francis). All and all, it was a great spring ride.  Thanks to the Jefferson County Forest  and Trail Service for keeping the trails in top-notch condition.

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 →]

Heidi is doing much better and is walking!  We all knew she could do it!  She will be leaving the hospital this week, transferring to a rehab center in Mesa!  She will be there for a couple of weeks and then hopefully, back home with her daughter!  Thank you to everyone for your support and concern for Heidi – she really appreciates all of the warm wishes she has received.

Be careful out there — please!

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.

Yesterday, I mentioned in our Redlands Prologue post that our teammate Heidi Clayton was hit by a pickup truck while on a group ride.  Fortunately, Heidi made it through a long, hard surgery last night and can wiggle her toes.  She has a broken back, but there is no paralysis.  Heidi is going to have a long, hard road to recovery, but she is an incredibly tough woman and will pull through.

Nonetheless, she could certainly use some support!  Below is some information the team has received with instructions for helping Heidi and her family during this tough time.

Updates are being posted to the Ahwatukee Cycling Group on Facebook.  Here is the latest: [Read more →]