June 2005 Archive

6-1-2005 Cobb Trails From the Cobb County Goverment: Learn how you can help county trails. Cool off with ice cream while learning about Keep Cobb Beautiful's Adopt-a-Trail Program on Thursday, June 9, 5-7 p.m. The meet and greet will take place at the Floyd Road Trailhead along the Silver Comet Trail.Learn how you can help keep our trails clean and beautiful. For more information or directions, call (770) 528-1135.

Ladies on the straight--The Women's Crit in Spartanburg SC. Photo by Dan Edgerton.
 

6-2-2005 SORBA TT Cancelled Because of the rain, the SORBA TT at Central Park scheduled for Thursday, June 2 has been cancelled.

Good Luck at Philly Good luck to Travel Girl, Kenda Tire, and BMW-Bianchi, who are going to Philly this weekend to race at the Liberty Classic. The Liberty Classic is the women's race that is run on the same course as the US Pro Championships. Good luck Ladies!!!!

12 Hours of Tsali The 12 Hours of Tsali was a few weeks ago. Scott Hodge, mechanic extroidinaire and owner of Addictive Cycles, was the wrench for Tinker Juarez (Siemens-Cannondale). His story is great! If you are in the Braselton area, check out the shop!

Biking Helps Horseback Riding Here is an interesting article I found that uses cycling to help your horseback riding. "Two Point" is the position you use when going over a jump. It's the same position that you use going downhill on a mountain bike.

6-6-2005 Wake Race Report John Fillyaw checks in with his latest adventures at the Wake Habitat Race in NC.

Bump N Grind BUMP, the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers, put on another great Bump N Grind race today. I was very happy to have my beautiful mountain bike back to race on. Except for the Hutchinson Python tires, she performed flawlessly. Let's just say that I won't run the Pythons again. I need to go back to my IRC Mythos. The Pythons did not hook up at all on the slick roots or rocks. I also nearly wiped out going down the gravel downhill before Blood Rock. Somehow, I hung on for 2nd place in Master Sport Women 30-39.

One very tired Trish Albert (OTR Cycling-Strenflex) won 2nd at Bump N Grind in Sport Master Women 30-39

File this picture under "strange hotel room bathroom decor." It was a small basket filled with Easter Grass and silk flowers.

Georgia Cup Schedule Change The Georgia Cup has changed the Dahlonega Road Race to Saturday. The Time Trial is now Sunday.

The Top 10 Signs You Are A Female Bike Racer in the Rural Southeast This was written by an anonymous racer. I thought it was worth a repost.  It's VERY funny!

DLV Grand Prix! The Dicks Lane Velodrome is having its Grand Reopening Saturday, June 11th with the Grand Prix. I'm told the flyer will be up in a day or so.

6-7-2005 NARC Club TT A race report from NARC: "Our first BMW-NARC Club Time Trial was a success. 13 members came out and braved the blazing heat and high humidity to do battle through the hills of Acworth. 3 groups set out on the course rolling course. The group of top gun riders Travis Neumuller, Xavier Cortez, Kyle Cochran and Phillip Martin sent a blazing time to claim top honors. As the winning group looked down from the podium, they were overheard saying that their team would never be beaten. Their entire team was required to hoist the massive trophy high in the air. They sprayed cold champagne over the group of spectators that had formed in the Kroger parking lot. Travis grabbed the microphone to address the crowd . "Winners are afraid to loose. Everyone else is afraid to win" said Travis. The loosing teams began throwing fruit at the podium. The ceremonies were cut short as the winning team was rushed to their team car. Quint Smith said on the way (between eating his two Quarter Pounders) that this team was going down next time. A good day of racing was had by all. Make plans to come out next time and see if your team can claim the fastest time. Can you reach for the stars?"

Is It OK to Hate? Is it ok to hate someone or in this case, something? I hate my trainer.  I have ridden it more in the last week and a half than in the last 5 summers combined. Without my trainer, I would not be able to ride now because of the rainy and stormy weather we have had the last 10 days. If it rains anymore, I'm going to take up swimming in the puddles in my backyard. Maybe I could do my first triathlon then...

Sun, Sun, Where for art thou big yellow ball??

6-9-2005 Jittery Joes at Philly Cyclingnews.com has a good article on Jittery Joes during Philly Week.

6-10-2005 Cyclist Killed Near Lawrenceville This article contains the only details I know. I'm sure more will come out if he was part of the cycling community. Of course, this is Gwinnett County. The cyclist will probably be charged and the driver cleared. Cyclist killed in hit and run,  Police seek driver of blue Chevy Cavalier

By JOHN GHIRARDINI, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Published on: 06/09/05

A bicyclist was killed by a hit-and-run driver Thursday on U.S. 29 in Lawrenceville, police said. A man on a bike was riding northbound on the southbound side of Lawrenceville Highway about 11:23 a.m. when he tried to turn right onto Sweetgum Road, said Office Darren Moloney, Gwinnett police spokesman. He was struck by a blue 1997 Chevy Cavalier traveling southbound. Police are on the lookout for the driver, who sped off after the impact. The Cavalier's Georgia tag, 7954APT, returned to an address in Auburn, Moloney said. Barrow County police went to the address but the car wasn't there. "There's no way the driver couldn't have known what he'd done," Moloney said. The bicyclist, a white male between 30 and 45 years old whose name is being withheld until relatives can be notified, died at the scene, Moloney said.  The motorist, who was alone in the car, was described as a black male between 30 and 45 years old with short hair in a "fade" cut. The man was wearing glasses and a white dress shirt without a tie, police said.

Forecast Guess what the forecast for this weekend is all the way through Tuesday? Rain :(

Stuff for Sale There is lots of stuff for sale! Check out the sales list. 

6-13-2005 Columbia Crits Cancelled The promoters have cancelled the crits that were scheduled in Columbia, SC June 18-19.

Not Riding? Not riding your mountain bike but want people to think you are, use Spray on Mud.

Ebay I just put a bunch of stuff on Ebay. Check it out under the seller name sttarlite.

6-15-2005 WBL Ride CEO Carney has given the thumbs up to T. Bassomatic's 4-hour jaunt through the great bass fishing areas of Northeat Georgia. All Zealots are expected to be there this Sunday at 9 a.m. at Jittery Joes in 5 Points (Athens). See message forwarded. All inquiries should be sent to CEO Carney at the Neverland Ranch.

Share the Road Bumper Sticker From the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign: The new Share the Road bumper stickers (compliments of 99X) are here. If you'd like one (or a couple) send an email with your name and mailing address to atlantabikeclass@mindspring.com. You can see it at http://www.atlantabike.org/RoadWays-MotoristEd.html. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

Blankets Creek Trail Maintenance From SORBA Woodstock: Blankets Creek Trail Maintenance. 08:00 AM-Noon, Location: Blankets Creek, Other Information: Come join the regulars as they repair trail damage done this past wet weekend. Bring water, gloves and eye protection. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants are suggested. Lunch will be provided. A BIG THANKS TO THOSE THAT MAKE BLANKETS CREEK A GREAT PLACE

6-16-2005 New Columnist Welcome to a new columnist for Southeastern Cycling! Blowin Doorsin will be sending in race reports from the Georgia peloton from time to time. His first race report is from Three Gap--The Georgia Cup race in Dahlonega last weekend.

Down and Out  Well, I'm down and out for the count. I had oral surgery on Monday and have been feeling HORRIBLE on the bike all week. It's a given because my body hates when I have dental work done, even a cleaning. I had a follow up today with the oral surgeon, and things are not looking good at all. I may be down and out for a while.  Ugh!

Labor Day Live Race WheelSports Announces Papa John's "Labor Day LIVE!" Signature cycling event will provide largest purse in the U.S. for masters racers http://www.labordaylive.com/ 2Wheel Sports, the New-Albany, Indiana -based cycling event management/marketing company, announced today the addition of a new event to its annual line-up of races. The Papa John's Pizza "Labor Day
LIVE!" race weekend, to be held September 3 - 4, 2005, will offer a $10,000 purse and will focus on "Masters" cyclists over the age of 30. "More than 60 percent of the 35,000+ USA Cycling members are in the 'masters' category, and there is no other cycling event in the country
that caters specifically to these members," said Mike Hewitt, founder of 2Wheelsports. "Racers created these courses, and each venue of the two-day weekend has been specifically tailored to appeal to different disciplines within the sport." The first day of racing, a "road race," will be held Saturday, September 3rd on a challenging local course in Southern Indiana featuring several short climbs. While the course is not a true "climber's" course, it is guaranteed to bring out the strong men and women of the various groups that will be racing. Racers will be able to compete in the early
afternoon and return to race headquarters in Downtown Louisville for an evening of festivities at Louisville's recently renovated Fourth Street Live! entertainment center. Fourth Street Live! is Louisville's premier entertainment and retail district located on Fourth Street, between Liberty and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, in the heart of historic downtown Louisville. The second day of racing, a "criterium," will take place Sunday, September 4th in downtown Louisville. It will provide racers with an upbeat venue for the day, centering competition in the heart of Louisville's growing Downtown.
"Papa John's is proud to help 2WheelSports promote bike racing and cycling by bringing such a big event to the Greater Louisville area," commented Papa John's Founder John Schnatter. "Labor Day LIVE! will draw national and world-class masters cyclists from around the country to Louisville for two days of heated competition. It is also a fantastic opportunity to reintroduce the hundreds of cyclists who traveled to Louisville for the 2003 Masters National Cycling Championships to our
revitalized downtown area." For more information about the event, visit www.2wheelsports.com.
 

Computrainer for Sale Dawn MacKenzie has a Computrainer for sale. It includes the trainer, power cords and attachments, and a new cd with updated graphics and courses. The price is $500. Email Dawn at racnfam at dnet dot net.
 

Ruta Del Hall From SORBA-Gainesville: Time for the 4th annual Ruta del Hall - a grand loop of all of the trails in Gainesville/Hall county. Sadly, with the loss of the Ag Center, the ride is reduced to a mere 22 miles of fun. 18.5 miles of singletrack 2.5 miles of pavement and 1 mile of gravel. Maps and a route guide are provided - but no sag wagon. Ride starts from Gainesville College at 9:30 am on Saturday June 18.

Mountain Bike Gear and Micro Brew Expo SORBA-Chattanooga, BMW of Chattanooga, and Riverside Beverage Company present the First Annual Mountain Bike Gear and Micro Brew Beer Expo.  WHOSE YOUR DADDY? Bring him to downtown Chattanooga on Sunday, June 19, 2005, from Noon to 5:00 PM for the Chattanooga Market at the First Tennessee Pavilion  An event for the whole family, the Gear and Beer Expo will feature extensive exhibits of outdoor gear by leading manufacturers and retailers, skill events, and children’s activities. The Barley Mob, Chattanooga’s home brewing club, will lead three beer-tasting events. The primary purpose of the Gear and Beer Expo is to raise awareness of the potential for mountain biking in the Chattanooga area. Mountain biking makes fitness fun and increases interest in natural resources stewardship. Our community currently has less than 10 miles of public singletrack, the narrow natural surface trail that mountain bikers love. SORBA-Chattanooga, through its Singletrack Mind Initiative, seeks to open up 100 miles of singletrack over the next 5 years.10’x10’ booths at the Expo are available for free to fitness- and outdoor-oriented non-profit organizations. Booths are available for $30, or 4 for $100 to for-profit organizations. All proceeds from the Gear and Beer Expo will benefit SORBA-Chattanooga’s trail fund, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and the Lula Lake Land Trust. SORBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  DIRECTIONS: http://chattanoogamarket.com/directions.php

Southeastern Cycling Gets First Cover! That's right! I got my first magazine cover! One of my photos of Saul Raisin at the Tour De Georgia is on the cover of North Georgia Outdoors and Fitness! You can pick up the magazine at outdoor shops in Ellijay and all over North Georgia and eastern Tennessee. 

My photo of Saul Raisin that is on the Cover of this month's North Georgia Outdoors and Fitness Magazine.
 

6-20-2005 Racing and Customer Service Many riders have opinions on the state of racing and promoting races in Georgia, including Cogsley's Cogset. Cogset has put his/her thoughts to paper. You'll Take It and You'll Like It: A Race Promoters Guide to Customer Service. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in articles and race reports are not necessarily the views of Southeastern Cycling or Trish Albert.  :)

How Should A Race Be Put On? If you want a fantastic example of how a race should be put on, just go to a Gone Riding mountain bike race or triathlon. Unfortunately, I had conflicts with the other SERC races that Gone Riding put on this spring until today. I attended the race at Arrowhead Park in Macon. What makes their races so good? 1. Short registration lines. I waited a whopping 2 minutes to register. Terry smiles, handed me my stuff, and marked my calf with my race number, so that other races would see what division I was in. 2. Starting on time. If you were not on the line at the exact time, you were left behind. 3. Great prizes/payout. I can't comment too much on this as I finished off the podium, but everyone I know was happy with their schwag. 4. Getting results up very quickly. My division's results were up less than 10 minutes after I raced. 5. Giving out prizes/payout quickly. Awards were given out with 30 minutes of the results being posted. 6. Results on the web soon. I know the results will be on their website by Tuesday. I give them a day's grace because they are from Florida and do have to drive home. Being responsive to their customers--us. Of course, Gone Riding is a for profit company that solely puts on athletic events. They've done hundreds of events (then again, so has a certain local promoter that shall remain nameless that still cannot  get their act together) and really know how to put on a quality event.

6-21-2005 Track Article The Associated Press picked up an article about the Dick Lane Velodrome. One of their reporters was out there for the beginner class last week. You can read the article here.

Regional Velodrome Championships and Elite Qualifier SOUTHEAST REGIONAL VELODROME CHAMPIONSHIPS/ ELITE QUALIFIER! Saturday and Sunday, June 25/26th
Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm Gates open at 8:00am Cost: $15 per event, $30 for the weekend
Note: Riders who paid the last GP can race for the entire weekend for free. Medals: Medals will be awarded for Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

Categories: Senior Men and Women (Cat 1 - 3 [4 with permission]) -All events
Senior Men Cat 4-5 - All timed events and sprints
Junior Men, Women, Masters Men - All timed events

Schedule:
Note: Start times are approximate! You're start times may be sooner. Be prepared to ride. We are going to keep things moving as quickly as possible. Check the rule books for what races you can do. Download rules PDF

Saturday: All timed events and Sprint heats
10:00am: 200 meter Sprint Qualifiers* - All categories
10:30am: 500 meters - All categories that qualify
11:00am: Kilo - All categories that qualify
11:30am: 2000 meters - Junior Women, Master Men 50-70, Master Women 35-60
11:45am: 3000 meters - Junior Men/ Master Men 35-50, Sn Women
12:00am: 4000 meters - Senior Men
12:30am: Sprint Round One & Reps - Senior Men and Women
1:00am: Sprint Round Two & Reps - Senior Men and Women

Sunday: All timed mass start events
10:00am: Sprint Quarter Finals- Senior Men and Women
10:15am: Sprint 5-8th place
10:30am: 16km (50laps)Points Race: Women
11:00am: 26km (80laps) Points Race: Senior Men
11:45am: Sprint Semi Finals - One Ride
12:00am: Keirin Heats** if needed- Senior Men
12:15am: Women's 20 lap scratch***
12:30am: Sprint Finals - Best of Three - Ride one
12:45am: Keirin Finals
1:00am: Sprint Finals Ride Two
1:00am: 16km -Madison**** - Senior Men
1:30am: Sprint Finals Ride Three if needed

ALL MASS START EVENTS MUST HAVE AT LEAST 5 REGISTERED RIDERS PER FIELD
* Sprints - All states will be combined into one pool of riders. You will be
awarded for the best placing per state.
** Keirin - Must be a cat 3 or better no exceptions!
***Women's Scratch race is not a medal race
****Madison, must have a minimum field of 5 teams.

Rain Date: Saturday events will be first on Sunday and all of Sunday's races will be shortened. Also the Women's Scratch, Keirin and Madison will be canceled. All events not completed on Sunday will be run on the following Wednesday Night.

Cartersville Century The Cartersville Century, a racer's favorite, will be this Saturday in Cartersville. The century route is all new! I rode part of it this weekend, and it is really nice. I heard that they have changed some of the 50 miler as well.

6-22-2005 Weekend Wrap Up Blowin Doorsin has checked in with the weekend wrap up of track racing at the Dick Lane Velodrome and the Suwanee Crits.

Georgia Games The Georgia Games will be July 9-10th. The road race will again be near White, GA along the lovely rural roads. A crit will be run at the "Marietta Crit" at the West Oak Business Park in Marietta.

6-23-2005 DLV on TV! Did anyone else see the news story about the DLV on 11 Alive Wed. night? Here is the online story.

6-24-2005 Elite Nationals The Elite National Championships is being held this week in park City, UT. In the Men's RR, Jed Schneider (AG Edwards/Nalley/Roswell Velo) was 5th. In the Elite Women, Tina Pic (Quark) was 3rd.

6-25-2005 Junior RR Nationals Today was the Junior National RR Championship. In the Junior Women 13-14 Category Land Rover Riders placed well. Rose Mauney, daughter of GA Cyclocross Legend Lamar Mauney, was 12th, and Alex Wechsler was 14th. David Talbott from Chatanooga (Scenic City Velo) was 3rd in the Junior Men 15-16 RR. Thomas Brown (Land Rover) was 104th in Junior Men 17-18. Congratulations to these great young riders!

6-26-2005 Tour De Suisse Did anyone notice that our own Saul Raisin quietly rode his way to 37th at the Tour De Suisse?

USA Cycling Club of the Month The L5 Flyers were named the USA Cycling club of the month for June. Congratulations!

Cartersville Century Report The Cartersville Century was Saturday. It benefitted the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bartow County. Some highlights:
*Scott...Don't pee in the woods. You asked me to mention that. :) Don't ask...he wanted me to say something about it!
*Trigeeks...The idea is to ride your bike in a straight line. Not side to side like Mr. Miagi said in the Karate Kid. Not in a semi-circular pattern. Not over the line playing chicken with the oncoming car. Not into the rider next to you forcing them into the grass. A straight line. A straight line looks like this: --------, not like this _-_-_-__-.
*Trigeeks...Do not ride in your aerobars in the middle of the peloton. It's stupid. If you lose control of your bike, you can take yourself and other riders out. I don't feel like calling 911 when you break your collarbone. It's just too dangerous.
*Volunteers at the rest stops...Thanks! Ya'll were so nice! Thanks to NARC, too.
*Bees...You suck! Getting stung at mile 42 was not fun. My neck swelled the rest of the ride.
-*Big Bugs...You suck even more than the bee! Thanks for getting in my eye.
*Stephanie, Mary, and, Val...You chicks rock as always! Thanks for not dropping me too badly on the climbs. S-my eyes were blinded from the shine of your new bike.
*The Route...Great! Mostly low traffic roads with rolling hills. A few flat sections made for fun hammerfests.
*The Hammer A Group Boys...Put the trigeeks in their place!
*The Route Markings...Bright orange is much better than last year's dark green.
*The Boys and Girls Clubs of Bartow County...Thanks for a great ride!

More Junior Nationals The Junior National Crit championships was this weekend. Congrats to the GA Riders! Junior Women 13-14: 6th, Alex Wechsler and 9th, Rose Mauney. Both ride for Land Rover/Seimens.

Bored with Racing? Are you bored of racing your bike? Try Lawn Mower Racing!www.letsmow.com

6-27-2005 Summer Sizzler Rumor has it the Summer Sizzler GAP mtb race July 31 will be at Dauset Trails. If so, I am there! I love Dauset.

6-28-2005 OTR in Da House!! The OTR guys rocked the Cat. 4 crit at Perry Roubaix. Executing their plan perfectly, the team launched Jeff "Meat Biscuit" Wheeler across the line for the win. Josh Arwood came in second much to the delight of his future in-laws, who were watching the race. Chris Hurst finished 6th. Chris then sat in the Masters crit and finished 10th. In the Road Race, mechanicals and crashes took their toll on the OTR men. Ryan Pumpian finished 4th.

6-29-2005 ProCrit Cancelled This weekend's Pro Crit that was to be held by Turner Field in Atlanta has been CANCELLED. Email the promoter if you want a refund.

NORBA National Rankings Congratulations to Shey Linder, who races Expert, on being ranked 2nd in the US in his division in the NORBA National Rankings! Shey has had quite a few good showings this year including a win at Bump N Grind.

Get Real! Want to help sponsor a Junior team next year? Some of the NARC Juniors have started a movement called Real. Clean. Cycling. It is their statement about riding clean, having fun, and getting real. You can support them by purchasing a tshirt from their website.

DLV Schedule The DLV has posted their schedule. Remember that you have to take the Beginner class in order to ride out there. Contact the DLV for full information.

Currently the velodrome is open during these hours.
Monday: Bicycle Little League - 6:00pm
Tuesday: Open Training 4:00pm - 9:00pm
Wednesday: Open Training - 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Wednesday: Racing - 7:30pm
Thursday: Bicycle Little League - 6:00pm
Thursday: Beginner's Classes - 7:30pm
Friday: Closed
Saturday: Open Training - 8:00am - Noon (Starts July 9th)
Sunday: Closed