Cool, I don't have to wait for 20 minutes before the race to start lining up because I'm getting a call up. That was weird everyone rolling up on me from behind at the start. Am I in the right gear to start? Oh shit, I'm clipping in with the wrong foot! Shitty start. Power up, catching.Get up Lew. Do I double up on the steps or single step with my stubby legs? The fly over wasn't that bad. The guy right behind me sounds like he's having a heart attack, he's breathing so heavy. Oh it's just Brian Morrissey. I can pass him. Up the flyover double stepping, not bad. What the hell just happened? When I sat on my bike at the plateau of the flyover, one of my testicles shoots up into my throat. What the hell is poking me in my butt? Shit, the nose of my saddle is attempting to sodomize me! Should I quit or stand for the next 2 laps? Onward. Come to a complete stop after every dismount, so as not to impale yourself. No energy standing up. Anybody got a spare bike I can use? Why would anybody follow me up the stairs? Turns suck standing on every one.
After the race I feel nauseated, not because I exerted myself, but because I just go whacked in the nuts.
Elvis Cross here we come!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Jackson Park
Cross season has begun! Let the goofy handups commence!
Some background on how me and my son, Alex got here. Alex is a Cub Scout and was given the opportunity to camp in a tent at Northerly Island for the Scouts 100 year anniversary. So he and I made it a bicycle weekend. On Saturday morning we left by car for my firehouse near the South Shore Cultural Center. We unloaded the bikes and carrier, and loaded all of our camping gear into it and headed downtown. Now Saturday morning started out fine, but the forecast looked grim. Just as we got there the heavens opened. I thought we would be stuck in our tent for the entire stay, but the rain let up and we had a great time thereafter. At night they had a concert by Smashmouth and the best fireworks display I have seen this year. They really put on a nice event for the kids.
Sunday morning we were awoken at 6. We loaded up and started heading to JP. I unhooked the carrier and now had to wait for our events. I tried to get into the 30+ but it was full. I never went over how to get over a barrier with my son until that morning. I couldn't believe his learning curve. It's unfortunate there aren't more options for small kids, my son is 9, for good bikes. I got him a used Novarra Pulse which is 23 lbs! It was the only 26" bike that I found. I couldn't find any cheap Redline 24" and didn't want him to grow out of it too fast.
Onto racing. Alex was first. He went from "I can do this" to "I am tired" to "I don't think I could finish" in the couple of hours leading to his race. He started out slowly, which I am happy he did. I didn't want him to poop himself out early and not enjoy himself. On the first barriers he did great. then he started to catch some kids. He fell towards the end and lost a spot, but after the race it didn't even phase him. All he wanted was a drink of water afterwards.
My race, the 4A's started with us lining up 25 minutes before the race, just like every other race year preceding. It's like a flock of vultures circling their prey waiting for the first one to dive onto the line for everybody else to follow. What's the sense of warming up? A lot of new and old faces, a good amount of conversation, and one very necessary act took place at the lineup. At this time I told Brian Hague what to expect seeing as this was only his third cross race and the first one in the past two years. Bob was there jawing with Rob Curtis and Elvis were there also.
I started on the third row. The race starts and I start my move to the front. Two riders went down separately and I was able to get around them without slowing down. I think that helped me immensely. I got to 5th and was really able to hammer in the straights, but I can not turn to save my life. I ended up finishing in 9th which is still my best finish in the 5 years I've been doing this.
Hague comes in 1st! I knew he had an engine and this proves it. It's nice to have another area guy on the team. So he's in a battle for the top position when he goes down and drops his chain. He reengaged rhe leader, when the Iron Cycle guy chain pops off, putting Brian on top of the podium. Congrat's to Brian on only his third cx race ever.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
ELVIS CROSS
First, please forgive our website malfunction. We are up and running again.
The Beverly cyclocross race is back again this year in the form of Elvis Cross! We are also getting support in the form of manpower from Psimet. Same course, with the same hard ass hills. Don't forget FREE fried chicken and peanutbutter and banana sandwiches just like the King liked. Also $5 off registration if you dress like the King himself. Hope to see you there!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Smack Down
I just sent a e-mail to Rob from Psimet to give him a heads up on the cross race being put on by XXX. XXX has a 2 person tag team race coming up on Aug 29th that is sure to be a blast. I will be trying to get someone from the team to ride with me so I can take on Rob with one of his team mates. It should be fun to watch 2 slow fat guys talking smack and getting passed by everyone. To me that’s fine, as long as I don't lose to Rob.
Monday, July 12, 2010
SUPERWEEK SO FAR
It all starts with the Beverly Classic. This one was a little different for me because it actually contained people I have raced with. The field was smaller than what I remember, but the pace and primes almost every other lap were the same. I thought that it was impressive there was $3500 dollars in primes eventhough that number was down from a once $5000. Some of the guys I have raced with who were in the field got popped in the first 4 laps, but 3 others hung on to the end. Two of those guys who hung on, I just raced against in the Tour De Villas.
Couldn't do Geneva, worked that day. I heard there were some nasty crashes though.
Homewood: Cat 4/5 Having just got off shift at 7AM, I was a little tired to say the least. Traffic was light and I got there in plenty of time for a change. Seeing that it was a warm morning I didn't want to warm up too much and I'm glad I didn't. Our race didn't start until 45 minutes after the posted time so there was a lot of warm up laps taken before the race. I would rather have a safe race experience with the oil washed down in the one corner and course marshalls stopping traffic from coming onto the course than not having those things done.
The race goes off and I am still having a difficult time clipping in. The new Look Max's I use are so smooth moving that any forward movement gets them rocking more than my old pedals. So I loose a couple of positions, no big deal. Well this puts me behind a Team Mack rider who in turn one puts his inside pedal down and ends up high siding off his bike. I am directly behind him hitting the brakes just waiting to hit him, but his momentum carried him to the outside of the corner with me just avoiding him. So now I am all alone with about 9 guys off the front. I decided right after I regained my speed to go and chase them down, I was finally able to latch back on just before the turns started. Now the group I was in were 10 strong and in 4 laps we swelled 20. I wish we could have worked better to keep it 10. There was communication, but nobody really wanted to pull through. With about 3 to go, another crash in turn one. With 2 to go a crash on the second right after the straightaway. On the last lap I was able to gain some positions in the turns. Everybody took the turn where the oil was tight and I came around wide by myself picking up places and being able to pedal through the turn. Onto the s/f I liked how you could cut real close to the guard rail on the inside of the manhole cover. I was a little surprised that the sprint didn't happen after the turn but closer to the finish line. I came in 6th with some more gas in the tank.
Cat 4/5 35+ For me it was a little too long in between races. I like an hour off in between, but this was more like 2. On the line I marked a couple of riders who I have seen in the past do well, no real big team presence though. I wouldn't say this race was tamer, just safer. A couple of times a guy would get off the front with somebody blocking, but they were all pretty short lived. With 2 laps left a Wheelman trys to string out the field. I knew that on the back stretch I had to move up before the turns which I did. At the bell I'm sitting about 5 back. Around turn 2 (which started to develop loose gravel from the patched hole) I was 3rd wheel. We started the sprint this time right after the last turn and kept our same positions for the finish-3rd.
Richton Park: Me and this course have history. Last year on the last lap I caught the pack sleeping on the bell lap. I exerted all my energy and got off the front by myself. In turn 2 I touched my inside pedal shooting me upright and off the course. The pack finally passed me as I got back on the course. Oh well that was last year. Same course and the start was on time. Had problems clipping in again, but had good starting position. The pace was fast, but I could deal with it. I took an early flier in an effort to string things out early and settled in. Two guys were doing much of the pulling and not asking for any help. I could see these guys were strong, but didn't mind them pooping themselves out. With 5 to go the racing begins in earnest. Luckily I didn't get myself boxed in and each time I was able to get close to the front. On the last lap I moved up on the back stretch a little and on the outside between turn 3 and 4. I was about 5 back after the final turn. The sprint started far back and I was able to come in 3rd. Tony
Couldn't do Geneva, worked that day. I heard there were some nasty crashes though.
Homewood: Cat 4/5 Having just got off shift at 7AM, I was a little tired to say the least. Traffic was light and I got there in plenty of time for a change. Seeing that it was a warm morning I didn't want to warm up too much and I'm glad I didn't. Our race didn't start until 45 minutes after the posted time so there was a lot of warm up laps taken before the race. I would rather have a safe race experience with the oil washed down in the one corner and course marshalls stopping traffic from coming onto the course than not having those things done.
The race goes off and I am still having a difficult time clipping in. The new Look Max's I use are so smooth moving that any forward movement gets them rocking more than my old pedals. So I loose a couple of positions, no big deal. Well this puts me behind a Team Mack rider who in turn one puts his inside pedal down and ends up high siding off his bike. I am directly behind him hitting the brakes just waiting to hit him, but his momentum carried him to the outside of the corner with me just avoiding him. So now I am all alone with about 9 guys off the front. I decided right after I regained my speed to go and chase them down, I was finally able to latch back on just before the turns started. Now the group I was in were 10 strong and in 4 laps we swelled 20. I wish we could have worked better to keep it 10. There was communication, but nobody really wanted to pull through. With about 3 to go, another crash in turn one. With 2 to go a crash on the second right after the straightaway. On the last lap I was able to gain some positions in the turns. Everybody took the turn where the oil was tight and I came around wide by myself picking up places and being able to pedal through the turn. Onto the s/f I liked how you could cut real close to the guard rail on the inside of the manhole cover. I was a little surprised that the sprint didn't happen after the turn but closer to the finish line. I came in 6th with some more gas in the tank.
Cat 4/5 35+ For me it was a little too long in between races. I like an hour off in between, but this was more like 2. On the line I marked a couple of riders who I have seen in the past do well, no real big team presence though. I wouldn't say this race was tamer, just safer. A couple of times a guy would get off the front with somebody blocking, but they were all pretty short lived. With 2 laps left a Wheelman trys to string out the field. I knew that on the back stretch I had to move up before the turns which I did. At the bell I'm sitting about 5 back. Around turn 2 (which started to develop loose gravel from the patched hole) I was 3rd wheel. We started the sprint this time right after the last turn and kept our same positions for the finish-3rd.
Richton Park: Me and this course have history. Last year on the last lap I caught the pack sleeping on the bell lap. I exerted all my energy and got off the front by myself. In turn 2 I touched my inside pedal shooting me upright and off the course. The pack finally passed me as I got back on the course. Oh well that was last year. Same course and the start was on time. Had problems clipping in again, but had good starting position. The pace was fast, but I could deal with it. I took an early flier in an effort to string things out early and settled in. Two guys were doing much of the pulling and not asking for any help. I could see these guys were strong, but didn't mind them pooping themselves out. With 5 to go the racing begins in earnest. Luckily I didn't get myself boxed in and each time I was able to get close to the front. On the last lap I moved up on the back stretch a little and on the outside between turn 3 and 4. I was about 5 back after the final turn. The sprint started far back and I was able to come in 3rd. Tony
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Tour de Villas
I didn't know if I was going to do this one or not, I was a little unnerved after Sherman Park and haven't raced since. Memories of Monsters crept into my head at Sherman and that just took me out of contention in and of itself.
Seeing that some teammates were going I thought it would be a good tune up for Superweek. Also seeing that this was an ABR race, why not race as a 3? It's where I wouldn't mind being so why not test the waters? So Paul and I signed up.
The cat 4 race finishes with Elvis coming in 10th but a crash on the last lap brings out the ambulance. Hopefully the guy is OK. As we are waiting and the promoters are losing time they decide to combine the 3's and the 1,2,3's fields. I think there were only 36 riders total.
My goal was to just hang on and see what it was like to be in a higher cat. When they combined the fields now my goal was to hold on for dear life and see what it was like.
The race starts without any difference than I'm use to. The laps progressed with attack after attack occurring. Nothing that couldn't be covered. Then a group of 6 gets off the front effortlessly. Nothing big, just a progressive increase in pace. I didn't really see it go off and even if I did my goal was to just hold on. As the laps progressed there were a couple of fliers to bridge the gap but they were reeled back into the pack. The funniest was an obvious cat 1 or 2 who missed the break who was doing a good amount of pulling. He was getting upset with the pack hollering at us to do some work. To his disadvantage was the more he hollered the less people wanted to work.
With 3 left there was a prime and I caught glimpse of Paul still hanging in. I did a little pulling at this point hitting 27 to 28 mph. Didn't feel too bad either. I played the last lap poorly pulling a little but knowing the sprint would start any minute. So I eased off and got swarmed. I knew this was too long to be the sprint and just eased in to the back of them. With about 200m left I started to pick off some guys. I knew I was close to picking a guy off at the line but would have to wait for the video. Sure enough he got me at the line. Even though I would have loved to get that guy, he was a 123, my goal was accomplished. I think I came in 10th for the 3's and 21st overall. Superweek here we come rocking our new kits!
Seeing that some teammates were going I thought it would be a good tune up for Superweek. Also seeing that this was an ABR race, why not race as a 3? It's where I wouldn't mind being so why not test the waters? So Paul and I signed up.
The cat 4 race finishes with Elvis coming in 10th but a crash on the last lap brings out the ambulance. Hopefully the guy is OK. As we are waiting and the promoters are losing time they decide to combine the 3's and the 1,2,3's fields. I think there were only 36 riders total.
My goal was to just hang on and see what it was like to be in a higher cat. When they combined the fields now my goal was to hold on for dear life and see what it was like.
The race starts without any difference than I'm use to. The laps progressed with attack after attack occurring. Nothing that couldn't be covered. Then a group of 6 gets off the front effortlessly. Nothing big, just a progressive increase in pace. I didn't really see it go off and even if I did my goal was to just hold on. As the laps progressed there were a couple of fliers to bridge the gap but they were reeled back into the pack. The funniest was an obvious cat 1 or 2 who missed the break who was doing a good amount of pulling. He was getting upset with the pack hollering at us to do some work. To his disadvantage was the more he hollered the less people wanted to work.
With 3 left there was a prime and I caught glimpse of Paul still hanging in. I did a little pulling at this point hitting 27 to 28 mph. Didn't feel too bad either. I played the last lap poorly pulling a little but knowing the sprint would start any minute. So I eased off and got swarmed. I knew this was too long to be the sprint and just eased in to the back of them. With about 200m left I started to pick off some guys. I knew I was close to picking a guy off at the line but would have to wait for the video. Sure enough he got me at the line. Even though I would have loved to get that guy, he was a 123, my goal was accomplished. I think I came in 10th for the 3's and 21st overall. Superweek here we come rocking our new kits!
Monday, June 7, 2010
WONDER LAKE AND OTHER THINGS
First off Wonder Lake. We had two guys in the masters 50+. Actually one and a half. The Chicago fire department started a team for the police and fire games so we as a team are trying to get them to ride for us. Ronnie is that half rider in the 50+. The field was small but both finished in the pack. Unfortunately for the first lead rider of the day into turn 3 there was no corner marshall so he proceeded to go straight instead of turn.
In the cat 5 race we had Tom, Jack who we support, also on the fire department team and Ronnie. Ronnie came in 15 tom in 21 and Jack got lapped. This is the thing with cat 5 racing that I don't understand. The race seemed too fast. I like how ABR has a beginner cat with 10 or less races. It does not seem like we or USA cycling are really fostering new riders. I can only imagine how crushing it would feel to keep on getting dropped week after week, knowing you trained a little and have no good results for your efforts. I could see how it would make people want to quit.
Some other people languish in the lower cats waiting on the USAC rules for 5th place or higher, not being able to cat up. I admit to a point I am one of the people who needs to cat up. Not because of performance mind you, but because I need a change. I'm pretty sure I have my pack finishes. One dear friend of mine, who I admire as a rider and a steward of this sport Mike Seguin xXx told me not to cat up until I get good results. I disagree with him. It is time soon. Why would I want to keep on riding at the level I am without pushing myself with supposed higher caliber riders? Isn't it better to burn out than to fade away? Are my results really going to get any better in cat 4?
Back to the subject. The cat 4 race was next. And guess what? The first 2 guys on the front went straight at turn 3 also! I understand that it is the riders responsibility to know the course, but when you are racing and you have a guy sitting in a chair in front of a barrier lazily waving a flag, with a car sized gap to go straight, you couldn't tell if he was telling us "watch out for this horse and stay straight " or "go left". Some constructive criticism: next time if you can't barricade the whole turn off, please at least have a marshall blocking off the rest of the street. I turned on the power a little too soon coming in 8th.
Next up the 4-5 masters. It was a slow paced race with just a couple of accelerations. This time there was no big jump in speed at the end, just a long windup. I felt I had good postion in about 7th wheel, but couldn't gain ground on the guys in front of me. Next time I got to get a little closer to the front. Nice course, nice people and safe.
Rambling #1: I have been doing more riding in the city lately. My job is 9 miles away from my house so it ecentially takes me just as long by car or bike. Coming home one morning at 7AM from work I went under a bridge and made a nice sweeping right hand turn. I have made this turn numerous times and knew the pavement was smooth without any debris. It just so happened this time I went down. Thank goodness there were no cars by me. What I didn't see while riding was there must have been oil on the ground. No glossiness or discoloration of the pavement to tip me off. So with that being said, eventhough you might think you know your way or the streets, BE CAREFUL!
Rambling #2: I like Chicagobikeracing.com. Luke Seeman provides a host of info on the bike scene of Chicago. The last rambling on there was from a guy about the O'Fallon race and other things. He is a guy who has risen quickly in the cats. If he has a problem with where a race is located, then just don't go. Did he ever ride the course to see how nice it was? Doesn't he have teammates he could ride down there with? Chicago is 1 hour from Wisconsin, O'Fallon is what, 30 min from Missouri? Don't people make the hike down to Hillsboro? I am not trying to inflame, but come on. Keep to racing. Obviously you are a good rider and suck just as much as I do trying to get your point across on paper. Suggestion for Luke: Give people only one chance to pitch their bitch on your site and not allow them any more than that. And as for hosting races JUST DO IT. Stop asking the questions and get your ass to work. We are just a handfull of riders and have put on a time trial, cyclocross race and have sponsored the Beverly Classic and some of the categories in the state road race championship when it was in Oak Brook. Not trumping ourselves up, but where there is a will there is a way. Tony
In the cat 5 race we had Tom, Jack who we support, also on the fire department team and Ronnie. Ronnie came in 15 tom in 21 and Jack got lapped. This is the thing with cat 5 racing that I don't understand. The race seemed too fast. I like how ABR has a beginner cat with 10 or less races. It does not seem like we or USA cycling are really fostering new riders. I can only imagine how crushing it would feel to keep on getting dropped week after week, knowing you trained a little and have no good results for your efforts. I could see how it would make people want to quit.
Some other people languish in the lower cats waiting on the USAC rules for 5th place or higher, not being able to cat up. I admit to a point I am one of the people who needs to cat up. Not because of performance mind you, but because I need a change. I'm pretty sure I have my pack finishes. One dear friend of mine, who I admire as a rider and a steward of this sport Mike Seguin xXx told me not to cat up until I get good results. I disagree with him. It is time soon. Why would I want to keep on riding at the level I am without pushing myself with supposed higher caliber riders? Isn't it better to burn out than to fade away? Are my results really going to get any better in cat 4?
Back to the subject. The cat 4 race was next. And guess what? The first 2 guys on the front went straight at turn 3 also! I understand that it is the riders responsibility to know the course, but when you are racing and you have a guy sitting in a chair in front of a barrier lazily waving a flag, with a car sized gap to go straight, you couldn't tell if he was telling us "watch out for this horse and stay straight " or "go left". Some constructive criticism: next time if you can't barricade the whole turn off, please at least have a marshall blocking off the rest of the street. I turned on the power a little too soon coming in 8th.
Next up the 4-5 masters. It was a slow paced race with just a couple of accelerations. This time there was no big jump in speed at the end, just a long windup. I felt I had good postion in about 7th wheel, but couldn't gain ground on the guys in front of me. Next time I got to get a little closer to the front. Nice course, nice people and safe.
Rambling #1: I have been doing more riding in the city lately. My job is 9 miles away from my house so it ecentially takes me just as long by car or bike. Coming home one morning at 7AM from work I went under a bridge and made a nice sweeping right hand turn. I have made this turn numerous times and knew the pavement was smooth without any debris. It just so happened this time I went down. Thank goodness there were no cars by me. What I didn't see while riding was there must have been oil on the ground. No glossiness or discoloration of the pavement to tip me off. So with that being said, eventhough you might think you know your way or the streets, BE CAREFUL!
Rambling #2: I like Chicagobikeracing.com. Luke Seeman provides a host of info on the bike scene of Chicago. The last rambling on there was from a guy about the O'Fallon race and other things. He is a guy who has risen quickly in the cats. If he has a problem with where a race is located, then just don't go. Did he ever ride the course to see how nice it was? Doesn't he have teammates he could ride down there with? Chicago is 1 hour from Wisconsin, O'Fallon is what, 30 min from Missouri? Don't people make the hike down to Hillsboro? I am not trying to inflame, but come on. Keep to racing. Obviously you are a good rider and suck just as much as I do trying to get your point across on paper. Suggestion for Luke: Give people only one chance to pitch their bitch on your site and not allow them any more than that. And as for hosting races JUST DO IT. Stop asking the questions and get your ass to work. We are just a handfull of riders and have put on a time trial, cyclocross race and have sponsored the Beverly Classic and some of the categories in the state road race championship when it was in Oak Brook. Not trumping ourselves up, but where there is a will there is a way. Tony
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Monster Crash
Another big crash in the 4's field. I was glad to have hit the grass and not the Pave, Because I'm taking the family to Disney this week. It would have put a damper on things if I couldn't move good do to road rash. I put a link to my Garmin so you could see me slummin in the back. All I did was sprint and brake. Then come to a sudden stop.
Thx to the person that collected my things from the road. I lost my glasses, water bottle and the garmin in the crash. You can see who ever picked it up walking around with it.
Bob
Thx to the person that collected my things from the road. I lost my glasses, water bottle and the garmin in the crash. You can see who ever picked it up walking around with it.
Bob
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Vernon Hills 2010
Butting Heads
I felt pretty confident going back to Vernon Hills I had done well there and felt I could repeat that effort. The pre race went great our cat 4 race was last so there was nobody left at registration and it was a breeze to get my number. I quickly got back and started my warm up. I only had about ten minutes or so. Also on the pre-race agenda going over our race strategy I always like to follow the K.I.S.S. formula –keep it simple stupid. Clark was coming of f of a 5th place in Wisconsin on Saturday so I figured he couldn’t have much in the tank. Tony, Sergio and Jorge were also present so I filled them in on the game plan. Everybody was on board and the race was off to a fast start…
Quickly we all got going the pace was fast and the corners 3 and 4 were tight. Sergio and Jorge were getting there lump in the back of the peloton, while the rest of us were trying to mix it up with the front of the pack. Around midway through the race Clarkie decided to test the legs and went on the attack and Tony and I were trying to cover any chasers but it was obvious it was not going anywhere.
It was coming down to the wire and we had two laps left to get some thing done. I look over at Tony and gave him the two finger sign and he acknowledged my hand signal. As I moved up I could sense the pack getting anxious and squirrely. Now was the time to move up and get in position. Before I new it I was passing up all attackers and found my self at the head of the peloton going into to bottlenecking 4th and final turn. It was time to move aside and prepare for the final sprint. I had excellent position and was licking my chops at the position I found myself in. There was a row of about 3-4 riders in front leading out everyone for the sprint and I was in the middle. As I started revving up for the sprint, I felt and heard a bang, I thought for sure I’m going down and there is nothing I can do about it., and even worst I was about to get run over by about 60 riders going about 30+ mph. After the initial shock I was amazed I was still upright, but now an even scarier scenario the rider that bumped me and I were stuck together by our handle bar and some how tangled and we could not break free. Now I know what two rams feel like when they butt heads and get stuck. I knew the only way was to stay cool and not panic. We started wiggling out and finally we broke. But the fast moving peloton was already around us. All I could was try and muster up all my strength and come in with a decent finish. I was not to be!
Clark 15th
Tony 16th
Elvis 17th
Jorge 48th
Sergio 50th
See you next year!
E
Saturday, April 17, 2010
LELAND, OR THE HARDEST RACE I HAVE EVER BEEN IN
First off, thanks for my family for letting me go. For that matter, thanks to all of our families for letting us go and putting up with our absenteeism even for training.
So, what to wear? What the hell is the temp? I ask around. 44 degrees with a windchill of 34. Nice. Knee warmers and regular socks it is with a windproofed front coat. Note to promoters: MORE PORTAPOTTIES.
The race goes off on time and fast from the get go. On the main road, not even in 3 miles there were pot holes right in the middle of the road. These took out at least one rider with a flat and a couple of water bottles. Onto the gravel going fast I see William Pankonin from xXx go down in the middle of the gravel road. What an eye opener that first gravel section was. Not only were we going fast, but there was barely any hard pack. I was expecting at least tire ruts, but for most of the sections the closer you were to the grass, the better. For me the speed we were carying would soon be unobtainable. A little space opened in between me and the rider directly in front, so I paced myself to catch up. Here is where my brain locked up. A left hand turn was coming up, gravel to pavememt I thought I had the angle on the turn to the inside, but carried too much speed coming off of the gravel which I now saw on the inside of the corner was gravel on top of pavement. I tried not to turn and go straight through until clear pavement, but went down.
What to do? I see I was about 10Th wheel and the rest of the pack blows by me. I jump back onto the bike, not wanting my day to be over so soon. Plus I rode with Mike Seguin xXx in his car and didn't have access to it. On the bike I assess the damage: handlebars off center to the right, crooked right brake, and a front wheel rub. All in all not too bad. Brakes opened all the way up and off i go to chase.
that was actually fun, to chase. I really didn't pay much attention to my physical injuries as the adrenalin was rushing. I did notice my shorts, and much latter my left sleeve was ripped, but felt fine. So I pick up 2 riders in front of me. This increased to 6. We worked well together. Finally an Iron Cycles guy had enough of us and actually did bride the gap between us and the pack in front of us which was about a block ahead. What a stud I thought. So here we go dropping some and picking up some.At one point it was only me and Pat from Tati doing the pulls. Here Pat says lets get rid of the baggage, which we did with ease. With 1 1/2 laps left, to my surprise, somebody tugs at my water bottle in my pocket. It's Mike Shea from Spider Monkey and Rich from Spin Doctors. The were the only ones to catch us as well as a MS rider.
Last lap and my legs and butt are about to give up. Plus I have to go pee. Last gravel section and Mike pushes the pace. I maintain 3rd wheel, but don't have anything for the finish.
Post race I am achy all over. Time to assess the physical damage. Left hip road rash. No problem, I'm used to that, unfortunately. I attempt to take off my jesrsey, but it is stuck on my arm. i twist it and notice that almost the entire back of my forearm has congealed blood on it. Shit, I think to myself, what the hell is under there? So I had to soak my forearm with the jesey on just to release it from my arm. On inspection of my elbow, there is a crater the area of a little less than a dime. Stitches I think to myself.
No doubt, to the hospital I go, albiet 5 hours after the injury. Sure enough 6 stitches, but they are affraid they won't hold, because it is not a clean cut, but looks like hamburger.
So the good things: I finished, and no broken bones. Not only did I finish, but to my surprise I came in 20th.
Monday, April 12, 2010
HILLSBORO
Me, Clark and Elvis went down on Friday. Joe came later and Paul on Saturday morning. It's funny, the ride down there this year seemed shorter. It was still 4 hours though.
We drove the course, remembering things from years past. We liked the new back section that they put in. We pulled the bikes out at the start finish ride and did 12easy miles. Clark looks at the last hill and states it doesn't look too bad. Oh yea? wait until after 58 miles. So we rode the hill twice and formulated a plan, knowing where the dogs, pheasants and goats were on the course.
We had a good dinner at the cafe that seemed to be filled with riders. Good night sleep and of course a walk to breakfast at Denny's.
Off to the race on Saturday morning. Wait a minute where are Clark's keys? After a little while and head skratching he finds them where else but..... Denny's. Now off to the race. We have a meeting place off the course that gives us a parking lot to ourselves with a nice bathroom at the Baptist church. Belive me a nice bathroom before a race is much appreciated.
So we are behind the start finish line and a race goes off. Paul lines up with the next raceers to go off. "Paul that's not our race!"... It was our race. Thank goodness for Paul getting us in the middle of the start and for holding onto the bikes while we check our bladders one last time.
The first lap was exactly what I thought it would be, everybody feeling eachother and the course out. Nickie, Joe's girlfriend, gives me a good bottle handoff in the feed zone and here we go up the last hill. I get caught behind some slower riders on the right side from another category, so my momentum is gone. No excuses though, I shouldn't have been in that postiion to begin with. So now I'm dangling off the back of the lead pack. Luckily I was able to calm down and finally catch on again right at the turn going out onto the road after the s/f line.
The second lap had a 4 man break go off on the little uphill right before the right hand turn off the main road. No big deal. Bad thinking. Two of those guys stayed out the rest of the race. I have to commend Tati and Psimet and Wild card for their effective blocking. We go around with no major problems. I take that back, Clark botched his bottle hand off, so now he's mooching on my last bottle. Thanks to the Psimet rider who gave up one of his three to Clark. I think I'd say 2 guy's with blown tires, 2 dropped chains and one guy in a ditch by himself. I don't know if he was in that 4 man break or in another field, but he looked ok.
The hill before the feed zone took some casualties and I was not one of them. I was just behind Clark when the last hill came. I was only 4 houses in when the legs shut down. So what do you do? I started fishing for a gear that just wasn't there. It was good to see some guy's hurting in front of me. Now for the hunt. There's a guy in front of me on the hill I was able to pick off before the left hand turn. I notice 2 guys on the hill not peddaling, so I exert a little energy and get them also. One more around the turn and on right after it. Now it's time to calm down. Got the next guy's wheel. What I didn't know, is the guy I picked off just before that grabing the wheel grabbed my wheel. Around the last turn still behind the guy. When do I jump? I'm trying to find the 200 meter post, but couldn't see it. After one fake it was time to sprint. One guy passes me from I don't know where and the guy who grabbed my wheel just gets me at the line. 2 tenths of a second to be exact.I came in 19th. Clark even did better at 13th. Elvis 56th, Joe and Paul with DNF's.
We drove the course, remembering things from years past. We liked the new back section that they put in. We pulled the bikes out at the start finish ride and did 12easy miles. Clark looks at the last hill and states it doesn't look too bad. Oh yea? wait until after 58 miles. So we rode the hill twice and formulated a plan, knowing where the dogs, pheasants and goats were on the course.
We had a good dinner at the cafe that seemed to be filled with riders. Good night sleep and of course a walk to breakfast at Denny's.
Off to the race on Saturday morning. Wait a minute where are Clark's keys? After a little while and head skratching he finds them where else but..... Denny's. Now off to the race. We have a meeting place off the course that gives us a parking lot to ourselves with a nice bathroom at the Baptist church. Belive me a nice bathroom before a race is much appreciated.
So we are behind the start finish line and a race goes off. Paul lines up with the next raceers to go off. "Paul that's not our race!"... It was our race. Thank goodness for Paul getting us in the middle of the start and for holding onto the bikes while we check our bladders one last time.
The first lap was exactly what I thought it would be, everybody feeling eachother and the course out. Nickie, Joe's girlfriend, gives me a good bottle handoff in the feed zone and here we go up the last hill. I get caught behind some slower riders on the right side from another category, so my momentum is gone. No excuses though, I shouldn't have been in that postiion to begin with. So now I'm dangling off the back of the lead pack. Luckily I was able to calm down and finally catch on again right at the turn going out onto the road after the s/f line.
The second lap had a 4 man break go off on the little uphill right before the right hand turn off the main road. No big deal. Bad thinking. Two of those guys stayed out the rest of the race. I have to commend Tati and Psimet and Wild card for their effective blocking. We go around with no major problems. I take that back, Clark botched his bottle hand off, so now he's mooching on my last bottle. Thanks to the Psimet rider who gave up one of his three to Clark. I think I'd say 2 guy's with blown tires, 2 dropped chains and one guy in a ditch by himself. I don't know if he was in that 4 man break or in another field, but he looked ok.
The hill before the feed zone took some casualties and I was not one of them. I was just behind Clark when the last hill came. I was only 4 houses in when the legs shut down. So what do you do? I started fishing for a gear that just wasn't there. It was good to see some guy's hurting in front of me. Now for the hunt. There's a guy in front of me on the hill I was able to pick off before the left hand turn. I notice 2 guys on the hill not peddaling, so I exert a little energy and get them also. One more around the turn and on right after it. Now it's time to calm down. Got the next guy's wheel. What I didn't know, is the guy I picked off just before that grabing the wheel grabbed my wheel. Around the last turn still behind the guy. When do I jump? I'm trying to find the 200 meter post, but couldn't see it. After one fake it was time to sprint. One guy passes me from I don't know where and the guy who grabbed my wheel just gets me at the line. 2 tenths of a second to be exact.I came in 19th. Clark even did better at 13th. Elvis 56th, Joe and Paul with DNF's.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The Gapers Block Crit Series
I decided that I would try and ride all of the Gapers Block Crits put on by Half Acre, since I only worked 2 blocks from the Park. I would be a fool not to.
Day 1, well the goal of today was to just hang in the pack and see how the legs were going to react. I should have known that there would be a massive attack as soon as the whistle blew. I was in no way ready for that. All the training I have been doing has been base for the most part. I still managed to stay with the pack and coasted in to the finish for a top 20.
Day 2, I felt better today, and I knew that the first lap attack would be covered immediately. To my surprise, they waited untill the 3rd lap. When it happened, the field split with 15-20 riders making the split. I was not one of them. I did do some work in the front for a lap or so, then just sat in the field being sheltered by the wind. In the last lap, I took an inside line and was sitting around 4th as the field started to ramp up for the finish. I was able to make my way into 2nd position at the turn where I was able to pass that rider and won the field sprint. That was for 16th place. (Note, do not sprint in the 53/11, it looked good but didn’t get any speed)
Day 3, today is a good day. I felt good. The legs are starting to come back and the accelerations were not hurting as much. I received some good advice before the race from someone I respect. Basically, sit in the top 6 to 10 positions until the end and not to do so much work. Well, I stayed in the top 10, but I did way to much work. I reeled in a few brakes and pulled on the front more than I should have. In the 2nd from last lap, we had a solo rider go off the front, but I already burned all but one match so I didn’t chase. I was hoping that the field would drag him back, but they ended up slowing down. On the last lap, I wanted to be on the inside sheltered from the wind, but that didn’t happen. I ended up on the outside and fighting the wind as we all ramped up the speed. As the field strung out, I was able to work my way in to 7th from the front. We were now single file and going into the corner. I made it around one rider, but didn’t have the legs to really open up, so I ended up in 7th place. (Note, the one who does most of the work usually doesn’t take the win.)
Day 4, it was too cold and windy for me. LOL, I sat this one out. Those guys must be crazy. ;-)
Day 5, it’s the last night and there are not as many riders. I guess they are resting for the races this weekend. I already put it in my head that I was going to sit in and do no work on the front unless it was absolutely necessary. That’s when Adam Herndon, from XXX, made a huge acceleration off the line, and I wasn’t going to let him go. As we started into the wind on the back side, I looked back and we had gotten a good gap on the field, but I was in no mood to hold off the pelaton for 30min. I knew that some teams were going to be really working hard for the win on the last night. I told Adam that I wasn’t going to go for it, so he really had no choice but to let the pack get us. As the race went on, I did exactly what I planned, sit in the top 8 riders and cover all the big moves that came. With 2 laps to go, I started to move myself into the spot I wanted on the inside in 4th or 5th. The field was kind of hesitant to do anything, since no one wanted to start the lead out. On the last lap, I was sitting in a good spot. I’m on the inside with plenty of room to make a move. That’s when the field went in to sprint mode. A rider made a move, and I was able to get on his train on the inside next to the curb. I’m now sitting 5th. I have two riders in front of me, with two more riders sitting to my right just in front of me. We had about 75 meter till the turn when Teodoro Ramos from Iron Cycles came flying in on the inside. There was really no room, but he mad a nice shoulder dip away from me but we still bumped pretty good. I saw him take a look back, and I knew this was the move that I was waiting for. He made a huge acceleration to the front and I was right on his wheel. As we entered the last corner, we were sitting 1-2 with me on his wheel. He was still building speed, so I had to launch as soon as the bike came upright out of the corner. I was able to come up to the side of him as we were flying to the finish line. At this point, it was either of us to win or lose. At the last second I threw my bike at the line and took the win by a foot or so. That is my first win in cycling, so I was very happy. I only hope that this is a sign of things to come.
Bob Murray
Day 1, well the goal of today was to just hang in the pack and see how the legs were going to react. I should have known that there would be a massive attack as soon as the whistle blew. I was in no way ready for that. All the training I have been doing has been base for the most part. I still managed to stay with the pack and coasted in to the finish for a top 20.
Day 2, I felt better today, and I knew that the first lap attack would be covered immediately. To my surprise, they waited untill the 3rd lap. When it happened, the field split with 15-20 riders making the split. I was not one of them. I did do some work in the front for a lap or so, then just sat in the field being sheltered by the wind. In the last lap, I took an inside line and was sitting around 4th as the field started to ramp up for the finish. I was able to make my way into 2nd position at the turn where I was able to pass that rider and won the field sprint. That was for 16th place. (Note, do not sprint in the 53/11, it looked good but didn’t get any speed)
Day 3, today is a good day. I felt good. The legs are starting to come back and the accelerations were not hurting as much. I received some good advice before the race from someone I respect. Basically, sit in the top 6 to 10 positions until the end and not to do so much work. Well, I stayed in the top 10, but I did way to much work. I reeled in a few brakes and pulled on the front more than I should have. In the 2nd from last lap, we had a solo rider go off the front, but I already burned all but one match so I didn’t chase. I was hoping that the field would drag him back, but they ended up slowing down. On the last lap, I wanted to be on the inside sheltered from the wind, but that didn’t happen. I ended up on the outside and fighting the wind as we all ramped up the speed. As the field strung out, I was able to work my way in to 7th from the front. We were now single file and going into the corner. I made it around one rider, but didn’t have the legs to really open up, so I ended up in 7th place. (Note, the one who does most of the work usually doesn’t take the win.)
Day 4, it was too cold and windy for me. LOL, I sat this one out. Those guys must be crazy. ;-)
Day 5, it’s the last night and there are not as many riders. I guess they are resting for the races this weekend. I already put it in my head that I was going to sit in and do no work on the front unless it was absolutely necessary. That’s when Adam Herndon, from XXX, made a huge acceleration off the line, and I wasn’t going to let him go. As we started into the wind on the back side, I looked back and we had gotten a good gap on the field, but I was in no mood to hold off the pelaton for 30min. I knew that some teams were going to be really working hard for the win on the last night. I told Adam that I wasn’t going to go for it, so he really had no choice but to let the pack get us. As the race went on, I did exactly what I planned, sit in the top 8 riders and cover all the big moves that came. With 2 laps to go, I started to move myself into the spot I wanted on the inside in 4th or 5th. The field was kind of hesitant to do anything, since no one wanted to start the lead out. On the last lap, I was sitting in a good spot. I’m on the inside with plenty of room to make a move. That’s when the field went in to sprint mode. A rider made a move, and I was able to get on his train on the inside next to the curb. I’m now sitting 5th. I have two riders in front of me, with two more riders sitting to my right just in front of me. We had about 75 meter till the turn when Teodoro Ramos from Iron Cycles came flying in on the inside. There was really no room, but he mad a nice shoulder dip away from me but we still bumped pretty good. I saw him take a look back, and I knew this was the move that I was waiting for. He made a huge acceleration to the front and I was right on his wheel. As we entered the last corner, we were sitting 1-2 with me on his wheel. He was still building speed, so I had to launch as soon as the bike came upright out of the corner. I was able to come up to the side of him as we were flying to the finish line. At this point, it was either of us to win or lose. At the last second I threw my bike at the line and took the win by a foot or so. That is my first win in cycling, so I was very happy. I only hope that this is a sign of things to come.
Bob Murray
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
A WHOLE NEW SEASON
I know I haven't been on this thing for a while, but it's hard to post anything when you forget the password.
A lot has happened since last year. Some old faces, some new faces, some faces we will not see again unfortunately. Old bikes (Cannondale), new bikes (Giant). Old friends who we have bonded with and new friends who we are always open to meet and welcome with open arms.
Training in the off season for me was less intense, but with more hours in the saddle. We will see if this pays off. The problem with me in the past was more on the mental side. Seeing that I am mental to begin with, this is somewhat of a challenge for me when it comes to bike racing. I always felt like the legs were there, but applying them was a different race in itself.
The new bikes I can say are better than the old. I don't see myself as a bike snob, but the one noticeable thing I can do on these new Giants is ride without my hands. Bike or skills? I don't know. I would lean to the bike side because my skills have always sucked.
Onto the first race of the season. Gapers Block. Thanks to Half Acre for hosting, especially on the south side! Preriding the course you felt as if the wind was in your face for about 75% of the course. Monday nights wind was even worse from what I was told. The race went off with me in the second row. After a couple of laps and some hard efforts in the front, I was told after the race that the field split with About 15-20 riders in the front pack. Needless to say, I did not look behind myself during the race. The race ran as smooth as a 4-5 race should until I heard in front of me a whole lot of "woa's!" What it turned out to be was a girl all of 12 riding her bike on the course. The best was, as we are passing her telling her to get off the course, she gave us the buisness right back! She didn't even skip a beat, expecting to get hollered at in the first place. Did I mention I love the south side? With the final lap there was some good speed on the front stretch leading in to the wind. On the lake side guys were just shutting down, waiting for the lead out. I saw two guys jump and thank goodness I wasn't pinched on the inside curb like I think a lot of guys were. I didn't grab a wheel, but was able to go to the ouside of the pack by myself. And that's the way we ended with myself coming in third.
Not a bad start for the season. Tony
A lot has happened since last year. Some old faces, some new faces, some faces we will not see again unfortunately. Old bikes (Cannondale), new bikes (Giant). Old friends who we have bonded with and new friends who we are always open to meet and welcome with open arms.
Training in the off season for me was less intense, but with more hours in the saddle. We will see if this pays off. The problem with me in the past was more on the mental side. Seeing that I am mental to begin with, this is somewhat of a challenge for me when it comes to bike racing. I always felt like the legs were there, but applying them was a different race in itself.
The new bikes I can say are better than the old. I don't see myself as a bike snob, but the one noticeable thing I can do on these new Giants is ride without my hands. Bike or skills? I don't know. I would lean to the bike side because my skills have always sucked.
Onto the first race of the season. Gapers Block. Thanks to Half Acre for hosting, especially on the south side! Preriding the course you felt as if the wind was in your face for about 75% of the course. Monday nights wind was even worse from what I was told. The race went off with me in the second row. After a couple of laps and some hard efforts in the front, I was told after the race that the field split with About 15-20 riders in the front pack. Needless to say, I did not look behind myself during the race. The race ran as smooth as a 4-5 race should until I heard in front of me a whole lot of "woa's!" What it turned out to be was a girl all of 12 riding her bike on the course. The best was, as we are passing her telling her to get off the course, she gave us the buisness right back! She didn't even skip a beat, expecting to get hollered at in the first place. Did I mention I love the south side? With the final lap there was some good speed on the front stretch leading in to the wind. On the lake side guys were just shutting down, waiting for the lead out. I saw two guys jump and thank goodness I wasn't pinched on the inside curb like I think a lot of guys were. I didn't grab a wheel, but was able to go to the ouside of the pack by myself. And that's the way we ended with myself coming in third.
Not a bad start for the season. Tony
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Beverly Bike & Ski is now on Facebook, you can now follow whats going on at the shop any time. Like Friday when Dereck Woodward, originally from Hull. Yorkshire,England stopped in to check out the shop. Check out his Bob Jackson he just happened to have out in his car. It was one sweet ride. The pic is on the Facebook page if you want to see it.
2 1/2 Hours in the Rain.
It's always a good day if you can smile after putting in a few hours in the rain.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
2010 Sponsor Serfas
SERFAS
I want to take this opportunity to announce another great sponsor for 2010. Of course no one can top our team sponsors Beverly Bike and Ski www.beverlyallseasons.com and Vee Pak, Inc. www.veepak.com . Serfas optics has decided to sponsor us. The team has had the pleasure of using these great glasses in 2009. They are top quality at a very affordable price. How many times have you thrown down $100 for a set of Oakley’s or Rudy Project’s and just lose them at race or crashed and totally destroyed them. Well for less than half the price you can have the same quality and a company that backs their product.
Last year, Tony was at race and crashed go figure, right? Anyway, of course he doesn’t break any bones but the glasses didn’t make it. He asked me about it and I told him you’re SOL. I also told him check with the bike shop. The shop called Serfas www.serfas.com direct and they said they would cover it. That’s pretty good of Serfas to back their product. We made the right choice and BB/VP is sticking with Serfas for the 2010 race season. Give them a try you won’t be disappointed!!!
E
These are the glasses I have.
ISLA
(picture upper right)
Features:
(H.O.T.) Helmet Optimized Temples reduce Helmet interference
Each Model comes with 4 sets of Interchangeable Lenses
Infinite bend temples to customize fit
Extra nose pads included
Furnished with EVA hard case and micro fiber bag
RX compatible clip in frame included
FORCE 5
(pictured top left)
Features:
Each Model Comes With 4 Sets of Interchangeable Lenses
(H.O.T.)Helmet Optimized Temples Reduce Helmet Interference
TR-90- Frame Construction For Extreme Durability
Decentered Polycarbonate Lens Technology
Soft Elastomer Nose Pads and Temple Inserts
Metal Side Panels
Designed for Smaller Faces
Separate Polorized and Photochromic Lenses Available
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A New Look
The BB*VP racing team will be sporting a new kit later this season. Thanks to Tony and Eric Nelson who have been working on this project for the past two months. They came up with a fresh design, while keeping the classic look. They went through many variations and came up with two that we brought to our sponsors Beverly Bike & Ski / VeePak inc. to get the OK
So here it is, let us know what you think?
So here it is, let us know what you think?
Friday, January 8, 2010
Beginnings
A new year, A new decade, A new look. The members of the BB*VP racing team are looking forward to the upcoming racing season. Training is well underway, and the standards for the rest of the season are being set now. We have plans that are currently being worked out to re energize the team, and to hopefully make an impact on the local racing scene. More to follow as things work out
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