bikevoice

Monster Cross recon

2012-01-10T21:30:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of pre-riding Monster Cross course with the promoter Mark Junkerman and about 30 other riders this past Sunday. This 50 mile endurance cross event is happening at Pocahantas State park on Feb. 26 and follows a format similar to cross endurance and fondo events that have become pretty popular in the last few years.

The course is smokin' fast, with Williamsburg-type climbs that last no more than 30-45 seconds a piece. 95% is on double track with only a fraction of that being gravel. The rest is nice packed dirt. There is one stream crossing (x2 since there are 2 laps), a couple of road crossings, and a road portion near the end of the loop. Cross bike is by far better than mt bike for this course in my view, but I am reserving the option to use mountain bike if there is ice on the ground.

There are a couple of very short sections with some embedded fist-sized rocks that could puncture cross tires Ironcross style. There were no flats in my group, but in the lead group there were at least 3. No need at all for tires that are geared toward doing well in grass.

Back to it

2011-10-02T20:00:00.001-04:00

I did my first race since the spring today, Frogs on the Farm cross race in Chesapeake. Nice that there is a 40+ Women's category this year which was very competitive but not crazy blow your doors off pro fast either. I got 5th out of 10 which was actually my goal going in.

I guess it will always be hard to explain how much fun competing can be. It's a excercise in preparation, discipline, focus, persistence and that rush of hunting and being hunted. I hope there are photos available of Mary Ann Snavely and me racing because she became my nemisis du jour--everyone has one nearly every race. She passed me late in the race and ended up 3rd, me 5th. I got a few shots of the mens 35+ and 45+ races:

Summer 2011

2011-09-22T21:34:00.005-04:00

Please don't go

2011-07-23T17:25:00.001-04:00

L-R, Anton, Beth, Matt, Melanie

I have seen lots of statistics and numbers associated with attracting and keeping good talent in communities. It’s widely known that educated professionals often seek cycling friendly communities when it comes time to settling into a career. Louisville, for example, has stated one goal for a bike friendly designation by LAB is to “attract and retain young professionals to expand the economic base in Louisville.”

These four Eastern Virginia Medical College students are good examples of people that we probably want to retain here. Matt is from Chesapeake, while the other three relocated here to attend EVMS—Anton from Northern VA, Beth from Boston and Melanie from Toronto. I have ridden alongside them for a couple of years now, and what I have learned is that their rides in Norfolk make up most of their very limited recreation time. They have YMCA memberships, complements of their paid tuition to EVMS, but their outdoor exercise time is limited to a couple of rides a week, resulting in them being heavily dependent on cycling for recreation right now. Even so, their perceptions of how cycling friendly the region is not the most pressing thing on their minds right now, but I wonder what will be going through their minds when residences and internships end a couple of years from now.

I wonder how excited they will be about staying in Hampton Roads. Will they want to practice closer to where they grew up? Will they gravitate toward another region of the US where they have always wanted to live? Maybe they will serve in developing countries desperate for physicians. I wonder if any of them will weigh the benefits of staying here in town to build a career. If so, it appears that cycling will play at least some role in their decision. IF they have had had favorable experiences with drivers, city involvement and improvements throughout their EVMS years, I think cycling would be just one of many factors.

However, I think it becomes a MAJOR factor in a decision if these experiences have been unfavorable. Why would they want to stay in a community after working so hard if they can’t enjoy their sport? What does it say about a community if there are no advances made in improving cycling over after 5 or 6 years, especially in an era when large, more condensed cities like New York, Chicago, DC, San Francisco have been successful in making it happen, and areas with populations similar to ours—Louisville, Raleigh-Durham for instance—have made strides also?

Out of the funk and into spandex (or not)

2011-07-12T18:38:00.003-04:00

Hannah with altdaily.com doing PSA.

Last Tuesday, Wes Cheney and I represented Bike Norfolk on Heresay, the local noon radio show hosted by Cathy Lewis. The past several weeks all came to a head as I was prepared for the show because I finally had to think hard about everything that has happened over the past 2 months. I have not posted on this blog primarily because recent events have been overwhelming and difficult to even navigate. There have been two hit and runs on Shore Drive involving experienced cyclists, one who I have long admired and learned much from; numerous letters to the editor and op-eds mostly about cyclist misbehaviors and driver rage over bicycles even being on the road; a barrage of topics on the cycling listservs about how to best combat angry motorists, our bad reputation, lack of police enforcement; the thumb tack attack in Pungo—the list goes on and on.

Does this really offend you? The spandex I mean.

I had to snap out of it hard to prepare for the radio show. I would have never agreed to do the show if Wes had not been invited because he has a knowledge base, charisma, articulation and likeability that I will never have. Add to that a photographic memory—I watched as he rolled out points and facts on the air that we discussed over a 3-day period with none so much as a sticky note in front of him. Cathy Lewis was clearly not as enamored with his sidekick (me) who had more notes in front of her than the host herself. She ran a tight ship for the hour, bringing in our points as well as those of street interviews from her interns, including one from Paul Flannigan, owner of Conte’s Norfolk, a book author interview and several listener phone calls. Wayne Wilcox, Virginia Beach city planner, was also in the studio with us. I actually spaced out a little watching Cathy coordinate everything so effortlessly, especially considering she is not an expert on cycling. The program was pretty darn good, and Wes and I celebrated with an early afternoon beer and omelet. Listen Here.

Urban riding--this guy lives in Larchmont.

One regret that I have is that Cathy did not ask me the “To spandex or not to spandex” question she directed to Wes. Had I answered, I probably would have said, “Well, the real question is to helmet or not to helmet” because I really hoped that some helmet talk would make the show. Upon further reflection, however, I realize that “To spandex or not to spandex” is the most critical question of all and one that has flung me into such a funk here lately.

The most difficult task in every community of riders is the problem of unity. We talk endlessly about how the cycling community needs to be on the same page with issues, behavior and goals, yet the task seems impossible when there are different issues, behaviors and goals that each faction of the community expects of its members. The spandex question is one of the most popular gauges of just how serious a person is about this biking thing, and at its root, there is often resentment, laughter, headshaking and maybe awe but that’s probably pushing it. Certainly the person who wears spandex takes himself just a little too seriously—geez, it’s a bike, a way to escape—let’s not make a profession out of reverting back to a few light minutes of childhood fun. With the spandex comes a set of goals, or at least perceived set, that are remarkably different from those who wear baggy workout clothes. And maybe different from those who wear street clothes. Certainly different from those who wear work clothes on their way to the jobsite. Completely different from the child on training wheels, or the surfer pedaling to the oceanfront. However, if pushed on the subject, most would probably say that our goals must be very similar, but there is enough distain and misunderstanding between the groups to prevent the conversation from even starting. What has been nagging at me, really, is the tremendous task of bringing all these groups to the same table to lobby for a set of agreed-upon goals.

It's not always about the bike.

Wes could undoubtedly point me to scholarship on this subject and to writers who more eloquently convey these hierarchal tensions, but I would be more interested in reading about how—or if—a community anywhere has successfully resolved it. I look around me and listen, and depending on what bike I ride, what clothes I’m wearing and how fast I’m going, conversations of the “otherness” of different riders emerge. Don’t call me crazy—if you have ever asked “was he a rider like us” when you hear about a cyclist getting hit by a car, that’s what I’m talking about. If you have ever said that you have no interest in helping some wanna-be racer get his workout in but are only interested in helping those who commute to work, that’s what I’m talking about.

Riders in Broad Creek line up for a bike parade.

I challenge those who only ride skinny tires with spandex, to take a ride on a cruiser with your grandmother to a restaurant one day and then tell me sidewalks are always bad. If your riding consists of trips to the market, try doubling your mileage and then tell me spandex sucks. If you typically drive to a mountain bike trail, map out a road route to get there from your house, and then tell me a roadie has no skills. If you only ride cruisers in the neighborhood, jump into a group ride and then tell me how much healthier and energetic you feel the next day.

There is a different and important perceptive to be gained with a different route, different tires, a different reason for getting on the bike in the first place, and certainly different clothing. “To spandex or not to spandex” –the answer is simply “yes.”

Mountains of Misery 2011

2011-05-31T20:10:00.009-04:00

This weekend, I completed my 7th Mountains of Misery century with a slow time (8:30) but a contented soul. It was the hottest year that I have ever participated in this grueling event, but that did not stop first timers and teammates Anette Johnson, Dai Roberts, Todd Miller, Mike Carhart and Bethany Cahill from doing a great job!

It appears that Dai, with a time of 6 hours flat, was a top 10 men's finisher for the day. In fact, I am not sure if any Tripower guy has ever finished that quickly. Jim Dunham said he and John Flora finished in 6:01 back in 2011, but it's not a perfect comparison since the course has changed since then. The ride now starts in Newport whereas in the early days, it started in Christiansburg.

Anette tore it up with a 6:39 time. I think that may be a Tripower women's record. Last year, Sally and Brenna finished in the 6:50 range.

Todd Miller finished with a 6:54. I have yet to meet Todd but from what I know, this is his first year racing and doing challenge centuries like Mountains of Misery.

Mike Carhart completed the double metric (120 miles) century in 9:17. I think others have done this ride with the Tripower jersey (Wayno? Justin Samuel?) but not sure of their times.

Bethany set a goal to complete 70 of the 100 miles and did just that. At the 70 mile point, the ride swings back past the parked cars at Newport Rec Center, so that's where she completed the day. She has been riding for a few years, but not huge miles. She completed her first 100 in the flats 2 weeks ago by completing the Knott's Island Century.

I met two NCVC riders, Tim and Cynthia, on the ride. I could tell as they passed me at about mile 30 that they were experienced riders that were setting a reasonable pace. I tagged on the back and asked Cynthia if I could stay with them for a while. She agreed, and I realized soon after that Tim was setting the pace of the day and did not expect help from either of us. A Northern Virginia resident, Tim told me that he'd been "avoiding mountains all his life" and that he recently started trips to the hills to prepare for a trip to the Pyrennes. I could tell that they'd drop me on John's Creek Mountain (mile 60), so I bid them farewell at that point. But as I grinded up the climb, I passed them back as they fixed a flat.

I did not see them again until the last climb of the day, the ass-kicking brutality of Mountain Lake. Tim passed me first at the bottom. Cynthia passed me with 2 miles to go and we died together at the finish. As it turned out, I actually crossed the line with another NoVA resident, a cool guy whose name I wish I could remember. He said that I kept him motivated which made me happy. He started in a different wave from me, so his time is different than mine even though we crossed the line at the same time as Elizabeth, Anna and Madeline Carhart cheered us in.

As much as I enjoyed (and hated) the main event Sunday, I think staying at Jean Troutman's house in Peairsburg will be what I really remember about the weekend. Jean, Carol, Bethany and I relaxed in style at the Troutman's country house which has the best sunrise and sunset views imaginable. Memorial Day weekend has become one of my favorite holidays thanks to Jean's hospitality. Most of the cycling photos below were taken during the laid back Wilderness Road Ride on Saturday, our stay at Jean's, and images of an overstuffed bike shop on Main Street in Radford.

http://www.cyclingdoubleheader.com/2011-mountains-of-misery-results Results link for all riders 2011.

http://bikevoice.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html My previous finish times

Hit and Run on Shore Drive

2011-05-04T16:46:00.000-04:00

A hit and run driver has temporary disabled one of Hampton Roads’ most experienced and respected cyclists. Jim Dunham suffered a broken pelvis, 9 broken ribs and a broken collar bone after being hit from behind on Shore Drive, near the corner of Shore and Atlantic Avenue. I heard that a witness said that Jim was thrown 30 feet into the air and that the vehicle was a truck, perhaps an F-150, perhaps blue or a dark color. The driver apparently was travelling about 55 mph, and if the reported location of the hit is accurate, the speed limit is 35mph on that portion.

More to come. As reported in Virginian-Pilot, “Police ask that anyone with information call Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (562-5887) or text “VBTIP” and the information to CRIMES (274637).”

(photo right, Jim poses with his wife Barb Ryan during Bike Virginia in 2009. Photo by BJ Samuel.)

Clearly, the driver does not know the networking activity that he or she has unleashed in the cycling community. People like Jim who have been around since the 1980's and who can hang with the elite riders of all ages automatically gather a wall of protection and enthusiasm that is sure to assist in extracting the perpertrator. To rephrase, there are lots of people from all walks of life looking for the driver.

(photo right, Jim rides on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge prior to the opening of the new span in 1999.)

Gentrification of Bike Culture

2011-04-25T18:56:00.001-04:00

The beginning of something new in Norfolk was appropriately foreshadowed by the barista hanging out on the roof on 35^th street two weeks ago. She sat atop a building in the Park Place neighborhood that has long been abandoned but is on the market looking for a new owner. We all know the beginning of a revival in a neighborhood starts with young people (or is it the gays and the artists?) who shout from the rooftops that hey, this place is cool (or insert a synonym for cool) so get in now before it loses its edge. I couldn't help but be drawn in by her symbolic presence.

People have been making their homes in the Park Place section of Norfolk for over 100 years. Most would agree there are contractions there—the neighborhood is on National Register of Historic places, and it was once home to a thriving middle class black community. Yet it has a high crime rate for the past couple of decades, and revitalization efforts are slow to bring back the middle class. There is a wide newly paved 35^th street business district sitting ready for a surge of flight back to the city, yet the complications of zoning stores once used by for a automobile driving public have helped slow efforts.

It’s the perfect location for a bicycle planning meeting. The abandoned building sits next to Kerouac cafe, the 24 hour antithesis of IHOP. There is no fighting a Panera crowd or making sure we have on collared shirts or being worried about letting an expletive slip out when we meet a Kerouac.

Don’t get me wrong though, this was a power meeting if I have ever been to one. It marks one of several meetings that have taken place—the first time EVER such meetings have taken place—in which the city of Norfolk is partnering up with a loose conglomerate of cyclists (Bike Norfolk) to make the first EVER organized Norfolk Bike Month happen.

Jesse lead a meeting of cyclists ready to change infrastructure, safety and attitutes toward cycling in Norfolk. He kept us focused on the goal of assisting with Norfolk Bike Month in May with the view that success there will lead to more coordination with the city on other concerns we have long had about riding bikes in Norfolk.

Melissa with Seven Venues, and Jennifer with City of Norfolk Parks and Rec are leading the city's efforts in raising bike awareness and fun during Bike Month. They are working with Bike Norfolk, vendors and sponsors to present 5 days of events in May. It was awesome to sit next to people who are being paid to make cycling fun.

Wes presented the plan for Bike Norfolk to participate in Art Everywhere, a downtown Norfolk grassroots, get art in the street effort. It happens this year beginning Saturday, April 30.

There are few places left that let you write on the walls as here at Kerouac. I guess the tipping point in any gentrification process is the point in which the markers disappear, a fresh coat of paint builds a new wall, and cyclists are safely riding the streets of Norfolk. I look forward to that day.

4 down 31 to go

2011-04-03T18:51:00.004-04:00

Bethany and I have a goal to visit most of Virginia's State Parks in 18 months. DCR is celebrating 75 years of state parks which were launched in response to putting people to work during the Great Depression. Communing with all the parks would not be a difficult thing to do in a state that isn't over 500 miles from East to West with us living in the easternmost corner. I think we will fly into Bristol and rent a car to hit all those on the western tip!Anyway, the meat and potatoes local ones have been easy to knock off: First Landing, Chippokes last weekend and York River and False Cape this weekend.

We rode through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge to access the remote False Cape State Park. At right, Bethany rides a wooded trail near an old church steeple, one of the few remains of a community of 300 who lived there late 1800's.

Building a better Norfolk

2011-03-11T13:58:00.001-05:00

I have been part of several bike meetings lately. The exciting news in Norfolk is that we have two members of council, Theresa Whibley and Tommy Smigiel who are interested in greater support for bikes as transportation and recreation. In addition, we have a new city manager, Marcus Jones, who appears to have a similar vision. It's a small town really--I had Theresa Whibley's daughter in my English class back when I student taught at Maury in the early 1990's, and both Tommy and I started working at Norview High School in 2000 and worked there for the next several years. Tommy was a judge for my creative writing class when they presented their one act plays the day a nervous student threw up in a chair next to him. Anyway, back to bikes.

I am part of a new advocacy group, Bike Norfolk, who is being led by some real doers in this community. Wes Cheney, Kelly Walker, BC Wilson, Patrick Dale, Markus Wegener, Scott Cramer, Michael Shipp, Jesse Scaccia, John ?, Brent ? and several others have been meeting to push for better riding availability and conditions in Norfolk. We are preparing to present an array of ideas to city leaders about how to get people on bikes, improvements to infrastructure, education, communtiy and image. Here is an excerpt of the "homework" I did after Jesse (the taskmaster according to Kelly) suggested we take pieces to research:

VDOT’s Safe Routes to School program

http://www.vdot.virginia.gov/programs/ted_Rt2_school_pro.asp

There are federal dollars available for creating better bike passages to schools. The Safe Routes grants give money to communities that create plans for getting children and teens to school by bike safer. It appears Parks and Rec has worked on applying to this program to some extent (?) and it’s vital that schools and other stakeholders be involved if any momentum for these applications. An inquiry is needed to see who has started this process (if anyone) and how we can combine efforts to make it happen. The Norview community appears to be ideal for working with. Norview Elementary, Middle and High schools are in close proximity to each other. There is a one mile multiuse path around Norview High. Norview High also has a fleet of bikes that could be used for getting students out for a ride to solicit their suggestions (and perhaps create a media opportunity).

According to Robert Williams, the Safe Routes to School coordinator in Richmond, Norfolk does not have an application submitted for consideration for this round of funding (due now). He said that Norfolk applied in 2007 and was not granted funding. He also said that Portsmouth, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake were awarded funds previously and are in the middle of their projects now. With the right people at the table, Norfolk should start now for the next cycle of funding (hopefully 2012). Robert said that there is a training day this that has not been announced yet that would help us prepare for a 2012 funding application.

Contact: Robert Williams, Safe Routes Coordinator, VDOT Central office, 804-371-4868, robertj.williams@vdot.virginia.gov

Bicycle Laws Printed

Educating the public about bike laws, in my view, needs to start with the bike riders and the Norfolk bike shops. Unlike in many other communities Nationwide, there are no local pamphlets available to educate riders/ drivers on their rights and responsibilities, and I recall only seeing one (had a low circulation) in the past 25 years of riding in this region. I have been working on one, and can have a very simple one sheet tri-fold ready for press by spring 2011. The city could help by printing, say 1000 to begin with. We could distribute these to the local bike shops. That is a critical start in education since shops are the obvious place where that education is missing.

Street Closures

Unfortunately, there are no parks in Norfolk that have what Central Park in NYC and Rock Creek Park in DC have: roads that travel through them that may be closed to traffic on weekends. Therefore, the chances of having roads closed for cycling are diminished greatly. If one side of Ocean View Ave were closed, it would have a negative impact on residents who have driveways going to the street. If one side of Brambleton were closed, the same is true for businesses. The Commerce Park off Robin Hood Road appears to be an option, but even likely there are at least a couple of businesses there that are opened on Sundays. Even if there aren’t, we may be faced with people using the bathroom on the grass and behind buildings if we had a circuit there closed to traffic since we would be creating a recreational environment without facilities.

Perhaps an option is this: close Granby street and LaValette Ave. to create a one mile circuit with the roads in Lafayette park on Sunday. There are other ways to get out of Riverview, so closing LaVatte would work if done early morning, and the northbound traffic on Granby could be detoured down Broadway to Llewellen and then to Delaware. None of the closures would impact residents or businesses. The zoo opens at 10 am, so this would need to be done during early morning hours, perhaps 7am-9am. It would be best offered to families with young children, rather than to teens or adults, and imposing a “speed limit” of 10 mph would be ideal. This type of closure is not the same a Central Park or Rock Creek that work well for recreational riders travelling at faster speeds, but it gives families an option. Facilities and parking are available in the park, though it would require clear signage for cars to avoid riders while parking and for the city to open the bathrooms early. I honestly don’t know that it would be a good investment as a regular thing, but offering it as part of the Parks and Rec May bike ride series is an option.

Professional and amateur bike race

Norfolk has been home to outstanding professional and amateur bike races in the past. There was a Ghent evening bike race series in the early 1980’s. There was a downtown race in the late 80’s/ early 90’s that was part of the Southeastern Cycling Classic. The race hosted big names in bike racing including 7 time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. The race was revived again 2000-2007 with city support, and it attracted about 200 racers each year, including Olympic silver medalist Marty Nothstein. The city provided funding for the street closures and Norfolk police to man the closures. The 2000-2007 races were held on a one-mile circuit downtown, on Sundays to avoid conflicts with businesses.

There are two local bike race clubs, Tripower Cycling and Celerity Cycling, that have the expertise for putting on downtown races. The critical missing piece since 2007 has been city support, especially the funding for street closures and police. Neither club is in a financial position to fund these two aspects of the race, but they have the membership and sponsorship connections for other aspects of putting on the race. They also would fully execute the race. The clubs and races are sanctioned by USA Cycling http://www.usacyling.org/

Battered Bike Syndrome

2011-02-23T21:27:00.004-05:00

There is an unfortunate disconnect in the cycling community. It starts with definition. Am I am cyclist if I ride out of sheer necessity after a DUI or due to inability to afford a vehicle? Do I fit into the community if I ride against traffic or without a helmet? How about if I just ride around the block with my kid on Saturdays? Am I more of a community member if I train 15 hours a week with a powertap and participate in 25 racing events per year? What if I ride frequently but only on designated bike trails and never on the open road? (Photo: Riders in Broad Creek community gear up for YMCA's bike rodeo, September, 2010)

I have heard cyclists say, “Was he a rider like us?” when the media reports that a bicyclist has been hit or killed by a car. Shoot, I have asked this question myself, and intended no harm, just sought clarification. But underneath this question implies that anyone who is not like “us” has made a mistake on the road that probably would not happen to us.

Well, I have been riding solo more lately now that I have a new schedule, and I am finished with that kind of talk. Each time I go out alone—dare I say it—I nearly get hit at least once, usually a few times. I rely heavily on skill, and it’s clear that anyone who does not have the years of experience that I do is at an even higher disadvantage against some people who appear to have no regard for our lives and against a Hampton Roads infrastructure that sucks. (Photo: Hund's Recycle Factory on Colley Avenue offers repair and bike refurbusing services.)

Close calls when riding alone are something that I and probably many other riders of all varieties have grown so accustomed to that we have the attributes of battered wife syndrome. I accept certain behaviors in a way I have heard some refer to as Uncle Tom in nature, but I think the battered wife syndrome is a better metaphor. We go out alone, risking our lives. The law says we can be on the road and that drivers must treat us like other moving vehicles, give us a 2 foot clearance, allow us to take the lane in certain circumstances, but we face abuse and ignorance of these laws daily. We seek shelter in group rides, similar to a battered wife surrounding herself with friends and siblings, where the drivers are forced to give us respect and can’t touch us. Yet, let it be clear that should we venture out alone, the abuser returns, thereby making us prisoner to the group ride. No longer obstructed by extra bodies, the aggressor returns, the cycle of abuse continues. The things we should be able to do with a measure of freedom—head out to the park on a sunny day, jump on a bike to ride to work, train around town in the breeze—become mired in dark calculations of risk vs. reward. (Photo: Regional racers demonstrate riding 2-abreast, a legal practice in Virginia under certain circumstances.)

What also makes our plight similar to battered wife syndrome is inaction. I am frustrated with my own inaction over the past 40+ years of riding a bike. I have ridden since I was a toddler and have no excuse for not working harder (at least in post-college years) to help make roads safer for myself and others. Additionally, we have done a terrible job at gathering “people who ride bikes” to speak about the abuse rather than just “cyclists,” so we appear in state legislator committee meetings as a narrow-minded special interest group rather than a conglomerate of Virginians who own bikes and would like to be able to ride to ride out for a loaf of bread without risking our lives.

I have now been on the Virginia Cycling Association listserv long enough (about 15 years) to see the same conversations (amongst mostly racers) generated over and over again, and hardly ever is there consensus, and even more rare is there follow up action. The latest letter writing campaign to state senators and delegates to pass the 3 foot law appears to have had an impact and unifying effect even though the proposals were ultimately shot down. I am very aware that there are huge issues surrounding 2 and 3 foot clearances, mostly the lack of enforcement. Ok, it’s fine to disagree that the buffer is not ultimately the fix, but the larger issue is how many cyclists said things like, “Oh, I didn’t even know there was a 2 foot law and what does it matter, the drivers don’t care anyway.” Sounds like a battered wife to me: “Oh, I didn’t know there were laws to protect me and what does it matter, my abuser is going to hurt me anyway.”

When laws are proposed to our state representatives, we have also become accustomed to being portrayed as lawbreakers ourselves and therefore not worthy of more protections. Many submit that we have a serious image problem, usually due to actions of pack riders and urban fixies which are 2 varieties of riders most visible to the average motorist. The pack riding 3 abreast clogs a road, the fixie blows through the red light—we all know the transgressions. We work hard to argue that transgressors should be ticketed accordingly (even knowing that we ourselves deserve those tickets sometimes), but that legislators have no right to deny us protections based on the actions of a few. We seem to break from battered wife syndrome with our defense, but here is the real question: do we put off action for a later time when we are “fixed” and doing all the right things? Do we shrug and say, “Things are not going to improve until we fix ourselves.” And what if every rider were to begin behaving in unison, do we really believe we will suddenly earn respect? If so, I think we are in denial and back to being battered. (Photo: A bike has found a home under the Tidewater Drive overpass.)

I have been trying to educate myself on advocacy issues recently. I have tried to put aside frustrations—like the fact that longstanding advocacy groups like Virginia Bicycling Federation and Sharing the Road in VA appear to do very little to reach the enthusiast, let alone the average rider, about taking action. Other than information from Jake Helmboldt (Sharing the Road advisory board member), there has been little presence or information from these groups on the longstanding VACA listserv, which is very likely the most active cycling forum in the state. I have rarely if ever seen information about them at the local bike shops. All groups of cyclists need more information about legislature proposals and how to show a unified front to commonwealth attorneys who make decisions about whether or not to prosecute drivers who kill cyclists.

I started by getting involved in Bike Norfolk, a year-old grassroots advocacy group that focuses on making cycling more accessible and safer in Norfolk, VA. I think our biggest assets right now are strong communicators—Jesse Scaccia, Altdaily.com editor, writers Wes Cheney and BC Wilson—along with other awesome people who love bikes and love Norfolk. The momentum is there. A committee has met Norfolk's recreation and planning staff to give input on a new master plan that will be unveiled this year that includes bike infrastructure improvements. The media has sought members twice to comment of bike related issues. The group serves and educates the public with bike valets during outdoor events, bike lane cleanups, and workshops. It's time for me to stand up and lend a hand in changing things around here. Battered wives who want change start by not being invisible. (Photo: Markus Wegner decorates the Bike Norfolk Grand Illumination float, November, 2010)

(If this rant seems ununified, critical of others, low on solutions, I couldn't agree more. I just needed to say that I am sick of nearly getting hit and it's painful to think of those less fortunate and/ or skilled out there navigating the roads. I realize there are layers upon layers associated with every issue, so I don't mean to oversimplify things here.)

Winter 2011

2011-02-07T12:22:00.001-05:00

Person of the Year

2010-12-30T18:12:00.016-05:00

Nick at VACX state champs, Mt. Trashmore.

Nick Tempest is bikevoice’s 2010 person of the year. He was a clear favorite because of his cross country ride across the USA June-July, and his cyclocross championship win in Virginia’s Cat 4 men’s cross series October-December.

The transcontinental pilgrimage is one that every cyclist ponders, seeing the country in “slow motion” as Nick says, undergoing a trip under one’s own pedal power. Nick, age 35, started his 48-day adventure in Yorktown, Virginia, finished 4454 miles later in Astoria, Oregon, then tacked on 6 extra days to ride up the Pacific Coast to Vancouver for a total of 4873 miles. Frank Hitch and Nick’s 67-year old father Pete pedaled with him the first 1000 miles to the Mississippi River, and his mother Jo-Anne flew out to Portland to congratulate Nick at the end. This “bookend” support system is standard operating procedure for the Tempests, a close-knit Virginia Beach family that includes locally his grandfather Ian, sister Sally McMahon, as well as extended family scattered around the world.

Nick and Surly Long Haul Trucker in Royal Gorge, CO.

According to Nick, it was Sally and her husband Mike who encouraged him to enter the Virginia cyclocross series this fall. Nick had never raced cross, but the old school mountain biker easily crossed the barriers, racing 8 of 9 events in the series and winning the cat 4 championship. Nick echoed what many cross racers probably already know: “Cyclocross is way harder than cycling across the country.” While averaging 97 miles per day across the States, Nick said his head was up, he felt the way, enjoyed the ride whereas he found cyclocross events, held at city parks and small farms, to be 30 minutes of head’s-down “nonstop anaerobic pain.”

Isaac and Nick enter Oregon.

Perhaps every inch of USA landscape has been found, surveyed, claimed. Even still, to pioneer westward is to start over, remake yourself, to begin again. Nick captured what it is to be American—to battle Kansas headwinds, tackle the Rockies, navigate the Wyoming dessert, commune with his favorite wilderness, Lochsa River in Idaho. Don’t we all dream of leaving the East Coast as one person and arriving at the Pacific changed somehow? As with most pursuits like these, one comes out with only a few soundbites, securely anchored in the psyche for life, those he may previously have known in theory but had never submerged in challenges deeply enough to test. In Nick’s case, two themes emerged over the 54-day trek: “There is hardly anything we actually need,” and “You are never alone.”

"There is hardly anything we actually need." In these words, I found a similarity in Nick and Time Magazine’s Person of the Year Mark Zuckerberg, creator of facebook. Zuckerberg is motivated by the connections people can make through facebook that would otherwise not happen. His biggest personal goal is “eliminating desire” for material things. It’s true he’s a billionaire, but also a minimalist who drives an Acura, rents a home and spends most of his time working to improve and perfect the “transhemispheric reach” that facebook affords over 500 million users.

Despite the apparent similarity, Nick does not have a facebook account. Add that to his list of things he does not need or have time for. His carried 51 pounds of gear on his Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike for about 3500 miles of the trip after Frank and Pete returned home to jobs in the vehicle they used to sag him the first 1000 miles. The 51 pounds were dispersed over 2 panniers and a handlebar bag and consisted of 118 items of clothing, tools, camping gear, journal, and copy of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.” Living with only 51 pounds of “stuff” helped Nick with “pairing down the excess to get to what’s important.” Family ranks highest. Reaching children and exploring the world made the list. Five years from now, for example, Nick sees himself as an established elementary school teacher preparing to embark on the “big dream” to bicycle from Alaska to Argentina, an 18,000 mile journey.

"You are never alone." Sally told me that Nick repeated these words several times as he narrated his cycling journey to All Saints Episcopal church’s congregation in October. He spoke in his family’s church about the generosity of strangers who touched him along the way. Mom-Dad-two sons driving to a baseball game, pulled over in the middle of a scorching Kansas day to give him cold water and a Granola bar. And on the 129-mile ride to Lander, Wyoming when the father-son pulled over to offer him a Coke. On both occasions, Nick was “rejuvenated” and understood the connectedness of events, his dependency on others, the watchfulness of God. It is worth noting that Nick found himself riding and sharing expenses from Kremmling, Colorado all the way to Oregon with Isaac, an 18-year-old who happened to also be riding solo in the same direction. Something tells me this union was an answer to at least one parent’s prayer. He also used his trip as a mode to raise money for the Lymphoma Association after "personally witnessing the suffering that lymphoma can cause."

DONATE ON NICK'S PAGE to the Lymphoma Association on behalf of Nick's successful transcontinental trip!

Nick’s year is part of a much broader narrative. He was born in Bradford, England, moved to USA (Virginia) at age 5, and graduated from James Madison University with a BS in Geography and French in 1997. He ventured back to England after college out of “curiosity,” earned a Master’s in Environmental Management from University of Nottingham, and served as Waste Contract Manager for Cambridgeshire County Council. He returned to the states in 2009 mostly because of family ties and to pursue an elementary teaching career. He finished Old Dominion University’s career switcher course work in 2010 before the June-July cross country trip.

For all that he accomplished in 2010, Nick does not see it as a remarkable year. “We are always changing. Learning who you are is a lifelong process,” he said. Another commonality between him and Zuckerberg is nicely summed up by Zuckerberg: “I usually don’t like things that are too much about me.” Nick was apprehensive about this blogpost, but never about his focus on adventure and connecting with others. He has switched careers to more deliberately touch lives and to pass on his perpetual curiosity to children. He currently works 3 days a week at All Saint’s preschool as a science teacher and hopes to land a full time position with a public school system on the Southside soon.

(Top photo by BJ Samuel)
Past winners: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006

Tag renewal

2010-12-16T16:31:00.005-05:00

I started working full time for Tidewater Community College this year. It gives me a great sense of pride to teach in an institution that I also attended. My car tags expire in December, so I set up the Division of Motor Vehicles on-line screen with the TCC plate to personalize and purchase. The tag comes with a six character maximum so I brainstormed ideas. One of my favorite local plates is Kevin Horvath’s 757CX. I found that MX757 is available, though MTB757 is not. I liked the contradiction—living in a flat area code with mountain bike tag—but I wanted to see what else was available.

My selection criteria was 2 part—I wanted a technical cycling term that also implies a deeper or psychological connection. Here were some ideas:

SETBAK –indicating a riding position and more specifically a seatpost style. Not enough mojo in that one, though, and it has the added issue of sounding like I went through a divorce or bankruptcy.

SCHWAG—This tag is not available in Virginia. That would have been a good one because of the multiple meanings. I wonder who has it.

MTCXRD and various combinations of “mountain” “cross” and “road” are all available in Virginia. It encompasses the bike disciplines well, but it just wasn’t speaking to me.

GFYFTD—I played with various ways to indicate “Goofy footed.” I associate it with ski-surf, but found out while scanning cycling lexicons that coasting goofy footed (left foot forward) puts more wear on the drive train. Sounded intriguing since I am goofy footed, but it still lacks a deeper meaning.

VTT—means Velo All Terrain in French. That’s cool, but no one would get it. People would assume my first name is Violet or Veronica, names I could never live up to!

VELOAT or ATVELO—these are both available and encompass multiple disciplines (AT) but every combination seemed too sterile. Velo is too roadie and not enough dirt.

MYAPEX—This one came the closest to mixing the technical (science of cornering) with the personal (choice of picking the right lines). I liked it a lot until I googled it and found that there is a weight loss company called My Apex. I also started to think it may be misinterpreted as “My Ape Ex.” Hmm :)

ECHLON—I could not believe this one was available. I am guessing that the correct spelling ECHELON on tags with over six characters has been taken. It encompasses the science of drafting along with the valued social and clearly hierarchical aspect helping one another in a paceline. I liked this one and it seemed like the obvious choice. But I just couldn’t commit to it.

MYMNTN—I settled on this tag for several reasons. It means “My Mountain” which was the name of a 4 person co-ed team that I raced 24 Hours of Canaan in West Virginia with one year. Beneline Williams and I teamed up with two guys whose names I don’t even remember since I only knew them for the duration of the 24-hour relay race afterwhich they returned to WV or NoVA. . . . Anyway, one of the guys named the team “My Mountain” and though the details of that late-1990’s race have faded, I often think of what “My Mountain” really means to a cyclist.

There is nothing more sensory, nothing more mind engaging, nothing that slows down the senses more than throwing full concentration behind grinding a bike up a mountain. Not to be ridiculous, but I can’t think of many times that I felt more alive than when fighting for air and strength while climbing a mountain, whether it be on or off road. Some epic road climbs in Virginia include Love Gap, Reeds Gap (Sherando side and Wintergreen side), Mountain Lake climb, long Blue Ridge Parkway ascents like Peaks of Otter. The grind up the Parkway and onto the top of Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell, both in North Carolina, have a special significance to me also. Any off-road mountain bike climb is a test of mettle for me, and some of my favorites in Virginia include Hankey Mountain, Sherando switchbacks, Douthat climbs, Reddish Knob, Iron mountain. Bike climbs rank the highest in memories when I think of trips to France, New England and Colorado.

"My Mountain" also seems to reference the environmental tenant that a mountain (or waterway or greenspace or beach) belongs to everyone and no one at the same time. Though there are usually multiple property owners of any given mountain, from the standpoint of a cyclist gritting out a climb, the ownership is so clearly a collective one. No one other than the cyclist owns the bubble of temperature, moisture, pitch and most important constant change that we carry like a giant molecule to the top. To conquer a mountain is to own it, yet to conquer a mountain is to acknowledge that something larger has made the climb possible, something out of grasp no matter how high or how fast we go.

I fully realize I will need to explain this tag every time some asks what it means. I may simply say that I like the word “mountain” since there are 4 consonants and 4 vowels in the word, giving it a poetic balance, and leave it at that.

Cycling tags gallaries: Tags 1 Tags 2

Mike Hosang, race director

2010-11-28T21:22:00.002-05:00

I have started, deleted, restarted, redeleted several profiles of Mike Hosang on this blog. If I were a better writer, I would be able to capture his dynamic personality, wit and ability to inspire others. But I will need to settle for simply describing him in terms of a race he has directed for 5 years, Trashmore Cross. Here is Mike's diagram for the set up crew this morning for this year's edition of the race. Several of the 102 participants today commented on how much they enjoyed the course which is a tweaked revision of the previous course on Virginia Beach's only "mountain" at Mt. Trashmore city park.

Though the source is obscure, the last words of a fictional Sam Byck, "And a man is only remembered for his work," come to mind when I think of Mike. John Blazszack once commented that Mike had done much to inspire cooperation amongst all 757 teams to organize cross training and racing. Indeed, this year, of the 9 Virginia series races, 4 have happened in Hampton Roads compared with only one (Trashmore) from Hampton Roads in the series as late as 2008.

Born in Spain and transplanted to Virginia Beach, Mike carries the tradition of introducing European- born cyclocross to his hometown reminiscent of how the late Peter Teeuwen brought road racing here from the Netherlands. In fact, Mike received the annual Teeuwen award in 2009 partly for his leadership in cross. It is no coincidence that Mike's childhood home is right down the street from Trashmore, in clear view of a fledgling Town Center (pictured left) that has grown up to parallel his dreams of bike racing events in his city.

He makes it a point to race in the events he promotes--a monumental task any organizer would say. Most promoters are happy just to serve as pack fill with a lackluster finish to burn up the remaining fumes left after a week of nursing event details. However, Mike solidly won the masters 35+ event today after no warm up. What I noticed about Mike as he spoke with a newspaper reporter is that publicity for the race is important to him, but what is most important is the sport itself, in isolation to any notoriety it may bring him. Interacting with the course on his bike is where he was most grounded today, in spite of his great job at organizing it.

(2 bottom photos by BJ Samuel. See her gallery of photos from the race today!)

Peer Pressure

2010-11-21T21:31:00.045-05:00

Saturday, I caved to the pressure of a motivated team. Tripower is leading the team points race in VA Cyclocross series, and I have sat out the first 6 of 9 races. Bennett's Creek (#7) was scheduled for this weekend, and since I have been feeling left out, I headed out to Suffolk. Well, "left out" is not the right way to say it. I feel on the one hand pride in my team for leading the series and on the other hand like a huge slacker. They certainly don't need me to win the series, and I thank them for the fire to get me moving. It's like when, unprompted by extra money or orders from the boss, you step up to help a colleague with a project that will ultimately benefit the whole workplace. Or you step up to help even when there is no projected benefit, just because you are on the team and that's reason enough.

I find myself racing for different reasons as the years pass. I started some 20 years ago with the belief that I had some talent and that I may be able to take it somewhere. That quickly was resolved, and then it became about competing against certain people within my ability range. In recent years, it was about trying to "get back" to where I was at the beginning. Now, I think it's all about stopping for a moment in time to block out the rest of the world and immerse fully in kicking my own a$$. The one thing that never goes away over time--the temptation to quit in the middle of the race.

I finished 4th out of 5 women cat 1-3, with 3 of about 15 cat 4 women catching me. Next stop is the State Champs at Trashmore next week!

Team Tripower Cross racers 2010 (photos by Mike Park, Tami Cole and Dan Gibson):

Please poachers!

2010-11-15T16:57:00.006-05:00

As a mountain bike rider and long time Hampton Roads resident, I have an enduring relationship with Seashore State Park. First, I will never be able to call my old friend and former employer "First Landing Park" as it was renamed in 1997. I also see the park as an older woman who has not lost beauty or allure over time--the park is well maintained and has the permanent makeup job of protection from developers. Indeed, part of me resents being relegated to only the main double track Cape Henry trail and not being invited onto the singletrack trails that only hikers may enjoy. So it goes that mountain bikers are banned from the best trail system in South Hampton Roads, prompting JB to dub it "Sea Snore." So it goes.

YET, I don't have to dig very deep to realize the State
of Virginia long ago made the right decision to keep bikes off the technical trails we so love. The Long Creek trail (pictured above) and Osprey trail (right) would quickly deteriorate with regular riding. If mountain bikers really felt banning bikes were an antiquated and unjust ruling, wouldn't we long ago have sought access from the State? If the mass of mt bikers rode here, re-routing trails would be needed within a year, and with precious few acres and tons of interior wetlands, we would tear up the place in probably less than a decade.

Therefore, it was quite discouraging to see several fresh tire tracks on these two highly sensitive trails as I walked the 6 mile loop from the 64th street lot. Discouraging because if they are novice riders, they can't read signs, and if they are experienced riders, they appear to have no respect for something larger--the sport's mutual dependence on the environment.

It is against bikevoice's policy to call out squirrels, draft-attackers, poachers, etc., but one such rider who will remain obscured (right) happened upon us on the most endangered part of the Osprey trail. This section fights erosion and constantly regenerates its trees since nothing tall can even survive along this Broad Creek shoreline. I said to him, "Hey, bikes are not allowed on this trail." He said, "Oh really, I didn't know," in the high pitched tone of a lie. I won't say that mother nature has a way of dealing with poachers (I don't believe in systematic divine intervention and I think that attitude prompts inaction), but I sure hope this post motivates even one person to keep the bike off the singletrack at Seashore.

Team Thomas

2010-11-03T20:30:00.005-04:00

Halloween was a little different this year. Thomas Jessop is a 14-year-old triathlete who has peddled across the USA this summer and fall. He was supported by his 15-year old brother David and father as they travelled in a converted bus with him from Santa Barbara, CA to Florida. Thomas is raising awareness for the homeless, in particular the "half homeless" who live in automobiles but often face difficulties finding places to park them overnight. He has been featured in several news articles across the country including this one and this one. Bethany met them at her church, Unity Renaissance, and we had them over for dinner during their brief stay in Hampton Roads.

We hooked him up with Harlan's Cannondale frame and other parts that were left over from donations we got for the Broad Creek Bike fair. Chad (pictured left) set up Thomas with those sweet Sidi shoes (pictured above) and Wes (right) brought over some components for the frame. We also had some wheels left over and the brand new Fat Frogs insulated skin suit that Amber Goins donated! Thomas is also the proud owner of a 757cx skinsuit, but I warned him about how impossible it will be for him to breathe in it!

Here is their travelling home. Next stop is Washington, DC where they hope to get a meeting in the White House to talk about the homeless. I hope Pennsylvania Ave. can handle this beast!

We still got to hand out candy and hang with Mini Mouse, so the holiday retained some convention. Kaitlyn is pictured here with Jen Cohen.

Flagpole daytrip

2010-10-25T20:54:00.000-04:00

20 Years of Tripower Jerseys

2010-10-17T21:41:00.003-04:00

Sorry, can't resist

2010-10-08T11:15:00.002-04:00

As Lance Armstrong said in a Jay Leno interview back in 2006, the no-hands salute at the line is something found at all levels of racing. He said Jay could go to any weekend bike race in New Jersey and watch the winner raise his hands at the finish line. What's really significant, he said, is when another guy skirts around the presumed winner and takes it at the line. Fast forward, Oct 2010, on a Chesapeake Farm in the mud in a Cat 4 men's race. Guess who took the win above? . . . . ok, so Mike Baldwin on the right did not overtake Robert Netsch at the line, but the photo sure illustrates a common malady of raising hands a moment too soon.

Broad Creek Bike Fair

2010-09-30T15:29:00.002-04:00

1--Wes built 2 bikes with bike parts and frames donated, and we had two whole bikes donated. Money from 95.7 R&B bought a bike to raffle. Jeff Brown coordinated the sponsorship. 5 total bikes given away.

2--Local cyclists donated 12 helmets and thanks to 95.7 R&B we were able to purchase 50 more helmets. 62 helmets total given away!

3--Nearly every bike in the neighborhood needed maintenance, and thanks to your donations and Wes Cheney and Rich Hutsko turning the wrench for 2 straight hours, every child rode away rather than walked away! Books on Wheels, a nonprofit repair bus from Richmond, provided 2 awesome mechanics, Shelly and -- and parts also. Estimated 60 bikes serviced.

4--The HIT of the day: cycling jerseys, socks, gloves, jackets, spandex shorts! We have nothing left over! The Fat Frogs gear and Tripower flame gear were the most sought after. Estimated 75 articles of cycling clothing given away!

5--Katrina Hutsko, Bethany Cahill, Dan Innaker, Keith Johnson, Nick Tempest, Bill Woodhouse all worked to fit kids to clothes, fit helmets and work on bikes! Great job to YMCA staff and Books on Wheels also.

6--The biggest HIT of the day: Bike parade, led by Mike Park. What a riot.

Frankenbike stage 1

2010-09-19T23:55:00.001-04:00

Wes looked over the donations we received for the bike fair for kids next weekend.

This is the beginning of a merge between Nick Tempest's Fugi, Andy Wallace's Homegrown frame and Mike Hosang's various components. Can't wait to see it!

Jeff Green is back

2010-09-11T15:00:00.000-04:00

Green, Cono, King in Thalia

North Great Neck Bridge

A-Typical

2010-09-10T15:16:00.000-04:00

Wes Cheney has the typical cyclist's garage, BUT

I'm not sure his daughter Abby's trike with doll carrier is typical, AND

I don't know any other cyclist who has a supply of bamboo tubing, NOR

do I know anyone who owns 2 handmade bamboo bikes!

Banged up cell phone shots of Colorado

2010-08-02T17:03:00.000-04:00

Colorado two

2010-07-25T11:10:00.000-04:00

It just gets not better than this. The Monarch Divide ride to Rainbow trail has every form of terrain and vegetation that one could ever expect to see on a mountain bike ride. In 20 yeas of mountain biking, I think it's the best ride I have ever done. Ride start with a shuttle from Poncho Springs up to Monarch Divide.

Here on the Reno Divide-Deadman's Gulch in Crested Butte Robert's up front with Rob Ingram behind filming the downhill. Ali is 3rd in line. I am always the last to descend since I am the slowest. The word is that when lines of mt bikers pass a mountain lion, the first riders wake it up, and the last ones get attacked.

Colorado

2010-07-24T00:07:00.001-04:00

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John hauled us all over Eastern Colorado. We did lots of Open Space trails in Boulder area and climbed up to 7000 feet at Eldorado State park (pictured). I was way off the pace of John and Robert on the climbs. You can see me in the distance as John climbs (above) Rattlesnake trail heading up to hotel ruins from early 1900's.

More photos and stories to come!

Bikes build bridges

2010-07-15T16:28:00.041-04:00

I was commissioned by Max to write about this bridge. Five of us walked across the “truss” bridge in Damascus, VA, the place called “trail town USA” since it sits as midpoint town on the Creeper trail, a 34-mile long rails-to-trails path.

I would say bridges are part of the landscape of all cycling pursuits. Sections of roadway or trail are determined and named at the start and end of a bridge (or tunnel). The bridge means less than the roadway leading to the bridge—don’t they serve as end punctuation or launch points of where, more importantly, the road will take you? So perhaps the most interesting bridges are those that have been repurposed into something other their original design, like the truss bridge in Damascus. The truss bridges and majestic trestles (2nd bridge) are super overbuilt by cycling standards. Therefore, Creeper trail bridges become a destination rather than a thoroughfare, monuments rather than crossings. They bring us closer to a way of life that pivoted around the railroad 100 years ago, one that newer technologies have taken from us, only to be returned through the simplicity of cycling. (All Creeper bridges pictured here.)

The Creeper trail opened in the mid-1980’s after a hard fight and grants pursuit from locals. When the N&W railroad closed in the 1970’s, residents and local governments sought to have the land transformed into a recreational path. However, many landowners wanted the land “back” that the railroad had taken from their families at the turn of the century. North Carolina law had a clause that ordered the neighboring N& W land returned to families after NC railroads closed, but Virginia had no such clause. VA Landowners argued the space would turn into a highway for thieves and vandals, and the influx of motorcyclists and 4 wheelers tearing up the abandoned land backed up their claims. But trail advocates persisted, grants trickled in, and construction began in mid-1980’s. Today, it appears the Creeper Trail (and Appalachian Trail) is the economical bedrock of Damascus (pop. 1000). I noted 5 shuttle services in town dedicated to driving recreational cyclists to either end of the trail, and it's a popular rest stop for cyclists riding cross country. The trail begins in Abingdon, VA and ends abruptly in NC where all land was promptly returned upon railroad’s closing.

Photos from the trip.

Iron Mountain 100k Race Information. Sweet race!

(Pictured left is Bethany's prized Crosscheck Surly).

Year of the road trip

2010-07-06T13:30:00.000-04:00

I keep hearing about others who are heading west--Ali, Rob, Trey, Gene. Here is what Robert and I have for mountain bike destinations so far. Suggestions are welcomed!

How is it that Sally is such a camera magnet? Here, she is captured in Roanoke Times story during her road trip to the Roanoke omnium 4th of July weekend.

Tagged again

2010-06-29T12:02:00.002-04:00

Ride or Blog?

2010-06-24T16:00:00.003-04:00

As JB once said, this blog ain't dead yet. I have been in transition mode with finishing the school year, changing jobs and putting my house on the market. I have been riding mostly in Norfolk and looking for every excuse to avoid the Bully ride in Chesapeake where I think I would get dropped from even the B group. I lost my camera which I used in tandem with my blog posts. I got attacked by bees and ticks last time I went to Freedom Park. My long trusted Ksyrium rear wheel cracked. I am going to do the Ironmountain 100, the 62 mile mountain bike race in Damascus, VA on July 11 and will see Mt. Rogers the first time since childhood. That's the update.

The Monday 6pm East Coast Bikes ride is pretty good, and we (Tripower) are again hosting a B-C ride on Wednesdays 6pm from Conte's Bikes in Norfolk. On June 3, Wes Cheney and Bruce Drees joined the Bike Snob on Hear Say by Cathy Lewis, a local radio program that can be heard here. On June 5, we promoted the 13th edition of the Amphibious Assault Crit on Little Creek Base. It's amazing that I have kept two of my best friends, Susan and Robert, for all these years of promoting races and them wanting to kill me in the process! I think we had as much fun as the racers out there. (Photos by BJ Samuel)

Oh well, what I have learned about writing is that it is too overwhelming to try to document the past. It is better just to pick up where I am and look for the next thing to write about.

Mountains of Misery

2010-05-27T05:52:00.004-04:00

I am heading to the Mountains of Misery for the first time since 2006. It is a gorgeous mountain century that ends at the top of a category 1 climb to Mountain Lake, one the two natural lakes in Virginia. I have gotten away from this ride that used to be one of my favorites. The last time I did it, Lori Lucero was travelled with me. We always had great fun doing the mountain centuries--Mitchell, Grandfather (Bridge to Bridge), and Misery. Her mental toughness was always an inspiration to me. I miss her and dedicate this ride to her.

UPDATE: Finish time 7:41
2010 Goal: 7:45

Previous times:

2006 7:03

2005 7:12

2004 7:26

2003 7:52

2001 7:06

The weekend promises to be an adventure. Jean Troutman is hosting Bethany and me in the cabin she built which is located near the town of Pembroke just outside of Jefferson National Forrest. She sent us some interesting information about the cabin, including these happy thoughts:

Because it is in the wilderness, there are critters around. Deer, bear, bobcat, coyote, weasels, skunks, snakes, to name a few. (A mountain lion has been seen in my neighbor’s driveway). Food has to be kept inside or they will relieve you of it. Mice sometimes run around in the cabin’s attic at night. Although it is heavily baited, some still get in. Bring earplugs if the sound of little feet bother you. The neighbor's cattle sometimes get out and wander around the property, too.

Forgotten

2010-05-10T05:10:00.000-04:00

Farewell JB

2010-04-18T16:31:00.011-04:00

We are going to miss an amazing friend, John Blaszczak, who passed away Thursday. He was one of the most selfless individuals I have ever known. He loved cycling and photography, and leaves us his words and photos on his cycling blog as well as his photo blog.

BJ and Bob have a slideshow posted BJ's team blog. JB is pictured seated below in 2007 after Tripower had won the team BAR in Virginia's Cyclocross Series.

The things that I remember about JB always involved him serving others. When he started cycling, he immediately jumped in and started photographing others. He earned a media spot in the first and only pro race that went from Willamsburg to Richmond back in 2006 and a RAAM qualifier in 2005. He was always on hand to photograph fun things, like Mike Hosang proposing marriage to Brenna Santora on the bike. He trained for long endurance events, like the 18 hours of Scout's Honor, but of course, he spent much of his time and energy there documenting others in the race (See his blog for that one--scroll down on this page.) He loved people and was a true natural at recognizing the good in others. And he is well known among cartographers for appropriately naming Southside Hampton Roads "The Island."

Today we dedicated the first ever "Williamsburg War" ride to JB. Mike Hosang organized a ride that started with a loop at New Quarter Park, followed by a road ride to the William and Mary Moteka trails. We then linked more road to Freedom Park, did a loop there, then returned to the Moteka trails and back to another loop at New Quarter for 50 miles. There were several teams represented--Tripower, All About Bikes, JRVS, Vanderkitten, and Siegler. Rob Igram did a fantastic job with navigation. JB's heart was always in mountain biking, and most importantly, he loved any ride that involved multiple teams.

JB was my biggest influence when I started blogging. He started a cycling blog shortly after I did, and his talents have inspired and motivated me ever since. He knew how to look at the subtleties and pecularities of cycling and put names to them, Seinfeld style.

Gentrification of Pungo

2010-04-07T13:28:00.005-04:00

I read the following at TCC's literary festival during the Norfolk campus faculty reading Tuesday. I presented it as representative of the unfinished, unpolished work of a slacker who wants to be a writer but who lacks discipline and time. I stressed the immediacy of blogging by telling a story that had happened 2 days before and that had just been typed that Tuesday morning.

I am a bicycle rider which means I gather with all the lycra people in large groups. To many motorists, we clog up roads and act like we own the world. To many of us, we insulate ourselves from the harm that comes from taking on the streets in Hampton roads alone, finding safety in the numbers.

Anyway, there is one phenomenon that happens for sure in a large group and that’s the disconnection with time and place. The group ride becomes the time and place, much like a very crowded space in a small dark room at a late night party. It takes so much concentration to navigate together as a unit that we indeed rarely stop to smell the roses.

This past Sunday about 25 of us rolled down Nanny’s Creek road in Pungo parade style, a steady 24 mph. Someone called out “Can!” and there was a bit of parting in the group from the middle along with some crunching under the tires. A few had hit a Bud light can with the skinny tires, and we all held our spots and easily got away from the can. I heard someone say “god damn can,” and I figured whoever it was has been in one of the many awful crashes that small items like cans in the road have caused us in the past. We had escaped a hit. It was a gorgeous day, and I knew several other groups would pass by the same place, so it seemed best to police the can before it could do harm.

I rolled off the group. Austin called to me “are you alright.” I said I was going to pick up the can. I heard him laugh a little before he passed quickly on my right. Austin would have stopped with me had I been rescuing a turtle from the road as we have done on a few occasions, but this Bud Light can was not worth his time. I slowed, scooped up the smashed can and tossed it inside an open trashcan on the curb that stood obediently waiting to be ushered back to a yard after a recent pick up.

I remounted and could see the group about a quarter mile ahead on Mill Landing Road. I knew they would be stopping soon at the store on Princess Anne and that trying to catch them before the store would be impossible. I made an effort to keep my heart rate up, plus it was just too quiet and more speed meant more noise through my helmet vents. But I was compelled to slow down . . . it really was quiet out there. . . It brought me back to 25 years ago, when I lived in a Pungo house shortly after high school with a few other young people in an RJ Moore-build with fresh white paint. I would often stray away from the antics of a 20 something household similar to a child breaking from a tension-ridden home and walk the fields of Pungo. Nimmo Parkway was a soybean field, and there were two prominent abandoned houses on Sandbridge Road close to where a strip mall now sits.

It was there I broke into my first abandoned house. I had seen it from Sandbridge Road, and it seemed fitting to walk in as I wandered the fields that day. It was hard to think of it as trespassing when the ties of love and ownership seemed so long gone. The floor boards were rotten, prompting my nimble steps into the living room. Things were thrown about and covered in dirt. It had been emptied first by the owners and probably a few times by strays like me, looking for a treasure. There were 2 old Bibles, articles of clothing strewn about, a bowling trophy, a few auto parts. I found a large plastic S that made me feel it was my place to be there. Schleeper—that S is for Schleeper—that’s my name and that’s what I am here to find. S---sssss. I uttered as I stepped tentatively back outside into a quiet sunny Pungo day. No one there to catch me being where I wasn’t supposed to be reiterated for me that I was supposed to be there to find that S.

I slowed the bike down to take in that long forgotten Pungo silence. It’s a different silence than silence of mountains where trees are close by to speak with their leaves, their birds, their movement over the ground cover. It’s the silence of wide open spaces, of seeing the bird 100 feet away but not hearing it as its whisper is gobbled by open wind and big sky. Spring in Pungo is long before the harvest corn grows high enough to start to absorb sound. I scrambled to embrace the lonely silence, the group ride still in site. I would be back with them soon, but what about this silence?

I slowed to 12 or 13 mph and scoffed at the new homes that I now associate with Pungo. Thousands of square feet on hundreds of acres, pretty fences, architectural shingles, long smooth driveways. But I started to look closer and realized that big houses were only part of the landscape, the part that’s seen by the casual glance from the group ride. Interspersed among the new were the older more modest homes that defined the landscape 25 years ago. And along a 2-mile stretch on Mill Landing Road I counted 3 abandoned places, not including the one place that I could not tell was abandoned or not. They all have trees growing up their east sides, debris scattered over the yard, at least one caved in wall or roof. I admired them from the road and vowed to enter one soon, maybe the green one story with the rusted tin roof that clearly was well kept for many years.

I concluded that the abandoned houses in Pungo are not shrouded in sadness, but show movement and progress. I slowed enough to conclude that most of those who occupied the old houses are the same ones that had built the 4000 square footers across the street. I assume the owners simply stopped keeping them up, and in a rural communities local municipalities tolerate high levels of dilapidation. They still own all that land, don’t they? This isn’t gentrification it’s moving from one house to another on the same plot of land, right? Despite the abandonment, anyone who lives there still has a place in Pungo to call home, don’t they? Didn’t I emerge from that abandoned house 25 years ago with my excavated plastic S to make a new life a generation ago?

And that’s where my story stops—it’s a work in progress, full of possibilities that would never have even been known without media forms like blogging.

Ipswich Revisited

2010-03-29T16:05:00.001-04:00

This Wed night ride out to Ipswich is still ON through May. Meet at gravel lot next to Conte's 21st Street in Ghent. 40 min ride out to the trail, 40 min ride on trail, 40 min return ride. Mountain or cross bikes with lights, roll at 6pm. (Pictured Mike Underhill, Kirk and Mike Park)

After lots of volunteer work during 3 days of trail maintenance and cleanup (October, January, March), Ipswich is looking great! The trails are groomed, the trash minimized, trail features updated, and most importantly all users seem more invested in keeping our patch of woods in shape! (Before and after photos of "Graffiti Bridge." above)

Making inroads

2010-03-14T23:47:00.004-04:00

The highlight of cycling this weekend was a quick discovery of singletrack near the airport. Sadly, this half mile stretch of singletrack got me excited. There are so few wooded areas in town!

It's close to this popular intersection on the Airport loop. There are 2 more sections of singletrack along the same Miller Store Road stretch, and I want to start stringing the 3 sections together for quick cross bike riding during the week.

In other news, I have been laboring over a piece Wes and I are co-writing for AltDaily.com about the Handmade bike show. Here is a draft excerpt from the forthcoming story:

Notably not on display but etched in the psyche of all cyclists is the idea that buying a handmade bike is investing in a relationship with the builder during a time that we know virtually nothing about the individuals who make what we own. While there's always been a market for handmade bikes, it was a niche market. For every handmade titanium bike we saw, there are a hundred robot-welded Wal-mart bikes, and a dozen decent pseudo-racing bikes. As I walked down the packed convention room isles, I got the sense that I was part of a punk culture on the verge of becoming mainstream. But I was glad to be there, backstage with the band before they signed with the major record label.

(Pictured above is Wes photographing bike builder Dan Polito from Cleveland.)

Pocahantas State Park

2010-03-08T00:18:00.000-05:00

North American Handmade Bike Show

2010-03-01T06:31:00.001-05:00

Post stress syndrome

2010-02-21T19:15:00.002-05:00

It’s been a weird year so far. We have posted lower temps than usual around here, and the 9 or so inches that we got last month was the most accumulation we have seen here in a decade. The freezing temps have messed with my brain a bit. I haven’t been blogging, I haven’t enjoyed post ride drinks at Cogan’s since the rides kept getting cancelled, and I when I heard that Freedom Park closed after the storm, I started to think I would never ride again. We had to cancel our Superbowl mountain bike weekend, and I even got a charley horse style cramp one night after a maddening hour on an indoor trainer. I never get cramps even after several hours on the bike outside. Weird and kinda depressing.

I have to get something off my chest even as morbid as it may sound. I started thinking about what would happen if I could never ride again (e.g., injury), and I concluded that if it all folded tomorrow, I am happy with the years that the bike has given me. I may have even prayed a time or two in the past few weeks about how grateful I am for the lifetime of experiences, challenges and friendships I have gained from the bike. I am like so many others who have a passion for something, and I have passed that tipping point that one reaches (at middle age perhaps) when one can say, I’ve got something very important out of my system, and every day I get to continue enjoying my passion is a true gift because I have been given far more than I ever deserved.

I can think of nothing more profound to say other than I have never been so happy to see my cycling comrades as I was this weekend. Saturday, the Conte’s Laskin road ride resumed after the only 4 week hiatus the ride has ever had, and Sunday lots of us met at Freedom Park on Sunday for some great dirt miles.

We got history

2010-02-02T23:44:00.004-05:00

So, it's Superbowl again and time for Hampton Roads fair weathered flatlanders to take on the winter mountains with all the flair of cold weather inexperience we can muster. Our annual winter Pilgrimage promises to be epic since there have been multiple snowfalls in Shenandoah mountains this year. We can only hope for seasonably warm summits like this one last year on Reddish Knob, but forecast is saying that's not likely.

We have a history of getting lost before even finding the trailhead.

We have a history of getting stuck in the ice.

We have a history of losing a rider on the way up the mountain. Search and Rescue crews found Donna (not pictured) at 1am in the woods, temps about 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

I have been looking at Shenandoah blogs, and here is what the roads have looked like there for a month. Chris Scott posted this picture and is currently cycling in Baja. Why do you suppose he went to Baja to ride?

None of the locals' blogs or facebooks show themselves cycling. They are all skiing, as shown in this photo on Sue Haywood's blog. Mark Russell has been hiking through tunnels. But no mountain biking. I guess us Hampton Roads folks will have to show them how it's done.

Dec-Jan 2010

2010-01-19T21:44:00.003-05:00

Person of the Year

2009-12-31T18:12:00.025-05:00

Elliott Craddock and Tyler Karnes are bikevoice's 2009 persons of the year. Elliott (18) landed a slot on Team Garmin-Transition's U-23 team and T. Karnes (19) is headed to Marian University, Indiana on a cycling-academic scholarship. Elliott is flying out this week to Tucsan to train with his team for 3 months, and T. Karnes is beginning his first semester at Marian next week.

Inspired by locals Paul Ward and Mike Stoop who spent time on professional teams, Elliott and T. Karnes have trained and raced together for five years. Elliott said that they are always pushing and motivating each other, and that there have been times that one would say, "I am not letting you go home" if the other faltered half way through a training ride, or one would call and say, "I ate a cheeseburger today, what am I going to do?" while the other picked up the pieces.

As high school seniors, they raced locally and nationally in 2009 to set themselves up for call ups. Since they raced on different teams, if one made the break in a road race, the other would bust a gut to join in the same break, no question. A successful race for both was the South Carolina State Road Race where T. Karnes won the 17-18 road race, and Elliott placed 8th in the Pro 1-2 field. T. Karnes will race the collegiate circuit for most of 2010, whereas Elliott will enter the big pro races as a U-23 rider, including Tour of the Bahamas happening January 22-24 and Tour of Gila, Mexico in April.

Elliott used some old fashioned job search persistence to land his spot on Garmin in the tight economy of pro cycling. He sent resume and results to Garmin, and despite being told in October that "the roster is full," he continued to send management information and data from his races and training. They tested his VO max, heard about his bridge jump, and started to see that Elliott was not kidding when he told them, "I will be the most dedicated and happy person on the team." He got the Garmin call up in November.

Previous bikevoice persons of the year:

Wes, 2008

Specialized Avatar, 2007

Bill Conoscenti, 2006

Reason for the Cycling Season

2009-12-24T13:34:00.004-05:00

21 December 2009, Norfolk, VA, 0700 hours. Sun prepares to take on a chilly day, to carry out the task of feeding the cold shaded Santa Cruz steel and Salsa aluminum with covering of self. The Earth’s bereaved axis is celebrated at the dawn of Winter Solstice, an event important enough to have the manger moved from Harvest, perfecting the image of humanity’s cold reception of the Christ Child, at least to those in the Northern Hemisphere. Hanukkah Menorah candles are all lit, casting twilight as thick drapery on a clear Norfolk sky, the orange and aqua fabric of Kwanzaa waiting folded at the foot of the expectant Elizabeth River, ready to unravel to the cadence of longer days to come.

It’s exactly as he envisioned it, Wes Cheney told me. He would shoot footage for a cycling film at Plum Point Park, a riverside park appropriately accessible only by way of a bicycle path. The location has view of both Eastern and Western sky, situated to easily capture the sun’s shortest stay from sun up to sun down. One camera in a tree, another on the ground, one strapped to his head, one in Wes’s tight grip, all set to document the sun’s royal-late 7:14 am appearance and deadening 4:52 pm fall. The plan quite simply was to interview cyclists at the park all day, framing his subjects in the shadow box of background sun. Wes would look at all the footage and interviews later to see what themes emerged, how it all fit together. Because somehow it must all fit together, the shortest day of the year and the cycling experience. The interviews would pivot on the essential question, “Why do you ride?” a question I thought too simplistic when he first told me. Too simplistic of course until I tried to answer it.

Why do I ride? Because it satisfies the need for adventure. Because it keeps me in shape. Or better, because it beats my body into submission. Because it’s social. Keeps me sane at work. Because it makes me fight. Or does it actually keep me from fighting? Because I have to. Because it defines who I am. Or more simply, I ride therefore I am? To prepare to race. To get out of the house. Or do I ride to find a home? I knew I would not have an answer ready by December 21, because I decided my response is as fluid as the sun and pinpointing a reason was better suited to those who count cadence, monitor their heart rates and keep training calendars. I assume they say, “I ride because I’m an athlete and need an outlet,” but I can’t avoid the fact it begs the question “Why am I an athlete?”

I arrived shortly before Noon to find all cameras perched in position and Wes fumbling with fire on a small Coleman camp stove. “Want some hot cider?” he asked. I accepted awkwardly, thinking I should have brought him lunch since he was confined to the park all day. Before sipping, I handed him the batteries and headset he had ordered when I called to ask what he may need out there. I felt happy to contribute and happier even that the cider was spiked. We laughed at the prospect of Norfolk police showing up to order the fire snuffed and the alcohol disposed since only bicycle cops can access the park. “It would be the perfect opportunity to interview bike cops,” Wes joked.

In the Noon exposure to cloudless big bright sky, “Why do I ride” felt trite, meaningless, something that people would look upon with that “would you grow up” mentality. God, family, work in that order, cycling being an idol and distraction if elevated to the philosophical status implied in the question and filming. I remember a few years ago as I interviewed people about cycling for a feature story, I spoke with Wil Harville for over an hour on the phone about different aspects of cycling on Virginia Beach roads. I thought we had exhausted the topic, but he called me back the next day with a statement that summarized, or should I say superseded all that we had discussed. He said that to many cyclists he knows, the sport is so very important that it’s equal to religious experience. Was that most honest answer of all? I ride because. . . it’s my religion. I wondered how that would sound on film. I think about how NFL football is religious experience to so many, often shrouded in the God-family-work paradigm. Reverence to sport is a long established substitute for “religion” casting questions on what the word religion even means. Could cycling be yet another major world religion that orbits Winter Solstice?

So the sun in its glory represents a new beginning, long nights holding hope hostage. The lengthening days bring renewed progress, life and longer cycling days to come. I decided that my answer to “Why do you ride” changes every day, so it may be fun just to lie. I said to the camera that I ride for a different reason every day, and on that very Solstice, I was riding to get out of cell phone range. Wes asked what my favorite ride is, and I answered Ironcross, the longest Cx race in USA. He asked where I am going to ride in 2010, and I said I wanted to return to Colorado because “It’s gotta be done” as Ali Ingram would say.

Images above: 1--Wes interviews Sally 2--Wes interviews "Kick Stand" 3--Sunset over Elizabeth River 4--handcrafted sundial shows Noon shadow.

Be there Monday, Dec 21

2009-12-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

I have been working on a Winter Solstice blogpost for days. I will post it soon, but I wanted to be sure to direct folks to Wes Cheney's blog. He is filming cyclists at Plum Point Park on Monday from sunrise to sunset. Being in a Cheney film is the place to be, so don't miss out. See details here. The ECB Monday night ride will depart at 415pm rather than 6pm so that we can make it to filming before sunset. Email me if you need details.

I gotta get back to struggling with this blogpost. I went to answer the question, "Why do you ride" and it's kicking my butt.

Drama

2009-12-06T23:31:00.005-05:00

I have been thinking about how to write this blogpost for 3 weeks. I was eating dinner at Felini's on Colley with several cyclists. I had just met Mary Alex, a fairly new racer from Northern Virginia, who asked me how long I had been riding. I said, "I did my first race in 1991." She hesitated and I expected her to ask me for pearls of wisdom, but instead she declared, "You sure have seen some drama."

No freaking doubt. Obviously she was refering to the flawed human condition of mixing high speeds, with relationships, flag duty, managing slow riders, money from sponsors, gear from sponsors, talking unbeknownst into race recorders, ordering jerseys, wearing jerseys, not wearing jerseys, chasing down teammates, losing someone's gear, being perceived as chasing down teammates, rolling without waiting, waiting instead of rolling on time, withholding passwords, withholding payouts, withholding rational thinking. . . and so on. I started this blogpost by brainstorming the "Top 10 drama events since 1991" and it was the darkest, uglist Word Document I had ever written. I'd need to leave town if I posted it.

Instead, I thought back to a simpler time when there was no drama, and communities of people got together to raise barns. I thought of how raising a race registration tent is the cycling equivalent of a good old fashioned barn raising and how every act of tent raising takes the sting out of drama:

Thanksgiving ride 2009

2009-11-27T01:03:00.004-05:00

Norfolk Sans High Tide

2009-11-16T00:27:00.003-05:00

Recently, I participated in an email exchange about living as a cyclist in Norfolk, VA. A guy from Boston is looking to move to Ghent, and Jeff Lawson, Chris Dinsmore and I wrote lengthy expostions about our overall favorable impressions about riding here. Funny that the issue of hurricanes and nor'easters did not come up as we emailed a week ago. Now that the "November Nor'easter" has reaquianted us with how very close to sea level we live, the following may need some revision. (Photos were taken this week as the tides slowly receeded after the storm.)

Here are the combined email comments Jeff, Chris and I made. Chris wrote about 60% of it, Jeff and I each 20%. I thought it worth publishing since I have read few comprehensive personal accounts like these:

Ghent and the west side of Norfolk in general is a very pleasant place to live. There are a lot of good restaurants, a diverse population and a growing, but admittedly midlevel university. It’s a lot like any turn-of-the-century early suburb with a varied housing stock and eclectic mix of restaurants and shops.

You easily can roll out of your drive and ride as long as you wish. I’ve done solo 90-milers south into Chesapeake or Virginia Beach. The traffic levels in Norfolk are largely dependent on timing and the roads you choose. Knowing where and when to ride is key to riding around here. But, for every crowded thoroughfare, there’s a nearby neighborhood road that can help you bypass most of it. The drivers here are a mixed bag. My scariest encounters have come out in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake when I’ve been riding on rural roads without much shoulder. The rare driver will buzz you. In town, every now and then, someone will pass to close or yell at you. We get the occasional "get on the sidewalk" screamers, and I would say the tolerance is lower here than in metropolitan areas that are more progressive. I felt generally more accepted on the roads, for example, when I spent a few months in Chicago. For the most part, I feel safe riding in the city.

From Ghent, there are easily five or so different routes in Norfolk alone that allow you to roll up 20-25 miles. Connecting them you can push that out to 40 or so miles. It’s also easy to ride south in Chesapeake along one of two routes—one some consider a little sketchy because of 55mph traffic on short stretch with no shoulder and a cheese grater for a draw bridge—for 40-mile and up rides. Both routes south take you through some blighted neighborhoods and projects, but I’ve never had a problem. I also sometimes ride east from Norfolk to our team/club ride in Virginia Beach, which turns into a 70- to 90-mile ride. There are only a couple safe routes east in my opinion. I also used to ride often from Portsmouth, which is a five-minute drive through the Midtown Tunnel in Ghent, out into Suffolk. The riding to the west can range from 25 miles to as long as you wish. You could even skip the drive through the tunnel by riding downtown and taking the Elizabeth River ferry to Portsmouth. There’s also a fair bit of great riding just up the road in and around Williamsburg. That’s where we go if we want to climb hills, though I’ve also got a little urban loop I do that takes in three bridges in Norfolk.

There are two good bike shops in Ghent: East Coast Bicycles and Conte’s Norfolk. The former is a Trek store, but doesn’t have a real corporate feel; the latter carries Giants, Specialized and others. Both have good mechanics. We have 2 evening group rides from East Coast and Conte’s year round—road bikes in the warm, light months, and mountain/ cross bikes during the dark months (urban assault style). There are much larger group rides in the suburbs—Virginia Beach and Chesapeake specifically. Many riders who live in Norfolk drive to those group rides on weekends. The drive to VB is easy on weekends and worth it since the strongest, best riders in the area frequent the suburb rides. There are also two Saturday options in Ghent from the two bikeshops.

There’s also a great running store in Ghent called Running Etc. As far as pools for year-round swimming, you could join the YMCA or go to one of the city pools. There also is a private summer swim club in West Ghent that’s fairly easy to join. The Chesapeake Bay is used by a lot of people to train for the swimming part of triathlons and it can usually be used as early as March by normal people using a thin wet suit, although we have a number of SEALS on our team who swim year round. By May, the Bay can often be swum without anything extra and it stays in the 80s into Sept. before falling to only the 70s in October. A plus is your age—we have lots of retired military here and so fit guys in their 50's are all over the place. We have 3 or 4 guys on our team in their 50's who race a few events a year, and one guy in his early 60's who is bad to the bone.

We average about 7" of snow per year but there are many years where we get nothing more than flurries. I would say in the last 9 years as a cyclist I have only missed training outdoors because of the snow about 9 days. If you like to ride early in the morning there will be a couple of dozen days where the temperatures is colder than freezing, but it is usually only by a few degrees and rarely under the mid 20s. We only have a few times per year when the daily high fails to exceed 30-35 degrees, so cold readings rarely cause much of a problem. The summers can be hot and humid but our average high in the summer is still only 87, although we have about 10-15 days per year where it is 95 or more.

READ Wes Cheney's recent article about riding in Norfolk. Complete with safe roads map.

Room with a View

2009-11-09T22:54:00.001-05:00

A star is born in the dirt

2009-10-30T00:25:00.011-04:00

If one could choose where to be born, the prime location would be the Tidewater Mountain Bike Challenge course in Croaker, VA. Ali Ingram (Vanderkitten) won the women's pro-expert Sunday in the 22nd edition of this race. This was her first ever expert race--in fact she skipped right over the sport class and has only raced once as a beginner 2 years ago! She posted a blistering fast time: 1:39 (5 laps). Read Ali's race report.

Compare that to Sue Haywood's time of 1:34 back in 2001. To be within 5 minutes of a Haywood time for a first time expert is amazing. Ali also started competing in road cycling events this year and won the Virginia BAR Cat 4 competition. Yet to know Ali is to know that she settles for road riding but was born and thrives in the dirt.

My first TMBC was in 1994. The event has broken into the iconic among long time local riders. I heard someone say, "If Jimmy Miller is here, there must be something important here." Bryan Ralston and Marc Winder made appearances for the day. I can always count on competing against Jean Troutman who whipped my butt this year with a 1:50 against my 1:57 (expert 5 laps). And Crystal made her comeback out there this year! She first raced there as a teenager in the early 1990's. MIA were Beneline Williams and Cousin Ed, but I'm sure they'll be back next year. We all were christened in one way or another on that course.

(Photo of Ali above by JB. It's worth saying also that JB was reborn out there this year as he made his comeback photography appearance!)

Look closely

2009-10-19T22:30:00.001-04:00

I visited Dave Waters this weekend. Look closely and you will see some super classic components and frames. Of course there are more not seen in the photo!

Another Ironcross Sunday

2009-10-07T00:23:00.002-04:00

Ironcross goal 2009: 5:35 mid-pack
UPDATE: 2009 Result: 5:44 19 of 26

2009 Race Report by women's winner Selene Yeager

I've tried for 5:20 in the past but don't think it's realistic.
This is probably my favorite event of all time. I love the backcountry and the challenge. Pic from 2008>>>

Archive:

2008 6:03:06 18 of 27 sick

2007 5:27:14 15 of 26 flatted

2006 5:34:25 8 of 22 freezing

2005 5:48:32 5 of 9 used mt bike

2007 IC blog post

2006 IC blog post

2005 IC blog post

Ode to Abandoned Refrigerator

2009-09-27T13:54:00.011-04:00

You, container of all that sustained us,

who bravely defended the fortitude

of frozen meat, sensitive dairy,

favorite leftovers,

forgotten pickles,

found yourself doorlessly

exposed

in ditch marsh mockery

of those who cling narrowly

to singletrack above.

We excavate you

from the bowels of Ipswitch,

parading your rust,

and your inability to contain

anything more

than honorary title:

"Frige Bridge,"

from under which you died

a trash troll.

It ain't sexy but--

2009-09-20T21:36:00.014-04:00

IPSWITCH clean up/ trail maintenance: Saturday, Sept 26, 12 NOON. Meet at Rokeby Entrance on corner of Rokeby Ave. and Main St. RSVP to me lizschleeper[at]yahoomail.com. If you can bring a truck, let me know.

Guilt is a big motivator for me. I have said for years that I will start doing trail maintenance with EVMA, yet I have not contributed to the peninsula trails since before Hurricane Floyd. I think I can be more committed if I localize my efforts and focus on Ipswitch (aka Indian River Park) in Chesapeake, College Park section. See my previous commentary on Ipswitch.

Wes and I have the blessing of EVMA president Kirk Moore for this day, so this is an official EVMA maintenance event. The majority of the work will involve hiking with trash bags, and we plan to fill in some holes in the singletrack and mark/ cut some trail.

Ipswitch has the only real singletrack on southside Hampton Roads. It is also filled with BMX jumps. We are working with Chesapeake to have EVMA become the "adopt a park" caretakers, but as Kirk said, we will need to enlist the help of our BMX brothers and sisters for any real progress. It's pretty clear that much of the trash is left there by them since it's concentrated in the areas where they hang out.

However, we can't blame the kids for some of the severe litter. There are cars that have been retired to the middle of the park like this one, and Wes told me there is a refrigerator in the field that connects the trail systems. I have seen countless piles of household trash, including the pile of sh-- that someone had dumped there after picking up after a dog for a couple of weeks.

The place is a singletrack jewel but a disaster in terms of trash. Hope the mountain bikers can help Sept 26, and we can start discussing how to communicate with the BMXers, the community AND the darn city about maintaining it better. Gotta start somewhere.

Base jumping

2009-09-13T18:50:00.025-04:00

The so-called Virginia Beach curse struck again. I spoke to Elliot Craddock, 18, who launched from the Pungo Ferry Bridge this morning after touching wheels with another cyclist. According to Virginia Beach Firefighters, Elliot fell approximately 50-60 feet. The doctors at VB General told Elliot that a fall 20 feet is considered critical, so his even surviving a 20x3 fall is incredible. Two sets of cat scans confirmed that his helmet did its job today.

Elliot is an experienced Cat 2 racer, a reiteration that the occurrence of cycling crashes over the past two years is due, in my opinion, to simply more riders participating and therefore more chances of incident rather than the makings of a curse. I hope Elliot's broken shoulder heals soon, and I join many others in being very glad it was not worse. See the rescue video.

Elliot told me that his group of about 7 had just started the descent when one rider got a case of speed wobble. Elliot's front wheel hooked into the guy's rear, and they danced a bit to keep the rubber side down. But Elliot ran out of room and was boxed in on the right, and the 30 mph speed sent him into the barrier. He has concrete marks on his calves from trying to catch himself as he and, yes his bike also, launched over the side. He blacked out when he hit, but his mind buzzed into action immediately despite his blurry vision. He did a mental self check before pulling himself onto the concrete slab holding up one of the bridge pillars. He landed in a bed of Spartina Alterniflora and 3 inches of water.

Check out the barriers on the Pungo Ferry Bridge compared to those on Campostella Bridge over Elizabeth River in Norfolk which is a bridge similar in height. I have searched lots and cannot find the heights of either bridge published--does anyone know? Firefighters told Elliot they estimate the peak height at 80 feet on Pungo Ferry. I speculate that Campostella, Pungo Ferry and Mills Godwin Bridge in Suffolk are the 3 tallest bridges on the secondary roads in South Hampton Roads.

Here is a view of the railings at top of Campostella Bridge which is also probably about 80 feet high. Notice that there is a concrete slab between the railing and road shoulder.

The slab could serve to slow down a cyclist or motorist crashing toward the railing. From roadway to top of railing appears to be over 100 cm. I could see going over this railing, but it would take some work. The blood on Robert's arm here is unrelated to any bridge crashes!

Here is a view of Jeff climbing up Pungo Ferry Bridge. Such a low wall pretty much nullifies the extra space the shoulder gives us on the roadway.

Here is a better look at how low the wall is a the top of Pungo Ferry. There is also no concrete slab between shoulder and the barrier, which is essentially a Jersey Wall. As I recall, the Mills Godwin Bridge in Suffolk has the same type of low barrier.

I found this photo on line. That bike next to this guy looks to be about a 56 which means the wall is approximately 65 cm high. It's easy to see how a cyclist could be launched from here. This guy looks as if he could fall just standing there.

Campostella's design, therefore, seems safer than Pungo Ferry or Mills Godwin for both motorists and cyclists, and I wonder who makes bridge wall decisions in the designs.

Here's a water view of the bridge--yikes! The rescue crews actually lowered themselves from the bridge to Elliot rather than marsh muck from the shore to rescue him. It took more than 30 min for rescue crews to make it on site and he was not out of the marsh for more than an hour. Reiterates the fact that riding in Pungo is tantamount to riding in a wilderness setting. A wilderness setting is one in which definitive care is an hour or more away.

All of Pungo Ferry Road was closed as the rescue took place, and word has it that the only person who made it past the police barrier was Elliot's father, Jeff, who put out "some serious watts" to reach his son by bike according to Elliot.

Elliot just won last Wednesday's very competitive local criterium at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater. He competed against about 30 of the area's racers, mostly category 1-3.

To see and be seen

2009-09-07T17:51:00.004-04:00

Steph's friend Molly once said that people who don't ride have a hard time understanding what we see up close on a daily basis. I do feel as if I see and find things I would not otherwise experience off the bike.

Just yesterday I found this awesome rock in creeds in Va Beach. >>>>

I found this typo in a Norfolk cemetary >>>>

Sally and I relocated a stray box turtle on the trail at Freedom Park. >>>>

I never get tired of the revolving sunsets over Granby Street Bridge, Norfolk. I am not going to say who that is on the bike because she will kill me if her identity is known. >>>>>

Freebies everywhere >>>>>

Mature corn in James City County blocks the wind very well. Around here, most corn is used for feed, so it browns and dies first before harvested. >>>>>

Got Backbone

2009-08-31T20:27:00.010-04:00

I missed the Devil's Backbone mountain bike race this spring but was glad to participate in the first Devil's Backbone Mountain Cross Aug 29. Cross bikes were lauded as the "best tool for the job" on this half pavement, half fire road 60 miler. I have done many mountain centuries as well as the self proclaimed longest cyclocross race in America (Ironcross), and this event had the best of both worlds.

The beginning and end of the course used the same sick, psycho 20% grade dirt climb that blew up the group the first 4 miles. The ride was true to the advertised 50-50 fireroad-pavement, and I estimate that there was more total climbing in those 60 miles than in Ironcross's 60 miles. The difference is that Ironcross has single track and long run ups that make the event take longer. The agonizing Parkway section from Irish Gap to Montebello reminded me of a road century, whereas the climb up Fork Mountain on fireroads had that back country Shenandoah Mountain 100 feel.

It catered perfectly to cross bikes, but there were still those who fared well on road bikes. Pete Tempest used a road bike with 25 inch tires without incident. There were a few on mountain bikes, though I would not have wanted to drag a mountain bike up the nontechnical climbs. I couldn't help but notice that a significant number of elite men and women participated, and sure enough pros Jeremiah Bishop and Deidre Winfield posted the best finishing men's and women's times.

From the Tripower women's side, Carol, Sally, Meaghann and I all completed the ride. I ended up with Sally and Jeff Brown for the last 15 miles. I was giving my full effort to the event ("racing" it) whereas the fact that I was riding with Sally at that point told me she was treating it a little more casually! We came upon Bill Gilmer and Meaghann McCarthy who were stopped on side of road. Meg looked as if she had just seen a ghost and Bill was adjusting a bike. They hollered that they were fine, so we kept moving.

On the last 3 mile climb (sick, sick) Sally was turning around to offer a generous pace, but I told her to go. She was out of sight pretty soon. Jeff pulled away from me also. When I was about a minute away from the top on the 20% grade section, I heard familiar voices--Meg and Bill were coming up behind me. Apparently I was talking to myself at the time (cussing or praying probably) because when Bill passed he asked if I was talking on a cell phone. Meg zipped past me also, and I thought, well, perhaps I would latch onto them after the summit since I figured Meg may be tentative on the steep downhill to the finish.

NOPE. I got to the top about 20 secs after Meg and they were GONE, sucked into the fast descent. I guess I should know better than to underestimate Meaghann who has ridden across the USA on a tandem! Jeff and I rode together on the last flat stretch to the finish, a minute or so behind them. We found out Bill had taken a scary face plant on the gravel on a fairly flat section, so luckily he was not going very fast.

The Devil's BB brewery is perfect staging place for the race. We finished and took meal vouchers inside for a great dinner! My camping comrades Mike, Lynn, Carol and Chris were awesome. Above images courtesy of Mike Park, Sally Tempest, Jerry Hadley and Liz Sorrell.

Not always about the bike

2009-08-24T08:53:00.006-04:00

It's not always all about the bike. Well, ok, we all did get a ride in before coming to the beach. I calculate 520 combined weekend miles from this group prior to the beach party Sunday afternoon. (L-R, Jackie, Sharon, Brenna, Carol, Sally, Anette, Susan, Liz, Lisa, Meaghann)

Brenna checks out team cake designed by Jennifer.

Carol hangs with the beach boa.

Jackie, Sally, Annete back from the best waves of the year thanks to Hurricane Bill.

Tripower's 2 omnium winners, Sharon and Sally toast their Swedish chocolate awards. Sharon won Virginia's 40+ championship omnium and Sally won the cat 1-3 omnium.

Our chefs Art, McMahon and Hosang.

Dinner at dusk.

Share the road from the road

2009-08-18T10:55:00.013-04:00

Oh, the immediacy of mobile uploads from the Peloton to Facebook. There's Mike Park sending a photo during the Monday night ride.

Photos no longer are a shadow of what has passed but a stretched road marker telling us the sun lays low and moves toward the winter solstice. (Photo by Mike Park)

Like here, you can't help but think that the sun shining on these women at RAGBRAI is the same sun shining outside the office window, darn it. Are all mobile uploads even necessary? (Mike Park)

The question becomes is it more offensive to deal with those riding in the paceline in aerobars or with those sending mobile uploads from the paceline? (Photo by Jerry Hadley)

And what about the potential of Tim's wife finding out from Facebook he wiped out on the Bully ride before getting the call to meet Tim at Urgent Care? Do we need to add mobile notifications to rider emergency ID bracelets? (Jerry Hadley)

Or the expediency of earning nicknames, such as Michelle Dinsmore naming Kevin "the urinater" when she saw this mobile upload and banning him from her family vehicle while the team was 150 miles from home in said vehicle? Kevin's actually cutting edge since Virginia has closed several rest stops, but he's still banned from what I hear. (Jerry Hadley)

Back off bully

2009-08-14T11:59:00.010-04:00

It's pretty tempting not to bully ride the cross bike outlaw on the gravel stretches where Norfolk is laying track for light rail. This section is between Military Hwy and Newtown Road.

The Tues night Great Bridge "Bully ride" hosts the best riders in the area, including here Bryan Sorrell, Harlan Ward and Tyler Karnes.

Back off from Tristan because when she finally discovers the big ring we are all in trouble.

A clandestine committee is planning some signage and that's all I'll say about that so back off.

I can't even begin to express the sorrow I have for this scene. An awesome foot-cycling bridge over a pristine section of Broad Creek has been closed since residents raised hell, demanding its closure in 1996. Apparently, bullies found their way across the bridge on a regular basis, trashing yards and stealing crap. I asked one resident in the neighborhood why he let the bullies run the show--"don't you want to fish from that bridge, or walk out and enjoy the water?" He said the water is dirty so back off. I said salt marshes smell not because they are dirty but because they are busy cleaning. He said back off again.

This is about as close as any bully will come to seeing Carol Ennser's secret training log.

Pictured here is a super heavy duty camera identical to those used on the back of motorcycles to film pro tour races like the Tour de France. Wes has one wouldn't you know it, and he plans to ride stoker on a tandem filming with none other than Jerry Hadley as his captain. Believe me, we will want to steer clear when that mass of bully (ie, two fearless Clydesdales with a big camera) is barrelling down the road.

ISO Superheroes

2009-07-31T22:56:00.016-04:00

I got a text from Wes: "No go, sorry." I instantly got the feeling of not wanting to go to the party because I may not know anyone there. Which everyone knows is precisely why you should go.

The truth is that I would know people at the “Tour de Pants,” an urban unsanctioned race through Norfolk and Portsmouth. These races are attended by mostly fixed gear and single speeders that have grown in numbers here in Norfolk over the past few years. I would know Jay and
Kurtz, and everyone has been friendly at past races. Spandex is out of the question with this crowd, so I knew to dress to the occasion, though I always wear a helmet unlike many of them. Since I ride a fixie, my acceptance into the group would be immediate. I would lean on my bike, like a date at a party.

So what was my hang up? Age I decided. At 43, I figured (correctly) that I would be the oldest one there. Chris Dinsmore is exactly my age and attends these races (and always wins when he comes) but he was out of town. Inspired by his past performances, I sent a text back to Wes ("Darn") and packed up to go. On the 4-mile ride to the meeting point at Blair Middle School, I tried to get to the heart of why the age thing bothered me.

Mile one—what intimidated me was not my age, but the confidence they have in what they are doing at their age. When I was in my early 20’s as many fixies are, I could find few people to ride with. I loved my bike, others tolerated cars. I’ll never forget someone I much respected saying to me, adults need cars, and I had no Cars are Coffins mantra as a comeback. I conformed when I got a $100 deal on a ’75 Valiant, but savored the days of a more pure self reliance that many, I think, confuse with arrested development.

Mile two—the 92 degree humid heat started melting my helmet to head. I thought of Dave. I don’t know what would have become of me had I not met Dave Waters around 1991. He was not your typical one genre bike dude. He had road bikes, time trial bikes, mountain bikes and fixed gear bikes. Dave lived with about 20 bikes in quite the man cave. He was a walking breathing survey course in crit racing, time trialing, track racing, mountain biking, fixed gear commuting.

Mile three—I thought of Dave’s video collection of past Tours de France, Paris Roubaix’s, Women’s Challenge stage race across Idaho. He fed me books, gave riding instructions in didactic tones as if he were merely reminding me rather than telling me something for the first time: You know that pushing that big gear is inefficient or That makes no sense you know or What exactly did you accomplish by doing that? I rarely had answers to his lectures, just took notes. I took note that he had a car—a van in fact—but that his primary transportation was a fixed gear bike. He was not a romantic interest, and he had a few other followers so it’s not as if I had him to myself.

Mile 4—When I was a child I spoke like a child, I reasoned like a child. . . but when I became an adult I put away childish things. Hmm, does that mean we just put away the action figure or do we strive to become one? Wouldn’t you know it—one of Dave’s fixed gears had “Sprocket Man” neatly decaled onto the frame. Another fixie was painted Captain America red-white-blue, and he had a Capt America red-white-blue skinsuit to match it. We all joked him of course—Are you Sprocket Man today or Capt America? We laughed as adults who knew the only way a superhero could ever be real is if we became one ourselves. An uncomfortable, self indicting laughter. I could see even then that my mentor had no mentors, that he had the most important element of any superhero, the ability to stand alone.

I arrived at “Tour de Pants,” a race designed to debunk the Tour de France. It begins with a “manifest” or directions of what to do, where and how. Spoke cards are usually handed out, and organizer Kurtz never fails at being thoughtful in his themes. For this race, we were instructed to bring 7 changes of pants, shorts or skirts. The manifest showed the seven places where racing partners would need to photograph each other changing into a new set of pants. Certain things needed to be in the background of each photograph. Don’t change in front of children Kurtz said three times. BC Wilson and I teamed up against 5 other teams and we developed a quick plan. Set, go!

As we whizzed around town, finding our spots, changing shorts quickly for each photograph, I thought about Superman, Wonder Woman, Spider Man, all those who alter their identities for the purpose of serving others. I decided that it wouldn’t be so bad if children saw us changing clothes, because they’d also see us having fun on bikes. Maybe someone years from now will say to them, adults need cars and they will say, adults for sure need pants but cars are optional.

Photos: All pants; John at Blair; Liz changing at Monticello bus station; BC changing at Plum Point.

Locals making news

2009-07-26T10:48:00.007-04:00

I took my car to Kirk Moore who, in addition to being prez of EVMA and master trail builder, is a great Honda mechanic. As he worked, Penny Rich and I hung out at the computer where she showed me footage from the Conte's ads that have been running on Versus during Tour de France.

That's Penny at Freedom Park. >>>>>

I have only heard of Marlie, but she's clearly a gamer on the stunts. That's her at Freedom Park.

Other footage for the commercials was shot near the Conte's Arlington shop. Here is a 3 minute montage of the footage they used in various TV commercials.

BC Wilson showed for the Wednesday ride. He is doing a story on Norfolk Cycling Culture and joined us for the developmental ride. He is writing about various types of cyclists (lone rider, activist, group riders) so it ought to be interesting.

A feature he wrote earlier this month about the Norfolk ghost bikes placed for Kevin Bragg and William Holmes captures very well the experience of sharing the road with sometimes irate drivers.

More tags

2009-07-17T08:38:00.001-04:00

July photos

2009-07-14T17:16:00.001-04:00

Apprentice Surpasses Master

2009-06-30T22:53:00.013-04:00

It starts with an idea, a talk, a desire to understand bikes on a deeper level. It ends with shedding the tennis shoes, making the break, dropping the master. I am talking about the cycle that long time riders experience when bringing new riders into the sport. There is a complicated formula that, once all factors are plugged in and the equation is done in longhand, the expected answer favors protégé. (photo right, Carhart in tennis shoes on cross bike at Ipswitch in December.)

Perhaps this is best conveyed by illustration. Mike Carhart joined us for a Wednesday ride this past November. I saw the new face through my night light as we left Conte’s Norfolk at 6pm, and I thought he was a friend of Mike Park. Park thought I knew him, so we both made silent assumptions the other would look after him. Carhart dropped from the main group but stayed ahead of the chasing group. Caught in this 'tweener status, he missed a turn on the route out to Ipswich. We did not notice his absence at our Ipswitch regroup, and it wasn’t until our return ride to Conte’s 40 minutes later that I counted bodies and said to Park,

Where is your friend?
What friend?
Oh shoot, we lost one.

We figured he wouldn't return and that the story would circulate back to us via nicer riders he would find. However, Carhart did return the following week. Anyone who shows back up after such rude treatment has passed the first test of cycling grit—can you handle getting dropped, left, forgotten because it will happen at some point, often multiple points if you are really riding with those who challenge you. (photo right, Carhart's road computer after it surpassed 1000 mile point.)

He passed his second test when he had 2 "firsts" on a 20 degree day in January: first time with clipless pedals AND first time doing a cyclocross race. When he said he survived 3 high speed falls on the frozen tundra, I knew then the equation was tipping in favor of Carhart being faster than me well before the spring thaw. Indeed, he has been logging some good miles, has completed 9 cat 5 races and of course is now faster than I am. (I know the term "faster" is relative and situational, but I mean that in most situations, I will be behind him. I also mean that his skills are worthy of his speed.)

He is going to be in Germany for 15 months beginning in August, and he has plans to research bicycling history as it relates to geology as a hobby while there (think Mont Ventoux). Clearly, he loves the sport, and he gave me the greatest of compliments when he said that I taught him a lot. I stiffened when he said that because I am known for running my mouth too much and was afraid of what story would be connected to my “teaching” him. He said he learned mostly by watching me, by example, much to my relief and gratitude.

Of late, his wife Elizabeth Hoag-Carhart has taken to my wheel and here the cycle begins again. I have been doing this long enough to know that by the time she returns from Germany, she will be ripping off my legs. She has handling skills beyond beginner level, her untrained cardio appears to be well above-average, mixed with long femurs and competitive mindset. No matter how much I factor into the equation my years of experience, number of mountain passes, miles logged, the answer to X will favor her. Nature surpasses nurture, apprentice surpasses master.

Lori Lucero 1961-2009

2009-06-22T10:50:00.007-04:00

Crit contrasts

2009-06-14T22:25:00.004-04:00

Amphib Crit sky in the morning shifted as the day went on.

The pride of my team is the diversity of riders. On the race course yesterday, Shelby (age 10) raced the junior category, and Pete (66) did the masters race.

Photos by BJ Samuel and Mike Park.

Facebook Worthy

2009-06-07T22:38:00.006-04:00

I agree with Kim Iverson who once said Facebook is evil. As I was preparing to exact revenge on those lovely "friends" who posted pics of me from junior high, I came across a few what-were-we-thinking cycling images.

That is what we thought a cyclocross barrier should look like circa 1995. We put on a cross race in conjunction with a crit despite the fact that none of us had ever even been to or seen a cross race. Ben Turner (pictured) and another guy were the only ones who showed up with a cross bike, the rest had mountain bikes.

Yes, that's a bus, a Search and Rescue bus actually. Inside, rescuers are busy trying to locate Donna, a mountain biker we lost in the woods on a day when 15 degrees was the high. We had a communication breakdown with Donna, resulting in her spending almost 10 hours hunkered down in the chilly woods. SNR found her about 1 o'clock in the morning when temps were close to zero degrees. Winter, 1997.

Lori, Susan and I certainly weren't the picture of cycling fashion this day in Europe (either France or Switzerland). Two of us sleeveless. . . with armwarmers. . . riding with someone covered in a balaklava. No doubt we passed as U.S. travellers that day. 2003 I think.

Guest Blogger

2009-05-28T19:54:00.009-04:00

(Photos by Jesse Peters, used by permission.)

That's Paula Smith tearing up switchbacks at Devil's Backbone Challenge. I missed this race due to a broken water line at the house but am happy to report Paula (Rostello) won the expert women's category and shares beer naming rights with pro Andy Guptill (Colavita). Here is her race report, an exclusive to bikevoice.

The first ever race at Devil’s Backbone Brewery in Wintergreen VA took place on Saturday, May 23rd. It was a beautiful day and you couldn’t ask for more perfect weather. I didn’t feel quite the nervous pre-race jitters that I typically have on the way to the race. After all, I had never raced the course and had no idea what to expect. The race begins with a 2 mile road climb that I decided to “warm up” on.

Just a few feet into the climb and I knew I was in store for a tough race. For anyone who has ever ridden the roads around Wintergreen, they can relate I’m sure. Frank told me to make sure to “break a sweat” during my warm-up; this was not a difficult task to achieve I soon learned. After the pre-race meeting, we the racers were in place to start the race. I figured they would run the race like I’m typically used to, by starting each of the categories in waves. Suddenly, there was a mass start and everyone just went. Frank started yelling for me to “get up to the front” as previous memories of road racing suddenly flooded through my mind. I managed to move to the top half of the pack, far enough to where I knew my competitors were behind me—where, in my opinion, they should always be.

So there we all were, climbing the first climb, a mere 2 miles long, a simple feat I tell myself, after all, I had climbed 7 miles during the Wintergreen Ascent; thus, this would be a breeze. If only there was a breeze! The seemingly-perfect day at the start soon grew hot and uncomfortable on the black-top pavement. I heard some guy complaining about how hot it was and felt selfishly glad someone else was feeling my pain. I tried to find my rhythm and managed to make it to the top. As I took a quick surreptitious peek behind me to see where my competitors were, a guy tells me it’s too soon to start looking back. I realize he is probably right but feel assured just the same that I don’t see anyone behind me in my category.

After I reach the top, I quickly shift into my big ring for the descent. Having just messed up the week prior in the Urban Assault (a long story in itself but suffice it to say the big ring-to-easiest back cog combo can apparently stretch your chain so far that it renders your back wheel immobile and, for me, unfixable), I repeat over and over to myself as I’m descending ‘get out of your big ring at the trail’. Luckily, this strategy works for me this time as I enter the trail in my middle ring, with my bike fully functioning—though that’s more than I can say for myself at the moment as the previous brief downhill descent proves to be only a short reprieve and immediately, there is a climb. It is a big, long, climb. It’s one of those kinds of climbs that you think ‘if I just make it around the corner, I’ll be at the top’, only to find that just around the corner, there’s more, much more.

Finally, it appears I have finished that climb or two, or three; it’s hard to say, they have all appeared to blend into one big giant climb at this point. At long last I approach some trails that appear to be flat, only to find that they are false flats. Hey, who knew they had these in MTB races too! So this is how the race goes on and on, with the occasional descent that just teases you into thinking you’re nearing the end of the lap, as once you look above and see the top is still a great deal away you realize that the descent you just made only puts you farther away from the top. Not to mention that I still have another lap to do or part of a lap, I don’t know, I’m not good at listening to instructions prior to a race and I didn’t commit the route to memory at the start. I guess this was the case for others as well as a few I breathlessly ask “do we have to do this climb again?” don’t seem to know either. It is at this point that I curse the trail Gods and begin to question my own sanity. I mean who, in their right mind, would put themselves through such torture? I profess to stop racing altogether (after I finish this race of course).

At long last, I reach some downhills that quickly make me feel like I am on a pair of skis, as that is how steep they are. Nothing like pulling your brakes in so far that you simply fishtail down the hill. I decide it’s not the greatest time to question whether my brake pads are too worn. Down a few of those sketchy hills and I am nearing the end of the lap just wishing I was racing Sport but instead I am directed to some part of the previous trail and to my surprise (not), I start climbing again! Only this time, there’s a nasty (and this is putting it mildly) climb that we were warned about at the start. Apparently, nobody has ever ridden it to the top. I do manage to ride the first part of it and pass some guy who yells at me “you are a mad woman”! I consider this a compliment and thank him.

Soon though, I too am off my bike and hiking the hill. I can’t figure out whether it’s easier to roll the bike along beside me or carry it over my shoulder. Both seem equally as painful and it’s the longest ½ mile I’ve ever encountered! Then there are more climbs and still more and well I’m guessing I’ve got the point across by now…it’s a climbing race. So, I finally near the end of the trail and ask Jared if I have to do the 1st road climb again. I feel rather delirious at this point and my sense of direction is all turned around. He tells me I only need to climb the first hill I originally descended on the road (you know that brief period of time I was in my big ring in the beginning of the race when I thought the worst of it was over). I briefly contemplate asking him if I really have to but then I think ‘no problem’ that was a quick downhill before, this last climb will be brief. (I soon come to realize how one’s perspective changes when you’re climbing vs. descending a hill.) I mean, will this race ever, ever end?!

At long last, I reach the top of the final hill. I look over my shoulder and don’t see anyone behind me and then it’s a glorious road descent that I love. The wind is swirling around me and I am almost done. I reach the road to the brewery and make a left into the gravel road. They warned us about this turn; however, considering what I’ve just been through, this is a piece of cake, or perhaps a cool pint of delicious craft-brewed beer that’s calling out to me.

I am done, I have crossed the line and I can honestly say it was one of the hardest races I have ever participated in. Would I do it again? Of course! Would I change anything about it? No. I mean…that’s MTB racing!

Schleep-Dog Pale Ale

2009-05-19T21:00:00.000-04:00

There has been a firestorm of bike awareness activism going on the last 4 weeks. Wes wrote a guest editorial, numerous cyclists wrote letters to the editor, Jeff and Bill met with Virginia Beach's Commonwealth attorney about law enforcement and prosecution, Jake and other cyclists in central and northern VA got the governer and mayors involved in bike to work day, people are working on signage and PSA's to raise public awareness about cycling laws--the list keeps growing.

My contribution to cycling equality in VA came in the form of a phone call to the promoters of Devil's Backbone mountain bike race happening near Wintergreen this weekend. The title sponsor, Devil's Backbone Brewery, had offered to name a beer after the first place pro-expert male, with no mention of the female winner's name being used.

I could not let that go--not for my own sake--I am an expert racer, but as Gilmer says, I have Expert technical skills with a Sport engine. So I suck against true experts. But I could not bear the thought of the state that is home to pros Susan Haywood and Deidre Winfield having a race where the beer naming did not include women. Not to mention there are extremely fast women on the expert circuit, including Johanna Krause, Paula Smith and Jannie Belt to name a few.

Perhaps I am not the only one who called because there has been a change. Here is the latest annoucement from the Devil's BB promoter: The Devils Backbone Brewery, last week, announced an additional prize to 1st place Expert Men to brew a special batch for them. But, after careful thought, the Devils Backbone Brewery management and brewer, have made a slight revision to keep things fair. 1st place Expert Men/Women will now split naming rights for the Beer to be brewed!

Now, I might not win this thing, but of course I considered the sound of my name as a beer. My 10th grade students have given me a nickname this year--SCHLEEP-DOG--perfect for an ale I think. Funny that if Kevin and I won the men-women's categories (both very distant possiblities even he would concede), then SCHLEEP-DOG is actually a combo of our names and would fit the criteria for splitting the naming rights. What do you think, Kevin?

Some of my students say SLEEP-DOG which also would work. SLEEP-DOG Pilsner, perhaps. At right is Emory, my favorite sleeping dog.

**By the way, the menu at Devil's Backbone Brewing Company looks great and the prices are right. It is located at the foot of Wintergreen resort.

Just photos

2009-05-03T23:23:00.001-04:00

In Memoriam

2009-04-26T19:14:00.015-04:00

Easily the most poignant moment in all the years I have been riding a bike. At left, Wes hands off the ghost bike to Daniel Hersh's sons, Stephen and Greg. Daniel died after being hit by an SUV on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach a week ago.

The display appears to be the first ghost bike display in Hampton Roads ever. It is locked up near the eastbound corner of Shore and Starfish Road. Wes marked the site where Kenneth Craver was killed on Witchduck Road last May with another ghost bike.

At left is Wes Cheney's editorial, published in the Virginian Pilot yesterday.

Read the story about today's group ride to display the ghost bikes.

Read about some of the other ways that Wes has given back to the cycling community.

Bridge Repeaters

2009-04-19T22:24:00.005-04:00

If you do the Norfolk Bridge repeats loop, stick with repeats of Campostella. There are two lanes closed west bound that are wide open for unencumbered bridge repeats. There is no construction on the bridge, but the lanes are closed so that traffic is out of the way at the bottom at the light rail point. If I am not mistaken, Campostella Bridge has the largest elevation gain in Norfolk.

I joined Sharon (left) for 5 of her 10 repeats.

Be advised, though, that the Berkley Bridge is closed. There is no way to skinny past the construction since they have the whole cage fenced off.

Cold comfort to change

2009-04-13T10:24:00.016-04:00

Every team knows about it. It’s the design-a-new-jersey challenge. My team Tripower wrestles with, perhaps mostly subconsciously, the typical questions: Is it better to be conforming and invisible or outlandish and dissed? Is infamy sought over mediocrity, disruption over smooth lines? Will artistically simple become boring, will cutting edge breed regret?

Will it excite showroom fanaticism at its inception, but then we wake one cool day to the reality of our rash emotion and hate what we see in the mirror? How will it look in a breakaway—or, shouldn’t we ask how will it look off the back? Will it earn a respectful nickname or will it incite an epithet? Tripower has a reputation of garnering the latter—clown jersey, killa bees, flamers. But is it better to have a name, any name, than to be known generically as pack filler?

It has the power to unite, divide, conquer, and be seen. It has tipped the scales in war—ok, perhaps not. But a jersey, let’s admit it, is often the only concrete basis for which you can judge a competitor or someone on an organized ride or event. A jersey, because of its importance to showing sponsors, is what a team must wake up most days loving. I would say you need to love your team jersey more than your best fitting jeans, your go-to black dress, your lucky collared shirt.

It's important enough to gather the heads of state who never ride mountain bikes out for the mountain bike Wednesday gathering at Cogan's. This jersey meeting lasted from 830pm till nearly midnight, no kidding.

Here are all Tripower jerseys except for the first one. These designs span about 15 years of the team.

Toe Tear sock review

2009-03-29T22:14:00.004-04:00

This is the long anticipated bikevoice sock review. Bikevoice purchases only socks that are under $10 and values a tight grab to the foot, elastic staying power on the ankle, and delayed toe tear. The toe tear here on this Defeet sock took 5 seasons to develop.

Defeet easily ranks #1. Toes don’t tear for at least 4 seasons of regular wear. I have used all of these for over 5 seasons. By the time the toe wears, the rest of the sock is worn, so the toe-to-overall-wear ratio is even. Very important ratio in socks.

Sock Guy takes a distant second. Toes last a maximum of 2 seasons. I stopped purchasing Sock Guy long ago, so the ones I have are from event freebees. The 2-season tear is not too awful, but Defeet has set the bar so high that there is no reason to purchase socks that last half the years. Sock Guy is fine as long as they are free, and their niche seems to selling to event promoters who purchase socks for participants.

A pitiful third is Pearl Izumi. These have awesome grab, but the toe tore after only 1 season. The rest of the sock is like brand new, but the toe-to-overall-wear ratio is way low. It surprises me given Pearl’s usual quality.

Specialized also surprised me by stumbling in last. These winter weight socks didn’t even last 1 winter--½ a season and the toe's torn. I think these cost more than $10 also. Specialized oughta get the technicians who figured out their saddles to work on their sock technology.

From Malibu Go Anywhere

2009-03-22T22:39:00.010-04:00

Thanks to facebook, I have been recently reunited with the friends of my youth, the "Malibu Girls" pictured here with Stephen. They had a huge influence on my lifelong love of cycling. We did all of our travel by bike back in the day. Most notable were our treks to the beach on beach cruisers. It was 7 miles one way from Malibu to the Boardwalk. We'd carry boogie boards in one arm, sweet tea in the other, and strap the beach towels to the oversized cruiser saddles. Wendy (green) Lisa (tan), Janet and Lee (white shirts) and I rode there extensively, and as you can imagine, we had lots of other motivations besides fitness. Lisa, Lee and I even had paper routes that we worked on first generation cruisers (called "paper bikes") with big baskets. PAPER routes, I tell you, were we industrious or what? Also pictured are Lora (gray), Janie and Kathy (back row).

So I left the Malibu gathering Friday to join Dinsmore, Art and others for Kevin's birthday. Redbones must be the grittiest bar in Chesapeake, and wow, what a voice on the lead singer of the duo Ever After.

Malcolm, Lawson and I may seem like an odd combination, but we were in total sync during our 55-mile Williamsburg ride Saturday. I sucked wheel for nearly the whole ride, coughing out Redbones smoke. No wrong turns, no arrests on the closed road, and Lawson's equipment held together.

I hung out for a bit at the Sleepy Hole Smackdown on Sunday. Pictured here are Ali, Lynn, Sally and Carol. Brenna, Dawn, Sharon and Julie are in there too, Laura off the front. It occurred to me that I have gone from one girl gang to yet another.

That's Brenna, Dawn, Chad, Mike Park and Kevin.

Deconstructing the Roof Rack

2009-03-14T20:46:00.006-04:00

Devil's Backbone preview

2009-03-08T23:13:00.011-04:00

I did my first mountain bike race in Virginia in 1994 and have seen races come and go. Hurricane Isabel alone brought the former "Dan's series" races to a halt in 2003. Kyle's series had been around for many years and looks like a go for this year also. The VA Derailer series is no longer happening according to their website.

Looks as if the current Virginia Off Road series combines races from several promoters of mountain bike and off road duathlons. It was very well organized last year, and it combines longstanding races (O'Hill, Tidewater, Walnut Creek) with some new courses like Devil's Backbone, scheduled Saturday, March 28. This is a photo of one of many climbs on the Devil's Backbone course that I pre-rode on Saturday.

The race starts on the road--YEAH for those who hate those rushes for the singletrack. The road section lasts at least 15 minutes (my speed). It's a switchback climb up what I have always called the 151 mountain pass, but the local name is Brent's Gap. You turn off the road to double track and climb some steep sections. It will be at this point that I will be asking myself why I am racing. It transitions to newly built singletrack that takes you to the top--well, not to the real top, but the double track climbing in the next section is more tame.

It goes back and forth from single to double from there. All rideable climbs with some fast descents. The switchbacks are a bit too tight, but the newly cut trail means no ruts and the babyheads are still buried for now. No rock gardens, no extended hike a bikes.

There are distinguishing characteristics on the course like this arch. I also saw a cool hunting stand. A few washing machines were left for dead out there. There are a few natural overlooks that no one will have time for during the race.

The race ends back on the pavement. The climb up the other side of Brent's Gap is much shorter than the beginning side, and the descent into the finish is fast. Best bet is to run a tire that sheds mud easily. If it's wet, the tacky new singletrack will be a calf burner. I can't see finishing the 2 expert laps under 2 hours so I am bringing lunch. It is a great course.

I also took the opportunity to photograph the course site as signified by the handcrafted regional map located at Afton Visitor's Center. The Afton complex (Rockfish) has deteriorated even more than last time I was there. It looks as if bulldozers came, hit a few buildings, then left bored. Even that gas station with the nasty snacks and doorless bathrooms has pulled out of the Afton complex.

The only remaining open building is the Visitor's center where this map is located, and there is a huge gaping hole in the roof. The bathrooms inside are closed since they have no water. I suspect the building will be condemned soon, and I hope this map finds its way into a local museum. (The course is in the section to the lower left of 664 and just above 151. The red line above the course is the Appalachian Trail, and yellow line is Blue Ridge Parkway.)

When it Rains

2009-02-28T20:57:00.014-05:00

I took Pascal's spin class at the YMCA this morning. The Y is terribly fortunate to have this instructor. He is from Belgium and has competed in European mountain bike events, including one that used the same course as 2008 World Cup in Houffalize (aka the Mecca of International mountain biking).

He properly assimulated into Virginia cycling when he did the 2008 Blue Ridge Extreme, the brutal 100 miler that ends at the top of Wintergreen Mountain.

I also have a great deal of confidence in an instructor who rides a fixie to the gym. Plus, he's got a great playlist, including Blue Eyes remix. Pascal's time here is limited, so check out his class soon.

(See my 2005 post about spin instructors.)

What recession?

2009-02-22T23:05:00.005-05:00

I pride myself on brand loyalty. Honda, Mullers, Q-Tips. Cannondale, Specialized, Shimano. During my 10 year sabbatical from buying a new mountain bike equipment, Shimano XTR groupos have skyrocketed. The bikes I can afford ($2000 or under) are equiped with SRAM not Shimano XTR. Apparently XTR only goes on the high end frames now. XTR has gone the way of gold--UP.

I think I am getting last year's Specialized Era (pictured). I have been awfully reluctant to switch to SRAM after all the success I have had with XTR shifters and derailleurs. But the Era has SRAM, and I got a chance to test ride one today. Seemed ok, at least initially.

I started thinking--I have actually never bought a new mountain bike. I bought my first one, a Jamis, in the 80's used from a great friend for cheap, $200 I think. I bought a rigid Specialized Rockhopper used from Mike Shipp's personal collection in early 90's, about $650. Then I actually got a Cannondale factory sweet deal--all XTR, Super V frame--for dirt cheap in late 90's, probably $1000. I bought my current Cannondale from Robert a few years ago for $800.

Can someone tell me what loyalty I can expect from a SRAM X-9 rear derailleur?

Take two

2009-02-14T11:31:00.007-05:00

Wes is back in competition for the bicycle film festival. He submitted last year for the first time and is making another go of it. He got lots of trail shots during the Wednesday night Conte's Norfolk-to-Ipswitch ride. [Wes and Young Zach]

The 2 hour Ipswitch ride took 3.5 hours with all the camera adjustments and mechanicals. It was in the 60's, so very pleasant night out. [Sally, Mike Park, Mike McMahon, Kevin]

We had to pause so Wes could film the the stair jumps at Norfolk State University. Kevin and Jerry were jumping when--

A security officer approached and said simply, "Just make sure you don't leave black marks on the concrete. She doesn't like black marks." Then he left. I am not certain who "she" is (President Carolyn Meyers?) but I sure like the bike friendly attitude.

Personal note: thanks Carol and Paul with help getting my new bike rack installed.

Superbowl Commercials

2009-02-04T20:57:00.008-05:00

My Superbowl weekend in Harrisonburg, VA inspired the cycling version of the Superbowl Advertisement. Such as. . .

Power naps build power climbs

The high life is at 4360 feet

Bring it on

Legalize Fireworks now

Kill your kickstand

Climb for fitness, descend for fury

Trek, bike of Champs (Sue Haywood, right)

4-wheel drive or 2-legged drive: Your choice

All things rooted can stay

2009-01-25T21:59:00.012-05:00

Amazing how roots on mountain bike trails can withstand years of pounding without budging. They simply brush aside the dirt and sand, stubbornly exposing more of themselves and just taking the bike whipping we give them. Poet Pablo Neruda asks, "Why do trees conceal/ the splendor of their roots?" and I would say to Pablo, you are looking at the wrong trees.

We live on the coastal plain of Virginia, so it is difficult to train here for technical limestone that we will encounter next weekend in the Shenandoah mountains. I have found a reasonable way to prepare for rocky climbs and descents is to train on Tidewater roots like many of those exposed on trails at York River State Park (left).

Volunteers have re-routed some of the rooty sections there lately, but frankly lots more needs to be done for the overall health of the trail. I am watching EVMA website for the next trail maintenace day at York River because I want to help out there. But until more re-routing, great rock training.

Dead wood on the other hand is a different story. Susan had not been to the park in 5 years, so today we rode to the site where she and I built a log jump 10 years ago. We were cleaning up that day with EVMA after a storm, and there were lots of fallen trees. Don Peterson assisted us with a chainsaw, and we completed a log jump about 3 feet high and 4 feet long.

At left, we are standing on the path with the log jump under our feet. It has been beaten and pushed back into the earth from which it came. It was solid as steel that first day, but I have watched it diminish back to smooth trail over the years. At left, Susan holds the only remaining log piece. Nothing gold can stay. . . .

The Grass Ceiling

2009-01-20T09:16:00.006-05:00

(Deidre Winfied and Randall Root racing men's 1-3 race at VACX on Saturday. Photo by Wes Cheney.)

A woman in my view ascends to hero status when she can compete with the men. This can be seen as flawed thinking to many, but I really can’t help myself. I feel this way mostly because there are still so many inequities in the world of female racing. It starts with purse, of course. Yes, it is rare for the pro/elite women’s purse to equal or even be half of the pro men’s purse. We as promoters on Tripower bow to those unwritten rules that dictate the largest possible men’s pro purse, and when we consider the women’s purse, we are more about making sure elite women get paid more than the amateur men rather than making sure they are equal to the pro men.

I agree to this method mostly because of the numbers game—we just don’t get high numbers of pro-elite women who travel to Hampton Roads (aka The Island) to race, so in the past, we have paid some pretty big numbers to women with a low turnout. I also agree to it because, heck, the NRC and UCI races do not set a good example to lower tiered races like ours. NRC and UCI races are guaranteed the very best women in the country, but they still have purses that are half the payout of men. I think most are familiar with the payout vs. turnout debate, but the whole catch-22 of the situation stifles women’s cycling at all levels. It is an old debate but one I think we need to continue to revisit for solutions.

So the very best women enter the men’s races. I know enough about cycling to understand that purse is just one reason women enter men’s races. It has more to do with having stiffer competition so as to prepare them for the world class women’s events. What I love about Deidre is that she gave full honor to the women’s race that same day which she did 2 hours prior to the men’s race. You can tell by her lap times: she had an average time of 16.7 compared with 16.9 in the men’s race. It makes sense that her average pace in men’s race would be higher since she had more competition to push her and pace with, but it’s clear to me that she gave 100% to the women’s race even though she was riding with a significant gap over second place. That’s one more blade planted in the grass ceiling of cyclocross.

See Race Results

Cold Cross Coming

2009-01-16T23:29:00.007-05:00

Virginia Beach Cyclocross Winter Endurance Challenge

Promoted by Kale Running and Team Tripower

Teeuwen Winner

2009-01-11T19:15:00.006-05:00

Mike Hosang hits the thin bridge at Freedom Park.

I have made several false starts in the past to write about Mike. He is not someone you know or even talk to, Mike is someone you experience. I will work on explaining that in a future post.

He was awarded the annual Peter Teeuwen award today. Each year, Pam Zimmerman and the Teeuwens recognize racers who made significant contributions to local racing. Pam recognized Mike for his Cat 2 and 30+ placings as well as his work in promoting Trashmore Cross/ VA State Cross Championships. (photo by Jimmy D.)

No one wanted to cut into the cool cake at the Teeuwen dinner. This is the original Tidewater Bicycle Association racing jersey that Peter, his juniors and the rest of the team wore. (photo by Jimmy D.)

Jennifer made the cake. Her husband Tim was a junior on Peter's team. Read about it here.

Cross Training

2009-01-02T12:45:00.004-05:00

I am holding cross training sessions over here if anyone is interested. That’s Robert Sawyer doing field squats with his new team, City De Norfolk 506 Wastewater Crew.

He is practicing the victory salute here. Not sure he'll ever need to use it, but it's good to be prepared.