Dec 28, 2009

Perserverance pays- Join Team Tortuga Now!


Team Tortuga, Bloomington's longest running cycling team is taking applications for the 2010 season! All riders are welcome in the team that mainly caters to road racers but has included mountain bikers and triathletes in past years. 2009 saw another successful racing season from many riders with a excellent efforts particularly in both masters and womens racing.
In 2010 we will again be strong in both those areas but are also encouraging riders to join out Cat 3/4/5 squads. We have a number of experienced riders that are willing and able to give guidance and advice to newer riders notably Tom Saccone who has extenstive experience riding at Belgium in the 80s and Gary Palmer who is one of the top Master road racers in the US. We hope to develope 'squad' based racing where riders of similar category and encouraged to attend the same events and hope to provide financial incentive for this sort of collaboration.
Membership forms can be downloaded from Teamtortuga.org and can be submitted in the next couple of weeks. Membership benefits include-
- 2010 short sleeve Louis Garneau jersey
- Discounted other 2010 clothing (very good quality gear!)
- Paid entry fees for selected events for regular racers
- Free/ cheap entry into the Team Tortuga organized Downtown Bloomington Criterium which is again applying to host the Indiana State Crit Champs.
- Opportunities for product deals for tires and other consumables through sponsoring bike shop, Bikesmiths.
- Opportunities to join quality group rides throughout the year

If you have any questions then please email me at geraintparry75@gmail.com. Get that application form in asap and see you out on the road!

Dec 23, 2009

Inside or Out..

...Ryan Shanahan reigns supreme in the TT! The first Marian indoor TT saw Ryan blow the doors off of the opposition with a 40 second beating of the next best time in the 10k event. A satisfying 23 riders competed last saturday and there will surely be more to come as the road season swings into view as the calendar clicks onto 010. Register now for events on Jan 16th and 30th and Feb 13th.

Dec 16, 2009

Looking ahead...

As winter starts to grip and riders head indoors for the next couple of months it's important to have something to work for! The IN/KY USAC association released a tentative race schedule for the 2010 road season and I'm pleased to say that Dan Daly will be putting on a few races next year. Then of course there's the Little 500 series schedule... Expect the schedule to fill out a little in the next month as organizers get things Oked!

Local Spring Highlights include-
3/13- Long Run RR- Louisville
3/21- Brown County RR
3/27- Little 500 Quals
3/31- Little 500 ITTs
4/3- Marian College Crit
4/4- Easter
4/10- Little 500 Miss N' Out
4/10- Hillsboro-Roubaix
4/17- Little 500 Team Pursuit
4/17- Ceraland Joanna Daly Memorial Circuit Race
4/18- Mooresville Bob Jordan Circuit Race
4/23- Womens Little 500
4/24- Mens Little 500
4/24- McCormicks Creek Road Race (YouTube preview from 2008)
4/25- Eagle Creek Fast Crit
5/1 and 5/2- Fat and Skinny Tire Fest
5/8- Eagle Creek race (USAC)
5/9- Eagle Creek Traditional Crit (IRS)

Very Tentative date for the Bloomington Crit is 07/10/10.

Dec 11, 2009

Sat 12th 10am Soma

Plan on a Saturday 10am ride from Soma. Expect up to 3hrs at a solid pace and will have regroupings appropriate for different fitness levels (within reason). This hopes to be a regular ride throughout the winter in temps above 20F. All welcome who can handle the distance in reasonable fashion.

Indoor TT- Dec 19th

Winter already getting you down? Bored to tears by the trainer and it's only December? Perhaps the answer is for you to take advantage of the Marian University Indoor TT series, the first of which takes place NEXT saturday Dec 19th.
Details from Brett Stewart- Marian University is hosting its FIRST Indoor Time
Trial Series December 19th! Each participant will compete against the clock
on their own road or TT bikes attached to our electronic trainers
(Computrainers). 8 riders will ride at a time on the Computrainer
multi-rider system! Test your winter fitness and take a gander at the latest in
Zipp high speed weaponry at Marian University's first indoor cycling event!
Warm up on the most realistic feeling roller set on the market with
TruTrainer or if you prefer, feel free to use CycleOp's "400 Pro Indoor"
spin bike. Take a look at the flyer and sign up at TrueSport.com.
Send this on to your riding buddies?.this is a great way to get cycling
enthusiasts into competition. Spread the word and come have some fun! See
attached flyer for more details!

Dec 8, 2009

Champions!!

OVCX racing came to an end in Lville on Sunday and amongst the drunken carnage Bton riders finished the year with some creditable results. Even with double series points on the line it was unlikely that Adam Rodkey could prevail in the Cat3s but after a surprisingly poor performance from the previous series leader Adam was able to solo away to another victory and the overall title by a mere 3pts. Read all about it on Adams blog. Full results can be found here.
As expected Fred Rose won the 35+ masters title and his better half Elizabeth Cobb maintained her 3rd overall in the W3/4. A great season of racing by many Bton and IN-based riders! The DRT-consulting team based out of the RevB+B saw Nicole Borem take the Womens Overall title whilst Messer, Knapp, Hamilton and Sherer showed that Bton is becoming THE place to be for Midwest Cx race talent! I'm excited for BloomingCross already!!

Dec 5, 2009

OVCX Finale

Sunday sees the conclusion of the 15-race Ohio Valley Cyclocross series with the last ever event at River Road County Park in Louisville. It should be a great day of competition with a big award ceremony and raffle to follow the racing (in a great idea anyone who has ridden 10 races gets put in a raffle to win some very nice schwag). Unfortunately it's pre-reg only so if this inspires you to want to race you are SOL. However if you're in the area go along and watch how things develop before Midwest bike racing gets put away for a few months.
Fred Rose has an unassailable lead in the Master 35+ competition whilst Elizabeth Cobb and Zach Edwards are assured of top 3 and top 5 finishes in their respective divisions (womens 3/4 and elite). With a good ride Adam Rodkey could move into 2nd position in the Cat3 series even if the overall win is out of reach. OVCX wins for Mike Sherer, Ryan Knapp, Pam Loebig, Ryan Shanahan, Don Galligher, Rose and Rodkey together with the inaugural Bloomingcross has made it a great year of OVCX racing for Bloomingtonites. Look out for the famed Underground CX series to start soon to keep the competitive juices flowing until road season (watch this space!).

Dec 1, 2009

Wednesday 3pm

Anyone wish to ride tomorrow at 3pm then let me know by email. Looking for a steady 90mins. If i don't here I'll probably find something else to do so come on out and ride!

Gravel Grovel Redux

If you'd predicted that 120+ riders would line up for a 60mile gravel road race in late November I'd have told you you were crazy! Not so as that's exactly what happened this past Friday out at the homely Story Inn! The Gravel Grovel was blessed with excellent (if chilly) weather and had an air of big-time legitimacy with the attendance of Kenda Pro's Jake R and Chad B. The results show that Jake, Greg Strock and the Mexler made the break of the day with Jake soloing in for the win from Messer and Strock! The comment section on the website and the FB group are full of glowing praise and a few blogs have writtne up interesting reports here, here and here. If anyone has other information or photos then please post a link in the comments section. All in all it gets the Turkey juices flowing for next year.....where it might be 20F and snowing!!

Nov 24, 2009

Gravel Grovel

There might not be a more perfect way to burn off the excesses of Turkey day than the Gravel Grovel. A 60mile ride/race over the gravel roads of the Hoosier National Forest starting in the Story Inn a mere 20miles from Bloomington. It starts on friday at 10am and I'm amazed to report that 85 riders have already registered. It's very much a fend-for-yourself race but looks to be a blast with so many riders on the route. There is no Day-of event registration so register at Truesport and get all the info at gravelgrovel.com

Nov 23, 2009

INDY CX Recap

Fantastic weekend of racing at the Indy CX festival. Check out http://www.truesport.com/ or http://www.ovcx.com/ for results and details. Bloomington highlights include Adam Rodkeys saturday win and sunday battle, Ryan Preske saturday 4th place, Ryan Shanahan's chase yet ultimate defeat in the 35+ Cat4 race, Fred Rose's Elite masters state champ win and Erik Hamiltons dual 5ths. Top billing must go to Mike Sherer's return from a bust collar bone to claim the IN state champs. Could this be the stimulus for a run at the US collegiate title....flights to Portland are pretty cheap as I understand.
Elsewhere Ryan Knapp was also back in action down in NC (together with The Mexler) where he added to his haul of UCI points!

The Brookside Park venue is awesome for CX and check out some photos from the stairs during the Eite Race (+ Ryan S and his unusual carrying style!)








Nov 20, 2009

Indy CX weekend

The OVCX series is winding down but makes a long awaited trip to Indy this weekend with a duo of races at Southeastway Park (saturday) and Brookside Park (sunday). These events will also round out the IN cup series as well as go someway to deciding the OVCX overall titles. Both Adam Rodkey and Fred Rose are well placed in their respective overall categories with the latter likely being able to wrap the title up over the weekend. Good luck to all who go race!

Nov 18, 2009

2009 Little500 Race Viewing......with Pizza!!

From Erin Axley-
There will be a Little 500 race tape viewing tonight at 7:30 pm in Psychology 100 and
101 for anyone who is interested; current riders, prospective riders, past riders. We
will be showing the 2009 men's and women's races, and there will be pizza! Bring your
team, bring your friends and let's watch the race!

This should be fun! Laugh when the announcers fail to mention Pi Phi when they cross the line in first place! Cry when the Cutters claw their way back from a half-lap deficit! Puzzle over your teams 2010 tactics to win the race!

Nov 17, 2009

Fixey for Xmas?

USA Cycling announced the list of National Championship events for 2010. Of Midwestern interest are the Masters Road champs in Louisville, Collegiate Road Nationals in Madison and most notably Collegiate Track Champs being held at Major Taylor Velodrome. This past year Eric Young was the sole IU representative at Track Nats, claiming an excellent bronze in the match sprint. The proximity of MTV and their sheer number of riders should enable IU to have a significant presence at Nationals next year. I understand the new IUCC organization is pushing velodrome racing so when you're considering Christmas presents then turn your thoughts to a nice track bike!

Nov 16, 2009

Rose in Full Bloom

The Cap City Cross yesterday saw another victory for the recently mercurial Fred Rose! Three races and three wins since last saturday at MTV! A man on form to be sure! Elsewhere Erik Hamilton is starting to feel the effects of a long season but still managed a solid 7th place in the Elite race where he was joined by Zach Edwards in 10th. Elizabeth Cobb continues her improvement as a CX racer with a top 5 finish in the Womens 3/4 race!
Rose in action earlier in the year

Nov 14, 2009

Unseasonally good weather- who benefits?

Mid 60s in the middle of November? Nice an' all but what does it mean for next April?

The Facts-
1. Riding outside is more beneficial than being stuck indoors
2. December fitness will be higher throughout all teams
3. Winter will arrive but maybe shorter than usual
4. Bike fitness in general declines throughout the winter
5. Shorter winter means fitness declines will be less
6. Only the Cutters ride in the winter, allowed better maintenance of fitness
7. Other teams arrive in spring fitter than usual

The Result-

Unseasonally good weather= DISADVANTAGE CUTTERS!

LITTLE 500 2010- IT'S A RACE AGAIN!!!!

Nov 13, 2009

Could you please stand at the corner of Indiana and 7th for 20minutes please?

Not Bloomington-based and with a significant British slant but it does rather sum up the difficulties of getting bike racers to not ride for a few hours and help out with organizing. Ah the disconnect of being tight-asses yet paying mucho $$$ for componentary!

Nov 12, 2009

Brothers on the rise!

The OVCX series head east to Granville OH this weekend. Watch out for the Kiel Brothers to continue their improving results! They came late to the cross season but are finding some solid form with Matt taking two second places over the past weekend at MTV and in Lexington! Watch out Adam Rodkey- the title for best Cat 3 CXer in Bloomington is up for grabs!

Race Across the Sky- Encore

The Galaxy 14 Cinema in Indianapolis will be one of the three theatres in Indiana that will be showing the the Race across the Sky documentary TONIGHT. If you didn't see it already it's probably worth making the trip as there are some spectacular moments. If you are a LANCE fan then it's a must see as you get to see him smite a bunch of US pros and there's not a wily Spaniard to be seen!

Nov 10, 2009

MTV cyclocross

A good weekend for Bloomington racers at the Major Taylor Velodrome cross. Fred Rose and Adam Rodkey were the highlights as they took victories in their respective categories whilst Matt Kiel and Emily Benson both showed strongly with 2nd place finishes.
Results here along with a bunch of very pictures that can't be stolen off of the website!

Nov 6, 2009

Rookie Clinic

A new innovatiopn at the Little 500 track. Kudos to IUSF and thanks to the Soccer team for allowing someone else to use Bill Armstrong stadium for a few hours during their precious season!

Rookie Clinic
Sunday, November 8th
3-4:30pm
Bill Armstrong Stadium

They will be working on exchanges but also for those that have attended the previous rookie clinic we will also work on pack riding and pacelines. After the rookie clinic there is a rider social for anyone and everyone. Pizza, outdoor games, music, playing around on the track, etc. From 4:30-whenever.

The question is whether you have to be a current L5 rider to get the free pizza and ride on the track? I can see many sad alumni coming to Bloomington to have a chance at throwing out a few hot laps for old times sake!

Friday Social Ride

Just as a reminder their is a "no drop" ride today from Sample Gates at 3:30. The weather is
supposed to be nice so try and make it out!

Nov 4, 2009

MTV Cyclocross

From Bikewave-
The #2 race of The Indiana Cyclocross Series is this Saturday ! Located at
The Major Taylor Velodrome, the action will start at 10:30am, with the
1/2/3 race going off at 2pm. Race details are on Truesport ( to pre-register ) and on the race blog http://www.hoosiercrossatmtv.wordpress.com/ .
This is an excellent venue to race and watch racing. Bring your cowbell,
trombone, whistle, and beverages of choice and hang out. Its going to
be a great time...ride your bike over/drive the family over/parachute in,
whatever works for you! Its going to be nice out this weekend.
A big thanks in advance to our sponsors and the crew of volunteers who
make this race possible: Zipp, Cannondale, Hammer Nutrition, Kona, Nuvo
Magazine, DG bicycles, Nebo Ridge, Fox, Indie Bike, Trek and Luna Music.

Nov 3, 2009

Cross Worlds...now before breakfast!

9am at the rear of BGI and then at the tailgate fields. Start the day with a healthy dose of intense exercise! CLASS?.......BLOW IT OFF, GO RIDE!

Group Ride Crazy!

It's good to see that people are trying to break away from their L5 team cliques and get some fall/winter group rides going. We here at BVN are all about that sort of activity.

Tuesday- Womens Group Ride @ 3pm, Wilcox House
Wednesday (tentative)- Fast paced ride @ 4pm, Samples Gates (this ride is in limbo at the moment as nominal leader Matt Neib;er has some injury). That doesn't stop other riders jumping into the void to lead the group out of town if they wish- comment here if you're willing to do that.
Thursday- Revolution B+B shop ride @ 4pm. Moderate pace. Approx 30miles contact rev.bikeandbean@gmail.com for more detail.
Friday- IUCC no drop social group ride @ 3.30pm ,Sample Gates
Sunday- IUCC moderately paced group ride @ Noon, Sample Gates
Check out www.twitter.com/bloomingtonride for more detail in 140 characters!

Oct 29, 2009

Spooky Cross

Halloween ushers in the start of Midwest Collegiate CX racing and there might be some scarily bad bike-handling at Spooky Cross in West Lafayette over the weekend! Saturday has a full slate of collegiate and USAC racing whilst Sunday just has collegiate races. Start your build up to Collegiate Nationals here!! There are a lot of cross bikes buzzing around Bloomington so hopefully some IU riders will ride them in anger this weekend!

The Gun Club!

Arguably the most fun OVCX race of the season takes place on sunday in Cincinnati! The Gun club Cross has it all- a challenging course, shotguns, beer and a double sand pit! Register online before 11.45p this evening. It'll be the ideal way to blow out the Halloween-night cobwebs!

Oct 28, 2009

Cross News

CX Wednesday Worlds- It'll be a soggy one at the tailgate fields so hopefully the rain has washed away the glass in the grass! 5.30pm at the Gates, 6pm at the Tailgate Fields.

USGP- A small group of Bloomington riders made the trip away from the Hilly to the big CX races saturday and sunday in Louisville. Andy Messer and Fred Rose put up strong showings in the Masters race, Scott Catanzaro and Ryan Preske continued to improve in the cat 4s whilst the Kiel brothers continue to find their form for Collegiate CX in the Cat2/3 races. The biggest surprise that Erik Hamilton only won ONE race at the weekend! I can only imagine a mechanical issue stopped Erik following up his saturday Cat 2/3win in the sunday race!

Oct 27, 2009

@BloomingtonRide

From Ren-jay-
There is a new Bloomington Ride Twitter! This is a resource for people to
find rides to go on, hopefully every day of the week. It's BloomingtonRide (link is
http://twitter.com/BloomingtonRide) and we'll be using it to post ride info. Furthermore Riders Council finalized a fall riding schedule with Rookie Rides leaving Mon/Wed at 12:15pm,
Tuesday at 12:00pm (noon) and Thursday at 12:30pm all leaving from the Wilcox House. Matt Neibler has agreed to lead a Wednesday ride (IUCC) that will be a fast paced group ride (similar to Wed. Worlds) leaving from Sample Gates at 4:00pm. There is also an IUCC Social Ride Fridays at 3:30pm from Sample Gates and a Sunday group ride at 12:00pm (noon) from Sample Gates.

Oct 23, 2009

Fall Classic

The Tour of Lombardy may be past but with the later date, chill temperatures and potentially slick roads the upcoming Hilly Hundred may take on the stature of a Fall Classic. Therefore as a primer for those heading out we'll take a peek inside the Tortuga Team Car and hear the advice the riders will be receiving as they head out on the road.
A- Pay Attention in the Feed Zone. The course to this point is pretty vanilla so there will be a big group together. This is a real danger zone with recumbulators stopping in the middle of the road and newly beclipped riders falling over. The ride can't be won here but it can be lost, pay attention of errant riders and surprise attacks.
B- Solisberry Hill, stay left. The first major rendezvous and the winning break often will slip away here (as it did last year with Rose, Palmer and others). Beware of Joe Slows tipping over so stay left for safety!
C- The 5 bitches. The hardest portion of the ride with relentless climbing. Sit in the wheels and save energy.
D- Lunch. Usually a lull in the action but some riders might make like Lance-at-Leadville move and cruise through the stop so be vigilant.
E- Cemetery Hill. After a long portion of rollers the tight turn into a steepish uphill can cause havoc to tired riders. The constant false flats following the initial ramp can sting!
F- Watertower hill- the launch pad. Just 2 miles from the finish this is the classic attack point. Go hard at the base to get away solo or attack over the top to prise a small group away to contest the finish
G- Finishing drag. A fast drop off the water tower turns into a long grind up toward the school. Don't jump too early and leave your effort on the road.
Gilbert giving his impression on your author on the Watertower...maybe!

Oct 21, 2009

Hilly Hundred

This weekend is the annual clown-show that is the Hilly Hundred! 1000s of riders rolling on weird and wonderful bikes around the roads us Bloomingtonites ride on all the time! From PROs to Joe Slows (on a recumbent) all forms of cycling-life take part!
Last year a huge group rolled out from Bloomington both mornings and it'd be great to do that again. Therefore after a few consultations the plan appears to be to meet at Soma at 9am on both mornings before riding out to intercept the route after which people can find their own pace! The weather will be a little chill but as ever it'll be a fun time!

Oct 20, 2009

Cross Wednesday Worlds

5.30p at the Sample Gates, prepare to return to the tailgate fields! Should be fun!

Tuesday ride- 4pm

I'm going to roll out at 4pm to ride out east to Helmsberg then loop back to North shore via a couple of dirt road climbs that I haven't ridden before. I'll be leaving at 4pm from the Samples Gates so email me if you want to join. Expect 2.5hrs at a steady pace- Geraint.

Oct 19, 2009

Cyclocross Clinic- 10/22

If you a cyclocross rider of any ability and want to get better then you need to go to this clinic at the MTV velodrome on Thursday 22nd Oct. Two of the nations best CX riders will be giving out tips and they are both great guys so I'm sure it'll be a very useful event.

Race across the Sky

The documentary about the Leadville 100 MTB race is coming to Bloomington on Thursday 22nd at 8pm and is showing at the Kerasotes East theatre. I'm sure it'll be a fun event and for sure will be a big Lance love-in (I guess there won't be much doping talk) so if you like the sound of that then go along. Details here.

Cyclefit

From Randi Cox-

Just wanted to let you know that I'll be teaching an eight-week CycleFit class called Little 500 Power Training. It begins tomorrow and goes ever Tuesday from 6:45pm to 7:45pm.

The spin bikes at the SRSC have cadence, power, and heart rate, all great tools for getting the best workout possible. This class would be beneficial to students training for Little5 and for anyone who takes riding seriously.

Here is the schedule and more information... http://www.iurecsports.org/cycle_fit_fall . If you’re interested, stop by the Member Services Desk at the SRSC to sign up. Please email me at randikcox@gmail.com or call Member Services at 855-7772 if you have any questions

BloomingCross

Great day of racing out at Twin Lakes. Could have used a few more spectators but I suppose it was the day after homecoming, a successful football game and Little 500 teams had some 16mph riding to do! Ryan Kiel played the role of IUCC President by being the sole IU representative at the races. Thanks to Ryan and Andy for all their hard work organizing the event.
Truesport Race report
BVN race report-
The inaugural BloomingCross cyclo-cross race was held in near perfect autumnal conditions at the Twin Lakes Sports Complex in Bloomington on Sunday 18th October. The race also marked the first event in the fall-long Indiana Cyclo-cross series. Racing continued from mid-morning to late-afternoon with a series of categorized races in which Cat 4 racers represent beginners while Cat 1 racers are experienced national caliber performers. The early races were dominated by the Louisville-based junior Red Zone team with Andrew Dillman, Luke Haley and John Francisco winning the Category 3, Cat 4 and Junior races respectively. Later in the morning Pam Loebig, local resident and Little 500 race director, prevailed in the Womens Category 3/4 race. Adam Rodkey continued his recent strong performances with a solid 3rd place in the Cat3 race. Ryan Shanahan took off the TT-helmet and rolled almost bare-chested to a victory in the Cat 4 masters race!
Pam on the way to victory
The morning dew had burnt off as the Elite riders took to the course with first blood in these highly competitive races going to Bloomington resident Fred Rose who was the Elite Masters champion. One of the title sponsors for BloomingCross is the Direct Result Training (DRT) coaching service and so it was appropriate that one of the DRT sponsored riders, Nicole Borem was the victor in the Elite Womens race. She got the better of Cincinnati based Amanda Mackey who was one of the many racers who traveled to Bloomington from across state lines.
The final event of the day was elite men’s race that played out as a battle between two riders with differing cyclo-cross pedigrees. Experienced Mitchell Kersting (Bob Red Mill) took an early lead and although never headed was pushed throughout the race by cyclo-cross neophyte Erik Hamilton. Erik, who rides for the NUVO-Cultural Trail Team, is a growing talent for whom a big win is surely just around the corner! Local DRT racers Andy Messer and Zach Edwards both finished within the top ten.
Zach Edwards sprinting at the start of the Cat1/2 race.
Andy Messer rolled in 7th
Hamilton tearing it up for 2nd!

Oct 13, 2009

Bloomington Tweeters

So BVN is finally trying to put together a list of Bloomington bike tweeters so if you ride and tweet and let me know and @bloomingtonvelo will follow you. We're all about the bike community here! Remember to come on out to the OVCX race on Sunday, it'll be a blast. BTW am trying to work out a forum function for the blog.

OVCX Bloomington- Sunday 18th.

Cross Wednesday Worlds will head over to the Twin lakes Complex on 2nd street to further bed in the route. 5.30p at the Samples Gates.

Sunday is the Ohio Valley Cyclocross race in Bloomington. This is a BIG event with likely 300+ riders coming into town to race CX. Please come out to race or spectate or even better to help out with the event. If you can help out with set-up or marshaling I'm sure organizers Andy Messer and Ryan Knapp will be pleased to hear from you at bloomingcross@gmail.com. Pre-registration ends on friday evening at 10pm and will save you $10. Race Flyer here.

True Hilly Hundred- Oct 17th

This coming Saturday (17th) is the True Hilly Hundred, a 100mile ride organized by Kenda pro Jake Rytlewski. This is an awesome ride that takes in many gravel roads in Morgan, Monroe and Brown county that you don't know are there! It's super hilly but run off at a steady pace with regroupings. We plan to leave Soma in Bloomington at 10.30am to meet up with Jake and the guys who start from Martinsville at the top of the Hindustan hill. Last year we cut out early for about 90miles and as the route is always no more than 20miles from Bloomington people can cut out early if they are feeling the distance. Come on out and ride as it's a really fun time- btw bring at least 2 tubes. Email me for further details.

Oct 12, 2009

Who's next?

So bad luck happens in 3s and in the spring that was certainly the case when Cox, Meyers and Shei all broke collarbones. So the question now is who's next? After riding really well all weekend at the UCI3 series of CX races both Mike Sherer and Ryan Knapp broke collarbones within 30minutes of each other! Sherer hit a barrier and went down whilst Knapp wrecked in the final sprint. He did get off the floor and finish the race in a Daryl Impey-esque moment but it was a really disappointing end to a great weekend of CX for Bloomington residents (see Truesport for details). Caitlin Coar caught the moment of impact and the aftermath of Ryan's wreck.

Track Results

BVN wasn't present so doesn't have much to add about the 'Day at the Track' aside from mentioning the the results for the cyclocross and time trials (Men, Womens) are posted.

It's a shame that Scott Catanzaro is a grad student because he would be the man to lift Delta-Chi back to relevance! If anyone has any insight then please comment below.

Oct 8, 2009

Day at the Track

Sunday sees the conclusion of the IUSF Fall Cycling series with the 'Day at the track' featuring morning Cyclocross and an afternoon 10 lap TT of the track! It really should be a great day for spectating. Look for teams to put down some significant early markers, especially in the time trial.
Street Sprint Results are published here.

The Breakdown

Wanna ride up to 100miles on the (sure to be sloppy) trails of Brown county this sunday? Well check out the Brown County Breakdown!

Bike Time Midwest Cross

The OVCX gets big time this coming weekend with the UCI3 series of cyclocross races in Cincinnati this friday to sunday. Over 1100 riders are registered so it'll be a huge weekend of racing. Each day has a C2 UCI race with plenty of sort-after UCI points on offer. The best CX women in the world, Katie Compton will be riding whilst Jeremy Powers and Ryan Trebon headline the Mens event. There'll be plenty of Bloomington interest so look out for Knapp, Sherer, Neff, Messer, Hamilton, Rose and Rodkey,amongst others to look for success against high quality fields. BVN will be announcing each days races and giving Bloomington-centric updates on the poorly used twitter feed. Sign up today- www.twitter.com/bloomingtonvelo

Oct 6, 2009

Cross Wednesday Worlds

It's the only Worlds in town these days! 5.30pm at the Gates and then out at the Twin Lakes complex to help bed in the OVCX race route!

Rose (left) and Rodkey get at it. Photo- Brian Drummy

Street Sprints

The first leg of the fall cycling series was held in beautiful autumnal conditions. Battling over a challenging uphill course the sprints failed to generate much excitement amongst the few gathered spectators. This was likely due to the clear superiority of the eventually winners, Matt Neilber (DTD) and Caithlin Van Kooten (Teter). New DTD pledge and ex-TMTer James Coudright huffed, puffed and looked good giving Neibler a run for his money that bodes well for the reloading of last years L5 second place team. Highlight of the day were some of the clothing options with Adam Bailey (JJs) rocking the tri-suit and an unknown rider (to me at least) riding in denim and progressing well through the bracket! That guy needs to get with a team and some shorts! Neibler is clearly in great form and it would have been interesting if the watching Eric Young had been riding inside of spectating!
Results to follow when they get published!

IUDM Torch Ride- Oct 10th

From Erin Axley- Ride from Indianapolis to Bloomington For the Kids this Saturday, October 10! Transportation to Indianapolis for you and your bike is provided, along with lunch . This ride is sponsored by Indiana University Dance Marathon and benefits Riley Hospital for Children. This is a fun social ride that goes toward a great cause. Register here: www.helpmakemiracles.org/event/torchride
We will be leaving Bloomington at 7:00am and the start
of the ride is at 9:00am. We will be using this route to make our way back down
to Bloomington: http://www.mapmyride.com/view_route?r=550125242069063427.
The cost for participation will be $30, which includes lunch.
If you have any questions please e-mail Erin Axley at eaxley@indiana.edu.

FYI this is a great fun ride and this year the route is going to be intersting to ride- last year it was a little chaotic riding along SR135 with 5miles of cars backed up behind the riders!

Bton Domination

The OVCX #2 was again a showing of how dominant the Bloomington Cross scene has become. Wins and top positions were as common as L5 race-faces. World ranked No62 rider Ryan Knapp (BikeReg.com) took it down to the local level to take the win in the Cat1/2 race whilst Erik Hamilton had an eventful yet successful first attempt at cross. His excellent form from the road season has clearly carried over to the dirt. Andy Messer finished just ahead of Erik in 5th place. Elsewhere Fred Rose (BikeReg.com) took the V in the master 35+ race. Adam Rodkey jumped on the podium in the Cat3 race, even though i think he looks better in blue and green! Adam's teammate Wes Harris took a solid 4th in the Cat4 45+ race whilst in her first cross race Lauren Half came in 5th in the Cat 3/ 4 race, learning to go hard away from the L5 track (perhaps more students should be lacing them up and racing some cross!).

Fred Rose giving it the full gas (photo- Tom Moran)

Elsewhere, in Dekalb IL Mike Sherer took his third win of the year whilst Pam Loebig snared another top 5 position in the Womens 1/2/3 race. Things are bubbling up nicely for a big showdown in the BloomingCross OVCX race on Oct 18th!

Oct 2, 2009

OVCX #2

Round two of the OVCX series takes place on Sunday in at Fishermans Park in Louisville. Apparently it's a hill course and sounds like they have a fun event. Look for plenty of Bloomingtonites to make some noise in the Pro1/2, Masters, Cat 3 and womens races! Details here!

WW- finale

Six laps of the 446 circuit was all that remained at the years end of the WWs! It was almost laps too far for young Matt Neibler as he almost got splatted by a 60mph boy-racer out on 446. Fortunately that was the only worrisome moment as the rest of the group kept it safe throughout and I only had to shout at a couple of people to ‘pull through’ instead of sitting limpet-like in 2nd wheel.
After a steady warm up pace-line lap the speed picked up to leave about 15 riders in contention for the ‘win’. Apologies for missing anyone but riders Mercer, O’ Hara, Neibler, Naegeli, Quay, Bortz, Templeman, Golas, and mighty Team Phi Delt (Burnworth, West, Kain, Sovinski, Blackwell) kept the pace pretty high with no breaks able to squeeze away from the group. On the final lap over the top of the ‘rise’ a promising duo of Templeman and Golas snuck away. The rest of the group was waiting and watching allowing Naegeli to jump across to make a trio up front with a few seconds lead going into the top corner. The impetus of the break was compromised when Templeman decided he’d had enough and turned for home! Naegeli tried to go it along but was run down with a few turns to go. There was some confusion before Team PDT took the reins with Burnworth tapping the hip taking Kain and West toward the front. Finally it was a drag race between Mercer and West with the Phi Psi Mercer taking the win. Look for West to get some revenge on Monday at the street sprints! It was a satisfying end to the year’s efforts so we’ll see you all next year the week or so after daylight saving starts!

Oct 1, 2009

Toughest Ride in the Midwest?

That's what they say over at the Brown County Hills Challenge. It's on Saturday in Nashville so go and check it out. BVN rode it once and it was cramp-tastic second time up Bear-Wallow after 96 miles! Ouch!

MWCCC MTB

The Midwest Collegiate MTB season has been bubbling under through the fall with not much interest to us folks in Bloomington. It's the Midwest Regionals Champs this weekend over in Columbia MO. The IU flag has been flown by new IU student Emily Benson who has placed well and even won a couple of races in Purdue a few weeks ago. Good luck to Emily out in MO and maybe some other people might be motivated to make the trip!

Bike for Sale

These are two killer deals from Myron Lewis, a rider for Team Tortuga. Contact him at mlewis@tm.net

1. I am selling my TT bike that is in excellent condition and am unloading for $1,250. I also have a TT helmet that I will include for an extra $100. Specialized Transition Comp Tie trial bike with Vision TT Bars, Specialized TT seat, Thompson seat post, Shimano Ultegra breaks, Shimano Ultegra front detailer, Shimano Dura-ace (DA) shifters, DA 11-23 cassette, DA rear detailer and DA TT crank with 54/42 chain rings-175 length for more power and speed. The wheels are Mavic Cosmic Elite (high profile rim), continental tires. Frame size is a 56 so is a good fit for a rider 5'9--6'1". This bike could be pieced out for a profit. It would also be a great deal for someone interested in picking up some time.
2. I am also selling my 2007 Zipp 404s for $1,500 with tires, wheel bag, Dura-ace cassette (11-25) and an extra tubular tire. Great Deal.

Sep 30, 2009

Ouch

Some people won't have seen this picture that was posted on Pez from the Worlds. The best cyclists in the world all suffering like dogs on the last lap trying to chase down Cadel Evans. Cunego's nose is even bleeding! As Greg Lemond said 'it never gets easier you just go faster'!
Photo from pezcyclingnews.com

Fall Cycling Series

The first opportunity for students to lock horns on their Little 5 bikes comes up next week with with the Fall Cycling Series. It's L5 bikes all the way this year and the action will all take place on campus so if you're not racing then come on out to support your friends!

Oct 5th- 4-6pm Street Sprint on Upper Jordan Ave.
Third year for this popular event when riders battle it out over a 200 meter course in bracket style action that funnels down to an exciting final heat! Defending champs- Ali Camara and Jackie Moeller

Oct 11th- A day at the Armstrong Stadium.
11am- Cyclocross on Little 5 bikes around the track, over haybales and up and down stairs. The first lap of the Mens event is one of the funniest things you'll ever see as riders approach the first haybale and realize they don't know how to get off the bike! Crunch!!

3-6pm- Individual Time Trials. None of your 4 lap wimpy spring ITTs here. There'll be 4 riders on the track for an epic 10 laps (2.5miles) that could see people lapped and lapped some more!


Download the registration form here

Worlds

Cross Worlds- 5.30p at Samples Gates. Likely a return to the excellent course up at the tailgate fields. This is definitely cross weather! Also check out the dreadfully colored leaders jersey!

Road Worlds- 5.30pm Sample Gates. Approx 6pm at 446 circuit. 6 laps including the first 'paceline practice' lap. Final 'official' worlds of the year and there will be a $10 Bikesmiths gift certificate for the most aggressive (but safe) rider!

Sep 28, 2009

The Next Level

The USGP race on Saturday in Madison WI was only the second C1 ranked cyclocross event in the WORLD this season and it was packed with the big talent from the US and a few luminaries from across the pond. Ryan Knapp and Mike Sherer both had awesome races to get into the top 18 places and take their riding to the next level! I wouldn't be surprised to see both these guys take top 5 places in the big UCI3 weekend of racing in Cincinnati in a couple of weekends!

Stolen Bike

From James Woomert-
I would be very appreciative if you would be willing to post about my stolen bike. It is a white 2007 little 5 bike with no decals on it but a thin, black "Bloomington Indiana" decal on the rear chainstay. The bike has a Mongoose crank, grey and red San Marco saddle, black bar tape with red tape on the end, and easton handlebar caps. It was stolen from east campus this weekend. I love this bike and really want/need it back. Any info about its whereabouts would be greatly appreciated!
Please contact James: jwoomert@indiana.edu

Sep 27, 2009

Worlds, Sunday

It might not take place on a Wednesday but the Sunday World over in Switzerland was pretty imporessive if you didn't see it be sure to check out the final 2 laps on Universal Sports as it was a true battle of the best riders on the planet. Evans took his chance well, Spartacus Cancellara gave it everything he had and the Spaniards made an error by having their worst guy up the road. Cadel Evans made the worst victory salute of all time!
Photo- Pezcyclingnews.com

Sep 26, 2009

WW recap

The Cat3/4/5 Wednesday Worlds is flourishing in September. This past week a mixed group of approx 25 riders rolled out with a TT bike and a neophyte in T and sneakers amongst the participants! However you’ve got to be in it to win it so congrats to everyone who came out as I am sure that many riders nervously choose to avoid the ride. The pace was in the mid 20s along Anderson road and the majority of the riders stuck together and kept it mostly safe.
There was a clear sense of nervousness as Beanblossom hill approached and rightly so as the group shattered on the big hill. DaveRR lead to the base of the climb before Kaleb Naegeli took over the pace on the steep early ramp. However the true hammer came from Adam Mercer and Matt Neibler who cruised away from the rest of the group. They didn’t persist with their attack which enabled a heavy-breathing quintet including DaveRR, Naegeli, Chris Hill and Greg Vortz to bridge up and keep the pace high to prevent any of the chasing riders joining back up.
Hindustan was to make a further selection and so it was that Mercer, Neibler and DRR moved ahead, working well together and staying out front in the lead up to the final sprint. DRR lead it out but it was Neibler for the second week in a row who took the win!
Next week is the final ‘official’ Wednesday worlds of the year out at the 446 circuit. To mark such a special occasion there will be a $10 BikeSmiths gift certificate to the most aggressive rider as judged completely subjectively by BVN! Lets all pull through, keep it safe and have a great ride!

Sep 25, 2009

Collegiate Track Champs Success!

Eric Young secured a bronze medal in the National Track Champs this evening over in Trexlertown PA. Great ride Eric! And to all those other IU students- Good luck on that last lap next April!
http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=4453

No racing

So there's really no racing in the immediate area this weekend. Collegiate Track champs in PA, USGP CX in WI and thats about it! Good luck to all those local riders who are competing.
No racing so GO RIDE!! It's gonna be cold soon! If you want a long steady ride meet up with the BBC at 9am at Bryan Park Pool parking lot. They're riding the 80+miles Bloomfield Covered Bridge ride- it's a good 'un!

Sep 22, 2009

Worlds

Road Worlds- 5.30pm at the Sample Gates. Forest loop. I'm thinking we'll go out to Anderson Road, UP Beanblossom, through the forest to Old 37 and then finish on the bridge just before Robinson Road. I'm not sure if there's the daylight or the motviation to do more than one lap! The paceline practice worked well last week so hopefully thinks will be a little more controlled on Anderson road!

Cross Worlds- 5.30pm at the Gates. A message from Erik Hamilton- 'We are moving tomorrow's worlds to the Twin Lakes sports complex. This is where the Oct 18th OVCX race will be and we want to try and break in the course. We will still meet at the gates at 5:30 and will try and wait to start the racing so that everyone has a chance to get out there. See everyone tomorrow!! Let me know if you need directions or anything'

Sep 21, 2009

Race Recap

OVCX #1! Sherer killed it with top wins on saturday and sunday! The top dog at Cross Worlds can also boss it away from Bloomington! It was a happy Loebig/Sherer household this weekend as Pam also took a couple of wins in the Womens 3/4 races. There were also strong results from Issac Neff, Adam Rodkey, Don Galligher, Andy Messer and Fred Rose. Look for all those names to feature in the results from now until December!

Ryan Knapp headed East to pick up some all important UCI points and came away from PA and Baltimore with 18 of those beauties! These become important once the first world rankings are published on Oct 5th. Points won in the US are just the same as those won in the CX hot bed of Belgium (on Sunday Ryan won the same number of points as Radomir Simunek!) and they determine the starting grid at UCI races which can be very very important!

USA Cycling Track champs are next weekend in Trexlertown PA and there was a final warmup event at Mayor Taylor Velodrome this past weekend. It was basically a Marian University benefit event but Eric Young tried to hold back the tide and did pretty good! He's off to PA next week to try and win a medal or two! My question? Where are the rest of the IU riders?

Sep 18, 2009

Wend Rides

From Ryan Kiel-
Friday we will do the weekly social ride at 3:30PM. However, this Friday we
will be meeting at Sample Gates instead of Revolution. This is a more
central and well known location. The ride will be slower paced, we will be
regrouping after climbs, and the route will have a split so that you can go
on a shorter or a longer distance.

In addition to the Friday afternoon social ride, IUCC will also be hosting a
longer distance and slightly faster pace Sunday ride. The ride will leave
from Sample Gates at noon. I know it is football season so the club officers
where trying to find a time that worked well around those schedules.
Hopefully we can all still sleep in on Sunday Morning and make it back in
time for the days games.

Sep 17, 2009

Gravel Grovelling

Fall is on the way and many riders thoughts turn to getting off the road and onto the gravel. The area around Bloomington and in Indiana generally has a ton of great gravel-road riding. There are a few events on the schedule to help show people the excellent routes that are out there-

Sept 19th-20th- Huntington Challenge. Two day race/ ride over many gravel roads in Northern Indiana. Register online before 9pm this evening.

October 17th- The True Hilly Hundred. 100mile ride organized by Jake Rytlewski that takes in many gravel roads in Morgan, Monroe and Brown counties. Free!

November 27th- The Gravel Grovel. 100km race mostly on gravel roads through Hoosier National Forest starting in Nashville IN. The day after Thanksgiving- Register here.

Sep 16, 2009

Battle of Boltinghouse

Thursday evening (9/17) is the unofficial Battle of Boltinghouse. A timed event where the challenge is to ride up notorious Boltinghouse hill as many times as possible within an hour. The record from years past is a seemingly impressive 13 times! This appears to be a rather underground event but I have good information that the hour of pain will start at 6.15pm out at the hill. An ideal compliment to Tuesdays Monroe County HC!

Steady Saturday Sentury

From Stephen Quay-
I’m trying to plan a big group century for this Saturday. I have a bit of a group together so far but more riders are always welcome! We’re going to meet at Sample Gates at 10:00am and the plan is to do the Nashville 90 (before road construction starts). The weather is supposed to be excellent. We’re gonna run a moderate pace and just have some fun. .

MC HC Photos

A full list of rider pictures from the final 'wall of pain' can be found here-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33606753@N04/sets/72157622260837901/
Thanks to Carl Field for bringing out this camera.
Results are in a previous post.
Ryan Shanahan, Fastest Overall and Best Over-30.

Randi Cox, Best Female

Matt Neibler, Best Frat

WW- 9/16/09

Cross Worlds- 5.30pm at the Gates, 'race' starts at approx 6pm at the tailgate fields (17th and Indiana). Apparently there's been a very high attrition rate so those CX buttercups need to
suck it up!

Road Worlds- 5.30pm Gates, 6pm 446 Circuit. 5/6laps. I was thinking we could take the first lap as a pace-line riding training exercise as after the last couple of weeks of WW it's clear to me that many people are unfamiliar with proper pace-line technique. This would be the ideal opportunity to teach riders to 'correct' way to go about this important aspect of group riding.

Sep 15, 2009

MC HC 09 Results!

Another edition of the Monroe County Hill Climb is in the books and the times just keep falling. A record number of participants rode Pinegrove hill on a balmy late summer day that was conducive to rapid times. Almost half the field dipped under 6minutes showing that a slightly earlier date has people closer to their summer top condition.
Remarkably the course record was beaten by three riders each of which rocked a TT rig with skinsuit! Clearly the downhill and false flat portions of the course are not to be forgotten! So it was Adam Rodkey in 3rd with 5m23s, defending champ Ren-jay Shei in 2nd with 5m16s and Ryan Shanahan who roared to victory with a remarkable 5m14s! Could the 5minute mark really be under threat next year??
Ryan also won the Over 30 division whilst Matt Neibler won the Frat division and was 5th overall with a rapid 5m31 (that would have won the inaugural event in 2007). Randi Cox was able to successfully defend the Womens title!
Overall Results
Name, Time
  1. Ryan Shanahan- 5m14s
  2. Ren-Jay Shei- 5m16s
  3. Adam Rodkey- 5m23
Womens Championship
  1. Randi Cox- 6m54s
  2. Pam Loebig- 7m08s
  3. Kathleen Grigg- 7m11s
Fraternity Division
  1. Matt Neibler- 5m31s
  2. Pat O'Hara- 5m42s
  3. Will McDermott- 5m47s
Over-30 Division
  1. Ryan Shanahan- 5m14s
  2. Adam Rodkey- 5m23s
  3. Andy Messer- 5m40s
Thanks to everyone who came out to ride. Look out for some photos from Carl Field coming soon. Finally big thanks to Brian Drummy without whom the event couldn't have happened and who ably filled in for Sarah Schaack.

Full Results
  1. Ryan Shanahan- 5m14
  2. Ren-jay Shei- 5m16
  3. Adam Rodkey- 5m23
  4. Mike Sherer- 5m29
  5. Matt Neibler- 5m31
  6. Jonathan Atwell- 5m34
  7. Andy Messer- 5m40
  8. Pat O'Hara- 5m42
  9. Will McDermott- 5m47
  10. Jordan Bailey- 5m50
  11. Tomasz Golas- 5m53
  12. Ryan Meneghin- 5m54
  13. RJ Stuart- 5m54
  14. Chris Beck- 5m57
  15. Stephen Quay- 5m59
  16. Tom Cox- 6m03
  17. Brant Powell- 6m05
  18. Trey Richardson- 6m09
  19. Kaleb Naegeli- 6m10
  20. Ryan Preske- 6m12
  21. Brent Nowinski- 6m14
  22. Mike Waymire- 6m18
  23. Chris West- 6m19
  24. Jan Byers-Gamber- 6m22
  25. Chris Arvin- 6m28
  26. Greg Vortz- 6m30
  27. Nichel Navkal- 6m33
  28. Chris Bonham- 6m37
  29. Jake Rowland- 6m39
  30. Randi Cox- 6m54
  31. Tim Mickleborough- 6m54
  32. Pam Loebig- 7m08
  33. Kathleen Grigg- 7m11
  34. Joel Mickleborough- 7m17
Apologizes to any name spelling mistakes, let me know and I'll amend.

Monroe County HC TODAY!


The Trophies are in and the event is this evening. Sign in at the top of the Pinegrove climb (see location in previous post) anytime between 6- 6.30pm. First rider will start from the bottom of the hill at approx 6.30pm. Riders will start every 30s or minute depending on number of participants. Course Record is 5m25s (RJ Shei) and trophies for 1st Male, 1st Female, 1st Over 30 and 1st current Frat-boy! Come on out it'll be a (painful) blast

Sep 14, 2009

OVCX

Cyclocross season 'proper' starts this Saturday in Ohio as the Ohio Valley Cyclocross series kicks off. The OVCX has grown almost exponentially over the past few years and is now seeing 100s of riders each weekend at venues around the area. CX is a little more laid back than road racing so if you're a Cat1-3 who wants to give it a try then rock on up on any old bike and race in the Cat4s. It's not as easy as it might seem!

The bonus this year is that there is a Bloomington OVCX race in '09. Ryan Knapp and Andy Messer (sorry if I missed anyone) are organizing an event on October 18th at the Twin Lakes complex out of West 2nd street. Look out for much more to come on this event as we get closer! It should be a blast!

Sep 11, 2009

Monroe County HC- 9/15/09

Next Tuesday 9/15/09 is the 3rd annual Monroe County Hill Climb Champs out on Pinegrove Road. Start time is 6.30pm. Sign up anytime after 6pm, roll down the hill and Time Trial back up at 30 second intervals starting at 6.30p.

Trophies for-
1st Male
1st Female
1st Over 30
1st Frat.

Sep 10, 2009

Nashville 90 Problems

Those Little 500 teams putting in the big miles through the winter will be hindered by some sucky roads as there'll be road work out on IN-135 between Freetown and the Brown County line.

> 'Ind. 135 is set to get needed maintenance starting Monday. The stretch of highway in Jackson County from U.S. 50 to the Brown County line will get chip seal and fog seal treatments, stated an Indiana Department of Transportation news release.

> The 13-mile project will result in lane restrictions. The work is
expected to take a couple of weeks, and will be done on weekdays during
daylight hours. Flaggers will control traffic during the process'

Of course when I say Little 500 'Teams' putting in the big miles I just mean the Cutters because no-one else rides in the winter right?

Sep 8, 2009

Best bike ever?

Spotted on the streets of St Louis during the ToM!

Reports that Mark Cavendish could win even on this machine are unconfirmed!

WW

Meet at 5.30pm at the Sample Gates-

Cross Worlds- Tailgate fields- 'race' starts at around 6.15p

Road Worlds- Buskirk-Paragon Loop. Due to shitty state of Bottom Road we'll loop over to Paragon Road via Old 37- Chambers- across SR37- Dittemore- Buskirk- regular Paragon loop. We rode it earlier in the year and the big hill on Buskirk didn't split things up more than the hill into the forest usually does. It's a good route but please don't race across Sr37!!
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/in/bloomington/506125242119714483

Sep 4, 2009

Friday ride

From new IUCC president Ryan Kiel-
Hey everyone, this Friday there will be a social road ride leaving from
Revolution bike shop at 3:30PM. It will probably be about 30 miles. We will
stay together/regroup when necessary. If you are new need directions the
address is on Revolutions website,
http://www.revolutionbikeandbean.com/contact.htm. However, it is just on
east 10th st. and you should not have much of a problem.

Sep 3, 2009

Little 500 2010- the picks are in!

The increase in vehicular danger on the roads the appearance of small groups of riders on Old37 means only one thing- the students are back in Bloomington. Little 500 might not be in the immediate thought of all those potential riders but the truth of it is that these as the temps gets cooler it’s important to set a base of fitness going into the chill winter months. The Fall Cycling series is an interesting diversion and guide to how each teams summers progressed. Mostly all is somewhat shrouded in mystery until quals rolls around next March. However that will not stop BVN laying the early odds for the big race! Based on race observations, fleeting glimpses of sun-dappled jerseys and underscored with gossip and hearsay we predict that they will act as the definitive race prediction….maybe! Lets get it on!

Mens Little 500- April 24th 2010

Cutters 5/1. Meticulous planners with the best rider on the track, they ARE the team to beat. Feldman’s sneakers will be difficult to fill but they always find a way!
Black Key Bulls 6/1. Rumored acquisition of ex-Sammie Quay will mean a reloading and not a rebuild. If Shei and Bailey can focus on L5 they have the talent to blow the race apart.
Gray Goat 7/1. The Keilers are coming back for a final crack at it and with Trogdon a year stronger they are definite contenders. A lack of Little 500 focus could be their undoing.
FIJI 8/1. Anonymous over the summer but Ellis has huge potential if he isn’t diverted by frat life. A powerful program that is desperate for success.
Phi Delt 8/1. The third year with the same six riders who need to avoid wrecks and ride smarter. The strongest training squad in the race need to push each other harder to gain success.
DU 12/1. DRR is back and will want another crack at Eric Young when it really matters. A team that continues to slowly build and this could be their year.
DTD 15/1. Neibler and Maves are huge losses but the program has picked up some new speed and will benefit from a second year under the Bishop Umbrella
Phi Psi-15/1. Mercer and Brown will be an impression 1-2 punch and with a little back up could spring a surprise.
Sigma Chi 15/1. Impressive ride to stay with the leaders in 2009 even after being in the ‘Cutters wreck’. This team should be building a decent program.
Sigma Pi 20/1. Lead lap in 2009 so have some momentum. BVN knows absolutely nothing about them!
DSP 20/1. Continue to build their program and after being on the lead lap last year they could find the top ten this year
Acacia 20/1. Always around the top 10 but really need to kick their program in the ass and move on up.
Collins BG 28/1. Not sure who’s coming back but if it’s 3 riders then they could make some noise this year with another year of experience.
The Field 30/1. A down year for ATO and TMT and strong individual riders unsupported on other teams means no one else will be in contention to win.


Womens Little 500, April 23rd 2010

Teter 6/1. Van Kooten is looking to be the BWOC and they will have no weak links. Moeller is a big loss but her important leadership is still in town.
Theta 6/1. Axley has been racing strongly through the summer and the program has a new coach in Erik Hamilton. A Cutters mentality could be the difference between placing and winning.
Kappa Delta 6/1. The third year of the Balbach-Cerone tandem. If they can keep interested doing most of their riding indoors then they will be a fearsome team. Some subtlety in their riding style would greatly help.
Delta Gamma 8/1. Two of the top 10 ITTers are back a year stronger with Haft having some success racing on the road over the summer. The key might be if Rutherford can step up to be a good number 3.
Pi Phi 12/1. Aligning themselves with the Cutters is a smart move and coach Land could be significant addition. However there’ll be no lying in the weeds in 2010 and Caroline will need a team like 2008 and not 2009 to win.
KKG 12/1. Will show up to quals with a quality team after being anonymous through the winter. Never count out Kappa.
Army 15/.- Almost a complete mystery but their program has been building over the past few years.
DSP 15/1. A bonafide contending program but do they have a race winner on the squad?
AGD 15/1. Always have a strong group of girls who push each other to race day success but victory might be a step too far.
Gamma Phi 15/1. Continuing Arnesen improvement will surely motivate her team-mates and a rise to the top five is possible.
Wing-It 20/1. The loss of Hewitt is incalculable but Schwoegler and Fredrickson’s support of this young team will mean they will be more than the sum of their parts.
Zeta 23/1. An expert coach has brought them to the cusp of the top ten and could spring a surprise if last years 3rd and 4th riders can step it up.
The Field 25/1. There’s always a surprise team but no-one to truly challenge

The likelihood is that this is all a bunch of crap so please leave your comments below!