MTB weekend Clash

Last weeks DINO MTB race in Versailles was postponed and moved to this coming Sunday 2nd instead. It seems an unfortunate change as there is also a DRT Consulting MTB race in Brown County State Park on the same day. You don't get many MTB races in a year so it seems a shame to have them scheduled against each other but DINO is the big man on the block so I guess feels it can run over the little guy!

Double Century

The annual Rudy Savich Double Century is on Sunday 2nd August this year! I have done it once and there is a certain excitement to riding on on Old37 and looking down to see 190miles on the clock! Details of this years route below- For more info contact Rudy at Rsavich@aol.com
I'm planning on doing two loops both starting from Bryan Park Pool. I had said 6:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. for the starting times, but I might leave early depending on how much light there is. I'm really really slow, it's going to take me forever. First loop is to Franklin via Low Gap, Downy, Bear Wallow, Mahallahasville Rd, Lick Creek, to Morgantown, then straight east out of Morgantown on old 252, (700S) from there, I have to look at the map again, but you go through Trafalgar, back roads to Franklin, then out of Franklin SE to the county line road down to Edinburg, over to Ninevah, through the BBC Cordry Sweetwater route to Salt Creek Road, but instead of going all the way to St. Rd. 46, we turn right at Gatesville and go to Bean Bloom and home the usual way (Southshore Dr., etc). It should be about 110 miles. Second loop is Joe Anderson's Clay City Almost a Century. It should be in one of the BBC map packets. I'm not planning on rounding up a lot of support vehicles, because I don't think most people usually feel like they need a SAG on a century ride. We're just doing two centuries in one day. Hope to see you. Rudy

HMBA Century

This saturday is the HMBA century ride. It starts in Franklin IN comes down to Bloomington for lunch and then back up to Frankfort to finish. It is very hilly and pretty much takes in all the ascents we know and love in the area; Owl Creek, North Shore, Bearwallow, Boltinghouse etc. As in previous years a group will be leaving the Sample Gates at 6.15AM to ride up toward Franklin and intercept the HMBA route close to the start (the ride starts at 8am) and then ride the route back into Bloomington. It's a fun ride and there's a the option for lunch at the end of the ride at Revolution B+B ($5). Email me for more information- geraint.parry75@gmail.com
This is the route-
http://myinstride.com/maps/usermap.php?id=69&v=y

This is the route we'll follow riding out of Bloomington- see you out there!
www.mapmyride.com%2Froute%2Fus%2Fin%2Fbloomington%2F565124900373728904

Wednesday Worlds

5.30pm from the Sample Gates. This week it's the Forest Loop and lets take it up Beanblossom (counter-clockwise). I would suggest regrouping after the first ascent of the big hill but I'm not fool enough to think that'll happen! Be safe on the left turns on the course.
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/in/bloomington/759623400370

BVN Market Place

Regular readers will notice a new sidebar on the site- BVN Market Place. It's a place where anyone can place an ad for any bike stuff that they want to sell/ buy and is available to pick-up in the local area. Leave a brief description and your contact information and we'll see how things work out. The site is getting approx 900 hits/ week (not ALL of those are from my constant refreshing :-) so there must be someone reading who might want to buy/ sell you some stuff!

Photos from Bloomington Crit

Pictures from the strangely safe Catastrophe Corner (by Carl Field) and from All Around the Course by John Bennet. Any other galleries then please link them in in the comments section.
Steve Ziemba wins the Cat4 State Champs

Crit Crazy

Big time Crit season is upon us and most roads point to Chicago

26th July- Chicago crit
Aug 1st- Aug 2nd- Tour of Elk Grove
Aug 15th-Aug16th- Downers Grove, National champs
Aug 22nd- Marian NRC crit

Locally this weekend there is a crit in Zionsville. This is run on a fun short circuit that features a brick-region. It's clashing with the Chicago Crit and with THE Brickyard so may struggle to draw a crowd. Online Registration ends at midnight tonight.

Further afield there is the Pancake Stage Race in Woodlawn IN (nr Fort Wayne). Do one or each of the saturday TT and RR or sunday Crit. By all accounts this is a well run enjoyable race.

Century Ride

There will be leading a century ride leaving from the YMCA at 8am Saturday morning. The route is imaginative and stays close to Bloomington the entire time so plenty of shorter options if required. Should be a pace at the 17-19mph mark.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3034587

Stolen Bike

A friend of BVN got her bike stolen overnight and the perp might be looking to either sell it or be looking to buy a new front wheel (yes the bike was only locked through the front wheel- a lesson to us all!)
The details- Trek 1200 Black with green lettering and a Powerbar sticker on the top-tube, Black and White Camo handlebar tape. Contact BVN (geraint.parry75@gmail.com, 812219688) or lmmomper@gmail.com with any information and please keep your eyes peeled.

Thursday Rides

5.45- BBC ride from Bryan Park Parking lot. Attacking and regroups

6.30- DRT Racing ride from Revolution Bike and Bean. Solid pace.

WW

Anderson Rd- Low Gap- Catholic Cemetery- Forest Road- Old 37. The road up to Catholic Cemetery is all torn up but as you'll be riding at approx 10mph it should be negotiable!
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/in/bloomington/606140965137

FYI full Schedule is here-
http://bloomingtonvelonews.blogspot.com/2009/03/wednesday-worlds-2009.html

Forest 10mile TT results 7-21-09

A somewhat mild yet muggy evening greeted a great turnout of riders this evening and the conditions seemed conductive to fast times as many riders set new personal bests. Fastest solo rider of the day was Fred Rose who took some significant time off of his PB with a 21.28. Riders throughout the list all improved their times with Evelyn Ewing taking a minute off of her best time showing that the rear disc certainly helps a little! Improbably there were 3 school buses on the course during the event and a least a couple of riders had to take evasive action to avoid getting squashed! Fastest on the day was the 3-up TT of Ryan Shanahan, Eric Hamilton and Ren-Jay Shei. However the time was 32seconds slower than Ryan managed solo a fortnight ago so he was clearly dragged down by the dead-weights on his wheel ;) Thanks to Valentin for timing.

Rider, Time

1. Ryan Shanahan, Eric Hamilton, Ren-jay Shei- 21.17
2. Fred Rose- 21.28
3. Adam Rodkey- 22.38
4. Jonathan Atwell- 23.30
5. Brandon Money- 23.39
   
6. Chris Beck- 23.53
7. John Herrel- 24.00
8. Myron Lewis- 24.14
   
9. Kaleb Naegeli- 24.23
10. Adam Fryska- 24.42
11. Sarah Sanders- 25.46
12. Geraint Parry- 25.55
13. Brian Drummy- 26.18
14. Kirk Weesner- 26.21
15. James McKenzie- 26.35
16. Randi Cox- 26.50
17. Dean Voyles- 27.06
18. Evelyn Ewing- 27.19
19. Marty McCrory and Lana (tandem)- 28.38
20. Mandy Brothers- 29.47

Forest TT

Tuesday at 7pm. 10 miles out and back on Forest Road. Start at junction of forest Rd-old37. A group rides out from the rear of BGI at 6pm. Times are falling, come on out and get yours!

Bloomington Crit

So the Bloomington Crit has come and gone in a highly successful manner! As part of the organizing team BVN would like to thank each and every person who helped out in any manner in putting the race on. Without the volunteers who stop spectators walking haphazardly out in front of the riders this race would be impossible to stage! Although the prize list isn’t fantastic the quality of the venue brings out enough riders to make things interesting! So on to the racing-
All races aside from the Womens Open were decided in bunch sprints although not for the want of trying as each race was aggressive throughout. In the featured Pro/1/2 State champs the number of NUVO riders meant that the onus was on them to make the race and they stood up to the task well. Each breakaway that attempted to prise itself away from the field featured at least one NUVO rider, often time it was Eric Hamilton who featured in a particularly promising early move with Jason Fowler (ZIPP). However after 75minutes of racing no successful breakaways had formed so it was that NUVO took control of the front of the bunch with two laps to go. After Hamilton drilled it coming through the start-finish and up the Sample Gates as the bell sounded, Declan Doyle let a gap open that only Aaron Hubbell could move through. Hubbell then hit the front coming onto Kirkwood and that was all she wrote. Hubbell was State champ and his team placed 4 riders in the top 6 for a dominant days work!
Hubbell in full flight toward the line (picture- Kira Veley)
Hubbell wins, Hamilton celebrates 3rd place (Photo- Brian Drummy)

The Womens event was a tale of two breaks. The first two positions were decided on the first lap when teammates Bri Kovac and Louise Turner (Alderfer Bergen) attacked and were never seen again by the rest of the field. It appeared that third place would go to Katie Weber (Alderfer Bergen) as she had a built a handy lead over 3 chasers with a few laps to go. However sterling work from Nicole Borem (DRT) brought the group back together and in the sprint it was Lindsay Koren (Get-a-Grip Cycles) who came out on top by barely half a wheel.
The State Champs Cat3 and Cat4/5 races were all together as each of the respectively fields took the bell but the final sprints turned out very differently. In the Cat 3 race Paul Wood (MOB) put in a monster attack early in the final lap and had plenty time to celebrate his victory. In the consolation sprint Cody Hartley (Sustainable Cycling) beat out Ryan Kiel (Gray Goat Cycling). A full-blooded field sprint decided the Cat 4 race. Unofficial favorite Adam Mercer (Phi Psi Cycling) led out through the final few corners but it was Little 5 rival Steve Ziemba (ATO) who took the win and the State champs gold (colored) medal!
Bloomington in summer, a beautiful sight (photo- Brian Drummy)

Look out for some photos from VeloImage in the coming week. Results and photos are posted on Truesport.

What a Weekend!!

This coming weekend in Bloomington and surrounding area promises to be one of the best in recent memory! Get excited!

Saturday 6am- The Ride Across Indiana from Terra Haute to Richmond. That's a long way!

Saturday 4pm- The State Criterium Champs in downtown Bloomington. Come along and watch the state champs in very familiar territory. Register for the race before 10am on Friday or you'll have to pay $10 more!

Sunday 2pm- DRT Racing MTB race at Wapahani Park. Go race your MTB!!

Sunday 5pm- Little 500 Celebration Ride at the Sample Gates

Sunday 7pm- Breaking Away 30th Anniversary Celebration at the Buskirk Chumley

Wednesday Worlds

446 circuit. Come and hone your speed for the Bloomington Crit! Don't forget to register!
5.30p at the Gates, approx 6pm out at the circuit.

Weekend Successes

Bloomington riders had success all across the Midwest this past weekend. Mike Sherer was at the top of an Alderfer Bergen-NUVO sandwich in the Parkview Cycling Festival in Fort Wayne. Sherer was in a break with Eric 'Poulidor*' Hamilton and team-mate Issac Neff and was able to pull out the sprint win! Rounding out the top 5 were recent Bloomington ex-plants David Caughlin (NUVO) and Chris Chartier (Alderfer) both of whom's riding has improved greatly in the past year. The Cat 4/5 race Adam Mercer was victorious with Kaleb Naegeli (IC3) finishing in 6th. The expected Alderfer Bergen benefit womens race was upset by Christy Keely (Team Kenda) so Katie weber, Louise Turner and Bri Kovac had t be content with 2nd- 4th instead!

The Tour de Champaign featured two crits on UI campus and in downtown Champaign. On Saturday Ryan Knapp added another second place to the RGF-Panther squad's long list of such positions (shouldn't they sign Eric Hamilton?). On Sunday the aforementioned Hamilton took 5th place in the Pro/1/2 whilst Matt Kiel and John Herrel took top ten positions in the Cat3 and Cat4 races respectively.

At the much-vaulted Superweek in various points around Chicago-land there were significant Bloomington successes in the arguably the biggest Midwestern races of the weekend. Taylor Gaines found the winning break in each of the first three Cat3 races finishing up with a 5th and two 2nd places. Taylor will depart Superweek in the overall lead in the Cat3 standings to concentrate on UCI junior races in Canada and Belize. Tom Cox is also racing a full Superweek Masters program and has started well with a 9th at Blue Island and a 2nd place at Richton Park.
First impressions of a Superweek neophyte are that the courses are well designed, the race lengths are excellent (30+ miles in a Cat3 crit) but the tardiness is annoying. However the Elgin race is a must for all riders. Essentially it is a 5-mile crit course (20+ corners) on completely closed roads with excellent city and community involvement. A few years ago this course hosted a UCI U23 race and surely again has great prospects!
*- The eternal second

If anyone had a link to any photos please add in the comments.

Nashville 90

The BBC are rolling out to do the Nashville 90 at 8am Saturday from Bryan Park Pool parking lot. There's usually a few people to push the pace to approx 19mph for the route so if you want to do some good miles then consider the ride.

Volunteers Requested

Team Tortuga are looking for volunteers to help out with the State Crit champs in downtown Bloomington on July 18th. People would be required to help make the course safe for either of two 2.5hr sessions between 4pm and 9pm. All people who volunteer will get a BikeSmiths gift voucher by way of thanks. Contact geraint.parry75@gmail.com for further details.

Weekend Plans

BVN is off to Superweek for the weekend to get smashed to bits by juiced up cat 3s. Look out for updates, technology permitting! Elsewhere go and race on the road in Champaign or Fort Wayne if you're so disposed!
If you're up north, go and hit the dirt at the DRT Consulting MTB race in Warsaw IN.

Wapahani MTB races- 19th July

Adding to the awesome day of racing in Bloomington on July 18th (State Crit champs ps NOT for Masters riders) there is a MTB race in Wapahani Park the following day on July 19th. Organized by DRT Consulting, it is part of the State wide series that is pulling in lots of riders. Online registration is available on Truesport.

The Sprockettes

This seems a little out of the ordinary but it looks to be a fun time! Go check it out next Monday 13th, 8pm at Boxcar books. I can't say I know what a Synchronized Bike Dance Troupe is but I'm willing to find out!

Thursday Rides

The new owner of Revolution Bike and Bean Don Galligher is organizing a weekly ride leaving at 6.30pm from the shop on 10th and Grant. There been a good group of approx 20 riders rolling out and the first approx 20miles are no-drop so there should be something for everyone! Come on out and ride!

Also on Thursday at 5.45p the BBC roll out on one of their harder training rides from Bryan Park Swimming pool parking lot. Its usually a fun ride that usually regroups each time the ride breaks up so is good for most abilities.

Cheap Flights for bikes

This is from Tom Schwoelger who wants to highlight a cheap way to fly your bike this month-

http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1303847&highlight=

Wednesday Worlds- possible altered route

5.30pm at the Sample Gates (Indiana and 5th). The proposed route is the Paragon loop but as Bottom road is so torn up there is the thought to alter the route. Therefore the early plan is to ride out steady on Old37 to the top of the cow-farm hill (first hill North of Anderson Rd) before ramping up the pace. The route would then turn left on Chambers, carefully and NOT race across sR37, continue on W Dittemore Rd to Buskirk where the route goes up the big hill to turn right on Burma Road to rejoin the regular Paragon loop. It should be a safer and more challenging route.

Forest TT 7/7/09

It took a while but Ryan Shanahan showed his great form (7th in Masters 35-40 Nationals TT last week) to break the course record at the Forest TT. The time was 20-45 which is a huge improvement on the previous best of 20-59 by Issac Neff set earlier in the year. Ryan attributed the ride to some slight tweaks in position that at that pace can help a great deal! To paraphrase an earlier conversation with Ryan- 'He (Issac) can climb, ride crits, sprint, ride MTB and cycloX better than me AND is better looking but at least I reclaimed the best TT time'.
Greg Strock, fresh from his 3rd place in the same Masters TT, improved to 21-09 for second place on the evening. Rob Templeman came out to play for the first time in '09 and roared to a 21.23 for third place to make the evening the fastest of the year by far! Elsewhere Erica Strock had the greatest improvement on the day with a 48 second bettering of her previous time.

Name, Time

1. Ryan Shanahan 20.45
2. Greg Strock 21.09
3. Rob Templeman 21.23
4. Adam Rodkey 23.10
5. Taylor Gaines 23.29
6. Jonathan Atwell 23.55
7. Kaleb Naegeli 24.25
8. Chris Beck 24.35
9. Chris Arvin 25.22
   
10. Bill Bedwell 25.36
11. Marty McCrory 26.13
12. Geraint Parry 26.23
13. Kirk Weesner 26.34
14. James McKenzie 26.47
15. Brian Drummy 26.50
16. Jeff Yoder 27.04
17. Erica Strock 29.12

Get registered for the weekend and beyond

It may be a little early to think about the weekend but on-line registrations are ending earlier and earlier so to save a little cash needs to be done soon.

For some reason Online Reg for the Tour of Champaign has already finished. Not sure why?

Superweek Registration is available but race entries will increase by $6 for all races at midnight this evening so sign up if you want to race cheaper!

Registration for the Men of Steel Crit in Fort Wayne on Saturday also end tomorrow evening

Bloomington Crit- July 18th

Register here-
http://www.racelistings.com/register/events/flyer.asp?ID=1024

Forest TT

Tuesday 7pm at the junction of Forest Road and old37. 10miles on an out and back course. If you want to ride out to the course a briskly paced ride leaves the rear of BGI at 6pm.

Weekend Racing

July 4th on a Saturday is not good for racers and locally the only event on the road is a 40km Time Trial at Monrovia on Sunday morning. Enjoy!

There is a DINO MTB race weekend at North Vernon. If you're into dirt then get up there and ride off Short-track on saturday and a regular XC race on sunday.

Further afield is the Fitchburg-Longsjo stage race in MA to which a few local riders have traveled to ride. Good luck to Bennet, Louise, Pam, Mike, Issac, Brett and Ryan at this national ranked event!

Drink Milk not Beer

This July 4th weekend think about drinking milk instead of beer if this recent study on the increased brittleness of cyclists bones is to be believed-
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/is-bicycling-bad-for-your-bones/