Bloomington Velo-News

A Letter To the Union Board from a Member of the Rider's Council

2012-02-08T20:32:00.003-05:00

Dear Union Board,

My name is Katie Reed, and I am a member of the Little 500 Rider's Council. This will be my third and final year riding in the Little 500 for Alpha Gamma Delta. I would like to openly protest the Union Board Concert, which takes place on Friday, April 20th with doors opening at 8 pm. Since you may not have been paying attention to recent events on your campus, the 25th Annual Women's Little 500 race will be taking place at Armstrong Stadium at 7 pm on Friday, April 20th.

With this being the 25th Anniversary of the Women's race, it is insulting to the alumnae who went through so much to make the women's race possible on our campus. The purpose of moving the race to the evening was to showcase and to involve more students and alumni in the event. Imagine how each woman who has trained at least one if not more than one year for this race will feel if the stands were empty due to the scheduling of this concert.

I hope that you will strongly consider the ramifications of this decision, and the precedence that it sets for future Little 500 races. "We are expecting a large turnout of students with high energy levels, alumni who grew up with this band, and other fans from around the state of Indiana," Shectman said in the IDS on Monday, February 7th.

We must remember, after all, the whole reason this concert will be taking place is because of a bike race.

Sincerely,
Katie Reed
reedke@indiana.edu

Free Testing/Study at HPER!!!

2012-02-06T14:09:00.001-05:00

From the Exercise Physiology Department at HPER:

Hello,

My name is JJ Duke and I am a doctoral candidate in the School of HPER, Department of Kinesiology. I am looking for highly trained runners, cyclists, and triathletes as potential subjects for my final research project. Please see the brief summary of my project below.

I am looking at how breathing strategies differ between running, upright cycling, and cycling in the ‘drop’ position. This project will have potential subjects come into the laboratory on three (3) occasions. During each visitation you will perform two main tests. The first will be basic lung function tests. These tests take place either seated or standing and take about 10-15 minutes max. They simply involve you inhaling and exhaling as quickly as possible a couple of times. The second test will be an exercise test to your maximum. On either the treadmill or bicycle the speed (or resistance) will be periodically increased until you are no longer able to continue. This sounds difficult, but in reality only the final 4-5 minutes are difficult. The entire exercise portion of the test will take less than 20 minutes with most lasting between 10 and 15 minutes. You will do this running on a treadmill, cycling in an upright posture, and cycling in the ‘drop’ position. Each visitation will last about an hour. The first exercise test (visitation) will be performed by either running or cycling; whichever exercise mode you feel you are most trained upon. There are some criteria that must be met in order to completely participate in the study. First, you must be highly trained. I have a fitness level that must be attained in order to be included. Second, you must be free of any cardiovascular or lung disease. Third, you must be a MALE. This particular study is only looking at these parameters in male athletes. Within a year our laboratory will be performing a similar study using only female athletes. During the first visitation subjects will fill out some basic medical information as well as a training history questionnaire.

What will you get out of participating:

Unfortunately due to budgetary issues I will not be able to pay subjects. However, you will receive:

1) Basic lung function information

2) Fitness level (VO2 max)

3) Maximum power output (on the bicycle only)

4) An estimate of your lactate (anaerobic) threshold

If you fit the above criteria please contact me directly at jwduke@indiana.edu to gather more information. Also, feel free to forward this information onto anyone that you think might be interested in participating. Thanks for your time!

Best,

JJ Duke

Doctoral Candidate

Department of Kinesiology

School of HPER

Indiana University

jwduke@indiana.edu

Beta media II

2012-02-02T08:19:00.000-05:00

Beta Cycling 2012 Winter Training Trip - "Training Week" from Beta Cycling on Vimeo.

Mike Sherer

2012-01-30T10:16:00.001-05:00

Nice interview with ex-bloomingtonite Mike Sherer. Work hard and you may get there and then keep on going even after having a rough injury-blasted year! Good luck in 2012 to Mike!
http://www.embrocationmagazine.com/online/homegrown-an-interview-with-mike-sherer

Picture from Podiuminsight.com

Beta media

2012-01-27T04:37:00.000-05:00

Nice little vid here and on a team where at least two guys look like bike riders they may have a chance! Seated sprints needed though even though they don't look as cool!

Beta Cycling 2012 Winter Training Trip - "The Journey" from Beta Cycling on Vimeo.

javascript:void(0)

vid

2012-01-23T04:58:00.002-05:00

In lieu of any Little 500 news and the end of the CX season it's time to post videos which everyone will have seen before.
'Is this a strava-segment'
'dude, don't tell me what happened at the Tour today'

and btw I would totally be a PRO is I didn't have to work....

bike handling..

2012-01-17T17:49:00.000-05:00

I know most people will have seen this but for those that haven't...the best bike flick of 2011, no doubt...and yet not quite as famous as Cavendish!

Learn to dress

2012-01-17T16:03:00.000-05:00

Advice from Colin Allen at Team Scholars Inn Bakehouse:

Riding between fields of snow can be magical if you dress right, but some of you might wondering how anyone can handle a ride at 25F. To help out, I offer my year-round guide for the lycra-perplexed. We go by temperature zone, and it’s all about layers. Layers and layers of layers.

Your zones may vary. Call me a wuss, but I’ve listed the temperatures that I use to determine my clothing choices. If you’re a heat engine you might want to recalibrate, but there has to be some point at which you really will need a good winter jacket, gloves, and bootees. I’ll adjust my zones 5 degrees cooler if it’s sunny. If it’s rainy, all bets are off. The coldest I think I have ever been on a bicycle was going down a French mountain pass at 40F in the rain.

Zone 1, 80+, one layer is all you need, and some places not even that. Just don’t get arrested.

Zone 2, 65F-79F, 2 layers up top: A light wicking layer under your jersey is a nice thing to wear. By the way, Miguel Indurain always wore tights when training in this zone and below. Wimp.

Zone 3, 50F-64F, 3 layers up top: An undershirt, a wind vest over your jersey, arm warmers (or a long sleeved jersey) and knee warmers.

Zone 4, 35F-49F, 4 layers. Up top, an undershirt, perhaps long-sleeved, two jerseys, one of them long sleeved, a light jacket or arm warmers and a windproof vest, perhaps even a full jacket if it’s going to stay below 40 for the whole ride. Shorts with full leg warmers on the legs, and thin shoe covers to keep the cold out. Full finger gloves (or thin wool gloves under regular cycling gloves gives a bit more flexibility). On my head, a lycra skull cap to keep ears warm.

Zone 5, 20F-34F, 5 layers top and toes. For me, feet are going to be the limiting factor when it gets below freezing. I wear wool socks, sometimes with regular socks underneath, and either neoprene booties, or a lycra shoe cover under a windproof fleeced bootie. Legs are protected by shorts and full tights — if it’s going to stay in the lower half of the range, then knee warmers under the tights are nice too. Up top, similar to zone 5 except a good winter jacket is a must — the team winter jackets are excellent. On the hands, ski gloves, or liner gloves under full finger cycling gloves. Under the helmet, a full lycra hood helps stop your jaw freezing so you can keep talking about how tough you and your buddies are, and how clever you are not to live in Minnesota! And you may want to follow Saccone’s rule: keep your ride under one mile per degree.

Zone 6, below 20F: 6 layers of clothing required. Find a friend in Minnesota for proper advice!

Biking at IU

2012-01-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

For information....http://www.iubus.indiana.edu/parking_operations/alt_bicycling.aspx
Also follow for @IUBikes for updates

Ladies, please follow the 'rules'

2012-01-12T16:53:00.000-05:00

I think the ladies of the Little 500 community might have been in trouble in Chicago in 1895! Quite funny!
http://www.listsofnote.com/2012/01/donts-for-women-riders.html

Urban Cycle Studio

2012-01-11T05:25:00.000-05:00

From Alison at Urban Cycle Studio (urbancyclestudio@gmail.com)
Hey, Little Fivers!

You're probably LOVING this weather. But, let's be realistic and assume the winter weather will arrive soon. We're hear for ya! Our Little 500 Training classes are designed specifically for the power training Little 500 riders need to perform come race day.

This series of classes is a fusion of strength and endurance movements catered to fit the unique needs of Little 500 athletes and other cyclists looking for a new experience. Each session is designed to mimic different parts of the race such as burning in and out, overcoming the single gear of the bike and catching the pack. Additionally, it includes movements to replicate other Little 5 events like Team Pursuit, Miss-N-Out and ITTs. You'll encounter an interval class mixed with flats, hills and sprints in these 75 minute sessions. Expect to keep a very fast pace! The goal of these classes is to build speed and power along with the endurance you'll need to finish strong in the race!

Picture and Contributors

2012-01-10T11:23:00.000-05:00

This blog needs a new header picture so if you have any suggestions then please email me a picture that I might use.
As the 2012 Little 500 season (and road season) is rolling into view I'd be great to have some written contributions/opinion from people on the ground in Bloomington. Therefore if you are interested then let me know I'll give you a key to the BVN kingdom. Get your word out to over 2000 page views/week (only half of which come from me). I will also post 'articles' under my name if people wish to remain Anon with sensitive information!

Cyclefit

2012-01-10T11:16:00.000-05:00

From Randi Cox:
Hello!

This week you can try any spin class at the SRSC for free! Here is the schedule: http://www.iurecsports.org/spring_cycle_schedule. Come try it out, and if you like it, you can sign up for an eight-week series of 60-minute Little 500 Power Training sessions or a seven-week series of 45-minute CycleFit sessions. (Registered sessions start next week.)

Check it out!

CX Nationals

2012-01-10T03:52:00.000-05:00

A report from Liz Cobb:

1. Thermal Skinsuit –check
2. Extra-hot embrocation -check
3. Toe-spikes –check
4. Money for a well deserved post race beer –check.

These are just a few of the things on the list and packed to go with riders up to USA Cycling’s Cyclocross National Championships held this year in Madison, Wisconsin. Among all of the amazingly friendly Wisconsinites we spoke to one theme was prevalent; they were prepared and hoping for lots of snow. Well, what they could not give us in snow due to the unseasonably dry, warm winter up north, they paid back in kind with mud; and we got to enjoy a fine array of mud at that.

Among our local CX racers, Elizabeth Cobb representing BikeReg.com got to partake in what may be her most dismal bike race ever in Friday’s Womens 30-34 Masters race. With temps reaching low 50’s Thursday and high 40’s Friday along with freezing temps every night for several weeks, racers taking part in the earlier part of the five day affair were greeted with a several inches of greasy, sticky mud on top of permafrost. This translates into extremely bumpy course conditions with the added insult of sliding out whenever one tried to apply any power, as well as about five inches of mud packed around derailleurs and rear brakes. These circumstances made a bike it the pit an absolute necessity.

Saturday morning at 9 a.m. former Little 500 champion, coach and mechanic and current BikerReg.com rider Frederick Rose had to contend with entirely different course conditions. The muddy chaos created the afternoon before gave way to frozen, concrete-like ruts about six inches deep, which would grab riders’ front wheels and take them wherever the ruts pleased, usually into a few stakes. Then, as the sun begin to crest the soft Wisconsin hills, wherever light touch the ground that greasy film of mud appeared adding a dangerously slick component to an already difficult situation. There were masters flying through tape and over handle bars left and right. Fred ended up 14th among about 63 in the Masters 45-49 category, an admirable finish for a tough race both in terms of conditions and competition.

As Saturday progressed some of the muddy sections started to tighten up, some were removed by USAC officials entirely as they re-routed the course, and still other sections like the twisty-turny bits near the pit leading up to the sandpit remained a slippery, sticky mess. Andy Messer riding for DRT Consulting managed a very respectable 11th place in an extremely competitive 35-39 Masters field. Also representing DRT, Little 500 rider Ashton Wischmeier lined-up along with the future of American cycling. Ashton finished in the top Thirty of a very spirited U-23 race.
Andy Messer

Sunday brought the conclusion of Nats with what would be considered balmy temperatures in the mid 40’s. Former Little 500 Champion and current L5 coach, mechanic Sarah Fredrickson competed in her first national level Elite race flying the BikerReg.com colors. Sarah held mastery over the mud and managed to improve 10 positions before succumbing to the arcane 80% rule. Sarah started 74th among 81 racers on the grid; Cyclocross continues to be the stalwart for growth in American bike racing, particularly for women.
Sarah F

Also of note, Isaac Neff, former BKB rider transplanted to Madison finished 42nd in the Elite Mens race, among the absolute best in the country. This proved to be a very exciting race; if you can find the last three-to-five laps on the internet it’s worth a watch.

Overall, our impressions of Madison Wisconsin hosting CX Nats were good. Any one who has traveled to Badgerland knows what courteous folk the residents are. The course was plenty exciting and challenging for a national caliber venue, incorporating both difficult, technical spots demanding finesse, with sweeping descents where racers gained upwards of 28-30 MPH speeds. The beer was flowing liberally and there were plenty of brats and cheese curds to accommodate the thousands of spectators who came to watch this crazy, dirty discipline we love so much, cyclocross. Until next year Madison, we bid you farewell.

MWCCC Road Schedule

2012-01-09T03:36:00.001-05:00

Spring 2012 Road Schedule:
February 25/26 Lindsey Wilson
March 3/4 Mizzou
March 17/18 Lindenwood (also part of NCCCC season)
March 24/25 Ohio State
March 31/April 1 Michigan/Michigan State
April 7 Marian (with Easter April 8)
April 14/15 Purdue
April 21/22 Notre Dame (Regionals)

As seems every year, regionals clashes with Little 5. Got to get those points early if any As wish to travel with IU (or solo) to Utah for Nationals! Any team who is Spring Breaking in South Dakota (or similar area) can maybe call in on Lindenwood on the way home!

Pedal Fail Warning

2012-01-05T15:05:00.001-05:00

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12078.html

ICX Finale

2012-01-03T14:02:00.002-05:00

The regular season of cyclocross finally concluded in the Indiana region this weekend, as 2011 also came to a close. Now a new calendar year has begun, but the final weeks of the season remain as we get to see how the hardcore members of the Bloomington 'cross crew fair in the "playoffs".

Bloomington was once again well represented at the Indiana Cyclocross Cup series finale at Trader's Point on New Year's Eve. Top five placings included Lindsay Rodkey (4th, Cat 3/4 Open Women), Will Sorg (5th, Cat 4 Open Men), Ashton Wishmeier (4th, Cat 3 Open Men), Don Galligher (1st, Masters 35+) Sarah Fredrickson (3rd, Elite Women), Liz Cobb (4th, Elite Women), and Adam Rodkey (4th, Elite Men). Fred Rose also capped off his final race before the national and masters world championships with a win in the Elite Men's category.

Further abroad, Andy Messer traveled to the Chicago Cyclocross Cup New Year's Resolution races and took the Elite 30+ win both days, indicating that he is also in good form going into nationals and worlds.

The national championships take place this weekend in Madison, WI. Fred, Liz, and Andy will all be competing in their respective masters age categories, while Sarah will be contesting the elite women's race on Sunday. Good luck to all!

Masters Cyclocross Worlds!

2012-01-03T12:02:00.000-05:00

Big event coming to Louisville in the next couple weeks. Masters World CX champs which will feature some local talent (there is no national qualification..). It'll be weird to see a World Champs featuring so much Midwest talent but thats the way it works so have at it! It's just a prelude to the full World Champs in 2013 at the same locale.

training

2012-01-03T11:57:00.000-05:00

Little 500 in the news down in Florida where the winter training is occurring.....

http://www.naplesnews.com/blogs/bonita-and-beyond-jim-boeglin/2012/jan/03/indiana/

A Women's Team riding 90 miles? Who could this be and will it help in 4 months? We demand to know!

Indoor Racing in the NYT!!

2011-12-26T00:33:00.000-05:00

Interesting article in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/nyregion/cyclists-race-in-bars-going-nowhere-fast-spokes.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto

Who wants to bring it to Bloomington??

Coach wanted!

2011-12-22T23:18:00.002-05:00

The Collins Women’s Cycling program is looking for a dependable, enthusiastic female or male coach for our Little 500 team. While a veteran Little 500 or cycling coach would be ideal, a person with a basic understanding of physical conditioning, bicycles, and motivation would also be acceptable. If you believe these are qualities that are critical for a team to be successful, and can invest the time, please contact us.

Our team consists of 4 riders who are new to competitive cycling but not to athletics. Our goal is to be the best team we can be and are prepared to work hard to reach that goal.

Even if your Little 500 knowledge is not that extensive, we have several Little 500 alumni who, while they do not have the time to coach our team, have agreed to assist both us and our coach navigate the path to becoming a viable Little 500 team both now and into the future.

If interested, please contact us at:
collinslittle500@gmail.com

Thank you!

ICX Double Weekend

2011-12-20T13:02:00.002-05:00

The Indiana Cyclocross Cup series offered up one last double weekend of racing before a holiday break and the New Year's Eve finale. Saturday marked a return to the a slightly re-routed and much more rutted version of the previous weekend's Backyard Cross course for the Indiana State Cyclocross Championship. Sunday's race took place at the Boone County fairgrounds in Lebanon.

Saturday's state championship race saw a host of Bloomingtonians competing for medals in their respective classes. Don Galligher claimed the Elite Men's 35+ state championship, while the Rodkey household claimed a pair of bronze medals, Lindsay in the Cat 3/4 Open Women and Adam in the Elite Men. Other Bloomington top tens included Sarah Fredrickson (4th, Elite Women), Ashton Wishmeier (8th, Cat 3 Open Men), Will Sorg (7th, Cat 4 Open Men), and Chris Arvin (6th, Cat 4 35+ Men). Fred Rose spend most of Saturday's race engaged in a battle that included eventual state champion Eric Anderson and likely Masters 45-49 World Championships rival, Jonathan Card of Ohio, only to lose a derailleur hanger to the sticky mud on the last lap and fall to ninth place.

On Sunday, Liz Cobb took second in the Elite Women's race, while Fred got some redemption with a second place in the Elite Men. Andy Messer successfully competed in two back-to-back races, taking first in the Elite 35+ and third in the Elite Men's race.

Team Scholars Inn Bakehouse Applications Due December 31, 2011

2011-12-18T15:39:00.002-05:00

Applications to race for the Scholars Inn Bakehouse are due Saturday, December 31st by 5 pm. Applications can be found at www.scholarsinncycling.org. Click on TEAM INVITATIONS in the header, complete the application and email to director@teamtortuga.org or sacconetom@yahoo.com. Or, mail to PO Box 8121 Bloomington, IN 47407. Dues are payable at or before the first team meeting on January 26th, 2012.

We currently have openings on the Men's Category 3,4 and 5 and Women's Category 2,3 and 4 squads.

Contact me with questions.

Tom Saccone
Director

Backyard Cross

2011-12-12T14:40:00.003-05:00

The OVCX series may be over, but the cyclocross season in Indiana continues through the month of December. This weekend's racing included the second annual Backyard Cross, which took place on John Schmitz' property near Bargersville, IN. The sunny but sub-freezing weather provided a break from the past few weekends' mudfests, but still left some greasy corners by the end of the day. With the ICX series as the only remaining outlet in the region for maintain form through nationals and worlds, Backyard Cross drew several riders from Ohio and Kentucky in addition to the Indiana regulars.

Elizabeth Cobb and Sarah Fredrickson took third and fourth places in the Elite Women's field, while Lindsay Rodkey took third in the Cat 3/4 Open Women. Fred Rose and Adam Rodkey both finished in the money in the Elite Men's field, with second and sixth place respectively, and Don Galligher took second in the Elite Master's 35+ category. Will Sorg capped off the day with a fifth place in the Cat 4 Men's Open race.

The Backyard Cross course will see more action on Saturday, when it will hold the Indiana State Cyclocross Championships. The ICX double weekend will conclude with the PAX Gray Goat at the Fair Cross on Sunday.

Midwest Masters Championships/ OVCX Finale

2011-12-05T15:49:00.003-05:00

The Kingswood Golf Course in Mason, OH hosted two days of sticky, clumpy cyclocross racing this weekend with the Midwest Juniors and Masters Championships on Saturday and the OVCX Finale on Sunday. Andy Messer and Fred Rose both became Midwest Masters Champion jersey winners on Saturday, with Messer taking the Elite Men's 35-39 victory and Rose taking the Elite Men's 45-49 win.

Sunday's OVCX finale saw some serious wheel-clogging conditions and several places where riders were required to run through boggy, ankle-deep mud. Bloomington swept the open women's categories with Lindsay Rodkey winning Cat 4, Sarah Fredrickson winning Cat 3, and Elizabeth Cobb winning Cat 1/2. A final OVCX Messer-Rose battle ensued in the Elite Men's wave, ending with Messer in fifth and Rose in sixth overall.

When the OVCX series awards were handed out at the end of the day, five of the coveted beer steins went home to Bloomington. Series championships went to Lindsay Rodkey in the Cat 4 Open women, Andy Messer in the Elite Men's 35+, and Fred Rose in the Elite Men's 45+. Sarah Fredrickson took second in the Women's Cat 3, and Elizabeth Cobb took third in the Women's 1/2.

All of this begs the question, are there any Little 5 ladies willing to step up and keep Bloomington's female CX dominance going in next year's Cat 4 series?

Results from the Kings CX Weekend races are up on Truesport.com, the OVCX final standings should be up soon.

There is still nearly a month of racing left for the Indiana CX Cup, which will have double race weekends for the next two weeks and conclude with a series finale party on December 31st. The next month will also be critical for our newly crowned Midwest Masters Champions as they prepare to move beyond the Midwest and take on the nation and the world in January.

Photos by Chris Jones

Fredrickson Named Zipp OVCX Athlete of the Week

2011-12-01T08:11:00.006-05:00

Expect to see some Cincinnati and Louisville 'cross racers setting up tents in People's Park soon. While Bloomington may only provide about 3% of OVCX racers, it has produced 21% of this year's Zipp OVCX Athletes of the Week.

From the OVCX Facebook page:

Congratulations to BikeReg.com's Sarah Fredrickson and Lionheart's Spencer Petrov, our Zipp OVCX Athletes-of-the-Week after Lexington!! It was the toughest race of the year, and this was the hardest call out of all the weeks of racing. So congrats Sarah and Spencer, and enjoy those Zipp 303's Sunday at Kings CX!

cute.

2011-11-30T06:11:00.001-05:00

Some would argue L5-fluff pieces and gossip could have truly blown this blog up. Well for all those folks, see this little story in the IDS....It DOES have a bike in the picture #slownewstime By the way if anyone new wants to contribute to this blog please let me know. All welcome and fresh ideas needed!

GG

2011-11-23T07:42:00.000-05:00

Best/ worst/ certainly most fun race of the year is this Saturday! Yes the Gravel Grovel!
New start point this year but looking at the map the out-and-back crazy section to Story is still in play and looks like there might be the added interest of two-way traffic on the single-track section! Crash-tastic!

Still time to register so get over to the website for a cheaper entry! The price has gone up but this is turning into a proper event so well worth it!
So who will win? Difficult to set the odds from this distance and with an incomplete field but...

Knapp 10/1fav. Top CXer finally gets to ride!
Shanahan 11/1. Flatted out last year, looking for revenge!
Jacob 18/1- the wildcard, could lose years on the technical stuff but has the engine to make up for it.
Forbes 18/1. Good CX form and an MTB background
19/1 Hauber. Don't know him but TX Roadhouse usually don't have chump riders on the team.
Salla 20/1. Excellent MTBer and always fit.
Gavette 25/1. Been up there in the past
Fowler 30/1. Solid.
Chartier 40/1- Is he racing or drinking his way around the course?

Notice the long odds- it's a crap-shoot (even King Eric flatted twice last year!).
But really, I have no clue. Please inform us all in the comments...
Only 2 ladies? No-one on a L5-bike? Good..that's some crazy shit (Chris West)

A Rainy Weekend of 'Cross

2011-11-22T11:02:00.001-05:00

After a two month hiatus, "real 'cross weather" returned this weekend and provided two days of slippery racing in Indiana and beyond. Saturday's ICX race at Major Taylor Velodrome saw intermittent rain on a very twisty course which resulted in many corner slide-outs, if not full epic mudfest conditions. It was also saw the possible invention of short track cyclocross racing, with all classes ending up with at least two more laps than would normally be expected and elite men's lap times well under five minutes.

Will Sorg took ninth place in the men's Cat 4 Open, while Ashton Wischmeier represented IU in the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference championships, taking sixteenth in the men's A division. Second place finishes were recorded by Don Galligher in the men's Elite 35+ race and Lindsay Rodkey in the women's Cat 3/4 Open race.

Sunday's OVCX race in Lexington, KY followed Saturday's rain with more downpours, resulting in full sloshy mud conditions by the afternoon races. Lindsay Rodkey took the women's Cat 4 Open victory and second place overall in the wave of Cat 4 women and junior girls. Bikereg.com teammates Liz Cobb and Sarah Fredrickson took sixth and seventh place in the elite women's wave, with Sarah taking the Cat 3 women's win. Finally, Andy Messer and Fred Rose once again placed back-to-back in third and fourth in the elite men's wave, and each took their respective masters category win.

Further abroad, Ryan Knapp competed in two days of UCI racing at the North Carolina Grand Prix where he took eighth on Saturday and fifth on Sunday.

Regional cyclocross racing will come to a pause for the Thanksgiving weekend, but those who are still itching to race can sign up to traverse "mother nature's cyclocross course" at the third annual SRAM Gravel Grovel, which will be starting at the Maumee Boy Scout Camp this year instead of the Story Inn.

in case you were missing it....

2011-11-17T04:58:00.003-05:00

#thevoice that is ;) #egotrip

USGP Derby City Cup

2011-11-16T14:35:00.011-05:00

Fans and racers got to experience the highest level of American cyclocross racing over the weekend just a couple of hours south of Bloomington at the USGP Derby City Cup in Louisville. Dry, windy conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures made for fun spectating and racing.

Fred Rose proved that he is more than just fast local masters racer, placing third both days against top 45+ men from around the country. These performances were enough to prompt some Masters Worlds pre-game analysis from The Best Bike Blog Ever and indicate that Fred will probably not be spending the month of December enjoying tasty beverages from the OVCX Series Champion beer stein that he has already secured.

Andy Messer and Adam Rodkey also got to see a chance to see how they might fair on the Masters Worlds starting grid in January. Andy took ninth on Saturday and eighth on Sunday in the Elite 35+ race, and Adam took tenth in Saturday's Cat 2/3 race. Sarah Fredrickson represented Bloomington in the women's Cat 3/4 race, taking seventh place both days.

Results from the weekend's races can be found here.

This weekend will see more action at Major Taylor Velodrome with the sixth race of the ICX series being held in conjunction with the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference championships. Registration for the ICX categories can be found at Truesport.com, and the collegiate race flyer can be found on the MWCCC website. Hopefully we will see some IUCCC riders competing in the collegiate categories.

Sunday will be the penultimate race of the OVCX series, Commonwealth Eye Surgery Promotion Cross, in Lexington, KY. Preregistration for all the races closes on Thursday evening.

Thanks to Chris Jones and Shamrock Cycles for photos.

Late edit:To be honest, the hooliganism probably outdid the racing this weekend, so without further comment, here is the sequel to "Best Barriers Ever".

Off season...

2011-11-14T10:04:00.000-05:00

...always has one of these stories.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hoogerland-beaten-2-1-by-unforgettable
Give Johnny a break, he's been drinking it up so isn't on good form. I'd call that nag back for a rematch in the summer!

Maybe sometime similar should happen in Bloomington- can the top L5 racer beat 'Honda Accord dude' in a Le Mans-style match sprint from Dunn to the gates?

Cincy UCI 3 Very Brief Report

2011-11-09T10:13:00.005-05:00

Results and pictures for the Cincy UCI 3 Festival were a bit delayed, so we'll just go with a brief report and move on to the weekend ahead. Fred Rose and Andy Messer cracked the top 10 in the elite master's race all three days, Sarah Fredrickson got second in the Cat 3 women on Saturday and Sunday, Lindsay Rodkey was first in the Cat 4 women on Sunday, Adam Rodkey took eighth in Sunday's Cat 2/3 race, Elizabeth Cobb made her UCI Elite Women's debut, and Ryan Knapp returned to the region and picked up a couple of UCI points on Saturday and Sunday.

Full results from the Cincy UCI 3.

This weekend will be the USGP of Cyclocross Derby City Cup in Louisville, KY. Registration closes tonight at 10 p.m.

Team SIB as feeder...

2011-11-02T16:40:00.000-04:00

..for NUVO which is now tied to Bissell PROcycling. Catanzaro and Depasse made the leap this year. Will you be next? Contact Tom Saccone for information about getting on Team Scholars Inn Bakehouse sacconetom@yahoo.com

This is good news for Indiana Road racing, should improve the general level.
http://www.nuvo.net/CyclingBlog/archives/2011/11/02/big-news-for-nuvo-cycling

Times are changin' at Womens L5

2011-11-02T03:22:00.000-04:00

The new race director makes his first big change with the announcement that the 2012 Womens Little 500 will run under the lights at 7.30pm. I assume the strategy is to get some more spectators through the turnstyles and running the race under the lights will really add to the atmosphere. It will certainly be more raucous with the students having the chance to drink all day before the event and hopefully the flood-lights will be good enough prevent any increased danger. I imagine it'll be a lot of fun, look for Teter to take the chequered flag at around 9pm!
Below is an image of the 2012 race bikes. It has a classic feel to it.

Lion of the Den/ Storm the Greens

2011-10-31T12:45:00.002-04:00

The regional cyclocross season continued this weekend with a split between the ICX #5 Lion of the Den near Muncie on Saturday and OVCX #8 Storm the Greens in Louisville, KY on Sunday. Both races saw sunny skies and mild temperatures once the early morning frost wore off.

Muncie ex-pats turned Bloomingtonians Adam and Lindsay Rodkey made the trip back to the flatland on Saturday to encounter a sweeping "roadie" that boasted much more elevation change than one might expect with a forced run-up on the back of the course. Lindsay took second in the Cat 3/4 Open women and Adam took fourth in the elite men.

Sunday was OVCX Halloween-style when both cyclocross races and a costume competition were contested at Eva Bandman Park, which will be the venue for the 2013 Cyclocross World Championships. In the more near future, Eva Bandman Park will be hosted the USGP of Cyclocross Derby City Cup, and this regional race provided a good opportunity to fine-tune the course which had been damaged by flooding the spring.

Lindsay Rodkey took the women's Cat 4 Open win and Tomasz Golas took second the in the men's Cat 3 Master's race. In the Elite men's wave, Andy Messer took fourth and Fred Rose took eighth overall.

Results for The Lion of the Den can be found here and results for Storm the Greens can be found here.

Next weekend Cincinnati will host their premiere event of the cyclocross season, the Cincy 3 Cyclocross Festival. Registration for all three days of racing can be found at Bikereg.com.

Thanks to Chris Jones and Marcia Seiler for photos.

Old but pretty cool.

2011-10-26T15:07:00.000-04:00

Cyclefit

2011-10-24T09:59:00.000-04:00

From Randi Cox:
Good Morning!

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 every 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.

MTV Cycloplex CX #1

2011-10-24T08:16:00.002-04:00

This weekend's break in the OVCX schedule provided many local racers a much-needed rest weekend before digging into the last half of the season. Those that continued racing in the Ohio Valley were all strewn to their own regional endeavors with the Ohioans contesting their state championship, Kentuckians migrating south to participate in the Nashville series, and an old bastion of Indiana cyclcocross seeing new life at Major Taylor Velodrome. With Marian University taking over management of the velodrome and surrounding MTV Cycloplex facilities, ICX Cup racers got to see the first of three variations on the MTV cyclocross theme that will be contested this season.

Fred Rose took his first age agnostic Elite Men's podium of the season, coming in second behind Marian University's 19-year-old Josh Johnson. In the men's Cat 3 race, Tomasz Golas took fourth and Ashton Wishmeier took seventh.

Full results and lap times can be view at http://www.indianacxcup.com/.

Coming up this weekend will the ICX #5 Lion of the Den Cycocross near Muncie on Saturday, and OVCX #8 Storm the Greens at Eva Bandman Park in Louisville on Sunday.

IUSF Fall Cycling Series

2011-10-19T09:32:00.003-04:00

This is a reminder to all that the IUSF Fall Cycling Series will be taking place this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! Unfortunately, registration closed yesterday, but for those not participating, come on out to watch! Thursday will be the annual Little 500 bike Cyclocross event on and around the track at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The weather looks like proper cyclocross weather, so participants should enjoy some mud and cowbells (hopefully) - spectators come watch as riders tackle the challenges of hay bales, stairs, track-pavements transitions, and more! Friday will be a new spin on an old event - the Duathlon. This year the Duathlon will take place both at and around Bill Armstrong Stadium with some running on Jordan Ave followed by 2 miles on the cinder Little 500 track and then some more running down to Assembly Hall and wrapping up at the Hall of Champions Concourse. Saturday will bring the now-annual Street Sprints competition on North Jordan Ave. This is probably the most exciting event in which participants will drag race from a dead stop down North Jordan in an all-out sprint.

Series information can be found here: http://iusf.indiana.edu/little500/rider_info/Fall%20Series%20App%202011%20w%20bike.pdf

The official IUSF Press Release can be found here: http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/19893.html?emailID=19893

Hope to see you all there either riding or spectating! Maybe you'll see some entertainment like this:

Sometimes, you forget to jump OVER the hay bale and run into it... (pay no mind to who it is in the picture). Photo courtesy of Lauren Gowdy.

BloomingCross

2011-10-18T08:40:00.002-04:00

The Ohio Valley Cyclocross Series blew through Bloomington over the weekend along with some 40 mph winds. The seventh race of the series was contested on a sweeping, open course at Karst Farm Park.

In the Elite men's field, Fred Rose and Andy Messer continued to perform well. Fred took fourth overall and Andy took sixth, with each of them winning their respective age categories.

A trio of Bloomingtonians broke into the top 10 of the men's Cat 3 Open field, with Tomas Golas in fourth, Ryan Preske in sixth, and Aston Wichmeier in tenth. Robert Smallman and Will Sorg both took top 20 placings in the 55-man Cat 4 field, and Sarah Fredrickson walked away with another Cat 3 women's victory.

Finally, Bloomington was represented in a couple of categories that don't normally see much action on this blog with Chris Arvin competing in the singlespeed category and Henry Emmert competing in the Junior Boys 10-12 race.

At the end of the day, the Little 500 bike race provided some entertainment for the spectators who stuck around after the Elite men's race. Five women and six men took the challenge, but regular cyclocross experience proved valuable with Aaron Knapp and Sarah Fredrickson taking the respective wins after already competing earlier in the day.

Thanks to Carl Field for the photos.

Bloomingcross Pictures

2011-10-17T03:30:00.000-04:00

From Carl Field: "I took a lot of pics at Sunday's CX races at Karst Farms. I really hope the images include all the locals who were there busting their asses on a windy, dry course. Higher-res images are available if you find one you really like. These are far from being pro quality pics, so I expect no compensation for using the images, but I probably won't say 'no' if you offer to buy me a beer some time! -Carl F."

Bloomington CX 10-16-11

Hilly Hundred!

2011-10-15T10:25:00.000-04:00

Reminder that the Hilly Hundred is going on right now/this weekend! The weather is beautiful and the leaves look amazing right now. Head on over to Edgewood High School in nearby Elletsville, IN for the annual 2-day tour.

Details can be found at:
http://www.hillyhundred.org/

Wednesday CX Worlds at Karst Farm Park Again Tonight

2011-10-12T13:15:00.001-04:00

Riding will commence around 6:30.

Fred Rose Named Zipp OVCX Athlete of the Week

2011-10-12T12:20:00.003-04:00

Yet another Bloomington resident has been named the Zipp OVCX athlete of the week. From the OVCX Facebook page:

Congratulations to BikeReg.com's Fred Rose, and Shamrock Cycles' Rebecca Zink - whose hard racing and improvement through the first half of the OVCX season has earned them this week's OVCX Athletes-of-the-Week! They'll both be in Bloomington, IN for OVCX #7 this Sunday, racing on Zipp 303 tubulars. CONGRATS!!

Aaron Pilling's Excellent Hilly Hundred Going Away Day of Celebration

2011-10-10T21:22:00.004-04:00

Join us Saturday morning at 9:00 am for a ride leaving the downtown Scholars Inn Bakehouse and heading up to the Hilly course. Later that evening, we'll retreat to Aaron Pilling's at 7:30pm for a farewell celebration where the beverages will flow like the water in a cold, crisp Colorado stream.

All are welcome.

Aaron Pilling's house in at 3825 Regent's Circle, Bloomington, 47401.

It's a left off of E Moores Pike (just before Smith Rd) as you're heading East, then your first right. The house in on the left a few doors down.

Aarons email: adpilling@gmail.com.

CXers on the Hunt

2011-10-10T12:23:00.005-04:00

Regional cyclocross racing continued this weekend with a pair of hunting-themed courses. Saturday's ICX series race took place at the Trader's Point Hunt Club in Indianapolis, and Sunday's OVCX race took place at the Sycamore Pheasant Club, aka the Gun Club.

Saturday's race was held on a beautiful and smoking fast, rolling course. The only things that could slow riders down were the 80+ degree temperatures and a steep run-up with an extra-tall barrier at the bottom. Attendance was fair for the still-developing ICX series, but most of the participants seemed to come from the Indianapolis metro area. Bloomington was represented by William Sorg in the men's Cat 4 Open race, and Lindsay Rodkey in the women's Cat 3/4 Open race, who took third.

Sunday's Gun Club course is a perennial favorite of OVCX racers, and it proved lucky for Fred Rose and Lindsay Rodkey who each had breakthrough performances in their respective waves. Fred finished fourth out of the entire Elite Men's wave and took yet another Elite Master's 45+ victory. Lindsay was third overall in the Cat 4 women's wave, which was both considerably larger and more competitive than other recent OVCX races. Tomasz Golas started his 2011 cyclocross season off right, winning the men's Cat 3 Master's 35+ category. Adam Rodkey, Elizabeth Cobb, Ryan Preske, and Aston Wischmeier all competed at the Gun Club as well.

On the national scene, Ryan Knapp and Andy Messer tested their abilities at altitude at the USGP New Belgium Cup in Colorado. Andy managed to place in the top 20 in the Master's 35+ race each day, and Ryan placed 25th in the Elite Men on Saturday. Former Bloomingtonian recently turned Boulderite, Erik Hamilton, also competed in the Elite Men's race on Sunday.

Results from the weekend's races can be found here, here, and here.

Finally, don't miss your one chance to race cyclocross in Bloomington this season. Sign up for DRT BloomingCross presented by Wagner Research before 11:45 pm on Friday. Looking at the pre-reg list, it appears that there are still some cash prizes needing to be claimed in the men's Little 5 bike race, while the women's race is shaping up for some stiff competition.

Worth Remembering.

2011-10-07T05:53:00.000-04:00

Every Great Journey Begins With A Single Step. And That Step Was Taken 25 Years Ago Today.

On October 7th, 1987, the IU Student Foundation announced the formation of the Women’s Little 500 Bicycle Race. Prior to this decision, Lee Ann Guzek and Martha Hinkamp, the two returning riders from the Kappa Alpha Theta team who had attempted to enter the men’s race in 1987, had decided that instead of taking another shot at the men’s race in 1988, they would put their efforts into creating a Women’s event. After many years of the IUSF dismissing such an idea, the two women found receptive ears in IUSF Director Rita Erickson and Asst. Director Spiro Polus.

The task ahead was daunting, in addition to class, studying, and training they made 5-night a week pilgrimages to sororities, dorms and apartments, presenting the idea, to anyone they could find. They asserted that the time had come to for women to have their own race. Michelle Brundick, a member of the 1988 Theta team recalled: “Lee Ann & Martha were either training, in class, or out talking to prospective riders, to this day I'm not sure when they found the time to study or even sleep.”

On November 12th, Lee Ann, a senior, was appointed as the first president of the first Women's Rider’s Council. The other members were, Sandy Miller - VP, Martha Hinkamp, Jill Janov, Chris Emde, Kim Hunt, Liz Shofer, Chris Sotak, Suzi Bostwick, and Lisa McCallum. Lee Ann and Martha were the only two members that had experience in pack riding, exchanges, rollers, basic maintenance and bike handling skills as they applied to Little 500. They had to focus on these critical elements with their fellow Rider's Council members. In turn, Rider’s Council rolled out this information to the rest of the women's riders. At the end of qualifications, the field stood at 32 teams and on race day 31 teams took the track, the 32nd team loosing a team member and dropping out. However, they did participate in the rider’s parade on race day.

Those 31 teams set the stage for an event, now in its 25th year, has impacted over 2000 riders and tens of thousands of fans in an event that knows no equal. It has challenged, encouraged and, most of all, inspired. This unparalleled event has compelled women at Indiana University to navigate a road less traveled. And in the end these remarkable women have been with rewarded with increased confidence, priceless memories and lifetime friendships: Every one of them ultimately serving as incredible inspiration to each subsequent generation of Little 500 participants; both female as well as male.

Let’s all of us make this date and the coming year, a celebration of the women who, for 25 years, have never failed to show us what grace under pressure is all about.

Tom Schwoegler

Cascades-Griffey Trail

2011-10-05T10:53:00.001-04:00

In the paper this morning from The Herald Times:

Board OKs contract to build 8-foot-wide trail from Lower Cascades to Griffy Lake area. Hiring of consultants to assist with developing CSX Switchyard approved

By Rod Spaw 331-4338 | rspaw@heraldt.com
October 5, 2011

Construction of an 8-feet-wide multiuse trail from Lower Cascades Park to near Griffy Lake was authorized Tuesday by the Bloomington parks board, which also approved hiring a consulting team to guide development of the old CSX Switchyard property.

The board approved a contract with Dave O’Mara Contractor Inc. for $632,400 to build the nearly mile-long trail segment starting at Cascades Park. O’Mara was the lowest of five bidders for the work, according to Dave Williams, operations and development director for the Bloomington Department of Parks and Recreation.

The trail will begin at Clubhouse Drive in Lower Cascades Park and run along the west side of Cascades Park Road until crossing Walnut Street. The trail will end at a bridge over Griffy Creek across from Stone Mill Road.

A trail grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources will pay for the work. Williams said construction is expected to begin before the end of the year and be completed by spring 2012....

Full article here: http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2011/10/05/news.qp-7897999.sto

Wednesday CX Worlds

2011-10-05T10:11:00.000-04:00

From Adam Rodkey:

For the 10/4 edition of BTCXP/WWCX a few of us will be going out to Karst Farm Park. We will try to be there at 6:30 or so, but may be a touch later. The course is not marked so we will be attempting to reconstruct it by memory. We will try to keep the arguing ("it went to the left of this tree, then the right of that root" / "no it went to the right of this tree, then the left of that root") to a minimum and the riding to a maximum.

If your unable to make it out, feel free to ride the tailgate fields. The grounds have been scouted and are reported to be largely ride-able after this weekend's home game.

Have fun.

OVCX Dayton Weekend

2011-10-03T13:52:00.004-04:00

The OVCX series rolled on this weekend with its fourth and fifth races in the Dayton, OH area. Saturday's race took place in conjunction with the Gearfest outdoor equipment expo, but the mid fourty degree temperatures, drizzing rain, and gusting wind made it a not so great day for outdoor pursuits. Sunday's race took place Bryan State Park under much sunnier weather on a course that provided a wide range of surfaces and obstacles on which the racers contended.

The Bikereg.com ladies moved up in the world this week, as Liz Cobb upgraded to Cat 2 and Sarah Fredickson became a Cat 3. Adjusting well to their new roles, Liz took fifth place in the stronger-than-usual Elite Women's waves both days, while Sarah garned a pair of Cat 3 wins. Lindsay Rodkey took second place in the Cat 4 Open women's class on Sunday and completed the first half of the OVCX series still leading the series standings by a considerable margin.

On Sunday, Kyle Perry of Team Upland had a bit of trouble proving to the officials that he should be in the men's Cat 3 race. However, he had no trouble proving it to his competitors, riding away from the field by a hefty margin.

Bloomington's own Bangable Dude, Ryan Knapp was the big winner in the Elite Men's race both days this weekend, while Andy Messer and Fred Rose engaged a nice battle for fifth and sixth during Sunday's race. In the end, Messer won the sprint for fifth and they each took away the top spot in their respective age categories.

The coming weekend will be split between the ICX race at Trader's Point on Saturday and the OVCX race at the Gun Club in Miamiville, OH on Sunday.

Team SIB Party!

2011-09-30T12:56:00.000-04:00

Come party with us as we discuss the 2012 Scholars Inn Bakehouse Cycling Program. All are welcome from the Bloomington (and beyond) cycling community!

Scholars Inn Bakehouse 2012 Cycling Program Call-Out and 2011 Celebration!

Join the party if you’re interested in learning more about our program (or just to hang out with your cycling friends)!

Scholars Inn Bakehouse
Downtown – 125 N College Ave
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
8:00 p.m.

Food and refreshments will be served

RSVP before Oct 4th to Tom Saccone, sacconetom@yahoo.com

It's official....totally bangable!

2011-09-29T13:45:00.000-04:00

Screw the Cutters, screw Little 500, screw the Bloomington Crit, screw CX! THIS is the biggest news out of Bloomington in the history of this blog...

RYAN KNAPP IS A BANGABLE DUDE...it's totally official!

Elizabeth Cobb Named OVCX Female Athlete of the Week

2011-09-28T08:44:00.004-04:00

Breaking news from the OVCX Facebook page:

Congratulations to Ryan Hubbs (Speedway Wheelmen) and Elizabeth Cobb (BikeReg.com), whose tough performances over the weekend in Indy have made them our Zipp OVCX Athletes-of-the-Week! They each will be getting the pro treatment riding Zipp 303's this weekend at GearFest CX and John Bryan Cyclocross Classic p/b Buckingham Financial!

Photo Credit: Cycle Exposure

Specialized Safety issue

2011-09-27T17:15:00.000-04:00

From Brian Drummy, who is available to take compensation law-suits....jk

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/specialized-bicycle-components-recalls-bicycles-due-to-fall-hazard-130364278.html

$$$ needed for L-ville 2013

2011-09-27T04:03:00.002-04:00

Losing this would be a little embarrassing. Any $10 donation will help I'm sure!

Indy CX Weekend

2011-09-26T14:36:00.005-04:00

The OVCX series rolled on this weekend with two races in Indianapolis. Saturday's race at Brookside Park featured a slightly slick "power course" with multiple road sections and three dismount points per lap: the famous old stone stairs, a fallen tree, and of course, the regular barrier section. The light rain that spit on and off throughout the day on Saturday started up in earnest in the evening and fell steadily through the day on Sunday. This turned what would have been a pretty flat and straightforward course at Fort Harrison State Park into an epic mudfest for the afternoon races.

The Bikereg.com women dominated the weekend with Sarah Fredrickson taking the Cat 4 women's victory and Elizabeth Cobb winning not only the women's Cat 3, but the entire elite women's wave on Saturday. Sunday saw another Cat 4 win for Fredrickson, while Cobb hung on for the Cat 3 win but placed further back against some of the elite women with greater mud handling skills. Lindsay Rodkey benefitted from Sunday's muddy conditions, rounding out the women's Cat 4 podium and placing fifth in the wave.

Photo credit: Luther Prater

In the elite men's wave, Fred Rose and Adam Rodkey both saw improvements on Saturday, with Rose in fifth overall and Rodkey in eleventh. Fred was also the Elite Master's 45+ category winner.

Other Bloomingtonians who came out to play in the mud over the weekend included, but were not limited to Ashton Wischmeir, Ryan Preske, William Sorg, Corbin Baird, Aaron Knapp, Matt Kiel, and Ryan Kiel. As the Sunday results are not yet posted, please note any Bloomington CXers that may have been missed in the comments, so that we can keep up with them throughout the rest of the season.

Further afield this weekend, the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross kicked off at the Planet Bike Cup in Madison, WI. Andy Messer had a successful weekend in the Master's 35+ category, taking sixth place each day. Local/former local fast guys Ryan Knapp, Mike Sherer, and Isaac Neff all competed in the Men's Elite races, which featured several European pros, including former world champion Bart Wellens. Knapp held his ground against this stiff competition in Saturday's race, breaking into the top 20.

Up next in the region will be OVCX race #4 and #5, both taking place in Dayton, OH area on October 1 and 2.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13245

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=14163

Also, it's not too early to start planning for Bloomington's own OVCX race, DRT BloomingCross presented by Wagner Research. Registration is open, and in addition to the normal OVCX race program, BloomingCross will feature a Little 500 bike category with cash prizes for both men and women. If anyone has a small (<= 50 cm) Little 500 bike that they wouldn't mind loaning out on October 16, this writer will gladly provide some entertainment for the crowd by attempting to maintain forward momentum AND avoid collision for 30 minutes.

From GP- I added this to Lindsay's post..it's taken from her blog and it's good fun so worth including here as well! Getting crazy on the barriers!

2012 Little 500....the long odds

2011-09-21T19:15:00.000-04:00

A few folks have asked about the pre-season 2012 Little 500 odds as generated (seemingly randomly) in the previous years (2009, 2010). Now these thoughts aren’t exactly based on knowledge for obvious reasons but are more to start the debate from people who might actually know! Have at it....

Womens Little 500- April 20th 2012

2/1 Teter- Three time champs know how to win and replace CvK with Hutch, which is as good as it could get.

5/1 Delta Gamma- Doogs and Phillips with plenty talent in waiting looking to put such a strong show in 2010 into a big result

5/1 Kappa Alpha Theta- Surprisingly poor result in 2011 doesn’t reflect their talent and dedication. Look for them to bounce back strong.

6/1 Wing-it- The facilities and expertise leading the team have got to get this talented group on the podium soon, right?

10/1 Kappa Kappa Gamma. Always there….

15/1 Delta Zeta- Big surprise from last year surely on the uptick.

16/1 Army Cycling- Otteweiler returns as one of the strongest riders on track but losing 3 strong seniors will be tough to replace.

18/1 Kappa Delta- Coach Norm knows how to organize a house that embraces the race so will be around the top ten.

25/1 The Field- No clue but don’t see anyone else making the top 5.

Mens Little 500- April 21st 2012

3/1 Cutters- 5 time consecutive champs but only 2 returning rings…unless ‘Patches’ jumps back in…. The team to beat as ever.

7/2 Phi Delta Theta- Four returning riders, have been very aggressive in the past two years. Steve Sharp will battle RJ Stuart to be BMOtrack. 1st or 33rd is the mantra and they need a win!

5/1 Delta Tau Delta- Will miss James Coudright but RJ Stuart was amongst the strongest in 2011 and the team will surely continue to be aggressive.

5/1 Sigma Chi- Fish and Morrow are back and may just win it!

6/1 Beta Theta Pi- Bad race in 2011 but should bounce back with a strong squad of dudes.

10/1 Black Key Bulls. Rex Raffety in the house and on the track!

12/1 Hoosier Climber?- I’m assuming they will continue to improve

12/1 CRU cycling- Not sure what happened in the 2011 race but they seemed to have a good organization and some talent

15/1 Acacia- A nice renaissance in 2011 will hopefully enthuse the house to get the program back on track

15/1 Delta Chi- On the upward track…may be the surprise team in 2012

15/1 Sigma Nu- Fratstars amazingly took the pole in 2011 and talked a good game. Can they back it up in 2012?

20/1 The Field- That’s all I got…anyone else out there to challenge?

Joey's OK....

2011-09-21T18:42:00.000-04:00

I think this has been doing the internet rounds but is pretty funny for the non-CXers out there...

Torch ride last call

2011-09-21T18:18:00.000-04:00

The event is this coming saturday the 24th.... Eric Anderson needs YOU!

Details here.

OVCX #1 Fisherman's Park

2011-09-19T08:02:00.004-04:00

The 2011 Ohio Valley Cyclocross Series opened to a rainy morning at Fisherman's Park in Louisville, KY on Sunday. Along with course's traditional off-camber sections and steep uphill grunts, the course designers added many new twists and turns as well as a forced dismount at the bottom of one hill. The tight turns and brake-clogging wet grass made for slow going in the early races, but conditions dried up for the elite races in the afternoon.

Quite a few category changes were made to the OVCX series this year. This included a Cat 4 only women's race and a separately scored Cat 3 women's category within the elite women's wave. This seems to have been beneficial for Bloomingtonians as Lindsay Rodkey took the women's Cat 4 Open win, and Elizabeth Cobb became the first-ever OVCX Cat 3 women's winner.

The other big category change for 2011 was the combination of the men's Elite 1/2 race with the Elite Master's 35+ and 45+ races. The result was a massively competitive 50 man field vying for 20 place's worth of prize money. Erik Hamilton, Andy Messer, Fred Rose, and Adam Rodkey all rose to the challenge, each finishing within the top 15. Additionally, Erik Hamilton finished second overall, with Andy Messer taking the 35+ win and Fred Rose taking second in the 45+ category.

Raw wave results for OVCX #1 are here.

Up next on the OVCX schedule is a double weekend in Indianapolis. Saturday's race will take place the classic Indiana cyclocross venue of Brookside Park, and Sunday's race will be held at Fort Harrison State Park. These races will also serve as the opening rounds for Indiana's own 12-race series, the Indiana Cyclocross Cup.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13984

Collegiate Track Nats

2011-09-18T10:06:00.003-04:00

Yesterday the 2011 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships wrapped up and to nobody's surprise Marian University once again clinched the team omnium title. The IU boys managed to sneak into 11th with a small contingent of riders and no women's team.

Chris West, Sam Harbison, Kevin Depasse, and Rex Rafferty compete in the 3K team pursuit. Photo from the Indianapolis Star.

Rex Rafferty managed to another top-10 finish in the Sprint (in addition to his 7th place finish in the Kilo). Full results can be found at the official website (https://www.usacycling.org/events/2011/collegiatetrack/) and the final wrap-up from USA Cycling here: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=7058

Great job to all who represented the Hoosiers this past weekend!

Collegiate Track Nationals Day 1

2011-09-15T20:59:00.002-04:00

Today was the first day of the 2011 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships. IU had good representation with Rex Rafferty taking 7th in the Kilo and Kevin Depasse taking 20th in the 4K - both scoring points! Great job guys - keep it up!

IUSF Ride Friday 9/16/2011

2011-09-15T20:58:00.001-04:00

Reminder that the weekly IUSF ride will be leaving from the Wilcox House tomorrow at 4:30pm. Route options this week are: Low Gap (long route) and Sample (short route). Hope to see another great turnout! (65+ last week!)

Tuning Up for Cyclocross

2011-09-13T07:36:00.002-04:00

Cyclocross racing started up in the region this weekend with three tune-up races over two days. On Saturday, Kingwood Park in Cincinnati hosted Lionhearts CX, and Huber's Applecross offered two days of racing on the Joe Huber Family Farm near Borden, IN. Around 350 total racers participated in the three events, which appears to be a sign of big things to come when everyone converges into the first OVCX race.

A few Bloomington racers tested their early season fitness at the Huber's Applecross weekend. The course was located further away from the main farm and resturant site this year, taking place at "the lake house" down the road. This afforded the racers their own separate parking and a nice pavilion for the festivities. The course featured smooth, swoopy sections and some gravel straightaways, but also a sandpit with an 180 degree turn, a short run-up, and the inevitable bumpy trip through the apple orchard.

Fred Rose proved to be Bloomington's big winner for the weekend, as he fought off hungy up-and-comers to take first place in the Men's Elite 45+ category both days. Ryan Preske garnered a fourth place finish in the Men's Cat 3 on Saturday, while Lindsay Rodkey earned a spot on the Women's Cat 3/4 podium with a third place. Chris Wood and Timothy Nixon also represented Bloomington in the Men's Cat 4 race on Sunday.

Results for Lionhearts CX and Huber's Applecross can be found here and here.

Next Sunday will kick off the OVCX series Fisherman's Park in Louisville, KY. Pre-registration closes at 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, so get your entry in soon.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13943

Track Nats 2011

2011-09-12T12:41:00.000-04:00

It's National Collegiate Track Champs this coming Thursday-Sunday back in Indianapolis. We all know the IU successes of 2010 and this year promises to be exciting as well. Maybe no National champs on the squad but Chris West, Kevin Depasse, Sam Harbison, Tim Nixon and Rex Raffety have all been riding strongely so will represent IU very well (sorry if I missed anyone)! The schedule is here so go support them if you get the chance. The announcer won't be as biased this year but I'm sure it'll still be fun times!
See the CCN preview here.

IUDM Torch Ride

2011-09-11T05:08:00.000-04:00

55 Miles to Save a Child!

Dear Riders,

On Saturday, September 24th, IUDM will be hosting its 6th annual Torch Ride, a cycling event, from Riley Hospital for Children to Bloomington. Each year this event is a centerpiece of the IUDM experience, serving as a ride in honor of Ashley Crouse, an IUDM Vice President who passed away in a car accident on campus in 2005. Current IUDM Fundraising leader Eric Anderson, will lead the pack of cyclists from Riley Hospital to Bloomington, while carrying a torch that will ultimately be placed at the marathon as a reminder of Ashley's legacy and dedication to IU Dance Marathon and the children at Riley.

IUDM works year-round to raise funds and awareness for Riley Hospital for Children. Since it began, the IU Dance Marathon has raised more than $10 million for Riley Hospital for Children, which built and continues to support the Ryan White Infectious Disease Center. If you click here, you can learn more about IUDM and the Center it has built.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReLrlwR5WH4

We will be leaving Bloomington at 8:00am and will be providing transportation for riders and their bikes up to Indianapolis for the start of the ride at 10:00am. We will be using this route to make our way back down to Bloomington:

http://classic.mapmyride.com/route/us/in/indianapolis/143131344391685772

The cost for participation will be $20, or $25 which includes lunch.

Riders can register by signing up online at:

http://www.helpmakemiracles.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventDetails&eventID=951

Help make a difference today and gather your friends and teammates to join in on this amazing event! For more information please visit www.iudm.org or email ericande@indiana.edu for questions!

For the Kids and ALC,

IUSF Friday Ride

2011-09-08T17:27:00.002-04:00

Just a reminder that tomorrow there will be another IUSF Little 500 Group Ride at 4:30pm leaving from the Wilcox House. Last week there was an enormous turnout (55+ people!), so come on out and make some new friends! Rookies in particular are encouraged to attend - there will be numerous Riders Council members there for guidance. Routes for this week are: Paragon Loop for the long route and Robinson-Nehrt for the short option. Any questions can be directed to Riders Council or the Race Director Jordan Bailey.

WW Update

2011-09-07T10:22:00.001-04:00

There are large portions of tonight's course that have been chip and sealed, indluding the large downhill into Paragon. Therefore, I recommend changing the route. I think we should do 2 forest loops. We can decide at the gates whether to go up or down Beanblossom. Hope to see everyone there.

Final Morgan-Monroe State Forest TT Times

2011-09-07T08:02:00.001-04:00

Final MMSF TT Report from Sarah Sanders:

So we had a good showing for our final TT. Cool weather, but some wind action. Not too many PRs set but still some solid times. RCS had the fastest time for the night (21:00). Awards were given out to fastest male/female times for the evening: Jonathan Atwell (21:21--we skip over RCS on award night) and Lindsay Bruick with a PR of 26:45--which she debuted a a killer skin suit for the finale last night. Most improvement over the year went to Sarah Frederickson who dropped 2 minutes. The two top times gunning for guys' award didn't show so John Kinder walked away with the prize because he had dropped 1:23 this season. Then it was raffle galore! Soma, Laughing Planet, Village Deli, and Bloomington Bagel Company outdid themselves this year with the generous load of merchandise and gift cards. Much thanks to them once again for supporting our series!!!! Also, please put a major shout out for my lovely timing and raffle assistant Melena Kolovou Raglin.

Times:

Ryan Shanahan 21:00

Jonathan Atwell 21:21

Kevin Depasse (M) 23:11

Jason Romain 23:25

Steve Sharp (M) 23:42

Scott Jerden 24:01

Alex Jerden 24:11

Tom Cox (M) 24:37

Chris West (M) 25:01

Sam Herbison (M) 25:32

Tom Chorny (M) 25:37

Thomas Walsh (M) 25:40

Nick Torrence (M) 25:42
Eric Brodell (M) 25:42

Cameron Johns 26:08

"Doug" Sam Stanford (M) 26:44

Lindsay Bruick 26:45

John Kinder 27:03

Sarah Fredrickson (M) 27:17

Tatiana Kolovou 27:34
Brian Drummy (M) 27:34

David Shirley (M) 27:42

Nicole Richardson (M) 28:54

Amy Dickman (M) 29:21

Kate McDougal (M) 30:34

**** ALSO: someone left a set of keys (!) and their flat kit on the ledge of the forest sign. ryan picked them up and will take them to the bike shop for the owner to collect.****

Final MMSF TT!

2011-09-06T11:36:00.001-04:00

Reminder: There will be another MMSF TT tomorrow (September 6th) at 7:00pm. 10-mile out and back course in Morgan-Monroe State Forest, start/finish where Main Forest Road and Old 37 meet. Riders will go 30 seconds apart starting at 7:00pm. A group usually leaves from behind the Bicycle Garage, Inc. shortly after 6:00pm for a brisk ride out. Current course record is 20:31 by Ryan Shanahan.

See previous post about prizes!

Final Morgan-Monroe State Forest TT

2011-09-03T18:27:00.002-04:00

From Sarah Sanders:

Morgan Monroe State Forest TT Finale...Come one, come all!

We'll be wrapping up the summer TT race series this Tuesday,September 6th at the Forest (Junction of Old 37 and Forest Road) First rider is sent off at 7 p.m. As always, this is the one to attend because there will be PRIZES!!! Some of our favorite cycling-friendly businesses have rallied to make the evening more exciting by donating some schwag. THANK YOU TO SOMA, LAUGHING PLANET, VILLAGE DELI and BLOOMINGTON BAGEL COMPANY!

We'll be honoring the Top Female & Male times for the evening, Best Improvement/time dropped on comparable bike (Female & Male), as well as some extra schwag that will be raffled! So whether you've been out a time or two to ride the TT, or if you just got back to Bloomington and want to hop on the bike and enjoy some 70 degree weather on the bike, come on out and join us!

Young Reflects on National Cycling Win

2011-09-02T16:15:00.002-04:00

Read the IDS coverage on Eric's Pro Criterium National Championship win here:

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=82609

IUSF Group Ride!

2011-09-02T10:46:00.002-04:00

Hey All-

Join the new Race Director Jordan Bailey and Riders Council today for a group ride at 4:30pm leaving from the Wilcox House! Pace should be relaxed and genial. Rookies especially are welcome - loaner bikes are available at the Wilcox House if needed! This is planned to be a weekly ride every Friday afternoon at 4:30pm, so come out and make it a success!

Something Worth Reading

2011-09-01T18:35:00.002-04:00

Elite National TT Champ Jonathan Jacob was considerate enough to share this article on his Facebook. I definitely agree with many of the points the author makes and everyone who rides around Bloomington (particularly those with little cycling experience) would do well to read through this. The article is called "Lost Art of the Group Ride." The link is below:

http://carolinacyclingnews.com/2011/09/01/lost-art-of-the-group-ride/

US Criterium Champion Celebration!

2011-08-27T21:05:00.002-04:00

US Criterium Champion Celebration
by Aaron Pilling

Bloomington has always been a hotbed of American cycling. The Little 500, coupled with the accessibility to beautiful terrain from anywhere in town, has established Bloomington as a unique cycling community. As a consequence, Bloomington has also enjoyed a long legacy of talented and successful bike racers. Graduating in 1986, Little 500 produced 1992 Track Team Pursuit Olympian Jim Pollak. Around the same time, Ben Sharp was breaking in his Little 500 legs, preparing himself for eight National Champion titles in varying disciplines throughout the 90s.

More recently, Bloomington has produced a massive list of elite, national caliber bike racers, men and women alike. Pro riders Mike Sherer and Eric Young are both in the beginnings of successful pro careers. Perhaps equally as talented are elite locals Erik Hamilton, Ryan Knapp, and Jonathan Atwell. The talent in Bloomington is so deep that masters riders like Fred Rose and Ryan Shanahan are forces to respect and admire. While these riders, and all local cyclists bring diverse talents to the sport, they also share an inherent and communal love for Bloomington cycling.

Two weeks ago, we saw Eric Young firmly establish himself as a powerhouse in pro cycling. The Criterium National Championship is arguably the most prestigious one-day race in America. While his compelling Stars and Stripes victory and fast-track ascent to pro glory don't downplay the accomplishments of past and present Bloomington cyclists, it does underscore the talent that Bloomington engenders. Eric Young has made us all Citius, Altius, Fortius! And for this, we shall have a PARTY!!!

Come join us on Wednesday, August 31st to celebrate a National Champion! The party will be located in the upstairs room at the Scholars Inn restaurant, beginning at 8:30pm. All are welcome to attend and Eric will be there. Drink specials will include $3 beers and half priced martinis.

In as much as this is a celebration for Eric to honor his personal accomplishment, it is also a celebration for all Bloomington cyclists. In as much as Eric has made us all stronger cyclists, we have also collectively made him stronger. Come join us for a night of fun, celebration, and honor. Contact me atadpilling@gmail.com for any questions, and I hope to see you there!!

interview

2011-08-26T13:31:00.000-04:00

As Eric Young week draws to a close on BVN, check out an interview with John Gatch. Listen in at around the 20minute mark. Lots of Little 500 and groupie talk!
Interview

Ouch

2011-08-25T18:34:00.000-04:00

@KarstenKroon (BMC) tweeted these the other day from La Vuelta...
- The worst crash I've ever seen, going 70k/h I was in the wheel of @kaarvesen when a child ran on the road and he couldn't avoid him.
- I narrowly escaped and thought they were both dead. I was in shock, could not peddel anymore and started crying.
- I thought, so now the race stops or what? Incredibly, both Kurt and the kid are more or less ok. Thank god.

I did wonder what that looked like.... wonder no more...Ouch!

Link

collegiate cx

2011-08-25T04:10:00.002-04:00

From the MWCCC-
Below is the collegiate cyclocross schedule. This year, some of the events will be part of existing non-collegiate races which are noted below. Since this is a season of racing, participation will be required in order to compete at nationals.

November 6 - Lindenwood (Bubba Cross)
November 12 - UW-Madison (WCA Cyclccross)
November 13 - Ripon
November 19 - Marian/Purdue (Indiana CX) - Regionals
November 20 - Ball State

Vid of Crit Nats

2011-08-24T17:45:00.000-04:00

It's Eric Young week here at BVN and this vid is of the last few laps of the Crit Champs (from Eric's Website).

Nicely ridden final lap by Bissell.
Can anyone offer insight into why Brad Huff got a little hot at the end. He seemed to be the one chopping Eric with 2 corners to go. I assume he was complaining in the tird person as he likes to do.. 'Brad Huff is not happy...'
Nice ride and maybe even better interview! Saying all the right things, very PRO!

Eric Young wins USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship!

2011-08-20T22:57:00.004-04:00

Eric Young capped off an incredible season that includes 2 NRC wins with a victory at the USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship. He will be wearing the stars and bars at every crit he participates in next year. The race was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was actually stopped with a few laps left due to severe weather in the area. After a considerable break (reminiscent of the 2010 Little 5) the race resumed and 30 laps were put on the counter. The roads were still wet and several riders went down. BIssell took control and delivered Young to the win. He overtook Jelly Belly's Brad Huff at the line for his 4th National Championship (3 in Collegiate Track). Who knows what lies next? There are clearly big things ahead.

With quads like these how couldn't you win! Jake keough in 3rd looks pissed...I guess he missed his Aussie leadout men ;) (from Geraint)

Young Wins Crit Nationals!

2011-08-20T16:27:00.000-04:00

Eric Young (BISSELL) won USA Cycling Pro Criterium Nationals!

Brief results from www.cyclingnews.com

1	Eric Young (Bissell)
2	Brad Huff (Jelly Belly p/b Kenda)
3	Jake Keough (UnitedHealthCare)
4	Isaac Howe (Kenda/5-hour Energy)
5	Alex Candelario (Kelly Benefit Strategies/OptumHealth)

Beware and be careful.

2011-08-15T09:18:00.001-04:00

Tweeted by Aaron Pilling (@adpilling): Watchout for crazy old guy in late 90s dark green suburban. Hoosier vet plate 128. Tried running me off road, pulled gun. Filing report.

Mass Ave Crit- Saturday 12th!

2011-08-12T02:56:00.000-04:00

art de france

2011-08-11T03:52:00.000-04:00

If you're looking to brighten that new apartment with a little 'cycling-art', some of these are quite nice.

http://www.zazzle.co.uk/gifts?ch=cyclingposters

MMSF #8 Times

2011-08-09T22:19:00.002-04:00

Tonight saw a modest turnout of 17 riders at the 8th Morgan-Monroe State Forest Time Trial this year. To no surprise, the fastest time of the day was clocked by course record holder Ryan Shanahan. His time of 20.44 was a little off his own record of 20.31, but still over a minute and a half faster than the next rider. The fastest Merckx rider did not want his name posted, thus we will call him "Codename Conundrum" - his time of 24.30 was the best non-aero ride. Lindsay Bruick was the fastest woman on the day with a time of 26.54. Good job to all who attended and thank you to Sarah Sanders for timing!

Full Results below:

Place	Name	Time	MPH
1	Ryan Shanahan	20.44	28.94	TT
2	Ren-Jay Shei	22.22	26.83	TT
3	Alex Jerden	23.40	25.35	TT
4	"Codename"	24.30	24.49	Merckx
4	Bob Costello	24.30	24.49	TT
6	Chris West	24.42	24.29	TT
7	Josh Kush	25.16	23.75	Merckx
8	Larry Mullinnix	25.35	23.45	TT
9	Lyle Feigenbaum	25.36	23.44	Merckx
10	Shane Slaven	25.55	23.15	TT
11	Tom Chorny	26.14	22.87	Merckx
12	Marc Kelwaski	26.25	22.71	TT
13	Lindsay Bruick	26.54	22.30	TT
14	Sam Stanford	27.01	22.21	Merckx
15	Brian Drummy	27.25	21.88	Merckx
16	Dave Shirley	27.59	21.44	Single Speed
17	Rachel Griffin	28.28	21.08	TT

MMSF TT #8

2011-08-08T10:30:00.000-04:00

Reminder: There will be another MMSF TT tomorrow (August 9th) at 7:00pm. 10-mile out and back course in Morgan-Monroe State Forest, start/finish where Main Forest Road and Old 37 meet. Riders will go 30 seconds apart starting at 7:00pm. A group usually leaves from behind the Bicycle Garage, Inc. shortly after 6:00pm for a brisk ride out. Current course record is 20:31 by Ryan Shanahan.

Wednesday CX Worlds

2011-08-07T23:35:00.001-04:00

From Fred Rose-

Cross season is coming and I got the fever for more cowbell!

Starting Wed, Aug 17, Bloomington's Wednesday Cross Worlds begins for the 2011 season. Those wanting to hone their CX skills for the upcoming season will be meeting at Sample Gates at 6:00pm. From there we will ride to the cross course. There will be some new features for this year. Unlike previous seasons where we rode almost exclusively at the Tailgate Fields, this year we hope to mix things up by rotating through various course sites. Sites will include, Karst Farm, Twin Lakes, Tailgate Fields, (possibly other sites around campus).

The first few Wednesdays we'll concentrate on skills training: barrier dismounts, cornering etc.. After a couple of weeks of that we'll start working our way into some training races after a suitable warm up period. Races will be 45minutes long and we plan on continuing WCXW into October (or we run out of daylight!).

Thanks for organizing this Fred!

Downtown Warsaw Crit! Sign up TODAY!

2011-08-04T05:03:00.000-04:00

From Tom Cox: Racing of Riley p/b Alderfer Bergen would like to invite you to the Downtown Warsaw Classic this Saturday August 6th. The course is a short 4 corner crit that is wide open and fast. The payouts are guaranteed and most races have $500 payout. The races are later in the day so you don't have to get up super early to make it to the venue. Plus if you are planning to do the Indiana state road race on Sunday you can stay in the area to get some extra sleep. Here is the link to the registration (ends Thursday Aug 4th at 11:59pm). Here is a link to the flyer.
Entry for multiple races a great deal so double up and take some extra $$ home with you! Come out and support some local Indiana racing.

Thanks,

Racing for Riley p/b Alderfer Bergen

Downtown Warsaw Crit - This Weekend!

2011-08-02T20:21:00.000-04:00

From Tom Cox-

Racing of Riley p/b Alderfer Bergen would like to invite you to the Downtown Warsaw Classic this Saturday August 6th. The course is a short 4 corner crit that is wide open and fast. There payouts are guaranteed and each most races have $500 payout. The races are later in the day so you don't have to get up super early to make it to the venue. Plus if you are planning to do the Indiana state road race on Sunday you can stay in the area to get some extra sleep. Here is the link to the registration (ends Thursday Aug 4th at 11:59pm) http://www.truesport.com/register/events/flyer.asp?ID=1578. Here is a link to the flyer:
http://www.kcvcycling.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/11WarsawRoadCritFlyer.pdf Entry for multiple races a great deal so double up and take some extra $$ home with you! Come out and support some local Indiana racing.

Thanks,

Racing for Riley p/b Alderfer Bergen

MMSF #7 Times

2011-07-27T00:08:00.003-04:00

Tonight was the 7th edition of the Morgan-Monroe State Forest TT for 2011 and 18 riders came out to tackle the course on a hot and humid day. Jonathan Atwell continues to improve, throwing down a 21.03 (a PR by 17 seconds if I'm correct), amidst finishing his dissertation - a real accomplishment! Erik Hamilton was the fastest Merckx TTer with a 22.10. On the women's side Tatiana Kolovou and Rachel G. tied for 1st both with a 27.54. Due to a lack of paper for the timers, initials and times were recorded on an iPhone. I've deciphered the initials as best I can and tried to recall Merckx/TT from memory, but if there are any corrections, please let me know. Great job to all who came out and thank you to Mr. Adam Rodkey and Mr. Eric Young for timing!

Full Results:

Place	Name	Time	MPH
1	Jonathan Atwell	21.03	28.50
2	Erik Hamilton	22.10	27.07
3	Ryan Preske	23.56	25.07
4	Ren-Jay Shei	24.36	24.39
5	Tom Cox	24.44	24.26
6	Bob Costello	24.53	24.11
7	Shane Slaven	25.49	23.24
8	Lyle Feigenbaum	25.55	23.15
9	John Kinder	26.08	22.96
10	Cameron Johns	26.18	22.81
11	JK2	27.02	22.19
12	L.B.	27.32	21.79
13	Tatiana Kolovou	27.54	21.51
13	Rachel G.	27.54	21.51
15	Randi Cox	27.56	21.48
16	Sue Aquila	28.22	21.15
17	Nicole Richardson	28.27	21.09
18	V.B.	32.22	18.54

MMSF TT #7

2011-07-25T09:15:00.000-04:00

Reminder: There will be another MMSF TT tomorrow (July 26th) at 7:00pm. 10-mile out and back course in Morgan-Monroe State Forest, start/finish where Main Forest Road and Old 37 meet. Riders will go 30 seconds apart starting at 7:00pm. A group usually leaves from behind the Bicycle Garage, Inc. shortly after 6:00pm for a brisk ride out. Current course record is 20:31 by Ryan Shanahan.

New man at the helm..

2011-07-22T19:13:00.001-04:00

Jordan Bailey is the new IUSF Little 500 Race Director. Arguably the most coveted job in Bloomington and the person that yields the biggest amount of grief from entitled riders and coaches on this blog and beyond. Jordan is a great guy who will be a fine representative and will perhaps even bring the Tri-community to the race. We've had aero-helmets.... will there be TT bars and one-pieces at ITTs next year? Prepare for constant calls from Mssrs Purvis, Ewing and Schwolger.....enjoy ;)

Scholars Inn Bakehouse Cycling Festival / Bloomington Criterium Thanks

2011-07-19T12:27:00.004-04:00

Thanks to those of you who helped make the downtown Bloomington event a success! Although we've been doing this for years, the preparation and groundwork to host a downtown venue are mind-numbing, starting months before the event until the last rider is in. Unofficially, I counted over seventy people with specific tasks and responsibilities directly related to the race or preparations. In addition to the over 200 racers in five categories, some estimates were that over 1,000 people lined the course throughout the night! Many thanks too, to the sponsors and benefactors, both long term and those dedicated to our teams all season and those who gave for just this event-as many have done year after year. Their gifts and support and patience are one measure of the strength of cycling in Bloomington. I know you don't race for money but it's nice when a community is engaged enough in our sport that shuts down the streets, re-routes traffic and generally creates a nuisance, to provide gifts and cash for your efforts. It's also fulfilling for me to see how the racers interacted with the crowds and passersby in such a professional and courteous manner- not always so easy when the adrenalin is jacked. I was witness, at my post at the start/finish, to countless interactions between rider/fan/resident and visitor. Our community takes its cues from how we behave and that perception is what allows us back again next year.

If you have a moment, tell us how we did, and as importantly, what we can do better or differently next year.

I've seen a few photo galleries published from local photographers. John Bennett's are some of the most inclusive and are also posted at http://n4xi.smugmug.com/2011BikeRaces/Scholars-Inn-Bakehouse-Cycling.

Thanks for your support, both on and off the bike.

Tom Saccone
Director, Scholars Inn Bakehouse Cycling

Bloomington Crit

2011-07-17T03:33:00.002-04:00

Nice video (until the end) from Eric Anderson. Looks like the chap from Team Upland went a little hot into the final corner, Kevin Depasse lost the rear and the rest in ugly!

Full Results
Photos from Brian Drummy
Katie Weber

John Grant with a gutted Ryan Knapp in 3rd.

hmmm Upland, stay classy

2011-07-15T22:02:00.002-04:00

Bloomingto tweets and odds

2011-07-15T08:03:00.000-04:00

Twitter trash-talk has been pretty slow in the week leading up to the big event but there have been a few gems...
@ryan_knapp ...anyone looking to buy a result from @Panthercycling at the Bloomington Crit, our only accepted currency is Jager Bombs. Thx.

@jinglehammer I wonder if @Jason_Fowler has been sleeping in an altitude tent and aiding recovery with space legs in prep for the B-town crit?

@jason_fowler Cleaning the 808s and washing my aero booties. @ahubbe it's never to hot for an extra 10 watts #btowncrit

And the classic
@jason_fowler Hay is in the barn

But who is going to win...

So looking at the start-list and knowing who else may show up, it's time for a little fun and assessing the favorite for the Pro/1/2/3 race. Italics mean their participation is not 100% but likely...

5/1 joint fav- Chad Burdzilauskas (Texas Roadhouse).
5/1 joint fav- John Grant (Texas Roadhouse) Both are on good form with recent Superweek wins. TRH are masters of taking this race by the scruff of the neck and dominating the final laps. However is deginated sprinter will be the favorite.

6/1 Chris Uberti (Panther Cycling) Likely the team sprinter if it comes to a bunch kick. The only negative would be a Purdont grad taking the Ultimate Bloomington prize.

7/1 Ryan Knapp (Panther Cycling) Also on good sprint form and could be the favorite from a small group. Motivated for the home town win.

10/1 Jon Jacob (NUVO cycling)
10/1 Erik Hamilton (Panther Cycling)
10/1 Jake Rytlewski (Kenda Pro Cycling) All these three need to find the break and then prolly attack it to finish solo. Tricky but not impossible

12/1 Mike Sherer (Kelly Benefit) First race back from a broken collar bone. Would be a big ask but if any residual sprint form remains then he really wants this one!

15/1 Jason Fowler (ZIPP). Riding solo as usual. Peaking for this event (see above) and always races up at Bloomington. A decent each/way bet I think.

18/1 Jonathan Atwell (Scholars Inn Bakehouse) Big win at Grandview but will be looking for the break like Jacob, Hamilton et al)

20/1 Matthew Light (Racing for Riley)
20/1 Graham Dewart (Scholars Inn Bakehoue) Seem to be the sprinters for their respective teams but it would be a step up in class to compete in this event. Both teams will be looking to get in the break and see what happens.

25/1 The Field- Anyone else out there to compete? Let me know, I'm a little out the loop!

detour

2011-07-15T07:40:00.000-04:00

one of my bike-chums here in the 'pool helped put this together. Nice little vid.

MMSF #6 Times

2011-07-12T20:36:00.003-04:00

The recent heat finally broke just in time for the MMSF TT #6 tonight, and there was a decent turnout of 14-riders despite the threatening skies. Jonathan Atwell continues to improve, clocking a 21:20 to take the top spot for the day. Ryan Preske had the best Merckx time with a 24:15 and the lone female rider was Nicole Richardson, who rode a 30:26. Thanks to Alex Jerden who was kind enough to time. Good job to all who came out!

Full Results below:

Place	Name	Time	MPH
1	Jonathan Atwell	21.20	28.13	TT
2	Brett Stewart	22.10	27.07	TT
3	Adam Rodkey	22.37	26.53	TT
4	Ren-Jay Shei	23.41	25.33	TT
5	Ryan Preske	24.15	24.74	Merckx
6	Karl Hall	25.24	23.62	TT
7	Ashton Wischmeier	25.30	23.53	Merckx
8	John Wischmeier	25.34	23.47	Merckx
9	Pat Pettyjohn	25.40	23.38	TT
10	John Kinder	26.09	22.94	TT
11	Jason Urbanski	26.38	22.53	Merckx
12	John Kensek	27.44	21.63	TT
13	David Shirley	27.50	21.56	Single Speed
14	Nicole Richardson	30.26	19.72	Merckx

MMSF #6 Tonight (July 12th)

2011-07-12T11:56:00.000-04:00

Reminder: There will be another MMSF TT tonight (July 12th) at 7:00pm. 10-mile out and back course in Morgan-Monroe State Forest, start/finish where Main Forest Road and Old 37 meet. Riders will go 30 seconds apart starting at 7:00pm. A group usually leaves from behind the Bicycle Garage, Inc. shortly after 6:00pm for a brisk ride out. Current course record is 20:31 by Ryan Shanahan - set just two weeks ago!