You saw it here first!

The Cleveland Velodrome becomes a reality!

By the way, the welder in this video is non-other than yours truly.   :-)

Cleveland Velodrome coming June 2012

Want to know more about riding the track and the racing action that will be coming to Cleveland in June 2012? Then come to the Velodrome Happy Hour / open house at Sokol Greater Cleveland, this Friday 2/17 4-7pm. Click the link for the invite and to RSVP. We'll have some door prizes as well as free (donated) beer - get there early before the good stuff is gone!

Cleveland Velodrome - Happy Hour!

FSC Winter Trophy cyclocross series

The pre-registration is up for the FSC Winter Trophy cyclocross series. Don't miss the first race on Sunday Dec. 20th


http://www.bikereg.com/events/?et=2&rg=4

.

Leroy Twp Cyclocross Race

Really looking forward to the Leroy Twp Cyclocross Race this Sunday! It's the 3rd race in the Bike Authority / Team Lake Effect series. I raced this venue last year and I'm certain that Kevin and Chagrin River Cycling will put on an awesome race. The weather looks good too!

I'm mulling over the write-ups for Michigan Double Cross, Bloomer Park, Interbike (including some quality time on the Ellsworth Roots CX bike), and the Planet Bike USGP Cyclocross race in Madison, WI. Still recovering from that action packed vacation!

Results are up from Wendy Park CX

The results have been posted for the Wendy Park CX race which kicked off the Bike Authority CX series. Overall I am satisfied with my results. Although going out to Coventry the night before to watch the Buckeyes blow it against USC wasn't the best pre-race preparation.

Racing the A race after doing the B's was absolutely gruelling (yet still fun in a sick sort of way). My average lap time went from being 7:10 in the B's to just under 7:40 in the A's. Not bad for almost 100 minutes of racing, but at the same time very sobering knowing that I would have been close to getting lapped by Matt Weeks even if I had decided to only race A's. Even though I save just a little for the A race. I've got to wonder how the heck Nate Loman and Dave Chernosky came up with the idea to race both the Portage Lake sprint tri that morning and then still come out for the BA race! Actually that sounds like an awesome idea to me... :-)

SnakeBite Racing had a great showing with 8 guys grunting it out in the B's. Dean had a great showing at his first CX race ever in the middle of the pack for the C's. We also had two women (Sadie and Linda) with strong results in the B Women. But the highlight of the day was certainly Pat & Linda's girls Nicole and Samantha taking both 1st and 2nd in the C - Juniors race.

A huge thanks to the members of Team Lake Effect for setting up a killer course again at a great venue and to Bike Authority for sponsoring the series!

We need your help!

My best friend really needs your help!

Pelotonia is a grass roots bike tour with one goal: to end cancer. It is a cycling experience that will take place August 28th-30th. The ride will span two days and will cover as many as 180 miles. I am writing to ask you to help me reach the fundraising goal. Large or small, every donation makes a difference. Thanks to NetJets' transformational gift, 100% of every donation will fund essential research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

We all know someone who has been affected by cancer. By supporting Pelotonia, you will help improve lives through innovations in research with the ultimate goal of winning the war against cancer. I would love for you to support Peletonia in this inaugural year. This truly is a unique opportunity to be a part of something special.

When you follow the link below, you will find her rider profile and a simple and secure way to make any size donation you wish.

Think of this as a donation not to her, or me, or Pelotonia, but directly to The James. Please consider supporting the effort and this great cause. Here is the link to her rider profile: http://www.pelotonia.org/ride/riders_profile.jsp?MemberID=4101&RiderName=Sadie%20Deckard

Thanks again!

P.S. I will personally match the largest single donation (up to $1000). Give as much as you can! You know I'd rather give to this cause than to be half way toward a Zipp wheelset.

Peninsula Python!

Ok, so this isn't exactly wildlife, but it is pretty cool and unusual:




http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=2912

Animals

After a long hiatus from cyclonecross, I've decided to step back up and shout out to the world again. Things are going good here: work is fun but very busy, and I've been slowly getting back into shape after slacking on having any kind of a training program.

After buying my first real MTB, I picked up a season pass to Ray's MTB. While MTB is a fun distraction, my heart still belongs to my road bike and the CX bike will be my mistress of pain during the fall. However, one thing that the MTB does offer that road and CX don't is the interaction with animals.

Whether it is the canada geese along the towpath or this guy who explains why it's always important to ride with a light:

the MTB allows you to get up close and personal with mo' nature. You'll even come across some critters who have fallen on hard times and just need a helping hand:

This little sweetie was lost for at least two weeks out at the Cleveland Metroparks Ohio and Erie Canal MTB trail. Sadie had seen her with her two kittens on several occasions, but she was very skittish and wouldn't come near her. A couple of weeks ago I finally got off my tail and went out to the trail where we came across the mother cat again, but this time there was no sign of her kittens. Sadie said they were really friendly and we're hoping someone picked them up and will give them a good home. After seeing the mother at the side of the trail meowing and crying, Sadie and I stopped an popped her inside a camel-back to get her some help. I took her to the Parma Animal Shelter the next morning where I knew she would be cared for properly.

Fast forward to yesterday when I was picking up my cat, Fred, from the Bartels Busack Pet Clinic after work. The mother cat we'd picked up from the trail was in their lobby and available for adoption. Unfortunately, I'm currently caring for my buddy's cat in addition to my own and can't really handle a 3rd at this point. But, I'll check up on her in a week or two and if know one snaps her up to give her a loving home, I may need to reconsider...

So how about you? What's your craziest animal story while riding? Ever been nearly hen pecked by a wild turkey trying to protect her poults? Bears, wolves, mountain lions for you folks outside of Ohio?

Back online - sort of

After some issues I've got my blog back online. A lot's happened over the past month or two, but I'll get caught up a little at a time. I'm a little under the weather the past couple of days and have been consistent with my training prior to then which consisted of *not* riding...

Hoping to feel better soon and not have to go to the doctor!

Cross My Heart and Hope to Die

The 2nd annual Cross My Heart and Hope to Die Willoughby Cyclocross Spectacular is this comming Saturday Oct. 18th at Todd Field (google map). This excellent event is sponsored by Spin and is Race #2 of the 10th Annual Bike Authority Cyclocross Series; series points will be awarded accordingly. Open category racers will compete together for the same cash purse, but points will be awarded based on age category defined under series rules. For more info visit: http://www.teamlakeeffect.net

Categories: Expert/40+ Open [all Cat 1,2,3,Pro,Semi,Expert], Intemediate Men [Cat 4, sport], Women’s Open, Novice Men [Cat 5, Beginner], Novice Women, Juniors [under 18]

 

Start Times: 11:00–1:15 Registration Open

                        12:00pm All Novice/Juniors - 30min.

                        12:45pm Intemediate Men/Womens Open - 45min.

                        1:45pm Expert/40+ Open - 1hr.

 

Awards:        Immediately following Expert/40+ Open at Willoughby Brewing Company   [top of the hill]

                        All Categories: 1st Lap “Primes” provided by Willoughby Brewing Company [$10 gift card]

                        Expert/40+ Open, Cash Payout 15 Deep: 1st $300, 2nd $200, 3rd $150, 4th $125, 5th $100, 6th $90, 7th $80, 8th $70, 9th $60, 10th $50, 11th $45, 12th $40, 13th $35, 14th $30, 15th $25

                        Women’s Open, Cash Payout 3 Deep: 1st $150, 2nd $100, 3rd $50

                        All other categories: Merchandise 3 Deep

 

Series:           This is Race #2 of the Bike Authority Cyclocross Series, points will be awarded accordingly. Expert/40+ Open category racers will compete together for the same cash purse, but points will be awarded based on age category defined under series rules. For more info visit: www.teamlakeeffect.net

 

Entry Fee:    $20 [USCF or NORBA license required]

                        One day permits will be available for $10

                        USCF permit pending

 

Website:        www.teamspin.com, www.sssmst.com

Contact Info: greg [at] spinbikeshop.com

 

Todd Field, Willoughby, Ohio
Address: 38264 Glenn Ave, Willoughby, OH 44094
Link to race flyer

2008-10-05 Leroy Twp Cyclocross

Last Sunday Sadie and I found ourselves at the Leroy Twp CX race. We arrived a little later than I had wanted, and we didn't have time to preview the course before the start of the C race. It ended up being OK as I was able to get out there once the C's started to finish.

The starting area was a little cramped so getting a good position would be critical. I lined up on the far left, and a couple of riders came in late to fill in further to my left which was OK. Drew Berclaw got the hole shot with me right behind him through the first 90*, 180*, 90* turn combo heading into the only set of barriers. The barriers were pretty close and Drew ended up kicking the second barrier, splintering the white pine plank. He looked and said he was OK as I shot past.

An of camber right turn lead into a tightening spiral with a 180* switchback at the end to shoot you back out. The next obstacle was a BIG dirt mound with 20-30 yards of MTB style single track along the top ridge. I was fully prepared to run this section, but I can't recall if I ran it during the race at all. I do remember biting it HARD coming down the off camber turn at the end because I was braking too hard with the front. I banged up my knee pretty good and dropped my chain under the 3rd eye. However, I didn't loose any places in this mishap, only valuable time.

Through a muddy round about and then across a quick bump of a ditch. This lead into a maze of turns around several trees, I ended up taking an extra turn here losing more time on a later lap... Making a narrow turn around a baseball field while trying to avoid the ditch lead out onto a welcomed pavement section before the circus of switchbacks which took you across a ditch along the road 7 times. The ditch crossings became increasingly difficult because the ditch got deeper the farther down the course. The first crossings were ridable (more so heading out toward the road than back into the field). Hitting the crossings at a slight angle let you climb across the slope so it wasn't as steep. Even then the later crossings had me almost stalling out heading back up to the field. I decided to dismount on these as shown below.



Once the playing in the ditch part was complete, we passed the wheel pits and rode around the grass along the edge of the park back to the start/finish.

The race was pretty uneventful and even though there was $$ on the line for the top four spots, I just wasn't into racing that day. I found myself settling in on a 'managable' pace not really wanting to chase but more to maintain my position. Nate Loman tried to bring me along as he went on the chase, but I couldn't make myself stick on his wheel. Towards the end of the race I just tried not to slow down or cost myself any more time with dumb mistakes.

There is a picture of the course layout HERE. Results and pictures can be found HERE.

Putting it all together - How H.R.1424 meshes with IRC 132.f

Thanks to the Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute (LII), I was able to encorporate the legal changes from H.R.1424 with Internal Revenue Code TITLE 26 > Subtitle A > CHAPTER 1 > Subchapter B > PART III > § 132 Certain fringe benefits

This material is covered by a Creative Commons license, viewable at:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/

In brief, the terms of that license are that you may copy, distribute, and display this work, or make derivative works, so long as
a) you give the author credit;
b) you do not use this work for commercial purposes; and
c) you distribute any works derived from this one under the same licensing terms as this.

Also, the information and opinion expressed within this blog should not be taken as legal or tax advice, since I am not qualified to give either.

Change(a):

(f) Qualified transportation fringe

(1)In general

For purposes of this section, the term “qualified transportation fringe” means any of the following provided by an employer to an employee:

(A) Transportation in a commuter highway vehicle if such transportation is in connection with travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment.

(B) Any transit pass.

(C) Qualified parking.

(D) Any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.

Change (b):

(2) Limitation on exclusion

The amount of the fringe benefits which are provided by an employer to any employee and which may be excluded from gross income under subsection (a)(5) shall not exceed—

(A) $100 per month in the case of the aggregate of the benefits described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1),

(B) $175 per month in the case of qualified parking, and

(C) the applicable annual limitation in the case of any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.

Change (c):

(5) Definitions

For purposes of this subsection—

(A) Transit pass

The term “transit pass” means any pass, token, farecard, voucher, or similar item entitling a person to transportation (or transportation at a reduced price) if such transportation is—

(i) on mass transit facilities (whether or not publicly owned), or

(ii) provided by any person in the business of transporting persons for compensation or hire if such transportation is provided in a vehicle meeting the requirements of subparagraph (B)(i).

(B) Commuter highway vehicle
The term “commuter highway vehicle” means any highway vehicle—

(i) the seating capacity of which is at least 6 adults (not including the driver), and

(ii) at least 80 percent of the mileage use of which can reasonably be expected to be—

(I) for purposes of transporting employees in connection with travel between their residences and their place of employment, and

(II) on trips during which the number of employees transported for such purposes is at least 1/2 of the adult seating capacity of such vehicle (not including the driver).

(C) Qualified parking
The term “qualified parking” means parking provided to an employee on or near the business premises of the employer or on or near a location from which the employee commutes to work by transportation described in subparagraph (A), in a commuter highway vehicle, or by carpool. Such term shall not include any parking on or near property used by the employee for residential purposes.

(D) Transportation provided by employer
Transportation referred to in paragraph (1)(A) shall be considered to be provided by an employer if such transportation is furnished in a commuter highway vehicle operated by or for the employer.

(E) Employee
For purposes of this subsection, the term “employee” does not include an individual who is an employee within the meaning of section 401 (c)(1).

(F) DEFINITIONS RELATED TO BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT-

(i) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT- The term `qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement' means, with respect to any calendar year, any employer reimbursement during the 15-month period beginning with the first day of such calendar year for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee's residence and place of employment.

(ii) APPLICABLE ANNUAL LIMITATION- The term `applicable annual limitation' means, with respect to any employee for any calendar year, the product of $20 multiplied by the number of qualified bicycle commuting months during such year.

(iii) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING MONTH- The term `qualified bicycle commuting month' means, with respect to any employee, any month during which such employee--

(I) regularly uses the bicycle for a substantial portion of the travel between the employee's residence and place of employment, and

(II) does not receive any benefit described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1).

Change (d):

(4) No constructive receipt

No amount shall be included in the gross income of an employee solely because the employee may choose between any qualified transportation fringe (other than a qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement) and compensation which would otherwise be includible in gross income of such employee.

Now there is some debate on the blog of a teammate of mine as to wether or not the bicycle transportation fringe benefit will mean money in his/our pockets. Jim Abrams (AP) is summarizes the tax changes as follows: "Allowing employers to exempt from taxation what they spend on some fringe benefits for workers who commute to work by bicycle, for example reimbursing the cost of parking the bikes. Cost: $2 million." However, qualified parking was already addressed under the IRC with it's own line item. 'Qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement' is an entirely separate line item. It is also explicitly defined as reimbursement 'for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee's residence and place of employment.' Now if your employer were to charge for bicycle parking, and you would pay your employer, who would then reimburse you for what you paid them, then your employer would be able to reap the tax benefit with no additional tangible benefit realized by the bicycle commuter. But I don't know if this would be legal. I read storage to mean if there was nowhere on site at your residence or place of employment to park your bicycle, you would then be able to apply $20 per month to the cost of bicycle storage.

Yokota Fritz also has a good write up with a lot of discussion. Bike commuter benefit now law! - Cyclelicious. Click here for the complete text of H.R.1424 SEC. 211. TRANSPORTATION FRINGE BENEFIT TO BICYCLE COMMUTERS as taken from and linked to The LIBRARY of CONGRESS.

So let's hear it, what's your take on the bill, the way it was passed, and what it means?

Transportation Fringe Benefit to Bicycle Commuters

Update 10/06/2008 - What does H.R.1424 mean for you?? I did an analysis of how H.R.1424 meshes with current Internal Revenue Code which can be found HERE: http://cyclonecross.blogspot.com/2008/10/putting-it-all-together-how-hr1424_06.html

From: The LIBRARY of CONGRESS

H.R.1424

Title: A bill to provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy and financial system and protecting taxpayers, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes

From the 6th version of H.R.1424:

SEC. 211. TRANSPORTATION FRINGE BENEFIT TO BICYCLE COMMUTERS.

(a) In General- Paragraph (1) of section 132(f) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(D) Any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.'.

(b) Limitation on Exclusion- Paragraph (2) of section 132(f) is amended by striking `and' at the end of subparagraph (A), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting `, and', and by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(C) the applicable annual limitation in the case of any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.'.

(c) Definitions- Paragraph (5) of section 132(f) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(F) DEFINITIONS RELATED TO BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT-

`(i) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT- The term `qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement' means, with respect to any calendar year, any employer reimbursement during the 15-month period beginning with the first day of such calendar year for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee's residence and place of employment.

`(ii) APPLICABLE ANNUAL LIMITATION- The term `applicable annual limitation' means, with respect to any employee for any calendar year, the product of $20 multiplied by the number of qualified bicycle commuting months during such year.

`(iii) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING MONTH- The term `qualified bicycle commuting month' means, with respect to any employee, any month during which such employee--

`(I) regularly uses the bicycle for a substantial portion of the travel between the employee's residence and place of employment, and

`(II) does not receive any benefit described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1).'.

(d) Constructive Receipt of Benefit- Paragraph (4) of section 132(f) is amended by inserting `(other than a qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement)' after `qualified transportation fringe'.

(e) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008.

ADDED: 10/06/2008

There is a bit of discussion in the cycling circles as to what this all means. I will continue to update this entry and probably add additional information as I find or hear it. See this IRS link for additional explanation: Transportation (Commuting) Benefits from which appears to be Publication 15-B

Transportation (Commuting) Benefits

This section discusses exclusion rules that apply to benefits you provide to your employees for their personal transportation, such as commuting to and from work. These rules apply to the following transportation benefits.

• De minimis transportation benefits.

• Qualified transportation benefits.

Special rules that apply to demonstrator cars and qualified nonpersonal-use vehicles are discussed under Working Condition Benefits, later.

De Minimis Transportation Benefits

You can exclude the value of any de minimis transportation benefit you provide to an employee from the employee's wages. A de minimis transportation benefit is any transportation benefit you provide to an employee if it has so little value (taking into account how frequently you provide transportation to your employees) that accounting for it would be unreasonable or administratively impracticable. For example, it applies to occasional transportation fare you give an employee because the employee is working overtime if the benefit is reasonable and is not based on hours worked.

Employee. For this exclusion, treat any recipient of a de minimis transportation benefit as an employee.

Qualified Transportation Benefits

This exclusion applies to the following benefits.

• A ride in a commuter highway vehicle between the employee's home and work place.

• A transit pass.

• Qualified parking.

The exclusion applies whether you provide only one or a combination of these benefits to your employees.

Qualified transportation benefits can be provided directly by you or through a bona fide reimbursement arrangement. However, cash reimbursements for transit passes qualify only if a voucher or a similar item that the employee can exchange only for a transit pass is not readily available for direct distribution by you to your employee. A voucher is readily available for direct distribution only if an employee can obtain it from a voucher provider that does not impose fare media charges or other restrictions that effectively prevent the employer from obtaining vouchers. See Regulations section 1.132-9 for more information.

You can exclude qualified transportation fringe benefits from an employee's wages even if you provide them in place of pay. For information about providing qualified transportation fringe benefits under a compensation reduction agreement, see Regulations section 1.132-9(b)(Q-11).

Commuter highway vehicle. A commuter highway vehicle is any highway vehicle that seats at least 6 adults (not including the driver). In addition, you must reasonably expect that at least 80% of the vehicle mileage will be for transporting employees between their homes and work place with employees occupying at least one-half the vehicle's seats (not including the driver's).

Transit pass. A transit pass is any pass, token, farecard, voucher, or similar item entitling a person to ride, free of charge or at a reduced rate, one of the following.

• On mass transit.

• In a vehicle that seats at least 6 adults (not including the driver) if a person in the business of transporting persons for pay or hire operates it.

Mass transit may be publicly or privately operated and includes bus, rail, or ferry. For guidance on the use of smart cards and debit cards to provide qualified transportation fringes, see Rev. Rul. 2006-57, which is on page 911 of Internal Revenue Bulletin 2006-47 at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb06-47.pdf, and
Notice 2007-76, which is on page 735 of Internal Revenue Bulletin 2007-40 at
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb07-40.pdf.

Qualified parking. Qualified parking is parking you provide to your employees on or near your business premises. It includes parking on or near the location from which your employees commute to work using mass transit, commuter highway vehicles, or carpools. It does not include parking at or near your employee's home.

Employee. For this exclusion, treat the following individuals as employees.

• A current employee.

• A leased employee who has provided services to you on a substantially full-time basis for at least a year if the services are performed under your primary direction or control.

A self-employed individual is not an employee for qualified transportation benefits.

Exception for S corporation shareholders. Do not treat a 2% shareholder of an S corporation as an employee of the corporation for this purpose. A 2% shareholder is someone who directly or indirectly owns (at any time during the year) more than 2% of the corporation's stock or stock with more than 2% of the voting power. Treat a 2% shareholder as you would a partner in a partnership for fringe benefit purposes, but do not treat the benefit as a reduction in distributions to the 2% shareholder.

Relation to other fringe benefits. You cannot exclude a qualified transportation benefit you provide to an employee under the de minimis or working condition benefit rules. However, if you provide a local transportation benefit other than by transit pass or commuter highway vehicle, or to a person other than an employee, you may be able to exclude all or part of the benefit under other fringe benefit rules (de minimis, working condition, etc.).

Exclusion from wages. You can generally exclude the value of transportation benefits that you provide to an employee during 2008 from the employee's wages up to the following limits.

• $115 per month for combined commuter highway vehicle transportation and transit passes.

• $220 per month for qualified parking.

Benefits more than the limit. If the value of a benefit for any month is more than its limit, include in the employee's wages the amount over the limit minus any amount the employee paid for the benefit. You cannot exclude the excess from the employee's wages as a de minimis transportation benefit.

More information. For more information on qualified transportation benefits, including van pools, and how to determine the value of parking, see Regulations section 1.132-9.

Cycle for Parkinsons

I saw this blurb today:

Cindy Frazier, a patient suffering from the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, has been an avid cyclist for some time, noticing that biking helped her symptoms. Her family, also cyclists, decided to start a ride to raise money for Parkinson’s research. They worked with Jay Alberts, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, who has done research on the benefits of cycling on Parkinson’s to start the Allgood Cycle for Parkinson's Criteruim, now in its third year. Read about the event in The Gwinnett Daily Post.

This event is going on my schedule for next year.

Cycle for Parkinsons Permit Number: 2008-2377 10/04/2008 - 10/05/2008 Lawrenceville, GA Event Flyer www.fraziercycling.com Online Registration

Atlantic Shores Velo Tim Molyneaux 413 S ALDERWOOD ST WINTER SPRINGS, FL 32708-3435 (407) 256-7971 (407) 951-7528 (fax) tim@topviewsports.com

F F F FLAT

DSC_0044,
originally uploaded by benjacat.

Well the first race of the BA series is now under my belt (series info and results are here). The race was significantly harder than I expected. The weather was comfortably cool in the upper sixties and lower seventies for the B race. There were 39 men and 9 women starting 30 seconds later who massed at the starting line. The line wasn't very wide at about 7-8 riders wide, and I found myself in the 3rd/4th row. Needless to say, I didn't come close to getting the hole-shot, and I was in about 15-20th place going into the first set of turns.

I began to work to pass people, but it was hard at this point because it was quite congested and many people were jockeying for position. Although there was no single track, the course was pretty technical and challenging. The east most section began past the first couple of turns where we crossed quick 3ft dip down and shot back up the other side and into the 'hilly' portion. The 'hills' were actually man made dirt piles. The course wrapped up and around the tops of the 3 hills (two out and on the way back in) in a series of off camber 'S' turns. After cresting the 2nd hill, there were 2 quick descents, the 2nd of which ended with a 90* right turn in loose gravel. It was hard to find a good line here, and I ended up unclipping my right foot heading into this one in case I washed out.

After this turn, there was a flat section which lead out around and then up onto a paved section across the bridge to the island. The 3-4 inch high pavement edge started after an ever so slight rise and there was a quick 90* left turn right in the midst of the transition from grass to pavement. This made the transition difficult to bunny hop, and most riders compensated by slowing and unweighting the front and rear wheels in succession.

After a headwind out to the island and a sweeping 180* turn to head back, there was a man made barrier in the middle of a turn to head up the longest hill. There was still a lot of traffic at this point on the first lap and guys were having problems mounting and getting up the hill. I picked up a couple of places here when I chose to run up the hill.

Going over the off camber turn at the top of a small hill led into some fun switchbacks that took us up a small rise and then shot us down a dip and into the next left turn. These reminded me of riding at the Lorain speedway, when you would shoot up the bank and then swoop back down. Past the wheel pit there were many twists and turns, a quick jaunt in and out of the woods, and through two sections of sand. The first of these was ridable, the second was not.

Next there was as set of 3 railroad ties, evenly spaced about 10ft apart. I really appreciated that these barriers were not regulation height, although others liked them even more, since they could ride them. Finally there were a few more turns including a switchback that which crossed a gravel driveway at the apex. Heading down a gradual hill and sweeping turn brought us back to the start.

I picked up a few people over the course of the race, until I had my first mishap. Heading down the 3ft dip, I turned too sharp heading out of it and firmly planted and went over my front wheel. I got a nice gouge in my right calf from my chain ring and Pat Miranda gave me some words of encouragement as came up on me as I shook it off and remounted.

Heading out on the last lap, I was holding Scott Carter and Pat off while seeing who was next up ahead. Here is where I made my most costly mistake when I hit the pavement transition too hard and pinched my rear wheel. I thought it looked low and by the time I was sweeping around to head back in it was affecting my handling. I rode it back in, as Scott passed me. I continued to ride it until I was at the off camber hill, where I shouldered the bike and trudged to the pits.

I had taken my pit wheels off my road bike and unfortunately the drop out thickness was a good bit wider on my Ritchey, so the wheel change was a little less smooth than I'd liked. As Pat rode by he assured me that he had a giant gap on the next rider, which was accurate. I got out of the pits a little ways behind the next rider, Rick Bennett. I worked my way up to him and made my pass during the 2nd sand section.

At this point, I just wanted to hold my position into the finish and I didn't want to make any mistakes.

After a somewhat disappointing B race, I figured I'd bite the bullet and throw myself into the A race. I lined up at the back of the A's with Mike Vanucci and waited for the pain to begin. The A start went much like the B's and I was in the back fighting for position. At the top of the 2nd hill before the big descents, the pack jammed up. I chose to dismount and run around several people which really worked well.

Disaster struck again at the pavement transition where didn't unweight my front wheel enough and pinched again. This flat came quickly and I was less than 1/2 way out to the island before the leaders of the A masters caught and passed me. Riding the flat front was pretty tricky on the paved turn, but I got around and back in to where I could run to the pit.

As I was running to the pit, I passed Chris Ricardi whose rear wheel had shifted in the drow out. I was able to quickly change my wheel and get out a bit behind Chris, who I tried to go after. He was riding well at this point and putting a little more distance between us.

Through the S/F, out, and heading back through the pit area, I still hadn't gained much ground on Chris, but I saw Mike V. coming out after a wheel change. I trailed him for a while and when I passed him between the two sand sections, I said we should go after Ricardi.

Another lap came and went and I wasn't getting any closer to Chris, however, I was still hitting the same points on the course at the same time as other riders were hitting other points that I'd seen them at on previous laps. I think I remember seeing Mike V. in the pits again heading out to the technical part. My hunt for Chris was cut short when I felt my rear tire go flat after hitting a rock that I think I'd hit several times on previous laps and had still never seen. I'd gotten an extra 35 minute work out in the A race, but that was enough for me and for my tires.

2008-09-22-23 Michigan Double CX UCI

PIC_2347,
originally uploaded by Robert Sroka.

I did the 2008 Michigan Double Cross UCI races this past weekend (was in town anyway for my nephew's 1st B-day). I just built up a new Ritchey steel CX bike on Thurs / Fri and had never even ridden it off road, let alone raced it prior to Saturday morning. Saturday's race was a little disappointing. I had just moved up into 2nd place on the 1st of 3 laps when I dropped my chain and got passed by about 20 guys while I tried to get it back on.

I was pretty flustered, since I knew I had been right up there. So I tried a little too hard to regain position and washed out twice in quick order on two down hill off-camber corners (losing even more positions). I managed to get my head on straight and fight back up, but then dropped my chain again after rear ending a guy who stalled while trying to ride a steep hill. The chain had fallen under my 3rd eye guard and I had a really hard time pulling it back out so I could get it on the ring again(I had to get the chain on the ring past the guard to the front and then force it out by turning the crank backward). All told, I guess I should have been happy with 15th place, even though I knew I should have gotten top 5.

Sunday went much better. I kept the wheels down on all except 2 corners, and those spills only cost me one place each, which I was able to quickly make up. I was able to keep the chain on, although it started to come out after the 2nd fall. I got 2nd and probably could have contended more for 1st, but all struggles I went through the day before, I decided to try and play it safe and ride more conservatively.

PIC_2464,
originally uploaded by Robert Sroka.

Considering the total lack of experience I had on the new bike, having taped up the bar the morning of the first race, I'm really pleased with the handling and performance. While the course was dry and packed down overall, there were many corners consisting of downhill off camber switchbacks which were pretty sketchy because of the morning due (particularly on day two). I still need to experiment a little with tire pressure and am running the tires with a little higher presure than I'd like to run them. I'm worried about bottoming out and pinch flatting or damaging the wheels though.

I need to send out a HUGE Thank You to Rudy and to Bike Authority for getting me hooked up with such a sweet bike on such short notice. I've been to a lot of bike shops in Northeast Ohio, and Bike Authority surpasses them all when it comes down to it. But don't just take my word for it, be sure to stop over at the MyFoxCleveland HOT LIST and see for yourself what other people have to say!

Ritchey Break Away Cyclocross build

DSC_0013.JPG,
originally uploaded by inquintessence.

I finally got around to deciding on what I want/need to build up a new Ritchey BAB CX bike. The frame and parts (sans the extra CX crank I ordered) came in Thursday. Rudy at Bike Authority got the BB chased and faced the head tube for me along with installing the BB, fork, headset, brake hanger, stem, seat & post. Rick was kind enough to pickup the frame and set it up on the stand in his garage to work on after I got out of work.

We got the Ritchey compact road crank installed after taking it off of Rick's CX bike and changing the rings out on it. The ITM handlebar from my road bike went on next along with an ultegra rear shifter. Next we took the road tires off my Ritchey Protocol LTD wheelset and put the Ritchey SpeedMax Cross tires on. I've been using these tires for a couple of seasons now, but I've decided to go with the 35mm instead of the 32mm. I also picked up a set of the Ritchey Excavader 35mm tires to try out for muddy conditions.

Once the wheels were on, we did some quick fit adjustments including flipping the stem down.

Tina Fey does Sarah Palin on SNL

In case you missed it:

Itchybits - Ode to an Idiot

I just came across a quick post on one of my favorite blogs:

Ode to an Idiot
Posted by a rider in one of our local clubs:"While training , how many of you have been on the receiving end of a smart-a$$ motorist buzzing you while simultaneously holding down the horn and scaring the be-jeez-ems out of you? I'm sure all of you. It happens to me weekly, sometimes more, and I train inside quite a bit. Well, last week, I got one! I was on a short recovery ride riding south on Route 9, close to home, when a white box truck did just that. Bad thing for him was he didn't account on the possibility of stopping for the red light down the road, nor did he think I would be able to stand up and sprint at 30+ to catch up to him at the red light. I caught him, and motioned for him to pull over. He responded with a smile and a double bird. Nice. So I read his plate and said it over and over again until I got home.

How many of you can relate to the above? Trust me, you NEED TO CLICK HERE to find out the rest of the story!!! I know the east siders will get a kick out of this, as well as the west siders and cyclists anywhere else. While I'd rather you leave comments on Betty's blog, feel free to comment here as well.

Have a happy and safe weekend!

Crossing the Obesity Summit

Recently I recieved request to start "talking about whom you are going to vote for and why....with FACTS." Well, as some of you might know, I am voting for Barack Obama on 11/4/2008. There are far too many reasons to list in one post, so I will give the reasons here and there over the comming weeks. One of the main reasons is Obama's Pro-Active stance on Healthcare. Get it pro active; not just reactionary and seditary?

Cleveland Clinic’s Obesity Summit is going on this week, addressing the problems the obesity epidemic causes for healthcare. A representative for presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke about his policy to fix the obesity problem in America. WKYC-TV 3 provided coverage.

Click HERE if the embeded video doesn't play.

From: http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/live/courses/2008/obesity08/overview.htm

Obesity is a major public health problem. Approximately two-thirds of the US population is overweight (ie, BMI > 25) and nearly half of those are obese(ie, BMI > 30). The increase in obesity is linked to a corresponding increase in obesity comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, stroke, asthma, sleep apnea, liver and gallbladder disease, depression, low back pain, urinary incontinence, and several forms of cancer (eg, breast, prostate, colon). Obese individuals have a 50% to 100% increased risk of death from all causes when compared with normal-weight individuals.

Cleveland Clinic also sponsors Cleveland Clinic Bikes which is an "Employee Wellness initiative to provide resources for our employees that commute by bicycle, participate in biking events, or just like to ride with the family on weekends."

After I had a routine physical 5 years ago when the doctor told me that I should shed a few pounds, I've begun to take my health seriously. After a loss of 30 lbs (from 172-174 down to 141-143 at 5'7"), I feel 5-10 years younger. I have mentioned many times the benefits of cycling as part of a healthy lifestyle http://cyclonecross.blogspot.com/search?q=health I've given excerpts below of some of the information that the preceeding link return.

Awesome... Yet another reason to move to Europe.
Reuters Health: 'All U.S. adults could be overweight in 40 years'

An interesting angle on $4 per gallon for gas
The mass transit boom, Lower obesity rates, Fewer accidents, Shorter commutes, etc.

17 Reasons Bicycles Are Most Popular Vehicle in the World
2. Bicycling can make you healthy and hot… er… hotter.
4. Bicycling builds social groups and better community development.
5. Bicycling may encourage the breakdown of economic divides.
7. By reducing air pollution, bicycling instead of driving also reduces rates of asthma and lung disease.
8. Bicycling saves Australia nearly a quarter billion dollars in health costs each year.
13. A bicycle crash alone isn’t likely to kill you. (unlike auto accidents)
14. Bicyclists breath in less air pollution.

Obama Pledges Funding for Bike Programs
UbanVelo.org reports:

According to an article on Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, “If he were elected president he would increase funding for cycling and pedestrian projects.”In response to last week’s photo of Obama cycling, the presidential hopeful jokingly admitted, “He looked like Urkel.”Read the whole article here.

While the whole article is a must read, I think the following sums it up very well:

Stan Day, SRAM’s president, said that Obama “gets it.” He pointed out that Obama understands that bicycles can be part of a solution to issues as diverse as health care, obesity, energy and environmental policy. “He does his homework and he can connect the dots,” he said.

Benjacat's post on Freedom Machines.
In addition to infrastructure costs there are dozens of increased costs incured by American society due to the automobile. One of which is the increased cost of health care for the obese and sedentary;

Another poach from the Benjacat Blog
I think the culture he refers to is more widespread than it should be; I have witnessed it firsthand. Bicycles are seen as toys while cars are seen as a part of growing up. Well America is definitely growing and not in a good way. Just do a Google search for "Fat Americans". I'll even make it really easy, just click the link so you don't need exercise your fingers. ;) I especially like the Wired article that turned up in the over 50,000 results.

How about it, what are your thoughts on this issue?