Kissena Cycling Club

One of the “secrets” of USA Cycling is that they generally do not cover travel expenses to the world cyclocross championships for the riders they select (come to think of it, they might not cover expenses to the road world’s, either).  Laura Van Gilder was selected to go to the cx worlds for the second time.  once again, she’s expected to pay her own way.

Some of Laura’s friends have created a fund-raising page on BikeReg.  Information is below.

JP

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Happy New Year All!

Undoubtedly many of you know/have heard that Laura Van Gilder (Cresco, PA ^ C3-Sollay/Athletes Serving Athletes) has been nominated to the US Elite Women’s squad for the 2010 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic, Jan. 30-31.

www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=4586

What we’re sure a lot don’t know is that financing the trip to Worlds is the athlete’s responsibility.  And a trip to the Czech Republic to represent your country at the absolute pinnacle of your sport is not the most OEinexpensive, endeavor.  So, a few us, shall we say, “less gifted athletes/cohort”, “hacks and instigators” have cobbled together a home-grown fund raising effort to send LVG over to Tabor for round 2.  Yes; round 2.

For those keeping score at home: LVG was representing the stars and stripes last season in Hoogerheide, Netherlands for a very respectable 19th place in her first Cyclocross campaign.

www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=4017)

Now, riding as a privateer this season has put LVG in very different position, financially, and we (Bill and Ray) are doing what LVG has too much class and pride to do asking the brotherhood and sisterhood to come through for one of our own by making a donation to her fund: 

www.BikeReg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=9848 , coming up to race/help keep her sharp at one of our pre-World Championships CX races (16 & 23 Jan, more details to come shortly)

So please, spread the word so that we can help LVG reduce her expenses as much as possible.

Happy Holidays and on behalf of LVG: thanks in advance!

Sincerely,

Bill Elliston & Ray Ignosh

We definitely need more bike racks in NYC.  One of the great things about commuting in the city or riding for errands is scoring the rockstar spot.  The only problem is I’ve had some doormen threaten to have my lock broken and bike taken; no one should have to put up with that just to ride their bike.

Here’s an interesting project to get more racks in the city fixcity.org/

Or you can go to the city directly.  www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bikerack.shtml

In our own crowdsourcing effort, one Kissena member reported that it just took diligence to pester the city to get a rack.  Another says there could be up to a 1.5 year backlog.

So says Allen Lim:

www.saris.com/athletes/PermaLink,guid,5272bd75-5f51-437d-a1ad-0f275aa7b2f4.aspx

Traditionally, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is a terrible time to travel.  Skip the car, and ride to the Staten Island Ferry, and then ride to Wolfe’s Pond and witness this great racing discipline in all its glory.  It is possibly the most spectator-friendly bike racing.  Lots to see, lots to love.  Fit people in spandex.  GO.

statencx.wordpress.com/

Kenny Williams, multiple time elite and masters national champion tested positive for DHEA.  As is typical of dopers, he’s only sorry for getting caught and he tries to make it seem like it was a one-time deal, an accident.  Still, it’s good to know they finally started testing at Masters National Championship events. 

www.cyclingnews.com/news/williams-admits-to-doping-positive

See the big guns get their cross on at the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup this weekend.  Two days of racing in the Hamptons.  If you haven’t seen cyclocross, this is a race to see.  If you have seen it in action, you know this is a race to see.hamptonvelo.com

Tip of the hat to the NY times for finding the study.

www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/health/research/10nutr.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=chocolate%20milk&st=cse

study synopsis www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/5/1144?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=estruch&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=90&issue=5&resourcetype=HWCIT

This weekend, the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross is coming to New Jersey.  There are two races, one saturday, one sunday, that comprise the Mercer Cup.  Even if you’re not a cyclocross fan, you owe it to yourself to go.  www.usgpcyclocross.com/.  YOu can take an NJ Transit train pretty close and ride the remaining few miles

Whether or not you can make that, go to the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup in Southampton the following weekend.  www.hamptonvelo.com/ You can take an LIRR train pretty close and ride a few miles to the course.

In both cases, you’ll get to see the best cyclocrossers in the country doing their thing.  It’s an amazing clinic in bike skills, not to mention great entertainment.  Or vice versa.  Check them out.

Cyclocross is generally pretty safe.  Lots of dirt and grass to land on, and the speed is relatively slow.  The one place where danger lurks is at the barriers.  It isn’t the barriers themselves, even though they’re usually made of wood and solidly staked into place, but the riders. 

Too many riders come into high speed dismounts with their left foot locked into the pedal.  My guess is they think they’re doing it for greater safety, but it is really much less safe.  When experienced ‘crossers come into a dismount, they typically click out the left foot, click out the right, swing the right leg over and then dismount on the left.

These riders are coming into the same dismount by clicking out the right foot, swinging the right leg over, and unclicking the left foot as they dismount.

People can do this safely on low-speed dismounts.  But it isn’t so easy at high speed dismounts.  the problem is that if you have any problem unclicking on the left, you’re going to hit the barriers with your left foot attached to your bike.  This could hurt a little, or break an ankle. 

The problem is the speed.  If you have any crud stuck between your shoe and your pedal, or in the cleat, it might be hard to click out.  If you tilt the bike too far to the right as you’re coming off the bike, you might have trouble unclicking the left foot.  If your body is leaning too far to the left as you come off, you might have trouble.  If you mis-judge your speed and come in too fast, you might not come out in time and hit the barriers still clipped in.

As a competitor, I shouldn’t mind other people making poor decisions.  Let them crash.  I’ll finish ahead of them. 

But I might be stuck behind them when they go down.  Or get tangled up in them or their bike on the ground.  And it’s no fun seeing someone get hurt. 

Besides, I’ll still take them on the remount.

‘Crossers, if you’re the kind that unclips as you’re coming off the bike on a high-speed dismount, learn to do it the other way.  You’ll be better for it.

Waay back in February, the 28th to be exact, our road season kicked off in Prospect Park.  I think there were several full fields.  I think my race was a full field and the racing was extremely aggressive.  I thought I had good form, managed to get in a few good moves, but John Loehner’s accelerations kicked me out of the winning break.  He won solo ahead of a few stragglers from his break and a charging field.  Did I mention the temperature was in the low 30s? 

THis past weekend saw the close of the local racing season.  I thought the turnout was low.  The weather was warm, as is usually the case in October, and October is one of the dryest months of the year in this region. 

I would gladly skip the Feb 28th race if more of you would come out and play in October.  True, there’s nothing more at stake in October other than the races themselves.  No Bear mountain, Fitchburg, or GMSR to prepare for.  But they’re only races.  And presumably you race for racing itself, not for money or fleeting glory at the hands of haters on NYVelocity.

Start your training a bit later for the 2010 season.  Plan to have form in September and October.  Even for those racing, they’re not training much.  Just enough to keep the legs open. Which is pretty much what the pros are doing as well at this point in the year.

The race is run on Sunday, July 26, first race at 9am.  There are 35+, 45+, Women Cat 4, Masters 55+, Pro/1/2/3, Men Cat 3 and Men Cat 4/5. 

Details are at http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=9011

The races are 10 laps longer this year than last and registration is down $5 per race.

It’s a four-corner crit with a long finishing straight.  the first three turns feel kind of narrow, the fourth kind of wide.  Pretty smooth course, good crowds, excellent vibe.  There might be free-flowing beer as well.

women have their own field, but they will have the 55+ men starting behind them. 

there is a NJ Transit train that takes you from New York’s Penn Station to Summit.  Then you ride 8 miles from summit.  The train takes 55 minutes.  leaves 11 minutes after every hour starting at 7am (first train is 7:11am, second 8:11 and so on).  One-way is $7.50, round trip is $13.00.  No bike pass is necessary, though it’s wise to bring some kind of strap to hold the bike in place.  Just go for the train doors that have a handicap access sticker next to them. 

The bike ride from Summit to Stirling is pretty easy.  You find Springfield ave (route 512) a few blocks from the train station, and take it southwest to Main Street in Stirling. You’ll know where the turn is because the High Gear bike shop is on the right.  Make a right turn and the course is a few hundred meters up the road.