More Internet exposure for MiSCA

http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/cannondale-teams-with-michigan-scholastic-cycling-association-to-offer-college-scholarships/

Go Cleveland Browns!

I spent the afternoon with Sandy, Greg, and one of his friends at one of the bars in the Detroit area that hosts a local chapter of the Browns Backers clubs. Greg has gone in the past and also on one of their bus trips to a Cleveland game. Sandy went to the bar two weeks ago when the Browns beat the Saints but I was busy at the time.

I decide this week I would go and it was a great way to spend an afternoon. There must have been about 50 Browns fans watching the game on the big HD screen and we got pretty loud as the Browns thumped the Patriots 34-14. And Sandy and I won two tickets to the Browns game on November 28th! Very glad I decided to go this week.

Iceman Weekend

Saturday was the big mountain bike race from Kalkaska to Traverse City, the biggest one day race in the United States and has drawn close to 4,000 racers for the past couple of years. It has become a huge end of the season event with racers coming as much for the after race parties as they do for the race itself.

I sold my entry earlier in the fall as I did not feel that I would be very competitive this year as I have not done much riding this fall. I thought I would miss not racing but really didn't. After attending the expo all day on Friday I got up race day morning and drove home. I am kind of disappointed I missed doing it though because the race was finally held in winter conditions complete with ice and snow. But after being on my feet all day Friday I would have not been very fast, as evident by my ride I did when I got home yesterday.

The Iceman expo held on Friday is the spot for registration pickup and is also an area for dealers, vendors, and other bike related enterprises to set up and display information and sell merchandise, many at season end clearance prices. It can become a madhouse at times, especially later in the evening . I have set up a Hammer Nutrition tent at several of these and was usually exhausted by the end of the day from talking and selling product.

This year MiSCA shared a booth with the MMBA and we set out material for our organization as well as merchandise for the MMBA. MiSCA had a big banner in the back of the tent and polo shirts to wear with our logo. We drew a lot of attention, both from interested racers and potential schools as well as interested sponsors. Some had heard about us from word of mouth, others had seen the recent article in Cyclingnews. At the end of the day I was again exhausted but I think it was a very productive day for the future of MiSCA.

MiSCA gets national press

An article about MiSCA appeared on the internet site, cyclingnews.com today. Click here to read it.

LOHS Winter Race Series

Cannondale Sponsors MiSCA

Cannondale Teams With Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association To Offer College Scholarships

The Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association (MiSCA) announces that Cannondale Bicycle Corporation will be donating resources to help fund college sponsorships for the winners of the 2011 MiSCA Varsity championship races. MiSCA has tentatively scheduled five mountain bike races for the fall of 2011, with the final race awarding a minimum of $2,000 in college scholarships.

MiSCA, formed in the spring of this year as part of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association, has as its mission to establish and maintain safe, quality scholastic cycling programs. An interscholastic racing league was piloted this fall and the inaugural season saw students from area schools compete for podium positions at three mountain bike races held in the SE Michigan area.

Look for MiSCA board members at local cycling events, expos, and bike shops this winter and spring as they reach out across the state to recruit more schools and volunteers.

For more information on MiSCA or how to donate or sponsor them visit: http://www.miscabike.org

Some time is better than no time

Sandy and I went to Indy on Friday afternoon to attend the funeral of Emily's grandmother. We got down there in the evening in time for the viewing and then the funeral on Saturday. Emily and the grand kids had been there for a few weeks since her grandmother had taken a turn for the worse.

The original plans were for us to take the two older ones for a week after visiting but the plans changed with Emily flying home later this week. Flying back with Jason or shortly after should make it easier for her.

We had a nice visit even if it was all too short. Not sure when we will get to see them next but hopefully it won't be too far in the future.

LOHS Fall Harvest race resutls

10_23_10 Results

More singletrack

We added another short piece of singletrack a the school, finishing it yesterday. It is only .3 miles long and not very technical but more trail is always good.

I rode the entire race loop for the race on the 23rd and came up with almost 9 miles per lap. I was at 6 miles before getting into Bald Mountain. We will use two miles of the Bald Mountain trail which should help those training for Iceman as the sections are pretty fast and fairy wide open.

There are a lot of leaves on the trails now, to the point that some of the trail is hard to see. I plan on going up this week and blow some of it off.

Catching up

I haven't been very good lately about updating the blog but it's one of those things that is easy to put aside or neglect. I realize there are a few people that follow it from time to time but it seems more and more people are staying in touch via Facebook. And it is a lot easier to post a few sentences here and there rather than constructing entire paragraphs. It is just another way in which our world is changing.

In the past month I haven't really done much racing, I did do one up in Midland, the race where I crashed hard last year and thought I had broken some ribs. This year I managed to stay upright and finish second in my class.

Earlier in the same week I competed in the short track race I put on at the high school but did not do very well. Part of the problem was that I put on skinny tires to help the bike be faster on the primarily grass course but the tires also lowered the crank to the point that the pedals would hit in the turns if I wasn't careful and pivot the rear wheel off the ground.

I had been busy preparing for the first two interscholastic races and the MiSCA board had put in a lot of work. Especially when the Lake Orion school told us to go ahead and run the one race on our own and keep the proceeds.

The day before the race it rained hard for most of the day but by late afternoon it had stopped enough that I could blow of the trail to help it dry. By race time on Sunday the trails was in pretty good condition but I think the previous day's rain had scared some riders from competing. Those that did come out enjoyed the course and the interscholastic competition; I believe the first of its kind in Michigan.

The board also went through a name change for the organization. What used to be MICA, Michigan Interscholastic Cycling Association, was changed to MiSCA, or Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association. It doesn't seem like much of a change but we were asked to change our name by the national organization, NICA. They thought it was too confusing, especially since we are not a part of their organization.

That meant a new logo and website domain name as well as some changes to come on the website itself. We are working on literature to have ready for the Iceman in a month; over 4,000 racers are expected to attend and we hope to be able to get the word out about MiSCA. We also plan on hitting up shops and schools across the state as we expand for next year. This winter and spring will be critical to get new clubs in the program so they can form teams for next fall. We want to be able to get enough support to be able to offer scholarships next fall.

Talking about Iceman, I decided to sell my entry to the sold out race. I put it up for auction on eBay and unless the buyer doesn't pay in time, I will not be racing. I decided a while ago to not race anymore this fall as I didn't really have the time or motivation to race any more. I have been finding it harder each year to continue to have the same enthusiasm for racing. Each year I have done something a little different to change it up.

This year I raced most of the races in the singlespeed class for a change of pace. I also didn't do any of the endurance races for the first time in a many years. Next year? Who knows, maybe try some road racing or maybe just go riding. I know I will still be very involved with racing, just not so much while on a bike.

High School Cycling!

A photo from a member of Clarkston High's cycling team. The cycling club has been added to the varsity jacket.

Oct 6 Short Track results

Short Track Results 10-6-10

More results

From the Oct 3 MiSCA race
LOHS MiSCA Results 10-3-10

LOHS 9/22 Short Track Results

Racers seemed to enjoy the direction we ran this race. We will probably use it again on the 6th.

Jeff Weinert won the A class for the second race in a row. Will he make it a clean sweep? I think the rest of the big boys in the area are afraid to come out and test him.

Short Track Results 9-22-10

Short Track Results 9/8/2010

Last night the Lake Orion High School Guided Activities Program (GAP) hosted the first of three short track races to benefit the MICA program. 50% of the entry fees were split among the top three finishers in each category and 22 racers across three categories lined up to race the 1.6 mile course. The course was very firm, fast, and flowing with the top racers averaging six minutes per lap. The races are designed to allow for pack racing at a high intensity but for a relatively short duration, between 25-30 minutes. All of the racers seemed to enjoy the course and the top two C racers were from Clarkston High School. MICA came away with over $150 for the night when race entry fees were combined with donated winnings.

These are great training races for both students and adults, and with only a $10 entry fee very affordable. The next short track race is September 22 and the final race is October 6. Come on out and have some fun and help support MICA at the same time.

Short Track Results 9-8-10

The Big Valley

Some readers may have read the blog title and thought of the TV show. I guess that would probably mean you are getting up there in years. But this Big Valley is the race held every year south of Cleveland in the Cuyahoga National Recreation Area at Camp Manatoc. The race weekend is the only time of the year that the trails are open to riding at the Boy Scout Camp.

I raced last year and enjoyed it a lot and since the weather looked like it would cooperate, decided to do it again. This is a course that would not be very enjoyable when wet. Plus it is less than a half hour from my parent's house so I get to visit them and they can see me race, or at least see me go by.

The preride on Saturday was better than last year since the course was dry. Last year it had rained overnight and the wet and slippery conditions had me nervous. Even on race day last year there was some moisture. This year it was dry and even a little dusty.

It was strange to not start a race until 1:00 in the afternoon. But the early chilly temps gave way to the 70's by race time. I line up with 18 others in the 50+ group, not really knowing who was the race favorite although a couple of the guys looked familiar from last year.

As we rounded the first corner after the opening straight I was in 7th but moved up into 4th or 5th after a short while and then on one of the longer gravel climbs early on moved into 3rd. Soon it was hard to tell who was in my class because we had caught up to so many that had started in front of us. I kept plugging away and passing people where I could without getting passed.

At some point 4th place passed me in some traffic but I was stronger on the hills but kept right behind him, planning on passing later in the race when we got to some more hills. We cam around for our final lap and was right on his wheel and starting a climb when I felt and heard a strange sound in my rear wheel. I couldn't figure out what it was when I looked down so I stopped and got off the bike.

I discovered that at the bottom of the rough and bumpy downhill right before the climb, my seat bag had come unzipped and the contents had come out. My spare inner tube had wrapped itself around my axle between the frame and the spokes. It took me a while to work it free and riders continued to pass me up. I was fortunate that the tube hadn't done any damage to the bike or me.

Once the tube was free I remounted and charged up the hill and just tried to catch whomever I could see. I think with a mile to go I passed another rider in my class but it was hard to tell. I ended up 4th out of 19, with the tube mishap probably costing me at least one place. But it was still a fun race and one I would recommend to everyone.

Next up is the MICA short track race at LOHS this Wednesday. I have done some preliminary marking of the course with paint. Hopefully everything goes well and we get decent turnout.

First sighting

Today was the last race of the Tailwind USAC MTB series at Stony Creek but I elected not to race. Instead, I set up a tent to hand out literature and talk about MICA. Our first race is in two weeks and I was trying to drum up interest in the organization.

I also wanted to stick around for the start of the Beginner race since our first MICA team, Clarkston High, was supposed to be making their racing debut. Their coach is on the MICA board of directors and has done a great job recruiting and starting a MTB club.


While talking to her before the race the only school in the state to have mountain bike racing as a varsity sport, Detroit Country Day, pulled in with their school bus and car towing a DCD logo'd trailer. Kind of intimidating to other kids but DCD has had a program now for ten years or more and they have done a great job. It is quite impressive to see 20-25 kids with the same jersey milling about before the race. DCD is planning on joining MICA as well.

At the start I noticed that some of the DCD kids seemed both shocked and excited to see another team represented. Most of the Clarkston kids were wearing their new jerseys that also sported the MICA logo.

I didn't stay for the whole race but heard later that three of the Clarkston kids ended up on the podium. A great way to begin their racing season and I'm sure all the kids will have great stories to tell their friends. Hopefully the excitement translates into even more kids entering the sport.

A bridesmaid again

Once again I was the bridesmaid, not the bride. I raced the time trial at Ft. Custer today, a trail I had not been on since I raced almost exactly two years ago when Jason was in town. It is a very fun trail and the re-routes they have done lately have made it even better.

The trail overall is pretty fast with no really big climbs so I decided last night to increase the front chain ring by one tooth to provide a little more speed. I felt pretty good riding around before the start but there were a lot of SS's at this race and I wasn't sure who was in my class.

I started last, or so I thought, but luckily I didn't have too much traffic to contend with as I caught slower riders who started in front to me. There were a few times I had to slow to find the right place to pass; you don't need to force someone off the trail or yell at them as they are trying the best they can also. Racing is hard enough as it is without some Bozo ruining your day.

I seemed like I had the right gear as I was both able to spin comfortably yet make it up the hills and through all the tight spots with no problem. I was surprised though to see my name at the top of the results list when I finally got around to looking at them. Then I noticed that there were still a few results not posted, and one of the racers was someone that I had rarely beaten. I just had to sit and wait for the final results.

Actually, the final results were never posted but when the awards were given out and my name was called for second place I knew who had beaten me. Sure enough, it was they guy who had started after me. I never saw the times so I don't know by how much.

Oh well, at my second buttons up at least a third for the series since the last race is next week and 4th can't earn enough points to displace me. I have a possible shot at finishing second in the series but since it doesn't matter that much to me I may forgo the last race; I plan on racing in Ohio over Labor Day and don't really want to race three weeks in a row.

Now it's crunch time for the MICA program and we have a lot to do. I just have to keep remembering that this is the pilot season and really we are building for next year.

Weeknight short track series at LOHS

Earlier this summer Jeff Weinert, a local rider and nationally ranked cyclocross racer, approached me with the idea of putting on a weeknight race series this fall. The Lake Orion High School has such a great variety of trails and terrain that it is well suited to just about any type of off road race. After consultation with the school and Jeff the Wednesday Night Short Track Series has been formed.

The races are meant to be fairly short but intense, perfect training for the upcoming cyclocross season and also serve as a means for staying sharp for the Iceman race at the beginning of November. The entry fee is only $10 with 50% being returned to the top three racers in each class. The remainder will benefit the MICA organization.

More details can be found here http://www.scribd.com/doc/36210814/LOHS-short-track-races

LOHS short track races

Back in the groove

After being back to work for a week now it's like I never left. The first few days were a little tough due to catching up to the time difference but after that it was routine.

The heat and humidity this past week had me doing things other than riding. I spent part of Thursday trimming the school trails but not really doing anything to them for well over a month they were not as overgrown as I had feared. I finally got back on the bike on Friday and then again yesterday and today.

Sandy has started work at the local Meijer this past week. She will be working in the deli and eventually bakery but the first few days were taking computer based training. I think she get her first on the floor training today. Her schedule varies each week and even between first and second shift. We may not see much of each other except in passing.

The focus on racing will shift somewhat from me to working more on the MICA program and trying to get it going. Plus there may be an opportunity to put on a few more races up at the school this fall. I will race a few others here and there but only if the time and desire intersect.