Monday, August 31, 2015

RPI Is Less Than a Week Away



Rebecca's Private Idaho is one of the biggest cycling events in the region and one of the best events anywhere. RPI is fun, festive, and well organized. It is a fondo not a race so you can ride it as fast or as slow as you like. Participating in RPI is probably not going to work out for me this year, but it will be a top priority again next year. Best of luck for a safe and pleasant ride to all of the locals who will be riding Rebecca's. Don't forget to save your legs for Lotoja.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Off the Map



It was a tough windy ride today, but still pretty fun. We wanted to mix things up a little on our last long training ride before Lotoja so we took a little tour through the mysterious and seldom visited paved roads south and east of Ashton.




The Bike Party


 
Our annual barbeque just keeps getting better. The band deserves a lot of the credit for the popularity of last night’s event, but I think it also reflects the growth and progress of cycling in Rexburg. Kellen provided DJ service and arrived towing the new Rexburg Cycling Team Trailer. It is super nice. I will get a picture up on the blog before too long. As well as Kellen’s investment in the trailer, we are very grateful for the support of local sponsors in purchasing the trailer including Teton Cancer Institute and Taylor Chevrolet.
I look forward to the BBQ every year and quite a few other people tell me they do too. We had a great turnout last night. Just before the band went on, Sam did a quick count of the crowd which at that time included 140 adults and a number of children. A lot of work goes into putting this thing on. I have never had a year with more people volunteering to help, cooking, and providing support. I am very grateful to everyone who attended and who worked with us to make the event a success.
I cannot say enough about the greatness of the band: David Peck (keyboard and lead vocals), Jerry Griffin (guest vocals), Rob Wood (lead guitar), Joe Griffin (drums), and Dan Griffin (bass). These guys tore through an eclectic classic rock set which included Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Doors among others. The police came at about 4:30 during sound checks for the band, but were very good to work with us. The best news is that the entire band has agreed to return next year with a new and expanded set.
I want to emphasize again how much Dawn and I are grateful for the support that we have received in organizing this event over the years. We are already looking forward to next year.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Live Music For the Bike BBQ

If you were here last year, you know how talented David Peck is. We are very excited that he putting a little band together for this year’s BBQ. We hope to see you on Friday night.
 
Friday, August 28th 6 p.m.
Dave and Dawn Anderson home 324 S. 3rd E.
Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert.
Bring your family. Bring your friends.
 

GMBN: Essential Mountain Bike Skills and Tips


GMBN: Most Common Mountain Bike Mistakes


Sunday, August 16, 2015

From Brian: Race Report Pierre's Hole MTB

Grand Targhee 2013 Pierres Hole 100 03
photo credit: Grand Targhee Resort
The local cyclists included myself, Tim, Zac and Jeralynn Peterson. We all finished pretty well. Tim finishing the strongest with a time just over 3 hours for the 50K. The course was 90% single track with some technical descending and nearly 3800 feet of climbing. There was a flyover near the finish line that I'd like to hit multiple times. The scenery was arguably the best of any bike race in the western US. You didn't know whether to race or take pictures. It was awesome! Best day on a bike this year. Great event, good people, incredible course, fantastic tacos! Already looking forward to next year’s event.

CXC Spotlight: Biking And Skiing, What’s The Connection?

Vince Rosetta, CXC Board Member, CXC Masters Team member and Account Manager at Quality Bicycle Products (QBP), shares his experiences and input on the correlation between biking and skiing and how both are beneficial to building a base of endurance.

The full article can be found here: https://cxcnewsfeed.wordpress.com/2015/08/13/cxc-spotlight-biking-and-skiing-whats-the-connection/

Saturday, August 15, 2015

We Debut the New TCI Team Kit


 
Many of you have ordered the new TCI kit. The main order is probably about two weeks out still. The pieces that have arrived were part of a preorder and as expected, the kit fits and looks great. We rode the same Windmills variation today that we did two weeks ago, about 108 miles. The biggest difference today was a truly fierce wind from the southwest which provided ample opportunity to train together in some very adverse wind conditions. All in all, it was another fun and successful ride. Thanks to everyone who turned out for the ride today.

Bart Earns Another Big Belt Buckle

Congratulations to Bart Miller who came in at 8:39:40 at the Leadville Trail 100 MTB Race earlier today. This is a great time in a very difficult event!

Thursday, August 13, 2015

HS MTB

 

We had a great turnout for the High School Mountain Bike Ride tonight and an excellent ride of the Marysville Hill Loop (aka Ashton Hill Hop Loop). If you are a high school student interested in riding with the team or an adult who would like to volunteer, you can get more information from Joe at Sticks and Stones.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Matt Brammeier Tour of Utah Crash



I do not feel that good about posting this video. It is a spectacular crash, but one that caused significant injury to the cyclist, Matt Brammeier. (See VN link below for details). It feels wrong to be entertained by his misfortune. Nevertheless, the video has become a YouTube sensation with two million views, so if you don't see it here, you will likely see it elsewhere.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/08/news/matt-brammeier-injured-in-high-speed-crash-at-utah_381009

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Exciting Final Stage at the Tour of Utah

Sorry about the glitches and pauses at the finish! These were problems in Tour Tracker. There are a couple of versions on line and they have similar issues. If anyone can find a clean version, I would be happy to post it.
 

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Tour of Utah 2015 Stage 6 Final Kilometers

I watched the final two hours of this stage on my phone using the Tour Tracker app and it was pretty sweet. It was good to see the familiar finish (Guardsman, Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood) from the comfort of my living room. The difference in watching the Queen Stage and riding it is that the pros ride this at a speed that non-professionals can only dream of. The best part of The Ultimate Challenge is Tanners Flats when the spectators are pushing.
 

Thursday, August 6, 2015

GCN: Top Ten Road Climbs in America.

Empire Pass makes the list. Empire Pass has been featured a number of times on the final day of The Tour of Utah. Guardsman has been featured in the Snowbird stage and the Ultimate Challenge. I just watched the GCN video again. It sounds like they are counting Empire + Guardsman as one climb. (On that note, I would like to extend best wishes for a successful Ultimate Challenge this Saturday to John and Jason Summers).  I am looking forward to a sequel to this video: Top Ten Gravel Climbs in America. I want to nominate the Col d' Crush.


Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Yerka "The Unstealable Bike" Goes Into Production


GCN: Descend Like a Pro


From Joe: Fundraising Opportunity for HS MTB


NICA has provided an opportunity for us to raise some funds!  I have here at the store a bag of 50 Stem Caps that have the text "NICA #morekidsonbikes" laser etched on the top of them (see attached photo).  They suggest we attempt to sell these to individuals for $20.  If we sell these stem caps for $20, we get to keep $10 for our own team, $5 goes to the Idaho State NICA league, and $5 goes to the National League so they have funding to help get new leagues underway.  
I intend to have these stem caps on display here by the counter at Sticks and Stones but I strongly encourage any and all of you to come grab as many stem caps as you think you can sell and then go out and try to sell them to all your friends!  They work on any bike as long as it uses a threadless type stem.  If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.  I think this could really help!  
Cheers!

Joe Hill


Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Bart Rants: Nobody Knows About Cyclists

Bart has hundreds of videos on his Cycling Strong YouTube channel:  You can watch them here: https://www.youtube.com/user/cyclingstrong
A big congratulations to Bart and especially to Cobe on the recent Leadville Trail 100 Stage Race where Cobe finished in the top ten overall.  http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/mtb/leadville-stage-race/
 
 

The Iron Cowboy 50/50/50

Tony and some other locals met this guy and rode with him on his next to last day of the 50/50/50 (50 Ironman distance events, 50 states, 50 days) challenge.


Monday, August 3, 2015

Heart of Idaho Century Ride Next Saturday August 8th

The Heart of Idaho offer a variety of distances and options including a traditional century ride and a flat "Cupcake" century. Proceeds from the ride support The Art Museum of Idaho.

Outstanding Tour of Utah Tour Tracker App

I just watched the finish of today's women's race on a rainy day in Logan in high quality video utilizing the Tour of Utah Tour Tracker. The ToU is starting under a cloud today literally and metaphorically with Tommy Danielson's failed drug test. In spite of that, I am pretty excited for this year's race. If you are able to see a stage or two in person, nothing compares to the experience of being there and seeing it live. The next best thing is the excellent free Tour Tracker app which provides daily live coverage and much more. http://thetourtracker.com/apps/
I am going to say just one negative thing about the Tour Tracker: Its seemingly endless commercials prove there is no such thing as "free".


Defending Champ Tommy D. Fails Doping Test. Withdraws From Tour of Utah

Overall winner Thomas Danielson, of Team Garmin-Sharp, celebrates after crossing the finish line during Stage 7 of the Tour of Utah cycling race Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014, in Park City , Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2798236-155/cycling-two-time-defending-tour-of-utah
http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/08/news/tom-danielson-fails-doping-test_380297

From Dan: Rebecca's Private Idaho Discount Code

Dan has arranged a group discount for Upper Valley participating in Rebecca's Private Idaho. RPI is probably the single best cycling event of the year. If you are interested in registering, you can contact Dan or me to obtain the discount code.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Bike BBQ RESCHEDULED for Friday August 28th

In the long history of this event, we have never had to reschedule, but we need to do so now. The date that we originally selected for this year (August 14th) has proven to be problematic for quite a few people. It looks like August 28th should be a better option for most. I feel bad for the people who will still not be able to attend, but hopefully with the 28th we have selected the best date for the most people.
 
Bike BBQ
 
Friday, August 14th August 28th 6 p.m.
Dave and Dawn Anderson home
324 S. 3rdE.
Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert.
Bring your family. Bring your friends.
 

Saturday, August 1, 2015

From Joe: At the Windmills

 
This is from today’s ride, about 108 miles in total: Menan, Osgood, Shelley, Sunnyside Climb, Iona, Rigby. Afterward, Brian and Justin decided to add 20 miles more. When you ride up Sunnyside to the Windmills, you know you have reached the top when you arrive at the giant landfill where we stopped for the photo.

Tour of Utah 2015: Preview | Cyclingnews.com

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-utah-2015/preview/