08 Jamis TT Windtunnel Pic

Pretty cool...

Tour of America? Cool!

Stolen from here. It will come to DC!

The Tour of America is a month long cycling race that will commence the Saturday closest to the September 11th and end four weekends later on a Sunday. For the year 2008 the event will begin appropriately on September 6th, 2008 and end on the 5th October 2008. The event will have 30 days long with 3 days of rest in between. The first day will always be a prologue stage that would be from Central Park to ground zero on the foot of the once prominent Twin Towers. The remaining 26 days of races will snake it way through states in our country till we reach one of the many beautiful cities in the West Coast. This would truly be a race across the continent from sea to shining sea. Unlike the prologue the route taken by the race each year will differ with every single one of the 48 states in the contiguous U.S. being trekked across by the cyclist once every 5 years. All races will be run on local and state roads avoiding any Interstate Highway.

The breakdown of the stages of the Tour is as follows:

Stage	Date	Start	Finish	Miles/Km	Cumulative Distance
Prologue	9/06/08#	Central Park	Ground Zero	6/10	6/10
1	9/07/08	Newark, NJ	Washington, DC	220/360	226/370
2	9/08/08	Washington,DC	Pittsburgh, PA	244/390	470/760
3	9/09/08	Pittsburgh, PA	Columbus, OH	185/295	655/1055
4	9/10/08	Columbus, OH	Columbus, IN	200/320	855/1375
5	9/11/08#	Columbus, IN	Indianapolis, IN	45/75	900/1450
6	9/12/08	Indianapolis, IN	St Louis, MO	250/400	1150/1850
7	9/13/08	St Louis, MO	Carbondale, IL	130/210	1280/2060
8	9/14/08	Carbondale, IL	Nashville, TN	205/330	1485/2390
Rest Day	9/15/08	Nashville, TN	Chattanooga, TN
9	9/16/08*	Chattanooga, TN	Asheville, NC	230/370	1725/2760
10	9/17/08	Asheville, NC	Atlanta, GA	210/335	1925/3095
11	9/18/08	Columbus, GA	Montgomery, AL	80/125	2005/3220
12	9/19/08	Greenville, AL	New Orleans, LA	260/410	2265/3630
13	9/20/08	Baton Rogue, LA	Beaumont, TX	180/290	2445/3920
14	9/21/08	Houston, TX	Austin, TX	160/255	2605/4175
15	9/22/08	Austin, TX	Abilene, TX	250/400	2855/4575
Rest Day	9/23/08	Abilene, TX	Lubbock, TX
16	9/24/08	Lubbock, TX	Santa Rosa, NM	205/325	3060/4900
17	9/25/08*	Santa Rosa, NM	Chinmayo, NM	140/225	3200/5125
18	9/26/08*	Santa Fe, NM	Farmington, NM	210/355	3410/5460
19	9/27/08*	Shiprock, NM	Grand Canyon, AZ	250/400	3660/5860
20	9/28/08	Williams, AZ	Las Vegas, NV	190/300	3850/6160
21	9/29/08#	Boulder City, NV	Las Vegas, NV	50/80	3900/6240
Rest Day	9/30/08	Las Vegas, NV	Las Vegas, NV
22	10/1/08	Las Vegas, NV	Tonopah, NV	210/335	4110/6575
23	10/02/08*	Tonopah, NV	Bridgeport, CA	160/255	4270/6830
24	10/03/08#	Bridgeport, CA	Lake Tahoe, CA	80/130	4350/6960
25	10/04/08	Lake Tahoe, CA	San Jose, CA	220/350	4570/7310
26	10/05/08	San Jose, CA	San Francisco, CA	130/210	4700/7520

The prologue, and stages five, eleven, twenty-one and twenty-four are time trials. The stage eleven will be a team time trial and it will end in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The final time trial, stage twenty-four will be a mountain stage time trial. Stages nine, seventeen, nineteen, twenty-two and twenty-three will be the mountain stages. The remaining stages although considered flat stages will have undulating terrain but none as significant as the ones on the mountain stages.

# Time Trials
* Mountain Stages

DCCX - DCs Only Cyclocross Race!

Registration is Open for DCCX - October 28, 2007

DCCX 2007

A Day of Cyclocross Racing in Our Nation’s Capital

Presented by DCMTB/City Bikes

October 28, 2007

U.S. Armed Forces Retirement Home
Rock Creek Church Rd, NW & Upshur St, NW
Washington, DC 20011

Register Online

Landahl Is In the Books

VERY tough, dramatic race. More later. Darren's pics. Joe's pics.

We were looking at the national points series standings and we are still first in points. If Bill and the boys (ringers!) get first in Moab, they will beat us. If they get second to tie us, it goes to elevation and miles. They'd have to do 22 laps at Moab (13m course!) in second place to beat us so we are looking pretty good.

There's NO DOUBT that Bill and the Athens Wrecking Crew team CAN win that race so we aren't out of the woods yet.

After the battle we had this weekend, I wish them the best of luck. Those guys are true competitors and are worthy of much respect. I would be proud to come in second to them in the series. I will be seriously conflicted if we win. Happy, but conflicted.

More stories and pictures later. There was a lot going on.

Off to Landahl...

This has been the hardest race to prepare for. It's all on the line. Last race of the season and series and time to really push it. I'm excited, scared and nervous.

More next week. Follow real time from Granny Gear.

I'm Sure That You've Seen This...

But BOY is it funny...

Ok, if you are single, not so much, but us married folk might herniate ourselves...

DNR Technical Trail Feature (TTF) Policy

Below is the new TTF policy of the MD state Department of Natural Resources. It's public so this isn't anything from the inside. I have yet to read it but I wanted to get it out there asap.

Enjoy!
=================================

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
MARYLAND PARK SERVICE
AGENCY POLICY 07-52
17 September 2007

TECHNICAL TRAIL FEATURES ON MPS PROPERTY
I. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to identify the Agency’s position on the placement or presence of Technical Trail Features (TTFs) on lands or trails managed by the Maryland Park Service (MPS), and to provide procedures for evaluating the appropriateness of TTFs.

II. Scope
A. This policy is applicable to all lands owned or controlled by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and managed by the MPS.
B. This policy does not apply to natural or manmade trail features that occur due to the normal business of sustainable trail design and management.
C. This policy applies to the following categories of TTFs:
1. Naturally Occurring TTF – Represented by fallen trees, rocks, and other naturally occurring landscape features.
2. Constructed / Modified TTF –
a. Naturally occurring materials that have been modified.
b. Constructed TTFs made from natural materials.
c. Constructed TTFs made from manufactured materials.

III. Policy
It is the policy of the MPS to promote resource-based recreation in order to connect visitors to their natural and cultural heritage in ways that inspire a stewardship ethic. The MPS will develop and manage trails as a means to support this policy as it relates to resource and visitor protection, and recreational opportunities. Consistent with this objective, the MPS will provide multiple users with trails that are characterized as natural by design, with minimal modification and development. The MPS will not approve modified individual TTF elements that are inconsistent with the natural trail experience.

IV. Procedure
A. Review Process - The established review process used to evaluate proposals for TTFs requires that all requests must be submitted in writing to the park manager. Requests should include site plans, photographs and/or diagrams of the TTF and proposed site. Upon receipt of the request, the manager will forward the proposal for review and approval within the MPS. That MPS review may result in a recommendation for formal DNR Project Review by an interdisciplinary team of resource professionals. The composition of the team may vary depending on the specific nature of the request.
B. Evaluation Criteria – The following criteria will be used to determine the appropriateness of the TTF in relation to the Agency Mission.
1. TTFs considered for placement on MPS managed lands must have a direct connection to the advancement of the mission, goals, and objectives of the MPS.
2. TTFs will be consistent with, and complement, the MPS trail system management objectives, including:
a. Sustainable design
b. Multiple-use
c. Minimal environmental impact
d. Efficient use of limited fiscal resources
e. Consistency with natural aesthetic experience
f. Positive trail experiences
g. Nature or history appreciation
h. Compatibility with existing public use
3. The request will be evaluated for its consistency with any applicable land unit plan or trail management plan. In the absence of a plan, the request will be evaluated for its compatibility with existing resources, facilities and public use.
4. The request will be evaluated for its consistency with MPS public safety and visitor protection objectives, as well as any associated State liability law.
C. Design Standards – Additional considerations that will be evaluated during the review process include:
1. Geographic Location / Placement - The proposed TTF must be located in surroundings relevant to, and consistent with, the park’s management objectives, with particular emphasis on the ecological, cultural, recreational and historical features of the area in which the TTF is located.
2. The TTF shall not be aesthetically intrusive, the evaluation of which will be based on the following criteria:
a. Proportion - The size, scale and shape of the TTF must match its setting. A TTF shall not dominate, interfere with, or detract from natural features or existing facilities. If it is determined that the saturation point of a trail system has been reached, no new proposals will be considered.
b. Materials used - Materials must not divert attention from the land’s natural features and must be compatible in color, texture, and other visual characteristics with the dominant materials of other structures in the area of the TTF.
c. Integrity of setting - A TTF shall not undermine the unity and integrity of the visual setting, and placement must be compatible with the scenic views of the land. Photographs, diagrams and site plans submitted with the proposal will allow for the proper evaluation of this criterion.
3. The TTF shall be in accordance with national design standards for acceptable risk management as established by the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA).
D. Approval Process – The results of the review and evaluation by MPS staff, or the Project Review conducted by the interdisciplinary team, and all final recommendations, will be submitted to the MPS Superintendent, or designee, for final approval. DNR becomes the
sole owner of any TTF upon final placement on MPS managed land.

Kill Kill Kill

Renaissance Festival. Oh Jeebus. Scary stuff. Battle axe throwing. Here's two in the heart for you. Don't mess with me.

Ok, so the funny hat kinda ruins it...

There are quite a lot of fun things to do at the RennFest. Throwing stars, hatchets, bow and arrow, he-man hammer thing, climbing wall, turkey legs, beer, mead, cleavage... It really is people-watching at its best. And worst. And you have to check out the jousting. Big horses, armor and lances. Freud would LOVE it...

Emma had a soccer game on Saturday morning. She enjoys it, I think. Run around and kick the kids that are near the ball. She's stil working on the finer points of 'rules' and 'strategy' and 'playing' soccer. She looks cute though. And she even looks like she's paying attention. Rare moment.

24hrs of Landahl is this weekend. We leave on Friday. This will be the final race of the season for me. We challenged the Athens boys to come out and race. If we beat them, we win the series. If they beat us, they win the series. It all comes down to this one race. Pretty exciting.

We were going to race Landahl and not tell the Athens boys to get points and try to win smart instead of riding bikes faster than them. We quickly realized that we wanted to ride to win and challenged them to make the trip so we could end this in MO.

We have a shot to beat them. It might not be likely, but it's possible. If we win, we will have truly earned it. If they beat us, they deserve to win the series and we went down swinging.

It'll be fun. Real-time results will be available from Granny Gear. Noon Saturday to noon Sunday.

Please Help Tara

Here's hoping for the best. Our thoughts are with you Tara. Check this out.

Memories From 2001

Susan was hugely pregnant. This from Eric...

Below is a story for Ride On that Ellen and I wrote about Bike DC 2001, which took place right after September 11th. Every year on this date my mind always returns to that terrible morning and the days that followed as we somehow managed, with the help of many of you, to pull off a great ride that hopefully helped the healing process.

Wishing you all peace on this day.

Eric
WABA

BikeDC: A Tale of Two Bike Rides

By Eric Gilliland and Ellen Jones

The planning for BikeDC 2001 began before the dust had settled from BikeDC 2000. The first permit applications for the ride we submitted in September of 2000 and the next 12 months were spent attending countless meetings, working out the details of what would be the largest bike ride in the region and the longest road closure ever in the District of Columbia.

On the morning of September 11^th, less than two weeks before BikeDC, the WABA office was in high spirits. The final details were coming together: the route had been finalized and approved, site plans had been drawn up, bagels were waiting to be baked and 450 volunteers were ready to go. Over 5,000 people had registered anticipating a 32 mile tour of scenic Washington and its environs completely closed to traffic for the first time.

As the events of that day unfolded the questions changed from how it would be done, to would it be done at all. BikeDC had always been a celebration of bicycling as a form of transportation and recreation, a peaceful event that was also a celebration of community. Now, more than ever, the ride had to happen…but would it? WABA staff and volunteers assumed the affirmative and continued preparations for the ride as planned.

Days passed in silence. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the National Park Service, Capitol Hill Police, the Emergency Management Agency were out of touch, understandably occupied in dealing with the recent disasters and the threats of even more. Finally, after 8 days of waiting the call came on September 19. Peter LaPorte, Director of the Office of Emergency Management Agency (EMA) wanted to meet. “Now, more than ever, the mayor wants this ride and we are going to have it. We just need to sit down and figure out how.”

In its original conception, BikeDC would have required the services of over 180 officers from the MPD, Capitol Hill Police and the Park Police, numbers that were not available. Jose Acosta, Commander of the Special Operations Division of the MPD stated flatly, “75 officers. That’s all you’ve got.”

Twelve months of planning and countless meetings had come down to this: 5 people in a room, pouring over a map, counting and recounting the number of intersections where police would be required for alternate routes. The George Washington Memorial Parkway was the first route segment to go. The route was re-drawn, the start area moved, 35 miles had been whittled down to 12. It was not the ride that had been planned, but it was a ride that still included the Anacostia River front, the Southwest waterfront, monumental views and the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood.

We left the meeting with measured enthusiasm. The responsibility transforming such a large amount of BikeDC planning and still being able to offer something that was a positive experience for thousands of cyclists was sobering. Over the next 5 days the ride was re-invented.

Volunteers were reassigned. “Where do you need me?” volunteers asked when they got news that their section was no longer part of the ride. Marshals were sent to Freedom Plaza to reroute riders to the new starting point, and three rest stops were collapsed into one really BIG rest stop at RFK.

Delivery times and locations changed for equipment and services needed the day of the ride. “If I call the Port-a-John company one more time, they’ll kill me!” moaned Rachel Possel, BikeDC’s event manager.

“No, the NEW site map I just sent you,” Eric Gilliland, Tour Director, was heard to say over and over again as he redeployed 12 variable message sign boards and 2,500 traffic cones and barrels for traffic management on the changed course.

BikeDC media sponsors WTOP and washingtonpost.com took dictation over the phone to make changes in event announcements that were running nonstop to inform as many people as possible about the changes. Dave Weime of Sports Wave, a public relations firm, juggled media contacts, “Pull the spot I just heard about starting at Freedom Plaza – it’s RFK!”

Hundreds of phone calls and emails flooded the WABA office and responding to them was a full time job for Susan Klasmeier, Volunteer Coordinator and Administrative Manager, and a core of volunteers who became the front line for the event. The reaction of cyclists to the new plan was generally positive. A cheer would go up when particularly encouraging messages came in.

Saturday’s activities at then DC Armory were reaffirming. Bicycling Magazine’s Great Gear Exchange drew and enthusiastic crowd and the WABA Kid’s Safety Rodeo was a success. People were happy to be out enjoying the day and thinking about their favorite activity.

Sunday morning dawned clear and warm. At 4 am some of us looked over the vast empty space surrounding RFK Stadium and wondered for the first time, “What if no one comes?” That was the last moment of unstructured thinking for anyone as 400 volunteers began streaming in to set up the event according to a plan that most of them were learning about on the spot.

And the riders came. We estimate that 6,000 people rode on Sunday morning. Over 1000 people registered on the day of the event. The adaptability and resilience of the bicycling community was proven. H.G.Wells statement, “When I see a man riding a bicycle I have hope for civilization,” was never more true.

SM100 Wrap Up

Here are the results. Thanks again Chris.

After much confusion, I ended up rolling down to the race with Kent. We spent the night at his place in WV with Cargo Mike and Josh from Bike Lane. It was fun. Wow. That's me waking up in the tower at Kent's house.

We got over the hill and to the race in the early afternoon. After checking in with everyone, I had a few beers and hit the sack. The bike was ready, I felt ok and it was time. Ok, when I said the bike was ready, it was in as good condition as it was going to get. One of the bearings in the rocker link was TRASHED. I thought the wheel was loose but there was a small tick in the bike and now I know why. The bearing is supported pretty well by the rocker and the large-headed bolt that holds it in. I had no choice so it was time to run what I brung.

That's Kent on the Magic Mountain zip line at his place in WV.

I woke up, got dressed and did the final prep on the bike. I felt ok on the prologue climb and managed to middle-ring it. I only had to get off when the knuckleheads that blew up had to walk the singletrack climb. Come ON people! I was hollerin' a bit, trying to get people out of the way but nobody is interested in yielding that early in the race. 'Pedal fast uphill, why no pedal fast on rocks?'

At the top of Wolf Ridge, I was riding with Cargo Mike and hopped a little log and something went wrong. I ended up laying on my left side in front of Mike. Scratched up left hip, left elbow and a small bruise on my left knee. No blood? Weird. It ached all day.

I felt ok up to the top of climb #3 (top of Dowell's Draught) although I did end up walking a few sections, but not a lot. Again, traffic. I knew I was doing well if I was still in some traffic. I felt like ass, but I was still moving. I asked everyone on the side of the trail if they needed help but no one did UNTIL I was rocking Dowell's. I stopped, dude grabbed the pump he needed out of my pack and I sped off. It was the first time I would lend it out. I got it back when dude rolled into CP#3. Later, I lent it to a dude with a flat coming off of Chestnut and have yet to see it. Oh well. That's part of racing. I hope he enjoys it!

Pic on the right is our fearless leader, Chris Scott, getting ready to get ready. On the left is my pre-dawn Mexican Organization Blanket Mu-Mu. Katie just HAD to take this shot. I didn't get a flat so it must have been a good idea!

I passed Foley with a flat on the way to CP#4 and he rolled in a few minutes behind me. We both were feeling pretty lousy. We decided to quit 'racing' and ride together. We managed to help each other out a bit on the way up to the top of Chestnut and CP#5. It was a good thing we hooked up. It was hard getting out of CP#5. We rode with Larry Camp for a while up the hills but ended up putting some time in front of him as well. I rocked Chestnut and finished the race, riding a lot of it with a woman from CO. I finished the race strong, but it was flat...

There's nothing more surreal than coming through that last singletrack through the camp ground, knowing that there is exactly ZERO pedaling left. I couldn't wait to see Susan and the kids. She was there and I heard her yelling. I heard the kids and the totality of pain and fatigue just washes away. It was great to see them. There's nothing better. Even the finish line didn't feel as good as first Susan and then the kids came over to kiss me and tell me they love me. THAT'S the reason to do the race.

We packed up and I managed to keep my 'No Staying Sunday Night' streak alive. Ok, so I'm not actually TRYING to do that, but there it is.

10:52. Sub-11hrs feeling LOUSY! I had NONE of the power or strength I thought I might, but I was a little faster. That's why I'm always happy to just finish.