South Georgia Cycling

Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew Event Schedule

2012-01-18T11:31:00.003-05:00

Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew Event
Chehaw Mountain Bike Trail, Albany, GA

Please share this info with others in the community, print out or email the flyer in PDF form.

Schedule of Events

Thursday evening, February 16th 6:30PM at the Parks at Chehaw Education
Building: Social Event open to the public with the screening of the movie “Petal Driven”. United under cause to promote and protect our public lands.

Friday evening, February 17th 6:30PM at the Parks at Chehaw Education Building:
Presentation open to the public with the viewing of the movie “Better Living Through
Trails”. This presentation explores the positive relationships between communities and their trail systems.

Saturday, February 18th
9AM-12PM at the Parks at Chehaw Education Building: Trail Building School open to the public.
Lunch: 12:15pm provided by Wagner’s Barbeque/Pecan City Pedalers.
Trail Build 1PM-5PM: Volunteers must attend the morning Trail Building School to
participate. Use your knowledge attained in the earlier education session to build a
portion of the master planned Mountain Bike Trail at Chehaw. (Closed toe shoes or boots required, gloves, pants, hat, bug spray and sun block recommended).

Please RSVP at https://www.imba.com/civicrm/event/info?id=192&reset=1

WALB - PSA regarding the 3 foot rule in GA

2012-01-05T12:49:00.001-05:00

Subaru-IMBA Trail Crew coming to Albany, GA

2012-01-02T10:03:00.004-05:00

Subaru-IMBA Trail Care Crew: Albany, GA

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew, on the road since 1997, is IMBA's grassroots educational program and an authority on sustainable trail building practices. Two teams of professional trail experts travel year-round throughout the United States and beyond, leading trail work sessions, meeting with land managers and working with IMBA-affiliated clubs and the communities they serve to improve mountain biking opportunities. The Trail Care Crew program has inspired great volunteer trail work across the U.S. and abroad - a big help to government agencies and land managers who have limited funding for trail construction and upkeep. As a direct result, there are now thousands of new and improved trails in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and several European countries.

Dates: Feb. 16-19, 2012

Hosted by: Pecan City Pedalers

Contact: Richard Thompson

All events held at Chehaw Park, 105 Chehaw Park Road, Albany, GA 31701

Thursday, Feb. 16

6-9pm - Social event, screening of "Pedal Driven" in the Education Center

Friday, Feb. 17

6:00pm - Better Living Through Trails
This presentation explores the positive relationships between communities and their trail systems. Trails as community assets can improve quality of life and livability in a community for both the biking and non-biking members, and can attract significant tourism dollars in addition in increasing overall quality of life.

Saturday, Feb. 18

IMBA Trail Building School

Classroom 9 a.m. - noon @ Chehaw Park Education Center
Lunch provided by Wagner's BBQ
Trail work 1 p.m. - 4/5 p.m. at Chehaw Park
* Please do not plan to attend the work session if you can't make it to the morning classroom. Wear pants, closed-toe shoes, a hat, gloves and bring water for the trail project.

Goto https://www.imba.com/civicrm/event/info?id=192&reset=1 and scroll to the bottom of the page to RSVP for the Saturday AM training and PM trail work session.

2011-12-01T22:35:00.000-05:00

Road Bike Racer meets Mountain Biker
by: rapence1905

An Epic on Oak Mountain

2011-11-14T12:22:00.002-05:00

The final race of the 2011 MTB Endurance series was held at Oak Mountain State Park, Pelham, Alabama.

Josh Fix, Bill Riddle, and Mitch Mercer began their journey on Friday to seek new levels and epic status. Notable absences were Steve Longtoe Julian and Dave Oracle Muse. We made our way through Montgomery with ease due to the new blue dot technology offered by Josh...epic directions.

Once arriving at the hotel, we had cookies on a foyer platter...epic. Bill set the temp in the room to acclimate us to race conditions....epic. We got our proper rest, even though the night before the race is not as important as the night before the night (Dave Muse). The breakfast buffet offered unlimited fruit (note Bill was tempted), eggs,meat,waffles,oatmeal...shall I say....epic.

We arrived at the race site with the focus of Ninja warriors. Slapped all equipment into place and the three of us set out on the pre-ride....warnings from care-bear and sneaky about the "rocks" had us wondering about the validity of their chants of fear after a 3 to 4 mile jaunt up the trail. Back to the tent for last adjustments and line up for the start. We were joined by Chip Battle for his first race of the season on a first generation full suspension bike...now that was epic. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 and we are off. A loop on a service road up the hill to a dive in point where Josh hit the trail in first place and never relinquished the lead, Bill followed closely behind sneaky, then I was positioned just ahead of the conga line. A crash about 3 miles in caused a separation between me and the others, I walked by this carnage and started to crank away toward the others. I found myself climbing up a slow incline full of cantaloupe sized rocks and another "stopping" call from ahead....an edifice of stones in the shape of a waterfall...blood rock...epic....everyone walked this. Then to the top and a descent on a new section, shall I call the gauntlet of rock-dom!! Ten clusters of death defying rocks, boulders along a stretch for the next mile..switchbacks laden with craggy granite, rock corridors between trees, and rock logs .... Very epic! Escaping the rock quarry allowed us to fly down a woop de do section that was a big chain ring dream. This section was so fast that riders were losing control and two paid the price with broken arms! I had a slight bump with the earth as I hugged the side of the trail and my pedal snagged the uphill side, spun me around and sent me into a somersaulting move that after two full revolutions, I ended sitting upright with my bike 10 feet away, pine straw jammed in my helmet, a rock souvenir wedged in the side of my cap. My drafting friend said "Dude, that was beautiful, oh by the way, you ok?". Epic. The trail did in fact warrant the cautions from care-bear and sneaky.

9 mile lap....Josh circled this rock infested trail 7 times. 1st place expert.
Bill finished with 4 laps. 2nd place clydesdale.
Me 4 laps. 5th place beginner.

Series results:
Bill 2nd place Clydesdale
Mitch 3rd place beginner....I rode an epic....it was epic

Note Josh ran a 13.1 trail race sunday at oak mountain...finished 3rd. He received an award for weekend warrior for his accomplishments....Epic!

PHOTOS TO COME!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

2011-10-18T20:50:00.005-04:00

I read a quote recently (in Bicycle Times Magazine) from Japanese poet Ryunosuke Satoro.

"Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean."

So I read this and thought "Wow. This is what we're trying to do." Then as the events of the day transpired I became more cynical and I added and ending to the quote:

"But I prefer pools."

You can't please everyone and everyone doesn't want to be pleased, but you can at least be honest and sincere in your approach.

NOW SHUT UP AND GO RIDE YOUR BIKE!!

Six Gap over the Magic Stick

2011-09-27T04:47:00.003-04:00

***This is book two of the Magic Stick series, please make sure to read book one Jack Rabbit and Search for the Magic Stick

Six Gap over the Magic Stick

I have learned not to knock the wisdom of the MTB crew. The night prior to
Jack Rabbit, I learned invaluable advice that I was determined to try out
for Six Gap. 1) Avoid fruit and yogurt at all cost before a race/ride. 2)
Magic sticks with the trigger point technology are just that....MAGIC.
After my jog through the spectacular Jack Rabbit course (Ladies...we should
give this race a try next year!), I spent well over an hour using my magic
stick (minds out of the gutter people) to roll out the knots in my legs to
prepare for Six Gap. The magic stick did it's MAGIC people!

I have to happily report, that the knowledge that I learned from Fruitless
and M.E. was spot on! They know what they are talking about. Six Gap was
AWESOME. The weather turned out perfect for a 104 mile ride in the North Ga
Hills. Lindsey, Andy, and I disembarked at 7:30 am Sunday morning for an
adventure. Before we even made it to Gap #1 (Neal's), Lindsey and Andy
asked me if we had already climbed our first gap. Unfortunately...no. We had
just made it passed the infamous Rock Pile and had a little to go. Lindz
planned to do 3 Gap, and Andy and I were going to do 6 Gap. Our deal is to
always climb at your own pace and meet at the top. I knew when I passed a
group which included Andy in it and he didn't look happy, things may not go
as planned. Sure enough, Andy's legs were wiped out by heavy squats from
Cross Fit....damn XFit!! I told him that if he wanted to do 3 Gap, now was
the time to make the decision because the turn off was in the middle of
descending Neals. I lost my buddies. They turned on Wolfpen and I
continued on to complete 6 gap.

At this point I decided to get my miles and hours in for training, don't
give up no matter how difficult, listen to some good music, and make some
friends. I don't have company on the Ironman...need to keep that in mind
here. Jack's was typical...rolling hills, a pain in the butt, and keep
moving. Rest stops were packed and people were blocking tables, so I
bypassed and kept on trucking. Good thing is riding with Super Freak, I
know the route and know the places I can stop. Unicoi was a great climb,
nothing spectacular about it, other than I knew that the 50 mile mark was
about half way down. Whoohoo. I met a friend at this point, but I'm pretty
sure I pissed him off when I said I didn't know how people did this ride in
6 hours...he said he could do it in 6 1/2 and took off. LOL. Then...the
dreaded HOGPEN. It's a 7 mile climb with the steepest elevation that makes
you want to cry...and makes you want to walk or run because you can get up
it faster that way. I know I saw 3.7 mph once. The remainder was typically
4.0 mph. OUCH. I was DETERMINED not to walk...I always have in the past,
but damn it, I didn't want it to beat me. This was the climb to make
it...then it's all downhill from there....and I freakin made it. I almost
cried when I reached the top...okay I did tear up...saw Super Freak and
Frisbee and knew it was in the BAG!!! Of course all they wanted was for me
to get them food from the SAG stop. No glory.

The next two Gaps were Wolfpen and Woody. I was ready to get back to the
car and hit the road, so it was all about just getting it done. My legs
felt like Magic the entire ride, so I give cudos to M.E., Super Freak, and
Fruitless for the good magic vibes! Total of 8 hours on the bike for Six
Gap....and I'm tired.

I know I've talked most of you into doing Six Gap next year, so we should
have a great showing in 2012, right?

Jogger

Jack rabbit and the Search For the Magic Stick

2011-09-26T13:04:00.001-04:00

Cast:
Josh Fix as Super Freak
Bill Riddle as Fruitless
Dave Muse as Oracle
Mitch Mercer as M.E.
Amy Fix as Jogger
Lane Fix as Frisbee
Steve Jullian as Mex
Clark and Suzy Neal as no shows

The tale unfolds at an undisclosed location in Lee County, Georgia. M.E. and Fruitless meet and start loading up gear and a new secret mix. They point their vehicle north and the adventure begins. As the pair discuss strategy, Mex calls to give them details of his ride at Dauset of the prior week. Apparently, Mex took a twenty minute break to show a photographer the finer points of camera angles, fishing techniques, coupon clipping, and cake baking during a LAP! The photographer said "hey, man aren't you racing?...you need to go!" After that disturbing phone call, they hit the Atlanta city limits and decided they needed a magic stick. First stop was Performance Bike. "Hey man, where are the magic sticks?" asked Fruitless. "What?" responded Clark the clerk. "It's on your website!, do you not offer the same items you advertise on your website!?". The look of total fear came over Clark the clerk and the traveling pair decided to take their business elsewhere. REI! Yep, they had the magic stick and backpacks. Fruitless offers his expertise "You pack it, put it on your back and go". With the newly acquired magic sticks, Fruitless and M.E. head to the Cleveland GA Huddle House. "What would the Oracle do?". ... No meat! The night before the race.
They took his advice. After arriving at the Holiday Inn Express in Hiawassee, the two broke out the magic sticks and started the magic! Super Freak, Jogger, and Frisbee came into that scene and almost turned around and headed home. Fruitless and M.E. assured them it was ok and encouraged the to try the magic stick....all three did and the magic was shared by all.
Race Day
The pair found a site next to Sean Fitzgerald. Howdie do-s were exchanged then Sean said "Hey man, are you ok? I witnessed the heaving from Tribble Mill and that was frightening!". Yes, Fruitless is ok. With the tent erected, Fruitless left the scene to " Have a few moments of prayer". Oracle set up his chair against the erected pop up and more wisdom was shared. "The most important night of sleep is the night before the night of the race." Super Freak, Jogger and Frisbee rolled in and pre race routines ensued. Jogger set off on a quick 10 miler, Frisbee wanted to show off his tossing skills and Super Freak was ....well, all secrets cannot be shared. 1 minute before the race, Frisbee looked at Fruitless and pointed out everyone had left the scene but him....Why? Fruitless dashed to the starting line. The course had been extended to 10 miles this year. The start line was on a paved road a mile from the trail head. With the gunshot start, Super Freak tucked and lead the pack to the trailhead at roughly 32 mph. The conga line lasted about 4 miles when a little carnage began on an up hill tree/ rock/ camera happy flashing dude after the rock garden climb, the trail the went skyward to the top of jack rabbit mountain, more walkers...on the first lap! Then a fast, downward 5 miler of roller coaster twist and turns that had everyone smiling at the end of lap 1. The pack broke apart with Super Freak turning a 38 minute lap, Oracle behind him, then Fruitless with his pack of dancers that fell apart on the double climb and then the rider in front of Fruitless was removed from the trail when an angry deer thrust his stag self into the rider and sent him sailing down a 20 ft ledge. Fruitless yelled to the stunned rider as the deer was relatively unfazed hopped off into the wilderness. He was "okay" so the ride continued. By the fourth lap, Super Freak passed M.E. with a bell ring and "you are doing great!". By the 5 th and 6th lap the trail was packed hard and wide with sweeping turns that would have made Talladega proud. By the end of the 70 degree day the results were as follows:
Super Freak. 8 laps (80 miles in 5 1/2 hours!) 1st place..duh! Expert
Oracle. 7 laps 10th place Expert
Fruitless. 7 laps 1st place Clydesdale
M.E. 6 laps. 5th place. Beginner

The story continues in the series finale November 12th. Stay tuned.......

Fools Gold 100

2011-08-31T19:36:00.003-04:00

Well it's been a couple weeks since FG 100 and after a little razing from Woolie i decided to find some time to type up a quick report.

Here I am in the parking lot before the start of FG100. Can you see the look of terror on my face?

We got to the vineyard Friday night at 8:55 just 5 mins before registration closed. Yes, I said vineyard. This year eddie and Namrita negotiated there way into a sweet venue, Montaluce vineyard http://www.montaluce.com/ Amy and I got settled into our campsite and settled down to rest while I sorted through my notes on how many bottles and how much food I would put in each sag feed bag. After some minor calculations I was in bed by 11.

We rose early and luckily my internal alarm went off b/c I forgot to turn on my weekend alarm on my iPhone. Coffee and oatmeal, a quick shower and we were off to the vineyard for the start.

When we arrived there were several folks already settled in and getting ready. I ran up the hill to check in and get my timing chip. I didn't run into any of the usuals until I was heading out for a warm up. Ran into Dickman and Dave muse. Muse was doing the 50 Miler and Dickman was just out to ride and hang out. As always it was great to see both of them.

I did my normal stretching while everyone else stood around.

Eddie gave the racers some last minute commands and directions about the race.

The Race had a neutral start for about 3 miles on pavement, so it was pretty sorted out by the time we got to the gravel road, Eddie peeled off and we were off. My goal was to stay with the top 10 and did so till about 3/4 of the way up coopers gap. When the road kicked up one last time, I lost contact and the mental games began.

I think that the main difference between ORAMM and FG100 is that ORAMM you go up then you go down, up and down, up/down, etc. But FG100 you go up then you traverse with rollers, down a bit, traverse a bit, up, traverse a bit, down, traverse a bit and repeat(lap two). Which all equates into a lot less time for recovery while descending.

Which is why the mind games began b/c I had put myself into the hurt cave and had to traverse for another 30 minutes while trying to find my way out of the cave. The last 10 minutes I caught on with a couple guys from Orlando as they passed me they said are you from Albany? You know Kent Lofton? Turns out they ride with Kent down in Florida. They were both riding full sus and we rotated through a few rotations to the top of winding stairs where I was on the front and proceeded to get a max speed of 40 mph. I came through a slight bend and got squirelly on some tennis ball size rocks and wrapped my chain up around my crank about that time one of the guys blew by me. When we got onto the single track that traverses from Jake to bull mtn we were chatting it up and turns out when he passed me he hit 43 mph. Not bad for a gravel road.

Shortly after that they proceeded to drop me and I returned to the cave, all by myself. I thought quitting which I haven't thought about during a race in several years. Eventually when I was about half way up bull mtn I decided that I was just going to keep riding and stick to my plan with eating and see if I could find a groove. I found my groove and settled in, kept eating, and started to feel stronger. Or at least I wasn't curled up in the corner of the pain cave. Finished 1st lap under 4 hours.

Second time around I can say that I made it up coopers gap, it wasn't pretty and I got passed by one guy whom I was able to pass later on the last section of single track after it rained and was muddy and slippery.

Road efficiently along the ridge traverse from coopers gap to winding stairs descent and started to dream about catching a few people and some possible finishing times. At this point I knew that sub 8 was not possible but sub 8:30 was well within reason. This thought brought my spirits up as did the awesome sag volunteers. As you rode into a sag they would call out your number and some one would come running up to you with your sag bag. They would fill bottles and do anything you asked. TOP NOTCH VOLUNTEERS, thanks eddie and Namrita.

I ended up catching one of the florida guys as he ended up having a bad day and had cracked and lost his garmin. He was piecing things back together as he climbed bull mtn and I believe his buddy went on to finish second but not really sure. I thought a couple of times about getting off and walking the top sections of the bull ascent but my internal bullies wouldn't let me.

It sprinkled a bit on the Bull descent and turns out that it was a full on rain storm on the lower single track and down at the winery. This played to my advantage because I could put caution to the wind and roll the last section of single track that was all slick and muddy. I was able to pass 2 more guys which was good but also caused some stress b/c now I had to make sure that I didn't get passed on the paved road back to the winery. As it turns out the return to the winery was mostly uphill, go figure, and with the recent rain and the sun coming out made it like sitting in a sauna. I did my best to put my head down and pedal circles. It worked out and I made it to the finish with out getting passed.

8:13ish good enough for 11th or 12th depending on how you look at it (I am actually 10th on the final results). As it turns out jeff shaulk was in the lead coming through the end of the first lap and didn't head back out for the second because the course wasn't marked. No disrespect jeff, cause I know you could school me any day, but shouldn't you have done your homework? Or at least listened at the start line when eddie explained the course? So jeff and christian tanguy were awarded a tie so really I was 12th but b/c of the tie the official results says 11th for my class. I will be back next year.

Thanks eddie and Namrita and everyone else that made his event so awesome. I will bring some south Georgia folks with me next year.

Here I am after riding on the blacktop sauna toward the finish.

My faithful steed thanks to Breakaway bikes for all the support.

Cooked and still deep in the cave.

The vineyard venue was exceptional with a pool and hot tub.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Dahlonega, GA

The Trials of Tribble Mill

2011-08-28T09:55:00.004-04:00

The Trials of Tribble Mill

A short story by a well known artist of words and many other things.

Friday aug 26
Bill Riddle, Mitch Mercer

We arrive at our plush accommodations and check in. We then proceed to the tribble to set up our tent at the event and after three errant turns find the spot and secure our spot. We ran into bubba, junior , and junior jr. That's right "we breaking the kid in on racing!" "We gonna set up our tent over there cause the sun comes up over here and then later it will be over there." said junior.

9:00pm

We got back to the "Hamp" and decide to find something to eat. After wandering for a couple of miles through a parking lot we noticed an abundance of patrons in front of an "authentic" pizza establishment. I ordered chicken wings and a personal pizza. Bill went bold ( an omen ) with a pizza roll sandwich and 15 breadsticks. After consuming everything ordered we went to K-Rog and bought "the banquet of beers". While at the checkout counter we became friends with the couple ahead of us. A lovely mixed couple that asked where are you two from? Bill retorted "south Georgia". The young black man said he had relatives in Dougherty county, and asked if we knew Dougherty? .....yes we did.

We the proceed back to the hotel to carbo-load for the sat morning event. After watching every possible angle of Irene that we could handle, we snoozed.

Race day

Down at the breakfast buffet, bill encountered another mixed couple of the mountain bike variety. One expert, one over 50. I took note of the re food choices, bill did not. I repeat, bill did not! Bill (going robust, an omen) helped himself to an over abundance of fruit (citrus mostly). Off to the track!

Bill, oddly enough had an issue with his tire holding air, he got someone from neutral support to put stan's on the back wheel plus 60 psi. 15 min from race start.

We gather in a field of heat and await the start....we are off, we funnel through the woods by the timing arch and down a hay grove then a service road that leads to a single track that gently traverses the hill upward for 1 mile. At mile 3, I start realizing this mug is as rooty. With that notation, bill thought he had forgotten how to ride a bike until he remembered the 60psi and the roots had made his first lap an adventure. I positioned myself mid pack and rolled with 20 or so for the first 8 miles then it got stupid. For bill, his trials began on lap 3. A few brave souls asked bill if he wanted to hop on their train...."hell yeah!". Then bill felt a grumble. For me the second lap was sweaty...I was sliding all over the seat, handlebars and getting blisters on my fingers. My lap 3 began with, what I like to call the gang of 4 who are no friends of mine, me pulling some chaps for the first 5 miles and answering the question of "you 6hr solo?". Yes. So were the gang of 4. We jockeyed for position for the last four miles and had quick pit stops and eyeballed each other for the first 6 miles of lap 4 until I spotted a bare chested individual perched on a log. As I got closer I realized it was bill riddle. " bill what is the deal?" I asked. Bill showed me a beautiful display of fruit that had previously been in his stomach. The robust breakfast. Nice. Bill then took a swim in the lake, kitted (sans jersey) and then finished, and I mean finished the 4th lap. I had made a quick pit and headed out for lap 5 as I noticed the gang of 4 were dilly-dalling in their respective pits, so I decided to sneak past them. On my lap 5, I was riding smoothly in four-fifth place and came over a rise at mile marker 6 and abruptly crashed. I got back up and continued down the next hill and discover mother earth again. Wtf? I checked out my bike to find the front tire flat as a flitter. I swiftly whipped out my air canister and refilled the rubber. No less than 20 yards the tire had gone flat again.

3:00, 3.2 miles to glory. I shouldered my steed and started to walk.

3:15pm the friendly gang of four sneaked past me without a hint care. I received a tire, pump and tire tool from a passer by and began to repair. Got everything on and the pump would not work......shouldering began in earnest. I found the road and started the journey when a kind young man in a pick up asked if he could lend a hand, to which I replied "hell yeah!".

Got back at 4....and found bill face down in the grass. I told him of my plight and he began to tell me his, when the gargle of water and gatorade spewed from his orifice. This was a site to behold. Bill assumed the position as I loaded up the car and finally convinced bill to move under a pine tree and receive the breeze. I got bill ginger ale and pepto. He started to come back to life in Macon. All in all, a hot, hot day with plenty of roots and non flow tracks that would have made Heritage proud.

Results:
bill, 4 and dry heaves
Mitch, 4 and a blown tire in lap5.

The Chehaw Fat Four registration is OPEN!

2011-08-24T10:21:00.001-04:00

2011-08-19T18:55:00.004-04:00

Saturday, October 22nd
10:00 am - 2:00 pm (4hr race)
Solo Only categories
7 mile course
Lots' of camping available
Great family attractions
Winner of each category gets a CUSTOM PRIZE
More details to come
Registration through http://www.bikereg.com/ starting Tuesday, August 23rd.
A Race, For Racers, run by Racers.

Trail Work Day

2011-08-17T18:07:00.002-04:00

We will have a Workday at Chehaw this Saturday August 20th. Work will begin at 9 when the park opens. Post work ride for those that can stand the heat! I'm sure beer will be involved. We will have a second work day Sunday October 16th. This October workday will be the final clean up before the race. We need all available hands!

I got my A$$ kicked by Mitchell Sellars...WT#???

2011-06-22T10:33:00.000-04:00

As with most trouncings, the weekend started out innocent enough.

Rhonda and I, along with Josh and Amy Fix, all converged at Heard State Park Campground in West Point GA late Saturday afternoon. The plan was to camp that night and then up at dawn the next morning to participate in the annual West Point Lake Triathlon. Amy and I had signed up several months back to do the Olympic distance (1.5k, 40k, 10k). Even though Rhonda had only recently gotten back on the bike once and swam three times, after five years of doing other things, she had decided at the last minute, thanks to an evil suggestion/dare from John Leonard, to do the Sprint (600 yd, 15 mile, 5k). Josh briefly toyed with the idea of entering his first tri, but decided that only one time in the pool was almost, but not quite enough training to thoroughly dominate the field and deferred to another day.

If you haven't been camping here before - Heard State park is just beautiful! Our site was right on the lake, surrounded by trees, and just about perfect. If you are lucky enough to own a boat - you can camp and pull your boat right up to your spot and ski/fish/canoe all day and all night. Since we were boat-less, however, Josh and I entertained ourselves by skipping rocks, playing with the dog, and shouting advice to the crew setting out the buoys for tomorrow's swim. They were clearly putting them WAY too far out, but in spite of our yells and arm waving, they flat out ignored us. A fantastic salad and pasta dinner provided by the Fix's satisfied even the vegetarian among us and we all turned in early with nothing but the sounds of nature (i.e. very loud and sexually frustrated frogs, a TV from the next campsite, and the Fix's electric fan) to lull us to a fitful sleep.

Race day started at 5am! Cabana boy (Josh) fixed the coffee and the rest of us pretended we had a routine to follow as we tried to choke down some calories and get hydrated. The morning was just about perfect - temps in the 70's, light breeze blowing - this was going to be a good morning. Although this was a "race", there was no real reason to push myself. Unlike St. Anthony's, my son wasn't running in this one. And Josh had wimped out - not that I thought I could beat him overall, but maybe I could at least school him in the swim and make him a little nervous. And there were tons of Atlanta tri geeks here - so no chance of the podium for me! This time - I was going to relax a little, try to get a good bike, enjoy myself on the run, thank the volunteers, encourage my wife - yep, this was going to be a good day. Even getting locked into the campground (they don't open the gate till 7) didn't faze us - we just parked the cars, grabbed the gear and started walking.

I was almost whistling a happy tune in transition as I set up my stuff. With everything set up, I grabbed the camera to take a few pictures of Rhonda and make sure she was good to go and then suddenly - there he was - friggin' Mitchell Sellars - DANG it!! We had both done St Anthony's and yeah - he beat me in the swim and the bike and beat me overall by three minutes in that race, but it was actually pretty close - and I had totally schooled him in the run - so maybe I had a chance this time. He had ridden up with Todd Archer and just decided at the last minute to do this race. Mitchell claimed his training had been pretty crappy since St. Anthony's; and even though mine had too - I thought maybe, just maybe....So much for having fun - it was ON!

The time trial start began at 7:30 with two people starting every 5 seconds. I lost Mitchell and Amy in the crowd before the water and Rhonda was at her race start, so with some smart ass words of encouragement from Josh - I dove in and started swimming. The lake was clear and cool and by and large, the swimmers pretty spread out. I got dunked by one asshole and tried to nail him with an elbow, but otherwise the swim was pretty un-eventful. 34 minutes later (I knew the swim course was long!!) - I was making my way to the bike. Amy was just heading out on the bike, but Mitchell was nowhere to be found and there were still a lot of bikes on the rack - maybe things weren't going to be that bad!

The bike course was a ton of fun. Mostly gently rolling hills and lots of shifting gears, I was consistently holding 20+ even on some of the uphills and passing a bunch of folks and only getting passed by a few. Focused on eating and drinking and keeping the pressure up, the ride just flew by! Saw Amy at a couple of different places, never saw Mitchell, and came into transition with a ton of bikes still out on the course - this was going well! Finished the ride in 1:13 at a 20+ pace on a hilly course - not too shabby and doing better than St Anthony's!!

Quick transition and out on the run. The sun was starting to heat things up and they had us running the 10k out and back across the dam. The damn dam. With no shade. Oh well, this is almost over - kicked out a 7:15 first and second mile - things going ok - and then I hit the damn dam. That's when I saw him. Mitchell. Going the other way. At mile 4. Like 15 minutes ahead of me. What....the....!!! Oh sure - I shouted out some encouraging BS, and yeah - he looked like he was in pain - but didn't I start ahead of him?! Dang it! He's kicking my ASS!

And that's when the heat hit, and the stitch started, and the sudden realization that I no longer gave a shit. And oh yeah - I was supposed to just have fun today, but now I'm too dang tired to enjoy it and I'm on a damn dam and where's the dang shade anyway and there is no way that turnaround point was that far away. Finally hit the turnaround, now running about a 7:45 pace, and head for home, head hung low, hoping Rhonda's race was going well! I hit the 4 mile aid station, took my time and totally got busted goofing off by Josh - sitting on the course waiting for his honey to come back by. Screw him - I'm still going to take my time and drink another water!!

I did manage to pass one other guy in my age group the last two miles, and did manage to pick it up for the last mile, and did manage to look pretty composed as I came through the finish line with a fellow IM KY finisher. Finished the 10k in 46:37 at a 7:31 pace and overall in 2:36:41. Respectful, not too bad, about 12 minutes slower than St. Anthony's but the swim was longer in this race - so eh...good enough I guess. Except that this time Mitchell Sellars totally kicked my ass by running a 2:22:59, and finishing a dominating 1st in the Clydesdales division!

I ended up finishing 9th out of 28 in my age group. Amy did great - she swam a 36:28, biked a 1:23, ran a 53:26 and finished up with a 2:55.14 overall for 6th out of 10 in her age group. A new Leesburg resident, John Kilpatrick, had the best time from Albany and scored some hardware - he swam a 28:29, biked a 1:07, ran a 42:36 and finished up with a 2:20:24 overall for 3rd out of 30 in his age group. Mitchell finished the highest Albanian in his division (although Kilpatrick beat him overall - HA!) with a 28:35 swim, 1:04 bike, 48:42 run, overall 2:23, and first place Clydesdale.

In the sprint, other than getting off course on the swim and posting one of the longest T1 transition times ever, Rhonda did awesome!! She swam a 16:24, biked a 59:17 and ran a 32:21 for an overall 1:54:51. Todd Archer also kicked it, swimming a 12:29, biking a 47:52, running a 24:01, and earning an overall 1:26:47.

All in all, a great race that I might be tempted to come back too. Very proud of my hunny as she starts to build her base for a half IM and Amy continues to kick it on her way to another full IM! Clearly, if I'm going to beat Mitchell in the next race, I've got to get serious about my swim (three days a week with the masters class), and more serious with the bike (Tuesday/Thursday rides with the race group), and probably drink less beer, watch what I eat, and maybe actually run more than once a week.

Or maybe - I'll just let Mitchell kick my ass next time too!

Breakaway Cycles

2011-06-22T10:31:00.001-04:00

To keep the KHARMA . . . .

2011-05-25T14:04:00.005-04:00

Question of Riding Etiquette

2011-05-20T11:45:00.006-04:00

Group rides take on different personalities depending on the participants and groups take on different personalities given the relationships, styles, etc. I've caught myself several times the last few weeks shaking my head in aggravation over something someone has done in the pace line. Some things are obvious etiquette infringements, but others may fall in that grey area. So, I pose the following questions:

1. Should you accelerate on up-hills and coast on down-hills?
I personally find it aggravating to have someone drill it up a hill, only to have them blow and slow several miles per hour over the top, which results in a slower downhill speed and rider chaos. I'd rather see someone hold a constant speed or slowly deccelerate up the hill in order to smoothly reaccelerate down the hill.

2. If you are getting popped on a climb should you hold your line or move out to allow riders through?
People may disagree, but I feel like it is safer if the popped rider just holds their line. Yes, riders back now have to move out and accelerate, but that's better than starting the same move and having the slower rider move into your line. On the flats it's easier for a rider to move out, but on a climb the same move can't be anticipated as quickly.

Just a few thoughts. Leave your comment below.

Kum Bah Ya

2011-05-13T22:03:00.003-04:00

There is a gentlemen that we ride with very frequently in Albany, GA whose handle is "Easy Rider". He is one of those guys that is in the right place at the right time, always knows what wheel to be on, and is just an all around good guy. The other day as I was doing my daily web surfing I came across some words of wisdom from Easy Rider on the PCP race team blog. If you have a minute, you should surf on over and take a gander at the words of wisdom of an experienced cyclist.

Sidebar: Kum Bah Ya - In addition to this African-American spiritual’s simplistic tune and meaning, the term “Kum Bah Ya” had now gathered another meaning to it, as well: peace. In many articles regarding world peace, politicians will refer to “sitting around the campfire singing Kum Bah Ya,” or when peaceful demonstrations are disrupted, people will say that it “was not a Kum Bah Ya moment.”

Trail Work

2011-05-04T11:45:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Blair and Buck for giving up some free-time Monday and Tuesday to work on the trail.

There's a tentative plan to work on the trail May 21st. All effort that day will go towards making the Philema section more friendly. More details to come.

We want to make sure as we ride and work that we keep the best interest of Chehaw in mind and make as little of a footprint as possible. The less we disturb the better. Stay on the trail. Pack out all trash. If it's not natural, it's out of place.

May 14th - Que 4 Kids & Trail Guides

2011-04-30T09:20:00.002-04:00

On May 14th Chehaw will be hosting the Backwoods Outdoors Que 4 Kids.

Click HERE to view event details.

SGC has been asked to provide ride guides throughout the morning for people interested in exploring the trail. We will need 4 or 5 guides to provide assistance with beginner, novice, and advanced rides. More details will be provided in the next week.

If you're interested and can clear the date let VMAC know.

April 23 - Chehaw Trail Day

2011-04-24T10:26:00.006-04:00

HOLY CRAP!! All I can say is job well done! We had 21 individuals show up and contribute to our trail clean-up. Some where regulars, some were not-so-regulars, and some where brand new to us. We accomplished more than scheduled. West Philema is still a booger, but that will soon be remedied. Thanks to the following in no particular order:

Steve . . Deanna . . Amy, who comes before . . Josh . . Tiff . . Melody . . David . . Bill . . Blair . . Stephen . . John . . Tom . . Richard . . Susan (I think) . . Elaine . . Gene . . Buck . . Andy . . Miles . . Lane . . & Cody.

Thanks for pitching in and we hope everyone enjoys the trail!

GSC #2 West Point, GA 2011

2011-04-17T11:38:00.001-04:00

Bolt Speedman finishing up strong in 8th place

Mitch M. finishing up in 9th place and having a good time.

Woolie riding strong.

Lane representing BreakAway Cyles. Couldn't get him to do the kids race but he still did a little ride around the parking lot.

Josh finding the top step. Had a tough first lap, slide out in a corner, got a twig caught in my rear cassette, and dropped my chain at the very end of the lap. Was able to catch on to Andy Johnston and pull into 1st and add about a minute over 2nd place. Thanks Andy. Super happy with overall performance didn't know what to expect in my 1st XC race of the year but it appears that I have enough interval work in to hang tough but will have to work harder to be able to hang with the top guys at the races. Overall good showing for SGC p/b BreakAway Cycles.

April 23rd - CHEHAW TRAIL-WORK DAY

2011-04-14T09:29:00.006-04:00

THE WHAT: On Saturday, April 23rd we will be having an organized trail cleaning day at Chehaw and, if we're not too tired afterward, a liesurly lap to appreciate the work.

THE WHY: Several of the sections need a bit of TLC after the prescribed burn and one section needs a lot of TLC so that riders don't suffer brain damage from the ratteling.

THE WHEN: Meet at the boat dock circle at 1:30. Work to begin at 2:00. Work to end no later than 5:00. Leisure lap begins at 5:30ish.

THE TOOLS: Man and/or Woman power is #1. Blowers, weed-eaters, rakes, limb-loppers, hand-snips, and old push mowers. Bring gloves and ear-plugs. Bring plenty to drink for before . . . . and after.

THE WHO: If you have any questions, email us at: southgeorgiacycling@gmail.com

Thanks in advance for your help and support.

Champion masters racer suspended for doping

2011-04-13T10:17:00.002-04:00

CLICK HERE to read article from VeloNews. This is getting retarded! I want to be fast too, but I also want to spend time with the family, drink beer, have friends, explore other hobbies, etc. What does it say about our society and our sport when "Will Never be Pro Again MASTERS" are doping? Not to mention people who dope to make it through their weekly group rides. Give me a BREAK and GROW A SET!

Dirty Spokes 9/6 hr MTB Race @ Ft. Yargo on May 7th

2011-04-08T22:47:00.006-04:00

Just wanted to remind everyone that the Dirty Spokes 9/6 hr mountain bike race is coming upon us quickly. Make sure that you preregister and make your reservations so that SGC pb BreakAway Cycles will have a big showing.

Spread the word to all our cycling friends around the state.

Thanks,

Josh

GSC #1 - HELLitage Park

2011-03-28T11:42:00.007-04:00

ADDENDUM: And as you read this keep in mind that the restrooms at Heritage were closed and NO port-o-pots were brought in. The below video was footage of the ITT finish. This racer was two or three spots ahead of me.

Oh my . . . where to start. So I drove up to Heritage Park Saturday to do the ITT for some extra points and get a look at the course. I haven't been there in two years since the last "weather event" but who's counting. I actually said I'd NEVER go back and here I am, pulling in to Heritage Park for a 4 mile ITT and a 20ish mile XC race on Sunday. And guess what. It's about to rain.

I get a pretty good place to park, but not under the shelter because those have all been taken. I set up Bill's eazyup, which I realize has two broken cross braces. Registration goes pretty easy. The kids get their ITT under way. I'm kitted and ready to go and I here thunder. The experts are on the course and I'm standing in line waiting to start when the bottom falls out. Hard rain, then light rain, then no rain, then hard rain, etc. As I was getting the countdown there was no rain.

This was the first race on my new bike and in retrospect, probably not the best race or course to break it in on. Two miles in and the flood gates open. Five minutes later the lightening starts popping. I'm climbing a switchback that more resembles a class IV rapid when a flash of lightening overhead damn near blinds me. I literally prayed the remainder of the way back to the pavilion. I didn't stop to check results because I was worried about my stuff and the eazyup collapsing. The water was so deep around the truck my shoes were completely submerged. As I lowered the eazyup, the side that had the broken brace completely crumbled and the canopy came down on my head. I folded it up and stood it under the pavilion. It took some creativity to get dry and changed but I did, and then within seconds it quit raining.

I drove into town to get a propane canister, stopped at a carwash to pull under the cover to organize and dry my gear, drove back to the park and was able to grab a parking place under the shelter. I cooked myself something to eat, listened to some Pearl Jam, and waited on Gene and Woolard to arrive.

So let me lay it out for you. There is absolutely, positively NOTHING fun about the Heritage trail. The entire trail is littered with nothing but roots. There seems to be twice as much climbing as descending, but it doesn't matter because the descents are actually washed-out root-pits any way. If someone were to ask me "What's your favorite part of the trail?", I'd have to respond NOT RIDING IT! Don't get me wrong. I believe every trail needs a technical aspect and I like to climb. I don't think any trail needs to look like the sidewalk they built in England for the 2012 Olympics but COME ON. Not only do you have to navigate endless amounts and varying sizes of roots, you have to deal with the mud, and it doesn't matter if it's rained or not, Heritage always has a muddy section. Fortunately for me it rained ALL NIGHT LONG. The whole damn trail was muddy. So you make it through the mud and roots into the pines which my handlebars on Bike #2 can barely fit through. (Oh yeah. I not only had to use my back up bike, I had to wear my back up shoes and helmet.) And then there's the creek crossings which were running at about 18-22 inches in my estimation. I didn't stop to measure because I was afraid of getting swept off the waterfall to my right. Then all you have to do is cross three bridges that are slippery as goose shit, climb out of hell and back to the pavilion. That's ONE F-ING LAP!

As mentioned before, I was using all backup gear because either my stuff was still soaked from Saturday or I didn't want to ruin it today. Bike #2 had too big of a gear but I was too cold and too lazy to change it. Plus, I don't think I had a chain that would fit If I went bigger, so guess what . . . run what ya' brung. Gene and Woolley at this point have walked over to the registration booth six times to see when the cut-off is. They're on the fence, but they're facing the side that says "I'm not racing this shit!" Yee Haw. It's 9:30 and time to start.

Good start. I sat on #1 and #2 all the way through the first section and felt like I had a technical advantage on them. I slid out of one corner but was able to come back pretty quick. All was good until the first real climb. Muddy ground, wet roots, and wrong gear equals by-by to the leaders. The next climb was the same but this time it was by-by to #3. Eventually I watched #4 pass me as well. I finished lap one and Gene gave me the time splits from the leaders which in reality was a mute point. I knew with the gearing I had that I'd still have to walk three, if not four of the climbs and that wasn't going to catch anyone. I hadn't taken a sip from my water bottle; one because there's no where you can relax long enough to grab a bottle and two I was scared that I might contract giardia from all the crap that was now riding on the cap of my bottle.

The second lap was an exercise in mental torture. I was wet, muddy, cold, and nowhere near the leaders. I finished. Gene and Woolley headed back to Jay and Lisa's to pick up their gear. I cleaned up as best possible and loaded up for home. I was shivering all the way to Perry and then the temperature went up 20 degrees which is really good for the sinus infection I'd just gotten rid of.

I've washed my kit three times. I don't think it's coming clean. I refuse to look at my bike for the next several days. I will NEVER go back to Heritage Park!

Jeff Haire

2011-03-23T08:13:00.000-04:00

Hit & Run driver injures cyclist - Live, Local, Late Breaking news, weather, and sports

Jeff was hit yesterday evening. Click the above link to view the latest news report. From the limited reports received, Jeff escaped serious injuries. Keep him and his family in your prayers.

Meat On Your Grill

2011-03-20T22:14:00.009-04:00

First of all let SGC say "Thank you". Thank you to C town bicycles, Kenny with Chain Buster Productions, BreakAway Cycles, and to our supportive families for a great weekend of racing.

This past Saturday was the 6 and 9 hours of Conyers put on by Kenny with Chain Buster Productions. Bill and family traveled up early Friday afternoon to preride the course and hang out with da "LORD" and his family. Steve, John, Mitch, and I (Josh) left Albany around 5 Friday afternoon. Carb loading began while loading the Tahoe. The Tahoe was loaded down with bikes, gear and the camper on steroids. After stopping in Macon for burritos at Calientes, a spin off of Moes that is way more yummy, we discovered that Mitch's lid to his cooler had flown off somewhere. Sorry to the person whose car was struck by a flying plastic object traveling 80 mph on I-75. Please send the repair bill to STEVE JULIAN. He often forgets the incredible power of WIND. EASY UP!!!!!!! Anywho... We had one more stop before arriving at the International Horse Park in Conyers. Krogers which for years now has been improperly pronounced and should actually be pronounced K-Rogers. We you can only imagine what 4 men with a list and no idea of what they really want can do with time in a K-Rogers. 45 minutes later we departed the parking lot headed to the horse park. Of course the list said that we needed beer.

Bill had already saved us a pretty good spot in the middle of the field but it took all 4 of us getting out of the car and giving Steve advice on how he should park the camper. I must say that Steve did a fantastic job and within minutes we had the camper up and were readying ourselves for some sleep. But first I had to pull out my trusty sewing kit to mend my racing gloves for the next day. For some reason I always seem to leave small tasks like sewing for odd times. All were asleep by midnight. Those that have camped when Bill is within a 50 mile radius know that it is a good idea to sleep with one eye open because you never know when he might slip in with a "STTEEEEVVVVVEEEEEE, WHAATT'SSS UUUUUPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

We awoke Saturday around 6 am to 4 wheelers and cars arriving. Seemed to be a touch early for a race that started at 10 AM. Upon sunrise at 7 AM, I believe it was Mitch or John that said all those folks at the porta potties don't really look like mtn bikers and come to find out Kenny and Tim (Dirty Spokes) were teaming up and putting on a 10K and a 5 K trail run before starting the mountain bike race. Sorry girls, this was an honest mistake. We had no idea.

We busied ourselves with minor tasks, like eating and preparing our gear for the race waiting for the arrival of Bill and da "LORD" but as it turns out they were a touch late on arrival and you would never guess that Bill needed some minor adjustments to his bike. Like always at a mtn bike race before the start everyone is sharing tools and stands to make sure that everyone around has what they need for their coming adventure. There was a nice group of guys next to us that let us use their stand and in return we gave them some pain killers (advil).

10 AM came quickly and after the prerace meeting we all made sure that Mitch and John (6 hour virgin) had everything straight in their minds about what was about to happen. I realized after the race that I did not mention to John and Mitch that they would probably want to lube their chain after a couple laps but I also did not realize that we would have 4-5 stream crossing per lap.

It was a mass start with call ups. Bill got called up from his result at the first 6 hour at Heritage. Bill was leading the 6 hour at Heritage but had to leave an hour or so early to get back to A-town for the Daddy Daughter Dance but still manage to finish 3rd while he was driving in his truck, go figure. I managed a second row start and others were not much further back. At this point, I will tell some details from my race and try to remember stories from the post race carb refueling session. My plan was to ride toward the front but not go off the front and try not to lose contact with the front guy. Sometimes that is confusing when there is a mixture of team and solo riders and you have no way of determining the difference until you ask them "Hey man, are a team or solo?" So I took my chances and stayed toward the front of the main chase group down the double track and jumped into 2nd going into the single track. Within a couples minutes, I had determined that the guy in front of me was racing the 6 hr solo (like myself) and that we had about 30 seconds already on the folks behind us. I was content easing off the gas a bit but he continued full throttle. I settled for somewhere in the middle as I could feel the efforts I had put out on Thursday nights road ride and kept thinking about the fact that I had not ridden my bike any longer than 3 hours this year and that was back in early February. The way the trail cuts back on itself you can see other riders almost all the time but you have a hard time gauging just how far or close they are to you. For the 1st 3 laps, I could see first place but just kept riding my pace. Since we had put down a sub 40 min lap the first lap, I knew that I had gained a few minutes that I could use over the course of the 6 hour race and could settle in to race my race and see if 1st place came back to me.

It was some where on my 3rd lap that I came across Mitch and John. Both doing a great job and seeming to have a great time. Coming through the start finish at the end of the 4th lap, I looked over to see the 1st place guy(David) still in his pit area. Steve was in the pit at that point and he helped me out by getting me some bottles and sending me on my way. I know that he went out for another lap after that and finished with 4 laps for the day but look for more from the Chief HavaLongToe from Albany, we are about to get him on a top secret training plan that will have him putting out solid rides. David and I exited the pit together and rode most of the 5th lap together. I will still content with riding in 2nd place because I had calculated at this point that I was going to be riding 8 laps and knew that I had plenty more race to go. So if he wanted to attack and waste energy, I was going to let him. At the end of the 5th lap we came in pretty close together, I headed out on my 6th lap unsure if he was in front of me or behind me. During the 6th and 7th lap, I had to fight cramping a couple of times and went into conservation mode. I got so thirsty one time that I almost stopped and drank from a water bottle on the side of the trail. I managed to get more electrolytes into me, eat a bit more and get an extra bottle the next time in the pit and I continued at my pace, calculating how quick my last laps needed to be so that I would make the time cut at 4 PM. See the photos below for the conclusion.

Mitch ended up having a mechanical on his 5th lap (broken chain) which seemed to be quite common, I would imagine b/c of the frequent stream crossing that were following by leg searing short climbs that caught you in the wrong gear trying to shift under great pressure. Mitch hadn't discovered that he needed to carry a multi-tool with him during a race but I feel very confident that at the next race he will have a multi-tool and a master link or two in his back pocket. As it turns out. A guy came by Mitch and asked if he needed any help. Mitch told him that he had broken his chain, the guy gave Mitch his chain tool and then just decided to stay and help him fix it. Unfortunately, they needed a master link. So a short period of time later, which I am sure felt like a millennium, good ole Dave Muse comes by with a master link. TRAIL MAGIC that be!!!! Thanks Dave. Yet another example of why mtn bikers are so fun to be around. Mitch finished his 5th lap limping b/c his front der had gotten twisted during the chain break. If not I believe he may have had time to go out for a 6 the lap!!!!!! Good ride Mitch.

I am going to post this now but will be back later to complete the story of Meat on Your Grill. Don't worry Palmer, I didn't forget about you.

UPDATED TRAIL MAP

2011-03-04T13:03:00.003-05:00

Click HERE for an updated trail map.

Unofficially the trail is 6.7 miles. We're working on a more defined map and marking of the trail. Yes, the flagging tape will be coming down soon.

There's still some work left to do. The firebreaks are ride-able but soft. A few more rains followed by sun and riding will firm them up quickly. The transitions from trail to firebreak are soft and steep and need to be smoothed out. The new section on philema heading to the boat dock will chatter your teeth but has and actual CLIMB in it. The newer section in the east corner needs a little TLC to smooth it out.

Please continue to be conscious of park rules and park habitat. Start rides at either the 1)boat dock or 2) BMX track. Let's discontinue parking at the chimney since it better serves picnicing and fishing visitors. Leave it better than you found it and don't take advantage of a good thing.

But it's HERE and RIDE-ABLE so ENJOY!

We will be having a MASS work-day soon for anyone who would like to pitch in.

Progress is GOOD!!!

2011-02-20T19:51:00.004-05:00

If you visited the Chehaw trail this week you probably noticed that the fire-breaks had been plowed, which is a temporary inconvenience but a necessity for the prescribed burns that ultimately make the park so appealing and diverse.

So . . . take a negative and make a positive.

After some work last weekend, this week, and a little help from the boys yesterday we have added THREE new sections and started the FOURTH. The added single track not only adds mileage but eliminates the need for some of the fire-break. We will continue to keep the breaks open for an alternative, but the more trail the better.

Our preliminary measurements bring the total mileage to 6.2 miles.

Epiphany: The Billy Goat Outback brush trimmer is the BOMB! I feel like an idiot after spending so much time and effort bush whacking with an old-school sling blade. Billy Goat + Muscle = Instant trail.

Due to a design flaw and an untimely cable break, I will have the Billy Goat again this weekend. The plan is to finish section FOUR Sunday. Coach Calhoun has volunteered to come out with his 4-wheeler and drag the firebreaks for us. With the edition of this section we should make it over the 7 Mile mark.

IDIDARIDE 2011 - Thanks to Mick Shea for great photos.

2011-01-31T22:25:00.002-05:00

LOOKING BACK

2011-01-31T22:00:00.002-05:00

T.B.A.

2011-01-11T12:07:00.004-05:00

PREPARE YOURSELF. Changes are afoot.

2011 SGC

Some things change . . . some things stay the same.

WHAT's HAPPENING

2011-01-05T12:54:00.005-05:00

Several things going on that deserves attention:

#1 - Breakaway Cycles is having their GRAND OPENING / Ribbon Cutting at 4:30 on January 13th. After the ribbon cutting and group picture, there will be a meet and greet session with COLD, ADULT BEVERAGES. Gene would like all team-members to be in kit for the photo.

#2 - The Chehaw trail is officially open. Come out and enjoy 5 miles of Chehaw that you've never experienced before. The trail is marked with pink and orange ribbon. Click here for Trail Info and a Trail Map.

#3 - IDIDARIDE is just around the corner which will officially kick 2011 off for SGC. (January 22nd) Seven SGC members will be among the 400 preregistered participants for 53 miles of off-road riding.

#4 - The first 6-hr event of the year is in FEBRUARY at Heritage Park. Starting the year off early!

The SGC calendar will be updated soon with all of the XC, Endurance, and Xterra events.

UPDATE: New Years at Chehaw with SGC

2010-12-30T08:41:00.003-05:00

CHEHAW PARK WILL BE CLOSED TO OUTSIDE GUEST NEW YEARS DAY. Which means if you ain't campin, you ain't ridin. An attendant will be on duty to allow campers in and out, but there will be no DAY USE.

Here's an open-invitation to all who may be interested.

Friday, December 31st - Campout at Chehaw

Tent sites are $13
Small Cabin is $35
Larger Cabin is $70

Saturday, January 1st - Wake & Ride

Pre-breakfast ride (or run) for anyone intersted
Campfire breakfast
11:00 am group ride for everyone, even the "non-campers".
High chance of rain later in the day.
May do a little trail WORK if time and weather permits.

Start the New Year off the right way!

SGC Girls get PEZzzzzed!

2010-11-25T19:14:00.004-05:00

It's gonna be HARD to live with'em now! (as if it wasn't already)

Click HERE for link to the PEZ daily distractions.

2010 IN REVIEW

2010-11-08T11:51:00.009-05:00

You know how much we hate to toot our own horn but . . . . here are the FACTS:

12 members participated in 49 individual events.

28 top-ten finishes with 17 podiums including 6 WINS.

3 racers finished top-ten in the GA-6hr series.

3 racers finished top-ten in the GA-XC series.

1 racer is currently ranked 5th in the nation in category.

More than 5,000 miles traveled over 3 states.

SGC represented 8 Local and 4 Manufacturing sponsors at EVERY event.

Click HERE for the individualized list of results.

We want to thank the folks at Dirty Spokes, GoneRiding, and Chainbuster Racing for putting on the highest quality of events. Thanks to Lisa Riddle for her continued support and contribution to bringing Regions Bike Race Weekend back to Albany. Thanks to Jim and Gene at Cycleworld for all of their support. Thanks to PJ's Fabrics and Regency Distribution for providing more than just financial sponsorship. Thanks to Maxxis tires for "hooking" us up with premium rubber for the road and dirt. Thanks to Sam and Barbara at The GYM for providing us with a cross-training location. Thanks to Calvin and Elements Coffee for providing a fundraising opportunity and pre-race jet fuel. Thanks also to CGM, Cosolidated Pipe, Ion Sports Nutrition, Bonk Breaker, and Heritage Bank for your continued support.

Technique: Be Bad, Ride Better! - BikeRadar

2010-11-03T08:39:00.000-04:00

MUST READ . . . MUST READ . . . MUST READ

Technique: Be Bad, Ride Better! - BikeRadar

We agree with EVERY ONE OF THESE!!

TUMBLING CREEK MTB RUMBLE XIV

2010-11-01T12:51:00.006-04:00

3 SGC = 2 Top Tens + 1 WIN!

Read race report HERE.

Thanks to the folks at Gainesville Sorba for putting on a great race. Thanks to Bruce Dickman for lending his vocal services for a short stint. Thanks to Tim and the folks at Dirty Spokes for the electronic timing and quick results. Thanks to Johnny for politely asking everyone to move their vehicles off the grass. Thanks to Gainesville State College Sorba for sharing your trails.

Gainesville SORBA

REFLECTION

2010-10-29T12:42:00.003-04:00

For some, the blog has been noticeably quiet, and rightfully so. The race season is winding down and the "need" to maintain form seems less significant. But above that, the last two weeks have been quieted and overshadowed by the passing of a dear friend.

I have known Jim Laue since 1993 when I bought my first "real" bike; a black Diamondback Sorrento. Since that time, cycling has been a focal point of my life and with that, Cycleworld has been the hub. In 1996 several of us traveled to Tallahassee to race. Diamondback had just released a series of full-suspension bikes and Jim had bought one for the shop; an orange V-Link. I was still riding my Sorrento, but just before we started, Jim asked if I'd like to race the V-Link. Duh . . . . yeah! Today, I don't change anything the day of a race, but back then it was a surreal opportunity. I raced and crashed. I pin-balled off two trees just before the finish. I hit so hard I couldn't hardly stand up. It took a second to get my feet under me. I soft pedaled out of the woods half loopy and half scared that I was about to have to pay for damages to a brand new bike. Jim and Ken Green met me as I crossed the line and helped me to the truck. Jim wasn't concerned about the bike at all. He did seem generally concerned about me, until he realized I was fine, then he turned back into a wise ass, but that was Jim.

I also remember the first time I went into the shop to buy something and received a DISCOUNT from Jim. I knew I had made it. I was told long ago that there were only several people that Jim would cut prices for and then it was only on good days. For what ever reason and to what ever degree, I made it into Jim's circle.

Towards the end of this past summer, I called Jim one morning and asked him to go for a ride with me. He felt good and agreed. We rode out Palmyra to hwy 32. We had to stop for 15 minutes or so at the crossroads because Jim's heart was acting erratically. As we turned to head back in, it returned to normal. Rather than do the sensible thing and head back in, we headed to Sasser. We motor passed a tractor, refilled out of an old hose in Sasser, cruised down Tallahassee road, and talked all the way through the neighborhood back to the shop.

Jim's passing has been terribly hard for some of us. Jim was part of our extended-family. Gene said it best at the memorial. Cycling communities develop into families; you have brothers, uncles, aunts, crazy cousins, fathers and grandfathers. Jim sat at the head of the table in our family and although his seat is now empty, his influence will linger on with every pedal stroke that many of us will take.

Jim will definitely be missed . . . but more importantly, he'll be remembered.

Jim "PooBah" Laue Update

2010-10-15T10:14:00.003-04:00

Murphy's Law: Things don't always go according to plan.

So, after going in for a pacemaker and after 10+ hours at the hospital, Jim and the doctors decided on a different treatment for his heart. An hour or so after leaving the hospital, Jim had a stroke and is now back in the hospital.

Jim has had a series of tests run and still has some lingering stroke symptons, but seems to be stable and isn't real happy about being laid-up in bed.

Please keep PooBah and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Once again, enjoy the ride and don't sweat the small shit because your day can change in and instant.

T&P for PooBah

2010-10-13T09:04:00.003-04:00

Jim's going in to have his ticker fixed today. Here's to a speedy recovery.

(T&P stands for Thoughts and Prayers . . . duh)

HERE'S YOUR UPDATE!

2010-10-12T12:55:00.001-04:00

Yeah-Yeah-Yeah. It’s been busy and we’ve fallen down on the job. Should we be riding or writing?? We chose to ride, but now that there’s a spare minute, here’s the update.

Back on September 18th we traveled to Jackson, GA to participate in the 6hrs of Dauset. “We” translates into 10 of us. That’s right TEN of us. It was actually ELEVEN, but Suzy was working the event rather than racing. Since there were sooooooo many of us there, we’ll keep this short. If you want details ask one of the ELEVEN people who were there with SGC.

Josh is a freak and finished 2nd because he was being nice. DeAnna finished 7th in the women’s field in her first endurance race. Mitch did incredibly good in his first MTB race . . . ever. Stephen had his best race of the year. Clark had a blowout which didn’t allow him much race time but got some good hang time. There were two bees and one elephant man. The food for the weekend was great. The beer was better. We gave out the 1st Annual SGC awards post-race. It was a year in the making, but didn’t disappoint.

This past weekend, for one reason or another, several of us headed to the mountains. I’ll keep it short, but for the whole story ask someone involved.

• Brand new camper blows a tire and does damage to camper.
• Coyote decides to watch tire be changed.
• Set up camp at 3:00 am.
• Work on bike at 7:00 am.
• Start race at 10:00 am.
• Try to quit at 2:30 pm but Vonnie won’t let me.
• Josh finishes 2nd in solo expert class on his OLD bike (another story all together).
• Bill finishes 1st in solo Clydesdale on his NEW bike (no story needed).

Our honorary SGC member David Muse not only finished 2nd on the day, but finished 1st overall for the series and will now throw his hat in the ring with the Experts next year. ROCK’ON DAVE!

Next Up: Tumbling Creek MTB Rumble; October 30th

WTF!!!!!!!!

2010-10-07T04:34:00.001-04:00

Footage from Redbull Rampage in Utah

FSC#1 - Tom Brown Park; Tallahassee Fl.

2010-09-16T11:45:00.005-04:00

View all

Get your own

The SHORT and SKINNY:
It was HOT! There was a fence . . . I hit the fence. Florida racers drink too much red bull. FAST from the gun. Did I mention it was HOT? The pump track was fun by the 3rd lap. Roots still suck, especially going uphill.

VMAC - 9th XC-SS
SteveO - 19th XC-1

Thanks to JOHN KALIN for access to the photos. (email link isn't working on smugmug)

NEXT UP: DAUSET 6HR

MISSION:CHANGE JERSEYS - On Sale NOW!

2010-09-14T10:21:00.011-04:00

CLICK HERE TO VIEW JERSEY

MISSION:CHANGE is a local organization started by Todd and LaDonna Urick that works to educate, expose, and raise funds for the needy in our community; Hope for the Homeless; Hope for the Hungry; Hope for Easton.

Working with the directors, I have designed a jersey that will not only raise awareness, but will raise funds for these three special projects in our community. $10 of every jersey purchase will go directly to the project of your choice. More information on each of the projects is available on the order form. Please take the time to look this over. You can always use another jersey. Why not buy one that will help someone eat, sleep, or live a little more comfortably tonight?

Deadline for the first order is OCTOBER 1st.

Sample sizes along with order forms will be available at CycleWorld Tuesday, September 14th.

Money is due up front.

http://www.missionchange.com/

SGC + Tribble Mill = SWAG!!

2010-08-31T15:05:00.005-04:00

Click HERE to read the Race Report.

View all

Get your own

A Day late and a Beer Short

2010-08-29T11:10:00.002-04:00

Belated wishes to the Chef!

One year older = 1 additional lb of pressure in the fork!!

ORAMM 2010 Video

2010-08-20T18:38:00.000-04:00

I found this video through the SORBA forums. Credit goes out to JOE S. for the footage.

Our boy Josh finished 2nd OVERALL at ORAMM. It's hard to describe to someone who hasn't been there or doesn't ride MTBs. This should give you a pretty good understanding of what it's like. If you watch carefully as the racers are rolling through town, you'll notice Steve'O on the lefthand side of the frame. (Camo kit, white wheels)

OPEN MOUTH, INSERT EXCUSES

2010-08-18T11:20:00.005-04:00

YES . . . it was on purpose.

and in the distance I think I detected some . . . whining.

Insert your excuses here: _______________________________ .

Another Year . . . Closer to Retirement!

2010-08-15T13:15:00.007-04:00

Happy Birthday to our GRAND POOBAH and SUZY-Q NEAL!

JIM LAUE

Age: Undisclosed

Position: Spiritual Guru

Experience: More years than Steve has hairs

SUZY NEAL

Age: Twenty-ish

Position: Homeade-biscuit maker

Experience: The more she realizes the less she knows.

2010-08-14T22:15:00.002-04:00

Tiff, Cadence, and I loaded up and headed down to First Presbyterian this morning (First Prez as it is most often called). Last month we went down and took 4 clunkers and pieced together 3 bikes to be given to selected homeless members of our community. (I will refer to these people as our friends from here on out). Since then, 2 of the bikes have found homes and 1 is waiting to be distributed. This morning the plan was to set up and try and give a 5-minute tune-up to anything rolling in on wheels.

Kirby, the first recipient of a bike, was there helping set up for the meal. I grabbed his bike and gave it a once-over to make sure everything was still secure. As I was cleaning off the chain, another friend asked if I'd take a look at his bike. Several adjustments, a new seat, and some TriFlow later he was set (or at least better off than when he rolled up).

A while later a friend came up on a Schwinn cruiser. When I asked if I could check it over, he looked puzzled then asked how much it'd cost. When I told him it was free he didn't believe me. For a second I think he thought I was going to steal it, but when he saw me put it on the stand and start wiping it down his whole demeanor changed. He asked some questions and we talked a bit. He genuinely seemed happy and surprised.

Only 3 bikes today, but as word spreads I think I may get busier. Josh was able to stop by for a little while today. Hopefully we'll be able to make this available everytime First Prez offers their services. We may have to start collected discarded bikes and parts so that we can help more of our friends have rides that are a little safer and road-worthy.

Shaggy and Scooby Surfing the Flint

2010-08-11T07:20:00.002-04:00

If you looked previously and got an error message. I have fixed the problem. They (YouTube) said I was breaking copyright with the music I had in the background.

UPDATE on Frank Cornett

2010-08-08T19:25:00.002-04:00

I actually spoke to FRANK today. He's now in Lexington, KY going through rehab. He's doing a combination of treatments to not only regain his muscular strength but also his respiratory strength. He still isn't eating on his own because he has to relearn to swallow, but he's healing very quickly.

He was in good spirits and said that today was his best day yet. The pain is decreasing and his ability to think straight and communicate is good. It was absolutely incredible to HEAR his voice . . . and he spoke and sounded exactly like Frank.

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers and we'll keep you updated on Frank's progress.

Be safe and enjoy the ride!

ORAMM 2010

2010-08-06T08:08:00.005-04:00

Well...

Since today is my last day of summer, I have quite a list of things that I would like to do and a equally large list of things that I need to do. So I thought that I would start the day off with writing the race report from ORAMM.

ORAMM 2009 was attended by Gene, Jeff, Vonnie, Steve, Woolie, and I (Josh) but this year after much pondering, it came down to Steve and I. Since the race is on a Sunday, Steve and I headed up to ATL Friday afternoon. Steve set it up for us to stay with Wesley and Alicia in Alpharetta. If you have never met Wesley but know Brian then you have pretty much met Wesley because they are brothers from another mother. Friday night was filled with awesome food from La Parilla, ice cream from the Cold Stone Creamery, and lots of super funny stories about the past and present events in Steve, Wesley and Brian's lives. Needless to say I went to bed fat and happy. Did I mention that I had gotten a massage from Will at Wil-Power before leaving town. That was probably the best massage that I have ever had. I told him exactly where my problems were and he got them worked out along with prepping my body for ORAMM. If you do not already use his business, I highly recommend you set up your next massage at Wil-Power here in Albany.

Anywho, we arose Saturday AM to eat some breakfast and drink some yummy Elements coffee, thanks Calvin, while watching the final TT of the Tour on a ridiculously large TV. Of course Wesley had even more stories to tell and lets just say that when it comes to office pranks, Wesley is like Yoda!

After watching A. Schleck not be able to overcome Contador, Steve and I loaded up and headed toward Old Fort, NC. We arrived mid afternoon and set up camp at Catawba Falls Campground. Pretty darn good facilities and to make it even better it is run by Ricky Sr. and Ricky Jr. which you can only imagine that Steve and I quickly referenced as Ricky Bobby Sr and Ricky Bobby Jr after one of our role models.

After setting up tents and unloading the car but really we were just waiting for the temperature dip a bit before heading out to pre-ride the famed Kitsuma trail. I am not sure of the stats of the trail but I can say that you go up hill for about 40 minutes and get to descend for about the same amount of time on killer fast, steep, technical, and grin creating single track.

On a side note, Steve had to stop at one point because his mechanic had not properly secured the zipper on his new saddle bag that Gene had recommended and thus his spare tube had come out of his bag and wrapped around his rear wheel while descending (SCARY!!!!) which means that he had strategically placed his tire irons, co2 and such in random places up the trail. Then there was the log drop that Steve was determined to ride. Unlike other trips where I generally carry my camera to capture special moments just like this one, I had left my camera at the car so I will just have to tell you that I got so worried about Steve that I almost turned and road back up the trail to find him. =-)

We finished our pre-ride with huge grins and lots of great stories about sections that we were hangin it out and almost lost it or where our Felt Carbon 29ers had just hooked up and ripped the trail to pieces. Did I mention that we started drink beer?!?!?

Dinner consisted of spaghetti cooked over my trusty Coleman camp stove that I bought with my tax return in 1993. After dinner, shower, a quick fork overhaul, and some race food prep for the next day, we hit the hay.

ORAMM starts at 8 AM, so we arose around 6 AM to start the balancing of chemicals. Elements coffee officially starts our day off right followed by some oatmeal and bananas. We poked around the campsite till the last minute which worked out pretty well cause we just pulled up to the race parked and went right to the start for the pre-race meeting. It would have been nice to have warmed up a bit but I just laid my bike down in a spot near the front and stepped out of the tape to do a quick yoga session. Plus you can pretty much warm-up on the ride out of town towards the first climb, you are on pavement for the first 45 minutes of the race. Steve and I had split up at this point but he said that he lined up not to far back behind me.

My goal was to stay toward the front, drafting as much as possible until the road tilted up and then be at the front so that I would not get gapped. All that worked out great and as the final selection was made, I was sitting in second group with the first group having maybe 4-5 people and second group having 4-5 folks. I felt good but since my goal was to finish in the top 5 of my age group or finish in at least 5 1/2 hours, I was happy staying in the second group. We hit the Kitsuma single track climb and a separation was made quickly. A young guy from a town near by lead the way up the climb with me on his wheel while we dropped everyone else in our group. However, one main question was in my mind, "Do you know the line to the first technical root section after cresting the top of the climb?". The night before on our pre-ride, I did not clean the section as it was to scary, so against my best judgment, I was about to ride this section without any previous experience of the best line. I was thinking that I would swing far left and come through to the far right but as we entered the section the guy that had assured me that he had the line, cut far right coming in and came out on the far left. Guess I would have been on my face if he hadn't been there.

I eventually passed and gapped my partner on the descent but we regrouped at the bottom to ride to the next climb, Star Gap. Star gap is mostly a double track that you could ride a 4 wheeler on but probably not drive a truck. At some point it tilts up pretty good which is the spot that I made my move from the second group to no mans land. We had just caught a guy falling back from the first group and he was still pushing the pace a bit but when he came to the hike a bike section, that is exactly what he was doing was hiking. I got my breathing under control and decided to attack. I just bumped my pace up to a jog instead of hike and once I had the gap the guys behind me appeared to just give up and let me go. I never looked back.

At this point most details of the race are pretty foggy, so I will just finish up this right up by telling you about the highlights or at least what I remember.

1) The descents at ORAMM are absolutely awesome and even though there is a ton of paved road or gravel road sections that would leaving you contemplating running a semi slick tire, I would highly recommend a more aggressive tire because this year I ran MAXXIS IGNITORS (29x2.1) and they absolutely hooked up and ripped up the downhills while providing superior traction on the technical single track climbs. Thanks Maxxis for sponsoring SGC!

2) Cameron Cogburn was the last guy that I would be able to catch on this fine day. He had started off with Thomas Turned and at some point lost contact. I first caught him on a descent to easy pass him and form a gap but on the next climb he easily reeled me in and cruised by me. I once again passed him on the next descent but was determined to make sure that he did catch me on the next climb. I almost achieved this goal but at the top of the last gravel road he was able to close the gap and as he came by me ATTACKING, I said that he need not worry about me because I was racing in the 30-39 age group and that we should work together. At this point I did not realize that he and I were going for second place. I was just happy that it appeared that I was going to accomplish my goals and I still had some gas in the tank for the last brutal singletrack climb up Kitsuma. As we approached Kitsuma, Cameron was leading the way but relinquished the job of leading up the trail to me. I knew that if I crossed the top in front of him that I would easily take him on the descent, he is a Cat 1 roadie!!!!!!!!!! and we all know how well roadies descend. I was able to gap and ride clear of him on the ascent of Kitsuma and never had to look back.

3) As I descended Kitsuma, my watch read around 5:15 and the realization came upon me that I was going to meet one of my goals. Although after coming off the singletrack you still have a good bit of pavement to get back to town and I always forget about the first part which is a false flat climb that will almost make you get off your bike and give up. As I crossed the finish line at 5:23ish, the race organizer, Todd Branham, was wondering where Cameron was and I told him that he had fallen behind on the climb up Kitsuma. He then congratulated me on finishing second to Thomas Turner. It wasn't until later that I found out the Thomas had not only won but improved his time by 3 or so minutes to go sub 4:50. You do the math on how much I got beat by. But like I said I was just happy with my personal goals the other was just an added bonus.

4) Beer and the creek! That is what I did why I waited for Steve. Steve didn't have the ride that he wanted and got caught out in the rain which made the last descent on Kitsuma. From the looks of his bike, it must had been like riding on a mud pie. SLIPPERY! Either way he finished! But when he came across it appeared that he had gotten a touch of heat stroke because he was sweating but had the chills and was shaking like a fish out of water. To all our faithful readers, I must apologize once again because I failed you and did not get any good video coverage to share. It might have been because of the FREE BEER!!!!

We hung around the finish area after we got Steve cleaned up and ate some spaghetti. Then we headed back to the campground and passed out!

Monday AM meant pack up and head back to Albany!!!!!!! Another great year at ORAMM. I hope that next year the stars align and more of SGC is able to make it up to North Cackalacky for ORAMM.

Please excuse any typos or poor grammar, I was in a hurry and didn't feel like proofreading.

Effects of AGE!!!!!!

2010-07-22T06:15:00.004-04:00

Many of you might have forgotten that Steve recently went over the hill. Well I guess this is what happens after a climbing 2100 feet in a 2.5 hour ride when you are already over the hill. (40th b-day party)

Photo provided by anonymous source.

GOOD KHARMA

2010-07-16T09:57:00.003-04:00

For most of us bicycles are a source of entertainment, exercise, and relaxation. For others it is a source of freedom, transportation, and opportunity. Tiff and I teamed up with First Presbyterian Church yesterday to turn several discarded clunkers into safe modes of opportunity.

We spent about four hours taking four old, dusty, broken-down, discarded bicycles and turned them into three, operational, safe, and ready-to-use bicycles. The three bicycles will be distributed the three homeless or less fortunate individuals in our community, and with that comes new freedom and opportunity.

SGC will be offering their services periodically through First Presbyterian as Shade-Tree Mechanics for those in need.

Thoughts & Prayers

2010-07-14T12:23:00.004-04:00

A good friend of mine, Frank Cornett, was involved in a head-on collision with a car yesterday evening during a group ride outside of Louisville, Kentucky. There is no clear answer as to who was at fault, but at this point it really doesn't matter. Frank is currently in the ICU in Louisville and is in a medically-induced coma due to the severity of his injuries.

Please say a quick prayer for our friend today. Be safe and enjoy your rides.

GSC #6 - Eatonton Race Report

2010-07-04T08:03:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the delay on the race report but since V-Mac is in Las Montanas for 3 weeks the report is left of to Bill and I. First thing that I would say to everyone is that if you need to get away for a quiet relaxing weekend then visiting Rock Hawk Effigy Trails on Oconee Lake outside of Eatonton, GA, is highly recommended. The facilities are managed by Georgia Power and thus pretty well kept. There is a beach area to swim from or you can do like Bill and I did and just swim right from your campsite. It was a bit warm when we headed to bed but the beer that we had loaded up on for pre-race prep reasons assured that we would SLEEP well.

We casually arrived at the Rock Hawk campground around 5 PM, set up camp and started doing some minor calculations as to how much beer we should drink pre our pre-ride so that we would have plenty of beer to drink post our pre-ride but still have beer to drink post our post-ride. If you can't follow all that then you haven't been on a camping trip with SGC! But as usually Bill and I had a good time even though we were minus a other SGC team members.

Dave from Goneriding.com had promised approx. a 10 mile loop for the race Sunday AM. Bill and I decided to wait until about 7 PM to start our pre-ride loop as to avoid as much of the days heat as possible. We road a casual pace and finished the loop around 8:20. Bill thought that I would turn in lap times around 45 mins during the race but I really had no idea and was just content that the climbs were very tight and technical and the descents were mostly double track wide and really fast and fun.

Pre-race dinner Saturday night wasn't quite up to Clark's standard but it consisted of black bean and rice burritos with a peach chutney type salsa and vanilla yogurt enhancement. TOTAL FLAVOR EXPLOSION! The bean burritos were planned to ensure that we would not have any problem with mosquitoes.

Race morning went really smooth. Bill races in the white wave and I race the yellow wave which meant that I would be going off at 9:30 and Bill would go off at 11:30. Riezie, the newest addition to the Fix household(see photo below) did a great job on hanging out at the campsite and allowing Bill and I to get prepped for racing. I think I would have to say that pre-race rituals went to plan and as I toed the start line, I felt warmed-up, stretched and chemically balanced.

Dave choose to do a rolling start which works for me because it takes the jitters out of folks and makes things a bit more safe. My race went as planned. I road the first lap just following Jamie Saye from Peachtree bikes but towards the end of the lap he made a miscalculation and went off course. I yelled to him that the trail was this way and being the gentlemen that I am I didn't attack but then again, I didn't slow down and wait for him. That was his cracking point and Peter Joski and I did not see him again until the podium. Peter and I came through the first lap good enough to put in the fast lap time for the day. As we headed back out I was content to let Peter take the lead going into the single track. We were rollin along nicely but were still unsure as to whether Jamie was going to come back on us so when I realized about a 1/4 of the way into the second lap that I was actually slowing a bit to stay behind Peter, I asked to move around and take the lead. Being the awesome guy that he is, Peter moved over and let me roll. Before I knew it I had opened a descent gap on him even though I was riding well inside my comfort zone. Anywho, we almost caught Jafer the leader of Expert 19-29 group during the second lap but as soon as Jafer saw us coming he took off and we never saw him again. 3rd lap was uneventful and had I pushed myself a bit more on the 3rd lap I would have had the fastest time for the day but instead Jafer beat me by 5 seconds.

I don't have a ton of details on Bill's race so I will just take the liberty to imagine how it went. As Bill lined up he realized that he to was chemically balanced thanks to having spent the morning with Josh and that he felt amazingly fast because of the black beans that had his GAS tank filled to the rim. Being the cool character that Bill is, he entered the singletrack very calm cool and collected deciding to let others blow their wad a bit. With only one lap to complete though he couldn't take any chances and let the leader get to big of a gap. Since Bill hired a new mechanic and dumped his old faithful, he has had a lot less technical difficulties during races. So like GSC #5, Bill felt very confident that the Bontrager would perform at its top level and it did allowing him to ride himself into 2nd place in Clydesdale for the day, one step higher then GSC #5 at Dauset.

On a closing note, I would like to say thanks to Bill for providing me with bottles and watching Riezie while I raced. Thanks to Dave and his lovely wife for putting on yet another event that went off without a hitch. Thanks to the church group that arrived at the pavilion Sunday AM to find a bike race right next door. Being the good Christian folks that they are though they opened the doors and feed anyone from the race and just sat back and enjoyed the scene. I just wish that there were more folks like that in this world but then again that's the type of stuff that happens at a mountain bike race. Thanks to all of our sponsors, but especially to Elements Coffee and Maxxis Tires. Elements: Bill and I would not have been properly chemically balanced if it weren't for your java. Maxxis: we definitely would not have been as fast with out your awesome tires.

Thanks to all the folks that volunteered, raced and/or cheered. To me there is nothing better then racing mtn bikes with some good folks and sharing a few laughs after the race. So thanks for sharing that with Bill and I.

Bill taking the 2nd step. Way to go Bill!

Josh find the top of the podium. Still trying to figure out what is going on with my face?!?!?!?

Click HERE for full race results by wave and class.

Riezie the wonder dog chillin at the campsite.

GSC #5 - DAUSET RACE REPORT

2010-06-16T16:21:00.003-04:00

Click HERE to read the Race Report from the June 13th GSC #5 race.

Click HERE for the full Race Results by wave and class.

Cavendish...OUCH!!!!!!

2010-06-16T14:27:00.000-04:00

Cyclepassion 2011

2010-06-16T14:18:00.005-04:00

ROAD for DOUGH

2010-06-07T00:39:00.006-04:00

Looks like our new favorite pro made good this weekend. Nathan O'Neil won the sprint competition at the Philly International race and bagged himself a cool $5k. Not a bad pay day. Good thing our boy Josh wasn't there!

And by the way . . . are those Dahlonega Wheel Works socks he's wearing??????

And another Athens resident made good. Former Jittery Joes rider, Casar Grajales bagged the King of the Wall title and bagged a nice purse.

The Right Way to Celebrate!

2010-06-01T14:05:00.003-04:00

Check out this photo of Matt Lloyd after winning the Giro's KOM competition. SGC isn't the only group that celebrates with a little bit of spirits!

WEEKLY RUNDOWN

2010-05-21T09:08:00.003-04:00

Tuesday was another Tuesday ride. Hard efforts where thrown in on Winifred and Tallahassee. The group dwindled and by the end of Eight Mile road my lights went out. I watched the remaining four ride off into the sunset. I had Steve to ride with for a while, but he eventually hitched a ride behind Weaver's truck. Not enough air back there for me. Great day for a ride, pretty good legs, not enough energy. Hats off to Dustin who, after some early ride tips from Steve, made it down Winifred with the group. A couple of more weeks and he'll probably have it figured out and make it all the way around with us.

Thursday was time for something different, unfortunately in some regards, it was more of the same. We'd put together a loop that included ten miles of dirt road, just to add a wrinkle to the ride. Several notable people were absent, others didn't like the idea, so that left Steve, Chip, and me. Chip won the "professional dress" award; outfitted in a retro jersey, sew-up tire wrapped around his shoulders, and riding his vintage steel Colnago. All that was missing were the leather goggles. We headed out, passed within ten feet of a turkey on Flowing Well, then hit the first section of dirt. Within minutes we were out and onto Mud Creek. Just a few pedal strokes and we turned onto Old Thompson and more smooth dirt. Towards the end I had several deer run across in front of me and took time to watch them run off into the overgrowth. We hit Gillionville and rolled in at a comfortable pace and only several minutes off our normal time.

Hopefully we'll be able to convince more to join us next time.

SHAKEDOWN RIDE #1

2010-05-19T11:34:00.002-04:00

JUST ADD DIRT!

When: Thursday, May 20th
Where: From Cycleworld
What: 35 miles with 10 miles of dirt road
Why: Because it's there to be ridden
Time: 6:00pm
From: Cycleworld

View Route: CLICK HERE

There are two sections of dirt road. The first section off of Flowing Well is approximately 2 miles long and runs into Mud Creek road. For anyone not "feeling" it, a right on Mud Creek takes you back to Gillionville. From there you can either ride back into town or turn left onto Tallahassee Road and complete the Old Dawson-Byron Plantation loop for extra mileage.

For those wanting to continue on, the second section of dirt is Old Thompson rd. Old Thompson is approximately 7 miles and runs into Gillionville 2 miles above Mud Creek rd.

The dirt road surface on both of these roads is perfect for riding. The tree canopy makes for a cool ride and the change in surface stimulates the senses. VMac will ride at the back to make sure everyone who enters, exits.

DIRT - Give it a try. You may like it.

SGC's Highs and Lows @ the PCB 1/2 Ironman

2010-05-15T07:13:00.006-04:00

Amy, John Palmer and a good friend of the Palmer's, Sunni Florida, recently took on the PCB Half Ironman 70.3 down at the Redneck Riviera. The weather was outstanding on race day with partially cloudy skies. It wasn't until about half way through the half marathon that the sun finally broke through the clouds and heating things up quite a bit.

John and Rhonda Palmer had a good friend from ATL come down for the weekend adventure, some of the SGC folks might remember him, John Leonard. Unfortunately, John had just recently been a victim of a bike path accident that left him dazed and confused and left his carbon frame broken, so he had alternate plans for the weekend to provide mental support to the TRIathletes.

I came to the conclusion about half way to PCB that even though the SGC mountain bike team was not well represented on this trip that the TRI folks and their friends would represent. J. Lo (John Leonard) as his crew refers to him, busted out a bottle of liquor to spice up his coke from Hardees. We arrived in PCB about the same time as Sunni and Nikki who came over from Jacksonville. Check in went smoothly and before we knew it we where in our 9th floor penthouse. At least it seemed like a penthouse for a guy that is use to peeing behind the tree and showering in a stream after the race.

Friday afternoon/night events consisted of registration, expo with some awesome and expensive TRI equipment, and trying to find our way to an Italian restaurant in the Redneck Riviera. Many laughs were had by the group as we following Google maps apps to a restaurant in Panama City that was located in the middle of a street festival. No big deal we just pulled a U-turn and drove to a small Italian restaurant at the west end of the PCB beach. So even though at this point we had spent about 45 minutes in the car, the food was great and the bottles of wine were even better. After dinner J. Lo's plan for mental support came together when Dr. Leroy Bynum arrived to surprise the TRI group. As it turns out not only did J. Lo invite Dr. Bynum but he also brought along Yalda, Shane and their family. All those folks = tons of laughs and good times. I believe that J. Lo and support staff went out after dinner. I will leave the details out but just say that I am pretty sure that I heard that Waffle House was visited in the wee hours of the night.

Saturday AM came quickly. We were up by 5 AM with Amy, John, and Sunni heading down to check in by 6 AM. Luckily for the whole group we were staying at the condos right next door to the start/finish which made coming and going quite easy through out the day.

Amy was the first into the water 35-39 women(yellow wave) @ 6:25 AM, Sunni (30-34) was next into the water at 6:27 AM, and Palmer's age group came somewhere around 6:40 (purple wave). The water conditions were less than ideal with swells around 3-5 feet and a Northeasterly wind that was blowing folks off course if you did not start up the beach and drift as you swim. The TRIathletes said that there was also a minor current throughout the swim and that one of the hardest parts was the fact that if you looked at the floor of the gulf that you would get motion sick because of the rising and falling from the swells. Amy mentioned throwing up in her mouth at least once or twice. YUCK!!!!! Swim times were a bit slower than most in the group had planned because of the rough water. (see results list)

Next to the bike, all 3 had great bike legs. The wind was not to bad out on course with the exception of Front Beach Road where the wind was whipping around the high rise condos. Unfortunately the bike leg is where John's day started to go down hill. I think it was around mile 40ish that John felt his first cramp come on and by the time he got to the bike/run transition, he we in full cramp mode. (John ended up being the grunt of many jokes throughout the rest of the weekend)

Amy and Sunni came through the bike/run transition about the same time. Amy ran a super solid half marathon with very consistent splits throughout. She finished the in 5:49:59 about 10 minutes faster than last year. Sunni who had recently been hiking in Peru on the Inca Trail had picked up Machu Picchu revenge started off strong but Machu Picchu had left her weakened and even though she finished very strong it was not the time that she was looking for but very respectable, 6:12:21. Way to go girls!!!!

I am not going to be as hard on Palmer as some of the folks in the group were but before I explain what he went through I must take a moment to highlight some of the better comments. First was the t-shirt that was purchased for him that said "out of beer", my next favorite were the comments to many other participants "how did you do today? Oh, great! No! Did you see the ambulance? That was our friend, he cramped up and had to go to the hospital. Oh, all he needed to do was drink Gatorade? =-), and lastly... well heck my favorite is the Gatorade comment!!!!

Unfortunately for Palmer, he ended up getting so depleted that around mile 6 in the run, they made the decision to pull the plug and go to the medical tent. This year the folks that put on the Gulf Coast TRI decided that they were not allowing IV's to be administered on site and participants that needed an IV would have to be transported to the hospital. So after arriving in the medical tent the staff realized that he was going to need some almighty IV juice and before he knew it John was on his way to the hospital. He is doing well know and he believes that he has found the magic mixture that will fix the problem, he will have to tell you on the next ride.

Saturday night was capped off with some yummy oysters, dinner, and spirits at J. Michaels in PCB. Some of the support staff went out again and partied through the wee hours again. These folks definitely fit in with the SGC crew, actually I am a bit worried that we wouldn't be able to hang.

Sunday AM everyone awoke casually to see that the gulf didn't have a single ripple in it, it was as clear as glass. After packing up and loading all the gear, everyone meet up at Another Broken Egg which I highly recommend on your next visit to the Redneck Riviera.

That wraps up this race report. Good luck to Amy, John, and Sunni on your preparation for the Louisville, Kentucky Ironman on August 29th.

*Sunni Florida aka April Childs

WEEKLY RUNDOWN

2010-05-14T08:45:00.004-04:00

We're going to borrow a column from our friend David Muse, and incorporate a recap of the Tuesday/Thursday rides.

Tuesday was the traditional loop. Good weather and 15+ made for a good ride. The pace was relatively conservative for a Tuesday. Steve threw fuel to the fire on Tallahassee road, which set the tone for the remainder of the ride. Attacks on Eight-Mile road fractured the group and a final attack at the end of Eight-Mile left three to fly. Props to Michelle for surviving the rigmarole and Mitchell S. for riding on the rivot.

Thursday we upped the anty and rode the Sasser-Tallahassee loop. After a few miles of inconsistency, the group as a whole settled in to a steady (fast) pace. We hit Tallahassee road at 7:05 and rode through the roughest section at 25+mph. Fun and games aside, Gillionville was reserved for "dumping the tank". Eight good miles of attacks and heavy effort got the goods out of everyone. Damn that red light!

Jello-legs + salt rings = good week

Next Thursday will hopefully bring the first of several Shake-Down rides, which will include roughly 9miles of dirt road. The route will be reconed this weekend. If the conditions and mileage are good . . . it's on.

WEEKLY ENLIGHTENMENT

2010-05-13T10:44:00.002-04:00

After some intensive research and calculations, the following has been concluded:

It costs approximately $100 to lose 1gram from your bike.

A paperclip weighs approximately 1 gram.

453.6 grams is the equivalent of 1lb.

It costs approximately $453 to lose 1lb from your bike.

The average poop weighs 123.6 grams.

In order to lose 1lb you must burn 3500 more calories than you consume.

Ultimately, the most cost effective weight loss system is to spend 6 hours riding (approx. 5100 calories) and take a natural supplement to maintain a regular system (2 poops per day = 250 grams) and you could easily lose 2 lbs per week without spending a dime.

In review, riding and pooping is FREE. Lighter doesn’t necessarily mean FASTER.

Consider yourself enlightened.

What We're Serving

2010-05-13T09:01:00.003-04:00

2010-05-11T11:28:00.000-04:00

Podium God

2010-05-04T10:29:00.004-04:00

Here is our own Josh Fix shaking road pro Nathan O'Neill's hand on the podium. Josh placed 1st, Nathan placed 3rd...

Image courtesy of Jane Ullah Photography - www.janeullah.com

DIRTY SPOKES 12/6hr Race Report - Fort Yargo

2010-05-03T12:52:00.010-04:00

Click here to read full FORT YARGO RACE REPORT.

More pictures coming soon!

Click here for full 6hr Solo Results.

RELATED READING:
David Muse
Nathan O'Neill
SORBA Forum

PIC(s) OF THE WEEK

2010-04-28T10:57:00.003-04:00

We're fans of Team Vanderkitten. They have nice . . . . kits.

Look out Bill . . . he's COMING!!!

2010-04-27T15:03:00.001-04:00

It got ugly after the 40 in 40!

2010-04-26T20:11:00.004-04:00

VMac.....Please dont' ever try out for American Idol! :)
Thanks to all for a wonderful time and a great party!
Sorry, the cameraman had a little to much to drink too and held the camera sideways!

Scooby's 40th Birthday Party

2010-04-25T22:34:00.005-04:00

There was a lot going on this past weekend which meant that not many people were in town but the folks that made it to Steve's 40th Birthday party had a really good time. De of course whipped up some yummy tacos and margaritas for her hubbies Bday party. VMac handled getting Steve out of the house while everyone arrived for the surprise.

To help the old man get around he was provided with a sporty cane with a few modifications, stickers, beer holder, a bell, and a mirror. I am pretty sure that the mirror is not for looking back, when you get that old you don't look back you just look up.

The SGC unofficial beer sponsor once again hooked us up with some yummy brews. VMac came up with an idea that we would drink 40 shots of beer in 40 minutes. One shot of beer per minute doesn't sound like it would be to difficult but by the end of the 40 minutes, the people that participated were buzzed and bloated. If the party wasn't already happening before the 40 in 40, it surely was rocking after we took the last shot. I believe that the rain started coming down and we headed into the house to play some Rock Band on the Wii.

If you were unable to make it, just imagine how happy Scooby was with his scooby snacks at the end of the night!!!!!!

Happy Birthday STEVE!!!!!! OVER THE HILL............

GSC #2 - Flat Rock Park Race Report

2010-04-19T13:21:00.006-04:00

Click here to read the RACE REPORT from GSC#2.

Click here for full RESULTS AND TIMES for all categories.

RACE REPORT - 3/21/10 Thomaston

2010-03-22T11:04:00.007-04:00

CLICK HERE to read the race report from GSC#1 at Thomaston, GA

Josh Fix 1st Place XC-1 (30-39)
Vonnie McClung 5th Place XC-SS (1&2)
Stephen Woolard 10th Place XC-2 (40-49)

Fair Weather Nancies Need Not Apply

2010-03-20T22:37:00.001-04:00

To all you sitting in the fence, you missed out.

-- Post From My iPhone

Thomaston Race Info

2010-03-16T13:05:00.003-04:00

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Thomaston, GA BSA

http://trails.firstworks.com/trails/trails.cgi/default/route/article.html?route_id=221

Click the link(s) to see the map, profile, and other info. The second link was created by the legend, Dave Muse, in February. He has a pretty good grasp on things, so I'm banking his info is correct. If not, I'll be blaming any wrong turns on him.

The first link appears to be a map of the old course.

http://www.sorba.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=31403&p=325153
Above is a sorba forum discussing the trail.

Click HERE for a map of the Flint River Adventure Area.

Click HERE for a map of Camp Thunder.

Click HERE for a Trial Map.

First Top-10 of the Year!

2010-03-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

I had completely forgot about the event coming up, so my normal preparation was limited to a last minute cram session. With that lack of preparation came added stress and "butterflies" I normally don't get. It weighed on my mind so much that I dreamt about it.

I kept my normal routine the morning of but the butterflies had turned into bats. As always, it is essential to be on the front in the beginning and this was no different. An hour before the start, we were already staging and taking our place.

There was a neutral start with directions from the director. The tension mounted. I said my normal pre-event prayer and took a last glance at the others. I could tell everyone was feeling the weight of the moment. I took note of the ones that didn't have a chance. I took note of the ones that would be true competition. I took one last inventory of my equipment then . . . . . GO!!!
Everything was a blur. My actions were jumping ahead of my thoughts. I began to rush. The more I tried to control myself the more anxious I became. I was finally able to find a rhythm, but was that rhythm fast enough?

I knew I didn't finish first, but I knew I had finished well before most. As the director counted off, my heart rate followed suit. Only the top-20 reap the reward. As she motioned towards me, she smiled and said "Number 10."

I coach for a living so as the inner child in me bounced off the walls and said a bunch of nah- nah-nee-boo-boos,while the professional side of me gathered up my equipment and waited for my friend's result. He wasn't quite as fortunate, finishing 22nd, two places out of the prizes.

Although it's early in the season, this could be my best result of the year. You see, this wasn't even a bike race. This is what I had to go through to get Cadence in Pre-K next year. I along with 38 other parents were simultaneously given a five-page application, given instructions, the directed to GO. The first 20 to correctly complete the application and turn it in wins a spot for his/her child. Everyone else will go on a waiting list. Absolutely CRAZY! This essentially ends up being a $6,000 payout. We won't have to pay for daycare next year. I finally get to take advantage of one government program. SHOW ME THE MONEY BABY!

VMAC's Spring Sale!

2010-03-15T12:11:00.003-04:00

I'm cleaning out the barn and some things HAVE TO GO! Click HERE to view a list of bike items available. These items will be listed on EBAY next week, but I want to allow the locals first dibbs. All items are used, some more than others, but if you know me, everything has been well taken care of.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or info about the items.

Regions Bike Race Weekend - Kids Race

2010-03-10T15:31:00.001-05:00

Dominated by SGC!!!

RAFFLE WINNER

2010-03-10T15:20:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Leslie Sharpe, a teacher at LCHS, for winning the 2010 SGC Raffle for a Raleigh Route 3 hybrid.

Thanks go out to CYCLEWORLD for their contribution and to everyone that purchased a ticket. ALL proceeds will go to support South Georgia Cycling.

Leslie, we hope you enjoy your new bicycle!

REGIONS RACE REPORT & RANT

2010-03-09T10:24:00.003-05:00

This past weekend marked the 5th Edition of the Regions Bike Race weekend and the unofficial opening to our competitive cycling calendar. For the majority of SGC, the winter has been way too long, cold, and wet, so it was good to toe the line and get it on.

Josh and I were the only two who made the decision to compete in the Time Trial in frigid temperatures. Josh had an 8:37 start and I had an 8:39 start. It was 33 degrees. Josh finished 2nd and I finished 12th. There were only about 16 in our category. I was about 16 seconds off my time from two years ago, which over two miles equates to around -1.4 mph difference. Josh on the other hand averaged 26.1 mph.

Immediately after the finish, the cold air that had saturated our lungs seemed to do an about-face. My chest ached. I began coughing like a college student who’d just hit a bong for the first time. We rode back in to town to Krispy Kreme to cool down. (No, we didn’t stop and get doughnuts. The HOT NOW sign wasn’t on.) We got back to our team area, got comfortable, and popped a beer. It was 9:30 am.

The Cat4 Criterium was set to go off at 2:10. I used to love crits; now I can’t stand them. I especially can’t stand them early in the season. My body’s not used to the explosive accelerations required to stay in the front to be competitive. On top of that, I was worried about a pedal issue that really isn’t an issue unless I’m trying to get engaged in the pedal quickly. In order to be in the front, you have to get on the pedals quickly. Josh, Steve, Ray, and I took our spots on the front row. 4 seconds after the horn, I was in the back, still trying to get in my pedal.

I spent 3 laps chasing and trying to make up positions. Every time I made up ground, I’d get closed down on a corner and shot back to the rear. That’s the nature of crits. I tried in vain to get back to the front for three laps. On the fourth lap I decided enough was enough. “They don’t give awards for effort.” Steve hung in for several more laps before he saw me on the side of the road. That was his cue to abort. Josh played on the front for a while, but a key break got away and left him with no allies in the group. He finished fourth in the bunch sprint to take 7th and Ray held in to take 13th.

Everyone settled into relax mode for the rest of the day, except me. I hung around long enough to watch Cadence participate in the kid’s race then humped it home to clean up and head for Columbus for another basketball game. We won in OT. I drove home paranoid due to the 20-something deer I counted along the roadside. I got in bed at 1:25am. Race time Sunday was 9:03am.

Another cold morning greeted us as we geared up for the road race. I chose to warm-up on my trainer because I didn’t want the wind in my face. The warm-up work, but it made getting on the road that much colder. My plan for the day was to stay at the front, animate the race if possible, help Josh, and be in the mix at the end. Everyone seemed in pretty good spirits. Woolard joined us for his first RR. Mark Miller toed the line with Ray for the PCP. The call was made to combine the Cat4s and 5s. 9:20 start-time. We’re off.
As planned, I went straight to the front on Mossydell. I surged and led the group up the first rise in order to stretch the group. Ten or fifteen of us maintained the front on to hwy195. The pace dropped at one point and I decided to surge to see what would happen. When I pulled off, I was followed by only one rider. We had about a 60m gap and he was eager, but it was way too early in the race.

The pace stayed constant until New York Road. Then, the race took a typical Cat4-5 race shape. Braking downhill, surging up hill, and speed slow enough that everyone is bunched up with nowhere to go. Steve did some screaming and cussing and managed to get to the front for a few rotations, but then found himself back with me.

As we turned onto Mossydale for the finish the pace quickened and several attempts were made by some to get off the front. I could see that Josh was still in good position. I knew that a win for me was out of the question, so I went into self-preservation mode. Steve and I picked up positions as riders were unable to hold pace. I screamed at Mark to take a gap that had formed up the right and he managed to squeeze up several places. The final push to the line was more of a formality than a necessity from our position, but it was a relief to pass safely across the line.

Josh finished 3rd with a tremendous dash to the line. Ray finished 7th and Steve and I finished 15th and 16th respectively. Mark finished 2nd in the Cat5 race and Woolard rolled in 24th.

The numbers were down this year but the event was still a success. Everyone I talked to after the race enjoyed the accommodations and race courses. Everything was on time and ran smoothly. The folks at Swagger ran a great race and Lisa Riddle with the Chamber of Commerce organized a fantastic event. An enormous THANK YOU goes out to everyone involved.

On that note, I feel the need to vent for a moment. We had several local racers choose to not compete in our home event, but rather drive to Florida for a race. The Regions Bike Race Weekend is not only the second biggest money maker for our community; it is the second biggest money maker for our individual sponsors. It is also the only opportunity each year to display our sport in a positive, organized manner. No matter the reason, choosing to compete elsewhere is completely unacceptable. The problem is, none of these individuals helped bring the race to Albany and they could care less if the race survives or is discontinued. None of these individuals are concerned with anything or anyone but themselves. Their actions are an insult to their sponsors, to Lisa Riddle and the Chamber, and to the Albany cycling community. I competed in this event without training, without fitness, without time, and without a desire to race on the road, but I did it anyway. I competed solely to support the event, the people who worked so hard to organize it, and to acknowledge our local sponsors who support cycling and our team. This is the only venue they get to easily see us in action. I don’t care what the reason. Your reasons and actions are wrong, but not surprising. The only loyalty you have is to yourself, which at some point is all you will be left with. Thank you to Mark, Ray, and Chip for your participation.

If you don’t like what you’ve just read, it’s probably because it’s true. Feel free to discontinue visiting our site.

2010-03-05T15:03:00.001-05:00

Let's Get Ready to Ruuuuummmmblllllleeee!

2010-03-05T09:54:00.001-05:00

Regions Bank Race weekend to open road racing season in Georgia - VeloNews

After a cold and wet winter it's time to get the season under way. The weather looks good, but chilly for the weekend. The Time-Trial will start in the 30's. The Crit will be run in the 50's. Sunday's Road-Race will be run in the 50's with slight wind. The wind has traditionally been a key element for the Road-Race. The crosswinds on New York Road tend to play havoc in the last few km of the race.

SGC will be located on Jackson St. around the first corner of the Crit course. We have a few tickets left for the Raleigh Route 3 that will be raffled off Sunday at the Road Race, we'll be selling Pizza at lunch, and if you're real nice to us, we may offer you a complementary beverage before, after, or during the race. Which ever you prefer.

Support SGC

2010-02-18T21:11:00.009-05:00

Support South Georgia Cycling team by purchasing a raffle ticket for a chance to win a Raleigh Route 3.0 hybrid bicycle (approx $385 value).

$5 per ticket or 5 for $20

Drawing will take place Sunday, March 7, 2010 shortly after the Regions Road Race.

****You do not have to be present to win.****

Raffle tickets may be purchased from Cycleworld or a member of SGC. If you have any questions please contact us at southgeorgiacycling@gmail.comSpecial Thanks to Cycleworld!

EXCUSES ON RECORD . . . .

2010-02-16T12:46:00.003-05:00

The excuse "I'm not gonna ride because the roads are wet" can no longer be used. It has officially been used by one of our own.

Submit your best/worst excuses for not riding to southgeorgiacycling@gmail.com. We will publish a link to the cumulative list. An excuse can only be used ONCE throughout the season. If you use an excuse that has already been used or published, you will be fined $1.00 by SGC.

We're just doing our part to keep you ON the bike : )

Snow Daze

2010-02-15T09:10:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was one we were looking forward to for quite some time. Vmac and Tiff were coming up and bringing the bikes for some trail riding, and we were really ready to hit the trails. The weather has not been kind to cyclists, so we were hoping for a break. Vonnie foreshadowed the weekend in an email several weeks ago claiming there would probably be a "weather event" this weekend, but he was bringing his bike anyway. It was an epic weather weekend for sure - there was snow on the ground in 49 out of 50 states. I'm not sure when that has occured before, I certainly can't remember it happening in my lifetime.

After a leisurely morning and lunch on Saturday that saw snows melting in our neck of the woods, I told Suzy to get kitted up - we were headed to Jack Rabbit to give the trails a try. I figured there would still be snow on the ground there, and before the thaw and slop got too bad to ride in, we were off for an adventure.

As you can see, there was LOTS of snow on the trails. It's very different riding in snow - you can't see hidden obstacles, or know for sure exactly where the trail bed is. Luckily, there were 2 other crazy guys that were just finishing a loop as we were starting, and I prayed they picked good lines, as I used their tire tracks as a guide. In the spots where the trail was protected under trees, or that was exposed to the sunshine, it was extremely wet, so we got covered in mud, but had a great ride.

I hate that Vonnie and Tiffanie couldn't meet up with us for the ride, but it wasn't in the cards. Their plans were all jacked up from the weather, and we just couldn't connect. If we had waited until Sunday to try and ride, the trails would have been a huge sloppy mess and we probably would have done some damage to the trails by riding them. As it was, I don't think we hurt them at all, and we had a blast. Not very often that we in the South get a chance to do something like this, so it was a lot of fun, and we got to ride our bikes finally!

GLOBAL WARMING MY @$$

2010-02-14T20:36:00.004-05:00

Tiff, Cadence, and I headed up to the mountains for a long weekend, hoping to miss the snow that was headed to south and central Georgia . . . ? North Georgia wasn't supposed to get much snow if any at all. I have now officially decided weather-people are wrong 90% of the time and lucky 10% of the time. Long story short, we didn't get to do anything we'd planned to do, but we had a blast doing things we didn't expect to do. Never got a chance to throw my leg over the bike, but it was still a heck of a trip.I've thrown in several pictures of our frozen bikes, the cabin we were trying to get to, and the view from the front porch of the cabin.

North Georgia Jan 2010

2010-02-07T08:29:00.009-05:00

In tradition of a couples years past, Steve and I are keeping the SGC man trip alive. We still have hopes that one of these years, we will find a way for the rest of the crew to find a way out of work.

Here's a report of the 4 day weekend. Thursday night arrive in Ellijay at around 12:30 PM. Have camper set up at Mulberry Gap and finishing a beer around 2 AM. That late night helped us get a slow start on Friday. We finally rolled out of camp to go ride Bear Creek to P1, P2 and possibly P3 at around noon. This lead us to a pretty good amount of forest service road climbs but the views and the fog/clouds layer was pretty awesome. Bear Creak was ripping until the creek crossing, Steve got a flat. At this point we realized that we did not have a CO2 cracker which left us with my pump from circa 1993. (1993-2010, does that classify it as an antique?) Well as it turns out my faithful pump let us down that fine day. The seal in the internals was allowing air to release as quickly as it was pumping air into the tire. So after breaking off I think 2 valve stems, we finally tip toed down the remaining section of the Bear Creek. We decided that we would limp home to Mulberry Gap but on the way down Bear Creek road we passed a couple mtn bikers from ATL. They had a pump! But we proceeded to break off another valve stem. ATL guys were cool enough to let us just leave their pump on the side of the road so they could finish their ride and we could deal with our problems. Or at least Steve could deal with his problems as I sat back and laughed.

Flash forward - Steve and I find our way back to camp at Mulberry Gap and work our way into town to get some parts and catch up with the one and only Mike Palmeri at Cartecay Bike shop in Ellijay, GA. If you have not been in to visit or support this guy, you need to on your next trip to the area.

Saturday we decided to stick around and wait for Carebear (Mark Peterson) to arrive with a group of his close friends. Rumor was that they were going to do P1, P2, P3, with a P4 option which sounded pretty good to Steve and I. Started off at 11 AM with them and rode most of P1 with them but they had a big group and regrouped quite frequently so Steve and I rode on. We still got in P1-P3 but no P4.

Sunday, IT RAINED. I should have taken some pictures of the rain but I think I was so depressed that we were not able to ride that I just drank beer and ate. Luckily Mulberry Gap has a barn that is filled with bike paraphernalia courtesy of Bruce Dickman, a huge flat screen TV, surround sound, ping pong, weights, and a dart board. I will let Steve insert a ping pong report because I am pretty sure that I got schooled.

Monday we arose to clear skies and went for a quick forest service road ride so that we could pack up and get back to Albany.

Probably wasn't the most epic of man weekends but it still was a chance to get away and recharge the batteries.

SGC - Recognize!

2010-02-05T12:45:00.005-05:00

Dirty Spokes has turned over the majoity of the 6/12hr promotion to Chain Buster Racing. If you visit the site, pay attention to the home page's banner. A very recognizable person in a very recognizable kit will appear.

Click the above banner to vist Chain Buster Racing's website.

TallBoy at Sunset

2010-02-03T18:49:00.001-05:00

The weather outside has been frightful, and with more rain/sleet/snow in the immediate forecast, I nutted up, suited up, and tackled the neighborhood climb after work. We've been walking it and partially jogging it, but I needed some saddle time in a BIG way. Not a long ride, but a ride none the less! Cheers!

-- Post From My iPhone

Location:Starlight Dr,Cleveland,United States

2010 UCI Cyclcocross Worlds on Universal Sports

2010-01-30T05:00:00.002-05:00

I was just bouncing around my favorite cycling websites and Dirt Rag had a blog post announcing that UCI and Universal Sports are teaming up to provide same day webcast of the 2010 UCI worlds. The Junior and Women's race will also be available on demand.

Sunday, January 31st @ noon eastern at universalsports.com.

I should have some photos and stories up shortly from Steve and I's recent training trip to N. GA.

WORD

SGC CALENDAR & EVENTS

2010-01-25T10:51:00.004-05:00

The race season is just around the corner. Don't forget to check out the SGC Calendar (on the sidebar) to see a list of events.

CLICK HERE to view the calendar.

If there are any events you'd like added, email us at:

southgeorgiacycling@gmail.com

B-DAY Ride at Dauset - POSTPONED

2010-01-19T15:06:00.003-05:00

Click on the invitation for a better look. Contact Vonnie for more info.

Off-season Myth Buster

2009-12-23T08:24:00.003-05:00

Check out this article on PezCycling News about some common winter training month's myths. Or at least myths for this particular coach. "Stupid is as stupid does!" - forest gump

P.S. Just in case you weren't already aware, Pez has a daily distraction ;-) that is most days worth a glance. Pez Cyclingnews Daily Distraction Hopefully this season SGC will be receiving some socks!!!!

Ray's MTB Park

2009-12-22T07:12:00.008-05:00

If you ever make it to Cleveland, Ohio, this looks like a place worth checking out.

RAY'S MTB INDOOR PARK