National Cyclocross Champions!

OK I know this post is a tad late, but I have spent the week getting back into my dorm and back into the swing of college life. Luckily classes don’t start for a few days…

So collegiate cyclocross national champs 2012. Now that was fun! I flew out of sunny South Africa and into Madison, Wisconsin. I was totally expecting a ton of snow and freezing temperatures. Freezing cold I got, but where was the snow?? That time last year there were 72in out on the ground, but this year there was nothing. So much for extreme cyclocross weather! The weather was actually great all week for us, just below freezing at nights so the course froze up. No snow, no wind, and decent racing temperatures.

We stayed in host housing, thanks to the immense generosity of Brian and Carolyn Cassel, who could not have been better hosts! They gave us (a team of 7 racers, one coach and me, the photographer/journo) full run of the house and everything in it for a week. How fantastic! We all had beds, hot showers and plenty of space, not to mention a fully equipped workshop, rec room, hot tub and our own fridge. We literally couldn’t ask for more. A tad spoiled I reckon….and definitely appreciated!

I landed on the 4th, and was welcomed by my teammates Mariske and Lacey who had already been in the house for a day or so. Mariske also came over from South Africa, and was not too happy with the cold temperatures! I had forgotten what it was like to move over in the winter…I could definitely sympathise. I was jetlagged in my chops, so it was early to sleep for me. And an early wake up too….I think something ridiculous like 4 30. And I was quickly followed into the living room by Mariske, who is an early riser anyway. As soon as it got sunny, we were out for a walk to see the frozen puddles and river. A first for both of us! Hahaha these two Africans were like little kids, looking at all the frozen stuff in the early Wisconsin morning!

Mariske Strauss wins the women's national title.

Soon, half the team arrived on the bus with our coach Hugh, and got the bikes all prepped and ready for a ride. And once they got back from pre-riding the course, Mike and Steph arrived from the airport, having flown in from Florida. Mars Hill Cycling team, assemble!! When we were all seated around the table, with all introductions been made (Mariske is our newest teammate, joining this semester), it was like I had never left. Sitting around the dinner table, eating good food with great company and many laughs. This is why I love our team. It could be the night before the biggest race of the year (and not only because the year had just started, c’mon now), and it was all laughs and relaxed atmosphere. This is what makes our team. That attitude basically set up our whole week. Racing hard, and enjoying ourselves just as much. There were always laughs, support was always there, everyone got one well and smiles were abound. Of course the small matter of Mariske winning her first cx race ever (and Nationals t00!), Laura getting her goal of top ten, Corey getting his goal of top ten, Tim nabbing second spot and the team working together to claiming their first CX National title didn’t hurt….

Apart from racing, we had a good ol’ time. Sliding on frozen ponds, drinking a large amount of coffee every single day, heckling racers, watching the pros race at insane speed (and supporting our favourite racer, Jeremy “JPow” Powers, ooowwwwww!!!), heckling them as well, telling pro women’s racer Meredith Miller that we love her (OK so that was maybe just me and some Lees-McRae friends), heckling the rest of the field,  introducing the Americans to Mariske’s unique and impossibly energetic sense of humour, listening to Corey “DJ Kid Corey” Davis scratching it up on his new iPad, eating food made by guys (for once!), ripping on those guys for making food whilst they made comments about women/kitchens/sandwiches, supporting friends racing, getting covered in mud (ya even I got some mud time), playing Xbox Kinect (is that right, Kinect? Someone tell me, I’m no pro at this), getting beaten by our coach again and again at ping pong and pool, hot tubbing it after the win, long bus trip home, Starbucks, Waffle House, Panera Bread, more Starbucks, sleeping on the bus, more Starbucks, and finally back to base in Mars Hill, North Carolina. What a week!

This is just a small round up of the week, I don’t really have words to describe it all. It was just too much fun, and I personally absolutely loved being back with the team. When I was home, I didn’t miss the USA, but I did miss my teammates and all the crap we get up to together. What a fantastic welcome back, by them winning Nationals! A huge shout out has to go to our sponsors for making it possible. SpinTech Training in Asheville for the loan of two Scott cyclocross bikes to keep the team going. One of them going to Laura, and the other being put to good use claiming an individual National Championship win with Mariske! Without those bikes, we wouldn’t have made podium let alone winning the whole shebang. To DeFeet socks, for keeping the team’s toes warm and cozy with their awesome fantastic Woolie Boolies. I know this photgrapher refused to go out without them on, and I wasn’t even racing…Raw Revolution bars for keeping the guys and girls fueled and to all the others, including BioWheels, Hearn’s, Ion Sports Nutrition, Neo Burrito, ProGold… lucky to have so much support. Thank you! Of course, Thanks to Brian and Carolyn Cassel for putting us up, you guys were amazing! Oh and a big ol’ thanks to Mars Hill College itself, cos without you we wouldn’t be allowed to race at all!

Mikey Keith
Mars Hill Cycling

Blue Ridge Bike Plan

Land-of-Sky Regional Council, in cooperation with the Southwestern Rural Planning Organization, is beginning a two-year initiative to create the Blue Ridge Bike Plan, a regional action plan for bicycling. This seven county effort will coordinate existing local bicycle plans while developing a regional action plan for seven counties; Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, Swain and Transylvania.

The Blue Ridge Bike Plan will provide the vision and goals for regional bicycle infrastructure, analysis of current conditions, a map of prioritized regional corridors for bicycle improvements in the future, and a list of policy recommendations. The plan will also facilitate responsible use of available transportation funding to enhance prioritized corridors. Plan priorities include prioritizing investment to foster healthier communities, economic development, affordable transportation choices, and safer bicycling options.

This survey is a critical step in public involvement to generate key themes and priorities for the plan. Take the survey here. Thank you for your time and feedback!

Find more information about the study at this link.

Mike says…

“Why is this all too cool for school?”

“Firstly, it’s more new trail. Secondly, it’s a five minute drive from downtown Asheville. Thirdly, it’s a 15-20 minute ride from downtown (with, admittedly one huge paved climb) that has a bike lane for almost all of the high-traffic part. Fourthly, it’s totally unique trail for the area- twisty and tight. Fifthly, we’re allowed to have up to 6 events annually at the park; get ready for a fall race series!! Sixthly…alright, that’s enough you get the point.”

BioWheels is excited to have this new mountain biking fun source so close by. We will be supporting the upcoming races and wooping it up on the trails whenever possible. If you want to join us for some group rides to the trails this Fall, let us know.

Get There:

From I-240 take exit 4A onto Highway 19/23 N. (I-26 West). Go 1.5 miles. Take Highway 251 (UNC-Asheville exit), turn left at the end of ramp. Turn left at the next stoplight onto Riverside Drive. Go 0.5 mile, turn right onto Pearson Bridge Road. Go 0.3 mile and take first right onto Richmond Hill Drive. At the top of the hill take a right. At bottom of hill go past the gate, around the roundabout, and bear right into the large parking lot. Ride Trail.

If you’re reading this now and thinking to yourself how you’re going to be that person at some point in the near future, don’t worry too much. You’ll get those results, but make sure that you’re looking in the right places! Start by looking at the USA Cycling website’s results page. If you find that some are missing, you can check the results from your local racing association. Generally, the local cycling associations are fairly quick and accurate to get results posted, but keep in mind that they are human! Results can be wrong, inaccurate and (gasp!) missing. Don’t be afraid to email or call your race organizers to ask for a fix to any problems. Once or twice, I’ve even had to resort to a Google search, and with success!

All of this is easily avoided if you update your resume after every single race. Don’t worry, it takes no more than 5 minutes once you get the hang of it. Since I moved to North Carolina for college I’ve been using this resume to keep results organized. This resume was actually created by the Carolinas Cycling Association, and I modified it slightly for individual use by adding the “race fees” column to help keep reimbursement fees in check. When it comes time to submit your upgrade, your results are readily available, so no searching after the fact. There are obviously plenty of different formats you could use for your resume, but I find this one to be very easy once it comes time for submitting an upgrade.

Having this kind of info on hand is truly important. If you were looking for a job would you be more eligible for a given position with or without a resume? (Rhetorical question) The same applies to cycling when you start looking at joining teams, a race resume is a must have! If you have a well put together resume, and the results to go with it, its one less thing that you have to worry about.

You could even take it a step further by adding details such as your personal information (height, weight, D.O.B., hobbies, etc.) and any volunteer work or coaching you have done. The more detailed you can be about your cycling career the better, just don’t go overboard! Teams today are not just looking at how you are as a rider, but also how you are as a person. Your personal details can at times be equally as important as your race details. Think of it this way, most teams out there wouldn’t be too happy if they discovered that their new rider is a felon who refuses to help out in the community. Obviously that was a gross exaggeration, but you get my point. If you can display that excellent personality of yours in your resume and get out there to volunteer in the community, it will truly take it to the next level. Just as a note, this type of information is not necessary when submitting for an upgrade.

Before you get ready to submit your upgrade though, you need to check to make sure that you’ve met your upgrade requirements:

**From the 2011 USAC Rulebook**

5-4: Experience in 10 mass start races.

Local Associations may also establish policies where
upgrade credit is given for taking a USA Cycling
sanctioned rider education clinic.

4-3: 20 points in any 12-month period; or

Experience in 25 qualifying races with a minimum of 10 top ten finishes with fields of 30 riders or more; or

20 pack finishes with fields over 50. 30 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade.

USAC-sanctioned rider Camps and
Clinics that are approved by the Local Associations for
upgrading will count a maximum of 3 upgrade points when
upgrading from category 4 to category 3.

3-2: 25 points in any 12-month period.
40 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade.

2-1: 30 points in any 12-month period.
50 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade.

Click Here for a download of the full USAC Rulebook from USA Cycling and to see how the points are tabulated.

Most racers that have read this probably have some sort of resume put together, but if not then get one put together right now! Stop putting it off and get to it. The sooner you get your past results together, the less you have to worry about later. To those of you that do have a resume, look back to make sure that it is detailed and organized!

Friday was the road race. First off were the guys, racing Division II and 74miles of pain. The racing was absolutely mad, with a crazy pace being set from the word go. To give an example of how crazy it got, on the very first corner out of the neutral zone, there was a wreck. Some dude carcassed it, and smashed his pelvis and a few ribs. Ja boet, hectic hey. So our plan was to protect our climber, Matt Willing, for the final attack on the last hill. Which was a serious 2-mile piece of death. Our plan however did not quite go to plan. There was a break, with the three guys in it that we were warned to watch. Yet we didn’t go with them…..so Kyle, our sprinter, gets on the front and drills it to catch them. Once he caught them, he went straight to the front. He really had his legs on that day! On the last lap, a break went again. I’m not entirely sure how many of our guys were in it, but Kyle was right up there again. For someone who professes to not be able to climb at all, Kyle sure can move it up a hill! Kyle ended with a mad (and pretty unexpected to be totally honest) fourth place finish! Awesome! Seabass finished next, in 16th. Paul rounded out our top three in 22nd. No matter how many guys you have in the race, only your top three guys get points. How the system works at Nationals. After our guy’s race, we were top of the team omnium due to the sweet points gained. Kief! Right behind us were Mesa State and MIT (yes, that MIT). This set the bar for the rest of the weekend really, with each school swopping out the lead. Our girls raced at lunch time, and fought hard against an absolutely killer team from MIT. Really those girls were insane, they were doing lap times like the guys were..our girls did well enough in the end to keep us up there in the top three teams overall. MIT gained a whole load of podiums that day, so they stole the show. Overall, we came away real happy from our day’s racing.

Saturday we had the TTT, and our real hope at a gold medal for the guys. The girls went off first, and they looked set to really give it a good go. They came in much sooner than we were hoping for, so we were real excited at that. Our girls posted a fast time, and we had high hopes for top three. Unfortunately we got pipped and pushed out into fourth. MIT absolutely destroyed the TTT, they were just crazy. It was actually kinda scary hey…like I said, they were machines. They must’ve done the math on that one, being absolute geeks real smart and all. Our guys went off afterwards, and they set off like a right steamtrain. Wow. It was SO sick! Thanks to a generous loaning from one of our sponsors, Southeast Sports Mrketing, we all were cruising on ZIPP wheels. A round of 404s and 808s for everyone, with a side dish of Firecrest design. Epic! Aero helmets and deep dish carbon rims all round….bike porn anyone? So yeah, we were looking set for a ridiculous time. Unfortunately, it was not to be. At the turn around point our guys caught Dartmouth (yes, another Ivy League institution we absolutely schooled) and got caught behind them. At the risk of sounding mean, they were real Freds going around the corner, absolute Cat 5s. The team reckons we lost about 15-20 seconds because of that fiasco….which happened to be the margin between us and gold medal…in the end, we finished 3rd. Only 1sec behind Western Washington University. Seriously? Seriously? Damn Ivy League…..still, we got a medal and more crucial points. After the day’s racing, we were sitting in third beind Mesa State and MIT, way ahead of fourth. It was going to take something special to pull something out of the bag….

Today was the last day of racing, with the crit. Our last chance to get that coveted gold medal…first race off were the girls, and they were determined to leave their mark. And did they leave it or what! They were all over the front of the pack, always making sure they covered MIT and that nothing stayed away off the front. It was a frantic race, definitely much faster and longer than anything they had raced all season. It was all set to be an epic one. MIT were definitely out for the kill, dictating it from lap 1. They went for all the points primes, getting any bonus points they could. They were hungry for it. But our girls played the smart game, just letting them do what they wanted to. On the very last lap there was a crash, halfway around the course. Unfortunately Steph was caught behind it, and obviously couldn’t make up the time. Klara and Yoly realised this and went all out. Klara had a mad sprint, accelerating all the way up the uphill finish and just got pipped on the line out of podium. Still, sixth place for her got us those crucial points. MIT won of course, being the powerhouse they are. This bold race from the girls vaulted us into second over Mesa State and within reaching distance of MIT. It was on! Our guys had a big race to get done, and they sure stood up to the task. We alway had guys up front, always within reach of the front wheels while never doing work themselves. Couldn’t ask for anything more. Paul even sniffed out a break that looked like it would stay the whole way until one man worked himself to death to bring it back. Which put our sprinters into perfect position. Kyle and Seabass were right behind Mesa State’s leadout train, with the plan to jump around them. Which they executed to a T. Paul came around them, dragging them around Mesa State. Once this was done, Seabass started his sprint. Kyle was on his wheel, and hopped around to smash it by a few bike lengths. He destroyed everyone in sight. I love it when a plan comes together. The cherry on the top though was Seabass still finishing in the top ten, which gave us more points. MIT was nowhere to be seen, they had nothing.

We waited a real long time for the results to come out, while frantically doing the maths in our heads to work out whether we had done enough. Eventually the results were posted. 3rd – Mesa State. 2nd – MIT. 1st – MARS HILL COLLEGE. Yes, we overtook both Mesa and MIT on the last day to get the gold! Mars Hill College, number one school in Div. II in the country. How’d you like them apples?! Not only did we get gold medal in the team omnium, Kyle got gold in the individual omnium, gold in the crit, and fourth in the road race. Our guys got third in the TTT and our girls got fourth. Then Klara also got sixth in the crit. That would be six podiums this weekend. Out of six races and three omnium competitions. Not too shabby hey!

DeFeet maintains the high standards that I love about their socks: great quality and comfort. The bottom of the sock is the same style as their Levitator Lite sock that is a staple of my cycling wardrobe. Due to that part of the design, you can wear the DeCompressor sock all day and not feel that your feet are going to fall off from the pressure. The sleeve part that goes over your calves is a bit hard to get on, but once you do it is by far the most comfortable out of all of the other brands I’ve tried. The compression is tested at 20-40mmHg which I do not know much about, but I do know that I do not have their symbol engraved in my legs for the next 24 hours unlike some other brands.

In summary, I recommend using the DeFeet DeCompressor socks because they are extremely comfortable and leave your legs feeling refreshed. I am also a huge fan of the company because they are decreasing their waste by using recycled plastic bottles to make their socks. If you are somehow not yet convinced to give them a try, I know what all bike racers like and that is a good deal! DeFeet sells them online for $30 at www.defeet.com. You can’t beat the quality nor find anything cheaper, even at your local Walgreens.

- Kyle Knott
Mars Hill Cycling
Team Globalbike

Our 2010 Jersey may be the best so far. It is 100% Recycled and Entirely Domestic!

Cyclists will see the jersey flying in local group rides, road races and mountain bike events. Check the BioWheels Cycling Calendar for info on events and join us!

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Please visit these fine Asheville businesses that support cycling in your community:

Ashevilla Wines – Truly local wines that showcase the city. The grapes are from the Haw River Valley, one of North Carolina’s recognized appellations and home to some of the best grapes and wines in the state. Enjoy Ashevilla Wines, available at finer wine retail locations and restaurants throughout the city.

French Broad Brewing – is in its 8th year of collaboration with BioWheels. Located on Fairview Road just outside of Biltmore Village, French Broad specializes in Old World Ales. Matt Barnao, Sales Manager says, “We think BioWheels has all the makings of a world-class organization. You do what you say you are going to do, and you go the extra mile. Your racers are extremely pleasant & we’re proud to have our brand on your backs, and our beer in your bellies (after the race-of course)”… Ride Bikes, Drink Beer!

 Doc Chey’s – is joining forces with BioWheels again in 2011 after strongly supporting our race team from 2000-2003. We’ve always been huge fans of Doc Chey’s great food. Their big portions at reasonable prices are perfect for carbo-loading or re-fueling after the ride… Peace, Love, Noodles, Bikes

Biltmore Coffee Traders – is a truly local roaster. All coffee is roasted in-house at 518 Hendersonville Road where you can watch (and smell) it happen!  Nothing fuels a bike ride like a quality coffee jolt. And you can get it at Biltmore Coffee Traders by the pound, by the cup or in a milkshake – featuring coffees from around the globe. Oh, did we mention that they have a drive-thru? … Caffeine Makes You Fast!

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Octoberlight Design – “As architectural and entertainment technology continues to advance, increasing importance has been placed on unified vision and implementation strategies. We are a creative technology design and project management group focusing on these new demands.” They are responsible for the new BioWheels look, and we hope to keep them busy as we grow!

2011 is going to be another great Cycling Season!

Though it may just seem like another usual day of training, today is actually the one month mark before the first collegiate road racing weekend! In the past few months I’ve seen a lot of cold weather, some snow, and have unfortunately been sick on and off. Despite everything I’ve been able to get some great training in and cannot wait for the first race! I’ve had a lot of fun while up at Mars Hill College this past fall semester and am ready not only to get back up to training in the mountains, but actually to get going with my classes as well.

Coming from the Florida flat lands, its been a mission to get used to training in the mountains, but the process has been a blast. Compared to this time last year, I’ve noticed a definite increase in my fitness level for the time of the year. My favorite rides have been those that head up the Blue Ridge Parkway (about 20mi from school), not only for the hours worth of pure climbing, but also the descent back down.  Overall, I’m in love with everything about riding up here, especially the terrain. The weather has taken some getting used to, but as long as there’s no snow on the roads I’m always up for a ride.

I even had the chance to give cyclocross racing a shot one weekend when one of my teammates had a wreck the day before, offering to let me use his bike for the race the next day. I’ll let you know, that before this race I had never been on a cyclocross bike, let alone be in a cyclocross race! I thoroughly enjoyed it though and could only laugh every time I would attempt to dismount, hop over the barriers, and remount back onto the bike. Though I was only able to do this one race, I’m hoping to be able to get a cyclocross bike built up for myself for next season. If you haven’t ever raced cross’, it’s a lot of fun, but its 100% go the entire time, and requires your total focus. So yes, it was quite painful!

Speaking of cyclocross, the team as a whole as well as the individual members had a fantastic season, finishing second at nationals for Div. II! The mountain bike season was also a success with Mars Hill finishing 11th at nationals with only a 2-person team! All of this has worked to push the team into the Div. II #1 spot nationally heading into the 2011 spring road racing season! The good news for Mars Hill Cycling doesn’t end here though, as the team was also named the 2010 Collegiate Club of the Year by USA Cycling!

As things are looking right now, Mars Hill Cycling will without question be a force to be reckoned with and the men’s “A” team is looking super solid along with the addition of two new riders this upcoming spring semester.
More racing updates to follow as the team heads into the collegiate road season!

Written by Michael Robinson. Check his blog at Mrobinsoncycling.wordpress.com

Now, we’ll let Jon do the talking…

Full product info is here.