BRAbloomington

Friday Night at Major Taylor Velodrome

2010-06-19T16:43:00.001-07:00

storm a-brewin' !

gotta get that top up !

what a fun time ! it was hot and sunny for most of the day until a storm came out of nowhere and cut the race night short. still got a few snappy shots in before the unpleasant weather. more can be viewed on FLICKR

Heating up !!

2010-04-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

Hillsboro-Roubaix is fast approaching, and it appears that - among the other race jitters - a side wager has been unleashed between rivaling Chicago teams Pegasus and Cuttin' Crew HERE
Cat 5's start at 10:50am Cat 4's start at 11:40am, giving me time to haul it, win it ( hopefully), and watch the insanity unfold. Go Andrew !!!!!!!!

Some new things

2010-03-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

Seems I keep neglecting blog posting. I've been busy with training for the upcoming road and track season for the Joe's Cycles and Cardinal Bike Co. cycling team, which I am proud ( super proud !) to be apart of ! Thus far, I've logged 260 miles on the team bike ( since Friday, March 5th ) and have only good things to report. The bike handles great - it's fast, it's light, i fly up and down hills, control is smooth and feels super torqued when i sprint and lock in a fast pace, the steering is very responsive ( as many of the roads have been mangled by the winter months I've tested its handling quite extensively ). Joe really outdid himself with this design -- future iterations of the Envy will find difficulty topping the first.
Super excited about this season and for the team. Alan's first race went well ( he didn't crash and finished, gaining cat points ). My first race will actually be along side Alan ( I'm glad I'll have a teammate to tactic with ) at the Burnham Super Spring Criterium -- it will be a weekend of racing, as I race the SCW Autobahn Criterium the following day. Getting very excited to get the racing season underway and have been seeing my riding strengthen and improve over the past months. Looking forward to slipping into race mode in a week and a half !

Congrats !

2010-03-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

To Aaron Dykstra in winning the Rookie of the Year Award at the 2010 NAHBS !!!! Seems like another swell time, too bad I missed it this year.

........BUT !

Next year's NAHBS is going to Austin, TX ! And I will be attending for sure !

HI-YOOOOO !!!

2010-02-02T16:17:00.001-08:00

Way to go HOMETOWN !!! Louisville, KY is announced as the host of the 2013 world cyclocross championships as well as 2012 and 2013 masters cyclocross world championships !

SUCCESS !!

2010-02-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

registered for my first two official races of the 2010 road season !
one is the burnham racing super spring criterium ( march 27th )
second is the hillsboro-roubaix ( april 10th ) -- this race filled up in a record 4 minutes !! luckily, i registered right at the opening time as this is a highly anticipated race.
i have been training for some time now and plan to make a good showing for the joe's cycles/cardinal bike co. team at these events. i will keep you posted !!!

A brief peek into spring this week ( weather wise )

2010-01-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

Training, training, training ... and working. It will all pay off for the first race of the season !! It looks like at least three days this week will allow some road rides -- something to be thankful for, indeed ! I know it won't last long, so I'd better make the most of it. See you on the road !

saw this on TRACKO

2010-01-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

I have been really lacking in the update department due to training and other busy-ness. But, there are a lot of things coming up that will keep me posting away !! More on those later. For now, enjoy the animated short ...

T K B for certain

2009-12-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

happy holidays !

BIKE PORN --- if such a thing exists... this is it !

2010

2009-12-02T16:37:00.000-08:00

NACCC's will be in Atlanta, GA !!! October 7 - 11th. This year I will be attending... no nasty injury the night before departure ( I will sequester myself 48 hours before leaving if need be ). Currently, a general info page is up HERE I will post more when i find out, so keep checking back !

Sean

2009-11-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

By now many of you probably know that Sean Callahan passed away earlier this week. It is an upsetting time, and I would like to express the loss I feel -- you may contribute your feelings too if you wish. I first met Sean through my friends Kyle and Mike a few years ago at the 10th and Dunn house here in Bloomington. As I'm sure is the case with everyone else who knew Sean, the first thing I noticed was how kind he was. I have met few people in my life that are that nice to total strangers, and it was that kindness and outgoingness that impressed me most about him. I regret not keeping my friendship to Sean as close as i could have or should have when he left Bloomington to move to Chicago. Sean, I miss you and the sorrow I feel in your passing is more than what I can put into words.

BONUS !!!!

2009-11-18T10:38:00.001-08:00

I never miss a chance to get a goofy picture of Shawn...dude just can't wear hats !

photos/results from wrap up of Le Tour de Franzia

2009-11-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

After the sprint race, we had a mystery event -- Mountain Dew guzzle/trackstand competition !!! The object -- maintain a trackstand while gulping down a can of Mountain Dew... feet can't touch the ground till your Dew is DONE !!! Elgin won, and took home a snappy Tiger trophy for his efforts ! Good job, dood !!

Shawn taking a bite of glass to stay sharp !

Kevin got a cap and shirt from SURLY !! Lookin good !

Brian and Charlie staying warm with their SURLY hip flasks !

Jake got 3rd place overall time, getting some Cyclones and since he was already decked out in yellow...got the yellow cap from Panther by Hand !! :)

Shawn got 4th overall time, and got a pair of Pearl Izumi Cyclones and a Silca CO2 inflator

I clinched 1st overall time and 1st for climbing points !

Thank you to Seagull for the awesome custom bag, Outlier for being great and sending two of their waxed cotton caps, and Amy at Panther by Hand for making three custom winners caps !! And a special thanks to Jeanette Caproon for making the AWESOME patches for us !!!

last thing and then on we go

2009-11-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

The final Tour stage is this Friday in Indy ! STAGE 5 is a sprint stage, and will determine the overall sprint points leader. Friday is also when prizes will be given out, so make sure you attend this race !!!!!!

In other news ...
I have already begun planning the SPRING TOUR !
It will be a two day tour covering roughly 100 miles. We will have a cookout during the race for spectators as well as group meals for the racers between events. There will also be a women's category for female competitors. It will be amazing ! So, mark your calendars ( the current dates are tentatively set for MAY 29th and 30th -- a Saturday and Sunday, respectively ). The dates are subject to change if a more convenient date for riders presents itself. The sponsor list is already looking good for this, so make sure to check back frequently for more information !

new things

2009-11-06T15:03:00.000-08:00

I just rode around on my new PHIL WOOD bottom bracket installed by Rawny at Bikesmiths, and let me tell you -- the thing is a dreamboat !!! Phil makes some great products. I'm a happy camper for certain. Speaking of campers ... tomorrow is bike camp at Morgan Monroe. Some friends are packing up their packables/campables and setting out for a 14 mile bike ride to the campsite. It should be a pretty fun time.
Following the camp theme -- a week from today ( Friday the 13th) will be the final event for the Tour !!! It will be a match style sprint race in Indy ( like the opening event for the tour on sept 11th) and will determine the sprint winner of the Tour. The award ceremony will also take place after the sprint event as well as a mystery event with a couple mystery prizes ! So, make sure to come out to race and/or spectate and cheer your pals on ! Meet at Pan Am Plaza at 10PM to register ( 2 $ entry ). We will get the sprints started at 10:30PM

STAGE 4 results

2009-11-02T11:56:00.000-08:00

STAGE 4
Jake - 15 minutes 58 seconds
Shawn - 15 minutes 59 seconds
Mark - 16 minutes 9 seconds
Charlie - 16 minutes 11 seconds
Richard - 16 minutes 21 seconds
Kevin - 18 minutes 30 seconds
Eric - 18 minutes 32 seconds

The course was 6 miles long, and (as you can see) everyone was riding pretty fast ! It had rained all day long, but stopped shortly before the race got underway. The rain and cold made it an interesting race though, and everyone said they had a great time! The first four to finish were granted a time bonus - first place received a 4 minute time subtraction, second place received 3 minutes, third received 2 minutes, fourth received 1 minute.

STAGE 4 was the final timed stage for the Tour, locking in the top four as follows :

OVERALL LEADERS

Richard - 1st - 3 hours 49 minutes 5 seconds
Mark - 2nd - 3 hours 54 minutes 37 seconds
Jake - 3rd - 4 hours 3 minutes 12 seconds
Shawn - 4th - 4 hours 5 minutes 5 seconds

Thank you to everyone for racing and to all that have supported BRA and the races we've put on in this Tour series !! The next stage ( STAGE 5) is a sprint race in Indianapolis on Friday, November 13th. The meet will be at Pan Am Plaza at 10 PM and we will get the sprints underway at 10:30 PM. There will be an awards ceremony afterward for the Tour leaders and also a mystery event with mystery prizes to be given out as a fun way to end the Tour ! An earlier post shows the sprints points breakdown for everyone, so make sure to check it out. We will see you the 13th !!!

Why I <3 my LBS ...

2009-10-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Bikesmiths is now stocking R.E.Load bags ! I saw their collection of goodies, which ranged from top tube pads, hip bags from Bea Lake, backpacks, and medium to large classic messenger bags.
Go by (buy) their shop today and get one before they're all gone ! I think they will consistently be going through stock on these bags since they are the ONLY local carrier !

Amendment to STAGE 4

2009-10-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. The meet time and place for STAGE 4 has changed.

Meet at midnight @ Pan Am Plaza for the race this Friday. I guess that technically makes this a Halloween race !

EXTRA FUN THINGS

2009-10-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Mark was blessing his saddle with magic dust and spells -- how he gets most of his riding power!

Thomas showing off his new boots with the fur --

Hannah disapproves ...

So does Shawn !

STAGE 3 - pictures

2009-10-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Posin' with his prize - a brand new TURBO !!! Way to go Mark !!! :)

Tallying up the times and points. Thanks, Hannah !!!

Group photo !

Shawn's Kinfolk !!! This frame is awesome !

Pimp the G-ride ! With custom wheelie wheels !

No bodies in the trunk though !

Jake makin' use of his custom undies from the win at 0-> [ ] !

STAGE 3 -- results

2009-10-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Mark was the winner of STAGE 3, thus winning the TURBO saddle ! It was a hilly race, and everyone had a good time. Here are the results:

STAGE 3 Sprint Points:
Mark 4 points
Jake 3 points
Shawn 2 points
Richard 1 point

OVERALL Sprint points:
Mark 8 points
Richard 8 points
Jake 3 points
Charlie 3 points
Shawn 2 points
Doug 2 points
Sam 1 point

The climb race was decided at STAGE 3 I beat Shawn over the last hill, clinching the points to take the win !
The Sprint leader will be decided with the STAGE 5 Sprint Race on November 13th in Indy...more on that later though.
__________________________________________________________________

Here are the overall times for everyone:

Kevin - 4 hours 2 minutes 13 seconds
Brian - 3 hours 59 minutes 13 seconds
Charlie - 3 hours 56 minutes 9 seconds
Ben - 3 hours 53 minutes 16 seconds
Shawn - 3 hours 52 minutes 6 seconds
Jake - 3 hours 51 minutes 14 seconds
Mark - 3 hours 40 minutes 28 seconds
Richard - 3 hours 32 minutes 44 seconds

I'm glad the times have gotten closer together. It will make the next Stage ( the night race in Indy this Friday ) a very interesting one ! I will make a separate post about that later though.
Thanks to everyone who raced ! We really appreciate everyone's support of the Tour !!

STAGE 3

2009-10-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

HERE is the map for STAGE 3 of the Tour !!!
Remember: registration starts at 10 am @ 505 south maple and is 5 dollars. The race will start at 11 am. There are 4 hills points sections for the race. It's a hilly route, but it also has some really scenic parts -- keep your head up ! We'll see you Sunday !

---
winner of this stage gets a Selle Italia TURBO saddle !

STAGE 2 ( Time Trial ) -- The Evidence

2009-10-18T09:35:00.001-07:00

A little bit rainy, a lotta bit fun ! Thank you to Joe's Cycles for letting us start and stop and stay warm and dry at the shop !! And a big THANK YOU to Cody for taking the photos !!

Givin' it a think

Jake was the winner of the O->[ ] race. I'm glad he's making use of his wheelset ! : ) Good job on the TT, Jake !

Fashionable AND functional . . . just like Shawn !

Work CAN be fun !

My glasses look dayglow. . . keepin me chipper on rainy days.

Ren givin' Mark some extra motivation, which must have worked because . . .

Mark won the TT and won some warm things from SURLY !!! A pair of wool socks and a cap to keep his tootsies and headsies toasties !

Bromance !

STAGE 2 ( Time Trial ) -- The Results !

2009-10-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

TIME TRIAL

Kevin: 40 minutes 58 seconds
Brian: 37 minutes 58 seconds
Charlie: 34 minutes 54 seconds
Richard: 32 minutes 29 seconds
Ben: 32 minutes 1 second
Jake: 31 minutes 57 seconds
Shawn: 31 minutes 12 seconds
Mark: 30 minutes 28 seconds
___________________________________________________________________

OVERALL TIME

Kevin: 2 hours 41 minues 58 seconds
Brian: 2 hours 38 minutes 58 seconds
Charlie: 2 hours 35 minutes 54 seconds
Ben: 2 hours 33 minutes 1 second
Jake: 2 hours 32 minutes 57 seconds
Shawn: 2 hours 32 minutes 12 seconds
Mark: 2 hours 31 minutes 28 seconds
Richard: 2 hours 12 minutes 29 seconds
___________________________________________________________________

Thank you to the riders who came out and raced the TT !!!!! It was a fun time despite the cold. I will make a separate post for the pictures.

Don't forget -- STAGE 3 is Sunday, October 25th in Bloomington. Winner of the stage gets a brand spankin' new Turbo saddle, so come out and ride hard !

Le Tour de Franzia -- new flier/STAGE dates

2009-10-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mike Ley for getting this to me ! Look at all those sponsors ! Plus a couple extras from BRA as well.

Don't forget !!!! Time trial in Indy this Friday ! Meet at Joe's Cycles @ 4 for registration (5 dollars). Race starts at 5 PM. We'll see you there !

Bum Shuf 09 -- The Results !

2009-10-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Aside from Mike getting a fly-by from Hannah's bird finger THIS picture of Dan ^^^ is my favorite of the evening !

I just liked Aaron's sweatshirt, what can I say ?

Some random people came by. Some meaning like 30. Came by meaning stayed till the Colt was GONE! And among them this guy^^^^^^^
Just hangin' out ... not really ... he stayed that way.

Dude, is your hurrr not all thurrr ?

Yep !

Here are the Bum Shuffle prize winners:

1st overall - Tom Gohagan
2nd - Phil Boydelatour
3rd - Andy Brannini
4th - Joe Scarbro
5th - Trenton Brulport

1st girls - Hannah Caproon
2nd - Shannon Byers (first race ever!)
3rd - Ryann

1st out of town - Nick Chenoweitz (Dayton)
2nd out of town - Richard Bate (Bloomington)

DFL - Kim Corbin and Dana (Dayton)

best ever - some young kid who bought aluminum cans from a bum

Thanks Aaron for putting me up for the weekend. Hannah and myself will be seeing you in December to redeem our tattoo coupon from The Artful Dodger !

Bum Shuf 09 - The Pics !!

2009-10-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

This was my view when I arrived at Aaron's house Friday night.

Dude just showed up ...

Hannah is about to love life !

Quite a few Manifests were turned in ... mine is in there somewhere.

The Dude Locker was host to the afterparty.

Maika playin' some sweet tunes throughout the evening.

This was a pretty swell place for an after party methinks.

Showin' some love...

Cripple-crank racin' !

Hannah showing her appreciation to Mike

big THANKS !

2009-10-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

To SEAGULL BAGS for sponsoring the Tour !!!!!! Get excited everyone ! ... and race really, really hard !

Saw this on I am Bryan ...

2009-10-13T13:34:00.001-07:00

Coming up .... Monster Mash alleycat! Sat, Oct 31st. Info on Mike Pike's site Unabridgededition . Go out and race !!! Don't be a Hallowienie !!!

IN the works ...

2009-10-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

BRA is working with local artists to create some t-shirt designs. Themes will include pentagrams, upside down crosses, our new logo, and trashy trailer park folk.
Everything is in process now and we are planning to have shirts available before the new year.

In other news, BRA has been asked to sponsor our first race !! More on that very soon, so keep checking back !!!

Thanks !

THANKS !!!!!!

2009-10-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

To OUTLIER and to PANTHER BY HAND for sponsoring the Tour !! There are still a couple possible sponsors out there, so this should be an excellent podium.

A little, bright, something for you ...

2009-09-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

Saw this over on INDYCOG . Thought it was awesome, so here it is for you : ) Have a nice day.

THANK YOU !!!

2009-09-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

To Freight Baggage for being a sponsor of the Tour ! I'm pretty excited about this, so I hope everyone else is too. We'll see you for the Time Trial !!

The next STAGES for the Tour

2009-09-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

STAGE 2 => TIME TRIAL <= Friday, October 16th - Indy - meet 4pm @ Joe's Cycles for registration ( 5$ ) race @ 5pm

STAGE 3 Sunday, October 25th - Bloomington - meet 10AM @ 505 South Maple for regestration ( 5$ ) race @ 11AM

STAGE 4 Friday, October 30th - Indy - meet 4PM @ Joe's Cycles for registration ( 5$ ) race @ 430PM

Maps and fliers to follow, just wanted to give everyone the heads up so you can get off work, make travel arrangements, etc.

See you soon !

Two awesomely fun races coming up !!

2009-09-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

On the same day as the Columbusbumshuffle is the 40oz fun run in Louisville, KY. If I don't see you in Ohio, it better be because you're in Louisville having a swell time in Iroquois Park !!! Seriously, go to one of these races Saturday, October 10th !!! They're both gonna be awesome !

THANKS !!!

2009-09-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

To SURLY for adding to the sponsor list ! More are on the way. We'll keep you updated, so keep checking back. Also, don't forget -- Friday October 16th in Indianapolis, IN is STAGE 2 of the Tour !! A flier is on the way with all the details.

STAGE 1 results ...

2009-09-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

The turnout was smaller than expected. Then again most of the Indy folks are interbike'n. Or working.
So -- Charlie, Michael, and myself raced anyhow. Michael had to drop out due to a mechanical problem ( get in touch with me if you see this Michael. I'd like to ride with you more !! ) , and Charlie took a wrong turn early on -- still, he made it to the finish with a time of 2 hours 1 minute, 3 points for the Sprint section, and 6 points for the Climb sections. My time was 1 hour 40 minutes with 4 Sprint points and 8 Climb points . Adding the sprint points from STAGE 1 to my SPRINTS bonus in Indy last week, i have 7 Sprint points thus far.

A bit about missing races:
If you miss a race, you will be given the time of the last place finisher. This is of course within reason -- you can't miss every race, but i understand that traveling back and forth won't be possible for everyone.

In this instance, anyone attending STAGE 2 on Friday October 16th in Indianapolis will start with a time of 2 hours 1 minute. As this is a Tour event, your time will accumulate over the various races. The person(s) with the shortest time(s) will be deemed winner(s) of the overall Tour.
SO... the time gap is relatively small, and shouldn't be too difficult to make up over the course of the coming weeks. Come out to the next stages !!!!

photos from SPRINT night !

2009-09-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

here are some photos Dano took of Sprints last Friday. Lookin sharp! Thanks Dano !!!

JACKO !

2009-09-16T14:55:00.001-07:00

Colin from Skinquake just finished putting this on muh body. Looks awesome ! He does great work and I will definitely be going back for more ! HERE is Colin's blog. Seriously, he's great. You should go get a tattoo from him TODAY !

did you hear ? we're out of the recession ...

2009-09-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

So, grab your cash and start spending !
Saw THIS at Prendas along with some of their fall apparel.
If you're feeling vintage: THIS seems like a pretty good deal to me.

SPRINT results

2009-09-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first part of Le Tour de Franzia. The sprint bonus, which took place in Indianapolis had a great turn out. Here are the results:
First Round:
Meaghan & Ben P. -- winner Ben p.
Mark & Sox -- winner Mark
Cole & Thomas -- winner Cole
Ben M. & Doug -- winner Doug
Sam & Richard -- winner Richard
Hannah -- first round by
Second Round:
Ben P. & Mark -- winner Mark
Cole & Doug -- winner Doug
Richard -- second round by
Non-winners bracket ( round 1):
Meaghan & Sox -- winner Sox
Thomas & Ben M. -- winner Ben M.
Sam & Hannah -- winner Sam
Non-winners bracket ( round 2):
Sox & Ben M. -- winner Sox
Sam & Sox -- winner Sam ( 4th place finisher )
Third Round:
Doug & Richard -- winner Richard ( Doug 3rd place finisher)
Mark -- Third round by
Fourth Round:
Mark & Richard -- winner Mark ( 1st place) -- ( Richard 2nd place)

Points Awarded : Mark ( 4 points) Richard ( 3 points) Doug (2 points) Sam (1 point).

Thanks everyone who attended and to Dano for photographing. We'll have some photos posted very soon ! See you all next Friday in Bloomington for STAGE 1 of the Tour !!

STAGE 1

2009-09-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

MAP up !!!! HERE . Thanks Hannah for making this while I was busy at work today !
Also, the dates for stages 2 - 4 are planned and will be made available in the next few days. CHECK BACK SOON !!!

BRAbloomington / Radskids present :

2009-09-04T10:30:00.001-07:00

This will be a series of races and events spread out over the course of two months (roughly), and will include: distance races, sprints, and time trials. BRA is working with Indy's Radskids to offer a variety of races and different terrain to highlight the skills of a variety of riding styles. Bloomington is naturally hilly as Indianapolis is naturally flat, so --between the two-- it should make for some fun events. The series will take a basic points format. Points will be awarded during distance races at specific areas of the course. At the top of climbs, a racer can win climbing points by being one of the first four to reach the top of the designated hill. Likewise for sprints: the first four racers to cross the sprint line will be awarded the points for the sprint. In addition each racer in attendance will have their finishing time recorded for the overall time leader of the Tour. As always, the races will be fixed gear / single speed ONLY !

SPRINT RACE 1 will be held in Indianapolis on Friday, September 11th. It will be an opportunity for racers to gain some extra sprint points for the overall sprint points race.
STAGE RACE 1 held in Bloomington on Friday September 18th is the first part of the tour. The course is roughly 30 miles and will have 2 designated hills for climbing points and 1 opportunity for sprint points.

A map of Stage 1 will be made available very soon, so check back often.

Circle Takes The Square ...PHOTOS !

2009-09-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

A little windy. Pacelining ensued.

Workin' it on the hills, Bennie... NICE !

Snazzy Metropolis jersey ! I should have thought putting time trial bars on...maybe my back would have liked me better for it

A little overcast, but still a pretty ride !

Guess I didn't lose too much muscle mass from my lazy three week post-wreck hiatus

A view of the scenic Indiana countryside

Ben was tired a wee bit. . .

I was a little tired myself.

Everyone likes buttons !

Jake smilin' big with a wheelset from joe's cycles, custom undies (not pictured) courtesy panther by hand, cognition cap, and yanco top tube pad

Ben will keep his lock handy thanks to Fabric Horse, his paint job intact thanks to yanco, and his coiffure in order thanks to cognition

Thomas gettin' third-place pretty with his cap from cognition and top tube pad from yanco !

Being last doesn't make you less happy. Louisville dudes worked it and finished up the 57.5 mile ride in style ! And also won a Ulock holster from Fabric Horse

Thanks to everyone who came out !!! With the exception of the detour ten miles in, the race went without a hitch. Speedplay cleats don't work so well when they're jammed with mud !! Thanks to Sam and to Meaghan in support vehicle 1 /documenting the race photographically. Thanks to Hannah for additional help with support vehicle 2

Stay tuned for info on Le Tour de Franzia ! Flier premieres tomorrow

Goodluck !!!

2009-08-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

To Masi Mark. He's setting out at 3A.m. on a 127 mile ride to Cincinnati. Pictures and details will follow upon his return.
Have a fun and safe ride ! WEAR YOUR HELMET !!!!

GO !

2009-08-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

RACE THIS RACE !!!!!!
Saturday, October 10th. Columbus, Ohio. Points race. Put together by a swell guy. 10$ gets you entry. Sponsored by Seagull Bags, Octopus Caps, Colt 45, ... more on the way! AND>> first prize is a custom frame from Stan Ridge Speed !

Really, do I need to say anything more ?

i don't remember

2009-08-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

what happened, but tuesday night i managed to injure myself enough to miss out on NACCC's. The Citgo parking lot on the east side of town next to 2nd street was where the unpleasantness took place. I managed to go from upright to faceplant in two seconds. My flight attempt proved failure as i somehow found myself heading toward a five foot drop off at a relatively high speed. I was launched off a curb separating two parking lots of differing elevation, taking most of the impact on my head and face. My back and shoulder were slashed and scraped and it took 27 stitches to close the wound over my left eye. Hopefully this will be the last BRA wreck. If you remember Thomas was first with his crash in Hell of the Midwest. Then Sam crashing on a training ride. Maybe we can make devastating crashes part of getting in to BRA ?

circle takes the square ROUTE up... mount UP !

2009-07-28T12:53:00.001-07:00

Here is the current flier with sponsors added. There may be one or two more to add to the list, so we'll keep you posted. Thank you to Fabric Horse, Cognition, Yanco, Joe's Cycles, and Panther By Hand for sponsoring our race !
Also, the Route for circle takes the square is ready. Thanks Sam !

word has it

2009-07-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

That NACCC's this year will be active messengers only for the main race. The side events are open to everyone, but the simulation race is rumored to be an open alleycat ( no blocked streets ) A bit different from last years closed course race. The idea behind it is to limit the number of participants and creating a safer race environment. This is still just rumor as nothing has been posted to the main site, and hasn't changed my mind in making the trip to Boston next week. If it turns out to be true, I suppose we'll do our best to represent the midwest in the side events !

Coming home to find

2009-07-18T15:08:00.001-07:00

MACAFRAMA !!!! made my day. Now it's time to pop this bad boy in and watch it ... then the tour ... then immediately watch macaframa again !

hoping for a speedy recovery

2009-07-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Sam Jackson of the BRA went down hard today on a training ride, sustaining two broken ribs and a punctured lung. It was on a steep and winding descent that nearly took my tire down to the tube navigating it safely. The front left portion of his helmet was caved in and probably saved his life.
The likely cause of the wreck was the washout ( sand and fine pebble gravel ) that had spilled into the turn from a hard rain earlier in the day. Combined with the speed of the descent, there was virtually no avoiding the crash.
Please, everyone, WEAR YOUR HELMETS ! and be safe out there !
Sam, I hope you're back on your bike soon -- I'm gonna miss training with you in the meantime !

and Circle Takes The Square ...

2009-07-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

The second race from B.R.A ! It'll be fun, so come out and show your stuff. We have several pretty awesome sponsors and will put up a finalized flier once all are confirmed. If you have any questions/concerns/comments/jokes , send us a message ! ... Also - as usual- fixed gear ONLY !!!

Meet : American Legion Mall -- 700 N. Pennsylvania St. ... we'll ride to the start close to race time. The meet time is 10AM. We'll be starting the race once everyone has arrived and had time to relax a bit.

Well ...

2009-07-10T09:10:00.001-07:00

Another fine day at the track yesterday with a pretty sizable turnout. Masi Mark ( of course ), Shawn Wolf ( of course ), Ben Morrow, HC, and myself held it down in the heat. It seems like each time we race we get a little better, so that is pretty encouraging. I shaved another second off my fast lap and made it on to A team.
There were quite a few out of towners that came out to race. Some folks from Louisville, Chicago ( a fast guy, John Cline, from the HALF ACRE team ) and Muncie were there to keep us on our toes. No clip outs this time and it seems like everyone is getting more confident racing in a pack. All around, a pretty great time ! Can hardly wait until next week.

apologies, please !

2009-07-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

I was so wrapped up in getting the photos posted, that I forgot to include the photographer's name ! Whoops ! Thank you to Meaghan Crowell for helping us with photographing the race ! As well as handing out the food and water along the way. Additional thank yous to Jessy Falvy for driving the support vehicle and to Julie Mellin for additional photos/moral support.

THE century of this CENTURY !

2009-07-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

Around 9am i roll out of bed and head over to Sam's house for some breakfast. We have a little coffee and scrambled eggs with some background chit-chat. I smile when i see the orange Masi sprint frame in the living room -- Masi Mark had ridden down the night before to join us on the first half of what would be a bit longer than a 100 mile ride.
We hit the road at about 10am. It's a little chilly -- in the 65 degree range -- but only because we've grown accustomed to 95 degree temperatures with 80% humidity. Once we've gone 15 miles or so our legs are getting warmed up and we're averaging 20 miles per hour. I know this won't last the whole trip, but it still feels good to be in a comfortable cruise at this speed.
The route is a familiar one for the first 20 miles or so, but once we've passed Lake Lemon I start to pick my head up and look around at an unfamiliar view. We chose to take a less direct route with more back roads and hills, and i'm glad we did. It was a much more scenic route than my boring, flat, noisy, and frightening trip using State Road 37. A lot of rolling hills and farmland made this ride a much more enjoyable one (visually speaking). I often found myself wishing that i had a camera or commenting on how pretty the ride was.
At the quarter mark, we took a break and stretched a bit to get the blood flowing back into our feet -- and any other parts of us that were falling asleep. It was a strange stop. Morgantown is a pretty small town, so we really got some strange stares from local folks. Most people had dirt or drywall dust on them, and were obviously the hard-working type. So our lycra clad forms standing in a parking lot munching on Cliff bars and drinking water probably left them scratching their heads a bit. Maybe strange is the wrong word ... awkward could be a better one.
A few short miles later, we were back into the open farmland and i was smiling again. From the stop in Morgan town to the start of Indianapolis yeilded only three points of interest ( aside from the scenery) : two mutts decided to try and push our pace a bit when they came running from their owners yard at us, barking all the while. it wasn't too scary, just surprising. Even more surprising was when we rounded a turn 5 miles down the road to have it happen AGAIN ! Only this time it was one dog, a beagle. When i realized this i slowed down and took a sigh of relief, only to look ahead and see that Sam and Mark are 30 yards ahead of me ! Still pedaling their hearts out ! Soon they realized they weren't in danger of getting bitten and slowed back down. Once i caught up we all had a good laugh about it and were silently glad we didn't have to get a rabies shot.
The third point of note was the rain. It wasn't so much a point as it was a steady presence for the rest of our ride to Indy. It started around the 46 mile mark and didn't let up until we had reached our destination, Joe's Cycles.
Once we made it to Fountain Square and saw the familiar store front, my stomach started grumbling. Until that point i had been so focused on everything else that i hadn't realized how hungry i was ! Fortunately, a pizza place was right across the street -- making the food choice pretty clear. With a little food in our belly, we took a breather at Joe's and chatted with Shawn a bit. We had ridden 60 miles and were feeling pretty good still. Mark said his goodbyes and went home, while we set back out on the road -- riding the exact route we had just finished... only the opposite direction this time.
The rain showed itself again, but only for 5 miles or so. The beagle wasn't there to greet us this time, but the two mutts were. We rode by them before they had a chance to realize we were there, so their reaction wasn't quite as aggressive as before. The stop in Morgantown was no less strange than the last time ... nor awkward. This time we saw a younger crowd of kids. Before we witnessed the middle aged and elderly aspects of Morgantown, and now the teens and tweens showed their faces. They didn't give off the hard-working vibe like the older folks...more of the angsty dressed entirely in black to match their disposition vibe.
Oh well, to each their own. We had ground to cover, and were ready to get home. The trip back through Lake Lemon was a tough one. The hills are pretty difficult on a fixed gear, especially after you've ridden 90 miles before you meet one. We struggled through and made it up them, taking solace in the fact that those were the last tough hills we would face. The rest were fairly tame and the majority of the ride would be flat ( or as flat as Bloomington gets).
A few groups of roadies passed us, and i couldn't help myself ... I sprinted up to ride their draft for a few miles. Not because I needed them to pull me along, but because i wanted them to look back and see us right on their wheel. Riding the same road they were riding, and still keeping up with them... only we had 90+ miles under our belt to their 20. That was just the pick-me-up Sam and I needed mentally to make the rest of the ride into Bloomington a happy one.
A couple protein drinks, a shower, and a generous application of Tiger Balm and I am feeling a bit tired. It was a tough ride for us, but a pretty impressive one. For my second century and Sam's first one our results were: 120.56 miles, 7:03'33, 17mph avg, max 37.8mph. Mark's max was 43.3 and Sam's max was between 44 and 44.5 ... all our max out speeds were down Lake Lemon hill. Sam rode 50 x 16, I rode 48 x 15 ( a bit easier than my last century at 49 x 15 ), and Mark rode 48 x 16.

HEY ! We have photos from Hell of the Midwest !

2009-07-01T20:57:00.001-07:00

Since we had 30 + miles ahead of us, we decided to forgo the running to the bike style race opener. Instead, a friendly roll-out was picked.
Jason taking the early lead and keeping the tempo up. Everyone was pretty good at keeping the pace high and competitive.

A few steep downhills peppered the route. It made things more fun ...

... and also some steep uphills ! Didn't want to make things TOO easy ! This is at the bottom of Beanblossom.

Thomas, though injured, pulled out third place -- giving him a nice off-the-bike head adornment ! Thank you to Octopus Caps for sending us three superb caps : )

Shawn got a hipbag and t-shirt from Chrome. Nicely done, sir !

The photo issue of COG Magazine is pretty snappy. I looked at that photo for fifteen minutes alone !

Jason lookin sharp in a Chrome shirt and also lookin hairy with them facial furs !

I never really know what to do in photographs ...
Probably the best photo of Shawn ever !

There are MORE PHOTOS ON OUR Flickr PAGE !!! Be sure to take a look-see.
Thanks to everyone who came out Saturday. We'll see you July 24th for sprints.

FASTen your toe straps !

2009-06-30T14:59:00.001-07:00

We're going to start a little tradition : the second to last friday of every month we're holding sprint races. This is to complement the sprint races held in Indy the last friday of every month. In following their lead, we will have a cash prize for the first place winner. Entry will be 2 dollars and we will meet at 505 South Maple. A group ride will take us to where the sprints will be held. We'll probably get things rolling (pun totally intended) at eleven. So, come out and show off your skills !

Since We Didn't Race Both Routes ...

2009-06-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

We're going to hold a non-sponsored race of the "easy" route ! Friday, July 10th.
Meet at Sam and Thomas' house ( 505 South Maple ) at three o' clock. It will be a cash prize race and will cost 5$ to enter. The race won't get underway right at three to give any out-of-towners heading our way a chance to relax after the car ride to BRA-town. We'll even bring some extra patches from Hell of the Midwest to sweeten the deal.

What a swell time ...

2009-06-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

The air was hot, the sun was intense, and sweat poured out by the bucket-full. Nonetheless, it was a fun race. The results are as follows : I came in first place, Sean Wolf came in second, Thomas Fisher came in third ( after almost dying around the final switchback on the Lake Griffy hill ), Sam Jackson was the fourth place finisher, Jason Smith came in fifth place ( whilst hauling a messenger bag filled with water, tubes, tools, and -- of course -- the kitchen sink ), Dylan Morse came in sixth place, and Ben Morrow rounded it out with lucky number seventh place (missing one of the turn-offs.
Many thanks to everyone who helped and to our sponsors ! Everything came together perfectly and I don't think we could have imagined a better first race for the BRA.
Early this week we will post some photos ( we took over 1000, so it may take a while to pick through them all ) so check back in soon !

thanks again everyone and we look forward to seeing your sweaty faces for our next race -- which will be from the circle in indy to the downtown square of bloomington on Saturday, August 22nd !! Big prizes expected ... hopefully no near-death experiences this time though.

WHOA !!!!!!

2009-06-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Saw this over on Prolly's page. . . which solidified my already intense desire to go to NACCC's this year in Boston ! Hope to see you there !

second part ...

2009-06-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the second route of the race. It's almost even difficulty wise as the first route, but slightly shorter. So, there ya have it ! Study them routes and we'll see you Saturday !

NOW AVAILABLE !!!

2009-06-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Sam just sent me a copy of the first route -- let me tell you, it will be difficult. Bring your water, your helmet, and an extra set of lungs !
The second route will be available tomorrow night or wednesday, so check back in soon.
Hope you all are as excited as we are !

sorry!!

2009-06-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

there haven't been many posts lately. I've been riding a lot, so haven't had a lot of time in front of the computer. Thursday is another race day at Major Taylor -- I've made some adjustments to my bike as well as my training schedule, so we'll see what happens. In other news: Indy Cog and Bikesmiths have both graciously sent some gifts and promotional coverage our way. THANK YOU !!! We're getting pretty excited about the race! Hope you are too!

what the ?!?!

2009-06-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

The race will be two person teams drawn at random from your entry number ( helping eliminate a ringer team ). Meet at 505 South Maple at 11 AM for registration. Registration is 5$. The race won't get underway until mid-afternoon, but get there early to get your stuff and we can take a laid back cruise around town or get some lunch. It's going to be a long race, so you're gonna need all the fuel you can get ! Once everyone has registered we will ride to the starting point as a group. After the race has ended the awards will be given out back at 505 South Maple ...probably followed by a group nap ! Sam is organizing the route so I will still be able to race, but feel free to ask us if you have any questions. A couple days before the race Sam will post the route so you can get an idea of the length and get familiar with the roads ( bloomington dwellers ). See you on race day !

sit tight !

2009-06-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

The finishing touches are being made to the flier. So, very soon all the race info and such will be available. Thanks for your patience !

1st...

2009-06-05T08:53:00.001-07:00

Velodrome race went pretty well. Mostly, I consider it a learning experience for the first few races. It's a lot of strategy and position on the track, which I think I started to get the feel for toward the end...but of course by then i was pretty darn tired ! It's not easy ! Some mechanical adjustments will definitely be made before the next race, and of course i'll also have my USAC license...whoops!
Masi Mark killed it -- of course -- allthough he did clip out ....TWICE!!! It was pretty scary, but he's a machine so i doubt it would have even phased him.
Can't wait to get up to indy again! See you at the track !

more reasons to race !

2009-06-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

COG Magazine and Octopus Caps have joined in on the fun !
we still expect more to follow, so make sure you come out for race day !

coming up ...

2009-06-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

The B.R.A. is putting together a race ! It will be Saturday, June 27th. Details will follow soon. As of now, Sam is working with Jay on the details of the route while I am getting together some sponsors. So far Chrome and Bootleg Sessions have been kind enough to send some goodies our way. We expect more sponsors and will be putting up fliers and more info in the next few days. Stay tuned !

What a weekend !

2009-06-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

I made my way up to Indianapolis Friday afternoon with the goal of attending the track clinic at the Major Taylor velodrome and wound up spending the whole weekend pedaling.
I met up with some friends at Joe's Cycle's to find that they were heading off to ride in critical mass... so, off we went. Cut to an hour later and i find my stomach's grumblings overriding my need to ride around the city. We head to Yats and i fill the void in my belly and am ready to resume riding.
As it happened, this Friday was the night for sprint races. It cost one dollar to enter, and the fastest rider takes the wad of dollars as a snazzy prize ... who could pass that up ! After two rounds of head to head racing, I found myself next to Masi Mark and Mike Mayer -- two swift fellows. After a few short moments the race was over and Masi Mark was the victor with Mike and myself nipping at his heels ( what can i say, the guy is fast ! ) After all the riding, I was ready for some sleep. Sean Wolf was nice enough to let me sleep on his couch and provided several red bull dranky dranks throughout the weekend to keep me from falling over from exhaustion.
Saturday morning came quickly and i was off to the velodrome. The eight hour day consisted of pace line practice, exchanges, double exchanges, triple exchanges, squaring the track, and lots and lots of left hand turns. All in all, it was pretty much the most awesome thing ever. Ken Nowakowski led the training session and was a pretty swell fellow. Be warned: if you wear slip on shoes with your platforms and cages, he will rib you about it ( just ask mike pike ). But then he ribs on everything, so no biggie. If you went to NAHBS, you may have seen his bike fit booth.
Anyhow, after dinner we walk outside and the sky is black and green. It seems the weather decided to go nuts and attempt to form a tornado in downtown Indy. Allthough that never happened, it did provide us with some interesting sounds and sights for the ride back to Fountain Square and the safety of Sean's apartment.
The evening wrapped with a viewing of Quicksilver and then it was off to bed ( couch ) once again. Sunday brought the end of my stay in the N.A.P. city and my 55 mile ride home to Bloomington ... (49x15) BOOSH !!!