“MY Warda Race Experience” by BSS MTB Team Member Kristi Welch

All I can say is…WOW!  I have participated in this race since 2006.  However, this year was my 3^rd year to race solo and my first year to race a single geared bike.  I am not really sure if that was the best choice or not.  I mean granted, I did NOT want to take a chance on having to replace any expensive items on my fully geared squishy bike.  But at the same time after about lap #3 I sure was wishing I had some gears!

Getting ready for the race I attended a BSS clinic hosted by Sara Krause and Shae Rainer.  They offered many useful tips but the one that stuck out to me most was to make sure you get in your carbs/calories.  Because it is a tad bit harder to eat on the bike than to drink, they suggested I get half of my intake via liquid.  This stuck in my head and I made a solid effort to drink out of my bottle (which was filled with Gatorade) any chance I had.  I am sure people were wondering what the heck I was doing.  I would get a mouthful of water from my camelback and spit it out on the mouthpiece of my bottle.  If you know Warda, you know there are cows roaming…cows roaming = cowpies on the trail.  Super muddy sloppy trail = cowpies mixed in the mud.  I did not want to take any chance of ingesting a cow pie J!

Being on the single speed, I at least did not have to worry about breaking any expensive items…I did however have to worry about crashing – a lot!  I ended up having some technical difficulties with my cleats (especially my right foot).  Once I got it clipped it, it was NOT coming out.  I can’t tell you how many times I got to the top of a little climb, had no more umph, and couldn’t clip out…so of course I had many slow motion wrecks.  You know the one’s where you say to yourself at least 10 times – clip out, clip out, clip out damnit!  I also had one really hard crash.  It was super slippery out there and by my 3^rd lap I was already pretty fatigued.  I came up to “roller coaster”, came down a little hill with a big root right in the middle of it.  One that I have never crashed at before and down I go…hard!  I am not as young as I use to be (or as young as I act!).  That one hurt pretty bad.  Lap 4 I thought to myself, ok if  I make through lap 4 with no mishaps I will do a 5^th…and I made it just fine, so off for lap number 5 I go.  It was this lap that I realized I had completely broken my front brake and my back brake was whittled down to nothing (v-brakes).  So after super-manning onto a tree (thank God b/c it was a long way down!), I then decided to just make it back alive and be done!

I have to say I am very satisfied with my 4^th place overall in the 6 hr female solo division and a 2^nd place 6 hr female SS solo division, considering I was racing my old school beater bike!

Congrats to all those who braved the difficult conditions!  It was really one of the hardest things I have ever done.  I pushed myself to my max.  I am sore, bruised, and beat up today…but can’t wait till next year!  Great race Terra Firma!!!

Thanks to BSS…I am looking forward to many more races on this team.  Thanks to Beth for the fabulous support out there all day.  Thanks to Austin Healthworks for supplying the awesome E3 camper and post race recovery session!

10 Things You Need to Know Before Clipping In

Do you ever sign up for an event and then realize you have no idea what you are getting yourself into?

I have entered many endurance mountain bike races and it never fails, no matter how well prepared I think I am, I learn something new every time!  Whether it was training preparation, nutrition, how I dressed, getting an unexpected mechanical, you name it.  In many races you always seem to come across something you wished you would have thought of or said to yourself, “that is a great idea,  I am going to do that for the next race.”  There are times too when you think you have everything you need, but the race checklist always has room for more items.  I have come to the conclusion that it’s better to be prepared and at the end of the race, find yourself with extras – than not be able to finish or to win because you didn’t pack enough tubes (or food, or a chain, or a chain tool…the list goes on and on!

One of the worst things that can happen to you in a race is to bonk – or ‘hit the wall’ (though hitting a tree isn’t fun either), and we have all done it riding or racing.  As you bonk, it crosses your mind that you considered taking that extra gel, but then said to yourself, “I’ll be fine!”

Come join Bicycle Sport Shop Mountain Bike team as they present a free lecture, next Tuesday, February 2, at 7:15 pm.  The lecture will be held at Pure Austin gym, Quarry Lake location, given by Sara Krause of Krause Sports Performance and me – Shae Rainer.   We will provide valuable information on getting ready for endurance events.  We will provide strategies based on our experience as coaches and racers to help you have your best race possible!

Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned racer, this session will provide valuable information and insights for all!  All who attend will receive a valuable pre-race check list.

“10 Things You Need To Know Before Clipping in” is brought to you by:

Bicycle Sport Shop Women’s Mountain Bike Race Team 

PURE Austin

Krause Sports Performance – Guest blogger: Shae Rainer-BSS Women’s MTB Team member

BSS MTB Team Keeps Pace on Trail Maintenance

Last Saturday, January 23rd, the Bicycle Sport Shop Mountain Bike Race Team got together with the folks from Austin Ridge Riders to donate some hearty trail work on the Pace Bend Trail to be used for the upcoming Texas Mountain Bike Race Association (TMBRA) race this Spring.  At the end of the day, more than 112 man hours were invested in to improving the Pace Bend Park Mountain Bike Trail. 

BSS MTB turns out in force for Pace Bend Trail Maintenance

As you can see from the group picture, we have a great group of men, women, and junior riders for this years racing season and no shortage of support for helping do their part to ensure the Austin Mountain Bike Trail System remains intact and in great condition for riders of all varieties to enjoy through out the year. Much of the effort on Saturday focused on getting areas of the course “race ready”. There are lot of things to consider when your riding a trail at high-speed that wouldn’t materialize on a more casual ride. Combining the experience of the Austin Ridge Rider Trail Stewards and volunteers with the racers from the Bicycle Sport Shop Team, we were able to smooth out and improve the safety of the trail for racers in the upcoming race.      

GREAT GREAT GREAT TRAIL!!!!! 

Want to get in a really good workout on some solid single track outside Austin. The new Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association (TMBRA) race trail at Pace Bend Park is marked!  Myself and a group of riders from the Bicycle Sport Shop team along with the experienced leadership of some trail stewards from the Austin Ridge Rider Club spent this past Saturday working and fine-tuning sections of the trail to be used for the upcoming TMBRA race this Spring.      

The 11 mile loop is marked and folks are already packing in the new trail and seeding the lines for the upcoming race. I had the opportunity to ride a hot lap on Saturday after working the trail.  Average lap times for most riders, including myself, were around an hour to complete the course.  Word is that the final TMBRA course will be shortened come race time. On Sunday, I ventured out for several laps on the course.  Why you ask? Because, I was having so much fun enjoying a trail that lent itself to some solid endurance work.  Imagine that, a local trail that lets you work your endurance training in to some fun mountain biking!      

All told, the average altitude gain per lap was around 720ft (see altitude chart).  Aside from a couple noticeable hills, the climbing is mostly false flats. Technically, the Pace Bend Trail fits in nicely between Muleshoe and Reimers Ranch.  Currently, there are a couple jeep trail sections on the course that a)let you recover b)let you haul butt to the next single track section, you take your pick!   

Elevation view of 720ft of Climbing on Pace Bend Trail

The single track in the woods is twisty but not so tight that you can’t get in to a nice flowing rhythm.  There are a couple rock garden sections that encourage you to maintain speed and are great for 29r fans.  This coupled with some fast creek crossings and a dash of ledges to ascend make this a great all around trail for the Austin area.  Austin Ridge Riders has done a fantastic job of moving sections off the trail that historically succumb to holding water.  Expect to get a great workout on the bike when you show up.  There’s also some great camping right near the trail head if you choose to stay the night.  See you on the trail!

Bryan Kreitz is a guest blogger for the Bicycle Sport Shop and a member of the 2010 Bicycle Sport Shop Mountain Bike Racing Team. You can learn more about training with a power meter and mountain bike racing by emailing Bryan or visiting his website www.dirtcoach.com .

Welcome Back Carter

I would like to apologize for my posting absence on Carter’s Corner. It has been a busy last few months around the shop getting ready for the Holidays. I hope everyone had an opportunity to get on the bike over the break. We are very fortunate in Austin to have such mild winters. There are not too many days that it’s too cold to ride.

So as many of you know or do not know I have decided to compete in my first Triathlon, The Rookie. The tri is not till May, but seeing as how I do not swim or run I figured it would be a good idea to get some coaching. I recently went to a core class and swim class with T3, a year round triathlon training group for adults. They offer a wide variety of classes and have a nice sized facility over here just off S. Lamar. and Oltorf. I have only been to two classes, a core class and a swim practice, and I have learned two things. One, I am out of shape. You would think that the 80 – 100 miles a week I put in on the bike would suffice, but alas, they do not. I am still sore. The second thing I learned is that swimming is like speaking a foreign language. If you don’t practice you can’t do it.

I swam competitively a few summers in Virginia when I was younger. I even earned the nickname “Aqua Man” because my coach said I was aquadynamic. I did NOT feel aquadynamic on Tuesday night. I will say however, that despite the 30 degree temperatures and the 74 degree pool (probably about 5 to 10 degrees to cool) I had a blast. It felt great to be in the pool again and I slept like a baby that night. This first practice Maurice, T3’s head coach, gave me a few drills to gauge where I was at. I signed up for the 6 week swim clinic January 11th thru February 17th. I’m pretty excited to see what types of improvements will be made. Who knows maybe Aqua Man lives.

iPhone Bike Mount

So I recently had the opportunity to test out the iPhone bike mount by Biologic. The weather proof, shock resistant case mounts directly to your handle bar or stem in landscape or portrait position. This is the perfect gift under $60 for the iPhone junkie in your home. With the ipone on the handlebars you can easily use your mapmyride iPone app or follow directions using google maps. Have a 3Gs? Take some video of your ride and share it with your friends.

Check out this video from Biologic to see it in action.

Santa Rides a Sledcycle

I am sure that all of you are familiar with Didi Senft, the wildly popular “El Diablo”, who shakes his trident on the sidelines of the Tour de France and other popular European bike races. Well this year Didi has exchanged his red devil suit for a Santa suit and built himself a 24 foot long and 10 foot high pedal powered Santa sleigh.

Photos by REUTERS see more Daylife

Sentence of Two Years in Cyclists’ Deaths for Kenneth Bain: More

The families of Michael Alfaro and Meredith Hatch are left wondering what a life was worth.  Kenneth Bain killed Alfaro and Hatch when he drove his Lincoln navigator into them while smoking marijuana after a night of drinking at a bachelor party.

He plead guilty to one charge in exchange for a 2 year sentence.  On Thursday District Judge Lewis sentenced him to 10 years of deferred adjudication probation in the second case.. .. Meaning if he is a “good boy” all charges will be expunged from his record after 10 years.

One condition of his probation, is that Bain must report to jail for 10 days at Christmas and eight days for the victims’ birthdays for 8 years after he is released from prison.  He is not eligible for parole.

MORE: Yesterday an attorney representing the Hatch family contacted me.  The Hatch family is filing civil charges against Kenneth Bain.  They were very interested in getting the copy of Bain’s father’s letter to Governor Rick Perry urging him to Veto SB488–the Safe Passing Bill that had overwhelming bi-partisan support.

Bain’s Dad wrote to Perry, ” The proposed law to fine drivers passing too close to bicyclists is absurd.  I bike all the time and am smart enough to stay off the streets.  Roads are for vehicles not slow bikes.  i want more bike trails.  This law will drive a larger wedge between motorists and bikers.  You will have radical bikers taking license numbers of cars and reporting them because they thought they passed too close.  If you sign this bill you are letting a smaill minority rule the voting masses and it will not sit well at election time I can assure you.  let the bill die. ”

Ken Bain Sr. wrote this letter AFTER his son mowed down the two cyclists.

So my question is, since Ken Bain wants more Bike Trails, do you think he might fund some?  Bike Texas, and IMBA–let’s look into that!  Will he now vote for Perry in the primary since Perry granted his veto wish?

Perhaps, had SB488 been in affect before that crash, prosecutors would have more tools in their chest to lengthen this sentence.  Thank you Austin City Council for passing our own Safe Passing ordinance.  Now it’s time for other cities to follow suit.  Governor Perry needs a little reminder that we’re organized, and we vote.  If you haven’t already signed the petition please do.  The numbers are climbing.

Cyclists can make a difference in the upcoming primary.  We’re organized, and we vote.  Lawmakers take note.

Leslie Luciano

Update on Kenneth Bain–His Dad asked Perry to Veto Safe Passing Bill

Kenneth Bain will not be going to trial (at least for Meredith Hatch’s death).  Her husband accepted a deal put forth by the DA.  Recently, cases similar to this had not produced much time at all for the defendants and so the prosecutor worked out the following: 2 years in jail and probation for 10 years during which any infraction would send him back to jail.

If they had gone forward with the case the prosecutor wanted to put Meredith’s children on the stand and her husband did not want the boys to have to endure that.

Below are the original details of this tragedy:

To bring you up to date, the Press was all over Perry’s veto, and my open records acquisition findings.  The story made front page headlines in the San Antonio Express, and front page Metro in the Statesman, and Houston Chronicle.  The blogs like austinontwowheels.com, and ATXBS.com are still buzzing.

One of the opposition emails quoted in the SATX article was written by Kenneth Bain of Duncanville:

The proposed law to fine drivers passing too close to bicyclists is absurd.  I bike all the time and I am smart enough to stay off the streets.  Roads are for vehicles not slow bikes.  I want more bike trails.  This law will drive a larger wedge between motorists &bikers.  You will have radical bikers taking license numbers of cars and reporting them because they thought they passed too close.  If you sign this bill you are letting a small minority rule the voting masses and it will not sit well at election time I can assure you.  Let the bill die.

Kenneth Bain’s son is out on bond for plowing down two cyclists in Grand Prairie a year ago.  Both cyclists were killed on impact.  According to news reports, Kenneth Bain Jr. told the police he was up all night at a Bachelor party (the accident occured at 8:15 a.m.).  Police reported that he  failed a field sobriety test at the scene.  By the looks of his daddy’s SUV,  Kenneth Bain probably didn’t even slow, or brake.  Both cyclists were killed on impact.  He was arrested on two counts of intoxication manslaughter, but was out on 50K bond the very next day.  The original intoxication manslaughter charges have now been reduced to manslaughter.

Where is the outrage ?  I hope that the Dallas/Ft. Worth cycling community is watching this case closely.

Another Open Records Request

So I started my Monday at the Office of Perry’s General Counsel.  Once again they seemed stunned that a constituent would hand deliver such a thing.  Again, they tried to get me to mail it, or email it.  Again I had to insist they take it and give me a dated receipt to prove it.  Come on Perry!  This is something your constituents can legally do.

I am filing this second request for public information under the Texas Public Information Act.  On June 22, 2009 I requested among other things: “….logs of phone calls….regarding any objections and or opposition to SB488-the “safe Passing” legislation recently approved by the Texas Legislation by overwhelming margins.  The phone records received from your office on July 7, 2009 are incomplete.  There are major gaps in the chronological numbering of the phone calls in the logs.

1. Please provide all logs, or documentation of phone calls and office visits regarding any objections and or opposition to SB488.
2. Please indicate how many emails and phone calls received by Gov. Perry’s office in support of SB488.
3. Please indicate how support and opposition for SB488 were recorded.

Included in the records I received were several papers with tick marks (see attached copies).

1. Please explain/indicate if these tick marks were also recorded in the previously submitted phone logs (see attached), or if they were only in regard to the calls immediately prior to the Governor’s veto (as noted on one of the sheets)

It is my understanding that state law requires the reproduction of these records within 10 business days.  Thank you for processing this request for these public documents.  If you have any questions, please contact me at:

The reason for this second request was due to the fact that there are a substantial number of records missing from the Call Logs that they provided.  The only reason I noticed this was because the Governor’s office threw a smokescreen challenging my numbers when the Press descended  upon them.  I went back and scrutinized every single email, and calls, when I noticed that 7 of the opposition emails were regarding another bill entirely, 1 opposition email was counted 4 times, and 1 was actually a proponent.  That brought their total of opposing emails down to a whopping 38!  That is when I discovered the break in the numeric chronology on their call logs.

Please sign the Bike Texas petition here. Over 6,000 signatures and still counting—- We’re not done with you yet Perry…..

Leslie Luciano

ACTION ALERT: Weigh in on the Nueces Bike Boulevard NOW!

Tomorrow is an important meeting with the City to get public input on the Nueces Bike Boulevard. Please take the time to:

1) Email the Austin City Council Now to support the Nueces Bike Boulevard (see below for talking points and more info)

2) Show up to the Nueces Bike Boulevard Open House tomorrow, Wed. December 9th at Pease elementary–1106 rio grande… The Nueces Bike Boulevard has been a no-brainer for bicycle enthusiasts,  downtown boosters and area planners for quite some time. You take a flat street with relatively low auto traffic and scores of existing bike riders looking to get from the UT area to downtown and simply make it a bike-priority street that discourages through auto traffic.

Add quicker travel for bicyclists by removing many of the stop signs, some identity with signage and public art, and things get even more exciting. Phase I would go from 3rd Street to MLK Boulevard, with Phase II possibly heading north to Guadalupe. Unfortunately, some businesses along Nueces are objecting to the idea–saying that it will kill their business, make them liable for bike accidents and even ruin the historic nature of existing buildings.

What? Have you ever had to go a block or two out of your way to get to a business on a one-way street?  This is what some auto drivers may face with the changes.  So please take a moment to contact Austin City Council members and let them know the benefits of the bike boulevard. You can email them all from:  Talking points: * The bike boulevard is a key corridor connecting UT with downtown, and hundreds of cyclists already use it each day. * Removing time- and energy-wasting stop signs for bicyclists and calming the traffic by discouraging “through” auto traffic will attract scores of new riders.

* It’s time that Austin recognized that to maximize the benefits of bicycling–climate and air protection, health, and reduced traffic congestion–it must step up to the plate with significant new bicycle facilities. * The bike boulevard will have a negligible impact on accessibility for autos to businesses and residents. The bike boulevard is worth autos traveling a block or two out of their way!

Both the Downtown Austin Plan and Bicycle Plan list Nueces as a bike boulevard.
Open House and Design Workshops:
The City is asking the public to help design the bicycle boulevard at an upcoming Open House series.

WHERE: Pease Elementary School, at 1106 Rio Grande St .

WHEN:
December 9, 6-8 PM: Project Discussion and Public Design Exercise
January 13, 6-8 PM: Project Discussion and Public Design Exercise
January 27, 6-8 PM: Design Presentation and Final Commenting

Please contact Jason Fialkoff at (512) 974-7060 or Jason.fialkoff@ci.austin.tx.us with any questions or concerns or if you can not attend one of the meetings.

More on Bike Boulevards and more and more and even more! —Leslie Luciano: Director of Advocacy

Has Anyone Seen the Finish Line?

Pumpkin Pie Classic 2009 at Mae Simmons Park – Lubbock, Texas

Margie Nolen (Bicycle Sport Shop), Tommie Richardson (Bicycle Sport Shop), and Heather (our competition)

This race is part of the West Texas Mountain Bike Series… it’s a very low key race with a small town feel.   The race was very different than the TMBRA races that I’m used to… not many racers, maybe 50 or so, no map of the course, no marked start line, and no marked finish line… I couldn’t figure out where we were going to finish.  So I asked some of the guys what we were going to do, while we were lining up at the start line to race.   One guy said, “We ride the west loop once, and then the east loop twice and we finish over there pointing at the sign in table.”  Weird no marked finish line… oh well… I’m just looking to have some fun, so I’m not too worried,
Before the race, I looked at the previous times on the website and Cat 2 women times were coming in at just under 2 hours, so I’m mentally preparing myself for a pace I know I can handle for that long.  All the Cat 2 men and women start at the same time.  For the women, it’s just Tommie and I and our one competition, Heather, another Cat 2 woman.  At the start, Tommie takes off like a bat of hell with the faster guys… I’m just chugging along with an older guy behind me and Heather right in front.  About a minute into the race, Heather slides out on the loose dirt… I pass her and think… she’s not going to be able handle this course… it’s not that technical, but there’s a lot of loose dirt and gravel… I’ll be able to ditch her soon enough…

So now I’m in front, with the older guy behind me, and Heather behind him.  Up and down the rolling hills we go and Heather is still back there… dang it!  Then there were couple of tough, short climbs that I made, I figured she would dab… nope… she’s still hanging in there.  Now, I’m thinking, “Great, so much for the fun race, now I’m gonna have to work, can’t let this gal beat me, if she’s going to beat me, she’s going to have to earn it.”  About 15 minutes into the race, we’re with the wind through a fast, flat, and twisty section, so I gotta try to hammer (OK, OK hammer by my standards), so I put it in the big ring… no luck losing her.  Since, you can see a 100 yards of the course ahead, I watched some guys in front of me struggling up a short climb… sure enough the trail dipped us down and I knew I better get out of the big ring for the short, semi-steep climb, don’t want to dab with her behind me.  Then I finally thought, it’s still early, only 20 minutes into the race, just chill and ride your own race, there’s no one in front of you to mess you up.

We finish the west loop and we pass through the “finish line”, the table that is 5 yards off of the course, so I know we have to do 2 laps of the east loop, which we are racing backwards from how I’ve ridden it the few times in the past.  Shouldn’t be problem I thought, it’s more technical than the west loop we just raced, which should work to my advantage, and there’s no crazy drops or climbs from what I remember.  The trail is pretty loose, so there maybe a few sketchy downhills and some loose climbs that I may have to walk.  Better to be safe I think, gotta remember my #1 goal, stay upright on the bike!

We enter the east loop, and the older guy behind me asks to pass and he goes in front, with Heather still riding behind me.  Then, so much for my #1 goal, on a sketchy downhill, I jack-knifed my front wheel to the left… which sent my flopping over to my right.  Fortunately, I wasn’t going very fast.  Heather asked if I was OK and stopped, I told her I was fine.  I was mad because I figured she would get in front of me now.  For this section of the trail, there’s a lot of mesquite on both sides of the trail, so it’s hard to pass.  Well, she must be very nice or not experienced, because she didn’t pass me (I would have), she waited a few seconds for me to get going on the bike.  So, off we go again, with me in front and her behind.   Not much after that, I dabbed a climb.  She had a chance to pass me while I was walking my bike and she didn’t.  I guess she just doesn’t know that if she wants to pass, she’s gotta jump in front of me.  Then, the trail opened up to a double wide and she passed.  I figured, she had “toyed” with me enough, and she would just pass me and I wouldn’t be able to keep up.  Well, we keep riding and I’m still with her, neither of us could gain anything on the other, we both could climb and we were both a little tentative on the sketchy downhills.  Then, the trail flattened out to fast and twisty and since she was now in front, I took the opportunity to eat some much needed shot bloks.  We were 40 minutes into the race and I figured we had another 50 minutes to an hour to go.  Since I lost a little ground to her slowing down to get my shot blocks, I had to catch back up.  It was at this point that I figured out that I was faster than her on the flat, fast and twisty, because I was catching back up with her… go figure, I thought that was one of my weaknesses.

So we ride together for another 10 minutes or so and she pulls over to let me pass.  WHAT???  I didn’t get it, but I’m not about to stop ask questions, so I pass and now she’s behind me and I’m slowly losing her.  I thought, here’s the time to get her, it’s still flat and twisty, so I put it in the big ring and hoped that there wouldn’t be a sudden climb.  I had just ridden my singlespeed earlier that week and it finally hit me… ride in the big ring like your singlespeed… stand up if you’re losing speed rather than lowering the gear and then get back in the saddle once you can carry the momentum.  I came up to the finish line and still had one more east lap to go and I didn’t see her.  I also realized that we were only an hour into the race and I had saved too much energy, so I could do a faster second lap.  I couldn’t figure out what happened to her, she didn’t seem like she was tired.  Not much after, I caught up with the older guy and passed him on a climb he didn’t make.  Since, I lost my real competition Heather, I figured I would use this guy as my competition now.  We rode a short ways and then there was a long climb on a double wide that I didn’t like the first time I climbed it.  So I had to hammer up it to try and lose him, mission accomplished, I wouldn’t see him again till after the race.

I rode the rest of the race by myself and I tried to stay focused and continue to hammer on the flats in my big ring.  I felt great and I was looking forward to the finish.  I came up to finish line with Tommie taking pics of me.  Apparently she had plenty of time to go to the car, grab the camera and her recovery drink, and get back to the finish line.  Short race, I finished in about 1:30 with still too much left in me, but I didn’t know the course and I thought it be closer to 2 hours.  Tommie was happy to see that I finished before the other gal.  She said she could see her in front of me off and on during the race.  After over 10 minutes of waiting for her to cross the finish line, we finally saw her walking her bike toward the finish line.  She had gotten a flat after I had passed her.  I was bummed, it would have been a lot more entertaining had we been able to continue our battle.  She must have fixed it, rode for awhile, and then it must have gone flat again.  I’ve gotta hand it to her though, she walked her bike all the way to finish line and didn’t DNF.