CUB SCOUTS AND CROSS

Sunday, September 19^th, 2010

This past weekend, WOB/B2U team members Andrew Fagersten and Kevin Tempel had the opportunity to go to West Branch and volunteer at this year’s Cub Scout Bike Rodeo. The event hosted 30 to 40 cub scouts and adults, and aided Cub Scouts in obtaining their Cub Scout Bicycle Belt Loop.

The Rodeo consisted of three stations; an obstacle course, bicycle registration, and basic bike maintenance. The obstacle course was used to teach proper use of signals, ride safety, and basic handling. At the registration station, the local police officer registered the children’s bikes. The station manned by the WOB/B2U team was responsible for pumping tires, properly fitting children to bikes, and minor maintenance to any bikes that required it. The station was equipped with a Giant TCR Advanced, Surly Pugsley, Trek 7.2 FX, and a Trek MT220. While the Scouts were being instructed on how to maintain their bikes, Kevin and Andrew also discussed different types of bikes and what those bikes can be used for. The Scouts were very interested in the lightweight “racer bike” (Giant TCR Advanced), while the adults seemed to be more interested in the Surly Pugsley snow bike.

The event was a success, as many of the scouts seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Mike, the event organizer sent an email thanking the WOB/B2U team for the support.

“Thank you guys for coming. I've heard from several kids how much fun they had at your station. The hands on stuff was a huge success and they loved the racing bike.”

After the bike rodeo, Andrew and Kevin headed off to North Liberty. The first cross race of the season was hosted at Bobber’s Grill. Andrew raced in the Open Category and placed 5^th. The scenic campsite is a great place to hold a cross race. The cross course wound around Bobber’s Grill, having a sand pit, rock garden, and quite a few technical sections. The course became progressively more difficult as a mist was falling through the day. Not a bad start for this Fall’s ‘cross season!

Amateur Bike: 2010 Giant TCR Advanced 2

Since James Huang, technical editor of cyclingnews.com and author of the column "Probike," is busy spying the bikes at the Tour de France, you will have to make due with my review of the bike that has been with me through a majority of the season. And thus since I am an amateur, this will be the first edition of my "Amateur Bike," but as you will see the 2010 TCR Advanced 2 is nothing but PRO.

The first occasion I had to get well acquainted with my new machine was down at Joe Martin Stage Race in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I know, not the best idea to right before a big race, but hey, when you get a shiny new toy you gotta just use it. Since Will and Andrew started racing on Thursday evening, and my Cat 3 races did not start until Saturday, I took the time to ride the hills around Fayetteville that I like to call mountain passes compared to what we have in Iowa. Among the first thing I noticed was how lively the bike felt; it kind of takes off in tune with your output, whether in or out of the saddle. While the fit took some time to nail down, I felt comfortable on it from the get go. The biggest fit aspect of the TCR I had to adjust to was the relatively long top-tube compared to my Tarmac. I solved the problem with a shorter reach handlebar instead of just moving the saddle forward, so as not to change the knee angles I have become accustomed to. Other aspects I noticed right away was how I felt tons of feedback from the bike while at the same time taking the edge off rough surfaces.

Let's run down the parts spec on the TCR 2 and the few individual aspects of this bike. Kevin gets chamois time wrenching on the team bike

The TCR 2 is spec'd out with full Ultegra 6700, Ksyrium Elite wheels, Fizik Arione saddle, and debuting Giant's very own Contact cockpit. Rumour has it that Giant poached a top designer at a major cockpit component maker (FSA possibly?) to get Giant into the cockpit game for sourcing and aesthetic reasons. This bike as a total package is spot on for dedicated bike racers; shifting, braking, and crank stiffness of the new Ultegra is superb, Ksyriums Elites are decently light and still true after 3000km. Besides my personal saddle and bar choice, a significant addition I made was swapping out the standard Jagwire shift cable with Gore Ride-On cables. This change really makes the new Ultegra system shine.

I fully realized how good this bike is when I took the bike out on the exceptionally rough home roads back in Indiana. After riding the same routes with several bikes over the years, my muscle memory is ingrained with the expectation of a certain degree of roughness. My first ride home on the TCR felt like I was sailing over rough sections that on other bikes I have felt bogged down, and the faster the smoother it got.

Lots of reviews might end with a "get it if you...forget it if you..." but I would say the TCR 2 is a great all around race bike for the American road racer; Great for the cornering confidence needed in crits with ample stiffness, yet its balance between comfort and aggressiveness will deliver its pilot to the line of a long road race smiling instead of grimacing in pain.

D- Rock is state crit champ!

As the sun set on Saturday's state criterium championship in Cedar Rapids, our very own Derek Cassaday climbed on the top step of the podium to accept his gold medal.
Kevin and I contested the cat 3 precursor to the big show. The course was a quintessential criterium and the downtown setting drew a nice crowd. The cat 3 race strung out at first with high speed through the wide corners. The wind brought the group more together and from then on it was a flurry of attacks. The attacks were all brought back and the final laps heated up. Kevin came through the final corner in good position for the drag race for the line, and banked the silver medal! I nipped the last money spot for 10th.

As the sun dipped lower, the 1's and 2's lined up. Will, Bryan, Derek, and Lee were our cards in the race. Bryan took to the front right away and drew some other good riders up to him. All our guys kept starting moves and forcing the pace on every lap. There were several moves that looked like "the one." but there was strong firepower in the bunch to bring it back. This was a great race to spectate. The guys from World of Bikes including shop owner Ryan Baker made a loud support gallery near the finish.
The speed was incredible, and it kept ratcheting up as the laps counted down. Bryan was in a move near the end and was doing tons of work to keep it out but that was brought back as well. Then on the last lap D-Rock launched out of the pack, which was already at full bore, with our friend Adam Price following. Derek slammed through the first two corners to increase his advantage, drilled it on the far bridge with a tantalizing lead. With the churning pack threatening to swallow him up, Derek launched out of the final corner as if he had 2nd stage rocket boosters in his legs. This left him with enough time to raise his arms and savor the victory.
It was an awesome win for Derek and the team. The way in which he won was so impressive for the shear power and speed needed to get away and stay away from the pack at full tilt. After collecting his gold medal and the post race interview, the team gathered back in Iowa City for burgers and beers at Short's. I had the Dundee, the burger with an egg on top, for I would need all the energy I could get for Sunday's circuit race.

Acid Rain!

Things seem to feel better once you get rolling. When my alarm went off and I heard rain, I was close to staying under the covers. There is a certain excitement I feel about putting on the rain cape and embrocation, the tools to steal a ride when civilized thought tells you to stay inside. While not a picturesque morning, the rain added to the experience and hard-man feeling you get when the citizens look at you like you are crazy to be out in inclement weather. After meeting Kevin and Andrew for coffee we spun through rush hour traffic. Like the motorists, we were also on our way to work, clocking in at Acid Hill.
Acid Hill is the climb north of Mayflower dorm shooting off of Dubuque St. It serves up a 200m ramp from Dubuque to a switchback which gets steeper and then another hump up to the mailbox finish line. The road is enclosed by a canopy of trees which is uncommon around here, so it adds to the fantasy of being somewhere exotic, like being on Acid.
The TCRs were smooth and confident on the way down after each rep up the hill.
My goal was to get my HR in the high 180s and keep good pedaling form when things got tough.
Halfway through the set, things feel primed, but those last ones can be a bear if you have gone too hard in the early intervals.
Wam! last one done, cruising home. A great morning with friends riding bikes. It's gonna be a great day.

The Iowa City contingent is gathering at "the Palace #2" early in the am for coffee and then hitting up some hill repeats. Should be a beautiful morning out on bikes with friends.

Memorial Day Weekend

What a weekend! It was tough for sure but the racing was so much fun as a racer and even more so for spectating. It was a great way to celebrate an American holiday.
The Burlington Road Race on Friday was low key for guys so not much on that.
The Snake Alley was so much fun to ride but the day was hotter than hell. I dropped out after feeling the shivers and my heart rate was through the roof even after swooping down the four block descent. Lee was lookin' good in the masters race!
Bryan gave a valiant effort in the big show by staying near the front for the first part of the race. The heat of the day and the race prompted the second Watergate scandal where race referees and a self righteous lady tried to stamp out the efforts of well meaning support crew to keep the racers from over heating.
Sunday's Melon City Criterium in Muscatine was another hot one. The course had good flow with two tight and slow corners, long steady down to a speed bump (more like a launch ramp), then a steady uphill to a tight corner before the finish. The 3's race kept a steady pace and was a confidence boost to stay in the pack after the shelling the day before. I was primed for the finish coming up the climb on the final lap as people were blowing up and freaking out all around, I was just behind the front dozen going into the final tight hairpin when a couple guys got tangled up and I had to hop onto the grass to avoid it. I was happy to stay upright but too bad 27th is all I could manage under the circumstances. Muscatine homeboy Chad Bishop took the well deserved V in front of his supportive home crowd. The 1/2 race was awesome! 40 miles on the same course with some great breakaway action, I have never seen a race that was called a crit that needed a feed zone.
Monday felt like the final crescendo at the Quad Cities Criterium in downtown Rock Island, IL. The course is great for high speeds through the 8 corners, and so cool to be surrounded by spectators. The Pro women's race was really entertaining for the crowd and our corner was the loudest for them. Will and Andrew represented in the big show as the huge 150 man field created an awesome roar through the downtown streets. Will fought well and made up good positions until the pace took its toll. Andrew was phenomenal as he gradually went to work making up position until he was in the top ten. It was crazy to watch how much skill, power, and concentration Andrew and the others use to maintain position through the course. Our corner was totally buzzing off of Andrew and then all of a sudden we did not see him on the next lap around, then he came around with his kit all ripped up and his bike with crash damage. Apparently in the scrum, some dude put his quick release into Andrew's wheel and ripped his spokes out. Big bummer but these things happen, Andrew is clearly going well, its going to happen big sometime soon.
After the race, Will's family had us over to eat and celebrate the weekend's festivities as well as celebrate Mr. Price's bday. Relaxing with the family and friends after the races is the perfect cap to a great Memorial Day. I think having that support structure and positive atmosphere enables us to weather the challenging aspects of racing bikes.

A few of the guys are down at the Tour de Champaign in Illinois.
Sean is a gracious host for putting them up. Thanks pal!
As soon as I hear reports from the guys, you will have it here.
How 'bout that LA time trial?