Gianni Bugno, and How To Wear a Cycling Cap...

Barely a day goes by that I don't have a cycling cap perched atop my head at some point during the wakeful hours.
This little clip with three greats from the recent past - Gianni Bugno, Davide Bramati, Brian Holm - have some fun explaining the proper way to wear one of our iconic little hats.



Bugno, as the senior member of the group, wears his in the more traditional manner - perched up high. Holm pulls it down tighter, Belgian-style, in his words. Bramati, meanwhile, adjusts his somewhere in between. Their opinion of the Cavendish-style is essentially unanimous - a little mock jab at the peloton's current fast man. 

Sometimes it is the Little Things...

As more often than not they tend to do, my ride home two days ago took me through the Claremont Village. As I slowed for an intersection I noticed a woman walking along the sidewalk from the opposite direction. Nothing unusual there, the Village tends to be full of pedestrians at all times of the day. She was dressed in a bright pink teeshirt with a big peace-sign on the front, and had a bright red flower held to her nose, enjoying the natural perfume as she walked along. Colorfully eye-catching, but still, not unduly unusual. Just before we passed each other she gave me a subtle thumbs up, almost like a little secret code between us, a kindred affirmation of our mobility choices - the pedestrian and the cyclist. 

she looked something like this, from MeanStinks on Facebook

From the Library: Metal Cowboy...

This is the second of cyclist / author Kurmaskie's to be found on the shelves of the library, though the first I read. This, like Riding Outside the Lines, is a collection of adventures and explorations during the travels of a touring cyclist. There are a couple familiar quotes at the head of this book which, I think, sum up a goodly portion of the rationale behind bike touring, and an equal measure of the spirit of this book: "Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything" which is followed up with "It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best." Sometimes it is not what you see, but what you don't miss, that makes the journey interesting.

Kurmaskie, Joe   Metal Cowboy: Tales from the Road Less Pedaled   New York: Three Rivers Press, 2002

State Highway 39: Flutter...

It wends up from the ragged edge of the city, this black ribbon of asphalt, into the heart of the mountains. Rising from river bottom, across chaparral slopes, through stands of sycamore and alder, touching into communities of pines and cedars, and grasping at barren, rocky peaks just beyond reach. To travel along this road is to be participant in an act of theater, manipulated by light and shadow. To ride this road is an act of defiance and endeavor. To ride this road is to challenge what passes as normal, to disavow convenience and comfort. 

To ride this road requires a focus on determination. Determination. Tenacity. A butterfly passed me today; momentarily, it was caught in that eddy of air that is created, during brief perfect moments, between my outstretched arms and body hunched over this bike. It was the shortest fraction of time. And then, seeming to benefit from some unseen force of resolve, it was propelled forward and away. White-spotted wings fluttering with a grace my legs, at this moment, seemed incapable of matching. Determination. Tenacity.

And then focus returned to the road, determination to my legs. I know this road, its curves and switchbacks, its rises and falls, its distant views and those up close. This road is familiar to me; I have sweated every inch of its upward climb, shouted away fear at its rapid descents. Its curves shelter old memories as much as they incubate future potential. The challenge of this road is inseparable from a life worth living.

Upcoming: The Jenna Ride...

I can't begin to put a number to how many times the cycling community has stepped up for one of our own. So, in that spirit, and even if you can't make the ride, maybe consider a donation. You can find additional information on the event Facebook page.

From the Library: Bicycling America's National Parks, Utah and Colorado...

Say what? Bicycling in the National Parks? Indeed, and why not? After all, the National Parks were created, in part, to preserve some of the most spectacular scenery in the States, the kind of scenery you want to take your time viewing. Touring them by bike, therefore, must surely beat speeding through in a motor vehicle. Keep in mind that most of the routes you will find available to bikes in our National Parks are along existing roadways, both paved and dirt, but it is not impossible to find rare single track to transport you away from the overcrowded beaten paths as well.

This guidebook includes a selection of routes appropriate for road or mountain bike, and tells you which in bold letters at the head of each section. Each ride also gives starting points, length, surface conditions, difficulty rating, best time to ride info, scenic/cultural highlights, and special considerations. If you have ever visited a National Park you have no doubt  noticed roads have generally been built to minimize impacts; in other words they are not very wide, and normally lacking in shoulders. This can make riding in some of the Parks more nerve-wracking than others, especially when you consider that the Parks are visited by 285 million people annually. 

As noted in the book's forward, "drive to the Grand Canyon on any summer weekend, and you and six thousand other drivers will spend much of your time competing for the two thousand parking spaces. You have better odds at the local mall." Traveling a Park's roads by bike will allow you to avoid much of the congestion you thought you had left in the city. Though mid-day traffic may be an unfortunate given, even with all these people it is possible to find the solitude of a quiet road; in the past I have written about early morning rides through Kings Canyon (and yes, I know it is outside the scope of this particular book) with nary another soul to disturb the hum of my two wheels. Often, it is all in the timing of the ride. Many National Parks, including some in this book, have been making strides to make the slow biking experience more enjoyable, through the construction of off-roadway paths, limiting motor vehicle access, and even opening dirt roads for extended travel and exploration opportunities. Rides along everything from main roads to paved paths, from dirt roads to rare single track are found in the pages of this book.

Recommended for anyone looking for a different experience of the National Parks located in Colorado and Utah.

Alley, Sarah Bennett   Bicycling America's National Parks. Utah and Colorado: The Best Road and Trail Rides from Canyonlands to Rocky Mountain National Park   Woodstock, VT: Backcountry Guides, 2000

Claremont Hills Wilderness Park Survey...

Some readers here may remember a call for volunteer census takers for a count / survey at the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park late last year. The survey was conducted for the purpose of gathering information on current park usage, and as a means of planning for potential future needs. Alta Planning + Design is conducting a follow-up survey to that first one, and is once again seeking volunteers to help with the count. This second survey will be held on consecutive days, Saturday June 8 and Sunday the 9th. See the flyer for times, contacts, and other relevant information.

2013 Ontario Mid Season Criterium...

Burning up the road during the Mid Season Criterium, or being burnt by the road, during the Mid Season Criterium? There was enough of each to go around out in Ontario for this fourteenth annual race presented by Pacific Sunset Velo, and either way, both seemed to be taken seriously. Lets start with, and get the crashes out of the way. Apparently there were a few during the morning races (hearsay); I only saw one (then heard rumor of a second) during the afternoon races. Long-time Southern California racing fixture, Evan Teske who won the Masters 50+ race, was among the riders who took a tumble in the morning during the 45+ race. Unfortunately I was told that he was taken by ambulance to the hospital; hopefully things prove to be not too serious.

I only arrived in time for the afternoon races, beginning with the Masters 30+ 4/5, and only the last handful of laps from that one. Of the races that I watched from beginning to end, three of them included significant solo breakaways, two of which ended in victory. The 30+ race also had a solo attack within the last five laps, but it did not gain nearly enough gap to be successful; the result was a bunch sprint won by Scott Clark (Long Beach Cyclery), ahead of Pedro Slonsky (SC Velo), and Israel Tapia (WIN-Team Racing). The Masters 40+ 1/2/3/4 lined up next. A five rider break, became four, then finally three - two Spy-Giant Team riders and one from the MRI Endurance Elite Masters Team. You would not be faulted for predicting victory for one of the Spy riders, but that single MRI rider, Chris DeMarchi, proved too strong, taking the win in a one-up sprint over Gregg Medinilla. Brent Garrigus took third.

The Cat 3 race saw another small group get away, but attrition and a determined chase by the peloton ended the gambit. The bunch sprint was claimed by Jeremy Ayers (Rock Sports Racing), ahead of Michael Cleveland (CA Pools / Primal) and Josh Ruiz (SC Velo). Most aggressive award to Quint Berkemeier (Colorado Mesa University) who was especially active at the front, and in the break, throughout the race. 

The Masters 35+ race is typically one of the more competitive fields; if it seemed to lack the normal fireworks show, blame it on Jamie Paolinetti (MRI Endurance Elite Masters) who soloed for lap after lap at the end of the race, to take a big win. Give some credit also to the rest of the MRI team, who did everything a team should do to control the field and neutralize all attacks. The tactical game frustrated more than a few riders from other teams. Behind Paolinetti came Aaron Wimberley (Team Helen's) and Michael Herdman (Rokform / Rock N' Road).

A combined Cat 4/5 race was the penultimate one on the day, and as the photo above shows, there was some misfortune for at least one rider. A close sprint at the end was won by Jose Reyes (SC Velo) ahead of teammate Leo Reyes and Henry Szczypiorski Jr. (Cast A Shadow).

The Pro/1/2/3 race lined up in its usual spot at the end of the day. The race was highly competitive, not to mention entertaining. Attacks were continually being launched off the front, chased down, and then countered. Finally, a powerful group of five, or was it six, riders managed to build a significant gap. It was ultimately for not though, as the pressure of the pace caused one and then another rider to be shed from the small group until only one remained. That one was Aurelien Passeron of Full Circle Cycling; the French rider who at one time raced with the UCI Pro team, Saunier Duval - Scott, and has a palmares with several significant European wins, showed his power by staying away almost to the end. When the peloton finally did reel Passeron back into the fold, a gutsy (not to mention impressive) counter attack by lone MRI rider, Hunter Grove, resulted in a popular solo victory as he managed to hold off the chasers over the course of the final laps. It was a stand on the curb and yell nervous encouragement those last couple laps, as I seemed to find myself in the midst of a crowd of MRI supporters and the gap, which once seemed secure, shrank precipitously on the final lap. An U23 racer taking the race to the veteran pros, and a worthy grande finale to an exciting day of racing. ps. if you click on the link below there are a couple photos of Mr. Grove, just not the best, his supporters kept crowding the road and getting in the way of the shots.

i have my doubt that helmet hair like this will ever catch on

well matched around turn one

Chris DeMarchi finishes off the Masters 40+ race

the throw wins it for Jeremy Ayers in the Cat 3 race

Rock Sport teammates round the first turn

Jamie Paolinetti tucked in, going solo

the snaking line of the pro/1/2/3 field

Aurelien Passeron eyes the attack of his teammate

Rigoberto Meza of Coates Cyclery

Passeron leads around turn one

A selection of another 96 photos is here.