Grease-Lightnin'

"Winter" Mtn. Biking

2012-02-23T10:34:00.001-08:00

Not that I am happy about climate change, or the fact that there was no snow to ski on, but the warm weather this winter has allowed for some great mountain biking. Here I am on two different occasions at Willodale State Forest in Ipswich, MA

SRAM pART Project

2012-02-14T10:38:00.001-08:00

Click here to see more art and read about the project

Artists transform bike parts into art. The art is auctioned off. The proceeds help people in need through World Bicycle Relief.

Aqueduct Trail

2012-02-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

It has been sometime since I have been able to update my blog. After a freezing cold Cyclocross Regionals, I took some time off the bike and got ready for the ski season. After a brief hiatus, I got back on the bike for build and doing some strength work. During the winter I ski race coach. It has been fun. I got to do a race for myself last weekend. I placed 2nd woman overall in a "pro-style" dual GS knock out.

Here are some pictures of riding on the Aqueduct Trail:

Echo Bridge on the map

"Echo Bridge was built to carry the Sudbury Aqueduct over the Charles River from Newton Upper Falls to Needham, Massachusetts. The aqueduct was constructed to carry water from the Sudbury River to Boston. Construction of Echo Bridge began in 1875 and was completed in 1877 by Boston Water Works (BWW), predecessor to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. At the time, it was the second longest masonry arch in the country. The bridge was named an American Water Landmark in 1981. On April 9, 1980, it was added to theNational Register of Historic Places. The bridge is located in the Hemlock Gorge Reservation.

The aqueduct is no longer used for regular water delivery, but is maintained as a reserve backup."

Check out Newton Conservators: Loop around the Aqueducts: Sudbury, Quabbin, Cochituate

Here are some pictures of skiing:

Ice Weasels 12/9/11

2011-12-10T16:04:00.001-08:00

So last weekend I got pretty sick heading into Warwick UCI/Verge races. I started Saturday and had to pull out. I was in no shape to be racing, considering I took the day off from work Friday. I have still had a cold throughout the week, but it has been getting somewhat more manageable. I had a warm mug of Theraflu and headed to the race. It was a good temperature out for me. I got to check out the course at 10:15 and discovered it was pretty wet and slick in parts. I had on a skinny front tubular (my regular one is being sent to the manufacturer for defect) and I decided to get a clincher from the Shimano tent. I proceeded to the course again and it was much better, although heavier. But on this technical course, the weight was not that much of a dis-advantage. This was my kind of course, with lots of twists and turns. There were 4 places for dis-mounting. A small set of barriers, a fly-over bridge (which was pretty difficult running up, re mounting at the top, costing down the other side into mud, and clipping in!), a sharp turn into a 10 foot sandy steep run up, then a large set of barriers by the beer tent. I got front row, but I still managed to screw up my start! I could not clip in and I was in too big of a gear. This really threw me off. I was a good 10 places back from where I should have been, and by the time I got around everyone who was going slow, the three leaders (Sally Annis, Crystal Anthony, and Catherine Sterling) were 15 sec ahead. I tried to gap up to them, but being alone, it was hard to move up. Their gap opened each lap, but so did mine on the two racers behind me (Kate Lyskowski and Francis Morrison). I was a good minute up on them, but then on the last lap I was being "cool" and grabbed a beer in my left hand over the big barriers and when I "slammed" my bike back down, the chain fell off to the inside. Grrrr! I tried to remain focused and breathe, but it is always hard in the race. I lost a good 30 seconds trying to put it back on, but I only had 1/2 a lap left. As I was rounding the last corner to the straight away finish, one of the Cat 4's (they started 30 seconds after us and I was on my 2nd time lapping 1/2 of the field...frustrating!!! When there are more than 30 racers signed up for each race, they need to have completely different starting times!!!!) lost control of her bike and jammed me into the corner and we hooked handle bars and went down hard. She was okay, and so was I, but I had lost another 15 seconds on Kate and Francis, but luckily it was the finish. The race was about 40 min. We did 5 1/2 laps (each lap being around 6-7 min). I had a blast in the race. Despite being sick, this got me back and focused. I ended up fourth, in the pay out, out of over 35 racers Cat. 1,2,3. I am looking forward to Regionals next weekend. It is sad that will be the end of the season, it has been such a fun one! I have learned and improved a lot for my second season with the sport.

Self-Reliance Grows in the Utrecht Traffic Garden

2011-12-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Self-Reliance Grows in the Utrecht Traffic Garden

This is a MUST to be implemented across the world!

Sterling CX Verge & UCI 11/26-27/11: Double # 10!!!!

2011-11-28T17:31:00.001-08:00

Day 1:
My legs were feeling good today. I was one of the last people called up (again). I tried to pass people around the outside on the lap around the track, but it was difficult. I felt like I wasted time doing so. Once I got up the run up for the first time I got into a good rhythm and hammered down people in front of me. I was riding in a solid 9th place, but knew that I should be up with the 3 women ahead. I slid out HARD on the gravel near the end of the first lap and was bleeding from my knee and elbow badly. It really shook me up, but I mentally and physically got right back up and on the bike. After that point I got caught by the two riders behind me. I knew one of the riders I was much stronger than, and the other I had beaten several times also. I tried to break away, but was unsuccessful. The race was 10 min. longer than usual (finished in about 50 min). One rider took off the front and I did not jump on her wheel. The other rider fell off from me, so I was riding solo in between. I should have kicked it into gear and caught up with the rider in front of me, less than 5 seconds. But the gap opened up slowly over the next few laps and I finished about 15 seconds off of her. Despite that, I still had my best Verge finish ever placing 10th amongst a strong group of women. It was a fun course! I immediately had to get my arm and knee cleaned up. They were very bloody and very sore. Ice was my friend...

Day 2:
I was called up dead last (my luck with pulling these high numbers!), and got stuck being positioned on the inside. I am fed up with the call up system...girls get called up in front of me that I always beat! It should be based off of how you finish, not just if in the top ten for UCI points. Anyway, when I start at the front next season it will feel that much better :-p/ I was stuck going around the track and could not make the move that cost me from placing top 8. It was a clustered mess at the start going into the left hand turn up the steps. My bike got caught in someone elses and I lost a few more places. It was then a flat section for a hundred yards before becoming tight turns. Everyone was riding up on each other's wheels. It was so frustrating. I was trying to keep my cool with the adrenaline pumping. A girl wiped out in front of me and I had to dismount. I made back a few places on the next straight away, but still could not get the group of girls in 6,7,8 place. I was riding by myself for 3 1/2 laps, within 5 seconds of the group of 3, when BAM! I went down again hard on a corner that I least expected to go down on. My bike was all tangled up with me and it took me several seconds to get back up and remounted. My knee was screaming at me, but I just kept on pedaling. The 2 riders that were behind me had now caught me. Ugh. I let one of them take the front for a bit and pull through. I knew we had lost the chance to get the other grounp with a lap to go. It was basically going to be a fight for 9,10,11 place at this point. We all kept rotating around, but losing time since non of us wanted to really do all the work for the others. I made a move with 1/2 a lap to go and got on the front. I tried to pull away, but was unsuccessful in doing so. I knew one of the riders was strong, but the other I had beaten in every race so far this season...and when we got on the track one of the riders passed me by centimeters, while I beat the other by centimeters. We all got the same time, I placed 10th. I was proud of my race, but feel like I should have raced a bit smarter and harder at times. The beginning really screwed me over and then the crash of course did not help. Oh well. It is cross! I had great fun out there and I am learning a lot every race. I have been getting some shout outs for NorEast at every race, which is really cool hearing that over the mic B-) I had the wounds cleaned up again and got ice. The knee is very very swollen and bruised and uncomfortable to bend with the raw sore skin. Had to drive my car to work today, ahhhh! Only the 3rd time in over 3 months...the first was after breaking my bike at Night Weasels and my road bike has half its parts on my cross bike and mtn bike did not have a front tire, the second was when I was sick a few weeks ago and was just feeling lousy. Anyway, I had a good consistent weekend. I am looking forward to both days at Warwick next weekend, then Ice Weasels, and Regionals on the 18th to wrap up the season.

Northeast Velo Cross 11/19/11: 2nd Place!

2011-11-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

What an awesome venue for a CX race. loved the velodrome and BMX track! There was a long run up, that cost me a lot of time during the race. I was on the front line and when the whistle blew I took off and got the hole shot. Sally Annis (Pro rider) got right on my wheel and we rode together for 3 laps. I was handling the barriers, BMX track, and muddy corners just fine, but I was fading fast up the 30 sec. run up and I think Sally caught onto this. She ran passed me on 3rd lap (starting the 4th) and I was unable to get on her wheel when I needed to! I mentally cracked a bit, because I was feeling so good riding with her, that when she passed I let it get to me. She only finished 20 sec ahead of me. I felt super strong, but my legs were super sore running up the hill. They could not fire, since they are so not use to it with the running motion. Non the less, I was proud of my result!

Plymouth Cross 11/12/11: WIN!!!!

2011-11-13T17:35:00.000-08:00

FIRST CX WIN OVERALL!!!
I immediately loved the course. It had a lot of mountain biking "friendliness" to it. It was cold out. We ended up standing around shivering for 15 minutes, while they figured out their mishap in the staging order. I was called up first, but then we stood their waiting another 5 minutes (which seemed like another 15!). Finally the whistle blew and I gunned it for the hole shot. I took it and broke off from the pack. I never let up the entire race, despite having no one to chase, and not having anyone on my wheel to keep me moving forward. It was mentally hard at points because of this, but I kept it together. I felt very confident and good on the barriers. For the first time, I felt smooth! The woods sections were so much fun. I was so happy out there. It was motivating to have people cheering me on at least and knowing that I was increasing my lead every lap. We did 5 laps. I finished around 35 minutes. I got a side stitch on the left side with 2 laps to go. This was the same pain from Northampton. I have not had the side pain all season yet. Odd that it is happening the past two races. I have been hydrating the same and eating the same as I normally do. The pain lessened once I finished, but it lingered around the rest of the day.

Northampton MA UCI Cyclocross Race 11/5/11

2011-11-10T17:06:00.000-08:00

Woke up rested and ready to race. I was ending 3 weeks of build, so my body was ready to shut down, but I did not let it until the race was over. It was cold when we got there, but once in the sun and doing an easy lap on the course, I was sweating! I was called up on the 6th row (I pulled the 3rd from last highest number...I don't agree with the point system at all!). At the start I sprinted past 30 riders to get into 9th position. I held on strong for 2 1/2 laps. I thought we only had one more to go starting the 3rd lap, but it tured out we had two! They said at the start only 4 laps, but then changed it to 5. My legs had been really sore since the end of the week and they did not feel any better in the race. I was amazed I was holding onto my position for so long. However, on the last lap I pretty much bonked. My left hip flexor/upper quad muscle had been hurting really bad since the 3rd lap. All across my diaphragm for some reason was also aching. I think I was forgetting to breathe, the race was so intense! I strained my legs a lot running up the run ups and trying to churn over my 40 tooth on the climb. I was pretty mentally distraught and physically in pain, so I did not make the move to stay on the wheels when I should have. I had been out in the wind a lot during the race, stuck in between 8th and then the riders behind me...I ended up 13th, which is still my best place finish in a UCI race and a considerable feat in my condition, where I had to line up, and against the talented competition. I was immediately pulled over at the end to do dope testing. I was one of the randome 2 (the winer obviously has to do it) that had to do the testing. It was sooooo annoying! It took up an extra hour of time. I could not obviously go to the bathroom enough right after my race, so I got to get on the trainer, drink more fluid, and eat while I waited for it to pass through me. The second time I was able to go enough and we got on our way! I was really happy to have my parents and dog come watch me race :)

Canton Cup 10/29/11 MA State Champ!

2011-10-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Woke up excited to race, but not sure as to how my body would feel after a rough week of being sick and having to miss work and training. Never-the-less I stayed positive, even when the freezing rain started pouring down as soon as we got to the race! I got a lap on the course before it turned into a slip and slide. I rode a smart race. After lap 1 I was in second place and never let anyone else pass me. I held my ground and kept charing on confidently through the mud. It was really tough in places and the barriers were really high for me and my short legs. My quads were very sore and cold by the 3rd lap. I took off my glasses, which was not the best idea, but neither was keeping them on due to fogging. I was very happy with my effort and result. I paced 2nd overall and 1st in my age group, 23-29, for the MA state Championship! I changed asap (no cool down obviously!) and got some food in me before standing out in the cold and rain(almost snow at this point) again to cheer on Ryan and other brave souls. Someone had to make them smile out there!

My photo in Velo News Online!!!!

2011-10-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Running It Up! <---click it

"Jena Greaser of NorEast Cycling maintains her focus and drive in the Women’s Elite race." Photo: Matt Gendron

Providence RI UCI Cyclocross Races 10/8-9/11

2011-10-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Well, I was fortunate enough to even race this weekend, due to breaking my rear derailleur and hanger Wednesday night at Night Weasels Commeth race. I was one of many needing to repair their bike before the weekend of racing. The course was a disaster. Mud and grass covered every drive train. Luckily, I had a derailleur on my road bike and picked up a hanger. The weekend was far from Wednesday night's conditions. Not your typical weather for Cross season. 80 degrees was pretty warm to be racing in, but better than 20 degrees and snowing. Ryan and I arrived early both days to do some marshaling and helped re-route the course for Sunday and take down the course. At the start of the race I was on the last row again. I got in a bottle neck at the start and had to un-clip and run my bike. I had to fight my way back up. The beginning cost me, and I stayed pretty consistent in my placement for the remainder of the race. I did not feel like I was at 100% a few times, and I tried to make some moves to get into the top 15, but my timing was off and I did not execute them properly. This is something to work on for the remainder of the season. I got a sharp side stitch before lap 4, but then I was able to take a feed and for the last lap I was fine. I did not know there was a feed until call up, so we were unprepared for that. I ended up taking a random feed from some nice lady! I was riding with 15th-16th place on the last lap, but did not move ahead of them before the final winding section and small stair run ups. I ended up 17th. My hands were blistered from wearing full finger gloves and sweating. I had a fun time and raced the best I could on that given day!
Day 2: My body felt good in the morning. The course was super fast today. I got to line up on the 4th row instead of the 5th row. Yipee! I had a much better start and was able to get clear of any mishaps and avoided as much bottle necking as possible. I was between 15th and 13th place for the entire race. I was on the 12th place riders wheel, but she opened up a small gap from three of us with one lap to go. It was a battle for 13th-15th place, and I lost 13th by 3 seconds, due to the fast barrier section that I slowed down way to much for and I did not carry my speed through efficiently. I at least sprinted it out at the finish and I did not give up my 14th place to the other rider. Only my hands were a bit sore where the blisters had formed from yesterday, but the short finger gloves made them sweat less and there was not as much bunching.
Overall, it was a great weekend! I look forward to this coming weekend racing my mountain bike before Canton Cup and Orchard Cross.

GP of Gloucester Cross 10/2/11

2011-10-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

Great race today! Got my bike set up Saturday night in the nick of time for the race on Sunday. It was announced that the race was starting at 3, 30 min. later then it was planned. This was due to a sewage leak on the course having to be re-taped! I pulled the highest number, so I was literally THE LAST person called up. I was 5 rows back, since I have not done any aces this season. But after racing strong today and seeing how much more confident I am on the course than last year, I know I will continue to gather points throughout the season. The whistle blew and I tried to pass several people up the first hill, but it was hard, since no one was really moving up in front of me. I got stuck over in the orange barricades, that are evil! In the first section on the grass, it was really twisty and everyone was on their brakes. I was so annoyed and did my best to get around people on the outside. Throughout the first 1/2 of the first lap I ended up passing about 30 people! I was stoked. I just got into a solid rhythm and kept hammering the rest of the race. The smile in my heart never left the entire race. I had so much fun out there!!!! I placed 21st out of 47 racers. I got an awesome shout out for NorEast on two occasions. The first was due to my impressive moving up and the second due to grabbing $3 on the run up by the beer tent. Whooot! It was cool to have the crowd cheering at me for my attempt. My left calf cramped up on the last lap on the first run up section on the course. It is apparent I need to get some running work under my belt during the remainder of the season. I felt like that was where I lost the most of my time, along with the dismount at the barriers. I need to work at coming at them with enough speed and carrying it through confidently. I was really happy that my back was not in pain. This was a huge issue for me last year and caused me to not be able to finish many races and have a bad rapport with Cross. I am glad that I had a successful race and feel much better about participating in the discipline. I cannot wait to race at Night Weasels this Wednesday night under the lights and at Providence UCI races this weekend.

Portsmouth Criterium 9/18/11 LAST ROAD RACE of the SEASON

2011-09-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

I started a new job 2 weeks ago and I have been loving it. I get up early and commute 3.5 miles there and back every day. It is all up hill on the way, but it feels good and wakes me up! I have been winding down with my volume and training over the last two weeks. I will be taking this weekend off to recover mentally and physically to avoid burn-out before starting the Cyclocross season. I know that I can have a successful season, but my body needs some time to heal. I will have one more XC mountain bike race in October, and it will be my FIRST as a PRO!
On September18th, I raced in the 77th annual Smuttynose Portsmouth Criterium. It was a NorEast-Met Life sponsor race. I was excited for the race, the weather was perfect. My legs were a bit sore, but I figured I would have time to get a solid warm up in and they would open up more. I felt okay on my spin, but I started to do tempo into LT and my legs were not so happy. The course opened up for inspection so I did a few laps on the course and hopped back on the trainer to do a few VO2's and then it was time to hustle to the bathroom, etc. I was trying to combat any negative thoughts about my legs at the start line. The whistle blew and I got into the race. A few teams were sending off racers and a few attacks were made. I was trying to stay patient in the field, but that did not last too long. I ended up getting on the front, wanting to do something, but not so sure what. I ended up sprinting for several primes, placing second, but it ended up that they were only one deep. I did win one, but I was a bit annoyed with myself that I did not pay hard enough attention (it is always hard to understand what is being said over the mic when racing), I need to work on that. My patience in the pack is something I need to work on, especially with lack of team-mates. I was very strong and showed other riders I was a threat. I was too willing, however, to do the work and ride strong. When the time really counted to ride strong, I was not able to do so, due to being in the wrong place. I was 4th wheel into the final turn, but then when attacks came from the right and the left and two of the riders in front of me made no move, I was boxed in and I could not do anything in that brief moment. I will know for next year to not be in the middle for that sprint. Last year I was in a great position that allowed me to not get stuck. My legs felt a bit sapped after the race. I cooled down and then helped load hay bails onto the truck for volunteer work. Ryan and I spent a few hours at the volunteer party with good friends and lots of food. There is always next year! I tend to think that not performing my best, is what keeps me hungry for more B-)

Landmine XC 9/11/11 & PRO UPGRADE!!!

2011-09-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

What a day! This race holds a special place for me in my heart because it is where I did my first XC race in 2008. I had entered the sport category and placed 3rd. I was unable to compete in the 2009 season, due to blowing out my knee in a skier-cross accident, but I competed in the event last summer (2010) in my first Pro-Open race. Well, the Pro racer who beat me by 12 seconds last year, was behind me this year by 8 minutes! I ripped the course up. The smile never left my face. I loved every minute of it! About 1/2 way through the race when I got off the bike for a section I felt my front tire and it was at about 15 psi! By the time I went to bed that night it was flat. I am not a fan of the Schwalbe Racing Ralph tubless ready tires that came on the Cannondale Scalpel 2. Their marketing for them is faulty because they have caused me problems at Nationals, Beer Creek XC, and not this race. I have put the proper amount of Stan's in and have made sure to seal them properly. I plan to invest in other tires next year. Anyway, this was my last race as a Cat. 1 racer, because the other day (9/12) I received my PRO UPGRADE!!!! I am excited to look into the Pro XTC circuit for next season. I will now be looking for a team/shop sponsorship and funding for races/travel. Thanks to everyone who has helped to make this dream come true B-)

GMSR 2011

2011-09-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

GMSR (Green Mountain Stage Race 9/2-5/11) recap:
Everyone was lucky to be able to participate in this year's GMSR, due to the fact that hurricane Irene had swept through all of Vermont, causing terrible havoc. Roads, homes, businesses, historic bridges, totally gone in just one day. It was really sad to see, but the state and towns where the races went through, wanted the racers to come just as badly as the racers wanted to come! A lot of changes were made to the courses to make things work. I had actually taken GMSR off of my race schedule a few weeks before the event, due to the fact that my team-mates were injure and I did not have anyone to share housing with.. A week before the races, however, one of my friends was able to fit me in to a condo with her friend and family! My coach and I were not so sure about me going, but in the end, I figured even if I was not peaking for the event, I could still have a good time and get in solid training! Well, hard training was definitely handed to me, and a few good lessons learned, due to me not really knowing the equipment that I borrowed. Read below to find out more:
Day 1-when using tubulars, make sure to pump them up the day of the race, 80 psi does no good in a TT. I also realized when I got home that I had been using a 11x23 rear cassette...and with that type of climb in the TT, I should have had nothing lower than a 11x25! But I was use to my regular tube wheel-set and 11x28 rear cassette that I just did not think anything of it! Day 2-you know something is wrong with either the circuit course or the racers when almost every single field has a crash at the finish line. I raced really well and stayed at the front up the QM climbs, but when it came to the sprint, there was a disastrous crash that left a few women on the pavement. I was right near it and was lucky to not be hurt and ride another day. I just rode across the finish line with the rest of the pack. I spent the entire afternoon-evening with our friend in the hospital while he got stitches and had to get his bike repaired. Not ideal recovery! Day 3-I did not sleep well Saturday night, not ideal for the road race, but I still managed to make it across the finish line upright! The modified road race course (due to the flood) was boring, the field let a solo break happen 6 miles in and never attacked, simply soft pedaling for over 40 miles and everyone only sprinting up Baby App. Gap. to App. Gap. I still had no idea that the rear cassette was an 11x23, so I climbed the 20% grade with that...not that it is a good thing to brag about, but heck! Not sure many people could attempt that climb with that gearing, non the less after 115 miles of racing already (my compact front crank saved me!). The light weight wheels were amazing as far as lightness was concerned, but I forgot to check a lot of things. I will not forget to check these things when I own a pair of my own! Day 4-flash floods in downtown Burlington cancelled the Crit. (the main event I was waiting to shred all weekend and really only cared about!), after I had already changed into my kit and lugged my trainer to a dry spot for warming up. Oh well, it is bike racing! I did not have a desire-able overall finish, but considering I did not really go into the race fully prepared, I still did well by placing in pay-out. I a had fun time with friends and oh, did I mention that I learned some valuable lessons???? HA!

Bikes and the City

2011-08-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

Click to read more!

Bike Oven

2011-08-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

http://bikeoven.com/about/

Bicycle Art

2011-08-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

Bikejuju

2011-08-22T17:46:00.001-07:00

Click on this link to read about Bikejuju

Creative Bike Racks

2011-08-22T17:43:00.001-07:00

Click here to read about some of these bike racks

Superhero Bikes!

2011-08-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

Click here to read about and see more Superhero Bikes!

More Cool Bike Structures!

2011-08-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

Click here to read about these amazing bike structures!

Urban Adventours Series Ride 8/18/11

2011-08-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Nice way to spend the evening out on the bike with the Urban Adventours (Atlantic Ave. Boston) Series Ride. It departs every Thursday at 6pm (arrive at 5:30pm to sign waiver) and heads out for a good 20 miles.

Bear Creek Challenge 8/13-14/11

2011-08-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! I headed down to Macungie PA Friday evening to race Short Track, Super D, and XC for the US Cup Triple Crown, as part of the AMBC series. I decided this trip was worth it because I had the opportunity to visit and stay with family 45 minutes away. My parents and I arrived late Friday night and I woke up early Saturday morning to get a good warm up in. I was unfortunately the only woman signed up in the Pro/Elite Category. There were a few other Cat. 1’s and a Cat. 2 racer. I got the hole shot and never looked back. On the first lap I was already 30 seconds ahead of the 2^nd place Cat. 1 rider. By the end of the race I was over 2 minutes ahead of her. I felt like I was on fire the whole race. I kept a good rhythm and powered it out. My legs were tired by the end, but I loved the course. My laps ended up being 30 seconds and over faster than the Cat. 2 MEN laps and close to a minute faster than the Cat. 3 MEN laps. On one of my laps, I was only 10 seconds slower than the fastest Pro male finisher. When I was done, I had a chance to get a shuttle ride up to the top of the Super D. It was very rocky and technical. I only had my XC bike and no gear, but wanted to just do the race anyway and complete all three events. The race got very delayed, since they could only fit 5 people and bikes at a time into the truck shuttling up the mountain. There were over 45 riders. They were not organized at all. But I had a blast once I finally got to ride the course. I placed second in the Pro/Elite category, the other female only showed up for the Super D race. I placed second overall out of 7 females. My parents and I waited around for well over an hour for awards before we finally had to leave to visit with family. It was a bit ridiculous how much time they took to do everything. The next day, I ended up getting my prizes of a DH tire and a very expensive and nice floor pump. Sunday’s XC race was brutal. It had been pouring rain since shortly after the end of the Super D race Saturday. The ground was soaking wet. I got to the race plenty early, went out and rode about a mile in the woods in the pouring rain. I ended up going inside and trying to warm up there because it was just miserable out. Also, there were racers on the course and I did not want to go too far in the woods to where I would have to ride backwards on the course (there were racers on course). I was getting pretty antsy because I wanted to be spinning out my legs from all the garbage built up in them from the day before. Luckily the skies cleared around 1:30pm and everyone went back outside and spun around. I went back into the woods and did a short loop two times. There were literally rivers running through sections. Everything was so slick and the mud was making the tracking very difficult. The start of our race was very delayed, go figure, but we eventually got underway and I had the hole shot. I maintained first place for ¾ of the first lap (each lap was 7 miles long), but at about 4.5 miles in, I punctured my tire on the descent. Everything was so technical and rocky. I was very ill-prepared in the sense that I had no tube or way to inflate the tire. Normally I always carry something, but it just slipped my mind today. Sigh. I just started running with my bike. I finally had a chance to guzzle down half of my mix and take some GU. There was literally NO place on the course that was safe to take a hand off the handlebars and do so in these conditions. Anywhere that was flat was flooded and squirrelly with the mud. The second place girl was a few minutes back and ended up passing me, and then the third place girl. She said she had a CO2 and handed it over to me. It was nice of her, but unfortunately I could not get the tire to inflate. 3 guys that we had passed all stopped to give it a try, but were also un-successful. I just started running with my bike again, and then ran into the guy who set up the Super D course. He finally got the tire to inflate on his second attempt it did! But, immediately we heard all the air leaking out and he put his finger over the hole to shake some of the Stan’s around, but most of it had leaked out and there was not enough to seal it. Sigh. I started to ride on it again, but it instantly started to flat again. I came running into the parking lot area and yelled to my Dad to grab a tube and pump. By the time I got the change done, the other three women in the race passed and the top 5 Pro men, who were completing their final lap. At this point, I was at least 15 minutes back from the leader, so I just got finished my mix and got a fresh bottle from my Dad and on my bike I went. I had to pump up the tire up to 40 psi in case the tire started to leak again. I knew that mentally it was going to be a very hard lap, but it would be harder to have just tossed in my chips and called it a day. I ended up passing the last place woman, who ended up not even finishing the race, so I was the last racer out on the course. Whenever you pay for a race, you want to at least get your moneys worth out of it! I had driven all the way, and also knew that riding in those conditions would only make me stronger. It was a good thing that I completed the second lap because I walked away with enough cash to cover all three entry fees and still some left over (to buy new REAL tube-less tires with!). I also walked away with a 1^st place trophy for the triple-crown, the ONLY female to compete in all three events for the weekend out of any category. Never ever, ever give up!

Fast and Fierce on Two Wheels

2011-08-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

SPEED BUMPS ARE DANGEROUS!

2011-08-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Bottom line, speed bumps are DANGEROUS!!! Especially on a bike, and especially when they are not marked. Town Estates Condominiums in Brookline Massachusetts is responsible for my recent bicycle accident. I wanted to take them to court over this matter, but with the costs, time, and energy involved it will not be worth it. They are lucky I did not break myself somehow! Their first defense that it is "Private Property" and here is my counter-defense: I just moved to Newton at the end of June and do not know my way around the area. I bought a booklet at the Newton Historical Society Museum that has a list of all the walks in the area. One of them was Chandler Pond. On the map, it shows to take Kenrick Street and Lake Shore Road to access the pond. I also goggle mapped the route, and this is the way it told me to get to the pond from where I live (71 Faxon St) in Newton. There was nothing stated about a private road. I was on my bike with my neighbor, Lauren, and we saw Lake Shore Road on our right so we turned in. The signs saying Private Way are not on the street sign and are very small and hidden below the condominium sign, which neither of us saw! I only saw it when I went back to take more pictures of the complex the next day. We were heading down the hill slowly when all of a sudden the first of the 5 unmarked speed bumps was underneath me and I slammed to the ground, my bike went skidding across the pavement. Lauren luckily saw what happened and was able to slam on her brakes, alleviating her of any physical harm and bicycle damage. I was very lucky that I did not hit a car, or that any car was coming when the accident happened. There was a car that went over the speed bump as I was getting up from the ground and they just proceeded to travel on through. I was in a lot of pain, and bleeding from my right elbow pretty bad. My right knee had hit, but only had a minor scratch. My right hip was hurting the worst and it had a raspberry already forming on it and bruising. There was a minor rip in my shorts. My rear wheel and drive train was a mess. My rear derailleur had come up into my spoke, snapping the hanger as well. It also damaged one of the spokes on the drive side. My right handlebar tape was destroyed, leaving some scratches on the $200 bars. My left handlebar hood was completely angled inwards. I could not clip back into my pedals, because the right one was broken. I had to call my boyfriend, Ryan, to come pick the two of us up back out on Kenrick Street. We had to wait until dark, since he was still on his way home from work (via a bicycle) and had to get the car to rescue us. I got home and was very upset. I could not even sit or sleep on my hip the night the accident happened. I work a job where I stand all day on my feet and the next day, I was in a lot of pain in my hip and elbow. I had to constantly ice both parts, which are not easy to ice, and change the bandages on my elbow a few times a day. The least the property manager could do is fess up and pay for my bicycle damage. I am not asking for much, my request is simple and that is the way I would like to keep it. Property, public or private, is liable for injury and damage on a speed bump, and also if they exceed guidelines in any way. Design guidelines are guidelines, no matter the road jurisdiction. Public street design standards should not be lowered for private. Guidelines are to have signage. Town Estates Condominiums has NO signage what so ever, and NO paint that is visible to the driver, cyclist, pedestrian, whatever mode of transportation. Town Estates has argued that there is paint. This is quite hysterical, in the fact that the only paint I found is on the right hand side of the 2nd speed bump  (not even any on the one I hit!) where the cars park in front of! IT IS NOT visible and a splatter of yellow on the edge is not proper warning for a speed bump. Property should be maintained. Town Estates has not maintained in a safe condition and has not given adequate warning to ANY of their 5 speed bumps on the property. They have not exercised reasonable care and violated their duty to do so.

I spoke with their lawyer and here is the Towne Estates defense:

1.      You were trespassing on the Condominium’s land;
2.      Other than your friend, there are no other witnesses;
3.      There is no police report contemporaneous with the time and date when you claim to have fallen over the speed bump;
4.      There are many speed bumps throughout the complex, the speed bumps are open and obvious, and you were on notice as you rode through the complex;
5.      The speed bump over which you claim to have fallen has yellow paint;
6.      You were speeding and/or driving recklessly which is why you fell off of your bike.

My Follow up:

1. There is no road sign stating that it is a private way and no trespassing, it comes up online as a through way, and is the only way to access public property from where I live on a bike

2. Why is my neighbor, who I was riding with, not a good enough witness?

3. I did not think to contact the police, figuring that I could simply contact the property manager and he/she would be understanding and acknowledge to the fact that they do not have marked speed bumps and have not maintained their property. I was being considerate to them by not contact the police or town and trying to settle it without getting too much involvement. I can involve them and have them come check the property for themselves to see the lack of safety on the speed bumps.

4. I only noticed the rest of the speed bumps because I was not able to notice the first speed bump! Hence why I hit it and fell. I am a very experienced cyclist and know how to control my bike. This speed bump was not marked and blended in with the shadows and rest of the pavement. It was very dangerous. All of them are.

5. This "yellow paint" cannot even be considered as visible! They have to be out of their minds to think so. I did not even notice it until I went back to take more pictures and cars park right in front of it. The yellow paint needs to be across the entire speed bump so it is visible to bikes and vehicles.

6. I was not speeding I was going 8mph on my bike, I was not driving, odd that is even mentioned. The speed limit is 25mph in the complex. I could not even feasibly go 25 mph on the bike upon entering the property and reaching the speed bump. I can prove that to them.

See photos below:

Concord Criterium 8/6/11

2011-08-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been build weeks, to prepare me for racing in the Pro-Open Category at the Bear Creek Challenge AMBC (american mountain bike classic series) Race this coming weekend in Pennsylvania. So my legs were pretty tired come Saturday morning. I got to the race and warmed up on the trainer. It was very muggy, unlike the week had been. I got to the start line and was so nervous thinking about clipping into my new Speedplay pedals (they are hard to get use to!), that I sat on the front of my seat, and the front end just tipped down. I had to yell to Ryan to go grab a multi tool. This was the the last draw with this seat post, since this has happened before and it was what happened in the crash at Killington the first day, that prevented me from being able to ride on and continue with the pack. I got it taken care of really fast, since the race was starting, and focused back into the start. The whistle blew and I got in perfectly with my pedals! Big PHEW. The first lap was very fast paced. The Sunapee team had all 4 of their top riders in the race, all of whom are strong Crit. riders. None of my team-mates were there, 2 are mending from broken collar bones! I was riding smart, at the front, but not pulling...yet. Unfortunatly, 5 laps in, we caught the Cat. 4 riders, who had started 45 seconds after our Elite P/1/2/3 field. It was on the 4 corner fast decent, so it split up our elite group, and the Sunapee riders realized this and sent one of their riders off of the front, hard. I had no idea this had happend though, until the next lap when one of the other riders on Ladies First mentioned something and attempted an attack. This was not successful though and I got on the front. For the rest of the race, the Sunapee riders just blocked the pack and marked me. I kept being the first one down the decent and would open up a gap, but I knew that without help from another rider, I was not going to be able to bridge up to the other rider. I just pulled the pack around, wanting to do something, but not quite sure what, since I still am learning all these tactics on the road. I ended up taking 2nd in ALL 4 primes. None of us even knew though that they were 2 deep, because they did not announce it. With 2 laps to go, as soon as I got off the front, 2 of the Sunapee riders launched! Ugh! I knew that was going to happen. So, since everyone else was not strong enough, or just pretending not to be, I hammered hard and pulled them in on the final lap before the decent. I was on a wheel, but my plan somewhat failed. I passed one Sunapee rider and I came around the other one too soon for the finish sprint and ended up 4th. It was super close at the line. I was pretty bummed though because I had worked so hard and made a silly mistake on the final stretch. It was my kind of long sprint too, but I positioned it all wrong. I was planning on actually taking off along the back stretch before the decent, since I was leading them out so far evey lap and have enough space to take it, but with the Sunapee riders taking the attack a lap prior, it did not work out that way. But its bike racing and that is what makes is so exciting! I got payout for 4th, a few gift cards and swag for the primes, and a 2nd place medal for my age group 23-29. After watching Ryan and the rest of the NorEast men race, we went to Exeter to get a new Thomson seat post! This one is lifetime Warranty and super stable! After a huge second lunch at a Burrito place in town, we went for a dip at Ryan's grandparents, on Hampton Beach. They fed us dinner and then we went to see Fireworks in Newbury Port. What a great day B-)

Bike for Bovines XC 7/31/11

2011-07-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

Great race today! Tough 26 mile course with 2,500 feet of climbing! I started with my warm up, but realized something was wrong with my shifting, it was skipping on me...it rode fine last weekend, so something must have hit the rear derailleur because the limit screws were out of whack. I had someone look at it before the race, but they only made the shifting smooth for a little while, because by 3/4 of the first loop, it just stopped working and my chain was falling off to the inside of my spokes! I spent a few minutes trying to make it work, but it would not, I got back on, and it dropped off inside again. I was in a steep climbing section, that I had to end up running. I had been in first place for women, Cat 1 and Pro's, but Jimena (Pro rider) caught up to me and I thought at that point the race was over and I should just walk back to the feed zone and get a ride back or follow the road to the finish line. However, my never quite mind-set popped up and told me to just do the best I can and keep going. So, that is what I did, and I ended up catching Jimena before the final descent to the 2 miles of flat rail trail back to the start/finish line. I just sat on her wheel, although I wanted to pass her to make up some time, since I had no idea what was going to happen with my shifting up the first long climb again. However, I was just patient and when we got on the rail trial, I just started to pedal in front, thinking she was right behind me, I have a tendency to not look back...but we got to the feed zone and she was not there, so I just started to turn it on and keep my gearing in one place in the rear, only shifting the front derailleur until I was done with the majority of the climbing, and made sure to be smooth and take my time. Well, that worked, and my chain did not fall off once, so I finished the home stretch with Jimena over 5 minutes behind me. I was stoked. I could only imagine how far I really would have been ahead if I did not encounter the issues I did on the first lap! It was too bad there was not more competition, but I had a blast on the course! My left inner hamstring seized on me though 3/4 of the way into the second lap, and I had to take some time to just coast on my bike, but it was hard to, considering the final climb was right there! So, I climbed as much of it as I could and walked up the rest, to stretch out the legs. I tried to sit back as far as I could on my seat to lengthen the muscle, which did help a bit, but it was very tense still on the descent and my final 2 mile stretch to the finish. After the race I plopped in a cold creek for therapy on my legs and purchased some local veggies and meat from the Stonewall Farm. It was nice to see some friends at the race and catch up. It was also very nice to have the support of my coach, Marci, her husband Bert, and their almost 1 year old daughter, Isabelle when I crossed the line!
No Pictures from this event, due to going up solo.

Off The Front

2011-07-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

In the July 2011 VeloNews, this was featured in "Off The Front"

Stefan Denafil (on team Leopard-Trek) did not think his crash was that serious...UNTIL he saw the photo...he is sure glad to be alive!

At PEACE

2011-07-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

"At Peace"

By: Me 6/10/11

Calling this "At Peace" because when I am on my bicycle I am at peace, when people ride their bicycles they are at peace, the world is at peace, our environment is healthy, happy, and we are full of love!

New Britain Criterium 7/10/11

2011-07-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

So for the last month, I have been un-able to race, due to a bacterial infection that sent me to the ER overnight and back again, going through a spinal tap, moving to Newton MA, and starting a new job working with crazy children all day! I got back on the bike 2 weeks ago and have been putting on the volume, but having to taper for Cat. 1 XC mountain bike Nationals at te same time! I leave tomorrow (Wed 7/13) to Sun Valley and will be racing this weekend.
My first race since Purgatory was Sunday (7/10) at the New Britain Crit. in CT. I almost did not make it to this event, due to my "spacing out" and being so use to not having to drive a car and fill up at the pump (since moving to Newton I mainly ride my bike and take the train to work!). As I was leaving, Ryan told me I was going to need to get "gas" asap. I got off the highway in Framingham and I pulled up to the pump, completely filling the tank up. 35 miles later, the car just stops putting out and power and I have to pull off onto the side of the highway, right where my 84 exit was off the Mass. Pike. I immediately call Ryan and he asks if I filled up the car and I said "yes" and he said "with diesel, correct?" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! No. I had filled his car with gas. A WHOLE TANK FULL. I thought I was screwed and not going to be able to make it to the race at this point. My safety was more of a concern at this point and getting the car taken care of. I do not have AAA, but Ryan did, however he was not with me and that was of no help. As I was calling my parents to tell them to turn around from driving to New Britain a AAA tow truck goes past and starts backing up to me. I explain to him that I was trying to get to my bike race in New Britain, and he goes on to tell me how basically this is illegal since he is a CT AAA truck and not allowed to pick up in MA, but since he saw the CT plates and me on the side of the road, he wanted to help out. Long story short, I met the nicest AAA truck driver you will ever meet (he was a contractor that drives for them) and he drove me all the way to the race, free of charge and then even took my Dad with him to get the car dropped off at their auto shop repair place (no where near New Britain), and then bring my Dad back to watch the end of my race! I got to New Britain at 4pm, the race was starting in 45 min. I was in such a fluster I did not put on my helmet and the USA official barked at me for a minute, but I explained my situation and they felt a bit more empathetic. Anyway, I got changed and did a few short loops around this set of roads by the race course and it was time to start. I got as relaxed as I could and when the first bell went off for the first prime, I was so focused, and so full of fire that I took it! Then the bell rang again a few laps later and I took that one too! There were other women going for it, but they did not have the final kick. We just pedaled around until the last lap, which was kinda boring, but it is a course that nothing happens unless there is a prime and or it is the finish lap. It was a small group of women, but a powerful group non-the-less. Some tried to break, but I just jumped on them early, letting them know that they were not going to get away as long as I was there! I ended up getting stuck on the outside right side of the final turn, when I wanted to be on the left, and two women took off to the left side and I had to jump on them from behind a BikeReg rider, who was just in the way. By the time I caught the two riders wheels, we were at the finish line, the three of us all overlapping bike wheels. If only I had another couple yards, and or had been able to be in the right position behind them like I had been for the prime wins, I could have easily won the race! I was by no means upset with my performance though and I had a blast! It was nice to see some of the women I know and enjoy the beautiful evening. It was a rush to be back sprinting and racing. I was very impressed with my ability to push on through, despite all that had happened earlier in the day, not to mention the past month of punch after punch after punch! At this point, I was able to just look at it all though and laugh. It is just life and things could always be worse!

Bike Vs. Horse!

2011-07-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

"A strange stillness dwells in the eye of the horse...
a composure that appears to regard the world
from a measured distance...
It is a gaze from the depths of a dream."

Hans Heinrich Isenbart

Pedaling around Newton

2011-07-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, do I LOVE my new town "Newton" or what?!?!? I can walk and bike to everything I need. I used the car for the first time today in 10 days to go anywhere. That was because it was a rest day off of the bike and I had to get to Southborough for work. I have been riding and taking the commuter rail a lot. It is fun! My new job is tiring, but a lot of fun as well. I get to be outside a lot and with kids. I cannot wait for the fall when I can have a shorter commute and even ride my bike on "rest" days. Below is a compilation of photos from biking all around town, the neighboring towns, into Boston, Lowell, and Concord!

M.I.A.

2011-06-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

So, I have been a bit M.I.A. for the past week, due to the fact I got really sick and had to spend the night in the ER...I got a spinal tap and I am still recovering from it. The pain in my head is terrible, especially when I sleep! I had been un-able to bike ride for 10 days up until yesterday, when I just sucked up the pain in my head because I HAD TO GET OUT again. I set up my Cross bike with platform pedals and dropped the seat so that I could just take it easy. I only went a few miles around my new area of residence, Newton MA! There are some really neat shops and a cool path along the Charles River. I will take some pictures this weekend and post (it has been raining for 3 days). I look forward to hopefully getting back on my mountain bike this weekend...I sprained my wrist in the moving process, so not sure how that will work, but keeping my fingers crossed for some better karma to come my way!

How to mount a bike to your Ferrari convertible

2011-06-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

This is Real

Cool? or just plain odd?

2011-06-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

click here to read about some of the designs and see more

World's Largest Bike Share

2011-06-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

Click here to watch a video!

As more and more cities implement bicycle-share options into their city infrastructure, cyclists and eco-conscious folks around the world can rejoice knowing there are convenient green transport options around that do not contribute to further totraffic congestion. While modern bike sharing is often thought of as a western idea, it's interesting to observe how cities outside of Europe and North America are coping with bike-share programs.

- Hide quoted text -

China has always had a history of cycling, since it is a nation with a massive population yet in the past decade there has been a shift focusing on car culture. As a result, it has been impossible to build enough roads to support all the traffic, so officials have been looking at alternative methods to ease congestion. With the popularity of bike sharesexploding, it's encouraging to see how a system can work in large cities such as Mexico City where traditionally, the car is king.

GOOD recently had this post on how bike sharing was thriving in Mexico City's chaotic streets but Hangzhou, China actually boasts the largest bike share program in the world and so far, it's a success. With a population of almost 7 million, this southern Chinese city's 50,000-bike system has grown considerably since its inception in 2008. Hangzhou started with 61 service points and 2,800 bicycles and has ballooned to 2,050 service points with 51,500 bicycles, dwarfing other cities such as Montreal, Paris and Washington, D.C., often praised for their efficient bike share programs.

While the riders talk mostly about the convenience of bike-sharing, there’s little doubt Hangzhou’s red bicycles help ease transportation woes as residents integrate the bike share with the metro and bus systems.

Stations are spaced less than a thousand feet from each other in the city center, so 240,000 trips are made on the average day. As Bradley Schroeder of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy says in the video, "I don't think there is anywhere you can stand in Hangzhou for more than a minute or two where you wouldn't have a Hangzhou Public Bike go past you." The success of the program doesn't stop there though. The Hangzhou Bicycle Company, who maintains the bike share, plans to expand the system to 175,000 bicycles by 2020.

Purgatory RR 6/12/11

2011-06-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

It was a chilly day in Sutton MA for the 2^nd Annual Purgatory Road Race. Sam and I represented NorEast women. There was a small turn-out for the women’s P/1/2 field, but a very strong group of women! The race directors put us in with the very large Cat. 3 men’s field so that it would be more challenging and exciting for both groups. The race distance was 55 miles, each lap being 11 miles. The course is very fun, with rolling terrain and a very long, very fast descent. The challenging part of the course is a very steep, stair step climb each lap to the finish line, that rips your legs apart more and more each time! I was able to hang with the pack of men for 44 miles. On the climb leading into the last lap, I missed my moment to accelerate on the flat part of the stair step and was unable to hang on to the back of the pack to the finish line. There was another male rider who did not make it back on, so the two of us worked hard together, but we were unable to close the gap. We ended up 4 minutes back from the pack. I told him I knew only 2 women were up ahead of me, and that I would be forever grateful for his help to keep me in 3^rd position. I had no idea I was over 10 minutes ahead of the next 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th place female riders! I was very proud of my 3^rd place result, and happy to finish with no mechanicals or crashes after the unfortunate events at Killington! Sam ended up riding with a group of female riders (and one male 55+ rider, who bragged about his “power ring” given to him by his granddaughter…) and did a lot of the work to pull them around. Unfortunately, she ended up getting sprinted around by 2 of them at the line and placed 9th. Overall, it was a great day for NorEast women and men.

Green Line Velo did a great job putting on the race. Check out their website: http://www.greenlinevelo.com/

Sam and I waiting for the race to start in the cold!

44 miles in on the last lap after I got dropped from the men's Cat. 3 pack

Still cold after the race!

Ryan (7th) and I (3rd) with our prize money!

TiGr Bike Lock Invention

2011-06-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Check out this awesome bike lock invention!

Click on:

TiGr Homepage

Kickstarter Projects

Bike Lanes (Hilarious Video that MAKES THE POINT!)

2011-06-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

A MUST SEE!

ENTIRELY Wooden Bike

2011-06-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Click here for more info. & pics. on the Wooden Bike

I guess this is the ultimate in sustainable transport!

This 16 year old built an entire bicycle out of wood – including a wooden chain, and a ratchet system so he can go downhill without having to pedal. It is very cool, and the workmanship alone deserves kudos.

An old joke about a wooden bicycle: "With wooden wheels, a wooden saddle and wooden chain – it wooden go." -Unknown

Bike Furniture

2011-06-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

http://bikefurniture.com/index.html

This is all the recycled material they use! Awesome!

A Sideways Bicycle?

2011-06-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, see it and believe it! Inventor, Michael Killian, 46, a software engineer in Dublin says, "It's key advantage is that it's more manoeuvrable than a conventional bike. It is a front-to-back balance not a left-to-right like a normal bike. That affords you tremendous grace and motion. It is dance-like. The advantages are in the motion. It is never going to win you the Tour de France. But it is mesmerizing and entertaining."

How does it work?
The cyclist sits sideways and operates a wheel with each hand, and pedalling makes the whole bike travel sideways.

1: The back cog drives the back wheel chain, which unlike on a normal bike can turn either way when the back handlebar is steered.

2:Back handlebar which steers the back wheel and has a rear light.

3:Front handlebar which steers the front wheel and has a light and rear-view mirror.

4:Pedals are at right angles to the wheels.

5:The seat is shaped like an upside-down crescent.

6:This frame goes over the lap of the cyclist, but can go under if preferred.

Check out the link below, make sure to check the readers comments!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6375259.stm

Bicycle Benefits

2011-06-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

GET YOUR DEALS ON TWO WHEELS!"

"Bicycle Benefits is a progressive bicycling program designed to reward individuals and businesses for their commitment to cleaner air, personal health, and the use of pedaling energy in order to create a more sustainable community. The program's continual growth decreases parking demand, increases helmet use, and improves cyclists' safety and health by putting more people on bikes. This site has all of our Bicycle Benefit Business Members that can be found by clicking the links to the left (including their discounts/rewards, addresses, and maps to get there). Get your helmet sticker at any of the participating Bicycle Benefits Business Member locations or become a participating Business Member today and start experiencing Bicycle Benefits!"

http://www.bicyclebenefits.org/

Complete Streets

2011-06-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

"The streets of our cities and towns are an important part of the livability of our communities. They ought to be for everyone, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or wheelchair user, bus rider or shopkeeper. But too many of our streets are designed only for speeding cars, or worse, creeping traffic jams.

Now, in communities across the country, a movement is growing to complete the streets. States, cities and towns are asking their planners and engineers to build road networks that are safer, more livable, and welcoming to everyone.

Instituting a complete streets policy ensures that transportation planners and engineers consistently design and operate the entire roadway with all users in mind - including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities."

http://www.completestreets.org/

Growing Power!

2011-06-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

"Bikes are the most efficient urban transportation vehicle ever designed."

-Will Allen

He is an inspiration! This guy knows his stuff.

Check links below:

Growing Power

Will Allen

Sustainablog

2011-06-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

Click me to read Sustainablog

Don't take our bike parking spot...or else!

2011-06-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

This is what happens to poor vehicles that decide to take our bike rack parking space...we block them in! This car had parked in the parking space at the YMCA where the bike rack was, so we picked it up and moved it behind the vehicle. After this we proceeded to place the rack closer to the building, then the director told us due to "building code" it is unsafe to have it up front. Hmm...

MC Spandex

2011-06-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hilarious biking mixes by MC Spandex:

Performance, its the name of the game!

Roadies

I don't wanna get clean, get dirty!

Free-ride

"Thumbs up for rock and roll!"

2011-06-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

"We adore this little boy, who gives hope to any kid who has ever failed at riding a bike with an inspirational speech to rival the best rhetoric out there. A recently accomplished rider himself, he reminds his peers with training wheels to believe in themselves and to keep practicing."

Watch this youtube video

"Thumbs up for rock and roll!"

Talk about ILLEGAL bike racing...

2011-05-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

I thought this was the team time trial?

KSR Mayhem!

2011-05-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

KSR Stage 1 Circuit. 53 miles, 3 laps. 6 miles into the race I was victim to a crash. Luckily I was not hurt, but I could not continue on my bike, due to the fact that when I mounted it again, the seat slammed completely down and was parallel with my seat-post. It was terrible! Also, my shoe buckle was gone and my shifter twisted. By the time the SRAM car was able to help me, the field was long gone. One other rider was fixing her wheel and we decided to just pedal easy together and finish. We wanted to save our legs for the next two days. We took turns pulling at a solid tempo pace. Before the 3rd lap to go, we picked up another rider who had never made it back on to the pack. At this point we were 20 minutes down from the group, so we just all wanted to stay happy and finish. Ended up 30 minutes behind the pack at 2:48. Completely out of GC contention but we all tried to stay positive and look forward to the next two days. Amy and Laura had a very strong finishes, placing 8th and 12th in the field sprint.
KSR Stage 2 Time Trial 10.6 miles. It was very hot out. I used my water bottle mainly for my body! Luckily not a mass start, so I got to finish this one. I used men's elite team rider, Ben Carbonetti's, wheels from his road bike, that were over 300g lighter than my wheels and more aero. It helped some, considering that all the women I saw that placed in front of me had TT bikes and or really nice set ups for their bikes! I placed 23rd out of 64 starters. Laura placed 38th and Amy placed 47th.
KSR Stage 3 RR 60 miles. I was unfortunately victim to another crash, completely ruining my spirit for the day and the entire weekend. What bad luck. It was only 20 miles in after the long decent, on rough pavement, before the sprint and first QOM climb. Juvederm-Specialized had been making very aggressive attacks and were violating the yellow line rule. One swerved on the pavement right in front of me, along with another rider in blue, causing me to rub on her back wheel and go down hard. I was able to get up, but my tire was flat...got Tom in the SRAM car to give me a new wheel, but as I started to ride away, I looked down to see my handlebars also turned 45 degrees. I waited for a few minutes, but he was busy helping a woman who had really hurt herself, so I rode back down to the car. I was going to toss my bike into the back of the car and call it quits at this point. Tom ended up just giving me another bike, but it was a 52 cm men's. He changed out the pedals and off I went, but again I had to stop and have him slam the seat all the way forward, and the reach was still way too long. What an uncomfortable 40 miles that was on the bike. I met up with a few other riders and worked a pace line. We were able to pass about 10 women, which was impressive. Only 3 of them were involved in the crash, but they did not have any mechanicals, so did not loose the 10 minutes+ of time like some of us had. The bike was much lighter than my bike by a long shot, but it did not have compact cranks so that killed me on the final climb, I could not turn over at a higher cadence like I am use to. Oh well, I at least stuck with it and was proud to finish. Maybe next year I won't have such bad luck and get to complete the race as a GC contender. Amy got stuck behind the crash and had to time trial it back on to the pack solo. She worked so hard that by the time she got to the final climb her legs blew up. Laura was able to avoid the crash, but saw it all go down. She was thankful not to get stuck in the mess and did NorEast proud finishing 10th out of 57 finishers. Technically there ended up being 49, due to the fact that all but one rider from Juvederm was disqualified from the days race, meaning they were taken out of GC results entirely. Karma. Laura ended up 13th GC, taking the last payout placement, way to go!!!!

Killington Mountain Stage Race 5/28-30

2011-05-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

Headed to Killington VT Friday through Monday for 3 days of hard racing. Saturday is a 53 mile Circuit Race, Sunday is an 11 mile Time Trial Race, and Monday is a 66 mile Road Race. Getting the body and mind ready this week!

http://www.killingtonstagerace.com

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Bikes Make LIFE BETTER!!!

2011-05-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

"If there's one thing we all know as riders it's this: bikes make life better. Bikes keep us healthy and happy, and fill our lives with adventure and excitement.

In honor of National Bike Month, we created a short film that celebrates what we all love: bikes. Our video shows not only the ways that bikes transform the lives of people who ride them, but also how they help change and beautify the communities we call home.

Be one of the first to check it out and share it with your friends. Don't forget to ask them to take the peopleforbikes.org pledge. Every name gets us closer to more bike lanes, paths and trails - a better world for all who ride.

Thanks for your continued support of peopleforbikes.org. We hope you enjoy the video."

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO!

Weeping Willow XC 5/22/11

2011-05-23T09:58:00.001-07:00

Well, I woke up to a chilly morning, and it stayed that way in Ipswich Massachusetts for the EFTA Weeping Willow XC race. I had raced the day before on the road at Lake Sunapee, where our NorEast women's team placed 1,2,3 to clean up the podium! My legs were surprisingly not sore. The course was relatively flat, but it was pretty slick in the single track sections (considering it had been raining for a week straight!). There were several areas of standing water, where literally I would splash into it so hard that the water would fly above my head! I entered the Elite Category (which is the same as a Pro-Open Category). There were 8 racers. The course started with an ATV trail and I was riding in 3rd place for the first single track section. Coming up one of the climbs, I was passed on the inside and then again by another rider shortly after that. The first place women, Karen Potter, was already way out in front, but the 4 of us were riding strongly together for a while until I got wrapped up in a tree and slammed down on my drive train side. I got up and tried to get back on, but my shifting was all out of alignment. There was nothing I could do to adjust it though, the rear derailure was bent. I had lost my carrots to chase at this point and I tried to hang in there. My shifting was driving me crazy! My shifter had moved and it was hard to maneuver my thumb properly. My knee was pretty banged up at this point too, but the pain was not bothering me 1/2 as much as the fact that each time I came to a short climb, the chain would get all caught up if I down-shifted and or it would drop off. I figured it would be better to just run up the climbs for the remainder of the second lap. I was within 2 miles of the finish, when this stick seriously jumped off the ground and into my spoke. It was the weirdest thing because I one minute was on my bike, the next minute face down in the dirt. This time I landed on the other side of my already banged up knee. My chain had come off and as I was putting it back on another elite rider came by me. Oh no! I quickly got back on the bike, but in the last mile I never was able to make up the 24 seconds that split us apart. The first 5 to place were Pro's. The rest of us were Cat. 1 riders. In the Expert Category (Cat. 1 riders) there were 3 women in the Senior division (my age group, 19-39) and I beat the first place rider by almost 16 minutes. I was less than 2 minutes behind the 4th place Pro rider. I placed 6th out of 17 women combined in the Elite and Expert divisions.

Results

NorEast PODIUM SWEEP!!!! Lake Sunapee RR 5/21/11

2011-05-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

I think I am still blown away by the results for Saturday's race at Lake Sunapee. NorEast women took 1,2,3 out of 27 riders. I was on the front up the first pitch of the finishing climb when my team-mate Katie came off my wheel, looked back at me, and I yelled her on to "go!go!go!" So she did, and Amy came right around me to climb into 2nd place, while no one else was able to use my wheel (except for the P/1/2 men break away that was also finishing...quite confusing!), so I placed 3rd. An amazing result, one that I have never seen happen before in any men or women's field, even amongst the professional teams/races. We were ecstatic! There were lots of attempts from other riders and teams to break away, but they failed to do so. Amy and myself hunted down a few on the first lap (23 miles, 1370ft of elevation gain), and after that, one one tried to do so on the second lap. It was sunny and warm for the first half of the race, but then the skies opened up and we all got soaked. It felt refreshing though, and the sun was back out when we all crossed the finish line :)

Results

Weeping Willow & Sunapee Bike Races

2011-05-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

Well, the rain keeps coming down here in New England. It looks like it is going to be another wet weekend of bike racing in the woods and on the road...

On Saturday I will be competing in the Lake Sunapee (NH) Road Race. The race is 46 miles for the P/1/2/3 Category. My NorEast team-mates, Amy, Kerry, Katie, Sam, and I will be going all out to podium.

On Sunday, I will be competing in the Elite Category at the Cross Country Weeping Willow E.F.T.A. (Eastern Fat Tire Association) Series Race for 17 miles.

The Greatest Show on Earth

2011-05-18T05:14:00.000-07:00

This brilliant documentary film shows the majestic beauty that is the Giro d'Italia.
It's said that Eddy Merckx's Molteni boss wept like a child in the arms of his beaming star,
who later on in the year went on to win cycling's magical triple crown when he won the Tour de France and the World Championships.
Experience the riders' anguish and joy; the organizers' difficulties; and the adoring tifosi's passion.
With stunning cinematography, this epic film goes inside the Giro's heart and soul, from its opening sequence of the Pope blessing the riders through to the majestic power of Merckx.
Be amazed by his awesome battle with Gimondi to win his fifth Giro by a mere 12 seconds to equal the record held by Alfredo Binda and Fausto Coppi.
This cinematic masterpiece might be the greatest ever made on bicycle racing.

Tymor Park Mtn. Bike Race 5/15/11

2011-05-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

Had an awesome mtn. bike race Sunday. Def. the most challenging I have ever done! Insane climbing and descending, winding-fast single track, tons of mud, slick rocks and roots; mtn. biking at its finest! I won for Cat 1 in my age group (19-29), 2nd Cat 1 overall, & 7th with Pro/Cat 1 women. combined (14 starters). I was in 4th place up until 1/2 way through the last lap when I got the nastiest hamstring cramp and bonked. I got passed by 2 Pro's & the other Cat 1 40+ rider (impressive!) so I was 0:4:35 to 4th place, 0:3:05 to 5th place, and 6th place was only 42 seconds ahead. I was pretty proud & full of smiles throughout! I received pay out, which just about covered the entry fee. This race was my first AMBC (American Mountain Bike Challenge) race, so I acquired some Pro upgrade points :)

The Bottom Line!

2011-05-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

READ THIS! I contacted Kevin Hunt from the Hartford Courant about my Power Tap that was stolen in March. He wrote a GREAT ARTICLE :)

The Bottom Line: What Happens When FedEx Delivers A Package To The Wrong Home?

http://www.courant.com/features/live-smart/hc-bottom-line-fedex-0508-20110502,0,75789.column

I found some humorous pictures to share:

Mother's Day Bike Ride 5/8/11

2011-05-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

So I think I was the only daughter to ride her bike 87 miles (round trip) to surprise her Mother on Mother's Day! Ryan and I were lucky not to get hit my the luminous storm clouds. It remained sunny and warm for the majority of the ride.

Race Re-Cap Sterling Road Race

2011-05-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Despite driving through golf ball seized hail in Wochester Massechusetts on our way to the race, the skies held clear for everyone at the 17th Annual Sterling Classic Road Race held in Sterling MA. Only five minutes of showers cooled us off around 1:30pm and the rest of the race was perfect weather. For the women representing NorEast it was myself (Jena Greaser), Amy Miner, and Kerry Litka. The women's race was 48 miles long. We did 6 loops (each 8 miles long). There is only one challenging part to Sterling and that is a very very challenging, steep climb to the finish line. However, when you do it 7 times, it gets pretty tiring! The rest of the course is just 7 miles of flat roads and rolling hills. On the first lap Kerry rode off the front and no one decided to attack her. Amy and I moved to the front to block, but before the final 2 miles of the first loop, two Kenda riders moved around us on a turn and pulled Kerry in. After going up the climb for a second time, the pack had dropped the majority of the category 3 riders and a few 2's. However, on every lap they would catch back on because after the climb, everyone would just settle in to an easy tempo ride. A Sunapee rider blew off the front and since no one was doing anything, and I knew that this was a strong rider, I got out of the saddle, on the front, and sprinted her down. After that, there were no more attempts of breaking away because I think everyone realized the course was not designed for it and there were too many strong riders in the field. I orchestrated a team meeting on the start of the 3rd lap. We decided that we should do something on the last lap for Amy to get a lead out and hopefully the win. I was just using the race as training for the end of my build weeks and Amy had just come off a rest week, she let us know she was really fresh and ready to give it a go. In the final 2 miles of the last lap, I pulled into position on the front with Kerry to the inside of me and Amy behind us. As we rounded the corner to climb the hill to the finish, Amy took off behind our wheels and sprinted her legs off to a 3rd place finish, almost beating Pro rider, Mary Zider!!! My legs blew up as we started the final climb and I just let everyone else charge up the hill as I soft pedaled it to the finish line at the end of the pack. I had done what I needed to do and was satisfied enough with that. Kerry had passed me and placed a few riders further up, but what we were most proud of was our team work together in the race to help Amy to her amazing 3rd place finish!

17th Annual Sterling Classic Road Race 5/7/11

2011-05-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

I am headed to Sterling Massachusetts tomorrow (Saturday May 7th) to par take in the Sterling Classic Road Race. This will be my first time doing the 48 mile race. Each loop is 8 miles long. There is a stair step hill at the start/finish line that the Women's P/1/2/3 field will pass through 6 times. The rest of the course is rolling hills, with a steep long climb in the middle. It is going to be beautiful weather!

Check out the race website:
http://www.minutemanroadclub.com/

The PINK Jersey

2011-05-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Giro D'Italia starts this Saturday May 7th and continues through Sunday May 29th (yeah, that is a lot of riding!). We do not have cable, but plan to follow it online on universalsports.com, as well as http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/
Who will be covered in pink at the end of the 22 days this year?

Bike Structures

2011-05-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

An obelisk, titled ‘cyclisk’ has been built by Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector, artists hailing from Northern California. The monumental sculpture, which is made out of recycled bicycles, stands 65 feet tall and weighs around 10,000 pounds. It is one of three other bicycle structures built by Grieve.

Toronto Canada Bike Arch

Patrick Skingley and Lukas Barry's Bike Tower

Bike Trees by Chun Yeug Cheng and Ka Fai Lee

Three Sisters Sanctuary: Rt. 112 Goshen MA (Taken by me!)

Bicycle garages in Tokyo Japan

Bicycle parking garage Amsterdam

Bike parking lot Niigata Japan

DOWNPOUR 5/4/11

2011-05-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

Nothing like riding in the down-pouring rain! Good thing I bought these NRS Maverick Paddling Gloves to keep me dry. If only I had them for the Quabin Road Race 2 weekends ago!!!

We slayed them dragons!

2011-05-03T10:07:00.001-07:00

Bennington Stage Race, Bennington VT 4/30-5/1 2011

11 mile Time Trial
20 mile Criterium
62 mile Road Race

Wow. What a weekend. For those that did not attend, they sure missed out on a great Stage Race. I heard many saying that the road race was more difficult than GMSR, Killington, and Battenkill combined. Well, it sure was!
For the women, Amy Miner and myself represented NorEast, and we did so very well. There were 16 P/1/2 Women to start on Saturday, which started off with a 11 mile Time Trial. This was not your typical TT...with much more climbing, descending, and turning involved. It was a very hard course to get a rhythm going. I had taken off my aero bars, considering the amount of climbing that I was going to encounter. Bad choice. I was wishing I had those bars on the flats and descents! But still, I kept a good tempo going and did not over exert myself. I placed 4th (1st place woman was former professional triathlete) and Amy placed 9th. Both of us had enough juice left in our legs for the Crit. in the afternoon. The Crit. was a bit of a disaster though...considering the fact that the officials and race promoter decided to combine the 3/4 field with our P/1/2 field...WHAT???? Thirty 3/4 women in with our field made no sense and it created a lot of confusion and chaos. There was a crash due to their mixing in with us. Luckily Amy and I both were on the right side of it and ended up carrying on. Our tactics were to do lead-outs and get me some GC sprints and Amy some Points sprints. With having all this mess in the field, it was difficult to do so, but we still managed a few good tries that were successful. Amy got a 3rd on the 1st points sprint, then we did not get to do the 1st GC sprint-due to the crash-I got 1st on the next GC sprint, and then on the last points sprint Amy got 3rd and I got 4th. On the last lap, two Kenda riders got a few bike length gap and I closed in on it to 3rd wheel, I was ready to pull around them, but the finish was a disaster! There were 3/4's sprawled all over the road like moving cones. I had to pull hard right and ended up getting 5th by less than 1/2 a wheel length to 3rd place. Amy placed 8th.
That night we had a NorEast team dinner, with a some good laughs. However, I woke up in the middle of the night with a terrible upset stomach! I felt like I was going to throw up...a very restless rest of the night. Note to self: do not eat alfredo sauce before a race. It took 2 hours to just eat my peanut butter and jelly bagel in the morning...I was concerned about even rolling off the start line...but it was a good thing that I did! Our road race got underway and moving instantly started to make me feel better. My stomach felt like it was going to rip through my skin until after the 2nd climb, but I was still able to stick with it. At mile 12 in the race, there was a hot spot sprint. I moved up to the front around mile 9, with Amy on my wheel. Without even talking, she could sense my plan. As soon as we saw the 200 meters to go mark, I took off with her on my wheel and placed 1st and 2nd (respectively). We were really pleased with that and it kept us fueled for the remainder of the race. The first 3 mile dirt climb was brutal. It kicked right up and just kept going. 5 riders went on ahead and I lost contact with their wheels. I had a group of 6 other riders and we tried to hammer down the decent. We could still see how close the group up ahead was, but never made it on before the next insanely steep climb. For the rest of the race I pace lined it with these 6 other riders. One girl in our group had the leader up ahead and did not want to work with us. It was a pretty annoying because she would just sit on the back. Anyway, we all kept in good spirits through the rest of the climbs and when we entered Manchester for the last few miles I moved to the front and as we turned the corner to the finish I took off and won the group sprint, placing 6th overall in the race. Amy finished in the group behind us in 11th place. Due to the fact that 3 of the riders that were behind me in the GC standings after Saturday got in the first group on the RR, it put myself into 7th GC. Amy came in 10th GC. I placed 3rd in the overall points results and Amy 4th.
We both had a solid weekend of racing and were happy to work together. Good thing my flat tire did not appear until I took the bike off the race at home Sunday!!!

Tour of the Dragons! Rarrrrrrr!

2011-04-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.benningtonraceweekend.com/

Headed off to Bennington VT for the first year running of the Tour of the Dragons Stage Race. I will be racing in the Women's P/1/2 field. Saturday starts off with an "up-hill" 11 mile Time Trial and a "flat" downtown Criterium, followed by an insanely hilly 62 mile (97 mile for the men P/1/2) Road Race on Sunday. Despite the massive amount of pain we all will endure, it is going to be a beautiful weekend!

ExpoWheelmen Time Trial Series #1, Hebron CT 4/27/11

2011-04-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

First time in the time trial position on my Amira road bike this year. I had to make several adjustments on my 18 mile ride to Gay City State Park (the TT course registration) and then to the start 5 miles. Raced the 6 mile course and back to Gay City, did a cool down, then back home the 18 miles. I was the first female overall and placed 11th out of 37 riders! Only 10 Cat. 1/2 men beat me :)

Expo TT Home Page

Quabin Road Race, Ware MA 4/23/11

2011-04-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

Craziest & toughest road race of everyone's life today. For those of you who did not look outside, or go outside, well the weather report was 35 degrees and freezing down-pouring rain...for the whole time we raced. 1/2 of each field did not show, & at least a 1/4 dropped out in every field. Laura and I were 2 of the insane few to push through and finish. Laura jumped with 2 other riders that broke away. I was unsure if I should go with or hold the pack pace back. I tried to jump on, but it was too late and I did not want to pull the field onto her wheel. Unintentionally, me and this other girl Kate, split from the group shortly after. We were less than a minute away from catching them, but I dropped my chain...on a hill...of all places!!! Kate helped me, it was quit a disaster and took some time. The pack had caught us again. Ugh. I tried to get my GU out, but it was too cold and did not squeeze out. Each time I reached into my pocked it was a 10 minute ordeal. It was not long until Kate and I broke off again, unintentionally. Another rider joined us this time. We were just pedaling up one of the never ending climbs and then no one was there. Laura and the 2 other leaders were 3 minutes ahead now though and stayed that way until the end. Us three knew that we were far enough away from the pack, so we settled in and took turns pulling. Kate left us with 5 miles to go. I had taken off my gloves because they each weight heavier than a full water bottle. I could not shift into the big ring, my hands were so numb. There was a descent and I could not pedal. Myself and the other rider turned the corned to the Reservoir and I took off leaving her behind. CONGRATS TO LAURA for winning the race and I placed 5th, receiving the last place for payout. I was so glad to see that finish line. Everyone was just soaked & chilled to the bone. It took me a good 1/2 hr to stop shaking and de-thaw. No joke. Helmets off to those who stuck with it today! If you could finish that, you can finish anything!

http://www.bikereg.com/inc/content/flyers/quabbin-road-race-flyer.pdf

No pictures from the event, due to the conditions

Root 66 #1 Winding Trails, Farmington CT 4/17/11

2011-04-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

One of my best performances on an XC bike. I placed 1st out of 12 Cat. 1 racers. I had the hole shot, but then flipped over my handle bars hard into a tree in the first woods section. I was totally spaced out and not paying attention. I was lucky I did not get hurt besides a minor bump. My chain got jammed between my front derailure and big chain ring. I was stuck trying to yank it out for a few minutes on the side of the trail as everyone passed me. I finally got it back on, but had issues with it the rest of the race. However, I was in last place and sprinted harder than I every have on a mt bike to get back to the front on the first lap. I passed the girl in first and never looked back. Super muddy day, but fast fun course of 20 miles. Ready for the rest of the season!

Root 66 Series Home Page

New XC Bike: Cannondal Scalpel 2

2011-04-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

ZERO PIVOTS, ZERO COMPETITION. The lightest, stiffest, most efficient dual suspension XC race bike on the planet. The Scalpel isn’t just in a class by itself - it’s attending an entirely different school.

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/mountain/mountain-full-suspension/scalpel/2011-scalpel-2-16280

Beanpot Criterium, Tufts University 4/3/11

2011-04-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

First team race for the NorEast women of the season. It was the perfect day for a race. Jena Greaser, Laura Ralston, and Katie Quinn raced for the women's team. I was sick from a head cold that I had been battling half the week, but the adrenaline kept my body from paying attention to it for too long. The women's open race had a lot of top notch women competitors. I did an attack up the second hill on the 2nd lap, which broke up the group. I was very proud of this effort, considering it was the first time I had every been the one to lead the split of the pack. Throughout the rest of the race, I attempted several other attacks, with assistance from Katie, but due to the strong group of women and lack of no primes, it was hard to make anything happen. I pulled a large majority of the race, jumping on other riders wheels if they tried to make a move. On the last lap to go, a Wheelworks rider went off the front and I was right there, so not knowing weather to go or hold on, I went for it, gunning her down on the last climb. This allowed Laura to use my wheel and sprint against the rider to 2nd place. Katie and I followed in 5th and 6th place out of 19 riders. Great all around team effort, and we all look forward to having successful races the rest of the season.