Shut Up & Ride... just thought that needed to be said!

General Musings

It's been a great week and weekend of riding, weekend weather notwithstanding.  But hey, it is weather, and every place has it, yet no one does anything about it!  Think of those who live in flooded areas or the Arizona Desert.  It ain't so bad here, is it?

  We are having a great turn out at club rides.  Let's keep it up, and try to get some new folks out to join us.  I get a visceral feeling that some may be intimidated by the length of our rides.  There is always a shorter option on our routes.  Any of us are happy to help you find where to break off.  And no one rides alone!  It is a club ride, not a race.  Sure some folks will ride fast.  That is a good thing.  And some not so fast.  That too is a good thing.

We have been rolling out as one big group.  Let's continue that practice.  We look good going through town that way, and the visibility is a reminder to drivers that there are cyclists on the roads around here.  And continue to talk to each other.  Point out road hazards, encourage each other, and make sure no one is in need of any thing.

  Some are finding cycling makes them both hungry and thirsty. People are going out post ride, so be advised and maybe keep some non spandex in your car????  And once and awhile in the summer, we are known to kickback in RRB's parking lot and have a cold one and some tacos from Super Mercado.

  By the way, I will be out of the Lower 48 for the next couple weeks.  Stay tuned to Facebook and TreadHeadCycling web page, especially the Calendar tab.  I do plan to offer up my swimming pool for a post ride soak after I return.  I'll let you know.

It Is Worth Repeating

  The National Bike is sponsoring a country-wide challenge for riders to log their miles on their cite.  The state with the most miles the end of summer wins!  Illinois TreadHeads, skip down to the next section.  I am encouraging Wisconsin riders only here.  ;-)   Last year, I am told, Wisconsin was the winner, so there is incentive to defend that title.   I am finding it a fun exercise to track my standing both locally and nationally.  If you want to play, here is the link.  

https://nationalbikechallenge.org/

my Team Challenge Wisconsin Chapter & Captain Mackenzie

  The Bigfoot Beach Triathlon is scheduled for June 28th.  my Team Challenge- Wisconsin Chapter is working hard to help Captain Mackenzie in her first triathlon.  If you would like to help out at the team tent, or volunteer to help the promoters with the event itself, please contact Gayle Harrigan at 262-745-7873, visit http://myteamtriumph-wi.org/volunteer/  or even message Gayle on the my Team, Triumph- Wisconsin Chapter Facebook page.  

Udder Century

  As I type this, there is a substantial group of TreadHeads battling the road, wind, hunger, thirst, fatigue and probably having a damn fine time! 

  And as I return to publish, it seems as if the threat of bad weather deterred most, if not all from the ride.  If I am wrong, share some photos or information about the ride with me.

WEMS Race at Alpine Valley

  Seems we have some gluttons for punishment among the TREADHEADCYCLING ranks.  (More on Mike "The Bishop"  below.)  Greg Clausen took 8th in the Six Hour Solo, while Ray Nelson was first with 8 laps and over 8K feet of climbing.  (Imagine what he might have done with lights?)  Kerry Gonzales did three laps in the Three Hour Solo race.  Jay-Rod Collier teamed up with Ernie Huerta for 2nd in the Six Hour Duo race.  Apologies to anyone I missed. 

 Butch Welke did his own enduro ride traveling to Chicagoland on his Fatty to ride in honor of veterans.  

Iron Man Mike

  

Mike "I rode more miles Saturday than you did all week" Bishop appears to have had a wonderful day.  He rode from Bloomington to Twin Lakes, approximately 167.  The motivation (or excuse as Mike seems to need no motivation to ride) was to honor his father who did a similar ride as a kid.  So, are we to assume the Madison to La Crosse ride the previous week was just a warm up Mike?  

Folks, do NOT let him pick the club ride routes!  We will never be back before dark!  Seriously, great job Mike.  You are an inspiration.  

His & Hers Clausen WORS CamRock Medals

Tuesday & Thursday Club Rides

  We meet, every Tuesday and Thursday, throughout the summer at RRB Bikes in Lake Geneva at 6 PM.  We have a series of routes on quiet, low traffic country roads.  Maps of these routes can be found at http://treadheadcycling.com/ride-routes/

  This week-  Tuesday, June 2nd   Four Lakes

  Thursday, June 4th : Bray Road

  Tuesday, June 9th: Lake Geneva To State Line

  Thursday, June 11th  Mohawk

  Once again we  had a super turnout, and great ride this past week. Lot of new faces and visitors.   We have other routes post on our web page at http://treadheadcycling.com/ride-routes/

  Tuesday & Thursday Weather 

Board Meeting:

  The TREADHEADCYCLING CLUB met this past Saturday morning.  Look for the minutes/agenda in an upcoming email.  

Meet Mackenzie

This past rainy Saturday, a few of us got to meet a remarkable young woman and share our passion for cycling with her.  Several TREADHEADS are going work with my Team Triumph-Wisconsin Chapter to help Mackenzie experience the joy and excitement of a triathlon June 28th at Bigfoot Beach State Park.  A special athletic chair is being built specifically for Mackenzie and should be ready on race day.  

The wind in our faces we curse or at least take for granted put a huge smile on Mackenzie's face.  I think it would be great if Mackenzie can join us for some Thursday night club rides, too.  Thanks to Chris Schmidt for bringing the opportunity to our attention.  It put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.  There are more pictures and a couple short videoes on the Team Triumph Facebook Page.  The Swimmers looked like a motor boat.  That too, was amazing to watch.  

  

Race Results

WORS- Cam-Rock  

D. Gage Photograhpy

  As results trickle in.... Heather Rainer Peat was 4th in her age, and 16th overall in the Women's Cat 3.  Kerry Gonzales won Sport Single Speed.  Henrique Lowe finished 6th while Dad, Andy Lowe suffered a DNF.  Greg Spende finished tenth for his age group and 72nd Overall in the Cat 2's.

  Greg & Ann Clausen both earned medals!  Way to Go!

  In the Elite Field, Ray Nelson finished 2nd in his age, and 11th Overall.  Mike "The" Bishop was 5th in 40-44 age group, and 49th Overall.   Jerrod Collier was 12th in his age category, 56th Overall. 

  Again, apologies to those I missed. Let me know, and I'll make amends!   

Some Recent Results from The Road;

Andrea Pether has put up some impressive results;  Remember, she is a TREADHEAD at heart.  

05/30/2015 - LAPT/Trek Midwest Road Race | RR | 19-29
3 / 6	475.76	Andrea Pether	343188		63	ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI
05/25/2015 - Concordia University Criterium p/b Team Velocause | CRIT | 19-29
3 / 9	154.83	Andrea Pether	343188		77	ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI
05/24/2015 - MOSH Criterium | CRIT | 19-29
1 / 7	152.35	Andrea Pether	343188		677	ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI
05/23/2015 - Palmyra Road Race | RR | 19-29
1 / 7	468.50	Andrea Pether	343188		104	ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI
05/17/2015 - Silver Lake Criterium | CRIT | 19-29
3 / 8	133.69	Andrea Pether	343188		462	ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI
05/16/2015 - Wheel & Sprocket Criterium | CRIT | 19-29
6 / 10	237.51	Andrea Pether	343188		593	ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI

Andy Schmidt;

05/25/2015 - Quad Cities Criterium | OMNI
1 / 17	-	Andrew Schmidt	303828		800	Hincapie Development team
05/25/2015 - Quad Cities Criterium | CRIT | Junior | 15-16
1 / 15	125.35	Andrew Schmidt	303828		177	Hincapie Development team
05/25/2015 - Quad Cities Criterium | CRIT
7 / 38	105.40	Andrew Schmidt	303828		239	Hincapie Development team
05/24/2015 - 37th Annual Melon City Criterium/ Rider Development | CRIT
3 / 44	93.55	Andrew Schmidt	303828		248	Hincapie Development team
05/23/2015 - Snake Alley Criterium | CRIT
1 / 42	96.76	Andrew Schmidt	303828		424	Hincapie Development team
05/23/2015 - Snake Alley Criterium | CRIT | Junior | 15-16
2 / 16	118.40	Andrew Schmidt	303828

MEMORIAL WEEKEND- Don't Forget to Ride

Tuesday Thursday THC Club Rides

  We meet, every Tuesday and Thursday, throughout the summer at RRB Bikes in Lake Geneva at 6 PM.  We have a series of routes on quiet, low traffic country roads.

  This week-  Tuesday, May 26th: Walworth Ride  

  Thursday, May 28th:  Lake Como Loop

  We had a super turnout, and great ride this past Thursday.  4 Lakes was new to many riders, and we will be making that route a Summer Regular.  We have other routes post on our web page at http://treadheadcycling.com/ride-routes/

  Tuesday & Thursday Weather 

Friday Night Cruiser Ride

  OK, where do we stand on these?  Are people interested and available?  Please note, those are two separate issues, right? ;-)  Let me know if there is interest and some leadership and I will be happy to post an itinerary.  

THC- Goals.  What is the purpose of our club?  

  The THREAD would like to hear from you about what you think the club is or should be all about.  But more importantly, our Board of Directors need to hear from you.  Please give this some thought and share your ideas, hopes, dreams and aspirations.  

  I became a member for the social aspect of riding in a group.  But that has evolved into much more for me over time.  What do you hope to benefit by being a TreadHead?  

Up Coming Events:

They're Tractors, On Sticks....

 It looks as if some TreadHeads had a good time, as always at The Black Hawk Bike Club's Back Roads Ride in Rockton this weekend.   Mark this next one on your calendars and start getting your miles in now to prep for this annual century.  McHenry County Udder Century  There are shorter distances available, too.  

  A group of TreadHeads are going to be helping a young woman experience the joy of participating in a triathlon.  There will be a get together next weekend to get acquainted with Mackenzie and learn how to transition her properly through the different disciplines.  And then we will be part of her team in the Big Foot Triathlon on June 28th.  If you are interested in more details, talk to Chris Schmidt. 

And speaking of Dr. Schmidt, I am sure he would love to clear his home of the new TreadHead kits. If you ordered one, please arrange to get yours picked up.  Yes, Chris, I am one of those guilty ones. I'll call you!  

  Steve Bappert is looking for people to join him this Wednesday for an informal ride. He will post details on Facebook, and I will update here.  Stay tuned.  

  Next Sunday, May 31st, is the WORS Battle of Camrock.    

Bike Tip:

  I am reading one of the best books I have ever read!  I won't bore you with details here, though am happy to talk with you about it if you care.  It has nothing to do with cycling, except that everything has to do with cycling!  It is Resilience, Hard Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life.  

  Wanna be a better cyclist?  Wanna ride faster? Ascend hills quicker?  Pull longer at the front?  Find the best lines on the trail?  Find a model!  Look to someone who does what you want to do.  Follow their lead.  Ask them how they got so good at what they do.  And I will tell you, it is not just that they have a nicer bike,  Bikes are just tools.  

  And of course, you are you, and your model/mentor is he or she.  But that does not mean you can't take their experience, ideas and style and make it your own so it works for you.  I think everyone has a strength, something we can learn from, And it is not just the fastest or the strongest for the longest who can be a role model.  Ride like someone may be watching, cuz they probably are!

Race Results:  

  There is still some heavy racing going on for one TreadHead over in Iowa at The Snake Alley Criterium and Burlington Road Races.  Here is a link to Andy Schmidt's USA Cycling Results.  I hope to have more details to report later, but it looks as if he won the Men's Cat 3 criterium and  his Hincapie Development Team represented the podium in the Juniors Race.

TreadHead Alum, now representing Team Novo Nordisk Development, Ezra Ward Packard scored fourth place racing in Cat 2 at Burlington Road Race in Iowa this weekend.   The link above is to Ezra's USA Cycling Page results if you would like to see how he has been doing.

  And it appears Andrea Pether is having some success somewhere riding for ISCorp.

As always, if you are racing, let me know so I can share your results with other TreadHeads.  

Tuesday/Thursday THC Club Ride

  Start from RRB in Lake Geneva each Tuesday and Thursday at 6 PM.  The routes vary around Lake Geneva, and are always on quiet, low traffic back country roads.  Distances vary from 20-35 miles.  

Friday Night Cruiser Rides

  These are casual fun rides on cruiser bikes.  People ride a variety of bikes on easy going rambles around local towns, and after an hour, adjourn for dinner and or drinks.  The location varies each Friday, but start at 6:30.  So far, we have been in Lake Geneva, Woodstock and Burlington.  

Rides, Races And Events

  You can see upcoming cycling events on previous posts of this blog, and of course there is usually discussion and new ride opportunities posted regularly on the TREADHEADCYCLING FaceBook page.  

Kliff Notes For The THREAD

Here is the condensed and very simple version....

CLUB RIDES:

  TUESDAY, MAY 12th 6 PM RRB Cycles in Lake Geneva WI  Knob Hill Roller Coaster A Go-Go

  THURSDAY, MAY 15th,, 6 PM, RRB Cycles in Lake Geneva Round da Lake W/ da Snake.  We ride around Geneva Lake, and have the option of riding up Schofield Road and crossing HWY 50 to Snake Road.  Snake Road ends on the West edge of Lake Geneva.  

  FRIDAY NIGHT CRUISER- 6:30 PM, Burlington WI.  Meet in the Parking Lot of Fred's Burgers
  596 Pine Street.  Ride the crushed lime stone and paved trail of Burlington.  Fred's for post ride food and/or drink.  

WEATHER REPORT

Other Rides, Races & Events

  WORS continues in Rhinelander, WI. with the Crystal Lake Classic

  Blackhawk Country Roads  This is a two day event.  TreadHeads are planning to ride Saturday, May, 23rd.  There are multiple distances, but the TreadHeads are riding the 65 mile course.  Wheels out at 7:30 AM sharp from registration, located in DownTown Rockton, IL  302 West Main Street.  

  Parking is located at the High School    

   

Mid Week Post

Thursday THC Ride out of RRB Bikes

I am assuming no sane person went out Tuesday from RRB for our first formal ride of the season.  If you did go out, it may be best you not announce that as I did qualify "sane."  Given that, and that there is construction on the road out of town, I propose we amend our Thursday route to be Crab Apple .  6 PM Start time, less than 25 miles for the route.  Short cuts available.

Friday Cruiser Ride

  Friday Night at 6:30, downtown Woodstock on the Square. Ride for an hour and adjourn to The Public House on The Square post ride.  

This Weekend- Informal Rides

  Let me know, and I'll amend this post to show who, what, when, where, etc

Treadfest

  From our Race Director, And All Around Good Guy, THE BISHOP.  This is a link to our web page.   http://treadheadcycling.com/treadfest/

 
  Also, here is a message he is sharing about TREADFEST.
 

Hey Treadheads,

The Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS) is underway and the club is in the process of planning for our amazing race at the Grand Geneva, Treadfest. This is our sole fund-raiser for Tread Head Cycling and the money generated is used to promote cycling within our community. There are a few developments regarding Treadfest that I'd like to share with you today.

The race is on September 6th, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. This is a week earlier than usual and was changed due to WORS schedule conflicts with the NICA high school races which WORS also manages. We are excited to get racers to make Treadfest a destination race with their families to spend some time in and enjoy the Lake Geneva area. This also allows Treadheads to have a little more fun after the race since most people don’t have to work the next day. We know this can be a heavy vacation weekend and we are hoping to get the volunteers needed to run the race smoothly.

Treadfest will not have the trail run this year. Our numbers for the trail run have always been small and it is not worth the investment in volunteer hours for the return. We are not alone as last week’s WORS race in Iola also removed the trail run from its schedule. Runners I had conversations with seemed to understand and took it in stride.

This year we are going to have our Treadfest volunteer party a week before the race at Simple Café. This will allow a better forum to communicate race logistics and coordination plus have some fun. Simple is one of our sponsors and they have graciously agreed to open in the evening for our awesome volunteers. More details to come on an evening of great food and friends.

To help with Treadfest volunteer coordination we are going to have team captains for the different functional areas. Team captains will lead volunteers in each functional area. To improve communication the volunteers will have one person that can provide information and leadership.

We will soon be sending out requests for volunteers. We really appreciate all of the help that everyone has provided over the years and we hope that we can count on several wonderful individuals to help make this year’s event a success as well.

If you have any questions regarding the race or volunteering please let me know.

Mike Bishop - Treadfest Race Director

National Bike Challenge

  The Wisconsin Bike Federation is encouraging Wisconsin (and you Flatlanders, too, I guess) to sign up and post your miles through the Summer.  Last year, Wisconsin took the top of the podium, and the TREADHEADS are a good group to up that tally.  More information about signing up can be found at https://nationalbikechallenge.org/     Thanks for sharing that information, Dan Getzen.  

Talk To Your Board

If there is something cycling related that you are passionate about, share your thought with a board member(s)  What can we do to make our club better?  

Solo Riding Gets Me Thinking...

Riding makes me think. Thinking makes me write.  Don't ask what happens when we throw drinking into thinking, that is a post for another time.  But here is a little something you might relate to on what the bike does for me.  

It’s Not A Bike;

There is an abundance of research that suggests we are happier when we spend our money on experiences rather than things.  That seems counter-intuitive to many.  We know what happens to that expensive meal once it has been devoured, but a thing costing the same amount of money often lasts well beyond the lifetime of a meal. 

But it is generally not true that things are better than experiences.  New toys lose their sparkle and shine.  But experiences?  They tend to grow, even get better, over time.  Take a vacation where it rained 5 out of 7 days.  A year later, you will remember the glorious wonder of the two sunny days.

A friend of mine is the genius behind The Art of Really Living.  He contends that we can slow time and in effect live (almost) forever.  He has some very specific steps about how to do that.  But the basic premise is to live life so as to create event horizons. 

What are the criteria for shaping event horizons?  For making moments that last almost forever? That slow and expand time?  There are five factors;

•  Emotional Intensity
• Physical intensity
• Uniqueness
• Flow
• Beauty

I took issue with the research that things don’t make us happy.  I pointed to my favorite bike as a prime example.  The bike was a thing.  That thing made me deliriously happy.  Ergo, some things do make us happy.  John corrected me.  It is not a bike. It is an experience delivery mechanism.  It is not a bike.  It is the rides with friends, the cycling vacations to new destinations, it is the early morning experience of seeing the sun rise over the next hill on some back road, flying down a steep descent, or cresting it, happening upon an unexpected lake.  It is…. we all have our memories sitting atop a bike.

So, it is not a bike. It is an experience delivery mechanism.  We just call it a bike for convenience.  

And how many event horizons do I have from riding a bike?  Where do I start?  How about you?  

Like TREAD THREAD?  Tell your Friends.

Hate the TREAD THREAD?  Tell ME!  

Gary

TUESDAY THURSDAY CLUB RIDES

  Tuesday night, 6:00, Crab Apple.  This is approximately a 21 mile ride, but there are some built in short cuts if light is a concern for that distance.

  Thursday night, same time, same place.  Around Da Lake With or Without The Snake.  

  There has been extensive discussion about how to make our rides better, more accommodating,  But it is what you do, not what you say that matters. That said, let's be sure that if new folks join our ride, we make sure they know the route, understand safe ride etiquette and that riders are not left behind.  Most people do not travel to a group ride to ride alone, am I right?  Let's be good ambassadors for cycling.  

FRIDAY NIGHT CRUISER RIDE

  Cruiser ride means we ain't going far, we ain't going fast, and if you are in a full spandex kit with aero bars and carbon wheels, you are going to feel funny.  If you don't feel funny, we definitely need to talk.  Come on any bike that rolls.

  Friday night, Woodstock on the Square, 6:30 PM.  Food and drinks post ride, location yet to be determined.  

RACE RESULTS

Doing It In The Dirt

  Lots of TREADHEADS made their way north for the first of the WORS races, Iola Bump and Jump.  It sounds like at least one of them got his bumps.  A great showing from our local riders.  

  Heather Rainer Peat, her son Rider and Kerry Gonzales all found their ways to the podium. Heather graced the podium in second place, Rider and Kerry each in 4th.  Kerry raced a single speed, some how oblivious to the fact that being able to select which gear is most appropriate for the terrain and obstacles is a good thing.  

  Ray Nelson placed 8th overall, and Jerrod Collier was 3rd in his age group in Cat 1.    

  Jack Spende was 10th in the Citizens' 11-14 age category.  

 Greg Clausen placed third in his race, and his wife Ann finished 8th.  

 

  Also racing the TREADHEAD colors were Rich and Mike Mennenoh.  

Republished without express permission from Mike The Bishop's Facebook page;  Long boring race report. So today I drove three hours north to Iola Wisconsin for the first WORS race of the year. I had originally planned to bring the whole family but things changed and I drove up by myself. I wasn't super excited about the 6 hours of driving for 2 hours of racing but I figured I had been planning this for a while and I should go get it done. On my way up I stopped at Starbucks in Franklin. There was a long line and I did notice that there was a nice girl in front of me in the next car. When I pulled up to the window the girl at the window explained that the girl in front of me had paid for my coffee so I was good to go. That has never happened before and definitely put me in a better mood for the rest of the trip. When I got to the race it was great to see old friends that I had raced against 2 years ago when I did the series. We caught up on things and realized that most of us had upgraded and we would be racing each other in Category 1. For those that are not into cycling this is the highest level of 5 with the exception of being a pro. This basically means that we have to race with the pro riders but we only see them for about 10 seconds. Our goal was not be last in the race. The pace and climbing at the start of the race was brutal and I was not ready for it. I started in DFL but actually started to move up on a couple climbs. Some guys had to put a foot down on one of the climbs but I was able to make it through the slight mayhem and move up. I was doing well but on a huge climb my buddy Jerrod went past me and I decided to jump on his wheel since we have ridden together before. Since I drove up that day I had not ridden the course and had no idea was was around each corner. Well it bit me this time. On the following downhill there were some massive roots that you have to take on the right but I went left and was eject off the bike. At this point everyone started asking if I was OK. When you are on the ground and bleeding it is nice to have your fellow competitors concerned about your well being. It was very encouraging. I told them I was fine and managed to jump back on my bike. At this point I noticed my handlebars were not exactly pointed straight down the trail so I had to stop again to get them fixed. Another friend came by encouraging me to keep going and keep strong. When I finally got going I was almost DFL again. After a crash you are a little shaken up but I just kept thinking about my friend's comments and it kept me going. I was able to catch and pass a couple of the guys but after the third lap I started to get super hungry. Usually I eat tons before a race but this time I kind of forgot. During the race I had 5 Gu's and a large bottle of electrolytes but it did not stop my stomach from imploding. I tried to keep strong but I can see from my data that my effort just kept falling as the mile built up. It wasn't my day. I got 5th out of 9 in my age group but like 45th out of 58 overall. Before I went my buddy Butch said, I hope you like sand, and he was right. The course had tons of sand and was quite dusty when you were in a pack. I also almost ran over a snake that decided to cross the trail in front of me. That doesn't happen very often. The temp climbed over 80 degrees which I think is the first time this year that I have ridden in anything that warm. Even with all of my troubles and excuses I really had fun. It was great to be out on a bike pushing my body as hard as I can. It was also nice to be with friends that are fierce competitors but truly look out for each other.

On The Road Side of Things

  Last weekend, Andy Schmidt represented in fine fashion down at the Joe Martin Stage race in Arkansas.  He won the up hill Time Trial, was the only one to break 10 minutes, followed his winning team mate, Simon Jones to third on the Saturday road race, and seemed to be a lock on winning the General Classification that was determined in a crit on Sunday.  Some how, another Schmidt, 23 year old college student Tyler, was up the road in a break. But it appeared from the materials provided by race officials that he was not a GC threat.  Imagine everyone's surprise when it was discovered that he was in fact in contention.  The other Schmidt ended up winning the GC by two seconds.  All of us who have had our legs torn off by Andy know that he could have regained those seconds anywhere in his sleep.  Maybe not the result he wanted, but we are proud of him!  

  This week, Andy raced in La Crosse Wisconsin.  Results to follow later.  

THINGS TO DO

    Sunday, June 14th, 34th Annual BCLC Ramble.  This link is to an Active Registration page, but all the details are there.

  Previous posts have a host of other rides and links.  But it is a worth a reminder for the Blackhawk Back Roads ride on Memorial Weekend. Expect a group of TREADHEADS on the Saturday ride.  

  Likwise, check back later and I hope to have some informal rides posted for the weekend.  

Be Sure To Keep The Rubber Side Down,

Gary