8 posts from January 2010
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I was happy to spot a new time trial race series happening right in my backyard of McMinnvile, Oregon on the OBRA schedule. For three Saturdays in March, starting with March 6th, there will be a 12 mile (6 mile out and back) time trial on the quiet farm roads just southwest of town. The course is fairly hilly, starting with about 300' of climbing with rollers and high speed turns throughout. Probably not enough to be considered "technical" but it's certainly not a pancake flat TT where you just stare at your computer's power output.
The course is on Map My Ride if you want to try it yourself before the actual events. I would guess the fastest people will be doing it in the low 30-something minute ranges despite the climbs and cornering. The races also happen to take place the day before two of the Hagg Lake Banana Belt races, so it might make for a perfect double weekend for road riders shaping up for 2010.
Tour Divide Event Details
Our
team members do some pretty amazing things: Matt is training and
winning a battle against a benign brain tumor, Ross and Patrick make
some of the best pizza dough in the region, Carol races in some pretty
cool socks, and Eric enjoys leaping over cross barriers with parts of his ear
missing. But one must admit, racing your mountain bike, solo,
unsupported for 2745 miles from Banff, AB to Antelope Wells, NM sounds
crazy (or really fun!). On June 11th, 2010 that's exactly what Sue
Marcoe, mild-mannered Portland, OR resident and BuyLocal Cycling team member plans to do.
Sue
is no outdoor rookie and is pretty familiar with challenging herself.
Originally from NY, she enjoys rock climbing, mountaineering and back
country skiing. Not so surprisingly the big question most people ask is "why?" "It's hard
to explain," Marcoe says, "but when I first read about 'great divide
racing' about six years ago, I said 'this is for me - this is something
that I HAVE to do'. So, now's the time." Sue
was plagued with injuries last year and it has taken her a while to
save enough money to make the race possible. Despite the no race entry fee policy, Sue estimates the event will cost her about $3k out of pocket.
Sue has one goal: Finish. If she accomplishes this goal she is also aiming to finish in under
30 days. The current female record, set by Jill Homer, is 24 days, 7hrs, and 24 minutes. Currently, Sue is putting in as much base
mileage as she can, mixing in some gym workouts with bike intervals on
the trainer. Starting in March her plan is to log as many back-to-back 100 mile days as possible.
Marcoe says she has "quite a few weekend tours planned, including to
the coast and back for a weekend, circumnavigating Mt. Hood off-road,
and linking together some big rides in Bend. With all this on her plate she'll also be
racing as much as she can, preferably off-road but mixing in some of
the early season road races too.
Even if a rider has the fitness
and mental fortitude to complete the race, equipment malfunctions can send you home packing. The
logistical planning is intense to say the least. Sue's plan is to go as
lightweight as possible, no stove or cook kit, just a sleeping system.
Her equipment list is evolving daily but with the support of the BuyLocal
sponsors Sue is confident she'll meet her goals . "Being a member of the BuyLocal
team is a huge part of what is making this all possible for me, there is
NO WAY I could afford it without the help from our sponsors. Also, I
have the support that I need from a really encouraging significant
other and some super friends/training partners."
We'll keep readers updated as the race date nears. You can track Sue's progress during the race here. Wish Sue well!!
Sue's Bike Equipment:
DeSalvo frame; Stans wheels with Chris King Hubs; Chris King headset; White Bros fork; Mt Borah team kit; Showers Pass rain gear; Epic Designs storage
Before we welcome in 2010 we need to acknowledge the work that was accomplished in 2009. The Buy Local Cycling Team concept evolved over several months and many conversations. We began with a simple premise: Amazing craftspeople in the region make some pretty cool bike stuff. We've expanded our net a bit and have discovered that some pretty cool bike stuff is made in Wisconsin, Utah, California, Indiana, and New York too. Our mission was never to assemble a team that rode on complete US made bikes, down to the brake pads and crank bolts. We knew such a goal would be impossible to reach. We did, however, want the cycling community to consider the high quality options in its backyard. Over the past year we have had some fruitful conversations with the cycling community about the "buy local" concept and why it does, and sometimes does not, make sense.
Buying local bike products, although not the easy choice, just feels right. Not because of the dollars it may bring to the region or the hundred other arguments for buying locally, but because of the simple fact that it helps us feel connected. Making this connection with our local manufactures builds community; a concept we can all benefit from. It's difficult to explain if you've never had the opportunity, but stepping over a bike that was designed and built by someone you know (and have actually talked to!) gives you a sense of pride and appreciation for the builder's craftsmanship; like you had a hand in the process. Thanks DeSalvo! We love our bikes!!
2009 was a blast and a blur. It's remarkable what a bunch of weekend warriors pulled off in one year. Sponsors were found, kits were designed, the roster was assembled, and events were organized. We'd like to thank our 2009 sponsors and welcome in our 2010 partners. We'd would also like to specifically acknowledge MetaFilter and Matt Haughey. Without MeFi and Matt none of this would be possible. Thanks Matt!
So was 2009 a success? We think so. Our team's success is not determined by individual podiums or BAR points. Our team's success is based on three simple things: building community, supporting our riders, and representing our sponsors. The feedback we received from our sponsors and peers was amazing. Team members understand the BuyLocal mission and do their best to stay true that mission.
2010 brings four new partners; Northwest Multisports, Showers Pass, nuun hydration, and Ruckus Components. We are very excited about these partners and the work they do locally. Read more about our sponsors here.
So what goals have we set for 2010? You can check out individual riders' bios and goals here. Collectively, our goal for 2010 hasn't changed much from 2009: Do right by local folks making amazing bike stuff!
Just in case you missed us in 2009, here's a gallery from some of our adventures.
Peace,
BL
![Showers pass+ logo[1]](http://awholelottanothing.typepad.com/.a/6a010535892f3a970b0120a80c73eb970b-120wi "Showers pass+ logo[1]")
The Buy Local Cycling team is happy to report that we've partnered with Showers Pass, a Portland, OR based technical outdoor clothing company. Showers Pass is best known for their incredibly functional and durable rain weather gear. Although their products are made outside of the US, Shower Pass has a pretty cool philosophy and business model:
We believe that bicycles are environmentally
responsible transportation. Bicycles are fun to ride and provide
exercise that helps keep you healthy. Having good bike clothing can
make riding year-round more practical and enjoyable. We believe that we
are helping more folks ride comfortably and often by providing
functional, lightweight, high quality clothing.
We design our products in the Pacific Northwest, and
source production world-wide. Our contractors ensure good working
conditions and pay the prevailing wage. We are more concerned about
quality than low price, and we convey this to our factories, so they do
not take short-cuts when sewing for us. We try to minimize resource
consumption (such as paper catalogues) and recycle or reuse shipping
materials as much as possible. We support local bike coalitions through
product and cash donations. We support national bike access
organizations, such as the International Mountain Bike Association,
through volunteer work and cash donations.
Buy Local Cycling is proud to partner with Showers Pass and our members are looking forward to some dry and warm rides!
Thanks to team member Tim Schallberger's work and research, we've begun assembling a list of vendors, companies, and resources related to cycling products and services with a local angle. Most listed items are produced in Oregon, or the US, and/or owned by local businesses. In assembling each of our team bikes we've spent a great deal of time talking to manufacturers and figuring out what gets made where, and wanted to share the fruits of that labor.
Buy Local Cycling Vendor and Resources Directory
If you've ever watched live and on-demand cycling at Cycling.tv, you've probably noticed this year their UCI Cyclocross World Cup series is no longer available in the US (probably since a network bought the rights?). There is a way to watch and pay the same fees but skirt the country-based restriction. You just do the following:
- Pay for a Canadian IP from the Premium Proxy options at Xroxy.
- Configure a second web browser using their instructions. Test it out on whatismyip.com to make sure it's different than your primary one. Load google.com and watch yourself get redirected to google.ca (that means it worked!)
- Go to cycling.tv with your new canadian IP, sign up for the premium package that includes UCI events.
- Wake up at 7:20am EST/4:20am PST Sunday mornings to start watching the Women's Elite race, with Men starting an hour and 20min later by simply logging into cycling.tv on your candian IP address browser.
Over at Cyclocross Magazine, I got to interview one of my favorite 'cross riders, National Champ and current #1 ranked rider in the world Katie Compton (here is part one and part two).
Katie was nice enough to take out time from training to explain the logistics of racing in Europe, the training required, and finally how hard it is to make a living even when you're the best cyclist in the world.
I literally had no idea the Elite Womens and Mens payouts were so vastly different on the national and world stage -- it makes be proud that we've always paid men and women's winners equally at our Short Track and Cyclocross races. Here's hoping that major events start to follow they way we've always done our local race series.
