Adventures in life and photography out West

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Reading into it

I can’t really fall right to sleep. Sometimes I try, and there are always exceptions, like a particularly brutal ride, but often, I have to read myself to sleep. Luckily, cycling has produced a lot of materiel for writers.
In light of recent developments, one book that stands out is “Lance Armstrong’s War” by Daniel Coyle. I’ve recommended this book in the past, as it gives great insight into the “Boss” of pro cycling. Better than Armstrong’s autobiographies, which all give the well-honed message the now-disgraced rider wanted the world to see, Coyle’s book hints at a driven, almost obsessed champion, right in line with many of the cycling personalities of the past. It shows not just Lance, but the people and world he ruled over.

Another of those personalities who still casts a shadow over the sport is five-time Tour champion Bernard Hinault. The French cycling hero swore his allegiance to teammate and American Greg LaMond for the 1986 Tour de France. The Frenchman then began relentless attacks against the field and his own teammate. Hinault’s attacks and LeMond’s reactions made for what is widely considered the greatest Tour ever. This is the story of Richard Moore’s book, “Slaying the Badger.” It’s next on my list.

On Feb. 14, 2004, an Italian hotel worker knocked on a door, hoping to talk to cycling hero and former Tour and Giro champion, Marco Pantani. What he found was the disgraced climber dead on the floor from a cocaine overdose. “The Death of Marco Pantani” by cycling writer Matt Rendell, chronicles the troubled history of one of cycling’s Angles of the Mountains. It begins at Il Pirata’s end and pieces together a life that seemed destined for a pre-mature ending.

Finally, again, in line with current cycling events, “Blazing Saddles, the Cruel and Unusual Story of the Tour de France”, also written by Matt Rendell. Rendell covers the odd, laughable and sometimes disdainful stories of cheating in the great race. From catching a train in the second Tour, to elimination for “Outside Help” to the account of Floyd Landis and hints of what would eventually come to light about Lance.

These are just a few such reads. Some actually keep me up more than help me sleep. All are worth the time.

Have fun, be safe. I’m going reading.

Posted by  |  November 3, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life Goes On

In the aftermath of the Lance Armstrong affair coming to light, a laundry list of sponsors have terminated their relationships with the now-disgraced cycling legend. Former teammate Levi Leipheimer was fired from his team, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, seemingly for coming clean. It’s all a terrible mess. I have some suggestions to get over this, if only for a while.
The Estes Park High School Mountain Bike Racing Team heads to beautiful Fruita to wrap up their first season. Most of these kids had never owned a mountain bike before this fall, much less raced one. While they aren’t expected to win, they have all made huge strides and shown a lot of courage and character in choosing this life-long sport.

In the first race of the season, many of them didn’t finish. Now, as the season draws to a close, they are learning new things about themselves, as well as the sport, that will carry on well beyond their high school years.

Whether you have a kid on the team, happen to love mountain biking, love the Fruita area, or any combination there of, make the drive to sunny and warm Fruita to cheer on these kids. Then, maybe stop by Over The Edge Sports in Fruita, where you can rent a bike of your own, then head to the Book Cliffs or out to the Kokopelli Trail and have some two-wheeled fun of your own. It would make for a great family weekend.

If, like me, you just don’t have the time or gas money to make the drive west, head to Denver on Saturday and take in a bit of bike-geek culture. The annual VeloSwap fills the National Western Complex from 9 to 4. If you need a new bike, some components, clothing or just love people watching, this is a fantastic event.

I’ve written about this every year I’ve had the chance, and I get more excited every time. I’ve met Graham Watson, celebrated cycling photographer, at the event. I’ve met Ironman World Champion Chris MacCormac their. I’ve touched David Millar’s Garmin bikes and purchased replica jerseys of Mario Cipollini, Alessandro Petacchi and “Fast” Freddy Rodriguez. I’ve picked up carbon race wheels for $80. I’ve carried out countless pairs of socks and shorts. On at least two occasions, I’ve helped cement a love of bicycle culture for a friend.

Industry companies like Rudy Project, VeloNews, MAVIC will chow off their new gear. Area bike shops like Full Cycles, Big Ring Cycles and Sports Garage will have booths to sell off last season’s gear. Small Planet Foods and Larabar will be there. Magazines, massage therapists, various lube and skin care companies and at least one bike insurance firm will all show for the event.

Subaru sponsors a shuttle to make getting from your car to the event hall and back with all your new gear easy. If you can, Bike Denver, a cycling advocacy group, encourages attendees to ride to the event. They will have bike parking with security. The Boulder Center for Sports Medicine will hold Computrainer events throughout the day with prizes.

Tickets are $8 at the door. Parking is $10, but you can usually make that up in short order once you get inside. You can even bring your old innertubes that clutter your garage. Green Guru collects them to make bags, wallets and purses. Go down and spend the day, or shoot in, find what you need and get out. Which ever you prefer, the drive will be worth it.

Have fun, be safe. I’m going swapping.

Posted by  |  October 24, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Heroes Fall

Okay, so I was wrong. We do, in fact, get to see the evidence against US cycling legend Lance Armstrong. It looks really bad.
The US Anti-Doping Agency, or USADA, released their 1,000-pages “Reasonable Decision” in the case against the former seven-time Tour de France champion and leader of the US Postal Service, Discovery Channel and Radio Shack teams. It’s one thing when nemesis Filippo Simeoni is sited, after all, Simeoni sued Armstrong for defamation in 2003. It’s a whole other matter when faithful lieutenant and friend George Hincapie testifies. In cycling circle, “Big” George is beyond reproach.

The paper sites the testimony of Hincapie, Simeoni, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde, Jon Vaughters and Dave Zabriskie against, not only Armstrong, but Johan Bruyneel, the infamous Dr. Michele Ferrari, team doctors and trainers, as well. Nine different cyclists who were questioned in the affair were also patients of Dr. Ferrari, and many were teammates of Armstrong’s over the years.

I wrote a while back that I agreed with another writer that we need one standard in doping cases and that it really needs to be physical evidence. After looking at USADA’s document, it’s hard to imagine a defense that would exonerate the one-time Boss.

The charges are: use or attempted use of a known banned substance; possession; trafficking; administration or attempted administration; assisting, encouraging aiding, abetting, covering up of the violations and witness intimidation and retaliation against witnesses.

All of this was dug up without the help of the federal case against Armstrong that was dropped. The prosecutor did not respond to requests by USADA for the files they had collected. The sheer amount of evidence against the Texan is overwhelming. USADA considered all of this so damning that they waived the usual eight-year statute of limitations.

I suppose Lance fought so hard all of these years because he had a lot to lose. He’s not just an athlete. He was a hero. He was the man who faced down poverty, raised by his single mother, was the youngest world champion in a generation, and, lest we forget, faced down a death sentence from cancer. He is the voice and face of survivors. He was the public face of the US Postal Service, Trek bicycles, Oakley sunglasses, Nike and his own Lance Armstrong Foundation. He was the face that launched 100-million rubber bracelets. He gave hope. He gave inspiration. Now what?

The real trickiness may lie in how the International Cyclists Union handles the affair. As the report notes, 20 of the 21 podium finishers of the TdFs that Lance won were also linked to doping and a mind-boggling 36 of 40 podium finishers were implicated from 1996 to 2010. While ‘everybody’s doing it’ is not a defense, it kind of puts Lances wins in perspective.

I will still buy all seven videos of the Tours that Lance won. It’s pretty clear that in a sick way, he was competing on a level plain. The drugs Armstrong is accused of using were available to everyone. So, when I watch the dual between Lance and the late Marco Pantani in the 2000 Tour, it’s not some Texas bully and some poor Italian has-been, it’s the Pirate and the Boss, one on one. It was the greatest climbers dual of the generation. Similarly, in 2003 when Lance barely beat Jan Ulrich, it was the Boss and the Kaiser: the best rivalry of the time.

My lovely wife has chosen to take her yellow bracelet off. That may have more to do with how Armstrong conducts his personal life and his politics. I will continue to sport my yellow bracelet, not for Lance or his foundation, but for the hope that it represents. I won’t boycott the USA Pro Challenge just because Lance made it possible. I will be grateful that someone could bring pro cycling of this caliber back to Colorado.

I get it. In all reasonable likelihood, he cheated. I understand that. Today, I own a road bike. I imagine myself climbing the Alps and the Pyrenees. I fantasize giving a rival “The Look”. I even imagine storming down the Champs-Elysees, the cobbles of Northern France and Belgium and the last sprint in Milan due to Armstrong. If not for Lance, I might not have this path. I have to acknowledge the bad, but I won’t let it spoil the good. Shame on you, Lance. But at the same time, thanks.

Have fun, be safe. I’m still going riding.

Posted by  |  October 13, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time to geek out!

It’s the time of year when many of us high-altitude cyclists wind down the season. There are plenty of fall-color rides in the area, but it may just be time to put feet up and rest the legs before facing the often mind-numbing prospect of an indoor winter training regimen. For all of this, however, there are options.
Wednesday’s snow reminds us that if we want the challenge of Trail Ridge Road this season, time is running out. The painfully fulfilling ride up the Old Fall River Road will already require lobster gloves and as much layering as you can stand.

Riding buddies of mine took the breath-taking ride from Estes Park to Nederland last weekend. The 40-plus-mile ride is amazing in its beauty this time of year. Riders pass grove after grove of golden-leafed aspens, and now snow capped peaks as a background. This is no poser’s ride. Take it seriously. It is a series of climbs from start to finish. One may very well see some pro talent roll by, as it is a favorite ride for the elite athletes of the area.

The ride offers diversions and exit strategies, as well. A rider could turn around at Allenspark or before the long climb out of Peaceful Valley. One could roll on down the 25-mile descent from Allenspark to Lyons. Ward and its quirky little general store sits atop Lefthand Canyon. It’s a great option to either trim or add mileage.

If you feel particularly fit and self-punishing, the ride off of Hwy. 72 to Gold Hill will satisfy you. Gold Hill has several steep climbs leading to the old mining town, the best-known of which is Sunshine Canyon.

The canyon hosts a race every year, the Sunshine Canyon Hill Climb which starts just off of Mapleton Avenue and 4th street in Boulder and climbs about 3,000 feet in nine miles. The average grade is 6.4 percent and maxes out at 11.86. It’s a leg-breaking test for any climber. The payoff is worth the suffering.

Gold Hill is home to, not only one of the few one-room, well really two-room, school houses still in operation, but also a general store that offers arguably the best home-made cookies in the area. The town is not just a great place to train and refuel, though. The gold is in the trees these days.

Fires encroached on the tiny town in recent years, so they could use some tourist revenue. Ride out to see their aspen, which have to be close to peak. Check out the 100-year-old structures and enjoy some home-made goodies.

Nederland, also an historic mining town, has plenty to offer riders, as well. The home of Eldora Ski Area, and supplier to the old Caribou town and mine, is a refuge for those who feel the bustle of Boulder is too much, still wanting the laid-back attitude. It sits just a bit higher than Estes Park at 8,234 and can have the same unpredictable weather and strong winds. All things to consider before heading out.

The town offers plenty of places to grab a cup of coffee, grab a few PowerBars, or sit down and enjoy a meal. This also brings up another possibility for tired riders.

Find a restaurant your non-riding significant other or supportive friend might like. Bribe them with a free meal with the idea of picking you and your bike up in Ned and driving home. It cuts the mileage in half, but also the time and necessary recovery time, if that is a concern. Also a good option if snow suddenly appears from over the Indian Peaks. Give it a try. You will not be disappointed.

The World Road Championships were decided last weekend. The women’s winner was not a surprise. The men’s winner was a bit of a relief.

Belgian Philip Gilbert won the men’s race in an uphill sprint. Many expected Spain to have a champion this year with names like Alberto Contador, Alejandro Valverde and former world champ Oscar Freire on the roster. They seemed to have a moment of hesitation as they headed for the final climb just as Gilbert attacked. Andrew Talanski was the highest placing American at 43rd place, 1:54 off of the winning time. Defending champ Mark Cavendish finished in the broom waggon, as did TdF champ Brad Wiggins.

Women’s Olympic road champ Marianne Vos of the Netherlands took the gold on their side. Amber Neben slotted in fourth, 33 seconds back, as the best-placed US rider.

Only one Pro men’s race remains, the classic Giro di Lombardia. The nickname is Tour of Falling Leaves, but it is anything but dead. It is raced in October, so this is a good time to leave everyone hanging.

Have fun, be safe. I’m going riding.

Posted by  |  September 30, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Leave a comment

Cheer Locally

The Estes Park High School mountain bike team got their first taste of competition this weekend. While none surprised the field at the season-opening race, the riders got invaluable experience to carry into the next race. Meanwhile, while things change, they really stay the same in the pro road ranks.
Alberto Contador, riding for Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank, put together an amazing last week of the Vuelta a Espana to overtake Joaquim Rodriguez and win his first grand tour back from his doping ban. On the podium in Madrid, Contador put up seven fingers, signifying the wins he’d have if not for his disqualifications from the ban. This is Contador’s second victory in his home nation’s grand tour.

The race had been an amazing battle between Contador and fellow Spaniard, Rodriguez, who rides for the Russian Katusha squad. For the most of the last ten days of the tour, ramps were painfully steep, but Rodriguez was able to hold off “El Pistolero”. Then, last Wednesday, Contador pounced on a seemingly easy climbing day. Many viewed the attack as a suicide mission, that surely the peloton would catch Contador. Not only did he stay away, he put important, and significant, time in on both Rodriguez and the dangerous and eventual runner-up Alejandro Valverde of Movistar.

When the peloton rolled into the Spanish capitol, they were greeted as conquering heroes, Spaniards sweeping the podium.

Contador is still credited with wins at the 2007 and 2009 Tours de France, the 2008 Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana. His wins in the 2010 TdF and 2011 Giro were stripped after the doping ban was enforced.

The Estes Park High School mountain bike team will have no such worries this season. The fledgling squad traveled to Northrop Colorado on Sunday for their first Colorado Cycling League race. While the earth did not move, the team put in respectable performances.

The Chalk Creek Challenge was won by the team from Boulder High School with their arch rival, Fairview, slotting in second in the Division 1 results. The Estes Park team was 12th, with most riders finishing and earning points. Jeremy Norris was the best-placed boy, with 352, riding in the D1 Freshman class. Marin Kingston was the best Ladycat, earning 333 points and placing 37th in the D1/D2 JV class.

Lauren Igel earned 305 points for her 17th place among D1/D2 sophomore girls. All five sophomore boys, Zach Brittain, Eric Edwards, Otto Engle, Barney Treadway and Kyle Collins finished their race to accumulate points.

Once again, none of this was earth shattering, but the kids are out doing it. I hope they continue riding and racing. The sport is not easy, especially if you’ve never ridden a mountain bike before, like most of the team. I hope fans and parents support the team in its efforts. I also hope they, themselves, see their improvements and appreciate how challenging their chosen path is. I hope they find pride in their efforts and keep pushing themselves.

One little gem I can throw in to tie these two stories together; Contado said, after serving the ban he did not feel he deserved, then winning the tour of Spain, “I do not race to shut people’s mouths, I race because it gives me pleasure.” I hope the team finds the pleasure and joy in racing and keeps at it.

Be safe, have fun. I’m going riding.

Posted by  |  September 17, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Image

Albannach at Scot Fest

Albannach at Scot Fest

Jamsie, one of the members of Albannach plays at the Celtic rock concert during the 37th Longs Peak Scottish Irish Festival. The band is a huge crowd favorite.

Posted by  |  September 15, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Leave a comment

Bring The Challenge

I’m watching the second stage of the USA Cycling Challenge on my laptop while I write this. Don’t tell my daughter, but I will know the results long before I turn on the big-screen tonight. Today, some of the very best cyclists in the world are riding a road I pedaled back in June, over Blue Mesa and past the reservoir before the first sprint point in Gunnison. I’m planning my weekend, as the race will cruise near Allenspark, through Lyons and into Boulder on Saturday. The race concludes in Denver on Sunday. Thanks to NBC, the whole world will see some of the amazing terrain we get to see all the time. Wouldn’t it be nice if the world got to see our little piece of Paradise?
Local cycling enthusiasts would love to lure the race through Estes Park for 2013, I among them. I realize that our little town probably doesn’t have the money to host a start or a finish, but wouldn’t it be nice just to have some of the fittest athletes on earth come cruising through, bringing fans and fan dollars with them?

There’s more. My mother-in-law will occasionally sit down and watch broadcasts of the Tour de France, not because she’s any kind of cycling fan, but because the cameras often pan to show a wider view of the area the riders a racing through. During these broadcasts, she and my daughter will say, “we really need to go there.” With NBC beaming images of Colorado to 200 countries, I’m pretty sure some family, somewhere, will express the same thing. That could lead to more visitors.

I have friends who have visited some of those areas of France that I watch every July. With climbs here like Trail Ridge Road, an enthusiast from France or Switzerland is bound to heed the call and bring a family, as well as a bike, with them.

I don’t know the economic statistics of cycling tourists from other nations. I know that in the case of cyclists who participate in Ride the Rockies, they average a yearly income in the six-digit range. While the immediate impact of the race coming through might be good, lots of folks grabbing lunch or drinks or gifts while awaiting the peloton, the long-term impact would be better than any of the advertising our local promotional groups can afford.

It’s more than the lycra-covered butts or shaved legs. Fans enjoy the views of the high peaks, the waterfalls, the historic mining districts, our state’s history. All of this would be shared with millions of cycling fans all over the world. We have plenty of scenery and history for visitors to enjoy.

Now then, day one of the USA Cycling Challenge saw Garmin-Sharp rider Tyler Farrar score his first win in over a year. On a day that was much faster and much harder than anyone anticipated, Farrar and the main peloton caught Garmin-Sharp teammates Tom Danielson and Peter Stetina just outside of the finishing town of Telluride. A break-away group powered off the front less than six miles into the 125.6-mile stage. The break went out so hard that the world got the rare vision of American time trial specialist Dave Zabriskie, how shall I say this, ejecting his lunch. The punishing pace, which included the climb of Lizard Head Pass, put the race into Telluride about an hour sooner than the fastest assumed pace, 4 hours, 42 minutes.

Garmin-Sharp took four of the five awarded jerseys. Farrar took the first yellow leader’s jersey, as well as the green sprinters’ jersey. The King of the Mountains jersey went to former Durango resident Tom Danielson. The red-striped Most Aggressive Rider jersey was awarded to Stetina for his efforts in keeping Danielson out front. The one jersey that did not go to a Garmin-Sharp rider, the best young rider, went to Bontrager-Livestrong under-23 racer Gavin Mannion.

So far, this is not much of an indication as to who might hold any of these jerseys by Sunday. Farrar could hold the green jersey when all is said and done, but he is not likely to win the GC battle. Tom Danielson may get the polka-dots, but his aim is higher. Tommy “D” will want to yellow jersey by Denver. He’ll need a good, wide lead going into that time trial as the defending champion, Levi Leipheiner, is an accomplished rider against the clock.

Regardless, this should be a great race, one we should try to coax through Estes Park in the future. Just saying’.

I will throw in just a quick comment on Friday’s biggest cycling news. Lance was screwed from the moment USADA announce they would pursue the charges. USADA is beyond the law, if you check out their power. There are no appeals once they’ve ruled and they have only lost on arbitration once. I don’t know if Lance did it. I have not seen the evidence. The real problem is that no one outside of USADA has seen the evidence. No one can legally compel USADA to show what they have.

Whether Lance doped or not, his move to stop fighting is pretty much the best he could do for himself. To be honest, I would be surprised if he didn’t, but the way USADA is able to wield limitless power over our sport is ridiculous. They would have ruled themselves correct, whether Lance cheated or not.

Ted King takes time for a fan at the USA Pro Challenge in Colorado Springs

I hope they don’t test group rides for excess caffein.

Have fun, be safe. I’m going riding.

Posted by  |  August 25, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pro Treatment

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge, possibly the most cumbersome name in pro cycling, returns to Colorado next week. The race winds 518 miles starting in Durango this year and ends in a time trial around Capital Hill in Denver. The race won’t come through Estes Park this year, but it gets close.
For stage six of the race, on Saturday, Aug. 25, what remains of the starting 135 riders meander 103.3 miles from the start in Golden into Boulder, up Boulder Canyon to Nederland, then north on Hwy. 72 to nearly Allenspark, where the peloton turns east on Hwy. 7 down to Lyons. The race then heads back to Boulder with a quick, steep detour up Lefthand Canyon and down Lee Hill Drive, before the challenging climb to the finish on Flagstaff Mountain.

If you want to watch in the traditional European way, have breakfast in Allenspark then wander down Hwy. 7 to the junction with Hwy. 72. Bring a picnic and relax. The earliest the race officials expect to get to that turn is 1:35 p.m. Keep your camera ready. The whole pack should whir past in about 10 minutes. After that, you can hang out and enjoy the afternoon, head back into Allenspark, chase the race down to Lyons, or if you feel particularly adventurous, try to get to the finish above Boulder before the race ends. This last option is what I’m going to try.

Plenty of American riders plan to make the start, including defending champion, Levi Leipheimer, this year riding for Omega Pharma-Quickstep. US National Champion Timmy Duggen will again ride for the Italian team Liquigas, along with long-time friend Ted King. The Tour de France’s best young rider, Tejay van Garderen will ride along side Boulder native Taylor Phinney, both riding for BMC Racing. The real marquee rider this year, however, will be BMC’s George Hincapie, who will be riding his final professional race.

Big George, as he is known, has an amazing resume. The 39-year-old Farmingdale, N.Y., native turned pro in 1994. He has finished the punishing Paris-Roubaix on 17 occasions. He has finished 15 consecutive Tours de France, a record. He is the only American ever to win the Ghent-Wevelgem and has ushered three different winners in nine Tours, also a record. All of this is impressive, but there’s more.

Big George is possibly the most respected American in pro cycling at the moment, not for his wins, though he has been US National Champ on three different occasions, not because he bends anyone to his will. George might be the nicest guy on two wheels.

George has an easy smile and will talk to anyone. He sacrifices for his team leader and he helps young rider negotiate the challenges of being a pro cyclist. This year he will, again turn himself inside-out for former Tour champ Cadel Evens, while helping build and hone the skills of van Garderen and Phinney. For seven days, he will ride through Colorado for his professional swan song.

If you have time next week and want to see a true professional, get to one of the stages to watch George ride by. Better yet, head down to Denver on Sunday, August 26, to see the finale and the after party. George’s team, BMC will hold a fundraiser party that evening with the likes of former pros Bob Roll, Ron Kiefle and legendary sprinter Davis Phinney from the 7-Eleven team. The event is called “Living the Ride” and features Team BMC director Jim Ochowicz, who also fouded and ran the 7-Eveven team. A silent auction at the event benefits the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s. Tickets and more information can be found at CyclingSoul.com

Have fun, be safe. I’m going riding.

Walt Hester
Cycling legends, from left, Davids Phinney, Connie Carpenter and Ron Kiefel entertained the crowd gathered for the Ride the Rockies cycling seminar on Thursday. Phinney and Kiefel road for the 7-Eleven cycling team in the ’80s and early ’90s, while Carpenter won the first women’s Olympic road race in the ’84 LA games.

Posted by  |  August 22, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Track

Like many folks, I’ve spent much of the last two weeks glued to the Olympic coverage. And like many, I’m enjoying sports I don’t get to see all that often. While road cycling, men and women, open road and time trial, all ended pretty early, there were plenty more events throughout the games.

 

Track cycling is probably the least known of cycling events here in the US. While mountain biking had it’s heyday in the mid and late ’90s, it remains popular. BMX began in the US and still has loyal legions. Track cycling, while once extremely popular here, has become a bit obscure. Even with a velodrome, or cycling track, at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, track cycling is still working to gain a foothold with the masses.

 

First, let me explain a bit. Track cycling is very spectator friendly. As the name implies, races are performed on a track. Olympic tracks can be as short as 200 yards or as long as 400 meters around with steeply banked turns, sometimes more than 40 degrees. Indoor velodromes tend to have wood surfaces, though the outdoor 7-Eleven velodrome in Los Angeles and the track of the same name at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs have concrete surfaces. The Pringle, as the London Olympics Velodrome has come to be known, is 250 meters around with a wood surface, 43-degree banking in the curves and 12-degrees in the straightaways.

 

Track races are much shorter affairs, at least as the Olympics are concerned, versus road races or most cross-country mountain bike races. Ten kilometers would be a long race. Some, like the Men’s and Women’s sprint, are as short as 750 meters. The longest Olympic event this time around is the Men’s omnium competition’s points race at 30k.

 

The other big difference between track and an other cycling is the bikes themselves. They have no breaks and are fixed geared. This means no coasting. If the back wheel is moving, the pedals are moving. This can cause problems for new track cyclists, as they will sometimes try to stop suddenly, resulting in a spectacular launch and crash to the floor. This also results on the smoothest pedalstroke in all of cycling. There are only so many teeth in the big chainring, so a track cyclist must be able to turn the ring faster. If a cyclist can turn the cranks smoothly, it results in a more efficient and faster ride.

 

This time, there are three individual competitions and two team competitions. The events are the sprint, mentioned earlier, the keirin and the omnium. The two-kilometer keirin is the most chaotic of the events. It starts with six riders lining up behind a small motorcycle. The motorcycle starts out at about 18 mph and slowly accelerates to a bit over 30 mph before leaving the track with about 2.5 laps left. From there, the riders make a made dash to catch the rider in front and sprint to the finish. Cyclists can reach speeds of 45 mph in the sprint.

 

The omnium is the cycling best-allround competition. It is actually several races in one competition. Riders are time on a flying lap, they take a short while to get to full speed, then are timed over one lap of the track.

 

Next riders engage in a points race over as long as 30k for men and 20k for women. Every tenth lap, riders sprint for points. Whomever finishes with the most points wins the race.

 

Next is a shorter elimination race. Riders sprint every two laps and whomever finishes last in the sprint is eliminated.

 

The individual pursuit pits racers on the opposite side of the track from each other. They really race against the clock, but if you catch your opponent, you are the automatic winner.

 

A scratch race is a straight race over 16k in which the first across the line wins, and finally the time trial is a short race one rider against the clock.

 

The rider who can be most consistent throughout these many disciplines wins. This time around, Denmark’s Lassen Norman Hansen won the men’s gold, while Team Great Britain’s Laura Trott edged the USA’s Sarah Hammer, what a great name for this sport, for the women’s Omnium gold.

 

If any of this sounds like fun, either take a trip down to Colorado Springs to the Olympic Training Center and get involved, or, better yet, look up the Boulder Valley Velodrome in Erie. The Boulder Valley track is under construction and could still use some support. Get on line to bouldervalleyvelodrome.com and make a donation. The track is well on its way and will be a year-round, outdoor facility. It is about the same dimensions as the Olympic track, 250 meters, and not nearly as far away as the track in the Springs.

 

Have fun, be safe. I’m going riding . . . a fixed gear. 

Posted by  |  August 13, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Leave a comment

Your bike and the law

I received an email this morning about riding one of my favorite stretches; Hwy. 7 south of Estes Park. It’s a notoriously narrow stretch of highway, especially before the Wind River Pass just above Aspen Lodge. It’s not unusual to see cyclists on this stretch. It’s also not unusual for cyclists to get buzzed by motorists along this stretch. So, let’s review the law.
Cyclists are covered under the state statutes covering “Human-powered vehicles.” Before I get started, let me say, cyclists need to pay attention, as well. Cyclists are regarded as the same as motor vehicles. We are required to obey all traffic laws as when we drive. No blowing through stop signs, no blowing through red lights. When we come to a red light, we should take our spot in line. Don’t pass all the traffic on the right to get up to the light. It’s against the law, it’s dangerous and it makes the rest of us law-abiding riders look bad.

According to state statute 42-4-1412, we as cyclists can ride as far to the right as we deem safe. We can move to the left if A) we are preparing to turn left, B) we are overtaking a vehicle, or C) Taking reasonably necessary precautions to avoid hazards or road conditions.

We don’t have to be all the way right if there is a dedicated right-hand turn lane and we don’t plan to turn right. In that case we can be on the far left side of that turn lane.

We are not expected, or required, to ride over or through hazards at the edge of the road, including but not limited to fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bikes, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or narrow lanes or ride without a reasonable safety margin on the right-hand side of the road.

All this also applies to the far left if traveling on a one-way street with more than one marked lane.

We may not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of the road set aside just for cyclists. If we do ride two abreast, we may not impede the normal flow of traffic and on a laned road, may only take up one lane.

We are expected to signal our turns. I know, drivers don’t on a regular basis, but we are in charge of our selves, not them. When push come to shove, the cyclist will lose if we don’t let the cars know what we are doing. It doesn’t matter if we are in the right-of-way. When it comes to an argument between a cyclist and several thousand pounds of steel, the cyclist will surely lose.

Now the part that my morning emailer was concerned with is in state statute 42-4-100, section 1, paragraph b) “The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicyclist proceeding in the same direction shall allow the cyclist at least a three-foot separation between the right side of the driver’s vehicle, including mirrors or other projections, and the left side of the bicyclist at all times.

That’s it. Look it up if you’d like, either in the state driving statutes or at colobikelaw.com.

Now for more fun matters: Shimano has announced an 11-speed top-end groupo. The 2013 Dura Ace will be 11-speed and come in a wide-ranging 11-28 cog set to cover most riding conditions. The cranks are reported to be stiff enough that they will have only a four-arm spider. The real fun in this is that no matter what chain ring combination you wish to run, the spider will be 110 mm. This also means, if you have the cash, you can buy the first set in whateve size you want. I will go with 53-39, for example. If I want to head up Independence Pass or Mount Evans, I can slap on the 50-34 compact set for better climbing. Both sets fit the same spider. This will come in both the traditional mechanical group and the new Di2 electronic group. I’ve ridden the 10-speed version and it’s a pleasure. In theory, an 11-speed cog would make it even smoother, as ther would be less drastic spacing between gears.

Don’t expect either version to be cheap. Expect it to come in around $4,000 for the electronic version, possibly just under $3,000 for the mechanical group.

Not to be outdone, Campagnolo has announced that their more affordable Athena group, which is already 11-speed, will be available in electronic form this fall. All indications are that it is butter-smooth and about the same weight as the comparable Shimano Di2. The venerable Italian manufacturer has not released a price but have said they want it to be competitive with Shimano’s Ultegra electronic group, about $1,400.

Have fun, be safe. I’m going riding . . . and saving my pennies.

Posted by  |  August 2, 2012 | Categories: Cycling photography/photography while cycling | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment