Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Updated 2013 VA Dirt Cycling Endurance Events

All events listed are long, awesome, endurance rides or races that range from backcountry adventure mountain biking to epic road cycling events that include extensive dirt road sections.

February 10 - Pantani Ride, Earlysville, VA FREE
March 3 - The Terrapin Mountain Predicament, Arcadia, VA FREE
April 7 - Double Dawg Dare, Blacksburg, VA FREE (date changed to 4/7 to coincide with the Spring MTB Festival)
April 14 - Dragon’s Tale, New Castle, VA $45
May 5 - Middle Mountain Momma XXC, Clifton Forge, VA $25
June 9 - Massanutten HOO-HAA! XXC, Keezletown, VA $30
June 16 - Craig County Crusher, New Castle, VA FREE (date changed to 6/16 to move out of conflict with the Iron Mt 100k)
June 30 - Iron Mountain 100k, Damascus, VA $80
August 18 - Star City Vicious Randonnee, Roanoke, VA FREE
September 2 - Shenandoah Mountain 100, Stokesville, VA $150
September 15 - Jeremiah Bishop Alpine Loop Gran Fondo, Harrisonburg, VA $105
October 6 - Escape! XXC, Craig County, VA
October 27 - Rowdy Dawg XXC, Blacksburg, VA

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

My Kilmer Challenge Ride - Attempting the "CCC 8 Track". Please help ...

CCC 8 Track (click for larger view)

This coming Sunday, November 11th, I'm going to attempt to be the first rider to complete the ultra epic mountain bike route, the "CCC 8 Track" in a single day as my Kilmer Challenge ride.

The reason and inspiration for this ride is that a local mountain biker, father, husband and good friend is in a costly battle for his life with 3 rare blood cancers and The Kilmer Challenge Ride benefiting The David Kilmer Cancer Fund was created to try to help.

You can participate in The Kilmer Challenge Ride from anywhere in the world! You just sign up (tinyurl.com/KilmerChallengeJoin) and get people to sponsor you for each mile you ride on November 11th, 2012 (tinyurl.com/KilmerChallengeSponsor).

I'm going to try to complete the "CCC 8 Track" because the route's rugged Jefferson National Forest singletrack is exactly the type of riding that David loves, and in a recent conversation David said he wants to do a truly epic backcountry mountain bike adventure when he recovers, so I'm hoping the planning, images, video and stories that result from this attempt will be uplifting and inspiring for David.

The cumulative costs of the procedures, treatments, travel, and care associated with David's cancer battle are astronomical - and I'm kindly asking for your help.

Please sponsor my single-day "CCC 8 Track" attempt at 10 cents per mile by clicking here tinyurl.com/KilmerChallengeSponsor.

If I make it, your resulting donation to The David Kilmer Cancer Fund will be $8.

If you are able to and moved to sponsor/donate more, that's wonderful and will be really greatly appreciated by David, his wife Susan and their daughter Julia.

Example sponsorship and corresponding donation amounts for the 80 mile Kilmer Challenge "CCC 8 Track" attempt:

10 cents per mile = $8
25 cents per mile = $20
50 cents per mile = $40
$1 per mile = $80
$5 per mile = $400

The CCC 8 Track [CCC = both Craig County Crusher and Civilian Conservation Corps, the group that made virtually all of the amazing trails on this route.] This ultra epic mountain biking route combines two phenomenal XXC / Ultra / Marathon mountain biking race courses "The Escape" and "Dragon's Tale".

Monday, October 29, 2012

Update: Jeremiah Bishop has joined "The Kilmer Challenge" along with Ultra-Cyclists Wes Wilmer & Reid McClure!

Cannondale Factory Racing's Jeremiah Bishop, one of the top professional mountain bike racers in the US, has joined "The Kilmer Challenge"! Jeremiah will be travelling on the day of the challenge (November 11th), so his ride might be a short one, but he wrote "I am glad to help. Best wishes to David and his Family."

Please consider sponsoring Jeremiah's efforts to help David Kilmer in his battle with 3 rare blood cancers here http://tinyurl.com/KilmerChallengeSponsor

Ultra-Cycling ace Wes Wilmer has also joined "The Klimer Challenge" benefiting The David Kilmer Cancer Fund. In 2006, a then 50-year-old Wes Wilmer pedaled a 333-mile route that covered the length of Virginia from south to north in 19 hours and 22 minutes. How far will Wes be able to pedal on November 11th? Please consider sponsoring Wes here http://tinyurl.com/KilmerChallengeSponsor and then stay tuned ...

Reid McClure is another accomplished Ultra-Cyclist and he wrote that in The Kilmer Challenge "I will try to match my best 12 hour Ultra Marathon Cycling Association Race total of 231 miles achieved during Calvin's Challenge (Dayton, Ohio) back in May." Please consider sponsoring Reid here http://tinyurl.com/KilmerChallengeSponsor and root for him on the 11th!

For more information regarding The Kilmer Challenge benefiting The David Kilmer Cancer Fund, or to join the event as a Rider or Sponsor, please click here or visit the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/events/297184140394422

Thank You and Blessings to you from, David, Susan and Julia Kilmer.

Friday, October 12, 2012

bicycle heroes, doping and a proven remedy

Since it was revealed that cycling heroes Armstrong, Hincape, Landis, Hamilton and others all participated in elaborate doping programs (see this NY Times article for details), a lot of their fans are feeling deflated.

Recalling the heroic performances of these cycling greats had been fun, stimulating, inspiring ... but now what? What are we to feel when we look back?

Yesterday I put these questions before my therapist. Without fail, whatever the issue, he always helps me put things into perspective and feel better. Let me introduce you to him ...

His name is RUMBLEFISH

RUMBLEFISH said to me

"You can spend your time looking backward or trying to ride a bicycle backwards, but neither are easy, comfortable or natural.

I'm going to suggest to you the same remedy that my colleagues and I have been prescribing for decades ...

Go on a bicycle ride.

Personally, I feel it's most potent to bicycle ride in the woods, but to each his own."

I thanked RUMBLEFISH and then took his advice.

I went on a lunchtime ride ... and I returned with a face-stretching ear to ear grin!

In fact, I felt so good afterward that yesterday evening I took my kids on a night ride in the woods. The kids started feeling excited as soon as I mentioned that we were going riding.

Isn't that incredible! Just *thinking* about bicycle riding can make a person feel good!

If you've read to this point you may be beginning to feel better already, so please build on that, and ... go outside and ride!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Team Roanoke Personalized Bicycle Frame Stickers - Want one?

It's pretty cool to have your name on the top tube of your bicycles. And, in addition to looking great, it personalizes your ride and adds a low level of security.

And, it can let people know where you're from, or what team you're on.

I'm interested in setting up an inexpensive way for Roanoke area cyclists to order personalized "Team Roanoke" frame stickers.

Something simple like an image of the Roanoke Star followed by the persons name (or whatever

text print they'd like).

Below are some super rough conceptual drafts. If I can get these, or something similar, made up relatively inexpensively - would you want one?

Friday, September 28, 2012

$26 Rechargeable Bicycle Headlight

These $26 lights ship from China and are a copy of a copy of a fairly decent lighting system. A friend posted information about this setup on Facebook, he and his cronies are all great riders and they say they love this system ... so I thought I'd give it a try.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140842626907

Bike Bicycle T6 LED Light HeadLight CREE XML XM-L HeadLamp 1200LM Blue

Adding this $3.95 Wide-Angle Lens changes the focused beam into a horizontally wide and bright beam that provides good visibility in front of you and about 30 degrees to either side of center ... which is nice when cycling into turns.

www.action-led-lights.com

I've done about 10 rides in total darkness with this setup on my CX bike and ... the system works. It's bright enough to ride very fast on the road, it's good in the woods and the system's unfazed by rain.

It seems to last a while too. I've run it on high for 2+ hours and it's still going strong when I've returned home. The recharger is a slow charger with an LED light on it that's red when charging and turns green when the battery is fully charged.

The glowing button on the back turns the light on and switches it between three brightness levels.

If you're looking for a really great lighting system with good customer support, a warranty, customer service and all of those really nice and important things ... visit your local bike shop. They will set you up with a lighting system that's designed for your riding needs and they will take care of you before, during and after the sale.

However, if money is tight and you want to ride at night, this bargain system with zero-frills packaging, no customer service and probably no warranty may help you ride more and more safely than without lights.