Wed, 09 May 2012

Rides and Stuff

Hi everyone,

As you know, we are hosting a Ride of Silence on May 16th in Sparta. The ride will leave at 7:00 PM from Station Park and return to Station Park at approximately 8:00 PM.

We are trying to get an idea of how many club members are planning to attend. If you plan to participate, please send me an email at robm@skylandscycling.com and let me know: If you plan to attend the ride on May 16th. If you can attend the rain date ride on May 19th, if necessary. Thanks, Rob Myre

All: There will be a Rec. ride from Kittatinny (Aeroflex) at 6pm Thursday - WEATHER PERMITTING.. So far the forecast for Thursday is good. The route is just over 20 miles and only a few little hills. I will try to send an email out if I am cancelling due to weather, I can't guarantee that I will be able to do that though. Hope to see you! Eileen

B Racer training on Thursday Night 6pm from Kittatiny Aeroflex; The B's will go out with A's to do paceline training and then do some attacking drills where we each settle into lactate threshold and stay away for one to two minutes if you are able during the A ride. This will last for three reps each then of course we will follow the two usual sprints, one before the shades and then down the big hill towards 206. Please keep in mind that it is a training ride and to obey traffic laws / rules. FYI - if your there you may be the chosen one next time at ATS or a race of your chosing - JB

One last thing; Great Job to everyone at Colts Neck !

posted at: 15:36 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Fri, 13 Apr 2012

Weekend Ride / Race Info

Skylanders, This Sunday we will be introducing a new series to our Recreation Rides when we try out our first “Bagels & Biking” Ride. The “B & B”s are designed to combine a little cycling tutorial with a group ride. We will gather before each ride for some bagels (of course) and coffee while listening to a brief presentation on a particular cycling topic. We will hold the “B & B”s at the Sussex Bike and Sport, with Jason Zeigler leading the discussions, and then proceed to do the old Champagne Ride from his shop (sorry, I did not name the ride, if I did, there would be a bottle sparkling wine involved somehow!). If all goes well, we will do a “B & B” every 4-6 weeks through the rest of the year while trying to hit topics that people are interested in. Future topics might include: what tools you need on the road, how to change a tire, proper stretching before and after (yoga ??). Of course we’ll take suggestions. So on Sunday, our first presentation will be “What’s Gotten Into You!” ; a discussion of what you should eat before , during and after a ride. Jason will offer insight into the world of energy bars, gels , potions and recovery drinks. We will then provide samples of the various consumables to try out during the ride. The Champagne Ride is a 25 mile loop that has some climbing involved . http://www.skylandscycling.com/rides/#cuesheets Although this is not an easy ride, with all the energy from the gels, bars, carbs and caffeine, we should be done in 15 minutes (just kidding). I want to roll out of Jason’s parking lot by 11:00 am so if we gather at 10:15, I think that would cover it. So this Sunday we will gather at 10:15 a.m. at one of our sponsors, The Sussex Bike & Sport on Rt. 23 in Sussex http://www.skylandscycling.com/rides/#cuesheets for a brief discussion on fuel for the body. We will then proceed with a 25 mile ride through the back roads and hills of Lafayette and Wantage. Hope you can make it,Bob

Races in NYC Central Park Saturday morning, and Rahway Sunday - anyone from team Skylands interested please contact John Berg (me) for car pooling, i have two seats on the bus left, leaving dark and early Sunday morning to catch the Cat4s and wouldn't mind offering some help (if i can) in the 35+ Masters.

posted at: 10:42 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sun, 08 Apr 2012

General Info

To all interested in racing with the Skylands Club, the NJBA has an excellent calendar on their website. You can plan out your season and each Calendar entry has a link to the event. There are Time Trials, Criteriums, Circuit Races, and Road Races to chose from. The club reimburses NJBA races for members:), and its a very easy process to reclaim some of that hard earned coinage if you know what i mean.

The team at Skylands has been really pulling together this season, no pun intended, and i am really excited to be a part of it. It is a great learning experience and nice to know that someone has your back out there when you need it.Tuesdays at Augusta are great training sessions,and i can't wait to use some of our team strategies to tackle some of the great races around the state.

The Skylands racers are having a meeting at Sussex Bike Shop Wednesday April 18th. Jason, the owner, was kind enough to let us use the space for the meeting and is our sponsor bike shop so if you have a bike in need of upgrade or repair, be sure to bring it with you and get it done.

posted at: 20:12 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sat, 07 Apr 2012

Cherry Blossom Races

Good weather this morning, little cool and some cross winds.Branchbrook Park Course was freshly paved which made riding nice and smooth. Good turn out and well organized. The officials and race promoters provided ample race support, SRAM support car and motorcycle coordinating to keep things in order.

Skylands had a number of racers spread out through multiple events. I am sure there would have been more but Battenkill is right around the corner and there are quite a few folks who do that race every year.

Good luck to all those doing Battenkill ! Have fun ...

posted at: 16:30 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Fri, 30 Mar 2012

ATS and Ride Info

The Tuesday night Augusta Training Series went very well as usual with plenty of riders showing up to race and train. Skylands Team was present and training together in the "B" race. Wish i had more perspective for "A" race other than they passed us twice at high speeds, but that freight train just happens. I had an opportunity to warmup with George H.a 15 time national cycling champion.I had not met George in person before but had heard of the many championships he had won. George told me a great story about cyclist comradery and having an opportunity to do work in a race to support the win of another cyclist.He mentioned that of all the wins in his career, none had the reaction that helping another cyclist win did. George proceeded to say that it was the most work he had done in a race but also the most gratifying.

Sunday April 1st Ride Skylanders, We will be heading out of Kittatinny State Park on Sunday morning at 11:00 am to do Skylands' traditional "Thursday Night" loop. The ride is about 32 miles and takes us through the flatlands of Sussex and Warern counties (what little of it that exists). If you are new to the club and have never done this ride before it is a real beauty (or if you ride it onThursday nights and have never been able to look up and take in the sights around you, you might want to do it at a more sane pace). So Sunday morning at 11:00 am from Kittatinny Valley State Park for a low 30 mile, only a couple of hills, ride through some farmlands. A cue sheet and the starting point directions are located on our website. http://skylandscycling.com/rides/#cuesheets See you on the road, Bob

posted at: 06:42 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Fri, 23 Mar 2012

Thursday Night Ride Recap

The Thursday night A and B ride went out together in a fairly large group. Many local riders from other clubs joined in and made a tempo paceline until the sprint at the shades of death and then the groups separated. The Bs stayed on pretty much until then and some new racers rode with Wayne for Skylands Team training. We all picked up some critical points about pacelining that can be utilized on future rides and/or races. It appears that there is a high interest level to start racing with some of the recreational riders. Come on out, you are more than welcome to join the B race at Augusta to give it whirl in a controlled environment. Nice thing about Augusta Training Series is that if you get tired you can pull off at the first turn from the start/finish line up on the right hand side of the loop, stop, catch your breath and when your group comes bye, ease onto the back into the draft.

Here are a couple rides posted for the weekend;

Skylanders, the weather looks iffy this weekend with Sunday having the better chance of showers. So we will move our Sunday ride up 24 hours and try to beat the rain. We will meet at the Lafayette School at 11:00 am for a low 20’s (miles) trip through Lafayette, Branchville and Wantage. These 11:00 am starts will eventually creep earlier but for now because of commitments and cool temps the 11:00 am roll outs will have to do. So a low 20’s loop, with some rolling hills at a recreational pace, starting from the Lafayette School on Beaver Run Rd in Lafayette http://www.skylandscycling.com/rides/. I will try to send out a “Map My Ride” cue sheet of the route when, and if, I can remember the password to the website.Great turnout last Sunday! It was fun rolling out with so many bikes. The laps around the lake enabled everyone to go at their own pace. We’ll try to keep it enjoyable for all even though this time we will do one big loop through Wantage. If it rains Saturday or the weather guy is wrong look for a Sunday ride as well. See you on the road, Bob

Waynes staple ride; 0900 from Kittatiny (airport parking lot). This is a no drop training level ride. Racers welcome for training. The ride is consistent on Saturdays and lessons are free but don't tell Wayne that ssshhhhhh!

posted at: 18:24 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Wed, 21 Mar 2012

Augusta Series Kicks Off !

Great race at the Sussex County Fairgrounds last night.If anyone has any news or would just like to say anything beyond this blog posting, please feel free to email me.

The Skylands Club put together a very successful first event. As far as i know, everyone stayed upright. I did see an eager rider trying to keep his line, so he took a short cut through the grass (please don't do that again). The masters race had some cool breakaway activity but it was chased down by the peloton towards the end. "A"s were screaming (not in the verbal sense) and came by the "B" race smoothly,thanks guys we are greatful. I did hear some chatter, but it was the usual culprits and no one need pay attention to that during the race unless you are genuinely in the way of passing "A" racers, please yield the right of way. Just so everyone is informed,"B"s stay to the right when "A"s come thru.

See you all next Tuesday, JBerg

posted at: 14:31 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sun, 18 Mar 2012

Saturday and Sunday Rides

3/17 - 0900 from Kittatiny (airport parking lot) - Waynes ride - moderate to tempo pace.

3/18 - "Emerge from Hibernation" at 11AM from the Swartswood Lake Park Pavilion. This is an annual event to get the legs moving again, and sounds like alot of fun ! It is a great ride for catching up with friends and other club members or just joining the club for the first time. Highly recommeded - loop ride so that people can go their own pace and ride a distance of their choosing. Its about an eight mile loop.

3/18 - Mike Adist Will be doing a 3.5-4 hour base training ride on Sunday. Leaving at 11:30 from Tri-States Mall (Shoprite) in Montague, NJ. Climbing and endurance/tempo pace is part of this ride. We will stop to regroup at different points.Base/endurance training, including one 3-4 hour ride a month, is an very important part of early season preperation. Bring adequate hydration and gels/bars etc. You will burn 2-3K calories.Text or call me at 570-493-1731 so I know you are coming. Or, email me also.

3/18 and beyond - Every Sunday Dan Mitchell has a ride that leaves Kittatiny at 10am - very consistent ride for Sundays. In May sometime it will change for the warmer weather. Ride route will vary but ends up back at Kittatiny. On 3/18 it head towards Blairstown and back on Silverlake Rd.

posted at: 08:01 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sun, 11 Mar 2012

Mini-Recreation Ride

Had a great opportunity to work with kids today. My kids, niece, nephew, and a few of their close friends. Ten kids, ages five to ten who wanted nothing more than cruise around on their bikes at the park. One of the bikes identified affectionately as the clown bike because it has eightinch wheels and thats mostly rubber was thoroughly abused. Fun watching the bigger kids attempt to ride it.

Anyway, i found myself being a safety advocate and steward. Things i may not have considered prior to joining Skylands and being subject to all sorts of advice. So the tires were inflated properly, each kids bike was checked for basic fitting, helmets checked for defects and chin straps tightened. Even a quick flat change out and brake adjustment.

My niece was brought up to speed without her training wheels for the first time using a trick someone in the club mentioned to me once, the no pedals learning method for balance development. Happily there were no crashes and the little ones had their day in the sun.

posted at: 17:37 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sat, 10 Mar 2012

Skylands Saturday Ride Recap

Thanks to all who participated this morning. Some good connections were made and the ride went as planned. Conversation followed by a chase drill with sprint ending, then regrouping through the Shades. A short paceline training followed by a mailbox sprint. The end of the ride was a short surge by the remaining riders back to the parking lot.

Some ideas were thrown out there for consideration. A training ride at the Fairgrounds pre-season clean up party. Great idea - we clean it, then ride it together to discuss some strategy for upcoming season.

Don't forget about the upcoming racer meeting on Wednesday March 14th. Location TBD

posted at: 11:59 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Thu, 08 Mar 2012

Skylands Racers Ride Sat 0900 out of Kittatiny

I (John Berg - Blogman) will be hosting a Skylands racer only ride for interested parties this Saturday out of Kittatiny (air port) parking lot at 0900. The objectives are simple; make introductions, discuss upcoming Augusta series and other target events, figure out who is fit enough and willing enough to support team efforts in race conditions, ok maybe its not all that simple but starting with a group ride is a good thing. A work out will be included.

See you there and ride safe.

posted at: 11:59 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Mon, 05 Mar 2012

Central Park Race - Sunday March 4th

A large number of racers turned up at the Central Park Series opener on Sunday morning. The CAT 3/4 race was packed wih 150 in the field. It was tight quarters in the corners and alot of maneuvering up the rollers. I personally had someone go down immediately in front of me on the second climb of the race after a rider crossed up wheels with the rider in front of him. The brakes were on through an otherwise smooth fast turning course, especially at the south end on the second lap.

After picking up some debris and flatting about 2 1/2 laps in i witnessed a couple of other crashes and near misses as i limped around the park towards the starting area. It seemed that most were in control and following good lines, but others just seemed to be attacking through the field for no apparent reason at the start of hills only to become wildly out of sorts when crushing gears and standing on the pedals to get up the hills. The same riders then tore through the field again on the downhills.Just glad to have stayed upright in this one.

I have to say that the venue is awesome and the race promoter did the right thing by reducing the 3/4 field for the series to no more than 107, which includes anyone who signed up for the series. I will do this race again because the city is quiet in the wee hours and the park seems to be made for racing. It was well organized and the street parking at 5 or 530 is readily available. I found a sweet spot on 5th avenue within a couple hundred yards of registration.

If you have any questions or are interested in carpooling to one of the NY Park Series Races just drop me a line. The races are very early 0630 but that makes for a speedy get away and a return home before your spouse or significant other catches on :)

posted at: 13:22 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sat, 18 Feb 2012

Go Team Go !

Skylands had a great team ride today, led by Bob P.from the Chatterbox parking out towards Wantage. Nothing beats expert instruction and guidance of experienced riders / racers. Over fifteen racers and enthusiasts showed up for the race structured training that included a lead out training session in the middle of a forty miler. If your intersted in participating as a racer, the training is very specific and the coach is right there to provide instantaneous feedback.

This is really beneficial to racing knowledge and is also a good forum to get to know the other folks in the club who are interested in helping each other out in races and training. I have to say, this is why i joined Skylands, good people and a feeling of being a part of a club that is interested in all of the facets of cycling.

Lessons I learned today;

* Pull off into the windy side to shield the person coming through

* Pull off by excellerating out and immediately away from the next person in line

* Take a good line - mid road - room to maneuver

* Use an applicable gear for the effort level of the group you are riding with

* Listen to the coach, listen to the coach ...

Thank you for stepping up Bob, it really is exciting knowing your on our side. Can't wait for the next ride.

posted at: 21:05 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sun, 12 Feb 2012

ATTENTION Racers:

We will be holding a meeting on Wednesday evening (exact time and location TBA), to discuss the upcoming racing season. We will be discussing the upcoming Augusta season and racing as a team at other events. Your input and attendance will be greatly appreciated.

-Scott Goodman

posted at: 15:13 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Thu, 05 Jan 2012

Attention B Racers !

I am forming a B+ (riders should have the ability to at least sit in on the Thursday "A" ride) race training ride to establish a regimented framework for folks that want to utilize strategies to better set up team wins for the Skylands club. Its free and we have an experienced racer who is willing to share his knowledge while leading the training sessions. There are many facets to cycling as a team and i am no authority on the subject but it seems like a good idea as long as we learn something new that will benefit each other during pivotal moments in a race. I would like to get as many of you out to ride as possible and it takes four or five racers to make it happen.

The ride could be in line with Thursday night "A" ride or another evening or weekend day, whatever works best for the interested parties.

Just send me an email, John Berg blog administrator

posted at: 21:14 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Wed, 04 Jan 2012

Ride and Training Info

There is a really cool training ride (30 to 35 miles of B+ level) that regularly leaves from the Kittatiny Parking lot at 0900 on Saturdays and Sundays. The ride is usually lead by Wayne Lumkong of Skylands and caters to conditioning with some up tempo surges and sprints (just for fun). The ride can be gears or fixed depending on the flavor of the day and has some good instruction for newer riders and racers. I have been with this ride for a couple years and it has been very beneficial to building my own experience.If your interested its worth a try, see you out there.

posted at: 22:07 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Fri, 30 Dec 2011

Saturday Ride 11:30am from Kittatiny High School

Chet Basher is hosting the ride from the parking lot heading out in the Blairstown direction.

Nice weather we are having - great for cruising around ! Happy New Year and i hope you all had a pleasant Holiday.

posted at: 19:44 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sun, 18 Dec 2011

Winter Riding / Training / Racing

I would say that todays ride out of Kittatiny at 2pm was cold but after going to English Town yesterday and watching part of the 24 hour world championship tough mudder, i was balmy warm and cozy in my winter gear. These guys are nuts, inlcuding my brother who managed to finish 26 miles in the freezing cold in a partial wetsuit while being shocked by an electric fence looking obstacle and having some special forces guys chuck him over a couple of walls.

Battenkill is on the horizon and it looks like Dan M. is starting up the Battenkill training rides. These rides can be challenging if you are not already in good shape.

I would like to throw together a gathering to discuss some Skylands team strategies. It seems like people want to work together during races but it gets a bit crazy in there and the duties aren't clear if they are only in your own minds during a race. We have some good talent and it would seem that if organized we could do something that would result in a team victory. I am ready to learn more about how to do this and to identify other willing participants who are in the Skylands Club. Let me know if there is any interest, i will gladly through out what i can for the opportunity to push a team mate across the line first. Since i am no expert on team strategy it might be nice if one of the more experienced racers jumped in and offers the how to part and maybe some strategies they have had success with.

posted at: 18:39 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sun, 20 Nov 2011

Sunday ride;

Two groups headed out today from Kittatiny at 0900, we kept together for a while then the fixed gear group split off and did an easy ride with a couple of sprints to keep things interesting. Sussex really is a great place to ride, traffic was minimal and I do not recall hearing any horns. The ride was mostly the Thursday night route only in reverse.

So the tip of the day, if you have a worn tire, put it on the back. If it has a small split in the rubber,then let a little air out and dab a bit of super glue into the space. Reason for the worn tire on the back is that if it does punction or flat you will have better control. Good chance you may take a spill if the front goes and you lose steering.

Don't forget to RSVP to the party on Dec.4th .....

posted at: 19:21 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Cycling coincidence:

So I get a new phone (Droid X2) and start using the many APs that are available including facebook. I see that one of my former cross country team mates from the good ol'days in California, which goes back 25 years, has taken up road racing and is a CAT4 just like me. He has become a criterium racing enthusiast over the last couple of years. I think cycling is a good way to rejuvenate the competitive spirit and it is cool that technology can connect friends the way that it does.

I go on to find out that he mountain biked for years, as did I. I then found out that we served in the coast guard with similar jobs and experiences. We now share uncanny engineering and technical trade choice similarities. Still more is that we both have all girls, his two to my three. Strange parallel universe.

Anyway, i thought this was all interesting enough to share with you all. Hopefully i can make it out there some day to ride with an old friend and fellow competiitor.

posted at: 19:21 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Wed, 16 Nov 2011

Message from Blake;

Come out and join Team Bulldog and Skylands Cycling for our 10th straight season of Cyclocross Racing at the beautiful Sussex County Fairgrounds. The event has grown to be highly competitive, yet still low key and lots of fun. Be a part of history as we mark the completion of a decade of 'cross! Never 'cross raced before? Head up the 'County (kind of like down the shore, but the other direction) to find out first hand what all the buzzy buzz is about. Mountain bikers and road cyclists alike can find success at 'cross. Two dates:Sunday, November 20, 2011 and Sunday, November 27, 2011http://www.bikereg.com/events/Register.asp?EventID=14351 http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=14470 Parking is easy and plentiful. Bathrooms are heated and clean!

Payout for Men A and Women A will be based on the number of entries, with a minimum of 3 deep for the ladies and 5 deep for the fellas.

This race is part of the New Jersey Cross Cup Series. A USA Cycling License is required, and one day licenses are available for an additional $10 on site or when you register here.

Course: 3ish km, 200ish meter asphalt start, double pit at halfway point, 65% grass, 10% asphalt, 10% dirt, 15% gravel/hardpack. One set of double barriers, one run up. Or maybe two sets of barriers, and two run ups. Or no run ups. Come up to Augusta and check it out! 70% flat. The course has been modified again for 2011 and we're sure you'll enjoy the changes. All percentages are approximate and may change without notice.

A spectator friendly venue is what you will see. Bring the cowbells and dollar bills along with all of your friends. Trombones are welcome, but we're not so sure about the vuvuzela. On second thought, why not? Bring out all your annoying noisemakers!

Warming Up on the course while racing is in progress is not permitted. The course is open for pre-riding before 9:00 a.m. and between races on race day.

Mountain bikes without bar ends are always welcome.

Bring the little guys for the free kids race at noon!

Pre registration is strongly encouraged. $10.00 late fee for race day registration. Pre register on Bikereg.com. Registration opens 9:00 a.m. Second race entry is $15.00. USA Cycling license required. One day license $10.00.

Wafels and Dinges will be making a visit up in the 'County and selling tasty treats and warm beverages! http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/

Please respect the fairgrounds and allow us to continue to hold races up there. Don't bring your muddy cleats, gear, clothes, etc. into the bathrooms.

For more information visit our websites (www.teambulldog.com or www.skylandscycling.com ) or contact Brian at brian@teambulldog.com or Blake at

blake@skylandscycling.com

posted at: 06:15 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sat, 12 Nov 2011

Saturday Ride Recap

This mornings ride was very entertaining. Wayne set the motif of Home For Sale Sign Sprints. Most of us had fixed gears, variable sizes, but the geared folks set into a comparable gear and joined in the efforts.

Looking forward to whatever is in store for tomorrow. Rides leave from Kittatiny at 0900 or 0800 depending on life schedules.A few of us have small ones that have sports activities early in the day, if i get some feedback we can adjust but earlier seems to work best. Sometimes we circle back to Kittatiny to pick-up others.

posted at: 12:15 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Thu, 10 Nov 2011

Rides this weekend;

Hello All.. My Sat AM ride is out due to a 9AM soccer game(last one..TG!) I intend to ride out of Kit/Limecrest @ 3:30PM as the weather right now is calling for sunny and high 50's. The ride will be the normal Thursday route at a moderate winter training pace, with a few hard pushes to break it up. Hope to see a few there.. Jon Boulb

Hi Rec Riders, Please send me your RMRB miles for September. The August winners were JoAnne Beliveau and Frank Brincka. Frank has once again won in two consecutive months, so he is not eligible for the September prize. Send your miles to robm@skylandscycling.com by 10/15. I will announce the winner on 10/18. Happy cycling! Robert Myre

Saturday and Sunday 0900 Waynes normal weekend routine - mostly fixey but gears welcome. John Berg

posted at: 14:37 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Saturday and Sunday morning rides from Kittatiny Parking Lot are in full winter mode.
Rides leave at 0900 and 1000 as far as i can tell, all levels and a multitude of different rides.

There is a 0900 that welcomes fixed gears for winter mode off season training.

We will try to transcribe the rides into the blog as they show up in emails and facebook.

Don't forget the Dec. 4th Holiday Party - details on the site !!!!!

posted at: 08:50 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sat, 10 Sep 2011

9/11 Remember America Ride info;

9AM at the Lafayette school, Beaver Run. Tour of the Towns.

George is bringing Nat'l Championship Jerseys - It is impressive to see that many American Flags cruising down the road together.

See you all there...

posted at: 08:10 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Mon, 05 Sep 2011

NJ State Criterium Championship

Nice event, the AT&T complex in Morristown offered a very tough course with little opportunity for recovery as the false flat on the back stretch sucked the life out of my legs a little more with each passing lap. Thanks to some good advice from other Skylands racers i managed to be there at the end of it.15th place (Cat4) felt like a win to me....

I didn't catch up with everyone elses thoughts about the course and races so if you have anything, please send it along.

posted at: 11:50 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Fri, 26 Aug 2011

Race Up Sunrise Mountain Cancelled
Hurricane Irene has caused the management at Stokes State Forest to close the park and cancel the race until the danger passes. The rescheduling of the race is doubtful at this time, however, please help with the memorial fund by contributing. Donations may be via contacting Blake. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/stokes.html for more parks and forest info. Please stay safe and plan on racing with us at the CycloCross events at the Sussex County on November 20 and 26. Bob

posted at: 22:15 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Thu, 11 Aug 2011

Blog is back ! If you have anything you would like posted drop me a line.

Annual Skylands get together info from Blake; lease save the date of August 21st for the Annual Club Picnic. Location: John and Carol Autores House What to bring: We will once again provide Burger/Hot Dogs etc. but if you would like to bring a dish, just let us know what you plan to bring so we don't have duplicates. Bring drinks and bathing suits and towels for the lake. RSVP: Bobl@skylandscycling.com or Blake@skylandscycling.com

I know it is taboo to give unsolicited advice but i crashed recently and have some to give; Aim for a nice soft yard if you can, you may get dazed a little but you save a bit of skin if you can clear the masoned curbs....

Watch the video at this location - http://vimeo.com/couchmode/user2533615/videos/sort:date/26990499 wait - skip to 4:00 minutes and watch as proper dismount occurs and yard diving takes place. It was a shame because Jon Jackson was providing a great lead out in the finish of the Stirling "Freedom" Criterium. We were solidly in the top ten pending the sprint in about 800 meters or so. If you can tell what happened to make the crash happened i would like to hear about it.

Miscellaneous Clube Ride Info;

Dan Mitchell on the Thusday "A" - Last week the 'A' ride group had close to 30 participants. It was a ton of fun and Intervals of very hard riding. A few of the best racers in New Jersey turn out and it requires good fitness to hang on.Just a reminder, please observe all red lights. After our first sprint on Shades of Death Rd. Its been a tradition to wait at the stop sign after South Mt Rd. at least for a minute or so. We can't wait extra time for everyone who joined the ride. They tend to get dropped again as soon as the pace resumes anyway. If your new and your not familiar with the area, please download a ride sheet from our web site.

Eilene 'Thursday Rec Ride' - All: weather forecast is great! Hope you can join us.. Same place (Kittatinny parking lot on Limecrest Rd), same time 6pm.

Robert Myre "Thursday Rec Ride' - The weather looks great again for Thursday evening. Temps in the upper 70’s, and no sign of rain. We will have our regular “C” pace ride leaving from Kittatinny State Park (Limecrest Road lot) at 6:00 PM.

posted at: 12:29 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Wed, 29 Jun 2011

Augusta Series Last Night

What a great Augusta Series turn out last night. I was surprised by the number of weary riders who just competed in the Giro Del Cielo stage race over the weekend. The weekend race didn't seem to slow anyone down at all though. Congrats ! to John Jackson on his effort in winning the "B" race, pretty close finish after looking at the smugmug pics. Thanks "A"s for letting us come through on the sprint, nice and safe.

Nice job Blake, i know you had a very long weekend with the Giro.

posted at: 16:15 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Mon, 27 Jun 2011

Giro del Cielo !!!!!

Congrats Skylands Racers - I only have the one thing to say, OMG RJ and Andrew with that wicked break in the Cat 4/5. Glad to see you made it happen all the way to the finish. Enjoy the moment.

Sorry that i couldn't stay for the rest of the Cat 3 but i am sure they did well, saw some Skylands Racers up in the lead pack.

The Giro races went extremely well thanks to Blake and the volunteers. The positive comments from the race attendees are pouring in. As a first Giro experience, i am very impressed with the number of folks that came out and how far some of them traveled to get to the races. Nice turn out.

posted at: 21:39 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Sun, 15 May 2011

05-15-11 Skylands A/B Thursday Night Ride

A small group of us rode the Thursday night loop in reverse on Saturday. We found new pavement on the first sprint section if you were traveling clockwise on the flat part before SOD. The former road condition was more cobblestonish and ate my wheel on the turn Tuesday night during a brisk effort. It ended my ride unfortunately, and yes Dan and John i left my tire on the rim while changing my tube this time.

Augusta series in back on Tuesday, hopefully the weather will treat us right.

posted at: 19:04 | path: | permanent link to this entry

05/15/11 Updates and FYIs

Message from David Mitchell forwarded from Blake H -

Quick PCA Update I do apologize as sometimes my day job gets in the way of the time I devote to keeping the PCA membership and all cyclists in PA/WV up to date. This email will provide some brief information on a lot of topics and I will get out more at a later date. This Weekend’s Racing Last weekend’s race calendar included a challenging TEK Park Circuit Race which offered PA BAR points and those points have been awarded. This Saturday the PA BAR series continues with the Smoketown Airport Criterium (http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12114). Keith McEllhenney has promoted this event, along with the International Christian Cycling Club since the races inception and has grown in popularity in just a few years. With PA BAR points available there are 202 pre-registered riders signed up so far. Many in the PCA community have been waiting for the track season to start and that happens this Saturday with the Masters & Rookies Series (http://www.thevelodrome.com). With masters nationals set to take place at our home track in July I am certain the master’s competition will be hot and heavy this summer. Hope to see you there at some point this summer.

On Sunday there’s another opportunity to get in some racing in NE PA with another edition of the PICC Spring Series (http://www.picycling.org/events.html) in Erie. I’ve been posting the results in the USAC and the number of riders keeps growing. Hats off to the work by Richard Sheasley and the Presque Isle Cycling Club. PA Track BAR Dates for 2011 – See Flier for Details Tuesday’s: 5/31, 6/21, 7/19, 8/23, and 9/6 Saturday’s: 5/28, 6/25, 7/23, 8/27, and 9/10

Masters PA BAR Points There were some questions last weekend at the TEK Park CR about the awarding of PA BAR points in the masters 35+ race. I wanted to remind the membership that you earn points for the PA BAR category in which you are racing. For example a 45+ rider who places in a 35+ BAR race will earn 35+ points. An M4 rider who places in a Cat 4/5 BAR race will earn Cat 4 points. If that rider contests a Cat 3/4 race he will earn Cat 3 BAR points. Email me if you have any questions. Thanks! Millersville University In my last email I profiled Rodney Kauffman and Rachel Yodis who represented Millersville University at the 2011 Collegiate Road Championships. Brad Ober was kind enough to point out that current pro rider Kyle Wamsley graduated from Millersville in the fall of 2002 and was a Collegiate All American that year and most likely went to nationals. I do want to point out that Rodney and Rachel had a great showing in Madison last weekend and did their school proud. Hanover Industrial Park Criterium Phil Cable (www.NEPAcycling.com), who has done so much to promote cycling in NE PA, had to move his May 28th race to an industrial park in Hanover. Since then he has secured a sponsorship from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. After the race riders can take their race number to the Mohegan Sun Casino for a $10 slot voucher to wind down after a day of racing. Phil encourages all riders to stay in Luzerne county for the weekend as the Lake Carey RR is on Sunday. Phil wanted me to pass on that the Hanover Industrial Park Criterium is now the Mohegan Sun Scorcher! National Ride of Silence

I figure many on the email list know what the Ride of Silence is all about. The National Ride of Silence is a voice, through silent presence, to honor those who have been injured or killed while riding. The goal is to raise awareness that cyclists are here and that we all need to share the roads. There are rides worldwide on May 18th including one in Philadelphia and Fleetwood, PA. Dean Smith (GS Simmeria) sent me the BikeReg link for the Fleetwood ride (http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13458) and the web site for this world event is www.rideofsilence.org. Thanks Dean for passing on this info and I hope many can get out an honor our fallen brethren. PICC TT’s Over the past few weeks I’ve been sharing information on the PA State TTT that takes place on June 18th. Promoter Greg Troyer rides for PICC and that club does more than just host spring series. The club is hosting an individual TT in Erie on Presque Isle State Park that same weekend as the state TTT. It’s not a USAC permitted event and focuses on citizen’s racers but it is also the clubs primary fundraiser for the year to support other cycling events and advocacy projects. If you are traveling to the Erie area for the state TTT bring along an extra bike for a friend or family member so they can help support what PICC does off the bike. Thanks

USAC Insurance Programs At the annual LA summit the folks at USAC talk a lot about the various insurance programs they offer through their affinity partners. I am sure everyone got the email but just in case check out what you can get through Adventure Advocates. USA Cycling has partnered with Adventure Advocates to offer its members affordable worldwide protection for accidental injuries 24 hours per day, 7 days per week*, as well as a host of other benefits designed to protect and promote an active lifestyle for you and your family. For plan details and to enroll, please contact us at 1-800-211-9002 or visit us online at www.AdventureAdvocates.com/usacycling. 2011 State Road Race Championships

Look for a full state road championship calendar coming to your email box soon! Road Races through May 22nd (Check the PCA web site for full April/May calendar)

Tuesday, May 3, 10 & 17 Allegheny Cycling Association Tuesday Night Criterium Series (http://www.acaracing.com/) USAC Permit 2011-539 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Promoter: ACA

Wednesday, May 4, 11 & 18 Allegheny Cycling Association Wednesday Night Criterium Series (http://www.acaracing.com/) USAC Permit 2011-1526 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Promoter: ACA

Thursday, May 5, 12 & 19 LWA Thursday Night Training Series (http://www.lehighvalleywheelmen.com/files/2011Thursday%20Night%20Training%20Series.pdf) USAC Permit 2011-764 Location: Trexlertown, PA Promoter: Bike Line/LWA

Saturday, May 7, 14 & 21 Allegheny Cycling Association Saturday Morning Criterium Series (http://www.acaracing.com/) USAC Permit 2011-1527 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Promoter: ACA

Saturday, May 14 Smoketown Airport Criterium (http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12114) ***** 2011 PA BAR Event ***** USAC Permit 2011-107 Location: Smoketown, PA Promoter: International Christian Cycling Club and Shirks Racing presented by Trek Bikes Masters & Rookies Series - VPCC (http://www.thevelodrome.com) USAC Permit 2011- Location: Trexlertown, PA Promoter: Valley Preferred Cycling Center

Sunday, May 15 PICC Spring Training Series Race #5 (http://www.picycling.org/events.html) USAC Permit 2011-960 Location: Fairview, PA Promoter: Presque Isle Cycling Club

Saturday, May 21 Dan Spencer Memorial Road Race – Masters State RR (http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13251) ***** 2011 PA BAR Event ***** USAC Permit 2011-1170 Location: Bloomsburg, PA Promoter: Dutch Wheelman Bicycle Club Oxford Road Race (http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13260) USAC Permit 2011-1779 Location: Oxford, PA Promoter: Road Cycling League Masters & Rookies Series - VPCC (http://www.thevelodrome.com) USAC Permit 2011- Location: Trexlertown, PA Promoter: Valley Preferred Cycling Center

Sunday, May 22 Bloomsburg Town Park Criterium (http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13251) ***** 2011 PA BAR Event ***** USAC Permit 2011-1167 Location: Bloomsburg, PA Promoter: Dutch Wheelman Bicycle Club

Final Thoughts The recent death of Wouter Weylandt at the Giro reminds us of the dangers of this great sport. Please ride and race safe. Always wear a helmet and keep your eyes and ears open. Stay upright and safe. Thanks for supporting cycling in PA/WV and ride safe! David H. Mitchell The Performance Lab p/b Caffeinated Cyclist President - Pennsylvania Cycling Association (www.pacycling.org) 215-284-2339 pcapres07@verizon.net

posted at: 14:14 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Fri, 08 Apr 2011

From Milford PA to the Delaware Water Gap and back via NJ back roads. Sunday, 4/10

Weather permitting, a few of us, from Milford, are doing a 4-hour ± endurance pace ride on Sunday, starting at 12 noon. Going to ride on the New Jersey side of the park to the DWG Visitor Center in Delaware Water Gap and back (70 miles, one big climb). Any Skylands riders are welcome to join.

You can meet us at the Rt 209 ranger station (toll booth) parking lot, on the Pennsylvania side just over the Milford/Montague bridge or at an NJ-side parking lot at 12:15, on Old Mine Road, just off Rt 206, on the left, before the bridge. Just let me know if you are coming, so I don't miss you at one of the meet up locations.

Bring 2 water bottles, energy bars and extra tire tube(s). Some parts of the road route is a bit chewed up from the winter. Should be a nice ride, as there is little traffic in the park, this time of the year.

Mike Adsit
570-493-1731

posted at: 22:15 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Tue, 05 Apr 2011

Race Updates

The Augusta Crit Series 04-05 was chilly with an excellent chance for rain, but it stayed dry long enough to have all three events as scheduled. The Masters race gave the As and Bs some preview of the wind on the home stretch and some really straight draft lines, well sort of an angle if you played your cards right.The races were competitive from what i could tell, of course i only have the B perspective but the pace was challenging. Good to see a fair number of riders showed despite the gloomy weather forecast.

Ronde Van Mullica this past Sunday. Good racing action and a well put together event. Unfortunately there were a couple of crashes, especially near the finish with yellow line rule in effect. If you were in the pack at the finish it made it difficult to get around at the sprint, at least thats my sob story.

Good luck to anyone doing BattenKill this weekend...

posted at: 21:55 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Wed, 16 Mar 2011

Tuesday Night Augusta Crit Series

The Augusta Criterium Series is in full effect at the Sussex County Fairgrounds after a great opening day Tuesday. The course was clean and in good shape. The event was well put together and plenty of racers were present to get some excellent early season training. The 45 plus race was agressive and the "A" race looked to be the same with a fast pace and some nice lead outs. The "B" race was fairly calculated with some strong surges and a couple of racers leading for most of the hour with the peloton in chase mode.

It was good to see such a great turn out, see you all out there next Tuesday for more of the same.

posted at: 20:03 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Skylands Thursday Night Ride Update:

Thursdays weather is looking real good. Warm 55+ and sunny till dusk. Its getting dark at 7pm so we should have a start time of 5:30pm this week.

General strategies when late: Anyone whose slightly late can park at the Grist Mill parking lot near the Andover light (519/206 intersection). That will give you 5-7 min. Really late, do the course backwards and TT until you meet up with the pack.

posted at: 06:16 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Fri, 04 Mar 2011

Saturday 03-05-11 Ride Options;

9am Ride from Kittatiny - smaller group heading out for two hours through Sussex countryside. This will be a moderate pace, just enough effort to maintain a conversation.

10am Ride from Kittatiny - Skylands staple ride

posted at: 18:44 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Thu, 03 Mar 2011

The Augusta Series is nearing, the course will be in great shape after the clean up on 03-13.
There will be a couple of tornado-ish leaf blowers out there.

Looking foward to some Thursday night rides and the long weekend rides, see you all out there and good luck.

posted at: 20:25 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Mon, 31 Jan 2011

CLOTHING and KIT SURVEY RESULTS

Thank you to the 23 members who completed the clothing survey. Most of the results and comments were very constant. Almost all were comments on the new red and black kits from Suarez. This summary is only addressing the Suarez kits.

The time and distance of your time in the kit was quite varied, from around the block to full centuries.

Overall, most were happy with quality and value of the kits. Those riding the shorts/bibs in colder weather noticed that there were no 'keepers' to aid in keeping the leg warmers in place. The jerseys all got good remarks. The pro-race cuts were noted to have high pockets. This is typical of most jerseys of that cut. A question was raised over the chamois/pad. Is there sex specific pads and stitching? There are female and male cuts for the jersey and short sizing.

The more frequent complaint is that the clothing was too small. Examining the fitting chart, the size letters (s - xl) do not correspond to other charts, however using the actual inches/centimeters have a much more accurate fit.

The expectation of the life of the jersey is good, however the overall expectation for the shorts/bibs is very optimistic.

Accessories: Only a few comment and only a few had purchased them. The socks are nice.

Please, it is the purchasers' responsibility to order the correct size. Try on before you buy. Samples are available.

Thanks for participating.

posted at: 18:50 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Tue, 27 Apr 2010

Recap of The Tour of Lake Hopatcong

Rain is a fairly common occurrence for the April running of the Tour de Lake. Maybe it is the whole "April showers bring May flowers" thing. When you factor in mid-40 degree temperatures, it makes for a chilly ride. To make matters worse, I forgot my booties; I might as well have worn sandals over my socks.

All that being said, the Tour de Lake is always a great ride, even in the rain. This year marks the ride's 10th anniversary. It runs twice a year; in April and October. There are 20 and 40 mile routes (the 40 miler actually goes into Sparta and features a killer climb up Edison Road). I usually do the 20 mile ride in April and the 40 mile ride in the fall.

The riders set off from Fern Lane in Mount Arlington, and, under police escort (the Mt. Arlington FOP sponsors the ride) head out onto Howard Boulevard. I'm used to seeing 30+ people on the 20 mile ride, but this time there were only 7 of us (which guaranteed me that elusive "Top 10" finish I'd been shooting for J ). The pack separates pretty quickly, since the turn off Howard (onto Oneida Avenue, I think) is a "steeper than it looks" climb. Those with the legs power up the hill and take advantage of the descent on the other side. The rest of the group is on its own from there.

In my mind, I break the route into four sections, each one punctuated by a hill. They are by no means equidistant; it's just that I hate hills. J Oneida Ave marks the first section. The ride up Maxim Drive to Prospect Point Road (about 12 or so miles into the ride) marks the second. The final two hills actually come in the last 4 miles of the ride. The 3rd climbs up from the lake to Espanong Road. The fourth, on Howard Boulevard by Lee's Marina, is less than a mile from the finish.

Since there were only 7 of us, I spent most of the ride on my own. There were two people behind me that I lost sight of after the first hill. On Maxim Drive, I overtook a guy that had fallen off the lead group. But I didn't see the lead three riders again until the race was over.

The rain did taper down to a drizzle, and even let up entirely for a bit. After a while, the cold didn't feel so bad either. Mercifully, there was really no wind to speak of. By the time I finished, I was actually feeling pretty good (although I was completely drenched.) I couldn't stay for the after-ride festivities this time, but they have a nice, complimentary pasta lunch while they give out the awards for the top finishers.

All in all, it was a great ride. I tied my personal best time of 1:06, and if I counted correctly, came in 4th place.
by Rob Myre

posted at: 13:33 | path: | permanent link to this entry