I'm heading for my annual trip to Utah. Buddy Ritchie is always kind enough to set us up for the stay. Thanks Buddy! I will be out of the office from Tuesday (9/7/07)- Friday (9/10/07). I will be back at PedalPlay Saturday. I will try to post with pictures every night after the rides... So, Check back frequently for the scup on the Utah Trip!
These are pictures of the Great Western trail which we will be riding during our stay.

The Clear Creek MTB race will be September 2nd in Oxford, MS. Here is a link to the race flyer:http://www.oxfordbikeclub.org/Photos/CCC07%20Flyer3.pdf It will be a double points race.

Hope to see everyone there. The series standings have been updated at www.scrcs.com from the Baton Rouge Battle, August 19th.

Thanks,

I just received these awsome looking kits by M9. If anyone wants any one of these should speak up now.
Cycling clothing -
Reorders for cycling clothing only require a minimum of 20. If you only want tops, or only bottoms the minimum for either set is 20. If you want tops and bottoms, the minimum is 20 for each set (20 + 20).
Within the 20 minimum/set you can get 20 of the same item, or 10 of one item + 10 of another item (as long as the 2 item codes are both tops, or both bottoms).
After you meet the 20 minimum in a set (tops or bottoms) you can then order as few as 2 of any other item within the same set.
You don't have to order 20 skinsuits to get 1 skinsuit. Also, remember that 1 skinsuit counts as 1 top + 1 bottom. The most skinsuits you'd need to have is 10. And, if you meet the 20 in tops, for example with 10 jerseys + 10 vests, you could order as few skinsuits as necessary. We have in stock short sleeve jerseys in full zip and 3/4 zip.

The first annual Baton Rouge Battle Mountain Bike Race was a succes with PedalPlay/MMR "Just For Fun" team mate Stephanie J. taking a 2nd place podium in the girls division. Scott M. placed 4th in Sport Class.

Louisiana/Mississippi
USCF District
Time Trial Championships
40k/20k Individual Time Trials
LaPlace, Louisiana

The event announcement for the La./Ms. Time Trial Championships is at:
http://www.neworleansbicycleclub.org/2007/lams_tt07.htm

NBO is doing pre-registration only this year so that they can send out the official start list the day before the race. If for some reason you can't register online, just contact the event organizer shown at the bottom of the announcement.

Letter: Cyclist has shocking experiences

http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/9187302.html

Published: Aug 16, 2007
A newbie to cycling, I am shocked at what I am experiencing on the roads.

I’m sure seasoned cyclists have horror stories of near misses and are as frustrated as I.

If everyone would treat a cyclist as if the cyclist were his or her fondest relative or friend, perhaps we’d be safer.

Wake up, Baton Rouge! This is the time of year our population swells with academic and seasonal residents moving back to town.

Progress is all around us: residential and commercial construction, plans for a loop around our city, restricted road access through the LSU campus, a wonderful bicycle path on the levee.

We educate to foster an awareness of protecting the environment; we hear about global warming, and gas is nearly $3 per gallon. We encourage alternative transportation to help alleviate pollution and road congestion and then deny those who choose alternative methods the safety to which they are entitled.

Yes, bicycles and motorcycles are vehicles, too! They have the right to our roadways and should be following the appropriate rules and regulations.

It is extremely difficult to negotiate a turn when you are making the appropriate hand signal for a turn and the car behind you is on your tail or is accelerating in the attempt to pass and get to and through the turn first.

School zones are in effect. Foot and bicycle traffic is on the rise. It’s time for all of us to reacquaint ourselves with —and practice — the rules of the road. Not to mention practicing courtesy and patience.

Let’s face it. Road congestion is a part of life in our area, so plan accordingly, leave a little early or inform someone you will be late. And don’t even consider running the light when it is red.

We are all entitled to get to our destination alive and intact, whether that be on foot, bicycle, motorcycle or in an automobile.

Many thanks to the many considerate drivers who don’t heckle, yell obscenities, throw objects or flip us off.

Thanks to the construction workers who slow down the equipment as we are coming through and the drivers who wait patiently to let us pass, and even wave us through.

To those who are not as respectful, or just plain mean — wake up, keep your road rage in check and share the road.

Marlene Sheely
homemaker
Baton Rouge

http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=10193916&queueid=[capwiz:queue_i
d]

http://kiwanis.i-55.com/tour.html

Come ride with us!

In 1991 the Hammond Kiwanis Club successfully inaugurated the Tour de' Tangipahoa bicycle ride. A large group of cyclists toured the beautiful North Shore countryside and all seemed pleased with this pleasant, yet challenging trek through storied Tangipahoa Parish. This year, the Kiwanis Club is proud to present the 11th edition of the Tour de Tangipahoa. We just know that you will enjoy participating in this great event that we are trying very hard to make the greatest bicycle tour in the region. We will offer a 30 mile intermediate ride and a challenging 62 mile tour.

I need your help, and time is short. Attached, below, or on the BRBC yahoo group is the text of a letter to demand that Pinnacle to build a levee top trail along River Road. If Pinnacle completes their project, rural River Road cycling will be a memory, except south of Gardere Lane.

If we want accomodation for the distruption Pinnacle will bring, please fill out your name and address, and sign it, and either send it to the councilman, bring it to the public information meeting 6-8 PM Thursday 16 August at the Bluebonnet library, or send it to me and I will bring it to the meeting.

I am addressing the letter to Councilman Culbertson because the project is in his district (3), and the Metro council can add this type of stipulation to the project.

Bruce Wickert
P. O. Box 52708
Baton Rouge, LA 70892
____________________________

Name: _______________________________
Address: _______________________________
City/State: _______________________________
16 August 2007

Dr. Pat Culbertson
17527 West Lakeway Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Dr. Culbertson:
It has come to my attention that Pinnacle Entertainment is proposing to build an entertainment complex adjacent to River Road between Gardere Lane and Ben Hur Rd.

This part of River Road has been the site of frequent bicycle use because of its rural character (low traffic) and proximity to Baton Rouge. On any given day, hundreds of cyclists use this route. It is popular enough that River Road between Downtown and the Plaquemine ferry has been designated a bike route and is marked with signs indicating to drivers that bike riders are likely to be encountered. This designation was made after a series of crashes killed three cyclists in 2002.

Per the Pinnacle commissioned traffic study by ABMB Engineering, the Pinnacle project will increase the southbound traffic on River Road from 290 cars per hour to 488 during the afternoon peak. The northbound increase from 81 cars per hour to 296 is even more dramatic. This shift makes sharing the road safely more of a challenge for motorists and cyclists alike, due to the higher traffic loads and 55 MPH rural speed limit.

To accommodate the cyclists, it is essential that the existing levee top trail be extended from Farr Park to South of Gardere Lane and included as part of the Pinnacle Entertainment project. A 10 ft wide levee top trail will meet the needs of most cyclists and improve River Road for car traffic. The trail will provide extension of the linear park like facility that the 2006 trail from Downtown to Skip Bertman Dr has become.

The Wall Street Journal recently had an article describing “cycling” as the next “golf” for business, which makes this trail a logical fit as part of the Pinnacle development as much as the proposed golf course.

To assure that Pinnacle complies with this community need, I want to have the Metro Council impose additional boarding fees until the project is complete, similar to what was done until the Belle of Baton Rouge completed its promise to build an associated hotel.

Please let me know how I can help.

Signed:___________________________

http://www.capitoltocapitolride.org/index.html

Brothers Ride Across Country for Cancer Research
Aug 13, 2007 08:10 AM

Michael Benton, his brother Will and two friends, Matt Marrero and Brian Goh, raised $28,800 for cancer research during a trip from Washington D.C. to Baton Rouge (Photo: Josh Meeks)

Links Mentioned on WAFB
Capitol to Capitol Ride

They started in Washington D.C. Now, 31-days, six states and more than 1,800 miles later, four friends on a mission to raise awareness for cancer research have made it to their final stop - right here in Baton Rouge.

"My brother and I were talking and we wanted to do something. The (cancer) treatment hurt my dad so bad, that we couldn't even pat him on the back and say, ‘hang in their dad'," Michael Benton, whose father is battling kidney cancer, said

To help out his dad, Michael, who lives in St. Francisville, his brother Will and two friends, Brian Goh and Matt Marrero, started in the nation's capitol and rode all the way to Louisiana's capitol. On their trip, the four raised close to $30,000 for cancer research. The money will benefit the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center here in Baton Rouge.

If you would like to help Michael and his brother out, you can log on to their website. The website also chronicles their journey across six states.

MMR/PedalPlay Bicycles "Just For Fun" jerseys are in!!!

Please help us promote the first annual Baton Rouge Battle Mountain Bike Race by passing the attached flyer along. Payout’s for Sport and Expert dependant on number of participants. We will also have pastalaya and music FREE printed pint glass for the 1st 100 to sign up on active.com. We appreciate your support
Baton Rouge Battle
Mountain Bike Race
August 19, 2007
2007 South Central Regional Championship Series – Race 5
Comite River/Kerry Stamey Mountain Bike Trail


Free Registration on Active.com!
http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1463708
Registration ends 10 minutes before the start of each race.
Cash prizes for Expert and Sport
Awards for top three Beginners and all Kid Racers.
Registration fees are $5 for Kids, $15 for Juniors, and $30 for everyone else.
Add $5 to fees for race day registration (excluding Kids and Juniors). NORBA License required to race. NORBA one-day licenses ($10) and annual licenses will be available at registration and are not included in the registration fee. Race will be scored based on 10 year age groups used for the series.
See: http://www.scrcs.com/

Are you at home thinking that it is too hot to race anywhere this weekend? Have you ever thought about racing at night under the lights of the Baton Rouge Velodrome? Do you want to win some cash money? Well, now is your chance. It is time to get the single speeds out again and head out to a fun and exciting evening of mass start track cycling put on by Matt Rinard and Chad Harris. Even if you do not want to race this is a great opportunity to bring the family out and watch the most exciting spectator sport in cycling. You can see the whole race from the bleachers. We will also have music and an announcer to explain all the events so you don't feel lost.
We have a great evening planned for you. The first event is a 10 lap scratch race. A scratch race is a road race on track bikes except much, much, much shorter. No points in this race, baby, straight up first man to cross the line after ten laps of racing wins. The second event is a Miss and out. This race is about as confusing as it gets on the track but it is also one of the most fun. In this event the last rider of each lap is pulled out of the race until the pack is dwindled down to 3 riders. At this point it becomes a three rider matched sprint.
The next 3 races are of strategy and math, both of which are extremely difficult to figure out at 30mph. The third event is a 15 lap snowball. The first rider to cross the line every lap gets points. On the first lap, the first rider gets 1 point, on the second lap the first rider gets 2 points. This goes all the way up the first rider to cross on the 15th lap gets 15 points. Do you go early and scoop up the low point or do you save your legs for the big daddy at the end? You decide.
After this, we get into the oldest and most all around race of all the track event. This is the 30 lap points race. Sprints are every third lap. First place gets 3 points, 2nd place gets 2 points, 3rd place gets 1. Double points are awarded at the half way, and final sprints. If you lap the field you are awarded 20 points.
The second to last is the 20 lap point a lap. It is exactly how it sounds, every lap awards one point to the first place rider. Rider with the most points at the end wins.
The last race is my favorite but that is only because I am not racing it. It is the unknown distance. The riders will start with no idea of how long the race is, only to be saved by the bell to let them know they have one lap to go. Is it going to be 1 lap long or is it going to be 1 million laps long (race across America has nothing on LAMBRA). Well, it won't be nearly that long, but I will be the only one to know how long it really is. Heck I am not even going to tell the officials. If the racers have to sort out a race after only 333.33 meters of warning than so should the officials.
So come on out and squeeze into your lucky skin suit. Get a chance to ride a disc in a pack. Get you butts out to the track on Saturday, you won't regret it.

Go to the LAMBRA website at http://www.lambra.org/calendar/2007/SummerTrackSeries.pdf for full race details.

Cannondale's 2008 Super Six Ultimate and their new TT bike! Check the weights out...

Barloworld's Cox dies following surgery
By VeloNews.com
Filed: August 1, 2007
South African Ryan Cox died Tuesday weeks after doctors performed surgery to repair a constriction in his iliac artery, a problem common in cyclists.


Cox's win at Genting in 2005 sealed his overall victory at Langkawi that year.

photo: Casey B. Gibson

The 28-year-old Cox, who had reported numbness, weakness and other problems with his left leg earlier in the year, had been diagnosed with a problem similar to that experienced by CSC's Stuart O'Grady in 2002.

Cox, with financial assistance from Barloworld teammate Robbie Hunter, underwent surgery in early July.

Cox's coach Clint Curtis told Bicycling South Africa that the rider showed classic symptoms of an arterial constriction.

"He sometimes lost the feeling in the leg after cycling and had little power in the leg towards the end of some races," Curtis said. "Ryan then went to see one of the leading doctors in France. It was found that the artery had, as a consequence of all the cycling, become knotted as sometimes happens to a garden hose. It often happens to cyclists because they spend so many hours on the bicycles, with their legs bent while pedaling."

While Hunter provided money for the surgery in early July, friends suspect that financial concerns prompted the cyclist to leave the French hospital earlier than recommended. He flew home to South Africa to recover.

Doctors recommend near complete immobility for several weeks following surgery, with a gradual resumption of physical activity over an eight-week period.

Cox was rushed to a South African hospital late Monday, where doctors unsuccessfully worked to repair an apparent rupture in the artery.

Cox was a talented rider, with an impressive race resume, including the overall title at the 2005 Tour de Langkawi, a victory he secured by beating Venezuelan climbing ace Jose Rujano in a sprint to the line atop that race's most feared climbing stage at Genting Highlands.