Holiday Store Hours!

Monday Dec. 29th 10am-6pm
Tuesday Dec. 30th 10am-6pm
Wednesday Dec. 31st-10am-2pm
Thursday (New Years Day) Jan. 1st CLOSED
Friday & Saturday 10am-6pm
Sunday CLOSED

Dear friend:

My 71 miles ride is coming soon. January the 17. I deside this year to do it racing some money for Weels To Succeed because they do incredible work with handycup children. The Center have received already.several thousand dollars from sponsors Please join me. I will treat you very good - moderate speed. 18 fwd 21 bwd. - Let leave that extra "load" on River Road. You do not have to do the entire ride.
Yo can even be a virtual rider.

Please: register today and forward this to all your ciclist friends. It is going to be a great family event. The children from McMain Development Center will join us.

See you on the road,

Jairo






Jairo Alvarez

Author of his biography books:
English edition:
NO SUCH THING AS IMPOSSIBLE- From Adversity to Triumph-
www.NoSuchThingAsImpossible.com

Support for Bike Ped Facilities in Upcoming Transportation bill

If you have not done so already, please consider signing the "Rails to Trails" petition to include funding for walking and biking facilities in the upcoming economic recovery legislation.

Please forward the link below to friends. The more people who call for fair transportation funding, the more likely we are to convince our decision-makers to fund such vital projects.

Just copy this link and paste it in an e-mail to your friends:

Follow the link, or cut and paste

Bruce

http://support.railstotrails.org/recovery

Savings Through out the Store!

3rd. Annual Comite Classic MTB Race

The Fall 2008 Velo! Velo! series - Velo Dendro Deux

The third and final ride of the Fall 2008 Velo! Velo! series - Velo Dendro Deux - rolls out Sunday, November 16.

Starting at Hilltop Arboretum riders will be accompanied by a noted dendrologist and others knowledgeable in the ways of the woods as we wind our way to Bluebonnet Swamp, Mt. Hope Plantation, and – if we're lucky – the BREC-LSU-BRAS Highland Road Park Observatory Bottomland Hardwood Forest Walking Trail. For most of these locations we will have exclusive access to the facilities while our touring dendrologists and horticulturalists tell us of the world we'll see.

We'll finish up at Hilltop Arboretum with food, music, and beverages. It looks like it will be a cool day so wear your woolies!

The online registration form may be accessed by clicking on this link.

Click here for the Fall 2008 Velo! Velo! rides mail-in form. Clicking on the link will open a PDF. Once you've opened it, print it out, fill it in, put the form with your check, money order, or cash in an envelope, and mail it to the address given. We'll take care of the rest.

Remember: the postal service is not always as speedy as we might like so, if you use this method to register, please allow plenty of time.

PedalPlay Bicycles has sales on full suspension bikes from Kona Bicycle Company:

Kikapu regular $1,000, SALE price $800.00,

Kikapu DeLuxe regular $1,399.99, SALE $1,100.00

Piney Hills Classic MTB Race as my final exam

The race season is finally over. I am physically and mentally ready for some rest. Before I shut down, I thought I would first share my thoughts on the end of the season and its two final INCREDIBLE races. Because of my tendency to ramble and digress, I will send it to you in two parts. First, the Piney Hills Classic, and then, the 24 Hours of Clear Springs.

The first race was the Piney Hills Classic in Ruston, La. This is usually a huge race and one that every serious mountain bike racer in Baton Rouge wants to do well at. It is part of the Texas Fall Series, the last race of USA Cycling's National cross country calendar, and the last race of the American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC) calendar. That's a lot of weight for one race. . . and a lot of pressure for one racer.

I look back on this season and see all of my races as a series of tests, with Bump and Grind at Oak Mountain being my mid-term, and the Piney Hills Classic as my final exam. This was the test I felt I had to pass to truly feel ready to graduate from the Sport (Cat 2) class to the Expert (Cat 1) class.

The PHC is a stage race consisting of three races, a time trial, a short track race, and a cross country race. Sport racers have to only do the time trial and the cross country.

The time trial was basically 12 minutes of trying my absolute hardest to see if I could make my heart explode. It felt as though I surely had a shot. The race went very well with the exception of my one crash. I entered a wide, easy turn with a little too much speed for the loose over hard-pack trail conditions, completely lost traction, and hit the ground. I bet I have never gotten up faster from a wreck. My chain dropped into granny gear and my derailleur was a little sluggish to resolve that problem afterwards, but I lost very little time. Unfortunately, very little time is all it takes to drop spots quickly in a 3 mile race. I got the word later that night from a friend that I finished that race in 3rd place. Unbelievable! I realized that I might actually have a chance with the cross country race the next day. Nice thoughts to fall asleep to.

On the morning of the cross country race, I wondered if I would even know anyone on the starting line. I knew that most of the guys I've made friends with in the South Central Regional Series were going to absent, and I have never raced in Texas before, so I didn't think I would. Hello, Eric Spina. Apparently, he wants to beat me real bad. He did tell me "the end of the season." I assumed he meant the SCRCS season, but there he was, ready to race. So. . . Let's race.

The Texas series lines up the racers with the top ten guys on the front row, everyone else falling in behind them. This makes it hard to get a fair shot at good starting position. I lined up behind someone I hoped would be as fast as they looked, hoping to help my chances of getting get a somewhat decent start. We were off, and in very short distance, I was in third place. Perfect. After the short sprint from the line, I stayed as close as possible to the second place guy's wheel until we reached the singletrack, and hoped a group of riders wouldn't blow by us beforehand. We made it to the tighter trail in the same position. There was another guy behind me who stayed close for a while, but dropped off early. And then, there were three.

The pace we were going was a very hard pace, but it felt like any other race, and I figured that we would all settle down soon enough. I noticed the two guys in front of me look back at me and figured they were probably wondering who I was. I answered their quizzical faces with a reply of "Y'all are doing great. Keep it up." The three of us stayed together until a section of trail called Tomac separated the first place guy (Clint Fontenot) from his bike. Tomac can be described as sort of a mini ski jump. You can get all the air you would ever need on a cross country race bike at the bottom of the steep, straight hill with the LAUNCH at the bottom. The problem is that you have to land in time to make about a ninety degree turn back into the tight woods. The loose over hard-pack worked in my favor this time and Clint slid out trying to turn. He was back on his feet before we even passed him completely, but I hoped we could at least put a small gap on him before he recovered from his spill. And then, there were two.

It was not long at all after Clint fell, that I realized his replacement was not doing the same job as Clint was doing. He was slowing way down. He told me that he was trying to keep up the pace, but I was worried that Clint would catch back on quickly and wanted to be gone before that happened. I went around with an "on your left, thank you," quickly adding, " I might regret it later." With that, I was off in a hurry wondering how I managed to pull this off so soon. And then, there was one.

Off the front and alone is as hard on you as being behind in a race. You have to try to maintain a speed that will allow you to stay in the lead, without going so hard that you blow up and get passed by everyone. I had help maintaining a pace by the quick glimpses of Clint I kept getting behind me when I could look back, or on switchbacks. He was close, and we both knew it. What he didn't know was that my legs were starting to hurt. The race wasn't even halfway through, and I felt that crampy feeling creeping into my legs again. Please, no. I've been to this point so many times this year that I know that I can ride for a long time feeling like I felt. The problem is I also know that I can only do so by riding a very fine line with my power. If I start pushing too hard, I'll be standing next to my bike trying to get my legs to bend again.

I stayed ahead of Clint for probably what would amount to a full lap, or ten miles, even with my aching legs. I always tell myself that it is likely that the other racers are hurting just as bad as I am. It helps until they blow by you leaving you in the dust. When Clint passed, I yelled to him, "Great Racing." He yelled back, "Dude, you're a beast." I wasn't sure if he was talking about my riding or my scary looking chicken legs, but I replied assuming he meant the former with "You're passing me!" I tried to keep him close, but just couldn't do it. I told myself that I couldn't ride his pace for the rest of the race without facing the very real threat of significant cramping. That was at least my way of rationalizing my being DROPPED. And then, there were . . . okay I'm now bored with this, and besides I don't even know how to say it. Maybe, and then there were two, separated by a gap filled with settling dust? I don't know.

I ended up riding the rest of the race hoping that I could keep the rest of the field behind me and praying that I might see Clint again. My hopes came true but you don't always get what you pray for, right?

In the end, I did manage to hold off the pack and passed my final exam with a very hard 2nd place finish. I guess that means that I am ready to move into the Expert ranks, right? Only time will tell the answer to that, but I can say with certainty that this season was a GREAT learning experience. I can also say with certainty that my Sport "teachers" are ready for me to get the hell out of their class. Some things never change.

Jason Betz

The 24 Hours of Clear Springs

The 24 Hours of Clear Springs. Wow, what an unbelievable race. That was, by far, the best time I have ever had racing my bicycle. I am serious. If you've never experienced it, you are greatly missing out. Brian Coleman, for all that you have done with this race, both this year and in years leading up to it, I sincerely thank you.

Relax, I am going to try a Cliff's Notes version of my typical race report. I mean, 24 hours of racing? You don't want that.

This was my first time to ever race a 24 hour race. I am not nearly enough of a sadomasochist to ever attempt doing one of these solo, and was lucky enough to be asked early by Joseph Dabbs to join his team for this year's race. I committed to doing it and probably should have been committed for doing it. With the joy of this race comes the absolute pain, physical and mental hurt. Luckily, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

The week leading up to the race was HECTIC. Juggling work/family obligations while trying to prepare for the race had me wondering if I should also try to join the Cirque Du Soleil. I figured I might have a decent shot. Thank goodness I was racing with a group of veterans, and they had a LIST. A nice set of rails for my mind. Friday night, I checked off the last few items, and got to sleep at a nice early midnight.

Up at six, and out by seven, I was on my way to mountain bike Heaven. (I know, CORNY, but it just came right on out. I use a Weegie Board to write these, you know.) We'll fast forward through registration and the camp set-up. That's how it felt to me anyway. It felt like I was watching time lapse video watching Jeremy, Joseph, and Tanner set up camp. Those guys are impressive. Not only did they know what to bring, but where to put way too much stuff.

Just before the race, I think I was in shock or something. I was getting information overload, and all I heard was "words, words, words, words." My team was trying to alleviate my pre-race jitters, but they didn't know it was not going to happen. The only way to calm my nerves before a race, is to start racing. I chose to defer my pain relief while Dabbs rode our first lap. Once I had gone a lap and familiarized myself with the transition and what to do during my down time, I calmed dramatically. I just settled down for a very long race.

I won't go into great detail about each and every lap, but I will discuss a few things that I experienced during my time on the bike.

I broke a chain for the second time ever on my second lap. The last time I broke a chain was in Oxford's race last year. I just learned how to repair a chain (Thank you, Scott Mackey.), and after fumbling with my multi-tool a few minutes before realizing that all I needed was a quick link, I proceeded to quickly reconnect my chain. Of course, I didn't run it through my derailleur correctly, and got a little more practice the second time I fixed it. This time, chain repair happened much more quickly. I looked at my chain, thought I only needed a quick link, dug it out of my jersey and fumbled it securely into place. Thank both of you who stopped and offered help, especially you Fred. You know, somehow, just seeing Fred on the trail at that time helped me mentally. I can't explain it, but I just thought it was awesome to see him out riding during the race. If I hadn't broken that chain, my second lap would have easily been my fastest lap. While realizing that, I also realize that my chain could have been damaged beyond repair and made that lap not just my slowest, but also my team's slowest. That chain lasted me the remaining six laps.

I rode at night for the first time ever with only a bar light. If you are considering purchasing a light, and you are only going to get one, GET A HELMET LIGHT! For this race, I had a MiNewt on my bars and an older HID Niterider on my helmet. At the beginning of my first night lap, I had both lights on, but decided that my HID was plenty of light and opted to save my MiNewt's battery in case I needed it later. Well, just after leaving the transition area at the beginning of my third night lap I noticed my helmet light starting to fade fast. I clicked on my trusty MiNewt backup just in time to see my HID die. Well, at least it died fast. Oh crap, I'm riding faster than the speed of light! That night lap is unquestionably the very hardest riding I have ever done on my bike. Not being able to see where you are going next, is just about like riding in the complete dark. I've never had to use my brakes more during that lap. Brief stretches of straight trail and the uphill sections were the only places I could relax. Imagine looking forward to all the hills. That lap, I must stress, was demoralizing. I knew my light was my limiter on that lap. Fortunately, I got to ride another lap right after this one. I went back to our camp, borrowed Tanner's battery, which we had no idea how long would last, and headed back out. I had only one goal. Ride faster than the Hell lap. I think I did that.

80 miles of racing and not a significant wreck to speak of. Yes, I fell off the side of a bridge once, well, more like jumped. I got to the bottom of a downhill section at the beginning of Mills where there is a bridge perpendicular to the trail. It is a nice, tight turn onto this bridge and you hit it with speed unless you've scrubbed some off with your brakes first. Well, it was night and I didn't. I straightened out the curve a little while on the bridge, and just kind of jumped off while falling. Even managed to land on my feet. I was impressed. Picked up my bike and started the climb up.

I am fairly confident that my wheels will eventually hook up during a drift in a curve. Sometimes, that hook up occurs on the outside of the curve however, and I get a little help stopping, or redirecting my trajectory, by a nice Pine tree. Yep, that happened at least twice. Other than that, and bridge jumping, a safe and wreck free ride.

80 miles of racing. I still have a hard time even believing that. Before the race, the longest I had ever even ridden my bike was at last year's Ouachita Challenge and it was less than sixty. I'm not talking about just my mountain bike, either. I've never even ridden my road bike that far. The first thing that helped me reach that milestone was the fact that I had NO CLUE that would happen. We all figured that, at most, we would have to ride six laps. Things happen. When I rode my seventh lap, I thought it was my last lap of the race. I found out that there might be a chance that I would need to ride an eighth very soon after completing that "last lap." Why not? What got me through the eighth lap? Claire Sanders. She was riding her tenth lap at the time. I told her she was my hero, and she asked why. 22 hours into the race, and she was still riding. SOLO. Awesome job.

Team Buckwheat. The best competition I could have imagined. Part of what made this race so great for me was how close the race was at times. At one point, in the middle of the night, I was on the starting line with Rusty Bernard. Our team members came into the transition area together, so we sprinted off the line like we were starting a short track race, not like we had already been racing over 12 hours. Tied even in the middle of the night. I'd say that was perfect. 24 hours of racing and a three minute win had to feel great. I know Malt and Buckwheat have been battling the last few years. While I would have certainly enjoyed a narrow win, a narrow loss to these guys left me overjoyed. I was truly happy for them.

This race was my first time to ever really be a part of a team. I do not come from a sports background like many of the other racers, so didn't experience it in my past. Just being able to race with Joseph, Jeremy, and Tanner was a great experience for me. While I am very proud of my role on the team, Jason Betz did not do anything. The La-a Blazzers raced to a very hard fought second place.

Tanner, I didn't really know at all, but his value as a team member became quickly apparent. Two 24 hour races under his belt and a wealth of learned information to go with it, Tanner was early on walking me through what was to come. It didn't hurt that he had some bike mechanic knowledge as well. His worth became most apparent when Dabbs and I heard Tanner splashing his dinner all over his shoes in the middle of the night. A team of three is not as strong as a team of four. We already discussed this when early in the race a team or two were riding short a member. We were going to miss him for sure.

I knew going into this race that Dabbs was going to be a SOLID team member. I have watched him race all year and gotten to know him a little as a person and a racer. He definitely did not let me down. After slight nudging just before daybreak, Joseph drug his weary body out of his sleeping bag to go ride another hard lap. He didn't want to at all, but that lap was our team's turning point. It was the daybreak lap, and with the sun, we all agreed, came new hope.

To me, Jeremy Wesson was our strongest team member. I mean that wholeheartedly. His positive mental attitude, and hilarious sense of humor helped me over and over again. I know it also helped Dabbs. Our team's true darkest hour was just before dawn. After my back to back laps, Jeremy suited up and rode his lap just like he said he would. If he wouldn't have, we would have been done. He rode the last lap of darkness for us, and we were able to regain some momentum in the new day's light. He also served as my alarm clock for the only 20 minutes of sleep I got. We both were ready to ride our team's 23rd lap, and staying warm by the fire, when I shut down. He woke me up and we both went to the transition area. If Joseph made it back by 9:00, I was to go, if not, Jeremy would do so. I hoped it would be him. It wasn't. When I returned in time, for one last lap, Dabbs took off. So did Jeremy . . . just because he wanted to. He wanted to ride more.

Three minutes. A fitting end to a hard fought battle. In my opinion, this was the absolute perfect race. Yes, there were issues, but they were dealt with. I would not change one thing about our race. I am more satisfied at the moment as a mountain bike racer than I have ever been before.

Thank each and every one of you who helped in the slightest to make this race happen. Thank you for the happiness and thank you for the memories. I look forward to doing this again next year.

Jason Betz,

La-a Blazzas (That is, La Dash Ah, Fool. Still not sure about "Blazzas," however.)

Red Stick Farmers Market Bike Rack Ride

Saturday, Nov. 8th Highland Coffee, 9am.

*$5 Raffle enters you into a drawing for either:
1) New Reusable Market bag filled with local Produce!
2) New Reusable Market bag filled with Main Street Market free lunch vouchers!
*Bike to the Farmers Market via the Levee path!
*NEW! Buy Fresh Buy Local T-Shirts available for $15

Pre-Order your T-shirts and wear them on the Ride! Email: Lacey@breada.org

This will be the first of several rides whose proceeds go towards a Locally designed downtown Farmers Market Bike Rack!
“”””””””””””””””””””””””


Would you mind letting all your bike-loving friends know about this? A nice bike rack downtown is a MUST! We’re trying to work out the route details since we just realized it’s the Alabama LSU game.
Great.

Thanks again!
Lacey Dupre'
Manager of Farm Outreach

BREADA
Big River Economic & Agricultural
Development Alliance
P.O. Box 3976, Baton Rouge, LA 70821
Fax 225.387.6153
www.breada.org

Saturday Cycling to Alligator Bayou, 10/25/2008, 9:00 am

I want to encourage people of varying ability levels to come out to this ride. During the fall and early winter, this ride is usually moderately paced (avg 20mph) and we ride a steady, double paceline. Sometimes on the way back, the pace picks up, but that usually doesn't occur until racing season is approaching. If you can ride 18mph alone, you can likely keep up with the group by drafting in the rear. There is no shame in just hanging on and/or taking it easy! Let's all remember to ride two by two, staying as far to the right as practicable, and to obey all rules of the road. If we want respect from motorists, we have to earn it.

There are options to cut the ride as short as 35 miles, but there are longer lengths up to 55 miles. If you are new to group riding or new to the area and have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me. I hope to see record crowds out this year. Last year, our biggest ride was 70+ riders for Jairo's birthday, but typically averaged in the upper 20's. Lezzz ride!

Piney Hills MTB Race this Weekend in Ruston, LA.

http://www.dltmultisport.com/Piney_Hills/piney_hills_classic_%20Stage_race_info.htm

Jason Betz WINS AGAIN! Wins The Overall Series of SCRCS!

Tre' Haydal raced to 4th place in expert class...

Last weekend was the final race of the SCRCS, and was held at the Ridgeland trails in Ridgeland, MS (just north of Jackson). The race was held on great piece of city-owned property just minutes from anything you could need or want in a city, especially if you need or want great pizza. I heard several people say that they thought it was the best trail of the entire series. I'd have a hard time disagreeing. I'd strongly urge anyone passing through the area, and desiring a ride on some sweet trail, to give this place a try.

I made two consecutive weekend trips to this trail trying to ready myself for this race. I might have gone into this race with first place in the series sewed up, but I took this race as serious as any race I have ever done before. I felt the pressure of it being the last race and the weight of the target on my back (some called the target a sandbag). I knew I was the guy that every Sport 30-39 racer there wanted to beat. I, of course, hoped for a more positive ending.

Saturday, during my final pre-race lap, I felt well rested, remarkably calm, and ready to go. The course looked like it was marked for the Olympics! It was perfectly groomed and dry as a bone. One word summary, FAST! I looked forward to the next day's starting line.

Flash forward to Sunday morning's starting line and you will see all the usual suspects. The top half of the field were all lined up and ready to go. I was perched between Jeremy Polk, the local who helped build the three-year-old trail and who I knew desperately wanted a win on his home trail, and Keith Moore, a great racer from Florida who had missed the last few races, but was surely NOT to be underestimated. Keith happened to be on his new 22 pound Cannondale Team Scalpel, the same bike that Tracy Martin used to destroy the field at the last three races. Those were just the guys to my immediate left and right. EVERY face on that line was beaming with determination, and I saw great racers in every one of them. In other words, no pressure at all. I wonder why my HR is spiking on the line again? Revving the engine is the answer I decided on.

3,2,1, go! A short sprint to the trail ended with myself in second place behind Kevin Suggs, last year's series winner. I wasn't sure who was immediately behind me, and never looked back to find out. I made it around Kevin shortly into the trail when it opened up on a nice wide, slight incline section. I made it by him because I had more gears. He had one.

The first quarter of the race was the usual heart exploding blur. I still didn't know who was immediately behind me, but I knew they were close, and I thought it was Jeremy, followed by who only knew. I kept the pace high all the way through the tight, twisty awesomeness and through the hardest part of the trail, a series of switchbacks and climbing. By the time I got to the top, I had made it by all but two of the Sport 20-29 racers. The last guy I went around was Joseph Damaso, another great Florida rider who it seemed like I made friends with after seeing him so much on the trails this year. I passed him after he slowed me down in a twisty downhill section, and then slowed him down to the top of the climbs. Sorry! Thinking about letting him go back around while trying to BREATHE again, I started to recover and I knew that a fast flowing section of trail dessert was right there upon me. I opted to pedal instead of being passed and we were off again. Joseph stayed with me for a long time, but dropped off and was replaced with Tracy Martin's son, Braden who was in second place in 20-29. This kid is GOOD. He is also 16, still in high school and has a focus on basketball right now. Give him a few years. I think I pulled him all the way to the first place guy in his class, and for the remainder of the race, when I'd see them on switchbacks, they stayed together. I only found out afterwards that Joseph ended up catching him and finishing with a nice second place win.

At the end of the first lap, I was by myself and not thinking that it could be by a very wide margin. I kept seeing Jeremy behind me, and every time I saw him, I thought to myself how fast it looked like he was going. That Orbea he was riding looked great, but I didn't want a closer look. I knew the rest of the field had to be close behind as well, and used my fear of them catching me as fuel to just try to hold on. I spent the entire last lap in this odd state of what I guess was euphoria. My mind drifted all over the place. I was smiling and thinking about how much fun I was having. I was thinking about the entire series that was coming to an end, and how unbelievable it had been. I was thinking that I better snap out of it and get back to RACING, dummy! Jeremy's right behind you!

I crossed the finish line still holding onto first. Instead of my usual, cool-down riding. I parked my weary bones next to the finish line waiting to see who'd come across next. It was Jeremy, followed by Kevin, then Keith. Eric Spina, a great new talent who told me that he wanted to beat me before the series' end, finished in fifth place. He plans to move up to Cat 1 next year, and will get plenty of chances then. I already look forward to it. At the same time, I am ready for a long winter's nap. Next year can wait.

I definitely have to thank Scott at PedalPlay for getting my bike ready for this race, which is always interesting. I think he thinks I drag my bike home from the races. This time, race preparation included changing a terribly bent derailleur hanger, truing my I-9 wheels again, replacing some worn out brake-line guides, and adjusting my derailleurs. My bike worked flawless for the race. In fact, my bike performed almost perfect mechanically for the entire series. Almost hard to believe after last season. Thank you again, Scott!

So, now what? Well, there is the Piney Hills Classic in Ruston this weekend, the 24 Hours of Clear Springs the following weekend, and then hiding my bikes from myself for a short while. And maybe a few dark beers.

Peace,

Jason Betz

Thanks to all who made the BRBC Fall Century possible.

This includes the club members who gave up a chance to ride on a near perfect October day, the bike shop participants who worked the SAG's and the guests (new members) who offered suggestions after the Spring Century on how we could make a better experience.

I hope we met your expectations this time around, however I continue to solicit feedback on problems that we may not have addressed or noticed.

Just as occurred during the Spring Century, this Fall Century was the largest ever seasonal attendance for this event , which means that cycling continues to grow despite the many other activities competing for your free time. Thank you for your support.

The date for next year's Spring Century has not been set, we look forward to seeing you again in May 2009.

Bruce
On behalf of the club

The Baton Rouge Bike Club Fall Century this Sunday, October 12th

Don't forget...the Baton Rouge Bike Club Fall Century is Sunday, October 12th, at the West Feliciana Sports Park in St. Francisville. For online or paper registration, go to www.batonrougebikeclub.com Thanks and see you there!


Sunday, October 12th, 2008
West Feliciana Sports Park, St. Francisville, LA
Ride lengths of 25, 50, 62, and 100 miles.
Registration begins at 7:00 am, first riders take off at 8:00 am
BRBC will provide to participants on the day of the ride:
lunch (11:00 am til 3:30 pm), full SAG support, maps, road markings, pre-ride announcements, and rest stops with port-a-potties, snacks, water, and sport drinks.
Fee is $30 if pre-registered, $35 the day of the ride.
Fee includes a one year membership in the Baton Rouge Bike Club.
All riders pre-registered by October 3rd will receive a BRBC Fall Century t-shirt.
Online registration on active.com -- Note: NO active.com fees will apply!
Online registration closes Friday, October 10th at midnight.
Mail-in registration here. Fees are non-refundable.
For more information, contact Chris Lemoine at 225-242-7833, cplemoine@dow.com or any of the BRBC Board Members.

Saturday's Velo Muerto ride

Save $10.00 on this Saturday's Velo Muerto ride by preregistering at
BikeReg.com http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=7218

See the ride description and the link to registration at
http://www.brsafestreets.org/events-1

Preregistration is only $15.00; registration the day of the event is
$25.00.

Come and enjoy a pleasant ride, interesting tours, good music, good
food, beer, sodas, and the company of other bike people! See you Saturday!

Mark M

Bar-non Bailey's South Shore Circus (BNBSSC) aka: broken bones suck

Sunday a group of old school Kona Clump guys and some new-B's got together for a day of building, riding, and a little target shooting at secret spot # 7. We all had fun, some more than others, see photos... Enjoy!

Bar-non Bailey's South Shore Circus (BNBSSC)

Bar-non Bailey's South Shore Circus (BNBSSC)

Bar-non Bailey's South Shore Circus (BNBSSC)

Sunday a group of old school Kona Clump guys and some new school wanna-be's got together Sunday for a day of building, riding, and a little shooting at secret spot # 7. We all had fun, some more than others, see photos... Enjoy!

The Fall 2008 Velo! Velo! rides

Yes friends, it's finally here. The Fall 2008 Velo! Velo! rides registration is available on line! Preregistration is a mere $15.00. For that you get to ride with some of the best local talent in their areas of expertise, free admission to various venues, a commemorative t-shirt, and the after party food, beverages, and music, not to mention the excellent company of other riders. A bargain at twice the price! Which, by the way, is about what registering the day of the ride will cost you - $25.00 - so preregister by all means. Details for each ride provided on the online registration site at http://www.BikeReg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=7218 .

The rides:

Velo Muerto cemetery and Magnolia Mound Plantation ride, Saturday, October 11, 4.30 - 8.00 PM; starts at Magnolia Mound; white front lights required for this night ride, costumes options, jack-'o-lanterns welcome!

Velo des Arts public art ride, Sunday, November 09, 8.30 AM - 1.00 PM; starts at the new state capitol, winds through town to Westdale Middle School, and returns to the capitol.

Velo Dendro tree ride, Sunday, November 16, 8.30 AM - 1.00 PM; starts at Hilltop Arboretum, winds down Highland to Bluebonnet Swamp, Mt. Hope Plantation, Highland Observatory Hardwood Bottomlands Trail, and back to Hilltop.

Contact info@brsafestreets.org for more information.

Mark M

Ridgeland Fat-Tire Weekend

I'd like to encourage all TCMBA members and area cyclists to join us for the Ridgeland Fat-Tire Weekend. If you've never entered a race before, now is a great time to try it out. The beginner class has shrunk this year because a majority of last year's beginners have moved up to sport class. This is a great opportunity to give racing a try in a truly beginner friendly setting. If you're capable a riding 10 miles of easy to moderate trails, then this race should be lots of fun.

Saturday 10/18

Things will start at 3:00pm with a 3.5 mile time trial. This will be very informal. Individual riders will start in 1 minute intervals. The idea is to just see how fast you can cover one lap of the 3.5 mile course.

The band will start at 4:00pm, and play until 7:00pm. During this time we invite everyone to spread out a blanket, bring a grill or some pizza, and just enjoy the afternoon. Packet pickup and registration for the Sunday race will be available during Saturday's activities.

Sunday 10/19

Sunday will be the McGee Lungbuster XC Race. The kids race will begin at 8:00am, with the juniors and beginners starting shortly afterwards. Sport and Expert racers start at 10:00am, with an awards ceremony to follow. Pick up some raffle tickets during the weekend for the CPS Pools and Spas hot tub give-a-way. The drawing will be held during the awards ceremony.

For maps, entry forms, and detailed information visit www.tricountymtb.org

Recruiting for Gatorade Study

Hi, my name is Helena Rietschier and I am a graduate student at LSU in exercise physiology. Gatorade has funded a research project and we are in need of trained cyclists. Could you please pass the word on. If anyone is interested, please contact Laura Stewart (her email is in the information below) Thanks- Helena Rietschier

Well-Trained Cyclists Needed for a Gatorade Funded Project at LSU

We are recruiting highly trained males between the ages of 18-45 years. On 9 separate occasions, individuals will ride their own bike on the CompuTrainer in our laboratory. Preliminary measurements include VO2Max and lactate threshold tests. There will be 3 familiarization visits which will allow the participant to become familiar with the CompuTrainer, exercise intensity/duration and drinking fluid volume. After acclimation to the protocol, subjects will perform a 2 hour constant resistance ride set just below lactate threshold..They will then complete a simulated 20 kilometer time trial. Total compensation upon study completion: $535.00. If you are interested, please contact Laura Stewart, Ph.D. at stewart6@lsu.edu for more information.

Baton Rouge Bike Club Fall Century is Sunday, October 12th

Don't forget...the Baton Rouge Bike Club Fall Century is Sunday, October 12th, at the West Feliciana Sports Park in St. Francisville. For online or paper registration, go to www.batonrougebikeclub.com Thanks and see you there!


Sunday, October 12th, 2008
West Feliciana Sports Park, St. Francisville, LA
Ride lengths of 25, 50, 62, and 100 miles.
Registration begins at 7:00 am, first riders take off at 8:00 am
BRBC will provide to participants on the day of the ride:
lunch (11:00 am til 3:30 pm), full SAG support, maps, road markings, pre-ride announcements, and rest stops with port-a-potties, snacks, water, and sport drinks.
Fee is $30 if pre-registered, $35 the day of the ride.
Fee includes a one year membership in the Baton Rouge Bike Club.
All riders pre-registered by October 3rd will receive a BRBC Fall Century t-shirt.
Online registration on active.com -- Note: NO active.com fees will apply!
Online registration closes Friday, October 10th at midnight.
Mail-in registration here. Fees are non-refundable.
For more information, contact Chris Lemoine at 225-242-7833, cplemoine@dow.com or any of the BRBC Board Members.