GamJams-Midwest.net

Best of the Blogs: 1-27-12

Want to get to the bottom of the race scene in the Midwest? The blogs know the answers. Best Of the Blogs highlights the week's news and discussions.   

Nope. Still no winter. Miles are being collected, though, as we prepare for the season. And speaking of the season, check out the latest additions to the GamJams Midwest race calendar.

• Steve Tilford extolled the virtues of riding at night.
• Eric O'Brien romanticized the art of handbuilt things made by people you know (or could meet). But he also talked about his new Quarq power meter.
• Lou Waugaman has a new bike on the way. It's terrifying.
• Bryan Redemske has a shaky concept of physics.
• Chad Bishop ordered a new bike, too.
• Nebraska Cycling News posted actual news.

More to add? Drop us a line or leave a note in the comments and we'll put you on the list!

GamJams Tech: Premes, Picks, Promos p/b November Bicycles — 1-26-12

As a cyclist, the search for newer and better gear is constant — there's always something else out there. Premes, Picks, Promos will highlight both the next big thing and the sleeper deal. 

The weapon of choice for winter riding in Omaha — and elsewhere, I'd suspect — is the cyclocross bike. (If you thought I was going to say "fatbike," go run two laps and hang your head in shame.) Winter around here usually means enough snow to make pavement riding a bit sketchy on a road bike.

And though I've ridden plenty during the winter on a road bike, this year was when I decided to go all-in and get a 'cross bike. And since I had SPD pedals for it, I decided to get some winter boots, too. Like others, I'm sure, my hands and feet suffer most in cold (sub-freezing) temperatures. Relying upon a shoe cover for warmth in the snow was probably not going to do the trick.

But there aren't a ton of choices for winter boots. Shimano, Sidi, Lake, Northwave, Garneau and Mavic are your options. And it's usually only one model per company. In terms of accessibility for me, Shimano, Sidi and Lake were the top three.

I went with the Shimano MW81, which was new in the fall. It has a Gore-Tex liner, thermal insulation and a neoprene ankle cuff. It retails for $230 and is probably the easiest to procure of all of the brands listed. Plus, since I was ordering them without trying them on, I knew the MW81 would probably fit properly. Eric O'Brien, meanwhile, ordered the Sidi Diablo at $330. (This will be important later.)

After the first few rides, it was evident that the value of the MW81 — and most winter boots — isn't so much keeping your feet warm. Rather, it's keeping them from freezing into solid blocks of ice. Below 25 degrees, I've come to believe that you're just delaying the inevitable. Your feet will get cold in boots — but they won't freeze.

I spent the first few weeks just trying to figure out which socks work best. Thick wool socks (like GamJams Woolie Boolies) are not it. The boot's last is slightly wider than a standard shoe, but not that wide. Had I gone up a full size — as some do with the MW81 — that might have worked. But a full size up is a lot, and I don't want to have to wear a heavy wool sock just to make my shoes bit correctly.

A medium-weight wool sock, like Castelli's Gregge or Quindici, works better. I've tried it with and without a charcoal warmer underneath my toes. Why use a warmer instead of a thicker sock? A thicker sock adds bulk all around your foot. A warmer can fit under my metatarsal arch, which is ridiculously high.

Best of the Blogs: 1-20-12

Want to get to the bottom of the race scene in the Midwest? The blogs know the answers. Best Of the Blogs highlights the week's news and discussions.  

There's a transition time here that usually takes place weeks earlier — the changing of gears from thinking about cyclocross to thinking about the upcoming road season. Since the curtain has finally fallen on cyclocross, the shift is just now beginning. Spring is not very far away.

• Mark Savery posted his UCI Masters Worlds report. He also got some love from the Omaha World-Herald.
• Steve Tilford wants to talk to you about your team. Also, he has an apology for wearing his helmet the way he did at Worlds.
• Brady Murphy implores you to accept no substitutes.
• Eric O'Brien didn't appreciate that whole Paula Deen thing.
• Elisabeth Reinkordt played her hand in a century last week ... indoors. But not on a trainer or roller. Only in Lincoln will they ride around inside a house all day when it's 45 degrees outside.
• Lou Waugaman is back from his Texas training camp. After hearing reports from other riders, a warm-weather camp in January is appealing to us more and more.

More to add? Drop a link in the comments and we'll add you to the list.

GamJams Tech: Premes, Picks, Promos p/b November Bicycles — 1-19-12

As a cyclist, the search for newer and better gear is constant — there's always something else out there. Premes, Picks, Promos will highlight both the next big thing and the sleeper deal.

We try not to get too ranty around here, but today's topic may stray that way. Opinions, ahoy!

It's become an inevitability of late that, while on a ride in which cyclocross bikes are being ridden, the discussion turns to disc brakes. There are pros and cons tossed about the bunch for a few minutes. Lighter rims! Better mud-braking performance! Better overall braking performance! A bunch of other wonderful things!

Meanwhile, like a guy who grumbled (and might still be grumbling) about the move to 10-speed chains and cassettes, I just don't get it. I don't see the need for disc brakes on 'cross bikes. It seems unnecessary. Let me explain why.

One of the things I enjoyed most about 'cross this fall was the welcome diversion to offseason meandering. I mean, I like to roam around on a bike as much as anybody, but that can sometimes lead to boredom for me. So having something to do was nice — it was a little side adventure.

Based on many of the bikes I saw while racing — budget-friendly, second-tier bikes, rather than the customary full-bling road bikes — it's a nice fall diversion for many others, too. Many people just moved their road wheels (or full drivetrain) over to their 'cross bikes and got on with it.

You wouldn't be able to swap wheels with your road bike if you had disc brakes on your 'cross bike. You'd have a specific wheel with only one specific purpose. And if you want a set of wheels in the pit, you'll need to buy another pair of extremely specific wheels. While that's OK for a select few, it seems more likely that most racers who are approaching 'cross as a fall diversion are swapping wheels back and forth between their road bike and 'cross bike.

Also, it seems to me that those clamoring for disc brakes fall into one of two categories: mountain bikers and people who've never had good cantilever brakes. And many times they're one in the same. There's a reason disc brakes got hot a few years ago — old cantilever brakes sucked. (Go ahead and get all indignant, mountain bikers. That's fine.)

But the new generation of cantilever brakes is a huge step above those of the past. Avid's Shorty Ultimate, the TRP CX9 and Shimano's new CX70 — among others — all provide ample stopping power and easy setup and adjustment.

And yet, somehow, they're not good enough? We still need more stopping power?

Call me crazy, but part of what I enjoyed about 'cross this fall was wrestling the course as much as the competition. And part of that includes dealing with what the course does to your bike. That means adjusting technique and strategy as things deteriorate. Disc brakes take part of that out of the equation.

Yes, you still need to account for the course, but if you know your brakes are going to be the same, it takes away a bit of the required finesse. But is applying a ton of braking power into a muddy corner a good thing, anyway? And are you really going that fast where you need a ton of power? No, probably not.

We'll see more bikes with disc brakes in the next couple of years — I have no doubts. But for racing purposes, you won't be able to convince me that it's an improvement compared to where we are today.

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In addition to publishing GamJams Midwest, Bryan Redemske has managed the Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha (Midtown), is a professional writer and a Cat 3 racer. He drinks a lot of coffee.

 

 

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Sheesh, some of that stuff is expensive. Good thing you get your frames and wheels at Pro Deal pricing. Wait — you don't? You might want to look at November Bicycles. They've got a new racer-specific model designed to strip unnecessary pricing out of the cost of your new bike. It's like a Pro Deal for everyone.

November Bicycles. Race Smart.

GamJams Survey: Winter Legs

The chatter around here for the las few weeks has been about the lack of snow this winter. And not only that, but the lack of real cold temperatures. Riding through the winter so far has been easy. It's been nice.

The inevitabile outcome of that — for everybody — is speed. Lots of people have remarked about how fast the rides have been so far. Not overly difficult, mind you, just faster.

Where do you stand?

Savery Third at Masters Worlds

Mark Savery (right), finished third behind Boulder Cycle Sport teammates Pete Webber (center) and Brandon Dwight. Photo by Steve Anderson

The first time we rode with Mark Savery, way back in May of 2009, we gapped him on most of the hills. The former elite-level racer had fallen out of shape and hadn't done any real training in years.

In the months after that first ride, Louisville, Ky., was awarded the 2012 UCI Masters World Cyclocross Championships. Since then, the Omahan has used every ride as a stepping-stone toward the world championship race. And now we can't keep up with him on any terrain, let alone a hill.

On Sunday, more than two years and thousands of miles later, Savery (Trek Midwest CX) stepped onto the podium after a third-place finish in the Masters 40-44 championship race. It was the capper to a season in which he defended his Nebraksa cyclocross title, finished second in his US Grand Prix of Cyclocross category and placed fifth at Nationals.

"I set three goals at the beginning of the year," Savery said. "To win the USGP, finish top-five at Nationals and top-10 at Worlds. There were 10 guys who could have been on the podium on Saturday. I was still going to be really happy with a top-10."

While the qualifying race on Thursday was a power-rider's dream thanks to the wet, heavy mud, the championship race required a bit more finesse. Many of the ruts from the previous day's race were frozen, making it tough to find a good line. The event organizers filled most of the ruts with sand, but the ability to race the course came down to an equipment choice.

"It was all about how often to pit, which tires you were going to use," Savery said. "I made the decision earlier in the day to run a (Challenge) Fango (dry tire) and had my bike set up that way. But I got to the start line I second-guessed myself. Everybody on the line had a wet tire on.

"As it turned out, the Fango was an amazing tire for the day. The other guys were getting flicked in the ruts because their tires were grabbing, while I just kind of slid through them."

So confident was Savery in his equipment selection, he took the race lead on the second lap and saw a leading group of eight riders form. Toward the end of the race, though, he felt like he was losing grip in the corners and called for a mud tire on his next trip through the pits.

"Totally the wrong call," Savery said. "The mud tire was slower on the pavement and suddenly I was the one getting flicked in the ruts."

Savery estimates he lost 30 seconds in the last lap-and-a-half after the change. Still, he rolled across the line in third place. It was another strong finish on the Louisville course. His first USGP podium came there in 2010, and in this year's USGP stop he registered a win and another podium finish.

"Louisville has been really good to me," he said.

Savery said he expects to take the next week or so pretty easy, but he's already thinking about how to go faster next year, when Masters Worlds is held alongside the UCI Elite Worlds in Louisville.

"I'll do a lot more motorpacing to really develop the fitness end of it," he said. "I don't feel like I was maxed out from an ability standpoint. I think those guys are beatable."

 

Best of the Blogs: 1-13-12

Want to get to the bottom of the race scene in the Midwest? The blogs know the answers. Best Of the Blogs highlights the week's news and discussions.  

Best of the Blogs is back after a bit of a winter slumber. And there's plenty to talk about — it's somehow still cyclocross season.

• Mark Savery is in Louisville, Ky., for the UCI Masters World Championships. Here is his report from the US National Championships.
• Steve Tilford is also in Louisville. Here is a note from before his qualifying race on the course conditions.
• Tom Price was at the US Championships in Madison, Wisc., last weekend.
• Lou Waugaman skipped town and is training in the relative warmth of Texas.
• Glen Houts laid out his 2012 plan.
• What do the ladies of Sheclismo do during the offseason? Everything you don't.

Want to add yours to the list? Leave a link in the comments or drop us a line.

GamJams Tech: Premes, Picks, Promos p/b November Bicycles — 1-12-12

Mark Savery placed fifth in the Masters 40-44 race last weekend at the US National Cyclocross Championships in Madison, Wisc. Photo by Joshua Stamper

As a cyclist, the search for newer and better gear is constant — there's always something else out there. Premes, Picks, Promos will highlight both the next big thing and the sleeper deal.

Mark Savery has been thinking about this weekend for more than two years. Chances are, he'll keep thinking about it for years to come. The Omaha rider is in Louisville, Ky., for the UCI Masters World Cyclocross Championships this weekend. (And he was on a local TV morning show yesterday.)

Savery, who rides for Trek Midwest CX, placed fifth in last weekend's US Masters 40-44 Championship race. He made plans to race this weekend when the venue was awarded to Louisville in the fall of 2009. He drew the No. 1 slot for today's 30-minute seeding race, which will set the call-up rows for Saturday's championship race. UPDATE: Savery finished third in today's race.

The weather forecast for the next few days in Louisville is abysmal. It rained most of the day on Wednesday, and snow is on the way for later today. An already soft course will likely be a slop-fest by the end of the day.

We spoke with Savery this morning about his equipment plans for the next few days.

"It's going to be a total mud slog, basically," he said. "It's gonna be brutal."

Savery will ride a pair of Trek Cronus Ultimate bikes with a SRAM Red drivetrain on his A bike and a SRAM Force drivetrain on his B bike. Both have Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes and Bontrager bars, stems, seatposts and saddles.

With the sloppy conditions, the Challenge Limus tire is really the only choice. Tires will be glued to a set of Bontrager XXX-Lite carbon wheels on the A bike and Bontrager RXL aluminum wheels on the B bike. Savery has a set of the new Bontrager Aeolus 5 wheels as well, but they're glued up with dry-weather Challenge tires.

"At this point it's coming down to how good you are in the conditions," he said. "How good of a bike handler you are; how good of a runner. It's power-heavy course."

With plunging temperatures, clothing may turn out to be more important than the bike, which almost turns into an afterthought after tire selection.

Underneath his helmet, Savery will go with a traditional cycling cap — to better keep the mud off of his glasses.

"Everybody thinks the mud comes from below, but by the time it hits you it's on the downward arc," he said.

Savery won't put the aero rainshell cover on his Lazer helmet, though. At temperatures above freezing, it's too hot at race intensity.

He'll use a long-sleeved thermal skinsuit, paired with Castelli's Nano-Flex leg warmers. The fabric coating on the warmers is water resistant and helps shed mud and moisture. He's been using Mad Alchemy's pre-ride warming oil underneath for additional warmth.

Castelli's neoprene Diluvio glove will tackle the potentially wet conditions.

"I'm thinking about putting some embrocation on my hands, too," Savery said. "Staying warm is going to be a key."

For shoes, Savery has a full-Lorica version (no mesh) of the Sidi Spider, which have 3/4-inch toe spikes installed. Instead of going with a thicker wool sock underneath, Savery prefers to go with a standard sock and normal blood circulation.

This is all well and good pre-race, but once things get started, Savery will be focused on keeping his bikes clean for as long as possible.

"I've been thinking about taking two bikes per lap, since it's a double pit," he said. "We'll do what we have to do to keep it clean for 10 minutes at a time."

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In addition to publishing GamJams Midwest, Bryan Redemske has managed the Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha (Midtown), is a professional writer and a Cat 3 racer. He drinks a lot of coffee.

 

 

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Sheesh, some of that stuff is expensive. Good thing you get your frames and wheels at Pro Deal pricing. Wait — you don't? You might want to look at November Bicycles. They've got a new racer-specific model designed to strip unnecessary pricing out of the cost of your new bike. It's like a Pro Deal for everyone.

November Bicycles. Race Smart.

 

GamJams Tech: Premes, Picks, Promos p/b November Bicycles — 1-5-12

As a cyclist, the search for newer and better gear is constant — there's always something else out there. Premes, Picks, Promos will highlight both the next big thing and the sleeper deal.

If you've spent any time reading VeloNews (or is it Velo?) or Cyclingnews.com or any of the other big-name cycling sites over the past couple of years, you've seen how rapidly technology is advancing. Three seasons ago we had no electronic groups — now we have three. We'll allegedly have more power-measuring instruments in the spring, when (if?) the Garmin and Polar pedals hit the market.

The march forward extends to nutrition, too, where great taste is actually being considered. The runaway popularity of the Honey Stinger Waffle is a testament to athletes' desires to eat something that provides both good fuel and good taste. In their first six months on the market, having Stinger Waffles in the store was like printing money. They were — and still are — very popular.

But man, they're expensive. At $1.50 a pop, they're on par with a Clif Bar or a gel packet and they supply the same amount of calories. If you've decided to go with the Stinger Waffle as your nutrition of choice — and I don't blame you — that adds up.

Even at shop-guy prices it adds up. I don't even want to know how many of those things I bought last year. Dozens, at least. Maybe hundreds. But they taste so good ... .

In any case, having several dozen Stinger Waffles on my customer history won't happen in 2012. Behold:

Thanks, Costco.

No, I didn't kick the waffle jones — I just changed the target a little bit. As you can see on the lower-left corner of the box, this is 3.3 pounds of waffle. Sure, the box says "wafers," but when you open it up you'll recognize it instantly: those are Stinger Waffles.

Well, not really, but the size is nearly identical, as is the waffle flavor itself. These have caramel in them, which is an upgrade for me, since caramel is awesome. They are just slightly thicker than Stinger Waffles, probably because of the caramel, but every bit as good. And they're spot-on in terms of calories and all of that stuff.

But you're wondering about the price, aren't you? Like everything at Costco, these come in packaging you won't see elsewhere, so you have to break it down by unit price. There are 48 waffles in the box.

Forty-eight Stinger Waffles ($1.50 each) will run you $72. Forty-eight caramel wafers from Costco will run you $9.79. They're 20 cents apiece. Jackpot.

Costco memberships are $50 per year. If you're a regular Honey Stinger buyer, a membership and a box of caramel wafers will still be less your likely purchases of a few handfuls of waffles every time you're in the store.

Plus, you'll then have access to giant tubs of hummus, really long loaves of bread and those tasty little Belgian waffles I wrote about last spring. (That said, your local Honey Stinger outlet is probably more convenient than a trip to Costco. Gotta plan ahead for stuff like that.)

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In addition to publishing GamJams Midwest, Bryan Redemske has managed the Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha (Midtown), is a professional writer and a Cat 3 racer. He drinks a lot of coffee.

 

 

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Sheesh, some of that stuff is expensive. Good thing you get your frames and wheels at Pro Deal pricing. Wait — you don't? You might want to look at November Bicycles. They've got a new racer-specific model designed to strip unnecessary pricing out of the cost of your new bike. It's like a Pro Deal for everyone.

November Bicycles. Race Smart.

 

 

Welcome to 2012

Push yourself away from the table. Dump the rest of the holiday goodies. It's time to get back to work. 2012 is here, which means it's time to get a look at how things are going to go down.

We've been working on the regional calendar, which is still named "2011 Race Calendar," much like  everything else you'll put a date on this week. We'll get that straightened out shortly. The Iowa schedule is set through May, and we'll be adding more as we get them. (Side note: Iowa is awesome at making the calendar but awful at reporting results. Let's see if we can get that evened out, huh?)

Additionally, we have a couple of other things cooking that will help spice things up this season:

• New features: We'd like to add a weekly interview with local racers, promoters or officials to our schedule, but we need another writer to handle it. Are you that writer? Get in touch.
• Featured races: Race promoters, are you looking for additional exposure for your race? GamJams Midwest can help reach your target audience (and your participant goals). For a nominal fee (generally the cost of two entry fees), we'll highlight your race in the week and days before the event — including the course, lodging, food and drink, weather and more. Afterward, we'll post your results, too.
• Sponsored posts: Cycling is a heavy word-of-mouth sport, with tight-knit communities around the Midwest. If you're looking for a little more exposure for your business, consider sponsoring a weekly post on GamJams Midwest. Our rates are pretty tame, and we can tailor your message on the website into whatever you need it to be. Plus, you'll be tagged in all of our Facebook and Twitter activity for the aforementioned post. (We also have banner ad space available, too.)
• Race/event sponsorship: Need a few additional primes for a race? Get in touch — we'd like to spread the GamJams Midwest word even more in 2012.

If you have questions about writing or sponsorship opportunities, get in touch.

Got it? Good. Now get out there and ride!