Rutgers Cycling

Involvement Fair: DATE CHANGE

2011-09-02T12:30:00.002-04:00

The semester is under way!

The date for the involvement fair has changed due to the recent storm. The Rutgers cycling team will be out in full force during the Rutgers fall Involvement Fair on Friday September 9th from 3:00 - 7:00. We invite students, faculty or staff to come out, say hi, and learn more about the team. This is the place to be if you are new and want to learn more and join. Some of us may even be rolling around in bright red kit on a tandem.

Our first team meeting will be held on Sunday, September 11 at 8:00PM at the Rutgers Student Center on College Ave (3rd floor). If you intend on joining the team this is the time to do it. Be there or be square!

See everyone soon,

RUCycling

Wednesday Night Cyclocross Practice TIME CHANGE

2011-08-25T15:48:00.001-04:00

It was recently brought to our attention that the times for our Wednesday Night Cyclocross Practice were incorrect.

Sign will now begin at 5:45PM with practice starting sharply at 6:00PM.

Team Meeting and Involvement Fair

2011-08-22T09:16:00.002-04:00

Hope everyone is enjoying the last bits of summer, we know we are.

The Rutgers cycling team will be out in full force during the Rutgers fall Involvement Fair on Tuesday August 30th from 2-6. We invite students, faculty or staff to come out, say hi, and learn more about the team. This is the place to be if you are new and want to learn more and join. Some of us may even be rolling around in bright red kit.

See everyone soon,

RUCycling

2011-2012 Alumni/Friends Clothing Preorder Is Open!

2011-08-16T13:49:00.002-04:00

Rutgers Cycling Alumni, Sponsors, and Friends,

Hello! My name is Michael Bachmann and I am proud to say that I have taken over the duties of clothing coordinator for 2011-2012. Although last year was my first year on the team, I have already seen why the team is such a bonded group and how dedicated everyone is to the sport.

This year promises to be an exciting year for Rutgers Cycling. After a solid showing at Nationals for cyclocross, we were sad to see some of our most senior members graduate this past spring. However, this season you can expect to see many eager new faces sporting Rutgers kits to fill those spots. As summer draws down and autumn begins, we hope to see some of you at races!

Now for the clothing. I am excited to announce that the pre-order for our clothing sale has begun! The preorder will run from August to October, with shipments going out in time for the holidays. We will once again be getting our clothing from the fine folks at Verge who are very supportive of Rutgers Cycling and always provide us with the highest quality products year after year. This year we will be offering a variety of products including Rutgers branded jerseys, skinsuits, bib shorts, thermal jackets, socks and more! All of the pertinent information can be found at this link: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=14051. You can find out about sizing, payment, and place your order all through our BikeReg page.

Please note that this order is for alumni, sponsors and friends of Rutgers Cycling. This is NOT an order for current team members.

If you have any questions at all regarding this order- whether it be product details, pricing or whatever else- I will get back to you almost always the same day. You can contact me at clothing@rutgerscycling.com

I truly thank you for being so supportive of Rutgers Cyling. We couldn’t do what we do without your continued strong support!

Sincerely,

Michael Bachmann

Rutgers-Raleigh CX Team Up Again for 2011!!

2011-08-14T19:59:00.011-04:00

Rutgers Cycling and Raleigh Team Up Again for 2011 Cyclocross Season

Rutgers Cycling is once again excited to announce Raleigh Bicycles as its co-sponsor for the

2011 cyclocross season. Rutgers University-Raleigh Cycling Team will be riding the all-new 2012 Raleigh RXC Pro and RX 1.0 cyclocross bikes and framesets. Equipped from Raleighs new cyclocross lineup, the team starts their unstoppable campaign to win a sixth-straight Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference cyclocross championship and a National Championship at US Cyclocross Nationals in Madison, WI.

Returning to the team will be senior Marcos Picchio, and sophomore Adam Nawrot both claimed second and first place titles, respectively, in the C men’s Eastern Collegiate Series. The team has also brought in new members as well, including seniors Mike Bachmann, Eugene Berezetsky and Arpeet Ravalji, and second year graduate student Paul Frandsen. George Ghanim will be surmounting the responsibility of racer and team director with the guidance of Mark “MamaBear” Vareschi.

The Rutgers-Raleigh National Championship team will be led by senior Patrick Bradley, whose palmares include 6th place at Collegiate Cyclocross Nationals at the 2009 US Cyclocross National Championships and three time ECCC Men’s A cyclocross series champion. Picchio and Narwot will be joining Bradley at Nationals.

“This really has been a transition year for Rutgers Cycling,” Ghanim said, “and as usual we have brought in many new riders that have become hooked to ‘cross. We are building a solid team of 15 racers that will be racing the majority of the season.”

“Raleigh Bicycles is excited to be partnering this cross season with Rutgers Cycling,” said enthusiastic Raleigh Marketing Director Brian Fornes.

“We look forward to growing this relationship and utilizing their valuable racer feedback on current and future cross bikes we will be producing. We’re even more excited about the level of commitment, and friendly, fun attitude that the Rutgers Cycling program brings to the sport. They are great ambassadors, and we feel that they will continue to help grow the sport on a local basis and be very competitive on a National level.”

The team will be riding the all new 2012 Raleigh RXC Pro and RX 1.0 cyclocross bikes. “We are beyond psyched for new RXC Pro. Raleigh has ushered in a new cyclocross line unlike another. Last year, we rode the RX 1.0 all the way to Nationals. I can hardly imagine what the RXC Pro will do to the competition in the mud” said Ghanim.

The 2012 RXC Pro takes the top spot in Raleigh's new cyclocross lineup. Featuring a flattened top tube, internal cable routing, BB30 bottom bracket and Raleigh’s Direct Connect Carbon technology, the new RXC Pro is a bike to be reckoned with.“For ‘cross, the BB30 is unmatched; it’s lightweight, stiffer, and provides exceptional power transfer compared to conventional bottom brackets used during ‘cross',” Ghanim states.

Raleigh joins a family of sponsors that will be supporting Rutgers for the 2011 cyclocross season including:

Efingers Sporting Goods – shop sponsor

Verge Sport – cycling clothing

Ritchey – cockpit components

SRAM – drivetrain components

Cycle-Smart - coaching

Gaerne - cycling shoes

Rudy Project - eyewear

Gu - nutritional products

Rocktape – kinesiology tape

53x11 Coffee – caffeine

Maul Electric, Inc. – financial sponsor

Berkeley Heights and Beyond – financial sponsor

Rutgers-Raleigh Cycling Team Tentative Schedule

Stars denote ECCC collegiate races.

September:

10th Nittany Lion Cross UCI C2 – Trexlertown, PA

11th Nittany Lion Cross UCI C2 - Trexlertown, PA

17th Charm City Cyclocross UCI C2 – Baltimore, MD

18th Charm City Cyclocross UCI C2 – Baltimore, MD

October:

2nd Hillbilly Hustle NJBA CX Cup - Elmer, NJ

8th Providence Cyclocross UCI C2 – Providence, RI

9th Providence Cyclocross UCI C2 – Providence, RI

15th Granogue Cyclocross UCI C2 – Wilmington, DE

16th Granogue Cyclocross UCI C2 – Wilmington, DE

22nd Cylcocross at Central Park of Morris County - Morris Plains, NJ

23rd Spa City Cyclocross – Saratoga, NY *

29th Beacon Cross UCI C2 – Bridgeton, NJ *

30st HPCX UCI C2 – Jamesburg, NJ *

November:

5th Cycle-Smart International UCI C2 – Northampton, MA

6th Cycle-Smart International UCI C2 – Northampton, MA

12th Staten Cyclocross – Staten Island, NY *

13th Bethlehem Cup NY Cross Series – Delmar, NY

19th Myles CX – East Meadow, NY*

20th Myles CX – East Meadow, NY*

26th Sussex County Cyclocross NJBA CX CUP - Augusta, NJ

December:

3rd NBX Grand Prix UCI C2 – Warwick, RI

4th NBX Grand Prix UCI C2 – Warwick, RI

10th Ice Weasels Cometh – Wrentham, MA

17th New England Championships – Location Pending*

18th New England Championships – Location Pending*

31th Chicago UCI Cyclocross UCI C2 – Chicago, IL

January:

1th Chicago New Years Resolution Cyclocross UCI C2 – Chicago, IL

5-6th USA Cyclocross National Champinships, U23 and Division 1 Collegiate Men – Madison, WI*

Rutgers-Raleigh Wednesday Evening Cyclocross Practices

2011-08-14T12:29:00.005-04:00

Rutgers University-Raleigh Cycling Team is proud to host Weekly Wednesday evening cyclocross practice at the Livingston Campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ.

Whether you've heard about cyclocross and wanted to give it a try, or you've done a few races and want to develop your techniques, or you're an experienced racer looking to further polish your skills, these weekly practices allow you to perfect crucial skills essential to your 2011 cyclocross season.

Practice:

Race Starts

Cornering

Dismounting

Portaging/Shouldering

Remounting

Run Ups

Off Camber Riding

Barriers

Registration:

For USAC/riders not currently on a NCCA-recognized collegiate teams, the fee is $5/practice and $40 for the entire series (15 Weeks). A valid USAC license is required; one-day licenses will be available for an additional $5.

For collegiate riders, the fee is $3/practice and $20 the entire series (15 Weeks). A valid NCCA license is required; one-day licenses will be available for an additional $5.

NO REFUNDS FOR ANY REASON

Participant Check In will begin at 5:45 PM every Wednesday with practice beginning sharply at 6:00PM. Registrants must fill out a athletic liability waver before each practice. NOTE: The start time is subject as the season progresses to change to maximize the daylight. ALSO: Practice will be canceled in the event of heavy rain to preserve the integrity of the Livingston fields.

Directions:

We will meet in the parking lot at the corner of Kilmer Road, and Postal Plaza, Piscataway, NJ.

From The NJ Turnpike

Please note that due to extensive construction work for the Route 18 expansion project, there may be road delays, detours, and possible closures. For up-to-date information, please visit the Route 18 Construction web page athttp://route18update.rutgers.edu or call the Rutgers Information and Referral Center at 732/932-INFO.

Take Exit 9 for New Brunswick – Rutgers University. Bear right after the tollbooths towards Route 18 North – Route 1. After the merger, keep to the left and get into the two left-most lanes to follow Route 18 North, NOT Route 1. Take Route 18 North to the Metlars Lane / Avenue E exit. At the end of the ramp, bear right onto Avenue E and continue to end. Turn left onto Road 3. Turn right onto Postal Plaza Road. Turn left onto Road 1 and continue to end, park in the lot in front of the Building 4086.

From Interstate 287

Take Exit 9 for Bound Brook – Highland Park. Take River Road east towards Highland Park (right at exit ramp if coming from the North, left if from South). Get onto Route 18 North. Take Route 18 North to the Metlars Lane / Avenue E exit. At the end of the ramp, bear right onto Avenue E and continue to end. Turn left onto Road 3. Turn right onto Postal Plaza Road. Turn left onto Road 1 and continue to end, park in the lot in front of the Building 4086.

From US Route 1

Take exit marked Route 18 North – New Brunswick. Take Route 18 North to the Metlars Lane / Avenue E exit. At the end of the ramp, bear right onto Avenue E and continue to end. Turn left onto Road 3. Turn right onto Postal Plaza Road. Turn left onto Road 1 and continue to end, park in the lot in front of the Building 4086.

Head over to BIKEREG.com to find out more and register!

The Rutgers-Raleigh Clinic Gets a Cyclocross Magazine Shoutout!

2011-08-08T10:55:00.004-04:00

From drizzling rain, to slippery fields, the Rutgers-Raleigh Clinic went off this past weekend without a hitch. Attendees covered the essential skills needed during a cross race, a great BBQ, and some great prizes from our sponsor over at Efingers Sporting Goods to lots of smiling, albeit muddy, faces too. Check out the link below!

Rutgers-Raleigh Clinic Coverage!

2011 Rutgers-Raleigh Cyclocross Clinic Announced! Register Now!

2011-07-07T19:04:00.017-04:00

Rutgers University-Raleigh Cycling Team is proud to present a cyclocross skills clinic at the Livingston Campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ.

Whether you've heard about cyclocross and wanted to give it a try, or you've done a few races and want to learn the techniques, or you're an experienced racer looking to further polish your skills, this clinic will provide a great head start to your 2011 cyclocross season.

Topics Covered:

Safety

Equipment

Bike Fit

Wheel/tire Selection

Tire Pressure

Race Start Technique

First Lap Tips

Cornering & Proper Breaking

Dismounting

Portaging/Shouldering

Remounting

Training Theory

Race Day Prep

Race Ethics

Off Camber Riding

Bike Changes

Last Lap Tactics

Registration:

For USAC/riders not currently on a NCCA-recognized collegiate team, the fee is $30/day and $50 for the weekend. A valid USAC license is required; one-day licenses will be available for an additional $5.

For collegiate riders, the fee is $20/day and $30 for the weekend. A valid NCCA license is required; one-day licenses will be available for an additional $5.

We invite all participants for an 8:00 PM BBQ on Saturday August 6th!

Head over to BIKEREG.com to find out more and register!

A letter to my teammates

2011-04-29T08:57:00.000-04:00

As the semester comes to an end, it’s hitting me more and more that after this, I won’t be a part of Rutgers Cycling anymore. So, with that in mind, I wanted to say a few thank yous and goodbyes. I’m not going anywhere far away, and I know I’ll see a lot of you often- especially during cyclocross season, but I’ll have on a different kit, and that makes me kind of sad.

When I first joined the team, as Chris or Rich can tell you, I went on a first bridge ride with them, almost passed out at the turning point from cold (turns out sweatshirts are not quite warm enough for 10 degree days) and Chris literally had to put his booties onto my feet for me so I could survive the ride home. I’m sure at that point, he was thinking that I wouldn’t last a week on the team.

But then, I started riding more, got proper cold weather gear, and fell in love with the sport and with the team. I quickly realized that the team wasn’t just a few guys who I would see on race days: you were my new friends. My first season racing Intros (until Karina and I got bored and upgraded to Bs) wasn’t exactly stellar, but I had an amazing time. Racing bikes was way more fun than triathlon, for the express reason that I had awesome teammates to hang out with before and after every race.

Then…cyclocross happened. I’m not ashamed to admit that I got bullied into racing, but it quickly turned into something more. I had no intention of keeping it up, but then I realized that without actually being good at cyclocross AT ALL, I was still winning the Women’s B’s, and bringing in more points than most of the guys. Thank you, lack of women in the sport! So, I stuck with it, and fell in love with it, despite still sucking. I also realized just how “punk rock” Rutgers Cycling is, compared to the other colleges, and I loved it even more.

My second road season- thanks to a season of cyclocross to improve my handling skills- was much better than the first, in a drastic way. Suddenly, the A and B women’s fields were combined, and I was staying with the top few A riders. It hit me: I didn’t suck at this!

Cyclocross this last season was inarguably the high point of my life. Sitting in the hotel room at Nationals watching the video that Will had put together of all of us made me realize just how much I had gotten from this team, and I actually cried from watching it, I was so happy to be part of this.

You have all been amazing and wonderful, and I will miss defining myself as a Rutgers Cycling racer, because that’s the identity I am most proud of. This team is part of my heart, and has changed my life in so many ways. It makes me so sad to realize that so many of us are leaving after this semester, and while I know we’ll remain friends, it hurts to think that we won’t see each other almost every day, or spend weekends cramped into one hotel room together, laughing hysterically about silly stuff. I mean, this is the team where not one, not two, but five of us have matching cowbell tattoos. I don’t know of any other team that can boast about that. Almost all of the defining moments in my life in recent years can be traced back to this team, and there isn’t a thing that I would change about it.

A few specific thank yous I wanted to say:

Mark/Mama Bear: words cannot begin to describe how grateful I am for everything that you did for the team, and for me. On a cycling level, you’re the one who finally managed to teach me how to remount, which I could have sworn I would never do. I can honestly say that you taught me pretty much everything I know about racing bikes, cx in particular. And on a personal level, you have been there for me so much in the past two years, and I can’t tell you how much I’m going to miss you when you’re in Texas.

Charlie, Pat, and Matt: I love you guys, plain and simple. Cyclocross wouldn’t be the same without you, and I can say without any exaggeration that Nationals was the most fun 4 days of my life. There’s so much more I want to say, but I don’t have that kind of eloquence/space in this email, so I’ll leave it at that. You mean everything to me.

Karina, Gina, and Gabby: thank you for being women! Seriously, having you on the team has been awesome. The women on this team are nothing short of amazing, and I don’t think I’ll ever find a team with a more fun group. (Also, Karina and Gina, thanks for being part of our awesome TTT team in Philly last year. We kicked ass.)

Don: thank you for every single pre-race speech about how I “have the fitness” and am “better than all these girls.” And for teaching me how to corner when I first started racing.

Blake: you were the reason I got into triathlon to begin with, and when I was just a freshman, you introduced me to cyclocross (though I didn’t realize how I would come to love/live it at the time). And, more importantly, without you, I never would have known about the Rutgers Cycling team. So, thank you.

Thanks to Will, Marcos, David, Andy, George, Nick, Eugene, Adam, Chris, Rich, and everyone else: I could go on all day with how much everyone has meant to me.

You all have been my family for the past three years, and I have loved every second I have spent with all of you. There is no team I would rather be on, and the time I’ve spent with you has been unforgettable. So, thank you all.

I’ll end on a note that most of you will appreciate: with a quote from Adam Myerson that Mark had sent out to the team a couple years ago.

“Do you love racing your bike? Is this team the gang you want to be a part of, to throw down with, to stand side by side with?”

Yes.

Good Luck to everyone graduating, and to everyone staying: I'm expecting great things from all of you next year!

Love,
Molly

Road Season is Almost Upon Us!

2011-02-21T14:54:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how it happened, exactly, but it did: road season is officially less than 2 weeks away. With road season almost here, Rutgers is in full prep mode (or panic mode, depending on which member you talk to). This year, we're hosting our traditional season opener with only 1 race run the same as last year. It's been a year of change, and we've said goodbye to some members, and hello to a few new racers- from Intro on up- for this coming season.

The team is in a transitional phase as a lot of the seniors prepare to graduate, and the younger members prepare to step up to take on leadership roles for the team. It's going to be an interesting shift! Of course, our younger members are 100% up to the challenge of running the team, maintaining Rutgers Cycling's "punk rock cred," dominating in CX, and running a fantastic road race.

But we still have months before graduation! In the meantime, new and old racers are preparing mentally and physically for the Rutgers Season Opener in just 2 weeks. We've been hitting the roads on any clear non-snowy day, and Sunday Centuries are back and more crowded than ever, despite the crazy winter weather that we've been hit with. And when the snow kept up shut up indoors, we turned to team trainer rides for motivation.

The team has also been hitting the gym for a team training session with an awesome personal trainer who has tailored our workout to make us the best cyclists that we can be. (I admit, I may have gotten a little miffed when she suggested that I use the "girl weights," but after watching me do more pull ups than most of our guys, she reformed her opinion about me.)

After such a successful cyclocross season, it's going to be hard to top our Fall efforts. Between the excellent race results, the trip to Nationals, and all the fun non-race moments during cyclocross, it's pretty much going to be impossible to top it, but we'll definitely try to match it with road season this year. It's a last hurrah for a lot of us, so we're going to make it count!

See you all in a couple of weeks!

A Rutgers Cyclocross Retrospective

2010-12-10T12:31:00.002-05:00

Just in time for US Cyclocross Nationals...

A Rutgers Cyclocross Retrospective from Rutgers Cycling on Vimeo.

Huge thanks to Will for putting this together

Heading to CX Nationals! (and ECCC CX Win!)

2010-12-07T18:06:00.000-05:00

This Thursday, Oregon is getting invaded by Rutgers CX! Pat Bradley, Charles Thompson, Matt Bathe and Molly Hurford will all be representing Rutgers Cycling at CX Nationals in Bend, OR. After a long season, including a hefty preseason, it's all come down to this one weekend, and we're all crazy excited.

More on that later, but for now, we're celebrating our 5th year in a row winning the ECCC CX conference:

We had a ton of individual podiums too, including Pat Bradley winning the A Men field, Charles Thompson winning the B field, and Molly Hurford winning the B Women field and placing 2nd in the A Women field. More podiums will be announced later after some final tallying on the part of the awesome MIT crew.

This past weekend, a horde of Rutgers cyclists landed in Warwick, RI for NBX, the final race in the Verge series. Pat Bradley started the weekend off nicely with a 13th place in the Elite Men's race, and with 9 Rutgers racers in total, the collegiate field was intense.

Sunday saw our final fight to maintain CX dominance, and I (Molly) managed to secure a third place spot in the 3/4 Women's race, making it my first (and very exciting) big series podium.

We'll be keeping in touch as we get ready to race at Nationals, I can't wait!!

Last Chance for Alumni to Order Jerseys!

2010-09-29T12:53:00.002-04:00

The deadline for our jersey order is October 1, so this is last call for alumni and supporters of Rutgers Cycling to order jerseys! The jerseys look fantastic, so make sure to get your order in!

Find the order form here on BikeReg.com.

Thanks for the support!

Rutgers-Raleigh p/b Kim's Bike Shop 2010 Race Schedule

2010-09-29T09:14:00.003-04:00

Hot off the presses, the team has confirmed its 2010 cyclocross schedule! If you are in the area, come out and cheer the team on.

The team will be focusing on the Mid-Atlantic Championship Series and the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference's Cyclocross Series. In the past four years, Rutgers has won several individual MAC titles and many, many individual and team titles in the ECCC series. Rutgers will also compete in select North American Cyclocross Trophy races and will compete at US Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, OR.

October
10/16-17 Granogue - Newark, DE UCI C2 (MAC)
10/23 Cornell Red Cross - Richford, NY (ECCC)
10/24 Saratoga Spa - Saratoga Springs, NY (ECCC)
10/30 Beacon - Bridgeton, NJ UCI C2 (MAC/ECCC)
10/31 HPCX - Jamesburg, NJ UCI C2 (MAC/ECCC)

November
11/6-7 Cycle-Smart International - Northampton, MA UCI C2 (NECCS/ECCC)
11/13 StatenCX - Staten Island, NY (ECCC)
11/14 West Point #1 - West Point, NY (ECCC)
11/20 Whitmore SuperCross - Southampton, NY UCI C1 (MAC/NACT) and
West Point #2 - West Point, NY (ECCC)
11/21 Whitmore SuperCross - Southampton, NY UCI C2 (MAC/NACT)

December
12/4-5 NBX Gran Prix - Warwick, RI (NECCS/ECCC)
12/8-12 US Cyclocross National Championships - Bend, OR

New Kits!

2010-09-23T21:20:00.003-04:00

Rutger Cyclocross 2010 crew sporting our seriously stylish new kits!

Rutgers Cycling Does IRONMAN!

2010-09-15T12:07:00.002-04:00

As the Rutgers Cycling token triathlete, I feel like it's my job to do at least one post about my races this summer...

As a lot of you know, my past year has revolved around training for Ironman Louisville. I raced repping Rutgers, rocking my sleevless jersey on the bike and a running t-shirt with Rutgers Cyclocross written on the back. It' s been a good summer with a lot of good triathlon race results, including being the 28th female overall in the Nautica NYC triathlon (out of +1400 women or so), 5th overall female at the Skylands sprint triathlon, and being 2nd in my age group in the Rev3 Quassy 70.3. Ironman KY, I was 7th in my age group, which was an OK finish despite some serious medical setbacks.

In all, I'm glad to be done with IM and starting CX season!

Anyway, here's a race report from Ironman:

Pre Race
Transition opened at 5:30, so at 4:30 I was awake, trying to eat a bagel and drink a ton of fluids, and out the door. Because we had stashed everything in transition the night before, it was a pretty simple morning. Got to transition, got everything set up, and was generally feeling pretty calm. Then, a .75 mile walk down to the start of the swim. We got there and were wondering why everyone was sitting in front of the portapotties.

I got bodymarked, and dad realized that they were all people in line. Honestly, people must have been there since the night before- I kid you not, I saw an air mattress. We walked and walked and walked and about a mile later got to the end of the line. I looked at the guys in front of me and asked if this was the line for Springsteen tickets. They laughed, but I guess that joke makes the most sense if you’re from NJ. Anyway, I chatted and ate, and was still feeling good. The guy behind me kept asking if I was nervous though, which did little to relax me.

The Swim
Once the line started moving, it moved quick. Before I really knew what was happening, I had a surge of volunteers pushing me into the swim chute yelling “keep running!” We went off the 2 docks 2 at a time 2 seconds apart, so before I really realized just what was happening, I was in the water and swimming. It was crazy. Because I started far back, it was pretty rough going. Got elbowed, kicked, and generally manhandled as I crawled my way up. The problem was that I kept getting slowed down because of all of the random people in front of me breast-stroking and popping out to sight. Seriously, there was a traffic jam at the turn buoy! I just kept telling myself to stay calm and just keep going. No crazy antics, just stay calm and KEEP SWIMMING! We swam under a couple of bridges, which was pretty neat, and then before I really realized it, the end was in sight! I got out of the water in about 1:18, which was kind of slow for me, but with the washing machine effect of having to get around so many people, I was ok with it. My only issue with the race setup was that they had so few buoys, it was almost impossible to sight sometimes. You had to assume that everyone knew where they were going and follow blindly until a buoy finally came into sight.

But… out of the swim and into bike transition! I ran into the changing tent and was shocked at how many people were totally changing! I was wearing my bike stuff so I crammed my shoes and helmet on, pulled my Rutgers jersey on over my head and booked it out of the tent, pausing to get copious amounts of lotion everywhere. Ran out, mounted, and took a deep breath… 112 miles to go.

The Bike
The bike started FAST. I was passing people, and feeling really good. (My results are a tribute to this, my average for the first part was 19.5). I was expecting a flat course, but it was more accurately described as rolling. A lot of the time, it was kind of tough avoiding drafting, and I felt like I got slowed down a lot because of it in some segments. I had a nutrition plan in place and I was sticking to it, feeling good, despite the fact that it was getting HOT out. I was refilling my bottles at every station, drinking as much as possible between them, and generally trying to stay calm, but stay going at a steady clip. I didn’t want to be beat for the marathon (though in retrospect I might as well have been) and I was trying to conserve energy. It’s amazing how fast 112 miles goes by, and how exciting it was when we passed through LaGrange and just could hear the crowd going crazy for us. I made a few “friends” on the bike, men and women, because we had a group of about 25 of us that kept constantly passing and re-passing each other. It made it fun, knowing who had just passed you so you could head for them on the next hill. I'm glad I have this picture of me smiling, because honestly, this part was fun:

By the last 20 miles or so, I started having some “respiratory issues,” which made me aware that I was probably getting dehydrated. As I said, I had been drinking as much as I could without making myself sick or cramping. As the miles ticked off, I knew the marathon was going to be tough, but I tried to stay focused. I definitely slowed down a bit towards the end, but still ended the bike with an average of 18.5 mph. Not too shabby, though I wish I hadn’t started losing it at the end.

I'll never be nervous about making it through a full century ride with the team again...

The Run
… to call it the run is kind of an insult to running. I got into transition, actually changed shorts and threw on a running top with Rutgers Cyclocross written in marker on the back. I charged out of transition, planning to eek as much actual running as I could. I made it to the first aid station, got through that walking, and started running again. For the first couple stations, I wasn’t feeling great but I was surviving. But then… my lungs started really hurting.

And this was around mile 5 or so. I kept going, running when I could, walking the aid stations, drinking as much as possible. The ice cold sponges definitely helped, and made me feel a lot less gross. The problem was, I couldn’t eat.

Around mile 10, I started dry heaving. Which is the worst. All I wanted was to actually throw up, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Still, I kept run-walking.

When we hit loop 2, I felt a little better. It is amazing how short 13 miles seems when you have 127 finished! I just kept thinking about how much I wanted to finish, and that kept me going. People were great- I talked to a lot of other racers about IM and about cyclocross, but by mile 15, my lungs were not thrilled with me and talking hurt. By mile 20, I couldn’t really drink, and I was walking way more than I was running. The problem with dehydration, I learned, is that once it starts, no amount of drinking is really going to help when you’re still racing. It was depressing, my legs felt fine but I couldn’t breathe or drink. I wanted to run but every time I did, I thought I was going to fall over. Everything hurt except my legs and I just wanted to keep running. I was watching the clock tick away past my goal times that I could have made, had I been able to take in more fluids. And that hurt. Still, kept going.

Anyway, finally hit those last couple miles and started trying to run from cone to cone- run one cone, walk the next, run one, walk one… And after what seemed like forever, the finish line started to come into sight. Rather, you could hear it before you saw it. A dull roar that you could hear 4 blocks away. And knowing that I wanted to run across the line, and knowing that medical help was just blocks away, I gave it everything I had, ran through the cheering crowd, and finally got to hear that I was an Ironman. Final time: 13:37. Way more than I had planned, but faster than I thought I would do once I started hurting.

It was incredible. There's just something amazing about hearing "Molly Hurford, you are an Ironman."

Right after this picture was taken I went to the medical building and got pumped full of IV fluids thanks to a whole lot of amazing volunteers.

And that is Ironman in a nutshell. It was an experience. I’m glad I did it, and I’m glad I pushed through to finish. Thank you to all my lovely teammates who helped me on crazy long rides all last year, and thanks to all of you for messaging me to say good luck the day before- I was thinking of you all the whole bike leg!

“Swim 2.4 miles. Ride 112 miles. Run 26.2 miles. Then brag for the rest of your life.” -Commander John Collins, Ironman Triathlon creator

Rutgers University-Raleigh Cycling Team presented by Kim’s Bike Shop Announces its 2010 Cyclocross Season Sponsors

2010-08-06T10:42:00.002-04:00

For the 2010 cyclocross season, Rutgers-Raleigh p/b Kim’s Bike Shop has lined up an exciting cast of new and returning sponsors to support its run at a fifth consecutive Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference Championship.

New Sponsors:

Raleigh USA has stepped up as co-sponsor of the team. Raleigh lends both their name and 2011 Rx 1.0 cyclocross bikes to the team. The team will be riding a mix of custom painted and stock Rx 1.0s. All the bikes feature revamped tube shapes to maximize both stiffness for out-of-the-saddle efforts and comfort over the challenging terrain of the cyclocross course.

Kim’s Bike Shop is the Rutgers-Raleigh presenting sponsor for 2010. Located in New Brunswick, NJ, Kim’s is a full-service bike shop offering Raleigh, Specialized, Litespeed and more. The shop is managed by Rutgers Cycling alumnus and fitting expert David Kim who is also the genius behind many of the team’s perfectly-fit bicycles.

Revolution Wheelworks is a new sponsor for the 2010 season. Revolution makes available high-end racing tubulars for the cyclocross team in both carbon and alloy.

Gaerne USA will be providing extra-special G. Ara carbon mountain bike shoes in Team Red for members of Rutgers-Raleigh p/b Kim’s. The shoes feature a stiff carbon sole for pedaling efficiency and grippy tread for times when you have to get off the bike and run.

Challenge USA is the new tire sponsor for 2010. The team will be using the Challenge Grifo tubular, open tubular, and clincher for training and racing.

Princeton Psychological Consultants comes onboard for 2010 to offer sports psychology seminars for the team to ensure a positive and competitive mental attitude.

Returning Sponsors:

Verge Sport, a long-time sponsor of Rutgers Cycling, returns again to provide team kit for the 2010 season. The Team will be using Skinsuits, jerseys, and jackets from the Verge Elite Collection.

Cycle-Smart, another long-time sponsor, Adam Myerson and his coaches at Cycle-Smart continue to offer coaching, clinics, and wisdom (along with a bit of wit) to the members of Rutgers Cycling.

Gu Energy Products will be handling nutritional duties for the team before, during, and after training and racing. The team will be using Gu gels, Gu Brew, and Gu Chomps.

SRAM drivetrain components will grace many of the team bikes this fall. The innovative DoubleTap shifting has won over the cyclocross team for its consistency and durability in all conditions.

Ritchey Components will again handle cockpit controls for Rutgers. Tested season in and season out, Ritchey has proven to be some of the strongest, yet lightest handlebars, stems, and seatposts for the discipline of cyclocross.

Rudy Project will be keeping the mud and sun from our eyes with their line of stylish and innovative technical eyewear.

Maul Electric, Inc. Maul Electric specializes in commercial electrical work and has been a long-time supporter of Rutgers Cycling.

Berkeley Heights and Beyond returns for the 2010 season and is your source for real estate in the Berkeley Heights area (and beyond!).

Assured Networks LLC is a technology and research consultancy for telecommunications network design to support reliable services. They have a strong focus on customer priority and use of the latest research in networking to promote service quality, reliability, and profitability.

53x11 Coffee will be ensuring everyone on the team is bright eyed and bushy tailed with their line of delicious fair-trade organic coffee.

RockTape has been holding together members of Rutgers Cycling since 2009. RockTape returns again for the 2010 season. Ask AngryMark about the tape on his leg; he’ll tell you why it’s awesome! Use the code rutgers for 20% off your order.

Rutgers-Raleigh Cyclocross Clinic - DATE CHANGE!

2010-07-16T15:09:00.005-04:00

Cyclocross Clinic

Presented by

Rutgers University-Raleigh Cycling Team

Interested in learning more about cyclocross? Want to brush-up on some skills before the season starts? Need to learn some race strategy, training tips, or find out more about cyclocross equipment choices?

Come join us to learn from some of NJ’s best cyclocross racers.

Skills will be appropriate for all levels.

When: Friday, August 6^th 2010 from 4 p.m. till 7:30 PM. Check in opens at 3 pm.

Where: Livingston Campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ (directions available on Bikereg page)

$40 for all USAC/non-collegiate riders

$20 for Collegiate Riders on NCCA-recognized collegiate teams and Juniors

USAC or NCCA license required. One-day licenses will be available for $5

USAC Permit #2010-2401

For more information feel free to contact cyclocross@rutgerscycling.com

Rutgers Cycling and Raleigh Team Up for 2010 Cyclocross Season

2010-07-01T20:45:00.006-04:00

(photo: David Wilson)

Rutgers Cycling is excited to announce Raleigh Bicycles as its co-sponsor for the 2010 cyclocross season. Rutgers University-Raleigh Cycling Team will be riding the all-new 2011 Raleigh Rx 1.0 cyclocross bikes and framesets in their campaign to win a fifth-straight Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference cyclocross championship and a National Championship at US Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, OR.

The team will be led by junior Patrick Bradley, whose palmares include 6th place at Collegiate Cyclocross Nationals at the 2009 US Cyclocross National Championships and the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Series U23 series title.

Returning to the team will be junior Marcos Picchio, seniors Matt Bathe and Charles Thompson, and graduate students Molly Hurford, Will Cukierski, and racer and team director, Mark Vareschi.

“We’re very happy that we haven’t lost too many racers this year,” Vareschi said, “and as the season starts, we always bring in new riders who realize just how cool ‘cross is. We plan on racing at least fifteen riders over the course of the season.”

“Raleigh Bicycles is excited to be partnering this cross season with Rutgers Cycling,” said enthusiastic Raleigh Marketing Director Brian Fornes.

“We look forward to growing this relationship and utilizing their valuable racer feedback on current and future cross bikes we will be producing. We’re even more excited about the level of commitment, and friendly, fun attitude that the Rutgers Cycling program brings to the sport. They are great ambassadors, and we feel that they will continue to help grow the sport on a local basis and be very competitive on a National level.”

The team will be riding the newly-revamped 2011 Raleigh Rx 1.0 cyclocross bikes. “We are psyched for the Rx 1.0. Last year, it was a killer bike and this year, Raleigh has made it even better” said Vareschi.

The 2011 Raleigh Rx 1.0 (photo: Raleigh Bicycles)

The 2011 bikes feature revised tubing shapes and a BB30 bottom bracket. “For ‘cross, the BB30 is perfect; it allows you to reduce your Q-factor, which is important when you are using road cranksets with mountain bike pedals that typically increase your Q-factor. Our riders will be able to easily transition from the set-ups that they have been riding and racing on the road to their cyclocross bikes. Plus, it’s a lighter system. Light bikes in ‘cross make a difference,” Vareschi said.

Raleigh joins a family of sponsors that will be supporting Rutgers for the 2010 cyclocross season including:

Kim’s Bike Shop – presenting and shop sponsor
Challenge USA – cyclocross tires
Verge Sport – cycling clothing
Ritchey – cockpit components
SRAM – drivetrain components
Cycle-Smart - coaching
Gaerne - cycling shoes
Rudy Project - eyewear
Gu - nutritional products
Rocktape – kinesiology tape
53x11 Coffee – caffeine
Maul Electric, Inc. – financial sponsor
Berkeley Heights and Beyond – financial sponsor

Rutgers-Raleigh Cycling Team Tentative Schedule

September:
11th Nittany Lion Cross UCI C2 – Trexlertown, PA
18th Charm City Cyclocross UCI C2 – Baltimore, MD
19th Charm City Cyclocross UCI C2 – Baltimore, MD
26th Ellison Park Cyclocross UCI C2 – Rochester, NY

October:
2nd Grand Prix of Gloucester UCI C2 – Gloucester, MA
3rd Grand Prix of Gloucester UCI C2 – Gloucester, MA
16th Granogue Cyclocross UCI C2 – Newark, DE
17th Granogue Cyclocross UCI C2 – Newark, DE
23rd Downeast Cyclocross UCI C2 – New Gloucester, ME
24th Downeast Cyclocross UCI C2 – New Gloucester, ME
30th Beacon Cross UCI C2 – Bridgeton, NJ
31st HPCX UCI C2 – Jamesburg, NJ

November:
6th Cycle-Smart International UCI C2 – Northampton, MA
7th Cycle-Smart International UCI C2 – Northampton, MA
20th Super Cross Cup UCI C2 – Southampton, NJ
21st Super Cross Cup UCI C2 – Southampton, NJ
27th Baystate Cyclocross UCI C2 – Sterling, MA
28th Baystate Cyclocross UCI C2 – Sterling, MA

December:
4th NBX Grand Prix UCI C2 – Warwick, RI
5th NBX Grand Prix UCI C2 – Warwick, RI
8-12th USA Cyclocross National Championships, U23 and Collegiate – Bend, OR

Cycling Team in Rutgers Focus!

2010-04-27T18:39:00.002-04:00

Scarlet Cyclists Brave the Jersey Roads and Show their Competitive Edge
A venerable sports club has grown steadily and is attracting more women

By Jeff May

"Spinning your wheels is no way to get through college – unless you’re a member of the Rutgers University Cycling Team.

The team, a club sport established more than 30 years ago, has grown steadily in prominence over the past decade. Rutgers riders are now a force in cyclocross, a deviant strain of steeplechase that requires cyclists to slog through mud and rough terrain with frequent dismounts to scale stairs or leap over barriers.

It goes without saying that training in New Jersey takes a tough mindset. The state has a well-earned reputation as a snakepit for drivers, so it’s not exactly a hospitable place for pedal-pushers who share the road."

Check the full article out here.

Off Road Adventures!

2010-04-19T09:54:00.002-04:00

The Dream Team

Even with a couple weekends away from road racing, I've managed to stay pretty busy. Months ago, Mark and I made plans to do the Hibernia Off Road Duathlon as a co-ed relay team- the Rutgers Cycling Team, to be precise, and since I do love my position on the team as "that triathlete," I very quickly agreed to do the run. Mark was in charge of destroying the competition on the mountain bike section, and my job was to kill it during the run. Can I just say, Mission Accomplished?

From Mark's brief race report:
"Molly and I crushed the team event. Rutgers won this last year, but had a fairly lackluster finish in the overall standings. This year with a much stronger team, we destroyed it. Molly had an amazing run and got me on the bike in third place. I passed the guy and second and got within 45 seconds of the race leader. He was, however, ridiculously fast, and I never made the catch. I did, however, put some serious time into everyone else. Molly and I did a flawless transition, and Molly KILLED the second run to come in 2nd overall.

Yeah, we beat all the other teams, male-male, coed, female-female, AND all the individual athletes (except for the overall winner who was sick,) some of whom were pretty elite."

Mark and I right after the race. Don't I look tired? In my defense, I just finished the second 5k, while Mark had 20 minutes to recover before this was taken!

So, my "race report":

The race was in Hibernia, which is about 2 hours from my parents house. Up at 5, on the road by 5:30- bleck. Dad (our unofficial team Dad, as many of you know) couldn't make it to the race but woke up at 5 am to make sure that I was ready to go and out the door on time with all my gear. Gotta love him!

Anyway, the directions from the website sent me to the right area but wrong Park Avenue- I was about ten miles from the race site, along with a few other SUVs toting mountain bikes, so we formed a small caravan and I somehow ended up finding our way to the park through guesswork and frantic calls to Mark. Luckily, we made it there on time.

It was nice doing a race where the only stuff I needed was shorts, a shirt, and my sneakers- normally pre-race is hectic because of all the equipment, from bike to wetsuit that needs checking, but this race was awesome in that regard. It was less awesome because it was the coldest day of April- hovering in the 40s with some wind. I was not psyched about the middle segment when I'd be waiting for Mark to finish the ride, waiting around sweaty and chilly.

The race was awesomely chill- no racks for bikes in transition, super nice race director that knew Mark (which led to some hilarious antics at the award ceremony), and generally a more relaxed crowd than any triathlon I've done.

The starting line was at the base of a grassy hill, and the course was 2.8 miles of off road, then an 11 mile (2 loop) mountain bike, then another 2.8 mile run. The director yelled Go and we charged up the hill. I knew that the trails would narrow fast, making passing tough, so I gunned it up the hill as fast as I could and hit the trail segment in the top 10, the first female. It took a good mile before people got strung out, and in that time, I worked my way up to 6th or so, still the first female. The trail was awesome- lots of rocks, streams, mud, logs, and general crap to hurtle, jump or run around. Plus, a lot of short but intense up and down hills. This is what I'm good at, so I was happy.

By the time the trail was easy enough that I could look back, there were only two guys in my line of sight, a decent way behind me. The course went way faster than I expected, and when I realized we were almost to transition, I stepped on the gas and sprinted it out. Apparently, I surprised Mark (shocked the hell out of myself too), since I was the 6th or 7th person overall (including some runners just there to do the 5k trail run), and the first woman (I would have won the 5k!).

Mark took off up the same hill I had started on, chasing down two men in front of him. When he came around to start the second loop, he had passed one of the men and was in second. The guy in front of him, as he said, was clearly elite, and he put more time on Mark in the second loop. Mark put a huge gap between himself and the people behind him though, so when he came into transition and I started, I knew I didn't have to worry too much about anyone coming up behind me. Even with the first man 2 minutes or so ahead of me, I still was entertaining thoughts of closing the gap, unrealistic as that may have been, so I went hard.

Mark coming into transition.

The second loop was easier in some ways but mentally harder- with no one behind me and one person way ahead, it was hard to keep my head in the game, but I think I managed fairly well. I have no idea how close we were to that guy's time, but I was really pleased with how we did finish.

Me looking amazingly silly after hitting the finishing chute.

This race was awesome- I realized that I'm better at trail running than I thought, and that Mark and I make one awesome team. Ahem- Duathlon Off Road Nationals next year, perhaps?

When they did the awards and they got to the co-ed relay category, the director pointed out that not only were we the first co-ed team, but we were the first relay team overall, and the second ones to finish the race in general. I was stoked that the director came up to me and said, "you must be a runner, right?" (to which I replied, "heck no, I'm a triathlete!") and Mark got about a million compliments on his mad skillz on the mountain bike. In all, it was an excellent use of a Sunday!

Getting Race Ready

2010-03-04T11:33:00.003-05:00

While all the A racing men on the team have been spending hours gluing tubulars and spending even more time talking about various bike components and how much they have to do before races (you know who you are, and I love you all anyway), I keep things a bit simpler. Admittedly, it was out of necessity, on the grounds that I don't have any tubulars, but nonetheless...

I was thinking about being a new racer last year, trying to get ready to head off to the first race, and realizing that I had know idea what I needed to bring. So, for those of you who are mildly confused about what to pack, I made a list of the important things that everyone should bring to the races. So, enjoy, and of course, feel free to add anything I've forgotten in the comments!

For The Races:
1. license!!
2. race receipt from when you registered
3. photo ID- school or driver's license, whatever
4. cash monies!
5. bike (with tires pumped and chain lubed)
6. bike shoes
7. spare tubes, whatever bike repair stuff you may want to bring
8. race clothes- skinsuit, bib and jersey, whatever
9. socks for racing
10. food! this includes Gu's and everything for racing, as well as food for breakfast/lunch in case there's nothing around
11. water bottles (for regular drinking, for racing, and premixed with Gu2o or Heed or whatever you use)
12. ipod, cell phone, camera, etc.
13. sunglasses for racing
14. helmet
15. "street clothes" including (don't forget!) underwear, extra socks, and extra shoes
16. warm jacket (even if it's supposed to be warm out, it's often useful)
17. towel (can be used as a changing skirt!)
18. homework! we are students and there is a lot of down time between races...
19. gloves for racing
20. gloves and hat for after races
21. toilet paper or tissues (they run out in the portapotties a lot, so it's best to BYOTP)
22. WEATHER: is it going to rain or snow? bring galoshes, raincoat, umbrella, anything to keep dry!

Multiple Day Races (with overnight)
1. sleeping bag
2. toiletries
3. towel (hotels and host houses rarely have enough)
4. pjs
5. any extra clothing you might need
6. cell phone charger (seriously, it's super helpful, I've had to buy them at 2 different races because my phone died)
7. extra race kit for day #2

Road Season is (Almost) Upon Us!

2010-02-22T19:58:00.005-05:00

Road season is less than two weeks away, which means weekend centuries when the weather is good, and epic (and sweaty) basement trainer rides when the snow is piled too high.

However, it takes more than snow to keep RU Cycling inside! When we got hit with "snowmeggedon" a couple weeks ago, rather than staying inside with hot cocoa and enjoying the day off, we did this:
OK, so we didn't stay up a whole lot during the ride. But who could in a foot of super hard to get through snow? At least we tried...

Speaking of photographic evidence, check out our ECCC Cyclocross podium back in December in Rhode Island, courtesy of Paul Weiss:

Marcos Picchio, Matt Bathe, Mark Vareschi, Charlie Thompson, Pat Bradley, Molly Hurford
(We're missing a couple of teammates that couldn't make it to NBX, but a lot of us are here!)

This season should be an exciting one. With new officers for the team and a lot of new racers, it's going to be an eventful season. Bring on the training rides, the weight sets (my legs may fall off if I do any more leg presses or calf extensions), and the interval work. Bring on the aching muscles, the recovery rides, the race recaps that inevitably point out how I could have done better, the road rash, and the bruises.

Bring on the fun!

The Accidental Cyclocross Racer

2009-12-09T09:29:00.002-05:00

As I write this, my first season of cyclocross has come to an end, and it’s bittersweet. It’s nice to have time to do laundry- and not have so much of it! It’s nice to be home on weekends, to get work done, to not be driving all over creation for races, to be able to take a little break for a change, and to not have mystery cuts and bruises crop up every Monday after a weekend of racing. But I miss it so much already!

I miss the camaraderie, the excitement of racing, the sore throat from cheering everyone on, the teamwork, and heck, even the riding itself. I admit, I started out a skeptic, thinking nothing could replace triathlon as my most fun sport. But now, I’m already looking to next year, thinking of how to make improvements, to move up in my category, and to start really racing, not just trying to ride the course without falling down. In short, there is a decided chance that I have succumbed to the desire to be a legit cyclocross racer.

In one season, I went from a new racer to the #1 Women’s B racer and #2 Women’s A racer, and helped the Rutgers University Cycling Team maintain our dominance in collegiate cyclocross. It felt pretty great to be part of it.

Earlier in the season, I borrowed a cyclocross bike, “just to test out and race a couple times.”

Then, I raced at Granogue, in freezing rain and mud up to my shins. I fell, I slid, I was one of the last people to finish, and I ended up with a myriad of cuts and bruises to show for it. But, I had fun. And it didn’t hurt that just by racing, I had accrued a lot of collegiate points for the team.

My first race finish at Granogue

So, I raced again at Highland Park, and didn’t do too badly- in fact, I was pretty decent. I was 12^th in the Women’s 3/4 race, and the first collegiate woman. I admit, I was hooked. I was also doing well, by collegiate standards. By my second week of ECCC ‘cross, I was ranked #1 in Women’s B. Mainly because I was the one of about five on the list. However, I had a marathon in late November, so HPCX looked like it would be my last serious race. I hadn’t learned dismounts, barriers, or how to ride anything technical. My season was pretty much over, barring maybe a race or two after the marathon. My ranking went from #1 to #10 or so as other women raced and I stayed home and did long runs.

Then, a tendon in my foot did something kinda weird, and all of a sudden, I couldn’t run for a few weeks. I took this as a sign- I was meant to race ‘cross.

So, I started practicing dismounts in my backyard, signed up for all of the races for the last 3 weeks, and attempted to become a decent rider. While that may not have happened, I felt fairly decent going into the last three weeks, even managing to jump barriers instead of climb slowly over them.

Actually "getting air" over a barrier at Staten Island CX

More than that, I learned how much fun cyclocross and spending time with the team really was. From the excitement of the USGP at Mercer to the killer course at Whitmore to racing singlespeed (not by choice) at Allentown, the team was there cheering like crazy every time I raced. And it helped a lot.

Climbing the stairs at the Mercer USGP race

About to start a very scary descent at Whitmore.

I’m not going to go into too many details, as to avoid the longest post in the world, but Rhode Island and the NBX race was probably the most fun weekend that I’ve ever had. It was great racing, an awesome course, vegan pizza, and serious team bonding. I may not have done amazing in the race, but I definitely realized how much progress that I’ve made in the past months. I only wish I had figured out that I wasn’t going to be able to run the marathon earlier, so I could have been working on my ‘cross skills much sooner. As it was, it was a pretty piecemeal season and training schedule. Next year will be a lot different, and I’m expecting pretty good things from myself, not just in the collegiate context, but in the broader context of the 3/4 women in general.

When I joined the cycling team, I had no idea what was so great about cyclocross and why everyone on the team was so excited about the season instead of road season. But after this, I can see why, and I think I’ve joined the ranks of the cyclocross devotees.

So, a final round of HUGE thank you’s to everyone who helped make this season so great for me.

Of course, thank you to the Team. Without them, I never would have been able to have the confidence and drive to get on the bike, much less ride. They helped me whenever I needed it, offered tons of great advice, and cheered like crazy for a newbie racer. Especially to Mark, who kept me and everyone else organized and sane though out the season, and Charlie, who did so much by way of bike repair on my borrowed bike. Everyone: it was much appreciated.

Huge thank you to my Dad, who drove to nearly every race, yelled like crazy and pushed me to try as hard as I could and put as much effort possible into every race. He really is the Team Dad, and hopefully next year we’ll get to see him race, since he’s pretty hooked on it too.

My whole family- including Mom, Colleen and Robbie- for not just coming to some races but for being so incredibly supportive and doing so much (mostly laundry) for me as I drove them nuts every weekend with racing.

Thank you to all of the promoters for putting on awesome races, to all of my non-collegiate cyclocross friends (both old and new) for cheering and generally making the season super fun for all of us.

Overall, thank you for a great season, and I can’t wait to kick ass next year!

My first podium for collegiate cycling!

Giving Thanks

2009-11-30T08:02:00.005-05:00

Whitmore's Super Cross Cup 2009, 6th both days (wow!)

This Thanksgiving weekend I raced three cyclocross races.

This time last year, that would have seemed an impossibility.

My first race back in over a year - Cat and Kitten Cross, November 1 2009 (Photo: David Wilson)

During the 2007 cyclocross season I sustained a mystery injury to my left leg and hip that turned into a chronic, and often debilitating, problem. After nearly two years of shuffling between specialists, PTs, and chiropractors, my amazing doctor finally identified the problem and developed a course of action to try to help fix it.

In short, I have neurovascular entrapment in my left quadriceps; it's about 2 inches deep in the quad and adjacent to my femoral artery. When I try to pedal hard, it produces incredible pain and weakness in the leg due to reduction in blood flow and nerve function. At times, it felt like my left leg wouldn't work at all. The pain was awful and the frustration of a body that wouldn't work was great.

After a few months of trying to ride and race through it, I ended up with secondary injuries to the other muscles of my leg, hip, and back.

As athletes, it's difficult to deal with injury that prevents us from training and competing. For most of us, it structures and gives meaning to our lives. Losing that, perhaps for forever, is difficult.

I'm steadily on the road to recovery. I've had two procedures to help break up the entrapment in the quad and hope to have a few more. After missing a season of cyclocross, and two seasons of road racing, I'm thrilled to be back racing, even at a lower level, and hope some day to return to where I was before the injury.

And so, following the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to give thanks to everyone who helped and supported me, and continue to support me, as I begin my return to cycling.

First, I need to thank my teammates, without their love, support, and friendship, I couldn't have gotten through the past two years. They pushed me when my leg failed during rides, they motivated me to focus on figuring out the problem, and they accepted me when I couldn't perform as I used to.

I also need to give endless thanks for my incredible doctor at Rutgers, Dr. Cohen. Despite the difficulty of the diagnosis and the myriad of symptoms, his patience and compassion, not to mention his persistence, have made this recovery process possible. When every other doctor became frustrated and gave up, Dr. Cohen was there. I am so lucky to have met him and continue to work with him. Thank you.

I want to thank the friends, fans, supporters, and alumni who cared enough to check in on my progress throughout the long duration of the injury. It's striking how many people noticed my absence from racing and celebrated my return.

A huge thank you to my Active Release Techniques practitioner, Mark Strzeminski, DC. His continued musculoskeletal work has worked miracles on holding me together and promoting healing.

Thank you to Adam Myerson and Wade Hess, both of whom have worked with me throughout the process to dial in my bike fit and accommodate my physical limitations. I'm not an easy guy to fit on a bike, and both these guys have been amazingly generous with their time and expertise.

Thank you so much to my personal and team sponsors who stuck by me and the team even while I could not race. Also, thank you to the sponsors we have brought on because of my injury, like kinesiology tape sponsor, RockTape. If you've seen me compete and wondered about the tape on my left leg, that's what it is. Without it, I can't pedal. It's that good.

And finally, thank you to J. It wasn't easy to live with me through the frustration and disappointment of the injury. I know that, and I'm sorry.

Next weekend, I'll finish out my cyclocross season at the NBX Grand Prix in Warwick, RI. I'm not headed to cyclocross Nationals for the first time in four years. I'll take a week off and then start again to build toward what I hope will be my return to road racing in the spring.

Thank you all,

Mark

Follow Rutgers Cycling on Twitter!

2009-11-09T13:55:00.004-05:00

Can't get enough info about Rutgers Cycling? You can now get it in 140 character bits and pieces.

Follow the team as they go for their fourth consecutive ECCC Cyclocross Title and travel around the Northeast racing bikes and giving out high fives.

www.twitter.com/rutgerscycling

British Cyclocross National Champion Helen Wyman follows us, you should too!

The Pre-E-Triple-C MAC warmup experience

2009-10-20T18:52:00.005-04:00

Nittany Lion cross was fast fast fast with some nicely set up corners - some had some nice flow from one to another, while others provided more room for creativity in finding the best line, and my favorites had some quick little elevation changes in them. I found the Jamis Dragon CX to work pretty well and I rode my way to an 11th/67 placing in the Killer B's. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to sufficiently shake Mike Festa in the corners of the last lap, and he overpowered me for the last spot in the top ten. Regardless, MAC points were earned, and a place on the starting grid will be had for the rest of the season.

With 125 riders pre-regged for Granogue, that starting position would prove useful. At 40F and raining, the mud was flying, and our VERGE gear kept us at just the right temp - one tight base later, one loose base layer, jersey, shorts, arm and leg warmers - ooh, I love their gear. With my typical not-so-fast start, I dropped into the mud soup in the top 20-25 riders and picked my way through them whenever the terrain pointed downhill. My position varied from 6th to 15th in the following laps, trading positions with some of the same riders again and again as different sections suited our strengths. In the beginning of the last lap, I was just out of reach of a 5-person group until the R-L-R-L section of downhill turns. I bridged up on the off-camber section leading into the turns and rocketed my way through their scaping brake pads while pedaling. I made just enough time in this section and turned myself inside-out for the rest of the lap to secure my best-ever MAC finish: 7th/104.

Wissahickon didn't go so well. The soupy-slick mud of Saturday became much thicker as the rain slowed and wind picked up. The small (3-4 mm) clearance between the 700x34c tires and the brake bridge on my 26" mountain bike was not enough to deal with the thick mud and long grass at the Ludwigs Corner Horse Show Grounds. The start was a mess, as the race director was not enforcing the staging protocol: rather than 8 across, the first row was 10 and the second was 13! Half way through the first lap, my bike started packing up with mud. I stopped, checked out the bike and considered packing it in for the day, but I remembered that I feel that way during the first lap of every cross race. I trudged on, learned new ways to minimize mud build-up on my bike, and ended up moving up a number of spots, still without a clue where I was in the bunch. On the finishing straight, I looked behind me and found that I had to sprint for the finish. The steel tubes began humming as the speed came on and I found that I finished in 25th/94 by half a wheel. Just enough for a single MAC point - a worthwhile sprint.

Much thanks to everyone that was cheering for me and all the other Rutgers riders. The cheers on the big off-camber turn at Granogue fueled my drive to get to that section each lap. Thanks to all my awesome teammates that were out on course throughout the day; seeing you working hard motivated me to work hard. Thank you Jay for letting me borrow gloves for Sunday after leaving mine in a dryer in South Jersey. And a pre-emptive thanks to Efinger Sporting Goods for fixing the derailleur that I tweaked in lap 3 on Saturday and fixed just enough to race on Sunday - they'll definitely have it ready for the first ECCC battle this Saturday!

Clothing Pre-Order Extended to the 18th!

2009-09-11T08:38:00.001-04:00

Due to overwhelming demand, we've extended the Rutgers Cycling clothing pre-order until Friday, September 18. Pre-order now to ensure you get the jerseys, jackets, and shorts you want.

Clothing is scheduled to arrive in mid-to-late October.

Rutgers Cycling Clothing Pre-Order Site (on Bikereg)

Rutgers Cycling 2009-2010 Clothing Pre-Order

2009-08-18T07:26:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends and Supporters of Rutgers Cycling,

We are very pleased to announce that the pre-order for Rutgers University Cycling 2009-10 clothing is now open. For the first time, we are making our entire range of clothing available to alumni and supporters. You may choose from jerseys, bib shorts, winter jackets, wind vests, thermal vests and more! We're also offering women's cut jerseys and bib shorts.

The clothing design will remain the same for 09-10. However, sponsor logos may vary.

If you are interested in learning how to get your business' logo on Rutgers Cycling clothing, please contact Mark at: sponsorship(at)rutgerscycling.com

Our pre-order will be open from today through September 1. Clothing will be ordered in early September for delivery in late October/early November.

Rutgers Cycling Pre-order site: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=9078

Rutgers Cycling in Rutgers Magazine!

2009-06-05T15:10:00.002-04:00

If you haven't already seen it, pick up a copy of the Spring 2009 Rutgers Magazine for a wonderful story on Rutgers Cycling.

The story features club president and (as of May 2009) Rutgers alumnus Chris and newcomers to the team Karina and Molly.

Granogue Race Report ... in Interview form!

2009-05-04T09:31:00.001-04:00

video courtesy of cyclingdirt.org

Rutgers Cycling Caps Now Available!

2009-04-27T10:19:00.004-04:00

At long last, Rutgers Cycling is pleased to make available official, team-issue Rutgers Cycling caps.

Made for us by Pace Sportswear, these are the classic four-panel cotton cycling caps. These caps are perfect for wearing under your helmet for a classics-style ride or just spectating.

The cap features the Rutgers Block R on the front, "Rutgers" on the back. On the bill, the underside says "Rutgers" and the topside features the classic Scarlet Knight head.

Purchase Rutgers Cycling Caps

Buy one now, you are certain to look cooler than AngryMark...

Rutgers Takes 1st Off-Road Win of 2009!

2009-04-24T09:38:00.005-04:00

Riding to victory aboard a Specialized Stumpjumper 29er!

While my skinny-tired teammates tackled The Cherry Blossom RR, The Rahway River Criterium, and even the Dartmouth Collegiate Weekend, I headed to Coatesville, PA to compete in the Hibernia Mountain Bike Duathlon.

I'd never done a duathlon, and I'm not much of a runner, so I enlisted some help. It turns out my girlfriend and fellow endurance athlete, Jenna, is a bit of a runner, so I recruited her to be the runner for our relay duathlon team. Hibernia would serve as a warm-up to the half-marathon she is doing in Central Park this weekend.

We arrived bright and early and set up shop. Neither of us had any idea what was going on. I puzzled over what to do with the single number they gave to us at registration.

Fortunately, a kind soul explained that the number goes on the runner in the relay. More importantly, he explained that the number goes on the front.

That's just weird.

The race consisted of a 2.38 mile trail run, a 10.5 mile mountain bike, and a 2.38 mile trail run.

We didn't really know how the transition was going to work or even how long it would take either of of us complete each given leg, but we figured we would figure it out.

Indeed, we did.

Jenna came in 20th off the run. We made an incredibly fast transition and I rode through seven riders within the first 1/2 mile to settle into 13th overall. It had been since my victory at Bear Creek in September that I'd last felt good enough to race, and I rode conservatively and steady. I could see three riders ahead of me, but I elected to keep them in my sight, but not push too hard to catch them.

On the first lap, I rode a 25 minute split. My goal was to knock the bike out in less than an hour. So far so good. Three quarters of the way through the second lap, I caught two of the guys in front of me on a single track climb. I saw the third guy, now sitting in 10th, but we could only match each other's pace.

I came screaming into the transition area yelling "gooooooo!" I rode another 25 minute lap. Excellent. Jenna took off, now in 11th place. She put in one of the most amazing runs ever to finish the second run in 18:49. She got passed by two of the guys whom I had passed on the bike.

Our total time was 1:28 for the race. We handily won both the co-ed relay competition and the relay competition by over five minutes.

Me, post-race, victory cheer. Also, the new Rutgers Cycling Caps (soon to be available)

The Rutgers Off-Road Team is back in action on two wheels only at its first mountain bike race on Sunday, May 3. The team will be dividing between the first H2H Series race in Waywayanda State Park in NJ and Mid-Atlantic Super Series Race #2 in New Castle, DE.

Philly Phlyer Phinishes

2009-04-01T09:44:00.003-04:00

My trusty camcorder and I were in Philadelphia this weekend, at the finish line of both Men's A races.

Pat B solo'ed in on Saturday, holding off the charging chase group by scant meters to take a heroic 2nd place. Then on Sunday, Will C led him out, resulting in 4th for Pat and 6th for Will.

C-Money was very excited.

Eric's Philly Phyler Men's D Report

2009-03-30T17:43:00.001-04:00

The team assembled in Fairmount park for another stellar race in the city of brotherly love. A mild but rainy TTT was ahead of us. Nick A and I were readying ourselves for the TTT and then Christian also wanted to partake. Awesome! Our team was 3 again. We embarked on the journey into the fog and gingerly made our way down the hills to the racing tarmac. Filed in TTT position we take our scheduled pulls and begin to work like a team. After the first turn around the pace got blistering and we tugged on without the support of Nick. He had a couple great pulls in him but TTT are intimidating to say the least. Christian put in some awesome efforts and worked to carry the rest of the pace. We managed to have some fun along the way by celebrating with fellow racers the joys of cycling and giving advice to a flock of geese that wandered into the road. Our last efforts up the hill were epic to say the least. We coached each other up the hill and crossed the line in perfect fashion. I wish there was a picture it was teamwork at its finest. Next time we can work on our speed but it was clearly a fun time. 18th place we took with an average just nipping 21mph. Great effort. I look forward to more TTT's with the team.

The stage was set to have a fun crit. Unlike the previous couple weeks, the crit was a real crit. 3/4 turns, flat, fast and fun. Mine and Nick's third row start wasn't the best but there was plenty of moving to be done throughout the pack and the course was very accepting of this. The pack stayed together for a while as separations were made. I continued to relax through the race and basically gap any breaks in the pack just so I didn't have to bridge up later on. This proved to work out really well as I made my way to the front (yes first wheel) with 3 to go. I know the winner of field sprint crits rarely come off the front so I took my pull and retreated to 4th/5th wheel and waited for my move. Last lap came and so did an attack after turn 1, I was reluctant to attack which proved to be my demise. I let them go and I sprinted the final straight to catch some more victims to finish off with 7th place. My first placing in the points but disappointing because of my poor late race tactics. Nick finished up his D race with a 50th place finish, I have no doubts he will be contesting the front of the pack in no time. Great weekend had by all, yea Philly!

Blue Hens RR - Men's Intro - The Importance of Communication

2009-03-23T13:50:00.004-04:00

If there is to be a first race report for the Men's Intro RR, this past weekend at UDel deserves the honor.

The past two weekends, the Rutger's Intro Men riders have taken to the field and left their mark. After learning how to properly corner, ride in a pack, and the dynamics of racing, the UDel road race was the time for us to shine and put our handy skills to work. We previously learned at Columbia the importance of starting in the lead pack and getting a good start early on. As I quickly jumped to the front, I found myself leading into a long hill, and doing most of the work, which was probably not the best tactic at the start of a race. As I realized I wouldn't be able to conquer the hill alone, I quickly fell behind my teammate Doug, and working together we got past the hill. For the rest of the race, Doug and I worked together like brothers, staying in the lead pack for the rest of the race.

As we rounded the last corner, and the anxiety of the last sprint started taking grip, I took to the lead starting the sprint, knowing that Doug was behind me. Two weeks ago Doug and I had practiced doing lead-outs with the team, and now was the time to bring it to the next level. Racing to the front, Doug caught on and the final field sprint began. The only problem now was sustaining the sprint for over 600m! Starting too early, I quickly pulled off letting Doug take the lead. As he flew by me, I saw that right behind him, feeding off our lead-out, was BU rider. As I yelled "Go Doug, Go Doug, Go Doug!", he though that I had caught behind again for the last 100m, and pulled off for me to take the lead, but instead gave BU the last push to victory. Although the Rutger's men didn't pull off the big win, 2nd and 3rd would have to suffice for this week, and a very valuable lesson of using clear communication was learned.

On our 3 1/2 hour ride home, Doug and I spoke nonstop about our dream bikes, racing tactics, and the next weekend. We decided that it was time to leave the intro men behind and move up to a new world. So long intros, and D Men, here we come!

Wear Rudy Project

2009-03-23T10:36:00.004-04:00

Our go-fast guy in the Men's B races, the venerable DK, was in perfect position with 300m to go. CaptainChaz was leading him out, and they were rocketing towards success. Charlie already wrote about the ensuing crash, and I can only echo his disappointment and frustration.

Having started the lead out, I was behind the melee, which gave me a front-row seat to the horrific tumble. I was sure that DK would be carted off in an ambulance... imagine my delight when he turned out to have suffered nothing worse than some road rash!

His head had hit the ground with a violent impact. Here, in his own words, is DK's description of the butcher's bill:

Blue Hens RR - Mens B - so close, yet so far from cycling glory

2009-03-23T09:49:00.011-04:00

At Columbia, we learned that one needs to start fighting for position quite early in the B field, especially with UVM's huge team. This week, we were prepared for the challenge. Each of us knew our role: Don would patrol the front and try to get into any promising breaks, when the efforts got harder, I'd join Don near the front to make any selections, and DK would be our man for the sprint.

After 47 miles of scenic, rolling, not-too-difficult spring riding, it was clear that there would be a sprint finish. Don did an amazing job working hard in the last 4 miles so that we'd have good position going into the last two right hand corners, and he got me and Dave up to speed as the sprint wound up. UVM was going up the right side, and space was opening to the left. I jumped to a Millersville wheel there, and the pace kept creeping up. Part of the UVM lead out was decelerating into our lane, Millersville slowed. Feeling the raging pack behind me, I knew I had to keep accelerating around the right of Millersville. The yellow line and disqualification awaited to the left and slowing promised a giant pile up. Dave's wheel grazed mine and - CRAP - CRAP - CRAP!!! I kept it going to the line as the only hope for RU and got to the line in 3rd.

(Photo: Velocity Results)

It should have felt sweet to get such a result in this field, but my job was to launch DK to the finish, not fight for the line from 400m out. His explosiveness could possibly have carried him the 4 bike lengths ahead of me to the win. So, we were left with frustration, shame, yet thanksgiving. The frustration of being denied the chance of challenging UVM with our three man team, the shame of being involved in the nucleation of a crash, yet being thankful that DK was alright and we'll be able to fight for the finish line another day.

I couldn't stop replaying that finish in my head on Saturday. I don't want to pass blame (you clearly see my involvement above), but to help keep us safer in the finishing straights, can we have our lead-out men pull off towards the gutter, keeping as much power on as possible 'till the line, and can we please have two lanes for the sprint?

The New Kid Races...

2009-03-20T11:53:00.002-04:00

So for the past two weekends, my life has belonged to Rutgers Cycling. Actually, just weekends isn’t really accurate. It’s sort of a lifestyle change as race season starts. By mid-week I’m anticipating the weekend not because I’ll get to relax, but because whenever I think about it, adrenaline starts pumping. I'm spending more time riding than anything else, stretching, doing recovery swims, practicing handling skills and reading everything I can find about cycling.

I’d love to be able to say that the past two weeks- four races in total- have gone smoothly, but that would be inaccurate blogging. The first race- the Rutgers Time Trial- was bad going in- my muscles started cramping before the race, and by the end, I had to lean on my bike just to walk. Still, I was in the top half of Intro Women, so I wasn’t totally upset. I couldn’t do the Princeton Crit that afternoon, though I did have an amazing time screaming my head off cheering for my teammates.

The next day, my legs were feeling better for the Circuit Race at Rutgers. However, the cycling gods were not smiling on me, and when a girl from the University of Delaware crashed, I went down with her in a massive pileup. I recovered from it and, bleeding profusely and road-rash covered, made my way to the finish, ending in a sprint that made me (and my parents and sister, who came to cheer) very proud. I’m still healing from that, since for some reason, my body isn’t healing bruises or cuts very well lately. I have bruises from two months ago on my legs!

Midweek, we did a 50 mile base mile ride, and I realized, as I was riding with 15 or so people I now consider to be my friends, that for the first time, I feel like I’m in college and I love it.

I had high hopes for the Grant’s Tomb crit the next weekend and started out strong, riding alongside or directly behind Karina, who is turning out to be an amazing racer. The last half of the last lap, I got a cramp, so the sprint ending wasn’t exactly my strong point, but I finished mid-pack. Still, I had a great time and I realized just how amazing it is to have a whole team cheering for you!

Sunday was a crit at Stevens Institute of Technology, and I knew right away that it was going to be a terrible race for me. There was a sharp downhill that curved at the top, followed by a sharp right at the bottom. The saving grace was the hill to the finish. I spent the few laps that Intro Women raced braking too much on the downhill and catching back up on the uphill. Had the race been longer, I may have gotten more comfortable with the downhill, but with only four laps, that never happened. The sprint finish was pretty great though- in the last hundred or so yards, I passed at least five other racers on the uphill, thanks to my Dad and half the team cheering me on.

I’m learning a lot and getting more comfortable on the bike, and most of all, I’m having an amazing time with amazing people. I’m missing this weekend so I can run a marathon, but next weekend I’ll be back on the saddle for racing in Philly!

Grant's Tomb B report

2009-03-15T19:12:00.005-04:00

note: This report was generated using a template, which may not be the best idea but it sure made the tone snarky.

Yesterday I drove with Molly, Charlie, and Mark, to Columbia to race the Grant's Tomb Criterium. Based on the way my rides have gone this week, and where I am in my training cycle, I was not expecting much. Looking at the list of registered competitors, I saw that UVM and MIT, both of them very fast and big teams, were signed up, but I tried not to worry about it.

I got on the trainer and warmed up. My legs felt surprisingly snappy. Before I knew it, it was time to line up at the start.

The official gave the command, and we were off. It goes without saying that it was a crazy start. Why can't people clip in without swerving?

Colgate warmed up with a riser made of library books.
I think that's awesome.

Needless to say, somebody tried to attack right away. I sat patiently in the pack because I knew the break would be caught, and I just wanted to wake the legs up.

The other racers were so sketchy. How hard is it to hold a line through a corner? Anyway, it was that other dude's fault that he almost crashed. Not mine. I did nothing wrong.

This isn't a photo of the race. Instead, it is a photo of Matt and Eric, and of their sweet facial hair. Isn't that even better?

It was finally time to sprint. Some guy from some other team totally changed lines through the last corner, so I couldn't unleash my massive wattage. I was pretty disappointed to finish mid-pack, because I know I could've done better if not for that guy.

I drank too much last night, and I couldn't get to sleep afterwards. Also, I didn't get enough warmup, and then I had to spend too much energy closing gaps that other people were opening. Other people almost crashed me a lot, which was frustrating. Finally, I have been training too hard, so I'm burned out, but also I didn't train enough this week, so the legs weren't open.

When all is said and done, I can look back on this race and honestly say I gave it everything I had, but also I had more to give. The result I got is satisfactory, but I still want more. On the other hand, it's just bike racing, and there are so many more important things in life! Even though I'll be reliving every moment of that race obsessively for weeks to come, I assure you: I'm not letting bike racing stress me out.

I can definitely say that my mediocre finish was in spite of the totally sweet bike I ride. It's a stiff and light Speicalized frame, with superlight Ritchey components. The guys at the Efinger Sporting Goods shop did a great job wrenching it, and of course all the fuel in my belly was provided by Gu energy supplements, which are as delicious as they are viscous.

As always, it was a ton of fun to race with my teammates, Captain Chaz and DKizzle, who are as awesome as they are strong.

Spirit of 1869 RU-Princeton Report - Men's C

2009-03-09T16:13:00.008-04:00

The Rutgers Mens C team rolls deep. Part of the problem is that at least two of us would like to be in the B's, but have been denied a Cat4 upgrade.

Princeton Crit
On a previous training ride, FroJoe and I decided to attack the crit from the gun. I took the helm for the first few laps and the field was successfully split. Two UPenn riders must have had a similar idea, countered FroJoe, a Temple Rider, and me, and got away. The three of us worked together for a bit, but we were not able to bridge up. Temple went back to the chase group, and Joe kept at it, keeping the hope to bridge up alive. I tried to stay away from the chase, but with about three to go, the chase seemed so close that my desire for their draft overcame my sense of heroics. In hindsight, I should have gone for it, because the chase wasn't moving too fast, and the two laps with them weren't long enough to recover for a sprint. Poor choice, but still a great race for Rutgers. FroJoe stayed away with a truly amazing display of fitness, securing third place, and the majority of the rest of our team was in that chase group. The Rutgers C mens squad took four of the top ten spots, with the performances of C$ and Matt B in 7th and 8th, while I came home in 9th.

Rutgers Circuit
On Sunday, my legs were a bit worked, but they warmed up as the race went on. McGill and a number of other schools were making sure that no breaks were getting away, so I sat in 'till the last two laps. Me and a UPenn guy from Saturday's break had a bit of a gap with 1 1/2 to go. I asked him if he wanted to go for it or wait for the sprint finish. He wanted to wait - my legs were glad to hear that response. FroJoe took a big dig at the begining of the last lap. He inspired a series of other riders to keep it lined out for the majority of the last lap. Going into the last corner, it was the UPenn winner from Saturday, the Temple Rider from Saturday, Matt B, and then me. A gap opened behind the Temple rider. I surged to try to cover it. My surge fell short of bridging the gap, but opened a big gap to the rest of the field. A bit of terror overcame me as I realized I'd have to fight into the headwind the entire length of that long finishing straight in no-man's-land. Stand up, sit down, spin, stand up, sit down, spin, stand up for the finishing sprint... held off the field by about 4 inches!!! The second third place for RU this weekend, not bad.

(photo: Velocity Results' finish camera)

Smilin'Kyle came out of the bunch, propelling himself to a 6th place finish. We've seen his explosiveness on the training rides, and it was great to see it in a race today. Of special note, I'd like to thank FroJoe for getting the pace of the last lap up so that it wasn't crowded at the front, thank Matt B for delivering me safe to the finishing straight, and congratulate Ray for excellent work in the field and a great 17th/48 finish.

Rutgers C mens team... rollin' deep, and getting some results. Hopefully, we'll be able to spread some of us into the Mens B squad by next weekend, relying on the rest of the C team to keep the results coming, while supplying some more teammates towards the B mens effort.

RU Cycling on RUTV

2009-03-03T16:00:00.003-05:00

Rutgers Cycling was featured in the latest episode of Sports Knight on RUTV. Featuring interviews with Chris, Nick and Vlad, this segment has the dual effect of raising the team's visibility on campus and making us look pretty freakin' awesome. Enjoy!

Prospect Park Race | 2/28/09, Brooklyn NY

2009-03-02T11:24:00.012-05:00

Who does a bike race at 6:30 AM in Brooklyn in February?

Lots of people, apparently.

At Rutgers, we're eager to sear our lungs and cause widespread cellular oxidative damage to our legs as soon as possible. Our usual March race just isn't early enough or cold enough anymore. We've grown callous over the years. Ergo, Prospect Park in February. The revolution will be categorized:

Unless otherwise stated, images courtesy of DAVID PEREZ SHADI

Cat 5.
Eric R. flew the Rutgers flag in his road racing debut. If I may quoteth a wise sage: "Eric had alluded to pre-race jitters, as is customary before one's first-ever road race. He would be using this race to gauge his fitness and skills, but he had no ambitions. Well, Eric got 7th in his race. How's that for a gauge?"

Eric in his debut.

Cat 4.
Don, FormerBucknell Jason, and Dave took to the line in an 84 man cat 4 field. I didn't see the race firsthand, but rumor has it Jason pulled for the first half of the affair, before having to stop for a mechanical. Dave and Don made bank in the field sprint, placing 5th and 6th, respectively. When asked about the source of their strength, both riders cited DOING A CENTURY EVERY WEEK ALL WINTER as a large contributor to success.

Don stalks his prey. Image courtesy of Andrew Kozak, from http://nyvelocity.com/

Jason lives in pain land.

Cat 1/2/3
Chris and your author, whom I shall refer to as Will, battled 110 eager beavers in the 40 mile 1/2/3 race. The pack rode the small hill of the race quite easily and bombed the downhill at anaerobic speed. 8-man-breaks rolled off the front and were pulled back for the whole race. Predictably, an 8 man group escaped at with a few laps to go and stayed away. With 60+ people left for the sprint, Chris and Will saw their collegiate seasons flash before their eyes in an whirlwind of sketch and bonk. They both thought it best to sit up, call it a day, and save the sprint theatrics for the ECCC.

Chris sits in the wind, "because racing isn't hard enough for me otherwise"

Will crests the hill. You know the climbing is slow when I make it over with the pack.

Race Season Approacheth

2009-02-27T12:54:00.003-05:00

As it gets closer to race season, I get more and more nervous, but more excited! It's been a crazy month and a half, completely changing the way I train and how I look at cycling. The past couple of weeks have been marked with huge improvements but also serious problems for me.

Thanks to Don, I learned (finally) how to corner and bump elbows. I'm not braking through turns as much anymore, and I'm taking them much faster. A lot of it was a lack of confidence, but there was definitely a lack of technical "know how" as well.

Problem areas included nearly a week recovering from my crash (see my last post for gory details.) It didn't really seem too bad at first, but my legs were super sore for a few days afterwards. Then, to make matters worse, my legs started spontaneously cramping again during a run and haven't been the same since.

A trip to the doctor resulted in a knee brace, a physical therapy routine for me to do at home and a battery of blood tests, which showed a significant increase in my muscle enzymes that may be causing the cramping. The brace helped a lot, and I've spent hours hooked up to the stationary trainer in the basement watching Frasier reruns and pedaling furiously to get back in the game. Swimming has also helped in soothing my muscles, and I think a lot more cyclists could benefit from this cross-training (or maybe I just want to get more of the team into swimming!)

With racing only a week away, it's all starting to feel more real to me. Triathlon is a totally different animal- there, if I do badly, it just is about me. Here, I'm terrified of screwing up or doing badly and making the team look bad. I'm just not used to being part of a team yet!

In the meantime, tomorrow will be the first time in two weeks (yikes!) that I'm riding outside (barring cornering drills and biking to all of the different campuses on my mountain bike), so I'm really happy about that. Hopefully the doctor can figure out why my legs are acting up and how to fix them. For now, I'm going to ride as hard and as well as I can, get to work on a race day press release, and stick to the physical therapy!

I've been reading a book by Johan Bruyneel about how he masterminded 8 Tour de France victories, and I love this one quote from him: "If you’re going to expend that first big block of effort and energy to participate, you might as well go ahead and give whatever it takes to win."

Rutgers Cycling has already expended the effort and energy training for this season, so I hope that this Spring has a lot of victories in store for us!

Gu: Keeping Rutgers Cycling Energized and Hydrated in 2009!

2009-02-26T14:02:00.003-05:00

Gu Energy Products has come aboard complement Rutgers Cycling's ever-growing family of sponsors.

Rutgers Cycling will be using Gu energy gels during training and competition and hydrating with Gu2O, Gu's electrolyte drink. For longer endurance events, riders will be reaching for Gu's newest gel, Roctane.

Rutgers Cycling at the Pool

2009-02-20T13:21:00.004-05:00

Captain Chaz, Molly, and I got some cross training at the pool yesterday. We jumped in the open lanes on the far side of the pool, each of us taking a whole lane, because we had the room. We swam for an hour, and yet nobody came to our side of the pool... every other lane was empty when we left, even though the other side was full of swimmers.

It turns out, Rutgers Cycling makes a big splash.

Medium Rutgers Cycling Jerseys Now in Stock!

2009-02-19T07:48:00.004-05:00

Thanks to our friends at Verge Sport, we have a limited supply of Rutgers Cycling jerseys in size medium in stock once again.

Jerseys are available to order in sizes Medium-XXXL through Bikereg here:

Order Rutgers Cycling Jerseys

Questions regarding clothing may be directed to clothing(at)rutgerscycling.com

Your purchase of Rutgers Cycling jerseys from Rutgers Cycling directly supports cycling at Rutgers University.

A Productive, but Painful Week

2009-02-13T10:50:00.008-05:00

Another week, another set of bruises.

I'm getting better at riding hills, riding long, riding intervals, and everything else. It's happening gradually, but I can feel things changing.

I'm also feeling tired. But it's been an exhausting week.

Sunday saw me riding part of the century with the team again, though this time I didn't need prompting to keep up and only tapped the brakes once or twice by accident. I also went an extra few miles! The only bad part of the ride was when a truck with a trailer attached decided to pass us on a narrow strip of road, sandwiching a few of us between it and the guardrail. A lot of the team managed to pass it, but it closed too close to the guardrail for me to squeak by, and Ken and I got stuck behind it, waiting for an opening. It came (meaning a whole 2 feet of space between the flatbed and the rail) and Ken gave me the push I needed (literally a push and yelling "go!") and I pushed as hard as I could to get past it before it swung back towards me.

Terrifying.

Monday was a swimming day, but 65 degree weather meant running too. As usual, we had our mini-team recovery swim, and I learned the joys of aquajogging (very boring.)

Tuesday morning, I rode with the team on the A-loop. Hills and I have a love-hate relationship, but I appreciate the need to ride them as much as possible. We got to the top of the steepest one and somehow- I'm not sure how- I ran over a block of Styrofoam. Crash!

My shoulder ended up under Charlie's wheel (I owe him big time, since it almost was my head instead). But what hurt the most was my jersey, gloves, and new booties getting ripped. I managed to make it home, very very sore and very bruised. My arms, legs, and hands are host to bruises, scrapes, and cuts.

But that night, I was back to yoga, and Wednesday and Thursday were training as normal. It takes more than a few cuts and bruises to keep me off the bike!

I'm getting more and more excited about race season as it gets closer, but also a lot more nervous. Triathlon is totally different than cycling, and the rules I learned from that don't apply at all. I just hope I'm ok at technical stuff like drafting and cornering. We'll see, but I'm really looking forward to it!

It's all about Teamwork!

2009-02-06T11:08:00.003-05:00

Well, I’ve survived long enough to write another update. But then again, this is just the Base past of training!

I feel the need to expound a bit on just how much I’ve found myself loving being part of this team. I never though I would say that, but as my awkwardness begins to decimate, I realize more and more just how important it is to have such a great support system surrounding you if you want to really succeed.

While I can’t claim to have biked the Century with the team this past Sunday, I rode a small portion of it with them, and an additional 20-25 miles before and after for a total ride of 75 miles. I met up with everyone in Frenchtown at the coffeeshop and got to meet a lot of people I hadn't before- I was also amazed at how many town locals and people on bikes stopped to chat with all of us. After coffee and bagels, we rode along the Delaware River to Titusville, before I turned around to meet my Dad for another 25 miles of riding.

However low my mileage with the team was, I learned quite a bit in that 25 miles. Don spent a hefty portion of time teaching me how to properly draft and how to avoid tapping the brakes so much, and Rich chimed in as well. (“It’s just a lack of confidence!” “No, it’s a lack of me wanting to kill any of you!”)

Their advice paid off, or so I’d like to think. This Sunday I’ll be ready to attempt proper drafting technique again. Corners are still nerve-wracking for me, always have been. But with a combination of Rich yelling, “stop braking!” and my Dad yelling, “cut that out!” over the course of the day, I think I’ve improved.

Just when I thought I was out of the draft and would never catch up, I had Rich behind me yelling, “Go, Molly!” and somehow my legs managed to pedal faster. Amazing what a little motivation can do for you!

Monday was a “rest day,” but those of you who know us triathletes know that bike rest days mean swimming and running. And who can avoid running when it’s warm enough to wear shorts and get muddy? Don and I did our Monday night swim, and he got to draft behind me for a change. Finally, something where I’m faster than him!

Tuesday night was spent in Chris’s attic on a trainer copying his interval riding, Wednesday was the gym with the team lifting weights, and Thursday I realized I was thoroughly disappointed when I couldn’t ride because I had class and plans with my Dad to hit the gym together, though my stationary trainer got an early morning workout.

I’m biking more than I ever have in my life, and I couldn’t be happier!

Ride Report: Super Bowl Century

2009-02-02T20:34:00.000-05:00

Sunday the Rutgers crew came out in force, this time for a hundred plus miles of pre Super Bowl masochism. Spirits were high from the prospects of the temperature breaking freezing for the day. College Ave. was deserted when we met to leave. The whole campus is ours at this hour. There was agreement to keep the stopping to a minimum. We needed to get back in time to join the rest of the Heartland in the gluttony and general excess necessary for football watching. Like a skinny, silent motorcycle gang, we rolled onto College Ave. proper taking up both lanes. There were no cars, but we looked fearsome enough that it didn't matter. So many people in matching Rutgers kits earns more than the usual respect from the cars.

A few miles down River Road Ricardo flats, changes the tube, and flats again. So much for luck with the stopping! He decides his tire is not wont for this journey, so we leave him behind and press on. In the time spent changing the flat, Joe, Jay and I managed to ride 1.3 miles in circles on a side street. Take that, century.

The action begins when we climb the hill before Frenchtown. The long hill gives everyone a chance to overheat within the windproof confines of many layers. Chris takes a decisive sprint at the top of the climb, while the rest of us roll in throughout the ensuing 5 minutes. Don goes up the road to film some overly grainy footage for his documentary. We make it to Frenchtown and try to have hasty coffee, pastries, and bathrooms. This is impossible with so many clowns crammed into such a small clown car.

Leaving Frenchtown the sun shines and the layers begin to come off. We keep good time as we cover the flat miles along the river and enter the second climb of the day with big rings a roaring. We pass a recreational rider on the climb at a furious pace, no doubt looking like a bunch of showoffs. Sorry, dear rider friend, this fury has been brewing for miles before we saw you. I lead the stampede. with Chris, Coach Ken and Don clinging to me. Chris manages a second win, paying me back for nicking him on the line last week. The hills never forget.

After a quick water fill at the gas station, we get to the mile of dirt road in the century route. With ice melting under the afternoon sun, the road is ugly. Real ugly. Unable to decide the proportion of ice, mud and gravel beneath my tiny tires, I fall to the back and tripod the winding swamp decent. The rest of the team takes the ice with impressive (some might say foolhardy) speed. It is quickly clear to your roadie author why Rutgers is the three-time ECCC cyclocross champs. Something about the icy slush on their backsides makes the these guys right at home (or so I imagine, as the team is now far out of my sight).

We enter the "dark hours" of the century with plenty of time to spare. By this time each rider is battling personal demons. Chamoix are out of place, butts are sore, legs are fading. We still manage to assault the Landing Lane hill with prideful stupidity. If anybody has life in their legs, this does the job of emptying it out. The utter lack of any desire to pedal means we are finally home.

...just in time to watch the real athletes on TV.

New Kid on the Block (Bike)

2009-01-30T20:32:00.000-05:00

I've never been a team kind of person. In fact, the last team I was on was when I was six, and they had to have my mom come get me because I wouldn't stop crying. So my experience with group sports has been pretty limited. My experience on a bike, however, has been going on since I was just an infant, dating back to the days when the only way to put me to sleep was for my dad to take me out for a ride in the baby seat affixed firmly to his old Cannondale road bike.

I eschewed training wheels for my first mountain bike, since I was in hot competition with my boy neighbor to see who could ride first. We tied in that, and spent the next ten or so years racing around our small town together on our bikes. My dad says that I was born to ride, since my legs never seemed to get tired.

So, when I got to Rutgers, I came with my dad's old Cannondale, just a hair too big for me. Building a fixed gear soon followed, and after that, a few attempted alleycats. Then, a new bike, bought solely to compete in… Triathlon. What followed was the transformation of a nonathletic and noncompetitive girl into someone who trains three or four hours a day and races as hard as humanly possible. I learned to push myself harder than I thought I ever could, and I saw results.

I blame a bike team alumnus for my foray into the multisport world (he knows who he is!) I started racing in tri's last summer, and managed to do reasonably well, getting third in my age group in my second race. The swim was scary, the run was painful, but the bike was just fun. I decided that while triathlon is my first love, I wanted to concentrate on my biggest strength- the bike.

So, for the first time in my life, I'm doing the "team" thing, and it's scary! While I may have the legs and the stamina for the riding, triathlon has in no way prepared me for racing strictly on two wheels.

I thought that joining the team would be hard in and of itself, but with people like Chris and Mark helping me navigate through the various paperwork and membership rules, it was actually surprisingly easy.

My first ride with team members was a bit of a disaster, I admit. Going out in 2 layers on top, 1 on bottom and just my triathlon shoes on my feet was my first mistake. I survived the ride, but the 20 degree weather took its toll on my system, and when we stopped at a park mid-ride, I got off the bike and started seeing in Technicolor before things started to fade out completely. Thanks to Chris and his bottle of Accelerade, I managed to recover and finish the ride, only to discover later that night that what I thought had been a tiny spill on the ice had actually caused a gigantic bruise on my leg that two weeks later is still healing.

The next ride saw me outfitted with neoprene booties, Assos legwarmers, tights, underarmour, and my new Rutgers long-sleeved jersey- 2 layers on bottom, 3 and a half on top. Much warmer, and the ride went much smoother, though I still have a lot to learn about riding in a pack. It's hard to get a knack for drafting when you're used to a time penalty for drafting in triathlon!

In the meantime, I also learned that the team does just about everything together- I've been to a team meeting, I've weightlifted, rode on trainers in an attic, and swam with members. It's a whole new world of training for me, one where I finally have a group to talk to, finally have friends that actually know exactly what my body is going through because theirs are too. I can't believe I missed out on such a dedicated group of people for three years! It seems like such a waste.

So I have a couple years to make up for, and with races starting in a little over a month, I'm incredibly psyched to get started.

Oh yeah- my name is Molly, and I'm really happy to be on this team!

Third Annual "Accidental" Century

2009-01-27T14:28:00.004-05:00

Well folks, it's January, and that can only mean one thing - seriously, one thing and one thing only, and we'd better not find out it means something else! - it's time for the traditional Rutgers Cycling "Accidental" Century!

In its first edition, alumnus Jay #1 promised us an easy 60 mile cruise, only to be shocked when we hit the halfway point at 50 miles. Back then, it really was an accident, and we were exhausted. The more recent editions have had safer routes and bigger groups, but we continue to be exhausted. It's great!
25Jan09 - Rutgers Century at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Even with sunny skies, temperatures were never higher than 32 degrees, and the cold was a constant challenge. Good company, warm coffee, and a little something we like to call "drafting behind Chris and the Wills" kept us strong. Our water bottles froze, but our spirits were high.

Twenty-five miles into our journey, we passed a Road Closed sign. Bridge Out. Blah, blah, blah. Detours are for wimps and Rutgers Cycling are not wimps. What we found was that the bridge really was closed. Did not exist.

The descent to the river - okay, creek - was simple enough, but the far bank was steep and frozen. Like a hokey "cooperation" exercise from middle school or perhaps part of Navy Seal training, our teamwork was put to the test. With a little ingenuity and a lot of laughter, we all made it safely across.

Two miles later, a sign announced that the next bridge was closed. Not eager to ford another river, we opted to follow the detour signs, only to find that we could've crossed this "closed" bridge blindfolded. Still, the detour afforded us some beautiful views of central NJ, plus some extra base miles.

I can't tell if the owners of the coffee shop love us or hate us. We took up every single seat in the place, trash-talked and joked and were generally loud, and were sweaty. We walked around barefoot to get blood back in the toes. We ordered small coffees, then took as many free refills as our stomachs would hold. Still, I'm pretty sure the proprietors love us... we do eat a LOT of pastries.

The ride back saw its share of adversity, with flat tires and mechanical difficulties and uncooperative joints. To keep our spirits high, we sang a stirring rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody", in its entirety. I'd like to think that somewhere, Freddy Mercury was smiling.

The cold weather - or, more directly, the multiple gloves each of us was wearing - prevented much photography. Eric R (aka Asphalt Eric, aka Big Papa) took pictures at every opportunity, and he synced them with his GPS map (see above).

Having finished the traditional, official, first Rutgers Century of the new year, we'll be doing regular centuries every Sunday. Fitness or Bust! If you see us out on the roads, wave hello... or roll down your window and join us in song!

Rutgers Winter Road Training Begins !!! (1/17 - 1/18)

2009-01-27T11:40:00.000-05:00

The cold weather couldn't keep the RU squad down. After over a week of straight roller rides, and beating almost every NFL team on N64 while on rollers. I decided that regardless of the temperature on Saturday I was going outside. I posted the challenge to the group and put on every piece of cold weather gear I could find. I checked the weather online and a little piece of my soul died when I saw 4 degrees with a feels like of 0. Regardless I had already posted to the group and could not take back the e-mail. So I decided I would ride. Here is a list of what I wore for the ride:

- Polypropylene Long Johns upper and lower
- 2 under armor upper base layers
- arm warmers
- 1 under armor lower base layer
- leg warmers
- booties
- 2 pairs of winter cycling gloves
- cycling mask
- wool knit cap
- glasses
- s/s cycling jersey
- bib shorts
- Verge Warsaw jacket
- NO water bottles (no point, there were just going to freeze anyway)

It took me so long to put on all of the cloths that I was 15 minutes late for the ride. However, one brave soul, Matt Bathe, was man enough to wait. Wearing less cloths than me (proving his dominance as a male), Matt I and started out on our ride. What you don't realize that it is not the cold that makes it hard to ride, but the lack of movement from all of the cloths. So feeling like giant marshmallow men in all our layers we belabored our way the six mile. Pulling into the rest stop we saw a group on mountain bikers enjoying the snow covered trails. I have to admit, it felt good to hear all the mtbers conversations stop and watch them all stare at the "crazy roadies" out on the roads. At the rest stop, Matt looked down at his bottles almost completely frozen. Attempting to get the little remaining liquid H2O, Matt reached for his bottle only to find that it was frozen to his cage! We got going again and finished a first bridge just before we froze in place like the tin man. Near the end of the ride I look over to Matt, who has a relatively tame read bearded (compared to his beard in the past) and see that he has an ice goatee about a quarter of an inch thick. After I get home it takes me an hour to get off all of the layers and regain feeling in my toes. So the moral of the story is IT'S COLD OUTSIDE.

Sunday the cycling apartment hosted a 2 hour trainer ride in out attic, which is not much warmer than it is outside. The crew was Nick, George, Matt, Charlie T, and myself. This was a ride of first. It was the first trainer ride of the New Year, the first trainer ride ever for Nick and George, and the first time Nick and George had ever seen "Breaking Away". So in a reverse flying V, Matt, Charlie T, and myself up front with Nick and George in back, we set out for our Cycle-Smart dictated 140+ minutes of easy. I was quite impressed by the two new comers. I did not hear one complaint and they never asked how much time we had left, I guess they figured I did enough complaining for everyone. It was a good ride. With the exception of one stretch break and one pee break, we did a consistent 144 minutes, and by the time we had finished the attic was a sauna, in part from the rubber we burned, but also because we just looked that hot on our bikes.

Collegiate Cycling Article on Velonews!

2009-01-24T08:32:00.003-05:00

Rick Crawford, director of the Fort Lewis College Cycling Team, has written a wonderful article about collegiate cycling for Velonews.com.

College Days (velonews.com)

The article captures very well the feeling and spirit of collegiate cycling and certainly the vibe here at Rutgers Cycling.

Crawford concludes with an appeal for volunteer or financial support of collegiate cycling. We'd like to echo Coach Crawford's appeal. In an era when only a few NCCA sports receive adequate funding from colleges and universities, cycling, a non-NCCA sport, is often left to fend for itself, despite the enormous costs associated with competitive cycling.

If you'd like to learn more about how you can help support cycling at Rutgers, please contact our Sponsorship Coordinator at sponsorship(at)rutgerscycling.com

Rutgers Cycling fueled by 53x11 Coffee!

2009-01-16T11:42:00.005-05:00

It's been a busy start for the new year and Rutgers Cycling is proud to announce a fresh new sponsorship arrangement with 53x11 Coffee for the 2009 season.

53x11 Coffee is fair-trade, organic coffee made for cyclists, by cyclists. It is so good, though, you needn't be a cyclist to enjoy it.

Rutgers Cycling is a 53x11 Coffee affiliate, so when you order coffee through our web site and blog, you aren't just getting some of the finest coffee beans around, you are also helping to support one of the finest collegiate cycling programs around.

AngryMark likes the Chainbreaker blend, while the Kassassin and Beastmaster have been enjoying the Big Ring blend.

Click here to check it out:

Rutgers Cycling, now Powered by SRAM

2009-01-15T09:03:00.006-05:00

Rutgers Cycling is very pleased to announce a grassroots sponsorship agreement with SRAM, makers of the outstanding Red road group and X.O mountain group. SRAM drivetrain components will grace the road, cyclocross, and mountain bikes of Rutgers Cycling members throughout the 2009 road, cross, and mountain bike seasons.

Rutgers Cycling is also be proud to be part of SRAM's work with World Bicycle Relief.

World Bicycle Relief is committed to providing access to independence and livelihood through The Power of Bicycles.

We hope that you will join us in supporting the efforts of World Bicycle Relief.

Good Company

2008-12-16T15:09:00.003-05:00

Here's a great picture, captured by Ralf Warmuth during our pre-ride on Saturday.

Joe's beating defending national champion Tim Johnson!

Rutgers Wins 3rd Straight Collegiate Cross Title!

2008-12-09T08:45:00.002-05:00

For the third year in a row, Rutgers Cycling has won the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference Cyclocross Series Team Championship!

A victorious Rutgers 'Cross Team in Warwick, RI this weekend

In a close and hard-fought series, Rutgers confirmed its dominance in the discipline of cyclocross with convincing wins at both days of the NBX Gran Prix in Warwick, RI.

In addition to the team championship, Rutgers riders also took home individual titles. Freshman Patrick Bradley won the A men's championship. Senior Amy Cutler won the B women's championship. In the C men's standings, Rutgers came close to its sweep of the podium last year by placing Rich Kassan, Matt Bathe, Eric Rundstrom, and Joe Gilch in 2nd through 5th in the overall standings.

Rutgers will finish of its cyclocross season this weekend at the US Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City, KS where Rutgers riders will be competing in the Collegiate, U23, and single speed races.

Cycle Smart International Report

2008-11-10T11:24:00.004-05:00

The time between changing into street clothes after my race and cheering for my teammate Patrick during his race, those are the magic hours of cyclocross. The pre-race nerves have passed, food can be consumed (the greasier the better) without fear of regurgitation, and it's the warmest part of the day. Sunday was temperate and cloudless, and with a burger in hand, I wandered around the race course.

I joked with Richard Sachs, who runs an eponymous elite team and builds their eponymous bikes. I walked the course and yelled at the Elite Womens with Sheldon, who had warmed up with me. I got a debriefing from Deedee Winfield, who had finished third in the Elite Women's race.

Among these other vignettes of American cyclocross, I spent a little time with the Secret Henry's team at their freaking awesome EuroVan. Jeff is a 15 year old phenom who has yet to lose a B race this year, Lauri had earned my boundless gratitude for loaning me embrocation, and Tom is the director of the Granogue race (which elevates him to deity status as far as I'm concerned). Nice people, and a pleasure to talk to.

When Jeff's dad joined the conversation, Tom introduced me as "the Rutgers recruiter". Now, I hadn't mentioned Rutgers at all, and I certainly hadn't mentioned the stacks of brochures in my trunk... but yes, I suppose I was recruiting Jeff.

I've recruited for a youth group, a fraternity, two Universities, and a cycling team. I've attended and given lectures on the fine art of recruitment. If there's anything I've learned, it's that it's easiest to recruit when you really love the organization. So yes, even though I wasn't recruiting Jeff, I really was.

That's the way the weekend went in the Rutgers camp. As a group, we did everything with such intensity that it oozed out us like an aura of unfiltered awesomeness. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, sure, but not by much. The Rutgers crew, for all of our youthful indiscretions and lengthy conversations about farts, rolls at least as cohesively as possible.

On Friday, for example, we arrived in Northampton well after dark. Patrick, despite being the youngest on the team, has been around the racing block once or twice; he insisted that he was going to go on a leg-opening ride. In the dark. Without any lights.

After a brief deliberation, we came up with the best solution (better than my "do a few thousand laps around the back yard" proposal, anyway): the team would ride on the road, with me and Cristian driving my car behind them. They put on their full uniforms, all Scarlet Red and big R logos. I turned on the hazards and lit the road with high beams, shepherd to a flock of exhilarated young'uns. The uninformed might've mistaken us for a ProTour squad. Cristian took pictures out the passenger window, but none of them turned out well.

It's the most fun I've ever had in a car at 20mph.

DAY 1

Andy, Patrick, Amanda, and I arrived at Look Park on Saturday in time to watch the C race. We ran around the top of the course, screamed at Rich, Joe, Matt, Eric, and Cristian, and got hassled by Richard Fries. Joe clipped the last barrier at broke our hearts... but you'll never hear him complain.

Something is just off about this pic of Matt remounting

Eric loaned me his tubular wheels - expensive, hard to repair tubular wheels. He's my hero. Especially after what would happen Sunday.

Saturday posed its own challenge, of course. Starting in the 8th row, I'd have to be aggressive during the first lap... not my strong suit. When my friend Josh from Colby flew by, I knew his was the wheel to get on, and so get on I did. We passed a handful of riders, took some rather entertaining lines through corners, and I was feeling fine.

Knobby tires make a distinct sound when they rub each other, like combining a two-stroke engine with a zipper. Josh's body wiggled as his front wheel contacted someone's rear wheel. The noise stopped, and he recovered. And then he didn't, and he was on the ground. With nowhere to go, I ran directly into his back, somersaulting into my patented ninja roll. It would've been perfect, if I hadn't caught a handlebar with my ribs.

Of the hundred-plus people in my race, I crashed into one of the two with whom I'm friends. Sweet.

When I got back on my bike, I was in dead last. I got out of the saddle, stomped on the pedals, and nearly ran into some dude who'd dropped his chain and stopped in the middle of the course. After grazing his hip with my knuckles, barely avoiding further calamity, I shouted an apology back to him.

I fought and fought and fought, swapped spots with a few collegiate guys, and ran out of gas a half-lap from the finish. Andy rode brilliantly to take the top D1 spot. A cadet from Army caught me at the line, taking 2nd D1. I'd like to tell you that I don't hate him.

Andy has more fun than any other racer
We should all be so cheerful while suffering

When it was time for Pat's race, I volunteered to stand with his spare bike in the pit. Yes, I volunteered to Pit for Pat.

Poor guy has no idea what's in store

The pit was two-sided, so that the course passed it twice per lap. After Pat passed on one side, I would walk the spare bike to the other side and wait half a lap, as would each of the other 40 pit-guys. With each half-lap, fewer mechanics were migrating before me... so I started to keep count. Pat had moved from 30th to 25th to 20th. He was 18th, looking comfortable and still advancing, when I watched him dismount and start running. He had rolled his tire and needed the spare bike. Oh boy.

After what felt like a few hours, Pat reached the pit and threw the bike at the ground. He'd only lost a half-dozen spots, and the race was only half over. Having procured a spare wheel from Neutral Support, I resumed the semi-lap migration. I shouted encouragement at Pat, but he'd lost his rhythm and wasn't gaining ground.

When he approached the pit a few laps later, pointing at his rear wheel and looking despondent, my heart sank completely. Pat had utterly destroyed a tubular tire - an expensive, hard to repair tubular tire. This time he threw the bike at me and muttered something not fit for print.

Back on his original bike, but floundering in 28th, Pat kept riding, even if no longer racing. He would finish on the lead lap... first in the Collegiate race, too!

I got us quite lost on the way home, which gave him plenty of time to vent. Slowly his tune changed from proclaiming "I quit forever" to sighing "it happens". Back at the house, the guys patted him on the back and we put up a giant pot of water. We had an absolutely classy dinner of pasta, meatballs, and garlic bread. We happily bid farewell to Daylight Savings.

DAY 2

I creaked out of bed on Sunday morning - and by bed, I do mean couch - and took stock of the previous day's carnage. The butcher's bill was lengthy... my left arm and my right butt cheek were the only body parts from the neck down that didn't ache.

There's a difference, though, between aching and hurting. Learning to recognize the subtle, paramount chasm between discomfort and pain is a rite of passage for endurance athletes. Consciously or not, we learn how to silence the discomfort and push through it, and also how to listen to the pain as it signifies some physiological compulsion to stop. Pain protects us from injury, but discomfort only protects us from excellence.

Think about it.

Patrick and I were sitting in the back of Bad Boy, the Rutgers van, an hour before my race started. I rubbed embrocation onto my legs, working the stiffness out of my uncooperative muscles, and Pat pinned numbers to his skinsuit. "You know," I thought out loud, "we rub chili pepper goo into our skin, then ride around in the cold and wet for an hour, knowing that we're going to suffer profoundly and probably not win".

"Yeah, so?" Pat didn't look up from his safety pins.

"I'm just saying, it's a pretty ridiculous sport we have".

The morning races had been even colder. The frost on the ground betrayed the chill in the air, and friction from hundreds of tires had melted it and flung it up at the riders' legs. Their tights were damp, and sand stuck to them like glitter.

Joe, Rich, and Eric were burying themselves, and it was beautiful. Rich was in pain, but he soldiered on. Eric was mired in the middle of the field, where people surged mindlessly, only to fade and impede the others' surges. It was ugly on the hill, the sort of chaos that snowballs as rider after rider dismounts.
Chaos on the first lap of the B Race.
See if you can spot the guys who didn't expect to dismount
and lost a ton of spots!

Lap after lap, a lone figure emerged at the top of the hill from within the cloud of kicked-up dust, riding forcefully between the exhausted-looking walkers. Elbows out, savagely turning over a huge gear, Eric rode like a champ when he could've justifiably wimped out, and it was inspiring. My voice grew hoarser with each lap.
Still my hero

Joe rode his best race yet. Mostly riding alone, in no man's land, he put his head down and worked. Worked. We ran around the top of the course, screaming encouragement, because no man's land is a demotivating vacuum and that's what teammates do. Joe rode across the finish in 9th place, putting the hurt on Army and UVM (10th and 11th) in the process! A thing of beauty.

After a bit of ibuprofen and a solid hour of stretching, I actually felt good during my warmup. Snappy, like. The first lap was calamity-free, and I spotted the Army guy who'd caught me yesterday. Oh yes, Army guy. Today would be my day. Oh yes.

I charged around packs on the pavement, cornered aggressively, attacked the barriers, sprinted like a maniac. It was probably the hardest I've ever pushed during a first lap. Which isn't too fast, but that's beside the point.

So, there I was, scrambling to earn every collegiate spot I could. The first lap had ended, and I was just a few spots behind Army. I dove down the descent, hopped recklessly over the rail road crossing, threw my bike to the left, put my elbow in the course tape, straightened out before catching a stake, sprinted out of the turn, touched the brakes, and made the next turn. And then the problems started.
Andy takes the rail road crossing... with panache!

As I floated over the rail road, the rear wheel got a bit of air, and when it landed, it grabbed at the dirt. It grabbed so hard, in fact, that the glue between the tire and the rim was sheared to oblivion. The tire was no longer attached to the wheel. Fwip, fwip, fwip. I couldn't move anymore.

What else could I do? I shouldered the bike and started running for the pit. Racer after racer passed me, and I was powerless to respond. Goodbye, bike race. I got to the pit, maybe 30 seconds after the back of the pack. My heart pounding, I hunted for my spare wheel. Shift into the proper gear for a wheel change, unfasten the brake - augh, the tire is stuck and I can't dislodge the brake! - neutral support comes over and helps me change wheels. Another minute passed before the bike was rideable. A solid shove on the small of my back from the neutral support guy, and at last I was on the course once again.

Hooray!

The guy one spot ahead of me rolled by on the pavement. Geographically, he was close to me, but he was at least 90 seconds ahead on the course. I was alone in my suffering. And to make matters worse, the drive-train was tuned for the tubular wheel, and my spare wheel was causing it to skip. Every pedal stroke, I was in a new gear. Misery.

I changed bikes a few times. Remember how I said that Eric is my hero? Here's why. He ran to the van, got me Joe's bike, hustled to the pit, and exchanged bikes with me. Then, while I floundered on an ill-fitting, mis-shifting bike (seriously, Joe got a top-10 on a bike that was horribly mis-tuned), he fixed the drive-train and called me back in to the pits. A more selfless teammate you will not find.

By two laps to go, I was asking the judges what their lapped-rider policy was. Basically begging to be pulled out of the race. When I finally finished, I grabbed my jacket and rolled back to the car. Some non-cyclist passers-by shot a quizzical look. "Dumbest. Sport. Ever" I replied, only half-joking.

I washed the chili pepper goo from my legs. I'd ridden around in the cold and wet for an hour, suffering profoundly. I did not win.

Time, though, heals all wounds. In my case, 5 minutes of spinning my legs out, followed by 1 minute of changing clothes, followed by 30 seconds of cheeseburger consumption. Cheeseburgers, in fact, heal all wounds.

As great as hamburgers are, Taco Bell showed its virtue that night. One of the guys, I don't recall whom, announced that he was craving some Bell, and the idea spread like a virus or a wildfire or some other metaphorical spreading-thing. We would spend nearly an hour wandering southern Massachusetts that night, pulling U-turn after U-turn, exploring the dark recesses of the Mass Pike. Because by God, we needed that Taco Bell, and damned if we would be denied its spicy, greasy flavor. Burgers are dandy, but Taco Bell, especially as part of a team adventure, is earth-shaking.

Mega was racing once I'd inhaled my cheeseburger, so I took my trusty noisemaker and wandered the course. She may not be my teammate, but she is worth every ounce of encouragement. Nobody outside of the Rutgers team is so vocal a supporter of the Rutgers racers. So I made noise and screamed "faster" and tried not to be scared of Meg's INTENSE game face.

The Elite Men's race started, and I stood at the bottom of the descent, pan and ladle at the ready. The field streaked by, and I tried to pick Pat out. Perhaps I wasn't paying close enough attention? Two corners later, they came by again. Still no Pat.

Eric, who was standing in the pit (it was his turn to Pit for Pat, which is such a fun phrase), called me and asked if I knew what the story was. "The official said that EMTs had been called to the start line." Upon hearing this, I took off in a dead sprint, faster even than I'd run during my race. The pavement at the start was empty. I started running along the course, until JD pointed me to a corner where there was a small swarm of people.

Pat had suffered a freak accident, bumped while remounting so that his knee was wrenched awkwardly. His race had ended after 30 seconds.

Eventually we all found Patrick. Joe took his bike, Rich found his jacket, Eric brought the spare bike. The EMT wrapped his knee with ice and sent him on his way. We walked slowly back to the parking lot. Mega and the DCCoD guys stopped us en route to the van, a gesture we won't soon forget.
Pat manages a post-injury smile
Over decadent Taco Bell that night, I realized something important. I could've talked to Jeff, the super-fast DCCoD junior - or any other prospective student, for that matter - about the merits of Rutgers until I was blue in the face. Maybe that would've convinced him, probably not. Pontificating only goes so far. However, if he saw the team walking back to the car, he saw something unique, and more poignant than any sales pitch.

People get injured in racing all the time. How often, though, do you see an entire team rush to the crash? Not even knowing if anything can be done to help, just knowing that we had to be there for our guy? It happened at Hillbilly Hustle, when C-Money fractured his collarbone, and it happened at Northampton for Pat. It's not a fluke, but a mindset. For all our petty squabbles, we are a team.

The entire team helped Pat back to the van. Professionals don't have that many support staffers.
Also, Hooray for Taco Bell!
Behind the scenes, the "old guys" of the team spend a lot of time wondering how to develop the organization into an elite cadre of racers. Yes, we're always looking to recruit the fast juniors, as should any ambitious team. If any junior racers stumble across this post, though, there's only one message I want them to read:

No matter how fast you ride, how many races you've won, who you think you are... if you're with Rutgers, you run to your teammate's side.

Rutgers Cycling Jerseys, T-Shirts, and Hooded Sweatshirts Now Available

2008-10-26T16:55:00.003-04:00

At long last, Rutgers Cycling is happy to announce that we have a full size run of 2008-09 Rutgers Cycling jerseys, T-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts in stock and ready to ship.

The are all available for immediate order right here:

Purchase Rutgers Cycling Jerseys

Our cycling jerseys are custom made for us by Verge Sport. These are the same jerseys worn by members of the Rutgers University Cycling Team.

New this year is the Rutgers Cycling casual line featuring hooded sweatshirts, t-shirts, and (coming soon!) embroidered polo shirts. T-shirts and hoodies are a 50/50 blend custom screened for Rutgers Cycling by American Youth Enterprises based in Cape May, NJ.

Rutgers Superprestige Report, 22 Oct

2008-10-22T22:30:00.002-04:00

Today marked the grand return of the Rutgers Superprestige competition to the cyclocross practices on Livingston field. With the sun rapidly setting, we opted to do one 6-lap interval - this made scorekeeping easy, even if the ride itself was not.

In recognition of the growing size and wide range of fitness levels of the team, the organizers of Rutgers Superprestige have opted to give out two prizes each week. As with years past, the Bumblebee jersey (despite its less-than-impressive name) will be given to the fastest Rutgers rider. New this year is the Day-Glo jersey, the luminence of which represents the inner strength of its owner... in other words, the Day-Glo jersey goes to the rider who shows the most heart.

Today's Bumblebee jersey goes to Patrick Bradley, who put his Elite-level experience to use and rode away from the pack.

Far more importantly (no offense, Pat), the Day-Glo jersey was awarded to Cristian Adams. On a course that is notoriously fast, built more for a road bike than for its trail-worthy cousins, Cristian rode a MTB through the entire session. Never complaining, and spending most of the windy ride in no-man's land, Cristian rode like a champ and impressed the judges. He even dismounted and cleared the barriers at speed, a feat of which most MTBers dare only dream.

Honorable mentions for the Day-Glo jersey go to Amy Cutler, who attended her first 'cross practice today, and Eric Rundstrom, who destroyed a tubular tire before we even started riding.

See you next week on Livingston!

Rutgers Cycling Jerseys Now in Stock

2008-10-21T11:39:00.002-04:00

We're pleased to announce that the 2008-09 Rutgers Cycling Jerseys are now in stock and ready to ship.

To order, please visit our order page on Bikereg.

In addition to cycling clothing, in a few weeks we'll be adding a full line of Rutgers Cycling casual clothing including t shirts, hooded sweatshirts and winter hats.

Rutgers Cycling Announces New and Returning Sponsors

2008-10-15T10:17:00.004-04:00

Once again, Rutgers Cycling is proud to announce its new and returning sponsors for 2008-2009.

New sponsor this year is Berkeley Heights and Beyond, specialists in New Jersey real estate.

Returning for 2008-09 and increasing their commitment to Rutgers Cycling is Maul Electric, Inc., your choice for commercial electrical services.

Also returning for its third year as shop sponsor is Efinger Sporting Goods. Located in Bound Brook, NJ, Efinger Sporting Goods is your source for professional-level bicycles and repairs in additional to a vast selection of outdoor sporting good and apparel.

Rutgers Cycling will once again be donning Rudy Project sunglasses and helmets.

Cycle-Smart is once again the coaching sponsor of Rutgers Cycling.

Rutgers riders will be riding Specialized bikes to victory.

Ritchey Components will once again take care of Rutgers Cycling's component needs.

For its 5th straight year, Verge Sport will be the official clothing provider for Rutgers Cycling.

The ever-genrous Schwartz Family is once again sponsoring Rutgers Cycling.

National Collegiate Track Cycling Championships (Very late report)

2008-10-10T14:21:00.010-04:00

So this is long overdue, but right after I went to nationals I got caught up in a whirlwind of exams and applications, but here is how it went.

Me and my dad headed out of BWI EARLY Wednesday morning on our way to Colorado Springs, during our connecting flight in Atlanta I met two other guys on their way to nationals, one guy from a small college in South Carolina and one guy from Georgetown who I raced with earlier this summer. When we all got to Denver safe and sound and went our seperate ways for the hour drive to Colo Springs. When we got there, we found our hotel room, which, thanks to my girlfriend's dad's Marriott points, was so nice I almost didn't want to race. We went to the track and tried to sign in. I learned a great lesson hear, for all cycling nationals you need a proof of enrollment from you registrar. Luckily I had the wonderful Linda Yost, RU Rec Sports Director, on my side. She faxed me the forms and I was good to go registration wise.

I forgot to mention that my bike took a different route to nationals. It went with my buddy Will Fissel from the Univ. of Delaware, who was staying with me and my dad in return for the bike transport. Unfortunately will was running late and didn't get in until 1am in the morning. So after about 5 hours of sleep will and I both got up and went to the track. After getting our bikes together we had about 5 minutes on the track before the women's 2K went off. So we did a few laps and spent the rest of our time waiting for our event, the 3K, on our rollers. After about two hours, it was finally my turn to go. Will was nice enough to let me use his Zipp disc wheel, which is now my disc wheel!! I got up and after the first two laps that 6,000 ft difference in elevation kicked in and my lungs started to scream, but I held on for a time of 3:57.644. This being my first 3K I don't know if it was an improvement, but it landed me 53rd out of 80+ guys.

Gearing up for the 3K, check out my disc wheel

Friday was suppose to be my 1K time trail, but the morning session got rained out so it was postponed to Saturday morning. The days wasn't a complete wash, I got a good workout on the track and David Espinoza from Penn State won his first national championship in the match sprints that night.

One of the only 60 supposed days of rain in Colorado each year

Saturday was crazy, we got to the track and got ready for the one kilometer time trial, better known as the kill-a-meter. This is tough because it is like the 400m in track, it is not a short spring, but it is not a long distance event, it is everything you have for a little over a minute. My first lap of the kilo went smooth and the other two were a blur of pain and more pain. I finished in the middle of the group with a 1:12 and change, 4 seconds faster than my previous best. David Espinoza continued his dominance by winning the kilo in a new collegiate record 1:05 (he is fast).

Start of my Kilo

Next up was the qualifier for the points race. I was in the second heat of 30, the top 15 from each heat advanced to the final. The first heat went off and was relatively mild, my buddy Will picked up 4 points to move to the final. The second heat however, apparently these guys thought it was the final because they were going hard. After a few points sprints, a group of 6 guys went off the front and soaked up the points. They eventually lapped us with about 6 laps to go. By the final sprint I didn't have any points and thought it was now or never. I jumped off the front and was caught by three guys at the line. After we finished the results were posted, I missed the final by open place in the final sprint, half an inch! Needless to say I was pretty mad. After I had time to cool off, I watched the rest of the racing with dad and family from Colorado, including my Dad's cousin SSnake (that is not a type-o his name is spelled S-S-N-A-K-E). The U18 national champ in points race, Nik Reinert, from U of Pitt and a TTown regular won the points race. He is a really nice kid and an incredible racer.

Me on the rail before the points race (w/ over 30 guys!)

All in all a good trip and I am pretty happy with my results. I just hope Rutgers can keep sending guys out to Nationals until we are track phenoms!

Me and my dad outside of the Velodrome

Me and my dad's cousin SSNAKE

Rutgers Kicks Off Cross Season at Bear Creek

2008-09-15T17:37:00.001-04:00

Though the collegiate cyclocross season is more than a month away, Rutgers Cycling got a jump on the season at the 2nd day of Bear Creek Cyclocross in Macungie, PA this weekend.

In the collegiate men's race, Rutgers swept the podium, going 1,2,3. 2007 ECCC B men's champion AngryMark came off the disabled list and stormed off the line on a wisely chosen single speed cyclocross bike with the Kassassin and Charlie T. (aka C$) in close attendance. With two laps to go, the Kassassin faded in the heat and technical conditions. AngryMark took the win with time to zip up his skinsuit. Kassassin took a convincing 2nd and Charlie rode an amazing 1st cyclocross race to finish 3rd.

Charlie, Mark, and Rich at the start (photo: Dennis Smith)

Donning a Rutgers kit for the first time this weekend was first year Patrick. No stranger to cyclocross, Patrick took on a small, but talented Elite Men's field. In stiflingly hot conditions, Patrick took an early learn that looked insurmountable. The heat, however, took its toll and Patrick had to step off the gas. Andrew Crooks from Hampton Velo bridged up to Patrick and then attacked to take the lead. Crooks would go on to win, but Patrick rode an excellent 60 minute race to take second.

Rutgers is in action again next weekend at the MAC season opener, Nitany Lion Cross (Fogelsville, PA) and Charm City Cross (Baltimore, MD)

New Jersey State Track Championship

2008-08-18T18:13:00.005-04:00

After a long summer of track racing, I headed down to TTown for the Regional/NJ Track Cycling Championships (One event, NJ Track Champs taken by the best results from people from NJ). Mike Jenks, Andy Singson, and myself were registered for the 4K TTT and the Olympic Sprint. In the individual events Mike was doing the Elite 4K, Andy was doing the 40+ 1K and 3K, and I was scheduled for the 1K, 4K, Scratch Race, and Points Race.

We started with the 1K, I was first up. My first track event with aero bars, it was a little shaky, but I finished in 1:17:22. Andy bested me with a really smooth ride for 1:17:00 (giving him a bronze in the state). After a bit of a wait, Andy was up for the 3K. Andy was on the track against a really good track trialist (they ran two at a time), but Andy held his own with an awesome ride for silver in the state. Next up was the 4K. Jenks and I ended up racing together. I thought I was doing fairly well, but when Jenks past me with a little less than half the race to go, I felt like I was standing. Lucky for me Jenks is just that fast, Jenks got 2^nd in the region and 1^st in the state, and 30sec later I got 3^rd in the state.

My attempt at a 4K (college student = no carbon wheels)

Next up were the team events. With the help from Tom from Verge, we headed out for the 4K TTT. Jenks and Tom took full lap pulls, with me and Andy taking half-lap pulls. We stayed together and rode a smooth race, coming apart a little at the end because we couldn’t hold back Jenk’s speed. We ended up 4^th in the region and 1^st in the state. Next up was the team sprint (1K with each member leading one lap) with Andy, myself, and Jenks. Andy had an excellent start and got us up to a blistering pace. After Andy pulled off, I didn’t think, I just wanted to spin as fast as possible. I pulled off and Jenks did his thing (went fast, went REALLY FAST). We ended up with our best time yet 1:12 (which got us 2^nd in the region and 1^st in the state).

After a long day, there was one more race, the 20 lap scratch race. After just getting my Cat 3 I was eligible for this race. This race was kind of intimidating for me, most of the guys I was racing with had either coached me or I had watched race the Friday night pro races. The race was fast, really, really fast. I held my own, bridging a couple of gap and taking a few laps off the front. I finished in the back of the pack, but I was the only one of the few guys from New Jersey to actually finish, so I got about 10^th in the region and 1^st in the state.

So a successful day at the track for hermrutgers (10+ medals). The Points race the next day . . . ugh. I waited around for 5 hours watching sprints to have them cancel the race b/c all but 3 guys left.

So the state championship went well and gave me some good confidence going into the next two weekends of collegiate weekends before nationals.

Here is a pic of the hardware (State Medals: 3 gold, 1 bronze Regional Medals: 1 silver)

Rubber Side Up - Neshaminy Race Report

2008-06-23T14:19:00.005-04:00

photo by Don

This Sunday was the Neshaminy MTB race, part of the Mid Atlantic Super Series. It was also my birthday! Jay and I drove down to Langhorne, PA, for the latest installment in our amicable rivalry.

photo by Todd Strauss
This report will be short, because there isn't much to tell. Neither of us felt particularly fast, and neither of us started particularly well. Jay was in 4th or 5th wheel going into the woods, and I'd moved from 15th up to 6th. I passed him at the end of the 2-mile "prologue" lap, and some dudes with geared bikes were able to get past him when we crossed a field, so he was a few riders behind me going into a relatively simple log obstacle.

photo by Todd Strauss
The guy in front of Jay bobbled. One thing led to another. Jay landed on his shoulder and leg and head.

About an hour later, I was by myself in the middle of nowhere, on totally smooth trail. Somehow, while setting up for a corner, I went over the handlebars. It will never make sense to me. They don't call me "the Ninja" for nothing, though, and I rolled as I hit the ground...

...and then my bottom bracket hit me in the face.

I ran over my own face. Didn't think that was possible, did ya?

photo by Todd Strauss

Jay and I finished the race about 1 minute apart, placed 11th and 13th (at least according to the official results). Bloodied and bruised, we were just glad it had ended.

photo by Jay

Next up for Jay is the 24 Hours of Allamuchy, teamed up with Captain Chaz and other friends. Next up for me is a return to road racing, sweet sweet road racing.

2007-2008 Team Photo

2008-06-04T10:43:00.004-04:00

We're once again proud to present the 2007-2008 Rutgers University Cycling team.

(left to right: Tom, Anthony, Matt, Diane, Aaron, Chris, Mark, Christian, Don, Charlie, Andy (advisor), Joe, Rich, Andy, Will, Rob, and Charlie)

We look forward to a successful summer road season and another amazing cyclocross season in Fall 2008! Thank you all for your continued support.

Tour of Somerville Race Report

2008-05-28T12:19:00.001-04:00

I made my return to racing from my hip injury at Monday's Tour of Somerville. I was joined by the ever-fast ProfessorAndy and Craig from the Hermes for a cat 3 criterium slug-fest with 135 of our best friends. It's always a great idea to choose the biggest race of the calendar for your first race of the season.

The race started well enough as I managed to sneak myself into the third row. Andy was a little farther back and Craig even farther. At the whistle, the chaos began. Much jostling, bumping, and missed clip-ins ensued.

I've never done Somerville. Did I mention that?

A few laps in, and I remembered what criterium racing felt like - ouchy.

A few laps more and they announce a $200 prime. The mad dash for cash results in a huge crash at the finish line. It goes down right in front of me, and by a miracle I stay upright and get through the crash and chase back to the field.

Another lap in and another crash goes down in front of me. Again, I keep it upright and get into the field.

With 3 to go, Andy rolls by me and tells me "my bus has arrived." Andy delivers me in great position at the front for the last two laps, but my lack of fitness is evident as I can't hold it and get shuffled back to mid-pack.

On the bell lap, I sat way too far back to have any shot at the finish, but I had a good idea of how the finish would play out: the left would open then close down, then the right would open up. I came out out of the last turn in maybe 70th wheel.

I went left. I went right. The field opened up. I found myself in the top 15 and in the midst of the chaos that is the Tour of Somerville field sprint.

I'm told I had a few near misses in the finish. I kept it upright but decided not to go full bore and risk crashing on my still-injured hip. I rolled in for 26th place just 6 places out of the money.

All told it was a pretty good day of racing on a beautiful Memorial Day. A big thank you to everyone who came out to support us!

-Mark

Granogue Report

2008-05-28T10:19:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday, Jay, Charlie, and I raced in Delaware at the beautiful Granogue estate. Between the fall 'cross race and the spring MTB race, this is one of my favorite venues of all. The weather was cooperative, the ground was mostly-dry, and we were ready for combat.

I should probably mention that Jay and I have an ongoing rivalry that is simultaneously amicable and fierce. Every ride so far this year has been sharpened by the impending race season, every climb was an unspoken yardstick. We even pushed each other to first ad second in a spontaneous karaoke-night limbo contest! Whether we'd find ourselves riding in 1st or 21st, we would be racing each other.

Charlie, with an upcoming wedding and a mid-day race start, wisely pulled out of the 3-lap Expert race after difficulties on the second 7-mile lap. No need to get sick before the big day!
CaptainChaz crushes the road climb at the end of lap 1
Jay and I started well in the Sport Singlespeed race, hitting the singletrack in 2nd and 3rd wheel - exactly where we wanted to be. Our field worked its way through slower traffic from other Sport fields, and I yielded a spot to another racer. By the end of the first big double-track climb, though, I was riding in first!

Then I went kaboom, crashing hard on a slippery descent. I immediately lost 2 spots, and another two singlespeeders passed me as I rode over-cautiously for the next few minutes. I finally got back in my rhythm and raced hard for the ensuing 45 minutes, but I couldn't catch the leaders, who rode superbly to a fantastic finish.

I was pretty spent on the last climb, the sort of spent where I stare at my front wheel and nearly ride off the road. I was hurting bad enough to entertain the thought of walking up the steepest section... until I heard a spectator say "oh, it's a Rutgers jersey! GO RUTGERS!", a cheer that was taken up by a bunch of the spectators. It's amazing how a simple cheer can buoy a tired rider to the top of a climb, and how widespread pride in Rutgers has become.

Awesomest of all has to be Jay's performance on the day. He rode to a strong 10th, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that he executed a hard-fought pass on the final climb... immediately after taking a PBR-feed at the bottom of the hill!

Next is Neshaminy. Last year, it was the first race where I successfully beat Jay, although his flat tire and the helmet-cracking crash it caused made the result a controversial one. This year, the racing will be even more intense, and hopefully our rivalry will continue pushing us toward the podium!

H2H#1 - Wawayanda:FarmerAndy's report

2008-05-05T20:58:00.002-04:00

Even though I love the collegiate road series and I love racing and hanging out with my teammates on the road, I was pretty amped for the first mountain bike race of the season.
Rolling out in the morning it was foggy. So foggy that we almost missed the turn into beautiful Wawayanda (say that 3 times fast) state park.
Luckily, when the spot class race started at 10:30 the fog had cleared and the sun was starting to come out. I tore though the first few miles of the course sitting in second wheel where there was not too much technical stuff and my fitness from the road season definately came in handy. Once the rock gardens started I slowed down a bit and ran a lot of stuff. I made it though the first lap feeling pretty good and really amazed that I did not flat though some of the technical sections. The second lap went pretty much like the first lap, except it hurt more...still I finished at about an hour thirty min, which was good enough for 4th in the 19-29 sport class. I'm pumped for the rest of the season!

Shout-outs to Jim, Kat from Bard, and James from Effingers/Colavita for tearin' it up in the expert race and to Olivia for taking sweet pictures and cheering!

H2H#1 - Wawayanda: CaptainChaz's report

2008-05-04T18:39:00.015-04:00

Today, FarmerAndy and I headed up, with Olivia, to Wawayanda State Park for the first race of the USAcycling MTB series, and oddly enough, the regional championship. I needed to place well in this race to qualify for MTB nationals at MtSnow later this Summer.

The course was balanced, yet completely unbalanced. There were ~3.5 miles of fast smooth trails (almost completely contiguous), then ~3 miles of rocky, technical trails with some impassable sections. So, you spend the first half of a lap reaching for all the power you have and making yourself a bit delirious, then, you try to finesse your way through the rock gardens and technical climbs.

I took the hole-shot and lined things out, for there was a single-file bridge over ~40 meters of flooded trail about a half-mile into the course, and I wasn't interested in throwin' 'bows and risking a mechanical on the first lap.

Feeling pretty good yesterday and this morning, I kept the pace up, but soon realized that I was overcooking my legs, for there were no technical sections in that first 3.5 miles to let the legs recover, unlike most places I ride. After going backwards for a few miles, I got back into rhythm and regained a number of places on lap 2, especially where it got technical. I was able to clean a number of climbs that other riders were having trouble with, and I was quicker down the descents and over the rocks. On lap 3, I got in a bit of trouble, as my legs were starting to fade in the long power section. By the end of it, I could feel some previously distanced riders about ten seconds back. Digging really deep, I put everything that I could into holding them off, but they were closing on me even through the technical sections! Some delirious bobbles in the rocks held me from opening the gap back up, and I was sure that at least one of them was going to catch me. He was only ONE meter from me before the final climb before the descent to the finish line. I remembered the sport singlespeed victory that I took on the last climb at Granogue two years ago, upshifted, and cranked out the last climb out of the saddle. My opponent was not able to chase, and I blazed down the final descent to a second place finish in the expert 19-29 category.

Special thanks go to Olivia, who kept me well fed with moral support and sport drink.
You can see here, can't you? She's the one holding the bottle. Oh, and she also saw a bear today!

Special thanks also goes to Efinger Sporting Goods, who built a really tough rear wheel for me (thanks Dustin), provided a last minute bearing adjustment (thanks Chris), and had a high-end tire in stock (thanks MarcC) for the back of my bike to help me over the climbs and rocks that most couldn't seem to manage.

Last, but not least, thanks to FarmerAndy, for allowing me to drench his helmet in sweat. The temperature increased dramatically from 11am to 12pm, and Andy had removed the bug net from his helmet, replacing it with the other pads and increasing ventilation. My helmet was still in cold-weather mode, and I would likely have gone deeper into delirium on the course if not for the good Farmer.

After seeing Andy's performance (more on that from him later), and looking forward to the performance of other team mates, I expect this mountain bike season to be pretty great for the Rutgers University Cycling Team!

PS - I was asked if I was on the road team after the awards ceremony. A rider wanted to congratulate you guys on some recent performances in the region. RutgersCycling is becoming a force to be reckoned with!

Rutgers Victory at Rahway River Criterium!

2008-04-22T09:03:00.002-04:00

Race report courtesy of Chris:

"Here is the Rahway Report (please excuse type-o's, I am pretty tired)

A solid RU team (David, Charlie T, Alex, Rich, Andy, Eric, and myself) headed out EARLY this morning (races started at 7!) for some awesome crit action at our old stomping grounds, Rahway River Park. Eric represented well in the cat 5 and got his first taste of USCF racing, with a little training, this guy is going to be awesome! The rest of us geared up for the Cat 4 race, which turned out to be the highlight of the day. One of the biggest teams in the field, besides Base Camp, we felt like if we worked together we had a chance of at a good showing. The race started off with the Red Train hammering the pace. Rich, Dave, Charlie and Andy put in efforts that can only be described as Pure Power, and Alex was so aggressive on the front that he was countering his own attacks! With 6 laps to go, the field was coming up on Alex after he rocketed off the front, and I countered and got a 50 yd gap with a guy from Base Camp. After towing him around for a lap I asked him to pull and he said, "No, I can't!". After a little encouragement, I got him on the front for about 30 sec, attacked, and dropped him. When the RU boys realized it was just me out front, the punched in and went to work. Everyone did their part, Dave, Alex, and Andy blocked to perfection (it may have hurt DK's powertap readings, but he took one for the team and tamed the beasts that are his legs). In absence of the Prez, Rich (the VP) took control of the pack and made sure nothing came close. Charlie . . . well Charlie attacked with one lap to go (he is just too strong to let his power tamed by pack), but he definitely did his part to keep the pack back. With three laps to go, the gap shrunk to 10 sec, but I knew my boys were working hard, so I found my second wind and gave it everything I had. I streched the gap to 30 seconds and came to the line with the notorious, the glorious LOOK . . . ZIP . . . BALLIN'! I turned around and saw that one of the hardest working guys in the pack, the Kasassian, somehow had enough legs to sprint for 3rd! After the race it was congratulations all around for the RU team, the entire pack thought we ran a beautiful race. 30 minutes later Dave, Alex, Rich, and myself decided that collegiate riders cannot do only one race a day and headed out for the 3/4 race, where we all showed that we had the fitness to hang with the 3's. Rich had the best placing, I think around 15th. All and all, it was a good day for the RU squad, and it showed that we are ready to rock NH next weekend at the ECCC CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!!

Your Prez,
Chris"

Beanpot Weekend - FroJoe's Race Report

2008-04-16T08:07:00.003-04:00

From our awesome first-year racer Joe:

"Well, the mens D1 road race went a little like this:

Being the lone Rutgers rider in the Mens D, I wont lie, I felt the butterflies.
After the gun went off, or realistically the yelling of "GO" echoed through the air
i was pretty much shuffled towards the back of the pack, and around 400 meters
in someone hit the brakes hard and about 5 or 6 riders went down.
I remember one guy getting his neck ran over as i moved over to avoid the pile up.
I quickly got those bad images out of my head and figured to avoid more
crashes i had to move the front. Even though it was the first lap i decided
to see who had guts and attacked on the hills and had a small break,
but was quickly caught and I moved back into the pack. After the first lap
things picked up on the straight and and i thought since things were speeding up
i better attack on the hills if i wanted a chance to win. So i moved to the front and lead the
race and attacked on the hills again, this time breaking the field as
only four riders went with me. Since i had no clue what to do and thinking
like a runner i just kept pounding and had a nice break and was alone for awhile.
I was adventually caught towards the end of down hills. I clearly didn't have weight or momentum
on my side. As we closed in on the finish line i kept with the pack only beating a
UVM rider on the sprint and the rest beat me but i picked up 5th place out of 50 i believe.

FROJOE"

March Photos

2008-04-01T00:22:00.008-04:00

With some of our most active and most successful racers being a bit taciturn these days, the blog has been mighty quiet. Here are some photos from the past few weeks of racing. Stay tuned for more writeups!

Photos are by Tom Moroney and Will Cukierski. More photos are available on the Rutgers Cycling webpage.

Princeton Circuit, Men's B

2008-03-19T10:55:00.004-04:00

Well, that was intense. I finally have a computer on my race bike, and the numbers don't lie. something like 25 mph average, close to 30 into the headwind when the racing heated up... I have no idea how fast we were in the tailwind, because I was too busy trying to keep my heart from bursting through my throat. It was hurty.

The Rutgers men worked well together the whole time. Chris and Rich never strayed more than 10 people from the front, and they were active in chasing the dangerous breaks. Alex and I took turns attacking and counter-attacking for a while, even working together in a group of 6ish for the 30 seconds before we got caught. Rich, who had been blocking for us in a display of extraordinary teamwork and patience, took a few stabs at breaking away himself. The pack stayed together.

Going into the last few corners, I was on Chris' wheel. Rich was somewhere ahead of us, and I have no idea where Alex was. I tried to stay with Chris, but that man knows how to move through a field in the last kilometer, and before I knew it he'd put himself in great position. Typical Chris.

Alex finished 29th, Rich got 12th, and I eked out my first top-20 of the season in 20th place. Chris got 3rd, but he's 1st in our hearts.

Pheonixville Phlood

2008-03-09T23:40:00.006-04:00

Mens C cirCRIT race

So, I was disappointed that the road race was flooded, for I was really looking forward to a tough, rainy, hilly road race. But, immediately before the C mens category, the race was reconfigured to be a circuit through downtown. In the process, the start time was delayed by 30 minutes, followed by a 45 minute experiment on how to turn cyclists into popsicles. Then, the announcement came that a 25 minute circuit race on a crit course would begin shortly.

Short race, cold and whining cyclists, inclement weather, downhill entrance to turn 3 with a snowfence barrier separating a sliding cyclist from oncoming traffic, and a slippery manhole cover in apex of turn 4... the perfect recipe for a breakaway from the gun. A strong guy from Navy took advantage and shed the field save me and a NCSU rider. Keeping that pace from a cold start HURT! The three of us worked together quite well and put lots of time into the field, especially after being joined by another strong guy from UVM. Simply, the four of us could move through the turns much faster than the field. Strength: Navy, UVM, me, NCSU Finish: Navy, UVM, NCSU me. I followed Navy in the paceline order, and he successfully shed us by accelerating out of corner four approaching two laps to go. I pulled for half a lap merely 15 feet off his wheel, but at the exit of turn two, it was over. I was hoping the increased pace might drop UVM and NSCU bringing me to a second place finish, but UVM kept my wheel. You'll never know until you try, right? I was spent after the effort and came in last of the break.

I was quite happy, for my goal for the day was to get in a break and make it stick. That happened, and I have grown as a cyclist. The only way it could have been better, is if DK had finished in 5th. He was feeling fantastic and was well placed in the chase group (where he did much more disrupting than pulling, thanks Dave!), but he unfortunately found the slippery manhole cover on the last corner and hit the pavement. Worry not ladies, DK is alright... sexy need not be brought back, Dave's still here.

Thanks to everyone that was outside cheering in the deluge. And, thank you to theJenksster and CoachKen for helping me visualize what scenarios could play out in a break.

Don's Rutgers Classic Report

2008-03-04T11:12:00.004-05:00

What a weekend! It is definitely a challenge to put together a race, then compete in it, but I'd say our team came through with flying colors.

The highlight for me wasn't even related to racing. Set up in a long row of trainers, the Cs and Bs were warming for our criteriums on Saturday. Normally, while spinning our legs out, we would be talking strategy over the din of whirring trainers and the chatter of the race announcer.

On Saturday, though, we had a special treat... a live band! Feel It Robot drove down all the way from Bangor, Maine, to rock while we rolled. It was a rare treat, the first of its kind in the ECCC (we think), and it was a big hit with all of the teams.

Cycling Team alumnus DanFlan, featured on the keyboard and vocals, showed some alma mater pride as he sang of bicycles, parties, and of course robots. What better way to get us pumped up for our races?

As for me, I would've loved to tell you about how great my races went, but I don't want to mislead you. I got dropped like a rock in the Men's B Criterium, organizing a chase that never managed to catch the pack, but did manage to finish the race. Serves me right for riding at the back of the pack!

On Sunday, the Circuit Race went much better for me. After an hour of hard surging, aggressive cornering, and elbow bumping, I managed a respectable (relatively speaking) top-30 finish. If you squint, you can just barely see me hiding from the wind in this picture:

I'll offer my congratulations to my podium-earning teammates, but I won't tell you who they are... they'll tell you their stories in upcoming posts, here at the Rutgers University Cycling Team Blog!

2nd Annual "Accidental" Century

2008-01-12T20:14:00.001-05:00

Last year, the Accidental Century was named because none of us realized we'd be riding 100 miles that day. Yesterday, almost exactly 1 year after the first edition, Rutgers Cycling put together a Century that was "Accidental" only in name. We met at the Brower, making this a very Rutgersy ride.
There were 10 of us on the ride. DK had proposed the idea, and Jay#1 had mapped out the route to improve on last year's. The Kassassin and BeastMasterChris, both of whom had gottenn monumentally faster since last year, were intent on getting plenty of time in the wind. Grizzly Ray and NinjaDon made sure the ride had enough beards, because if nothing else, Rutgers is a team of style. AlumnusTed joined too, having wimped out (and having been mocked for it) last year. Anthony and Charlie, both new to the team, need nicknames.

In an unexpected treat, Ken joined us for the first 30 or so miles. Ken, an alumnus who races for K2, spent more than his share of time on the front, talked training and tactics with us, and helped make the first couple of hours fly by. You're welcome back any time, Ken!

Somewhat miraculously, we only had 1 flat tire! Even better, it occurred during the steepest, longest climb, which gave us a nice opportunity to regroup and recover.

Anthony, a 1st year student, was clearly enjoying himself. By watching some of the more experienced guys and asking the right questions, he was able to noticeably improve his handling skills over the course of the ride. Now that he's got the technique to match his fitness, Anthony will be ready for the Spring Road Season.

Grizzly Ray dug deep, but he stuck it out to the bitter end and impressed us all! He says he's racing D this spring; let me the first to officially call him a Sandbagger!

This is Charlie's first semester with the team, and he's a welcome addition! Having finished his first summer of road racing, Charlie is using rides like these to prepare for the rigors of the ECCC.

DK is perhaps the most fashionable Rutgers cyclist since AngryMark... but he didn't wear a Rutgers jersey. That made us sad.

Still, the red train rolled on. More than once during the day, we were informed of how great our kits look. Even lined out on a hill, they are stunningly pro-ish.

The red train in action, on the rollers circa Mile 40.

We arrived at Bucks Coffee Shop in Frenchtown, ready for pastries, bagels, and coffee. The place was packed with cyclists and bikers, so we opted to eat outside. We're tough like that.

Just as we were leaving, the Princeton team rolled into town. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, we were on our way... but not before photographing ourselves in Pennsylvania.

(l to r): Chris, Ray, Don, Jay, DK, Anthony, Ted, Charlie, Rich

Notice that DK put his Rutgers windvest on outside his jacket. He may have overheated, but at least he got the rest of us to stop hassling him for being "too cool for school".

For the first 15 or so miles of the return trip, we were joined by another alumnus and his riding partner, neither of whose names I caught (can anybody help?). They took their turns at the front, chatted with us, and even took a jab or two at the Princeton team - that they were stopping at Bucks Coffee Shop for their tea break, for example. The Rutgers Alum was wearing the new official Rutgers Cycling kit, and it looked as impressive as you'd expect.

The pace on the way home was spirited, to put it nicely. Jay explains, "We gave The Kassassin and BeastMaster coffee, then showed them the Princeton team... of course they're going to go fast!". The two spent probably 60 miles at the front of the group, and the average speed over the 100 miles was impressive. Thanks for the pulls, guys!

We rode through beautiful farmland on the way home, encountering the roadkill versions of every animal common to New Jersey. Riding down Hamilton Street, we ran some double-paceline drills, riding in tight formation... looking so pro-ish and riding so close to campus, we were greeted by an unprecedented number of "GO RUTGERS!!!" shouts and honks.

When we got back to campus, we'd only ridden 91 miles. Like last year, we couldn't just stop short of the century, so we rode a Monday Night Loop. Another tradition from last year was the victory salute; as we crossed 100 miles, we all Look-Zip-Balled.

That this was the sort of training day for which recovery is as important as the actual ride. With that in mind, Jay, DK, Rich, Chris, Aaron, and I went to an all-you-can-eat dinner at Round Grill. The restaurant may soon enact a "No Century Riders" policy... For us, all-you-can-eat was a challenge that we were happy to accept.

The U.S. Cyclocross National Championships Race Report

2007-12-18T11:32:00.000-05:00

The 2007 Rutgers University Cycling Cyclocross Nationals Team
(left to right: Andy, Joe, Rich, Dave, Mark, Charlie, and Don)

The course on Sunday morning for the Collegiate Men's Race.

After weather delayed the planned Thursday departure of the Rutgers 'cross team, the team arrived in Kansas City in the early afternoon on Friday. The went directly to the course to pick up their bikes, check out the course, and spin out the plane ride from their legs.

Chaz tears it up on the rutted and frozen course

Saturday morning brought snow and a chance to pre-ride the course before the U23 races. The team dialed their tire pressures and gear selection for the frozen and snow covered course. Though the team was not racing until Sunday morning, they banked on similar frozen, rutted, and slick conditions. As conditions got progressively worse through the day the team retreated back to its hotel to rest up, pin numbers, and prepare for Sunday's collegiate race.

36th place!

Mark kicked off Sunday morning in the single speed race and faced biting cold (single digits!) and a completely frozen course. After blasting through the first half of the race in the top ten, Mark suffered a series of crashes that re-injured a hip issue, but held on to top 30 for 28th.

The Cap'n and AngryMark

With his hip taking him out of the collegiate men's race, Mark took to the pit to support the six Rutgers riders in the collegiate men's race. The team faced stiff competition from the 146 rider field and poor starting positions.

Charlie tore through nearly 70 riders to make it into the top 4o riders in a stacked field and rode with some of the most elite collegiate riders in the US to finish 36th. Andy, Dave, Joe, Don, and Rich fought both the course and the enormous field to take home strong rides with Dave 65th, Joe 69th, Rich 78th, Andy 91st, and Don 101st. There's some clear discrepancies in the results, but it's clear that the team rode in the top half of the field.

The team finished 17th overall in the D1 team omnium with Charlie 26th for D1 men, Dave 46th, Joe 47th, Rich 55th, Andy 61st, and Don 68th.

The team post-race

Rutgers Cycling would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible. Special thanks to Don, Tom, Kurt, and Mike at Verge Sport for all their support throughout the weekend. Thanks also to Bob Cary and everyone from Skylands Cycling for their generous donation. Thank you also to Linda Yost and Rutgers Recreation for their financial and organizational support. Huge thanks to Rutgers Cycling president, Chris for his untiring efforts in making the trip happen.

After a much deserved break, the team will begin building once again for a successful collegiate road season.

NBX Grand Prix of CX @ Goddard Park, RI

2007-12-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

Before we get to day 2 of action from Goddard Park, let's have a shout for the amazing host housing generously provided by Hannah in Providence.

We slept in a fort; Colonel Henery Rutgers would be proud!

Mark worked the Results

Dave and I bonded

And FroJoe, well, he slept

The bikes enjoyed socializing with some new friends from Rhode Island, so we didn't feel too bad leaving them with their new acquaintances while we went to an amazing party at the Hub.

Alright, back to the action!

The Mens C team lined up in a field of 47. With FroJoe's newly taped shoe, he stood a chance to realize his potential with many meters of sand to run per lap. Dave was as comfortable as ever as he expertly navigated the field. Less words, more pictures:

For a number of laps, Joe was caught in traffic from the B masters field that allowed a Drexel rider to get away in the clear lines in front of that pack. After hearing enough shouting from us to break free of the pack he was in, he charged through and was making up some time on the Drexel rider, but it was not to be. Had the Mens C staged ahead of the B masters (as yesterday), it could have been an amazing duel to the finish line. FroJoe came across the line in 24th position. DK had an amazingly consistent race and looked so in control from beginning to end. A UNH rider was trying to catch DK in the last few laps, and DK responded by setting the frozen course on fire to ride away from him and finish 31st. These two are primed and ready for nationals; I wish that I could watch their performances.

The B men lined up after a solid finish on Saturday and were unsure of what was left in the legs for Sunday. The course was just as fast or faster than Saturday, but instead of a few long power sections, there were many shorter straights and gentle bends to get your pedal on! This suited me well, for it was somewhat similar to the type of output that you have to put in while carving singletrack in a competitive MTB field. Mark had his technique together, but the nerve in his hip was not allowing him to put the power down on Sunday. He kept it going steady, but could not muster the power to explode out of the MANY MANY MANY corners on the course. He had a pain-free race on Saturday, but the double-header was too much. We are all hoping that he will have a pain-free ride at nationals. He is looking forward to some extended recovery after those 45 minutes of effort.

I had a better experience, for the course suited me, my legs felt great, and I made a good move early in the race. Though I staged in the back, I made up a number of spots with a good starting sprint and aggressive lines through the two hairpins that followed. Then onto the beach, where a rider to the right of me fell over onto us. I was able to get off my bike and get it on my shoulder quickly and took an aggressive line off of the beaten path up the run up. Taking this line allowed me to gain a large number of spots and get me in a pack with some fast dudes! I was able to hang with them until bobbling the bike while riding the second beach. My right shifter must have got some sand in it, and it could no longer release cable. I got stuck riding 46-25 and 46-27 for the last 25 minutes of the race. Going backwards while doing a 25 minute cool down during the race probably saved my legs from a lot of pain. The group that I was with finished 19th-22nd. That was, by far, the best 30 minutes of CX racing that I have had in a 2/3 field in New England.

In the end, I finished 40th and Mark held it down by outsprinting Bard for 37th. Way to push through the pain and get the job done!

Rutgers Back-to-Back Conference Champions!

2007-12-10T18:33:00.000-05:00

In the final weekend of the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference's Cyclocross series, Rutgers Cycling took the team title for the second time in two years.

Even sweeter, Rutgers riders Andy, Joe, and Dave swept the C men's omnium podium. B riders Mark and Charlie took first and second in the omnium.

That makes five individual medals and one team championship cowbell for the Rutgers University Cycling Cyclocross Team!

Next weekend, the seven rider cyclocross team tackles the US Cyclocross National Championships on Kansas City, KS.

W.E. Steadman's CX @ Goddard Park, RI

2007-12-08T17:01:00.000-05:00

C Mens Report

C mens Report

In the C men, DK and FroJoe lined up being placed in the last row as Rich Fries heckled the team telling them to go home. The ground was snow covered and thick with ice as a frigid chill stayed in the air. Prior to the start of the race it was announced that the barriers were going to be removed due to the icy conditions.

The field size was huge with a large showing of collegiate riders. Dave and Joe rode together for most of the first half of the race working their way up the field. Dave was crashed when a rider tried to pass him on the narrow single track and ended up wiping out his front wheel. That's when Joe decided to throw down the hammer and put out an incredible ride.... all without his right shoe, which broke on the second lap and fell off in the beach run. Joe ended up with a 32nd (5th collegiate) finish and Dave was able to out sprint an MIT rider at the line for 42nd (7th collegiate).

B mens Report

In the B men, AngryMark and Cap'nChaz lined up against a strong New England field. Due to the call ups and seeding by order of registration, we lined up close to the back of the field, but there were 45 minutes to fix that!

The course was both fast and slippery, with thick mud in spots, while other portions of the course were still icy as in the C-race. The word of the day was FUN! The course had so much variety that it served the bike-hadler as well as the towers of power. The start was more crowded than the last train home from New York with elbows flying everywhere. Charlie upset one or two people... sorry, well, not really. AngryMark found out that that he could still pedal. Maybe it wasn't as hard as he would like as he had to take time off due to the hip injury, but no pain today. We both spent most of the race mid-pack. Charlie pulled an MIT rider up the start-finish straight, and then punished him by intentionally over-cooking an icy off camber corner. The Captain put his foot and rear tire out, the other rider, well, he crashed. Bye Bye. Angry Mark attacked the technical sections today. He was able to drop much stronger riders. A new tool in his toolbox; look for him to wield it tomorrow and at nationals. Cap'nChaz and AngryMark ended up finishing a respectable 36 and 38th. In the Verge NE, we'll take that finish anyday. The questions are: will we be able to place that well tomorrow and will this form continue 'till nationals?

MAC Series Finale Wrapup

2007-12-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

Rutgers wins at Reston; FarmerAndy and AngryMark lock up series titles!

DK, FroJo, AngryMark, and me (FarmerAndy) killed it this weekend for the MAC series finale and the second to last weekend of racing for the ECCC.

For starters, we rolled out to Carlisle and Reston in the pro-ish Rutgers Van complete with enough bikes, wheels (9 pairs!), and assorted spare parts to rival most small elite teams.

We started our Saturday morning the way all 'cross races should start: Belgian style with yummy chocolate chip waffles and hot coffee thanks to the Waffle House that was adjacent to our HoJo's.

It was cold and windy when we got to the Carlisle Fairgrounds for the race. Definitely one of those mornings that made us all question why we choose to wake up at the crack of dawn to ride around in muddy circles while the rest of our peers sleep in their nice warm beds.

The course was nice and swoopy with some decent short hills, some nice long stretches of pavement, and a fast set of barriers. DK, FroJo, and I killed it in the C race chock full of collegiate riders from Penn State, Carnegie Mellon, and two guys from Drexel on full suspension mountain bikes.

The first two laps for me didn't feel too good as I sat 5th wheel. As I hopped over the barriers after lap 2, I started to find my legs and though I could not catch Matt Spinks and Sam O'Keefe (who are both 14), put in a solid effort to finish 3rd overall (1st if you don't include the U19 riders) with FroJo and DK also throwing down some solid efforts to finish 17th and 20th.

FroJo tackles the barriers en route to an awesome finish! (photo: Dennis Smith)

While we rode the 3 miles back to the HoJo's to shower, warm up, and check out, AngryMark was putting the hurt on the B Field to finish 2nd collegiately.

With our racing done for the day, we were more than happy to get back in our nice warm van and cruise down to Bethseda, MD to meet up with our lovely hosts Greg and Jill (thanks guys!). Not only did we a great place to stay, Greg (former Rutgers Cycling President circa-1992) showed us his old-school RU jerseys and pictures from collegiate racing back in the day.

With the Sunday forecast showing snow, rain, and bitter, cold we were ready to face the worst, but it when we rolled over to Reston, VA for the Capital Cross Classic, it was dry and much warmer than it was in Carlisle. I loved Sunday's course, lots of places to go fast, and with no Matt Spinks in the picture, I kept on the gas the whole race for a solid win in my last race before KC Cross nationals in two weeks.

DK, FroJo, and AngryMark put int great efforts to ensure that the Rutgers 'Cross team maintains their lead in the ECCC Standings with one week of racing left to go.

FarmerAndy tries out the new TT helmets (photo: Ann Rock)

Did I mention that we picked up our new team TT helmets? They look awesome and are perfect for 'cross on those windy days. A big thanks to Efinger Sporting Goods!