Penn State Cycling

A guest post on safety!

2011-09-01T14:35:00.002-04:00

Hey guys,

As a lot of you are probably new to the club (and maybe new to the sport), we thought it would be a good idea to do a post on safe road riding. The good folks at Estey & Bomberger LLC (a law firm specializing in bicycle accidents) were kind enough to write up a post on proper bicycle safety. Some of it is pretty basic, but there is good stuff in there for everyone, so read up!

Bicycle safety

Not only is bicycle riding a wonderful way to exercise, it is also great for the environment. If you choose to ride your bike to work, you can also save money on gas and other expenses associated with driving. Using a bicycle for your main form of transportation has many positives associated with it, but it can also be dangerous if you do not use safety precautions. Just as there are ways to stay safer in a car, like air bags, and using a seat belt, there are many ways you can help keep yourself safe on your bicycle.

Prepare

· One of the most important safety tips for riding a bicycle is to be sure that the bicycle is properly adjusted for you. Your owner’s manual will have specific directions for you, but you should be able to stand over the top tube of the bike.

· Check your bicycle before you ride it; every time. You should always make sure that your bicycle is in top condition before you ride. Check the air level in the tires, make sure the brakes are working properly, and make sure that everything is tightly together, with no loose screws or wobbly parts.

· Wear proper safety gear. A helmet should be worn at all times while riding a bike to help protect your head in case of a crash, but the type of clothing you wear is also important, in order to help prevent accidents. In the day time, you should always wear bright clothing, and if you choose to ride at night, reflective clothing or gear is a must, along with a headlight. The best way to prevent a collision is to be as visible as possible.

Be Alert

· Make sure you are aware of any construction or other obstacles that may be on your route. If possible, do not travel through construction areas at all.

· Always be aware of vehicles, whether they are parked or traveling in the same direction as you. You must be aware of the cars around you because it is likely they are not aware of you. Pay attention to parked cars, and look out for doors opening, or pedestrians in the area.

· Always travel in the direction of traffic on the right side of the road, and in the bicycle lane if there is one.

· Obey all traffic laws, including stopping at stop signs and red lights. Most accidents between bicyclists and cars occur at intersections because the bicyclist was not seen.

Know the Law

· A bicycle is considered a vehicle, and as such, is subject to the same rights and restrictions on the road as any other vehicle, when applicable. This does include no riding under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

· There are special provisions for riding a bicycle at night, which include having a headlight, a red rear reflector, white or yellow reflectors on the pedals, and there are laws providing for the visibility of said lights and reflectors.

Riding a bicycle for a commute or just for fun and exercise is a wonderful choice for the environment and for your overall health. It is important that you keep your bicycle in good working condition, and ride safely. Be aware of your surroundings and use precaution at intersections. Although wearing a helmet won’t prevent a collision or an accident, it will do a lot to protect your head and brain should such an accident occur. Broken bones heal, but some brain injuries are permanent, or even deadly. If you or a loved one have been injured in a bicycle accident contact an accident lawyer to help you gain compensation for your injuries. And remember when riding use your best judgment and ride safe.

I always hate this part.

2011-05-04T19:48:00.003-04:00

Some people choose to stick their nose in their books from the first day of college and never look up until the day they walk across the stage, shake the dean's hand, and receive their diploma. Some party their asses off and eventually flunk out, or at least come really damn close to it. And there are others who only associate with a small group of people throughout college, usually the same people they hung out with throughout high school.

Well, thankfully, I'm none of the above.

Four years ago, I came to Penn State as a transfer student from community college. Although I knew a good number of people here at main campus, I figured it wouldn't hurt to find something to get involved in. You know, something to keep me physically active, something to stave off the evil 'freshman-15' that latches on to your midsection during your first year of classes and sticks with you for the rest of your life unless you stay fit through college.

During one of my many trips through the Hub that first week of classes, I stopped by to check out the involvement fair that was going on in Alumni Hall. Someone dressed in a Penn State Cycling jersey managed to coerce me into putting my name down on an e-mail list after I showed a bit of interest in the club... and well, four years later, here I am, writing what will probably be one of my last entries for this here blog.

On my first group ride, I somehow managed to drag my 40 pound clydesdale of a mountain bike to the top of Lower Trail in Shingletown, and all the way back down. I knew nary a soul on that ride, had not ridden a bicycle in quite a few years, and my bike was neither light nor comfortable, especially not on a rocky, rutted, root-covered trail like Lower Trail. That ride hurt. Hell, I was ready to give up before I even hit the trail. Still, people cheered me on and got me through that ride and back to campus. From that moment on, though, I was hooked.

I've since pedaled thousands of miles, driven thousands more to ECCC race weekends, won myself an ECCC race, shared many laughs, exited and re-entered the atmosphere with Vanya, learned how to turn a bike wrench properly (thanks, Sparky), built my own bike from the ground up, had a few falls, shed some blood, shared some beers, and made some of the best friends I'll ever have. I will seriously miss this club, its members, and every single experience that I've had over the years.

Sure, I probably could have devoted myself entirely to my studies throughout my time here at Penn State, but where's the fun in that? After all, the time that you enjoy wasting is never wasted time at all.

So, to those sticking around for another year or more, keep the spirit going. Recruit new riders in the fall. Maintain relationships with local sponsors. Upgrade from D's, C's, or B's. Win Easterns again! Most importantly: Ride your damn bikes and keep having fun doing it.

I'll definitely show up at a few races in the future to cheer you guys on and take some photos.

Sincerely,
Your:

Webmaster
Photographer
Pace car driver
Rec-ride leader
Graphic designer
Travel coordinator
Vintage steel rider

Mid-season Update

2011-03-28T16:27:00.030-04:00

Quite a bit has transpired since the last entry was made about proper preparations for a successful ECCC weekend. Here's a rundown:

The first weekend at Rutgers marked the opening of another ECCC road season. Despite a weather forecast that called for doom and gloom, 31 racers from Happy Valley suited up, loaded up, and descended upon central New Jersey with a ferocity unparalleled by any other team in the ECCC that weekend. When the spray settled and the points were totaled on Sunday after a very wet Men's A points race at Thompson Park in Jamesburg, NJ, Penn State Cycling stood atop the ECCC team omnium scoreboard with 209 points to second place MIT's 172.

Weekend number two was intended to be a split weekend, with Columbia University in New York City hosting a race in Manhattan on Saturday, and Stevens Institute of Technology hosting a road race on the Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap on Sunday. Unfortunately, mother nature felt like throwing a big wrench into the plans for the weekend, with multiple inches of rain falling on the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania on Thursday and Friday.

While the weather cleared by late on Friday, the significant amounts of rainfall had led to a partial inundation of the Stevens road race course, which ran parallel to and was level with the Delaware River at certain points. Thus, it was announced at midnight on Friday that Stevens had no choice but to cancel what would have been an otherwise spectacular road race through the beautiful scenery of the Delaware Water Gap.

The deluge from the heavens was not enough to shut down the show for Columbia University's Grant's Tomb criterium event in Manhattan, where there was plenty of sunny weather and dry pavement to be found. Strong performances from Wyatt Stoup (2nd in Men's A), Lauren Shirock (2nd Women's A), Jessica Kutz (5th Women's A & multiple prime points), Kevin McGuire (Men's B), Jonathan Cochrane (solo breakway in Men's C), and the rest of the Penn State squad solidified yet another team omnium victory over MIT.

Weekend number three, at least for as long as I have been racing in the ECCC, has traditionally been occupied by the Philly Phlyer, and this year was no different. While the weather was neither wet nor warm as it has been in years past, it was reasonable and definitely prime for an awesome day of racing. Saturday began with the first TTT of the season; nearly every TTT team that Penn State fielded managed at least a 4th place finish or better that morning.

Immediately following the TTT was the infamous Schuylkill Scrambler circuit race. As usual, the strong headwinds on the river flat section served to shatter the legs of many that day, those who were able to conserve their power and work the wind to their advantage were the ones who came out on top that day. In Men's A, Wyatt Stoup took 2nd and the field sprint; Lauren Shirock and Jessica Kutz worked together to nail down 3rd and 4th place in the Women's A race; Jonathan Cochrane lit a full book of matches on the Men's B field sprint and came away with second place; Adam Capatch brought home a 3rd place in Men's C, and Matt LaMonte snagged 6th in Men's D.

The Sunday morning light revealed a new beast known as the Temple Campus Crit: a fast and unforgiving course characterized by its potholes, trolley tracks, and the occasional rogue urbanite stumbling off the curb in front of the peloton. On first impression, it made many yearn for the smooth and safe pavement of last year's Naval Yard Crit. However, aforementioned hazards aside, it still proved to be a fast and fun course that favored those with superior handling skills, flat out power, and impeccable luck.

The various teams of the ECCC had to wait with bated breath to hear about the weekend results due to an upset in the scoring of the Men's A circuit race: UPenn racer Robin Carpenter was not actually a UPenn racer, but was discovered to be a student from Swarthmore instead. When the final results were released, it was determined that Penn State had come out on top once more, beating out MIT for the third straight weekend in a row, this time by 14 points. According to professional ECCC racer and Penn State grad, Ryan Smolko, that was a groundbreaking feat. Following a quick perusal through results dating back to 1999, he proclaimed that, "Penn State had never won three consecutive weekends, until now."

The release of results to the public also revealed something else: Wyatt Stoup happened to be in contention for the yellow jersey of the ECCC.

And that brings us to ECCC weekend number four at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, who managed to jump through numerous political hoops in order to host their first race: The Tour de Troy.

Given that Penn State Cycling had brought home the big 'W' for three weekends in a row, the team set out on Friday afternoon in search of a fourth team omnium victory and the yellow jersey. Nearly two-dozen racers headed north into the Empire State. The forecast appeared brutal: clear, but cold and windy. In actuality, the race conditions proved to be downright abysmal, with temperatures dropping into the teens overnight and never cresting 34°F by midday. Wind chills were in the teens, and snowfall from the week before had left sand and gravel on much of the road surface; winds kicked the sand and dust into the eyes of numerous racers. Balaclavas, ski suits, and wind-blocking gloves were commonplace, and absolutely necessary in order to maintain mobility and stay warm throughout the race.

However, the arctic conditions were not enough to slow the blue and white steamroller from State College down. In the ITT, Wyatt Stoup (3rd Men's A), Joe Halo (2nd Men's C), Matt LaMonte (2nd Men's D) put in solid efforts that resulted in solid finishes.

The circuit race that followed the early morning ITT kicked it up a couple notches, with distances set much higher than the rest of the races in the season thus far. The entire loop was 7.5 miles long with very little shelter from the wind and enough climbing to test the legs of those crazy enough to compete; Men's A would do 7 laps, Men's B 6 laps, Men's C 5 laps, and Men's D would do 3 laps.

Wyatt Stoup, in an effort to snatch the yellow jersey, put forth a valiant effort in the circuit race, finishing 5th in the Men's A event. According to ECCC director Joe Kopena, last minute registrants managed to blow up the Men's C field to a total of 83 racers, which would normally result in a split field of C1 and C2. Unfortunately, it was deemed to be too late for a last-minute field-split as no extra pace cars could be found, and all 83 racers were released on course at once. This resulted in a large mass of inexperienced cannon fodder that was unable to negotiate small rollers successfully, popping many frustrated racers off the back of the pack as the field yo-yoed around the course. Men's C racer Adam Capatch still managed to make the most of the situation; he battled through the field and dropped the hammer on the final climb for a solo breakway that netted him a 1st place finish. In Men's D, Ian Bensco & Matt LaMonte finished in 5th and 6th, with Matt Drury in 8th.

The next day brought slightly better conditions for some, but not for all. The temperature at the start of Sunday's events was a balmy 20°F, which was enough to make one's hands go painfully numb by the end of a race. However, the winds had died down overnight and would not return until later in the afternoon, much to the dismay of those who had been tortured by the dust it kicked up the day before. Also, the course was beautiful, with wide streets and relatively smooth pavement. What had been predicted to be a technical course that would result in crashes ended up being a brutally fast one that tested the staying power of many racers.

In Men's D, Matt LaMonte led out teammate Ian Bensco to a 2nd place finish, Charlie Spanjers snagged 3rd in Men's C following the prime efforts of Andy Godish, and Mariano Garay put forth his best efforts in a messy Men's B race but was waylaid later by ongoing issues with sand in his eyes from the wind that plagued both Saturday and Sunday.

The Men's A race turned out to be the show of the day. Early on, Penn State racer Kevin McGuire jumped off the front for a solo breakway that strung out the field and prompted a sequence of breakaways that popped off regularly throughout the race. In the closing minutes, Robert Burnett from F&M managed to hang onto a solo break for several laps, however, he barely held off a hard-charging Kevin McGuire for the overall win. Not long after the first three crossed the line, the field rounded the last bend and laid eyes on the finish. At the head of the wave was the dynamic Penn State Frenchman, Arnaud Borner, with teammate and yellow-jersey contender Wyatt Stoup in tow. In an impressive display of baby-stomping power, Arnaud dropped the hammer and launched off the front, leaving the rest of the pack in his wake. At the line, Borner was edged out of the field sprint victory by a 'sketchy' racer from Queens, but still managed to hang to a 5th place finish, with Stoup 2 spots behind in 7th, and remaining Penn State A-racer Rodney Santiago in 12th.

Unfortunately, the efforts of the team were not enough to keep the winning streak afloat without any female racers to help bolster the scores of the men; a number of unfortunate events and illnesses kept many of the female contenders from Penn State home for the weekend.

While the team omnium win streak may have ended, the glory has not vacated the team; the collective efforts of Wyatt Stoup, Rodney Santiago, Kevin McGuire, and Arnaud Borner have helped push Wyatt into first place in the individual racer standings. Thus, the yellow ECCC jersey has returned home to Penn State for the first time in many years.

Photos by Zachary Repp - zacharyrepp.com

4 days to D-day - What to pack for an ECCC Weekend

2011-02-28T15:24:00.007-05:00

4 days until Joe Kopena sends off the first rider at the Rutgers ITT. What's in your race bag?

Keep this in mind: If you are going this weekend, expect it to be cold. It might rain. It shouldn't snow, but you never know. And if it's a warm sunny day on race day, you simply managed to get really freakin' lucky.

Here are a few things that I would recommend packing for this coming weekend. Feel free to comment and make suggestions!

USA Cycling license (or a printed authorization to ride)
Photo ID (If at a military establishment, your college ID won't cut it. Bring your drivers license.)
Health insurance card
Printed copy of the race flyer. Don't miss your start time or lose the address of the race.
Small first aid kit. Band aids, alcohol, peroxide, neosporin, gauze. Man up and shave your legs now or you'll be crying like a baby later when you pull those bandages off.
Any speciality tools needed for working on your bike. We will have work stands and tools on hand for minor fixes, but if your bike needs something special... bring it.
Helmet. When on your bike at any time at a race location do NOT forget to wear a helmet. Points can and will be docked if you are caught riding a bike without a helmet around the race site. Don't ride around the course backwards, either.
A Penn State Cycling Jersey. This is required to race. Either buy one, or borrow one from a fellow club member.
A pair of cycling shorts or bibs (either PSU Cycling attire, or plain black shorts will do)
Gloves that will keep your hands warm but not hinder motion. Latex gloves work as a great insulator from the cold and the wet when worn underneath lighter gloves if you don't have a pair of waterproof or cold weather gloves.
Baselayer material. Cotton t-shirts work just fine if you don't have Under Armor or anything similar. Remember, it's better to be a little too warm, than too cold when racing in cold weather. However, remember when cotton gets wet, it will not keep you warm. Wool or synthetic is best in this case.
Armwarmers and legwarmers (easy to make out of a pair of black women's leggings for less than 10 bucks)
Toe covers or booties for your shoes
Warm clothing to wear when warming up (sweatpants, sweatshirt, jacket)
Warm clothing to wear when not racing
Safety pins (used for pinning race numbers on)
Zip ties (no longer needed for holding Vanya's earth-orbiting techno-blasting Mazda together when re-entering the atmosphere, but they will be used for attaching the race number to your frame).
Spare tubes, tires, and chain. And if you're Keith Groshans, a spare frame.
Water bottles. And whatever you prefer to drink while riding (water, gatorade, accelerade, etc.)
Food to snack on between races. Food is fuel. No fuel? You won't be crushing any souls. Granola bars, cereal, bagels, peanut butter and jelly, bananas, shot bloks, gummi bears, etc. They're all great. Think protein and carbs.
Sunglasses are good. Ones with replaceable lenses, even better. Perfect for keeping the sun, wind, road grit, and rain out of your eyes.
A towel big enough for you to wrap around you so that you may change into your chamois. Otherwise you'll be crouching behind a car door hoping that nobody sneaks a peek.
A roll of toilet paper. Either have your own stash, or you'll be making friends with those who do. Or you could even sell it to those who don't. You just never know when the porta-johns will run out.
A proper amount of insanity.
Oh, and please don't forget your bike.

Other things to bring:

Money. You will need to eat, be sure to chip in for gas money, etc.
Sleeping bag. You just might be sleeping on a floor somewhere.
Towel. Your host is not expected to provide you with a towel.
Toiletries. Nor should they be expected to provide toiletries, either.

Confessions of a Downtube Shifter

2011-02-09T00:25:00.017-05:00

March 21st, 2009. The day seemed innocuous enough, with the sun rising in the east, clear skies, and temperatures that were slowly making their way from downright cold to fairly tolerable. There I was, perched atop my steel-framed steed on the line of the Philly Phlyer D1 Circuit Race with 50 other D1 racers from the ECCC, wondering to myself, "What the hell am I doing here?"

I had plenty of reason for that thought. At that moment, I had never participated in a road race, much less a large group road ride. I was a mountain biker. Road riding? What a foreign concept. My bike, a 1990 Schwinn Traveler, was a rescued relic from the garage that I had dragged back to State College with me that semester in hopes of giving it a new lease on life. The lugged steel frame was an antique in comparison to the modern carbon and hydroformed aluminum frames on the bikes of other racers in the ECCC, but it was a complete road bike. Aside from a tuneup, new tires, and bartape, it was 97% the bike it was when it rolled out of the showroom in 1990, downtube shifters and all.

So, there I was on the line at the Philly Phlyer. On a bike nearly as old as I was, and I had not gotten much of a chance to warm up. Oh boy.

Less than a mile later, I was taken out of contention. A strong headwind coming off of the Schuylkill caused the pack to bunch up at the front, and with the combination of tight quarters and a low level of average experience, it didn't take much for good ol' Murphy to rear his head and wreak havoc. In this case, a rider from Columbia discovered that his training wheels had fallen off between the starting line and now, which caused him to subsequently lose his balance and careen into fellow Penn State rider, Steven Derkits. Gravity took the wheel from there, throwing bikes, bodies, bottles, and egos into a tumultuous heap that lay directly in my path.

Given that I had rather unintelligently positioned myself smack in the middle of the pack with riders on all sides, I was left with no choice but to clamp down hard on the binders and try to navigate around the mess ahead of me. The laws of physics were not on my side that morning; I locked up both wheels on the damp tarmac and slid uncontrollably into the mess of bodies and bikes.

As I picked both myself and my bike up, I found that I was in fine physical shape, but the bike was missing a several spokes from the front wheel, the bottle cage was tweaked, and the rear derailleur hanger had been bent out of alignment. I thought I was finished. However, after further inspection, I discovered that my tires still had air in them, and my wheels still spun, so I found my bottle, slapped it back in the cage, and jumped back on the saddle to finish the race I had begun. I managed to finish the race without getting lapped, not too bad.

While I came away from the circuit race with a few missing spokes and a bruised ego, I had gotten a good enough taste of road racing that fueled the desire to come back for more. After all, this was only the first day...

Sunday was the day of the criterium. The air was thick with an impervious foggy mist that managed to penetrate every last dry fiber of clothing on your body. It laid on the road only to be drawn back up through the contact patch of every 700x23 tire and flung into the eyes and mouths of many racers, including myself. Pedaller Bike Shop in Lansdale had managed to replace the missing spokes from my front wheel and true things back into shape. I had a bike again! My father had crammed a canopy into the back seat of his thousand dollar jalopy and brought it down for the team to huddle under between races. It was there, in the middle of the mist that race stories from the previous day were shared and nutella was eaten while the trainers hummed happily away.

Again, there I was, poised and as ready as I could be with 20 minutes of high-intensity suffering ahead.

And with the blow of a whistle from Joe Kopena, we were off. Immediately, there was road spray everywhere, covering my glasses to the point that I could barely see anything ahead of me. I slid my glasses down on my nose a hair to create a slit between them and my helmet so that I could still see, but keep most of the spray out of my eyes. 20 minutes, right? Alright.

Before long, the pack split into two groups. Riders from Penn State were scattered throughout the field. I made an attempt at bridging the gap with one or two other riders, but we were largely unsuccessful in doing so. It was probably for the best that we gave up, as a couple riders lost traction and slid out in the very next corner, causing a small pileup. At this point, I decided that I would play things a little safer and just try to finish the race with all my spokes intact, especially considering the miserable and treacherous conditions. Besides, I found that I was pretty blown up from my bridging attempt; it wasn't worth expending what little energy I had left at only the halfway point in the race. So, I decided to sit on a wheel or two until I got a little energy back in my expended legs.

While I never really did gain any of my strength back, I managed to hang on through the end of the race. I never gave up. When I rolled over the finish in a breathless sprint, I was soaked to the bone and my legs were killing me, but I also finished upright with my skin and spokes intact. I consider that a victory in it's own right.

I don't intend to frighten potential racers anticipating their very own entry into the madness that is the ECCC road circuit. Crashes happen and bikes break; Murphy happens. I'm not about to sugarcoat it for you and tell you it's all trophies and smiles. I'd rather tell the truth. However, these weekends are much, much more than just the sum of racing, suffering, and potentially miserable weather.

More than likely, you will walk away from an ECCC race weekend with a huge grin plastered on your face. You don't need to buy a fancy bike with all the gizmos and gadgets, either. Go ahead and dig out that old 80s road frame and give it a tuneup and new tires. It's all about throwing your inhibitions to the wind for a weekend and cramming yourself into a car with 4 bikes on the roof and people you may not know, jamming out to Russian techno, getting your bike fixed by Vanya, and crushing souls with Biopace and downtube shifters. You learn to bring your own supply of toilet paper, or make very good friends with someone who has a stash. You find out who exactly Coach Young is. You discover the merits of Black Mo', locate the pain cave, and learn about the mystical powers of Moshannon spring water. You get to watch Steve Derkits fall off of Rollers while wearing Kanye shades, hang out with a very dynamic Frenchman, and cheer on your fellow teammates in blue and white.

You have the chance to race for the best damn team in the ECCC this year. There's no thinking twice. Do it!

What did you do this Sunday?

2011-02-06T15:43:00.002-05:00

The weather outside is crummy. It's cold, wet, and dismal, but it doesn't stop the Rough Riders of PSU.
We're getting closer and closer to our first race, and these monsters know that it takes more then a few hours on the trainer to get ready.
Hopefully we can get an even bigger show up for our next ride!

March 5th approaches, and PSU ups the hurt.

2011-02-04T19:44:00.002-05:00

What did you do this Friday? This group of rough riders fought the cold, climbed some hills, and put out some serious wattz. With easily double the amount of people from the previous week this Friday Fun Day turned out to be great. The weather was beautiful, and Wyatt's beard was in full bloom. If you weren't able to make it to this week's ride hopefully you can make it to the next!

WE ARE! PENN STATE!

Snow? What snow?

2011-01-29T05:37:00.002-05:00

With the ECCC season opener at Rutgers only 5 weeks away, there's no good excuse to not slap on a pair of fenders and booties and get out and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather in State College. Yes, I said warm. 32°F constitutes a heatwave 'round these parts in the middle of January.

Wyatt, Dan, Adam, and Ernie (L to R) at the summit of Purdue Mountain.

Top 10 Reasons to be Excited for the 2010 ECCC Road Season

2010-02-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe, but the 2010 ECCC road season opener at Rutger's University is only four weeks away! To help get everyone amped up for what is sure to be an awesomely stellar season, I've decided to count down what I feel are the top ten reasons to be excited for this year's collegiate road season.

10. Team Time Trials: Hammering at full throttle in a race against the clock with three of your best friends is definitely one of the highlights of every racer's weekend. Unfortunately, there's no hiding the sad truth that many cat 3, 4, and 5 racers rarely get to experience the thrill of competing in a team time trial. Luckily, collegiate racing gives everyone an equal opportunity to drop their weakest teammates from a pace line.

9. Great Race Schedule: With the exception of Yale and Dartmouth, all of the races are within a 5 hour drive from Penn State. This should definitely save some gas money and will undoubtedly encourage more racers to compete at each race weekend.

8. Idris Fiery Ginger Beer: This doesn't really have anything to do with cycling, but I have to admit that coming up with ten items to write about was a bit more difficult than expected. So to fill the number 8 spot, here's a picture of some Idris Fiery Ginger Beer that I found at Wegman's this morning:

This refreshing beverage is made in the United Kingdom and can be found in the international isle of your local grocery store. And before Club Sports sends me an angry email, I should note that it is non-alcoholic.

7. Vanya's MPV: Aw yeah. You know it had to make an appearance on this list at some point. Coming in at the lucky number 7 spot is Vanya's sweet whip.

6. The Bikes: Last year saw some pretty sweet rides in the ECCC. Both Vanya and Zack were rocking down tube shifters on their steel framed bikes, Arnaud had a sweet new Madone, and for at least part of the season, Keith got to race on a very durable Token. To up the ante for 2010, Drew is going to be sporting a beautiful Bianchi 928, C-Rodg is going to have a sweet Jamis to crank out the watts on, and Wyatt decided to hop aboard the CAAD9 bandwagon.

5. Spectacular Crashes and Carnage: If there's one thing that's inevitable about bike racing, it's the crashes. Many crashes result in very painful injuries and spectacular bike damage. Fortunately there's usually a camera around to capture the carnage on film. Let's hope for some epic photos in 2010, but with fewer injuries. Please race safely, everyone!

4. Matt Gross's Sprinting: He eats primes for breakfast and has the uncanny ability to position himself perfectly for an amazing field sprint in nearly every crit. While he may not be able to climb like Rasmussen, Matt's sprinting is certainly a thing of beauty.

3. Our Talented Women: Screaming into the third spot on this list is our amazing group of women. This year we're expecting to have 4 women representing us in A's (up from 2 last year), as well as several new racers competing in the B and C categories. Most significant of all, Penn State will once again be able to have a full four-person women's time trial team. Good luck in 2010, ladies!

2. Penn State's Return to ECCC Dominance: 2009 was a disappointing year for Penn State Cycling. We only won one weekend, and had very limited success at TTTs. This year, however, we are fully capable of returning as a dominant threat to UVM in the ECCC: we are able to attend every race weekend, we have one of the largest teams of women racers in the conference, and we're expecting to have talented cyclists representing every men's category from A to D.

1. RYAN SMOLKO: Lots of wattage here. There's no debating the #1 spot: Daddy is back. 2010 will mark the triumphant return of Ryan Smolko to collegiate racing. While he's trading in the blue and white of Penn State for the maroon and gold of Kutztown, his attendance at every race will definitely make 2010 a season to remember.

New semester, first meeting!

2010-01-19T17:15:00.001-05:00

Join us for the first meeting of the Spring 2010 semester, tomorrow, at 8:30PM in room 60 of the Willard building on campus.

A spring T-shirt order will be discussed, as well as other details concerning upcoming events over the course of the semester.

Be there!

[You] Wish You Were Here

2009-12-11T20:29:00.000-05:00

There was a lot of build up to my trip to Oregon this week. Everyone I had talked to had only incredible things to say about Bend. From their outdoor athletics to their beer, everything was highly regarded from those who visited. One individual even went as far as to say Bend was nothing short of "Heaven." With all of this build up, Bend had quite a reputation to uphold, and so far it has lived up to every word.

The town of Bend is home to about 81,000 people (according to a sign, but this number may vary), and everyone I talk to seems to be physically involved in something. Their high school jocks are not football players, but rather alpine skiers. Overweight individuals are a rarity, and in my adventures so far I have only come across a single McDonalds. The lifestyle in the area is that of full-year ski-town, but with so much more going on. The only downside in this area seems to be a lack of jobs. It is almost impossible to find a viable career in your field of study, no matter what it be, and its extremely common to find common workers with expansive educations. My host family tells numerous stories to this fact, including one about a window fitter who received his PhD from Oxford (he rightfully claims to be the most educated window fitter in America).

As for the 'Cross racing, the course originally seemed pretty tame as far as technical aspects go, but did prove a respectable distance (3.2 km). Not much elevation gain, but one stair run-up and one set of barriers. However, the weather in Bend produced a very difficult, and dynamic course. The temperature when I arrived in Bend was -16, or -25 with wind chill factored in (and yes, both of those numbers have negatives on them). I have never been that cold in my life! But the cold resulted in frozen ground (and rivers), making the course have the potential for lots of speed. The snow mixed in on top assured the riders that it wouldn't just be a straight powerfest, as you really had to have good handling to navigate the corners. As the first day of racing progressed, temperatures rose throughout the day and began melting a little bit of the ice. But as soon as the sun tucked itself behind the mountains, the portions of the course that had originally thawed out began to freeze over again. So instead of hard ground, riders were blasting through sheets of ice. More snow is expected to fall over the next few days, so it is tough to predict just what the course will be like by the time the Elites race.

I'm off to explore more of the town this evening, and partake in cycling related activities, but I'll be sure to update more after tomorrow, and especially after I race on Sunday. I'll even post some pictures when I have the chance. Tomorrow I also head over to Mt. Bachelor for some Nordic skiing! Hopefully I won't bust myself up too bad...

SHARE the road.

2009-04-10T00:49:00.000-04:00

I'd like to bring the following article to everyone's attention, because it simply astounds me how ignorant members of the human race can be. Sometimes I think someone forgot to add the chlorine to the gene pool when I read things like this. This guy disgraces my name.

Click HERE to read the article.

While this is not the first time, and it certainly will not be the last time I see something like this, I think it serves as a good reminder for all of us to promote effective bicycle advocacy every chance we get.

Photos: Army Spring Classic 2009

2009-04-09T13:45:00.000-04:00

Entire album can be viewed HERE.

Lightly used wheel for sale!

2009-04-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

Since the D-riders have lost their fearless leader Steve to C's, I thought I would step up and comment on this past weekend's race. My fellow D-riders and I had a solid showing at Army this past weekend. We placed in the middle of the pack for the TTT (having never practiced). The Circuit and HCTT were more challenging than expected, but congrats to Zack for kicking the rest of our PSU D-rider butts up the hill. As for the Crit... we were spread throughout the pack, and all performed well. Zack sprinted to the front to bring back a break away towards the final laps and finished 17th; Brian and Drew both had solid races to finish in the pack, and I was able to pull out 9th to get my first point of the season.
The success of this weekend has left me feeling the need to upgrade my wheelset for something a little faster, lighter, and more fragile... So I am selling my old front... stiff, lightly used, raced twice, only less than a year old!!! Pictured below (courtesy of Zack Repp)... Let me know if you're interested!

Photos: Philly Phlyer 2009

2009-04-08T14:42:00.000-04:00

As the resident camera-totin', downtube-shiftin' MTB'er turned crazy-quasi-roadie, I present to everyone the photos from the 2009 Philly Phlyer, race #4 of the 2009 ECCC road season.

Click HERE to see the entire album.

Enjoy!

Some photos from Army

2009-04-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

Category C!!

2009-04-06T20:55:00.000-04:00

So, this has been a long time coming. As the captain of the C's, I need to create a race report. First, I will briefly highlight the first two weekends.

Rutgers: We had some good racing here and a huge field. Over 90 guys showed up, so they split the fields for the races. Nate Depenbusch graced us with his presence and low sleep. We love racing with Nate. Also in attendance were Andy Mina, Andrew Lloyd, and Keith Groshans. We rode hard in the ITT and Crit on the first day.

On the second day during the circuit race I attempted a very daring strategy. I would ride away from the pack by attacking the corners. I believe that at corner 2 or 3 this strategy failed me as my wheels slid out from underneath me. I did not use my brakes at any point during this turn and I was the first man into the turn, following my original strategy of attacking the corners. I heard from another rider that everyone said things like "eeewww" or "ouch" when the saw me crash. I got up and realized that: a. front wheel wouldn't spin and b. I could not finish the race with blood coming out of various wounds all over my body. In the end, I got to ride to the hospital in an ambulance with the lights flashing. I got six stitches in my chin and had road rash on BOTH hips. So, there it is! o, and it was the first time I wore this stinking kit!!

O yeah, and our results weren't awesome at Rutgers...I think it was the beginning of a trend.

Philly: I was not in attendance for this race, but I can report on the results and a few stories that I heard. Our numbers were down this week, with Andy Mina and Keith Groshan. Andy and Keith rode hard in the circuit and had ample fun doing it! Keith had his best race so far in the Crit. He rode to an 11th place finish. Those 16 miles per day are really paying big dividends!

Army: In attendance were me, Steve Derkits (reinforcement from D's), and Keith Groshans. Our TTT finished 10th out of 15. The effort was at least at a 9th place level, as evidenced when Steve got dropped and puked! The circuit was an exciting race. I can attest, as the first few laps in the field were really fun. I attempted a rear breakaway as I like to call it and finished behind the field. Steve claims my being dropped hindered him... Keith performed a foward breakaway just before the uphill finish, but could not maintain his position and eventually lost a few places.... On Sunday, we started out with a hill climb TT. Steve represented us well, with a hard ride to the top of West Point's campus. Keith and I saved our legs for the Crit... The bad ass guy from Army who Keith mentions below demolished everyone, taking the win in the ITT. The C team is quite impressed by this man. We finished the weekend with a crit. I proudly say that we rode hard and (unlike many other riders on this day) came away physically unscathed. The emotional wounds are pretty deep and I'm going to skip talking about the results. After the crit the C team did some real bonding as we shared a bagel loaded with peanut butter AND nutella. Let's just call it carb loading for Dartmouth in 2 weeks, where we plan to have a good finish. All I have to say to the rest of the C field is: wait until we peak at Easterns.

If you are still reading at this point, kudos to you ,and hopefully this breaks up the monotony that is class.

-Drew

The Most Chill Rider in the ECCC

2009-04-06T20:24:00.000-04:00

In the three race weekends we have been able to attend, one thing has become clearly apparent: Blake Hawthorne from Army is the most chill rider in the ECCC. This fact is clearly apparent in the accompanying picture. Note how cool and calm he looks just chillin' there in the peloton, waiting to dominate everyone at the finish. This picture was taken before he unleashed a super chill sprint to win the Men's C circuit in Philly. This weekend on his home turf at West Point he showed just how chill he really is. Before the TTT, when it was like 30 degrees and 50mph winds, Hawthorne could be seen chillin in shorts and a t-shirt with his shaved head uncovered. Then he slaughtered the entire C field in the hill climb on Sunday. This was a foregone conclusion due to the fact that for the past month he had done 100 repeats of the hill every night at midnight. As Steve Derkits put it, "That guy is my hero, I want to Facebook friend him." Feel free to nominate another rider as the most chill rider in the ECCC. Regardless, Blake Hawthorne will win, hands down.

Trials and Tribulations of a Collegiate Cyclist

2009-03-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

It all starts way back in January. There's just a point when you say...I want to be in shape come the spring ECCC season....and then it begins. Riding in just about every type of weather...snow, rain, clouds, fog...everything but sun and warmth. I often wonder how many people realize how dedicated of athletes we collegiate cyclist are? Training upwards of 18 hours/week, funding our own race weekends, leaving school on Friday and returning early Monday morning...heck we even create/run/promote our own events! But it all pays off...

This weekend PSU had a great showing at the Philly Phyler, even with the lack of toliet paper that was available. PSU scored points in almost every event, and perhaps even more important...worked as a team to score those points in every event. It was not very often that you could find a lone PSU cyclist in the peleton this weekend...we were almost always accompanied by a fellow rider. Crashes were present in most races, and the D's suffered a few losses due to this. Is it just me or does both Columbia and Crash start with a C? Arnaud BORNER crashed his Madone 6.9...but did not break his colar bone and Mike M wrote on Lance Armstrong's wall. The PSU ladies brought home many points and our Men, from D to A, were high in the standings. We may not be at many races this season...but the ones we are at...watch out cause we are ready!

The Uncarved Block

2009-03-30T09:19:00.000-04:00

Lao Tzu said of the sage, "If he would lead them, he must stay behind." I don't think he was talking about bicycle racing.

After my very sagacious performance this weekend, I realize that I'm going to need to do some serious work to get back to racing strength. However, I am so psyched about Penn State's results this weekend - especially those of our newest riders. I am always surprised to the sorting out of those who have never raced - it's impossible to tell how they will perform in their first race. I was also enthused to see the improvement of our returning riders. We placed 2nd overall for the weekend, beating out even UVM, who were racing in great form. Congrats to everyone!

Lao Tzu also wrote, "Ruling a nation is like cooking a small fish." He really was a most mysterious man.

Mountain Bikers, Triatheletes, and Marathon Runners, Oh My!

2009-03-30T00:33:00.000-04:00

This weekend's Philly Phlyer may eventually be remembered by some seasoned vets as just another rainy ECCC road race. But for a group of mountain bikers, triatheletes, and even a marathon runner, the 2009 Philly Phlyer will be remembered as their first ever weekend of road racing. Unfortunately, for many of the Penn State riders entered in the D Circuit Race, this would also be their first experience with a crash in a road race. Despite the troubles, Andy Haughton, president of our Tri Club, was able to cruise to an easy victory after riding off the front without any attempt from the peloton to chase him down.

Sunday morning's TTT had very wet and miserable riding conditions. Even with two of the riders dropping off early on due to being beaten up from the previous day's crashes, Andy Haughton was able to lead our team to a second place finish with the help of fellow triathelete Troy Stam.

Although the roads did not entirely dry out for the crit, the racing conditions were much improved over the time trial. To avoid the possibility of another mass crash, we entered the race with a new strategy: keep the pace fast to drop the weaker riders early and spread out the field. By having a large number of PSU riders near the front, we were able to keep pushing the pace while having riders in ample position to gain points in the primes. When the bell sounded with one to go, I sprinted off the front causing most of the riders in the field who chased to burn out just halfway into the final lap. Andy Haughton, who was able to remain protected in the draft for much of the race, was then able to move through the field of tired riders and sprint to the finish for his second victory of the weekend.

Although the weekend left many riders and bikes beaten up and abused, overall, it was a successful, fun weekend for a large group of first time road racers.

B-L-O-G

2009-03-08T11:18:00.000-04:00

How do you spell "band wagon" with only four letters?

Yes. Penn State Cycling is following the lead of collegiate teams in the ECCC making a blog. Like many teams, we want to create a face to our club which is more personal and more active than our webpage. Look for race reports, new racers experiences, thoughts on cycling in State College, alumni posts... and who knows what else. The club is a diverse group, so I think this could have an interesting outcome.

But there are some "Thou shalt not"! No proselytizing. Let's not try to imitate the bike snob too much. No training logs (zzzZZZ), either, and, duh, let's keep it at least a little PSU Cycling related.

If you're interested in contributing, let me know.