Betasso- Still standing!

We were happy to back up at Betasso and found the fire left it unscathed.  Adam, Alex, Ellie, &  Lynsey rode up from Boulder High.  The rest of us rode 3 laps counterclockwise.   Everyone rode well.  It had been awhile since we had ridden here and the improvement of our riders was evident.  Three weeks ago, 3 laps seemed a long way off.  I am looking forward to the next time trial here.  Our conditioning and abilities are improving.  Nice work!

EPIC day. Nederland and our first team picnic !!!

Epic- heroic or grand in scale or character.

This was such a day.

Look at his happy group of riders that were ready to bust their lungs at 7:15A.M.

Pure West Magnolia Happiness!!!

We had 24 team members, 8 support riders, and 4 hike-alongs! In addition, we had 2 brand new bikes and a mechanical that happened on the car ride up the mountain which prevented Parker from riding with us. Somehow a rock kicked up by a car sliced through his TIRE and tube. Go figure.
We made a few wrong turns (at least my group did) which allowed us to re-ride sections of trail to hit a better line the second time through.  BUT... Nobody got LOST!

The weather was just about perfect with cloud cover all day. Riding West Magnolia is just plain SWEEEEET! The curving switchbacks allow for practice of balance, speed control, and shifting of weight as you move your outside crank down from curve to curve. The sand and roots are either frustrating of exhilarating (Depends if you make your line!) Descending down the drainages teaches you to trust your suspension, and especially to get your belly button over the seat as you shift your weight BACK!!! Plus it's a good mix of short climbs.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Picnic at Eben G. Fine Park. Thanks to Lisa Sklar for suggesting the idea AND making it happen.

One more Week!!!

Ride FAST,

-Boyer

Marshall Mesa Intervals

Out and Back to MM for some Hill Intervals. It was a hot day. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. All the coaches are carrying first aid kits including emergency contact numbers for all the riders. It's good to be prepared, but hopefully we will continue to ride safe.



Check out this cool Flyby video of the route taken by Jamie's group.

Practice Cancelled

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the Fourmile Canyon Fire.

HALL RANCH !!!

Beautiful day.  The heat was tempered by a nice breeze.  Great turnout of 21 riders 3 dads and a MOM!!!  Left and returned from the North Trailhead off of Apple Valley Road.  Some day we will do the rock garden, but for now we want everyone in one piece for the first race (Only 2 weeks away!).  Most of us did 2 loops up top.  We rode it clockwise.  Everyone was psyched trying to make the short technical section at the top of the climb on the Nelson Loop.  Hint:  Follow Ellie's line !   You gotta love the ride down the Antelope Trail.  Those switchbacks are way more fun going down.  Here are some pics courtesy of Leslie Bohm (Griffin's dad).

Heading Out from the North Lot

BHS brawn!!!

Climbing towards the Nelson Loop

U-bikes, Roll Out, and Flat Repairs ...

Today, Lester, the general manager from University Bicycles, came down to talk to the team about our sponsorship agreement. Here are the details...

University Bicycles and Boulder High Mtn Bike team

2010/2011 Sponsorship Rules and Agreement

Being a sponsored athlete is a privilege that you must earn and work hard to keep. It means you are representing yourselves, your school and local businesses. University Bicycles will be part of the team over the long term as long as each of you have an understanding and respect for the rules.

Shop Rules:

-If your bike is dirty we will have to clean it to work on it. That costs $19. Never bring in a bike caked with mud for service.

-You will given the same courteous treatment we give all customers, but never will you be considered more important. This goes for service help as well as sales.

-As a sponsored athlete, you are expected to always be polite and professional, especially when you are in the shop.

-Your discount is for you only. It’s not for your girl friend, boy friend or your parents

-If you have problems with University Bicycles please take them to Mr. Boyer.

Agreement between University Bicycles and the Boulder High Mtn Bike Team:

1. Ubikes will provide a 15% discount on all parts and accessories for team members only. Service Labor is not discounted.

2. Ubikes has secured commitments with both Specialized and Cannondale for discounts on the purchase of certain mountain bikes to race on. Team members who want a new bike will dealt with on a case by case basis. You will get a 5% to 30% discount depending on the bike. Availability is not guaranteed.

3. Safety-All racers are required to have their bikes checked by our mechanics for safety.

This is a free service and we can recommend any necessary replacement parts as well. There is no need for an appointment, just come in anytime. All racers must obey the rules of the trail as outlined by IMBA. All racers must wear helmets while riding their bike.

4. Recognition of accomplishment-Racers who place in the top five in a race get a $10 credit to their account to use towards any item or service in the store. The racer must provide Ubikes with proof of their placing.

5. All bike purchases and $10 credits for placing should be brought to Lester, The General Manager. Please feel free to email or call him at any time. Email- lester@ubikes.comCell-303-330-7041

Lester and U-bikes has been very supportive of our new team and we look forward to a great relationship.

ROLL OUT

The league wants to make sure that the riders have a low enough gear to "spin" up hills so as to not injure their knees etc...

So a bike in its lowest gear must travel 80 inches or less in distance with one revolution of the pedals.

To measure this, you literally put the bike in its lowest gear and move the pedals one complete turn and measure how far the bike traveled. If it moves farther than 80 inches it fails the test. 

Its easiest to put a piece of tape on the ground. Turn the bike around so that the rear wheel is on the tape facing the direction you want to roll. Put a pedal at the 6 O'clock position and holding the handlebars roll the bike rear wheel first until the same pedal returns to the 6 O'clock position.

We tested all the bikes present- Only the 1x9's didn't meet roll out.

Flat REPAIR-

In a race you can not receive outside help. We want everyone to have the goal of finishing every race they start. A flat can certainly dampen the outcome of a race but it shouldn't prevent a rider from finishing. Every rider should be able to remove, repair a flat, and reinstall the rear wheel in less than 5 minutes.

Marshall Mesa

Any day without mechanical problems is a good day. Today was a great day. The group of 22 broke into 3 smaller groups with Ramos, Goulet, and myself riding along. The clouds were our friends and tempered the heat. We set our watches and started climbing for an hour and a half Out and Back. We had to stay on schedule as many riders (including Goulet & Boyer) had to be back to BHS at 6:00PM for Back to School Night. The spin to and from the Marshall Mesa Trailhead makes for a good warm-up and cool down. Overall, the groups averaged about 19 miles on the saddle. We had FIVE girls out today. Nice Work! It looks like we have finalized the design for our Jersey as of today. We will we sizing on Thursday. See you all there.

-Boyer

Heil Valley Ride Report

No better way to celebrate your 44th birthday! 18 riders, 5 dads, and my good friend Jamie Ramos (Jamie will help us on weekends) enjoyed the scrabble of Heil Valley under cloudy skies. A mixture of mechanical failures tried to dampen the day, but we persevered and returned with smiles on our faces. Our Sunday rides will increase our endurance on the bike. The first race in Nathrop: varsity boys- 26 miles, jv boys/varsity girls-19 miles, frosh-soph boys/jv girls/frosh-soph girls- 13 miles. Increasing miles on the bike and riding times will help us on Sept. 19.

Some lessons learned today:

Organization counts: I need to know who will be riding ahead of time so that I can make smaller groupings of around 6 riders with a ride leader and a goal for the day. 25 riders are a lot to keep track of and efficiency is lost.

The value of gloves: a couple of riders ended up with microscopic hair-like thorns all over their hands after taking an unexpected departure from the bike. Gloves are good!

Checklists are good: a checklist of things to remember to take with you on the day of a ride might mean you won't have to ride with slip-on tennis shoes instead of your bike shoes.

Preparation saves the day: a chain tool in your pack can turn a busted derailleur into an excuse to convert your bike to a single speed (and not have to walk down the mountain).

Some things just can't be helped: a rim failure will most certainly mean you will be walking down the mountain!

Illegal Pete's needs to sponsor us !!!

Life is good.

-Boyer