Race Event:The Wisp XC Challenge

JR Petsko sent out this message, and I thought I would share it with you guys:

Special thanks goes out to, High Mountain Sports and ASCI! With out their help this event would not be possible!

Race Update: (Course Map)
Here is a basic map of the course for this weekend. I am still doing course work all this week so some spot may change slightly. (Course Map) As this is a ski resort the course will consist of MANY fire roads and double track section, rocks and long climbs. We are committed working with Wisp and ASCI to building more single track on the mountain so this event will become better each year. We are here for the long haul!

Parking and Start/Finish Location:
Please note that the event location is at the TOP of the mountain, NOT in the Wisp parking lot at the base of the mountain.(Directions here)

Event goes on rain, snow or shine!

Event Sponsored by:
Appalachian Bicycle Racing Association
Tomac Bikes
High Mountain Sports
Wisp Resort
Adventure Sports Center International
Dynamic Physical Therapy
Performance Coaching Service
XXCmag.com

Classes:
21 Mile Classes
Men’s Pro/Expert
Women’s Pro/Expert
Men’s Expert Vet (35+)
Men’s Expert Master (45 +)
Men’s Junior Expert (Under 19)
Women’s Junior Expert (Under 19)
Single Speed Open

14 Mile Classes
Men’s Sport
Women’s Sport
Men’s Sport Vet (35+)
Men’s Sport Master (45+)
Men’s Legend (55+)
Women’s Vet (35+)
Clydesdale
Men’s Junior Sport (Under 19)
Women’s Junior Sport (Under 19)

7 Mile Classes
Men’s Beginner
Women’s Beginner
Just for fun!

The Wisp XC Challenge is located at:

Wisp Ski Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD
296 Marsh Hill Road
McHenry, MD 21541

Time: Saturday, May 7 · 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Course:
Fast, fun and exciting new course at Wisp Resort that you are going to enjoy. Look for the course to include long sections of single and double track, challenging rock gardens and of course some thrilling descents! We are putting together an awesome XC loops that we have you asking for more!

Location:
Wisp Ski Resort
296 Marsh Hill Road
McHenry, MD 21541

Preregister on Bikereg.com for only $25. Race day registration will be $35.00 and will open at 9:00 AM and closes at 11:45 AM.

No Racing License Required!

How to get there:
From Pittsburgh(via Morgantown, WV)
1-79 S to I-68 East towards Morgantown. Take Exit 4 (42 South) at Friendsville, MD to U.S. 219 South 1 mile to McHenry. Turn Right on Sang Run Road. Follow signs 1/2 mile to Wisp on Marsh Hill Road.F

From Pittsburgh (via Uniontown, PA)
U.S. 51 South to Uniontown, PA. Take U.S. 40 East to Keyer’s Ridge. Take U.S. 219 South 16 miles to McHenry. Turn Right on Sang Run Road. Follow signs 1/2 mile to Wisp on Marsh Hill Road.

From DC Metro
I-270 to Frederick, MD. Take I-70 West to Hancock, MD to I-68 West and Cumberland. Take Exit 14A to U.S. 219 South 16 miles to McHenry. Turn Right on Sang Run Road. Follow signs 1/2 mile to Wisp on Marsh Hill Road.

From Charleston, WV
Take I-79 North to I-68 East in West Virginia. Take Exit 4 (42 South) at Friendsville, MD to U.S. 219 South 1 mile to McHenry. Turn Right on Sang Run Road. Follow signs 1/2 mile to Wisp on Marsh Hill Road.

No refunds starting two weeks before event date.

Online Registration Closes Thursday, May 05, 2011 at 8:00 PM ET

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Vacation Wrap Up

North Carolina has tons of beautiful locations. Apex NC has the culture, scenery, topography, and shopping/entertainment opportunities to make it the kind of place I have always wanted to live by.

The League of American Bicyclists courses I was teaching to all of the students at Olive Chapel Elementary may or may not have an impact to the area, but the infrastructure and culture already at that school will most definitely create a better town, once those kids start driving.

This is the terrible, but informative video we had to show to all of the kids:

There were several news spots telling the details of the way we were able to go down to NC and teach these classes. Katie Caggia, and Reed Huegerich need a ton of recognition because of their effort put into this Safe Routes to School program. I mean… this project is huge. The city purchased over 1000 helmets, and we were able to size, fit and distribute them all in four days.

http://www.carynews.com/2010/06/09/18492/news-briefs.html

http://olivechapeles.wcpss.net/news.html

http://www.walktoschool-usa.org/who/seecity-lastyear.cfm?st=NC&city=Apex

http://www.apexnc.org/depts/twn_serv/staffdir.cfm?dept=9

http://www.southwestwakenews.com/2010/06/09/6723/apex-road-project-gets-funds.html

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Have Times Changed At All?

Several weeks ago, I received Joe Parkin’s second book, Come & Gone: A True Story of Blue-Collar Bike Racing in America. What interested me the most was particularly coincidental, since it was about West Virginia, and well… y’know… I kinda live in West Virginia…

Joe Parkin mentions West Virginia at least five times in this book; roughly spanning the early to mid 90’s, and even now… his comments resonate with me, in terms of culture and locations.

Joe Parkin, himself.

With permission from Ted Costantino, VP/Editor at VeloPress, the publisher of this book,  I’m going to quote some of these portions:

Knowing that the guys who had raced the Tour DuPont would all either be flying (in which case they’d be untouchable) or completely wrecked (in which they’d be dangerous to be around), I wasn’t looking at Pittsburg or West Virginia as anything but training. It was a good thing too because in Pittsburgh I rode about as well as a first-year junior.

West Virginia on the other hand, was different. After nearly being arrested by a local cop for “playing on my highway” while we were out on a training ride, we arrived in Morgantown, West Virginia, and survived the prologue.” (Parkin, p16-17)

This made me cackle like a hyena! Even in 2010, I could imagine some Cletus or Billy-Ray policeman stopping a pack of people training on some rural road!

Another portion of the book talked about the night before the prologue of the Kmart Tour of West Virginia, Parkin is looking for a place to grab a bite to eat:

I came across a little hippie place called Mountain People, where the menu promised I could get something both healthy and tasty. I parked my bike outside where I could still see it and wandered in. I placed my order and sat down to wait, excited at the prospect of my first interesting meal in a long time. One of the other customers whom I took to be a regular, had been speaking nonstop since I’d first walked into the place, but with only waiting for my food on my mind, I unfortunately started to hear what he was saying.

“So which one of our merry band, do you think, will represent us in this bike thing?” he asked in no particular direction.
After receiving answers in the form of shrugging shoulders and barely audible grunts, he directed his attention at me, the only Lycra-kitted patron anywhere near the Mountain People.

“Hey, You,” he started, “are you here for this bike tour thing?”

Secretly I wanted to pull a pistol out from some secret, all-concealing jersey pocket and shoot this guy in the face. Instead I channeled my dad.”Yes sir, I am. Beautiful country here”

He continued to wonder aloud which locals would be represented. he then shifted his attention toward one of the other customers.

“Hey Benny,” he barked, “you should join this thing. You ride your bike all of the time.”

The guy then turned back to me.

“Hey, where do you sign up for this tour?” he asked.

“Well,” I said carefully, “this is an invitation-only race… one that’s open to professionals and a few amateur national teams only.” I shrugged.

“So how many professional women are there?” he said.

“You know, I don’t really know. There aren’t any here, though.”

“Why not?” he asked, as if looking for a fight. “Are you scared they’re going to beat you? Would that embarrass you?”

“No-”

“That’s awfully sexist, now isn’t it? he interrupted.

“Listen,” I answered, glaring and pointing, “This is not about that. This is bike racing… elite level bike racing. There is not a woman I know of who would be dumb enough to come and get her ass kicked here. It is a muscular, physical, and hormonal thing that has nothing at all to do with any sort of equal rights.”

“Hormones… like testosterone? Are you even tested for steroids?” he asked, confusing the subject. “No wonder you don’t allow women!”

“Yeah, we are. But fuck you,” I replied. “Fuckin’ hippies.” I turned my back on the guy and walked out. I’d been in West Virginia less than 24 hours, and I was already done with it.

The last portion really sets Parkin over the top, but retrospectively is hilarious. He is still trying to find something to eat, and gets ready to go to a coffee shop with his adjunct director Mark to go with him to this spot. I’m thinking it was the Blue Moose Cafe. he encounters a certain character along the way, and the drama starts…

As Mark and I made our way up the sidewalk toward the coffeehouse, an old man took offense at what he apparently viewed as my scofflaw attitude and started screaming, “Get. That. Gosh. Damned. Bi-cycle. Off. The. Gosh. Damned. Sidewalk!”

He came at me with all the speed and fury that an old man could muster, smacked me across the back with his cane, and then stuffed it into the spokes of my front wheel. In his eyes I could see nothing but hatred- hatred toward me, this race, and life itself. In the old man’s glare I also imagined that I could see my dad’s eyes and the confusion that lived inside his brain Alzheimer’s set in. Despite that sensation, I became the ugly visitor, spewing obscenities at the top of my lungs. I pushed the old man back with no regard for his age, his dignity, or his physical or mental condition. Had he swung at me, I would have come back with full anger of a frustrated and homesick skinny guy.

Wow. Just wow. This mirrors a situation that happened to me two or so years ago when I attempting to deposit a cheque at my bank. I rode down Main Street, and popped up onto the sidewalk, wanting to get to the entrance of the building. Maybe fifteen feet after I was on the sidewalk, an older, snaggly man shouted out “What in hell do you think you’re doin’ on this walkway with your bike?”

I had no clue how to reply, so I just pointed at my bank, and walked into the building with my bike, just in case he tried to destroy it or take it or some other crazy old man thing…

I’m sure people living anywhere have experienced situations like this with people young and old… I don’t personally believe this is a specific trait or attribute of West Virginians…

Morgantown though… It produces quite a crowd of odd people… If Joe Parkin ever decided to come back to West Virginia for just about anything, it would not surprise me if he attempted to avoid Morgantown~ I don’t blame him, I don’t think the town has changed too much in the past fifteen years~

Come & Gone can be found at Book Stores, Local Bike Shops, and Online.

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Local Events: First Road Race Of The Year

Morgantown Road Race

Presented by Pathfinder

April 3, 2010
Morgantown, WV
Held Under USAC Permit #2010-525
Appalachian Road Race Series #1

Leave your expensive Flux-Capacitors and fancy wheels at home cause it’s WV and we got pot holes, but do not forget your climbing legs, and yes, they can have hair on them too. We don’t judge! If you want to climb your legs off come join us over in West “by god” Virginia for some wicked hard yet truly fun grassroots road racn’!! This race course has just about everything a cyclist could wish for in ridge top views, back country road, big climbs and gear pounds flats.

While not technically in West Virginia, this is the first ABRA road race of the year. This will be the place to see what the rest of the season is going to look like.

More details here and registration here.

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wvcycling.net’s Goals for 2010

With the first month of 2010 almost over, it was about time to start making goals. Directions to take the blog. Things that need light brought upon them, and things I need to learn also. There is a lot about WV that I do not know. There is also a lot about cycling that I do not know. This blog is going to show progress in both of these alleys.

I’d really like to get out and explore more of the state. There are so many great places around here, and I need to become privy to the lesser known areas. This is where I hope my subscribers come in handy. If you ever have any suggestions on locations, let me know.

Another topic is to become acquainted with people in this state that can do good for cycling. Heck, I even hear Joe Manchin enjoys cycling. Nick Hein is the CEO, of Positive Spin in Morgantown. I hope to be able to learn a few things from him while at WVU.

The amount of businesses that dabble in cycling is actually pretty amazing in West Virginia. I’d like to see what they think about many things that go on, and what their goals are.

Me being the roadie that I am, really needs to develop a broader awareness of what is out there. Especially cyclocross. I didn’t know it was as big as it is here in the state. (Actually sending out an email to JR Petsco with questions about wvcx)

We can’t forget our MTB buddies, but there will still be a bigger chunk of time on EURO racing. Fitness will also be a big key for this blog, seeing how West Virginia’s obesity and diabetes ratings are only in competition with Burger King and Mississippi.

Also to the readers, invite me to one of your club rides. I’d really like to see a glimpse into other bike culture groups in this state.

There is still a lot of time left in 2010 and many words to be posted. Keep me updated with your lives, and I will keep you updated on all things wvcycling.

Don’t forget that wvcycling’s freebie contest ends Feb 1st

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