This Sunday, the Peloton-Specialized Cycling Team will host our third and final Colorado Bike MS Training Series ride of 2009! Join us for some great training for all abilities. The ride will leave Peloton Cycles in Fort Collins at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday June 21 and will cover the route below.

Join us for a great ride and get your last-minute preparation for the Great-West Life Bike MS, Colorado’s Ride 2009 Presented by Sam’s Club!

The Peloton-Specialized Cycling Team will host the second ride in our 2009 Colorado Bike MS Training Series on Sunday June 7.  The ride will leave Peloton Cycles‘ Fort Collins location at 10:00 A.M. Sunday morning and cover a 59 mile route that includes Carter Lake and Horsetooth Mountain Park.

Registration will take place between 9:30 – 9:50 A.M at Peloton Cycles.  Participation in the ride series is free and groups for all abilities are available.  If you are training for your next charity ride, century, race, or general fitness, join us Sunday for a great time!

Bring your riding partners and join in a group ride for a great cause!

Email bholcombe@peloton-specialized.com for more information.

When only one other person showed at the Oval this morning, I headed toward Estes Park for a little high altitude pain and suffering.  The ride went well  for 90k, up and down the Glen Haven Road in the rain, with good sensations after a week of rest.  I did not fuel well today before or during my ride, though, and had a serious bonk in Eden Valley.  The wife and I rushed to Five Guys for a burger IV though, and after a quick nap, all is well.

I’ll have a serious training block next week, culminating with a day on the Dead Dog RR course in Wyoming on Friday, so it was nice to get my legs spinning uphill hard today.

I passed a triple bike heading up to Horsetooth Reservoir this morning.  The two adults on the rig bore bright purple and yellow jerseys of the Triple Bypass.  Rolling around the south end of the reservoir, I smiled and waved at three riders in orange Copper Triangle jerseys.  I climbed over to Inlet Bay past another Triple Bypasser with a different jersey before passing another Copper Triangler near Horsetooth Mountain Park.  Heading up Eden Valley southwest of Masonville, I passed yet another charity rider wearing a Courage Classic jersey.  I would pass no fewer than 10 more charity riders sporting their favorite ride jersey over the rest of my ride.

This got me thinking about how many different charity rides we have in Colorado.  The short list includes the Bypass, Triangle, and Courage Classic, plus the Colorado Bike MS ride and Ride the Rockies.  Countless smaller rides exist throughout the year funding everything from sustainable development to muscular distrophy.  “Good for these folks.  They’re riding for great causes and proud to show it,” I thought.

What’s your favorite charity ride jersey and do you wear it on the road?  Are you planning to ride in any charity rides in 2009?

If you’d like a great training opportunity for your next charity ride, come out on Sunday June 7 for the second ride in our Colorado Bike MS Training Series.  Details are available at our homepage.  We had a great turnout for the first ride and look forward to spending more road time with each of you next weekend!

Brian

“Inside.”
“Whoa, man!”
“Come on guys!”

These are the things a rider hears as a Cat 4 racer in a criterium.

I rode today in the second leg of the spur-of-the-moment Memorial Day Omnium, the Rocky Mounts Louisville Criterium. Finishing second in Friday’s Superior Time Trial and looking ahead to the June races, I was out to stay near the top of the omnium standings without making a huge effort. The Koppenberg Circuit Race closes the weekend on Sunday with a good taste of dirt and I loves me some dirt.

The race started as a usual crit, ripping fast for the first few laps while everyone gets sorted out. With no teammates and a strong turnout from a few Denver/Boulder teams, I planned to stay near the front of the race, try to hop into a break if one looked good, and finish near the front.

The race held up to the cat 4 moniker “crash fest,” as sketchy bike handling was the order of the day. At least three straightaway crashes hit the peloton in the first 10 laps. I was tucked safely between third and tenth wheel all day and avoided any of those shenanigans.

This photo of the Mens Cat 3 Race leaves something to be desired (Holcombe, 2009)

A few prime attacks stayed away for a max of 3 laps, but in the end the bunch would have nothing but a sprint. (Read negative racing). With just over two laps to go and a 5280 rider off the front at about 10 seconds, I attempted to bridge, but couldn’t cut the strings from the pack.

I knew where I wanted to be heading into the last 2 laps and executed my plan. Unfortunately, I chose the slow wheel of a Colobikelaw.com rider heading toward 500 meters and missed out on the action at the front.

I slotted in for 15th, which lands me in 4th on omnium points heading into Koppenberg. I conserved a bit today and hope to go well tomorrow over the berg. The race should fracture early and often with the 16 percent-plus, rutted berg and a low angle climb on the tarmac each lap.

It should be a great Sunday, sloppy or dry!

“Line!”
“Middle!”

Brian

Team member Mike Williams currently sits 4th in the American Cycling Association’s Best All-Around Rider standings in the SM 45+ category!  Mike won April’s Deer Trail Road Race and has consistently placed near the top of the board in early season individual time trials.  Mike is building toward his primary season goal of a Colorado State Championship in the Individual Time Trial at the John Stenner Memorial Time Trials on June 6.

2009 Results
Frostbite Time Trial SM 45+ 2th Place 25.29
Deer Trail Road Race SM 45+ 1st Place 2:01:15
Haystack Mountain Individual Time Trial SM 45+ 4th Place 35:18.0
Rabbit Mountain Individual Time Trial SM 45+ 5th Place

We’ve finalized our first route for the 2009 Colorado Bike MS Training Series.  We’ll see you Sunday May 24 at 9:45 A.M. at Peloton Cycles in Fort Collins! All are welcome – MS 150 riders and non-riders! The events are free and casual – come join a group for training motivation and fun.

The Peloton-Specialized Cycling Team is pleased to announce that the team is partnering with Colorado Bike MS in the organization’s commitment to improving the lives of the more than 72,000 Coloradans affected by Multiple Sclerosis.

The Fort Collins based Peloton-Specialized Cycling Team will host a three-ride training series for cyclists leading to the 2009 Colorado Bike MS event on Sunday May 24, Sunday June 7 and Sunday June 21, 2009. The training series, free of charge for all cyclists, will include groups for all ability levels. The training rides will depart at 10:00 a.m. from the Peloton Cycles Store located at 3027 East Harmony Road, Fort Collins, CO 80526 and will follow portions of the route outlined for the 150-mile Great-West Life Bike MS, Colorado’s Ride 2009 Presented by Sam’s Club, which will take place June 27-28, 2009.

Cyclists interested in taking part in the training ride series should stay tuned to www.peloton-specialized.com or call Brian Holcombe at 970-219-3780 for more information. Registration will be available at Peloton Cycles between 9:30 and 9:45 A.M. on the day of each ride.

Brian

Dan Porter posted a 2x video from the Pro/Open race and results from all categories at Tuesday’s New Belgium STXC Series event.  Be sure to check out Dan’s site for more information on the New Belgium series and Fort Collins cycling.

Tuesday May 5 is the final event in the New Belgium series.  Racing starts at 4:30pm on the east side of the brewery.  Entry is $5 and no experience or racing license is required.

Brian

The Peloton-Specialized Cycling Team showed strong form in the Men’s 45+ races at the Deer Trail Road Race and Haystack Mountain Time Trial over the weekend.  Mike Williams sprinted to victory at Deer Trail and finished a solid fourth place at Haystack.  Below is a brief race report from Stuart Culp.

Old guys rule.  Mike beat (Jim) Dickerson in a sprint, Scott took 7th.

Mike took off about mile 3 with one other and was still off with about 15 miles to go.  At that point they were followed by a group of 5 including Jim Dickerson and Scott Queen.  Obviously (by the times) Scott & Jim’s group caught them, but Mike was still able to win the sprint after being off the front with just 1 other for at least 25 miles.

Impressive, not just Mike, but Scott’s return to racing too.

These results will no doubt boost Mike’s confidence as he rolls toward his major season goal, the Colorado State Time Trail Championship.

Specialized has been pulling out all the stops in its pursuit of the ideal road shoe and the folks at Pez Cycling News have taken notice.  Read the Pez review of the Specialized BG Pro Road shoes and get to Peloton Cycles to try your new shoes today!

BG Pro Road features:

Patent pending x-link™ closure system is redesigned for secure ankle control and unmatched adjustability

New low profile and lighter weight M-lock SL buckle for secure closure

Lightweight FACT full carbon sole uses TorsionBox technology – 11.0 stiffness

Replaceable heel tread

Engineered Micromatrix upper is light, durable and supple fitting

Performance enhancing BG contours in the outsole and High Performance BG+ Footbed

Approximate weight 550g pair (#42)

Brian