Ron Kennedy wins in Boulder : Superior Morgul Crit Race Report

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Sam Acheson

Race Report: Superior Morgul Crit Race Report

Location: Superior, CO (very close to Flatirons Mall)

Course: A 0.85 mile “L” shaped course with an uphill finish and about 50’ of elevation gain per lap. The 45+ Cat 4’s ride for 45 minutes.

Temp: Comfortable, (50F at start)

Clothing: Team kit including Pearl Izumi knee warmers, arm warmers (rolled down after a few laps).

Bike: Specialized S-Works Tarmac

Once again I tested to correlation of sleep quality to race performance and came out on top. The 45+ Cat_4’s were scheduled for a 7:55 am start time. My plan was to leave the Fort at 6 am, arrive by 7 am and have 30 minutes or so after registering to warm up. The drive went as planned, the volunteers were great and registration went smoothly but I still managed to chew up any spare time I had pinning numbers, finding clothing etc. and ended up with about 15 minutes to warm-up.

The races were running a little behind schedule so we didn’t start until about 8:05 am. Immediately the announcer announced that the 2^nd lap would be a prem. There went any hope of an easy start to the race to continue my warm-up. It was an unrealistic expectation anyway. My plan was to conserve as much as possible for Sunday’s Road Race so I tried to not get too caught up in the prem’s. That said I did go after one (I think it was the second) and got the prem but after that decided I’d stick to my original plan.

There were a lot of prem’s (6) which kept things interesting. For the 45+_4’s all prem’s were merchandise. The sprints were pretty safe as the straight-away up to the start/finish line was wide leaving plenty of room to carry speed through the downhill corner before hitting the straight-away.

I don’t know if others were riding conservatively to save themselves for the road race tomorrow or if we just had a much better behaved group of riders but everyone seemed to hold their lines well through the corners and the race went without incident for 19 laps. Then on the final lap the guy in front of me clipped a pedal in a corner and pitched his bike sideways. Somehow he managed to keep it upright and I managed to avoid him (he by far had the tougher job). We dropped down into the final corner for the sprint to the line. It’s probably 1000’ from the final corner to the finish. I had good line into the corner and decided I wasn’t going to wait for someone else to jump. I went hard and got a gap on the group. Now all I had to do was hold on to the line. 800 feet on a grade that continues to increase turned out to be a long way. It looked a lot shorter when I first sprinted out of the corner. Anyway, I was able to hang on and take 1^st.

Koppenberg Road Race Report

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Sam Acheson

Location: Superior, CO (a few miles southeast of Boulder on Hwy 36)

Course: A 5.5 mile loop with 2 miles of dirt including one notable climb which had been graded this year taking away much of its bite. The course climbs about 300′ per lap (a couple hundred on dirt and the rest on pavement). From the start its a gentle climb on dirt for about a mile and a half when you turn right and head up a short but punchy climb. The climb was a little loose but every one around me was able to keep it upright and pedal over the top. The 45+ Cat 4′s would do 4 laps.

Temp: Cold 35-40F but not as cold as I was expecting

Clothing: Team kit including Pearl Izumi Jacket, leg warmers, mid-weight gloves.

Bike: Specialized S-Works Tarmac with 700×25 tires (worked for Mead Roubaix so I figured I try it again).

After the Mead Roubaix I wasn’t sure I was up for another dirt ride on my road bike but after the Lookout Mountain Hill Climb was cancelled on Saturday I decided to give it a go. I had never ridden this race before and I knew it had a reputation for a nasty dirt climb which the video on the Boulder Racingwebsite made look more like cyclecross event then a road race. I decided to drive down and pre-ride the course only to find they had graded the climb. Let’s see 112 miles of driving to do 5.5 miles of riding, I better do something on race day to justify that drive-to-ride ratio.

My usual 2 Peloton 45+ cat 4 teammates, Sam N & Dan E, were both tied up this weekend so I was on my own. I’d come to miss them late in the race.

We took off a few minutes after the 35+ 4′s. The start was uneventful but shortly after several riders had their race ended early with flats as we hit the dirt on the first lap. The road was mostly hard packed but every once in a while you’d kick up a big rock; I must admit I don’t really like to hear rocks ricocheting off my carbon frame. ”Mostly hard packed” doesn’t mean all hard packed and there were a few stretches of loose gravel to keep you on your toes. The pace was high on the dirt as everyone tried to jockey for position at the base of the climb.

Time to test the legs on the climb. I usually seemed to end up about 6-10 back at the base of the climb which wasn’t ideal but wasn’t bad (of course it could go bad based on the bike handling/climbing skills of those ahead of you). There were two hard packed tracks up the climb with some loose dirt in between. As long as I watched the weight distribution on the climb I was able to climb pretty much any line though I would spin a tire from time-to-time. The climb is steep but short. There is about another 1/2 mile or so of dirt before you’re back on the pavement descending to a hard right. Another climb on pavement then another descent before a hard right towards the slightly uphill start/finish line.

The second lap was much like the first without the flats up until the final turn towards the start/finish line. I hear the screech of bike on road and out of the corner of my eye see a rider go down. Someone said he was trying to take a drink and hit a hole in the road. A bad end to his day and a warning to the rest of us to keep our head in the race.

The 3rd lap was more of the same, then into the final lap. The pace was a little higher but not too bad on the dirt, then someone a couple bikes ahead of me hit the loose gravel and went down. I had to break hard to avoid getting tangled up in the carnage but was able to skirt it to the left. Whew! Another 500′ up the road and another rider would get into the soft gravel at the left edge and go down. This lap’s starting to look pretty ugly and I’m starting to wonder if all it will take to finish in the top 10 is to stay out of trouble.

We finally hit the dirt climb for for the last time. No problem, but when we get to the top a couple riders jumped off the front and got a gap. I went around a couple riders and closed the gap. Unfortunately, everyone else was still on my wheel. We descend on the pavement into the next corner then begin the climb. Some riders towards the front start trying to get a rotating pace line going. It works long enough to get me to the front then no one’s coming through and its clear I’m going to be stuck on the front (now I’m missing my teammates). I tried to set a steady pace up the climb and save the legs for the attacks to come. Two riders attack on the left I hopped onto their wheel, perfect. In about 3rd position going into the final corner. I felt pretty good at this point but when I tried to sprint my chain dropped off the outside of the front chainring, $#%*@&. I looked down and saw it hanging on the crank. It seemed to take forever but I was able to spin it back on; however, several riders had passed me at that point. Time to try to salvage what I can and I sprint past a few riders. Figured I was close to the top 10 but had to wait for the results to find out.

Kurt Ireland’s Fatback Snowbike

Posted on January 12, 2011 by jimfu

Kurt Ireland got a Fatback as a nice Christmas present, so while most of us were hoping that the unseasonably mild weather would hold out… Kurt could be none the happier when the white stuff came out of the skies.

Kurt on the Coyote Ridge/Soderburg/Blue Sky trail network

Bike specs:

Frame/Fork: Fatback Al frame and Carbon Fork. Made for Speedway Cycles out of Anchorage, AK.

Tires: Surly “Larry” size 3.8…. Roughly a 4” footprint with 70mm rims running about 6PSI

Rims: 70mm and drilled to make them a bit lighter.

Hubs: Hadley – Front 140mm/Rear 170mm

Fatback (outboard bearing) crank that fits a 100mm BB shell.

Shimano front derailleur that’s offset for the wider BB shell.

The rest of the parts are not “snowbike” specific and came off an old geared 26er.

"It’s a blast….with tons of control in snow."

Kurt recaps his ride, “On Sunday it took 4hrs to get from Coyote Ridge parking lot to bottom of the antenna road and CR parking lot….with less than 10 mins of stops….a truly great outdoor workout on a snowday!!”

Team Meeting 11/04/10

Posted on November 5, 2010 by jimfu

The highly-anticipated Team meeting to round up 2010 and set groundwork for 2011 was attended by an energetic cadre of returning and prospective members as well as shop colleagues and other team sponsors.

The group gathers to meet and greet

Convening at Cafe Vino, one of the team’s sponsors, the attendees quickly caught up with other as well as met and greeted prospective members.

Ben Duke, Team Rider, says hello to friends old and new

A round of self-introductions was made by each of those in attendance.

Individuals introduce themselves briefly

Sam Acheson, Team Manager, then turned the floor to Mike Geoffrion, Peloton Cycles Shop Liaison, who outlined sponsorship objectives for the coming year.

Mike Geoffrion (L) and Sam Acheson (R) recap the team's year and provide a glimpse into 2011

Mike also provided an overview of the new team structure being implemented in 2011 whereby the squad will be distinguished between the Elite Team, which is dedicated toward riders representing the team in at least 8 sanctioned races per year along with various other team and shop activities, and the Riding Club, which emphasizes social and community-oriented participation. Each group has its own kit, and is endowed with respective sponsorship and support provisions, with the common goal of providing greater visibility for the Team and its sponsors.

The 2011 Elite Team Jersey

On hand to unveil the 2011 team kits was Beth Leibo of Pearl Izumi. Based in Boulder, Beth was kind to spend part of her Thursday evening with the team, explaining the technical functionality and affordances of the Pearl Izumi Elite and PRO lines that comprise the Peloton-Specialized team kit that is currently in production.

The Elite Team kit features coldblack® technology which, although black in color, actually radiates heat better and keeps wearers more comfortable than fabrics of lighter color. coldblack® functions by reflecting solar radiant energy, minimizing thermal retention in the fabric, and providing 30+ SPF against UV rays.

The team is proud to be equipped with the supreme quality of Pearl Izumi product featuring coldblack® technology, and is elated to fly the new kits at upcoming races and civic events!

Beth Leibo of Pearl Izumi relating features and benefits of the 2011 kit fabrication

Beth explaining coldblack technology

KC McCuiston of New Belgium Brewing was also present with his colleague, Lora Heckman, who is also a Team Peloton-Specialized rider. KC, Lora, and New Belgium have been instrumental to the vitality and vibrance of the Fort Collins cycling scene of which Peloton-Specialized is an integral element, and their continued support is greatly appreciated. Feature refreshments of the evening and Ranger IPA pint glasses for the meeting attendees were graciously provided by New Belgium.

(L-R) Robin Torres, KC McCuiston, Lora Heckman, Bruce Runnels, Kurt Ireland

Following the meeting portion of the gathering which was held in the downstairs meeting rooms at 1200 South College Ave, the team reconvened in the pub area of Cafe Vino to while away the rest of the evening.

What's a party without swag?

Dana Hood (front), Peloton Cycles' Service Manager, putting on the smug with Stewart Pomeroy. Don't let him fool you... this guy's actually a genius.

What did you just do, Kurt...?

Ric Slayden (L) and Eric Liprandi are POMPED!

Stewart Culp making great strides recovering after a serious accident

Mike Hegdal (center) catching up with Cafe Vino proprietor Rich Taranow (L) and friends

2011 Team Kit

Posted on October 29, 2010 by jimfu

Team Peloton-Specialized is proud to present its 2011 Team kit design!

Many thanks to Pearl Izumi Custom for their assistance in developing and producing our kits, which will be represented in both the P.R.O. and Elite level specifications.

P.R.O. garments will be available in March ’11 while Elite will be available in December ’10.

Keep your eyes out for details on the new Peloton Cycles Riding Club, whose jersey is presented below.

VeloNews Review of Specialized ’10 CruX Comp

Posted on October 16, 2010 by jimfu

The 2010 Specialized Crux Comp borrows the proven geometry of the road-shredding Tarmac

Caley Fretz, a Fort Collins-based writer at VeloNews, and friend of Team title sponsor Peloton Cycles, pens a review of the Specialized CruX Comp in his three-part series Cyclocross Buyer’s Guide.

The CruX Comp, as a “budget” option with an $1850 price tag, was selected among a comprehensive range of test bikes that exemplify the “idea of high performance-per-dollar rides, not a collection of the dirt cheap. Each packs a lot of punch for the price…”

The CruX Comp is available at Peloton Cycles.

2011 Specialized Models On Line

Posted on August 25, 2010 by jimfu

The range of 2011 model-year Specialized is now online at www.specialized.com

2011 Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL-3 Ltd

2011 Specialized S-Works Epic 29er

2011 Specialized Roubaix SL3 Pro DA

2011 Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 29er

Lory Park Mountain Challenge: Borch, Heckman, Holcombe, Zabel

Posted on August 24, 2010 by jimfu

The Lory State Park MTB series, homegrown in Fort Collins, has been running strong and enjoying healthy turnouts of riders from the ranks of local tots to international pros in its inaugural season.

The series is held at Lory State Park beginning on August 3, and runs for each of the following three consecutive weeks. Registration begins at 4:30PM and closes at 5:45PM on each race day; the fee for those over 18 years of age is $10, while those aged 18 and under race for free.

The series is organized by the Ciclismo Cycling Youth Foundation, beneficiary of the race proceeds.

Team rider Lora Heckman has been on hand helping with the race organization.

Mark Zabel has been competing in the races, and describes his run during Week 2 (August 10) as follows:

“Course conditions were perfect and everyone I talked with had a blast. I ate dirt four times on the course, once uphill on Timber!?! That dropped me from third to fifth, but I passed one of the guys again down Kimmons. Then I fell in three different corners on the way back on East Valley trying to catch another guy just in front of me, but only ground more dirt in my bleeding elbow, knee, and hip. Geez, maybe I need to stick to the road. NO WAY, Man! Kimmons was super-cool and The Valley was way fast and furious. Seems to be a little confusion on the results – I apparently did not finish. TWICE. Once as #104 and once as #122. No matter - I did finish, bruised and bloody but ready for more!”

Following the last race of the season on 8/24, Mark reports, “I checked my finish from the race last night, just to make sure I wasn’t DNF’d again. Finished 6th, losing a really cool battle with two other dudes for fourth. We went back and forth the last five miles or so. On the upside, I was “Timber King”, finishing first on the climb, then was passed by five guys on the descent. Such is my mountain biking career!”

Thomas Borch has also been riding and providing his 5 year-old son, Sebastian, a taste of the race circuit.

Thomas Borch (#621) lining up at the start of the Lory Mountain Challenge

Thomas reports, “My son Sebastian and I raced at the Lory State Mountain Challenge August 17^th in the Kids under 8 and OPEN/PRO category, respectively. My 5 year old son took 4^th on his Specialized Hotrock 16.”

Thomas Borch and son, Sebastian, pre-race at the Lory Mountain Challenge

This '09 Specialized Hot Rock 16" alloy steed was Sebastian Borch's weapon of choice at the Lory Mountain Challenge. Sebastian opted for the heavy modification of going without training wheels which helped him to his outstanding 4th place finish in the Kids Under-8 category.

Thomas continues, “There were 21 starting riders in the pro/open class out of which 14 finished. I had two crashes during the race one of which really hurt since I basically decelerated from 20 mph to 0 MPH in one second, with just 2 miles to go, and made a classic somersault over the handlebar.”

Thomas Borch paying the departure tax after visiting Endo City at the Lory Mountain Challenge.

“After straightening my handlebar out I was able to get back on the bike and finish in 8^th place (time: 1:06:37). The race course consist of mostly single-track with several technical sections and great downhills.”

Team Peloton-Specialized next-generation rider, Sebastian Borch, aged 5, son of Thomas Borch, coming in for a 4th place finish. Congratulations, Sebastian! We are so proud of you!

And, although Team Rider John Holcombe has been out on injured reserve (see post), John hasn’t been keeping away from the action. His daughter, Emily, took 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd at the last three races, respectively, in the Kids Under-8 category. We are happy to report that after 3 months of recovery, John is back on the bike!

Emily Holcombe, daughter of John Holcombe, setting the pace to a 2nd place finish in the Kids Under-8 category. Congratulations, Emily! Team Peloton-Specialized has a very hopeful future!

The Specialized Hotrock Girls 20" 6-Speed: The ride of choice of Emily Holcombe, daughter of John Holcombe. Blazing fast like their owners, complete with 50mm-travel suspension fork, cantilever brakes, and 6-speed drivetrain headed by a 36T chainring. Can you handle it?

For event updates and results, see YourGroupRide and eventr.com.

Many thanks to the organizers, sponsors, volunteers, and participants of this excellent race series to which we look forward to many subsequent seasons!

Leadville 100 MTB: Ellis

Posted on August 15, 2010 by jimfu

Scott Ellis made Team Peloton-Specialized proud on Saturday, August 14th, on Scott’s 14th campaign of the Leadville 100 MTB race in which he finished to a PR time of 9:42.

Scott Ellis looking strong after finishing to a PR time of 9:42 on his 14th consecutive run of the Leadville 100 MTB.

While Scott is now deep in the recovery locker, here’s what Scott had to say last week prior to the race:

“Saturday, I’ll be competing at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race – for the 14^th time. The cut-off time to be an “official finisher” at Leadville is 12 hours. I’ve finished each year, typically between 10 and 10 ½ hours. My best finish was last year at 9:48. This year, riding my new Specialized S-Works Epic, I’m shooting for around 9:30.

The race has grown considerably since I started. The first year I did it, 1997, there were about 400 racers. This year, more than 1500 riders are signed up from 48 states and 21 countries. Some big names expected to be there this year are: Lance Armstrong, Dave Wiens, Matt Shriver (top three last year), Levi Leipheimer, Jeremiah Bishop, Ned Overend and Tinker Juarez.”

The starting line of the Leadville 2010 MTB race was a walk-of-the-stars of the sport at 10000'. Photo: Sally Irmiger

Now, with the race having been ridden and the surprises having been revealed, the stories as epic as the race itself are left to be told… and here’s Scott’s:

“Saturday, I finished my 14^th consecutive Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race. I finished in 9:42, which was a PR for me. The course was probably in the best condition I’ve seen. Besides being a little warmer than usual, the weather was also favorable. Most of the day there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

Scott Ellis was the recipient of the silver belt buckle for finishing the Leadville 100 MTB race in under 12 hours. Photo: Velo Noise

“The number of people racing, crewing, and watching the event has grown significantly in the past couple of years. In 1997, the first year I did the race, there was somewhere around 400 racers. This year there were over 1300 lined up for the 6:30 AM start. With this many people, it gets crowded out on the course. It took about an hour for the field to spread out a little. Before that, unless you’re able to start in the front of the pack, you’re pretty much forced to ride the same pace as everyone around you.

The course of the Leadville 100 MTB is an out-and-back, with each 52-mile leg featuring nearly 7000' of elevation running two-way racing traffic.

“The 104 mile out-and-back course lies mostly over 10,000’ elevation and, depending on whom you listen to, consists of anywhere between 12,500 and 14,000 feet of total elevation gain. Racers that finish before the 12 hour cut-off get a hand-crafted silver belt buckle. Racers that finish in under 9 hours get the “La Plata Grande,” a bigger gold and silver belt buckle. Depending on the year, approximately two-third to three-quarters of the people starting the race finish before the 12-hour cut off. The course is not particularly technical, although there are some sketchy descents that cause carnage every year. This year was no exception.

The venerated "La Plata Grande," or gold-and-silver belt buckle awarded to contenders who finish the Leadville 100 MTB race in under 9 hours. Photo: Jeff Kerkove

“The Specialized S-Works Epic was a great choice for the course. Thanks to Dana Hood at our title sponsor, Peloton Cycles, for making sure it was ready for the race.

The leadout at the bottom of Powerline belies the loose, rutted treachery of what lies upslope. Photo: Linda Guerrette

My stats: I finished 270th overall out of 1300+ riders and 30th out of the 225+ in my category, M50-59. Ned Overend (venerated fellow rider for our title sponsor, Specialized Bicycle Components) was the first place finisher in my category.”

The elevation profile of the out-and-back Leadville 100 MTB course. The course peaks at the Columbine Mine turnaround point, elevation 12500'.

Congratulations to Scott for such a longstanding commitment to this race, and for his outstanding PR finish!

See Singletrack.com for a video of race highlights.

Specialized Named 2010 Best Bikes

Posted on June 15, 2010 by jimfu

Specialized took the two top spots in the mountain bike categories in Bicycling magazine’s 2010 Editors’ Choice Poll.

In the hotly contested Trail Bike category, the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp beat out rival offerings by Trek and Cannondale.

In the Performance XC category, the Epic Marathon 29 impressed testers as the “most fearless descender” that handles with “near perfection.”

The 2010 Specialized Epic Marathon 29: "An amazing high speed racer"

The Stumpjumper FSR Comp and Marathon Epic 29 are available at Peloton Cycles – but with an already lean supplier inventory, both will go even faster with these awards!