CicLAvia anyone...

The time is nigh upon us, and considering how seemingly groundbreaking it is to see something like this in downtown Los Angeles I don't want to miss out on this happening on the streets of our big neighbor to the west. So I think I will forego this weekends cyclocross races in Chino in favor of this street party. The question is, how to get there from here, it is a bit far for the rest of the family, so riding direct is out, and driving just does not seem in the spirit of the thing. So that leaves Metrolink from Claremont to Union Station, or Gold Line from Pasadena. I have done the Gold Line route sans bike, so am somewhat familiar, but have never gone Metro. Anyone with preferences or suggestions and would like to chime in?

Time to join?

As seems to happen every few years, I have recently fell upon the idea of possibly giving some consideration to finding a new team to ride / race with next year. I know it is a bit late in the year for this; most of the big name, (and smaller name) pros got stuff like that sorted out long ago. Of course I have neither a big name, nor do I ride for a living, so if I happen to take a little longer to decide it is  no big deal. The idea however, started me thinking about the whole process beginning with: Why (join a team), who (or which team / club to choose), what (criteria does one use to choose), where (this is actually one of the criteria used to help reach a decision).


All the teams I have ridden with have had various strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages. Some I recognized prior to joining, others I did not discover until later. I will list these teams now to get it out of the way - in chronological order: Chevrolet/L.A. Sheriff Cycling Club, Team Xtreme, Squadra Folgore, Carerra Promotion International (CPI), Pasadena Athletic Association (PAA) and most recently the Coates Cyclery shop team. I was with these teams for varying lengths of time, five years at the longest, one year at the shortest, beginning in 1990. There were also a couple unattached years prior to 1990 as well as numerous in the early 2000's when an emerging family life took precedence.


There are some preliminary considerations to give thought to that will help you narrow things down, and foremost among these is the type of riding you expect to do in the coming year (any team I have been a member of renew memberships on an annual basis). For instance, if you ride road bikes exclusively it may not be in your interest to join a mountain bike club, and vice-versa. Along these same lines consider whether you are a recreational rider, or a racer - there are exclusively racing teams, there are exclusively recreational clubs (though these may also include racers among their members), and there are clubs that welcome both types of riders. I know, teams/clubs that are exclusive to certain types of riders seems counterproductive when you are trying to grow the sport/activity, but they do exist and you should be aware of this. If you are new to racing, or thinking of giving it a try, consider a USAC (the governing body of the sport in the United States) member team where you can tap into the experience of the teams more experienced riders. But what is the difference between a racing team, and a recreational club? A racing team will be a member of the USAC, as noted above, and as such will be responsible for holding events during the year; if you are a member of one of these recognized teams it will say so on your racing license. Recreational clubs, on the other hand, are generally not members of the USAC, and thus not bound by the requirements of that organization.

Camaraderie at its finest - Chevrolet/LA Sheriffs

Alright, but maybe I am getting ahead of things here; perhaps the first question should be why join a club or team to begin with? For myself the overriding answer to this question has always been camaraderie. Most of my training road miles have always been solo, and almost all of my mtb miles have been that way. Being on a team or club then provides me with a sense of being a part of something greater, where interest, and indeed passion, in a common activity are held by all the other members. Most teams and clubs will hold regular or periodic team rides. Spinning down the road in a double paceline with 20, 30 or more other riders all wearing the same uniforms is something to experience, and the closest most of us will get to this iconic professional routine. Quality teams/clubs will hold monthly meetings where member can gather in a relaxed atmosphere, often at a sponsoring restaurant where the bond between members can be strengthened. There may also be barbeques, picnics or other non-cycling gatherings as well. On a personal level, I joined or switched to Team Xtreme, Squadra Folgore, CPI and PAA primarily for reasons of camaraderie.

Camaraderie between races

That said, there are other reasons for joining. Benefits, for instance. Most teams and clubs have sponsors and suppliers, such as bike shops, manufacturers, restaurants, etc, which often give discounts or even free product to team members. In a high-expense sport such as bicycle racing, this can not be overlooked. I was never one to select a team based on what I could get from a sponsor, but was just happy to accept whatever was handed out (maybe grumble a bit if it wasn't much) - after all why provide advertising space front and back if there is no return? Many teams will reimburse members their race entry fees for winning or placing, a not insignificant amount these days.


Another point you should give some thought to is location. Most teams have a home base. The first team I joined, the Sheriffs, were centered in Chino; I lived in Burbank, then Pasadena. That is a fair distance and limited the number of meetings and teams rides that I participated in. This past weekend, while watching some cyclocross at Bonelli Park, I noticed how one team in particular, Mitte van Vlaanderen, were just out to have a most excellent time, an example of great camaraderie, and definitely a team high on my "to join"list. But, I believe they are located in the Santa Monica area; a good long schlep from Claremont.


In review then, I believe it is important to choose a team/club based on what is important to you and what you want to get out of the relationship. Some teams have a great cohesion among its members, others provide outstanding benefits, some are very active, holding many group events during the year, others less so. Some are excellent at communicating with members - Team Xtreme for instance printed a great little 8 to 10 page newsletter - while other clubs are truly lousy at communication and you may not hear word one from them all year. Do a little research, ask around, observe at various events and you will eventually find the team or club that is right for you. 

I made a cover (of the Team Xtreme June/July 1995 newsletter)

Over the next couple days I will provide a list of resources to recreational clubs and racing teams as an addendum to this post.


USA Cycling (racing clubs/teams)
SoCalCycling.com (racing clubs/teams)
PeteandEd (may be a bit dated, some of the links did not work)
BikeLink (recreational)

Tour of California Informational Event...

Residents of the city received a prerecorded telephone message notifying us that Mayor Linda Elderkin will be holding an event in support of the city's bid to host a stage of the TOC next year. The press conference will be held tomorrow, Thursday October 7 at 5:00 pm at the Depot, 150 W. 1st Street. In fact a quick look at the Tour website shows that 2011 host cities will be announced on Thursday the 7th. I will hope to have more info here tomorrow.

Alright, morning now, and if you have not read it yet, VeloNews is reporting that stage 7 of next years Amgen Tour of California will start in Claremont and traverse mountain roads to the Mt. Baldy ski lifts, probably via Glendora Mountain Road, Glendora Ridge Road, and Mt. Baldy Road. Though the exact route is not yet set, this is already being called the toughtest stage in race's history to date, with a true mountaintop finish.

October Southern California Ghost Bikes...

James Laing, Agoura HIlls, 23 October (Link)
Daniel Marin, Pacoima, 2 October

Mark Westwood, Lake Elsinore, 2 October

About-face...

Tracy Wilkins over at Springfield Cyclist started this theme, I will play along and continue it, but only because we are experiencing much the same conditions around here (though we are not to "frosty" conditions yet). After a hot, humid weekend, the weather abruptly changed course overnight. Dark, low hanging clouds completely obscured the mountains, and it suddenly became cold enough for fingered gloves and windbreaking vest (could not convince myself to break out the arm warmers), and dark enough for lights, front and rear. The streets were dry enough around the home, but by the time I had ridden the two miles up to Mt. Baldy Road his evening, my wheels were kicking up a little spray. Two miles and about 200 feet makes all the difference in the world. Welcome to Autumn.

Krosstoberfest Day Two...

Day two at Krosstoberfest was slightly cooler and less humid, no mud this time, but many small mounds and tight turns to sap your strength. Hawaiian shaved ice, stripped knee-high socks, Claremont Colleges Cycling representing, Brew master's champion jersey, Teal Stetson-Lee slaying the field again. For the second day I wasn't able to stay for the UCI pro men's race, but if it was anything like the non-UCI pro,1/2 race it was not doubt a thriller.

Slide show link. Beware, it is longer than day one.

Krosstoberfest Day One...

The first day of Krosstoberfest was about as good a day as one could hope for, humid, muddy beards, cyclocross, racing, Focus, Specialized, Musseuw, durty women riding bikes, chicken tacos, and turkey dogs, miles and miles of yellow caution tape, still without a crossbike of my own. The racing was exciting. Did not stick around for the UCI pro men's race, but did see the UCI pro women, which was as high calibre as you would expect a race with UCI implications to be. Races take place tomorrow as well, and is just a quick ride from Claremont to Bonelli Park, north shore. You will have a great time, if you have a little time to spare. Just a few photos of the overly many I took are here, as usual though follow the link for a slide show of them all.

Ghost bike...Paul Pegram

Paul Pegram, Louisville, KY, 30 September 2010

It is not usual for me to add comments to these memorials, something just does not seem correct about it, but I am going to make an exception this time and take the opportunity to do a little moralizing. I also do not normally go looking for for cycling fatalities outside of California, because, quite frankly there are enough similar tragedies here as it is, but the way Biking in LA had worded this particular link made me take a look. As I expected what I read and saw after the jump served as just another example of how entrenched car culture remains. If you read the original account, a witness states that he "believes the driver could not have avoided the collision." YET, the cyclist was on the shoulder, and we are not talking about some 3' wide bike lane shoulder (or too often, less), this shoulder is more than a cars width between traffic lane and edge of paving. And a collision could not have been avoided? That is pure b.s. Clearly the driver was doing something which caused him to leave the traffic lane and not see the cyclist right in front of him - that road looks pretty damn straight where the fatality occurred. Distracted driving would be my guess, by someone not taking responsibility with the seriousness it deserves.

Look, the truth is, there are very few psychopaths who set out to intentionally cause injury and death to other road users. But complacency is even more dangerous because it is an everyday occurrence , and it is insidious because you don't recognize it until it is too late. We drive around for years upon years and nothing happens, and so consciously or not, we become complacent, convinced that nothing will happen. So, reaching for that phone when it rings becomes just another act without consequence, searching for that tune on the ipod, no big deal, what could happen? But then, one day, BAM! How many drivers get into their car in the morning and, before turning the ignition key think, "jeez, this might be the day that I kill or injure someone? I better pay attention and drive cautiously." Pick a number between 0 and 10 and you might be close. Lame excuses like "he came out of nowhere", "I didn't see him", or "I looked away for just a second are just so much wasted breath, and will do little to satisfy a conscience or ease someone else's pain. PAY ATTENTION.