Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Join the Rampage this Saturday

Meet at Cafe Hollander (2608 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee) at 10. a.m dressed like Santa!

Free coffee, route info and Fat Tire Beer (only if you're 21)!

Existing and new Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin members get drink specials throughout the day. (Bring your Bike Fed membership card).

New! Pre-ride meeting points: Join other Santas for the ride to Hollander! All roll-in rides depart at 9:30am!!! Riverwest: Fuel Cafe (818 E. Center St., Milwaukee); Tosa Village: Cafe Hollander (7677 W State St., Wauwatosa); Bay View: Anodyne Coffee Co. (2920 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee).

More info: http://bikewinter.org/

The Iceman Has Cometh

The Red Hawks ventured up and over Lake Michigan to Kalkaska and Traverse City this weekend to race the 28-mile Iceman Cometh Challenge. Eric Smith posted the best time for Ripon at 1 hour 55 minutes and 13 seconds. It was good enough for 5th place among the Michigan Youth Cycling Scholarship racers and the final spot on the podium in the category.

Other Red Hawks results:

• Andy Fehrenbach : 2:14:30 : 16th : MYC 12-18
• Tiffany Seering : 2:46:28 : 28th : Sport Women 19-34
• Paul Meuer : 2:47:53 : 21st : Beginner Men 15-18
• Andy Ayers : 2:56:41 : 28th : Sport Men 19-24
  

Smitty 20th in DH; Red Hawks 12th Overall

Eric was looking forward to the downhill competition at the collegiate mountain bike championships. After dropping a chain during his qualifying run for the four cross yesterday and missing the 32-man cutoff by less than a second; he was very much hoping to redeem himself today.

But a few technical difficulties had him a bit on edge. First, he discovered a missing nut on the pivot of his rear suspension. The bolt could not be tightened. It didn't seem like the bolt would come loose, so attempted the four-cross qualifier with confidence. The dropped chain cut his competition in that event prematurely, but it gave him time to practice the downhill. So while 32 D2 men raced for the national championship in 4X, Smitty took three runs down the DH.

On his third run, he severely bent his rear derailleur hanger thus effecting his ability to shift well. Between the loose bolt and the bent hanger, Smitty's confidence took a hit. Still, his outlook before departing on his first seeding run was positive and he came away with the 26th best time (5 minutes even) of the 51 D2 competitors — meaning he'd be the 26th rider to tackle the DH course for the real deal.

In his bid for the D2 national championship, he cut his time by 13.9 seconds to take 20th place with a time of 4:46.1. The winning time of 4:13.23 was put in by Michael Thomas of Appalachian State University.

In the end, Ripon finished the nationals competition in 12th place overall among the 25 Division 2 schools competing. Smitty's 20th in the DH, 22nd in the STXC and 28th in the XC dropped him into the top 10 in the D2 individual male omnium competition.

Tiffany 17th; Eric 22nd in Short Track

It's no secret, neither Tiffany nor Eric like the short track discipline. So after the grueling day both experienced on the mountain in the cross country event yesterday, they were most certainly not looking forward to the equally challenging short track course at Northstar.

They both put in great efforts in spite of the soreness in their bodies. It was exhilarating to hear Tiffany called to the start line first as the Midwest Conference champion. The exhilaration soon faded as the reality of the opening climb set in, followed be a nasty crash on the downhill section. In the end, Tiffany lasted only three laps before being lapped by the eventual winner, Kay Sherwood of Colorado College. Still, she wasn't the first to be removed from the race and placed 17th.

Having a good starting position would be key in the short track as the racers immediately climbed up a road of loose gravel. Eric was fortunate to have a place right up front, but like Tiffany, it didn't do him much good. He struggled up the long climb and the downhill section was too short for him to effectively use his skills to gain ground on the leaders.

Those leaders would eventually lap him, and Eric was pulled from the race with three laps to go. He finished in 22nd place among the 40 starters.

He hoped to do even better in the four cross event, but during his qualifying run, he dropped the chain and limped across the finish line. His run time was 35th best. Only the top 32 qualified for competition. Eric's time was 3/10ths of a second shy. Them's the breaks. You hope such bad luck doesn't occur during the biggest race of the year ... well, for Eric, the biggest race of the year is tomorrow. The downhill is his favorite event, and I predict he'll come back strong tomorrow.

Red Hawks Experience National-Level Competition in California

After Day 1 at the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals, Ripon was 10th (of 22) in the overall team omnium scoring for Div. 2 schools. This after a rough day for Tiffany and Eric.

Tiffany was the final woman across the finish line in the 3-lap, 22.5-mile cross country race Friday morning. She crossed the line in 3:30:46.40, battling the 800 feet of vertical on each lap and significant pain in her knee. Of the 19 D2 women who started the race in the village at the Northstar at Tahoe Resort in Truckee, Calif., Tiffany was 15th. Four women did not finish the race.

Similarly, Eric was the last man to cross the line for the D2 men. Eric finished the 4-lap, 30-mile race in a time of 3:07:03.65 to place him 28th among the 38 starters. Ten men did not finish the brutal race up and down the ski mountain at Northstar.

Regardless of the results, I was extremely happy with the effort and determination both riders showed today. In an odd move, the race officials pulled riders from the cross-country race if they did not complete the second (for women) and third (for men) laps in a specific time.

Had Tiffany come through the finish three minutes later after two laps, she would have been pulled. Instead she went out for her third lap. The effort almost proved too much for her though. But it wasn't. She completed the race ... a national race.

Eric was the last D2 man left to head out on the fourth lap in the men's race. Still he had a respectable race. He finished ahead of two D1 riders. And like Tiff, he completed a national-level race.

For both riders, it was tremendous experience. This is Ripon's first trip to nationals, but it will not be the last. Tiff and Eric will most likely be back next year, and now we all know what it takes to compete at this level.

Mountain Bikers Make the Marquee

Hawks' Wings Iced at WigWam MTB Challenge

The unseasonably cold weather put a chill into the Red Hawks cycling team yesterday at the Wigwam MTB Challenge in Sheboygan, Wis. Eric Smith was the only Ripon cyclist to earn a podium spot in the 12th and final race of the 2009 Wisconsin Off Road Series. Smith placed second in the male 17-18 year age class of the Junior X category.

Junior X is the equivalent of the elite category for racers 18 and under. Eric lost time when he had to repair a flat midway through the race, but he still finished. Several other riders abandoned the race after experiencing flats. Despite his mechanical setback, Eric finished seventh out of 13 in the Junior X category. Five of those 13 did not finish.

Andy Fehrenbach could relate to those who abandoned. He experienced two flats during his race and was forced to drop out after the second one. Furby was in good position in his age group (17-18) of the sport class before dropping out. It was unfortunate that he was forced to abandon because he was having a great race before the mechanical issues.

Tiffany Seering was the highest placing Red Hawk in the sport division. She finished 17th in the women’s field — fifth in her age group (19-29). During the race, she complained about having difficulty breathing due to the cold. With temperatures in the lower 30s at the start, the cold could have affected her performance ... perhaps cold induced asthma?

Ripon’s other performers — Andy Ayers, Paul Meuer and Zach Smith — finished 96th, 152nd and 158th, respectively, in the sport division.

It was not a great race for us overall, but it provided Eric and Tiffany with some more solid race experience leading up to nationals and gave the rest of the team incentive to work hard in the off-season to prepare for next year.

Eric and Tiffany will leave Thursday to head to the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals at Northstar at Tahoe Resort in Truckee, Calif. The rest of the team has some downtime before participating in the Iceman Cometh Challenge, Nov. 7, in Traverse City, Mich.

A new DVD for when it's time to head indoors

The days are becoming shorter and colder. Soon, it will be time to spend a good number of hours training indoors in the gym or the gloom of a basement corner. If the end of the season isn't depressing enough, being relegated to an hour spinning and going nowhere can seal the deal.

For now, the Hawks are concentrating on keeping Eric and Tiffany in top shape to race at nationals next week. When they return, however, our focus will turn to preparing for the 27-mile Iceman Cometh in Michigan. With the Iceman a month away, you can bet that the Hawks will be spending some time riding the trainers that Saris Cycling Group was so kind to donate to us last year.

Now, riding inside on a trainer doesn't have to be torture. There are lots of ways to make it fun and interesting. Selecting different movies and music and playing different games can make the time fly by. And of course there are any number of DVDs designed specifically for training indoors. I've found one series that recently came across my desk to be particularly interesting and enjoyable.

Global Ride LLC has produced a couple of virtual cycling DVDs that follow cyclists through scenic and challenging landscapes. Rather than watch a group of sweaty individuals riding trainers while you're riding a trainer (kind of hard to pretend you're doing something enjoyable when you're constantly reminded that you're not by the group in the DVD ... watching yourself in a mirror may be more effective), the Global Ride concept (and it's not a new one) helps you imagine your riding along the coast of a Hawaiian island or through the Dolomites of Italy by providing a first-person perspective.

I recently spent a raining morning with StrenDurance in Hawaii, one of three DVDs in the Hawaii box set. The DVD has U.S. coach and triathlon hall of famer Sally Edwards providing instructions and inspiration while we follow a cyclist on a four-mile climb on the island of Oahu and along the shore on Maui followed by more climbing up the Maui cliffs.

The scenery is magnificent and the accompanying music selections work well. I did, however, find the instructional audio a bit hard to hear and understand (If you're riding solo, you may want to use headphones.). I also found myself wishing the DVD included a visual dashboard to highlight the target exertion levels, cadence, heartrate and gearing, especially given the difficulty I experienced in understanding the coach's instruction.

Global Ride founder Gene Nacey, a certified spinning instructor and heart zones cycling coach, says they've improved the audio quality for the forthcoming Italy series. He also said the whole point of the Global Ride DVDs is to help the rider get lost in the scene before them on the screen, therefore they decided not to include any visual cues on screen.

In additon to the training offered on the bike, each DVD comes with a 30-minute off-the-bike exercise session to strengthen your core and improve flexibility. The Maui Rollers DVD includes a yoga; the StrenDurance DVD includes strength-training; and the Oceanside Ride DVD includes Pilates. Each is a perfect cool down to compliment your training ride while also working as an effective workout on its own when time is short.

If you're going to be spending some time locked away going nowhere, give the Global Ride DVDs a try. You can at least pretend you're exploring new, beautiful locations. But be prepared to make a financial investment. The Hawaii boxed set sells for $75 while the individual discs run $30 each. This is comparable to most other DVDs on the market, plus you get the added 30-minute off-the-bike training.

Visit the Global Rides Web site for more info.

Ripon Secures MWCCC Div. 2 Title

The Red Hawks headed into this weekend’s Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference Championships trailing Michigan Tech by 529 points in the Division Two standings. When the dust settled on the trails near the University of Missouri campus Sunday, Ripon had built a 217-point advantage over Tech to secure the 2009 title.

The Red Hawks effort was led by Tiffany who garnered 228 points with fourth-place finishes in both the Women’s A cross country and short track cross country events. T’s hard work moved her up in the overall individual season standings to third place — tops among Division 2 females — and ensured her spot at the upcoming collegiate mountain bike nationals at Northstar Resort at Tahoe in Truckee, Calif., Oct. 16-18.

Joining her at nationals will be Smitty, who claimed the Div. 2 individual conference championship. Smitty was ninth in the Men’s A cross country event Saturday morning. He then injured his left hand during a trial run of the downhill course that afternoon. Somehow, he was able to suffer through the pain and finish his two runs of the descent for an 11th-place result. He proved his mettle once more by returning Sunday to compete in the short track race on a challenging course that included a steep uphill climb and a rock-strewn downhill. The downhill section was so rough on his injured hand that we was forced to walk it on his final two laps. He still finished in the top 10.

Smitty merely needed to complete the downhill and the short track events to secure a spot on the starting line in those events at nationals. He wasn’t sure he would be able to compete with his injury, but he showed true grit and determination in not only participating in both events, but in performing very well considering the pain he was in.

Shaggy brought home two individual titles from the championship weekend. He won both the Men’s C cross country event and the short track event while also competing in the downhill and dual slalom events. He grossed the most points for Ripon behind Tiffany. Shaggy has shown a lot of progress in what is really his first season racing bicycles. He has a real competitive energy and a drive to expand from the cross country events into the gravity discipline.

Furby garnered the Red Hawks' only other podium placing with a second place in the Men’s B short track race. He also finished fourth in the Men’s B cross country event.

Zach flatted and crashed out of Saturday’s cross country race but returned Sunday to finish fifth in the Men’s C short track event. Paul was eighth in the short track and 10th in the cross country.

I’m very pleased with how far our program has come in just its second year. We’ve won the conference title and two of our riders have earned a trip to compete at nationals. Our progress is ahead of schedule.

Look for the Red Hawks at the final race of the Wisconsin Off Road Series, Sunday, Oct. 11, in Sheboygan.

Time Trial Week 7

1. Andy F. = 20:17.69 (3:55.16/4:00.78/4:05.13/4:10.30[16:11.37]/4:06.32)* {-1:03.88}
2. Eric = 21:36.75 (3:45.16/4:19.34/4:11.47/4:35.16[16:51.19]/4:45.56)* {+0:50.97}
3. Andy A. = 18:37.91 (4:17.44/4:34.34/5:04.99/4:41.54) {-0:06.53}
4. Paul = 20:42.37 (4:40.85/5:12.84/5:24.03/5:24.65) {-0:28.91}
5. Tiffany = 24:19.69 (5:31.25/6:09.60/6:13.18/6:25.66) {-1:59}**

*5 laps: the number in [ ] indicates the total time after four laps for comparison to the other riders.
{time difference from last week}
**Tiffany's time difference is from two weeks ago

Lap distance: 1.05 miles

Furby proved the fastest today. He dropped more than a minute from his time of last week. Must be the new bike.

Smitty wasn't feeling well, and his times showed it. He busted out the fastest time yet on his first lap, but his subsequent laps revealed his sub par health. In the end, he gained more than 50 seconds on last week's time.

Shaggy and Paul both continue to exhibit improvement, while Tiffany destroyed her prior best by nearly 2 minutes.

Ripon an Honorable Mention among Bicycle-Friendly Businesses

The League of American Bicyclists recently awarded Ripon with an Honorable Mention in its Fall 2009 list of Bicycle Friendly Businesses.

The League of American Bicyclists recognizes the businesses that promote bicycling for transportation, recreation, exercise and sport. These businesses also must practice social responsibility by including bicycling in the business culture, promoting the health of each person and the environment. When awarding these businesses specifically, they evaluate them in the four categories of encouragement, education, engineering and evaluation.

In response to this award, David Joyce, president of Ripon College, said, “Ripon’s Velorution Project for students and the recent extension of that program to faculty and staff is part of a broad effort to rejuvenate use of the bicycle as a fundamental form of transportation and recreation. We’re excited and proud to learn that our dedication to this effort has captured the attention of the American cycling community.”

Red Hawks Continue Winning Ways at Michigan Tech

Eric Smith's first foray into the collegiate men's A category was a successful one. The freshman from Charlottesville, Va., placed sixth in the cross country race, fifth in the short track cross country race and first in the super D event hosted by Michigan Technological University Saturday and Sunday in Copper Harbor, Mich.

Smith made the jump to A in all race categories in a bid to secure a spot on the start line at nationals in Truckee, Calif. His teammate, Tiffany Seering is all but a shoe-in for the championship event to be held at the Northstar at Tahoe resort, Oct. 16-18. Seering, a junior from West Bend, Wis., placed second in the women's A cross country race; was first in the A short track race and was second in the A super D.

The performances of Smith and Seering capped a successful weekend for the Red Hawks. Freshman Andy Fehrenbach abandoned Saturday's cross country race due to pain in his right wrist from a crash the week prior. He came back strong Sunday, however, to finish third in the men's B short track race.

The Ripon men swept the podium in the men's C short track event. Junior Andy Ayers of Eagle River, Wis., junior Zach Smith of St. Louis, Mo., and freshman Paul Meuer of Elburn, Ill., finished in first, second and third, respectively. All three also finished in the top 10 in Saturday's cross country event where Ayers was second, Smith was eighth and Meuer was ninth.

The Red Hawks will travel to Columbia, Mo., next weekend for the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference Championships hosted by the University of Missouri.

Kettlepalooza 2009

The Red Hawks cycling team will be at regionals in Missouri, but I wanted to spread the word about this great event planned by Randy Wegener. If you're interested, contact Randy at rwegener@excel.net

Hey Everyone,

I know the next few weeks are super busy with MTB races, CX races, etc. but I've got a fun weekend planned for anyone who may be available. Some of you may or may not know that I've been heading up the volunteer trail building effort at Greenbush for the last few years. Last year I organized a trail building day that was quite succesful. We were able to complete loop #3 of the new trail system. This year myself and Gary Lake, who is involved with the Southern Kettles, have joined forces to organize another trail building event but this time it is going to be bigger and better. I've arranged with the Northern Kettle Moraine Forest Superintendent, Jerry Leiterman, to provide our group with complementary camping, shelter use, park passes, and trail passes for October 2nd through the 4th. The weekend will consist of trail building, group rides, bbq, and some fun events. All free to participants who volunteer a few hours of their time to help us try and complete loop #4 of the new singletrack on Saturday morning. This loop has been rough cut by the DNR but it is up to us as volunteers to do the finish work. This will finish the new trail system with a total of approximately 9.5 miles of singletrack. I've listed the itinerary for the weekends events. Whether you can come out for the entire weekend or for just the trail building on Saturday we'd welcome your participation. This is a family event so bring the entire family. If you think you'll attend please drop me a line as we are trying to get a head count for food and whether you'll be bringing children. I appologize if this is a duplicate e-mail for some of you but now that all the times have been secured I wanted everyone to be informed.

Thanks,

Randy

KP EVENT Schedule

FRIDAY

• Noon 10 pm Arrival and Camping Set Up in Group Sites 8 & 9
• 8:00 pm - Friday Night Ride Bring Lights

SATURDAY

• 8:30 am Gather for the workday at the shelter
• 8:45 - 9:15 Invasive species presentation and safety discussion presented by the DNR, Award presentation to WI's best trail and trail advocate sponsored by Gnomefest.
• 9:15 am -10:00 am Depart for worksite and organize crews at site
• 10:00 - 1:00 Trailbuilding
• 2:15 - 2:45 Kids Race & Ride
• 2:45 pm - Ladies Ride, Group Rides, Hangin' Out
• 6:00 - Kettlepalooza BBQ: Brats - Chicken. - Hamburgers - Corn on the Cob - Soda - Beer - all complimentary to Kettlepalooza participants thanks to generous donations from WORBA, The FatCats and Gnome-Fest!
• 7:30 - Just before Dark - Derby
• Group Camp Fire

SUNDAY

• Morning - Group Rides at Greenbush
• Afternoon - Group Ride at New Fane?

Week 6 Time Trial

1. Eric = 20:45.28 (3:51.28/4:02.25/4:14.25/4:19.79[16:27.57]/4:17.61)* {+0:07}
2. Andy F. = 21:21.57 (4:16.97/4:11.75/4:19.10/4:20.81[17:08.63]/4:12.94)* {-1:22}
3. Andy A. = 18:44.44 (4:25.70/4:40.67/4:51.20/4:46.87) {-0:09}
4. Paul = 21:11.28 (4:57.03/5:09.34/5:29.41/5:35.50) {-2:27}**
5. Zach = 22:52.07 (5:09.85/5:45.43/6:35.09/5:21.70) {+2:06}

*5 laps: the number in [ ] indicates the total time after four laps for comparison to the other riders.
{time difference from last week}
**Paul's time difference is from two weeks ago

Lap distance: 1.05 miles

Eric's and Andy's overall times were pretty consistent to last week, as were their individual laps. Furby showed some dramatic improvement over last week's times, gaining a minute and 22 seconds. Paul gained more than a minute since his last time trial effort two weeks ago. Zach's slow down can be attributed to the injury he suffered to his knee Saturday at Purdue. Though he said the knee felt OK, rather it was his stomach that he said was bothering him. We'll see how this all plays out this weekend at Michigan Tech.

Seering repeats in DS at Purdue

Last year at Purdue, I coaxed Tiffany into giving the dual slalom a "go." She had never done any gravity event. Heck, it was her first season on a bike. But the slalom course at Purdue is so tame, it brings gravity to the masses. So Tiffany gave it the old college try and wound up winning her category.

We returned to Purdue this season with the intent that every Red Hawk would take a chance down the grassy, dirty, mulchy slopes of Slater Hill. And every Red Hawk — with the exception of Zach, who was beat up from a mishap in the cross country race yesterday — donned a full-face helmet and took a ride down the hill.

Tiffany had the most success, winning the Women's B category by defeating Brooke Crum in two tries.

Smitty took second in the Men's B, and Shaggy took second in the Men's C. Everybody had a blast with the experience, including Furby who was reluctant after injuring his wrist during the short track. While he was eliminated after two runs, he admitted he had fun despite the pain.

Paul "Jumbo" Meuer looked a bit out of place taking his 29er down the course weaving between the trees. He was eliminated after two runs against Shaggy.

The dual slalom capped a fairly successful weekend for the Hawks. Smitty took third in the brutal short-track race. Furby, who went down hard in a grassy turn, showed true grit in finishing the race. His effort earned him an eighth place.

Shaggy took fourth in the men's C race with Jumbo coming in seventh.

Tiffany hung in for fifth place in the women's A event.

Smith 2nd; Seering 3rd in Purdue XC

First-year Eric Smith sprinted his way to second place and junior Tiffany Seering finished third in the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference cross-country race at McCormick Park on the Purdue University campus.

In the Men's B race, Smith came out of the woods in third place behind Lindsey Wilson's Taylor Ladd and Jacob Brackett. He clung to the wheel of Brackett, who was in second place, until the final stretch when he dug deep and sped away to claim the number two placing. The path of dry and extremely dusty dirt that served as the starting and finishing stretch was also very loose. Smith lost control in one of the open turns near the end of his first lap. When it came down to the finish, however, he played it safe — riding in the wake of the Lindsey Wilson rider until after that final turn — before turning on the jets down the straightaway.

Seering took to the woods in the three spot and held her ground there throughout her three laps. She came within 10 seconds of eventual second-place finisher Brooke Crum of Lindsey Wilson, but a run-in with a tree in the final lap forced her to settle for third. It was her best placing of the season in the Women's A category.

In the Men's C race, junior Andy Ayers was Ripon's best-placed rider in fourth.

The Red Hawks will return to the Purdue campus tomorrow for the short-track cross country and dual slalom events at Slater Hill.

Week 5 Time Trial

Eric = 20:38 (3:57/3:53/4:14/4:21[16:25]/4:13)* {-31 seconds}
Andy F. = 22:44 (4:24/4:36/4:37/4:33[18:10]/4:34)* {-20 seconds}
Andy A. = 18:53 (4:24/4:46/4:54/4:49) {-28 seconds}
Zach = 20:46 (4:45/5:24/5:27/5:10) {-19 seconds}
Tiffany = 26:18 (6:29/6:45/6:38/6:26)
President Joyce = 22:15 (5:04/5:43/5:49/5:39)

*5 laps: the number in [ ] indicates the total time after four laps for comparison to the other riders.
{improvement from last week}
Lap distance: 1.05 miles

Wisconsin nonmotorized trail users need to voice support for SB 265

In reaction to the following plea, I just sent the message below to the members of the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry and Natural Resources (Sen.Holperin@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Sullivan@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.plale@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.hansen@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.kedzie@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Grothman@legis.wisconsin.gov).

I urge all Wisconsin hikers, bikers and nonmotorized trail users to do similar.

Dear Wisconsin State Senators of the Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources,

I am writing you to voice my support of Senate Bill 265. As you are well aware, this bill would create a much needed segregated fund with an annual appropriation of $10 million or 1 percent of state motor fuel taxes, whichever is less, to be spent on the maintenance of nonmotorized trails. This is a measure that I whole-heartedly support.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources already administers similar programs that provide grants to snowmobile and ATV clubs to pay for the upkeep of their users’ trails. It seems fair, then, that a measure to make local government and nonprofit groups eligible to receive money to fix biking and hiking trails be put in place.

There currently exists a great disparity between how the maintenance of motorized and nonmotorized trails are funded. Revenue from a motor vehicle fuel tax is an appropriate source of nonmotorized trail funding.

This concept has won majority support on the Special Committee on Enhancing Recreational Trails for Nonmotorized Use.

There are two other bills before the you which I support: SB 266, which would create the Nonmotorized Recreation and Transportation Council; and SB 264, which would increase the trespassing penalties for ATV, snowmobile and other off-road motor vehicle drivers.

I ask that you please continue to moves these bills forward.

Thank you.

Hawks make impression at WORS Treadfest

Eric Smith continues to impress as he finished first in the 17-18 year age group in the Sport category of today's Wisconsin Off Road Series Treadfest race at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis. He was first among a group of 10 riders, completing three laps of the technical course with lots of vertical in just over 1 hour and 20 minutes. His time was good enough for 16th overall among all Sport racers.

Andy Fehrenbach finished just more than 6 minutes behind his teammate, good enough for sixth in the age group and 59th in the category of 182 finishers.

Forty-four starters did not finished the race, a testament to the difficulty of the course and the unseasonably warm temperatures. Among those who did not finish was Andy Ayers, who was forced to withdraw from the race with a broken chain on his second lap.

Zach Smith finished 12th in the Sport 19-24 group and 142nd overall. Due to a timing SNAFU, Paul Meuer was not given a result, which is unfortunate, because the determined first-year racer definitely finished the race.

On the women's side, Tiffany Seering finished third in the 19-29 age class of Sport riders with a time of 1:49.58 for three laps. Her result was good for 15th among all women Sport competitors.

The beauty of a WORS race is Coach gets to race, too. I finished second in my 35-39 age group of Comp racers and 12th overall with a time of two hours and four minutes for four long and agonizing laps.

Wednesday Time Trial Results

Well, I tweaked the time trial just a tad this week. I had Smitty and Ferbie, my B riders, go one additional lap for five total — a bit closer to race time for the short track races, which is what the Prairie course most closely resembles.

Both Smitty and Ferbie went great guns on their first laps and then slowed. Again, Tiffany was unable to participate. She spent a good deal of time at the hospital today and the entire team wishes her well.

I also had the opportunity to try out my new stop watch.

Everybody showed improved times compared to last week ... a good sign of progress.

Times were as follows:
Eric = 21:08.87 (3:55/4:07/4:14/4:27[16:43.93]/4:25)*
Andy F. = 23:04.21 (4:21/4:30/4:35/4:41[18:17.33]/4:47)*
Andy A. = 19:21.15 (4:38/4:39/5:07/4:53)
Zach = 21:05.24 (5:06/5:08/5:27/5:24)
Paul = 23:38.37 (5:50/5:39/6:05/6:12)

*5 laps: the number in [ ] indicates the total time after four laps for comparison to last week

Seering, Smith top performers for Hawks on Day 2 of Romp

Tiffany Seering took fifth in the Women's A STXC race today, while Eric Smith finished fourth in the Men's B event.

Tiffany did her best to hang on to the four Lindsey Wilson riders in her field, but the tempo and the repeated climbs proved to be too much. Lindsey Wilson's Ashley James once again proved she is the best in the discipline by setting a blistering pace. While Tiffany once again proved her toughness by hanging in until the end despite pain in her right knee.

"Smitty" battled hard for third place in the Men's B race, but couldn't maintain the pace of Murray State's Eric Dobberfuhl, the eventual third place finisher. Smith was within seconds of Dobberfuhl's wheel, but was forced to settle for fourth place in the final three laps.

Our other B rider, Andy Fehrenbach rounded out the top 10.

In the Men's C race, Andy Ayers was in a solid third place when he lost control of his bike on a grassy downhill section that was still wet with morning dew. Andy remained upright, but lost his momentum, allowing Michigan Tech's Andrew Reed to swoop into the 3 spot. Zach Smith and Paul Meuer finished behind Ayers in fifth and sixth place, respectively.

Red Hawks Romp at Nordic Mt.

Eric Smith dominated the Men's B downhill competition during the Red Hawks Romp at Nordic Mountain today. Smitty took the top place by more than 20 seconds in the event in which riders combined their times for two runs down the rocky trails of the ski area. It was his first competition on his new downhill rig after shearing the rear axle on his old ride at Butler last week.

It was Smith's second first-place finish in the discipline in two weeks and led the Ripon attack. Eric was also Ripon's top finisher in the Men's B cross country race, taking third place behind Joseph Maloney of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Taylor Ladd of Lindsey Wilson College. Ripon's Andy Fehrenbach finished in 14th place in the event.

In the Women's A cross country race, the Red Hawks sole female Tiffany Seering took sixth place, just over a minute and a half behind fifth-place finisher Brooke Crum of Lindsey Wilson.

Andy Ayers again led Ripon in the Men's C race. The junior from Eagle River, Wis., was about two-minutes off the pace of second-place finisher Graham Kennedy of the University of Michigan. The Red Hawks put all three of their C Men in the top ten with Zach Smith finishing 8th and Paul Meuer finishing 10th.

Week 3 Time Trial

This week we extended the time trial to four 1.05-mile laps in an effort to get closer to exceeding 20 minute times.

Everyone showed a lot of consistency in each of their four lap times and everyone showed improvement when comparing total time for three laps last week versus three laps this week. Well, everyone but Andy F. Believe it or not, Mr. Consistency hit the exact same time for three laps this week as last. Each of his four laps tonight differed by only six seconds.

Eric was the first to crack the four-minute mark. He did so on his first lap. Impressive given that he was riding Andy's Velorution Cannondale. He did wipe out on one of the turns in his fourth lap, however.

Unfortunately, Tiffany is sick and missed tonight's training. We hope she feels better tomorrow.

Times were as follows (the number in [ ] indicates the total time after three laps for comparison to last week):
Eric = 16:50 (3:53/4:03/4:14[12:10]/4:40)
Andy F. = 18:31 (4:35/4:37/4:41[13:53]/4:38)
Andy A. = 20:32 (4:51/5:04/5:18[15:14]/5:18)
Zach = 22:01 (5:09/5:35/5:37[16:21]/5:40)
Paul = 23:56 (5:19/6:02/6:01[17:22]/6:34)

Ferbie top Hawk in Butler STXC; Smitty gives MX a go

Andy Fehrenbach was Ripon's top short track performer during day two of the Butler University race weekend. He put in a good performance to finish second behind fellow Wisconsinite Eric Dobberfuhl of Murray State.

Eric Smith broke out to build a significant lead in the first few laps, but the effort was a bit too much to maintain for the duration, and he was forced to concede the race leadership to Dobberfuhl, who lapped the entire Men's B field. Smith dug deep and valiantly clung to a third-place finish.

In the Men's C STXC event, Andy Ayers led the three-prong Hawk attack with a fifth-place finish. Teammate Zach Smith placed ninth. Despite an aggressive start, Paul Meuer was forced to abandon with a flat tire early in the race.

The sole female Hawk, Tiffany Seering endured the course's brutal climb and the punishing tempo of the race winner and another Wisconsinite: Ashley James of Lindsey Wilson.

Eric Smith also gave the mountain cross a try and finished in fourth place among the Men's B riders.

Despite a few bike issues, it was a great first weekend. Hopefully we can get all of the problems fixed and have an even better showing at our race next weekend at Nordic Mt.

An unedited collection of photos from Saturday and Sunday can be found on flickr.

Eric Smith pulls double at Butler

I expected Eric Smith to have an immediate impact on the Red Hawks cycling program. He exceeded my expectations today with two first place finishes in two very different disciplines. Eric convincingly captured first place in the Men's B cross country race. He crossed the finish line nearly one and half minutes ahead of Missouri's Brent Davidson. Then after shearing his rear axle in a practice run on the downhill course, he proceeded to take first place in the B downhill by one second riding his cross country bike down the gnarly decent.

Eric's results capped a so-so day for the rest of the Hawks. Andy Fehrenbach experienced a mechanical early in the first lap of the Men's B cross country event and struggled to regain his position among the field. His efforts earned him a respectable 12th-place finish despite losing nearly 15 minutes due to the mishap.

In the Women's A race, Tiffany Seering discovered the steep curve between the B and A categories. After repeatedly finishing in the top two in the B class last season, Tiffany found herself brining up the rear in the A race. Ever determined, Tiffany showed her meddle by hanging in to finish just four minutes behind seventh-place Elizabeth Yarina of Michigan. It was a good learning experience for Tiffany, and I know she'll come back stronger next week at Nordic Mt.

In the men's C race, Andy Ayers was the top Hawk, finishing eighth. Zach Smith was just over a minute behind and finished 11th. Paul Meuer was 17th.

Time Trials: Week 2

So we altered our time trial course this week to make it a bit longer. (Thanks for the suggestion Brendan, though we're still short of 20 minutes. 4 laps next week?). I had the team ride three 1.05-mile laps. Each lap was the same and each included a roughly 108-foot of climb on packed limestone and loose gravel.

Times were as follows:
Eric = 13:12 (4:13/4:33/4:26)
Andy F. = 13:53 (4:42/4:39/4:32)
Andy A. = 15:56 (5:09/5:30/5:17)
Tiffany = 17:27 (6:00/5:44/5:43)
Zach = 17:50 (5:50/6:02/5:58)
Paul = 18:51 (6:15/6:22/6:14)

The rest of the evening training consisted of 8 climbs up the downhill section of our time trial and 10 climbs up the short but steep grassy slope separating upper and lower Sadoff Fields.

Hawks Tackle 3-hour at Blue Mound

The Red Hawks took part in their first race event of the 2009 season yesterday. The team and I traveled to Blue Mound State Park to participate in the 3-hour race of the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS) 12 Hours of Blue Mound.

I told them to treat the race as a long training ride, but of course, they could feel free to be competitive if they thought they could be.

Everyone but Andy Ayers and Tiffany experienced some type of technical difficulties. Despite breaking his chain twice and completing his third lap on one of the Specialized test bikes offered through Erik's Bike Shop, Eric was the top placing male for Ripon. He finished 14th among the field of 24 finishers with three laps in 2 hours 31 minutes and 18 seconds. (Though as I look at the results, I'm not sure how accurate they are.)

Andy A. followed close behind with three laps in just less than two additional minutes.

On his first lap out, Andy Fehrenbach stripped the threads on his left crank arm where his pedal connects. He, too, was forced to saddle up on one of the Specialized steeds to put in a few more laps. Paul had a flat and Zach's saddle came loose.

Tiffany had no major issues and paced herself for two laps to win the women's category. Her efforts (2 laps in 2 hours 9 minutes 56 seconds) earned her a fancy trophy — Ripon Cycling's first!

Everyone seemed to have fun and count the event as good prep for next weekend's season opener at Butler University.

Results

First Time Trial

We did our time trials in the prairie this afternoon. The route is just shy of two miles (1.875 approximately) with one long climb and one short steep climb. We will do this time trial weekly to gauge progress throughout the season.

Today's times were as follows:
Andy F.......8 minutes 48 seconds
Eric............9:07
Andy A......10:44
Tiffany.......12:58

Paul made a wrong turn, so his time was not counted. Zach just arrived on campus this afternoon, so he did not participate.

Check back next week to see if there is any improvement.

Team Building Exercises

The 2009 Red Hawks got of the ground (literally) on day one. We headed to the Kohler Experiential Learning Center for some team-building exercises on the low- and high-ropes courses.

From my standpoint as coach, it appears as if this group is already beginning to gel really well and that they will be very supportive of each other and each other's goals and ambitions.

The instructor noted that our group was very cooperative and quick to solve the problems thrown at us.

We completed the exercises in the morning, stopped at Ella's Della in Sheboygan Falls for lunch and then headed to Evergreen and Jaycee's parks in Sheboygan for our first ride together. Again, I was quite impressed overall with everyone's abilities and their desire to stick together as a group. "No one left behind" is already our unofficial motto.

It's going to be a great year. I can just tell.

For some additonal photos from the Kohler Experiential Learning Center visit new team member Andy Fehrenbach's flickr site.

Hilarious!

Red Hawks Ready to Romp

The Ripon College Red Hawks Cycling Team is looking forward to working with Nordic Mountain and the Wisconsin Off Road Series to bring a Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference race to Wisconsin Labor Day weekend.

The inaugural Red Hawks Romp collegiate mountain bike race will feature some of the area's best singletrack, a wickedly fun downhill course and a fast, challenging and spectator friendly short track.

This site will be the definitive source for race info. Take a peek at the course map, download the race flyer, check the race schedule and look for directions and lodging info.

For those who enjoy water sports, Nordic Mountain's new Nordic Wake Park will also be in operation.

The Red Hawks invite all Midwest Collegiate Conference teams to participate. Nordic Mountain provides some great spectating, so friends and relatives should come to watch. We'd also love to see some young high school mountain bikers who want to get a taste for collegiate racing.

Season Preview

The Red Hawks cycling program remains in its infancy, but I expect the team will take several big baby steps forward in just its second year.

We have two returning student-athletes who are now familiar with the college racing scene and know what to expect from the venues and the competition. For both of them, last year was their first year racing a bike of any kind. So that experience gives them a huge advantage over last year.

Plus, the Red Hawks add three new members who bring race experience to the fold.

Eric Smith, a first-year student from Charlottesville, Va., is a key acquisition for Ripon. Eric boasts three years of quality results in downhill and cross-country racing.

Eric is a student who will have an immediate impact on our program. He is certainly our first marquee recruit.

He is a versatile rider who has finished on the podium in both gravity and endurance events. He placed third in the 18 and under sport division of the 2009 USA Cycling Virginia State Downhill Championship at Massanutten Resort in McGaheysville, Va., in May. He finished second in two cross-country races this spring as well. He and a teammate finished in first place among beginner men in the sport duo category of the Paranormal 6-hour endurance race in Earlysville, Va., last November, and Eric finished second among racers 19 and under in the U.S. Junior Off-Road Duathlon (5k run/11k bike/3k run) National Championship in Richmond, Va., in April.

Andy Fehrenbach of Stevens Point, Wis., is another first-year recruit who brings experience to the table for Ripon. In June, Andy, who has been riding and racing for a number of years, placed second among 17- and 18-year-old males in the sport class at the Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS) Big Ring Classic at 9-Mile County Forest near Wausau, Wis. It was his best placing of three WORS races thus far this summer. In July, Andy participated in the Bike Northwoods Tour, a six-day bicycle trip averaging 50 to 60 miles a day through Northwest Wisconsin.

Andy is a kid who just really enjoys being on a bike. His enthusiasm will serve us well, and I predict he will show some quick progress this fall.

Rounding out a trio of new first-year student-athletes for the Red Hawks is Paul Meuer from Kaneland High School in Elburn, Ill.

Also new to the cycling roster this fall will be Ripon juniors Andy Ayers and Zach Smith. Andy, a computer science major from Eagle River, Wis., was previously a member of the Red Hawks football team. This will be his first year racing a bike. Zach, a music and business management major from St. Louis, Mo., is also a member of the Ripon swim team. He brings several years of mountain bike racing experience to the cycling team. Zach is an athletic guy who has been on the bike in a race situation before, so he knows what he’s doing out there and should do well from the gun.

On the woman’s side, Ripon brings back Tiffany Seering, a junior from West Bend, Wis., and Christa Kussmann, a senior from Beaver Dam, Wis.

Tiffany provided us with the best individual results last year. Racing in the women’s B category, she posted two firsts and a second in the collegiate cross-country races. She added three second-places finishes in the short-track and brought home a first place from the downhill slalom event at Purdue University.

Tiffany is planning to make the jump to the women’s A category this year. In order to be competitive there, she is going to have to improve her speed and endurance. She’s a gutsy rider, and I’m confident that she will rise to the occasion.

I am expecting Christa, the sole senior on the team, to provide leadership. At the beginning of last year, Christa was content to simply finish the races she started. But as the season progressed, she showed significant improvement as she became more comfortable on the bike and her confidence grew. I expect that progress to continue this fall.

The Red Hawks add a third woman for 2009 with Charlotte Evans, a sophomore physics major from Berlin, Wis. An avid recreational cyclist, this will be Charlotte’s first year of competition.

I have no doubt that we will be an improved team compared to last year. We lost three great students to graduation, but we’ve added six new members who each promise to bring something special to the mix. I think we’ll be competitive as a team, and just maybe we’ll qualify one or two riders for nationals. That would be a very big step for our program.

The new jerseys arrived today

Batman is looking good.

Finalized Schedule for Fall

I've finalized the Red Hawks mountain bike schedule for this fall as follows:

• Aug. 22: Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series Race #7 @ Blue Mound State Park in Blue Mound, Wis.
  
• Aug. 29 & 30 @ Butler University
• Sept. 5 & 6: Ripon College Red Hawks Romp @ Nordic Mountain, Mt. Morris, Wis.
• Sept. 13: Treadfest: Wisconsin Off-Road Series Race #10 @ Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis.
  
• Sept. 19 & 20 @ Purdue University
• Sept. 26 & 27 @ Michigan Tech
• Oct. 3 & 4: MWCCC Championship/Regionals @ University of Missouri
• Oct. 11: Wigwam MTB Challenge: Wisconsin Off-Road Series Race #12 @ Jaycees’ Quarryview and Evergreen Parks in Sheboygan, Wis.
• Nov. 7: Iceman Cometh Challenge @ Traverse City, Mich.

Should be a great year.

Tentative Fall 2009 Schedule

The Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference has announced the Fall 2009 mountain bike race schedule as follows:

• Aug. 29 & 30 @ Butler University
• Sept. 5 & 6: Ripon College Red Hawks Rendezvous @ Nordic Mountain, Mt. Morris, Wis.
• Sept. 12 & 13 @ Lindsey Wilson College
• Sept. 19 & 20 @ Purdue University
• Sept. 26 & 27 @ Michigan Tech
• Oct. 3 & 4 MWCCC Championship/Regionals @ University of Missouri

It looks like the Red Hawks will kick things off with an "exhibition" (so to speak) Aug. 22 at Blue Mound State Park as the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series hosts its seventh race of the year there. The WEMS races are always fun and challenging and will give the Hawks some quality race time before the "real" season begins.

And you read it correctly: Ripon will host its first collegiate mountain bike race with the help of the fine folks at Nordic Mountain ski area near Mt. Morris. Nordic has been hosting the Wisconsin Off Road Series Subaru Cup the past few years and offers some great singletrack and downhill facilities.

I still need to decide if we are up to making the 10+ hour trip to Kentucky for the Lindsey Wilson race. The trip may be too much and we may rather participate in Treadfest, race 10 of the Wisconsin Off Road Series at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. The WORS races are so well run, and the atmosphere is always electric. Plus, I'm sure the team would enjoy an extra night or two in their "own" beds in Ripon.

Also, while I have already secured my entry to the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 (as have a few others on the team), I am struggling to decide if our team goals wouldn't better be served by making the trip to Purdue that weekend to score more conference points in hopes of a possible nationals bid. If we don't travel to Kentucky the previous weekend, then Purdue is a must.

I'll be making the final decisions in the next few days.

Thank You!

The 2009 Wisconsin Cycling Association State Criterium Championship bicycle races have come and gone; and by the accounts of the racers and fans, the event was a huge success. More than 215 racers, along with friends and families, visited Ripon Saturday and left with many good things to say about our hospitable community. That success would not have been possible without the help and support of a wide cast of characters, including the cooperation of the businesses and residents along the race route. Your flexibility is greatly appreciated.

I’d also like to acknowledge T.J. Rogers and Accurate Controls and Doug Brewer and Brewer Heating and Cooling. They deserve a big “thank you” for their financial sponsorship of the event. Additionally, I’d like to thank Rippin’ Good Cookies for providing cookies for the race winners. The sweet treats were a big hit amongst the riders.

Also, thanks to John and Carol Bartow and Fond du Lac and Oshkosh Cyclery for their ongoing support of the Ripon College cycling team and their contributions to the state championship race.

Thank you also to the City of Ripon, the Ripon Police Department and the Ripon Public Works department: first, for granting permission to use the city streets, and second, for making those streets as safe as possible. Your extra efforts did not go unnoticed.

And while there were a few scrapes and bruises (and one broken hip), I would like to thank Chris Schattschneider, Brian Azinger, Mark Sabel and the Ripon EMTs for the quick and attentive care they provided to the injured racers.

I would also like to recognize the work of Danelle Phillips of the Ripon Medical Center and Stefanie Ehle of the Ripon College Office of Community Engagement for the fabulous Free Wheelin’ Children’s Bicycle Safety Expo and Fun Race. The many children and their parents with big smiles on their faces added a great deal of fun to the day’s events.

Thank you, also, to the Ripon Chamber of Commerce and Ripon Main Street for their constant support and encouragement.

A special thank you to Heidi Mingesz and her crew of race officials for their hard work and dedication to the sport of cycling in Wisconsin. We wish Rich Weiss, who suffered a heart attack Saturday morning before the races began, a speedy recovery.

An extra large “thank you” to John Van Susteren and his teammates at LAPT Cycling Club and to all of the volunteers who assisted with set-up, registration, announcing, corner marshaling, take-down and all of the behind-the-scenes details that make a bike race safe and fun.

We hope to bring the race back next year and with the support of the Ripon community make it even better.

Be sure to take a look at peloton-pix.com for a video and photos from the event.

WCA Crit Champs Returning to Ripon June 13

The best bicycle racers in Wisconsin and beyond will return to Ripon Saturday, June 13 for the Wisconsin Cycling Association’s 2009 State Criterium Championships. Riders will compete in 10 categories for the Wisconsin State Championship jerseys, cash and prizes.

Medals will be awarded to the top three riders and a Wisconsin Championship jersey to the overall state winner in each category. Racing action begins at 10:30 a.m. with the junior’s races and continues all day with the final pro race beginning at 6:30 p.m. The junior’s and women’s category 4 races will run counterclockwise on a half-mile course with a start and finish on Watson Street in the heart of Ripon’s historic downtown business district. The later races will expand to a 1-mile route that winds down Ransom, Seward, Woodside and Thorne streets before the final 150-meter sprint to the finish.

The Ripon Medical Center and the Ripon College Office of Community Engagement will also hold the Free Wheelin’ Children’s Bicycle Safety Rodeo from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the 100 block of Watson Street. All games and activities are free, including the Kids’ Fun Race and Parade that will be held on Watson Street at 11:45 a.m.

The event is hosted by the Ripon College Red Hawks Cycling Team and the Lakes Area Physical Therapy Cycling Club. Cash and prizes are being supplied by race sponsors Accurate Controls, Brewer Heating and Cooling; Rippin’ Good Cookies, Precision Plus Inc. of Elkhorn; Fond du Lac/Oshkosh Cyclery; Bicycle Doctor Nordic Ski Shop of Dousman; Open MRI of Sheboygan; and KC’s Driving Schools of Southeastern Wisconsin.

We’re looking forward to having some of the state’s most exciting bicycle racing in Ripon again this year. Despite the flooding problems of last year, we experienced excellent community support and a good turnout for our first year as host. We hope the weather will cooperate, and that we’ll see increases in both the numbers of participants and spectators this year.

With discounted rates at Ripon hotels, racers and fans are encouraged to come early and stay late.

Volunteers are needed to assist. All volunteers may be eligible for a free race entry. To volunteer, please contact me at 920-748-8322 or dammr@ripon.edu.

For more information, please visit the race Web site.

Looking Ahead

As the 2008-09 school year at Ripon winds down, I'm excited by the promise of the 2009 mountain bike season. While we're losing three seniors to graduation, we've already picked up two promising freshmen and a few current Ripon students who have come out of the woodwork to flesh out next year's roster.

While one of my best possible female recruits has opted to go elsewhere, I'm still holding out hope that one more top male prospect will decide on Ripon in the coming days.

I'll be sure to share more details about our promising young team soon. For now, let me tease you with a sneak peek at our 2009-10 jersey. Inspired by the Kenda Titus Hayes MTB Team jerseys of 2008, I adapted the look for the Ripon Red Hawks. I've already received great feedback from the team who are excited to once again wear one of the best looking kits in the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference.

Wisconsin Cyclists: A Call to Action

Assembly Bill 59 and Senate Bill 29, commonly referred to as the "Dooring Bills," are both scheduled for votes TOMORROW: Tuesday, April 28. Please contact your Legislators today and ask for their Yes vote!

Background
As many of you know, bicyclists are being ticketed - WHILE IN THEIR HOSPITAL BEDS - after being struck and injured by the doors of careless motorists who failed to take responsibility for their actions by first checking to see if traffic was present before opening a door. These bills place responsibility back where it belongs - on the operator of the vehicle - to ensure that their actions are not endangering other users of the road. Neither of these bills alleviates the bicyclist's responsibility to operate in a safe and predictable manner, as some critics have suggested.

Action Item
Please contact your Representative today and ask him/her to vote Yes on AB59. Please contact your State Senator today and ask him/her to vote Yes on SB29.

To identify your Legislators and to obtain their contact information, please use the "Who Are My Legislators" tool.

2009-10 Velorution Press Release

The first Ripon College Velorution Project (RVP), the innovative bicycle program for freshmen, had so many unknowns it could have been called the Velorution Experiment. A little more than one year after the debut of the famous free-bike program, however, college officials feel the experiment is worth repeating.

“The RVP will be offered once again to the class of 2013,” said Ripon College President David C. Joyce. “Leave your car at home this fall and we’ll give you a quality bike to keep. That’s still the deal.”

The program’s $50,000 price tag is not insignificant for a college Ripon’s size (1,057 full-time students). Despite some belt-tightening in other areas, however, the college was loath to scale back or eliminate the RVP.

“We’re facing the same economic challenges as many other colleges, but the support of this program by our alumni, trustees and friends hasn’t abated. I think that speaks to how much we believe in it,” said Joyce. “It’s part of our identity now.”

Initially conceived as a way to mitigate parking woes on campus, the program’s focus expanded to address such concerns as student wellness, fuel costs, pollution and safety. A roadway through main campus was also vacated and re-landscaped last fall to make it more pedestrian- and bike-friendly, setting the stage for an even less motorized campus going forward. Since its Feb. 2008 introduction variations on the program have been implemented at several other colleges.

Cannondale is the official bicycle partner of Velorution 2.0, which will apply a custom paint scheme and Ripon College graphics in red and white to each F9 mountain bike used for the program. Locks and lights will be furnished by Madison, Wis.-based Planet Bike.

Measuring Success
About 1/3 of participating students responded to a recent survey about their experience. Ric Damm, RVP coordinator and cycling coach, said the program seems to have resonated with students.

“Feedback was very positive. The majority of students said they used their bikes for recreation and to run errands off campus,” Damm said. “While we still need to address bike parking in some key areas on campus, overall I think the program fared well in year one.”

Although this year’s participants could bring a car next fall if they wanted, 81 percent of respondents said they won’t do it, either because their bike is sufficient (52 percent) or they don’t have a car at all (29 percent). Fifty-four percent of respondents said their bike use increased as a result of the RVP, and 82 percent said they would encourage future students to sign the pledge.

The 2008 pledge offered a free Trek mountain bike to any freshman who vowed not to bring a car to campus for the duration of their first year. More than 160 students took the deal, or six of every ten in the Class of 2012. The bikes were handed out Aug. 26, 2008.

For more information, including an FAQ and the full text of the RVP Pledge, visit www.ripon.edu/velorution.

Freedom Riders

Time to Rally the Troops

If you ride a bike in Wisconsin, then you owe it to yourself to get to Madison April 27 and 28 for the first-ever Wisconsin Bicycle Summit. As a member of the cycling community, it is extremely important that you participate in this event and that you encourage every cyclist you know to do the same.

"Forward" is Wisconsin's state motto. It describes Wisconsin's continuous drive to be a national leader. On April 27 and 28, Forward is where the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin plans to take the state's cyclists. Our goal is to lay the foundation for making Wisconsin one of the world's greatest places to be on a bike. Creating and maintaining a safe and friendly atmosphere for cycling will help make Wisconsin even more sustainable and economically diverse.

As you are aware, the bicycle is a “silver bullet” cure for many of today’s societal ills. Increasing trips made by bicycle decreases obesity, decreases individuals’ carbon footprint and decreases dependence on oil. It’s also fun. People need to have the freedom to bicycle for transportation, fitness or recreation and to do so safely and without harassment.

Lawmakers and policymakers play a significant role in determining the quality of bicycling in the state. The 2009 Summit is our opportunity to share best practices, network with fellow bicycle advocates, retailers and enthusiasts, and to lobby our State Legislators at the capitol.

On Monday April 27 we will gather at the Madison Concourse Hotel to lay the groundwork for establishing Wisconsin as one of the world's greatest places to be on a bike. Please join us in sharing this vision and connecting and networking with cycling leaders from across Wisconsin. On Tuesday morning we will all gather together to discuss bicyclist's most urgent legislative needs and then continue on to the capitol to meet with our own legislators.

If you are unable to attend both days of the summit please consider attending either the Monday or Tuesday events. There is strength in numbers and we need to hear your voice. If you know anybody else who might be interested in supporting this cause, please share this information with them.

For more information and to register, please visit the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin’s website at www.bfw.org.

Catch the Klunkerz Trailer

Ripon College Athletics

Testing a new site I found called Issuu that allows users to post publications in Flash. Chose this one because it clearly demonstrates Ripon's commitment to treating cycling on equal ground as the other varsity sports. Take a look.

Open publication - Free publishing - More undergraduate

New Belgium Brewing Promotes Team Wonderbike

From the beer makers who brought us Fat Tire Ale, check out New Belgium Brewing's teamwonderbike.com site for some good info and good laughs ... Follow your folly!

Another Excellent Urban MTB Park Example

Highbridge Park in New York is another excellent example of transforming negative space into a meaningful place for kids and adults to be active ...


The Highbridge Project from y.arava on Vimeo.

Mountain Biking Under an Interstate?

The I-5 Colonnade Skills Park in Seattle proves that you can build a mountain bike trail/park anywhere...

Cycling Copenhagen

I'm at the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., and have been learning lots of interesting things. This is the first of several postings that I'll share.

Andreas Rohls, director of the City of Copenhagen Bicycle Program Office in Denmark, spoke Tuesday night. He shared some great info about bike use in Copenhagen, where bikes account for 36% of the transportation mode share. Driving and public transit each come in at about 33%.
In Copenhagen, 60% of residents report bicycling as their primary mode of transportation. Rohls' goal is to increase the bicycle mode share to above 50%.

He shared a great video. I haven't been able to find it online, but did find this one that tells the story:

Wonderful Copenhagen from Colville Andersen on Vimeo.

New meaning to the term "cross training"

Cory Smith, a former editor of FasterSkier.com, posted the following on that site back in August. A friend just passed it along to me. For all of you cross-country skiers and cyclocrossers out there, Cory supports both as "cross training."

Like many skiers, I try to incorporate a lot of variety into my training. Variety ensures that my training is well-rounded, and makes it more fun than doing the same thing day after day, week after week. Variety can mean new places to train, different workout formats, or trying entirely different sports.

One sport that I've recently gotten into is cyclocross. For readers unfamiliar with 'cross, imagine if you took a criterium bike race and held it on a nordic ski trail. Cross is a little bit road biking, a little bit mountain biking, a little bit cross-country running, and a little bit of madness.

Read the entire story.

$825 MILLION for Active Transport

A press release from Rails to Trails Conservancy ....

TRAILS, WALKING AND BIKING EARN $825 MILLION IN STIMULUS
TO SPARK JOBS, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Washington, D.C.—Today (Feb. 17), President Obama signed into law an economic recovery package that contains $825 million in funding for Transportation Enhancements. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) applauds Congress for its foresight in recognizing the job creation benefits of building bicycling and walking infrastructure, including trails. While representing less than two percent of transportation funding in the bill, this investment could create tens of thousands
of jobs and critical active transportation connections that communities need.

Transportation Enhancements (TE) is the nation's largest federal funding source for trails, walking and bicycling and a long-standing program that has historically enjoyed bi-partisan support. Its place within the stimulus package, however, heralds a transition in thinking among elected leaders who once viewed active transportation projects as niceties and now know them to be necessities for a balanced transportation system and a robust economy.

"We are very pleased with Congress for recognizing the wisdom of investing in active
transportation," says Kevin Mills, RTC vice president of policy. "The immediate job creation will also deliver long-term benefits for communities by reducing traffic congestion, climate emissions, oil dependence and obesity rates."

RTC documented this strategy and its implications in its "Active Transportation for America" report, released last October. According to the report, moderate investments in active transportation can yield substantial economic benefits, making bicycling and walking a highly cost-effective choice for policy-makers.

"Americans are seeking opportunities to walk and bike more, and drive less, particularly for short trips," says Keith Laughlin, RTC president. "With this funding, more Americans will be able to make that choice."

RTC will track the progress communities make in implementing hundreds of ready-to-go projects that will be aided by this recovery funding. Visit www.railstotrails.org/atfa to learn more about the immediate and long-term benefits of funding active transportation.

Make Every Ride Count

I was just turned on to an interesting new concept that allows you to log your riding and or running miles and turn them into cash donations to some wonderful non-profit organizations who support our beloved sport.

It is called Plus 3. It's a free online social network that motivates and rewards its members for logging rides. For instance, SRAM/RockShox and Trek support IMBA and provide funding to the organization for every mile you ride.

The following is info posted on the Plus 3 site:

Making It Count. With the Plus 3 Network, we let you turn every step, every turn of the pedal, every stroke in the pool into a fundraising effort for a cause of your choice. We do this at no cost to you via the support of Corporate Sponsors - dedicated companies who care about the planet, about health and fitness, and about the things we can do together to make a difference.

Free. And as we said, this is all free to you. We've identified companies who want to support you as you get healthier, get social, and help others. All you need to do is choose a Cause/Sponsor combination and then get out there -- either solo or with friends-- and get going.

Activity = Rewards = Fundraising. When you record an activity on The Plus 3 Network -- either by simply logging it on your Activities page "by hand" or by uploading with a GPS to automatically record it and identify it as a run, ride, walk, swim or other -- we apply a value ($.00x per mile, depending on the sport - click here for the table of values). And that value translates to money raised for your Cause and towards Rewards for your Challenges.

Payout By Activity Type

Activity	GPS Upload Payout (Per Mile)	Hand Entry Payout (Per Mile)
Road Biking	$0.02	$0.0067
Mtn Biking	$0.025	$0.0083
Running	$0.035	$0.0117
Walking	$0.05	$0.0167
Swimming	$0.2	$0.0667
Other	$0.01	$0.0033

GPS vs. "Hand Entry" - Remember President Reagan's famous quote about "Trust but verify"? That's sort of Plus 3 Network's motto when it comes to recording your efforts. We trust that the items you put into the system to raise funds for a Cause are accurate to your best estimate, but when we can Verify the accuracy (like with a GPS upload that includes the course, the pace, the distance and the date), we can transfer even more funds to the Cause. And on top of Fundraising, you also get to use your activities to earn Rewards and all kinds of other cool swag.

So to summarize, every effort your record on Plus 3 Network earns rewards for you and money for your cause and shows up on your calendar. A GPS verified record earns 3 x-- yes, Three Times-- more funds than a hand entry. And it's 3 times more fun, 3 times more geeky, and even 3 times more valuable to the rest of The Plus 3 Community when you post activities via GPS. Need a GPS? We can even help you get one. Click here to learn how.

How Does My Cause Get Funds? We run a report about once a month or once a quarter depending on the sponsor / cause requirements. The report tells Sponsors how many Plus 3 members covered how many miles that month/quarter. Then the corporate sponsor writes a nice big check to your Cause and everybody wins.