Sometimes this sport can suck.

I feel comfortable saying that. I’ve been around long enough and seen some up’s and down’s along the years. Want an example? Click here. Saying that “sucked” would be an under statement. I had someone email me today to share a few opinions on this “road rage” trial going on in LA. I agreed, this is an example of the type of awful things we sometimes deal with in the cycling community. After getting that email I checked out the “real” cycling news websites (not this one horse town type of website you’re currently viewing) and read up on the “LA Road Rage Trial” as VeloNews calls it. Kind of gave me the mass-media-FOX News-vibe and I got somewhat bummed out.

That was until this beauty came across my inbox. It was in response to a post made here today.

———-

Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 3:26 PM
To: info@velocitygroupaz.com

Hey,

Thanks for the opportunity and the help on this. I have been coaching the El Grupo Youth Cycling team now for 5 years and this is the first year in which I have tried to do this. The attachments are from two different computer programs but they should load up to your computer just fine.

If you are not familiar with El Grupo we are youth cycling team here in Tucson and we had a fantastic year in 09. 6 State Championships and 3 state records along with over 40 podium finishes. We do this all on steel bikes that have refurbished with all used parts. I have a shoe string budget but have been fortunate enough to be able to put together 20 bikes for the team.

You can find out more about us at the web site: www.elgrupocycling.org and I have a blog on there as well.

Thanks

Ignacio Rivera de Rosales

———-

I checked out the provided attachments and the El Grupo website as well…

and you know what…

it put a smile back on my face.

I thought that was a pretty cool thing. Check out the photo page of the website. I’m pretty certain that will put a smile on your face as well! It reminded me of when I was a junior and rode around with the Racelab Junior Development Program. Some of us kept riding, some of us didn’t, but we created memories that will last a lifetime. (Ok, I know, that was corny)…

So I wanted to support El Grupo and post the materials I was sent. The Velocity Group is going to go one step further and donate $100 to El Grupo’s cause. If you want to support youth cycling and do the same, check out the donate feature on their home page or contact El Grupo directly at info@elgrupocycling.org

Have a nice day.

One of my first memories of Brian Forbes was from the old Hualapai Stage Race in Kingman, AZ. I have no idea what year that race happened, but it must have been the mid-90’s. Brian was this meaty squatty guy racing with my brother in the cat 4’s. I remember that Brian and my brother smashed everyone fairly consistenetly and moved on to the cat 3’s around the same time. Fast forward several years and I found myself riding together with Brian on the Jelly Belly Professional Cycling Team. When I heard that Brian, aka “Hammy” and/or “Hamfist” was moving to Portland, Oregon I figured it was time to get an interview typed up to shed some light on all that is Hammy.

Enjoy.

VGC: I remember you back from your Kingman cat 3 days. How did you go about getting involved in cycling? I believe there was some football first?

Yes, I played Football and was 230lbs and finally realized that I wasn’t going to make it to the pros as a football player and started ridding just to get in shape. My Brother actually got me into cycling back in 92 or 93. I did El Tour de Tucson and was hooked, oh and didn’t finish it either.

VGC: Now, you blew through the categories pretty quickly. How long did it take you to get your first professional contract?

Well after I first got into cycling at the ripe young age of 23 I was on and off for a few years but decided in 97 to focus only on cycling and see where it took me. I did move through the categories quickly, I think I went from a 3 to 1 in less then a full year of racing, back then they didn’t have a cat 5 group. I raced for about 2 ½ years as a 1until I got my first Pro contract with Jelly Belly in 2000.

Jelly Belly Cycling circa 2002.

VGC: What was it like making the jump from the local Arizona cycling scene to the professional NRC circuit?

It was pretty wild, I still remember the first race I did with Jelly Belly like it was last week. It was the Tour of Willamette in Eugene, Oregon, probably the hardest race I’ve ever done. Rain, hell, snow, it had everything. It was a real reality check, I remember thinking during one of the stages what the F*** am I doing out here, but I finished the race and I think it made me tougher. The Pro circuit is no joke as you know.

VGC: Any tips for a young aspiring rider?

Never give up. Cycling is by far the toughest, loneliest, sport out there. If you want to be a good cyclist you have to make some sacrifices so be prepared to make them.

VGC: You just won the Tour de Scottsdale. Is there an El Tour de Tucson in your future?

Yes, El Tour is always something I look forward to doing. Hopefully this year I can crack it since I have been close several times and last year I was in really good form but had a nasty crash after the second crossing while I was in the lead group.

Hammy and crew post Tour de Scottsdale.

VGC: You’re moving to Portland soon. May I ask why? Greener pastures or was it something I said?

No it wasn’t what you said it was what you did! Well it was actually a combination of many things. My brother lives up there and he has been trying to get me up there for years, and I think this last summer the heat broke me. I also have a couple of work related opportunities up there so it should be good. Sabrina got a transfer with her work as well so the timing was good and we are off for new adventures in the great Northwest.

VGC: You’ve been deeply involved with our community for years now. Will it be tough to pack up and start over in a new cycling community?

It will be tough leaving everyone here, I have made some great friends here and will miss beating up on everyone every weekend. But I’m sure there are some guys glad they won’t have to line up at the stating line with me anymore every weekend. Now the guys up in Portland will have to deal with me.

VGC: I’ll be happy not to see you on the start line… No offense.

VGC: To be honest though, I’m sure your aggressive riding style will be missed on the local Arizona cycling scene. Is there a particular Arizona race or ride you’ll miss most?

There are many races I really like but my favorite would have to be La Vuelta de Bisbee, even though it’s not a race that suits me with the climbing but It is such a fun race.

In the mix at the 2009 Scottsdale GP. Photo courtesy of Austin Trautman (www.trautmanphotography.com).

VGC: What “off the bike” hobbies keep you busy?

I don’t have a whole lot of off the bike hobbies, it seems like I’m either at work, or on the bike ridding. I have taken up basket weaving which is a great for stress, so they say?

VGC: If your cycling career ended tomorrow and you had to pick another sport to excel in, which would it be and why?

If I could be in another sport and be good at it I would say I would be a golfer, well that’s not really a sport but they can make a lot of money and you get to sit in a cart and drive from hole to hole. That’s what I call exciting!!!

VGC: Do you have any mentors or cyclists you admire? Why?

I don’t really have any mentors but I would say when I was getting started in cycling I wanted to be like Mario Cipollini.

VGC: Finally, if you had to be stuck on a tandem with one person for 100 miles, who would it be? Why?

Well I don’t want to ever be stuck on a tandem but if I had to ride one for 100 miles then Sabrina Savage would be my Stoker…

Thanks Brian. Best of luck to the new endeavours in Portland.

Alright, lets start this post by saying, I don’t really know the direction or intent of this post, but felt like sharing something. Better yet, how about a disclaimer:

Disclaimer: The author of this post has minimal idea of the future direction of this post. Continue reading at your own risk. Agreeing to read waives reader’s right to complain or leave snide comment about the apparent lack of author’s writing ability.

I feel better now. Do you?

So I wanted to share a quick tid bit about an Arizona cycling team meeting I attended last Monday evening. The meeting was for the Procon cycling team and my purpose was to a). discuss the Velocity Group’s continued sponsorship of the Procon team b). Plug this very website you’re reading. Other than that I was along for the ride and eyeballing everyone, thinking… “I think I know who you are… -place imaginary white helmet on head with matching white sunglasses – … ok, yeah I know you”. I actually considered wearing my stackie and sunnie’s to the meeting figuring more people would recognize me halfway kitted up. Is that weird? Honest, there’s more visual recognition in our community when dressed like we typically dress when we’re “at the office” together.

Ok, getting off track…

So, the Procon meeting… From what I’ve gathered this is a monthly occasion for the club and it seems to be most frequently held at Carlos O’Briens Mexican restaurant. Carlos O’Brien’s has been one of the club’s longest running sponsors. I don’t really have a guesstimate of how long, but let’s say, oh 12 years? Readers, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. The meeting was organized and MC’d by Ryan Shy who, if memory serves me correctly, will be the club’s 2010 President. There were a variety of topics to be discussed ranging from introductions of new members, race result updates, 2010 team kit news, and quick ‘plugs’ from a couple of the team’s sponsors including yours truly (Velocity Group) as well as Homayoon Farsi (VeloVie bicycles). I thought it was pretty cool that Homayoon, the Founder and CEO of an international bicycle company, would take a couple hours out of his evening to come and chat with a local cycling club. Pretty neat if you ask me. Also pretty neat, was the unveiling of their 2010 frames to the club. They even have a new cyclocross frame. Which takes me to my next topic, azCROSS. Club member Jeremy Bounds was there to give the lowdown on the upcoming azCROSS series. For those that put two-and-two together and get twelve, azCROSS is our Arizona based cyclocross series. Go here for more details. You’ll also want to keep your eyeballs peeled for an upcoming interview we’re doing with those folks. Check back here, oh say next week and you should see it. Which bring me to my next topic, and full circle if you will.

I don’t really know the direction or intent of this post, but felt like sharing something… ok, I need to go “back to the office” now.

Where’s Rusty Chain? The quality of the written content on this site has really gone downhill in his absence…

Are you familiar with the in’s and out’s of SEO?

Or is it just three letters to you (like it is to me)?

We’re looking to make contact with someone well versed in search engine optimization. Not only for this site, but also for our personal real estate site; www.velocitygroupaz.com. If you think you can help us, please send an email to info@velocitygroupaz.com with more details.

As people always interested in doing business with other cyclists, we thought we’d toss this out to the local cycling community first.

Thank you.

———-

About: The Velocity Group is a component of Keller Williams Realty, America’s fastest growing real estate brokerage. Established in 2005, the Velocity Group has quickly made a name for itself with an unparalleled commitment to customer service. Partners of the Velocity Group include cyclist Greg Kilroy and former professional cyclists Austin King and Nathan Mitchell. Since its formation, the Velocity Group has donated over $6,000 to the Arizona cycling community.

I’ve received a few emails from readers curious to know how Dan McGehee’s record attempt went. One email to Marty Ryerson and I have the full scoop.

First off, if you need a refresh on Dan’s record attempt, click here.

Second off, hats off to Dan McGehee, the toughest guy in the bunch.

Third off, click here to read all about it on RideClean’s site.

BicycleRadio…

back from the dead.

or perhaps it was just a sabbatical?

Either way… long live BicycleRadio.

Tomorrow is the final Wednesday Night World Championships (aka Phoenix Consumer Criterium Series). In honor of the final race of the season, Bicycle Haus is donating 500 bucks of prize money (fyi… this can be a better payout than most local crits). This generous contribution is exactly what they did last year and it made for a great race with a decent field. For more on the week day crit series, click here.

Let’s break this down… Who in the world wants to do a weekday interval session alone? I sure don’t, but I know I should or I’ll feel sluggish and have tight lungs for the weekend’s racing. Sometimes I’ll chase cars, or city buses during a round of mid-week interval boredom. So… why not come out and chase other racers around for cash and pleasure? Sounds good to me. I remember the early 1990’s when the Phoenix Consumers Criterium Series was in north Scottsdale around Raintree. It was a beauty! When development approached and the business park came to life, the course moved to a parking lot by Phoenix Municipal Stadium. I’ve seen some great battles in that parking lot.

For 10 bucks and a Wednesday evening, it’s time and money well spent.

Ok, there has been some hymning and hawing over last Sunday’s Arizona Criterium Championships so I’ll take a moment to add in my own 2-cents… or is it sense? I’ve never really known.

For starters, anyone unfamiliar with the course, see the map below.

Yes, that is a figure-8 combined with a u-turn. I will now let you marinate on that for a moment.

(insert moment here).

Ok, now that we’re all on the same page, lets proceed.

I personally thought the course was good fun. Yes, we’ve already established that it was a figure-8, and that it also had a u-turn. No doubt that is a bit whacky/out-of-the-ordinary/non-traditional/(insert your own descriptive word here). But what I liked about it was the fact that it wasn’t a traditional course in a traditional business/industrial park. You know, the mind-numbing type where you can turn your brain off and day dream about how you’re going to ask you wife if you can buy the 50″ flat screen tv that’s on sale at Best Buy.  Now, before you get upset, understand that there is a purpose for the traditional 4-corner business park crit. I personally love them…. plenty of runway to get up to speed, safe, good spectating, nice grassy areas, day dreaming time, etc. But it’s also nice to spice it up every so often and do a crit where standing on the start line you softy recite 4 Hail Mary’s and hope you don’t stack it in the 1st corner. You know… keep you on your toes, nimble like a cat (or dog for the non-cat types reading this) kind of race.

I don’t bash the riders that crashed in the u-turn as some are great riders and bike handlers. In fact I knock on wood whenever I think about it. Off the top of my head, I’m thinking (and knocking) that there were 5-7 u-turn crashes in the men’s pro 1-2 field. That’s a lot but it’s somewhat understandable given the situation. You hit the u-turn the first time and think… “well, that wasn’t so bad”. You hit it the second time, third time, fourth time, and you begin to get it down. Then, right when that false set of confidence sets in and you find it crucial to move up a few extra spots…’WHAM!’. You fall like a sack of potatoes and smash your stackie on the ground cracking it 3 times. (See: 2007 Tour de Gastown criterium, Austin King mid-way through, last corner: wet, off-camber bricks… insert sack of potatoes analogy).

I don’t like crashing as much as the next bald guy so I try and do my best to avoid it. Avoid it the best you can but sooner or later Uncle Crashy’s going to creep up on you when you least suspect him and ‘WHAM!’… take you to the tarmac like that sack of potatoes I’ve previously mentioned.

I guess for the sake of time and to end this rambling, I applaud RideClean for promoting a rather non-traditional, OMG, how many turns is that?, kind of crit course. It kept me sharp and focused and my mind off that 50″ tv at Best Buy.

Good day.

This just in from Steve Elwell:

All,

Mary Laibe’s Velo Vie Veloce 100 TT bike was stolen from her garage last evening (Sun 19th). She lives in an unassuming, quiet neighborhood in the Ahwatukee Foothills area – so the theft comes as a bit of a suprise. I’m asking for you guys to put out an “APB” on this rig because it’s unique, so it should be easy to spot. Her frame size is a 48cm, and it’s got a set of Zipp 404’s on it. Has the Vuka Integrated Aero bars and a Serfas seat.

Mary's Bike

I spoke with the guys at Velo Vie and they have not sold many 48cm TT bikes in the area so if you see one – please ASK! If you could get the word out to all the local cycling groups / Teams that YOU know…it would be awesome.

Mary can be reached in any of the following ways:
Facebook
email: mlaibe@cox.net
txt or cell: 480-285-9334

Thanks to all of you for being great friends and spreading the word / looking out for our fellow athletes.

Warmest Regards;

Steve Elwell
s.elwell@cox.net
602-499-1133 cell
Twitter: AZcrusher

Alright, I don’t normally get too excited about a photo of a bike…

But, I thoroughly enjoy this photo:

Smoking photo!

It was shot by Austin Trautman at the Ladies Night event at Bicycle Haus last March.

Check out all of the photos from the event here.