WORS 2008 - The Movie


WORS 2008: The Movie from Team WORS on Vimeo.

Cold Hump Day
Where did the nice weather go? I dread spending the extra time it takes having to dress in layers when you want to ride on a day like this. I had flashbacks to Trans Iowa v4 a handful of times when the wind gusts kicked up over 30mph as the weather was a close match to that horrible day in Iowa except for the lack of gravel and snow flurries during my short two hour tour. The month of October seems to of come and gone quickly as the Iceman is approaching faster this year in what could be one of those years where the IceMan does Cometh turning the race into a ballet on snow that's not always pretty to watch unless you're a spectator with a camera. I've experienced at least three or four of these IceMan's that totally change the characteristics of the course and makes your selection of race clothing that much more important. Every year I pack for the worse with many choices in my bag that range from shorts to tights, short sleeve jerseys to wind blocker long sleeve base layers, toe covers to booties, cycling gloves to lobster mitts, and headbands to balaclavas. As I've told many first timers, expect the worse and you'll well prepared.

Mark - IceMan Cometh 1995

For bike choice it's easy as you just need to ride what you have unless you're confused and trying to choose between a 29'er and a full suspension ride for the race like I am. This is always a great event that I look forward to each year even with a 9 hour drive through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The people that you're around before and after the race make it well worth the suffering in the car. It's also a great way to wrap up a long season of traveling and racing with the post race PARTY that one of the race sponsors host in downtown Traverse City after the awards. 11 days and counting until we line up under the cold start banner. Pedal on...

Bill Meyer Photo

Halloween Cross
This event was a lot more interesting to talk about then my level of racing this weekend. Interesting costumes, bunny hopping over the wall of fire, the EXPO hill run-up and lots of great people. The race started off with about twenty or more 40+ CX'ers as we made our way to the first turn and climb. I got myself buried in the pack and tried to move forward but lacked the competitive fire and power I usually have. Mark was ahead from the start for most of the first lap until I finally squeezed past him on the top part of the course without running into him as things got close in a few turns on the lower section and as the saying goes, "Rubbing is Racing" sometimes. From the that first lap to the seventh I just tried to ride steady and not embarrass myself hopping over the wall of fire with all the drunken and cheering fans that were congregating around this flaming obstacle. In the end I rolled (not raced) over the finish line in 9th well back from WORS regulars John Lirette (5th) and Jeff Melcher (3rd) who were both in the top five again. Now that I've kind of got the cross bug in my blood again I might think seriously about driving to the next race this coming weekend at Estabrook Park in Milwaukee. Pedal on...

Mike Phillips - Adventure 212 - Up in Flames

Retro CX 2005 Verona

It's Barrier & Cow Bell Time
The weekend plan of looking scary while running over barriers and trying to jump back on my Specialized Tricross looks to be a sure thing after talking to other cyclists. I've decided that if it's raining, cyclocross is even more fun for me if the conditions get terrible and with my lack of practicing it will be better if the course becomes a bit more technical. I have been riding my cyclocross bike more lately, but my dismounts have only been for hurdling construction barriers on my work commute and any other obstacles on pavement or dirt that I've had to deal with. The Halloween Cross will be a good step towards the IceMan that is now only two weeks away. With the days being shorter it's good to have a cyclocross weekend to keep me somewhat sane. The early arrival of darkness makes me want to plant myself on the couch if I don't have something to keep myself busy. For a quick update, my chunk blowing little guy (Sebastian) is finally back to normal with just a runny nose issue as his speed has picked up again while he moves about the house like a little drunk sailor reorganizing whatever he can get his hands on if it's not edible. Pedal on...

Being a Dad
It's a new week with the unexpected happening this morning with my little guy blowing chunks all over daddy. Luckily Laura and I could split the day up with me staying home in the morning and her getting the afternoon shift. It's amazing how you react to these situations and get them taken care of whether it's happened before or like today where I'm a true rookie with a very sick child all of a sudden. I wish I had more biking to blog about, but it looks to be another day of commuting with the lights coming out for the trek home tonight. Yesterday I attempted to ride Standing Rocks later in the afternoon with mixed results as I ended up only riding for an hour if you could call it that. Back in the parking lot I ran into Sam, Pete and Leo tailgating to the Packers game where I enjoyed a few beers before heading home. Hopefully I'll get back on track this week for the Halloween Cross this weekend and the IceMan that is quietly sneaking up on us in three weeks. Pedal on...

Any Comments?

TGIF
This week is finally starting to get back to normal after doing my civic duty at the court house. Being back at work was a shock to the system as Winter is fast approaching according to the customers who were getting their kids fitted with ski and snow board equipment. I did get on my bike for a short commute to work and a dark ride back home with the NiteRider MiNewt Mini USB Plus blazing a trail for me from the helmet mount. Mark and I chose to take the new bike path that leads us out of the business park that is under construction and resembles a big sand box with a short climb thrown in the middle for a challenge. Once under the highway it's a mix of side streets and another new bike path until we get back to dirt in the local park that takes us under the railroad tracks and eventually into a neighborhood just south of my final destination. Riding my bike in October isn't always about workouts and distance, but a chance to relax and slow life down a little in this world where we seem to always be in a hurry no matter what we're doing.


No Cyclocross this weekend as family duties trump everything, but for the next weekend on the 26th I plan on hitting up the Halloween CX down near Milwaukee just to see the EXPO team and the costumes they will be cyclocrossing in. Pedal on and always have fun on your bike...

Jury Duty
This week has seen me at the county court house for three days as a juror. Not any riding or bike related news to blog about as I hope that the trial wraps up this morning. Commuting today might fit into my schedule once a unanimous verdict is reached if I'm lucky.

WORS #12

It was a good weekend for Cole Brothers racing as Mark finished on the podium with a 4th place in the Comp 40-44/22nd overall and

Mark 4th 40-44 Comp

I put in a strong ride for 13th overall in the Elite field. I managed to climb the "Equalizer" all five laps and collected two five dollar bills at the top before the cash ran out. Again, for another year the Wigwam MTB Challenge in Sheboygan showed why it is one of the events that highlight the WORS calendar every year and with this weekends weather being great it showcased just how lucky we are to have a series like WORS to participate in. Thanks to Butch for the bottle hand-ups and congrats to his son Justin
who dominated the Sport field again.

Justin Piontek 1st Overall Sport

Scoletrain - 13th Overall Elite - Photo taken by Mountain Goat

A big THANKS also goes out to Specialized Bicycles, Hayes Brakes, SUNringle Wheels, Adventure 212, Ergon, Twin Six and Dakine who made this season go so well with lots of support and great products. Pedal on...

Sheboygan Wigwam WORS Weekend
What more can you ask for? A new blog header graphic (thanks to my brother Mark) that magically appeared to jazz up the old ScoleTrain site and warmer weather for the final WORS series race. This weekend will be interesting as I'm one week into a four week build phase to the IceMan race on November 8th. I've got some goals to meet in my home state race (Michigan) and I'm shooting to improve on my 5th place in the 40-44 expert age class. Back to this weekend and WORS. The Sheyboygan course is one of my favorites to ride on, but not a course where I've had any results worth mentioning. Yes, I have collected my share of $5 dollar bills at the top of the Equalizer climb from the "Smokin' Man", but usually this race falls into a five lap survival fest. With racers chasing the HOLESHOT $$ from the start like it's a 400 meter dash, I've had problems on this course trying to come from the back of the pack if you get shelled out the rear at the beginning from the fast start. Later tonight I'll post pics and my thoughts of the course. Pedal on...

If You Commute By Bicycle

***Congress Passes Bicycle Commuter Act

If you listened to Rush Limbaugh's radio program last week you may have heard him mock the bike commuting legislation contained in the historic Wall Street bailout bill.

The influential right-wing commentator used the inclusion of cycling to voice his disgust about the "pork" that had found its way into the $700-billion package.

Limbaugh spoke in derisive tones about bicycle riding. Little did he know (or probably care) that the cycling-friendly legislation was 7 years in the making. The so-called "bicycle tax" provision was part of an additional $110 billion in line items added to the already massive bailout legislation.

Some of that probably was pork, but Limbaugh chose the wrong example to rail against.

What section 211 of H.R. bill 1424 does is give employers a tax credit for workers who pedal to their jobs. The amount is $20 per month per cycling employee.

This benefit helps cover the cost of employer reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred by an employee "for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee's residence and place of employment."

Score it a long-sought victory for the national advocacy organization, the League of American Bicyclists. LAB in turn credits the persistence of Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) for spearheading the lengthy political process on behalf of the ride-to-work movement.

(Actually, Blumenauer voted against the bailout bill despite the Bicycle Commuter Act's inclusion. He cited his opposition to other aspects of the wide-ranging legislation.)

According to LAB president Andy Clarke, the cycling provision previously failed passage when attached to bills dealing with matters such as climate change, energy and transportation.

"It's ironic," he says, "that it would wind up in a financial rescue package, but we'll take it. I'm not going to quibble with the method. I'm glad to see it done.

"Bicycle commuters will now be extended similar benefits to people who take transit and drive to work. It may not be a total game changer -- it's still a relatively small break -- but it gets us closer to the kind of treatment that cyclists in the U.K. and other parts of the world have had for years."

Clarke invites cyclists to keep an eye on the LAB website at http://www.bikeleague.org "as we work on the implementation process."

Last 4 Weeks of Focused Training
Yesterday started with what is the beginning to an end for the 2008 season. The next four weeks will have me focusing on the Iceman Cometh to get me to a goal I set earlier this year. I'm working on giving this old motor some snap to go along with the long haul endurance base I already have. To me it's actually good to be following a plan as it's very easy to get lazy and blow off getting out on my bikes. Thanks to Chris from Adventure 212 for the help this month. Cyclo-Cross(CX) is also on the schedule after we get past Sheboygan this next weekend. Coming from a steeple chase background in collegiate track & field, I've always looked forward to CX this time of year with the shorter barriers if it fits into the family schedule on the weekends. Pedal on...

Riding with the "DON"
No, today's ride had nothing to do with the Mafia even though Big "D's" WORS series is very successful and one of the largest in the country. With a 2-3 hour window before the rain was suppose to fall, Mark and I met DON (Big "D") at Standing Rocks for 2.5 hours of riding singletrack and xc ski trails. At the end of our first lap we came back into the parking lot to find Paula Liske (daughter Holly just won the WORS Elite overall race in Shawano) and Brenda (I'm bad with last names-sorry) who are both WORS regulars getting ready to ride Standing Rocks for the first time. It was a good lap of singletrack as we flowed through the 14 different sections with a few entertaining moments that always come whenever you're riding with others. The trails were in awesome shape and Fall singletrack riding is enough motivation to keep me pedalling until the IceMan (video) Cometh in November. From what I could tell both Paula and Brenda had fun and it sounds like we'll see them both again for more Standing Rocks singletrack riding before the trails close on November 15th. Pedal on...

Time to Dress for Fall Riding
These last few mornings and late afternoon rides have been a surprisingly cool slap in the face to me as the temps have been between 27 - 55 degrees. I've forgotten that it takes longer to get out the door in the mornings as I'm always trying to guess what layers of clothing I'll need from the start to the end of my rides. This week it's been bib knickers, a short sleeve base layer along with a long sleeve wool jersey. On the most sensitive areas I've been wearing Specialized Deflect gloves on my paws along with a skull cap to cover my ears or my favorite Twin 6 Walz cycling cap. My feet have been fine with wool socks when wearing my road or mtb shoes plus an occasional sandwich baggy(non zip lock) thrown over my socks(toe area) before putting on my shoes which adds another wind blocker. In the next few months I'll bring out the severe weather clothing that includes a Craft ProWarm base layer, Craft Thermal Windstopper jacket, Craft Storm tights, lobster mitts, balaclava and Lake Winter cycling shoes with Smartwool socks. For eye protection, I always grab a pair of my Specialized glasses that have adaptalite lenses to keep my vision clear, eyes from watering and they work well on my dark commute home through the park or on the roads. This morning it's off to work on my 29"er as I explore the new underpass to see what progress has been made. Pedal on...

Something new for the Winter riding arsenal?

TWIN SIX OCTOBER FOUR DAY SALE // 10/2 through 10/5

$15 t-shirts in the Trunk, $45 jerseys, $8-$10 socks, $5 bottles.
Hurry Up! Take a look at the deals HERE.

My Future Safe Commuting Route Home Under I-39

So far the fence is up and the dirt has been moved and sculpted as it waits to be paved. The sand was a bit deep, but the 29"er handled it just fine as it was a good ride to explore what is coming soon. This is a big step in making it safer to get on either side of the interstate. Pedal on...

Day #2 w/ Sick Child

• Tuesday I went through lots of Kleenex and books in the morning with the little/big guy
  
• His appetite is not back, but Seb can make a mess out of a whatever is in front of him
• The mailman brightened my day up with the new VeloNews featuring the CycloCross Guide that revived me during another long nap
  
• I discovered a new tool (apple slicer) in the kitchen along with others I've never seen
• Got out on the 29'er mountain bike for a short ride before dark with Mark
  
• Seb seems to be getting better, but Laura is now sick with a fever and sore throat
• Hopefully I'll survive this week as I'm heading to work today after daycare drops and a short commute