Coming Up This Week (June 27 – July 3)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Merckx-a-rama. Nomad Cycle is hosting a party to celebrate Eddy Merckx bicycles. Heather Rizzi and Greg Hon of Merckx Bicycles will be at Nomad to talk about the new 2017 Eddy Merckx bicycles. There will be lots of Eddy Merckx bikes on hand to oggle and test ride, all accompanied by some Belgean beer. Tuesday, July 12 at 6 PM - 9 PM @ Nomad Cycle, 36-58 37th Street, Queens, New York 11101.

RACES & RIDES

Nothing so far!

EVENTS

1. Bicycle History Talk on Monday, June 27.

Come take a spin with Meg Guroff, who will be reading from her book, THE MECHANICAL HORSE: How the Bicycle Reshaped American Life, a new lively cultural history on how the bicycle has changed American life in all kinds of surprising ways. With Mark Crispin Miller, author and professor at NYU. McNally Jackson in Soho on June 27 at 7 pm.

2016 Hincapie Classic in Memory of Lou Maltese. Photograph by Harry Zernike.

Have any announcements or events you would like to make for next week’s post? Please contact communications[at]crca.net.

Coming Up This Week (June 20 – 26)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cyclists’ Proposal.  Rendering by Joseph Lertola.

1. Support Resolution 1072-2016: Widening of George Washington Bridge paths.

Ask your Council Member to support Resolution 1072-2016. Co-sponsored by Ydanis Rodriguez, Helen Rosenthal and Costa Constantinides, 1072-2016 calls upon the Port Authority to widen the GWB paths as part of the upcoming recabling. If your Council Member is already in support, thank them! Please share this information with your friends and on social media.

– To find your local Council Member, click here.  

– For the text of 1072-2016, click here.

– For an linkable version of this email, click here.

– For more info on widening the GWB, click here.

2. Bicycle History Talk on June 27.

Come take a spin with Meg Guroff, who will be reading from her book, THE MECHANICAL HORSE: How the Bicycle Reshaped American Life, a new lively cultural history on how the bicycle has changed American life in all kinds of surprising ways. With Mark Crispin Miller, author and professor at NYU. McNally Jackson in Soho on June 27 at 7 pm.

3. Hincapie Omnium Jersey. 

To the victors, the spoils . . .

Hincapie Sportswear has desgined an awesome jersey for the winners of the Omnium -- a worthy addition to every racer's wardrobe.

They'all also be offering some great primes at both races: caps, jackets, packs and free entry to the Gran Fondo Hincapie in Greenville, SC on October 22nd.

Racers who enter both Maltese and Mengoni will also receive a 20% discount for entry at the Gran Fondo (http://granfondohincapie.com/).

We are less than one week away from the Hincapie Classic in Memory of Lou Maltese -- don't miss out!

Register here for Lou Maltese: https://www.bikereg.com/lou-maltese-memorial.

Here for the Hincapie Grand Prix in Honor of Fred Mengoni: https://www.bikereg.com/crca-mengoni-grand-prix.

RACES & RIDES

1. Hincapie Classic in Memory of Lou Maltese. June 25, 5:30 AM, finishing at Tavern on the Green. Fields and laps as follow: WP1234 (6.7), MP12 (8.7), M3 (7.7), M4 (6.7), M5 & J15-18 (4.7), J9-14 (1.0).

EVENTS

Nothing so far!

Lou Maltese, courtesy of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.

Have any announcements or events you would like to make for next week’s post? Please contact communications[at]crca.net.

IMPORTANT: 6/19 Roster Posted

The race roster for June 19 is now available here. Take a quick look, especially if you are racing on Sunday, to make sure not only that you are clear to race but that you have the right number.

If you haven’t picked up your number yet, have no fear, we’ll have them ready to pick up at the race. Please come early, please know what your number is, and please have your USAC license out and ready.

A reminder that we are no longer accepting season waivers at races. If you are a Season Pass member and have not yet submitted your season waiver, please follow the instructions on the "Event Waiver" section of the site to email your waiver in. If you are a Season Pass member and plan on racing tomorrow, please bring a regular event waiver, or pick one up tomorrow morning ($5).

IF YOUR NAME IS IN YELLOW: You are NOT cleared to race, and its because of something critical. You are either suspended due to not marshaling, you do not have a valid USAC license/number in our system, or you have not taken a new members skill session (mandatory for ALL cat 4/5 racers). Please get in touch with me ASAP at membership[at]crca.net if you were intending to race and you are yellow. Hopefully if its a USAC issue we can get it resolved ASAP.

IF YOUR NAME IS IN PURPLE: Please bring an EVENT WAIVER to the race tomorrow, and submit a SERIES WAIVER via email. A reminder that EVENT WAIVERS can be purchased for a $5 donation at the Club races. To submit a season waiver by e-mail: (1) visit http://archive.crca.net/racing/eventwaivers/, (2) find the season waiver under the “2016 Season Pass Waiver” section, (3) print, fill-in, sign, scan, and email the waiver to waivers[at]crca.net.

Thanks and see you all tomorrow morning!

Coming Up This Week (June 13 – 19)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Season Pass memberships are now 50% off for the remainder of the year.

RACES & RIDES

1. Club Race 8 and Women's Development Series. Sunday, June 19. 5:40AM start, finish at Cat's Paw Hill. Fields and laps as follows: W (6.0), A (8.0), B (7.0), C (6.0), W3/4 (5.0).

2. 2016 Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic. Sunday, June 19, racing starts at 1:15PM. Register here: https://www.bikereg.com/harlem-skyscraper-cycling-classic.

EVENTS

Nothing so far!

Have any announcements or events you would like to make for next week’s post? Please contact communications[at]crca.net.

Coming Up This Week (June 6 – 12)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. June Coaching Schedule

This month's coaching schedule is now up: http://archive.crca.net/coaching/coaching-schedule/.

Our coaches are offering sessions on long term power, breakaways, and sprinting, as well as the regular new member racing skills.

2. Kissena Velodrome Improvement Survey

The survey will be used to raise awareness of needed funds to improve the Kissena Velodrome.

3. Discounted Tune-ups from Grand Bicycle Center

Grand Bicycle Center is offering CRCA members discounted pre-race tune-ups. This includes a full drive-train cleaning, as well as a comprehensive fine-tuning of components.

RACES & RIDES

1. NYC Pride Ride

CRCA subteam OutCycling is hosting its fourth annual NYC Pride Ride on Sunday, June 12, 2016. The ride has 30, 60, and 100 mile options, and is an official Heritage of Pride event.

The ride will have SAG support, feed zones, and a finish line festival. There will be a full-out lunch at Rockland State Park for the 60 and 100 mile options.

For the CRCA discount code, please use CRCA16.

EVENTS

Nothing so far!

(Photo credit: Bicycle Racing Pictures).

Have any announcements or events you would like to make for next week’s post? Please contact communications[at]crca.net.

Coming Up This Week (May 23 – 29)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. NYC Pride Ride

CRCA subteam OutCycling is hosting its fourth annual NYC Pride Ride on Sunday, June 12, 2016. The ride has 30, 60, and 100 mile options, and is an official Heritage of Pride event.

The ride will have SAG support, feed zones, and a finish line festival. There will be a full-out lunch at Rockland State Park for the 60 and 100 mile options.

For the CRCA discount code, please use CRCA16.

2. The Feed

The Feed is offering the following deals for the month of May:

• 20% off on Krave Jerky, Rip Van Wafels, ProBar Meal bar, Rodeo Trail Nuggets, Skratch Labs Fruit Drops.
• FREE Bonk Breaker Endurance Pack .

If you'd haven't already opted-in for the 15% discount with The Feed (http://thefeed.com/), you need to submit your name and e-mail through this form:http://goo.gl/forms/u30TDZC4k5.

We'll submit an updated form to The Feed on Wednesday, June 1.

3. Research Survey

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, Department of Urology are conducting a study on the impact of different forms of exercise on sexual wellness and urologic conditions.

They hope to uncover new connections between exercise and health, aid patients, and better inform the public about ways to improve their health.

They have asked us to share the following survey (~10 minutes to complete) with club members: https://urology.ucsf.edu/node/2826.

The survey is completely anonymous and all data is kept securely.

Five randomly selected participants will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card after completing the survey.

4. NYRR Cycling Support

NYRR will begin paying cyclists who sign up for NYRR cycling support via a stipend, hourly or day rate, depending upon the type of race and the support role.

For more information, please see the following Cyclist Roles document.

NYRR plan on creating a cycling support call list. If you would like to be added to this list, please contact communications@crca.net.

RACES

1. Rockleigh Criterium

Thursday, May 26, at 6:00 PM.

The race will pay tribute to CRCA Champion, Zach "King of Rockleigh" Koop.

All proceeds from the first race will be donated to Cycle for Survival. Rockleigh Crit will also be retiring Zach's number -- 1.

Register to race for a cause and to remember Zach: https://www.bikereg.com/rockleigh-criterium--series-i.

2. Club Race 7

Sunday, May 29, at 05:45 AM.

The race finishes at the Met Museum.

Laps (~10km each):

W (7.1) A (8.1) B (7.1) M40+ (7.1) C (6.1)

EVENTS

Nothing so far!

Have any announcements or events you would like to make for next week’s post? Please contact communications[at]crca.net.

IMPORTANT: 5/21 Roster Published

The roster for May 21 is now available here. Take a quick look, especially if you’re racing Saturday, to make sure not only that you’re clear to race but you’ve got the right number.

If you haven’t picked up your number yet, have no fear, we’ll have them ready to pick up at the race.  Please come early,  please know what your number is, and please have your USAC license out and ready.

IF YOUR NAME IS IN YELLOW: You are NOT cleared to race, and its because of something critical.  You are either suspended due to not marshaling, you do not have a valid USAC license/number in our system, or you have not taken a new members race clinic (mandatory for ALL cat 4/5 racers).  Please get in touch with me ASAP at membership[at]crca.net if you were intending to race and you are yellow.  Hopefully if its a USAC issue we can get it resolved ASAP.

IF YOUR NAME IS IN PURPLE: Please bring an EVENT WAIVER to the race tomorrow, and submit a SERIES WAIVER via email. A reminder that EVENT WAIVERS can be purchased for a $5 donation at the Club races. To submit a season waiver by e-mail: (1) visit http://archive.crca.net/racing/eventwaivers/, (2) find the season waiver under the "2016 Season Pass Waiver" section, (3) print, fill-in, sign, scan, and email the waiver to waivers@crca.net.

Thanks and see you all tomorrow morning!

Coming Up This Week (May 16 – 22)

Announcements

1. Season Pass to Donor Membership Upgrade

If you are a Season Pass member and would like to upgrade to a Donor membership, CRCA will now deduct your Season Pass membership ($100).

This means Donor membership is only $500 for current Season Pass members.

Furthermore, if you upgrade and have already marshalled, your marshal credits will be carried over to next year.

Please contact communications@crca.net to request an upgrade or for any questions.

2. Season Pass Waivers

We will no longer be accepting Season Pass waivers at races.

If you are a Season Pass member and have not yet submitted a season waiver, please submit one by e-mail prior to racing.

Instructions on how to do so are available at http://archive.crca.net/racing/eventwaivers/, under the "2016 Season Pass Waiver" section.

If you don't remember whether your waiver was submitted and accepted, please refer to the April 16 roster, available at: http://archive.crca.net/wp-content/uploads/crca-roster-2016-april-16-final-B.pdf.

If your name is highlighted in purple on the roster, you must submit a season waiver prior to racing.

For any questions, please e-mail communications@crca.net.

3. Club Racing Schedule Changes (Power Points)

Club Race 8, on June 19, has been changed from a Power Points race to a Scratch race.

The finish for the race has been moved to Cat's Paw Hill.

Club Race 9, on August 6, is now the Power Points race, with the finish at West 97th Street.

Please refer to the race schedule for details: http://archive.crca.net/racing/race-schedule/.

Races

Club Race 6 is set to take place on Saturday, May 21, at 05:35 AM.

The race finishes at Tavern on the Green, and is a points race for the W, A, and B fields.

The race is a scratch for the C and W3/4 fields. The W3/4 field is open, as part of the Women’s Development Series (BikeReg).

Laps (~10km each):

W: 7.7 A: 8.7 B: 7.7 C: 6.7 W3/4: 6.7

Events

1. Monday, May 16 Screening of Cheetah: The Nelson Vails Story, 7:00 – 8:30PM, Axis Theatre Co.

Tickets $25. Proceeds go to supporting Recycle-A-Bicycle’s student leadership development program.

Nelson Vails himself will be there for a Q&A and to sign and give-away memorabilia.

More information here; Facebook event page here.

2. Tuesday, May 17

Screening of Cheetah: The Nelson Vails Story, 6:00 – 7:30PM, MIST Theater.

Free; doors open at 5:30PM.

Nelson Vails himself will be there for a Q&A and to sign and give-away posters and memorabilia.

3. Saturday, May 21

Nomad Cycle's Grand Opening Party, 6:00 - 10:00PM, Nomad Cycle. Free.

4. Saturday, May 21

NYRR is seeking cyclist volunteers for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon. Details below; please contact communications@crca.net for any questions.

Course Team:

• 2:00am to approximately 2:00pm • Oversee delivery and setup of equipment • Reporting any issues to race command center • Join sweep package for any late runners

Transportation Team:

• 6:00am to approximately 8:30am • Lead Handcycle Spotter: Lead handcyclist along course while communicating location updates throughout the race • Lead Male Spotter: Lead male leaders along course while communicating location updates throughout the race

Have any announcements or events you would like to make for next week's post? Please contact communications@crca.net. 

Race Report: Women’s Race Clinic, April 2016

CRCA held its first women’s race clinic of the year on Saturday, April 23. Intended as an introduction to racing for both new and experienced cyclists, the clinic offered two laps of guided racing around Central Park. Experienced racers chaperoned the participants, offering instruction and feedback as the race went on. Our new women racers put on an exhilarating race, effectively employing the tactical fundamentals of bike racing.

The initial weather forecast for the clinic was a bit grim, with a 60% chance of rain predicted from Friday afternoon through to Saturday morning. The absence of rain on Friday gave us optimism, however, that the race would be dry.

That changed around 2:00AM on Saturday, when pouring rain could be heard rattling on the AC units that hang out of the City’s apartment windows. Clinic riders did not let the wet roads deter them, though, with 25 making it to the start at Cat’s Paw Hill. Spirits were high. By 5:15AM, the rain had slowed to a light drizzle, and the temperature was a comfortable 60-degrees. The race would be wet, but not miserable.

Coach Tara Parsons gave a pre-race pep and safety talk. The riders then began to take their place on the start line, where the race director repeated important race directions, such as staying out of the recreation lane.

At 6:00AM the whistle blew and the riders were off, fast. The race was supposed to stay neutral until the top of Harlem Hill. The lead moto, it seems, was not aware of this, so the peloton cruised between 20 to 25 mph from the start.

While it wasn’t exactly a neutral start, no one attacked, and the field stayed together until the road turned up on Harlem Hill. By that point, nervous jitters had subsided, and the race was truly on.

The field split on Harlem Hill, with about 15 riders making the front group. The pace stayed fast through the rollers on the west side. Lisa Hom launched the first attack, followed quickly by Lesley McTague. Riders continued to move safely and smoothly in the field. This group knew how to race their bikes!

Another attack was launched by Alicia Stansbury the first time up Cat’s Paw Hill. This split the front group of riders. By Engineer’s Gate (East 90^th Street), a breakaway formed with Shara Arnofsky, Emma Sherer, Sarah Sjöman, Bryna Cofrin-Shaw, Chesley Andrews, and Blythe Austin. They worked together for the remainder of the lap, stayed away from chasers, and finished in the order noted.

For half a lap, Lesley McTague chased the leaders on her own. She was eventually joined by Lisa Hom and JoAnn Cruz Ryder. They worked together to chase, demonstrating the importance of knowing when to cooperate with other riders. Despite a strong chase, they were not able to bridge the field, but dug deep and sprinted at the finish.

Behind them, Elena Stojanova worked solo and took the last top ten placing. Riders not in the top ten learned how to form groups, work together, and stay focused, making their own race count.

It was great to see all the smiles coming across the finish line. All racers did fantastic, and hopefully got a glimpse of what coach Tara stated at the beginning of the race clinic: “Bike racing is the most glorious and comprehensive of the endurance sports. It is not only a measure of strength and fitness, but also a measure of tactics and strategy.”

Results for the clinic are available here: https://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2016-1058.

Congratulations to all our new racers! We hope to see you all at our races. Our next race clinic is set to happen in June.

2016 Race Number Pick-Up Parties @ Veselka

This year's number pick-up parties will be held on Monday, February 29 (5-8PM) and Wednesday, March 2 (5-7PM), at Veselka. Veselka will be offering $4 beers and a beer and plate of pierogies for $10! On both days, a $5 gift certificate will also be given to the first 50 members picking up a number that day.

Season Pass and Donor members will be able to drop-off their series waivers, which are available here. Members can also submit their series waivers by e-mail, to waivers@crca.net. To be accepted, waivers must be scanned in full size, and every field must be filled out. The series permit number is 2016-524.

Members who are not able to attend the events may pick up their numbers at their first race. Members should arrive early for number pick-up on a race morning.

Club Race 1 is a 06:30 AM start, so early number pick-up and waiver drop-off means a less hectic race morning and maybe a chance to sleep in a little longer.

Best of all, you'll get to enjoy some food and drink in the company of your fellow club members!

The events are also a great opportunity to back a generous and enthusiastic supporter of NYC cycling and racing. Veselka is now in its fifth year of team sponsorship, and has worked with Transportation Alternatives for many years. Tips will be kindly appreciated.