The Internet of Bikes: Downeast Racing Killington Stage Race Day 3 Individual Time Trial

The time trial is an 11 mile run and it is the last event of the race. The course is mildly up hill for six miles and then flat with a short climb. Conditions were cool and damp. I had my newly arrived Austro-Daimler Verge time trial outfit. My start time was mid day. My legs felt fine, but the effort of the previous two days could be felt. I set off on time and soon noticed a cross wind that would occasionally turn into a tail wind. I was able to push a big gear and keep up good speed. I caught my one minute man. He caught me on a climb, but then faded quickly. I reached the flat section and could see three riders in front of me. I managed to catch perhaps two of them but it was hard work. The flat section seemed to go on forever and I really had to work hard to close gaps. I was out of the saddle on the short climb and got by a rider there. I recovered a bit on the following downhill, and then started in for the last push. I had great speed and was on top of my 55 x 11, but I lost momentum on the bump that precedes the finish; I should have been out of the saddle sprinting over it. I completed the course with a time of 23:46 which was fast enough for tenth place. I was very pleased with the result; it was the fastest time I have had on this course. I moved up to 21st place in the general classification some four minutes off the winning pace. It was the end of three days of great racing and fine times with Downeast Racing team mates. 

At the start

Outbound on Route 4

Still smiling

Heading home

Loyal fan!

Loyal fan!

The Internet of Bikes: Downeast Racing Killington Stage Race Day 2 Mountain Stage

The Mountain Stage is a 75 mile point to point course that features fast descents, tough climbs and the summit finish at Killington Ski Resort. Conditions were dry and warm. There were about 100 riders at the start. The plan was to conserve until the second time up North Road (mile 40). This was the right plan and everyone was using it. Matt Moon brought me to the front and just in time to catch on to the surge up North Road. It was hard work and the field shrunk a bit in size. The race pushed on through the big descent and the dirt road section. The pace on the fourteen miles on Route 4 was very fast. We passed the 40 Plus field and perhaps another group. It was hard work. Dan Vallaincourt brought me to the front as the race turned onto the East Mountain Road and the final climb. The pace did not slow a bit, and there was traffic from the previous categories. I could see right away that I was going to have a hard time keeping up with the lead group. They were in sight up until the second hairpin, after which the climb became a personal journey to go as fast as possible without blowing up completely. I managed to join a small group that pushed on for the summit finish. The last section was as hard as always with open road and the 500 meter flag beckoning in the distance. I crossed the line in 29th position with a time of 3:08. I was pleased with the result given the level of competition, the difficulty of the terrain and the size of the field. There is no way I would have made it without the nerve and wisdom of Matt Moon and Dan Vallaincourt, who finished the climb soon after. It was warm at the finish and after some recovery, we made our way back to the house. I was really tired. 

The last 500 meters

The Internet of Bikes: Downeast Racing Killington Stage Race Day 1 Circuit Race

The Killington Stage Race is a three day stage race held around Killington Vermont on Memorial Day Weekend. The race features Vermont hills, beautiful green scenery and great bike racing. I joined Downeast Racing team mates Matt Moon and Dan Vallaincourt in the Pro 1 2 race. The first day was a 77 mile circuit race. There were 120 riders at the start and many teams from New England and Canada. Conditions were variable. I was running FOS 38T tubulars with Vittoria EVO CX tires on my Austro-Daimler Superleicht Carbon Di2. The bike ran very well all weekend. 

The first few miles saw a flurry of attacks and two crashes. A two man break formed soon after and things settled down. The pace was brisk on the gradual climb through the back of the course but cool heads prevailed on the fast descent to Route 100. I tried hard to ride at the front with Dan Vallaincourt and Matt Moon, but it was just too busy for me and I was just getting in the way. I settled in and concentrated on conserving energy and staying out of trouble (there were many of flat tires due to lateral cracks in the road). As expected, the break was caught at the last lap and the field charged down the last few miles in the pouring rain to contest the famous sprint. This was not for me and I finished with a group time (2:42), soaking wet but not too tired. 

Off to the Circuit Race

The skye open on the last lap

The Internet of Bikes: 2014 Lake Sunappe Road Race

The Lake Sunappee Road Race is one of the longest running road races in New England. It attracts a good size field each year. I joined Downeast Racing Team riders Travis Kroot, Matt Moon, Eliot Pitney and Dan Vallaincourt for the Pro 123 race. Temperatures were in the 60s. It was damp but clear. The sun was out. The course was changed this year due to construction on Route 103. The race instead followed narrow and twisting Route 103B and Jobs Creek Road around the western edge of Lake Sunappee and was about ten miles shorter than usual. The rest of the course was the same. About 65 riders started the 60 mile race. I was running FOS 38T tubulars on my Austro-Daimler Superleicht Carbon Di2. The bike and the wheels performed very well.

There were a few attacks right from the start. Dan and Matt covered them. None of the breaks stuck. The new section was rough in places and featured some decent hills and fast descents. The key moment arrived half way through the second lap, on the long hill that leads up to the climbs on the northern part of the lake. A few riders pushed the pace and created a gap. Dan and I were there. Dan said "Hit this". So I did. I joined the four riders and pushed the pace into the next climb. All three riders decided to ease up. I did not and soon I had a material gap. At the beginning of the decent into Newbury, no one was in sight and I had the wheel van. A move this bold and this early was not the plan, but I had a gap so I decided to keep it. I concentrated on keeping the pace as high as possible but as steady as possible too, in order to exploit the peloton's naturally erratic speed.

I made good time on 103B. On the straight section outside of Sunappee, I could see a chase group of about six riders; they were not that far back (15 seconds or so), but they were having a hard time keeping me in sight. I ducked on to Job's Creek Road, another twisting and narrow section and was out of sight once again. This worked to my advantage as my time gap increased here. The northern climbs were hard third time through, but I kept the pace steady and avoided over doing it. On the descent I spun out my gears and tried to recover a bit. The three rollers before the circle were the last test. Thankfully there was a tailwind. I arrived at the circle very eager to get up the access road climb. There was some riders in the circle, but fortunately they did not slow things down too much; the chase group had apparently faded to 40 seconds back and they were not in sight; I did not dare look.  

I lost many seconds on the first section of the access road climb. It is steep and there was a head wind. But as climb eased up, I realized that I was not going to be caught and that I was going to have solo finish at Lake Sunappee. It was a fine treat. Nine years of trying and it finally worked out. I could not have done it without the support of the Downeast Racing team I am sure. Hopefully, an image of that finish will surface one day. 

The Internet of Bikes: Portland Velo Club Cyclemania Time Trial (Maine Time Trial Series Race #3)

The Portland Velo Club Cyclemania Cape Elizabeth Time Trial is a 13.5 mile double loop in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. It is the third race in the Maine Time Trial Series. The course features long gradual hills, open roads and some short climbs. I joined Downeast Racing team mate Hank Pfeifle and about 50 other riders to race. Conditions were cool and dry. This was my second time trial on the Austro-Daimler tt Carbon in 2014. The bike was running very well. I concentrated on pushing as hard as possible on the flat section near the Inn By the Sea and choosing a smooth section of road on the back part of the course. There is time to be gained in these sections. The primary challenge of this race for me was the long gradual hill on Route 77 before Fowler Road (completed two times) and the long and a bit steeper climb leading into the center of town. I tried hard to maintain speed in both places; it was tough. The funny thing about this race is that I know these roads very well; they are all in my back yard and I spend many hours riding on them. They have become associated with heading out on a ride or coming back from a ride. Thus when I make a maximum effort on the time trial bike, the experience feels completely different and very foreign. I suppose this means that a time trial is a time trial no matter where you are. I completed the course this year with a time of 29:07 (2013: 28:50) which was fast enough to win the day. Congratulations to all the racers who competed and thank you to Ted Darling and David Brink and all the volunteers for putting on a very well organized and pleasant event!

Entering the gate

One minute to go

A-D Bikes at the 2014 Bicycle Coalition of Maine Bike Swap

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine Portland Bike Swap is an annual event that brings buyers and sellers of bikes together for a mad three hours of commerce. Owners bring their old and not so old bikes to the University of Southern Maine Sullivan Complex and list a price that they would like to obtain. At the appointed hour, potential buyers surge into the building in search of a dream bike or a bike that they can fix up and use for the local commute. The event has been a tremendous success and each year it seems to get bigger.I am a business member of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and thus I get to set up a booth at the swap. 

The booths were located at the edge of the parking lot in front of the hundred or so people lined up waiting to get into the complex. It was a fine place to be. I had a lot of help from by business school buddy Peter Tousigant: he helped me get the bikes and frames to the swap, set up the tent and the displays, and keep an eye on things once the questions began to fly. I spent two hours fielding questions about the bikes, the frames, the story: it was a Bike Talk Marathon. The weather was a bit damp and the wind picked up which blew the bikes and the frames over, despite our best efforts to keep them upright. That was stressful. Next year I will innovate the displays a bit.

I had all the steel frame sets that I have acquired for color match purposes and the three new Limited  Series frame sets. My original steel Champagne Superleicht was on display (in the image below). I spent a lot time explaining how that frame set inspired this whole adventure.  The Ubercross Carbon Disc Classic was there and attracted a lot of attention: the bike really turned out very well, so well I do not want to ride it! My tt Carbon was on display and attracted plenty of attention too, given its aero lines and disc wheel. I also had my Superleicht Carbon Classic Di2 in a stand: it was still pretty dirty having just returned from a week of riding in California. The voices of the three bikes had a wonderful harmony.

 It was very satisfying to hear the excitement, hand out cards and hear about everyone's Bike World. Next time I have to get people to sign a sheet of paper or something so that I can follow up. Actually, a few people signed up for the newsletter through the site.

I was unable to take any pictures, talk to friends at the other booths or even go into the swap. Thankfully, David Van Chu was there with his camera and his professional eye: he took these great images.  Tak and Nina turned up with sandwiches and rescued Peter and I who were really pretty tired and hungry by the end. The swap was a fine event and great practice for A-D Bikes eventual debut at Inter Bike. 

tt Carbon

Ubercross and Superleicht

Ubercross with Craver 38s Superleicht with FOS 55s

Talking A-D Bikes

The frame set that launched 1000 frame sets

Frame and Wheel Selling Services

A-D