Big Wheel Racing

Polar Bear Sprint Triathlon was held Dec 8th, with Nate in attendance for his first sprint tri in nearly 3 years. With distances of 7km (4mi) run, 30km (19mi) bike, and 400m (1/4mi) swim this was exactly the opposite type of racing to the 135mi brevet the previous weekend. A finish time of 1:26:02 was good enough to get 2nd in the 30-34 age group, and 4th overall out of 60 male finishers. Wind on the bike proved to be the primary challange, after running a steady 30min 7k Nate made up ground in the wind with a 46min 30K bike. Kona Cola nuun provided the hydration with that little extra kick from a small amount of caffiene. The Zipp 404 wheels proved once again why they are the choice of so many riders for everything from sprints to Ironman, handling the cross winds well while just being plain wicked fast. High Desert Bicycles in Rio Rancho just happens to have a demo set of 404’s, so you can try before you buy….

With great pleasure Big Wheel Racing would like to announce that High Desert Bicycles & Specialized Bikes have teamed up to provide sponsorship for our team. We are truly thankful for the opportunity to work with High Desert Bicycles of Rio Rancho, NM which is by far the top shop in central New Mexico. With a line up that includes America’s top bike company, Specialized Bike, and their innovative products, High Desert also provide bicycles from Spanish cycling giant Orbea, and American mountain biking companies Yeti and Titus.

Here is part of the now full line up of women’s bikes from Specialized, the carbon fiber Safire!

Since a good majority of the BWR team likes to singlespeed, this bike caught the attention of several team members!

Drool at the Specialized roadie bling!

The women are a huge part of BWR’s team, as we currently have 6 strong female riders. We are always trying to grow the number of women on the team, and now thanks to High Desert and Specialized our teamates can ride in style!

Since we are Big Wheel enthusiasts, no post would be complete without a 29er!

Rich can hardly contain his excitement!

You can even buy a full team kit from High Desert’s road team, which are our new partners in crime!

Nate and Donnie talking with one of the store’s owners, John Kibodeaux.

High Desert Bicycles chose to sponsor Big Wheel Racing because, according to John, they wanted to support the local mountain bike and endurance racing scene. We are very appreciative of this support and we will strive to do our best to represent the shop. We can only hope that we can display a level of generosity back to the shop in equal to the faith they have shown in us. Thanks High Desert and Specialized!

If you visit, the shop, please tell them that you saw this post on the Big Wheel Racing website.

Big Wheel Racing’s newest sponsor is Albuquerque Costmetic Dentistry’s Dr. James Slaman. Dr. Slaman goes way back with team member, Jeni Turgeon. He fixed her two front teeth that were knocked out after a bicycling face plant a few years ago. Jeni’s teeth now look good as new, thanks to Dr. Slaman. Jeni now has two really great reasons to call Dr. Slaman her favorite dentist of all time!

Nate and Lisa saddled up for NM Brevet’s Radium Springs 200K on December 1st. The ride started at Leasburg Dam State Park and followed the Rio Grande north to Hatch, then over to Caballo Lake then up to Hillsboro. After climbing to Hillsboro the route returned south on NM26 and back to Hatch. Riders arriving the night before were welcomed with a steady rain and wind. Rain eased to a drizzle around 6am, and stopped entirely for the start at 7. Soon it was a mostly sunny day, however, very soon the wind started to pick up. By 8:30 wind was building to 15-20mph sustained, and gusts were far higher. Lisa decided the wind was becoming too great an issue and called it a day. A very wise choice, as Nate (who is in possession of about 2x more road huggin’ weight) had his hands full keeping it on the road descending into Hillsboro, and also received a full-body workout fight the 1/4ing head wind on the return south. The combination of Hammer Nutrition Perpetum for nutrition and nuun for electrolyte replacement and hydration worked extremely well (nuun tablets were extremely convenient, just a tube in a pocket and way easier than messy drink powders that would have blown away in the wind). A couple
Honey Stinger gels and a tasty ham and cheese sandwich in Hillsboro courtesy Liz rounded out the days feasting. Nate finished the route in 8:14, and was the first one back to Leasburg Dam with the next pair of finishers 45min back.

John and Liz organize the NM Brevet series and do a great job of taking care of all the folks on the course while providing encouragement and somehow finding the most scenic and challenging riding in the state. And, in this ride which was advertised as 200K, we got an extra 10% at no extra charge for a total of 135miles.

Leasburg Dam provided a great start/finish area, a nice clean campground with extremely friendly and accommodating staff. And, with showers at the campground, what more could you want??

Nate post ride and shower, in his trademark “ahh shucks, I just road 135mi” look.

I did a race Sunday Dec. 6th in the small town of Külsheim, Baden-Wurtenburg, Germany. Having just looked at the results, I only missed 3rd by 30 seconds. So, a 4th place finish. Would have liked to have done better, but given that we’ve moved and I’ve been teaching and going to school too many hours a week lately, I suppose that’s o.k.

Anyway, I wish that I’d realized that I was that close to 3rd place. I had thought there was considerably more distance than that and was more worried about losing my present position to the guy that I’d battled with for most of the race.

So, on the last lap, I turned on what gas I had and left him behind. I was at the line when he came through and he gave me trouble for turning on the gas and leaving him (i.e “Du hast gas geben!”).

It was probably the muddiest race that I’ve ever done. Other than that, conditions were good. Warmish, but not too much and it sprinkled every once in awhile.

One thing was kind of funny though. Many of the people that started with gears, ended with one gear due to the crazy amount of mud. At the award ceremony we had to laugh abot it.

The course was partially pavement, dirt (farm) roads and then about 25% singletrack. On the first lap about half way through the singletrack I heard something running and turned to the left in time to see a deer (think giant poodle sized animal) coming straight for my front wheel. It missed me by inches.

The rest of the race was uneventful other than battling with a guy named Markus for most of the race and the deep and very slimy mud.

I haven’t been on the team long enough to get my uniforms. So, I’m racing incognito in my Black Sheep Bikes jersey (given to my by a friend).

So, as the first Euro Member of the team, I had to do what I could to “represent”. Hopefully, before too long people will know me by the Red, Green & Yellow of the Big Wheel Racing logos. For now, everyone will have to settle with more pics here. As soon as the pics show up on the “official site”, I’ll be sure to drag a couple over here for you.

December 4–Kansas City received some long overdue rain on December 1, followed by a nice cold front with high winds and low temps to make for a tough day of cross racing on December 2. The 2nd race of the season for the Boss Cross Series moved to Parkville, MO and English Landing Park. A rolling course with multiple sand pits (some rideable (if you were lucky), some not), a one-lane bridge complete with indoor/outdoor carpeting and a trip up onto the park stage (no singing please) followed by a plywood ramp off the side made for lots of fun—then add in a howling wind coming off the river and temps in the low 30s, wind chills in the low 20s. Brrrrrr…..

Cat 4 saw 33 entries this week and despite nearly being knocked off the stage on lap 1, Big Wheel Racing’s Brad Davis managed an 8th place finish, followed quickly by some hot coffee and time to defrost in the car. Thanks to those who came out to support and cheer on the racers (lots of cowbell) and the usual BWR sponsors—Moots, BikeSource and Hammer Nutrition.

BWR had a good showing for the 3rd 12 Hours of Temecula series race on Saturday, November 17, 2007. Scott Sportsman and Jeni Turgeon rode duo singlespeed and Matt Turgeon rode solo singlespeed.

Scott and Jeni won first place duo singlespeed for the race and also won the 12 Hours of Temecula series for the year in the singlespeed team category!

The day was great and the weather was perfect for riding. Honey Stinger and Hammer products kept the team members well-fed and the team gear was perfect. Thanks to Avant Garb for the hoodies that kept us warm pre and post race!

nuun solves hydration! Convenient, easily packable, and great flavors. An optimum blend of electrolytes to keep you hydrated without all the sticky sweet sugar of sports drinks. nuun allows you to decouple your hydration from your nutrition letting you choose how to refuel.

Use it for an all day epic, or keep a tube in your gym bag for those short workouts where you require hydration but don’t need the carbs.

Big Wheel Racing made a big showing at the inaugural Black Mountain 300k Brevet as part of the New Mexico Brevet Series, founded and run by Big Wheel Racing Team members John and Liz Mazzola. John, Donnie Cole, Jeni Turgeon, and Matt Turgeon all completed the 186.6-mile route, with nearly 12,000-ft of climbing, out to the remote back roads near Beaverhead, NM in the Gila National Forest. The New Mexico Brevet Series is an affiliate of Randonneurs USA which is a relatively new organization and style of long distance riding in the US that emphasizes completion and camaraderie rather than competition. The origins of randonneuring are over one hundred old from France and this year is a Paris-Brest-Paris year, the culminating event held once every four years.

November 3, 2007–BigWheel Racing team member Brad Davis raced Day 1 of the annual Riverside Cyclocross Festival today. Despite multiple pile-ups caused by the dry/slick conditions and sand pit, Brad managed a 12th place finish out of 47 racers (Cat 4) to improve upon results from last week’s event.

With several races remaining in the season, Brad’s goal of a top 5 finish at at least one event still looks possible thanks to the continued support of BigWheel sponsors such as BikeSource, Moots and Hammer Nutrition. Stay tuned for more exciting cross results in weeks to come (and hopefully at least one race in ‘real’ cross conditions with some good mud, snow and muck!)

October 28th, 2007—BigWheel Racing team member Brad Davis experienced first-hand what the nation’s top cyclocross racers will encounter this December by racing in the early season Boulevard Cup Cyclocross Race held near the Wyandotte County fairgrounds in Kansas City, Kansas. This event was a huge success with 200+ crossers competing on Sunday and saw BikeSource, a Big Wheel Racing sponsor, on-site as a major sponsor of the event.

The course, set up along the shores of an area lake, should prove to be a real challenge at the National Championships later this year as it includes plenty of off camber sections and the ‘infamous’ double run-up (think straight up one hill with a barrier mid-way, then straight down, then back up again with another barrier). This site was also were Steve Tilford took a swim in the lake after falling through the ice on his way to win last season’s KLM race at this venue!

Brad, racing in his first cross race of the season started near the back of the field of nearly 70 entrants (Cat 4) and despite the narrow course managed to pick off a number of riders during lap 1 and continued to steadily advance throughout the race to finish 23rd. Racing next weekend turns to the Riverside, Missouri course where Brad managed a top 5 finish last season racing singlespeed and hopes to improve on his placing this year!

Thanks to all our sponsors for the support at this event–notably BikeSource, Hammer Nutrition (yummy stuff), Moots (Brad rides a PsychloX) and Sock guy–note the classic socks in the photo!

We had a great BWR turnout for this event which was hosted by Gallup Trails 2010! The Zuni 86 and 43 took place in the McGaffey Lake area. There’s an entire network of trails that cover a variety of terrain.

Jeff Hemperley scored second place in the 86, racing singlespeed, in 9 hrs, 36 min. Other BWR members on the men’s team, Nate Berg, Donnie Cole, and John Mazzola rode the 43 mile version or some version of it. Donnie ended up with a 49 mile version at 6 hrs on the singlespeed.

The women’s team, also attempting a 43-mile version ended up with Jen Albright completing around 27 miles, and Lyn Alter and Jeni Turgeon completing 38 miles.

The day started out a bit chilly, but nothing the BWR gear (the jackets were great!) couldn’t handle. 1 pair of the Sock Guy wool socks were perfect for the feet; Jen opted for the 6″ rasta colored Sock Guy socks, which also did the trick. Some of us were decked out in our new Bell bike helmets, courtesy of our sponsor, Bike Source. Rather than carrying my ID with me (which I’d most likely lose some time during the ride), I opted for my Road ID ankle strap.

By the afternoon, the weather was beautiful, warm and sunny! Honey Stinger Protein Bars and Peanut Butter Energy Bars came in handy as trail food for the day. During the afternoon, I was getting a little tired and ate 1/2 of a Protein Bar. About 30 minutes later, Lyn asked, “what the heck did you eat that gave you all that energy?!?” These bars do the trick!

We finished up the afternoon visiting with the locals, and wishing we’d brought some Santa Fe Brewing Company beer along to share with folks, since they were so generous to share their local brews. The were holding their annual micro brew tasting contest at the end of the Zuni 86 event.

The California Chapter of Big Wheel Racing (Scott) completed the 21st annual Bakersfield Spooktacular Century on October 20th 2007. Of six ride options, I completed the Hideous Hundred option, which nearly met its advertised 10,000+ feet of climbing, over 102 miles (it was really 10,487 feet of climbing across 106.1 miles)

The BWR team member rode together for most of the day, allowing for a few miles of mental separation from my body. The team was resplendent in the Big Wheel Racing gear, completed this day with the BWR striped socks and the vest. Both of which were essential as the as the cloud level was reached at 3000′, coinciding with the end of dry clothing for the day, yet I was never cold, just a little chilled during the descent. The vest is excellent at keeping the body’s core temperature up (and the pockets are invaluable, used this day to carry gobs of Honey Stingers), and the socks had a frosty layer across the front of the ankle, but the cold never penetrated to my feet..

In Juarez Mexico the Chupacabras 100km race took place on Saturday October 13th. I, Rich Capener, raced with five friends and over 2300 riders on a nice hot day in Mexico. There weren’t any divisions, just one big field of riders looking for a race. We got to the starting line about 7:40am and the race started at 9. There were a few hundred riders in front of me and more keep squeezing in as you could see bikes pass over head, over and over again. After the start the riders shot over to the levy for several fast paced dust filled miles. Well things were going quite well after the levy and lots of local people cheering everyone on calling you “Animal, Animal”. For the most part it was two track most of the way till you got to King Kong then you started the first hike-a-bike. This wasn’t so bad and wasn’t too long and I still felt good. After dropping off this mountain to the bottom you had to deal with the dry, dry stream beds that had small rocks that acted like sand making it hard to pass. Next was the trip to the church in the middle of no where.Swear that church was in some old Clint Eastwood movie. Shortly after the church I had my rear tire blowout. It had a half inch cut in the sidewall so I had to boot and tube it to get back in the race. Next was the hike-a-bike from hell (Asphyxia). I think it must have been like one mile of pure hiking on a hot day with no signs of shade. Can you say cooking your brain. After getting to the top that’s where the fun started again. There where two corners that were a little tricky but I was forced to stop due to rider backup. After descending, things got really thinned out and only saw a few handful riders the rest of the way back. In fact, there were a few times I thought I was off course but soon would see event staff every mile or so. I ended up coming in 168th out of 2300+ riders. Not too bad for my first year at this event and I’ll be back next year wanting to break into the sub 100.

Big Wheel Racing team members Jeff, Jeni and Matt rode in the 2nd Annual Durango Fall Blaze Century Ride in Durango, CO.  The ride is hosted by professional cyclists Tom and Kristin Danielson.  Tom races for the new Slipstream/Chipotle Team and Kristin races for Velo Bella, and together they host this charity ride to raise money for their alma mater, Ft. Lewis College.  The ride brought in over $22,000 for the college and will be used for scholarships. 

 The BWR team members rode together for the century, wearing our team clothing, and now getting to wear the team jackets and vests because of the cooler weather.  Our Maxxis tires worked well on the road pavement, and also some packed dirt roads that Tom threw into the great course for this year.  We all used our Honey Stinger products and really appreciate the support from them over the years.  Honey Stinger has been a supporter of Big Wheel Racing and also FooMTB, the local trail advocacy group that Matt & Jeni founded.  Their energy bars and honey gels are just really great tasting and packed full of the power needed for endurace events.