1st Cross Practice

For almost everyone, tonight was the first cyclocross practice of the year. Will, Harold, and I took photos. The following are but a small fraction of the awesomeness captured by our cameras. Enjoy!

Will P rode in sandals
Dave poses for his publicity photos
Alumnus Ted rode like a man possessed
The barriers were a popular place to photograph
AngryMark... 'nuff said

The 2007-08 Team Uniform!

Our friends at Verge Sport just sent us a proof of the 2007-08 Rutgers Cycling uniforms.

They look awesome!

24 hours of Allamuchy - Results!

The following images were captured and are for sale by www.imageextreme.com Thanks for camping out in the woods and capturing these shots.

OK, OK, OK,

24-O'Muchy is over, and, for the most part, I'd guess that our team is back to physiological equilibrium. Our first laps... HOT! Like, heat advisory HOT! Still, we churned some great laps. CaptainChaz finishing lap 1 at right. Soaked, absolutely soaked in sweat. Then Jim, from the Highland Park Hermes, stepped up and ripped a great lap, followed by Mike Phelan, loving the 29'er and claiming that he could ride over anything.



Jay lays down a fourth fast lap for our team, demonstrating the depth that our team has. Others brought a superstar and some riff-raff, but we clearly brought an all-star cast. Then, it was back to Charlie and Jim. Mike Phelan took the first night lap followed by King-of-the-Night, Jay Nossen! Jay and Mike's night laps were so unexpectedly fast, that Charlie missed Jay at the transition and Jay went out for a second 10.5 mile lap in a row, without support, and during a thunderstorm! The speed of these two in the dark can only be attributed to the miles that they log on Tuesday nights in either the Chimney Rock or Six Mile Run trail systems. Charlie then took his first night ride ever in mud, standing water, and really slippery rocks and roots as his brake pads wore down to nearly nothing. The result?... yup, somehow, another fast lap. Things were looking good for team Hermutgers, but our chance at first place had slipped away and we focused on remaining consistent and ensuring second place. Jim and Mike finished off the night, keeping us well ahead of Team Tiger.

The Sun came up, and Jay hopped back onto the course with great energy (It must be the Accellerade working its magic). Charlie and Jim finished off the morning with two more laps to ensure second place in our age bracket. Here is the breakdown:

Place: 2 Team: 403 HERMERUTGERS
Rider Leave Arrive LapTime
Charlie 00:00 01:11 01:11
Jim 01:12 02:28 01:16
Mike 02:28 03:47 01:19
Jay 03:47 05:09 01:22
Charlie 05:09 06:21 01:12
Jim 06:21 07:45 01:24
Mike 07:45 09:20 01:35
Jay 09:20 10:51 01:31
Jay 11:02 12:59 01:57
Charlie 12:59 14:34 01:35
Jim 14:34 16:34 02:00
Mike 16:35 18:45 02:10
Jay 18:53 20:53 02:00
Charlie 20:53 22:25 01:32
Jim 22:25 24:14 01:49


Our lap times were good enough, that of the 35 four-man teams competing, we finished 3rd overall! So, after Mike and Jay took off, Jim and Charlie collected the hardware: eight plaques for our 2nd place finish in our age bracket and, more importantly, third overall! We are hoping to return to Allamuchy next year with a bit more experience and training and take the 4-man title!

24 Hours of Allamuchy, midnight report

I had the chance to spend a few hours as a soigneur for the combined Rutgers and Hermes (aka, Hermutgers) team at the 24 Hours of Allamuchy mountainbike race. Charlie, Jim, Mike, and Jay formed a 4-man relay team with enough experience and fitness to have a shot at the win.
Charlie finishes his 2nd lap
Charlie rode the first lap, starting at noon, followed by Jim, then Mike, then Jay. It was hot and humid, but Team Hermutgers set a strong pace.
Jim is at home on knobby tires
As of 10pm, the guys had ridden a total of 7 laps, and Jay was well into the 8th. Helmet- or handlebar-mounted lights had been mandatory since 6pm. Speaking as a roadie who shies away from the idea of night-riding, I would describe nighttime in the Allamuchy woods as dark. Like, really dark. Like, I-can't-see-my-front-wheel dark.

Mike, in the old-skool Rutgers jersey, relied heavily on the headlamp during his 2nd lap

Fortunately for Team Hermutgers, Miss O and Miss C have volunteered to spend the entirety of the race supporting the team. Braving mud, mosquitos, and sleep deprivation, these ladies are keeping our racers hydrated, well-fed, and sane.
Miss C and Miss O, soigneurs extraordinaire

When I last checked, Hermutgers were in 2nd place, trailing last year's victors by just a few minutes each lap. However, with thunderstorms rolling in, it seems possible that the world-renowned handling skills of Charlie, Jim, Mike, and Jay might allow a midnight comeback.
The forecast says rain, and the doctor says pain
It's the witching hour now, that ultra-dark, quiet period between midnight and dawn that will really test the riders' mettle. Our racers' strategy seems to be eating solid food, showering off the mud, and getting as much sleep as possible. Here, Charlie demonstrates the food and mud aspects of 24 hour racing.

Jay does some wrenching in the dark
Alumnus Ted was in attendance, repping Van Dessel and cheering Hermutgers

Once our racers have recuperated, I'm sure there will be a race report posted to the blog in the near future. Can Team Hermutgers pull off the win? Stay tuned!

Support Rutgers Cycling

Some of you may have seen the article in today's New York Times about the ways in which some collegiate teams are forced to fund themselves.

Odd Jobs Help Collegiate Teams Stay Afloat

Rutgers Cycling, like many of the teams featured in the article, relies heavily on fundraising to supply its budget. While the University does offer some funding to the team, it is less than 10% of what it costs to run a cycling team that competes 10 months out of the year in over 100 events nationally.

This year, Rutgers Cycling has committed to supporting its racers even more than previous years in both funding and equipment. We can only do this with your support.

Contact Rutgers Cycling at Sponsorship@rutgerscycling.com to find out how you can support collegiate cycling at Rutgers.

Rutgers Cycling Announces 2007-08 Sponsors!

Riding on the tide of a highly successful 2006-07 racing season, Rutgers Cycling is proud to announce new and returning sponsors who will be supporting the team this year.

Returning from last year is Dayton, NJ - based Maul Electric, Inc., commercial and industrial electric specialists.

Also returning as shop sponsor is Efinger Sporting Goods based in Bound Brook, NJ. Efinger Sporting Goods is a full service sporting goods store with a fantastic pro-level bike shop!

Returning for their third year as nutrition sponsor is Pacific Health Labs, Inc. makers of Accelerade and Endurox.

Cycle-Smart continues its coaching relationship with Rutgers Cycling for a third year as well. Cycle-Smart offers personalized coaching to guide you through the unknowns of training and recovery for road, cyclo-cross, track racing, or mountain biking.

Verge Sport is once again the official supplier of Rutgers Cycling uniforms.

We're also very proud to announce a new sponsor for the 07-08 season. Rutgers Cycling's own Noah Schwartz has made a generous donation to the team in honor of his son Joachim. Look for Joachim's name on the team's jerseys this year!

In the coming weeks, Rutgers Cycling will be choosing a road bike sponsor for the season. Keep posted to learn what the team will be riding this spring!

Rutgers Cycling Alumni Tackle the TransRockies!

Check it out! Rutgers Cycling alumni Ben Ollett and Simon Koster are racing in the TransRockies Challenge.

Velonews did a profile of Ben and Simon today:

A Day in the Life of a TransRockies Team

Go Ben! Go Simon!

Charlie's Cyclocross Loop... a preview

With cyclocross season approaching fast, Charlie has mapped out a new road loop designed to give us a 'cross emulation workout.

Camera in hand, I prerode the route, although I'll admit I messed up the final climb by turning too late on King George. Sorry, Chaz.

So here it is, kids. A scouting report of Charlie's 'Cross Loop:

Warmup will be on River Rd, just like every ride ever
We'll do a little stretch in the park in Bound Brook, then warm up on Mountain Ave.
Once we've 'crossed 22, the fireworks will start almost immediately. Washington Rd goes up. For serious.
Once you get to the top, make a left onto Hillcrest. It's slightly downhill, definitely not a place to relax. Put it in the big ring and pedal.
You'll hit a T interesection with Vosseller Ave. Make a right and climb for about 15 seconds, then build up some speed on the descent and hang on for dear life. It's a straight shot and should be very fast.
What goes down will eventually go up. The grade will go from false-flat to grind pretty quickly. The faster you descended, the easier the climb will be.
Right turn onto Washington Valley Rd. This is a relatively high-traffic road, so hug the shoulder and remember to go fast.
After a short descent, you'll make a hard left onto Dock Watch Hollow. Be super-careful, this is busy and there're piles of sand, and you'll be coming into the turn fast.
Drive it over the little bumps until you get to Mt. Horeb Rd. You're crossing a busy road. Respect the stop sign.
As soon as you cross Mt. Horeb, you'll go up. Don't be intimidated, it's steep but it's short.
The descent is long and shallow. Don't relax. This is a 'cross practice, you'd better be pedaling. At the end, make a right turn onto Mountainview Rd.
Mountainview Rd rolls. Charge up the hills and keep that momentum building in between.
Before the traffic light, make a right onto King George Rd.
King George starts with a long pedal-able descent, but you'll need to stop again when you cross Mt. Horeb.
After a fun, fast descent, you'll come to a traffic light at Washington Valley Road. This will be a big pain in the butt, and it might cost the leader his gap over the chasers. Still, when on a Rutgers ride, obey the laws.
You'll have one last climb, a not-too-steep bit up King George. What's cool about this climb is that it's sort of 'crossy... the road is so chewed up that you have to choose your line wisely and practice good form when climbing out of the saddle.
Just before the end of the climb, you'll make a right onto Hillcrest Rd. If you hit a T intersection, you've gone too far.
This part of Hillcrest has a bunch of rollers. Don't be distracted by the view of the Raritan Valley, and don't slack off. This is the last place where chasers can make up ground.
Finish at the intersection with Washington Rd. Phew.

So, to recap:
The climbs... Washington, Vosseller, Dock Watch Hollow, and King George.
The hazards... Left onto Dock Watch Hollow, crossing Mt. Horeb, crossing Mt. Horeb again, and crossing Washington Rd.

Oh, and the wildlife.