Hi Everyone!! Only 2 events remain in this Series, both Category 1 climbs - Event #9 in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series takes place Saturday morning - the Forest Ranch to Lomo Time Trial! I still need 1 volunteer to help me start the riders off, so if you can help, you will get a 5-point bonus in the Series and my undying gratitude! Just shoot me an e-mail at lorrod7@comcast.net. Hope to see you out there!!

Saturday, May 16th - Forest Ranch To Lomo Time Trial - This is a new Time Trial to the Hill Climb Series Events - and a long one too!! At 13.1 miles in length, this is one of the longer hill climb TTs we do - with a total elevation gain of about 2,340 feet! Registration will open at 8:30AM in the parking lot across the street from the Forest Ranch Store - with the 1st rider going off at 9:01AM. We will be going in 1-minute intervals up to Lomo(this is the turn-off from Hwy. 32 to get to Butte Meadows and Jonesville). The Start Line is across the street (Hwy. 32) from the Forest Ranch Store. A map of this course can be found here: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Forest-Ranch-to-Lomo-Time-Trial (9th Event in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series)

AND........THE CURRENT OVERALL STANDINGS IN THE BUTTE HILL CLIMB TIME TRIAL SERIES AFTER 8 EVENTS:

MEN'S CATEGORY "A":
1. Rich Thurman 19 points + 17 points + 23 points + 23 points + 27 points + 29 points + 27 points = 165 points
2. Greg Golet 17 points + 15 points + 19 points + 21 points + 21 points + 25 points + 33 points = 151 points
3. Jesse Rushing 19 points + 15 points + 27 points + 27 points + 23 points + 27 points = 138 points
4. Jim Roberts 15 points + 13 points + 9 points + 23 points + 15 points + 17 points + 19 points = 111 points
5. Aren Timmel 13 points + 23 points + 33 points + 29 points = 98 points
6. Brad Foster 11 points + 11 points + 13 points + 19 points + 23 points = 77 points
7. Mike Smith 7 points + 13 points + 17 points + 25 points = 62 points
8. Nathan Younie 7 points + 4 points + 5 points + 15 points + 11 points = 42 points
9. Mike Cordova 11 points + 11 points + 19 points = 41 points
10. Steve Vickery 5 points + 21 points = 26 points
11. Ethan Black 23 points
11. Tim Olson 23 points
13. Sean Molina 21 points
13. Jason Ziegenhirt 21 points
15. Rob Bishop 19 points
16. Mike Painter 9 points + 9 points = 18 points
17. Josh Bullock 17 points
17. David Albrecht 17 points
19. Bryan Larson 13 points
20. Greg Watkins 4 points + 4 points + 4 points = 12 points
21. Sean Dugan 9 points
21. Jeff Galland 9 points
23. JP Bergmann 7 points
23. James Plummer 7 points
25. Joe Shelburne 5 points
26. Eric Ayars 5 points

WOMEN'S CATEGORY:
1. Christine Roberts 23 points + 23 points + 27 points + 27 points + 23 points + 29 points = 152 points
2. Renee Fiack 19 points + 23 points + 23 points + 21 points + 33 points + 23 points = 142 points
3. Margaret Jones 19 points + 19 points + 23 points = 61 points (1st Place in Junior Women's Division)
4. Diann Harger 17 points + 17 points + 13 points = 47 points
5. Sue Kamrar 19 points + 27 points = 46 points
6. Joanne Gilchrist 17 points + 25 points = 42 points
7. Forough Molina 33 points
8. Lindsay Myers 27 points
9. Laurie Gallagher 21 points
9. Meagan Yates 21 points
11. Caryn Jones 17 points
12. Jenn Haffner 15 points
12. Tammy Watkins 15 points
14. Peggy Selkirk 5 points
15. Lori Cox 5 points

WOMEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Jeanne O'Regan 23 points + 23 points + 27 points + 23 points + 33 points + 29 points = 158 points
2. Elizabeth Brent 19 points + 33 points = 52 points
3. Teresa Kludt 27 points
4. Mik Ruga 26 points

MEN'S CATEGORY "B":
1. Jim Greenlee 23 points + 23 points + 23 points + 27 points + 27 points + 27 points + 33 points = 183 points
2. John Touchette 15 points + 17 points + 19 points + 23 points + 23 points + 23 points + 33 points = 153 points
3. Jeff Davis 9 points + 9 points + 13 points + 17 points + 15 points + 15 points + 21 points + 25 points = 124 points
4. Samuel Bransky 17 points + 21 points + 21 points + 19 points + 29 points = 107 points (1st Place in Junior Men's Division)
5. Charlie Pelton 11 points + 15 points + 17 points + 21 points + 29 points = 93 points
6. Ray Bransky 7 points + 11 points + 19 points + 13 points + 13 points + 23 points = 86 points
7. David Dura 7 points + 15 points + 13 points + 23 points + 27 points = 85 points
8. Clay Johnson 19 points + 19 points + 25 points = 63 points
9. Brian Oppy 5 points + 13 points + 9 points + 15 points + 7 points = 49 points
10. Jeff Nye 11 points + 7 points + 19 points = 37 points
11. Frank Marinello 27 points
12. Andrew Merchant 4 points + 5 points + 5 points + 5 points = 19 points
13. Shawn Hughes 17 points
13. Andy Grayson 17 points
15. Alex Roberson 13 points
16. David Watkins 4 points + 4 points + 4 points = 12 points (2nd Place In Junior Men's Division)
17. Jeff Ochs 11 points
18. Joseph Lee 9 points
19. Dennis Schmidt 4 points + 4 points = 8 points
20. Matt Itamura 4 points

MEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Mike Crumm 23 points + 23 points + 23 points + 27 points + 23 points + 33 points + 33 points = 185 points
2. Gary Fowler 11 points + 22 points + 28 points + 27 points + 26 points + 34 points + 23 points = 171 points
3. Bill Brent 19 points + 27 points + 27 points = 73 points
4. John D'ewart 13 points + 19 points + 15 points + 23 points = 70 points
5. Lee Altier 19 points + 30 points = 49 points
6. Steve O'Bryan 9 points + 17 points = 26 points
7. Greg Kallio 17 points
8. Dan Dominguez 15 points

MEN'S MASTERS 60+ CATEGORY:
1. Jim Mensching 17 points + 17 points + 17 points + 23 points + 21 points + 33 points + 33 points = 161 points
2. Jay Rawlins 23 points + 19 points + 19 points + 27 points + 27 points + 23 points = 138 points
3. Skip Lees 15 points + 21 points + 23 points + 19 points + 29 points = 107 points
4. Walt Schafer 19 points + 23 points + 23 points + 27 points = 92 points

CLYDESDALE CATEGORY:
1. Tom Embree 23 points + 23 points + 23 points + 27 points + 27 points + 27 points + 29 points + 33 points = 212 points
2. Colin Moakley 15 points + 19 points + 19 points + 23 points + 23 points = 99 points
3. Paul Sajben 33 points
4. Lau Ackerman 19 points
5. David Miller 17 points
5. Tony Mainz 17 points
7. Brian Teal 13 points

AND - THE BUTTE SERIES HILL CLIMB INFORMATION IS BELOW:

Hi Everyone! So, we are starting a NEW Hill Climb Series this next Spring - The Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series in Spring 2009 will visit various parts of Butte County, with the climbs and dates below. There was a similar Series done years ago here in Chico - 1981 or 1982 - by Tom Devol and Jeff Smith, who owned Cyclesport bike shop at the time. And, of course, now there is that almost-famous Low Key Hillclimb Series in the Bay Area every fall. In any case, we decided to have our own and revive the old Hill Climb Series.......with a few route changes. Below is a list of the tentative events with dates. It should be mentioned that these dates could change depending upon other events going on. And, of course......the weather! Rain will NOT cancel - but snow and ice will.

Note: The Chico Hill Climb Time Trial Series will be back in the Fall/Winter of 2009 - starting in September! The Butte Series will go from January 1st, 2009 to May 31st, 2009. This Series follows a slow progression over 5 months - starting with the Category 3 climbs early to get your legs ready........and ending with the Category 1 climbs in May. This should help you take advantage of those springtime miles!! And, yes.....there will be a Summer Series as well.

How does it work??? Below are each of the 10 Hillclimbs in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series. Each climb has been given a rank based upon feedback from some well-known riders in the area (and climbers in particular - yes, I know - everyone is different, but this is just a low-key have-fun series, so no big whoop). Category 1 climbs are the hardest, with Category 3 being.......let's not say easiest.......let's say........not quite as hard as Category 1! Points will be awarded to the top finishers in each Hill Climb TT - the folks with the most points at the end of the Series, wins the overall title in their respective categories........along with the coveted Butte County Hill Climb Champion Trophy.

EVERY competitor who starts and finishes an event receives an additonal 3 points PER event. Also, if you volunteer to be the STARTER for an event, you receive an additional 5 points for doing that task.

The Point Breakdown for placings is as follows:

Cat. 1 Climb = 30-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1 (In other words, 1st place in a Cat. 1 TT gets 30 points, 2nd place gets 26 and on down the line - every person who competes in the event gets at least 1 point).
Cat. 2 Climb = 24-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1(The winner of a Cat. 2 climb gets 24 points, 2nd place gets 20 points and on and on.)
Cat. 3 Climb = 20-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1

And here are the Time Trial courses, the tentative dates, and their listed difficulty category:

Humboldt Road Time Trial - Jan. 1st - Cat. 3 - Definitely on January 1st. - COMPLETED!
Centerville to the Gravel - January 11 - Cat. 3 - COMPLETED!
Cherokee Time Trial - February 21 - Cat. 3 (Start at Coal Canyon Road @ Wheelock Rd. and go up 70, turn at Cherokee) - COMPLETED!
Cohasset to the Store - March 7 - Cat. 2 - COMPLETED!
Pentz Road - March 14 - Cat. 2 - COMPLETED!
Coutelenc TT - April 5 - Cat. 2 (Just stay on Coutelenc Road) - COMPLETED!
Vilas Road Time Trial - April 18 - Cat. 1 (From Nicalog to the end of Vilas) - COMPLETED!
Honey Run Road - May 10 - Cat. 1 - COMPLETED!
Forest Ranch to Lomo - May 16 - Cat. 1(starts at Forest Ranch Store; ends at entrance to Butte Meadows)
Lomo to Jonesville TT - May 24 - Cat. 1 (starts at Hwy. 32 at entrance to Butte Meadows; ends at the snowmobile parking lot)
(Yes, I have a Summer Series planned too!)

10 Climbs, approximately 18,000 feet of climbing in total, held over a 5-month period from January through May 2009. Consistency will be key in winning the Overall Series.

Participant Categories - the following categories will be offered for the Series event(see below) The winner in each category will receive the Butte Hill Climb Champion Trophy, along with Bragging Rights.........as well as any stuff we can get to give away as prizes:

Category "A" Men
Category "B" Men
Women's Category
Womens 50+ Category
Clydesdale Men (No no, I'm not gonna weigh you - just show up and tell me and I will give you a yes or no answer.....however, I'm looking for about 200 pound body weight or more)
Mens 50+ Category
Mens 60+ Category

As usual, sandbaggers are strongly discouraged ( A Sandbagger would be a Category "A" rider entering a Category "B" event). Also, if there's a lot of folks in one particular category, we may split those up into sub-categories, if needed. In turn, if nobody - or very few folks are in one category, we may eliminate it and add an additional category where the numbers allow it.

Although donations to put on these events are always very appreciated and accepted, this Series is FREE - so come on out and take advantage of some, or all, of these Time Trials in Spring 2009! Hope to see you out there - and I will have more details, maps and information as we get closer to the events.

Rodney............
Team Chico & R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Agonizing Cycling Events
Chico, CA
www.ChicoBike.com