Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Friday, January 1st - Humboldt Road Time Trial - 9:00AM (1st Race in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series!) - Rain does not cancel.
Saturday, January 2nd - Centerville-To-Gravel Uphill Time Trial - 9:00AM (2nd Race in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series!) - Rain does not cancel.
Saturday, January 2nd - Chico Airport "Practice" Criterium - 1:00pm & 2:00pm (1pm = As & Bs; 2pm = Cs and Kids Races; RAIN or wet pavement will cancel this event.)
Hi Everyone!! The first event of the new Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series starts this Friday - New Year's Day - January 1st, 2010! This will be the Category 3 climb - The Humboldt Road Time Trial. Registration for this event will open at 8:30am at Humboldt Road & Stilson Canyon Road(the start location) - and the finish location for this particular event is at the Stop Ahead Sign at the top of the hill. The first rider will take off at 9:01AM - and we will go in 1-minute intervals for this event. The climb is approximately 3.4 miles in length and climbs approximately 764 feet. Rain does NOT cancel, but snow and ice will. See bikely.com map for this course here:
AND - this Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 - will be Race #2 in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series - the Category 3 climb known as the Centerville-to-Gravel Time Trial. This one will start at the corner of Honey Run Road and Centerville Road - across the street from the Covered Bridge.......and it goes all the way up to the gravel road. Registration will open at 8:30am, with the first rider going off at 9:01am. We will be going in 1-minute intervals. PLEASE, if possible, ride out to the course instead of driving. Rain does NOT cancel the time trial, but snow and ice will. A Bikely.com map of this course can be found here:
The Centerville course is about 6.5 miles in length and includes approximately 1,400 feet of climbing. And, again this is a FREE event - so come on out and give it a shot!
I still need someone to help me start the riders off at EACH of these two Time Trials, so if you can help, just shoot me an e-mail......3-point bonus in the Series for starting the riders off......and you can still race, just be the last one to go!
Please let me know at the start of the event which Category you are riding in:
Category "A" Men
Category "B" Men
Women's Category
Womens 45+ 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 45+ Category
Mens 55+ Category
Juniors (Looking at 10 to 16 years of age for this particular Category, but may be changed depending upon who shows up!).
Hope to see you there!
The 2010 Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series Information:
Hi Everyone! So, we are starting a NEWER Hill Climb Series this next Spring - The Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series in Spring 2010 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.
16 events - 30,000 feet of total climbing - held over a 5-month period from January through May 2010!! Bound to be a very challenging and memorable Series. Sure - there will be pain and suffering - but it's the good kind!!
Note: The Chico Hill Climb Time Trial Series will be back in the Fall/Winter of 2010 - starting in September with the Cohasset Hill Climb TT! The Butte Series will go from January 1st, 2010 through May 2010. This Series follows a progression over 5 months - starting with the Category 3 climbs early to get your legs ready and all warmed-up........and ending with the Hors Category climbs in May. This should help you take advantage of those springtime miles - and get you ready for those hilly summertime Centuries and races!!!
How does it work??? Below are each of the 16 Events 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). Hors Category and 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. Never done a Time Trial before?? No problem - it's just you against the clock.....go your own pace and just do what you can out there!!!
RESULTS: I will try my best to have results out from each Time Trial within a 24-hour period, as well as the Updated Overall Standings after each event. Sometimes life gets in the way, but I don't foresee that happening this next year(unlike the Chico Hill Series!). The results will be posted to all of the e-mail groups, on Facebook, on Twitter, on my blog, and to the Chico Enterprise-Record(although, they may not post them).
EVERY competitor who starts and finishes an event receives an additonal 3 points PER event. It should also be noted - there MIGHT be an additional point(s) awarded for "adverse conditons". One year, we had an absolute freezing cold downpour of rain at the Centerville Time Trial and I awarded everyone 2 extra points for "adverse conditions"........but, again, this is a BIG "might" and the conditions would have to be atrocious. ANY person who helps me start the riders off at the events receives an additional 3 points for volunteering - I usually only need 1 or 2 people, and can almost always use the help.....and you can still race the event - just be the last one out of the starting gate and you'll be good-to-go!!
The Point Breakdown for placings is as follows:
Hors Category Climb = 40-36-34-32-30-28-26-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1 (In other words, 1st place in an Hors Category Time Trial gets 40 points, 2nd place gets 36 and on down the line - every person who competes in the event gets at least 1 point).
Cat. 1 Climb = 30-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1 (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. Starting times for the events are normally consistent - 8:30am registration opens, 1st rider off at 9:01am. **PLEASE NOTE - These dates are extremely tentative, and almost all of them fall on Saturdays. However, that does NOT mean that they will stay there - any sort of scheduling change for an event could put it on a Sunday(very easily) and dates may be switched around or pushed until May - or even June - 2010. Reasons for a change in dates include snow and ice on the climbs, other events going on that same day, a change in the R.A.C.E. calendar or Rodney being ill or out-of-town, etc. So, take the dates with a grain of salt....for now:
January 1st - Humboldt Road Time Trial - Cat. 3 - approximately 3.4 miles; 764 feet of climbing.
January 2nd - Centerville-to-Gravel Time Trial - Cat. 3 - approximately 6.6 miles; 1,364 feet of climbing.(Yes, I know - sorry).
January 9th - Cherokee Time Trial - Cat. 3 (Start at Coal Canyon Road and go up 70, turn at Cherokee) - approximately 4.8 miles; 1,076 feet of climbing.
January 16th - Cohasset to the Store Time Trial Cat. 2 - approximately 5.1 miles & 1,600 feet of climbing.
January 30th - Pentz Road Time Trial - Cat. 2 - approximately 5.8 miles & 1,142 feet of climbing.
February 13th - Clark Road Time Trial - Cat. 2 - approximately 7.7 miles & 1,702 feet of climbing.
February 20th - Coutelenc TT - Cat. 2 (Just stay on Coutelenc) - approximately 6.8 miles & 1,593 feet of climbing.
February 27th - Vilas Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 (From Nicalog to the end of Vilas) - approximately 7 miles & 2,363 feet of climbing.
March 6th - Honey Run Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.3 miles & 2,421 feet of climbing.
March 13th - Dark Canyon Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 4 miles & 2,400 feet of climbing!!(We MAY turn this into an Hors Cat. climb)
March 27th - Cherokee to Lunt Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.1 miles & 1,950 feet of climbing.
April 3rd - Table Mountain (Wildflower Side) Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.3 miles & 1,621 feet of climbing.
April 10th - Forest Ranch to Lomo Time Trial - Cat. 1(starts at Forest Ranch Store; ends at entrance to Butte Meadows) - approximately 13.2 miles & 2,346 feet of climbing.
May 1st - Lomo to Jonesville Time Trial - Cat. 1 (starts at Hwy. 32 at entrance to Butte Meadows - ends at parking lot in Jonesville) - approximately 10.2 miles & 2,077 feet of climbing.
May 8th - Lovelock to Inskip Time Trial - Hors Category - approximately 10.4 miles & 2,800 feet of climbing.
May 15th - Cohasset to Gravel (from Nicalog to the end of Cohasset Road) - Hors Category - approximately 9.4 miles & 2,847 feet of climbing.
16 Climbs, approximately 30,000 feet of total climbing, held over a 5-month period from January through May 2010(if dates need to be changed, we could go into June 2010). Consistency will be key to winning the Overall Series.
PARTICIPANT CATEGORIES: The following categories will be offered for the Series(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 45+ 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 45+ Category
Mens 55+ Category
Juniors (Looking at 10 to 16 years of age for this particular Category, but may be changed depending upon who shows up!).
As usual, sandbaggers are strongly discouraged (A Sandbagger would be a Category "A" rider entering a Category "B" event). Also, if there are 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(these COULD include tandem categories, Category "C" or any other age Categories). At the end of the Series, we will have an Awards Ceremony at the Madison Bear Garden, one of the local bicycle shops or another establishment that would have us invade with cycling trophies/awards!! Hope to have some Butte Series T-shirts to give out as well, but will be dependent upon my extremely limited budget.
One note - Any rider caught giving grief to the Promoter, the Timers or the Starters of these events will be automatically disqualified from - not only the event - but the entire Series. So, do what ya always do, and just have fun with the Series - it's no big whoop, we're just out there having fun and getting some good fitness!!! (No no - we've never ever had a problem with getting grief - just wanted to state it so it will continue to just be a fun event for everyone involved!!). AND - Helmets are MANDATORY!
This Series is FREE - so come on out and take advantage of some, or all, of these Time Trials in Spring 2010! Although donations are always appreciated, they are NEVER necessary to enter these events - I just want y'all out there testing yourselves on your bicycles!!! Hope to see you out there - and I will have more details, maps and information as we get closer to the events.
Rodney........
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Annoying Cycling Events
Chico, CA

3 R.A.C.E. Events this weekend!!

Friday, January 1st - Humboldt Road Time Trial - 9:00AM (1st Race in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series!) - Rain does not cancel.
Saturday, January 2nd - Centerville-To-Gravel Uphill Time Trial - 9:00AM (2nd Race in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series!) - Rain does not cancel.
Saturday, January 2nd - Chico Airport "Practice" Criterium - 1:00pm & 2:00pm (1pm = As & Bs; 2pm = Cs and Kids Races; RAIN or wet pavement will cancel this event.)
Hi Everyone!! The first event of the new Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series starts this Friday - New Year's Day - January 1st, 2010! This will be the Category 3 climb - The Humboldt Road Time Trial. Registration for this event will open at 8:30am at Humboldt Road & Stilson Canyon Road(the start location) - and the finish location for this particular event is at the Stop Ahead Sign at the top of the hill. The first rider will take off at 9:01AM - and we will go in 1-minute intervals for this event. The climb is approximately 3.4 miles in length and climbs approximately 764 feet. Rain does NOT cancel, but snow and ice will. See bikely.com map for this course here:
AND - this Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 - will be Race #2 in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series - the Category 3 climb known as the Centerville-to-Gravel Time Trial. This one will start at the corner of Honey Run Road and Centerville Road - across the street from the Covered Bridge.......and it goes all the way up to the gravel road. Registration will open at 8:30am, with the first rider going off at 9:01am. We will be going in 1-minute intervals. PLEASE, if possible, ride out to the course instead of driving. Rain does NOT cancel the time trial, but snow and ice will. A Bikely.com map of this course can be found here:
The Centerville course is about 6.5 miles in length and includes approximately 1,400 feet of climbing. And, again this is a FREE event - so come on out and give it a shot!
I still need someone to help me start the riders off at EACH of these two Time Trials, so if you can help, just shoot me an e-mail......3-point bonus in the Series for starting the riders off......and you can still race, just be the last one to go!
Please let me know at the start of the event which Category you are riding in:
Category "A" Men
Category "B" Men
Women's Category
Womens 45+ 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 45+ Category
Mens 55+ Category
Juniors (Looking at 10 to 16 years of age for this particular Category, but may be changed depending upon who shows up!).
Hope to see you there!
The 2010 Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series Information:
Hi Everyone! So, we are starting a NEWER Hill Climb Series this next Spring - The Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series in Spring 2010 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.
16 events - 30,000 feet of total climbing - held over a 5-month period from January through May 2010!! Bound to be a very challenging and memorable Series. Sure - there will be pain and suffering - but it's the good kind!!
Note: The Chico Hill Climb Time Trial Series will be back in the Fall/Winter of 2010 - starting in September with the Cohasset Hill Climb TT! The Butte Series will go from January 1st, 2010 through May 2010. This Series follows a progression over 5 months - starting with the Category 3 climbs early to get your legs ready and all warmed-up........and ending with the Hors Category climbs in May. This should help you take advantage of those springtime miles - and get you ready for those hilly summertime Centuries and races!!!
How does it work??? Below are each of the 16 Events 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). Hors Category and 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. Never done a Time Trial before?? No problem - it's just you against the clock.....go your own pace and just do what you can out there!!!
RESULTS: I will try my best to have results out from each Time Trial within a 24-hour period, as well as the Updated Overall Standings after each event. Sometimes life gets in the way, but I don't foresee that happening this next year(unlike the Chico Hill Series!). The results will be posted to all of the e-mail groups, on Facebook, on Twitter, on my blog, and to the Chico Enterprise-Record(although, they may not post them).
EVERY competitor who starts and finishes an event receives an additonal 3 points PER event. It should also be noted - there MIGHT be an additional point(s) awarded for "adverse conditons". One year, we had an absolute freezing cold downpour of rain at the Centerville Time Trial and I awarded everyone 2 extra points for "adverse conditions"........but, again, this is a BIG "might" and the conditions would have to be atrocious. ANY person who helps me start the riders off at the events receives an additional 3 points for volunteering - I usually only need 1 or 2 people, and can almost always use the help.....and you can still race the event - just be the last one out of the starting gate and you'll be good-to-go!!
The Point Breakdown for placings is as follows:
Hors Category Climb = 40-36-34-32-30-28-26-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1 (In other words, 1st place in an Hors Category Time Trial gets 40 points, 2nd place gets 36 and on down the line - every person who competes in the event gets at least 1 point).
Cat. 1 Climb = 30-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1 (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. Starting times for the events are normally consistent - 8:30am registration opens, 1st rider off at 9:01am. **PLEASE NOTE - These dates are extremely tentative, and almost all of them fall on Saturdays. However, that does NOT mean that they will stay there - any sort of scheduling change for an event could put it on a Sunday(very easily) and dates may be switched around or pushed until May - or even June - 2010. Reasons for a change in dates include snow and ice on the climbs, other events going on that same day, a change in the R.A.C.E. calendar or Rodney being ill or out-of-town, etc. So, take the dates with a grain of salt....for now:
January 1st - Humboldt Road Time Trial - Cat. 3 - approximately 3.4 miles; 764 feet of climbing.
January 2nd - Centerville-to-Gravel Time Trial - Cat. 3 - approximately 6.6 miles; 1,364 feet of climbing.(Yes, I know - sorry).
January 9th - Cherokee Time Trial - Cat. 3 (Start at Coal Canyon Road and go up 70, turn at Cherokee) - approximately 4.8 miles; 1,076 feet of climbing.
January 16th - Cohasset to the Store Time Trial Cat. 2 - approximately 5.1 miles & 1,600 feet of climbing.
January 30th - Pentz Road Time Trial - Cat. 2 - approximately 5.8 miles & 1,142 feet of climbing.
February 13th - Clark Road Time Trial - Cat. 2 - approximately 7.7 miles & 1,702 feet of climbing.
February 20th - Coutelenc TT - Cat. 2 (Just stay on Coutelenc) - approximately 6.8 miles & 1,593 feet of climbing.
February 27th - Vilas Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 (From Nicalog to the end of Vilas) - approximately 7 miles & 2,363 feet of climbing.
March 6th - Honey Run Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.3 miles & 2,421 feet of climbing.
March 13th - Dark Canyon Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 4 miles & 2,400 feet of climbing!!(We MAY turn this into an Hors Cat. climb)
March 27th - Cherokee to Lunt Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.1 miles & 1,950 feet of climbing.
April 3rd - Table Mountain (Wildflower Side) Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.3 miles & 1,621 feet of climbing.
April 10th - Forest Ranch to Lomo Time Trial - Cat. 1(starts at Forest Ranch Store; ends at entrance to Butte Meadows) - approximately 13.2 miles & 2,346 feet of climbing.
May 1st - Lomo to Jonesville Time Trial - Cat. 1 (starts at Hwy. 32 at entrance to Butte Meadows - ends at parking lot in Jonesville) - approximately 10.2 miles & 2,077 feet of climbing.
May 8th - Lovelock to Inskip Time Trial - Hors Category - approximately 10.4 miles & 2,800 feet of climbing.
May 15th - Cohasset to Gravel (from Nicalog to the end of Cohasset Road) - Hors Category - approximately 9.4 miles & 2,847 feet of climbing.
16 Climbs, approximately 30,000 feet of total climbing, held over a 5-month period from January through May 2010(if dates need to be changed, we could go into June 2010). Consistency will be key to winning the Overall Series.
PARTICIPANT CATEGORIES: The following categories will be offered for the Series(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 45+ 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 45+ Category
Mens 55+ Category
Juniors (Looking at 10 to 16 years of age for this particular Category, but may be changed depending upon who shows up!).
As usual, sandbaggers are strongly discouraged (A Sandbagger would be a Category "A" rider entering a Category "B" event). Also, if there are 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(these COULD include tandem categories, Category "C" or any other age Categories). At the end of the Series, we will have an Awards Ceremony at the Madison Bear Garden, one of the local bicycle shops or another establishment that would have us invade with cycling trophies/awards!! Hope to have some Butte Series T-shirts to give out as well, but will be dependent upon my extremely limited budget.
One note - Any rider caught giving grief to the Promoter, the Timers or the Starters of these events will be automatically disqualified from - not only the event - but the entire Series. So, do what ya always do, and just have fun with the Series - it's no big whoop, we're just out there having fun and getting some good fitness!!! (No no - we've never ever had a problem with getting grief - just wanted to state it so it will continue to just be a fun event for everyone involved!!). AND - Helmets are MANDATORY!
This Series is FREE - so come on out and take advantage of some, or all, of these Time Trials in Spring 2010! Although donations are always appreciated, they are NEVER necessary to enter these events - I just want y'all out there testing yourselves on your bicycles!!! Hope to see you out there - and I will have more details, maps and information as we get closer to the events.
Rodney........
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Annoying Cycling Events
Chico, CA

Sunday, December 20, 2009

2010 Paskenta Century Race/Ride - Feb. 7th, 2010.........


Paskenta Century - Feb. 7th, 2010 at 8:00AM.........

Hi Everyone!! Just wanted to let you know that if you're hankering for an unofficial 100-mile Ride/Road Race/Training Ride, the Paskenta Century will be taking place on February 7th, 2010 (yes, Super Bowl Sunday) at 8:00am in Chico, CA. Although no longer affiliated with the Chico Velo Cycling Club, the ride still does exist and is going stronger and bigger than ever. The Paskenta Trophy will be awarded to the winner (currently held by Nor Cal cycling Stud, Jesse Moore). Total climbing for the ride is approximately 1,700 feet or so.....somewhat flat......but has a 4-mile dirt/gravel section in it. For a map of the course, please visit:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Paskenta-Century-Road-Race-Course

This FREE and unsupported "assumed risk" ride kicks off the century season on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb 7th, 2010. Meet at the One Mile Recreation Area in Chico, California before the 8:00AM starting time to get your map (Ride starts precisely at 8:00AM!). Route heads north to Corning, west to Flournoy & Paskenta, south and east to Newville, Black Butte Lake, Orland, Hamilton City and Chico. Course can be shortened to 80 miles (avoiding the 4 to 5 mile gravel stretch) by taking the Black Butte Cut-Off west of Corning. It can be shortened to 50 miles by returning to Chico from Woodson Bridge-OR-by starting outside of Corning at 9:00AM at the intersection of A-9 and Black Butte Rd, four miles west of Corning. Store MIGHT be open in Flournoy - so stock up before the 30 mile service-free ride to Orland. Support vehicles following the pack is STRONGLY discouraged - but a good place for neutral hand-ups is in Paskenta/nearing Paskenta, prior to the dirt/gravel section. You should be fully self-supported during this ride - bring tubes, patch kit, multi-tool, pump, food, water, cell phone(although coverage is very spotty out that way) and anything else you might need out there!! Helmets are MANDATORY!
More information can be found on this old Velo page here:
Hope to see you here! Should finish with plenty of time to watch the game too - the Super Bowl doesn't usually start until 3:30ish.
And some photos from the 2008 and 2009 event can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicovelo/sets/72157613275411470/

Rodney Cox
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Annoying Cycling Events
Chico, CA
www.ChicoBike.com

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Team Chico "Tunnels" Ride - January 23rd!!

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to let you know that the 4th Annual Team Chico
Tunnels Ride is taking place on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010! Please see
information below and on the attached PDF file too. There will be NO Airport
Criterium that day - I will be driving the SAG vehicle for the Tunnels ride.
This should be a great day of riding, and this particular ride is proving to
be a CLASSIC!! Hope to see you out there!! Apporoximate map of the course
can be found here:

CHICO- HIGHWAY 70 TUNNELS-CHICO - 80+ MILES:
Saturday, January 23rd 2010
9:00 AM One Mile Recreation Area

Tunnels. straight up! Test your winter fitness with this Team Chico favorite
in to the beautiful Feather River Canyon and to the Hwy 70 Tunnels. A
straight out and back heading out Chico-Oro, Durham Pentz, then up Hwy 70
over Yankee Hill and down into the canyon, past Pulga and along the North
Fork Feather to the SECOND set of tunnels. All riders in the lead group will
tough it out for the first KOM sprint by taking the steep detour up Lunt Rd.
near the end of the first climb, then connect back to Hwy 70 and continue
towards the tunnels. Sprint #2 will be at the end of the last, long tunnel.
Water stop another mile up the road, then back out of the canyon, down to
the valley and finish with a final sprint on Chico-Oro just before the bike
path.

Notes: These rides are organized for fun(?) and are open to all who are
willing to try. This is an out and back ride and people can ride at their
own pace and regroup as the leaders are heading back. Come on out and try to
make it to the tunnels!! We will try to have a support vehicle(s) but please
come prepared, ride with a partner and have a plan to get home. Please dress
WARM and bring plenty of food, water and supplies and take responsibility
for yourselves. We will have our friends out there, but there will be
minimal course markings, no road closures, aid stations or coffee stops,
just dogs, squirrels, pickup trucks, and a bunch of bikers on a sweet ride
in the cuts! For more info contact Aren at
arentimmel@sbcglobal.net or (530)
892-9868.

Rodney........

Monday, December 14, 2009

January Chico Airport Criterium Series!!

Hi Everyone!! Starting on Saturday, January 2nd at 1:00pm, we will be starting up a series of practice Criteriums out on the Airport Crit course for 5 weeks. Every Saturday - Jan. 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th - we'll be holding a Criterium on our regular Airport Criterium course at 1:00pm(the same course we've been using for the Tuesday Night Series) and 2:00pm for the Category C and Junior riders. The idea is to get in some Crit practice before the regular racing season starts up in February/March - and the Tuesday/Friday Night Criteriums starting up again in March out at the Chico Airport.
Saturday, January 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th - January Airport Practice Criteriums - 1:00PM (As & Bs) & 2:00PM (Cs and Kids races) - Registration normally opens at 12:45pm on Convair avenue at the Airport - with the event starting promptly at 1:00pm. For the time being, we'll be using our standard Airport Criterium course starting/finishing on Convair Avenue - http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Chico-Airport-Tuesday-Night-Crit-Course . Category "A", "B" and Women's Category riders will go for 40 Minutes PLUS 3 laps - Women's Category picked separately. We may combine fields if the turn-out is pretty low. Might offer 2 or 3 Primes......but NOTHING like we did during the summer time. The idea is just to get use to cornering again, having riders around you on a circuit, working on some skills, get use to Rodney yelling at you and ringing that stupid cowbell, and maybe open the legs up a bit. Must sign in and wear a helmet in order to compete. RAIN OR WET PAVEMENT WILL ALWAYS CANCEL THIS EVENT. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY!
Category "C" and Junior Criterium - January 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th - 2:00PM - The Category "C" and Junior race(essentially, folks 16 and under for the Junior event) will be 30 minutes + 3 laps. If you are intimidated by the Criterium and/or the speeds out there, this is the Category to get a feel for what's going on without the crazy speeds. No other Category races will be on the course - just Category "C" and the Juniors - so you can get used to the course, etc. The event MAY be mentored as well, depending upon whether ANY Category "A" or highly-skilled Category "B" riders are available to mentor. A mentor basically sits in with your group during the race, giving you basic pointers and helpful advice to keep you safe, skilled and sound during the event - and for future events. Mentors must meet with me prior to the event - so, if you would like to volunteer to be a Criterium Mentor, see me at the race or e-mail me prior to the Event - lorrod7@comcast.net . RAIN OR WET PAVEMENT WILL ALWAYS CANCEL THIS EVENT. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY!
This is a FREE practice Criterium Series - so come on out and give it a shot. For those of you wanting to work on some "team" skills at the Criteriums, we MAY also be doing the wristband thing again(you know, one team of 3-4 gets green wristbands and works as a team, one team of 3-4 gets red wristbands and works as a team, and so on. Will be highly dependent upon who shows up though).
NOTES: Finally, remember - these Practice Criterium events are just to work on some skills and get some exercise - we have fun out there and get a great little workout in, and we get to work on some quality cycling techniques. But, overall, they're no big whoop....no World Championship/Olympic medals or million dollar contracts on the line. So, with that in mind, just treat 'em as such - a good training event to try some new things, gain some good fitness.....and maybe even get into a "real" sanctioned Criterium at some point in 2010! Or not. Just have fun with it!!
Hope to see you out there!!
Rodney..........
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Annoying Cycling Events
Chico, CA

2010 Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series!!!

Hi Everyone! So, we are starting a NEWER Hill Climb Series this next Spring - The Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series in Spring 2010 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.
16 events - 30,000 feet of total climbing - held over a 5-month period from January through May 2010!! Bound to be a very challenging and memorable Series. Sure - there will be pain and suffering - but it's the good kind!!
Note: The Chico Hill Climb Time Trial Series will be back in the Fall/Winter of 2010 - starting in September with the Cohasset Hill Climb TT! The Butte Series will go from January 1st, 2010 through May 2010. This Series follows a progression over 5 months - starting with the Category 3 climbs early to get your legs ready and all warmed-up........and ending with the Hors Category climbs in May. This should help you take advantage of those springtime miles - and get you ready for those hilly summertime Centuries and races!!!
How does it work??? Below are each of the 16 Events 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). Hors Category and 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. Never done a Time Trial before?? No problem - it's just you against the clock.....go your own pace and just do what you can out there!!!
RESULTS: I will try my best to have results out from each Time Trial within a 24-hour period, as well as the Updated Overall Standings after each event. Sometimes life gets in the way, but I don't foresee that happening this next year(unlike the Chico Hill Series!). The results will be posted to all of the e-mail groups, on Facebook, on Twitter, on my blog, and to the Chico Enterprise-Record(although, they may not post them).
EVERY competitor who starts and finishes an event receives an additonal 3 points PER event. It should also be noted - there MIGHT be an additional point(s) awarded for "adverse conditons". One year, we had an absolute freezing cold downpour of rain at the Centerville Time Trial and I awarded everyone 2 extra points for "adverse conditions"........but, again, this is a BIG "might" and the conditions would have to be atrocious. ANY person who helps me start the riders off at the events receives an additional 3 points for volunteering - I usually only need 1 or 2 people, and can almost always use the help.....and you can still race the event - just be the last one out of the starting gate and you'll be good-to-go!!
The Point Breakdown for placings is as follows:
Hors Category Climb = 40-36-34-32-30-28-26-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1 (In other words, 1st place in an Hors Category Time Trial gets 40 points, 2nd place gets 36 and on down the line - every person who competes in the event gets at least 1 point).
Cat. 1 Climb = 30-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1 (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. Starting times for the events are normally consistent - 8:30am registration opens, 1st rider off at 9:01am. **PLEASE NOTE - These dates are extremely tentative, and almost all of them fall on Saturdays. However, that does NOT mean that they will stay there - any sort of scheduling change for an event could put it on a Sunday(very easily) and dates may be switched around or pushed until May - or even June - 2010. Reasons for a change in dates include snow and ice on the climbs, other events going on that same day, a change in the R.A.C.E. calendar or Rodney being ill or out-of-town, etc. So, take the dates with a grain of salt....for now:
January 1st - Humboldt Road Time Trial - Cat. 3 - approximately 3.4 miles; 764 feet of climbing.
January 2nd - Centerville-to-Gravel Time Trial - Cat. 3 - approximately 6.6 miles; 1,364 feet of climbing.(Yes, I know - sorry).
January 9th - Cherokee Time Trial - Cat. 3 (Start at Coal Canyon Road and go up 70, turn at Cherokee) - approximately 4.8 miles; 1,076 feet of climbing.
January 16th - Cohasset to the Store Time Trial Cat. 2 - approximately 5.1 miles & 1,600 feet of climbing.
January 30th - Pentz Road Time Trial - Cat. 2 - approximately 5.8 miles & 1,142 feet of climbing.
February 13th - Clark Road Time Trial - Cat. 2 - approximately 7.7 miles & 1,702 feet of climbing.
February 20th - Coutelenc TT - Cat. 2 (Just stay on Coutelenc) - approximately 6.8 miles & 1,593 feet of climbing.
February 27th - Vilas Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 (From Nicalog to the end of Vilas) - approximately 7 miles & 2,363 feet of climbing.
March 6th - Honey Run Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.3 miles & 2,421 feet of climbing.
March 13th - Dark Canyon Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 4 miles & 2,400 feet of climbing!!(We MAY turn this into an Hors Cat. climb)
March 27th - Cherokee to Lunt Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.1 miles & 1,950 feet of climbing.
April 3rd - Table Mountain (Wildflower Side) Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.3 miles & 1,621 feet of climbing.
April 10th - Forest Ranch to Lomo Time Trial - Cat. 1(starts at Forest Ranch Store; ends at entrance to Butte Meadows) - approximately 13.2 miles & 2,346 feet of climbing.
May 1st - Lomo to Jonesville Time Trial - Cat. 1 (starts at Hwy. 32 at entrance to Butte Meadows - ends at parking lot in Jonesville) - approximately 10.2 miles & 2,077 feet of climbing.
May 8th - Lovelock to Inskip Time Trial - Hors Category - approximately 10.4 miles & 2,800 feet of climbing.
May 15th - Cohasset to Gravel (from Nicalog to the end of Cohasset Road) - Hors Category - approximately 9.4 miles & 2,847 feet of climbing.
16 Climbs, approximately 30,000 feet of total climbing, held over a 5-month period from January through May 2010(if dates need to be changed, we could go into June 2010). Consistency will be key to winning the Overall Series.
PARTICIPANT CATEGORIES: The following categories will be offered for the Series(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 45+ 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 45+ Category
Mens 55+ Category
Juniors (Looking at 10 to 16 years of age for this particular Category, but may be changed depending upon who shows up!).
As usual, sandbaggers are strongly discouraged (A Sandbagger would be a Category "A" rider entering a Category "B" event). Also, if there are 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(these COULD include tandem categories, Category "C" or any other age Categories). At the end of the Series, we will have an Awards Ceremony at the Madison Bear Garden, one of the local bicycle shops or another establishment that would have us invade with cycling trophies/awards!! Hope to have some Butte Series T-shirts to give out as well, but will be dependent upon my extremely limited budget.
One note - Any rider caught giving grief to the Promoter, the Timers or the Starters of these events will be automatically disqualified from - not only the event - but the entire Series. So, do what ya always do, and just have fun with the Series - it's no big whoop, we're just out there having fun and getting some good fitness!!! (No no - we've never ever had a problem with getting grief - just wanted to state it so it will continue to just be a fun event for everyone involved!!). AND - Helmets are MANDATORY!
This Series is FREE - so come on out and take advantage of some, or all, of these Time Trials in Spring 2010! Although donations are always appreciated, they are NEVER necessary to enter these events - I just want y'all out there testing yourselves on your bicycles!!! Hope to see you out there - and I will have more details, maps and information as we get closer to the events.
Rodney........
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Annoying Cycling Events
Chico, CA

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

2009 Chico Airport Criterium Series - Kids Final Standings:

Hi Everyone! Well, this past summer, we held a series of Criterium races out at the Airport Criterium course on Tuesday and Friday nights. Starting about mid-summer, we began to see more and more kids showing up to race the Category "C" races at 7:00pm. Before we knew it, those Category "C" races turned into "Kids Only" races and the Racing Series was ON!! After many months, we have the Final Results of this 2009 Chico Airport Criterium Series for the Kids Categories(see below). I would like to thank ALL of the parents, kids, mentors and supporters of the kids races this last year - your help and support was invaluable to everyone - thank you so much!! We've got quite a group of young bicycle racers on our hands - and 2010 is looking to be off-the-hook in terms of events planned for these young riders!!

We will be holding a small awards ceremony soon to honor and award these young racers - I will have more information about that soon.......as well as the 2009 Chico Road Race Series Overall Results for the Kids Only Category!

Thank you all again!!

2009 Chico Airport Criterium Series - Kids Final Standings:

FINAL OVERALL STANDINGS FOR AGES 11 TO 16:
1. Dylan Golet 536 points
2. David Watkins 380 points
3. Aliya Traficante 216 points (1st Place for the Girls Division!)
4. Jasper Travers 204 points
5. Krissie Mensching 196 points (2nd Place for the Girls Division!)
6. Brandon Dudar 96 points
7. Sandy Speake 68 points
8. Kevin Nye 34 points
9. Mia Herhusky 18 points (3rd Place for the Girls Division!)
10. Abby Hovey 14 points
11. Emma Grant-Dreher 12 points


FINAL OVERALL STANDINGS FOR AGES 10 & UNDER:
1. Ben Travers 352 points
2. Kyle Golet 204 points
3. Ben Golet 172 points
4. Caden Crumm 146 points
5. Kaleb Traficante 122 points
6. Ben Geise 108 points
7. Creighton Gruber 88 points
8. Erika Dudar 84 points (1st Place in Girls Division!)
9. Davis Foster 78 points
10. Jesse Travers 68 points
11. Leo Bromelow 66 points
12. Ryan Neuman 64 points
13. Liam Davis 62 points
13. Marc Speake 62 points
15. Chloe Davis 24 points (2nd Place in Girls Division!)
16. Maddison Gruber 18 points (3rd Place in Girls Divison!)
17. Quinn Olson 16 points
17. Max Bromelow 16 points
17. Stefan Ayars 16 points
20. Cole Vickery 14 points
20. Jessalyn Ayars 14 points
22. Eli Hoover 12 points
23. Lane Alexander 10 points

Rodney...........
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Annoying Cycling Events
Chico, CA

Friday, December 04, 2009

Team Chico Cutty Series Ride - Saturday at 9:00AM!!

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the Team Chico Cutty Series Ride!! This one is taking place on Saturday, December 5th at 9:00am - please see e-mail below and the attached PDF file for details. I will be driving SAG support again this year and we'll hopefully have some food and drinks available as well. This has always proven to be a fun and challenging ride year after year - and is quickly becoming a Chico classic!! Hope to see you there!!!

CHICO-OREGON GULCH (gravel)-PARADISE-CHICO 75 miles

Saturday, December 5th, 2009 9:00 AM One Mile Recreation Area

The classic ride of Table Mountain, Oregon Gulch road and Pentz. From Chico we roll

past Butte College and hit the foothills up to Cherokee Rd. We climb and descend

Cherokee all the way across Table Mountain before backtracking a mile or so to the start

of the dirt on Oregon Gulch Rd. This five-mile stretch of good gravel has a few ups and

downs before a steep kicker up to the first KOM at the Covered Bridge. Descend back

down Cherokee and head straight up Pentz Rd into Paradise for KOM # 2. Work our way

through town and descend Neal Rd for a sprint before 99, cross 99, and finish with a

second sprint on Chico-Oroville HWY.

Notes: These rides are organized for fun(?) and are open to all who are willing to try.

Some rides utilize out and back portions and regrouping is encouraged! Road bikes with

sturdy tires should be fine. We will try to have a support vehicle(s) but please come

prepared, ride with a partner and have a plan to get home. Please dress WARM and bring

plenty of food, water and supplies and take responsibility for yourselves. We will

describe the route, but there will be minimal course markings, no road closures, aid

stations or coffee stops, just dogs, squirrels, pickup trucks, and a bunch of bikers on a

sweet ride in the cuts! For more info on the Cutty Series or other Chico area rides contact

Aren at arentimmel@sbcglobal.net or (530) 892-9868.

Rodney.............
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Annoying Cycling Events
Chico, CA