Notes for the upcoming season.........

So, if I were a cyclist living in Chico, I'd be feeling pretty good about the place where I live right about now. You've got multiple people and multiple organizations putting on multiple rides throughout the year. More and more cyclists are coming out of the woodwork here in town, and new riders are popping up every week! We have bike shops all over town, and plenty of roads in which to ride.....and some amazing weather!

And with that, I hope to turn on the competitive juices just a little bit here in the town of Chico with the following R.A.C.E. events listed below - Rodney's Annoying Cycling Events. Remember - these are just local practice events, but are open to all cyclists. The events are free, but donations are always welcome - I can't afford much, so most of the events are pretty low-key. But, during the last couple of years, the events have been growing each and every month. And Casey gave us the okay to use some of them for upgrade points for 5 to 4. I hope to have at least a couple of them as sanctioned events within the next year or two, if possible......but who knows.

These are meant to be fun - and GREAT exercise. And safety comes first(in most cases!!) - so, HELMETS ARE MANDATORY IN ALL EVENTS. No helmet, no entry. Sorry - it's part of our insurance policy too. So, please - wear your helmet.

AND - use these events as practice. Try some new things out there! If you have never tried a Criterium, give it a shot. Never tried a Time Trial - now's your chance! Not sure what a Circuit Race is - well, you can find out now. And other things - try a breakaway, a solo attempt, sprint for a Prime prize, attack on a hill or a descent - try some things you might not normally try in a "real" sanctioned race! Use them for what they are - just some practice club races. So, definitely practice!

I know that some folks will use these events as their entire competitive season for the year - and I love that! But, give a USA Cycling event a shot too - see what it's like to be in a real sanctioned Criterium or Road Race, or even a Stage Race! Use these local R.A.C.E. events as a launching board. This is grassroots cycling at its finest:

Chico Airport Criterium Series - Short-Course - Starts in January 2009!!
Chico Airport Criterium Series - Long-Course - Starts in January 2009!
Airport Criterium Points Races - Starts April 2009 goes periodically until September 2009.
Thursday Night Time Trial Series - 10-miles, 15-miles and 25-miles - Begins March 2009
Meridian Road Time Trials - Starting in April 2009
Criterium "Devil Takes The Hindmost" Races
Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series - Spring/Summer 2009(some new climbs in this one!)
Chico Uphill TT Series - Fall/Winter 2009
Friday Night Fights - Airport Sprint Competition - Starts May 2009.
2009 25-Mile Time Trial Series - 1 per month - March through September 2009
Nutcracker Omnium - Early September 2009
Dog Days Omnium - August 2009
Rumpstomper Omnium - June 2009
Devil's Kick Omnium - May 2009
Honey Run Omnium - This one has a surprise twist for the "last" stage! - October 2009
Cornucopia Omnium - MTB, Cyclocross & Road - October/November 2009
Butt Butt'r Omnium - 100 Mile RR & 35-mile TT - July 2009
Chico Pursuit Championships - July 2009
Chico 10-Mile TT Series and Championships - Thursday Nights from March through October 2009.
Chico Tuesday Night Airport Criterium Series - Starts April 2009 and goes through September 2009.
Jack & Jill TEAM Time Trial - October 2009
River Road TEAM Time Trial - September 2009
Leesville Gap Road Race - Practice race before the Velo Promo event. - June 2009
Dunnigan Hills Road Race - Practice race before the Velo Promo event. - July 2009
2009 Paskenta Road Race (part gravel) - February 1st, 2009
Team Chico Cutty Series - December 2009
Black Butte Road Race - August 2009
Chico Road Race Championships - July 2009
Chico Road Race Series - Stay tuned for announcement on races/dates. March 2009 through October 2009.
Lindo Channel CycloCross/MTB Series - Throughout the entire year.
North Rim TT - MTB - May 2009
Bidwell Bump - MTB - October 2009
Upper Park Road TT - MTB - 2 to 3 times per year.
Horseshoe Lake Short-Track - MTB Events
Sycamore Channel CycloCross/MTB Events - Short Course & Long Course
Wildwood MTB/Cyclocross Events - Short Course & Long Course
Mutliple "Rodneyums" during the year - weekday Omnium events - including the Tuesday night Airport Criterium, the Wednesday night Fast 50 and the Thursday night Time Trials - Starting in March 2009.....ending September 2009.
2009 Winter Racing Series - 6-race series next winter - Starts October 2009 through Jan. 2010.
Roller Race Series - Fall/Winter 2009.
2009 Chico Alleycat - probably more than 2 during the year.
Chico Downtown Criterium - the big gun!! - September 20th, 2009
Chico Cyclocross Race - another big gun - October 2009
Messilla Valley Circuit Races - probably monthly - February through September 2009.
Grainland Road Race (part gravel) - March, April 2009
Table Mountain Road Races - probably monthly - February through September 2009.
Wheelock Road Race - April 2009
Field of Dreams Time Trial - April 2009
Field of Dreams Stage Race - April 2009
Paskenta Hills Road Race - June 2009
Nelson Road Race - July 2009
North Rim Circuit Race - MTB
The Most Insane Road Race Ever Road Race - bring life support for this one - July 2009.
Forest Ranch TT - the "Case of Sierra Nevada" Challenge! - September 2009.
Jonesville Road Race - June 2009
Jonesville Time Trial - June 2009
Vilas TT - Part of the Butte Hill Climb TT Series.
Sterling City TT - Part of the Summer Hill Climb TT Series.
666 Time Trial Series(I'll change the name - it is basically a 6-mile flat time trial series) - Starts in May 2009.
Keefer Loop TT - Starts January 2009 and throughout the year.
Keefer Road TT - Starts Feburary 2009 and goes throughout the year.
Durham-Ruubay Road Race(think Paris-Roubaix)
Butte City Road Race
Honey Run Road Race - October 2009.
Nimshew Road Race(part gravel)
The T-Shirt Road Race
Cassandra Road Race
Coal Canyon Circuit Race
Rose Avenue Circuit Race
7-Mile Lane Time Trial
50-Mile Airport Twilight Criterium - June 2009
Chico 100-Mile Road Race Series(6 races over 8 month period) - February through October 2009.
Chico Mountain Bike Stage Race - 4 stages, 4 days

.......and the list is actually getting longer and longer. Stay tuned for race dates, information, routes and announcements.Thanks to the Chico Corsa Cycling Club, Team Chico and the Sierra Nevada Brewery for their awesome support of local cycling and local cycling events!!!

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

Team Chico Tunnels Series this weekend........

Hi Everyone! This is just an announcement that the Team Chico Tunnels Series rides are taking place this weekend - January 17th & 18th, 2009. Please see information below. This should be a great weekend of riding - hope to see you out there!!


CHICO- HIGHWAY 70 TUNNELS-CHICO - 80 MILES: Saturday, January 17th 2009 9:30 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.


FIXED GEAR CHALLENGE #2 - PENTZ ROAD - 45 MILES: Sunday, January 18th 2009 10:00 AM One Mile Recreation Area

So fun we had to do it again!! Keep the muscle tension high with this brute of a climb on the FIXED GEAR! Standard Pentz loop with a little suprise cut across Paridise. Pentz may be a grind but save some juice for the whirlwind descend and sprint down Neal Rd!! All bikes welcome but the glory goes to those who suffer on the fixie!!

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 beminimal 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.

Current Overall Standings in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series............

Hi Everyone! Okay, below are the Category Standings from this morning's Event #2 in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series - the Category 3 climb of the Centerville Time Trial. Below that are the Current Overall Standings in the Series. Race #3 in the Series will take place on Saturday, February 21st - The Cherokee Time Trial. This Time Trial is the last Category 3 climb in the Series - after that, it starts to get just a little bit tougher, with the addition of the Category 2 climbs to the mix! The Cherokee event is about 4.8 miles long and climbs approximately 1,200 feet. A map of the course can be found here:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/222067

We have some very close battles in all the categories thus far and it is shaping up to be quite the Series this time around! And remember - you can come out to any of the events.....so come on out and give one, or all of them, a shot!


THE CENTERVILLE TIME TRIAL RESULTS BY CATEGORY:

MEN'S CATEGORY "A":
1. Aren Timmel 21:59 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Jesse Rushing 22:46 = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. Rich Thurman 22:52 = 14 + 3 = 17 points
4. Greg Golet 23:03 = 12 + 3 = 15 points
5. Jim Roberts 23:05 = 10 + 3 = 13 points
6. Brad Foster 23:49 = 8 + 3 = 11 points
7. Sean Dugan 23:54 = 6 + 3 = 9 points
8. Mike Smith 24:11 = 4 + 3 = 7 points
9. Joe Shelburne 24:37 = 2 + 3 = 5 points
10. Greg Watkins 26:32 = 1 + 3 = 4 points
11. Nathan Younie 27:19 = 1 + 3 = 4 points

WOMEN'S CATEGORY:
1. Christine Roberts 27:55 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Margaret Jones 29:55 = 16 + 3 = 19 points (1st Place in Junior Women's Category)
3. Diann Harger 33:57 = 14 + 3 = 17 points

MEN'S CATEGORY "B":
1. Jim Greenlee 25:39 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Clay Johnson 27:20 = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. John Touchette 28:25 = 14 + 3 = 17 points
4. Charlie Pelton 29:12 = 12 + 3 = 15 points
5. Brian Oppy 29:54 = 10 + 3 = 13 points
6. Jeff Nye 31:10 = 8 + 3 = 11 points
7. Jeff Davis 31:55 = 6 + 3 = 9 points
8. David Dura 32:56 = 4 + 3 = 7 points
9. Andy Merchant 33:46 = 2 + 3 = 5 points
10. Dennis Schmidt 34:53 = 1 + 3 = 4 points
11. David Watkins 40:12 = 1 + 3 = 4 points (1st Place in Junior Men's Category)

MEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Mike Crumm 28:02 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. John D'Ewart 30:50 = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. Steve O'Bryan 36:15 = 14 + 3 = 17 points

MEN'S MASTERS 60+ CATEGORY:
1. Walt Schafer 28:42 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Jay Rawlins 30:10 = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. Jim Mensching 31:29 = 14 + 3 = 17points

CLYDESDALE CATEGORY:
1. Tom Embree 27:41 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Colin Moakley 35:09 = 16 + 3 = 19 points


AND........THE CURRENT OVERALL STANDINGS IN THE BUTTE HILL CLIMB TIME TRIAL SERIES AFTER 2 EVENTS:


MEN'S CATEGORY "A":
1. Rich Thurman 19 points + 17 points = 36 points
1. Aren Timmel 13 points + 23 points = 36 points
3. Greg Golet 17 points + 15 points = 32 points
4. Jim Roberts 15 points + 13 points = 28 points
5. Tim Olson 23 points
6. Brad Foster 11 points + 11 points = 22 points
7. Jesse Rushing 19 points
8. Nathan Younie 7 points + 4 points = 11 points
9. Sean Dugan 9 points
9. Jeff Galland 9 points
11. Greg Watkins 4 points + 4 points = 8 points
12. Mike Smith 7 points
13. Joe Shelburne 5 points
13. Eric Ayars 5 points


WOMEN'S CATEGORY:
1. Christine Roberts 23 points + 23 points = 46 points
2. Magaret Jones 19 points + 19 points = 38 points (1st Place in Junior Women's Division)
3. Diann Harger 17 points + 17 points = 34 points

WOMEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Jeanne O'Regan 23 points


MEN'S CATEGORY "B":
1. Jim Greenlee 23 points + 23 points = 46 points
2. Clay Johnson 19 points + 19 points = 38 points
3. John Touchette 15 points + 17 points = 32 points
4. Charlie Pelton 11 points + 15 points = 26 points
5. Jeff Davis 9 points + 9 points = 18 points
5. Brian Oppy 5 points + 13 points = 18 points
7. Andy Grayson 17points
8. Alex Roberson 13 points
9. Jeff Nye 11 points
10. Andrew Merchant 4 points + 5 points = 9 points
11. David Watkins 4 points + 4 points = 8 points (1st Place in Junior Men's Division)
12. David Dura 7 points
12. Ray Bransky 7 points
14. Matt Itamura 4 points
14. Dennis Schmidt 4 points


MEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Mike Crumm 23 points + 23 points = 46 points
2. John D'ewart 13 points + 19 points = 32 points
3. Steve O'Bryan 9 points + 17 points = 26 points
4. Lee Altier 19 points
5. Greg Kallio 17 points
6. Dan Dominguez 15 points
7. Gary Fowler 11 points


MEN'S MASTERS 60+ CATEGORY:
1. Jay Rawlins 23 points + 19 points = 42 points
1. Walt Schafer 19 points + 23 points = 42 points
3. Jim Mensching 17 points + 17 points = 34 points

CLYDESDALE CATEGORY:
1. Tom Embree 23 points + 23 points = 46 points
2. Colin Moakley 15 points + 19 points = 34 points
3. Lau Ackerman 19 points
4. Tony Mainz 17 points
5. 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.

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 and go up 70, turn at Cherokee)
Cohasset to the Store - March 7 - Cat. 2 - POSSIBLE DATE CHANGE FOR THIS EVENT!!
Pentz Road - March 14 - Cat. 2
Coutelenc TT - April 5 - Cat. 2 (Just stay on Coutelenc)
Vilas Road Time Trial - April 18 - Cat. 1 (From Nicalog to the end of Vilas)
Honey Run Road - May 10 - Cat. 1
Forest Ranch to Lomo - May 16 - Cat. 1(starts at Forest Ranch Store; ends at entrance to Butte Meadows)
Lomo to Jonesville TT - May 31 - 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.

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

Centerville Uphill Time Trial Results............

Hi Everyone! So, this morning was Event #2 in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series - The Centerville To The Gravel Time Trial! Although we had freezing temperatures at the start, we still had 33 riders take part in today's TT. Thank you ALL for coming out to this one - it was awesome to have you all out there, giving this old classic climb a shot!!

A HUGE thank you goes out to our volunteers today helping at the Start Line, Finish Line and for Course Photography - Martha Figueroa, Jeff Cox and Becca Cox - thank you soooo much for your help today!! Y'all rock!!

Some pictures from today's event can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicovelo/ (Thank you to Becca Cox for taking the photos!)


Okay, below are the Combined Results from this morning's Centerville Time Trial. I will send out the Category Standings and Overall Standings for the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series later this evening. Event #3 in this Series will take place on Saturday, February 21st - The Cherokee Time Trial (Start at Coal Canyon Road and go up 70, turn at Cherokee, all the way to the little town of Cherokee).

CENTERVILLE TIME TRIAL COMBINED RESULTS:
1. Aren Timmel 21:59 (1st Place in Men's Category A)
2. Jesse Rushing 22:46
3. Rich Thurman 22:52
4. Greg Golet 23:03
5. Jim Roberts 23:05
6. Brad Foster 23:49
7. Sean Dugan 23:54
8. Mike Smith 24:11
9. Joe Shelburne 24:37
10. Jim Greenlee 25:39(1st Place in Men's Category B)
11. Greg Watkins 26:32
12. Nathan Younie 27:19
13. Clay Johnson 27:20
14. Tom Embree 27:41 (1st Place in Clydesdale Category)
15. Christine Roberts 27:55 (1st Place in Women's Category)
16. Mike Crumm 28:02 (1st Place in Men's Masters 50+ Category)
17. John Touchette 28:25
18. Walt Schafer 28:42 (1st Place in Men's Masters 60+ Category)
19. Charlie Pelton 29:12
20. Brian Oppy 29:54
21. Margaret Jones 29:55 (1st Place in Junior Women's Category)
22. Jay Rawlins 30:10
23. John D'Ewart 30:50
24. Jeff Nye 31:10
25. Jim Mensching 31:29
26. Jeff Davis 31:55
27. David Dura 32:56
28. Andy Merchant 33:46
29. Diann Harger 33:57
30. Dennis Schmidt 34:53
31. Colin Moakley 35:09
32. Steve O'Bryan 36:15
33. David Watkins 40:12 (1st Place in Junior Men's Category)

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

This weekend - Saturday Criterium......Sunday Hill Climb Time Trial.........

Hi Everyone! Okay, the next Time Trial in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series takes place this weekend - on Sunday, January 11th - The Centerville To The Gravel Time Trial - Registration for this event will open at 8:15am......and the first rider will be lifting off at 9:01am, and we will go in 1-minute intervals. The Start Line(and registration area) is across the street from the Honey Run Covered Bridge - where Honey Run Road and Centerville Road meet. The Finish is just before you get to the gravel. The course is approximately 6.6 miles in length, and climbs approximately 1,411 feet. The map for this Time Trial can be found here:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Centerville-TT

This event is FREE and open to everyone to gauge their time on this classic climb! So, hope to see you there!

Below are the Current Overall Standings in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series after 1 event.

ALSO,

AIRPORT CRITERIUM ON SATURDAY AT NOON!
Also, I wanted to let you know that we're planning on having the Chico Airport Practice Criterium #2 this Saturday - January 10th - at Noon. I will be out there at 11:40am to set up the course and register riders. Again, this is just for practice - to get use to riding in a group on a Crit course again, and pick up some tips from the more experienced riders out there. No points, no Series, no trophies........but very good fundamental practice for cornering, riding in a group, and all of the upcoming Criteriums taking place this season(including the Chico Downtown Criterium and the Tuesday Night Airport Crits!). Combine it with your morning or afternoon ride, and it could turn out to be a great day in the saddle. The "A" group would be looking at 40 minutes PLUS 3 laps.......the "B" group about 30 minutes PLUS 3 laps......and if there are enough folks, we'll have a "C" group as well. ALL are welcome to attend. Primes will be for practice only - and only have a couple of them. RAIN AND/OR VERY WET PAVEMENT CANCELS!!

The map of the Airport Criterium short-course is here:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Corsa-Crit-practice

Hope to see you out there for these weekend events!!

AND........THE CURRENT OVERALL STANDINGS IN THE BUTTE HILL CLIMB TIME TRIAL SERIES AFTER 1 EVENT:


MEN'S CATEGORY "A":
1. Tim Olson 23 points
2. Rich Thurman 19 points
3. Greg Golet 17 points
4. Jim Roberts 15 points
5. Aren Timmel 13 points
6. Brad Foster 11 points
7. Jeff Galland 9 points
8. Nathan Younie 7 points
9. Eric Ayars 5 points
10. Greg Watkins 4 points

WOMEN'S CATEGORY:
1. Christine Roberts 23 points
2. Magaret Jones 19 points (1st Place in Women's Junior Division)
3. Diann Harger 17 points

WOMEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Jeanne O'Regan 23 points


MEN'S CATEGORY "B":
1. Jim Greenlee 23 points
2. Clay Johnson 19 points
3. Andy Grayson 17points
4. John Touchette 15 points
5. Alex Roberson 13 points
6. Charlie Pelton 11 points
7. Jeff Davis 9 points
8. Ray Bransky 7 points
9. Brian Oppy 5 points
10. Matt Itamura 4points
11. Andrew Merchant 4 points
12. David Watkins 4 points (Also, 1st in Junior Men's Division)

MEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Mike Crumm 23 points
2. Lee Altier 19 points
3. Greg Kallio 17 points
4. Dan Dominguez 15 points
5. John D'ewart 13 points
6. Gary Fowler 11 points
7. Steve O'Bryan 9 points

MEN'S MASTERS 60+ CATEGORY:
1. Jay Rawlins 23 points
2. Walt Schafer 19 points
3. Jim Mensching 17 points

CLYDESDALE CATEGORY:
1. Tom Embree 23 points
2. Lau Ackerman 19 points
3. Tony Mainz 17 points
4. Colin Moakley 15 points
5. Brian Teal 13 points

WOMEN'S 40+ CATEGORY:
No entrants. = 0 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.

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
Cherokee Time Trial - February 21 - Cat. 3 (Start at Coal Canyon Road and go up 70, turn at Cherokee)
Cohasset to the Store - March 7 - Cat. 2 - POSSIBLE DATE CHANGE FOR THIS EVENT!!
Pentz Road - March 14 - Cat. 2
Coutelenc TT - April 5 - Cat. 2 (Just stay on Coutelenc)
Vilas Road Time Trial - April 18 - Cat. 1 (From Nicalog to the end of Vilas)
Honey Run Road - May 10 - Cat. 1
Forest Ranch to Lomo - May 16 - Cat. 1(starts at Forest Ranch Store; ends at entrance to Butte Meadows)
Lomo to Jonesville TT - May 31 - 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
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
Womens 40+ Category
Womens 50+ 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.

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

January 3rd Chico Airport Criterium Results........

Hi Everyone! Thank you all for coming out to the Chico Airport Practice Criterium today at Noon - it was GREAT having you all out there! In all, we had 38 riders take part this morning in this practice event. A HUGE thank you goes out to Mike Peavy, Mike Trowbridge, David Albrecht, Tim Creswell, Jeff Galland and all the other mentors out there helping to teach. We have some pictures of this morning's event here:

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

We will be back out to the Chico Airport for Practice Criterium #2 next Saturday - January 10th - starting at Noon. Hope to see you there!

And....even though it was just a little practice event, these were the top 5 finishers in each category:

Category B:
1. Matt Itamura
2. Tom Embree
3. Frank Marinello
4. Jeff Ochs
5. Lisa Martens

Category A:
1. Jeff Galland
2. Josh Bullock
3. CJ Humphries
4. Mike Smith
5. Mike Cordova

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

Current Overall Standings in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series.........

Hi Everyone! Okay, below are the Category Placings and the Overall Standings for the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series. Please take a look and let me know if there are any additions, subtractions, corrections, deletions or any other "tions" that need to be addressed. Thank you all again for coming out to the 1st event in the Series yesterday - the Humboldt Hill Climb TT. We'll definitely be doing that one again next New Year's Day!! The next Time Trial in the Butte Series is on Sunday, January 11th - The Centerville To The Gravel Time Trial - hope to see you there!!

One final note - The Results for the Eaton Cross Road Race from yesterday afternoon are as follows:
1. Jeff Ochs
2. Mike Smith
3. Geno & Creighton Gruber
4. Tim Creswell (he was slightly late for the start!)
5. Peggy Selkirk & Lisa Martens - Tag Team mountain bike team
6. Lori Cox & Jenn Gruber - Tag Team mountain bike team

.....and some pictures of both New Year's Day events can be found here - taken by Jemma Ochs - http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicovelo/sets/72157611979049265/


CATEGORY PLACINGS FOR THE HUMBOLDT HILL CLIMB TIME TRIAL ON JANUARY 1st, 2009:


MEN'S CATEGORY "A":
1. Tim Olson 13:34 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Rich Thurman 13:47 = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. Greg Golet 13:54 = 14 + 3 = 17 points
4. Jim Roberts 14:00 = 12 + 3 = 15 points
5. Aren Timmel 14:01 = 10 + 3 = 13 points
6. Brad Foster 14:33 = 8 + 3 = 11 points
7. Jeff Galland 15:17 = 6 + 3 = 9 points
8. Nathan Younie 16:16 = 4 + 3 = 7 points
9. Eric Ayars 16:29 = 2 + 3 = 5 points
10. Greg Watkins 16:35 = 1 + 3 = 4 points

WOMEN'S CATEGORY:
1. Christine Roberts 17:43 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Magaret Jones 18:41 (Also, 1st in Junior Women's Division!) = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. Diann Harger 20:36 = 14 + 3 = 17 points

WOMEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Jeanne O'Regan 19:13 = 20 + 3 = 23 points


MEN'S CATEGORY "B":
1. Jim Greenlee 15:54 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Clay Johnson 16:49 = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. Andy Grayson 17:19 = 14 + 3 = 17points
4. John Touchette 17:20 = 12 + 3 = 15 points
5. Alex Roberson 18:02 = 10 + 3 = 13 points
6. Charlie Pelton 19:03 = 8 + 3 = 11 points
7. Jeff Davis 19:07 = 6 + 3 = 9 points
8. Ray Bransky 19:13 = 4 + 3 = 7 points
9. Brian Oppy 19:23 = 2 + 3 = 5 points
10. Matt Itamura 20:14 = 1 + 3 = 4points
11. Andrew Merchant 20:33 = 1 + 3 = 4 points
12. David Watkins 22:33 (Also, 1st in Junior Men division!) = 1 + 3 = 4 points

MEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Mike Crumm 17:27 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Lee Altier 17:46 = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. Greg Kallio 17:55 = 14 + 3 = 17 points
4. Dan Dominguez 18:30 = 12 + 3 = 15 points
5. John D'ewart 19:20 = 10 + 3 = 13 points
6. Gary Fowler 19:36 = 8 + 3 = 11 points
7. Steve O'Bryan 24:41 = 6 + 3 = 9 points

MEN'S MASTERS 60+ CATEGORY:
1. Jay Rawlins 18:28 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Walt Schafer 19:03 = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. Jim Mensching 19:29 = 14 + 3 = 17 points

CLYDESDALE CATEGORY:
1. Tom Embree 16:35 = 20 + 3 = 23 points
2. Lau Ackerman 17:07 = 16 + 3 = 19 points
3. Tony Mainz 18:13 = 14 + 3 = 17 points
4. Colin Moakley 22:28 = 12 + 3 = 15 points
5. Brian Teal 24:51 = 10 + 3 = 13 points

WOMEN'S 40+ CATEGORY:
No entrants. = 0 points


AND........THE CURRENT OVERALL STANDINGS IN THE BUTTE HILL CLIMB TIME TRIAL SERIES AFTER 1 EVENT:


MEN'S CATEGORY "A":
1. Tim Olson 23 points
2. Rich Thurman 19 points
3. Greg Golet 17 points
4. Jim Roberts 15 points
5. Aren Timmel 13 points
6. Brad Foster 11 points
7. Jeff Galland 9 points
8. Nathan Younie 7 points
9. Eric Ayars 5 points
10. Greg Watkins 4 points

WOMEN'S CATEGORY:
1. Christine Roberts 23 points
2. Magaret Jones 19 points (1st Place in Women's Junior Division)
3. Diann Harger 17 points

WOMEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Jeanne O'Regan 23 points


MEN'S CATEGORY "B":
1. Jim Greenlee 23 points
2. Clay Johnson 19 points
3. Andy Grayson 17points
4. John Touchette 15 points
5. Alex Roberson 13 points
6. Charlie Pelton 11 points
7. Jeff Davis 9 points
8. Ray Bransky 7 points
9. Brian Oppy 5 points
10. Matt Itamura 4points
11. Andrew Merchant 4 points
12. David Watkins 4 points (Also, 1st in Junior Men's Division)

MEN'S MASTERS 50+ CATEGORY:
1. Mike Crumm 23 points
2. Lee Altier 19 points
3. Greg Kallio 17 points
4. Dan Dominguez 15 points
5. John D'ewart 13 points
6. Gary Fowler 11 points
7. Steve O'Bryan 9 points

MEN'S MASTERS 60+ CATEGORY:
1. Jay Rawlins 23 points
2. Walt Schafer 19 points
3. Jim Mensching 17 points

CLYDESDALE CATEGORY:
1. Tom Embree 23 points
2. Lau Ackerman 19 points
3. Tony Mainz 17 points
4. Colin Moakley 15 points
5. Brian Teal 13 points

WOMEN'S 40+ CATEGORY:
No entrants. = 0 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.

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
Cherokee Time Trial - February 21 - Cat. 3 (Start at Coal Canyon Road and go up 70, turn at Cherokee)
Cohasset to the Store - March 7 - Cat. 2 - POSSIBLE DATE CHANGE FOR THIS EVENT!!
Pentz Road - March 14 - Cat. 2
Coutelenc TT - April 5 - Cat. 2 (Just stay on Coutelenc)
Vilas Road Time Trial - April 18 - Cat. 1 (From Nicalog to the end of Vilas)
Honey Run Road - May 10 - Cat. 1
Forest Ranch to Lomo - May 16 - Cat. 1(starts at Forest Ranch Store; ends at entrance to Butte Meadows)
Lomo to Jonesville TT - May 31 - 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
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
Womens 40+ Category
Womens 50+ 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.

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

New Year's Day Humboldt Uphill Time Trial Results.........

Happy New Year everybody!! We had a tremendous turn-out this morning for the Annual New Year's Day Humboldt Hill Climb Time Trial - also the 1st race in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series. Even with foggy, cold and wet conditions outside, we had 43 riders show up to take part in this morning's TT! I would like to thank everyone for coming out to this one - it was GREAT seeing you all out there!! And even though the conditions were not the absolute best, it was awesome to see you all take part in this one! Thank you all!!

I would also like to tremendously thank Lori Cox for volunteering to start the riders this morning at the Time Trial - without Lori's help during these past few years, in almost every aspect of these little cycling events, we just would not be having these. So, a MASSIVE and HUGE thank you goes out to Lori!!

Okay, below are the Combined Results for the Time Trial this morning - I will be sending out an e-mail later today with the Category breakdowns and Current Overall Standings in the Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series:

Humboldt Road Uphill Time Trial:
1. Tim Olson 13:34 (New Course Record!)
2. Rich Thurman 13:47
3. Greg Golet 13:54
4. Jim Roberts 14:00
5. Aren Timmel 14:01
6. Brad Foster 14:33
7. Jeff Galland 15:17
8. Jim Greenlee 15:54 (1st Place in Men's Category "B"!!)
9. Nathan Younie 16:16
10. Eric Ayars 16:29
11. Tom Embree 16:35 (1st Place in Clydesdale Category!!)
11. Greg Watkins 16:35
13. Clay Johnson 16:49
14. Lau Ackerman 17:07
15. Andy Grayson 17:19
16. John Touchette 17:20
17. Mike Crumm 17:27
18. Christine Roberts 17:43 (1st Place Woman!!)
19. Lee Altier 17:46
20. Greg Kallio 17:55
21. Alex Roberson 18:02
22. Tony Mainz 18:13
23. Jay Rawlins 18:28
24. Dan Dominguez 18:30
25. Magaret Jones 18:41
26. Walt Schafer 19:03
26. Charlie Pelton 19:03
28. Jeff Davis 19:07
29. Jeanne O'Regan 19:13
29. Ray Bransky 19:13
31. John D'ewart 19:20
32. Brian Oppy 19:23
33. Jim Mensching 19:29
34. Gary Fowler 19:36
35. Matt Itamura 20:14
36. Andrew Merchant 20:33
36. Diann Harger 20:36
38. Colin Moakley 22:28
39. David Watkins 22:33
40. Steve O'Bryan 24:41
41. Brian Teal 24:51
Marcos Ramirez DNP
Jorge Ramirez DNP

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