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

R.A.C.E. Events this weekend:

Friday, September 2nd - The Friday Night Alley Cat R.A.C.E. - NEW EVENT - 6:30pm ;)

Saturday, September 3rd - The Aguas Frias Road Race - 9:00am

Sunday, September 4th - The Cohasset Uphill Time Trial - 9:00am - 1st Event in the 15-race 2011 Chico Hill Climb Time Trial Series!

Monday, September 5th - The Labor Day Messilla Valley Circuit Race - 9:00am

Monday, September 5th - The Bidwell Forest Short-Track Mountain Bike Race - 6:30pm

R.A.C.E. INFORMATION:

All the R.A.C.E. Events are FREE to enter - the goal is to get you out there on your bicycles for fun & fitness!! www.ChicoBike.com

Friday, September 2nd - The Friday Night Alley Cat R.A.C.E. :) - NEW EVENT - 6:30PM:

After 7 years of wanting to put an Alley Cat Race, we finally decided to get one going for this Friday night. For more information on the ever-growing Alley Cat Races, please visit the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleycat_races
The Start/Finish of this particular Alley Cat will be at the same location as our Friday Night Criteriums, on Convair Avenue at the Chico Airport - same spot as the Start/Finish Line of the Criteriums. Registration will open at 6:00pm - with the "race" starting promptly at 6:30pm. The manifest for the race will be given 5-minutes prior to the start.......and you can pick up the items at each "checkpoint" in any order you would like. Here is how it works: The race will start and finish at the Criterium start/finish location on Convair Avenue:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/47575960
You will receive a manifest listing the locations around the Chico area where you must pick up 5 items - essentially, like a treasure hunt. All the items will be sitting in various locations around Chico, or will be held by a volunteer. You pick up the item at the location, then go to the next location to grab your next item(can go in whatever order you wish). Once you have collected all 5 items, you head back to the Airport finish location to have your checklist items verified by myself and one other volunteer. The first person to collect all of the items from the checkpoints, and have them verified back at the Start/Finish location, wins the race - and the small case of beer(or soda if you are under age) that goes along with it. You can use whatever bicycle you have - road bike, mountain bike, cyclocross bike, fixed gear bike, single-speed, cruiser, bmx bike, unicycle, recumbent - but you must ride. And, in this particular race, you must wear a helmet. Alley Cat Races have become quite popular throughout the world, and there have been quite a few held right here in Chico. A note about this one - Based upon my initial observation of the various courses, I don't see this "race" being more than 20 miles in length - and probably quite a bit shorter if you devise a good route for yourself once receiving the manifest at the start. The course is all flat - no hills. Please obey the rules of the road. The checkpoints will not be in stores or anyting along those lines - mostly just various locations around town where you will have to grab an item from a volunteer or a box. No need to bring a messenger bag if you don't want, but you should have a pocket, jersey pocket, or small bag to hold the items from the checkpoints. I still need a couple of volunteers to help me out with this one, so if you are interested in helping just e-mail me at ChicoCyclist@gmail.com.
These events are all about fun and adventure - just have a good time with it - it's free, low-key and a good little workout on a Friday evening. :)
HELD RAIN OR SHINE!
Helmets are mandatory!

Saturday, September 3rd - The Aguas Frias Road Race - 9:00AM:

The Start/Finish line for this race is at the same location as our Thursday night Aguas Frias 10-mile Time Trials - just south of Dayton 4-corners - on Aguas Frias Road.....near Durham, California. Registration will open at 8:30am - with the Category "A" race starting at 9:00am - and the Category "B" & "C" race starting at 9:02am. Masters, Women's and Juniors will start with Category "B", but will be scored separately. The course is 33-miles in length, is flat, and starts just south of Dayton 4-corners on Aguas Frias Road...........the riders go in a clockwise direction, heading south on Aguas Frias Road until they get to Hwy. 162. At Hwy. 162, the riders head west(right turn) and make their way to Road Z/7-Mile Lane. At that point, the riders will head north on Road Z/7-Mile-Lane(right turn) until they reach Ord Ferry Road. A right turn at Ord Ferry Road has them heading east back to Aguas Frias Road.....where they will make the final right turn to the finish line. It's one lap for all Categories. The course follows a clockwise direction and is about 33 miles in length - and has a whopping 112 feet of elevation gain. In other words, it's pretty flat. All turns will be marked with Route Arrows, and I will have ice water at the Start/Finish - and will also be driving the SAG vehicle during the race if you need any help. For a map of the Aguas Frias Road Race course, please visit the following link:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/36570036/
Riders must sign in and wear a helmet in order to compete. All USA Cycling rules apply, as usual - you know, don't ride like a nutcase, wear a helmet, obey the centerline, etc. Route Arrows will mark the course as well. Bottle hand ups and Feed Zones will be solely dependent upon volunteers - Feed Zone is pretty much anywhere on the course. I will be sweeping the course at the end as well - so if I don't see you back at the Finish, I'm coming to get you!
*** NOTE - There is some road work being done on Road Z right now - a portion of the road is gravel - probably about a 100-yard section or so. You can ride it and it is open to traffic - just wanted to warn you about it.
HELD RAIN OR SHINE!
Helmets are mandatory.
(40-POINT event in the 2011 Butte Road R.A.C.E. Series!)

Sunday, September 4th - The Cohasset Uphill Time Trial - 9:00AM - 1st Event in the 15-Event 2011 Chico Hill Climb Time Trial Series:

Event #1 in the 15-race 2011 Chico Hill Climb Time Trial Series is Sunday morning - The Cohasset Uphill Time Trial at 9:00AM. This one will be held rain or shine, and is a Category 2 climb in this Series. Registration will open at 8:30am, with the 1st rider taking off at 9:01am - and we will go in 1-minute intervals. The Start/Registration area is at Nicalog Road & Cohasset Road - there is a dirt parking area there, just look for me and the R.A.C.E.mobile at the Start line. The finish location is slightly different than in past years - it is just past the Cohasset Store, on Mountain Ranch Road & Cohasset Road. The Cohasset course is approximately 5 miles in length, climbs approximately 1,500 feet, and is considered a Category 2 Climb in the Series. For a map of the the current Cohasset Time Trial course, please visit:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/48162920/
HELD RAIN OR SHINE!
Helmets are mandatory.
(Event #1 in the 15-race 2011 Chico Hill Climb Time Trial Series)

Monday, September 5th - The Labor Day Messilla Valley Circuit Race - 9:00AM:

As today is Labor Day, thought we'd put on a little Messilla Valley race to get the legs rolling! Registration will open at 8:30AM at the top of the hill of Messilla Valley Road - just near the intersection with Pentz Road. The "A" Category will be starting their event at 9:00AM, and the "B" Category going at 9:01AM, and if there are enough riders, the Junior and Category C event will start at 9:02AM(Category C and Juniors Event will be 5-laps, totaling 17.5 miles and 1500 feet of total climbing). The number of laps for Category A & B will remain the same as last year - 10 laps for each Category. Women's & Masters Categories will be combined with the Category "B" race, but picked separately. If you drive, please park at Spring Valley School, which is only 1-mile away from the Start/Finish Line - or at Butte College and ride in. There's not much parking at the Start/Finish area. The Messilla Valley Course is approximately 3.5 miles in length with about 300+ feet of climbing per lap. 10 laps = 35 miles and 3,000+ feet of climbing.
**ALSO - There will be 2 King of the Mountains/Queen of the Mountains points/laps in this race - points count towards the 2011 Butte Road R.A.C.E. Series. I will have one water container at the Start/Finish Line, but water bottle hand-ups will be SOLELY dependent upon Volunteers - so if you have a volunteer, bring 'em with you! For a map of the course, please click on this link:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/46118826/
Most USA Cycling rules apply to these races - you know, WEAR YOUR HELMET, don't ride like a nutcase, and all that good stuff. Sandbaggers are strongly discouraged (a Sandbagger would be a Category "A" rider racing a Category "B" or "C" race - must be completely obvious to the Race Director). A mention about Tri Bars - You can have Tri Bars on your bicycle - BUT, you must NOT use them if you are in a pack or paceline - especially on this course! Normally, in a USA Cycling sanctioned race, you would not be allowed to have them on your bicycle in a mass-start event like this one - but I know many of us like them on our bicycles and use them for training. This isn't the World Championships - we do these Circuit Races for fun, fitness and practice - but please do NOT use your Tri Bars in a pack/paceline situation.
HELD RAIN OR SHINE!
Helmets are mandatory!
(40-point event in the 2011 Butte Road R.A.C.E. Series)

Monday, September 5th - The Bidwell Forest Short-Track Mountain Bike Race - 6:30pm:

This race will start on the north side of the 5-Mile Recreation Area - near the dirt parking lot. Registration will open at 6:00pm for the 6:30pm start. The course will run through the single-track trails in "The Forest" in Upper Bidwell Park. This is an area just north of the 5-Mile Area - in between the 5-Mile and the entry to the North Rim Trail Parking Area. The course is VERY shaded and cool - great for summer racing - and is about 1.1 miles in length per lap......and is almost all single-track. The race will start and finish near the dirt parking area on the north end of 5-Mile, will be 40 minutes PLUS 2 laps. And, again, the course is about 1.1 miles in length, very shaded, and is ALL FLAT - no hills. The Course will be marked with flour arrows on the ground. We will race the course for 40 minutes, at which point I will give you the 2 laps to go sign. GREAT for beginners and Juniors - or those just wanting to get out on your mountain bikes for a spin! Can definitely use a cyclocross bike(Scott Heather won the race the 1st week and 3rd week on a cyclocross bike) - or even a road bike if you wanted - but is a mountain bike race. I will bring out ice water, as usual. For an approximate map of the course, please visit the MapMyRide link at:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/43683470/
RAIN, WET TRAILS OR CLOSED TRAILS WILL ALWAYS CANCEL THIS EVENT.
Helmets are mandatory!
(Part of the 2011 Mountain Bike R.A.C.E. Series!)


Rodney........
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Amateur Cycling Events
Chico, California
www.ChicoBike.com