YOUR ANNUAL TRAINING PLAN:

Remember as you plan for the year, our club goals center around the following rides: Sante Fe Century, Ride for the Roses, Elephant Rock,  MS150, Ride the Rockies, Saturn Cycling Classic, Community Classic Bike Tour, Hotter ‘n Hell 100, Mercury Tour Festival, and Biketoberfest.  If you have questions about setting up your annual training program refer to the training tips below; visit the Training Center at the Bicycling Magazine web site at: www.bicyclingmagazine.com   and Joe Friel’s: The Cyclist’s Training Bible.

Develop your own program, don't try to adopt or follow someone else's.  Be very careful who you ride with, there are many strong riders who really don't know anything about how to train someone else and riding with them can be dangerous and harmful to your own development.  For example, don't ride with someone who always rides the same, either very slow or hard all the time.  For you to develop, there must be variety in your riding.  Also, use the concept of periodization in your training.  Know people who ride hard in the early season, forget riding with them, they are known as early season heros who fade later in the cycling season and never progress in their potential.  Don't fall prey to their trap and ride with them, you'll just be limiting your own development as a cyclist.  Remember that there are seasons for a reason and if you forget, your body will remind you.

One of the biggest differences between well trained cyclists and others is that most riders make their easy days way to hard and days that are supposed to be hard to easy.  You could fall into this pattern by riding with people who are ignorant of training principles and who ride the same way or the same places all the time.  Follow sound training principles and you will shine in your favorite events.  You don't want to be a training hero and an event failure now do you?

Its fall, so relax, have fun and you can forget worring about training, just pay attention to this:

Each of you should consider establishing your own annual training plan and
goals.  DO NOT  try and use someone else's, as your own plan would be
tailored for your own ability level, age and goals.  For example,
professional cyclists do not touch their road bikes until they start their
winter training camps sometime in December.  A good way to start thinking
about your annual plan is buy, read, and then follow the steps in setting up
your plan in Joe Friel's book, The Cyclist's Training Bible.  The best way to go is to use Chris Carmichael's weekly training plan designed just for you .  You can find this at the Training Center located at the web site for Bicycling Magazine.  Here is the address:  www.bicyclingmagazine.com and you will be very glad if you visit there.  However, if you are just out for fun, then consider Joe Frito's tips carried monthly in the BRAC Newsletter.

You cannot arm yourself with too much information, but you can do
so with wrong and false information and bad advice.  Remember that no one's plan is right for everyone.

Second, your training plan must incorporate the concept of periodization  in
order to lead to success.  Periodization  means that you will build your
annual plan around different periods of the year.  For example, we are now
in the rest period.  In December you would begin the adaptation period,
followed by the strength period and so on.  You will read about
periodization  in the resources mentioned above.  If you need personal
attention, work only with someone with coaching experience from the Olympic
Training Center, or who is a certified cycling coach.

Keep in mind your own goals.  If you are a professional cyclist, then that
means you will rest, eat, train and act like one.  If you are not, then
don't try to, you'll just end up driving yourself and the people around your crazy.  There are some good rules of thumb that will apply to everyone,
professional or otherwise:  1.  Wear a hat if its cold or wet outside, and
don't forget.  2.  Dress in layers in the late fall, winter and early
spring.  You will be better prepared to respond to Colorado's rapidly changing
weather.  3.  Get off of your road bike now and be serious about the rest
phase.  Did you ever wonder why elite class cyclists do not live in a place
they can ride year round?  Everything goes in phases, including your
cycling.  If you always ride the same way, you will never improve, in fact
your fitness will stagnate.  You may have noticed this with someone you know.  4.  Recuperate, have fun, get your annual
physical, spend time with your family (who may not remember you if you ride
alot), and begin a period of active rest.  5.  Cross train.  If you don't
know another sport, then now is the time to learn.  Take walks, go for runs,
play basketball or racquetball, swim, cross country ski, anything that will
be fun, enjoyable, and still allow you to have some exercise.  6.  Learn a
stretching program and incorporate it into your daily lifestyle, you'll be
glad you did.  Learn to be well rounded.  Your family, friends and especially you will appreciate this.  6.  Learn about your equipment and how it works.   Learn regular maintanence techniques and remember them especially in the winter months when your bike can get very wet and dirty.

Examine your last cycling season.  Do you keep a diary?  If not, its time to
start.  If you don't know how, the Velo News Training Diary is a good place
to start.  Did you meet your 1999 goals?  If yes, how?  If not, why not?   If
you keep a diary, then answering these questions can be easier.  Start
thinking about what you would like your cycling  goals to be.  You will develop
your annual training plan based on your cycling  goals.  An
advantage of doing this thinking and setting your annual goals is that it
allows you to take a bigger picture of your cycling.  Little setbacks are
smaller, and your achievements will be part of the process of working
towards your goals.  What do you want to achieve in the next year?

Think about your diet and lifestyle.  Are they complementary to your goals,
or are they working against you?  This time is the best time to
take stock, think and decide.  Our sport requires enormous energy and
commitment in order to be successful.  These resources and steps should help
as you develop your annual training plan.  Whatever your plan is, remember
to have fun and make it your plan.  We have wonderful coaching expertise in
the HRCC, so if you have questions, don't forget to let me know.  As I
always say, you'll be glad you did.
Check out these links for excellent articles on training so you can be a better cyclist:

www.bicyclingmagazine.com  and  www.velonews.com 

• New Sponsor Darrin Robertson of Living Chiropractic Center:  Welcome Darrin Robertson, D.C. of Living Chiropractic Center to the HRCC family of sponsors.  HRCC members with their membership card receive special discounts at the Living Chiropractic Center, so make arrangements to call Dr. Robertson, meet him and get your body in tip-top condition for cycling and other adventure activities.  You can reach Dr. Robertson at: (303) 347-1909 to schedule your appointment.  Dr. Darrin is a bike racer himself and has special knowledge of cyclists the needs of their bodies.  Check out the Living Chiropractic Center, you'll be glad you did.

• 2002 Awards:

Best Cyclist: Male: Ed Wolph.  Female: Melody Serra.

Runners Up:  Tad Zgoda; Fran Summerhill

Best Cycling Couple: Tie between: Ed Wolph and Jane Hagan and Gary Debus and Roberta Nelson.

Most Courageous Ride: Ed Wolph for riding the Saturn Cycling Classic Monster Ride with broken ribs.

Best HRCC Volunteers: Mike Liliestedt and Neil Atkinson

• HRCC 2002 Picnic & Award Banquet: Join the HRCC this year at Falcon Park behind the Eastridge Rec Center on Saturday, September 28th at 4PM.  Fun, food, beer and games for HRCC members, families and friends.  A great time was had by all and the 2002 HRCC Picnic resulted in the best and biggest team picture ever.  Check out who won the 2002 HRCC Awards on this page.  Go to the Photos page and check out some pictures too, you'll be glad you did.  Here is just a little sample: 

• VeloSwap 2002: October 26th, Saturday, join the HRCC for the biggest cycling sale of the year.  Check out this thumbnail for further information and discounted tickets:  and for more information, check out the News, Alerts and Announcements forum on the HRCC Forums section.  Just use the navigation bar in the orange section to the left of this page and click the Forums link.  Details on the HRCC table at Velo Swap are there, so check it out today, you'll be glad you did.  If you can help with table set up or working the table, please let us know ASAP.

• Biketoberfest 2002: Report from Leadville, CO pending.  This great event includes a range of route options with the famous one being the Iron Triangle route from Leadville through Vail, Vail Pass, Copper Mountain and back to Leadville.  This route is the one of the highest rec rides in the world with most of the ride over 9500 feet in elevation.

• 2002 Ride for the Roses: The 2002 cycling season begins each year with the Lance Armstrong Foundation Ride for the Roses.  This incredible event is in Lance Armstrong's hometown of Austin, Texas.  This year the HRCC team in Austin was led by cycling couple, Eric & Karen Svendsen.  They are able representatives of the HRCC and did a great ride along with Lance Armstrong and 8000 other cycling fanatics.

• 2002 Elephant Rock Century: Colorado's recreational cycling calendar begins with the ERock ride a traditional Douglas County ride now drawing over 7000 riders.  Commonly beset by traffic problems and conflicts with local residents, the ERock has lost some luster over the years but is still a good early season test of your fitness.  HRCC will have its usual large team there to do battle with the maddening crowds.  Here is a report from Noel Vargo on the 2002 Elephant Rock Ride:  Dave, Cindy and I did the E- Rock.  I was in a HRCC jersey but did not see any other HRCC riders.  There were over 7700 riders probably the largest group to date.  When we arrived at 5:45 am, traffic was backed up on I-25 from exit 181(where most were exiting) back to exit 182.  Dave and Cindy were behind me and I called them by cell phone and told them traffic was at a standstill.  They exited at 182 and went into town and found a place to park not far from the new events center.  I eventually got out of the line of traffic and drove up a little further on I-25 and did a u-turn back to exit 182.  We peddled towards the event center but had no reason to stop there and just got on course.  There were an amazing number of riders; you had to be very careful.  At the turnoff for the 100 and the 65 mile routes, (Dave and Cindy did the 100, I did the 65) the riders started to spread out quite a bit.  The ride was not that difficult but it was windy and by 11:00 very hot.  I talked to several riders who had changed their mind and decided to do the 65 rather than the 100 because of the wind.  There were different routes this year and the 65 and 100 milers did not go up Wolfensberger Road.  Those doing the 35-mile ride did.  We did Roller Coaster Road, I remember that from our shortcut at the Griffith Center Ride last time!   When I got back to where I parked the car I saw a person who had parked next to me.  He just finished the 100 miles in 4 hours and 57 minutes; about the same time it took me to do the 65 miles.  I drove into the events center.  It is really a great complex located just a half-mile south of town.  Many vendors, including Bicycle Source were there.  Entertainment, music, massages, demonstrations and even an elephant!  The food was served from inside the events center and you could eat there in a air-conditioned hall, or you could take it outside.  If you don't mind crowds it was a great time.  The events center was a huge improvement.  I'd probably do it again. 

• 2002 ARock Ride: Started in 2001, the HRCC has an alternative to ERock that we call the ARock ride.  On a route scoped out in north Boulder by our famous 4-time Marquis de Sade Winner, the ARock offers a harder route than the ERock with lots of climbing far away from the maddening crowds of ERock.  This ride is unsupported and only for the hardiest of nut cases looking for adventure that only another ride with the Marquis himself can provide.  The 2002 edition of the ARock dawned hot and sunny and it would just get worse from there.  Temp's averaged 25-40 degrees hotter than in 2001 and with all the climbing of the ARock this ride was a real scorcher.  This year, Len, Mick, Taylor, Ed, Bernie, Wolf, Tad and Jack were the victims of the unforgiving ARock, but Tad and Ed put the hurt on the course by breaking prior records and leaving everyone in their dust.  Here's the general route: go north out of Boulder on 36 to Lyons, climb S. St. Vrain Canyon to Raymond, then climb some more on the Peak to Peak Highway to the dirt and gravel road into Left Hand Canyon, descend on 17-22% grades into Jamestown and then climb the back side of Lee Hill Road and descend back to Boulder.  About 6,000' of elevation gain and this year it was really hotter than hell.  The attacks started on the run up to Lyons where the group was splintered for the first time.  Everything went wild again for the climb up S. St. Vrain where a pernicious headwind was actually welcome as it provided some wind aided cooling.  In Raymond we ate and drank everything we had and then bought some more.  This is a good place to buy candy, SnoBalls, donuts, Twinkies, just anything you can find with sugar in it, because you really need it for the hell of climbing the Peak to Peak into another headwind.  Unfortunately, the wind turned and the heat really got turned on.  Thankfully it was a little cooler being at almost 10,000 feet in elevation by that point.  If you like to descend and feel like you might just launch yourself into outer space by riding off the switchbacks this ride is great because of the steepness of the hills.  After the Peak to Peak, you get to ride 2.5 miles of narrow twisty switch backs that just happen to be on dirt and gravel which this year included the added benefit? of some bone jarring chatter bumps dug into the road that hasn't been graded since probably last year.  Nobody's frame or wheels broke and after this you get a 50mph descent (if you dare) into Jamestown.  Mick wanted to descend straight back to 36, but was talked by Bernie into doing the incredible ending climb up Lee Hill Road.  This road is so steep that when you look forward you can't see the sky because the road is so steep.  As the road got bad, you could hear Wolf scream, "Damn you Pettyjohn, this sucks?"! so you know what he felt about it.  Climbing Lee Hill road makes you want to puke your guts out, but you can't because you need guts to climb this particular bit of wickedness.  The road is so steep that people cry when going up in their cars, which if they stall out can tumble over backwards.  Anyway, we didn't leave too many guts on the road and then descended back into Boulder to complete this wonderful little pastoral Boulder ride that Bob Roll calls a typical Boulder stroll by yuppie scum.  Well, he may, but I felt like scum after this latest epic with the Marquis who could be heard giggling all the way.  Like to climb and suffer (which Tad differentiates from pain), then you will love this ride, just pray for clouds.
  

• 2002 TourdeCure: This fun climbing ride benefits the Colorado Chapter of the Diabetes Society.  You never know who you might see on this ride, from Ron Kiefel to Bruce Schwab, this ride offers some great climbing, some great food and a fun day in the sun (unless its raining.

• 2002 MS 150: This great two day ride is the HRCC's signature event.  Colorado's longest running recreational cycling event, it is also the best.  The HRCC boasts past winners of this great ride as members and has won the team competition as well.  Many pictures on our picture page are from the MS 150, take a look and see how much fun this ride is.  Also, the HRCC was honored for 2002 by being named the host team for the 2002 MS 150 High Rollers Ride held in June.  Here is the report:  

  The 2002 MS150 the day began by being picked up by Tad and Wolf at 4:30AM.  Just imagine what you need to have done to be ready at that time.  We arrived in Louisville at the Storage Tech facility and it took a while to find parking because in the dark we didn’t realize that we had a reserved spot.  We got going and enjoyed some cool weather until lunch which was at the traditional start of the TourdeCure.  Nothing much occurred before lunch except one guy who flipped himself off his bike right at the turn off to Carter Lake.  He was uninjured, but it was interesting to watch.  After lunch Tad went on the Century loop and Bernie and Wolf continued on up Big Thompson Canyon.  Climbing Big Thompson was a kick since we had a major tail wind.  If you haven’t climbed a mountain canyon in your big chain ring, you are really missing something.  We were flying and only a Euro pro from Domo Farm Frites and the motorcycle patrol could get by us, what a rush.  We flew through Drake and Glen Haven, topping up our water bottles at a water stop at the Post Office to begin Devil’s Gulch.

  Devil’s Gulch is a nice little climb approx. 1 mile in length and with grades up to 16%--its wicked steep.  We passed a poor woman who made the really bad decision to get off of her bike in cleats.  As she was walking, she would take one step and her foot (in cleated shoes) would then slide back the same distance.  She was really upset.  Devil’s Gulch is one of the few things steeper than Lee Hill Road which we rode at the A Rock.  At the top, they handed out medals for those who rode up and then we had a nice little 40mph+ ride down into Estes Park.  Not a bad day at all with over 31 miles of climbing.

  The overnight was uneventful, with a little rain and some cool breezes.  One fun thing was watching all of the people jammed into the beer tent.  We decided that those folks were sagging on Sunday except for Tad who needed the beer for recovery.

  Sunday dawned cool and sunny in Estes Park, but the amazing thing was all of the riders who decided not to ride.  They actually got stuffed into buses and taken to the second rest stop (our breakfast stop) where the bus actually disgorged (no kidding) them.  Anyway, we skipped breakfast due to the long lines.  What a mistake if you normally eat breakfast.  Bernie spent the rest of the day eating anything he could get his hands on.  The ride was great, just a five mile climb out of Estes to the Peak-to-Peak Highway.  A very fun descent down S. St. Vrain canyon took us to Sunday’s lunch in Lyons.  Now it was getting hot.  Bernie did a funny interview with the V3S film crew, funny because as they asked questions, he had no idea what he was saying, but they said the answers were perfect.  When the commercials come out, we will see.

  Tad went to the front after lunch and rode tempo that was fantastic and brutal.  As soon as riders would join us, they got spit out the back.  One set of women racer types tried to attack repeatedly, but as soon as they got out of the train, the wind just hammered them.  You have to give them credit for trying to attack the Tad train, but man they were just frying their brains out and by the time we made the turn for Louisville, they were hammered to smithereens.  That wasn’t so bad, but so was Bernie who limped home a few minutes after Tad and Wolf and immediately began looking for some more food.

  By the finish, the temp’s were approaching 101 and Tad’s camp shower was very warm but it felt great.  All those walking by Tad’s car got a show, but hey, it was time to take the kits off and get into some shorts and sandals and eat some more food.  The 2002 MS150 was one of our fastest ever due to favorable wind conditions and by going into the mountains instead of another ride into summer hell, was one of the best ones ever.

• 2002 MS 150 High Rollers Ride: For the first time ever, the HRCC hosts the 2002 High Rollers Ride.  Open only to qualifying riders, this ride is a honor ride for the top performers from the 2001 MS 150.  The 2002 High Rollers Ride takes starts at Bike Source where the fun and festivities will occur.  Prizes, food and a catered lunch are only part of the benefits of being an MS 150 High Roller.  The HRCC is proud to have many high rollers in its ranks and honored to be the host team for this great event.  On June 9th, our ride started hot and promised to get much hotter.  Instead it just got weird due to the approaching Hayman fire and an absolutely incredible smoke plume that covered the entire front range.  Len, Wolf and Bernie finished 1-2-3 and got in just as the ash started to come down.  Riders finishing later looked just devastated by soot and ash from the Hayman fire.  Our route was a familiar HRCC ride as we rode through Chatfield to Titan to Roxborough Park Road to Wadsworth to Deer Creek with a full loop of Ken Caryl and then back to Bike Source.  We were greeted by the wonderful staff of V3S handing out some much needed EForce and the great buffet provided to the riders by the National MS Society.  This ride is wonderful event and a great way to honor the big producers in the MS 150.

• 2002 Triple ByPass:  From Ed Wolph: We had a good Triple; we started at dawn and beat the early heat.  No rainthis year but it did get hot from Keystone to Avon.  The highlight of myride was 55.7 mph down Loveland pass.  It made up for all the 6-8 mph lowgear grinding.  I sure could have used Tad's wheel to follow.  Our total"ride time" was 7:45 for 120 miles. From Fran Summerhill:  Daniel and I had agreat time and he finished with energy to spare - all the encouragement he got from folks at the rest stops really spurred him on!  From Chris Sandalcidi: This was my 1^st  Triple and I must say it was wonderful. Good support and incredible good weather – sunny and very little wind – most of it being a tailwind! It was great to see Ed Wolph during the ride. The fact that I had no flats or mechanicals certainly added to this great experience!

• 2002 Saturn Cycling Classic: Simply the hardest one day bicycle race in the world, this incredible race promoted by the incomparable Len Pettyjohn is the biggest spectacle in bicycle racing.  Racing from Boulder to Breckenridge over 140 miles of the most rugged terrain possible, 5 mountain passes await the brave (or foolish) souls who leave the start line.  Starting at almost 6000' and rising to 12000' in the Rocky Mountains, riders must deal with dirt passes, blazing sun and snow in this unbelievable event. This race also features recreational rides, concerts and parties that the HRCC participates in and encourages you to join as well.  Do you want to be part of the greatest spectacle in bike racing, come on out for the Saturn Cycling Classic.

• Santa Fe Century 2002: We arrived in Santa Fe on May 17th, Friday and had a great dinner at the Blue Corn Brew Pub.  When you go to Santa Fe be ready to eat SW style for the duration.  Its great fuel for cycling and beer has good carbs so I’m told.

  Saturday morning we met at the Fairfield for the HRCC group ride as we scouted the start of Sunday’s Santa Fe Century and part of the out and back loop that most were riding.  We had a group of about 12 and all those HRCC jerseys were a great site riding up Zia road to the Capshaw School.  Melody was graced with two flats and promptly committed to sliming her tires.  Everyone went back to their hotels and then some touristy stuff at the Plaza, Jackalope and the outlet mall.  As an example of SW style dining, at lunch on Saturday, a simple turkey and swiss was SW’ized with a green chili glaze. It was actually very good.

  Saturday evening was the HRCC dinner at the world famous Garduno’s, who claims to have the best margaritas in Santa Fe.  Several of those attending tested this thesis and seemed to agree.  This restaurant overlooks the famous Santa Fe Plaza.  It is an interesting spot, but don’t think “piazza”, you’d be disappointed.

  Sunday brought the traditional opening of the recreational cycling season, the Santa Fe Century.  Dave, Mike, Ed, Jack and Melody set out on the 100 mile route.  Wolf, Dave, Chenille, Cathy, Bernie, Neil and Jane did the out and back.  Dave, Chenille and Jane rode 60 miles and the rest rode the traditional 82.  For some wonderful reason, this was the first Santa Fe ride in many years where we enjoyed some great tail winds for most of the ride.  Those experienced Santa Fe riders were wonderfully and pleasantly surprised.  We cruised to Galisteo and the only mishap to that point was Bernie’s flat tire 5 miles into the ride.  Now the ride from Galisteo to Stanley is a grind, uphill the whole way and this year into a headwind.  But the last section run in to Stanley was a gas as Neil took the bit in his teeth and pulled us in to Stanley.  Now here is the fun part: from Stanley all the way back to Santa Fe, 41 miles was with a major tail wind.  Major sections of the course just disappeared as we were spun out in our biggest gears.  Mike, Dave and Ed absolutely hammered the 100 mile course.  Jack and Melody completed their first ever century and were gushing.  We hated to tell them the tail winds were the exception and not the rule.  Wolf and Bernie both rode their fastest ever rides in Santa Fe.  Neil was flying the whole day, just tearing everyone’s legs off.  Unfortunately, less than a mile from the finish, Neil suffered a terrible accident.  He caught his front wheel in a lip in the pavement and crashed at over 30 mph.  He suffered a broken left hip, covered himself with an interesting red road rash and had emergency surgery that evening.

  After making sure Neil was settled and appropriately drugged, we had our Santa Fe closing dinner at the Blue Corn.  Except for Neil’s crash, this was a great Santa Fe and well attended by the HRCC.   We have some changes in mind for next years ride, so stay tuned.  Thanks to the HRCC members who made Santa Fe possible and a speedy recovery to Neil.  

   

• HRCC Awards 2001:

   

  Best Rider: Fran Summerhill and Michael Schiebout

  Cycling Couple of the Year:  Gary Debus & Roberta Nelson

  Best Rider to Draft:  Arno Ottevanger; Joe Schmucker; Tad Zgoda

  Come Back Rider of the Year:  Don Natwick

  Lewis & Clark Navigation Award:  Bernie Johnsen

  Never Flat Again:  Mike Lilestedt

  Harley Dirt Bag:  Don Natwick

• 2001 24 Hours of Moab: A very exciting win for the HRCC's Michael Schiebout in the team division of the 24 Hours of Moab.  Michael and his team and support personnel did a great job getting to the top step of the podium in this incredible test of cycling strength and endurance.

• 2001 HRCC Barbecue and Awards Banquet:  This year we gather at Falcon Park (just east of the Eastridge Rec Center on September 22nd.  Picture Day will proceed the barbecue when we meet at the Northridge Rec Center at 9AM for our annual picture taking in team uniforms and jerseys.  The barbecue festivities begin at Falcon Park at 3PM.  Our day began with games set up by Neil, including: croquet; badminton; volleyball; sack races; and an incredible egg toss.  Beverages provided by the HRCC were served by Neil and Darrel as our food and chef experts, Nis and Sean were hard at work preparing a great feast of chicken and burgers.  During dinner we enjoyed a raffle and the HRCC Awards for 2001 and some wonderful remarks from Len.  After dinner we watched Bernie J., Tom, and Dave win their heats in the slow race being cheered on by all.  We followed everything up with a rousing volleyball match while others were smart enough to just enjoy dessert.  It was a beautiful day and a great HRCC Barbecue.  Thanks to our Barbecue Committee:  Sean, Nis, Neil and Darrel for doing the work to make a great event fun and enjoyable for all including the kids

• 2001 Griffith Center Cycling Challenge:   Our day began with two inches of snow on the ground in Larkspur, quite a surprise!  The snow caused the closure of the pasture used for parking
  in the past, so we parked along the dirt and gravel road that meanders
  through the Griffith Center property.  Ride start temp was 34 degrees,
  which is chilly if you didn't plan and bring every article of clothing
  in your closet.  Teresa did and she and Marsha were glad for that.
  
  We left the Griffith Center and headed south for Palmer Lake and then
  Monument.  The first rest stop saw the sun shining bright and the temps
  shooting up into the high 40's with the best to come later.  We then
  rode through the incredible Glen Eagles subdivision that dumps right on
  to Academy for a loop on the big loop in the Air Force Academy.  For
  some HRCC'rs this was the third time this year in the Air Force Academy,
  just an incredible place to ride.  There were no signs of the bears we
  were warned about either in Larkspur, Palmer Lake or Monument.
  
  After the big loop of the Air Force Academy the painful stuff starts
  with the long and grinding climb into the Black Forest which saw the
  fields split to pieces as Paul Sherwen would say.  The time gaps grew to
  hours as the Black Forest worked its cruel magic on the riders.  After
  that particularly wicked bit of road treachery, we were thankfully back
  on the quick descent of 105 back to Monument, Palmer Lake and then into
  Larkspur and the Griffith Center grounds.
  
  Awaiting us back at the finish were massages, pizza and pasta salads
  from Old Chicago (which were quite tasty) and a raffle of many great
  items.  You may recall that Noel won the bike at the raffle last year. 
  By the time we returned to the Griffith Center the temp was 64, the
  grounds had dried considerably and we dined and froliced amidst the
  squirrels and snow and then drove home.
  
  Another successful Griffith Center Ride for 2001.  The HRCC was
  acknowledged by Howard Schiffman, the Director of the Emily Griffith
  Center as the best team (and the biggest) in the 2001 Griffith Center
  Cycling Challenge.  Quite another honor for the HRCC which is also the
  only cycling club in America to have ridden in every Griffith Center
  Ride.  This is a great ride, even though it will bite you in the butt
  with all of the climbing.

• 2001 Steamboat HRCC Road Trip:  Hi all, the HRCC has returned from Steamboat and what a great weekend
  even if the Mercury Tour wasn't there anymore.  We had an action and
  fun-filled 4 days in Steamboat with sunny weather all the time and
  daytime temp's in the 80's.
  
  Thanks to all from the HRCC who could attend, including: Wolf, Janet,
  Alex, Katie, Doug, Melinda, Bernie, Marsha, Sean, Nis, Len, Cathy, Pete,
  Bill, Jeff, Barb and if I forgot to name any others, its because I'm
  still brain damaged from all the wine at Saturday's barbecue.
  
  We began gathering in Steamboat Thursday afternoon.  Friday morning saw
  Len lead the more adventurous (or nuts) on a 4 hour up Steamboat Ski
  area, to the top of Mt. Werner and then out on the Continental Divide
  and the Wyoming Trail.  Over 1500' of climbing and 3500' of descending. 
  The more sensible stayed on the mountain and rode the Gondola.  Many
  thanks to Cathy Wiedemer of Steamboat Resort for the gondola tickets. 
  After the ride, we cleaned up and then went on a tour of the Moots
  Cycles factory where the finest titanium bikes in the world are made. 
  After seeing the factory and the incredible manufacturing process, we
  could see why.  Did you know that the Moots frames are hand made and
  have alignment tolerances to .0003 of an inch.  No wonder Bernie can
  ride downhill without holding the bars! The factory was incredible, the
  Moots people were fantastic and the bikes, well, lets just say that they
  are indescribable.
  
  Friday evening was our traditional dinner at La Montana where people
  loaded up on traditional Mexican food and Margaritas.  Saturday brought
  another epic ride led by Len on the Continental Divide from Buffalo Pass
  back to the top of Mt. Werner and then descending over 3500' of vertical
  on technical single track.  Saturday evening we had a fantastic barbecue
  at the Snow Flower where Wolf and his family stayed, where 17 bottles of
  wine were displayed, but only 8 were actually consumed.
  
  Sunday was yet another epic ride led by Len (who was recently called
  "twisted and sadistic" by none other then the editor of VeloNews) on the
  Coulter Creek and Cross Over Trails into the Mt. Zirkel National
  Wilderness Area.  If its possible, this ride was almost longer and harder than Saturday's ride.We got to see part of the now famous Mt. Zirkel blowdown where millions of trees were felled by freak winds five years ago.  By the way, doesn't that guy ever get tired?
  
  All in all, a great trip to Steamboat, the HRCC's fifth in row.

• 2001 Saturn Cycling Classic:  The HRCC was one of a few cycling clubs that targeted and rode this incredible cycling spectacle.  Led by the ever capable Doug Grendell, the HRCC team, which included Ed, and Gary rode the rugged three pass route that included the dirt pass called Boreas.  Unfortunately, Bernie bowed out due to a spider bite on the knee cap.  This ride, designed to duplicate much of the rigors of the race from Boulder to Breckenridge truly was a monster.  In fact, the ride is called the "Monster" by its founder and HRCC member, Len Pettyjohn.  Many riders switched bikes or wheels on Boreas since it is not paved.  On the other side of Boreas, Doug put on his Heliums and sailed over the next two passes, Red Hill and Hoosier to have the screaming descent into Breckenridge where many thousands gathered to watch Jon Vaughters ride to an incredible victory in the pro race.  The weather couldn't have been better, especially compared to last years freezing rain and drizzle that soaked us most of the afternoon.  The few small showers had people scrambling to put on Saturn rain ponchos, but they were not necessary this year.  Also new this year was an incredible cycling expo where you could view and sample many great cycling products.  This event was so big, it was even on TV several times and you won't want to miss it next year.

• 2001 MS150 July 14th & 15th: The route is the same for this year's MS150, the signature event for the HRCC.  The HRCC has won awards every year for the great teams we put in this fun and incredibly well supported ride.  Join the HRCC and help in the fight against multiple sclerosis on the grand daddy of rides in Colorado.  This year the HRCC was again the dominant team, not only in terms of money raising, but also on the ride itself.  Tad rode tempo for two straight days and the red jerseys of the HRCC formed a red guard as we basically team time trialed for 150 miles.  Neil went off on a few solo attacks to feels out the peloton, but Tad was the man of the tour as he just pulled the HRCC along at tempo.  Rain attacked the afternoon on Saturday, but by then we were safely tucked away in the dorms and hotels.  At dinner Saturday evening the HRCC took a great team photo and chowed down as we put on the feed bag to prepare for Sunday.  While Robin Williams was not there to entertain, Neil kept us in stitches with his jokes and stories.  Mike Parsons and Bernie G. appear to be top fund raisers again this year with Neil close behind.  Gary and Roberta rode a great ride, with Roberta being the main trouble maker during the team photo.  All in all, it was a great MS150!

• 2001 Ride the Rockies:  Report by Tim Cook.  Day 1 - Crested Butte to Buena Vistsa.  Camped out in a horse field with an fantasic view of snowy peaks and green tundra.  A bit cool as the nighttime
  low was recorded at 23 at one local's home.  Ice on all of our tents in the
  morning.  One hardy soul near me slept in only a zero degree sleeping bag and
  reported to be comfy.    We really needed the 17 mile downhill warmup cruise
  into Almont.  At Almont we began our 4000 foot 39 mile climb to the summit of
  Cottonwood Pass.   The last 14 miles of this road was dirt.  I had been over
  this road in a car on July 8, 1998 when the road was snowpacked except for
  the car wheel tracks.   This time over the road was well packed, dry and
  really no problem at all on my road bike.     This year the tour had
  dedicated tour busses - reclining seats, tv, air, - to shuttle riders arount
  to and from the school, hotels and town.  This was a big improvement over
  previous rides.
  
  Day 2 Buena Vista to Edwards - Another weather perfect day.  Only frost on
  the tent this AM.   Ate lunch at the rest stop at Camp Hale and had a local
  rider fill me on on some of the mountain biking trails in the area.  Got
  stuck behind the beer truck decending Battle Mountain - could have used a
  cold one then.   Pace lined it in from Minturn to Edwards.    The bus proved
  useful to get us to Poppa's in Avon for some pasta loading and electrolyte
  replenishment.
  
  Day 3 - Edwards to Steamboat Springs - In 98 the reverse of this route found
  us going up Walcott Divide in 25 mph winds with 95 degree temps.   Alot
  better this time since the wind was at our backs until we left Tonopas at
  mile 42.     We also avoided that nasty rock paved side road we took in the
  98 tour.  One of my friends saw a black bear cross the road 2 miles south of
  Tonopas.  He has been backpacking for 22 years in Colorado and this was his
  first bear sighting.  How do you figure?  Had moderate headwinds out of
  Tonopas so we formed a pace line into Steamboat.
  
  Day 4 - Steamboat to Granby.  Another beautiful day until I dropped my chain
  leaving the parking lot.   Did not think too much of it at the time but when
  I made a hard left turn to get onto 40 all of a sudden my bike sounded like
  the front deraileur was misaligned.   It was not.  It sounded almost like I
  had baseball cards in my spokes - that might have been more fun.  Finally
  figured out that the metal chain suck that they use to protect the chain stay
  partially detached and was rubbing on my granny gear.  At least I did not
  sneak up on those I passed on the climb.  The big guys at the top of the pass
  described the proper repair process - a couple of hours down including let
  the adhesive dry,  but we also did not want to use their time and mine to do
  it just then.  So, we did the guy thing -  firmly taped the plate in place.
  No we did not use duct tape -- used electrical tape so it would not be so
  noticeable since I was embarrased enough about disturbing the karma of those
  I passed up the hill.  
  
  Day 5 - Granby to Estes Park.   Leaving the school at 5:30 the sun was
  beginning to be an orange glow behind the continental divide and Longs Peak.  
  I could see the keyhole outlined in orange.   It was a beautiful ride up to
  Trail Ridge as the park folks restricted traffic for our benefit.   Saw elk
  and deer.  Other friends saw moose and bighorn sheep.  Hit the summit at 10
  AM and found 55 degrees, sun, crystal blue sky with a few white puffs, and a
  light breeze.  One of those magical days on trail ridge.  Had lunch with a
  guy from NY who was up there for the first time and hearing him describe it
  brought me a renewed perspective on what a special place and opportunities we
  have here.
  
  Unfortunately the decent was not as enjoyable as I was the 5th biker on to a
  accident scene involving serious injury caused by loss of control on the
  decent.  Spent the next hour slowing down the downhill traffic coming onto
  the accident site.   This was the second loss of control on a downhill that I
  saw or someone I was with saw.  Like Bernie says - BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.
  
  Day 6 Estes Park to Boulder.  Some nice road routes here with little traffic
  for the most part.  Participated in some small but fast pace lines.  Two
  tandem led and one with three of us.  The reception in Boulder was great as
  they had folks with horns, kazoos, whistles, bells, etc, lined up along the
  creek trail near 14 th street.   Did not win the Krysrum wheels or the
  Serotta bike at the closing ceremony but did win big with a wonderful riding
  experience through some truly beautiful parts of Colorado with some great
  people.

• 2001 Triple ByPass:  Report from Ed Wolph.On Friday evening Jane fortified me with our favorite pre-event meal, AngryRed Planet.  It's a combination of red beets, potatoes, carrots, onions,
  peanuts and other secret ingredients.  Angry Red Planet got its name from
  the agitated mass of molten red liquid bubbling, boiling and gurgling as it
  cooks.  The recipe came from some of Jane's Boulder friends who compete in
  the Leadville 100 ultra run. Even with Angry Red Planet under my belt I
  rolled out of bed at 3:40AM Saturday morning so I'd have time to eat and
  digest even more food. I have a Microsoft Excel program that calculates
  calorie consumption for cycling based on body weight and cycling intensity.
  The Triple By Pass incinerates 7900 calories so I figured I'd need all the
  nutrition I could get.
  
  On the drive up to the start at Bergen Park we passed a guy riding his bike
  up I-70.  I see this guy every year; he has a taillight flashing on the back
  of his bike so I'm assuming it's dark when he leaves home.  He must really
  get up early and he must really love to ride!  Our group, Fran Summerhill,
  Dan and Dave (two of my old Mountain Biking buddies converted to road
  riders) and I started riding from Bergen Park at 5:45AM. Jane is still on
  injured reserve, recuperating from knee surgery, so she wasn't riding. Even
  with our early start I was amazed at how many riders were already on the
  road ahead of us. 
  
  The cool morning was great for climbing Squaw Pass and Fran set the pace (a
  little aggressively I might add, she dropped Dan and Dave on the way).  Near
  the top of the pass Dan and Dave reappeared having caught a nice draft on
  the back of four riders.  We were destined to spend a lot of the day with
  this four man pace line.  I don't know who these guys were but they were
  great pace setters, very steady, safe to ride with and apparently with
  limitless energy.
  
  Kids, don't try this at home, but...
  One of my neighbors, his name is Doug, rode the Triple years ago.  He had
  been talking about the event for the past month or so and decided he wanted
  to ride it again. I think he has about 35 training miles in for the year
  (yes, you read correctly, 35 miles for the year!).   We saw Doug once on
  Squaw Pass and never again. I don't know if he ever made it to Avon or if
  he's still riding or if he ended up in the Bermuda triangle with missing
  White House interns.
  
  At the top of Squaw Pass, a quick muffin (yes, more calories..."live to
  ride, ride to eat") and then the pay off for all that climbing, the descent.
  Even with the cool morning air a light jacket was all we needed for the
  downhill ride.  The high point of my day was not hitting the mysterious
  pothole on the way down from Echo Lake to Idaho Springs.  I've yet to see
  this hazard but somehow manage to hit it every time I ride down this road. I
  missed it this time (I can't claim improved skill, I still didn't see it).
  Fran was kind enough to validate the holes existence by hitting it hard
  enough to bounce the water bottle off her bike.  I'm going to drive back up
  there and paint a big yellow circle around the damn thing (if I can find
  it).
  
  We caught the four-man train again on the way up to Georgetown and they did
  their domestique duties without complaint. I was feeling guilty and took a
  pull or two but they didn't seem to expect or need my help. After going
  through Georgetown the route climbs up to a bike path that overlooks the
  Georgetown Loop railroad.  The scene is right out of the movie, Butch
  Cassidy & Sundance Kid, great plumes of gray smoke belch out of the old coal
  fired locomotive as it chugs up the tracks. This nostalgic setting soon
  disappears as you're jarred back to modern times and the reality of the long
  grind up the service road to Bakersville and eventually to the base of
  Loveland Pass. Loveland Pass has been my nemesis every year on the Triple.
  I've suffered like a dog on this climb up Loveland. As the sweat runs into
  my eyes and my legs are barely moving I've questioned in turn my sanity, my
  fitness, my virility and on and on. When ever I mention my suffering to Jane
  (Honey, it's really hard, it's like a glimpse of your own mortality) she
  tells me (hands on hip) "quit whining it's only four miles and the other
  side is much harder", sheesh, no sympathy.  At any rate with my new 25-tooth
  cassette it seemed easier this year and before I knew it we were at the top.
  Time for one more chocolate caffinated gel (try these on your ice cream at
  home, yum) and then as the road heads downward I click up through the gears
  to the 53X12. As the speed increases I tuck in low and flat on the bike.  To
  be as narrow as possible my hands are close together on the tops of the
  bars, my chin is below the level of the bars, laid out flat with the nose of
  the saddle hitting just below my sternum, feet level and my knees are
  touching, tucked together below the top tube.  As the speed increases even
  higher its strangely quiet, just the swoosh of the tires on the pavement and
  the wind rushing past my ears. I'm catching cars now and passing whenever
  there's an opportunity.  I like to go just fast enough to scare myself a
  little bit and with the recent torrential rains depositing sand and gravel
  in some of the corners that fear comes often enough.  Ever faster now and
  then slowing slightly and banking through the hairpin turns at Arapahoe
  Basin, a quick STI down shift to accelerate out of the corners and then back
  to the tuck. At this speed Keystone appears quickly and the road from there
  is straight and fast. All too soon the downhill fun is over, a sharp left
  turn at the light (thank you officer for stopping the on-coming traffic) and
  I start the climb up Swan Mountain.
  
  There's a nice view of Dillon Reservoir from Swan Mountain Road and today
  the lake has a unique look to it. The clouds overhead are muting the
  sunlight which makes the water look gray and, by contrast, the sails on the
  boats look all the whiter. Now there's a scene I'd like to see as a
  painting. Ignorance is bliss and I was enjoying the view but any amateur
  meteorologist would have told me that this unique lighting means rain is
  coming soon. Enough lollygagging, if I'm going to ride with Fran I better
  get back to work!  We crested Swan Mountain and swooped down the other side
  rolling into the Frisco High School rest stop for a few more munchies (is
  there a caloric theme here??). Shortly after Dan and Dave arrive we were off
  again.
   
  We cycled through a little light rain on the bike path to Copper Mt. but
  then it was dry all the way up Vail Pass. Again we rejoined the gang of four
  mentioned earlier. One rider in that group had done the lion's share of the
  pulling all day.  Towards the top of Vail Pass he was finally feeling a
  little tired. One of his ungrateful comrades decided to sprint for the
  valuable Polka Dot jersey points.  He stood up on the pedals and started to
  pass.  Humph, our fearless leader was not to be denied his well-earned
  jersey; he grabbed the passing guy's saddle and used it to pull himself
  forward.  Now this happened on a pretty steep pitch, you know the kind I'm
  talking about; you're straining with all your might just to keep moving
  forward. How the rider being pulled on managed not to be brought to a
  complete stand still baffles me.  It was a pretty smooth move and looked
  more effective than the traditional jersey pocket grab that I've seen
  before.  Who are these guys anyway?
  
  Tradition says that once you reach the top of Vail the hard part is over.
  After all, it's basically downhill to Avon. However, the real adventure
  started on the Vail Pass descent. It started to rain and the rain became
  more and more intense, add a little sleet for variety, jack up the wind
  speed and it's winter time in the Rockies.  I stopped and added on my new
  rain pants (on sale at Performance for $20).  These babies are quite the
  fashion statement, bright yellow and they flap a bit in the breeze but
  they're better than nothing.  I saw riders wearing only shorts and no-sleeve
  jerseys. Does the blue tint to their skin mean they were freezing? I also
  saw a lot of blue, goose bumply people abandoning the ride before Vail.
  
  The rain continued all the way through Vail and down to Avon.  Other than
  the rain this is a neat way to finish the ride. It is slightly downhill all
  the way to Avon and you can big ring it all the way.  I fantasize myself as
  Jacky Durand on a long solo break away, holding off the peloton for the last
  14K (Jacky wears bright yellow pants doesn't he?).  One more little hazard I
  should mention. The rain had filled the potholes, sewer pipe caps and sewer
  cover depressions, through my rain-covered glasses these spots looked like
  smooth pavement.  I managed to hit a few before my sodden brain realized I
  needed to avoid anything that looked too shiny and too smooth.
  
  It was great fun to fly through Vail and have the police stopping all the
  cars so we could sail through the roundabouts.  Shades of Le Grand Boucle,
  cars lined up 20 to 30 deep waiting for us lordly bike riders to pass
  through.
  
  Ironically, about two miles from the end, the rain quit, the sun came out
  and it was beautiful again.  In Avon, after putting on dry clothes and
  lovingly storing my yellow rain pants, we enjoyed a great "post ride"
  barbecue and free beer. Picture this, I'm reveling in the euphoria setting
  in...I sit back, content and smug with the days effort, reliving the day's
  adventure and gazing at the "Colorado Blue" sky overhead.  I'm savoring the
  high altitude elixir of intense sunshine warmth and cool air on my face. I
  couldn't help but think how lucky I am to be a bike rider in Colorado.  Life
  is good.  Did I mention that the beer was free?  Life is really good.

• 2001 Elephant Rock and ARock Rides:   From Mike Liliestedt on ERock and Bernie on ARock: We left Castle Rock at the stroke of 7:00.  Had mixed feelings about the new route.  Missed the big downhill into
  Franktown, but that was probably okay; I would have done it too fast in
  the rain.  Didn't miss climbing that first hill out of Franktown on 83.
  The ride out Lake Gulch Road was disconcerting in the mist.  A lot of the
  time it looked like we were going downhill but we were only managing 10 or
  12 miles an hour, or like we were going uphill at about 25.  Still like
  the way into Palmer Lake that they instituted last year.  It's mostly
  rolling hills, but it keeps us out of that nasty traffic around Monument.
  Seems a lot safer. I have mixed feelings about Wolfensberger Hill.  It was
  a shock not having to do it, and the new route was a lot easier.  But a
  lot of the challenge was gone. 
  
  ARock Report:
  
  The clouds hung low and heavy as rode out of Boulder along 36 to Lyons.
  No mishaps on the way to Lyons except for Joe hitting and shattering a
  glass bottle that no one saw.  Once in Lyons we turned and started South
  St. Vrain Canyon for approximately 17 miles of climbing to the Raymond
  turn.  We headed into Raymond and stopped at the Raymond General Store.
  This store is right out of the olden days, some shelves, some coolers and
  no cash registers.  The person there was writing down every sale into a
  spiral notebook.  Re-watered and fueled, we rode out of Raymond and
  started climbing again.
  
  On this ride, the climbing is the ride.  We climbed until we got to the
  Peak to Peak Highway and was climbing again into a headwind as we headed
  south towards Ward.  About 4 miles before Ward, we turned on to a dirt and
  gravel road that climbs and descends to intersect with James Canyon.
  Thanks goodness for some mountain biking skills on this road, which is
  quite fun on a road bike if you know what you are doing.  The dirt and
  gravel lasted about two miles and then came a screaming and harrowing
  descent into the clouds and fog.  If you didn't put on your jacket here
  you were in big trouble as the moisture was so heavy, it was condensing on
  every part of you and your bike.  The descent was so steep, almost
  everyone set speed records.  We screamed into Jamestown, which is a quaint
  little town that many people ride up to from Boulder, but not too many
  people descend into.  Right before you come flying into Jamestown, the
  city authorities have built a ski jump size speed bump, apparently to
  scare the cyclists into slowing down.  Believe me it works, because all
  you want to do after being launched into the air like a bmx rider is slow
  down and restart your heart.
  
  Just below Jamestown we turned on to one of the steepest hills around, on
  the scale of Heartbreak Hill in Santa Fe.  Its 1.5 miles almost straight
  up and two of our group got off and walked.  Their names have been changed
  to protect the innocent and won't be revealed until the HRCC Barbecue.
  This road is the back side of what connects to Lee Hill Road.  The rain
  started as we started to descend Lee Hill Road and about 1 mile before our
  finish back in Boulder, the skies opened up and rained like buckets were
  being dumped on us, so needless to say, we got a little wet.  Mickey got
  the worst of it as he road to Boulder from his home and then rode back to
  his home for a really mammoth 114 mile day.  Len and Mick rode back to
  Len's house, so they also got more soaked then Darrel, Bernie, Joe and
  Neil.  All in all, an incredible, epic ride, thanks to our ride leader,
  Len Pettyjohn.

• Santa Fe Century Century 2001:  Hi all, well we are all back from Santa Fe, and what an incredible weekendfor the HRCC.  The HRCC was one of the biggest teams in Santa Fe and our
  red and yellow jerseys were all over the different courses during the
  ride, and they looked good too.
  
  Saturday morning dawned grey and dreary and our Saturday warm up ride
  turned into a soggy slog as we were rained on and new member Kevin Smith
  had major flat problems with a defective tire.  Rain was the weather of
  the day on Saturday as we gathered at Garduno's, one of Santa Fe's most
  famous eateries.  The HRCC was 37 strong Saturday night and we enjoyed a
  wonderful evening of interesting conversation, great Santa Fe style food
  and being serenaded by Marachi singers.  Our waitress was incredible as
  she took care of all 37 people like a pro, with only one beer being
  spilled, but what's a beer shower among your HRCC friends.
  
  Sunday dawned even grayer and drearier than Saturday, with the temperture
  of about 40 at the start.  Our outdoor cameras didn't even work it was so
  dark.  But, the skies cleared and the sun did come out and shine on
  Sunday's ride of over 5 hours for just about every HRCC rider.  With the
  sun came the wind and that was the big challenge for the entire day.  But
  in the HRCC we are up to big challenges and we did overcome the gale force
  winds from the NW to finish back at the Capshaw School for more sun, fun,
  massages, food and comraderie.
  
  Sunday evening saw us meet again at the Blue Corn Cafe on Cerillos.  Most
  members found their way there, but a small group got lost which just goes
  to show that some men really don't read the map and directions.  We did
  all end up together again for a wonderful evening of great food, adult
  beverages, jokes, funny stories, sunburn comparisons and of course HRCC
  awards for Santa Fe.
  Here are the HRCC prize winners at Santa Fe:
  
  Courage Award:  Kathy Heinrich
  Best Riders:    Joe Schmucker and Ed Wolph
  No Need to Train:  Mel Grendell
  Best Leader:    Bernie Johnsen (this award is under review for the
  misadventure on Sunday evening)
  
  All in all, it was the best and biggest Santa Fe road trip ever, and we
  are planning an even bigger trip for next year, so please stay tuned,
  you'll be glad you did.
  .

• 2001 Lance Armstrong Foundation Ride for the Roses:  Doug, Bernie, Neil and Noel represened the HRCC in Austin Texas on April 8th for this year's Ride for the Roses.  This incredible event to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation was the biggest and the best ever.  Neil and Noel drove down together and Doug and Bernie drove down together.  Saturday was a day of racing ending with the incredible Pro-1-2 race in downtown Austin.  The Navigators team dominated the podium by sweeping the top places and riding their Litespeeds to a dominating victory.  They averaged over 32 mph for 100K, which is a little faster then we rode the 100K on Sunday.  Lance was there but didn't race Saturday night due to his training for the Tour de France.  At Saturday's dinner, Harry Smith from Biography was the MC and entertainment was provided by Shawn Colvin and Robin Williams.  Sunday was a beautiful day for a ride with temp's in the 80's.  The ride is so good for early season since there are no hills to speak of.  Lance rode with Robin Williams and a great collection of cycling and entertainment luminaries.  We never did catch Lance and the Posties, but Doug and Neil did a great ride, while Noel and Bernie hung on to finish several minutes behind.  Great fun was had by all, and Doug and Bernie got to have lunch with Jim Hoyt, the owner of Richardson Bike Mart on Monday who entertained with many stories about Lance and some old time racers that Bernie knew from the 1980's.  We are planning a much bigger HRCC presence in Austin next year, so watch for details.

• 2001 ERock & ARock.   ERock Report From Mike Liliestedt: We left Castle Rock at the stroke of 7:00. Had mixed feelings about the new route. Missed the big downhill into
  > Franktown, but that was probably okay; I would have done it too fast in
  > the rain. Didn't miss climbing that first hill out of Franktown on 83.
  > The ride out Lake Gulch Road was disconcerting in the mist. A lot of the
  > time it looked like we were going downhill but we were only managing 10 or
  > 12 miles an hour, or like we were going uphill at about 25. Still like
  > the way into Palmer Lake that they instituted last year. It's mostly
  > rolling hills, but it keeps us out of that nasty traffic around Monument.
  > Seems a lot safer. I have mixed feelings about Wolfensberger Hill. It was
  > a shock not having to do it, and the new route was a lot easier. But a
  > lot of the challenge was gone.
  >
  > ARock Report:
  >
  > The clouds hung low and heavy as we rode out of Boulder along 36 to Lyons.
  > No mishaps on the way to Lyons except for Joe hitting and shattering a
  > glass bottle that no one saw. Once in Lyons we turned and started South
  > St. Vrain Canyon for approximately 17 miles of climbing to the Raymond
  > turn. We headed into Raymond and stopped at the Raymond General Store.
  > This store is right out of the olden days, some shelves, some coolers and
  > no cash registers. The person there was writing down every sale into a
  > spiral notebook. Re-watered and fueled, we rode out of Raymond and
  > started climbing again.
  >
  > On this ride, the climbing is the ride. We climbed until we got to the
  > Peak to Peak Highway and was climbing again into a headwind as we headed
  > south towards Ward. About 4 miles before Ward, we turned on to a dirt and
  > gravel road that climbs and descends to intersect with James Canyon.
  > Thanks goodness for some mountain biking skills on this road, which is
  > quite fun on a road bike if you know what you are doing. The dirt and
  > gravel lasted about two miles and then came a screaming and harrowing
  > descent into the clouds and fog. If you didn't put on your jacket here
  > you were in big trouble as the moisture was so heavy, it was condensing on
  > every part of you and your bike. The descent was so steep, almost
  > everyone set speed records. We screamed into Jamestown, which is a quaint
  > little town that many people ride up to from Boulder, but not too many
  > people descend into. Right before you come flying into Jamestown, the
  > city authorities have built a ski jump size speed bump, apparently to
  > scare the cyclists into slowing down. Believe me it works, because all
  > you want to do after being launched into the air like a bmx rider is slow
  > down and restart your heart.
  >
  > Just below Jamestown we turned on to one of the steepest hills around, on
  > the scale of Heartbreak Hill in Santa Fe. Its 1.5 miles almost straight
  > up and two of our group got off and walked. Their names have been changed
  > to protect the innocent and won't be revealed until the HRCC Barbecue.
  > This road is the back side of what connects to Lee Hill Road. The rain
  > started as we started to descend Lee Hill Road and about 1 mile before our
  > finish back in Boulder, the skies opened up and rained like buckets were
  > being dumped on us, so needless to say, we got a little wet. Mickey got
  > the worst of it as he road to Boulder from his home and then rode back to
  > his home for a really mammoth 114 mile day. Len and Mick rode back to
  > Len's house, so they also got more soaked then Darrel, Bernie, Joe and
  > Neil. All in all, an incredible, epic ride, thanks to our ride leader,
  > Len.
  

• 2001 Tour de Cure, Loveland, Colorado:  Doug and Bernie represented the HRCC at this great ride that is a great climb up Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park and then down and back to the start in Loveland.  This ride gets bigger each year and is very well supported and run.   If you enjoy climbing and not too many people this is a great ride for a great cause, the fight against diabetes.

• HRCC Email Listbot:  Don't forget to sign up for the HRCC email list.  Receive up date news, announcements, bulletins and HRCC activities and ride information.  Go to the first page of the HRCC web site and follow the easy instructions.  You'll be very glad you did.  This is important since the newsletter is now distributed electronically and not via hard copy.

• Training tips can be found by visting the training center at Bicycling Magazine's web site for some great training stuff and programs from the best training minds around.  Also we suggest that you develop an annual training plan by using either the Cyclist's Training Bible by Joe Friel, or the Chris Carmichael book, the Lance Armstrong Training Program.  By following these guides you can increase your fun and ride faster and safer.