Saturday, December 15, 2012

Winter Training – From Rochester NY

Members of the team are currently spread all the way from California, to central PA, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Ohio, and other various locations.  But that doesn’t prevent us from getting some serious miles in while we are apart.  Below is a shot from the end of my ride on Friday.  Snow is coming to town in Rochester soon, so it may be one of the last times that road conditions will be good enough to ride on for a while.  Happy holidays everyone!  – caserace

IMG_0622[1]

here is a video I like.  It’s kinda the opposite of what we preach here at Bucknell…as Team Garmin Sharp ends up moving to Spain for warmer climates instead of toughing it out in real weather.  However, it still sticks with the theme of winter training.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Finals Week

Before I get into the riding from this weekend, I want to give a quick shout out to Andrew Nitkin, a 2012 graduate of Bucknell University.  Andrew was a late addition to the cycling team his senior year and one of Tino, Billy, and Tugboat’s good friends—as well as a member of the cycling house last fall.  Through his post-graduation travels, Andrew has quickly progressed into a pretty seasoned cyclist and he will soon be embarking on a trip that I wish to inform you all about.  This summer, he will be riding across the country to pay tribute to his father who died from cancer in 2009.  You can sponsor Andrew’s trip here: http://4kforcancer.org/profiles/andrew-nitkin/ .  Every little donation helps, so if you are fan of Bucknell Cycling, please contribute to Andrew’s trip!  The journey will be 70 days long and over 4000+ miles.  Hopefully we will be posting updates on the blog this summer to detail how he is doing.  Good luck Andrew, and please donate to support cancer research!  Andrew is pictured below:

602567_3744606488847_1222861306_n

This weekend has been real rainy and wet, but it didn’t stop members of the Bucknell Cycling Team from getting out to ride.  Saturday I went out exploring some new climbs by myself.  I’m not sure if the Tower – Baldtop combination has ever been done as a ride but I found it pretty hard.  Tower is a climb off of covered bridges and Baldtop is from the end of Three Rivers.  Then this morning Miguel, Sam, and I, rode full bore into some wonderful muddy and wet roads.  Probably one of the coldest rides of the year, but one of those rides that makes you tougher come race season.  I got a few pictures before it started to rain.  PS – check out Miguel sporting the new winter jacket, they are really cool!

IMG_0619[1] IMG_0617[1]

And finally, here is a video from Team Sky that I kinda like.  The music is more for us young people, but on a Saturday morning when I can’t seem to get up to ride, I play something quick like this and it wakes me up a bit.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

110 Miles for Me this Weekend – Here are Some Highlights…and more Sunsets

IMG_0598[1]

Hey all!  I don’t have a boat load of time to write a lengthy post but here are some of the pictures I got from my three rides this weekend.  Friday ride was well attended and we had some really competitive sprints, including a nice win by Sam on his Birthday and an impressive victory on the wall sprint by Harry.  Dan took a bunch of them as well.

Saturday I wanted to do the Highlander, so Harry and I set out but ended up getting super lost.  I just love the road signs in central PA – THEY MAKE NO SENSE.  So we decided just to head for a ridge in front of us and found this new climb called “Reynolds Hill.”  The thing was pretty beastly so we went up it and then headed home – legs heavy and tired after 3+ hours. 

Sunday we did Sandman.  Some nice sprints were to be had as everyone gets ready for some baseline TT testing tomorrow afternoon.  The race training begins now.  Its about to get realllllll serious.  Enjoy the pictures!

(PS – Check out our new cycling caps!!  Harry has them on in a few pictures – big props to Lazer for initiating that order!)

IMG_0600[1] IMG_0614[1]
IMG_0608[1] IMG_0611[1]

IMG_0610[1]

IMG_0613[1] IMG_0604[2]

Sunday, November 18, 2012

A Pretty Good Weekend – Sunset Friday Ride – A Visit From Breakstone

IMG_0568

This week I went a little multi-media crazy in order to accumulate some cool things for the blog.  But as I make this post, I think its going to be well worth it.  I have a lot to share. 

On Friday, Sam, Audrey, and I, went out for some climbing of Supplee and Stein pre-Friday ride.  I got some pretty good photos, and also a video of Audrey coming up Supplee right at the top.  Audrey is a really good climber, and she doesn’t give herself enough credit.  The last few weeks she has come out with us before Friday ride and has put in a good 35 miles each Friday when you total the climbing ride and Friday ride combined.  I have really high hopes for Audrey, and I think she will do great in Women’s C if she gives racing a try in the spring.  She has a lot of guts to come out with Sam and I.

IMG_0546
Audrey on Supplee

Then it was on to Friday ride, where we re-grouped at 3:30 at the dhlc.  Wengert tallied his 1000 mile as a Bucknell cyclist, and the team rode home amidst an awesome sunset.  It was another heavily attended Friday ride this week—has been the norm all year.  Here are some nice photos and a video of Sam giving you all some advice.  If ya want to be really pro, be like Hambone and empty your water bottles before every sprint.  In other news, senior new member sensation Abbott Cowen is really tearing it up on his TT bike.  In one of the most bizarre moments in Bucknell Cycling history, a cow actually jumped out over a fence during friday ride and almost ran right into Abbott and Eric.  So yeah, it was a good ride.  Hope to see Abbott at some races come spring!

IMG_0560 IMG_0564  
IMG_0561 IMG_0555
IMG_0556

Saturday brought the arrival of our good friend Alex Breakstone.  Alex is a Bucknell cycling recruit from New Jersey who came to visit the team this weekend.  From riding, to socializing, talking about Bucknell, and having a good time on Saturday afternoon and evening, we certainly had a lot of fun with Alex this weekend.  He currently rides for Colavita Racing back home.  We wish him the best wherever he chooses to attend school, but of course, we really really hope that somehow he ends up here in Lewisburg with all of us next season!  Sam, Eric, Harry, Alex, and I went out for a nice ride on Saturday morning and below are the pictures.  Its safe to say that the ride I constructed accomplished its goal…in tiring Alex out.  I was glad to be able to give him one heck of a first ride for him to kick off his 2013 season.  I think he just got back on the bike this week.  The best moment came at the end of the ride when Sam informed Alex of the mailbox sprint coming into campus near the golf course.  Alex attacked really hard, but instead of turning left down the hill, kept going straight and gave us all a good laugh.  Of course, all of this would not have been possible without the help of Bill Conley, the VP of Enrollment here at Bucknell, who offered to meet with Alex when I proposed the idea to him a few months ago.  Thanks again Bill!

IMG_0578 IMG_0585
IMG_0584 IMG_0583

Another sunset picture from Marquette Mountain on Friday.

IMG_0577

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Beautiful Bikes

Anyone who has ridden with me knows that I am obsessed with cleaning my bike, as well as with bikes and bike technology in general.  Last year, I spend every Friday making sure that my chain was spit spot clean, that my cassette looked brand new, and that my entire machine was running perfectly.  (A strategy contrary to riders named Tino).  With that obsession, comes my passion for awesome bikes as well.  As many of you know, I am really into this blog called “Cycling Tips.”  Every once in a while, there is a “bikes of the bunch” story in which a really special bike is featured and a ton of awesome pictures are taken of it.  Below is the most recent featured bike which had me drooling.  Tell me this thing is not gorgeous.  I also included a few of the other bikes that have been featured in the past. 

Stainless Steel Firefly

Polished Firefly
Baum Corretto – Fixed Gear Track Bike (perhaps an upgrade campus bike for Aaron Meyers?? )
Baum Corretto

Baum Corretto Road Bike (Custom)

Baum Corretto Road

‘73 Bianchi (Restored)

73 Bianchi

Cyfac Absolu – Custom – (owner spent over 15,000 building this) (Gold Cassette Anyone?) (I think this bike is slightly ugly but still cool)

Cyfac

Monday, November 12, 2012

Bucknell Cycling Bios – Daniel Lazier

Back in the day when Sinead ran this blog, she started an interesting practice of giving bios of Bucknell riders as race season approached.  I thought that might be a fun thing to do as we head toward winter break.  So, I compiled a list of questions, both serious, and at many times, not very serious, in order for our readers and alumni to get to know the team a little bit better.  Here we have it, our first installment – Daniel Lazier.  (There seems to be a lot of ragging on me in his answers but that’s just because he loves me).

- Caserace

477567_3043663378844_1480915583_32329631_1155037032_oDaniel Lazier – Vice President

photo (4)Name:  Daniel D. Lazier

Class Year:  2015

Major:  Mechanical Engineering

Nickname: Lazer

Bike:  Trek Madone

Racing Category:  4 (Men’s B)

Legs shaven?  Absolutely

Favorite performance enhancing substance, drug, activity:  Carbon wheels

Favorite pro cyclist (other than Lance :p) :  Mario Cipollini

Why do you ride? Because I want to beat Case. 

555814_400653983286511_124406860911226_1619592_1485960995_nStupidest moment on the bike:  Halloween 2012.  That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Favorite ride at Bucknell?  Jack's Mountain

To raw dog or not to raw dog? RAWDAWG

Strengths as a cyclist (climbing, flats, sprinting, etc…):  To have strengths you must have weaknesses, of which I have none.31

When I hear the words “BUCKNELL CYCLING” I think…  "Oh darn* another email from Brian Case"

Other random thoughts you would like the greater community to know about you: Contrary to popular belief, I am not doping

176567_10152185312615387_236034478_o

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Saturday – Three Rivers – What You Missed This Morning

Howdy people!  Hambone, Ben, and I went out for an epic 3 hour 50 mile ride of Three Rivers today (thanks for the directions Tino!) and we had a pretty swell time.  I took a good amount of pictures, so check out below what ya missed!  On another note, it was fantastic having Ben here this weekend to ride with us.  He is a great kid with very nice parents and we wish him well in his college search over the next year and a half.  Who knows, maybe he will be pulling on the baby blue for Bucknell in a few years time?  Only time will tell.  Thanks again Ben!

have a great Saturday everyone. – caserace

IMG_0524[1] IMG_0526[1]
IMG_0527[1] IMG_0528[1]
IMG_0530[1] IMG_0533[1]

IMG_0535[1]

Friday, November 9, 2012

Friday Ride Today – What You MISSED!

Sorry to be such a bother, but I also have pictures from mtn training today on Stein and Supplee.  Lazer chose to take his shirt off, and all the way on the left is Ben Bowers: a junior in high school from Royersford PA who came to visit the team and see what college cycling at Bucknell is all about.  In the middle is a distressed Audrey following her first ascent of Supplee Mill.  She did awesome

(ps – aren’t my legs ripped?  at least they look good, I’m not that fast after all). – Caserace

photo (4) photo (5)

Cycling Captured – Greg Lemond – A Clean, Revolutionary, American Cyclist – RAPHA Continental

Hey!  Long time no see eh?  Sorry about that.  Starting today I want to post more and more to the blog.  People have been getting sad with its lack of activity over the past few months.  Below is a pretty cool Rapha Continental video featuring Greg Lemond.  For those who don’t know, Rapha is a cycling clothing brand, and very expensive at that.  Its kinda like the J-Crew or Ralph Lauren of cycling clothing.  Their Rapha Continental series is a video project where Rapha ships cyclists all around the world and takes really artsy videos of them.  Enjoy!

- Caserace

Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Milton Road Race – Bucknell Takes First in Team Competition!

22This past Saturday morning, 11 Bucknell Cyclists cruised into Milton to participate in the locals’ yearly festival.  In the process, Rio was able to sprint for a second place overall finish, and as a whole, Bucknell earned 1st place in the team competition.  Despite the hectic start, highlighted by my terrible call for a 7:20 breakfast, (the caf was closed), we figured it out and stumbled over to Milton just in time.  The entire team was spread out across the pack of over 200 riders at the start.  Among the newbies, we had Eric looking super pro with the sweet Bucknell aero helmet, Audrey riding Kolbe’s mountain bike, and Kolbe riding a 9 speed road bike with a 8 speed cassette mounted on it.  I decided to keep that little detail a secret.  Lets just say when he told me at the end of the race, “my chain kept falling off,” I knew why.  In typical Milton Race fashion, the start was completely insane.  People were falling, struggling, bumping, whining, crying, complaining about how Lazer’s superior form was unfair to the other competitors…etc.  There was a major split on the first steep climb, allowing Sam, Dan Wood, Lazer, and I, to establish ourselves amongst the elite of the chaos.  Behind us, I am pretty sure that Noah and Craig were tooling around with a group led by Grimes, while presumably the rest of our gang: Eric, Christine, Audrey, Kolbe, Harry, and Max, were attempting to make sense of all the mess.

On the second large climb, Lazer and I paced Sam to the front of the “superstar” group, putting him in good position to get over the thing at the front.  Lazer presumably soft pedaled the whole way, while I slugged myself up in literally last wheel to just keep in contact with the lead group.  Dan Wood decided to do his own thing…but he would be back before the finish.  There were rumors that Audrey may have used her feet and some type of running technique to get over this climb…but I can not confirm such gossip.  Below are some pictures of the team riding back from the race…as well as D Wood just following the finish.

8 7 24

Back to the race however!  After the 1.5 mile climb right in the middle (you all know what I am talking about) the race settled down a bit.  Some crazy guy in a muscle shirt kept going to the front and annoying me and Sam as he turned up the pace at the front, but other than that, we were essentially preparing for the finish.  With about 4 or so miles to go, I was telling Lazer and Sam “alright guys we are going to attack on the big climb once we get into Milton,” a voice I didn’t expect responded.  It was DAN WOOD!  Good ol’ Wood had ridden back to the lead group after taking his time up the big climb.  We had a leadout train all set to go.  I was to be the front, followed by Wood, Lazer, and then Sam to finish it off.  It got a little chaotic up the steep climb heading into town, but we figured it out and had a sick 4 man leadout on the front of the race as we rode through Milton.  Dan Wood and Lazer did some huge pulls on the front, positioning Sam for an extra long sprint to the finish.  We all sat up and cheered as Rio sprinted as hard as he could for the line.  Sam ended up getting edged out right at the end, but what an awesome race it was.  Below is the finish.  Thanks a lot to Wade for getting pictures of the finish, as well as to Papa K for showing up to surprise us!

9 20  

After we finished, a bunch of riders from the team rode back to make sure everyone else was heading in ok.  A good portion of the team encouraged Kolbe and Christine on their way up the final climb.  We also saw Eric and Max finishing strong through town.  Sam, Lazer, and I got lost however trying to find Audrey.  Our poor navigation skills caused us to veer of the course while looking for her…and she later informed us that she had actually seen us going completely in the wrong direction.

In the end, this was an extremely proud day for me and the rest of the veterans of the team.  I couldn’t have asked for a better group of individuals to spend this Saturday with.  Everyone gave it their all, whatever their experience as a bike rider, or for that matter, whatever their “condition” from the night before.  Despite the fact that many of the younger guys and gals had bikes that were questionable at best, they all persevered through their first race as a Bucknell cyclists.  Big props to Audrey, Eric, and Kolbe, for a great first race in the baby blue!

31 25

- Just a side note…Friday ride is getting better and better.  This week we finished in just over an hour an 15 minutes, a far cry from our obnoxiously long ride time from the first Friday ride of the year.  New riders like Miguel, Kolbe, Sara, Audrey, and Eric, are bringing smiles to all the older members of the team.  Lastly, the Harry Monster is back on the rise!  On Friday, he made us all look silly and won the final Friday ride sprint by three or four bike lengths.  Today on our epic ride of Jacks, he looked great getting up the climb in second place.  Eric did outstanding as well.  I don’t believe he had ever ridden 50 miles before…and he certainly held in there this afternoon as Harry and I picked up the pace towards the end of the ride.  Another added bonus has been the presence of seniors Thomas and Kyle Kissock.  Great to be riding with those kids again.  Until next time…this is your faithful blog-master saying goodbye.

- CaseRace