Charity Events - Tour de Cure, 2008! Team Stormcrowe rides again!

Drat, rats and *&%#$@^*&!.

Up until a week ago I was 99.9% sure our contract with the Fed. Gov. would be renewed for another five years. They screwed with it and I'm now 100% sure we aren't getting renewed. I may or may not have my same job with the new contractor, or may hate working for them and be looking for a new job. Anyway, I really can't spend gas, food and lodging money all of a sudden. I wish everyone a great weekend and a great ride!

AAAAARGH! I was looking forward to meeting you as well!

Drat, rats and *&%#$@^*&!.

Up until a week ago I was 99.9% sure our contract with the Fed. Gov. would be renewed for another five years. They screwed with it and I'm now 100% sure we aren't getting renewed. I may or may not have my same job with the new contractor, or may hate working for them and be looking for a new job. Anyway, I really can't spend gas, food and lodging money all of a sudden. I wish everyone a great weekend and a great ride!

Your new boss may be a 19 year old blond.
Job chnges can be good.

Are you worried about it being crowded, or excited about meeting new people?

If you are worried about it being crowded, think about it... with 100 riders on the track evenly spaced, they will be about 130 feet apart... Assuming some number of them ride in pacelines or clusters of some sort, if you want some elbow room, I am sure you can pace it to be between groups and have plenty of room.

:)

Dave is now in the hospital. We had ridden 3000 miles together and with a group.
Great that someone will be there to keep us 130 feet apart.
Dave has logged 169,000 bike miles. He ran into me on my right side,
I am looking for a rear bumper.
Let me know if you have one.

Watching our spacing and the other riders will be critical. We're not going to be doing pacelines in Criterium or road race spacings, that's for sure, and we'll need to communicate what we are going to do as well. Call your moves if you are riding a group. It's safer that way. Use due caution and there won't be any incidents. Remember, we're there to have fun and ride the 500 track :D

Tell Dave I hope he's better soon and out of the hospital, please, and we're all thinking of him. I know he doesn't know me but we're both cyclists and I had my recent crash as well, and nearly wound up there myself. :eek:



Dave is now in the hospital. We had ridden 3000 miles together and with a group.
Great that someone will be there to keep us 130 feet apart.
Dave has logged 169,000 bike miles. He ran into me on my right side,
I am looking for a rear bumper.
Let me know if you have one.

Watching our spacing and the other riders will be critical. We're not going to be doing pacelines in Criterium or road race spacings, that's for sure, and we'll need to communicate what we are going to do as well. Call your moves if you are riding a group. It's safer that way. Use due caution and there won't be any incidents. Remember, we're there to have fun and ride the 500 track :D

Tell Dave I hope he's better soon and out of the hospital, please, and we're all thinking of him. I know he doesn't know me but we're both cyclists and I had my recent crash as well, and nearly wound up there myself. :eek:

Thanks Tom, He went down Hard. He has many friends in the bicycle world. I plan to have fun and not burn out.
The concern, 100 bikes At Different Speeds. The Indy cars have problems with in and out at the pits.
This may be the most potential problem area.

As I understand, we'll have a delineated decel area. It shouldn't be that hard though. It's not like we're going to be screaming into the pits. ;) There's goignt to be a lot more space than you think. A 2 1/2 mile track has a LOT of area to play with.

Thanks Tom, He went down Hard. He has many friends in the bicycle world. I plan to have fun and not burn out.
The concern, 100 bikes At Different Speeds. The Indy cars have problems with in and out at the pits.
This may be the most potential problem area.

Finally, FINALLY had a Sunday to ride that didn't involve 2+ inches of rain! 60 miles during the week, & 20 of nothing but hills today! Flipped the stem back up & my back feels good again! Both donation minimums have been met, & the St Louis TDC is less than a week away. Depending on the weather \ terrain \ how I feel I'm planning on the Century. Indy will be a walk in the park after that! Are we meeting up at all on Friday? Looking for a good carb load the night before.

That's the plan. I'll be down in Indy on Tuesday for a Dr Appt and a tour meeting, so I'll also be scouting a restaurant.

See ya all the 13th at the Brickyard Crossing.

By the way....great news! I got out on the bike today! I was going to do a gentle 10 miler to get back in the swing of things and wound up stretching it to 25!

That's the plan. I'll be down in Indy on Tuesday for a Dr Appt and a tour meeting, so I'll also be scouting a restaurant.

See ya all the 13th at the Brickyard Crossing.

By the way....great news! I got out on the bike today! I was going to do a gentle 10 miler to get back in the swing of things and wound up stretching it to 25!

The Weather in Indiana is Great. 60* at 7:00 AM

Went to The Track this morning, Security wouldn't let me see the track surface.
Took my Pit Crew with me.10Wheels in Orange, Big Bob in White
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/DW_C2308.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/DW_C2306.jpg

The Weather in Indiana is Great. 60* at 7:00 AM
It can change in as little as 15 minutes here, so have no idea what it will be like in 13 days.

It does get warm on the track, about 10 to 15 degrees warm with sun out.


Tom, It is good to here you are out riding again. I was not aware of your accident until you mentioned in the "Where we are" thread. Be assured thoughts extended for recovery and pain free healing. All the best little guy;)

Yeah, it was a nasty ol' crash! My shoulder is STILL stiff and sore. I can ride though and it's actually more comfortable than not riding.

WOW....lots happening in a few days. Sorry to hear of spills and hard falls that send folks away to visit the nurses. May be nice afterwards to chat about it, but I'm sure it's Zero Fun at the present. Also bad to hear the team shrank a bit...but good to hear others are back in the saddle and back at practice again.

Tour de Cure - Jacksonville is in the history books now and was a great ride! Hot and none too fast but still a good pair of metric centuries Saturday and Sunday - Jax-St Augustine on Saturday, return trip on a different route on Sunday. Both very scenic, and typical for Florida rides headwinds in both directions, a few killer bridges and overpasses (Florida hills) tossed in for good measure.

Hope nothing comes up in the next few weeks - that will change anything else in the team structure. See y'all in a few weeks.

I like this idea of breaking it down into segments Tom. I might even take it to 10 sets of 4 laps, and try to keep my stops around 5 minutes each. Man this ride is coming up fast, and even though I may not make the Century, I'm excited as heck to get out there and try.

Glad to hear you're back on the bike, and getting that shoulder worked out. :thumb:

That's my plan as well, since I crashed. There will be actually 6.5 hours to do it though and I plan on breaking it up into 8 sets of 5 laps, myself.....I'll likely have to ice down the shoulder a time or two, anyway. That's part of the reason I have the full zip Jersey. Jerry upgraded me for free after the crash. He read about it in my blog! :eek: He figured it would be easier for me to work the shoulder in and out of the jersey......

On another note, does anyone know the check-in times for "The Brickyard Crossings"? I forgot to ask when I made my reservation. Plus, count me in on Friday's dinner plans.

Thanks,
Denny

Anytime after 3:00 PM.

. Plus, count me in on Friday's dinner plans.


Me, too:thumb:

Looks like I'll have time for the regular Friday morning club ride then head off to Indy in the early afternoon. I only have 106 miles to drive:)

Schweet!

I'd like to try a paceline as well, as I've done a couple of criteriums and training races in a 30+ rider peloton and have no issues drafting at 1 foot distance or closer.
In a good paceline with good rotation we could get a sub 5 hour century in as this track should protect from wind and is flat as a pancake.

Thomas

I'd like to try a paceline as well, as I've done a couple of criteriums and training races in a 30+ rider peloton and have no issues drafting at 1 foot distance or closer.
In a good paceline with good rotation we could get a sub 5 hour century in as this track should protect from wind and is flat as a pancake.

Thomas

I have done some drafting, but not a paceline. How fast would you plan to ride drafting?
Fred

I have done some drafting, but not a paceline. How fast would you plan to ride drafting?
Fred

During the training crits I am able to pull at around 22mph for maybe 2 minutes and then sit in the draft until it's time to pull again.

I've just looked at my stats from the last training crit were the avg speed was 24mph on a short 0.61 mile course over a race time of 30 min. Meaning, short straights and fast corners which take some power to get up to speed again.

So, I'd say to get a 20mph avg with 5-6 rider paceline should be attainable without blowing up after 2 hours. The more riders the better, of course.

With 2 bottles, some food like Bananas, Powerbars,gels and so forth in jersey pockets it should be possible to make quick 5 min. stops every hour to keep the off bike time to a minimum. Too long of a stop might cool down the legs to much.

I've never done a paceline in such a long endurance event as my longest were 3x30 min. fast training crits, so my ideas of doing this might be off.

Thomas

Paceline with extreme care.....

There will be the possibility Little Johnny might get away from Mom and Dad on his training wheel special. If you have to break the pace, remember, safety first. ;)

I thought the riders who don't ride the 100 only get one lap on the track before they are guided outside?

I think riding on the high banks until the course is clear should be sufficient :)

The road course riders will be doing a lap and then hitting the road, but there will be a recreational ride going on in the infield and lower part of the track for slow laps as well. The high half of the track will be for the Century Riders. We'll also likely have an audience that way as well, watching us all shoot for the 100. :D

I thought the riders who don't ride the 100 only get one lap on the track before they are guided outside?

I think riding on the high banks until the course is clear should be sufficient :)

Now, is anyone flying in? I can make airport pickup if you are. PM me if you are and your arrival time/flight details so I can make sure to be there.

Safety and waiver packet just showed up today. Check the enclosed newsletter. ;)

The average width of half the track will be 27'. That would mean we have around 2 1/2 lanes of road in which to play on. That should make for plenty of room for folks to move around on. Just keep your eyes ahead, and make the proper adjustments before you approach slower riders.

What does everyone think of a Chinese Buffet after the ride? I found one near the track, relatively. We can go in and terrify the staff......13-15 hungry cyclists at a buffet after between 50 and 100 miles on the bike :p 4.2 miles away from the hotel.
http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=4720+W+38th+St,+Indianapolis,+IN+46254+(New+China+Buffet)&geocode=8411477703856896900,39.824076,-86.238877&dirflg=&saddr=Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&f=d&dq=Chinese+Buffets+loc:+Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&sll=39.798445,-86.23471&sspn=0.165944,0.18709&cid=39824076,-86238877,437302266136779683&ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13 (http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=4720+W+38th+St,+Indianapolis,+IN+46254+%28New+China+Buffet%29&geocode=8411477703856896900,39.824076,-86.238877&dirflg=&saddr=Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&f=d&dq=Chinese+Buffets+loc:+Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&sll=39.798445,-86.23471&sspn=0.165944,0.18709&cid=39824076,-86238877,437302266136779683&ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13)

Im in.

By the way, they also have a Mongolian Grill in that particular restaurant. :D

By the way, they also have a Mongolian Grill in that particular restaurant. :D

Im in there too, heck I will eat anywhere.

It's the same restaraunt, they just offer the choice of the steamtables AND the grill, both all you can eat. ;)

Im in there too, heck I will eat anywhere.

I'll pass on the Chinese. Just the smell of it makes me ill.

OK, I'll look at other options then :D

Golden Corral? They have Steak :D

http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=6102+W+38th+St,+Indianapolis,+IN+46254+(Golden+Corral+Buffet+%26+Grill)&geocode=455759583841484450,39.823658,-86.267164&dirflg=&saddr=Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&f=d&dq=Golden+Corral+loc:+Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&sll=39.798445,-86.23471&sspn=1.272294,0.942352&cid=39823658,-86267164,5159025104835776377&ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13

Golden Corral? They have Steak :D

http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=6102+W+38th+St,+Indianapolis,+IN+46254+(Golden+Corral+Buffet+%26+Grill)&geocode=455759583841484450,39.823658,-86.267164&dirflg=&saddr=Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&f=d&dq=Golden+Corral+loc:+Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&sll=39.798445,-86.23471&sspn=1.272294,0.942352&cid=39823658,-86267164,5159025104835776377&ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13

Now you're talkin! But, if you all want the buffet, by all means go there. Just bring me back a fortune cookie!

Golden Corral? They have Steak :D

http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=6102+W+38th+St,+Indianapolis,+IN+46254+(Golden+Corral+Buffet+%26+Grill)&geocode=455759583841484450,39.823658,-86.267164&dirflg=&saddr=Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&f=d&dq=Golden+Corral+loc:+Indianapolis+Motor+Speedway,+United+States&sll=39.798445,-86.23471&sspn=1.272294,0.942352&cid=39823658,-86267164,5159025104835776377&ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13

Im In, Ill eat there. (Guess you have caught the trend here. :lol:)

Hey, either way, we'll likely terrify the staff. ;) It's still all you can eat. ;)Now you're talkin! But, if you all want the buffet, by all means go there. Just bring me back a fortune cookie!

Post ride buffet!! Sounds Good, I'll be there!! Yum!!

After a day of consuming Hammer Gels, and Perpetuem (which are great, by the way), some solid food is going to be rewarding. :D

Got my safety waivers today.

Nice write up on our Team Captain.

Congrats Tom!!

Got my safety waivers today.

Nice write up on our Team Captain.

Congrats Tom!!

Same here - lookin good boss! 581 lbs - Tom, you are a living miracle.

Got the safety waivers as well today - That write up on our Team Captain - Impressive story on how biking helped bring him back from the edge. Way to go Tom!!! See you next week!!!

Well, all, lets do a last push and see what we can get over what we have for donations right now. :D

Email just went out......rain or shine on the ride. :D

Email just went out......rain or shine on the ride. :D

Hope your ride goes well!!! Ours was Sunday with over 900 riders. It ended up being sunny and HOT. The thunderstorms held off for us though. I hope it's a little cooler for you guys than it was for us, and most of all, I hope you all have fun!

Tom, you are going to be at the hotel as well, right? I don't have a laptop, & won't be able to contact you or anyone else. Or, someone could put together an iterary?

Yep, I'll be at the hotel. You have my real name as well. ;) I'll also have my laptop there and my cell phone. I emailed that phone number to all the team members...

Hey, on another topic, if you want to, guys and gals, you can PM me emergency contacts and any information you feel is pertinent as to drug allergies, etc. I'll keep that on file for the ride and then destroy the info after the ride. Just a backup, if you know what I mean, for your safety.

See you Friday at the Hotel or the ride if you're staying in town with family or driving in.

Tom,

Check your PM's, just sent my cell # back to you.

I should be arriving Friday, right around check-in time. Feel free to contact me anytime, if you need a hand with anything, or for just getting together.

I'll give you a ring to let you know I arrived once I get myself settled in.

Denny