Tuesday Nights under the Lights-Newton, NC

[CycleMagic]

Hickory Motor Speedway (http://www.hickorymotorspeedway.com/)
3130 Hwy 70 SE. Newton, NC 28658

The Hickory Velo Club and Rock n Road Bicycles jointly announce the start of the 2008 Training Rides Series at the Hickory Motor Speedway. These training rides begin on Tuesday, January 15 and run each Tuesday night, ending on March 4. The track's lights will on during the rides. Operating hours are 5:30pm - 8:00pm. The cost is $10.00 per bicycle rider.

If you have any questions or need any additional information, please email Steve Rowell at steve@rocknroadbicycles.com or call Rock n Road Bicycle at (828) 324-9350.

Come out and join the fun!

[VegaVixen]

Yay! I did this last year and it was a blast! I suspect I can ride longer this year (had only been riding again for about two months last year), and am currently planning to make it to all of them, weather permitting. :)

Thanks, CM, for annoucing this! :beer:

[CycleMagic]

Awesome news, Vega! I look forward to seeing you again.

I hope others can make it as well. It really is a blast!

[VegaVixen]

I'm trying to talk at least two others into it. Would be fun to meet up with Charlotte-area BF'ers and then have a caravan up there each week! :)

[CycleMagic]

Sounds like a grand plan to me.

[VegaVixen]

Yeah, a little tricky, though.

It takes about an hour to get up there (well, that's the fast time). Means most folks gettin' off work won't make it before 6:15pm-ish, unless they can get off earlier, leaving them with just 1.5 hours to ride, at most, and no time for dinner. An hour and a half to two hours works for me, though. :)

Hopefully, others will come from the Charlotte area. We'll see....

[CycleMagic]

I hope folks can make it. It really is a lot of fun and a good way to get some evening miles in under the lights with NO TRAFFIC! yay!

[VegaVixen]

Heh. Well, only the "traffic" of the paceline ridin' along at the innermost part of the track! :eek: :D

Seriously, folks, this is good fun. Where else in January/February will you find so much Lycra in one place, rollin' quickly around an oval? It is a sight to behold, and a thrill to be experienced!

Usually there are two pacelines that form along the innermost part of the track: an "A" line and a "B" line. Any riders who don't wish to be in them simply ride a little higher on the track. I rode way high last year! :p

This year, I may try to ride along in the "B" line, once it forms, for at least a short time. Hopefully, by the last Tuesday night (and after working on my trainer and rollers in the interim), I can sustain a longer ride with them. :)

[CycleMagic]

Vega is right. That pace line business is terribly fun, almost addictive (the good kind).

[VegaVixen]

Yeppity-yep. That it is!

I'm lookin' forward to it, and hope the weather treats us well. I seem to recall one or two got sleeted out last year. :(

[CycleMagic]

BUMP!

Less than a week to go!

I hope folks can make it up to Conover (think of it as a suburb of Hickory....:rolleyes:) to get some excellent training time, traffic-free.

Liz

[VegaVixen]

I'm still lookin' forward to it, CM! Here's hopin' for some more great weather two weeks from now! :beer:

[CycleMagic]

Tuesday night is quickly approaching! It will be a chilly night, be sure to bring layers. Steve Rowell with Rock-n-Road will post any cancellations throughout the season. Just check the shop's website (http://rocknroadbicycles.com/index.cfm).

Vega, feel free to give me a call if you are heading up. I have a conference call at 7:30, so I will only be there for an hour or so this Tuesday.

[VegaVixen]

Last year, I drove I-77 to I-40, longer but simpler in my still-befuddled mind at the time. But I think that coming through Gaston and Lincoln Counties might be faster. Does I-85 to 321N to 321bN sound like a straight-forward way to go?

Gosh, I'm gonna freeze my patooty off! :cry:

[CycleMagic]

yes, generally (even if you are coming from the university area of CLT) 85 south to 321 North (at Gastonia) to 40 East (at Hickory), exiting at Fairgrove Church road, will be faster than taking 77-40.

Hope to see you there! Dress warm!

[VegaVixen]

Yay! Here's hopin' for some cloud cover tomorrow night, though, unfortunately, I hear the sky will be clear, and so it will be gettin' rather brisk out there once the sun goes down!

I hope to be out there at 5:30pm, so that I can ride 'til about 6:30-6:45pm, and then beat feet back to the warmth of my car! :eek:

[CycleMagic]

OH Holy mother of all frozen things! It was 39 degrees at the track tonight! I made it all of 42 minutes before I just couldn't take it any more. The thawing out time on the drive home, heat blasting, was so painful.

Not to discourage anyone, by any means....perhaps next week it will at least be 45 degrees or so. I could handle that!

[VegaVixen]

I knew there was a reason that I got home too late from lunch to make it up there! :p Well, if I had gone, I wouldn't have gotten there 'til nearly 7pm, and I figured, why drive all that way just to start ridin' when it's already freezin'? :eek: I had wanted to ride at least 30-45 minutes before the sun went down....

Next week, barring rain (showers are expected Tuesday, but hopefully will be during the day). Temps should be a little more amenable to moving along at 20+mph! :)

[CycleMagic]

most people were packing up by 7, so it is a good thing you didn't come up.

What is this business about getting a ride in before the sun goes down? The whole point is to be able to ride after dark under the track lights, silly!

[VegaVixen]

Oh, and ride under the lights I shall do! I just want to ride as much as I can before the sun goes down and Jack Frost comes out to nip at my nose (and other random body parts). :p

Next Tuesday in my neighborhood is forecast to have a high of 55F with partially cloudy skies. Fingers are crossed that it won't rain.

[CycleMagic]

OK, then, you can plan on bringing your warm clothes and toe warmers and whatnot and get at least 2 hours of riding in...think of it as practice for the SEBF May ride that I KNOW you are planning on doing!

[VegaVixen]

Will do! And you are correct in that I do plan to get at least one of the two days of ridin' in on the SEBF ride. My sister's birthday is 5/21, and so I may have to be in Monroe for one of the weekend days....

Are you plannin' to get up for a ride or two yourself? <curious Vega look>

[CycleMagic]

We are thinking about at least one day. perhaps two...I can't get Formula Ugh to commit....

[VegaVixen]

*bump*

Are we gonna get rained/sleeted out tonight?

[piper_chuck]

The forecast is calling for light rain, or a chance of light rain, and temps in the mid to low 30s through the evening tonight and into the early hours of tomorrow morning.

[VegaVixen]

Beuh. Overcast skies here 'til 4:15pm. Then it started drizzling. Now it's a slow, steady rain. :(

[CycleMagic]

The ride was canceled for tonight due to rain and general coldness.

This cancellation is also posted on Rock-n-Road's website (www.rocknroadbicycles.com). Cancellations are posted on Rock N Road website by 3:00pm on Tuesdays.

Next Tuesday, January 29, weather permitting, we are going to bring new Trek Madones and Cervelos for you to test ride. We'll have bikes available in several different sizes.

See you next week.

[VegaVixen]

..:D

[CycleMagic]

I'll take that as a YES!

[BikeWNC]

The ride was canceled for tonight due to rain and general coldness.

This cancellation is also posted on Rock-n-Road's website (www.rocknroadbicycles.com). Cancellations are posted on Rock N Road website by 3:00pm on Tuesdays.

Next Tuesday, January 29, weather permitting, we are going to bring new Trek Madones and Cervelos for you to test ride. We'll have bikes available in several different sizes.

See you next week.

CM, could you find out if there will be a R3 in a 58cm for demo? Thanks.

[CycleMagic]

sure. Will you make the drive if there are?

[BikeWNC]

sure. Will you make the drive if there are?

If I know there will be a 58 R3 to ride and the weather is decent I may do just that.

[CycleMagic]

I'll let you know if Steve will have one for you.

[VegaVixen]

Hey, CM, it just occurred to me to ask: will I be required to remove my clip-on aerobars while riding there? I never took them off at the end of TT season simply because they are such a biatch to put back on. I can always ride my beater up there instead....

Also, I guess none of the new bikes will be TT bikes?

[CycleMagic]

I don't think the aero bars will be a problem.

Not sure about the new bikes, though.

[CycleMagic]

I heard back from Steve at Rock-n-Road:
I do not have the 58 cm R3 instock, my plan was to bring the Cervelo Tri-bikes, however, I do have a 58cm Soloist and I can bring that one.

BWNC, if you are interested in trying out the Soloist, I can ask him to bring it along.

[BikeWNC]

I heard back from Steve at Rock-n-Road:


BWNC, if you are interested in trying out the Soloist, I can ask him to bring it along.

Let me think about that CM. I'll get back to you.

[CycleMagic]

sure.

[VegaVixen]

The weather forecast for Tuesday does not look good. :( Monday, yes. Wednesday, yes. But Tuesday? NooooOOOOOOooooo! :crash: