"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Florida racing needs our help

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: The Bike Racing Community Needs Help!!
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:34:03 -0500 (EST)
From: Cycle-Logic James Penrod <cycle-logic@embarqmail.com>
To: Cycle-Logic Team


I'm sure those of you who race, and keep up with the Floridacycling.com
schedule have seen races dropping (or never appearing) from the
schedule. Well, some of the venues that have been used in the past are
charging exhorbitant (and sometimes even more) permitting fees for these
events. The Spin City Crit/ Circuit races are a good example.
Flordiacycling.com is unable to hold this even because of the $22,000
permit that is required this year. I get the feeling, and Tim Molyneaux
has pretty much confirmed, the smaller communities (Ferndale, Alachua,
Ocala) are not following suit... yet.

So, here is where we can help out in keeping or adding events to the
calendar:

Find a place to race!! Tim mentioned criteriums by themselves actually
lose money, and don't have a good showing. If a road race is attached
the next day or even the previous day, it makes it profitable enough to
put it on. The Ocala crit was cancelled because the road race course at
Robert's Farm (State RR course) is only available once a year, and Tim
wants to do the State RR at that location again this year. If we can
find him another road race location, he will be able to put on the Ocala
crit and road race once again this year.

Don't limit the location to Ocala, though!! Scott has mentioned Alachua
as a possibility, but we still need a crit course to add to his proposed
road course. Keep in mind, we _cannot _hold a 'real' USCF race at the
Bring It On course where we hold the pre-season crits.

The requirements for a RR course would be approximate 5 mile loop, with
adequate parking for 300 cars. Preference is for smooth roads, of course.

Please keep in mind, this helps us by keeping or adding events to the
calendar and keeps bicycle racing ALIVE in Florida. Let's do what we
can to help.

Please either contact me or you can e-mail Tim directly with any ideas/
contacts you might have at tim@topviewsports.com
<mailto:tim@topviewsports.com>

Thank you for your time, you can get back on your bike now!

--
James Penrod
Cycle-Logic Bicycle Racing Team
http://cycle-logic.blogspot.com/

It is unfortunate the number of races dropping off the calender.

Not to argue, but out of curiousity, what's the reason an actual USCF race can't be run on the "Bring it on" course?

It's crazy. Now that "Spin City" has been dropped, there's a month-long gap until our next race. Wreaks havoc with my periodization training schedule.

Bob

Quite a pity.

I always feel like it'd be so cool, if I were absurdly rich (which I will never be) to buy a bunch of land, keep it mostly as a nature reserve, but put in a track for races. (So long as all my liability was safely signed away!)

But space for 300 cars?!?! There's usually like space for two dozen cars at the village halls and things that act as race HQ's around here! The only 300 car parking lots around here are the Park & Rides on the highway...

It is unfortunate the number of races dropping off the calender.

Not to argue, but out of curiousity, what's the reason an actual USCF race can't be run on the "Bring it on" course?

To run a full blown USCF race we'd need to offer events in all of the categories: Juniors, Womens 1/2/3, Womens 4, P/1/2, cat3, cat4, cat5, masters.

While we could potentially double up a few of the races (cat3/4 or 4/5), it'd still work out to at least five races. The owners of the park are happy to let us have it for a 1/2 day and 3 races, but not more than that.

Up here we've had a few races killed because of the behaviour of racers - mainly guys peeing right out in the open, "pissing off" residents & business people. Just one more factor making it difficult for promoters to put on a race.

I'm thinking there could be an opportunity in Nocatee. The new community in St John's county. It's taking off very slowly, but the roads are already in. Not familiar enough to really know if there is a suitable loop, but there is a lot of road to no where right now.

And I think Pulte Homes is involved in developing Nocatee

Man, that really stinks. I hope you can adapt the calendar.

FLORIDA SUCKS.

i love to ride my dirt bike- so i join FTR (Florida Trail Riders) and the past 3 years have seen a 50% reduction in available open land for hare scrambles and enduros. reasons of- land is too valuable to leave open for ORV use, environmental imapcts, and housing communities and strip malls taking away riding areas

i love to race my bicycle- so i join USCF and the past 2 years have seen long standing events fade away with not so many new ones.

one would think that with the size of our state, the money it generates and the size of its population and growth projections- that we'd be able to get our sh1t together.

i can offer this- our club is working with the parks and recreation people and the city commissioners to hold at least a TT and a crit next year down here in Naples. i'm certain we'll keep Tim in the loop as things progress.


we need help.

I don't understand why people don't show up to crits. They're just as fun to watch as nascar. The Gearlink Cup is the best because you can get drunk at the bar and watch the race at the same time.

So Ken, what can we actually do? (You can PM me if you wish. I know a fair number of local elected officials, if that matters.)

So Ken, what can we actually do? (You can PM me if you wish. I know a fair number of local elected officials, if that matters.)

I might have something for you actually..

Do you check your gatorlink account? Or do you have an aero address?

Ken

SR 20 to NE CR 234 to CR 1474 to whatever the name of that road is with a bend in it that connects 1474 back to SR 20.
Empty lot on road near where whatever the name of that road is with a bend in it that connects 1474 back to SR 20 (gravel path that leads to GH trail and beyond), as well as area around Tims Fast Nickel.
or
That park in Flemington and do loops of some area encompassed by the tuesday hipp rides.

Circuit course at gainesville raceway.

So why are the fees getting so high? Property owners/cities way of saying they don't want races there?

I might have something for you actually..

Do you check your gatorlink account? Or do you have an aero address?

Ken

PM sent.

Let me know if I can doing anything.

speaking of Florida and racing... does anyone have an info as to how to preregister for the Squiggy crit and rr?

the brochure lists the tt, crit, and rr... but the floridacycling website only lists the tt. active.com only lists the tt. the contact phone number (813-319-7015) is suspiciously busy everytime i call, the email address (backbay1@yahoo.com) has elicited no response, and the website (teambbcracing.com) has a page that explains that they are on a six month sabatical (?).


any help? Bueller? Bueller?

speaking of Florida and racing... does anyone have an info as to how to preregister for the Squiggy crit and rr?

the brochure lists the tt, crit, and rr... but the floridacycling website only lists the tt. active.com only lists the tt. the contact phone number (813-319-7015) is suspiciously busy everytime i call, the email address (backbay1@yahoo.com) has elicited no response, and the website (teambbcracing.com) has a page that explains that they are on a six month sabatical (?).


any help? Bueller? Bueller?

The Squiggy rr and crit are on hold at this time. If they are run at all it would likely be in the fall.

The TT (individual and team) on Saturday is the only event that is for sure.

At this time there are no rr's or crits. on the Florida race calendar until Webster-Roubaix in about a month.

Bob

The Squiggy rr and crit are on hold at this time. If they are run at all it would likely be in the fall.

The TT (individual and team) on Saturday is the only event that is for sure.

At this time there are no rr's or crits. on the Florida race calendar until Webster-Roubaix in about a month.

Bob

THANKS!


i couldnt get any info- even from the Parks and Rec. people who are putting on all the events of the weekend.

i was about to get a hotel and just register that day. i cant believe there's no official post to clear this up.


anyway- THANKS AGAIN!

At this time there are no rr's or crits. on the Florida race calendar until Webster-Roubaix in about a month.

Bob

Which is really a drag. And I have to miss Webster Roubaix.

Guess I'm go to go race in Perry Ga. Lord knows I need the work.

THANKS!


i couldnt get any info- even from the Parks and Rec. people who are putting on all the events of the weekend.

i was about to get a hotel and just register that day. i cant believe there's no official post to clear this up.


anyway- THANKS AGAIN!

I emailed the address for the organizer of the road races that was listed in the brochure a few weeks back and got a reply within 24 hours. The reply was pretty much the same thing that Bobby Lex said.

http://www.squiggyclassic.org/2008squiggybrochure2.pdf

Ah man, I like that Squiggy crit last year. Brutal course but really fun.

Is Spin City March 15 back on? I was just getting ready to register for Perry and saw it back on the Florida cycling calender.

Is Spin City March 15 back on? I was just getting ready to register for Perry and saw it back on the Florida cycling calender.

Not there now (11:15 a.m. EST).

I just heard yesterday that the permit fee was $12,000. But the Police Dept. wanted $18,000 over and above that to provide police. Promoters tried to convince them to reduce that number by suggesting that race volunteers could do most of the corner marshalling, etc. but the P.D. said that their number was "non-negotiable". Seems to me that the P.D. has a nice little racket going. (Disclaimer: just my opinion based on hearsay).

I may be forced to...actually...cough...do...oh no!...a Time Trial or two, to try to keep my edge. Say it isn't so!:eek:

Bob

^

At 11:00am it was showing on the calender, and there was a page that clicked through, but no link to a race flyer.

Now 11:45 am its still on the calender,but when you click it "no records returned"

I appreciate the problems they're having, and the efforts they're making.

However, the uncertainty that's developing is not going to help attendence of the events that do come off.

^

At 11:00am it was showing on the calender, and there was a page that clicked through, but no link to a race flyer.

Now 11:45 am its still on the calender,but when you click it "no records returned"

I appreciate the problems they're having, and the efforts they're making.

However, the uncertainty that's developing is not going to help attendence of the events that do come off.

Ahh, quit yer whinin' and sign up for Perry. It'll be an interesting time and get you ready for Webster the following weekend.

Besides, all the cool kids are going to Gawgia.

;)