Merry XMAS Ya'll

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Help send Brian Matter To EURO CROSS CAMP

THE ONLY MIDWEST TRIPLE CROWN WINNER !

Please help send Brian Matter to Euro cross camp for the CX World Championships trainning and qualifying. http://www.b-matter.blogspot.com/ . Brian has a Paypal account link set up on his blogger to help fund his CX racing journey to Europe (brimatter@hotmail.com ). Brian grew up here in MI (Pinckney) and cut his cycling teeth at the Poto. Brian has finished at all the USPG and UCI races here in the states and wants to take his form to Europe.

Brian at the recent Jingle cross in Iowa (check out Brians Blog for race reports and happenings)

Brian at the line of The Boyne Fall race 1999 (Nice stacked field for the Elite start)

ICEMAN 2008 Jason Lummis edition

Lummis report:

The 2008 Iceman was another great event. The weather was perfect and the course fast. The competition was fierce and strong.
I came into this race ready to have fun and ride strong. My parents, brother/sister inlaw and wife/son all came up for the BIG race. Kathy, Zack and I drove up Friday afternoon to meet up with the Simonster, Stewy, Doyle, Randy and Cruise for a preride of the course. It was a really nice and the course was fast. A good relaxing preride was done and off to check into the hotel, then dinner and then a quick Iceman # pickup and back to the hotel for a early night.

Race day : My son Zack likes to get up early, try 5:30am, while my race was at 2:30pm. Z and I hung around till the Omellete Shoppe opened at 7:30 am. We then hung out around the hotel pool till about noon and headed out to Kalkaska so Zack would nap in the van as we drove around for awhile.

Kalkaska--- We parked at the school around 1pm, I dressed and used my steel bike for a warm up bike as it was still sleeting on and off. Stewy calls me as I am heading out (SS)"My FS Anthem shock isn't holding air", (JL) " Man I told you not to bring that FS bike back to MICHIGAN", (SS) " Can I ride your steel Quiring", (JL) " Yeah sure, 1 gear 34/15, and you will be spun out and 23 mph on the flats, Oh yeah and your like 7" shorter than me"........ And then I just kept riding the course backwards to get a warm up. Check the clock ooops, I am going to cut this close. I got back with about 25 minutes to start (sorry Stewy), Scott had to remove the fenders on the bike and adjust the seat height. A quick change into my race gear and to the line in about 3rd or 4th row. I had set my STANS Crow and Raven on my 355 ZTR rims to 25 psi which was perfect for the pre ride and the cousre at hand. I notice the large selection of Road Pro's and Cat 1/2 guys in the field, this is going to be a hard start. GOOOOOOOOO and the choas begins. I get pinched in in the middle, literally fight my way to the outside and start moving up. Since the course is very OPEN, the the use of the weeds and straightening out corners is the best way to get around racers. The fact that if your not moving forward, you WILL be going backwards, is a struggle for most and a battle for all. If the racer if front of you is pedaling then stay on his wheel if he stops for a second and you don't pass him you will be passed by others quickly. In the first 10 minutes there is no sitting in, just to the wall speed, energy and aggression. I hooked onto Joberon as he was blasting thru the field, I bounced a few guys as they tried to get on Joe's wheel but I was there. We came to the single track connector between to sections of 2 track. Problem 1 a rider over extended his abilities and now was gaping us from the lead group. The trail opened up and we where around the slower racer chasing some very fast guys ahead. A few hard pulls by a couple guys (notably Joe's buddy Sven putting a huge pull to bring us back in the race), as we catch the group we hit a sandy uphill where I choose the wrong line and was off the bike chasing again. A few guys came off the lead group as they where 25-30 secs up the trail. John Doyle, Jake R. and I seem to be at the front of the second group most the time, with Doyle animating the pace consistently. I put a few hard efforts in to try and shake things up some, especially on the 2 track to dirt road transitions (WWMSD?). We had a group 0f 6 or so at Williamsburg and we picked up Stu from Canada shortly after the crossing. Stu would get to the front and we would slow down, Doyle would go around him and then repeat. The canadian was thinking he was the strongest, but he was not. The race was coming to an end quickly, I was feeling great. I was at the front as we caught Travis Brown and as we hit the hill with about 6 to go. Chris Peasario put a little effort to pick it up, as he was being annoyed by the canadian. Back together we rolled towards the finish with Doyle at point. I was staying in the front 3 at all times as we hit the final single track and the short steep climb, Sam Shultz was at the top trying to get his chain on. I knew we had been racing for 9th, but now 8th opened up. Doyle stayed on the front and I was on his wheel as the group started to splinter. We filed thru the last single track then up a hill, Doyle in front, me then Chris P., just hanging on. And that was how we finished, we all kicked to the line at 1:30. For my fastest Iceman and another 9th place. The field keeps getting stronger and my placing stays the same. Great Job to My teammates, Anderson rocked it, Erin rocked, JM won it, Joberon worked it, JAJ survived it and Q built it. Big thanks to our sponsors BELLS BREWERY, QUIRING CYCLES, STANS NO TUBES, CRANKBROTHERS, OAKLEY, ABERDEEN BIKE for all the support in our racing en devours.

---JL

Video of the 2nd group rolling towards the front group (Sven is on the front)

Hitting Williamsburg with Doyle and Jack

My son zack and I

( is that Uncle Fester in the background?)

Nana, Zack and Papa (aka Superfans)

ICEMAN 08 Mike Anderson edition 3rd place overall

The Anderson report:

Finish video:



After a lot of anticipation the 2008 iceman is in the books. This race has always been one of my favorites, and I look forward to it every year. I decided to drive over Saturday morning, being our start was at 2:30 in the afternoon. After a solid warmup and a few sprints with the Simonster, i was ready to go. The start was a little chaotic, with the underpowered roadies diving for the front line. I was about 3rd row right next to Sam Shultz. After a couple inside lines on the first couple turns I'm sitting top 5 and feeling comfortable. B-matter said you know your feeling good when the start of Iceman feels slow, I was ready for battle. I continued to follow wheels for the first 5 miles, the lead group was way bigger than last year and had me questioning if we were going fast. After Smith Lake road I took a little dig to test the waters, Bishop reels it back in. Back to following wheels, the group started to shrink one rider at a time. A few miles before Willamsburg Rd. Andy Shultz puts in a little move. The gap got pretty big, about 30 seconds. Simonster didn't like it and called B-matter and me out to chase. No Response. Right before a little technical downhill, I put in a acceleration and string out the group through Willamsburg Rd. Andy came back pretty fast and I was waiting for the counter attack. Nothing. Bishop pulls through and kept it pretty fast, I take a look behind me and see Sam Shultz and the Simonster gaped off, but they clawed back on. Weaknesses are starting to show. We hit the hills, and the legs still fell good. On the climb before Anitas hill, Bishop, Matter, and Marko roll away from the group. I wait for Andy and Colin Cares to jump across, but they do nothing. I jump across and tell Bishop we need to jam on it, we needed to accelerate hard to split the train, but we didn't go hard enough. When I pull through I some how ended up getting a good gap, and come to my first regret of the 2008 Iceman. I had the gap and didn't put in the effort to make it stick, I needed to fly up Anitas Hill, but I stayed within myself and B-matter closed the gap. Back to following wheels. Some how the group is still together, as we come into the last woodchip hill Bishop and B-matter jam on it. Andy Shultz and Colin Cares seperate me from the front of the race, I try to make a pass before the single track, but Colin shuts the door. My second regret of the 2008 Iceman, poor positioning on the last hill. Colin and Andy let the race roll away. When we spill out onto a open section, I make the pass and put down whats left. Round the last turn to see Bishop take the win and B-matter close behind. 3rd place.
Oh so close, this was one of the better races this year and I was happy with how I road, the power was there, the experience was not. Congrats to Brian, he always rides the smartest race, follow his wheel and your guaranteed to be in for a good finish. This was great way to start off with BELLS, I look forward to next season. Thanks everyone at BELLS for accepting me to the BELLs squad.
thanks
Mike

Mike hitting Williamsburg rd.

ICEMAN 08 John Meyers Edition

Iceman 08' Race report.

1st place Expert Men 40-45

This year was my 15th time racing the iceman! Were have all the years gone? The first year was clear back in 92' when Kinetics Systems racer Peter Noverr won.This years race I had hoped to repeat with a win but was feeling a little tired and weak? I was able to get a great start fast thru the first few miles until my front tire slid out on a simple lightly twisty flat section? I remember rolling thru in my warm-up and sliding a little but did not think anything of it. I hit really hard...bike and body! When I got up I could feel my right side but not thinking about anything else but getting back on to start the chase. When I got back to my bike I found that my stem had twisted which required a couple minutes to re-align. It took about 12 miles to pass hundreds of riders and bridge back to the leaders...somehow I was able to keep track of how many had gone by. The last 10 miles or so consisted of the three of us working and trading pulls. When we reached the last mile or so things were slowing down a bit so I decided that remaining in the front and controlling a higher speed was my best option and also not knowing how the new changed finish was going to play out. With about 1k. to go there was on attack by 2nd. place finisher Jeff Wittbrodt. I chased and tagged his rear wheel. He and I surged back and forth thru the sections of single track and I finally was able to punch it past him in the last section of the single track to get back to the front for the win. Just as so as I finished and gave a congrats to Jeff I felt the pain on my right side surging. The evening at the awards and the Sunset party was over the top.... The best part of the weekend was finishing and winning the prized jersey for my son Jozef so he could wear to school on monday for show and tell. He really wanted me to win so he could show off to the class....a very big deal! As I found out later that day from his teacher at confrences that Joe was the hit of the Day. Monday I also went in for X-rays and found out that I have three cracked ribs! Ouch! Was hoping to return to Waterford for the State Cx race in December but that may have to wait a year. A big thank you to Larry Bell, Scott Quiring, Jim Parks ( great time hanging after the race), Kelley Kronberg (Oakley rep.), Robert Kennedy (#1 mechanic), Clif Bar, Stans and all of my Teammates you guys Rock and Roll!.....It's been an awesome year!!!! How many wins? How many podium finishes? How many National titles? I lost track! Looking forward to even bigger things in 09'John.

ICEMAN 08 continued the Joberon edition

JOBERON RACE REPORT:

ICEMAN

It's cold. My ears are ringing. Legs sore. The Taco Bell I ate on the way home isn't sitting well. Sounds like post Iceman depression. With the pro race staring at 2:30 on Saturday it seems it's all over in the blink of an eye. Next thing you know you're back at work asking, "what just happened". The 2008 Iceman has come and gone and marks the end of another fun season. It was a supercharged rip roarin' finale that I'll never forget. This year was extra special as my parents and lots of friends made the trip up for their first Iceman experience. My good friend and training buddy Sven even made it over from Germany for a crack at race. This was my 3rd shot at the Pro Class and I had worked hard in hopes of finally having a good race. In the end it was probably my best ride of the 3 attempts but not my best race, or legs, this season. Physically I believe I was ready but my mind really got the best of me leading up to this Midwest cycling superbowl. I started towards the back of the group and had to delicately work my way forward. It's total mayhem during the start. Nothing quite like it. As hard as it is it's really quite a rush. I managed to get myself positioned pretty well within the first couple of miles. Unfortunately the trail narrowed not allowing riders to pass. A gap formed and off went a lead group. Eventually the trail opened up with the leaders still in sight. I charged to the front of my group and tried to chase. I made a fair attempt but realized the legs just weren't there for such a effort. Moments later the chase group reeled me in and we chased together. We were gaining on the front runners but slowly. Suddenly a rider comes flying by on the left side and it was none other than my buddy Sven. We jumped on his wheel and within a minute we were back with the leaders. It was awesome! The lead group must have been 25-30 strong at that point. It didn't last long however as the pace was lifted and the climbs were cracking guys. Myself included. Off in the distance I could see the heads of state drifting away. The group I was in was packed with powerhouses. We were hammering away as we entered some downhill single track. Teammate Jason drilled it Lummis style on the decent and immediately formed a gap. Sweet! I stayed put in the group which eventually swelled to 10 or so. We reached the Williamsburg Road party crossing and I felt so so in the group. I tested myself on a few climbs and felt I was climbing as well as everyone around me but I didn't have enough to try to get away. I ended up riding within myself noticing guys starting to pop off the group with 5 to go. Not long after I made a small attack on a downhill that separated myself, TJ Woodruff(Gear Grinder/BMC) and Derek Graham(Bissell). TJ ended up leading us all the way into the finish single track and eventually to the line giving me 19th for the second year in a row. Not the result I was hoping for but certainly respectable considering the talent that surrounded me this year. The field was stacked with talented riders and it really came down to who was feeling it that day. I congratulate all who finished. Especially my team. Great job to you all. After the race, thanks to my family and friends, we were able to get all riders, bikes, gear and party supplies where they needed to be. My head was spinning. Due to the time crunch we weren't able to make the awards. Bummer. We cleaned up, wolfed down a couple pizzas and headed over to prepare for the 2008 Bell's MTB Team Sunset On The Season Party. This year we moved the madness over to The Loading Dock which ended up working out great. It was still super packed but wasn't too bad and the tight fit really helped me stay upright. My bro set up and started spinning some tunes around 9PM which got us all ramped up for the main event...The Orbitsuns. The band showed up shortly after 10 and fired up about a half an hour later. Heart rates were high as these guys jammed the tunes. They didn't take a single break and had everyone on their feet dancing well into the night. They did not disappoint. I had a blast and enjoyed seeing everyone there. Thank you to all who came out and A BIG THANKS to Bell's Brewery, The Loading Dock and The Orbitsuns for one helluva night. My only question is, can we make it bigger and better next year??? Also, special thank you to our sponsors; Quiring Cycles, Bells Brewery, Aberdeen Bike and Fitness, Oakley, Stans No Tubes, Clif, Crank Bros, Paint Creek Bicycles and Pearl Izumi. I'm already looking forward to 2009. Climb on everyone. And, of course, HAUL ASS! Joberon

Joberon in the pack at Williamsburgh

Sven leading the pack before Williamsburgh Rd

Jason and Sven post race...

ICEMAN COMETH

ICEMAN 08 is in the books.... Mike Anderson 3rd < Erin Vicary 5th < Jason Lummis 9th < Joberon 19th < John Meyers 1st age group < Jason Jones 18th 40+ Single Geared class

Results

GPS of Jason's Race

Photos from the Biz of the Cycletherapy Mtb Team

Mike Anderson 3rd Place Overall Pro Open Men

Erin Vicary 5th Place Womens Pro Open










Guest Super Stud Scott Stewart Raced for the Bells Team at Iceman & Rolled in at 25th on Jason Lummis' Steel 29er set up single geared 34x15. It was a little to small of a gear for the Pro class and Scott did great spinning his way on a bike that was built for a 6'3" person and not Scott.


















A Few party Pics As well









More to come in the following days !

Send any photos to bellsbrewery_quiringcycles@charter.net we give credit to all...... Any good race or party stories let us hear about them !

BELLS BREWERY 7th ANNUAL SUNSET ON THE SEASON PARTY

GET READY TO HAUL ASS !

Come join us at the Loading Dock after the Iceman awards starting @ 8:30 pm (21yrs old and over $5 cover) SWAG, FUN and a great Beer selection




Video by: the Brzuchanski Bros.
Music by: The Orbitsuns
Starring: JOBERON, ERACER and the Bells Brewery/Quiring Cycles MTB team

STANS NO TUBES RAVEN CX 35c tires

Jason Lummis:
Stans No Tubes just sent us some of the New RAVEN 29er tires. Basically they are the No Tubes Crows with more of a side knob !!!!! We also received some of the 35c tubeless ready Raven CX tires. So all you CX nuts take note. You don't have to buy super expense tires that require you to glue them onto your wheels anymore. this tire at 330grams is light and tubeless. I can't wait to try them out next weekend at the http://www.tailwind.net/ CX races in Ann Arbor Nov.1 and 2nd.

It took me about 6 minutes to install the CX tires on my ZTR 29er wheels. I pulled my tubeless valve stem out, mounted 1 side of the raven installed a 23c tube and installed the tire. Inflated it to about 40 psi (until the tire bead locked to the side wall). Deflated the tube removed one side of the tire from the rim and removed the tube. Installed the tubeless valve stem added 1 scoop of Stans No Tube liquid, re-installed tire and inflated to 30 psi. Did the No Tubes spin and shake and I was done. @ http://www.notubes.com/ thereare plenty of videos to help you install the yellow tape and valve stem to make just about any rim tubeless.

The CX tire I was using tubeless = heavy

The new RAVEN 35c CX tire

23-45 psi 330gram all weather CX tire

Mounted to a ZTR 355 Stans No Tubes 29er wheel

Another view of the tire mounted

Next will be the new Raven 29er mounted to the front and a Crow on the Rear for the Iceman.

GET READY TO GET ROWDY !

Come join the Bells Team for an end of the season celebration !
IT IS ON !
November 8th after the Awards.
BAND: THE ORBITSUNS

Peak to Peak another win for the Team

ERIN, JOBERON and the newest Addition to the BELLS BREWERY/QUIRING CYCLES MTB Team Mike Anderson ( Alpena Michigan) attended the 2nd running of the Peak to Peak Mountain Bike Classic at Crystal Mountain Resort Thompsonville MI.

Erin took the Big "W" in the womens Open class
Mike Anderson battled The Simonster for a hard earned 2nd place
Joberon finished 7th after a last lap mishap with a lapped rider.

Erin Vicary checks in with the following report:

Last weekend was the 3rd annual Peak2Peak race at Crystal Mtn Ski Resort in Thompsonville MI. We enjoyed it so much last year, Joe & I made sure it was on the 2008 race calender!  And thank goodness it was because once again it was a blast. Sunny skies, a fun race, good friends, & good beer with a back drop of perfectly peaked fall colors. Friday Joe & I met Keith (Paint Creek Bicycles) & drove up together. Destination: “Deer Camp” in Harrietta, MI (aka our good friend Randy’s hunting cabin). That evening, Randy, Keith & I sat at the kitchen table talking, sipping wine & eating Mrs. Brzuchanski’s homemade chocolate chip cookies while Joe entertained us with his bike maintenance. After he was done I pathetically poked around at my rear brake that had been rubbing for some time, hoping someone would come to my rescue (thanks Keith!) & fix it because I hadn’t had any luck lately. With my Quiring machine now running flawlessly, all that was left to do was get a good nights sleep .Saturday morning proved to be a stellar day for racing. The air was crisp & bitter cold for our warm up, but then the sun came out right before the start. It warmed up just enough that it required a quick wardrobe change & then I was ready to line up.Lining up behind & starting with the Elite men, were 8 Elite women. Five of which on any given day are capable of winning a mtb race here in Michigan. Besides Iceman, it was the deepest, most talented (MI) field I’ve had the pleasure of racing against. Pretty exciting. Stiff competition slated for three 11 mile laps. Perfect.The start was EXTREMELY fast this year! Last year was a slower kind of roll out to the trail. This year it was an all out hammer from the word “go!”. Following behind the tail end of the elite men’s field I redlined 1 minute into the race so I let up a bit & watched a few ladies get a wheel or two ahead. About twenty seconds later the men had completely dropped us all & our lead group of four ladies (Laura, Danielle, Susan, & myself) was decided so we settled in. Each took turns pulling for a while. Turns happened by accident really because going around some sandy spots & sharp corners people went down a couple times leaving the next woman behind in the front...lol. Laura Webb (Hagerty) did a lot of work on lap one & after a while I was starting to wonder if I should move up just when she asked if someone would. So I got in front to do some work. Not very long after that the two track made a kind of “Z” that had lots sand in the corners. I took good lines through it & I believe this is where I made a tiny gap. I wondered at that point what to do with it. Do I attack hard so early again st such a strong group? I decided not to & just kept riding the same steady pace. The races terrain was mostly flat but kept interesting by twists & turns (some slightly banked), sand pits, & the occasional incline or decent. The entire race you were either surrounded by or tunneling through brightly colored trees that were raining leaves. It was spectacular. After a while I looked back & didn’t see anyone behind still so I kept on riding the same pace because I figured it was working. Finally the 1st lap was coming to an end but not before I climbed the back of the ski hill which then shot down back into the woods for a fun downhill, & finally a wicked fast decent across the ski hill to the lap chute/start/finish. 1 down 2 to go. At some point toward the middle/end of the 2nd lap I hooked up with some expert men that came up on me. I rode with them until the finish, struggling at times but managed to hang in. I was pretty taken back when I came through the finish for the win! Very very happy! Especially considering the respect I have for my competition that day... to come out on top felt really good! We celebrated back at deer camp & then went for another awesome trail ride but this time we were on quads... much MUCH easier than pedaling ;o)! Next up Iceman! I hope to see everybody at the after party .
:o)! -Erin

Mike Anderson reports in :

That was a fun race, a perfect Iceman fitness check. Simonster takes the whole shot, i take the lead into the single track, set the pace nice and high, simonster comes by and keeps it fast. We hit the hills and its Simonster, Derek Graham, and me. swap pulls for lap, hit the hills again, simonster gets about 15 second gap. I wait for derek to react, he doesnt respond so i jump across. Simonster and I put the hammer down, were catching a lot of lap traffic, I take a pull before the hills. Simonster roles away in the hills, I try to rip the descent to maybe catch back up, but to much traffic. role in 30 seconds back. Excellent race, fun course, straight up good time.

Anderson

LOWER HURON CX

Jason Lummis attended the CX race in Belleville sunday. He finished 11th out 17 Elite CX racers.

photos by Terr Ritter Full Potential Trainning systems

Jasons report:

First CX race of the year is in the books, Performance wise it lacked some of the finer points of CX racing. I blew the start with a missed pedal and was lazy about moving up thru the field. The lack of running (non existing) in my preparation for the CX season left my hamstrings burning from the Barrier to Hill run up combo (sick and fun). I need to commit to the race alot more and remember that 1:00 is long but can be longer if not accelerating hard out of every corner. One good note was that I didn't have any mishaps with the barriers. My Dad and son Zack where what Matter would call "Super Fans" all day cheering me on as I humbly finished towards the rear of the race. Next race Vets Park CX Ann Arbor, it is a Saturday/Sunday event. Hopefully I can do both races, but I usually work Saturdays. Then The Big Event ICEMAN COMETH the following Saturday with a great Party that Joberon has gone overboard with the band for.

Ride hard and have fun

---Lummis

Cannonsburg KISS cross #4

"Q" 6th. J.Meyers 7th.

John Meyers and Scott Quiring raced rough-sandy west side cyclocross race this past Sunday in Grand Rapids at Cannonsburg Ski Area. The "A" race had 23 riders roll off and on too a rough and twisty....twisty course. Once again a great hole-shot and up to the first turn and a specialized rider shot past on the feather lite 14 - 15 pound bike....and thru the first lap and second I was able to maintain 3rd. The Bissel Bro.'s were just up the course also but with the fever crud from Friday and Saturday's founders to bell's 4 1/2 hour xc ride the legs and body was just not 100% I know Dan Jansen and the Farmer were feeling the post ride party with the tasty two-hearted that were consumed at Bell's on Saturday night. Scotty "Q" I am back was on the scene as well and it was great fun rolling with or trying to chase him thru the twisty maze of a course. So is Scott due to make an appearance at the Iceman?




Scott Quiring hits the run up behind John.



John Meyers

Kisscross #3

John Meyers race report below:

brief report from the west side.

I raced in another fast west side cyclocross race this past Sunday. The "A" race had about 16 riders roll off and on too a much more technical course than the previous Fremont race. I thought things were going great in the first lap having got away with the Howard Bro.'s for the first half a lap until the ill effects of not having pre-ridden the course allowed two gaps to form. At the water crossing and the grassy/muddy off camber section. So once again the balance of the 7 lap race was all about chasing the Bissel team. At the end of lap four my 24hr.national champion teammate Nate bridged up to me after I was having more difficulty clipping in after the water crossing / mud in cleats? I found out later that riding around was the faster option! Laps 4 - 7 were just as fast as the first three with Nate setting a strong tempo with his single speed pre-iceman gearing set-up. Thanks Nate! Look out iceman single speeders "The Farmer" is on great form and will be plowing everyone under on November 8th.

Results ->
http://www.kisscross.com/results/2008/caledonia_100408.htm


October 19th - Race #4Cannonsburg Ski Area, Grand Rapids - Map

Hosted By: Founders/Alger Racing

Track Star !

SUPER FAST

Freemont CX KISS CROSS #2

John Meyers and Scott "I am back" Quiring attended the 2nd stop of the westside Kiss Cross series in Freemont MI. Scott battled the Bissel teammates for 4th as John held on for a well earned 5th.

Race Report by John Meyers:

CycloCross racing is in full swing on the west side of the state. Scott "Q" Quiring and John Meyers returned to the cyclocross action at the second stop of the Kisscross race series at branston park, fremont, mi. Scott broke out his cross bike to give things a whirl. He stated that he has been training a little and has not done any intervals yet? Scott finished 4th. overall in the "A" race and his teammate John finished 5th overall. The race was fast with the long section of asphalt leading into the start finish. Team Bissell controlled the race from the gun with Scott and John in the mix from the 3 second count down start. Scott was able to hang with young Bissell pro's for the first 5 laps of the 8 lap race. He easily rolled in for fourth place. John had a couple crashes....not use to the cx tires (just put them on that morning) and used the race as his first cx ride of the year and finished a strong 5th. ahead of a Bissell teammate.

Results -> http://www.kisscross.com/results/2008/fremont_092708.htm

Next Kisscross race -> October 4th - Race #3Caledonia Lakeside Park, Caledonia - Map

Hosted by: TNR and Caledonia Cycling Club

The Tony Torrance interview

Tony Torrance works for Pearl Izumi in the Design and Development Dept. Tony is an ex MICHIGAN resident, Michigan Tech graduate and past team mate of the Bells Team.

We asked Tony a few quick questions and he gladly took time from his busy schedule.

Tony with 2008 Olympic gold Medalist Sabine Spitz of Germany

1. You work for the _Design and Development department _ at Pearl Izumi ?
Excactly I help design and create shoes for PI.

2. Our team loves the P.R.O. MTB by Pearl Izumi, what have you done to the 08 shoe to make it better for 09 ?
For spring 09 we used our one piece upper technology and Direct vent from our Octane SL rd shoe for the P.R.O. mtb shoe. It's making the shoe about 40 grams lighter plus it fits better and looks super hot!

3. How has the riding been in Colorado ?
The riding in CO makes all the hard work to get out here worth it. This weekend we rode in Breckenridge. It was 65 degrees, sunny and aspens were changing colors. it doesn't get much better than that.

4. How is/was Interbike or Eurobike?
Eurobike was crazy. I met with Sabine Spitz and Jan Frodeno. The both won gold medals in our shoes. I even got to party with Jan Ulrich. That's three more names I get to drop on a daily basis. I leave for interbike tomorrow morning. That place is always crazy.

5. Can you comment on the PI CX shoe rumor?
Superlight, gore-tex (waterproof), thinsulate insulation, toe spikes, built in gaitor, felt insole. it'll make your feet sweet in all weather. All of that at it fits great. we'll be showing it at interbike. They're available through Pearlizumi.com or your local retailer can get them through QBP or Pearl Izumi.

6. What tires are you running @ ICEMAN this year ?
I'm going to use a 1.75in 29er tire... Brand is confidential.

7. Can Tom make the top 20 @ ICEMAN in the Pro class ?
He's been training super hard. He's hired Ex-Olympian Ann Trombly as his coach... Watch your back.

8. Will you make the BELLS SUNSET ON THE SEASON PARTY @ The Loading Dock ?
Absolutely.





The 2009 CX race shoe !







The 2009 P.R.O MTB shoe !

CHEQUAMEGON FAT TIRE

2008 Chequamegon Fat Tire is done, Jonathan Page won. Great weather, course,competiton and friends. We await the 2009 edition.

Team results:
JOBERON 14th
Jason Lummis 15th
John Meyers 26th
Erin Vicary 5th
Jason Aric Jones 475th
Scott Quiring 3 Hoplslams and 12 pints (Scott was the ultimate teammate handing out feeds at Seal Tower)

Garmin data from Lummis:http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=122202&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=6768529

photos by: http://www.skinnyski.com/

The mass roll out !

Lummis and Michigan racer Ron Sanborn at the start

Jason hanging on to the leaders

Joberon getting ready to make his move.

Jason's last sight of the leaders as they head up the first of four inclines to the top of Sealy Tower.

Erin Vicary on her way to 5th place overall, on the only flat part to the top of sealy.

John Meyers making it to the top of sealy.

Great weekend, Chicago traffic sucks.

Up next CX race season starts this weekend with Tailwinds DBL UCI CX races, Iceman (in 1.5 months).

JOEBRON CONTINUES:

Joe on his way to a 2nd place at the Stony creek XC:
Photo by the Biz: http://www.cycletherapyracing.com

Joberon Race Notes Cont.

So Erin and I rolled out of beautiful Windham NY with bandages on my knee, ice on my thumb and a few medals hanging from the rear view. A successful outing for sure and great start to our trip. Next up was US MTB Nats at Mt. Snow in Vermont. But first, we were off to Boston. My sis Mary and her hubby Garett live there. It ended up being a great pit stop. Our hosts set us up nicely in their sweet downtown condo. We had a great time touring Boston with Mary(www.marylynnburke.com) and Garett. Both by foot and by bike. We hit up a few different eateries sampling some great pizza, brew and, of course, the clam chowda. We also made a late night appearance at the aquarium to visit the fat lazy seals. We started our trip up to Mt. Snow around lunchtime on Tuesday. We arrived with enough time to sneak in a pre ride of the race course. Like a smack to the face, I was reminded quickly just how tough this course is. There were a couple of mods to the course this time making many of the climbs much steeper. The downhill's were...the downhill's. Good o'l white knuckle stuff. We took it as easy as possible on our pre ride then set off for some dinner and R&R at a local motel. Wednesday came and we had more pre riding, eating and poolside chillin' on the menu. I busted out two, probably to hard, laps of the course. I felt pretty good. Riding solid and feeling strong I felt much more confident than the day prior. Then, just as planned, we had some lunch and hit the pool. Thursday came and I could feel the nerves starting to develop. Early Friday morning it was game on. Thursday I went out and hit the course again. After one fairly brisk lap I decided that was enough. I spent the rest of the day and my nervous energy tinkering with my bike. That evening we moved all our things into a sweet mountain/course-side condo. That's when the rest of the crew showed up. Our teammate John along with Mike and Michelle Simonson(Trek Midwest) arrived after a long haul from Michigan. Our good friend Kelli Emmett(Giant) even made a appearance for our pasta feed dinner. It was fun and helped keep my mind relaxed. Friday morning came quick and I had slept fair. I prepared my break quietly trying not to awake the crew. Eventually we were all up drinking coffee, chatting and watching some TV. Then the time came to suit up and warm up. So listen to what happened next. Mr. Semi Pro mountain biker dude walks outside with bike in tow to the car. I top off the tires, put on the helmet and throw down a few sweet looking yoga style stretches for good measure. Here we go. I hop on the machine, lose my balance and tip over into the bushes. No one saw this ridiculous moment in my cycling career. I quickly stood up, brushed off the top soil and pine needles and headed out to race. Mt. Snow. Nationals. Yeah, I'm so cool;) Not! There were around 70 guys at the start. I was standing somewhere in the middle when the start whistle was blown to begin our 4laps of fun. It seemed the leaders were halfway up the first climb by the time I hit the base. The climb starts fairly mild, for Mt. Snow, with a not so steep gravel road. The new section has riders turning to go up a slick with morning dew grassy wall. I was already thinking "granny gear". I just wasn't able to put the power down. The legs and back weren't on my side this day as I tried and tried to work my way forward. The looks on my friends faces kind of said it all as I rolled through the feed zone to start lap 2. I was riding and surviving. I've had these days here in there over the past couple seasons and just accepted it. I never gave up. I certainly didn't stop pedaling or trying to chase. It wasn't my day but there were many others in the same boat. I saw one dude puking. It is a grueling and relentless course. It just keep hitting you no matter if you're going up or down. I ended up finishing 38th and a mountain of minutes off the lead pace. Next up was the short track on Sunday. Saturday morning was spent supporting and cheering on Erin and John in their Expert races. The afternoon brought out the pro's and we had a blast hiking to the crazy spots on the course to spectate. That evening we all went out for some Mexican grub and cervesas to celebrate a job well done. Sundays short track warm up went pretty smooth. The balance was there and I kept the bike upright. I packed in to the on deck circle with about 40 others when they started the call ups. Eventually they released the masses and elbows were flying as riders tried to find a good spot on the start grid. Mine, unfortunately, was towards the back. Bang! We were off and I was immediately gasping. By the time I reached the first corner the leaders were on the other side of the course heading the opposite direction. Work to be done. For the first 3 laps I felt like I was holding my breath. Gasping once or twice as I sped through the start/finish. Eventually I had worked my way into the top 20. I was suffering. I was afraid to look at the clock. But I did. 9 minutes! Damn! Only 9 minutes had passed. I took a breather and went back to work. I was actually working my way up towards the leaders. Next thing I knew I was in the top 10. The last lap had me in a battle for the 7th spot which I missed going into the finish giving me 8th on the day. I was pleased and could only wonder how things would have went had I started up front. After a hour or so I started to feel recovered. From there Erin and I loaded up and began the long drive back home. We made it safely and avoided the bushes.

Thanks for Reading.

Joberon

Ore to Shore 2008

Jason Lummis 8th

Joberon 11th

John Meyers 18th

Erin Vicary 7th

Scott Quiring 1st male tandem with Ken Blakey-Shell

Jason Jones 7th Single Gear Soft Rock

Results

Joe is that a HOPSLAM your holding ?

Heart surgery Survivor and still racing JAJ ---

Here is a great way to say good job today !

Dads #1 -- I hope this was what he meant !