2010.....10 yrs of Beer, Bikes and Racing !

for 2010 we have a new Sponsor, the Bells Brewery/Quiring Cycles Professional MTB Team will now be POWERED BY SRAM.

We also have added 2 new teammates for the 2010 season:

Please welcome Steve Dempsey and Sue Stephens to the Bells squad !


Steve the fellow in the middle has been working his arse off and getting faster every week. He had some great podiums last year in MI and finished 13th at Iceman in 2009.



Sue Stephens has been putting it down in MI for the last few seasons, making the drive over from near Windsor Canada. Sue finished 2nd at the 2008 Iceman while controlling the podiums here in MI and has had great finishes in the Canadian cup. Check her blog out for more insight into this crazy racer mom from Canada....
We look forward to our continued sponsorships with BELLS BREWERY, QUIRING CYCLES, STANS NO TUBES, GEAX TIRES, LOUIS GARNEAU and OAKLEY EYEWEAR.

Go Ahead & Give It A Whirl...

Sunday morning I met Sue Stephens & Co. out @Pontiac Lake Rec Area so she could do a lap on my Quiring 29er. I went for a quick hike ('quick' cuz she's fast-as-hell) while she rode & before I knew it she was done... girl was grinning ear2ear when I saw her :o)! That's usually a good sign right?...LOL! After wards in the parking lot Sue & I tried to chat but she was mobbed by a couple dudes she whizzed past earlier on the 29er. They must have asked her 30 questions "How'd ya get so fast?!" "How much do you ride?!" etc. It was pretty cute. Anyways, after the "autograph session" we did get a chance to shoot the breeze & while we were talking I happened to notice the folding chairs that were set out by her friend Pak's truck. The chairs said Tim Hortons on them & with that whole crew being from Canada I couldn't help but make a joke about it. Well, little did I know just how cool (Pak &) the chair was until he showed me: built in soft cooler under the seat, folds up small, has a shoulder strap, the whole chair weighs about a 1/2 lb, & it's black- my favorite color. He just gave it to me! LOL! Pretty sweet aye?! Hopefully next year I won't need it at any of the bike races 'cuz I don't plan on doing much spectating in the '10 season ;o)! Anyhow, back to my whole point of this blog entry... Sue really enjoyed the 29er experience & did a little write up about it on her blog.
Check it out @ http://suestephensmtb.blogspot.com/2009/11/29er-at-pontiac.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

:o)
Erin

ICEMAN 2009

The race was perfect 60 deg sunny day.
Mike Anderson finished 5th (top MI racer) Joberon 15th, Lummis 62nd (after a horrible wreck 500' off the start line).
John Meyers won his age group again =0) and also won his age group the next day at the CX race.

----- pic by Sue Stephens
The party was incredible fun thanks to Jim Parks and the rest of the Bells Brewery family for giving us the chance to celebrate in style. Jim also brought up the 8ft tall Oberon bottle for the beer tent at the Iceman finish line.
Another year of great times racing bikes, enjoying custom brews and custom bikes. Many wins, podiums and great efforts where made by all the team mates ! 2010 will be the 10th year for the Bells Brewery sponsored team, we look forward to making it the best.




Mike Anderson 5th place:

2009 Iceman

5th place. Not as good as last year, but a good result still. Them fisher boys brought some "A" game this year, pretty fun to race with them guys. Carl Decker wins the style award, for the best 2 wheel drifts through the turns and just being a badass, guys gots some skills on a bike.
heres a race report:

The start was just like any other paved road mountain bike start, kind of scary and pretty fast. Decided to pull so i didn't get taken out in the chaos. It was a pretty long train of guys until about Smith Lake Rd about 5 miles in or so. But then the gaps started to form, had to be kind of attentive and stay at the front. Can't really remember who was pulling through that first section of single track, might of been Sam Shultz or JHK, but right after that JHK grabbed the reigns and it was fast as hell for about 20 minutes. 6 of us were gone and the race was set. JHK, Shultz, Tristan, Matter, Decker and myself. A few miles before Williamsburg road JHK put in big attack, I got on his wheel immediately and hung on for dear life, it all came back together at some fresh single track section. Seemed like everyone took some pulls for a little while, right when we got on the VASA JHK had another go, but it was the same deal, this race was coming down to the last hill. There was some more attacks in between there and the end but no one could get away, not really much point in trying. Right when we got to the last wood chip climb the final surge came, not a good time for some chain suck, and thats just what i got. I got off and ran and tried to get my bike back working. I had my chain back on at the top but those guys were long gone in front of me. I got around Tristan but ran out of time to catch Decker. I think I might have been able get Decker, but those other guys were gone.

I'm pretty happy with my race, its always cool to get to race with the big dogs, and really cool to hang in there the whole race. Would have been nice not to get that chain suck, i hate front derailleurs... I'll be back for blood next year, and maybe with a single chain ring too. The crowds at the end were awesome, really cool finishing like that. Thanks to everyone who was cheering along the course, all the people is what makes this race so cool.
MA.

BELL'S MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM presents: The 8th Annual SUNSET ON THE SEASON PARTY!

HEY THERE BOOZE HOUNDS !

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

HERE IS THE BEER LIST FOR THE PARTY !
1. Bell’s Best Brown Ale 1 ½ Barrel

2. Bell’s Amber Ale 1 ¼ Barrel Tall

3. Bell’s Oberon Ale 1 ½ Barrel

4. Two-Hearted Ale 2 ½ Barrels

5. Bell’s Christmas Ale 1 ¼ Barrel Tall

6. Bell’s Oarsman Ale 1 ½ Barrel

7. Bell’s Poolside Ale 1 ¼ Barrel Tall

8. Bell’s Winter White Ale 1 ¼ Barrel Tall

9. Bell’s Double Cream Ale 1 ¼ Barrel Tall

10. Bell’s Pale Ale 1 ¼ Barrel Tall

11. Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale 1 ¼ Barrel Short

Mike Anderson reports !

Mike Anderson checks in after the Boyne "State" championship race and the Peak to Peak races:

Boyne "State Championships" and Peak to Peak wrap up

After another disappointing Chequamegon I was eager to get back to the races. The Boyne Mountain Michigan State Champions was the next race on the schedule. There was a pretty descent field for a soggy day at Boyne Mountain, I took the lead early and never looked back, and came away with the Brent Walk state championship. Boyne is great course and we need to have more races there.


START of Peak to Peak



Manderson vs Simonster !



The Crystal Mountain Peak to Peak XC was next, this was a fun event last year and was great training before Iceman. it went down the same as last year with Derek Graham, the Simonster and me at the front. We swapped pulls through the insane lap traffic for a few laps until Derek and I got caught up with a lapper, throwing both of us to the deck. I jumped back on and bridged to the Simonster. We swapped pulls for another lap until the Simonster stayed true to his name and put in a good surge at the bottom of the climb. I let him go knowing i could close it by the top. The gap was about 10 seconds at the top going into the single track downhill. But there were still a few stubborn lappers in the way, this dude just would not let me by, and basically ended my race for me, kind of a bummer...
This is a fun race, but they have to change something to fix the lap traffic.

It was nice to have my Steel Quiring machine back and working, thanks Scott!
See ya at Iceman!
Mike

Get Ready To Get Rowdy... Again!!!!!!!!!!!!

Join us (post Iceman race) November 7th for the 8th Annual Sunset On The Season Party!

The Fat Tire 2009

I tell ya, these point to point races are truly special. The more I experience
them the more I realize how unique they are. Whether you're racing
B-Matter( www.b-matter.blogspot.com ) style for 1st or shooting for 501st, it's
impossible to finish without some great battle stories. I thoroughly enjoy blog
surfing the week after such events.

Erin and I set sail on Thursday morning for the long HAUL up to Hayward. Before we hit Chi-town we made a pit stop in K-zoo for lunch and stocked up on post race recovery beverages.
THANK YOU Bell's Brewery!

Not long after slogging through the big city traffic I received a surprise phone call from a old friend. Geri Lynn was back from some world travel and returned to her hometown of Hayward. Chequamegonville! The race weekend had now turned into a fun reunion as well. She and her family took great care of us and we can not thank them enough for their hospitality.

Friday, after a great nights sleep and a lazy lakefront morning, we packed up
for a little Fat Tire recon. Erin, who's still healing up, enjoyed a hike on some
of the sweet CAMBA trails while Geri and I rolled the first 10 miles or so.
Check out my new Quiring point-2-point assault weapon!

Memories from my first Chequam last year and nerves for this year started to
form as I bumbled along through Rosies Field, ripped up and down the Birkie and cruised along the dirt roads and trails towards Hwy00. The course was dry and hella-fast. The pre ride was followed by a quick clean up, race packet pickup and dinner at The Waterfront www.explorewisconsin.com/thewaterfront . Geri's family owns and operates this fine establishment. Try it next time you're in town. Be sure to ask for the twice baked potato's.

I awoke Saturday morning to a perfect morning on the lake. After breakfast I rode the 7 miles into town for a nice peaceful warm-up. I arrived to find swarms of eager cyclists. It's an incredible sight. I continued to roll around wondering if there'd be a spot for me at the start. I managed to squeeze in 3 rows back from the 4 wheelers. Similar to last year, some of the heavy hitters arrive fashionably late and roll up to the front next to the rumbling ATV's. Everyone nervous and white knuckled, the rollout parade through downtown Hayward began. I would guess I was in the 20's until we made the right turn towards Rosies and everyone hit the gas. We were roaring up the highway at 30+ with the Fat Tires-a-hummin'. I went from the 20's to the 40's and maybe even 50 riders back. I was struggling with the pace. There's fine line at this point. I may have had a little more juice to propel past a dozen riders or so but was it safe? It's insane! I held on and hoped for the best as we made the left into Rosies Field 40 back or so. Through the field and onto the Birkie it was full gas. I'd pass then get passed. It's war out there at this point and once again I don't remember much until we hit HWY00. I was with a group of around 20 that seemed to shrink with every passing mile. I could sense the Firetower Climb ahead and started to work my way forward in the group. I was in a good position at the base of the climb and immediately started to distance myself from other riders. Up ahead I spotted Mike Simonson(Fisher 29er Crew) and worked hard to bridge. Coming down the backside of Firetower it was myself, Mike and few others. A solid group that pushed each other to the end. In the final mile Simonson attacked hard and took the 3 others with him as I struggled. I rode smooth keeping them in my sights but couldn't get back onboard. Mike rolled in for that 15th spot with the other 4 riders grabbing 16th...17th...18th...19th and, finally, me just cracking the top 20 with 20th place.

I would say my performance was similar to last years Chequamegon (www.cheqfattire.com). I can't complain. I was, however, hoping to better my result which is only natural I suppose. I didn't do it though and that means I must try again. Since I managed to crack the top 20, it's a done deal. If a rider makes the top 20 here they are automatically registered for the following year. No hassle, no lotto. Which means I can start planning my trip to the north woods of Wisco immediately.

Thanks for reading. Have a great fall everyone!
And, I hope you enjoyed our Fat Tire "race" photos.

Joberon

Summer's Still Alive

I can tell summer is coming to a end as my Oberon stock is shrinking. Say it
ain't so! The good news, however, is the added inventory of those other tasty
Bell's flavors. Oktoberfest, Two Hearted, Best Brown and, in a few months time,
HOP SLAMMMMmmmmmm. I love beer. In addition to polishing off my final few summer
brews I've managed to pack the last month with lots of racing. Since my rear
rotor meltdown at Big M I've scored a lackluster 24th at Ore to Shore, a
meltdown at the Pontiac lake XC, a head cold at the first annual Milford Crit,
tree collision at the Fort Custer TT, podium spot in the Tailwinds Michigan USAC
MTB Finale and a couple sprints for 3rd place at some local Labor Day weekend
road race action.







(photo credits to BroBriberon Brzuchanski)

Lots of fun was had. Especially during the past few weeks as
I've been rolling on my brand new custom Quiring steel 29er. Thanks to Scott
Quiring, Bell's Brewery, Keith Riege and Paint Creek Bicycles, Stan's, Oakley,
Crank Brothers, Garneau, Geax and Aberdeen I've been slicing and dicing the
trails all around Michigan and even giving the CXers a run on the dirt roads of
Oakland County. This thing is light, quick and, my favorite part, sexy. I love
mountain biking.

Hopefully everyone is feeling good and ready to charge into some late summer
action. Be careful not to overdo it though as we have lots to do this fall. You
may want to dig out some groovy duds and dust off those dancin' shoes as there's
another massive bash in the works following that bike race in November. Party
plans are in the works, band has confirmed and, rumor has it, the bar has added
another pile of draft lines for our Bell's sampling pleasure. I don't know about
you but I'm pumped! Add to that all the special guests, celebrities and host of
heavy hitters rumored to be racing to TC this year. Ohhhh yeah! Stay tuned for
details.

This weekend I'm planning on heading to the Addison Oaks XC. One of THE most
entertaining trails around and a final tune up for my 2nd run at Chequamegon.
Dun dun dun! Chequamegon is on the horizon. Last year I was 14th. More
importantly, I beat Lummis. He and I haven't spoken in weeks. Nerves are high.
Lot's of tension. Covert training. It's on my friends! I'll give you a report as
soon as we return.

Have fun everyone. Thanks for reading.

Joberon

Tailwind USAC series Final race Stony Creek XC

Stop #9 of the Michigan USAC series:
Jason Lummis and Joberon raced this past sunday. The field was a little smaller than normal for the final race of the series. Jason finished 2nd with a last mile catch and pass of Greg Kuhn while Joberon rode steady and nabbed the 4th place stop ! Congrats to Christian Tanguy for winning the series again and also to Greg Kuhn for his continued improvement finishing 2nd in the series.

RESULTS


Stony XC Podium:




USAC MI series overall: Christian Tanguy 1st, Greg Kuhn 2nd and Jason Lummis 3rd
(best 6 of 9 races)

Erin's 29er Built

I wanted in on the big wheeled fun that the boys have been having so this year Scott Quiring made me a custom 29er bike frame to fit my girly 5'6" frame. White Brothers made me a custom 65mm travel fork to compliment the "mini" geometry of the bike Scott built. The end result being a top tube stand over height that's just perfect.

I haven't been able to ride it yet (neck problems- long story...no riding most of the year for me) so I still don't know exactly what I'm missing. I do know that it's so pretty that it's actually driving me kinda nuts just staring at it all the time...LOL. Hopefully I'll be able to at least take it on the dirt roads to tool around a bit soon.

Girls riding 29er's is becoming more & more common. Heather Irmiger, the U.S. Womens 2009 XC & Marathon National Champ, rode to victory on a 29er on both occasions. Willow Koerber just came in 2nd & then won in the 2 most recent national XC races on her 29er. And I know I've seen Katie Compton aboard one this year. Might be something to these big wheels ;o).

If I don't get to truly test it out & race it this year there's always next year right?! YES!!! Always next year...

:o)
Erin

Tailwinds USAC series #8 Fort Custer Time Trial

John Meyers, Joberon and Jason Lummis attended the 3nd to last USAC series race by tailwinds.net..... Race day temps where cool with an overcast sky..

Jason finished 2nd, John 8th and Joberon after a wicked crash 13th.....



Jason Lummis:
Nice day for a fast lap of the many trails of Fort Custer ! I needed to have a good race to stay in the hunt for 1 of the top 3 spots in the USAC series. Christian Tanguy has been unstoppable this year except for one bad flat at BIG M. I gave it a go for the W on sunday but only managed a 2nd by a few secs to 3rd/4th...I didn't make time to pre ride the course and found myself going to fast into the corners and braking a lot.1 log climb caught me off guard as you had to exit it via a skinny rail or drop 5ft to a flat, I made the skinny ;).....I felt strong the whole ride and I am looking forward to the Stony Creek XC this sunday as the XC season comes to an end here in MI....Chequamegon and Iceman are my last 2 MTB races, while I try to find parts to build up my CX frame so I can have a proper CX race bike for next months CX season openers !
I also won the 1st race in the Jolly Pumpkin CX series last wednesday night ! Great fun on a week night !
--JL

PLRA XC stop#7 of the Tailwind USAC series Pontiac Lk Rec area

PLRA podium via cell phony:
Greg Kuhn takes his 1st Elite win, Dave Walker (ohio) 2nd, Jason Lummis 3rd, Mark Parmelee 4th and the aint that old Hermitman 5th

A 90 degree humid day and 3 laps of PLRA.....Luckily the Lake ius close by !

ORE TO SHORE 09

Mike Anderson in the news: ARTICLE

JASON LUMMIS Garmin 305 data from the race: GARMIN

Good Luck Knuckles!

Mike Anderson 2nd, Jason Lummis 6th, John Meyers 11th, and Joberon 24th.

Scott Quiring (along w/Ken Blakey-Shell) got 1st place in the Men's Tandem division.
BRIAN MATTER WON !

John, Greg 'Kuhncappie-Chappy' Kuhn (5th place), & Joe catch'n their breath after the race:
photo from Land Lueck:
The competition was huge this year sans the Simonster and Jesse Lalonde. Wisco had at least 6 guys who could win it and Minn. studs Doug Swanson/ Jeff Hall made this stop #1 of the Midwest Triple Crown a fast/furious day....

Mike Phillips grabbed the hole shot from the start and the pace was fast. Jason Lummis took a quick flyer to see if anyone was willing to go, but no. Mike Anderson jumped on the first dirt on the RxR tracks and gapped the field, to be chased down quickly. Up and over the luge climb and the lead group was about 10-15 until the pace slowed and it grew to about 40 into Ispheming. The Eppens ramped it up and Tristan Schouten kept the pace high. Jason Lummis grabbed the better line on the old sandy RxR bed and pushed the pace again. Mike Anderson jumped off the front and Brian Matter bridged........The race changed shortly after this as the 1st chase group missed a turn leaving Lummis, the Eppens and another wisco rider Ted Hanes going the correct way (white chaulk lines and well marked course, guess you gotta think while racing)...... Soon it was just Lummis and Ted trading pulls for the 20 miles. Jason was having a rear tire issue with about 18 miles to go, it was losing air slowly, With about 13 to go a group containing Hall, Swanson, Marko, Mike P and MICHIGAN Greg Khun roilled up to Jason and Ted. Jeff caught a stick is rear deraillure and stopped. Jason stopped shortly after to air up his flat rear tire, jumped back on and chased for the next 8 miles. Jason caught Jeff Hall, then Ted and finally Marko as they neared the finish line for 6th.......more to come soon !


Mike Anderson report:
The 2009 Ore to Shore was a pretty eventful and exciting weekend. Rolled into town friday afternoon and was going to follow the usual pre-race plan of riding the last 10 miles or so of the course. Got saddled up and headed out on my dialed in Quiring rocket ship. I made it about 5 miles or so onto the course when my rear derailuer destroyed it self along with my one piece steel hanger, rendering my bike unrideable and my frame unuseable. I was pretty bummed as I walked out the woods, I called up Lummis and told him my deal. Lucky for me he had his spare Quiring on stand by, so after a couple hours of swapping parts we came up with a soild ride that was pretty close to my same position. I was pretty confident with the bike after a little ride on it, steel rigid forks and v-brakes make for one fast machine.

Onto the race...

Did a solid warm up with the crew and it was race time. On the start line I saw my seatpost had slipped down a little, I adjusted it up and cranked it down, not thinking anything of it. Typical O2S start as we hammered down the pavement and onto the dirt, I took the nice smooth line along the railroad tracks and no one followed me. Ended up with a solid gap letting me ride nice and easy until the luge climb, lead the group up the climb and let someone else take over at the top, but no one wanted to pull. We rode really easy through Ishpeming with a huge group. Lummis lifted the pace before the power line hills and strung out the group, I took over at the hills and kept the pace nice and high. Ended up with a gap, Brian Matter bridged across and the race was set. Before misery hill i noticed my seatpost was slipping down, by the time we got onto the pavement it was down about 4 inches. I didnt have a wrench and wasnt sure if i should stop and get one and let Brian go. I either could try to hang onto Brian for the rest of race and probably get 2nd pretty easily. Or stop adjust it and have to race the other guys for 2nd place. I decided to tough it out and try to ride it the rest of the way. I told Brian what my plan was and said he had a 25 mile TT to do if he wanted to win. After about 25 miles of mostly standing up my legs were pretty sore, but I was able to hang on for 2nd place, 2 seconds behind Brian. I think he would have been pretty tough to beat even if i didnt have any problems. He led the last half of the race and we were still 5 minutes up on 3rd place.

The race turned out pretty good considering all the problems, and was happy with the result. 3rd place last year, 2nd place this year. A huge thanks to Lummis for letting me race his bike, I would have been done for without him. Thanks to all the sponsors for the great equipment. Next up a journey into foreign country for some WORS racing and then Chequemegon.



Post race report:

Everybody LOVES Free Beer Tickets!

The Party @ Up Front and Company was a blast the band rocked the racers drank and free swag was given out ! Thank you Bells Brewery for always making these huge events even more special. BIG THANK you to Larry Bell, Jim Parks and Jason Reicherts for always being supportive of our team...
More appreciation for sponsoring help:
STANS NO TUBES the best wheels for 29ers
OAKLEY keeping our vision clear as we rip thru the dirt
CRANKBROTHERS pedals, skewers and headsets
GEAX tires roll fast and grip well
LOUIS GARNEAU great clothing, helmets and shoes
Alferd E Bikes shop support
ABERDEEN BIKE shop support

JOBERON BI-MONTHLY Report

Some Summer Racing

What a way to kick off the summer MTB season. 6 big laps around Stoney Creek Metropark's MTB trails. 60 miles of racing in the end and over 4 hours of saddle time. As always I was concerned my legs would cramp. My goal was to watch my fluid and calorie intake closer than I have in the past. Thankfully it helped in the end as I didn't really have issues until the last lap. And the leg cramps were minor in comparison to previous years. I didn't have to stop once and was able to push it all the way to the finish. The cooler temps this time around helped a bit too.

My teammate Jason took the hole shot and rode right through the finish chute by mistake. Hilarious! He was quickly back on track and leading us all out. We exited the first bit of single track and Jason was gapping us already. He flew down the first lose descent and I was following 10 second back. Shortly after Christian Tanguy(Fraser) caught me and I hopped on his wheel. He ended up bringing me, Greg Kuhn(Fraser) and Randy Laprarie(Macomb) back up to Jason. Christian make a strong move taking Randy with him as Greg, Jason and I chased. I somehow managed to hang on to the hard chargin Greg and Jason duo as they brought a fatiguing Randy back. Christian was long gone leaving us to race for 2nd. The pace was high for the first few laps eventually dropping Randy and leaving me to fight for survival. Greg and Jason traded pulls until the 4th or 5th lap when I poked my head into the wind in a attempt to contribute all I could. On the final lap we had a bit of a bobble with some lapped traffic and Greg attacked hard. By the time Jason and I could react he was gone and rolled in for that 2nd spot. Jason and I worked together to keep a roaring Robert Herriman(American Cycle and Fit) from catching us. Jason 3rd and I took the 4th spot and made the podium. I was pretty stoked. On a sad note, our cooler was stolen which housed my turkey on whole wheat and, sit down for this, a sixer of Oberon. I still haven't recovered from this malicious attack.

Next up was Big M. I was invited to crash for the weekend at my friend Randy's super secret training and hunting lodge(I'm not at liberty to disclose the location). It was perfect peaceful backwoods race prep. Saturday morning we downed some super secret go fast breakfast and headed out to the North Country Trail. Randy took me on a kick ass tour of some of the best single track Michigan has to offer. During I discovered the trails were dialed but my bike was not. My carbon fiber crank arm was lose and moving in unwanted directions. We continued with our ride anyway and returned to base camp a few hours later. We did our best to fix the problem but it turns out things had gone pear shaped. The carbon fiber had stretched around the spindle. At that point we decided it was time for dinner and that I'd be racing a bum bike. We brewed up a covert Bell's/Quiring Team original pre race meal which was enjoyed while watching Le Tour. Brought to us via satellite. After a good nights rest we were up and eating one of those go fast breakfasts again. I loaded the car, filled bottles and rolled out to the race. It was a beautiful morning. After a short warm up we were at the line ready for 5 laps of all our war. The race started super fast with Greg Kuhn(Fraser) at the head of affairs. Followed by Christian "The Flying Frenchman" Tanguy(Fraser), Mark Parmelee(Cycletherapy), myself, Jason and a host of others. As soon as we hit the hills Christian made a move with only Jason reacting. I stayed with the others. Christian took another jab losing Jason. The Frenchman disappeared as Greg reeled in my teammate. Those two were throwing down as the rest followed. At the end of lap one Jason and Greg gapped my group on the big sandpit of a downhill. It was then I noticed my rear brake was lacking...brakes and functioning poorly. I survived and hopped on Mark Parmelee's wheel. The chase to Greg and Jason was on. On lap two as we hit the hills we started to bring them back. I was hanging on best I could until the catch was made. Then, another surge and I blew up. I did my best to recover and limit my losses. I hit the sandy downhill again and nearly went into the trees. This continued for a couple more laps. I was going backwards. Couldn't put the power down and certainly couldn't rip the downhills. On my fourth lap my rear rotor blew to pieces. Again putting me into the woods. I survived, stopped and checked the damage. I had to bend the remnants of the rotor away from the spokes. Initially I thought my ride was over but Randy spotted me and forced me to ride on. Which I did and I managed to finish with a front brake only. Naturally not what I had hoped for at Big M but it was fun ride in the end. And I got one heck of a lap and a half interval in. Thanks Randy for your hospitality and I'd also like to thank Jason Bowne(Cross Country Cycle) and his family for the water bottle hand ups.

Thanks for reading. See you at the next one.

Joberon

2009 MID SUMMER NIGHTS BEER PARTY

Yes folks---- Bells Brewery along with the Up Front and Company, Marquette MI will be hosting the 3rd annual Ore to Shore After party. Bells Brewery swag, jerseys and a few other items will be given out at the festivities. A select number of entrants to the Up Front and company will receive a Party T-shirt.

Joberon will be hosting a dance contest @ 11pm, bring your best break dancing moves. Brian Matter the challenge has been set !

Live BAND: Lubriphonic

Race #6 in The tailwinds USAC series BIG M

Joberon and Jason Lummis made the trip up to the Manistee national forest race this past weekend. Big M XC ski area is located west of Wellston and east of Manistee MI. 17 Elite racers showed up to the start line for a beautiful day of racing !
The race was fast and furious with just over 5 miles per lap, lap times averaged around 22.5 minutes for each of the 5 laps.
Joberon had some brakes issues, his rear rotor came apart mid race and finished 13th with just a front brake on this up and down course. Joe never quit and that is what we appreciate the most about Joe.
Jason finished 3rd and moved up to the lead in the series overall.



Joberons rotor after the race:




RESULTS

SERIES STANDINGS


Photographers:
ANDREA TUCKER http://www.tuckerbikes.com/
HANS NYBERG http://www.tenmilemedia.smugmug.com/

BTR Kalamazoo Circuit Race

J.Meyers BTR Kalamazoo Circuit Race recap!
I Hit the road for two races over this past weekend. Race #1 Placed 4th. in the Masters 45+ in the field sprint. Race #2 finished 2nd. in Cat. 3's. A little Air time for the team with a solo break for the final 30 + minutes of the race! A single rider bridged up with about 10 minutes to go and the two of us kept the 4 man chase group and field from bridging to us......I was extremely happy with a second place in the Cat. 3's! Went down later in the evening and spent some race money at Bell's Cafe'!!!! Next stop Ore to Shore!!!!

TAILWIND USAC series stop #5 Stony Creek Marathon Race

Jason Lummis and Joberon attended the 5th stop in the Tailwind.net USAC series..... Jason 3rd and Joberon 4th for the day.....Jason had a nice crash 5 miles into the 60 mile race (photo of the hole after the race below)

JOBERON checks IN

Spring Into Summer

With summer finally and officially kicking off I thought it was time for a spring report. After a long winter I started getting the itch to race in April. I didn't have quite the winter full of riding and training that I have in the past and knew I'd be a bit behind. I was really hoping to enjoy the events I selected with no pressure and focus on gaining fitness.

I kicked off the season with a point to point event in Ontario. I traveled up with Mike and Michelle Simonson(Gary Fisher) the day prior to the Paris Ancaster. After a short pre ride we had a great Italian meal thanks to Mike's internet research. From there it was a visit to the hotel hot tub then a good nights rest. The race for me was pretty uneventful. Nothing fancy. No preferred starts, no bottle feeds and no race specific bike set up. Just point and shoot. After the crazy mass start and a long rail trail section I managed to work my way up within the top 50. As soon as we hit the decisive right hander onto a loose climb my chain jammed between my cassette and spokes. It took minutes to fix as I watched the masses go by. I wasn't too fussed as I pressed on. Eventually I worked myself over and found a group that was my speed. I attacked through the infamous mudslides and was able to leave the group and pick off a few others on my way to 55th and a super muddy Quiring 29er MTB.

A week later it was the kickoff of the Tailwind(www.tailwind.net) USAC-MTB Michigan State Championship Series. The venue, Pontiac Lake. This one was a TT format with two 10 mile laps. Conditions were wet and muddy which isn't unusual in April. Besides a hard crash on lap one due to a tree root and a pedal I had a solid ride and snuck my way on the podium with my teammates Jason and Mike. 5th for me, 3rd for Lummis and the win to Mike. Go Team!

Next on the docket was the classic Fort Custer Stampede(www.mmba.org). I started feeling like a bike racer again as I had a solid 1st lap. Lap 2 I faded but recovered quickly and worked to keep the laps consistent. Which I did until the last lap leg cramps set in. I ended in 5th not too far back and departed happily to the post race action at the Bell's Brewery Beer Garden. Heaven on earth.

The next race turned out to be the greatest of my spring campaign. A family van road trip out to Boston to meet my new Niece Zofia. She was born on May 14th and we rolled Clark W. Griswold style and arrived mid day Friday. In between Zofia's feedings and diaper changes I cruised the city and chased down commuters and couriers on my MTB. Once I'd raised enough hell I'd return to hang with the family and eat the best pizza ever, The Upper Crust(www.theuppercrustpizzeria.com). Check it out if you find yourself in Beantown.

Eventually the family truckster returned, the pizza was digested and the next thing I knew I was lining up at Bloomer Park.Race #2 in the USAC State Series. I had a good start but found myself quite uncomfortable. Perhaps that’s why I chose to slide out on wet grass and take a breather. That's all it took for me to lose sight of the front runners for good. I rode out a couple laps with Jamie Parker(Specialized) and Cory Stange(Cyclefit) which kept me motivated. The last couple laps were solid enough that I was able to separate myself from my companions to roll in for 6th. With a sizeable time gap to the guys in front of me I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth. Much work to be done.

The last weekend in May was the 3rd stop for the Tailwind crew. The Brighton Stage Race. Two days, three races. Saturday a TT and short track and the XC on Sunday. Our powerhouse teammate Mike Anderson came down to test his new Quiring rig. Jason was available for the full weekend as was I. Things looked positive for Bell's/Quiring. The TT went excellent with all three of us in the top 5. Mike whaled on everyone and after one stage looked to have the event locked up. Crazy! With Mike and Jason in the top 3 they were sitting pretty. I was, at the very least, looking to maintain my position after the short track. After a great start and some friendly teammates I was able to form a gap. Eventually Lummis got ants in his pants and bridged. Bam! Joe and Jason off the front. Sweet! At some point during lap two Anderson launched from the chasers leaving them all in his wake. He bridged. Even sweeter. Mike, Jason and Joe off the front and opening the gap. Mike pulled Jason and I along and eventually I popped. I was able to stay strong and keep the chasers at bay to make it a Bell's 1-2-3! Very cool. Coming into Sunday's XC Mike and Jason had 1st and 2nd scooped up. I was one second out of 3rd behind Mark Parmelee(Cycletherapy). Anderson took the whole shot and I sat second wheel. Towards the end of lap one I was struggling to stay with our teammate. This was a long race and I needed to be smart. Mike was long gone and left Jason and I to contend with both Jamie Parker(Specialized) and Mark. Shortly before starting our final lap Mark crashed slowing up Jamie and I and off went Jason. Jamie and I worked to get back into our rhythm not seeing Mark nor Jason again until the finish. On the final lap Jamie was having a bike issue and I took of in pursuit of that 3rd spot. Mission accomplished. A Bell's/Quiring 1-2-3 overall. Go team!

Ruby Campground was stop number four. I was 50/50 on attending all week. With poor sleep and lousy legs I had nearly pulled the plug. I rode the day prior and couldn't get out of my own way. Ruby is not my style of a course. I was concerned I'd feel the same come race day which would be torture on that trail. So...while I was driving to Ruby Sunday morning I was hoping for a miracle. Sometimes, you know how it is, you can have no legs one day and great the next. This would not be the case on this day. I felt just as I did the day prior. After the first bit of single track I was going backwards. We hit the first river crossing and I searched for a booze cruise. I did not want to continue. But somehow I fought off those demons and pressed on. I noticed that my first lap was only 24 minutes. A quick bit of math and I new I'd be done in around 2hrs. So that's what I did. I rode my bike for a couple hours on Sunday. I even landed a podium spot for 5th place due to Cory Stange's late race misfortune. A flat.

So that's my spring as I recall. Thanks a lot for reading. Next stop is the Stony Creek Marathon this weekend. This is a true summer opener. I'm sure it'll be HOT as per usual. Me, the heat and the endurance specialists. Should be a fun. It's on Saturday so you know what that means. Post party time!!!

Happy summer everyone!

Joberon

LUMBERJACK 100 ---- 2009 edition

Jason Lummis and John Meyers attended the 5th annual 100 mile race in the Manistee National Forest near Wellston MI. After 7:28 minutes Jason and John finished 8th and 9th places..

RESULTS




THE START OF THE 100 MILE RACE: FROM GREG KUHN







THE START OF THE OUTER LOOP 1ST LAP: GREG KUHN VIDEO

MORE 2009 Team Frames from QUIRING CYCLES

Jason's 2009 QUIRING CYCLES Cyclocross frame made from steel:




Joe and Erin's 2009 QUIRING CYCLES 29er frames made of steel:

Tailwinds race #3 USAC series BRIGHTON STAGE RACE

BELLS Brewery MTB 1 2 3.......Mike Anderson, Jason Lummis and Joe Brzuchanski participated in The Brighton Stage race this past weekend. Day 1 saturday was a Time Trial in the am and then a Short Track in the afternoon. Day 2 was a 40 mile XC.
After day 1 Mike was leading with Jason in 2nd and Joberon in a tight battle for 3rd sitting in 4th. Day 2 the team rode away with the race as Mike won, Jason 2nd and Joberon 3rd....

RESULTS


Podium via cell phone:


Video of XC race by Jan Mack:

TAILWINDS USAC SERIES RACE #2: BLOOMER PARK XC

Jason Lummis and Joberon attended the 2nd stop for the tailwinds series. Jason finished 4th and Joe 6th. The course was great and the resurrection of the stair climb made the race even better.

RESULTS: TAILWIND.NET

Video of the start from Tom Lining (luv2mtb.com)



Relaxing at the start =): Photo Tom Lining (luv2mtb.con)


JOBERON:luv2mtb.com


Lummis:luv2mtb.com


Race report:
Bloomer Park XC 5 laps of fun ! Due to water on the course a week ago this race was rescheduled for this past Sunday. A few nice changes to a course, I have raced at probably 15 times, made the maze of twisty single track to dbl track transitions a little fresher. Great job Art and Bloomer crew, as well as Robert from tailwinds for a different course. The stair climb section made the race (I have not raced the stair climb at this course for what seems like 7yrs) !
I jumped the whistle at the start and sat up for a sec so everyone could catch back up, =0), ooops. The race was on as I sat 2nd wheel to Kuhn, down the sled hill and back up. Great race as Tanguy reeled us in then dropped us on his home course. Lapped traffic was not fun on this twisty course and I lost 10-15 secs to Kuhn a few times. Crashed into a lapper and had to get off the bike to re-tighten my front skewer. Battled with a Stange bro and Parmelee for 2.5 laps and just miissed out on 2nd by a less than 20secs and 3rd by 2secs. I had a few chances to try something for 3rd but just never really pulled the trigger and the sprint was weak as lapped traffic was present to th end. Thanks ERIN for water bottles on the silver platter, you did a great job as we sailed thru the Start/finish.
Next race: BRIGHTON STAGE RACE

FORT CUSTER XC

FORT CUSTER XC RACE MMBA SERIES STOP #2:
John Meyers and Joe Brzuchanski attended the race.....JM Finished 3rd and Joberon 5th

RESULTS

JOHN MEYERS:




JM race report:
Fort Custer 2009 is in the books! Had a solid race and finished 3rd Elite. Our matched finishing time was 2:24:22. John Cowan took a couple pulls on the flats to the start/finish and gave me a few minutes of relief each lap but 99% of the laps 2-4 I was able ride steady tempo and firm pressure....nice to have John on my wheel for company!! Tough Luck to Joberon who finished fifth with a missed turn in first lap! Thanks to Larry Bell Joe, Erin and John had a few brews after the race at the pub to celebrate the great day!!!!!! Next stop Tour of Kensington in Ann Arbor....let's see I can race 1 -2's, 35+, or 45+??????





JOBERON: clean cut

Mike Andersons 29er frame

2009 Bells Brewery/ Quiring Cycle MTB team paint scheme....

PLRA TT ---TAILWIND USAC SERIES RACE #1

1st race of the MI USAC series by Tailwinds.net :

Mike Anderson, Joe Brzuchanski and Jason Lummis attended the race. Mike won with a time of 1:17 and change for the 2 lap 20 mile TT. Jason Lummis 3rd with a 1:20 and Joberon 5th for a Bells Team flooding of the podium....

RESULTS

Mike--Jason and Joe






Jason Lummis at the finish..

2 races down---- JM checks in........

Race season has started!
Race #1
I was a bit hesitant to start the race season with a 3 to 4 hour grave road race this year but I went a head and decided to kick start. The new spring classic in Michigan is the Barry-Roubaix! I finished 5th. Elite! Awesome race! There were 40 starters in the elite class. First lap split was about 1hour 36 minutes. Finishing time 3:21:34.
This is the new Michigan spring classic! Great race Rick Plite!
Race #2
Yankee springs finished 5th. Elite!!! 27 starters in the Elite class! This was my second time on trail this year. Had some Rear derailleur chain problems....off the bike three times maybe loss of 60 seconds! Time for some bike maintenance. Next stop Fort Custer May 3rd. Thanks to all the great sponsors! The bikes, beers, wheels, and the shades are awesome!


THE START OF BARRY ROUBIAX !





JOHN MEYERS Yankee Springs TT