The Raymond Loop

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/380288753

The Raymond Loop  .... It's one of those rides whose very name causes a pause, a reflection, a  ..... concern. It hurts. Every time. No matter the state of one's condition, it hurts and, hense, the concern. When do I have to do it again?  But it's also one of those rides you know you should do. Have to do. Man thing, I guess. It's a test that must be faced. The route makers that be have scripted two Raymond Loop options, the original 60 mile Raymond Loop and the 80 mile Extended Raymond Loop, which adds a 20 mile loop at the apex of the original route.

Actually, the Raymond Loop is very scenic with lots of hills, lakes, farms, views of the White Mountains - lovely in the summer, breathtaking in the fall and utterly dreadful in the extended Maine winter elsewhere known as spring. We just rode it. Late March. 34 degrees and windy with big snow banks. The other day I watched one of those nature shows on TV. A wolf was walking across a frozen riven when all of a sudden the ice broke beneath the animal's hind legs. Splash goes his legs but the wolf scrambles with his front paws, pulls himself onto the ice and continues to amble on his way seemingly unpreturbed by the near death experience. Sometimes I feel that's how we Maine guys are. We ride sub freezing weather way too often, past snow banks, across frozen puddles and continue on nonpulsed as though it's completely normal and acceptable.

But the Raymond Loop is hard cold or no cold; wind or no wind. It's the hills. Short and punchy but continuous with five memorable virtical episodes with the most memorable coming on Valley Road. Hate that one. Straight, 17% with the top seemingly never getting closer. Then you throw in the fact you always do the Raymond Loop with a group, a competitive group, and it's full gas up the major hills. I guess you could say "uncle" every now and then but no one ever does on the Raymod Loop. Maybe if one chose to ride the Loop alone it would be pleasant. A nice country ride. Hummm ... that's a thought.

Giro in Action

Now that we at Downeast Racing have had a chance to ride a few miles with our Giro Aspect helmets and Gio Trans shoes, we would like to thank the gang at Giro again for supporting our team with such quality (and stylish) product. The Aspect is lightweight, comfortable, easy to adjust and the visor option is pure bonus. As you can see, Eliot doubled up on the visor - he couldn't get enough of it. The shoe envelops the foot securely with no pressure points or loose areas. The forefoot has a special positive feel to it as it has just the right amount of space for suppleness and for foot expansion should we ever experience a hot day again.The light, firm plate allows power to go straight to the pedals. So far we have had to keep the shoes wrapped with shoe covers so as not to get them all grimy and yukky with the nasty salt, sand, water, slush, mud, snow, tree limbs and other detritus accumulated on the wintery roads. We look forward to warm weather and clear pavement so we can expose the shoes and display them in action to the public. So, a sincere thank you Giro for making such fine cycling product.

Thoughts on Asheville, NC - Cycling Mecca

 

Cycling Meccas - the French Alps, the Italian Dolomites, the Rockies ..... Asheville, NC? A resounding YES as a bunch of us lucky Downeast Racing guys found out last week. After driving 1030 miles from the ice, snow and potholes of Maine, we found ourselves luxuiating in 60+ degree sunshine and lusting for the silky smooth, sinuating pavement that lead to the hills enveloping the cozy city of Asheville. Really, it was shocking to us how smooth the pavement was ON EVERY RIDE as the roads in Maine take a brutal pounding and are destroyed 3 years after repaving (which, unfortunately, happens maybe every 5 years!). It didn't take long for us to jump on our Giant TCR Advanced 1's to check out the surroundings. Our plan was to hit every quadrant around Asheville and log a ton of miles and elevation.

 

It can be argued that the climbing and descending in this region rival that of anywhere. We did one climb up the Blue Ridge Parkway that went up & over Mt. Pisgah that was 26 miles long with maybe four slight downhill breaks of about a minute. It was 1.75 hrs of climbing mostly in the 11/23. Challenging climbs of 4 to 5 miles are common and the following descents would give a descender like Cadel Evans goosebumps. Pure joy for sure. Memorable climbs include:

 

- in the northwest quadrant, Betsy's Gap Road (rte 209) which leads to the rte 63 climb (probably the best descent anywhere, ever)

- in the southwest quadrant, Mt. Pisgah Highway (Hwy 151 to Blue Ridge Parkway), and then ride the BRP south and come down Lake Logan Road (rte 215) - 6 miles of constant twists and turns

- just north of Asheville is Reems Creek Road (rte 1003 - steep!!) which leads to Ox Creek Road and that will take you up to the BRP.

- coming right out of town is Town Mountain Road, a 5 mile ascent to the BRP (4 of it uphill)

 

Asheville itself is an upbeat town with a vibrant city center full of off-beat shops and a huge variety of first rate restuarants. Plenty of good local beer, too, should you be a little dehydrated after 100 miles or so of riding. Lots of people, lots of fun.

 

In conclusion, either as a training camp site or just being a cycling tourist, Asheville, NC is definitely worth a visit sometime during one's cycling adventures.  

Giro, giro everywhere

In the absense of much of the team, as many have flocked to the warmer corners of the country, I am left in Brunswick to sort through a mountain of new gear by myself.  A truly great sponsor in Giro has provided the team with new Aspect helmets and Trans shoes.  The new lids are a fire engine red, light as a feather and very stylish.  They will be equally at home at the front of the peleton or hanging off your bike while you stop for one last espresso.  Couple the new lids with a sharp white and red, carbon soled Trans shoe and the Downeast Racing Team will be hard to miss.  You will see plenty of the gear this spring and summer as team logs miles throughout New England.

Eliot

The Southwest Training Camp (the other camp)

While Hank and most of the team are hitting the hills of North Carolina, I have been in Arizona getting some long days of training in. 

The trip started off in the foothills of Scottsdale, where I rode with Jon Ayers, a strong OA/Cyclemania rider, and Russ Lamer, a friend that is currently living in Scottsdale.  The first day of riding was a late afternoon slug-fest through Fountain Hills and up McDowell Mountain.  We finished the ride with lights, but we still enjoyed the warm weather. 

Scottsdale Bike Paths

The second day in Scottsdale was a bike path ride with Russ.  It was great to see him again, I hadn't ridden with Russ in at least 6 years!  The bike paths in Scottsdale are better than any place I have ever been.  They must have over a hundred miles of paved paths!  I would like to check them out again on my next trip to the area.


Day three is where the work really began.  I drove to Tucson, checked into the hotel, and immediately headed to Mt. Lemmon.  I have to say, the climb isn't that steep, but the length and elevation makes it a beast!  I ride uphill to a little over 7,000 feet, and had to turn around to make it back before dark.  The hairpin descent also took a lot of work (and focus) - I thought going downhill was supposed to be easy!

Day four was also in Tucson, and I got to ride with an old teammate, Ben Forbes.  He took me on a 60 mile loop over Gates Pass and through the desert.  Temperatures had to be in the mid to upper 80's, which was awesome.  It was also great to ride with Ben again!  Ben is already in mid-season form because he has been able to ride all winter, and he took more than his share of 28+ mph pulls - I was impressed!

Ben the Butcher Crushing it in the Desert!

I had originally planned to head to Sedona on the fifth day, but I wouldn't let Lemmon beat me, so day five was Lemmon squared.  This time I started early, and I was able to make it over the top and all the way to the town of Summerhaven.  I hadn't been there since I mountain biked the area in 1997!  The climb up was long, but I focused on maintaining a good tempo pace, and I was able to arrive at the top with relatively fresh legs.  The only difficult part was the temperature - it dropped from around 70 at the base to the mid 40s at the top!  About half way up the climb, a descending cyclist (Kurt Perham) stopped because he recognized my kit from Maine.  He wanted to let me know that it was really cold at the top - nice information to have, but I was determined to finish what I started two days prior - even if it was cold!  Strangely enough, I met a couple from Concord, NH when I pulled into Summerhaven.  They told me that they live on the Concord Criterium course, and they always watch us go by from their front porch!

Mt. Lemmon - Including snow at the top!

Riding Cathedral Trail - Team kits not in yet!

I did make it to Sedona on day six, and I decided to mix it up a bit with some mountain biking.  If you haven't ever ridden the mountain bike trails in Sedona, you should make it a point to check them out.  The trail network is fantastic, the best I have ridden anywhere.  I only had my road bike with me, so I stopped by Sedona Bike and Bean for a rental.  I met Tony, the owner, and he hooked me up with a high end Specialized that performed flawlessly.  Four hours of ripping the trails around Sedona - I never stopped smiling the whole time!  If you are in Sedona, make sure to stop by the Bike and Bean.  The customer service is first rate - it is a can't miss shop!

Tomorrow may be a travel day, or I might squeek in additional Arizona riding.  I am currently sitting in a room in Sedona trying to make up my mind.  I would love to be riding with the team in North Carolina, but this isn't too shabby.

Although the training will help build fitness to kick the season off right, and it sure is nice to be riding without snow (mostly), I am really looking forward to seeing my family.  My wife has been holding down things around home, which can be tough solo, and my son is in the final week of preparing for the New Balance Indoor Track Nationals.  He will be competing at the event in NYC this weekend - I couldn't be more proud.

Anyway, stay tuned to see where the next ride takes place!

Thanks for reading...

Jeff

Bike Racing Milestones: Graduating From The 4's

If you stick with bike racing long enough, you are bound to rack up a number of achievements. Some may be private accomplishments such as straining up one of the iconic climbs of the sport – Alpe D’Huez, Mont Ventoux, Mt. Washington, McKenzie Pass come to mind. While others may be more publicly acknowledged – winning a race, winning a stage race, winning a national championship, signing a pro contract! All good stuff, but may we at Downeast Racing contend that one of the most memorable days, or most desired goal, in any cycling career, is the day you graduate from cat 4 to cat 3. Why is that?

There are a number of reasons why this singular achievement, fairly low on the totem pole of cycledom studliness, elicits such a sense of satisfaction. Anyone who races knows that the 4’s represent the bottom of the pile when it comes to racing hierarchy. Sure, there is the cat 5 class, but graduating from 5 to 4 (participate in 10 races) doesn’t represent rough & tumble, tooth & nail, run over your grandmother to win achievement. No, entry into that domain is reserved for the 4’s and an unforgiving domain it is. The 4’s represent the first time you have to earn your way up the totem pole. No medals just for showing up. It represents the first time you face your strengths and limitations and figure out how to apply them. It’s the first time you get truly pounded by greater talent and realize that there is a lot to learn in this sport of bike racing. So that is what you do, you go about learning and gaining strength.

Sure, there are some guys who blow through the 4’s like nothing. Yes there are guys who start the year as a 4 and end the summer as a Cat 1. Yes it happens but it is oh so rare. For the vast majority, making your way out of the 4’s is a tooth and nail climb fraught with the ever present anxiety of “do I have what it takes?” There are a number of things that uniquely contribute to the difficulty of the 4’s.

- There is a wide disparity of talent. You have guys entering the sport without that many miles on their legs or finishes fresh in their minds versus guys who have piled on the miles and gained a few years of racing experience

- The fields are always huge. Being the base of the pyramid, there are many more riders clamoring to fill the 125 or so racing spots. The bigger the field the lower the chances of placing

- You’re usually racing solo – no team. The racing is more chaotic because it’s a free for all without team organization. There are fewer friendly wheels to grab and follow to the line

- Desperation for results is high – probably higher than for a Tour de France win. Guys will do crazy things in order to place and get their upgrade points

- Due to inexperience, there are many more crashes in the 4’s. Unfortunately, crashing is part of the learning experience. It takes time, but after a while you can anticipate all the trouble areas and proactively avoid problems. For most, it takes a few scrapes to get to that point

Eventually you gain experience. You gain strength. You develop allies who help you get to the line. You gravitate to the races that fit your winning style – hilly courses for climbers, flat courses for sprinters, crits for the truly insane. And you start getting results. And the day comes when you step on the podium to collect your medal and the announcers says, “This is Johnny’s (or Susie’s) last race as a 4 because he’s earned his upgrade points and is now eligible to be a 3”. And that is as proud a moment as you’ll have in any sport because it announces that you have grown in strength, toughness and talent. That you have faced the chaos of the 4’s and persevered. And with it comes the greater respect of your peers because they know how difficult the initiation process is.

In closing, we at Downeast Racing understand how hard achieving cycling goals are and we wish you the best of success in your endeavors this year.

T-Shirts: Faster than a Bicycle

That's me styling the Downeast Racing t-shirt made by Atayne. Not bad, eh? The t-shirt, I mean. It's nice to have a t-shirt to herald your organization. Shows a sense of pride. As you know, you can by this one at our BUY GEAR section on our website. And do you know what? It's really easy to get a "company" t-shirt when working with Atayne. Incredible, really. So, if you want to make money for an organization with which you may be associated, listen up.

Yeah, we sell these on our website and we have been able to do it by shelling out no money (ok, there is a nominal set-up charge). Incredible again, right? How'd we do that? Here's how it works when choosing Atayne as your t-shirt supplier. For starters you supply Atayne with:

• Vector copy of the logo (ai, pdf, or EPS file)
• Vector copy of the jersey design (ai, pdf, or EPS file)

From there, for a one time nominal set-up charge, they prepare the t-shirt printing mechanism. There is no t-shirt blanks inventory to buy. There is no printed T's  inventory to buy. There are no order minimums. Atayne works with your IT person to set up your "store" buying link to the Atayne site. Atayne handles all the orders, payments, shipping, everything. We don't have to do jack - except cash the check Atayne sends us each month. We get a nice percentage of each t-shirt sale.

Matt Jacobson and I met for the first time with the Atayne owner, Jeremy Litchfield, on February 11th. Today, March 1st, I received the t-shirt I ordered a few days ago. From first meeting to getting a printed t-shirt took 2.5 weeks. Incredible .... for the third time. Check out this money making opportunity for your organization at www.atayne.com     

Hope you find this helpful.      Hank