Indiana University of Pennsylvania Cycling Team

Want to purchase an IUP kit?

2012-01-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

We have had some further interest in kits, so we will be making a second order likely sometime in February. Contact David Watkins at w.d.watkins@iup.edu for more information or if you want to order.

Sale is open to anyone who is interested. Prices are $75 for jerseys and $150 for the full kit.

Shipping can be arranged if you are out of the area.

Thanks to our Sponsors

2011-11-30T19:37:00.001-08:00

Big Bang Bicycles in West Mifflin is sponsoring us again this year. New for 2012 is Al Patti's Bar and Grill, located on Philadelphia Street in downtown Indiana.

IUP Cycling Back on the Trails

2011-09-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

This Saturday saw IUP getting back into the muddier side of bike racing. Myself and Spencer King made the short trip out 422 to Yellow Creek State Park for the September edition of the Yellow Creek monthly race series, put on by RideYC. With neither of us having raced mountain before, it looked to be a good place to get our feet wet. The morning was comfortable and sunny, but with a substantial amount of mud on the 12 mile course from usual Indiana weather.

Spencer with the throwback kit

The balloon loop course featured the twisty Blair Witch trail and its pine roots, and the dam site trail with its humbling climb.

Platform roadie guy

Going in with very limited experience on the Yellow Creek trails and whatever fitness we had from the summer, we weren't sure what to expect. Spencer was pretty successful in his IUP Cycling debut, finishing just out the money in sixth. I on the other hand spent much of the race fighting with my slippery platform pedals and roadie bike handling skills, or lack thereof. It was certainly a humbling experience for me, at least skill-wise, although I know the strength and handling I gain will come in handy when road season rolls around.

We will be venturing further into the local mountain racing scene through October, in the Month of Mud series as well as the October Yellow Creek race. Hopefully some other IUP cyclists will be joining us at future races. A little cross action isn't out of the question either.

Also on Saturday was IUP Day, with some good interest being showed. Sean and Nathan held down the fort there while Spencer and I got muddy down at Yellow Creek.

Our newest member?!

Monday's informational meeting had a good turnout, with some more mountain interest as well as some promising potential road racers. The road side of the club looks to be filling out nicely for the spring.

For the homecoming weekend, we will be looking forward to some quality rides with some IUP Cycling alums who are making the trip. For more information on the alumni rides this weekend check out our Facebook page or the previous posts on here.

Alumni Homecoming Ride

2011-08-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

IUP Homecoming is the weekend of Septemeber 30th this year. The alumni rides will be tentatively scheduled for Friday at 5:30pm and Saturday start time TBD. The parade is scheduled for 10:00am start.

More information available on Facebook at the IUP Cycling page.

More information on IUP Homecoming 2011 available here.

New Pittsburgh Track Records

2011-07-28T12:01:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to former IUP Cyclist, and now IUP Cycling Team advisor, Steven Brewer, who has set two new track records at the Pittsburgh Cycling Oval, governed by the Allegheny Cycling Association. Brewer's records are in the 1/2 mile standing start, 1 lap, in 55.59 seconds at 32.38 mph, and in the 1/2 mile flying start, 1 lap, in 54.52 seconds at 33.01 mph. These new marks were set on June 10, 2011. The previous holder for one of these records was former UCI Pro Joe Papp. The list of track records for the Pittsburgh Cycling Oval can be found here.

IUP Hardening Up

2011-05-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

As this will be my last race at IUP, I figured I would share the link to my thoughts and recap of the race. David Watkins should be starting his race recaps soon as he will be taking the reigns of IUP Cycling's club presidency. Thanks for reading and I hope finals week for all the students reading this goes well.

Steel City Showdown Post-Race-Post

2011-04-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

This amazing event served as a great learning experience as well as a new experience for some IUP Cyclists this past weekend. Four of IUP's own participated in respective events and we are excited to keep this on our racing calendars for years to come. We would like to thank all that supported the event and made it happen as well as those that came out to support us. My account of the race can be found via my blog here. Thanks for reading and I hope to have the other IUP Cyclists writing their own accounts soon.

Post-Race-Post: Hollidaysburg Canoe Creek 1

2011-04-09T13:55:00.001-07:00

This here is my account of today's race in Hollidaysburg. Thanks for reading and again more updates will occur as I see the official race results. David and I are enjoying the aggressive racing we're facing and the lessons being learned. I'm thinking he will be starting a blog soon.

Account of Morgantown Road Race

2011-04-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

This will be another page from my personal blog. I and two teammates race the Morgantown Road Race as a season opener. It was a tough one. The link to my blog post can be found here. I believe I will be updating it as I see fit. Here it is today:

Where's The Podium? #1: Morgantown Road Race - 4th

Let's start from the top. An afternoon race start time is key. JR Petsko'sABRA racing series is full of them and that alone is enough to make me want to keep coming back. It was with that in mind that I took the horrific weather with some reserved animosity. We could have been racing in the terrible snow, sleet, rain, and wind with not a prayer for sun early in the morning. Yet, all of that mixed in with a grueling "pain-cave" race made the Morgantown Road Race a race of great proportions with everyone involved. Myself, David Watkins and John Blank (after a clutch no-show opened up a spot for John) all raced in the Cat 4/5 race.

Looking at some other racers getting ready, the rain began to fall.. then a snow mix.

Slushy seat and bike

There I am warming up and this will lead nicely to me talking about the race and my tactics therein. I chose to pack no leg-warmers. I wasn't even going to consider it (channeling my inner Belgian). I wore my Elite Ozone warming gel and that was all that I needed. I will contend that I was the only one not wearing leg or knee warmers in all of the races and I am proud of that. That was part of my mental preparation... there was nothing that would stand in the way of me doing this race in the best way I could manage. It was going to be tough, leg-warmers or not and i have nothing to hide. Also note the Power Bar energy gel tucked on the quad. I had another slipped on the other side and that's where they stayed until use in the race. I also decided against wearing my wind/water-proof jacket. I knew I would get cold, but I also knew my legs were the important component here. When we finally did get rolling after a 30 min delay for weather improvement, everyone was unsure of how things would unfold.

Rolling out, things were good and bad. Tough cold, wind, rain added to terrible road conditions with potholes that knocked many people's water bottles out (I almost lost one of mine) was the bad. There was a lot of talking during the first 8 miles or so before a break happened with I'm guessing three or four riders and another trailing to bridge a gap to them. I will say that I would have probably tried to get with that break had I been able to move to the front, but I was sure glad to find out that staying in the peloton was just what I needed. I made it a goal of mine to go with any and every break that happened no matter what - afraid that the race would slip from me without my control. The peloton caught that break I believe on the first climb, but again I was not near the front so I am unsure of when that happened. Nonetheless, they were caught and another break was to go I believe on the 2nd climb (no one could control that one but those three).

Note about that 2nd breakaway: It stuck. They were all from the same team (TOMS... like Toms Shoes) and they admitted that they were just using the race to get points so that they could cat-up. I mean, I can accept that, but it kinda stinks to be racing below your level just for points. Apparently they actually started the race late, bridged up to the peloton, passed us all and took the 1-2-3. I fail to see how that is impressive when they could have raced in the Cat 3/4 race and challenged themselves with better competition. Enough said.... maybe.

With the breakaway gone the rest of the race was to be decided on the climbs and the rolling hills to the finish. I ended up finding myself with a nice group after the first climb. I believe David was at least there and it was at that point that I took my first energy gel and I suggested David do the same. The timing of my intake worked well for me. His proved to be a little more difficult as I believe we hit the second climb of the day struggling to open the thing and he was admittedly not ready for the horrid taste of banana-strawberry (it was all that was left when we shopped) bitterness. That second climb was a test indeed. A select group got away at that one and I was in the red to keep with them.

A lot was going through my mind at that point. Firstly, I thought that I just needed to limit my losses and tick away as hard as I could. Secondly, I needed to not give up. This race was not going to slip by me. Thirdly, I thought to make a joke with the others suffering by saying "I shouldn't have had all that candy at Halloween!" but I also [fourthly] thought I might save that one. Fifthly, the thought of doubt came in the form of me wondering how I was going to handle the next climbs and bridging back the gap that was occurring and how much weight I wish I could have really lost during training.

A gap certainly did occur and I had to bridge on the decent to keep with them. They were cooking and I was frying. Eventually I did come up on their wheels and recovered enough to give a few pulls to make sure we were not going to have too many others join us. It was clear that our work should not be done in groups of two or three, so eventually we formed a nice "chasing group," as they'd say, and worked together. Hitting the third climb was a brutal thing. We were all on the rivet and I would contend I was the worst. My pain-face was evident and my face sucking wind. I remember blurred vision just looking down at my front wheel I suppose to make sure it was still moving forward. Although I believe the pace was quicker on the second climb, energy stores were being tested on this third one and my legs were screaming. Yet, so were everyone else's (one must never forget). I fell off the wheels of my group again and knew that even after the summit, I would still have to work myself hard to catch them again.

The descents were sketchy. Wet pavement is one thing, but I am not used to such switchbacks. I don't know if they just look fast doing them in the pros, but I did my best to hold a line without skidding off-road. However, I didn't really have a problem with them and don't you think the only switchbacks were on the descents. Uphill switchbacks reminded me that these were the kind of climbs I have dreamed about killing. Though I surely hoped they wouldn't kill me.

I suffered to bridge the gap to my group of five and I wondered if I was burning too much of what I had left for the finish. Upon that thought my tactics came to mind. Instead of taking more pulls like I had done after the second climb, I decided I had better not just latch onto a wheel directly. Rather, I knew I needed to protect myself, my efforts, and my legs for when I needed them most. I trailed off the back a bit and did no more work than to remain as inconspicuous as possible (out of sight - out of mind) Now I do understand this kind of thinking and tactics. I was benefitting from the work of others and am no better than the Toms teammates taking advantage of a situation. Albeit, they chose to race an "easier" race for points. My move was a race time decision and it paid off. I got no complaints from the guys trading pulls and I tried to stay off the back just enough so as to hope they would think I was suffering more than I was and maybe even still trying to catch their group. I don't think I fooled anyone though.

Tactics are something I am very much focussed on this year. I want to race like I know what I am doing. I chose to take the race into my own hands and play it how I needed to. I did not take any wind for the last 10+ miles and I am okay with that. Some may call it cheap, I call it race tactics. It was within this time that I made sure I took my second energy gel, made sure that I was drinking a lot of my V8 Fusion/water mix in my bottles, and recover. I played my cards right and I am happy with how it turned out.

The last 2-3 miles I knew from the drive in. It was a relief to know where I was and what to look for through the finishing miles - crossing the state line from Pennsylvania into West Virginia. Those last two miles were testing for everyone in my group. The two guys who put the most effort in pushing the pace before this point got dropped by three of our group's members on the third to last roller within the final mile. I was still playing my patience card and kept their wheel as they slowly faded to a surge from those aforementioned three. I knew how close we were to the finish and I knew I needed to attack my waning lead-out and find more suitable wheels to follow before the road opened up at the "200m to go" mark where the yellow-line-rule was to be nulled for any sprint finish. I caught my three targets on the second to last roller and for some reason a straggler from the Cat 3/4 was following their wheels to. Upon bridging and recognizing (by not recognizing this rider from our breakaway) this atrocity I readily snapped at the rider to back off their wheels and I found my position at I believe third wheel. Once we rolled up on the last little roller to the slight uphill finish, I knew where to look for that "200m to go" sign and I quickly swept to the left side of the road. I was surprised that no one in front of me had tried this move and I was happy to have it all to myself. I don't know what happened after I swung over and I took the sprint with strength and full confidence I had just taken 4th.

I had high spirits before and after the race. I felt confident in myself, my training, preparation, and mental state. I was excited to just be racing and I wanted the race to be a learning experience above all. Beyond that, I wanted to work not only my legs for a result, but also my tactics and mental game. They say that it is not always the strongest that wins a race, but sometimes the smartest. I believe I played this one right and I got the "win" I wanted. I am not a "climber," but I made it work out. I knew that my pull after the third climb was not necessary unless someone in my group were to yell at me for not doing any work. We were not going to be caught by anyone behind and I knew I needed to do my best to recover. I do wish it could have been for the top spot on the podium, but I am happy with my result. My bike needs a shower.

Looking ahead to other races, I believe I just need to try to remain consistent. Continue and believe in my training, remain patient, and go with my gut during a race. There is no need to go into the red for a pull when I have a greater concern - the finish line.

Great race and I look forward to the next ABRA event.

David finished 25th in his first ever bicycle race and I am not sure where John Blank finished yet. As a team I believe we are happy about the race and I am most certainly looking forward to the next weekend. I will be on the hunt for any photo(s) of the sprint finish (however selfish that may sound... I'm proud of my efforts). I will update as I see fit. Thanks for reading!

Our Bike Shop

2011-03-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

I have just come from Big Bang Bicycles and I thought it appropriate to share my experience there with viewers here. I have written about it here, but I will go ahead and copy and paste the post for you on this blog. Thanks for reading and we are excited for our first race of the season this weekend!

Paying for Gas

... I'm not a fan of it, but that is a fact of this modern life. I will say that I am lucky enough to have a bike shop that will service my bike better than any other I can think of. Big Bang Bicycles, just outside of Pittsburgh, gives us an extra pull every time we need their help. Monday, I took in my and teammate David's bike there for what I thought would be a quick tune-up. Turns out, our steeds needed more work than we had anticipated, but when all is said and done, the work and care put into these bikes is more than worth it.

Craig, their master wrench, knows how to clean a bike up and get it ready for the races. Seeing as how our first race will be this Saturday at the Morgantown Road Race, this was a good a time as any to pay Big Bang a visit. I was an idiot and did not call ahead last week to slot us in their schedule Monday so I had to go back today to deal with the bikes. It was a blessing in disguise really. The unforeseen work that had to be done on these bike and, thus, the unforeseen costs incurred by having to replace stuff. What can bee seen at their shop is class.

Yes $350.00 Giordana Jacket

$250 Giordana Jersey

The "bella" Campy Super Record 11 groupset for your fine self.

Our IUP Cycling shirt hanging out with a Pinarello Quattro

Sorry for the blurriness, but you know how it is with a phone's camera. Speaking of IUP Cycling shirts, I have emailed our shirt maker and he is ready to make them! I am still unsure about the slogan. "I. U.sually P.edal" isn't really making me excited. I will be looking up cycling quotes for a bit. I will not even think about putting something about the everlasting life of "quitting" no matter how seasonal "pain's" position may be while riding a bicycle - if you follow me there.

Big Bang Bicycles is a fine shop and I absolutely recommend going there. They take bicycles and the best things money can buy very seriously. Yet, don't be timid. They cater to all skill levels and budgets! Us broke college kids get a massive break from them and we very much appreciate their help! I also was able to finally get the shop an authentic (as if there's an unauthentic one) IUP Cycling Jersey for them to display in their shop. Look for us!

Official Song of IUP Cycling

2011-02-17T21:42:00.000-08:00

State of the Union: Cycling D1

2011-01-31T14:32:00.000-08:00

Not to be confused with Cyclin D1, for Spring 2011 it looks like IUP Cycling is going to the Big Show. I've tried to contact a few people, specifically the director of the conference for any sort of confirmation as to whether we are permitted to move up because of our school size. I have not heard back in over a week, so unless I hear different, we will be going up to Division 1 for our races. This means new teams, but not necessarily new talent.

The criteria for moving up into the D1 arena was having 15,000 or more full-time students at the club's school. The most complete information I could get was from https://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=77267 This says we have just under 15,000, which was the reason for my email to the director of the conference. I also have been in contact with an AD at IUP who referred me to the Club Director, who I hope to rope into having a more vested interest in cycling at IUP. This will hopefully get us more exposure.

As for our divisional status, becoming D1 is not anything that should change our cycling preparation and races. We will just be racing against bigger schools, which really only means that their club has more students to select from, so the talent may be more refined, but not necessarily better. Our in-limbo-gray-area-status bothered me the most, so in the club's mailing to USA Cycling to renew our eligibility, I struck the D1 box until I hear if this needs to change.

I also struck the National Champs box in 2013.

New Look for IUP Cycling 2011

2010-12-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

The new look is approved and the orders are in for IUP Cycling 2011. We would like to thank Zach, Mimi, and David at VoMax Techwear for their continues support and hard work for our team. Here's the look...

More details at my blog. Where's My Trophy?

-jc

Johnny C's Blog: Updates

2010-11-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

A lot of the time I'm not sure how I can objectively update here, but I've been much more active lately on my personal blog. On there, I've got some stuff no one should care about, but it does allow me to keep more up to date with how I see IUP Cycling. Thanks to some amazing November weather, I've had some great rides with IUP cyclists, new and not so new lately. I share a bit on that and more like my new cyclocross obsession here: http://johnnybrison.blogspot.com/ Thanks.

-jc

New Year

2010-10-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Fall semester is in full swing and IUP Cycling has started off the school year with some recruitment. With some good interest shown at initial meetings and IUP club promotional events, IUP Cycling has picked up a few new riders.

New riders means new bikes, new equipment, and new immersion into the sport of cycling. It is really awesome that we can have such a great bike shop backing us at Big Bang Bicycles. They have really helped these new riders get off on the right bikes.

There should be new training programs starting up as well. The "experienced" riders know the benefits of having one and the new riders will surely benefit from any program that gets them focussed on the bike for racing in the spring. Each program will be individualized, but with the backdrop of a team mentality. We are all racing for victory as a team.

The new riders will learn and develop in the sport together. I'm sure a few will rise to the top.

Hydration Needs Table

2010-08-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up Charity Ride

2010-07-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

Link:
http://www.firstgiving.com/iupcycling

Click on the link to register through Climb Up and fill out the information/donation page.

Summer is Here!

2010-05-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Classes are done, finals are over, and everyone has time to get back on track with riding. Whether on the roads or trails, there are many great places to ride around the Indiana area. I'd like to congratulate the team for a good season representing IUP on the collegiate road racing scene in the ECCC. The future for the team looks bright.

Personally, I'm looking forward to a summer of riding (and triathlons). Check out the following map which highlights the location of the covered bridges in Indiana... I feel that it gives a good route for a nice ride.

For those out there interested in mountain biking/racing, l encourage you to look into the Yellow Creek Monthly Race Series, detailed in this blog post.

See you out on the bike!

ECCC Racing Results

2010-04-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Collegiate Category "D" Racing

Princeton Road Race 3/28
18 miles

2nd place - John Churan

http://www.velocityresults.net/results/250/eccc-week-4-the-2010-jersey-devil-princeton-nj

Bucknell Road Race 4/3
27 miles

1st place - John Churan
2nd place - Steve Brewer
7th place - Roddy Gibbs

Bucknell Criterium 4/4
25 minutes

2nd place - Steve Brewer

http://www.velocityresults.net/results/251/eccc-week-4-bucknell-university-lewisburg-pa

Second Video of IUP Cycling

2010-03-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

I know I mentioned that I was working on this video a while ago, but it took a while to piece everything together and finish up the details. I put some faces to names and hopefully captured some personality for each rider. Here it is and I hope you all enjoy.

IUP Cycling Team 2010

I am thinking this will be embedded to the blog shortly, but for now I'll post it for promotion's sake.

IUP cyclists Jon Yuhas, John Blank, and John Churan are headed to Lancaster, PA and Princeton, NJ for two races this weekend. These will be the first races of the year for the three Jo[h]ns and they are eager to represent IUP in 2010.

IUP/AG3R Century

2010-03-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

IUP Spring Races Cancelled

2010-03-15T11:33:00.001-07:00

IUP Cycling's Spring races are officially cancelled. Short-term venue changes were looked into, but cannot be approved in time to hold a race or races (by PennDot and White Township, Indiana).

I would like to thank everybody who has demonstrated interest and offered to help with the promoting of these races, but the races will have to be put off for this year. I am looking forward to future cycling races in Indiana, PA. Spring 2010 just did not work out unfortunately.

On a side note, it was great meeting members of ACA's cycling community at the ACA sponsored USAC Officials' Clinic yesterday. I am looking forward to officiating races and playing a part in Western PA's cycling community.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Yuhas
IUP Cycling President

Yellow Creek Monthly Race Series

2010-03-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

For all mountain biking enthusiasts and any others interested in mountain bike racing,

The YC Monthly is a grass roots mountain bike race series that takes place on the last Saturday of every month at Yellow Creek State Park from March 2010 to November 2010.

Format:

- 10:30am Shotgun Start
- 3 divisions: Male, Female, Youth
- Riders complete one 10 mile loop
- $10.00 donation per race
- A portion of the proceeds benefit the 'Friends of Yellow Creek' as well as a payout to the top 1/3rd of each class

... I am looking forward to doing a few of these; not til summer however due to spring road racing. If anyone has any further questions, contact:

james.thompson16@gmail.com
Website: http://www.rideyc.com/home

Crimson Crits - New race route for 3/28

2010-03-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

IUP Cycling has not yet given up on hosting races. See below for the new race route, which is less than a mile off campus. BikeReg and updated race flyer coming soon...

- Race Director

St. Patty's Day t-shirts - Fundraiser

2010-03-04T16:24:00.000-08:00

T-shirts for sale: Now $10 each!!

Look for our table in the HUB near the Fitness Center.

Monday, 3/15 : Noon - 5 p.m.

Tuesday, 3/16: Noon - 5 p.m.

*St. Patty's Day* 3/17: Noon - 5 p.m.

**Race 3/7 Canceled*

2010-03-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

Racers,

The race on 3/7 has been canceled. An alternative venue is being looked into for 3/21 and 3/28.

Jonathan Yuhas
Senior, Dietetics/Nutrition
President and Race Director, IUP Cycling
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

IUP Crimson Crits: Race Status

2010-02-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

To all interested participants, spectators, and well wishers:

I thank every one of you for welcoming the idea of the IUP Crimson Crit Training Series. This entry will be quite wordy, so bear with me.

As most of you know, planning a race of any sort takes substantial effort, networking, and time on the part of not only the race director, myself, but also the committed involvement of capable individuals, IUP Cycling officers. Throughout the process of planning and organizing, we full-time IUP students planning this race have not only gone through the University's bureaucratic process to make these races happen, but also through the borough of Indiana. Being a first-time event, we have had to work especially hard to make all necessary preparations/precautions; all the while demonstrating flexibility, team work, and respect.

In order to successfully manage all of these, we have reached out to USA Cycling, PA Cycling, the Allegheny Cycling Association, and various experienced members of the cycling community. I am grateful for each and every helpful suggestion and recommendation received. I am confident that the using this combined knowledge and experience would allow IUP Cycling to host a successful Criterium Series showcasing the university to all of Western Pennsylvania and the surrounding region.

As with any endeavor, challenges have arisen. A comprehensive budget for the races had been detailed for the Criterium Series well in advance so that all possible measures could be taken to ensure the events' feasibility. The original quote from the University Police was deemed to be rather extensive, but justified at the same time. However, upon further examination of race logistics, the University Police were inclined to increase their fee (to ~$1200/day) in order to staff more officers. This would better account for the safety of race course closure, even though volunteer race marshals will be fully screened and briefed of their race-day duties. This new quote presents a last-minute challenge that will effectively nullify the Criterium Series' operating budget.

I assure all of you that all possible measures we could have taken had been made to prepare for such an occurrence. IUP Cycling reached out to many Indiana businesses, businesses in the Greater Pittsburgh area, and several cycling associations for sponsorship and/or grant funding. I am proud of our efforts, especially considering the fact that each of us is a full-time college student involved with multiple extracurriculars.

In conclusion, I would again like to thank all of you for welcoming IUP Cycling's effort in organizing a race series that would add to the region's cycling scene. The status of our first day of races, March 7th, is very tentative. We cannot predict the level participation for these events to establish an accurate value to race-day earnings; therefore we will be unable to operate without either a fee-reduction, or further funding.

With gratitude,

Jonathan Yuhas

Senior, Dietetics/Nutrition
President, IUP Cycling
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
J.M.Yuhas@iup.edu

2010: The Year of the Bike

2010-02-24T16:19:00.000-08:00

There are too many negatives to list about the winter season as it relates to cycling in the Mid-Atlantic part of the US; chief among them is that time spent on the bike decreases. This leads to not only decreased race-readiness (especially for the early season NCAA season) in general, but decreased bike-handling specifically. Poorly maintained bikes then head out the door, with poorly maintained riders sitting on top of them, leading inevitably, to Exhibit A:

I'm no elite rider by any means, and the abuse I subject my bike to (letting it set outside over the winter, not cleaning it properly after long rides, not riding it with at least a little air of arrogance around me to defensively ride it) have led me to believe I've had this coming.

I've learned the hard way that if I'm going to do this sport long-term, I need to at least take this a little more seriously again. That means not treating the end of February like those millions of New Years resoluters do, flocking to the gyms, vowing to get into better shape, trying to cram into 2 weeks what year-round gym-goers strive the whole year for.

So if this were the New Year, the Year of the Bike:

1. no more fitness cramming
2. ride throughout the year; base, build, race, transition, maintain, WINTER, maintain, base, race
3. treat the bike with more respect
4. get into those group rides
5. pwn

Today I was able to do #3 for the first time since I've owned the bike; break it down, clean it up, and piece it together. Essentially it's a frame with wheels now. Derailleur, chain, cables to follow. Here's to hoping there aren't any leftover pieces.

Tour of the Battenkill - Volunteering

2010-02-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hello from the Tour of the Battenkill,

The Tour of the Battenkill (www.tourofthebattenkill.com) is fast approaching in April. The Professional/Amateur event on Saturday, April 10th is the largest cycling race in the USA with more than 2,200 racers expected. The cover of the Jan./Feb. 2010 issue of Bicycling magazine featured the Tour of the Battenkill, calling it the “America’s Greatest Ride”, with photos from the 2009 event. Racers compete over a rugged, 62-mile course in upstate New York's Battenkill Valley.

The complete Tour of the Battenkill schedule includes:
* Professional/Amateur event on Saturday, April 10th - The largest cycling race in the USA with more than 2,200 racers expected! * Ride2Recovery (http://www.ride2recovery.com/) event Saturday, April 17 – A benefit ride for wounded war veterans. * “Pro Invitational” for about 200 cyclists on professional teams on Sunday, April 18, representing the USA, Great Britain, Australia and Canada. (124 miles)

The professional cycling event on April 18th is part of the Union Cycliste Internationale’s (UCI) America’s Tour. Also check out the recent cyclingnews.com article.

More than 350 energetic and enthusiastic volunteers (road marshals and drivers) are needed, primarily for the Saturday, 4/10 Pro/Am and the Sunday, 4/18 Pro Invite, with a few volunteers needed for the 4/17 Ride2Recovery. The time commitment on Saturday, April 10, will be about 5-7 hours and for Sunday, April 18th, either one or two 2 hour shifts.

Volunteers will receive an event t-shirt, appropriate training & materials, and an invitation to dinner with the pro cyclists and the race sponsors! In addition, for every 10 volunteers provided by civic groups and not-for-profit organizations (i.e., school sports teams, scout pacts, book clubs, etc.), a $100 donation will be made to the group for each day that their group volunteers. Please fill out the form at http://www.tourofthebattenkill.com/volunteers or email volunteers@tourofthebattenkill.com if you or your organization has an interest in participating with the largest Pro/Am cycling race in the USA! Please send your availability for one or both days, home phone, cell phone, hometown, your preference for location, and the name of your local organization.

Thank you!

Dieter Drake Race Promoter
info@tourofthebattenkill.com

Deb Fox
Volunteer Coordinatorvolunteers@tourofthebattenkill.com.

IUP Cycling Team, circa 1986

2010-02-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

IUP Team

2010-02-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

2010 Indiana University of Pennsylvania Cycling Team

From top, left to right: Steven Brewer, Jason Plank, Jonathan Yuhas, Sean Morahan, Roddy Gibbs, Chris Fusco, John Churan, John Blank

Crimson Crits - Spring Training Series

2010-02-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

The Crimson Crits - Spring Training Series has been moved to Sundays. Races will still start at assigned times. All other details are the same.

DC

*Races begin at 10 A.M. - JY

Caffeine and Cycling Study

2010-01-26T17:50:00.000-08:00

**Now accepting up to 45 years of age**

Anyone interested in participating in a Kent State University study on caffeine and cycling should contact Edward Ryan at eryan4@kent.edu.

Participation in the study includes free VO2 max test in addition to $100 reimbursement.

2010 Long term and short term GOALS

2010-01-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

With the 2010 racing season ahead of us all, let's post up some of our individual goals and aspirations for the upcoming season. Although our goals may be different, I know that putting down my goals for accountability and the challenge's sake can be very motivational. I'll be posting my expectations for the 2010 season later tonight and I hope some of you other IUP racers will too. (Jon, John, John, Steve, Roddy, Chris, Sean, etc....)

Crimson Crits - Spring Training Series

2010-01-07T08:00:00.001-08:00

First annual Crimson Crits backed by BIG BANG BIKES

*** RACE SERIES MOVED TO SUNDAYS! ***

Downloadable version available here.

Race release forms are available here.

Race course map is available here.

Course is exactly 1 mile.

Categories will ranges as follows:
A - 1/2/3
B - 3/4
C - 4/5
D - 5, Women, Juniors

*Races will be combined pending number of racers present.

Pre-register on BikeReg for $17 or register on race day for $20. One additional race permitted at $5 (race day only).

*Note on prizes: Prizes will be adjusted in accord with the amount of racers per day.

Check back for latest updates or cancellations.

New Year! New Experiences for IUP

2009-12-31T10:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone!

2010 will bring a lot for IUP Cycling and we want you to ride along with us. Here are just a few things the team is looking forward to in the up coming year:

New IUP Cycling Team members,
Newly designed team jerseys,
Team bib shorts w/ arm and leg warmers,
Races in the ECCC and local ACA and USA Cycling events, &
First annual Crimson Crits: Spring Training Criterium Series!

The team is very excited to be hosting their very own criterium series for all racers to participate in. Updates and a flyer will soon follow, but getting the word out is key. The criterium races will be held on IUP's Campus on every Saturday in March, divided among USA Cycling categories, with prizes, and a lot of experience to be had to kick off the Spring racing season.

We hope to improve and become a team people will know about and respect. We hope you can join us at our criterium series and other events throughout the season. Happy New Year!

Snowy Ridin'

2009-12-26T13:12:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas, the roads were not bike-friendly (+ I didn't bring the road bike home). I figured it was a great day to hit up some mountain biking though. I went out with Ship Prez, Jon (http://www.shipcycling.blogspot.com/) and spun out and sloshed around for a good while. Check out some pics:

Bicycle Suitability Maps

2009-12-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

Over the summer members of IUP Cycling had the opportunity to work with Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission transportation planners to develop a mapping system that accurately describes the bicycle suitability of the regional state highway network. Maps were created based on the evaluation of a combination of traffic volumes, roadway geometry, and field observations. These maps are intended for use as a reference tool by cyclists and cycling commuters. The maps indicate the roadways as being above average, average or below average for cycling, as well as other features relevant to cyclists such as significant hills, trails, park-n-ride lots, and bicycle parking. These maps are intended to connect with and build out from the existing Bike-Pittsburgh Bike Map.

Team Winter Training and Video

2009-12-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

The IUP Cycling Team is hard at work training for the spring races. Here are two freeze-frames from the new video in the works.

The video is in the early stages of development and more recordings are going to be made to include all of our racers and training regimens. We hope everyone has enjoyed our video from the summer (shown here and at the top right-hand corner of the blog) and are looking forward to the first of three chapter videos of our 2010 spring season. Though titles and subjects of the "chapters" are tentative at this point, we hope to share a lot about what goes on in our preparation and development as a team in the 2010 season ahead.

Chapter I: Training

Chapter II: IUP Crimson Crit Training Series

Chapter III: On The Bikes

Pennsylvania Scholastic Cycling

2009-12-19T21:56:00.001-08:00

It's great to see the Pennsylvania Scholastic Cycling League has a blog now. The league is dedicated to the development of mountain biking as a youth sport in Pennsylvania. Due to the limitations of being a new and growing sport, the league offers a few different ways to make competitive high school racing a reality: recognized high school teams made up of one school district, conglomerate teams of multiple school districts, and unattached racing for anyone who doesn't have a team. There are currently two conferences to compete in, the Eastern and Central Conferences. The blog outlines the simple steps it takes to start a team through USA Cycling, so hopefully a Western Conference will develop soon as well. Start spreading the word so the Western Conference becomes a reality, and if you can, get involved in any way possible.

DC

Get in Touch with IUP Cycling

2009-12-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

IUP Cycling is on Google Groups, Facebook, and Twitter.

For more information contact:

David Watkins - IUP Cycling President
w.d.watkins@iup.edu
740-312-6591

Nutrition follow-up

2009-12-15T12:46:00.000-08:00

Did you happen to miss my Endurance Sports Nutrition Lecture? I have the PowerPoint, as well as lecture handouts available. Contact me at j.m.yuhas@iup.edu to get 'em.

I would like to thank all of the club members that were able to attend my presentation, which turned out to be an overall success. IUP Cycling was promoted, I was able to put my classroom-related knowledge to work, and I was able to do some networking. If any club member would like to present a similar presentation, in regards to anything cycling related, speak up! All of the hard work that I put into the presentation paid off with opportunities to speak to other teams and camps.

Check out recent IUP Graduate, Nicole Dann's "Health-E Athlete" blog for accurate, helpful sports nutrition information.

For now, its back to the books. I hope all of you the best on your final exams and projects. I look forward to seeing everyone back here in the spring... Racing Season!

Gearing up.

2009-12-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

The weather is turning cold and IUP Cycling is gearing up for the winter chills ahead and the spring season to come. For some, new bikes have been purchased and off-season training has ensued. With the help of our much appreciated sponsors and determined the efforts of our leadership and members, we hope to have as much fun and success as we can in the Spring.

Sponsors go a long way. For IUP cycling, sponsorship is more than monetary support. This year we have been able to acquire support from both local and regional businesses. This means we are being recognized and believed in by those around us. We are a relatively small, not for profit, organization, and knowing that we are being supported by some truly generous people is a blessing and a reminder that we are to reflect that generosity and kindness on the bikes and off. With the help of the IUP Student Cooperative Association, Big Bang Bicycles, Fast Times Screenprinting, S&T Bank, Subs and Suds, and Meadow Lane Golf Course, IUP cyclists have more than just themselves to ride for.

Many IUP cyclists have turned to specific and proven training methods to ride and develop through in the cold months ahead. No individual's training program is the same as the next, however we will unite for the spring season and work hard together for the most team success and team benefit as possible. We are learning from each other, watching the pros, and experiencing as many races as we can to become smarter and stronger cyclists.

The spring is what many IUP cyclists are learning to work for. In the spring comes races and the fruition of the hard work that is being put into our legs, bikes, and minds now. The spring is when we encounter the battles of the road and the face of competition. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. None of us believe that success in the spring will come without sacrifice in time and efforts now.

- JC

IUP Cycling 2.0

2009-12-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

After years of battling the lack of web space for student organizations and trying to use our student web space as a means to running a club website, we've decided to combine all of our individual efforts into a smooth running blog that will now take the place of the old format.

This is the new IUP Cycling 2.0.

DC