Route for Wednesday Club Ride 1/20/2010

Ride leaves promptly at 11:oo AM . I am on a very tight schedule, so the ride will leave no later. if I am not there, I am already on the course. Which is why I am uploading the course!

Sponsor Spotlight - Eschappe Equipment

Starting now and every two weeks ongoing, we will post a sponsor spotlight on one of our many generous sponsors.

Eschappe Equipment is better known for its clever website and its original name, www.racewheelrental.com .

Eschappe formed with the basic idea that purchasing $2000 race wheels is silly when you might only need them for two or three key races in your season. So for a fraction of the cost, they offered high end race wheels to rent.

Business has exploded, and now Eschappe has gotten into more areas of the cycling industry, outfitting local teams at discounted prices and offering race support services at races across the US. Through Eschappe's Team Outfitting service, you can order your team's kit, order discounted race wheels, and get components for your team's bikes.

Check out www.racewheelrental.com to see all the great resources for the aspiring cyclist!

And be sure to come out to the UAH Race weekend April 10-11 to see the UAH Team Time Trial Team compete with a full complement of Eschappe race wheels!

2010 Race Season - What will you need?

Exciting times are coming for the University of Alabama-Huntsville Cycling Team. We will be fielding 7 male riders and our first female rider in 7 conference races this year. Of those racers, only 3 have any racing experience, which means we have brought 5 new racers to bike racing.

This is amazing.

This post is to give the new guys and girl an idea what to expect for a weekend, and what kind of gear they will need.

I. Equipment

These are the things you need to be competitive. Most of you are transferring from recreational riding to racing, and the equipment needs change a little bit.

A. Bicycle - Obviously, you will not go far in bike racing without one of these. But what exactly do you NEED? What do I recommend?

USA Cycling rules state that a bike in a race must meet a few basic requirements. It must be a frame with traditional geometry, basically the standard double triangle frame. It must have drop handlebars. It cannot have aerobars or disc wheels (except for "A" riders in Time Trials). Other than that, the sky is the limit. The perfect entry level bike that would be suitable for competition would be the Specialized Allez Sport. At 800$ you get Sora/Tiagra shifters, a carbon fork, and a solid aluminum frame.

However, if you think you want to be competitive and try racing for more than just this one collegiate season, you will want to step up a little bit. For only $600 more, you can have the Official UAH Cycling Team Bike, the Blue RD1. The basic blue RD1 comes with a Shimano 105/FSA drivetrain, American Classic Wheels, and a FULL CARBON FRAME. Team Price on that bad boy is 1400$ ($2000 retail).

Got some extra dough to spend? You can move up to an RD1.1 (which is a blue/black color frame) and get SRAM Rival components and save some weight for a nice 1800$. The Blue RC8 with SRAM Force will run you $2700. A 2010 Tarmac Pro with SRAM Red? about $3000 team price.

B. Helmet - Any helmet purchased in a bike shop will work, but you must make sure it fits your head properly. This does not mean straps, it means the locking mechanism that secures it to your head. Most upper end helmets have a special retention system. I recommend the Rudy Project Actyum helmet. not only is the retention system sound, but the helmet fits well and matches your team kit!

C. Shoes/Pedals - If you do not have clipless pedals/cycling shoes at the Florida State Race, you will definitely have them at Georgia Southern. The difference locking your feet to the pedals makes is immense. Instead of pushing down on the pedals, you can push AND pull up on them. Climbing and sprinting become completely different exercises. Minimum competitive option? Shimano SPD Pedals ($35 team price Trailhead) and Specialized Sport Road Shoes ($90). Want a more competitive option? Go with the Specialized Comp Road Shoes ($130) and Look Keo Sprint ($90) pedals. For the ultimate competitive edge grab a set of Specialized S-Works Road Shoes ($180) and Speedplay Zero ($200 - available online, no team discount available yet) pedals.

D. Race Wheels - OPTIONAL: Some riders like to have an extra set of wheels that they only unpack for race day. Typically these are carbon tubular wheels that give a rider extra rolling power and less rolling resistance, lighter bicycle weight, and improved handling. These can run upwards of 2000$! Through Revolution Wheelworks, however a pair of 50mm tubular carbon race wheels will only run you $750 ! Similar in size/weight/design to the Zipp 404, the Rev50 wheelset (available through me) is the most affordable race wheel option! If you get your wheels elsewhere, be sure to consult me about whether they are race legal in USAC Collegiate Races. New rules limit the use of certain aero wheels.

E. Aero Bars/Aero Helmet - TTT Member only - For the Team Time Trial, you will want to keep as aero as a profile as possible. Handlebar extensions that bring your body forward and low, and bringing your arms in creates a lower profile to the wind, making you more efficient. A pair of T2+ aerobars will only run you about 80$ if ordered through Trailhead. Similarly, a Time Trial Helmet with an aero profile can help shave seconds of the Team Time Trial. For only $180 you can have the most high tech aero helmet ever developed by Rudy Project, the Wingspan (see me if you do not have your Rudy Project discount code).

F. Sunglasses - Absolutely mandatory. On a budget? My most reliable pair of race sunglasses came from a gas station. I have gone through 3 $150 pairs of sunglasses since then. However, if you can afford it, a decent pair of sunglasses offers a lot of advantages. Replaceable lenses for different weather conditions, high tech designs to channel sweat and avoid condensation, and form fitting designs to improve comfort all come with investing in nice sunglasses. Check out www.e-rudy.com to see all of the great sunglasses options provided by Rudy Project. Remember to use your VIP discount code at checkout.

G. Other equipment - A duffelbag/backpack to carry all your race day supplies is a must. Shoes, helmet, extra apparel, gel bars, water bottles, extra tubes, ipods, anything you need at the race you need a way to get it there.

Some basic repair tools, such as a multitool, extra tubes, an extra tire, tire levers, patches, casette whip, adjustable wrench (although we should have most of this with us in the trailer)

A cycling computer to track your ride speed, average speed, distance, etc. If you work with a coach, get a power meter or a Garmin to provide the most accurate and easy to access data

II. Apparel

A. Team Kit (Uniform) - At least one kit, i recommend 2. If you could only afford one, I recommend bringing a pair of extra shorts in case there are no laundy facilities at the hotels. Dirty bibs suck. Make sure any shorts you wear in a race are either UAH shorts or plain colors. A kit consists of your team jersey and shorts (bibs)

B. Socks - Make sure they are cycling specific socks/running socks. You need socks that are low profile and thin, but made out of moisture wicking materials. No cotton socks. Team Blue/Black flame socks available at Trailhead - 8$

C. Gloves - Totally optional, but especially for B/A guys, 2-3 hours in the saddle without gloves can hurt. I used to ride no gloves, now I always wear them. Specialized BG Pro Gloves - $25 trailhead. Cold weather gloves are a nice investment too, in case it snows again in March at Georgia Tech.

D. Base Layers - Most of our rides are going to be in temperatures between 40 and 70 degrees. A very light, synthetic base layer will keep you cool when it gets hot and warm when it gets cold by wicking moisture away from your core. You can go expensive and get underarmor at dicks, but similar products from Walmart/Target can be found for 5-10$ and do the same job.

E. Arm Warmers - for those races where its too cold for just your kit, but not cold enough for a jacket or extra layers, you can put arm warmers on and help warm your extremities. Leg/Knee warmers are also a great option instead of tights. Arm Warmers - $25, Leg/Knee - $30 Trailhead

F. Shoe Covers - Serve 2 purposes. keep your feet warm/dry in cold/wet conditions. Also more aerodynamic for time trials (5 seconds over 40k proven!) $25 Trailhead

G. Wind Vest/Jacket - Sometimes extra layers are not enough. if it rains or is windy, the risk for sickness grows. a wind vest/jacket deflects moisture and wind to keep you warm in harsh conditions.

III. Entertainment

Laptops, handheld games, homework, notebooks to write in, mp3 players, portable dvd players, xbox for hotel rooms. There is some downtime in the evenings and on the long drives to the races for this kind of thing. I will say from experience that evening time quickly disappears after showers, dinner, and mingling with other teams happens. You dont wanna lose sleep on a race weekend.

Hopefully that covers just about everything. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask me.

This is our temporary Website

At the moment, our UAH domain is not working. it hasnt been since september, and repeated emails to the tech guy have gone unanswered. So, for the time being, this blog will be our official website for Team Operations. The regular site will be up by race season.