I just got this brochure emailed to me. I didn't even know about this race. Cool beans. Another race for anyone that's into cyclocross racing. Can be done on a mountain bike too.
Website: www.cyclocrossmiami.com
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
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South Florida Time Trials
I've only been racing bikes since 2008. Last year I did a bunch of local time trials, and did enough to qualify for the points series. I ended up 3rd place overall, and 2nd place in my age group, in the points series, for the 2008 West Palm Beach Race Series.
Bike Diva at the starting line
2009 Race Series
This year, my main race focus was competing in duathlons, so I only managed to compete in 3 of the time trials, not enough to qualify for the points series. On Sunday, November 21, I competed in the last 15k time trial of the 2009 race season. I have been racing in time trials using my Trek Madone 6.5 road bike. But if you've been following the Bike Diva blog, you know that I have recently purchased my first time trial bike.
Bike Diva, out of breath, crossing the finish line
Bike Diva's Race Results
Sundays race was the very first time trial I've done on my new Cervelo P2C triathlon bike. I finished in 27 minutes and 13 seconds, 2 minutes faster than my previous personal record. Two minutes saved on a 15k (9.6 mile) bike race is HUGE! And the race was held 2 days after I turned 46 - not too bad for an old fart!
I was really happy with that result. I won 3rd place in my age group, got another medal for the trophy case, and won a whopping $10 in prize money. I handed the money right over to my husband, we went out to breakfast after the race, with our On Your Mark racing team.
Bike Diva showing off her new bling
2010 West Palm Beach Race SeriesMike Purdy, director of the WPB Race Series, says the first race for the 2010 season will be in February. Visit the West Palm Beach Race Series website for additional information.
Cyclist's at the last 2009 WPB Race Series time trial. Where's Bike Diva? Hint, I'm wearing my green/black Miami Man hat and t-shirt.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
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Last 2009 Time Trial
Just FYI: The last 15k time trial bike race for the 2009 West Palm Beach Race Series takes place Sunday, November 22. Registration opens at 6:45 AM and closes at 7:25. First rider off at 7:31 AM.
Entry fee is $15 for the 15k time trial road bike race. Awards for overall male/female. Age group awards awarded 5 deep.
Racing the CerveloThe Bike Diva, that's me, will be out there with her Cervelo P2C. That will be my very first time trial using my triathlon bike, I've always used my Trek Madone 6.5 road bike in the past. But now that I'm am a duathlete, I finally bit the bullet in October and purchased a tri bike - cool beans. Don't know if I'll be any faster racing on the triathlon bike, but I will certainly look like a real racer!
Time Trial LocationThe race takes place at 20 mile bend in West Palm Beach. Take Southern Blvd. and go west, travel about 4 miles past Lion Country Safari, and take a left at the red light. Go across the erector set bridge, and turn left onto the first street, that parallels the canal, to park. Follow the other people there to the registration/ride start area.
Hope to see you out there.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
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Bike Diva's new ride?
When you are a true bike addict, like I am, you can never have too many bikes. Right now, I only own three bikes. That barely qualifies me as a bike enthusiast, let alone a bike addict. I have been thinking about getting a triathlon bike for the past year. I am currently racing in time trials and sprint duathlons on my road bike. Someone of my age, and ability, probably doesn't need a fancy time trial bike to race on, but I'm the Bike Diva - come on!
Bike Diva's Rides
1. 2006 Nirve Lahaina. 3-speed beach cruiser with coaster brakes. A pretty Hawaiian themed bike, which weighs ten tons compared to my road bike. For fun, casual rides in the neighborhood. Mostly used by my daughter's friends when they come over to visit. My daughter rides a turquoise blue, Townie Electra beach cruiser most of the time.
2. 2008 Felt Breed. A single speed cyclocross bike. This bike weighs about 19 pounds, about the same as my very first aluminum frame, Cannondale road bike. The cyclocross bike is used mostly for night time urban rides, and off road riding, such as along the rim canal that starts at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach.
I sold my Cannondale mountain bike in December of 2008, and bought the Felt from my friends Matt and Julie Goforth, owners of the On Your Mark bike shop. Single speed riding is fun, no need to worry about which gear you should be in, you only have 1 gear!
3. 2008 Trek Madone 6.5 WSD. I ordered this bike the end of 2007 from Bike America in Boynton Beach, and received it February of 2008. It is a full carbon, woman's specific road bike, which weighs only 14.1 pounds - CRAZY! I recently added a set of Reynold's SDV66C deep dish carbon clincher wheels to this bike.
I've been having a recurring problem with the bottom bracket of this bike, and have had to change the bearings 3 times since purchasing it. Trek has finally agreed to send me a new frame. I could get a 2009 frame ASAP, or wait a month or two for a 2010. My LBS says to wait for the 2010 frame, which is supposed to be lighter, stiffer and have a better bottom bracket than the 2009 frames.
Racer's Edge bike shop in Boca Raton.
Race Bike Diva Race
I started racing in time trials on the Trek, the beginning of 2008. In 2009, I started racing in duathlons. I LOVE duathlons; run-bike-run. Kind of like a triathlon, but while the triathletes are swimming, duathletes are running. The biking and second run of duathlons are the same course as the biking and running section for the triathletes.
There are quite a few sprint races in Florida, which can be done as either a triathlon or a duathlon. Sprint duathlons are typically a 1 mile run - 10 mile bike - 3.1 mile run distance. On November 8, I will be competing in my very first half Ironman duathlon at Miami Man. That will be a 1 mile run - 56 mile bike - 13.1 mile run. OMG - I hope I can finish the half marathon before getting swept off the course. I'm not worried about the first run, or the bike portion, but running a half marathon after doing 56 miles on the bike - YIKES!
Frankenbike? I always wondered how you could be fit for a bike before ordering the bike. Spent about 2 hours at Racer's Edge getting fit for my new triathlon bike. Racer's Edge owner John Palmquist uses the Serotta bike fit system shown above.
Time for a Triathlon Bike
Since my main racing focus is on duathlons, I have decided to bite the bullet and purchase an entry level triathlon bike. Well, maybe more of a mid-level bike. My budget was $3000 or less, so even though the 2010 frames have been released by most bike manufacturers, I was hoping to score a good deal on a 2009 frame.
Racer's Edge owner John Palmquist.
Since tri bike geometry is way different than road bike geometry, I decided to spend the money and go to a high quality bike shop that specializes in custom triathlon bike fits. On Tuesday, October 6, I went to the Racer's Edge in Boca Raton for my preliminary fit. This was simply to see what size bike I would need, and then find a frame that would fit me, and build it out according to my measurements.
Name your poison. Selection of bike frames at the Racer's Edge. Notice the brown, Calfee bamboo frame top row, second from the left - NICE!
Although I am only 5' 5" tall, apparently I have very long legs for someone my height. Based on my height, a couple of other bike shops thought I would probably need a size 48 frame. After being fit on the Serotta system, John decided I needed a size 54 frame, with shorter crank arms. My road bike is a size 52, so I always thought a tri bike would be much smaller, but I trust the expert to get me in the optimal riding position.
Cervelo P2C
John gave me three options for triathlon bikes in my size and price range. I decided to go with the Cervelo P2C tri bike, using a 2009 frame. I didn't know that was going to be one of the bikes he recommended, but I had been doing quite a bit of research on this exact bike during the past week or so.I decided to take that as a sign that this is the bike I'm supposed to ride. It was also the least expensive of the 3 options. The Cervelo P2C is shown in the photo at the beginning of this blog post.
I'm going to move the Reynold's SDV66C deep dish carbon wheels from my road bike to the triathlon bike. I'll put my Bontrager Race X-Lite wheels back on the Trek. I got the Reynold's wheels, barely used, from the owner of Bike America. He was selling them for a racing friend of his. They were only $1400, pretty sweet considering this wheel set retails for $2400-$2800 online.
Uber triathlete Chrissie Wellington used to ride a Cervelo P2C, so it must be a pretty decent bike. She now rides a Cannondale Slice triathlon bike, but I guess they made her a sponsorship deal she couldn't refuse.
Here are a few reviews of the Cervelo P2C:
Chrissie Wellington's Cervelo P2C
Cervelo P2C; Cervelo Hits a Bullseye
2008 Cervelo P2CCustomers shopping at Racer's Edge.
I pick up my triathlon bike next Friday, October 16. I go in around 4 PM, to pick up the Cervelo, and do a final fitting on the actual bike. I will also bring my Trek with me, so they can swap out the wheels. I can't wait!
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
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I know I've posted up this information before, but I just wanted to remind everyone of the 15K time trial taking place on Sunday. Here's the information from race director Mike Purdy:
Hello,
There is a 15k TT scheduled this Sunday September 13th followed by Sunday, Sunday October 11th and October 25th.
All Time Trials are 15k in length. Registration opens at 6:45am and the 1st rider starts at 7:31am.
For those of you who haven’t experienced a time trial, it is a great way to judge how your triathlon or cycling training is progressing. It is not a mass start event so you don’t have to worry about crashing due to someone else. It is a great bunch of cyclist that participate in the events. Some ride after the event and some run part of the course. It is an out and back course that is barely traveled. We start riders at 1 minute intervals. The fee is $15.00 to participate, for juniors under 18 it is only $5.00.
The Time Trial course is located at 20 mile bend. Approximately 3 miles west of Lion Country Safari turn left at the blinking light (SR880). Go over the steel bridge; make next left along the canal to park.
Link to map:
Hope to see you Sunday at the time trial.
Mike Purdy
JP Racing Inc.
7831 Edgewater Drive
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
561-967-4051
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I've got some awesome news to report. My friends over at On Your Mark bike shop are involved in getting the criterium races started back up at JD Park. Here are the details:
Where:
Located at the Camp Murphy Circuit Course, inside beautiful Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound, Florida. Practice your crit skills in a low pressure environment on the most challenging road course in south Florida.
When:
Details:
Rides start promptly at 6:30 PM. Course is 50 minutes plus 3 laps.
The Bike Diva ready to race for On Your Mark cycling club
Notes:
Club Scrub
Join Club Scrub at any time, and enjoy 12 free entries into Jonathan Dickinson Park. Go to www.clubscrub.org for more information.
Great Training Opportunity
I've been wanting to try riding a criterium. There are a number of crituerium races in the south Florida area. But criterium races, with their mass starts and crazy fast riding around a short course, seem a bit intimidating. The criterium training camp will be the perfect opportunity to see if I like crit racing, or if I'd rather stay home and watch it on TV.
My husband has been going on a lot of business trips to Texas during the last few months. I just checked his schedule for September, and he will be in town for the two September crit races. Although he usually goes on the Boca Urban Ride on Wednesday nights, and I usually do a BRICK (bike-run) workout on Wednesday nights, we are going to try to get to as many of the crit training camps as possible.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
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PRESS RELEASE
Team Garmin-Slipstream Announces POM Wonderful Sponsorship
Team Garmin-Slipstream athletes to be fueled by POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice in 2010
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- POM Wonderful, the largest U.S.
grower of Wonderful variety pomegranates and maker of 100% pomegranate
juice, today announced its sponsorship of Team Garmin-Slipstream, the
American professional cycling team dedicated to ethical sporting and
developing the next generation of cycling champions. The announcement
comes on the heels of the team's outstanding Tour de France
performance, where it was second overall with riders Bradley Wiggins
and Christian Vande Velde finishing in the top ten, and at the start of
the Vuelta, its third Grand Tour of the season.
As part of the sponsorship, POM Wonderful will provide the riders
for Team Garmin-Slipstream with the antioxidant power of POM Wonderful
100% Pomegranate Juice and POMx, the antioxidant super-extract. In
addition, POM Wonderful and Team Garmin-Slipstream will partner to
pursue ground-breaking sports physiology research on the health
benefits of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice as it pertains to
recovery, combating oxidative stress and inflammation in an intense
athletic context.
"We are excited to be partnering with one of cycling's premier
teams, especially one that is so preeminent in achieving its
extraordinary accomplishments through nutritious and natural products,"
said Matt Tupper, President of POM Wonderful. "We understand how
important recovery is to these elite athletes and we look forward to
exploring the benefits of POM Wonderful in partnership with Team
Garmin-Slipstream."
POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice has been shown to be a superior
source of polyphenol antioxidants. According to a study published in
the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, POM demonstrated the
most complete free radical scavenging activity, greater protection of
LDL-cholesterol from oxidation, and the highest polyphenol content
compared to other healthy beverages including red wine and Concord
grape, acai and blueberry juices. In 1998, POM Wonderful initiated
research to understand the health benefits of the Wonderful variety of
pomegranate. Primary areas of research include the prostate and
cardiovascular system.
"We are thrilled to partner with POM. Our team is dedicated to
providing our athletes with the best possible tools available, and POM
is among them," said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports, LLC,
the sports management company that runs the team. "POM's commitment to
nutrition excellence mirrors our own, so the partnership is a natural
fit."
About Slipstream Sports
Founded in 2005, Slipstream Sports LLC is a highly progressive
sports management company dedicated solely to promoting the ethical
growth of American cycling.
About Team Garmin-Slipstream
Team Garmin-Slipstream is dedicated to promoting ethical sporting
and developing the next generation of cycling champions. Team
Garmin-Slipstream competes in a full schedule of professional cycling
races in the U.S. and Europe. Additional information is available at
www.slipstreamsports.com.
About POM Wonderful
POM Wonderful is the largest US producer of pomegranates,
exclusively growing and selling the Wonderful variety of pomegranate.
POM Wonderful's pomegranates grow in central California, in the sunny
San Joaquin Valley. Fresh pomegranates are in season from October
through January and November is National Pomegranate Month.
POM Wonderful also uses its fresh pomegranates to make its
delicious, all-natural POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice and extract
POMx, an all-natural, ultra-potent concentration of polyphenol
antioxidants. POMx is available exclusively in POMx Tea, POMx Pills,
POMx Iced Coffee, POMx Bars and POMx Shots. POM Wonderful Pomegranate
Juice and POMx Tea are available year-round in the refrigerated section
of produce departments in supermarkets nationwide. POMx Iced Coffee,
POMx Pills, POMx Bars and POMx Shots are available in select markets.
POMx Pills are also available at www.pompills.com. To learn more, visit
www.pomwonderful.com.
Source: POM Wonderful
CONTACT: Rob Six of POM Wonderful, +1-310-966-3517,
rsix@pomwonderful.com; or Garmin-Slipstream Interview Requests, Marya Pongrace
of Slipstream Sports LLC, +1-347-698-3412,
marya.pongrace@slipstreamsports.com
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I just found this information on the Miami Man website. You can pre-ride the bike course on October 18, 25 or November 1. The rides are open to anyone, you don't have to be registered for Miami Man to participate in the ride. I'm going to see if I can get my husband to come along. I couldn't get him interested in signing up for the 1/2 Ironman duathlon at Miami Man this year, but I'm hoping he'll race it with me next year.
Orientation Rides for the Miami Man International and the ½ Iron Distance for 2009
Presented by : South Florida Triathletes
( www.teamhammerheads.com)
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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Meeting Place : Larry and Penny Thompson Park Site # 2 (Race Transition Area)
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All three rides will start at 7:30am sharp. At 7:00 am we will enter the park and proceed towards Site # 2. Please use the main entrance. You’ll see all of our vehicles.
At 7:15am we’ll go over the handouts and head towards the beach. After that we’ll depart out on the bikes and you’ll have the option to do three different distances on the bike. All of these distances are in total miles. First distance will be the Int’l distance which will be about 20 miles, second distance will be about 40 miles (one loop) and the third distance will be the two loop total ride for the ½ Iron distance.
Riders will be doing all three distances so you will not be left behind if you decide to only ride a shorter course. You must be able to ride at least the 20 mile course if you want to join us and have all of the necessary food and equipment for the ride. Everyone is welcome, if you’re in the event or not.
Please also go to www.multirace.com and look at the course map before coming out. After the ride we’ll go for about a two mile run through part of the park. I’ll have Accelerade drinks, gels and some food to give out at all of the rides. I’d like to also make clear that this is an orientation ride and not a training session.
All riders ride at their own risk and you are also responsible for your bicycles and equipment. Look forward to seeing all of you out there !!! Train and Race safe, hard and fast !!!
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Bank Robbery VS Bike Upgrades
Unfortunately, I haven't won the lottery. So that custom built Project One Trek Madone 6.9 WSD road bike I've been dreaming about, will not be materializing anytime soon. And option #2, becoming a professional bank robber, might interfere with family life, so I'll have to put that scenario on hold also.
Ceramic Bearings for Bottom Bracket
Looks like option #3, upgrading certain components on my current road bike, is the winner. I have a really great frame, a Trek Madone 6.5 - full carbon, very light weight carbon frame. I've been thinking about upgrading to ceramic bearings on the bottom bracket. The one problem with the Trek is that I've had to get the bearings replaced twice in my bike, since buying it in 2008. Strange problem that shouldn't be happening. Gunk and water keeps getting in the bearings, and my husband takes really good care of my bike. We practically have our own bike shop in our back yard. Luckily our local bike store has gotten the bearings replaced twice under warranty.
F1 Ceramic Bearings
Speed Racer?
But now that I've been doing a bit of racing, I've been thinking of upgrading to ceramic bearings. As luck would have it, F1Ceramic Bearings has just offered me a Pro Deal sponsorship through SponsorHouse - SWEET! Trek has a different size bottom bracket than most brands of bikes, but F1 Ceramic Bearings makes a set of press-in ceramic bearings for the bottom bracket of Trek Madone frames. I'll have my bike shop take out the old bearings and put in the new ones, just to make sure it's done correctly.
Deep Dish Carbon Wheels
So, while I'm waiting for my ceramic bearings to arrive, I started thinking of what other upgrades I could do. I've been dreaming about a set of deep dish carbon wheels for a long time. There are tons of options out there, all different brands of wheels, all different types of carbon wheels. I was getting a bit confused, so my husband and I went in to the Boca Raton Bike America store to talk to Lee, the owner.
He said a friend of his just dropped off a set of Reynold's deep dish carbon wheels to see if he could sell them for him. I wanted clincher wheels, the kind with inner tubes. I know all my really hard core triathlon friends use the lighter weight tubular wheels, but dang if I could ever figure out how to install them. Lee said the wheels were Reynold's SDV66C deep dish carbon clincher wheels, and they were in his office at the store if I wanted to take a look at them.
How Much!?!
Of course, as soon as I held the wheels in my hand, my husband knew I had to have them. Had to wait a day for Lee to contact his friend and see how much he wanted for them. So on Sunday, my husband swung by Bike America and offered $1,400 cash. The wheels look brand new, don't look like they've ever been used. They retail for $2,400 to $2,700, so I was real happy. Reynold's also makes this wheel in a tubular version, SDV66T, which retails at a bit less than the clincher version, or around $2,100-$2,300.
My non-hardcore biking friends don't understand why you would pay that much money for an entire bike, so $$ for a set of wheels seems crazy to them. My bike cost $6,000, what's a $1,400 wheel upgrade? That Project One custom build bike I want goes for around $12,000 so buying a set of wheels is a much more economical option.
Here's a blurb on my wheels from the Reynold's website:
"If you’re a
rider who insists on striking a balance between performance and
convenience, the SDV66 C is it. The identical profile and performance
of the SDV66 T in an elegantly simple clincher design. Stiff, strong
and responsive, it instantly translates your every pedal stroke into
blistering power. What’s more, the SDV66 C features a full carbon
braking surface to make slowing and stopping smooth, positive, and
vibration-free."
| Rim Depth: | 66mm |
| Spoke Patterns: | 16/20 |
| Weight: | 1675 grams per set |
| Hubs: | Reynolds DT Swiss 240S HYB |
| Front Spokes: | (Radial) DT Aerolite |
| Rear Spokes: | (Radial, 2x Drive) DT Aerolite and DT Competition |
| Brake Pads: | Reynolds Carbon-Specific Design |
Bits and Pieces
My husband just stopped by the Racer's Edge store in Boca, in between sales appointments. They are a hardcore, custom built bike shop. He was able to get my inner tubes, new set of racing tires and carbon brake pads. So hopefully he'll be able to get my new screamin' demon wheels set up on my bike tonight, so I can try them out tomorrow. AWESOME!
Here's a review of the Reynold's SDV66C wheels on the Competitive Cyclist site: 2009 Reynolds SDV 66C Clincher Wheelset
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
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Mike Purdy just emailed me the schedule for the upcoming 15k time trial races.
Hello,
The next scheduled TT will be Sunday Aug 16th followed by Sunday Aug 30th, Sunday September 13th, Sunday October 11th and Sunday October 25th.
I mentioned trying to have a TT this Sunday, but Joan & I will not be available.
The Time Trial course is located at 20 mile bend. Approximately 3 miles west of Lion Country Safari turn left at the blinking light. Go over the steel bridge; make next left along the canal to park.
Thanks for the schedule Mike!
Unfortunately I can't make the next two time trials as they conflict with my race schedule:
August 16 - sprint duathlon - Mack Cycle Trilogy #3 - Key Biscayne
August 30 - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek
But so far it looks like I can make the ones in September and October. Hope to see you there!
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
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