Tucson Race Report

The team was back at it again last weekend in Tucson, AZ for the stage race. Thanks to team rider, Tim Barr for the report.

The high deserts of Tucson provided an amazing weekend of racing for the MCS crew this weekend. Starting off with a 3.8 mile mostly uphill time trial on Friday, BW, Matt W., Willie, Jim, Richard and myself gave it all we had to get good placement in the overall GC. It was a moderately difficult hill with an 8% kicker at the end.

Results after Day 1 (Stage 1 TT):
-BW (Cat 3) : 6th
-Richard (Cat 3) : 39th
-Willie (Cat 4) : 34th
-Tim B (Cat 5A) : 5th
-Matt W (Cat 5B) : 9th
-Jim C (Cat 5B) : 25th
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Saturday was a looped road race with a little bit of climbing to keep it interesting. The field played it conservatively but there were still a few breaks out there. Chased down by our crew of course! No big surprise, BW killed it out there. Already a sandbagger in the 3’s!
Road Race Results (Stage 2 Road Race)
-BW (Cat 3) : 2nd
-Richard (Cat 3) : 51st (flatted out and couldn’t catch back on)
-Willie (Cat 4) : 21st (front pack finish)
-Tim B (Cat 5A) : 14th (font pack finish)
-Matt W (Cat 5B) : 7th (font pack finish)
-Jim C (Cat 5B) : 21st (font pack finish)
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The Sunday stage was a 6 mile circuit race with over 400 feet of climbing per lap. Some longer sustained climbing into a huge headwind was a real pleasure. Our team did really well dictating pace and protecting our lead. BW won his race and showed the 3’s that they are no match for Pedal Power talent. Willie took 6th, and Tim is still kicking himself for only finishing 10th despite being in the top 3 the majority race. Matt broke a spoke two laps in and never got back on.

Road Race Results (Stage 3 Circuit Race)
-BW (Cat 3) : 1st
-Richard (Cat 3) : 40th (don’t let the place fool you, he busted his ass to get BW to the line)
-Willie (Cat 4) : 6th (front pack finish)
-Tim B (Cat 5A) : 10th (font pack finish)
-Matt W (Cat 5B) : 25th (broken spoke)
-Jim C (Cat 5B) : 4th

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Overall GC placement after 3 days is as follows:

-BW (Cat 3) : 2nd
-Richard (Cat 3) : 43rd
-Willie (Cat 4) : 16th
-Tim B (Cat 5A) : 5th
-Matt W (Cat 5B) : 22nd
-Jim C (Cat 5B) : 15th

We had some great support out there with Jessica and Alicia snapping photos and cheering loudly! Thanks to the shop for loaning us the tent. It came in handy!
Until next time- DOMINATE,

~~Tim

Valley of the Sun Race Report

A couple of the MCS racers headed to Phoenix last weekend for the Valley of the Sun Stage Race. Here is the race report written by one of our new Team 1 members, Dean.

It was a good time in Phoenix, tempered by just a bit of drama. Here is the play-by-play:

Friday 14.2 mile time trial

Lorenzo 9th in 5b
Matt 5th in 5a
BW 15th in 4
Dean 70th in 4 (need to drop back to Cat 5 - would have been 14th - Tough Cat 4!)

Great course, good organization, and great AAA service - I learned first-hand after locking my keys in the car after the race.

Saturday 41 mile road race

It should have been an uneventful desert course with a moderate climb in each of the 3 laps. Unfortunately, my front wheel flatted after the first climb, and the very nice "old" couple in the neutral support car caused me to lose 4 minutes while I negotiated with them for a new front wheel. "What type of wheel do you need?", they asked. "A front wheel," I answered. "We have a lot of different kinds - Shimano, Campagnolo, 9 speed, 10 speed. What kind does your bike use?" "ANY FRONT WHEEL!!", I answered, trying to keep my "be kind to volunteers mantra" while also realizing I was now about to embark on a 90 minute time trial to chase the pack for the rest of the race. I finally got my new front wheel and got a Tour de France style push off - Unfortunately I was not yet clipped in (I was helping him change my front wheel - another story that I won't bore you with), so he almost pushed me but left my bike behind...

Matt was in contention in his race, when unfortunately a guy suffered an apparent heart attack in front of him, went down hard, and Matt buckled right into him, bending his front wheel and causing some elbow and knee road rash. They took the guy away in an ambulance and helicopter - I haven't heard how he is doing. Matt tried to get a new wheel from the support vehicle, but they wouldn't give him one (they took the "wheels in, wheels out" thing very seriously in Cat 5). He then asked for a ride (he was 7 miles from the start), but they wouldn't give him a ride either! Luckily our MCS support crew had already taken to their vehicles and were able to pick him up.

The Cat 4 race was neutralized at the finish because the ambulance was still blocking the road, so BW finished in the pack. Lorenzo had a strong 5th place finish in his Cat 5b race without incident, keeping him in 9th in the GC.

Sunday Crit

A good race for all. Matt was channeling some anger from the days before which led him to some prolonged "media time" out in the front of the pack mid-race, followed by a strong 3rd place finish at the end of the race. You can see his podium shots on my Shutterfly page (see link below). Lorenzo and BW also had some time at the front of their races, with BW scoring a $50 prime. I told him that my MCS contract stipulated a 25% share of all primes, but I still haven't seen my $12.50.
Off the bike

A good time was had off the bike as well. The team was treated to a catered dinner at the Leisure World retirement community in Mesa, AZ on Saturday (that is a story in itself which I don't have time for here). And then there was the search-and rescue operation across the streets of Tempe for Lorenzo's dog, Koa. Throw in the fact that we had WAY more people and stuff than our two cars could hold, and it made for some more adventures along the way.

Pictures are uploaded HERE.

-Dean

Thanks Dean for the colorful race report! The MCS Team has been busy this season with the team participating in races all over the SoCal/Arizona area. We had a great representation at Boulevard Road Race on Feb 6, even with horrible weather. The following day the men raced the Red Trolly Criterium (No women's race available) in much better conditions. This past Sunday the MCS team represented well at the Roger Milikan Memorial Crit. Up next is the Simple Green crit this Sunday. Best of luck to all riders!

Look for us on Flickr! Our account is mcsraceteam.

Fiesta Island Time Trial Title Sponsor!

We are happy to be the new title sponsor of the now "Moment Cycle Sport Fiesta Island Time Trial Series." Previously the SDBC Time Trial Series, we are now taking over as the official Title Sponsor and Cycling Shop for the series. We are proud to offer pre-race checkups and tuneups for racers. You can see pictures from the event last Sunday HERE. We are providing race mechanical support before and during the entire series. The upcoming 2010 dates are:

March 7

April 11

May 9

September 11 (Team Time Trial)

September 12

October 10

We are excited to present this historic time trial series!

New Bikes! Courtney, Lindsey, and Doug

Here are just a few of the new bikes that have gone out the doors recently:

Courtney, a long time runner, decided with a little urging from her father to get into this cycling stuff. She ended up with the Giant Defy Advanced (Half carbon, half aluminum) Shimano 105 bike. As every new cyclist has the clipless fear factor, she wanted us to know that she has yet to fall...yet.

Lindsey, a soccer player/climber came to the shop looking to get into riding, inspired by her cool cycling friends. (Me). She got fit and ended up with a size she didn't think she'd be on! Fit is important to us at the shop, and isn't solely based on height or inseam. She ended up on a Giant Avail with Shimano 105 in size Small. We hope you enjoy your new ride!

Doug, a custom Guru Geneo owner, came to us all the way from Colorado Springs. He heard about our shop and what we do and had came in for a visit last year. He scheduled a fit and had his eye on the Guru for a while. Eventually he put in the order and he was able to pick it up on a trip back to San Diego this January. He chose the 2010 Shimano Ultegra 6700 series with HED. carbon clinchers. What a beautiful bike! We hope you enjoy climbing all those fourteeniers back in Colorado!

Up next, are the long awaited custom Guru Crono TCSD bikes!

Christmas Bikes!

Haven't updated the new bikes post in a while, so I figured I'd crank out a bunch for the upcoming Holiday...since all of these people did the right thing...and got themselves the best gift ever...A New Bike!

The one lady of the group, Laura, with her new B2R! Best of luck this season; we know you'll kick some butt on your new ride! Edmond got one of the last 2009 Giant Trinity Alliance 1 - Ultegra build. He's going back to Singapore and bringing the bike.

Alex came in as a runner looking to get into the sport. We had an opening, so he did his fit and got a new bike in the same day! Great choice with one of the last Felt AR4's of 2009.

Mike came in and walked out with one of the first B16's of 2010.

Rainy, a MCS team member, decided to invest in a TT bike, chosing the 2009 B2R!

We hope you all enjoy your new rides! Happy Holidays from Moment Cycle Sport

Clean your bike? What?

At the shop, the service department sees many types of bikes. Road and triathlon, yes, but we also get the occasional cruiser and mountain bike. Our mechanics are trained to fix and service every type of bike (yes, even unicycles). One thing that remains constant however, is that a clean bike is a happy bike. Keeping your bike clean isn't just a matter of aesthetics, especially when talking about the drivetrain (chain, front chainrings, and cassette). Your bike will run better and your drivetrain parts will last longer if they're kept clean.

Here is a basic overview on drivetrain cleaning. Check out our website for the dirty details on cleaning your drivetrain.

Required Tools:

• Repair stand, or way to suspend the bike
• Rag
• Solvent
• Lube
• Ruler
• Disposable Gloves
• Small Screwdriver
• Brush
• Chain-Cleaner tool

Steps:

Check your chain for wear and stretching. Use the ruler to measure, looking for the 1 inch space between two pins. If it is longer than an inch, your chain is stretched and should be replaced. Wipe your chain clean using a rag. Then scrub your chain clean using the chain-cleaner tool. Clean your crankset using the brush. Clean the cassette using the shoe shine method with a rag dampened with solvent. Check the derailleurs and pulleys and wipe any excess gunk. Finally, lube the chain and wipe any excess lube away.

Do NOT spray your bike down with any high pressure hose as this can put water where water is not wanted. (In the headset, bottom bracket, etc).

If you have any questions, feel free to inquire with any of our staff at the shop.

Some of our favorite frame cleaners:

Simple Green

Pedro's Bike Lust Bike Polish
409

Race Mechanics Clinic

Shop owner JT and service department manager Cory headed to Colorado Springs, CO for the Park Tools/Mavic Race Mechanics Clinic last weekend. They spent 4 days at the Olympic Training Center immersed in full day classes and hands on workshops. Here are some pictures of their adventure:One of the many OTC vans to transport the athletes and visitors. A snowy track.

Behind the Mavic car is Pikes Peak, one of Colorado's Fourteeners.

Cory and JT with the head mechanic from Park Tools, Calvin.

In the next Moment Cycle Sport Race Team meeting, JT will be discussing some of the USA cycling rules they learned, as well as some of the techniques for making sure you are ready on race day.

Moment Cycle Sport will also be hosting some Park Tools School clinics, where you can learn some basic bike maintenance and techniques to keep your bike running great. Look for more information in the new year!

Oh yeah, and we are having a 12 Days of Christmas special at the shop. Today is 30% off helmets, including those funky looking aero ones!