Bicycle Racing, Secret Society or Open

Wow……The end of May, can you believe it.  What a spring we have had, some extremely bad weather, wet, windy, all in all totally depressing.  Unless of course you live in a Colorado ski area that has  extended its ski season into June. I have been spending my lack of riding time attempting to figure out a resume, do those things ever get read by anyone?  Besides that frustration, I have been spending a lot of time attempting to get the tall kid into bicycle racing.  I don’t know which one has been the biggest pain in the sitting portion of the anatomy. Which is the reason there has been no blogging, so much bicycle research that I could have swore I have wrote two or three entries this month.

Now, back to the bike racing.  I have come to the conclusion that a sport that is so popular, for all ages and abilities, international, with hours of television and multiple print media is, at first, hidden like a secret society.  Bike shops seem to be vague on the subject and offer limited information, good but limited.  After getting the same answer from three sources I pulled up the American Cycling Association (americancycling.org) web site and found a wealth of information. Since we, shyly, entered this new adventure the tall kid has been to a weekend road camp, and raced two different races, with an enormous amount of assistance.  After you step through the secret door, there is a wonderful world of very friendly, helpful people that will give you more information than you could dream of.  We have also learned about clubs/teams. While racing if you are not affiliated with a club/team you will have no help and be left to fend for yourself.  The tall kid did pique the interest of a couple of kids from a local team and we are pending an acceptance notification.  It has been a fun filled month for the tall kid and a learning experience he is enjoying.  He has actually been once again motivated and is riding like a mad man.  As a side benefit, the fun, the races, and the people have re-kindled the cycling bug in the little guy and he wants to ride more now.  Another up side to bicycle racing is the cost.  Junior’s, through their nineteenth birthday have no registration fees and the parents don’t get nickel and dimed to death.  Of course I say that right now, we’ll see at the end of the season.  So if racing is in the back of your mind check out the American Cycling Association (ACA) web site and get going.  The races are all day but your race is only one maybe two hours so the time you spend at the race can be easily balanced with the honeydews.  Did I mention the beer garden open to all the, age appropriate, racers?

As far as the riding goes mine has dropped off but, a new month is starting and I’m hoping for some big miles this summer.  I will end up over a hundred miles again this month far from a hundred a week but I’m over a hundred.  The tall kid is sitting at 338 this month and enjoys rubbing it in.  It may be time he gets a job.

Till Next Time

Get out and Ride, But Be Safe

“G”