Skip the beach and race your bike this weekend!  Go over to MS and race the Plein Air Classic and get your hands on some of the $7,500 prize list!  The July 4th criterium will be held on the Ole Miss campus.  Sam's Town Casino is offering a weekend package consisting of free lodging....The free lodging will be selected via drawing from those that pre-register!

Attention clubs, teams, promoters and shops!  Get your next cycling clothing order from Hincapie Custom Sportswear!  Hincapie offers low minimums (10 units of each) and competitive prices.  Viewers of Alabama Cycling News will get special pricing if you mention Alabama Cycling News when you contact Cleve Blackwell at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  for a quote on custom clothing.  Wear what the professionals wear!

Catch up on Doug Daughhetee's articles in the Birmingham News regarding cycling. 

Read more....

Michael Olheiser (warp9bikes.com/Tristar) from Huntsville, AL won the 2009 Master's 30-34 National Time Trial on Wednesday.  Mike covered the approximately 25 kilometer course in a time of 29:20, which was the fastest time of the day for all groups.  This makes his 4th national title in 4 years (3 road and 1 time trial). This is added to his two Masters 30-39 World Time Trial titles.

Bike Wins

Bike Link Demo Bike Sale!

Several Alabama riders featured at the 2009 Master's National Championships in Louisville, KY.

• Jack Bice and Randall Roland, both from Huntsville, won the national championship in the tandem race
• Terry Duran (Birmingham) scored an impressive 2nd place finish in the Men's 50-54 road race.  The winner of the race barely got away from Terry toward the end.
• Michael Olheiser (Hunstville  warp9bikes.com/Tristar) got 2nd in the Master's men 30-34 class.

Tommorow is the time trial for all of the categories and beginning on Thursday the criteriums will be held at the site of the Kentucky Derby!

Video

Join and support AlaBike.  AlaBike helps with lobbying efforts for improved roads for safer cycling as well as with cycling advocacy issues.  Your membership helps fund these initiatives and keeps you "in the loop" of the latest developments and important information.  Join today!  We all ride and we all need to do our part to make the riding safer and more enjoyable for all!

Mark your calendars for July 18th and 19th for the Spring City Cycling Club's Summer Races (a.k.a. Huntsville).  This year's road race will be the Alabama State Road Championships.  There will be an uphill time trial on Saturday.  Sunday will feature the criterium. 

Read more....

Make your summer vacation plans for the 2009 Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend, OR.  If you've never cycled out in Oregon, then you are missing out!  Oregon has some of the best roads around for riding.  The roads are scenic and the terrain is challenging.  If you've never been out there, then why not go this year? 

You can plan an epic cycling vacation and get in a great week of racing and training at the same time!  Best of all, it will be cheaper than what you think.  Many times at these races the local community will open their homes up to the racers (in some cases spouses as well).  All you have to do is contact the promoter and let them know how many are coming.  They'll make the arrangements and put you in contact with a local family.  Register for the race.  Book your flight and you're off!

If your race doesn't go as planned, no worries.  You're in a location that has some of the best riding around!

It's hot outside!  Beat the heat and take advantage of the swimming pools at the Gold's Gym locations.  Try a one week free pass!

This is a great article that appeared in the Montgomery Advertiser.  If you come across any articles, such as these, please, please, please send me the link so that I can share this with every one.

When bicyclists strap on their helmets and get out on the roadways in the River Region this summer, they face the possibility of heat exhaustion, equipment failure, snakes and running into a small segment of the population that enjoys harassing them.

Read more....

Now that the heat of the summer has shown itself, hydration and electrolyte replenishment is even more crucial for maximal exercise performance and for health and safety in general.  Below are several great resources on training in the heat and humidity.  These will not only keep your "engine" running at maximum capacity, but could also keep you alive!

Don't miss the Avery Trace Road Race this weekend.  This race has been around for about 15 years and is a fantastic race, that is well run and is raced over scenic roads.  The course is challenging and very hilly.  However, it's definitely not a "pure" climber's race...so, big guys and non-climber types can have a good time on this course too (trust me).

The Baymont Inn and Suites is offering an incredible deals on rooms.  You can get a room for $65 dollars per night....provided you mention the bike race.  You can also get a suite for $10 more!

I'm currently looking for 6-8 guest writers for the site.  I'm looking for people that would be willing to write on just about anything related to cycling.  I have the racing scene covered (but I'd still like someone to submit articles).  I'd really like to have people that are more focused on other aspects of cycling such as, advocacy, touring, commuting to work, ultra endurance riding, mountain biking, bmx, etc, etc.

Bill Seitz is considering starting a bi-month road ride for juniors ages 16 and under.  These rides will take place on the 2nd and 4th Monday's of the month and will begin at South Lakeshore Drive in Homewood.  The only requirements are a multi-speed bicycle, a helmet and desire.  The purpose of the ride is to make riding more enjoyable and to introduce young cyclists to the sport of cycling.  The secondary goal is to teach basic skills such as pacelining, cornering, group ride etiquitte, etc.  For more information, e-mail Bill Seitz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bike Link Father's Day Sale is going on now!

Joe Eldridge, one of the three pro riders from Alabama (Team Type 1), was spotlighted in Velo News!

Read more....

This is the last of a 6-part series regarding annoying or dangerous cycling behaviors.Many people, almost without exception, non-cyclists, wonder why cyclists do not ride against (or into) oncoming traffic - like most runners (correctly) run.  Simply stated - it is unsafe.

One of the local pro riders, Ty Stanfield, distinguished himself at one of the country's hardest stage races-Nature Valley Gran Prix in Minnesota.  Ty was especially aggressive in one of the road stages.  This aggressiveness earned him a top finish in that day's stage, as well as being voted the "Most Aggressive Rider" for the day. 

Read more....

Head down to Louisiana this weekend and hit a stage race (road race, time trial and crit) and hang out in New Orleans...all during the same trip! 

I've been working hard on getting my new website going -- topocreator.com

Before I go into Beta testing (I'll be asking many of you Birmingham folks to help me test it out), I've been creating maps of some popular races ... the Giro d'Italia, Mt Hood, Joe Martin, Bull's Gap, etc...

Check them out!

Mt Hood - http://www.topocreator.com/hood.php

BUMP Oak Mountain Lake Trail Project Moves Forward 

For immediate release June 8, 2009 

My apologies for the lack of recent updates.  I've been in Oregon doing the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic.  We're staying in a cabin in the mountains, so needless to say, internet has been scarce.

To summarize, Mike Olheiser (Huntsville) won stage 1.  The warp9bikes.com/Tristar took a "shank" to a gun fight against Bissell and Ouch and did what we could do to defend the jersey.  A break went clear and we spent 50 miles riding "tempo" at the front and simply maintained the gap until Bissell came in to shut it down with about 15-18 to go.  Mike finished 4th in the time trial today, getting beat by two Bissell riders and one Ouch rider.  Tommorow, we have a 92 mile stage with 12,000 feet of climbing.  The last 40 miles are gradually uphill.  I'll do a complete recap when I get more time and energy.

In brief, I've heard that the Sprott Time Trial scheduled for late June will be moved due to scheduling conflicts.

Has anyone determined if the gate behind the Morgan Keeganbuilding is down on Sunday? I assume it is, but I have not wished to be latefor events where finding myself blocked would force me to double back.

There seems to be no problem with riding the BrookwoodMetroplex on Sundays, despite the gates and signage. The lot is virtually emptyand there is no security that I have seen, and no one to either scare us or bescared of us. If I don’t hear from anyone, I will make a little extra time andfind out and post myself, but if someone out there can save me the time…

The third stop on the USCup ProXCT resumes this weekend at Bump n' Grind in Birmingham, Alabama. Not since the national series visited Waco, Texas, in 2004, have the racers ventured this far into the Deep South. While this will be Bump n' Grind's 14th year, it will be the first time that North America's top professionals will be competing there as part of the elite national series. 

Read more....

Check out the BICI Cooperative.  The BICI Cooperative has the goal of creating easy and equal access to cycling by providing affordable bicycle maintenance, services and education as well as a forum for sharing bicycle knowledge, activism and community. 

12 Months No Payment and No Interest

Presents:

Pro Night!  A night to hang out with some of the fastest mountain bike riders in the world and ask them questions!  Best of all....it's free!

This past weekend, a cyclist (not me) was out for a Saturday a.m. ride.  The cyclist was climbing a small hill and the driver behind the cyclist was patiently waiting to crest the hill before passing the cyclist.  After the car passed the cyclist, a police officer pulled the cyclist over and informed him that the law stated that he was required to dismount the bike when a car was behnid him (or something to that effect).  When the cyclist objected and said that's not what the law states, the police officer threatened him with a ticket for obstructing traffic.

Please read Danny Feldman's explanation of the applicable laws.

Vassago Jabberwocky

Black with White rigid fork

Avid discs f/r

White Industries ENO single speed crank

Bontrager Rythm Elite wheelset

marshallbrentatgmaildotcom

Please consider making a donation, large or small, to B.U.M.P. so that they can expand the amount of mountain bike trails at Oak Mountain.  Making a donation is simple.  The donations are processed via Pay Pal, so donating takes about 30 seconds if you have a Pay Pal account.  Simply enter in the donation amount, enter in your login and hit submit...done!  If you don't have a Pay Pal account, don't worry; credi and debit cards can be used to make a donation.

I wanted to take a quick moment to spotlight a great event that is being held in Alexandria, LA in June.  The promoter is really trying to grow this event into a top notch event that rivals the quality of the National Race Calendar events that are found in other parts of the country.  The prize purse for the weekend is $10,000!  Please, make a point to attend this event.  The promoters have set a goal to attract at least 170 participants.

Saturday May 30th, 2009

Danny Feldman is continuing his series regarding annoying driver's behaviors that endanger cyclists.  He is continuing his series with "moves" that we cyclists do that annoy drivers (yes, we're at fault too) and put ourselves into danger.

The Tristar Cycling Team will be hosting the 4th Annual Edgar Soto Cycling Classic in Nashville, TN.  The event will be May 30 and 31st.  This year, the race will feature only the juniors and the races will be qualifier races that will allow junior riders to compete for the opportunity to represent Team USA at the World Championships!

If you are a juniors aged racer or if you know someone that is, please don't miss this event!  If you are interested in being a sponsor (no matter how big or small) and supporting the future of the sport or giving back to the sport or if you would like to volunteer to assist in the putting on this event, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (put Edgar Soto in the subject line).

Event Details

The bike ride, "1,000 Miles for The Little Tree," officially began on Saturday, May 16, 2009. 

The six person team is off to a strong start and they have already pedaled from Jacksonville, Alabama to Douglas, Georgia with overnight stops in Auburn, Alabama and Cuthbert, Georgia.  They reached 370 miles today and over the next six days they will ride the remaining 630 miles to finish their 1,000 mile bike ride in Mobile, Alabama. 

Their route includes visits to all three of The Little Tree Preschools (Jacksonville, Auburn, and Mobile, Alabama) and they are hoping to create autism awareness throughout Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.  The 1000milers are a dedicated group of individuals riding for the children of The Little Tree Preschool, a program of The Learning Tree, Inc.

Bike Link Sale May 14-31st 

Trish Albert (www.sadlebred.com) can be seen at most all of the local races and events with a camera in one hand and her bike in the other.  When she is not racing, she is taking photos.  She has photos from many of the races that were in the area, including the Sunny King Criterium, for you to look at (and buy if you see one you like).

Link to gallery....

Check out the May 2009 edition of the Birmingham Bicycle Club's "Spokesman" news letter.

Read more....

Kelly Bownes and her company, Med Plan Recruiting Inc., has been a long time supporter and sponsor of cycling in Birmingham and in the southeast in general.  The Birmingham News has done a terrific article on Kelly and her company.

Read more....