The Best Worst Kept Secret

Syracuse Bicycle Newsletter

29 July 2011

In This Issue

Store Happenings

Bicycle Master Plan for Syracuse

ARISE and Ride at the Farm This Saturday

Iron Girl Race Strategy Chalk Talk, 8/4

Point to Pint Ride, Syracuse to Ommegang Brewery, 8/20

Cyclocross Clinic - Mud, Blood, and Cowbell, 8/28

Join Our Mailing List

Store Happenings

Thursday- 7/28, Beginner WOW Ride, Clay Park Central, Liverpool, 9:30am

Thursday- 7/28, Cazenovia Tri Course Ride, Lakeside Park, 6pm.

Saturday- 7/30, Iron Girl Course Ride, Oneida Shores County Park, 7:15am.

Saturday- 7/30, ARISE and RIDE at the Farm, 10 or 25 mile ride, 8:30am.

Monday- 8/1, Beginner WOW Ride, Marcellus Park, 6pm.

Tuesday-8/2, Intermediate WOW Ride, Fabius Pompey MS/HS, 6pm.

Tuesday- 8/2, Onondaga Cycling Club Time Trial, Caughdenoy Rd, Jerome Fire Department, 6pm.

Tuesday - 8/2, Tuesday Night Training Series, Ray Middle School, Baldwinsville, 6pm.

Wednesday - 8/3, Bicycle Master Plan Public Meeting, 8:30 am, City of Syracuse Hall of Sustainability, 201 Washington St.

Wednesday - 8/3, 9:30am. Beginner WOW Ride, Onondaga Lake Park Canoe Rental Lot, 9:30 am.

Thursday-8/4, Iron Girl Race Strategy Chalk Talk, 7-8:30pm.

Thursday- 8/4, Cazenovia Triathlon Course Ride, Lakeside Park, 6pm.

Bicycle Master Plan for Syracuse

Our snowy weather is often not the biggest obstable to people commuting by bike in Syracuse, rather the lack of safe routes from the surrounding communities to downtown.

Hopefully this is about to change. City planners last month unveiled a preliminary look at what areas of the city might work best for bicycle paths, and what kinds of paths to build. The analysis of streets included 13 separate factors borrowed from the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council, including the volume of vehicle traffic on a street, how well the street connects to bus lines and existing bike lanes and the steepness of the terrain.

Syracuse has 9.5 miles of bike lanes, including the new extension of the Water Street bike lanes into downtown, said city Transportation Planner Paul Mercurio. The proposed Bike Infrastructure Master Plan presented last month will help guide future development of bike paths and associated structure such as bike racks, he said.

"Up until this point we have been putting in bike lanes where we can, but there hasn't been a big picture look at where the bike lanes need to be," Mercurio said.

Mercurio said he and some college interns have roamed the city and scoured data to come up with a map of roads in the city that would be best for some kind of bike paths.

A second public meeting to discuss the plan will be held on Wednesday, August 3rd, 8:30am, in the City Hall Commons Sustainability Showcase Atrium, 201 E. Washington St.

At this meeting the City will unveil a draft conceptual vision for the entire bicycle network along with focused short and long-term recommendations for some of the high priority corridors identified at the July public meeting.

These recommendations include citizen input and will help the City prioritize its resources and strengthen the ability to obtain future grants. The public is encouraged to attend.

ARISE and RIDE at the Farm THIS SATURDAY!

ARISE at the Farm is holding their first annual bike ride to promote and raise money for the Arise Farm in Chitenango. If you are not aware of the Arise Program, they work to help differently abled people do the things that most of us take for granted. The farm is a 77 acre working horse farm and accessible recreation and education facility in Chitenango, NY. They offer horseback riding, adaptive and therapeutic riding, access, plus all types of cycling on their 7/8 of a mile paved track. They have bicycles, tricycles, hand cycles and cycle cars.

The ride planned for Saturday, July 30 will have a 25 mile and 10 mile route option. Both routes are extremely flat and are suited for beginner riders as well as seasoned cyclists. There will be a Farm Festival after the ride with tons of fun activities for the whole family. Some of the activities include...

Antique Tractor Show
Arts/ Crafts Table
Bounce House
Corn Pit
Face Painting
Fishing
Games
Hay Rides
Horseback Riding
Petting Zoo
Scavenger Huint

The registration is only $25 each. There are family rates of either $40 for two or $50 for 3 or more.

Child care is available for those children whose parents are doing one of the rides for $5 per child.

More information

Dear Cycling Friends,

Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong Last Saturday night I was looking for inspiration. I had my alarm set for 4:00 a.m. and my pre-race meal all planned. It was the night before Ironman Lake Placid, and I was nervous.

I pulled out a favorite book of mine, "Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run" by Kristin Armstrong. For some strange reason, every time I open this book it somehow manages to fall on just the right page, giving me an answer to whatever issue I seem to be struggling with at the time.

That night I opened to page 187 and read Armstrong's account of why she loves (and hates) running hills: "I love the way they hurt, the way they refine, the way they challenge, the way they call us forward from fear...keep practicing hills and you won't flinch, no matter what is thrown in your face. No matter how steep the mother of a hill blocking your path, you can have the confidence and the training to overcome it. Up and over."

Earlier in the year, someone asked why I was racing again at Ironman Lake Placid. I'd already completed the event not once, but twice. Was I going to win? Not a chance. Trying to qualify for the World Championships in Kona? Not happening for me in my current age group! Then why?

For me, Ironman is all about overcoming obstacles. It's taking a seemingly insurmountable distance - 140.6 miles in total - and figuring out how to break it up into manageable chunks to get to that finish line in the Olympic Oval. I want to know that when faced with any obstacle - in a race, in life - that I'm ready. I want to have the strength, the courage, the wherewithal to get up and over whatever is blocking my path. Like Armstrong, I love the hills. Up and over.

I had a good day Saturday. Two years older and about 35 minutes faster than my last Ironman - a new personal best. And now I'm onto a new challenge: as of July 1, I joined Paul Komanecky as co-owner of Syracuse Bicycle. His cousin and former partner, Dan Venditti has left the business to pursue new opportunities.

Dan first ran his own shop in nearby Rochester for three years in the early 90s before taking ownership of Wayne's and Meltzer's from his father, Wayne Venditti. Paul joined him soon after and together they rebranded the store as Syracuse Bicycle, building it to what it is today.

Four years ago when I approached Paul about working at the shop, I told him two things - that I had a passion for cycling and triathlon and that someday, I wanted to own my own shop. It took me four years to realize that dream. To say I'm excited is an understatement!

It was a journey that I started by creating our first customer database and writing a monthly store newsletter. My job quickly expanded into hosting in-store events such as our popular Ladies Nights and Triathlon Clinics to leading indoor cycling classes and coaching our Beginner Triathlon and 70.3 Training groups. Community outreach was next added to my list of responsibilities as I was tasked with directing our Breast Cancer Awareness Ride, Toys for Tots program, and Women on Wheels, an educational program for beginner women cyclists designed to give them the confidence they need riding on our roadways.

I am extremely proud to be part-owner of a shop that is not only Central NY's oldest and largest cycling and triathlon retailer, but also the only local shop to have earned recognition as a Top 100 Bicycle Retailer in the United States. We are commited to offering knowledge, products, community outreach and customer service that is second to none. Paul and I are looking forward to building upon what we've achieved these past four years and working closely with the best staff we've ever had to take Syracuse Bicycle to new heights. We'd love to have you come along with us on this new journey. Up and over!

Happy Riding,

Trish Dugan and Paul Komanecky
Syracuse Bicycle
315-446-6816

Ironman Lake Placid Race Results

John Parker - 4th AG finish IMLP 2011

Same last name, same profession, no relation. Doctors Michael and John Parker are often taken for brothers, although John likes to joke that he's not only younger, but taller and better looking. Now they have another thing in common: they're both heading to Kona, Hawaii this October to compete in the Ironman World Championships.

An orthopedic surgeon, John Parker has raced nine Ironman triathlons over the past ten years. He has spent countless hours in the pool, on the bike, and on the road, all in an effort to realize his dream of one day earning a spot to compete at Kona.

And finally this was his year. He raced on Sunday to a new personal best and 4th place podium finish in the Men's 45-49 age group with a time of 10:19:54.

Michael - who spends his days as an ear, nose and throat specialist -has been a triathlete for over 30 years, competing in over 25 Ironman triathlons. He is an 8 time qualifier for the Ironman World Championships, and a 7 time Ironman podium finisher. He earned his qualifying spot earlier this year at Ironman St. George in Utah, known as one of the most challenging Ironman races.

And now there are two younger Parkers in the mix. "The most enjoyable part of my day was watching my sons, Austin (20) and Matthew (21) be successful in their races," says Michael, "but at the same time it was the most difficult part of my day, worrying about their safety and how they were doing on the course."

This was Austin's second time at Ironman Lake Placid. As the youngest competitor in 2009 at age 18 and 2 months, he had a great experience. He took a year off related to college commitments, but was back on Sunday earning the fastest swim split in the family and improving his overall finish time from two years ago. He will again take a year off and hopes to be back again in 2013.

Matthew is a year older than Austin, but came to Ironman a few years later having sustained a severe open tib-fib fracture of his right leg in the winter of 2009 while snowboarding. "That accident almost cost him his leg," says Michael. "When Matthew signed up a year ago, he had only run a 1/2 mile total without leg pain and was still in the rehab stage of the recovery from his leg fracture. He continues to have some orthopedic issues but has been able to compensate for most of it." Matthew managed to balance Ironman training with full time academic pursuit as a junior at St. Lawrence University, finishing the 2011 school year on the dean's list and in great shape.

Pennellville resident and Syracuse Bicycle athlete David Burger raced the fastest time of all Syracuse area triathletes at Lake Placid, with a time of 9:57:15. "The ruling that wetsuits could not be worn by people trying for age group awards or Kona slots really made the swim tough for me," said Dave. "When I got off the bike, I knew that I would need to run a 3:15 marathon to reach my goal of breaking 10 hours."

And I can certainly testify to the fact that Dave was doing no less than hauling ass on that run, as he sped past me in his Syracuse Bicycle triathlon kit! He ran a 3:13:28 and had the 10th fastest run of ALL age group men in the event. He finished 3rd in his age group (M40-44) and will also be heading to the World Championships in Kona this October.

Mary Beth Romagnoli also joins the list of local athletes scrambling for airline tickets and hotel accommodations in Hawaii this October. In her second Ironman, she raced to a new personal best and earned a qualifying spot for the World Championships, a goal she has been working toward for over three years.

Congratulations to all local triathletes who competed at Ironman Lake Placid 2011. Complete results

David Burger M40-44 9:57:15

John Parker M45-49 10:19:54

Michael Corona M35-39 10:28:21

Lindsay Wohlers F25-29 10:37:37

Matt Ruddy M35-39 10:42:35

John Longtin M45-49 10:46:50

Jeremy Dodds M40-44 10:56:40

Michael Parker M55-59 10:59:44

Sean Severance M40-44 11:09:50

Keisuke Inoue M35-39 11:13:03

Austin Parker M18-24 11:19:59

Todd Marshall M40-44 11:20:26

Scott Stewart M25-29 11:22:41

Mary Beth Romagnoli F40-44 11:25:57

Matthew Parker M18-24 11:37:18

John Hartnett M50-54 11:50:17

Tim Peterson M40-44 11:51:23

Richard Searing M50-54 12:02:23

Rebecca Bader F30-34 12:12:53

Joshua Arvidson M40-44 12:13:42

James Simko M40-44 12:23:08

Jeffrey Hanna M30-34 12:29:49

Lawrence Krieger M50-54 12:40:59

Zachary Dineen M35-39 13:08:05

Trish Dugan F40-44 13:20:49

Max Greenky M25-29 13:33:01

Candace Searing F50-54 13:36:49

Robert Burton M60-64 13:54:50

Fritz Kruezer M35-39 14:06:54

Robin Zimpel-Fontaine F40-44 14:13:06

Denise Clark F40-44 14:21:53

James Allen Jr. M40-44 14:43:06

Lauren Knight F40-44 15:15:06

Richard Fess M45-49 15:18:33

Russell Kalil M55-59 15:46:32

Susan Mangicaro F50-54 16:30:25

Emily Maor F35-39 16:45:35

Athleta Iron Girl Logo

Iron Girl "Chalk Talk"

Get Ready For Your Race with Syracuse Bicycle

Thursday, August 4th

7:00-8:30pm

Calm your nerves and plan your Iron Girl race strategy at Syracuse Bicycle! Our experienced USA Triathlon coaches Trish Dug, Stacy Wanamaker, Lisa Barnes and Reem Jishi will walk you through your race from start to finish. They'll provide tips and tricks to help make your Iron Girl a race you'll remember. And we'll have our expert service technicians on hand to teach you how to fix a flat so you'll be prepared on race day.

RSVP please, space limited.

Point to Pint Ride August 20, 2011

Join us on August 20th for what is sure to be a day to remember! Team Ommegang and Syracuse Bicycle are offering the most epic point-to-point fun ride Syracuse has seen!

The ride will begin in Syracuse and end approximately 100 miles later at the Ommegang Brewery just south of Cooperstown. There will be no official water stops or pace cars. This is a self-supported event and not a race. It is a USAC sanctioned event. Families, friends and children are absolutely welcome to the celebration at the brewery which will follow the ride. Stay and chat with great food, great beer and great friends.

A detailed route map will be available once the route has been approved and confirmed. Maps will be provided to every rider. Pre-registration will be required and there will be no "day-of-registration". There will be two start times: 9:45am for recreational cyclists and 10:45am for experienced cyclists. Race fee is $45; included are vouchers for drinks and beverages for the celebration after. Official Race Flyer

For more information contact the race director Greg Drumm at gwdgo2@aol.com.

Cyclocross - Mud, Blood, and Cowbells!

Cyclocross Clinic - Save the Date!

Sunday, August 28th

10-2pm, Longbranch Park

Maybe you've never heard of cyclocross, maybe you're already racing cyclocross, or maybe you've been interested in cyclocross but wondering how to get started.

For those unfamiliar with cyclocross (CX), CX races typically last 45 minutes to an hour. They take place on varying terrain that usually includes a mix of grass, gravel, pavement, mud, sand and dirt. There are typically 16" barriers and hill run ups to get you off of your bike and briefly running. The races take place on a loop/circuit that is usually 1-2 miles in length, so they are spectator and family friendly since they get to cheer you on or "heckle" you at least 7-9 times per race. They are held in fall, so it's a great chance to lengthen the season and carry your Tri/Road/MTB fitness into the winter.

I'm generalizing, but if road racers are viewed as being intensely competitive and solely consumed by watts and hill repeats, and MTBers are viewed as being laid back looking for flowy single track, while triathletes are viewed as super-supportive, friendly, technology geeks, CX'ers sort of split the difference. There's cool bike gear to add to the collection, competitive racing, and the racers are very friendly and supportive . . . at least before and after the race!

The clinic will be held between 10-2 at Longbranch Park in Liverpool on Sunday August 28th. The clinic will take advantage of many sections from the Syracuse Grand Prix Cyclocross race held by the Onondaga Cycling Club each fall and will be great preparation for the new racer and a great refresher for everyone else.

The techniques will cover dismounts (getting off of your bike at speed to jump over a barrier or prepare for a run up), mounts (you'll need to get back on your bike quickly after a dismount), carrying your bike over barriers or up hills, cornering, off cambers, basic bunny hopping, and race starts. We'll also discuss equipment choices, tire choices, pedal options and tire pressure.

If you don't own a CX bike, Mountain bikes are welcome. For those unfamiliar with CX bikes, they look like this:

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/cyclocross/xo/xo_1/#

Instructors will include myself, along with former Jr. National Cyclocross Champion Anna Young and other local experts.

Keep an eye out for further details and feel free to e-mail questions to me at pmccarthy2@gmail.com