Merry Christmas!

From everyone here at BikeTown - Merry Christmas! May you be blessed with time with your family and friends to celebrate the best gift ever - God's Son. Even a brand-new shiny bicycle under the tree can't compare with that! Have a wonderful Christmas Day.

Christmas Gift Ideas

Well...if you've waited this long to do your Christmas shopping - good luck! Here's one last idea for the cycling enthusiast on your list: a BikeTown gift certificate! It's good any time of the year and can be used for whatever cycling item your friend or family member wants. So, if you are venturing out in the snow this morning, drop on by the store and pick up a one-size-fits-all gift certificate.

Christmas Gift Ideas

Here's another Christmas gift idea for any of you out there needing last minute ideas: the Pearl Izumi Vagabond jacket. These things are great! I wear mine all the time in the winter months. It is extremely lightweight, and great at blocking the good ol West Texas wind. It also has sleeves that easily zip off if you get a tad too warm. It's one of those clothing pieces that after you try it you wonder how you went without it. Come on in to the store and check it out. While you're there, check out all our other cold-weather gear. There are lots of jerseys, tights, socks, gloves, etc. to choose from!

Christmas Gift Ideas

Time is running out! Christmas is just a few days away! Here's another gift idea for you: trainers. It is winter now, and sometimes it's just not too pleasant outside. Instead of forgoing your bike ride, stick your bike in that trainer and pedal away. No, it's not the same as riding outside, but it does help you keep up the riding during the cold weather season. Come on in to the store and check out the trainers that we have in stock. Any one of them would look good under the tree!

Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas is almost here. It's hard to believe that it is a week from tomorrow! If you're like me, you haven't finished shopping yet. Actually, if you're like me, you haven't even figured out what you are shopping for yet. If you are in that same predicament, check here from now until Christmas. I'll be sharing some good gift ideas for bicycle-loving friends and family.

Here's the idea for today: Arm, leg, or knee warmers. Our weather around here is rather unpredictable in the winter time. We can have 60 degree weather one day and then have 25 degree weather the next. Sometimes, that temperature change occurs within hours. It's always nice to be prepared for the weather to change. It might be a bit cool when your ride starts, but really warm up as you go, either from the weather or the workout. Being able to shed arm or leg warmers as you ride is really nice. Your cycling family member will appreciate this gift under the tree!

ABC Membership

This is a reminder that all memberships in the Abilene Bicycling Club expire at the end of December. Go ahead and renew now! Print out the form below, fill it in, and either mail it in or drop it off with your dues at BikeTown. Dues are $20 for the year, and one membership does cover your immediate family. If you write a check, please make it out to Abilene Bicycling Club.

Click on this link for the membership form:

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B-0LCR9d8v4iZGMyYTUwZmItMTMxOS00NzI3LTgxODctODU4YTI3YjM4NDMw&hl=en

Winter Weather

Have we really been in Abilene the last few days? Since when do we get such cold weather this early? We never know what type of weather will be thrown at us this time of year in West Texas. Make sure you're prepared for whatever weather shows up. Rides can be miserable if it's cold and you don't have the right gear to keep you warm. Come on in to the store and see what we have to help make your winter riding much more enjoyable.

Bent Wheel Bash 2009 Results

What a great event! The 2009 Bent Wheel Bash had terrific weather, an awesome off-road course, and a bunch of great riders. Top it off with the police/fire challenge, and it was a fun-filled day. We doubled the number of racers at this event from last year. Let's keep growing it! Thanks to everyone who helped out with it. A special shout-out to Gary Fraser for organizing the event. Events like this are a lot of work. We appreciate all you did, Gary! For all you racers, check out this link for the results: www.usacycling.org/results/?permit+2009-2857 The event name is Buck Creek Bent Wheel Bash.

After the race, the police/fire challenge began. This consisted of a sledgehammer challenge, body drag, fire hose challenge, 1.5 mile mountain bike course, and, finally, target practice. This might not sound like much, but string all those things together, and you have a pretty challenging event. Last spring, the police took home overall bragging rights. Apparently, the firefighters didn't like that. Aaron Barr (firefighter) defended his first place finish from last time, and the rest of his team helped the firefighters win overall this time. Here are the results for their challenge:

1. Aaron Barr (AFD) - 12:37

2. Marty Sanders (AFD) - 13.02

3. Brian Scalf (AFD) - 13.47

4. Tony Hay (AFD) - 13.55

5. Clay Grothe (APD) - 13.57

6. Joe Tauer (APD) - 14.30

7. Richard Valdez* (APD) - 15.19

8. Scott Wilkerson (AFD) - 15.40

9. Pat Edwards (AFD) - 16.26

10. James Young (APD) - 20.58

11. Greg Valentine (AFD) - 24.21

12. Stephanie Rollins (APD) - 24.29

13. Kimberly Scalf (APD) - 11.32 (modified course - no off-road)

* FYI - Richard completed this challenge AFTER competing in the Bent Wheel Bash Race of 18 miles AND he's 60+ years old. Way to go, Richard!

Thanks to everyone who came out and rode. We can't wait for next year!

Change is Good

If you haven't been out to Buck Creek Trails lately, you might notice some changes the next time you go. There has been a lot of work going on!
Several people got out there and made the trails better for everyone.


The first thing you'll notice is the improved parking area. It is wider which will allow for a lot more cars. Also, it's not just dirt anymore. Hopefully, this will help prevent the deep ruts that occur when it rains.



There are also some new burms out on the trail. Have fun trying those out!

But, of all the improvements, this has got to be the most exciting one. There is now a pump track right between the parking area and the trail. It's awesome! Chris Smith planned it out and Grady Johnson, Bob Sanderson, Richard Valdez, Aaron Barr, Gary Fraser, Jim MacDonald, Troy MacDonald, and Trent MacDonald spent several days helping him build it. If you've never tried one, the point is to see if you can make it all the way around without pedaling. It's harder than it looks! Better yet, it's great for adults and kids so the whole family can give it a try.

Thanks so much to everyone who has helped out at the trails. They just keep getting better and better, and it wouldn't happen without everyone pitching in. Thanks!

Bent Wheel Bash

It's time for the Bent Wheel Bash 2009! This XC race is part of the West Texas Series and will take place at Buck Creek Trails on Sunday, November 1. The Bent Wheel Bash is the final event in our Buck Creek Trails Fall Series. There is an entry fee for this event. Check out the flyer for all the info:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21679391/Bent-Wheel-Bash-Race-Flyer-2009

Registration, as well as the start and finish, will take place at the Abilene Police Dodson Training Center, located directly north of Buck Creek Trails. Instead of turning in at the normal parking area for the trails, continue north on East Lake Road to the next entrance on your right which is the training center. Turn in there. All the profits from race registration will be benefitting the Abilene Police Bike Unit. So, not only do you get to ride in a fun, off-road event, you also get to help support our local police officers. We will also have event t-shirts for sale with the profits going to the police bike unit.

There are several different categories to race in, including several for kids. Their course will be shorter, and juniors under age 18 race for free. Once again, check out the flyer for more information. This is a USA Cycling sanctioned event, so everyone has to have a USA cycling license. If you don't have one, a one-day license can be purchased at the event for $10.

After the race is over, there will be a police/fire challenge. Police officers and firemen from around the area will be competing against each other in a challenge including firefighter skills, police skills, and, of course, some mountain biking. Most of this challenge will be in full view of spectators. We had a practice run at this challenge last spring, and it was a lot of fun to watch. While all this is going on, the Firefighter's Association will be selling hamburgers, etc. All the proceeds from lunch sales will benefit the local firemen.

For those interested, there will be a cowboy church/devotional service at 9:15. Also, remember that the day of the event is also the day to set your clocks back one hour!

Fun Ride Today - Thanks!

Wheels for Life is officially over for another year. It was a tad cool out this morning, but the ride was fun! The routes have some pretty scenery as well as several chances to pick up raffle tickets along the way. I hope some of you cyclists that participated were among the winners! More cyclists showed up this year than last which is always good. We'd love to see this ride continue to grow every year. It's a great mix of bicycles, motorcycles, and cars all out on the road to support Christian Homes & Family Services. From what I understand, quite a bit of money was raised for this organization today. Thanks to all of you who participated and helped out this cause.

I'm afraid that I don't have any pictures to post from today. I was riding the short route with my kids and neglected to get out the camera. If anyone has any pictures to share, feel free to send them our way!

Wheels for Life and Pro Cyclist

Wheels for Life, benefiting Christian Homes and Family Services, is this Saturday morning, October 24th! Registration is at 7:00 am and the ride will start at 7:30 am. It will take off from the Prime Time parking lot. The cost is $25. There are three route lengths to choose from: 6 miles, 22 miles, and 58 miles. Go to www.christianhomes.org and click on Wheels for Life on the left hand side. You can view the route maps from there. Christian Homes is a great organization that helps change lives and build Christian families through maternity, foster, and adoption services. Come on out and ride and, in the process, help raise funds for an organization that does so much to help others. We'd love to see you there!

Also, many of you got an email last week about Robert Schrank, a professional cyclist, who is going to be at BikeTown tomorrow, October 23rd at 4:00 pm. He'll be sharing about living with diabetes. Encourage anyone who is living with this illness, or anyone interested in learning more about it and how to manage cycling with diabetes to come on in and listen.

Buck Creek Fall Series Time Trial Results

Thanks to everyone who came out last Saturday for the latest event in the Buck Creek Fall Series. We had a time trial of about 6 miles, some hot dogs on the grill, and then a mini-time trial for the kids. Here are the results:

Time Trial
1. Josh Brown - 23:53
2. Gary Fraser - 24:10
3. Jim MacDonald - 25:15
4. Tracy Jarvis - 27:57
5. Grant Woods - 28:15
6. Todd Sage - 32:22
7. Ryan "Grady" Johnson - 32:50
Brian Chung* - 22:09
Trent MacDonald* - 27:57
Ryan Ware - DNF

* Brian and Trent missed a turn somewhere along the way, so their course was a tad shorter.

Short Time Trial around Little Mac's Meadow (supposedly for the kids, but some big kids got involved, too)
1. Gary Fraser - 1:50
2. Jim MacDonald - 1:51
3. Trent MacDonald - 2:20
4. Troy MacDonald - 2:36
5. Paige MacDonald - 3:57
6. Reese MacDonald - 7:12
7. Grant Woods - 7:14 (Grant added a bit of mileage to his time trial.)

Thanks to everyone coming on out for the fun! We've had new faces at each event - we love that! We love riding our bikes and love it when others enjoy their bikes, too.

There is one more event in the Buck Creek Fall Series: The Bent Wheel Bash. It will take place on Sunday, November 1. This XC race is part of the West Texas Series and will benefit the Abilene Police Bike Unit. There will be all sorts of stuff going on at the Bent Wheel Bash: an XC race, a kids' race, good food, and a police-fireman challenge. It'll be a lot of fun, so make plans to be out there! I'll be posting some more info about it soon.

Upcoming Events

Remember - this Saturday is the next event in the Buck Creek Fall Series. Make plans to come out on Saturday, October 17 for a time trial. Registration will be at 3:30 and the first rider will take off at 4:00. The time trial will take most people around 30-45 minutes to complete. After the time trial we'll provide hot dogs, drinks, and cookies again. Also like last time, we'll have a time trial for the kids at the end. There is no charge for this event. Just come on out and have fun!

Also coming up is a fall road ride that we sponsor. Wheels for Life benefits Christian Homes & Family Services, a local adoption agency. It will be held on Saturday, October 24. There are three routes to choose from: 58, 22, or 6 miles in length. Check out the website for more information, registration, and route maps: www.christianhomes.com . Click on the Wheels for Life link on the left of the site. If you participated in this benefit ride last year, please note that this year we all start in the parking lot of Prime Time instead of CJC. Come on out and ride and support a wonderful cause!

Forum Drawing Winner

Thanks to everyone who registered on our website forum and made a post. Like we said, anyone who registered and made a post by September 30 would be entered in a drawing for a $30 BikeTown gift certificate. And the winner is.....nodnarb134. Just get in touch with us to claim your gift certificate!
Check back here later tonight for some info about upcoming events, both on and off road.

XC Race Pictures

Here are the pictures from the XC Race held on October 3. Enjoy!

The kids' time trial:

Remember - the next event will be held at the trails on Saturday, October 17. Also, check back for the winner of our forum drawing.

Short Track Pictures

Here are some pictures from the short track race at Buck Creek Trails on September 26. It started lemans style which was truly entertaining to watch. Here are the beginners running for their bikes:



Now for the Sport class:



Lots of pictures of the riders during the event:

The beginners on the podium:

Sport class on the podium:

Enjoy the pictures. I'll get some of the xc race on the blog later in the week. If you rode and want one of the pictures emailed to you, just let me know.

Short Track and XC Race Results

Thanks to everyone who has come out to the trails the last two weekends. It's been a lot of fun!Here are the results for the last two races:

Short Track Race on September 26 (raced a loop of about 3 miles for 30 minutes + 2 laps)
Sport Class
1. Jonathan Kiley - 13 laps
2. Nicholas Chirico - 13 laps
3. Andrew Andress - 12 laps
4. Aaron Barr - 12 laps
Gary Fraser - DQ

Beginner Class
1. Bryan Muri - 13 laps
2. Andrew Charter - 12 laps
3. Tracy Jarvis - 11 laps
4. Rickey Wallace - 11 laps
5. Grant Woods - 10 laps
6. Marcus Wiley - 10 laps
7. Lincoln Smith - 10 laps
8. Robert Molnar - 10 laps
9. Bear Aspra - 10 laps
10. Casey Luby - 9 laps
11. Todd Sage - 9 laps
12. Tyler Williams - 8 laps
13. Trent MacDonald - 8 laps
14. Troy MacDonald - 8 laps
Steven Riley - DNF

XC Race on October 3 (course of 5.5 miles)
Sport (2 laps)
1. Jason Frazee - 46:26
2. Bryan Muri - 50:41

Beginner (1 lap)
1. Tracy Jarvis - 29:00
2. Steven Riley - 30:52
3. Grant Woods - 30:55
4. Lincoln Smith - 31:44
5. Todd Sage - 33:02
6. Trent MacDonald - 37:21
7. Troy MacDonald - 37:22
8. Gary Fraser (sweep) - 37:23

After the race we had some hot dogs, fruit, and cookies, then settled in to watch the kids compete in a time trial on Little Mac's Meadow. It's about 3/4 of a mile long.

1. Troy MacDonald - 2:28
2. Trent MacDonald - 2:31
3. Rylan Johnson - 3:03
4. Laurissa Johnson - 3:08
5. Kaya Johnson - 3:41
6. Paige MacDonald - 5:22
7. Reese MacDonald - 8:31

It was fun watching these little guys. Watch out for them in a few more years!
Thanks again to all who came out. I'll post some pictures of the events as I have time this week. Remember - the next event will take place on Saturday, October 17 around 3:30. Make plans to be there!

XC Race at Buck Creek Tomorrow

Hey, everyone! Tomorrow is the next event in the Buck Creek Trail Fall Series. Come on out tomorrow afternoon for a cross country race followed by some hot dogs on the grill. We'll provide drinks. If you want another type of meat, bring it and throw it on the grill. Everyone, racers and spectators, are invited to join in the eating.

The race will be divided into two categories, one will be 5 1/2 miles and the other will be 11 miles. If you're new to racing, go for the shorter route. Otherwise, try the longer one. Meet in the parking lot for registration at 3:30. The race will begin at 4:00. Just have your bike and helmet. We'll take care of the rest. If it's raining, the race is off, so let's hope the rain holds off until tomorrow night.

If you have any questions feel free to give us a call. If you want to see a map of the route, go to www.biketown.com , click on the forum and look under All Things Buck Creek.

Once again, there is no charge for this event or for the food. Just come on out and have a good time, enjoy the music, and race a little. Hope to see you there!

Last Road Time Trial This Year!

Hey, everyone - tomorrow is the last ABC road time trial for 2009. Like always, meet out at Mueller's on FM 18. There is a time change this month! Due to fewer daylight hours, the time has been moved up 30 minutes. Registration will begin at 5:30 and the first rider will take off at 6:00.

In case you need directions, here they are: FM 18 is off of Hwy 36 right before the airport. Turn east onto FM 18 and drive for a mile or so. Mueller's will be on your right. Pull into their parking lot and get ready to ride. Once again, the entry fee is one non-perishable food item to be donated to the Food Bank. All donations this year will be made in memory of Don Dunston.

It's your last chance this year for the ABC time trial. Come on out and see how you do!

Forum Reminder

Lots of you have taken us up on our forum offer. Thanks! For those of you who haven't, today is the last day to be entered in the drawing. Anyone who visits our website, signs up on our forum, and makes at least one post will be entered in a drawing for a $30 BikeTown gift certificate. Go to www.biketown.com and click on the forum link. There are quite a few new registered users, but remember - you have to make a post to be in the drawing! You have until the end of today to make your post. We'll announce the winner of the drawing in the next few days. Just check back here.

Short Track Race at Buck Creek Trails Tomorrow

So we got rained out at the first event of the Buck Creek Trails Fall Series...let's try again tomorrow! This time around it will be a short track race. Basically, we'll ride a short loop a predetermined number of times, and whoever finishes first, wins. Simple enough. It will start at 4:00pm in the main parking area. Be there a little before that with your bike and helmet. It's open to anyone - just come on out and have fun. There is no charge. We'll provide drinks and cookies after the race. Hope to see you there!

Time Trial at the Trails this Saturday

WooHoo! It's time to start the fall events out at Buck Creek Trails! This Saturday will be the first event: a time trial followed by a cookout. Here is the info you need:

When: Saturday, September 12, 2009
Registration at 3:30 pm
First rider takes off at 4:00 pm

Where: Buck Creek Trails
Register and start in the main parking area

What: Time Trial
Riders will be started about a minute apart and the route will take about 30 minutes to complete.

Who: Anyone who wants to come and give it a try!

Cost: nada - Only one event in this Buck Creek series will have a cost (the Bent Wheel Bash that is part of the West Texas Series). All the other ones are free and a great chance to just come out and have fun at the trails!

After the time trial there will be a cookout. Hot dogs, chips, drinks, etc. are on the menu. After the cookout there will be a trail ride for anyone who wants to see what the trails are like. This is for anyone who wants to give it a try. There will be a few loaner bikes available if you want to give one a try.

Anyone participating in the time trial or trail ride MUST wear a helmet. No helmet - no ride.

If there is rain, there will be no riding so let's hope it holds off until after the time trial!

September Road Time Trial Results

Here are the results for the latest time trial. Sorry for the delay!

1. Thomas Talley - 22:13
2. Mark Rogers - 24:32
3. JR Brock - 26:29
4. Chuck Patton - 27:36
5. Patrick Stevenson - 27:45
6. Craig Jones - 28:43
7. Travis Seekins - 29:14
8. Brandon Rogers - 29:39
9. Cameron Moore - 30:13
10. Luke Allen - 31:46

Thanks, everyone for coming out. There will be one more time trial this year. Due to the shortening daylight hours, the start time for the last one will move up half an hour. So, registration will be at 5:30 and the first rider will take off at 6:00.

September ABC Road Time Trial

It is time for the September ABC Time Trial. Can you believe it is already September? Where did summer go? Plan on coming out this Thursday evening, September 3. Once again, here is all the info:

Meet at Mueller's on FM 18. Registration will be at 6:00 and the first rider will take off at 6:30 It is the same 10-mile loop as last year. There is a fee of a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Food Bank. This year, all donations will be made in the memory of Don Dunston.

For those who are new, FM 18 is off of Hwy 36 right before the airport. Turn left (east) onto FM 18 and drive for a mile or so. Mueller's will be on your right. Just park in their parking lot and get ready to ride. This is a great way to see how well you are riding and to see how you improve over the season. Come on out and give it a try! We'd love to see you there! And, of course, check back here on Thursday night for the results.

BikeTown Forum

We have finally made the leap into the 21st century. Yes - our website is up and going. We've had the site since we opened our doors, but just didn't get it going until earlier this year. Yes - we realize that's horrible. Anyway - we would love to see everyone get involved over in our BikeTown forum. So, take a minute to visit our website, register on the forum, and maybe post a comment or two. In fact, if you register on our forum and make at least one post by September 30, 2009, we'll put you in a drawing for a $30 BikeTown gift certificate.

Take a minute and go look around: http://www.biketown.com/

Hotter'N Hell 2009

Hope everyone who rode in Hotter'N Hell had a blast! If you have any fun stories or pictures from this year's ride, send them our way. We love it when you share!

Buck Creek Race Series

There is something new out at the trails for the fall - our very own Buck Creek Race Series! Starting in September there will be an event out at Buck Creek Trails every other weekend, finishing off with the Bent Wheel Bash on November 1. Here is the list of dates and events:

Saturday, September 12, 2009: Time Trial followed by a cookout
Saturday, September 26, 2009: Short Track Race
Saturday, October 3, 2009: XC Race
Saturday, October 17, 2009: Time Trial and trail maintenance
Sunday, November 1, 2009: Bent Wheel Bash (part of the West Texas Championship Mountain Bike Series)

We'll post the times, entry fees, and other information soon. We just wanted to go ahead and let you know about it so you can make plans to join us. We would love to see everyone out there - kids, beginners, experts - everyone! Just come on out and have fun!

DeLeon Melon Patch Ride

The DeLeon Melon Patch Ride was held on Saturday, August 8. Several Abilene folks participated. Five of them stayed together the whole 71 miles of the ride. There's a great summary on the BikeTown forum by Richard McLamore of how the day went. Here it is:

"Sure, it's practically Josh's home-town race, but his 3-miles-to-go attack didn't stick, mostly because almost everyone else who was left responded like (insert figure of speech denoting really hard effort here). So the lead bunch, comprised of Josh Brown (sporting a nifty BikeTown jersey), Baylor Blessing (ditto), Luke Allen (ditto), Brian Chung (I'm still not sure WHAT that jersey says), and me, wearing out the Moritz jerseys before the team changes sponsors, plus a couple of other guys who were mostly hanging on decided that Luke needed to 'win.'

It took some patient guidance to rein in the young jedi, since he seemed to want to attack through passing cars with about a half-mile to go, but after 70+ miles, Luke came across the line first.

Before the ride, the guy who parked next to the Excursion-full-of-bikes asked us 'who the big dogs were?' Letting my inner jerk out to roam a bit, I told him 'WE'RE the big dogs.'

And as it turned out, today we were."

Way to go, guys! And thanks, Richard, for the great recap!

Buck Creek Trails Map

For those of you who don't know, we cyclists here in Abilene have a great off-road trail in the northeast corner of town. It's called Buck Creek Trails and it is located on East Lake Road just across from the water treatment plant. There are now 12 miles of trails out at Buck Creek, and they will accommodate anyone from the beginner off-road rider to expert level. You just need to know where to go on the trail to find the level that best suits you. The city owns the land that the trails are on, and has given Abilene Bicycling Club the right to use the land. Because of safety and insurance reasons, the trails are gated and locked, but any member of ABC has access to them. (An ABC membership is $15 per family per calendar year - extremely reasonable - enough to cover the liability insurance.) A lot of ABC members put a lot of work into developing and maintaining Buck Creek and it shows! More and more riders are giving it a try, and we have had several Abilene riders train on Buck Creek and then go on to make the podium at the national mountain bike championships for the last few years! You might also be interested to know that Buck Creek Trails have been reviewed by several Texas cycling publications and have gotten some really good reviews from all around the state. You can find some of them at http://www.trails.mtbr.com/cat/united-states-trails/texas-trails/texas-all-other-cities/trail/PRD_170368_4579crx.aspx

To help you figure the trails out (or to take a look at them if you've never been), we've posted a map of them on our website. Just go to www.biketown.com and click on the BikeTown Forum tab. In the forum is a topic called All Things Buck Creek. You'll find the map in there.

For those of you who haven't tried off-road riding but want to, we lead a beginner group ride on Tuesday evening from 6:00 to 7:00. It is geared to beginners and kids, and no one is left behind. All you need is a bike and helmet and maybe some bug spray. If you want to give it a try, plan on coming out next Tuesday. If you have questions, give us a call at 677-BIKE (2453).

August ABC Road Time Trial Results

Wow - another hot night. Thanks to everyone who came out and participated. It's always fun to see who shows up and how you do! Here are the results:

1. Josh Brown - 23:00
2. Richard McLamore - 24:35
3. JR Brock - 25:01
4. Patrick Stevenson - 25:24
5. Greg Allen - 25:35
6. Paul Patterson - 25:56
7. Baylor Blessing - 27:10
8. Chuck Patton - 27:11
9. Luke Allen - 28:18
10. Craig Jones - 28:51
11. Dick Turman - 29:18
12. Mike Thomesen - 30:45

See y'all next month - same time, same place!

August ABC Road Time Trial

Tomorrow is the August version of the monthly ABC Time Trial. It will be hot, so bring plenty of water! Everyone is welcome, and for those who haven't come before, here is all the info:

Meet at Mueller's on FM 18. Registration will be at 6:00 and the first rider will take off at 6:30 It is the same 10-mile loop as last year. Once again, there is a fee of a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Food Bank. This year, all donations will be made in the memory of Don Dunston.

For those who are new, FM 18 is off of Hwy 36 right before the airport. Turn left (east) onto FM 18 and drive for a mile or so. Mueller's will be on your right. Just park in their parking lot and get ready to ride. This is a great way to see how well you are riding and to see how you improve over the season. Come on out and give it a try! We'd love to see you there!

USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships

The USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships took place on July 16-19 in Granby, Colorado at the Solvista Basin. Several Abilene riders qualified to race in it. Those who made the trip to race include: Baylor Blessing, Aaron Barr, Luke Allen, Maggie Allen, Jim MacDonald, Troy MacDonald, and Trent MacDonald.

The course had a lot of climbing, including a very steep uphill to start things off. There was also a lot of steep downhill (which makes sense since Solvista Basin is a ski slope). Figure in to that altitude of 8200 feet at the start up to 9300 feet at the highest point of the race, and it was quite the challenging course.

The Abilene contingent did great! We had 4 podium finishers! What a great thing to have Buck Creek Trails just down the road to help us get ready for something like this! Here are the results:

Cat 2/3 Downhill, Men 19-29
3. Aaron Barr

Juniors, 13-14
8. Luke Allen

Juniors 10 and under
Girls
3. Maggie Allen

Boys
18. Trent MacDonald
19. Troy MacDonald

Cat 3, Men 40-49
3. Jim MacDonald

Cat 3, Men 19-29
1. Baylor Blessing - Way to go!

Here are some pictures from the event:

A mass of racers getting ready for the cat 2 and 3 events:



The 10 and under juniors getting ready:



Luke on his way up the hill for the second time:



Baylor on the hill:


Jim on his way up the beast:




Baylor, Jim, Troy, and Trent after their races:




Baylor on the podium with his gold medal and in his winner's jersey:




Jim with his bronze medal:

Maggie getting her bronze:

Aaron coming around the corner headed toward the finish of the downhill course:

Catching some air:

Wow - way to go everyone. It was a ton of fun, and Texas people did awesome, especially in the junior division. About half of all the junior podium finishers were from Texas. That's not too shabby. There is a lot of great competition in the state. Can't wait till next year!