June 2011 ABC Road Time Trial Results

It was a hot, windy night for the time trial, but everyone survived. Here are the results:

1. Gaylon Knowlton - 24:27
2. Richard McLamore - 25:13
3. Craig Jones - 27:20
4. Tom Pharris - 27:21
5. Patrick Stevenson - 27:23
6. Paul Patterson - 27:31
7. Luke Hughes - 28:34
8. Chuck Patton - 29:01
9. Manny Cortez - 29:48
10. Chris Vachon - 29:51
11. Quinn McLamore - 30:06
12. Ron Cost - 30:08
13. Ben Galinak - 30:27
14. Ronnie Koehn - 34:15
15. Daniel Connell - 34:27
16. Alex Coulter - 37:16
17. Yetro Eliata - 38:14


Thanks so much for showing up, everyone! We love seeing everyone out enjoying a bike ride. We can't wait to see everyone back again next month. 

Remember, the other Thursday nights of each month, BikeTown has a group road ride that leaves from our parking lot (1789 Industrial Blvd.) at 6:00 pm. It is a no-drop ride and lasts about an hour and a half. If another night suits you better, we also lead a group road ride on Monday evenings. Once again, it leaves from our parking lot at 6:00. Want to try out the off-road trails? We lead a group ride there as well. Meet at the parking area of Buck Creek Trails and be ready to roll at 6:30. This is a great one to bring the kids along with you.


Have a terrific weekend!

No Trail Ride Tonight

Due to the downpour earlier, there won't be a trail ride tonight. It's just too muddy. Join us next Tuesday night at the regular time.

Remember - Group Rides Start Monday!

Just a reminder that our group rides are starting this Monday, March 29. The first ride will be the easy to moderate road ride. Meet at Nelson Park in the zoo parking lot. Be ready to leave on the ride at 6:00 pm. Remember your helmets! If you've never participated in our group rides, this is a good one to start with. No one is left behind, and it will be a comfortable pace. Hope to see you there!
For the rest of the group ride schedule, scroll down a couple blog posts and it will be listed.

Group Rides Starting Back Up Next Week!

Looking for a group to ride with? We will be starting our group rides back up next week. There will be both road and off-road rides. Here is the tentative schedule:

Monday: Road Ride
Easy to Moderate Pace, 15-25 miles
Meet at the Zoo parking lot
6:00 pm

Tuesday: Off-road Ride
Beginner level (bring the kids!)
Meet at Buck Creek Trails in the parking lot
6:00 - 7:00 pm

Thursday: Road Ride
Fast Pace, 20+ miles
Meet at the ballpark parking area at Kirby Lake
6:00 pm

Saturday: Road Ride
Morning ride, time and place to be determined

Off-road Ride
Beginner/Intermediate level
Meet at Buck Creek Trails in the parking lot
4:00-5:00 pm

Sunday: Off-road Ride
Beginner/Intermediate level
Meet at Buck Creek Trails in the parking lot
4:00-5:00 pm

On our rides, no one is left behind. The ride leaders will make sure that everyone makes it back to the meeting place. The times listed are the times the ride LEAVES the meeting spot. Please arrive early enough to be ready to go at the listed time.
We'll get these rides started next week! We'd love to see all of you join in. Invite your friends!

Shotwell Crit Tonight and Short Track Race on Friday

This is the third Thursday of the month which means it's Crit night at Shotwell Stadium. For all who would like to play along, we will meet at 6:00 at Shotwell parking lot and do a few laps for a warm-up and then gather up and turn on a little speed. This is a fun and exciting way to practice some bike handling skills and will make you a stronger and faster rider. All skill levels are welcome to come and participate.

On Friday night, the second short track style race will be held. This consists of about a 5 minute lap around a course set out at Buck Creek Trails. We ride for twenty minutes and then complete two more laps. This was tons of fun for all who showed up last time and was great to watch, even if you were not riding. Bring the kids and a bike and have a ball watching all who come out. Last time we had several children who rode and they did great! If they can do it surely you can, too! Meet at 6:00 and do a lap or two to warm up. We will start at 6:30. We will use the entrance directly to the south of the environmental lab rather than the normal gate to the north of the lab.

Of course, if you have any questions or need more specific directions, feel free to give us a call or come on in!

Group Road Rides Ending Soon

Well, the days are slowly getting shorter which means the group rides will be ending soon. We'll have a few more weeks of the normal ride schedule before taking a break for the winter. Our last week of group rides for this year will be the week of September 22-25. So, if you haven't joined us yet, come on out for the last few weeks. Remember - easy ride on Monday night, moderate ride on Tuesday, and fast ride on Thursdays. Check out the group ride link on the left if you need more details.

Monday Morning Group Road Ride

Just a reminder that this Monday morning, August 18th, will be the last time for the Monday morning group road ride. After this one, we'll take a break until spring. Just remember to check the weather before meeting at the zoo. If it is raining like forecasted, we won't go. The evening rides will continue for a few more weeks.

Group Rides

Hey, everyone - if you haven't had a chance to make it out to one of our group rides, now's the time to do it! We have about six weeks or so left of organized rides before it will be getting dark by the end of the rides. That is when we stop the rides until next spring. So, come on out and join us while you still can! Look at the links to the left to find out more about each night's ride. We'll let you know when the final week of group rides will be sometime in September.

Group Ride Update

This group ride reminder is courtesy of Tink. Read all about the rides and then pick the one that suits you best. We're always glad to have more people join us!

We now have a group ride for just about everybody and on just about every day of the week. So, you can’t use “no one to ride with” as an excuse. It should also be noted that the value and purpose of a group ride is to share your love of riding with other people. Now if you are racing and competing in events your purpose may be a little different and you may want to ride with a tougher group. If you want a day to ride with others and improve your cycling skills while talking it up a little bit, then there is a ride for that too. Be aware that there are as many reasons to ride as there are saddles in the world. What do you want from your ride? You decide and then come on out!

Monday Morning Shake-Me Wake-Me Group Ride at 6:30 AM from the Zoo for
the easiest ride of the week. Start it out easy and build up. We will ride 10-12 miles at about 10-14 MPH Avg. This was oh so pleasant last week and you can get to work with more energy.
Monday After-Work Afternoon Group Ride at 6:00 PM from the Zoo for easier to moderate riding. Shoot for 10-12 miles at about 10-15 MPH Avg. with some flexibility depending on who shows. I heard this was a great ride last week and I should have been there.
Tuesday “Let’s Twist Like We Did Last Summer Group Ride at 5:30 PM from the Zoo for a moderately faster ride. This group likes to go about 18 miles and averages 14-18 MPH Avg. Twisting all the way. Quite a sight actually.
Tuesday Trails for the younger crowd (and parents if they want to play) out at Buck Creek Trails. Starting time is 7:00 PM. This is a fun way to learn how to ride on dirt trails. It is fun to ride out among the trees and rocks. Tuesday Trails Rocks!!!
Wednesday is Rider’s Choice. Go ride the trails or take a spin on your favorite road. Whichever you need. A little note here about the trails. Richard says they are in great shape. Hoover trail still has some erosion, but fixable. If you are out there riding along and a limb slaps you in the face…well…first, slap it back, and then go get something and trim it off. Trail maintenance is an ongoing process. It never ends because as you probably know, grass and trees grow. Rain supports that process and you need to not further the erosion process by riding when the trails are too wet. That is the time to go do some maintenance and clean up for when the trails are dry and ready for you to go play some more. End of lecture.
Thursday Night Fast Ride at 6:00 PM from Kirby Lake ballpark parking lot (2nd and 4th Thursday of the month) This is a fast ride, 17-18 mph for about 20-25 miles, out Old Coleman Hwy and back. Join the fun and test your legs!

Time Trial Thursday (1st Thursday of the month) will be at Mueller’s Metal on 18 off of 36 like last time.
Registration will start at 6:00 and first rider leaves at 6:30. Bring something for the Food Bank for your entry fee. This is the usual 10 mile loop where you just ride as fast as you can. Just you and the clock and the road.

Crit Thursday (3rd Thursday of the month) Come on out for a criterium course at the parking lot of Shotwell Stadium. It starts at 6:30 PM. If you've never been in a crit, come on out and watch one! This might be the last month for this ride since football will be starting back up soon.
Fun Friday: Get on out on your bike and have fun!
Saturday Townie Ride Meet at Monk's at 8:30 AM and cruise around the downtown area. Check out the farmer's market and just have fun! No, you don't have to have a Townie to participate. Just plan on a nice relaxing pace. Bring the kids and let them ride, too - on their own bikes or in a trailer behind yours!

Wow - that's a lot of options! There's something for everyone so come on out and ride.

Downtown Townie Ride

Want to join a nice leisurely ride around downtown Abilene? Meet at Monk's at 8:30 Saturday morning and cruise around the downtown area. Check out the farmer's market and just have fun!

No, you don't have to have a Townie to participate. Just plan on a nice relaxing pace. Bring the kids and let them ride, too - on their own bikes or in a trailer behind yours!

It's Time For Group Rides!

All right - the time is finally here. March Madness is behind us, taxes will soon be done, and the weather is just getting more and more beautiful. So...it's time to start up our group rides. Rides will be starting next Monday, April 14. Here are the times, places, etc.

Monday*: Easy Ride (10-14 mph), 10-15 miles around the time trial course - Start at the zoo parking lot @ 5:30
Tuesday**: Moderate Ride (14-17 mph), 17-20 miles, route dependent on road construction - Start at the zoo parking lot @ 5:30
Wednesday: Off-road Ride - Meet at Buck Creek Trails @ 6:30
1st Thursday of the month - ABC time trial - meet at Tige Boat parking lot @ 6:30
2nd & 4th Thursdays of the month - Fast Ride (17+mph), 25-27 miles on Old Coleman Hwy.Meet at Lake Kirby ball fields @ 5:30
3rd Thursday of the month - criterium @ Shotwell Stadium parking lot @ 6:00

* If you joined in the Tuesday night ride last year, the Monday night ride is the one you want this year. We just switched the nights.
** If you rode with the Monday ride last year, then Tuesday is what you want now!

If you have any questions, feel free to email us using the link at the bottom or give us a call at the store. We are excited about getting started with the rides again and hope to see you there!

Time Trial

Remember, everyone - tonight is the first ABC Road Time Trial for 2008. Come on out and join us for the 10 mile loop. Meet at the Tige Boat parking lot on Hwy 36 across from the airport at 6:00 to register. The first rider will take off at 6:30. Please remember that Tige asked us to keep the warm-ups to the main parking area, not the roads that lead to the back of their shop. Also, remember to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Food Bank. This will be your entry fee and a great way to help out a good cause! Come on out and see how you're doing on your bike. If you think you'll be too slow, don't worry about it - we just like to have fun and enjoy riding our bikes. It will be a great chance to see how you are doing right now and then work to improve it.

We're looking forward to seeing you there. Check back on the blog tonight or tomorrow for results. Happy riding!

Shop Rag

It is Springtime and time to talk shop!

This coming Thursday, April 3rd, is the first Abilene Bicycle Club's Time Trial of 2008. Registration begins at 6:00 PM. Start and finish is at Tige Boat plant, 1801 Hwy 36 near the Abilene Regional Airport. First rider will leave at about 6:30 PM in one minute intervals. This year there is an Entry Fee of one non-perishable food item, per time trial, to be donated to the Food Bank of West Central Texas. It's a great way to help support a good organization! Time Trials will be every first Thursday of the month through September 4th. TigeBoat has asked that no rider go down the parking lot side roads toward the rear of the plant but warm up and preparation is all right in the main parking lot. The time trial is the usual 10 mile loop and all are invited to come out and ride. A good time to see where you are and set your goals!

Group Rides will be coming up soon as well. I'll get back to you on the exact dates we are starting, but here is the projected schedule:

Monday: Easy 12-14 MPH from Zoo parking lot - 5:30 - 10-12 miles
Tuesday: Moderate 14-17 MPH from Zoo parking lot toward Potosi - 5:30
Wednesday: Trail night at Buck Creek Trails 6:30-8:00 (this group is already meeting)
2nd and 4th Thursday: faster than moderate 17-19 MPH from Kirby Lake ballpark to Old Coleman Hwy and back - 5:30
3rd Thursday: Crit night at Shotwell Stadium parking lot at 6:00

We are open to a Saturday morning group ride but would like some feedback from you about what kind of ride, where, time that would suit you. So that means you need to get back to us with some thoughts. We always want to know what might work for you. So, input, input, input about the group ride schedule and a Saturday morning ride.

A little note to those of you who like to ride the trails at BuckCreek. There has been additional trail cleared at the end of Mesquite Forest. A helping hand to do a little more trail maintenance there and clearing of cactus would be appreciated. If you want to help out but are unsure how, just call us and we will be happy to let you know where the trails could use a little "face lift".

Group Rides

It's that time of year again! The weather is warming up and the daylight hours are about to get a little longer. Of course, that all means that group rides are soon to follow. Here is the tentative schedule:

Monday: Easy Ride (10-14 mph), 10-15 miles around the time trial course
Start at the zoo parking lot @ 5:30

Tuesday: Moderate Ride (15-17 mph), 17-20 miles, route dependent on road construction
Start at the zoo parking lot @ 5:30

Wednesday: Off-road Ride
Meet at Buck Creek Trails @ 6:30

1st Thursday of the month - ABC time trial - meet at Tige Boat parking lot @ 6:30
2nd & 4th Thursdays of the month -
Fast Ride (18+mph), 25-27 miles on Old Coleman Hwy.
Meet at Lake Kirby ball fields @ 5:30
3rd Thursday of the month - criterium @ Shotwell Stadium parking lot @ 6:00

Like I said earlier, this is a tentative schedule. Let us know what you think. Send us your comments or questions. We especially want to hear about how everyone feels about the 3rd Thursday criterium. Like it/hate it/keep it/get rid of it? You get the idea.

Also, we would love to have some volunteers to help lead the rides. It wouldn't have to be an every week thing, but some help would be great! We'll make it worth your while.

Can't wait to hear from everyone!