Scenic Route

1. 5,280 miles or, a mile of miles (14½ mi/day avg)
   Challenge Goal: 5,840 (16 mi/day avg)
2. Top 10% overall in BikeJournal rankings (outdoor miles only)
3. 100% of workdays commuting by bike in the Commuter Cycling Century
4. 39 weeks (75%) in the Car-Free Week Challenge
   (Challenge goal: 42 weeks or 80%)
5. Break 20 MPH (Avg) on the Long Loop (Pittsford) to work
6. Increase Yellow Bike’s share of the miles to at least 20%
7. Increase my advocacy work through the club
8. More club rides
9. No crashes

2009 Trips and Events

Friday June 12–Sunday June 14

Great Finger Lakes Bicycle Tour with the Southern Tier Bicycle Club

July sometime

Week of Metrics at my parents’ summer place in the Rideau Lakes region of Eastern Ontario. (That’s Canada, eh?)

Sunday August 16

Ididaride in the Adirondack mountains.

Friday August 28–Monday August 31

BikeForums.Net 50+ Forum 1st Annual Meet and Ride in Glenwood Springs, CO.

Friday September 11 & Saturday September 12

Highlander Cycle Tour, possibly the toughest century in the east.

Leading RBC Rides

I’ll be ride leader on two Rochester Bicycling Club rides this spring. All riders are welcome. If you’re not a member, email me for maps and directions.

Sunday March 29, 1:30pm

Map #178, Ellison Park to Mendon Ponds Park. 21 miles, moderate hills. Get an early start on the season with this warm-up ride.

Sunday May 31, 9:00am

Map #10, Ten Parks Tour. 58 miles, moderate hills. The Ten Parks Tour represents Rochester and Monroe County in the best rides of New York State at the New York Bicycling Coalition. This route includes urban, suburban and rural portions as it winds its way through ten city, county and town parks.

Monthly Mileage Goals

Broken out by month, the mileage goals look like this:

	Goal
	Miles	mi/day	Cume
Jan	260	8.39	260
Feb	210	7.50	470
Mar	350	11.29	820
Apr	450	15.00	1,270
May	550	17.74	1,820
Jun	600	20.00	2,420
Jul	650	20.97	3,070
Aug	650	20.97	3,720
Sep	600	20.00	4,320
Oct	470	15.16	4,790
Nov	270	9.00	5,060
Dec	220	7.10	5,280

I’m very satisfied with with how things went cycling in 2008. I met most of my goals and I’m okay with those I didn’t meet. I really expanded my riding and am finally beginning to no longer feel like a beginner.

2008 Goals

I set a mileage goal of 4,750 with a challenge goal of 5,200. I passed the 4,750 mark on November 2 and the 5,200 mark on December 23.

I ended the year with 5,269.4 miles under the wheels.

Of those, 884.7, or 16.8% were on Yellow Bike. The rest, 4,385.8 were on the Portland.

Commuting and errands racked-up 2,919.82 miles or 55.4% of the total. Those figures aren’t quite as precise as others since I frequently extend commutes for leisure and training purposes, and I’ll sometimes stop at the store or something on the way home from a leisure ride.

Group rides accounted for 1,170.24 miles or 22.2% of the total. While it’s about a hundred miles more than last year, percentage-wise, that’s less than 2007, primarily due to work. I subbed every chance I could get this year and most of those shifts interfered with the Monday Night Small Ring Ride, the Tuesday Night Urban Assault Ride or the Wednesday night club rides out of Mendon Ponds Park.

Goals I missed

Learn how to bunny hop and how to do a wheelie. I had planned on using the Giant for this. After it was stolen, well, I didn’t want to wreck either of my other bikes in the attempt. But, there’s a spot I ride regularly where I have trouble keeping the front wheel on the ground. I don’t count those as wheelies though.

Volunteer at the bike mission. I chickened out. Again, I’d planned on using the Giant for this. It’s in a very, very bad part of town and they’ve had dozens of bikes stolen there. I didn’t want my road bikes to be among the casualties. Plus the parts I was going to donate were stolen with the Giant.

No Crashes. I took the studded snow tires off a day too early and crashed on ice on March 22.

Rankings

In other rankings on BikeJournal, I was

Worldwide
719 of 8,082 (8.9%) all riders
619 of 6,132 (10.1%) all male riders
245 of 1,885 (13.0%) all riders age 50–59
213 of 1,495 (14.2%) all male riders age 50–59

USA
628 of 7,288 (8.6%) USA riders
542 of 5,482 (9.9%) USA male riders
223 of 1,781 (12.5%) USA riders age 50–59
196 of 1,407 (13.9%) USA male riders age 50–59

New York State
16 of 210 (7.6%) NYS riders
15 of 161 (9.3%) NYS male riders
9 of 50 (18.0%) NYS riders age 50–59
9 of 38 (23.7%) NYS male riders age 50–59

I finished 3 of 82 (3.7%) on the Commuter Cycling Century with 221 days commuting. (Rankings Chart) I was bested by a guy in Australia with 251 days (we all think he works too much) and a guy from the middle-Atlantic region with 226.

On the other hand, the only way I could have had more commuting days is to have had more work days. I scored 100% in that regard.

Nine of us broke the 200 days mark, which works out to 50 four-day weeks. It’s about commitment more than anything.

It’s not just a guy thing or a southern, warm-weather thing either. Among those logging 200+ commuting days were a woman from Alberta with 201 and a woman from Illinois with 200. Just missing, a woman from Minnesota logged 199 days, a guy in Pennsylvania 191 days, and a guy from Manitoba 186 days.

It’s these folks who I think of as my peer group.

Over on the Car-Free Week Challenge, I placed 1 of 15. This is a much, much harder challenge than you may think. Even I managed only 37 weeks (71%) car-free. Any ride in any car kills your week, and in 15 weeks (three weeks in December alone) I accepted rides in cars. My bad.

Finally, I finished 2 of 9 among Rochester Bicycling Club members who log at BikeJournal. Hndlebar beat me by nearly 2,000 miles.

I didn’t even make the club rankings reported in the December newsletter. They listed only those who rode 400 miles or more on official club rides. But next year, the RBC Daytimer rides will count towards club miles. That’ll change things.

By the numbers

I use a spreadsheet to make and then chart my mileage goals. I break them out by month. I find it’s easier to work towards 12 monthly goals.

Here’s how it turned out:

	Goal			Actual			±
	Month	mi/day	Cume	Month	mi/day	Cume	Month	Cume
Jan	250	8.06	250	297.50	9.60	297.50	47.50	47.50
Feb	200	6.90	450	227.76	7.85	525.26	27.76	75.26
Mar	350	11.29	800	252.04	8.13	777.30	–97.96	–22.70
Apr	450	15.00	1250	526.69	17.56	1303.99	76.69	53.99
May	550	17.74	1800	482.54	15.57	1786.53	–67.46	–13.47
Jun	550	18.33	2350	589.56	19.65	2376.09	39.56	26.09
Jul	550	17.74	2900	755.26	24.36	3131.35	205.26	231.35
Aug	550	17.74	3450	629.57	20.31	3760.92	79.57	310.92
Sep	450	15.00	3900	518.67	17.29	4279.59	68.67	379.59
Oct	400	12.90	4300	448.43	14.47	4728.02	48.43	428.02
Nov	250	8.33	4550	282.08	9.40	5010.10	32.08	460.10
Dec	200	6.45	4750	259.30	8.36	5269.40	59.30	519.40
	4750	12.98		5269.40	14.40		519.40

Intangibles

As I said before, this year I began to no longer feel like a beginner. There are some who see me as a seasoned veteran, but I disagree. There are many things I haven’t yet done, and many things where I could use some experience and polish. After all, it was only my third year and I have only 13,000 miles under my wheels.

If there was a theme this year, it was climbing. Once I got a cyclometer with an altimeter I re-learned exactly how flat my usual haunts are. My two usual training hills are only 88 and 152 feet. Between hndlebar taking me out way south of the city, and my own rides to hill country I did all right.

The very first mountain I ever climbed was Mt. Evans. At 14,130 feet it’s the highest paved road in North America, and I suspect, in the entire hemisphere. Go big or stay home, I guess.

Since we started at 10,000 feet and change, Evans placed only sixth in total elevation gain rides. Five others, including BikeJournal’s mountainous Epic Century bested it. On the other hand, the Evans ride was 28 miles for the round trip, where the others took many more miles to rack up their elevation gains.

The trip out west was quite an experience too. I can’t quite say what was my favorite part of it, or even what’s the most memorable. To do so seems to devalue the other things.

I guess the important thing is that I enjoyed it so much that I’ll be returning next year. And I have trip and touring plans for the two years after that.

Even around town, though, I reached new comfort levels. I suppose I could look it up, but without doing so, I can’t count the number of times I turned commutes into much longer rides. Once upon a time my long loop to work was 12½ miles. Now it’s just a few feet shy of 20. Once upon a time if I did that once a week that was good. Now I feel like I’m wearing a groove in the Canalway from it.

I’ve become much more comfortable road riding. I’ve always ridden vehicularly—that is as a vehicle. But it sometimes felt awkward. Around town I used to pour over maps and make a strategy before heading out. Now I just wing it.

And of course hills no longer intimidate me.

Clearly, there’s some sort of spacetime or quantum leak in the vicinity of my couch. Perhaps even large enough to be called a rift, although I’m not sure of these things.

But a spacetime quantum leak would explain both the appearance of a gignormous hornet-like insect this evening, and the weird dreams I’ve been having lately.

The insect is huge, as far as Vespidae go. Not B-29 large, but large enough for me to gasp in amazement when one materialized while I was eating supper. I watched as it crashed around the room, seemingly unable to see the white walls, then it disappeared somewhere behind the lampshade.

I thought, perhaps, it was ensnared in my pillow. Ever since the disastrous sleep study a couple of years ago, I sleep on the couch, and store my pillow on the back against the wall during the day. I shook it out furiously, not wanting a transdimensional bee in my bonnet, so to speak. But nothing.

I looked behind the couch, under the table, in the lampshade, still nothing. It had vanished completely.

Thinking about how it had appeared and disappeared caused me to wonder about dreams I’ve been having. I never have dead people dreams, but lately, all sorts of them. Could I be sleeping on a pillow-portal that takes my head to other dimensions where these people have not died yet?

This, BTW, was how I ruled-out traversable wormholes, as these folks are already dead in this cosmos, so if encountering them live, it must be a parallel cosmos.

Experimentation was called for in the form of an after dinner nap.

Sure enough, I was taken to someplace where where an old friend of my grandfather’s, and (at least in this cosmos) deceased owner of one of R-Town’s gay bars, was still live and kicking, although quite elderly.

I had a nice, but altogether too short visit, during which I completely forgot to ask what the heck was going on with my pillow. Just as well, I’m sure. My brains passing through branes would be too much to have to explain.

If traveling by bus is called “taking a bus”, then traveling by spacetime quantum leak could be called “taking a leak”, right? That’s how I excused myself before returning to my living room.

The quantum vespidae made a brief return after I awoke. I can’t begin to describe my gratitude at not colliding with the thing in the spacetime pillow portal.

Fortunately, tomorrow is laundry day. Perhaps a dose of liquid Tide can get the quantum flux out. I use the kind with the colorsafe bleach. Surely that’ll do the trick.

Even on my first day in Colorado this past July, I knew I’d come back. The week I spent cycling the Front Range merely whetted my appetite for more.

Now, plans are in the works for a return next year. Who knew I’d be going back so soon? (And that kills tentative plans for either a Montana/Alberta tour or BikeJournal Reunion [BJRU] in 2009.)

Apparently, my experience with the 2008 BJRU struck a chord with the gang in the 50+ Forum at BikeForums.net. Thursday someone posted that they “wish we could ride together”. Friday a trial balloon was floated. And now Saturday, we’re choosing dates.

It’s early days in the process, but it looks like we’ll all meet in Glenwood Springs, Colorado at a date to be determined between mid-August and mid-September.

The Portland has informed me it can’t wait.

The feature ride this time promises to be somewhat less strenuous than The Epic Century at BJRU. It looks like we’ll ride the 44-mile Rio Grande Trail from Glenwood Springs to Aspen and back. A second ride might be the 32-mile Glenwood Canyon Trail along the Colorado River. I’m told both these rides are easy but hugely scenic.

Our dates will be different, of course, but the more challenging Colorado Cyclist Copper Triangle route has been suggested for those who want to do some climbing. This loop through Grand Mesa has also been mentioned. As long as I’ll be in the neighborhood, I’ve heard that this ride through Colorado National Monument is superlative.

Or maybe I’ll go back to Ft. Collins and Loveland to ride some more with my Club Hypoxia buddies.

Oh, the places you’ll go. “Will you succeed? Yes, you will indeed. (98¾% guaranteed.)”

We are at the beginning of a glorious Indian Summer week. While overcast, yesterday warmed up to the 60s by evening. The clouds moved out by mid-morning today and we had beautiful sunny, wind-free, 70° day for the election. Tomorrow and Thursday are to be similar, with clouds moving in Friday afternoon.

We’re getting to the time of year when the Portland gets all the miles. After all, it’s equipped for foul weather and we get plenty of it. This week is Yellow Bike’s turn to shine. Besides, I rode the Portland to the polls last year.

Today, I was ready for it. Yellow Bike is frisky as a puppy and it always wants to run and play. Sunday its motor was not quite up to it, (although our numbers were respectable) but today, the motor was ready to run too.

BikeJournal is down right now, so I can’t verify, but I think we set a new best time for the medium route to Presbytery (Park, Culver, through Cobbs Hill Park and out Winton).

I know we set a new best time for the long loop home—despite slowing through a knot of kids on bikes nearing home, and having to stop to vote, and stopping to give directions to a guy looking for where we vote. Had those things not intervened, we would have shattered the previous record.

I know better than to expect this sort of performance two days in a row. But part of me is hoping for some nice numbers on the long loop to work tomorrow.

Addendum

The Democrat & Chronicle accepted the above photo for their Election Day Gallery.

Oh, and as for riding the long loop to work on Wednesday, Yellow Bike and I set a new best for the 20.03 mile route—1:06:26 for an average of 18.1 MPH. Better yet, although I was working it (average heart rate was 154, max was 168) it still felt easy.

And don’t get the impression that I think I’m all that. A 50+ or 60+ guy commuting with a backpack on a Bianchi Veloce blew by me on the Canalway.

I met my 2008 mileage goal this afternoon on a nice, nice, 37-mile ride along the lake shore. My goal of 4,750 miles is now 23 miles behind me.

Of those miles,

• 4,012.2 (84%) were ridden on the Portland, and
• 760.6 (16%) have passed under Yellow Bike’s wheels.

On to the challenge goal of 5,200 miles. With 59 days left in the year, I need to average 7.24 miles per day to achieve that. That’s less than half of my average miles per day to date. But winter is coming. Last December I averaged only 8.17 miles per day.

In other standings at BikeJournal.com, I’m

• 697 of 7,880 (8.8%) all riders
• 247 of 1,842 (13.4%) all riders age 50–59
• 217 of 1,465 (14.8%) all male riders age 50–59
• 15 of 209 (7.2%) all NYS riders
• 9 of 50 (18%) all NYS riders age 50–59
• 9 of 38 (23.7%) male NYS riders age 50–59
• 5 of 79 (6.3%) on the Commuter Cycling Century with 178 days commuting to date. Not bad when you figure I generally work only four days a week. And lest you think that’s amazing given Rochester winters, I’m only one day ahead of Commutergrrl, who lives in Calgary, Alberta (That’s Canada, eh?)
• 1 of 24 in the Car-Free Week Challenge with 31 of 44 weeks to date (70%) car-free.

Today’s ride

I was all conflicted about where to ride today. I’d originally wanted to join the club on the 45-mile ride #149, Mendon-Honeoye. But I just didn’t feel up to 70 miles (including the out-and-back to the ride start) in 45°. And I’d arrive home after dark.

I thought about riding to Mendon Ponds Park and back, but I wanted more than 25 miles. I could have added miles on the bike path, but I ride that all the time.

A ride to and along the lake sounded nice, and the winds were favorable (according to the liars at The Hyperbole Channel™) I have a loop that’s a little under 30 miles that I ride. Then I remembered. The Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge was swung shut on Friday, trapping boats in the bay, but allowing vehicular traffic to circumnavigate the bay for the next six months.

So I hopped on Yellow Bike, headed north, then east on Empire Blvd through Webster, down Bay Road and round on Lake Road across the outlet bridge. Then I joined up with my regular lake shore loop where it intersects Culver Road and the Lakeshore Bike Path.

We put in just shy of 37 miles in just over two hours of ride time, averaging just over 17 MPH, which amazed me, given the near constant headwinds and 2,100 feet of climbing.

It was a near perfect ride and it got me all sorted out for a few more days.

I had been a little concerned about clothing too. I find it toughest to outfit myself when the temps are in the 40s. I’m usually over or under-dressed. Today I nailed it.

I had stopped at Full Moon Vista on Thursday to buy yet another pair of windproof bib tights. These are a mid-weight pair made by Sugoi. The Enduras are nice, but I’m finding them too hot in temperatures over 35 or so.

The Sugoi windfront bib tights over my Pearl Izumi shorts kept my legs just right. Booties over the shoes, and my favorite Cannondale Windfront gloves did it for hands and feet. On top I wore armwarmers, a lightweight long-sleeve wicking T, and one of my commuting jerseys. A summer weight cycling skullcap completed the ensemble. I was just right for most of the ride, and was a little warm or a little cool in equal amounts for the rest.

In contrast with last Thursday…

Last Thursday I was too warm while I ran errands, which explains the stop at Full Moon Vista for lighter tights.

It was a sunny day and errands require pockets, so I wore my ANSI Class-3 windbreaker from AlertShirt.com. Somewhere along the line I forgot the zip the pocket shut. And somewhere along the line, my Ti-framed tri-focals fell out. I backtracked and searched my route twice before I had to go to work. Never found them.

The week ahead

So tomorrow, instead of putting in some easy miles on a 60° day, I’ll be at the eye doc’s getting a new prescription. Then I’m subbing for for a co-worker who left Winton Branch. On Tuesday, on a sunny 65° day, I’ll be looking at new frames at One Hip Chic Optical. Oh, and I have to vote. Can’t forget about that.

Wednesday and Thursday I may get some nice rides in before going to work. Each day is forecast to be sunny and in the mid 60s. Friday a short riding day, what with a full day of work. And I’m looking forward to doing the long loop to work on Saturday. Maybe I’ll also do it again coming home.

We’ll see.

This is my first day off in several weeks, and likely my only one for another several weeks. Yeah, there was our annual Leaf-Peeper Century to Letchworth on Columbus Day, but that was a lot of work. And I don’t count Sundays either.

I subbed a lot in October. A co-worker at each library took a lot of time off. I’ll be subbing again a lot in November. A co-worker at Winton Branch left for a full-time position. There’s still the hiring freeze for the city, so the rest of us have to cover her shifts. True there’s the extra money—I won’t turn it down. But if I wanted to work six days a week, I wouldn’t have taken a three day a week part-time job.

Actually, there’s a strong possibility I’ll have this coming Saturday off for the Ellison Park Cyclocross races, but I won’t know until tomorrow. I’d already make the arrangements to take the day off, found a sub an d everything, then my co-worker quit. It takes two to handle the desk on Saturdays.

Meanwhile, there’s a lot that’s been happening.

Leaf-Peeper Century

I caught another three-week cold at the end of September. It lasted straight through to our Leaf-Peeper Century. Hndlebar was under the impression I was faking in order to get out of the ride. The hardest 15 miles I ever rode was that morning from home to the starting point in Scottsville.

Although it was in the lower 50s, and I’d dressed appropriately (as opposed to overdressed) I sweated-through all my layers halfway out. Itty-bitty rises in the road were epic granny-gear climbs. I rode out only so I could back out of the ride face-to-face (and smack Hndlebar if he gave me any shit.)

I arrived five minutes late and no-one was there. After a while Bikerjohn showed up. Hndlebar showed a at 8:30 with a song and dance about having waited for me out on Scottsville Road. Anyway, after a hour’s ride and a half-hour rest, I felt a bit better. Well enough to ride another 15 miles where we were to rendezvous with another BikeJournaler, HandyHannah.

Heading for Perry, I began to perk up. By the time we stopped for lunch, I was feeling okay. Lunch was the clincher. I felt pretty good after that and my climbing ability returned in part, which is a good thing because through the park there was a half-mile climb that reached 21% grade, (yes, twenty-one percent).

That behind us, the ride home was fairly uneventful. I hit my century on the way into Scottsville, and SAGged home with Bikerjohn. (I’d have been short of a double-metric by 10 miles without padding in some miles somewhere, and I’d have gotten home after dark. And I was hungry.)

The route Hndlebar came up with this year, and our improvised variations, was just perfect. I asked if I could submit it to the RBC as an official route, and add it to next year’s calendar as an official ride. But we missed the deadline for submitting new ride maps for next year. Oh well. Maybe next year.

Before that

I caught a few rides with a new sub-group of the RBC, the RBC Daytimers. Once a week they ride one of the RBC routes in the 30-40 mile range. I’ve enjoyed the rides, but wish fewer of them were on Thursdays.

I also had quite a nice time at the Cobbs Hill Cyclocross races. It was a beautiful, warm, dry, sunny autumn day. Unfortunately, I had somehow gotten my camera lens very dirty, so no pics. I didn’t notice it until after the Leaf-Peeper Century, so no pics from that either.

Anyway, the upshot of all this riding—despite all sorts of extra shifts and poor weather cutting into my riding time—is that at the close of this month I’ll be within spitting distance of my 4,750 mile goal for the year, and within striking distance of my 5,200 mile challenge goal. It will all depend on weather and how badly six-day workweeks cut into my riding time.

Meanwhile, I turned-over 5,000 miles on the Portland last weekend. Still love that bike.

I haven’t made a single TNUA yet this season. I hope to change that starting next week. An Election Day TNUA sounds like fun.

New tights

I’m all set for winter with regard to equipment. Truth be told, I could get by with what I already have in clothing too. But cycling is also a good excuse for shopping and there are places for improvement in my winter cycling wardrobe.

Last year I got by with a pair of Nashbar tights. Whatever it is they call their basic tight. They were fine. I’ve been wearing them on cold mornings with no problem. For an inexpensive basic tight, they’re great. But, in the deepest of winter required extra layers—sometimes two—and they aren’t wind proof or water proof. Both would have come in handy several times in the winter.

With that in mind, and remembering what it’s like with the elastic waistband of shorts, baselayer and tights all squeezing the same place, I went shopping a few weeks ago for new tights. My timing was perfect because Kyle at Full Moon Vista was unpacking a fresh shipment. He showed me two pairs of windfront tights, differing by amount of insulation and relative water resistance.

I had to wait until payday, and two weeks ago Saturday I returned and bought a pair of Endura Thermolite Windtex Clip-Bib tights.

For me, the big selling points were

• Bibs—no elastic waistband
• Quick release buckles on the bib straps—easier to make yellow snow
• Thermolite insulation
• Windtex windproof/waterproof panels on the front and sides
• Contoured/Articulating knee—easier pedaling
• Ankle zips—easier on and off, potential to zip over booties to keep the rain out.

I’m glad I bought them in-person so I could try them on. I ordinarily wear a medium, but I couldn’t get teh mediums over my massive quads. I bought the large instead.

Early season testing is positive. I was already wearing kneewarmers under my Nashbar tights this autumn, but with the Enduras, I’ve worn only my lightest pair of shorts underneath—shorts that are a little breezy even in the 60s.

I’m pleased. It hasn’t been really cold yet and I was afraid that they’d be too warm. They are, a little, but I don’t get sweaty legs from that, so it seems the breathable part works just fine. They are windproof too. Gusts yesterday reached to 35 MPH and from the waist down, I wasn’t aware of it. And they’re so waterproof that rain runs down inside my booties if I forget to zip them over the booties. They won’t fit over my Lake winter cycling boots. I’m not sure if that will be an issue or not.

In any event, I very pleased and expect to remain so.

So I’m working along at the front desk of the library when I look up to see a tall guy in a yellow Bell helmet come in. I thought he looked familiar. When he presented his library card and his account came up, sure enough, it was Adam, contributor to RocBike.com.

Naturally we talked bikes for a while. But I had other patrons and his Xtracycle was loaded with groceries outside, which limited things a bit. Still, it was nice to meet up again.

I guess I wasn’t paying attention when the embargo was lifted.

Just after the three-day 2008 Rochester Omnium, I was at the shop talking with Scott Page. After thanking him for bringing world-class cycling to R-Town again, I mused on two things.

First, he was surprised, asking, “Where did you hear that?” Then, much to my own surprise, I found he was a couple of years ahead of me. Then he asked me not to talk about it until things became official.

My first musing, is not yet official, so I assume it’s still embargoed. The second musing was published in the October 3 edition of VeloNews.

What began in 2004 as the Rochester Twilight Criterium, grew this year to the three-day Rochester Omnium, will in 2009 become the six-day Tour de New York.

The racing schedule looks like this:

• Saturday, August 8—Rochester Twilight Criterium
• Sunday, August 9—Individual Time Trial
• Monday, August 10—Genesee Valley Park Road Race
• Tuesday, August 11—Ellicottville Circuit Race
• Wednesday August 12—Warsaw Road Race
• Thursday, August 13—Pittsford Road Race

Googling around, I found announcements on (in order of publication date)

• VeloNews
• Cyclingnews
• Daily Peloton
• SpokePost

There are other aspects of the TdNY Scott and I talked about that remain unannounced.

Meanwhile, I thoroughly enjoyed the Second Annual Cobb’s Hill Cyclocross Race last Sunday. The weather was perfect, the racing tremendous, the conversations with friends and fellow spectators were warm as the day, and my camera lens was filthy. Thus, no pics.

I won’t make that mistake in ten days time at the first Ellison Park Cyclocross Race, Saturday November 1.

I’ve even taken the day off from work without pay. See you there.

Join us on the Columbus Day Monday holiday, October 13, as we ride to Letchworth State Park and back to look at the leaves.

Last year we rode a 74-mile route at 13–15 MPH, and had a blast along the way, despite the wind shifting to give us glorious headwinds in both directions. I rode to the ride and back, racking up 102¾ miles on the day. (Ride report and Gallery)

This year, Hndlebar has mapped out and ridden a new route that promises even better riding and viewing. The 74-mile course (plus optional extra riding in the park) begins and ends at Johnson Park in Scottsville, behind Scottsville Union Presbyterian Church.

We meet at 8AM, ride out at 8:15. Here’s the route. By using the park’s Perry entrance, we avoid most of the traffic from the annual Letchworth Arts & Crafts Show.

Up for a century or maybe a double-metric? Meet across the street from my apartment in the Goodman St lot at the Memorial Art Gallery, University Ave and Goodman St in Rochester. It’s 15 extra miles each way. We’ll meet at 6:45 for a 7AM start.

This ride is self-supported—there is no SAG.

Bring your own spares, tools, beverages and food. We stop for lunch in Perry, NY on the way out, and hit stores along the way. And remember to print your own map and cuesheet.

See you on Columbus Day (observed)!