Shenandoah Mountain 100

Race Report from Aaron Albright:

I raced the Shenandoah Mtn 100 on August 31st and had a blast. I have done many road bike rides that were 100+ miles in length and involved over 10,000 ft. of climbing, but never anything like that on my mtn bike or in a race situation. I had one attempt at another National Ultra Endurance (NUE) series race at the Wilderness 101 just a month prior to this, but unfortunately crashed out at mile 30 and had to get a few stitches in my face to get fixed back up. So going into the Shenandoah my first goal was to simply stay safe and finish the race, but my day had much more in store for me!

As with any race, the start is a little hectic with everyone scrambling for position near the front (especially when there are over 500 riders). I stayed mid- front of the pack, just conserving energy and finding a group with a pace that was comfortable. I tried to hold my efforts back for the first half of the race, then burn my matches in the second half, just to be sure I wouldn't end up "cracking" before the finish. (there was over 13,000 feet of elevation to be climbed throughout the race) The strategy proved to work out well, as I made a lot of passes going up the 18 mile "Death Climb" as they call it, around mile 60-80. The pack was very spread out by this point, and I rode mainly by myself from the top of that climb back to the finish. I rolled in at 8 hours 30 minutes, for 30th overall and 25th in Open Men which I was very happy with!

The most valuable thing I received this weekend was experience, as with these 100 mile races there is quite a bit of strategy involved. Now that I know what to expect for future 100 milers, I can better prepare myself and finishing results will keep improving. The next thing on my schedule is the Pisgah Stage race in North Carolina, September 22-27. It is 5 days of mtn bike racing totaling 140 miles and over 20,000 ft of climbing! Ride on!

Tour de Millersburg

The Swashbuckler Brewing Company cycling team was represented well at the Tour de Millersburg. Jeff Miesemer, Jason Lindemuth and I (Mike Montgomery) all ventured up to Millersburg, PA for the two day, three stage race. This was also the first racing action for Jason Lindemuth and I as newly minted Cat 3 racers.

The Tour de Millersburg consists of three races, with racers being ranked in a general classification standing. Each of the three races differ greatly- a 10 mile time trial, a roughly 20 mile criterium and a nearly 57 mile road race.

This was my first ever time trial and I greatly enjoyed the out and back ten mile course along the Susquehanna River. The course was relatively flat with a few slightly rolling hills. With racers separated by 30 second increments Jeff, Jason and I rolled off the line within a few minutes of each other. My plan was to keep my racing smooth and to not go out too fast. Keeping an eye on my heart rate, I was able to stick to the plan. I felt good throughout and was happy to finish with a time that put me near the middle of the general classification. Jeff and Jason also rode very well, with three of us being separated by less than a minute. 

After the time trial, we all congregated in our team tents just a few blocks away. With a few hours to pass, it was great to enjoy the camaraderie of the Swashbuckler Cycling Team. Adding to the fun, many members of other local cycling teams were close by. It was a lot of fun catching up with other local racers, sharing stories and some good natured trash talking. 

With a start time around 3:30 on Saturday, the next race we participated in was the criterium. With a big field of nearly 70 riders and some relatively narrow streets, there was an assumption among the racers that this was going to be an exciting race. From the gun, the race was on with riders at the front attacking almost immediately. I made the mistake of not getting towards the front soon enough and paid the price. With gaps opening all over the place, officials made the decision to begin pulling groups out of the race. I was pulled with a group of 15 riders or so, with the same fate meeting Jeff and Jason a few laps later. All in all, it was a very fast and exciting race. After a long day, we packed the cars and headed home to enjoy a few cold Swashbuckler's Gold ales. 

Sunday's road race started at 8:00 am which made for an early morning commute up to Millersburg. With perfect weather - Jason, Jeff and I were all excited for the road race. Consisting of three 19 mile laps, we knew we were in for a good morning of racing. All in all, the race was a pretty smooth one. A few teams tried to attack and were brought back pretty quickly.  Each lap contained a nice little climb with a switchback halfway up the hill. Jeff, Jason and I all rode relatively close to each other in the pack. Entering into town on the final lap, the race came down to a group sprint with all three of us finishing comfortably in the group. 

My thoughts on the race- The Tour de Millersburg is a fantastic event. It is very well organized and both the town and the people who live there are amazing. Hanging out with my teammates over the weekend was a lot of fun. Jason and I both learned a lot from Jeff as he shared some insight into things he has learned over 20+ years of racing. It was great to see how many racers from Lancaster County participated in the race with great results. I am already looking forward to racing in Millersburg in 2015......

Mountain bike nationals - Albright

Sorry for the delayed post.  After putting on the Historic Marietta Criterium on July 12th, I was exhausted.  Here is a race report from Aaron Alright's run at Mountain Bike Nationals.

I raced the Cat. 1 19- 24 group at USA Cycling cross- country mountain bike National Championships, which was held at Bear Creek mountain resort. The start went well considering my starting position (they do rider call- ups based on USAC points, and since I have only done two USAC sanctioned mtn bike races, I was 27th out of 30 on the call up list). So a third row start it was, but I went hard right off the bat and worked through some guys before it narrowed down to the single track. Through the first lap I was slowly picking off guys, and made my way up to about 7th or 8th. Half way through the 2nd lap I had another rider in sight that I was closing in on, until my rear tire got a puncture from one of the many rocky descents. It took 3 stops during that 2nd lap to get it sealed and aired back up, (thankfully for the Stan's Notubes sealant, I didn't have to put a tube in) and it was frustrating to hear the riders from behind pass me while I nursed the flat. Once I finally got back in the groove for the 3rd and final lap, I put the hammer down to make up as much time and as many positions as I could. In the end I made it back up to 6th place, just missing a podium spot. I was really disappointed at first, but I then realized that for being my first year and only my 8th mountain bike race, I did pretty well against other racers from across the country that have years of experience. There is still a lot of improvement to be done and many more races ahead of me! 

I'm off to State College area this saturday, July 26th, for the Wilderness 101- 100 miles and 11,000 ft of climbing on the mountain bike! 

Race reports from Alright

What a great experience at the Trans-Sylvania Epic 3 day MTB stage race May 25-31. Stage 1 was a 30 mile XC race, and I finished 3rd in open men. For stage 2 on Monday it was a 42 mile XC race, with lots of climbing of course! I was feeling good the whole race, and figured out how to pace myself just right. While running in 2nd with what had to be about 5- 10 minutes over 3rd, i encountered a flat tire around the 35 mile mark. I had to stop twice to fix it, erasing my gap over 3rd place and then some. I tried to chase back down to 2nd up the final 2 mile climb, but it was not enough. I still ended up 3rd for the stage and kept me in 3rd for the GC. Stage 3 on Tuesday was "Enduro day" which consisted of 5 timed segments on the most technical descents in the area. There was no race between the segments, all that mattered was the cumulative time it took to complete the segments. I finished up in 3rd spot in open men for that stage, which secured me the 3rd position for the GC! I was also awarded the "Best Young Rider" jersey and the U19 winner. It was cool to stand on the podium with pro racer Barry Wicks (he took the open men win) in only my 5th mountain bike race. Already looking forward to doing the full 7 day TSE next year!

Bear Creek Challenge - PA State Championships June 1, 2014
It was only a one- race weekend for me, which was nice for a change! Pretty straight forward race, just passed for the lead about half a lap in and stayed smooth for the rest of it. The rocky, technical descents definitely played to my advantage over my competitors. Got the win for cat 1, 19-24 It is a pretty light summer schedule from now until august. Next on the list is the Stoopid 50 endurance MTB in State College (June 15). Then the Marietta crit, Bear Creek XC Nationals on July 19, then the Wilderness 101 July 26.

Aaron demonstrates the Pro line here.. use the face of the rock as a ramp, and jump off it onto the bridge (warning, don't do that if the bridge is wet).

Race report from Aaron Albright

May 17th:  I raced SoYoCo RR on saturday and turned out to be a great race for the Swashbucklers in Cat. 4. Jason Lindemuth and I worked at the front of the pack most of the race and ended up finishing 1 and 2 in the sprint. He got me for the win by a matter of inches. 

Sunday I raced the Greenbrier Challenge XC race and finished 1st in Cat. 1 19-24 group. There was only one other guy in my age group, so I mainly focused on putting in fast laps and racing the clock. I ended up with the fasted race time/ lap times of all the cat 1 age groups which I am pretty pumped on! 

Smoketown Criterium

Saturday was a busy race day Aaron Albright.  He did the Smoketown Crit in the morning and finished 7th. He was lined up in good position going into the final corner, until a rider slid out and crashed on his own - in front of him. Shooting out way wide to avoid it, almost coming to a stop, he had to punch it all the way to the line making up a lot of ground that he lost.  Disappointed, that's just how bike racing rolls sometimes.  

After finishing up at Smoketown, Aaron drove to Reading for the French Creek MASS XC race. Yes, he did two different races in one day.  He raced Cat. 1 at French Creek and finished 6th (out of 18 or so).  So not bad for my time with the 1s but his performance definitely suffered from having the criterium only a few hours before it, and Aaron noted he wasn't properly hydrated/ nourished for the hotter temps. He had cramps most of the race. 

Don't forget to bookmark the team's web site for the results ticker from road-results.com: http://www.parenfaire.com/cycling/index.php

Aaron Barr - Cat 3 Race

Paul Williams

Race reports from Aaron Albright

My first race of the season was the Bike Line XC at Fair Hill MTB race on April 27th.. I did Cat 2 19-29 and got 1st place. I took the lead as soon as we got into the single track and opened a gap over second place by about 2 minutes and maintained that for the rest of the race. It was pretty fun!  Link to results- http://www.midatlantictiming.com/resultsdetail.php?did=391

Saturday at Turkey Hill I finished 2nd in the field sprint in the category 4/5, after riding at the front all day and slightly missing the sprint strategy at the end. I was positioned one place to far front leading into the sprint, and ended up doing the lead- out for Ben Strine who took the win. Sunday I went down to Newark, DE for the Iron Hill Challenge and finished 1st in the Cat. 2 19-29. It was very muddy but a lot of fun! I am upgrading to Cat. 1 for my next mtb race, which will probably be the Greenbrier Challenge near Frederick, MD on May 18.  It is also a USAC XC nationals qualifier. 

-Aaron Albright

Says and Torrey at Turkey Hill Classic