Fort Wayne-Franke Park Race Report

First....

Happy (belated) Birthday to you.
Happy (belated) Birthday to you.
Happy (belated) Birthday, Dear John.
Happy (belated) Birthday to you.

Clasen turned another year older while racing this weekend.

Do you think he looks older?? And on a side note, may I point out the Lefty on the Fisher?

Second - THANK YOU to all the spectators and cheerleaders. Having you at these events make the drives bearable and sometimes entertaining, the pain and discomfort during the race temporarily forgotten when we see you clapping and yelling, and the post-race food and atmosphere pleasurable. Your support is appreciated. Additional thanks to Matt L. for the wonderful pics that are posted on this site.

Here are some regular spectators on the course. "I gotta have more cowbell. I have a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell."

And third....the race.

Friday's wet conditions & the 30-80% chance of rain Friday night made many question how pleasurable the race would be on Saturday. Thankfully no rain fell and the course improved as hundreds of tires and sunshine helped to dry it out as the day went on. I commented that the margin of victory or defeat is only seconds on a course like this. Each muddy, rooty corner or bog can cost a few seconds. Multiply that by the 2,000,000 corners and one can stand to gain or lose a lot of time. This course has certainly made me want to practice skills, specifically cornering, more often.

On the way home, we were trying to decide how many people have made beating Denny a season goal. It must be in the hundreds. Great job, Denny! Keep up the good work. And don't you even think about hanging up the bicycle at the end of the year.

And that determination is why Denny is feared.

Feske passed me in the woods and didn't seem to be breathing hard at all. "Hey, Ange. Thanks [for letting him by]. Keep rolling." And I must point out that Lindsey's peanut butter, graham cracker, chocolate bars were AWESOME after the race.

So, after Jean-Luc and Matt crossed the finished line, the race organizer asked to interview them. I doubt this was their first. While sitting on their bikes, Brian started asking questions about when they started racing how the day's events unfolded.

I didn't catch all of the interview as I was talking to a fellow rider. She looks at the two boys holding the mic and says, "They are unbelievable." I agreed. It's a treat to get to ride with them any time. She added, "And they're no spring chickens are they?" My reply, "They've been doing this a while."

Master and Commander:

The hole shot. And wouldn't I like to corner like that?

DINO #2 - Brown County State Park

Where to start? What a fabulous day for racing! It may have been on the warm side, but we were blessed again with perfect trail conditions. Team Bicycle Station had a great turnout including some first-timers. While I met him for the first time on Sunday, I wonder if this was Zane Wischmeier's first race after seeing the results. He dominated the Juniors. Another new face this year found success in the Cat 3 Women's race; congratulations Baylee!

From the stories following the race, it seems this was one of the more intense races with some close results. (For a complete list of results, check the DINO website.) Rivals from nearby Kentucky showed up again; if you remember, several made the long haul to Warsaw as well. A quick tally of the results netted over 300 participants throughout the categories. Yay for Indiana racing!

On a personal note, I had some bad luck again with a rear flat. (Is this karma for the trash talk I was giving Denny & Danny??) Having the SLOWEST mechanical ability, I lost quite a bit of time putting a tube in. While I finished last, I still gained 193 points for the X-wing fighters. Remember, we still have the team competitions within the series. Always Persevere! You'll be glad you did.


Thanks to Matt L. for the great pics!

What a great looking team!

#1 in action

How many men did you pass, Mer?

Mike B. assured us he was well rested after the birth of his daughter.
Congrats, Mike!

Sean takes a break from the road for some trail action.


Feske is getting ready to make his move.

Denny doesn't need to trash talk the girls;

he just shows us how it's done.

And Blake, "What lap are we on?"

Extreme perseverance!

Photo Caption Contest

Do you have a winning entry?

Winner will be announced at the BCSP DINO race.

Team Ride is a Success

THANKS everyone for coming out on the team ride and for the awesome food! The Bicycle Station provided chicken, pork, and brats, and it was all well received after the BCSP excursion on two wheels.

Some got in more miles than others as the slower group was lapped. But I'm quite sure there wasn't as much trash talk in the fast group as the slower one. For one, they were probably having trouble breathing while we (slow group) were chatting. I've been told on rides that if I'm talking, I'm not riding hard enough. That's good advice. Maybe I should follow it. (:

Looking forward to your own riding tales. Some pics are below--more will come later.

Ride on!

Meredith explains there will be NO stopping at the top of Aynes during the DINO race while Jason, Matt, and Lars think about the downhill.

Melissa and Amy fend off questions about racing this year.

Jason gets some help from a tree while riding the log on HP.

The grill guys (Matt B, Jamie, & Matt L) are everyone's favorite people after the ride.

Mark, Denny, John, & Danny contemplate the trash talk from the girls.

Team Ride, May 17th

Mark your calendars! We’re having a team ride on May 17th followed by a cookout at Brown County State Park. Details are below:

Who: Team Bicycle Station
What: Ride & Cookout
When: Sunday, May 17th, 10:00 a.m.
Where: Brown County State Park – Meet at the upper lot from the North Gate. This is the parking area by the restrooms.

Suggestions for the cookout: bring something to grill and a side dish. Also bring your loved ones as a day at the park is always a nice time. We’ll meet at 10, ride for a couple of hours then eat.

No rain date has been scheduled; if trail conditions aren’t conducive for riding, we’ll reschedule. I’ll send a reminder e-mail later in the week.

If you have any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail or call.

Hope to see you there!

DINO #1 - Warsaw

While teammate John Clasen headed to North Carolina for PMBAR (tag line says "crushing souls since 2003"), many of the Bicycle Station members headed to the first DINO race in Warsaw. We're looking forward to some stories from John on the adventure race!

The Northern Indiana Fat and Skinny Tire Fest brought riders from several midwest states deepening the field in many categories. What a day! With rain looming in the forecast all week, I told many friends how unenthusiastic I was about riding in the mud. I couldn't have been more wrong. The temperature hovered in the low 60s with a gentle breeze cooling us when the sun came out; the trails were in perfect condition with few tacky spots.

After being on the course for 20 minutes, was anyone else thinking, "I really need to step up my training?" For many, this was our first race of the year. Congratulations to Matt, Denny, Meredith, Mike B, Danny, & Blake on a tremendous first DINO race. Additionally, we were surprised by the attendance of teammate and standout, Jean-Luc who showed us he hasn't stopped training since his move to PA. Results are posted on the DINO website. Also, congrats to Mike F, Jeff, & Angela on some good efforts while on the course. I heard Jeff crashed and broke some spokes--looking forward to that story. I (Angela) had a tree jump out in front of my right handle bar which sent me flying to the forest floor. Unfortunately, I flatted in the process and was unable to repair it.

The last race included Noah Battin in the Shimano Youth Series where he earned a dazzling medal for his finish. Congratulations, Noah!

Below are some pics from Saturday.

Mike, Denny, & Jeff recap the day for Martha:

Noah cranks it in his hardest gear for the Shimano Youth Series:

Meredith is getting ready to finish while breaking in the new bike:

Matt is deciding whether or not to cross it up as he did last year:

Denny is finishing strong on the Trek:

First Blog

Thanks Ang for setting this up. Looking forward to Saturday @ High Noon.