It's a Boy...

Pet of Week is Monkey (left)

(brother/playmate of DQ'd Pet of Week Mojo Harper, on right)

Revolution Ride

Please join us for the BORP Revolution Ride in Napa on October 14th, 2006. We will be riding the 100 mile route. Post ride: wine tasting and champagne recovery meal. Hope to see you there...

Eskerrik asko Orbea...

Orbea are the best bike company in the US and make the finest bikes- evidence for this:

1. We are fast
2. Team Ph.D., also riding Orbea, are somewhat fast
3. Shelley Olds, who rides an Orbea Dama, is lightning fast

There you go

In all seriousness, thanks Orbea. We are proud to ride our Opals.

Penny's Empty Suitcase

Penny is going home to the UK for 10 days to focus on deck chair destruction skills. Ta Ta.
Whilst in the UK, Penny will eat a meal in honor of her fellow British Touchstone friends, who, unlike her, are unable to go home 5-10 times per year.

Penny's lunch menu:

• cheese and onion pasty with prawn cocktail crisps
• mushy peas and gravy
• large portion of chips from the chippy
• pint of Boddingtons
• sticky toffee pudding and 1/4 pound of rhubarb & custard

Bon appetit

Immediately following pudding Penny must run in the Dales. Pace must be faster than 6:30min/mile and distance no less than 15 miles. Report will follow.

p.s. Penny has kindly offered to do British goods shopping for anybody who races in the NCNCA, or has raced in the NCNCA in the past. She has made plenty of room for the goods-a spare suitcase and excess space in her bike case. You may contact her directly.

Warrior Princess

Zena McDonald is Pet of the Week

According to Kelly...

Mt Tam Hillclimb - Sept. 16, 2006
Touchstoners - Mo, Pat and Kelly
Course - a 12.5 mile beautiful climb beginning at Stinson Beach State Park. The first 4.4ml are flat on Hwy 1, followed by an 8mile climb to Rock Spring parking lot. It was one of the most beautiful days on the coast that I've ever experienced - low 70s and not a cloud in the sky.
All women started together, maybe 25 total?? The first 4.4 mile flat stretch was pretty fast with Mo and Pat taking some nice pulls and me sitting on their wheels. Right before the turn to start the climb, we were neutralized briefly due to the remanents of a wreck in an earlier race. As soon as we were clear, Mo took off and pulled hard to the corner, stretching the pack out a bit and putting me is excellent position. After the turn, she pulled off slightly and I went on the inside to start the climb. It was not long before Maria went by and I grabbed her wheel with Mo right beside me.
I think Maria and I got a gap on a steep switchback after about a mile of the climb. Maria went wide and I passed on the steep inside - a move that I have the "Rings of Fire" to thank - nothing seems that steep when you've survived that beast! I pulled for awhile then Maria came around again and I stayed with her until about mile 6 or 7, when she began to pull away, while I cursed myself for starting my offseason eating binge two weeks ago. I kept her in my sights as long as possible. I knew she was setting a great pace and I would break 50 min if I could keep her close. Although I could never close back in on her, she pushed me to ride hard to the finish, breaking the 50min mark by a solid minute and a half.
Mo was close behind in 3rd and Pat not far behind her in 5th. A very successful day overall. Of course, I probably could have won had I not been carrying the camera in my back pocket (at the shock and dismay of my poor husband who weighed every wheel in our garage to find the lightest combination for my bike)!
Alright, then, I'm in off-season for real this time!!
Kelly

Mt Tam: Beverley AWOL, Kelly represents...

Mama B' took day off to get dirty on Flume Trail in Tahoe. Other necessary work left to Kelly, Mo and Pat: 2nd, 3rd and 5th respectively. Maria Monica takes the win. Kelly still hacking ten hours later. Report to follow...

Mt. Tam

Defending champ Beverley will be there. Report to follow...

Say My Name: Rings of Fire, Revisited.

September 10th, 2006: Pen A-P only 20 seconds down on leader of pack on first two climbs. She will not be known as Powermasher. Having proven herself, Penny, joined by Jill, took the AARP express to Blue Rock Shoot to spend remaining 3/5 of ride drinking. Lean, Leaner, Leanest and co., left without Pen, Jill or Magellan Navigation system got lost in the wilderness of the Santa Cruz Mountains. ie. Highway 9. Looking forward to next edition...





Oh god, where did India and Pat go?



















Most likely they got eaten by a Mtn. Lion. If not, and they are still alive, they missed the turn and are descending 2.000 ft down dirt-rocky trail to Los Gatos






Pat and India heading back to summit after bumpy scenic ride down El Sereno.










Good Job

British Bottoms

John Peckham

On Friday, John Peckham, a local cyclist, died after being hit by a car.

John was quite something, both on, and off the bike. He will be missed much by many. To friends and family of John-we are terribly sorry for your loss.

Off

We're officially 'off''. It's time to get down and be as gazelle-like as possible:

Rings of Fire training ride will be joined by Chariots of Fire training run:

Route: 18/20 mile loop in Nisene Marks, in Aptos. Only 2,500 feet climbing per loop.

Handicaps:

• Beverley will carry water
• India shall sherpa Gu
• Kelly carries first aid kit for Jill’s "I Believe I Can Fly" crash
• Pat will be Mtn. Lion protection as she is a boxer
• Penny will not be handicapped as she is retired
• Jill will not be handicapped as she will undoubtedly handicap herself

Additional Info: must wear appropriate trainers

Note: Penny is actually in permanent (deluded) off-season. Jill doesn't deserve off-season as she took year off but is celebrating one anyhow. Rest of team rode well and deserve some downtime.

Pet of the Week

Rupert McLaughlin
(unknown-9/03/2006)

10 Reasons It was a Challenge, by Kelly

Challenge Challenge RR in Challenge, CA
Course: 2 approx. 33-mile laps of a hilly course in the foothills of the Sierras (~3,000 ft of climbing per lap)
Day: Warm, but beautiful
Touchstone Riders: Kelly and Beverley
Race Plan (I guess I can tell our secrets after the race): Race hard and have fun!! Simple, yet elegant, and easy to remember.
As I reflected on the day, what was the greatest challenge? I couldn’t decide on just one, so I made a short list:

1. Getting out of bed before sun-up (AGAIN!) 2. Velo Promo getting the race started on time (didn’t happen – bless ‘em) 3. The road with the potholes, no, the pothole with the bit of road on the several mile descent that started the race 4. The attacks by PABW on the pothole with the bit of road - and every descent of the day, for that matter 5. Holding on to a break with Stacy at the beginning of lap 2 (didn’t happen) 6. Making it to the feedzone on lap 2 before shriveling up and dying 7. Responding to the endless attacks by Linda in the last 10 miles of the race – although I don’t think "responding" is the correct word 8. Chasing down Stacy in the last few miles of the race (didn’t happen) 9. Responding to the vigorous leg cramp in the car on the way home 10. Staying awake to get work done after the race (also didn’t happen)

Overall, a great day of racing at a beautiful venue! Thanks to Lisa for setting a pleasant pace for a large portion of lap 1, to the group for entertaining conversation during Lisa’s reign, again to the group for not one, but TWO well-timed nature breaks, to PABW for not beginning their day of attacking until the beginning of lap 2, to Bev for the wonderful words of encouragement throughout the race, to the small, but quality group of hillclimbers that braved this course, to Velo Promo for putting on this fantastic race, and finally to my husband, Steve, for driving my tire, lame butt home!
I am officially in the OFF-SEASON! Ciao Ciao! Kelly
Results - Top 6: Stacy, Linda, Kelly, Bev, Maria, Victoria

Facing the Challenge Challenge

Kelly and Bev take 3rd and 4th at hilly, arduous Challenge Challenge. Kelly resolves to work on track stand skills before next hilly road race. Report? Maybe/maybe not.