Bob's Red Mill Racing - Louisville

Perfect Way to Start the New Year

2010-01-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

My first breakfast of 2010:Two Bob's Red Mill buttermilk pancakes with their dried tart cherries, a layer of banana in between, topped (and surrounded) with fresh blueberries and whipped cream!

Who needs Wheaties?

A few pictures from Cyclo Claus

2009-12-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

Season wrap-up coming soon. For now, a few pictures form Cyclo-Claus.

Cyclo Claus 2009!!!

2009-12-04T10:33:00.001-08:00

Hello All,
Bob's Red Mill/Rocky Mountain and Mountain Bike Depot & Cross Supply have once again teamed up to bring a new event to Louisville. Bend is a long way from Louisville, and not everyone can make it out there (Good Luck Redzoners!), but, if you still have that cross bug, you have one last chance before packing it up.

We bring you Cyclo-Claus 2009. It will be held Sunday, December 20th at Briar Hill Park. It is a new venue to the cyclocross scene, but has all the ingredients to make for great racing and spectating. This is a fun, family oriented event and all are invited to come enjoy the day.

This is also a time of year to think of others, and we will be offering reduced entrance fees to those that bring either a toy for Toys for Tots, or a backpack for Blessings in a Backpack. These are both great organisations, and we hope that we can provide some help.

We also ask if anyone has any holiday lawn ornaments, inflatable (insert holiday item), Christmas trees, Menorahs, reindeer, anything, bring it on out Saturday.

We will have Pre-registration available at Mountain Bike Depot in the Westport Village, and there will be a $5 day-of fee.

Course set-up will take place Saturday night, and all help is welcome. We will post more details here and on our website,

www.mountainbikedepot.net

Thanks everyone, and we look forward to it!

Gun Club: Cat 1/2/3 Elite Mens podium:

2009-11-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Mitch on another fine win at Gun Club, to Mike for a solid 4th, and to Chris for hammering out another 8th!

Not a bad title...

2009-11-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

Press Release from Warren Church as found on truesport.com:

11/2/2009

Gun Club Cross
Miamiville, OH
November 01, 2009

BOB’S REDMILL ATHLETES TAKE GUN CLUB CROSS

Bob’s Redmill racers Mitch Kersting and Anna Jean Dallaire won the Elite Men’s and Women’s Races at the increasingly popular Gun Club Cross on Sunday. The ninth race of the 2009 Zipp OVCX Tour saw a 50% increase of entries over last year.

This year, riders found a tougher, more technical course, a red-coated bugler to accompany the now-familiar shotgun starts and a drummer in the horseshoe section. Yes, a drummer. The family-reunion-meets-bike-racing festival feel that is a hallmark of this race was on display, with music, great food, and plenty of humorous commentary. In keeping with this lighthearted spirit, race organizers waived entry fees for anyone with the name of “Clay”, “Pigeon”, or “Gun” - which was enough to attract former pro rider Gunnar Shogren (and his wife, current Pro Betsy Shogren). Gunnar finished second in the Elite Masters race behind Calistoga’s Michael McShane. Betsy (Cannondale Factory Team/Backyard Bike Club), a three-time MAC champion, had to settle for fourth in the Elite Women’s race behind Dallaire, Amanda McKay (BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing) and Nicole Borem (DRT Racing).

An amazing amount of mud and treacherous uphill sections kept lap times in the 9-11 minute range, with many riders getting a lot of running in. Luckily the course is also known for its comfortable hunting lodge, complete with a roaring fire and real bathrooms with showers. The power-washer was especially popular this year, with more than a few racers stopping in the pits to clear gobs of sticky mud from their bikes. Shoes, well, that was another story.

Riders also had to contend with the will–sapping smell of meat cooking on an immense outdoor wood-burning grill, which was again mastered by Earl who claims the event as his favorite.

The mud did nothing to diminish the festival atmosphere among the more than 460 people in attendance, and racers enjoyed a spirited mix of cowbells and cheers throughout the day.

Located in an unspoiled 240-acre valley just northeast of Cincinnati, the 60-year old Sycamore Pheasant Gun Club made for another great day of cyclocross racing in Ohio.

Next week, November 8, the Zipp OVCX Tour travels to Lexington, Kentucky for the annual Promotion Cross.

3 day UCI Cinci Weekend

2009-10-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

Harbin ParkJava Johnny's
Java Johnny's

Mitchell wins Bloomingcross

2009-10-18T17:44:00.001-07:00

Too Much CX? Never!

2009-10-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

The BRM / RM team was more than a little excited for cyclocross season to start. In the first month of the season these are the races we showed a presence at:

Heath Cross in Columbus, OH

Kings Cross 1 and 2 in Cincinnati, OH

USGP 1 and 2 in Sun Prairie, WI

Alum Creek in Cincinnati, OH

Fisherman's Cross in Louisville, KY

THE UCI3 (Cyclostampede, Java Johnny's, and Harbin Park) in Cincinnati, OH

That's 10 days of racing in one month! It has been a non-stop cycle of traveling, racing, cleaning and tuning equipment, recovering as quickly as possible, and getting ready to go again.

Don't worry, we aren't burnt out yet. Tomorrow we travel to Bloomington, IN for OVCX #6. The course sounds awesome with a few single track sections, some off camber, and a nice road climb. I can't wait.

Here is a brief recap of our experience at the UCI3:

Friday was the Darkhorse Cyclostampede at Devou Park in Covington. The venue was great and the course would have been super smooth and fast... except for the torrential downpour that accompanied the race. It has been a wet fall in the region and the ground stays saturated. The course turned in to a giant slip and slide that was treacherous to run through, much less ride. We (Mitch, Mike, Marcus, and myself) held our own in the conditions, but our best days were still ahead of us. Mike Dulin gave us the heads up about a cross party with free burritos. Thanks to our host (Greg, I think) for hooking us up! We made it back to La Quinta (our constant home away from home, we need to talk to them about a sponsorship!) in time to clean all of our gear in the bathtub and still make it down to the hot tub.

Saturday was the Java Johnny's race, held in a moderately sized neighborhood park. This is one of my favorite courses because it has great flow and some cool uses of the elevation changes. I raced the 2/3 race and had a great time. Despite a few difficulties (stick in the r/d and dropped chain) I managed to hang on for seventh. Mitch, Mike, and Marcus raced the main event, lining up alongside Ryan Trebon, Barry Wicks, and Jeremy Powers. Mitch had an amazing race! He got a good start and fought to move up through the first half of the race. Eventually he found himself in a group riding for spots 8th - 10th. The crowd showed Mitch a ton of encouragement as he was on his way to picking up his first UCI points ever! Things got ugly on the last lap and Mitch managed to cross the line in 9th place.

Sunday was the Harbin Park race. The course featured some leg burning elements (a long, gradual uphill slog straight into a sandpit) and some scary fast elements (bomb downhill into a sweeping right hand turn). Joe Czerwonka made the trip up and represented in the Cat 4 race. I again raced the Cat 2/3 race and managed to take 5th place in a two up sprint. Winning a sprint, even for fifth, is a rare thing for me, so I'll take it. The best part of my race though was wrecking on the first lap and hearing Ryan Trebon say, "That crash was awesome!" Mitch and Mike raced the main event. Mike had some trouble early on and had to pull the plug. Mitch had to fight hard to stay in the front of the race after his effort the day before. He made it through the hour of pain to finish 13th, another great showing. Two days in a row Mitch beat some big name racers and I don't mind admitting that I now have a bit of a man-crush on him.

Almost a week later I think we have all recovered from our cx hangovers and are ready to do it again! See you in Bloomington.

2009 Team Rig

2009-09-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

For the 2009 cyclocross season, our team will be riding the 2010 Rocky Mountain Solo CX.

Equipped with Sram. The bike handles tight, climbs fast, and accelerates quick.

USGP - Planet Bike Cup

2009-09-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

The USGP of Cyclocross raced in Madison, Wisconsin this past weekend. The Venue titled "The Planet Bike Cup" saw some of the best talent to date at a US cyclocross event. Some of the highlights of this Venue include a mobile beer station (golf carts selling beer from a keg are legal in Wisconsin), an awesome course designed with help from Louisville's own Mike Dulin. The event also featured fantastic spectator viewing, trumpet players, boom boxes, "The Hill Strangler", $1.00 scones, free Bob's Red Mill, etc.

Mike Kennedy, Bill Kennedy, and I made the eight hour drive Friday evening before the race. Mike's Father, Bill would be racing the 55+ category as well as heading our pit crew. When we arrived in Madison, our first stop was Williamson Bikes and Fitness, the official bike shop sponsor of the Planet Bike Cup. To describe that shop in one word, Heaven.

Saturday, September 26th; Race Day 1 of the Planet Bike Cup.

Forecast:: Clear and Cool

After a wonderful breakfast at "The Quinta", we arrived at the course early to check out the lay of the land and to watch Mike's Dad tear it up in the masters 55+. At 3:00 pm we lined up at the staging area. With no UCI points to-date we quickly realized that we would be starting in the third row from the back and our hopes were crushed. The first lap of the race was like most races, ridiculously fast and full of wrecks. I was lucky to avoid all the destruction, but Mike got tangled up and his bike suffered. He persisted through all of the mechanical problems and had a solid finish. I continued to fight for positions and managed to grab 27th. But my biggest accomplishment was to not be lapped by the other riders. I learned a valuable race lesson...there is a such thing as too much coffee, especially when staging takes half an hour. After the race, we went to a local restaurant in downtown Sun Prairie and ate fish tacos. Cheese really is everywhere in Wisconsin, even on the fish.

Sunday, September 27; Day 2 of the Planet Bike Cup.

Forecast:: Overcast, Chilly, and Windy. Late afternoon thunderstorms likely.

After a quick breakfast at The Quinta, we headed to the course. Dark clouds were rolling in and light rain made its way to us on the warm up laps, but the clouds blew over and the skies cleared. The layout was much the same but with the subtraction of a few turns, addition of a few straight stretches, and the lengthening of the "Hillside Strangler". Both our starting positions were worse than the day prior, placing us second to last row. As we were staging the sky split and it began raining. All of the racers dashed to the pit area to exchange their file treads for some mud tires. Then the gun went off and the race began. The course was a bit muddy but not sloppy. Mike was once again plagued by equipment issues and had to drop out shortly into the race. I had a bit more luck, and was able to finish 24th for the day. And, once again, I succeeded in not getting lapped.

Kings CX Weekend

2009-09-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

The regional cyclocross season got off to its official start on the 19th and 20th with the Kings CX weekend. Mike Kennedy, Mitchell Kersting and myself travelled to Cincinnati for both days. Marcus Moran joined the group on Sunday for OVCX #1.

Racers showed up in force for the kickoff weekend. This made for great competition and also allowed us to catch up with the cross community. We all know cyclocross creates a special atmosphere and it was nice to be surrounded by it again. Everyone was a part of the excitement from the youngest junior to the oldest master.

Saturday was a dry, fast course. The field stretched out in the first lap due to the speed. Mike Sherer showed he is going very well and took the win with a commanding lead. Mitchell put in a hard chase but had to settle for second. Mike finished a solid fourth and I came in eighth.

The field sizes grew on Sunday for the OVCX opener, Mother Nature did her part by providing plenty of rain, and the course was reversed with a few twists thrown in. The early fields got the worst of the rain and much hilarity ensued. It was great spectating. Things dried up just a bit for our race. Mitchell, Mike Kennedy, Mike Sherer, and a limited few others again separated themselves from the rest of the field early. Mike Kennedy had some mechanical issues during the race and was forced to fight his way back towards the front several times. He finished sixth at the end of the day. Mitchell Kersting once again gave it his all to chase down Mike Sherer but was forced to settle with second. Despite the change in field size and course conditions I again found myself in eighth place. Marcus finished fourteenth.

In all, we had a great time as a team. We were able to share our sponsors with the racing community and saw some success with our results. Below are a few pictures I took. There aren't any of us racing... because I was racing at the time.

This junior showed the adults how it is done.

Mike re-branded his mug.

Guys in the rain.

The new kit is broken in.

Welcome to Whole Grain CX!

2009-09-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

The Mountain Bike Depot & ‘Cross Supply is proud to announce our partnership with Bob’s Red Mill and Rocky Mountain Bicycles for the creation of the Bob’s Red Mill / Rocky Mountain Bicycles cyclocross race team! The new team will be composed of six area athletes of varying experience levels who will work together to promote the sport of cyclocross as well as the whole grain way.

Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, based out of Milwaukie, OR, produces more than 400 products – the old fashioned, all natural way; they are the nation’s leader in stone milling and offer the widest diversity of whole grains found anywhere. A healthy, wholesome diet is a centuries-old training secret, which makes Bob’s Red Mill a natural partner for riders everywhere. Bob’s Red Mill marketing manager Matt Cox is very excited to be a part of the Louisville scene: “All of us at Bob’s Red Mill are thrilled to partner with the cross mavens at Mountain Bike Depot and Rocky Mountain Bicycles in forming such a formidable clique of athletes who are just as fanatical about cyclocross and training with whole grains as we are. Louisville has become a true hotbed of cyclocross culture, and we’re really happy to be a part of it.” Bob’s Red Mill is also a supporter of the U.S. Grand Prix of Cyclocross for the second year in a row, which will again stop in the Derby City on October 24 - 25.

Rocky Mountain Bicycles is a Canadian company that still preaches the hand-built gospel, 27 years later. As a bike company, they've made it their mission to create a high-grade quiver of bikes that meets the needs of the myriad of off-road cyclists out there. To do this, they pay particular attention to innovation, quality, and detail. All Rocky Mountain bikes come with cards that are hand-signed throughout the building process, as well as hand-built wheels signed by their maker, that demonstrate the company's level of commitment to quality. While a bit newer on the cyclocross scene, Rocky Mountain will no doubt have a much stronger presence this year with Canadian National Champion Geoff Kabush riding for Rocky Mountain - Maxxis, as well as mechanic extrordinaire Adam McGrath. Rob Currens of Rocky Mountain said this of their participation in the Bob's Red Mill program: "Rocky Mountain Bicycles is proud to have the BRM 'Cross team on Rocky Mountain Bicycles, and is very enthusiastic about being a part of the burgeoning local cyclocross scene."

The team is excited about bringing new spirit to Ohio Valley cyclocross through competition, race promotion, community events, and more – all of which will also serve as opportunities to share the whole grain gospel with other athletes.

Roster:
Mitchell Kersting
Christopher Nevitt
Joseph Czerwonka
Michael Kennedy
Marcus Moran
Nancy McElwain