THE MAGAZINE OF FLORIDA CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS / AUGUST 2013
Tips, Rides, Food & More
FLORIDA
RIDE FASTER RIDE BETTER
BEST EVENTS
CALENDAR INTERVIEW
GAIMON
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
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plus KIERSTEN DOWNS MICHAEL MACE
FR EE
ISSUE
The sTarT of a new TradiTion With every product release, Zipp’s reputation is on the line. This cyclocross season, the new Service Course and Service Course SL collections of aluminum bars, stems, and seatposts measured up to our highest standards. | Over months of grueling racing and training, Tim Johnson and the dominant Cannondale prepared by Cyclocrossworld.com team redefined performance on the U.S. circuit. And Zipp Service Course SL components and 303 Cyclocross wheelsets were with them over every barrier and across every finish line. | Using advanced materials and the strictest precision controls, Service Course brings classic designs to new levels of comfort, reliability, performance, and fit – for every ride and every rider.
Photo: Wil Matthews
1.800.472.3972 | zipp.com
Welcome...
to the first issue of Florida Cycling Magazine—the best source for local cycling news and information!
Between these covers are teasers of the complete articles that you’ll find in the digital version of Florida Cycling. Think of this paper version as an appetizer to whet your appetite for the digital version of Florida Cycling. In addition to the complete articles the digital magazine will feature product reviews, local race and gran fondo reports, cycling events for both the racer and enthusiast, coaching tips, and interviews all capped off with stunning photography showcasing the beauty of the sport. Florida Cycling is available monthly as a digital download at Zinio, Apple newsstand, Google Play, and Amazon for all your mobile and desktop devices.
Publisher
DAVID GREEN Editorial Director
NEIL BROWNE Editor
MEGAN ROCKS Creative Director
JESSE ADAMS Photographers
JONATHAN DEVICH www.epicimages.us GRAHAM PARTAIN JEREMY STEWART Video Production
GRAHAM PARTAIN CrossCopter Productions Special Operations
DAVE MALINOSKY Sales
JAY CUSIMANO ANDREW EDWARDS CRAIG MINTZLAFF JOHN ODOM PAUL RICCI Expo Sales/Event Management
CRAIG MINTZLAFF Endurance Sports Marketing Group, 303-926-1017 THE MAGAZINE OF FLORIDA CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS / AUGUST 2013
Tips, Rides, Food & More
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RIDE FASTER RIDE BETTER
Happy riding! FLORIDA
BEST EVENTS
Neil Browne neilbrowne.com facebook.com/neilbrowne @neilbrowne
CALENDAR INTERVIEW
GAIMON
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
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plus KIERSTEN DOWNS MICHAEL MACE
FR EE
ISSUE
ON THE COVERJohn Wilkinson rides at Everyone Rides in Naples 2012. Early registration now open for 2013,details inside.
Published By
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission. Cycling Magazine is published regionally in the U.S.A 12 times per year by NCA. For subscription or advertising rates, call 813-280-1447 or write to NCA at 5109 W. Lemon St., Suite A, Tampa, FL 33609. Cycling Magazine makes no representation or warranty for accuracy or content. All photos become property of Cycling Magazine when printed unless otherwise agreed to by the publisher.
NATIONAL CYCLING ALLIANCE MEDIA LLC www.floridacyclingmag.com info@floridacyclingmag.com 813-280-1440 5109 W. Lemon St. Suite A Tampa, Florida 33609
RIDER’S TECH ❱❱❱
WHERE DO YOU STORE YOUR BIKE? IMPROVE PERFORMANCE, APPEARANCE, SAFETY / BY MIKE HICKEY I KNOW A GUY who lives
in a 5500 square foot house on the water. It wasn’t enough that his house overlooks Tampa Bay. He wanted water he could swim in whether it was day or night, hot or cold. So, when building this dream house he put in a pool. He shares his gorgeous home with only his wife—no children, no pets. Every time we ride together his bike is a complete mess. His cables are forever rusted. The finish on his Dura Ace derailleur started peeling a week after he bought his bike. There is corrosion and rust all over his custom steel frame. No amount of maintenance will fix his problem. The problem is simple: in his massive 5500 square foot home, he can’t find room to store his beloved bicycle. There is no room in his office or the pantry. All four of their spare bedrooms are off limits to sporting equipment. His steel beauty resides in a hot, humid, salty garage right next to a bucket of chlorine.
JUNIOR PROFILE ❱❱❱
Florida is hot and humid nearly year round. Much of our great state’s population resides in coastal areas where the air is thick with salt. Many Floridians have pools. These pools require certain chemicals for the water to stay clear and the walls blue instead of green.
ANOTHER RIDER DIDN’T CHANGE HIS TAPE OFTEN ENOUGH. IF HE HAD, HE WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE CRACKS AND HOLES FORMING IN HIS ALUMINUM HANDLEBARS. Our bicycles are made from parts that are not particularly resistant to corrosion. Shift and brake cables are still made from steel. Bicycle wheels are still mostly aluminum. Despite how ubiquitous titanium and carbon fiber have become, there is still a considerable
amount of aluminum and steel in every bike. Unfortunately, these materials are vulnerable to the elements. The salt in the air and the gasses emitted by your pool chemicals will wreak havoc on the steel and aluminum components of a bicycle. It’s these conditions that cause your cables to prematurely rust, leading to missed shifts or sticky brakes. This problem might also manifest itself in a rusty bolt head that results in a rounded bolt and ruined Allen key. Or maybe the damage is more subtle- like corrosion on your derailleur hanger which ultimately fails mid ride. These are all pesky annoyances at worst. Corrosion can also be dangerous. There is another local rider who didn’t change his handlebar tape often enough. If he had, he surely would have noticed the cracks and holes forming in his aluminum handlebars. His sweat soaked handlebar tape had promoted the most dangerous of unseen corrosion. read on at fl.cyclenca.org
MICHAEL MACE DECK GOES HERE / BY BYLINE GOES HERE AT JUST 13-YEARS OF AGE Michael Mace is
already making a name for himself on the mountain bike circuit and in school. He just graduated 6th grade on the A/P Honor Roll and is returning to home schooling so he can focus on his training and education. Michael’s goal is to become a professional mountain biker and bike shop owner. At the end of June he will be attending USA Cycling Regional mountain bike talent ID camp at Garrett College in McHenry, Maryland. After camp he will be heading to Madison, Wisconsin for USA Cycling Amateur & Para-Cycling Road National Championship where he will compete in the 13-14 year-old National Championship against the US top juniors for the first time. In July he’s heading to the USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships in Bear Creek
Resort, Pennsylvania, his main focus of the season, where he will compete for the cross country mountain bike 13-14 title. read on at fl.cyclenca.org
Michael’s Resume __________________________ 2012
US Cup
East/SERC Champion (Juniors 11-14)
2012
FL State
Series Champion (Juniors 11-14)
2012
FL State
Road Race Champion (Juniors 10-12)
2012
FL State
Cyclocross Champion (Juniors 10-14)
2012/13
Coconut
Cup Series Champion (Juniors 11-14)
BACK OF INSERT THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK
VET SALUTE ❱❱❱
KIERSTEN DOWNS DECK GOES HERE DECK GOES HERE / BY BYLINE GOES HERE FOR ADVENTURE Kiersten Downs walked into the Air Force recruiting office and joined. That was June of 2011. Three months later the World Trade Center in New York City was attacked and the war on terror begun. After leaving the Air Force in 2005, which included deployment throughout the world, Downs enlisted with the Air National Guard and was a college student in addition to being deployed to Iraq. In 2011 she was accepted into the anthropology Ph.D program at the University of South Florida. While there she became the president of USF’s Student Veterans of America chapter. It was here her passion for cycling started. “I started road cycling when I moved to Tampa to get my applied doctorate in applied anthropology and I really loved it,” said Downs. She attended a national conference of the Student Veterans of America (SVA) in San Francisco and was blown away by the organization. She wanted to promote the SVA and the idea of riding her bike across America was born. “This started with just an idea I had for a couple of years - pack up my stuff and ride cross country. It’s something all cyclists think of at one point.”
LOOKING
THIS STARTED WITH JUST AN IDEA I HAD—PACK UP MY STUFF AND RIDE CROSS COUNTRY. However that idea coalesced into something bigger and involved her passions: veterans and cycling. “I’m able to combine my advocacy and passion for higher education and student veterans, along with my passion for cycling. I’ve been able to roll this all into one.” At the USF there was a Student Veterans of America chapter, but it needed a boost. Downs contacted the SVA headquarters and pitched the idea about riding across the U.S to promote the organization, starting in San Francisco and ending in Washington D.C. MTV University also stepped in, along with television host Nick Cannon, and surprised Downs with equipment she needed for her cross county ride such as a read on at fl.cyclenca.org
OUTTA THE BOX ❱❱❱
2013 Specialized
S-Works Road Shoe
I
race to the door when I hear the UPS truck like a fat kid when he hears the ice cream man. I never know what he may bring so I was thrilled when I found the good folks in Morgan Hill had sent me a pair of their new S-Works Road shoe. I wanted to give you my first impressions of the shoes as I want to put some miles into them before putting together a more thorough review. When I picked up the box, my first thought was that they only sent me one shoe. The box was too light to contain a pair, but lo and behold, there they were. The first thing I noticed was the unique sole. Specialized has minimized the sole at the outer edge of the foot as the majority of the weight is distributed from the middle to the inner edge (metatarsals) and that is where the thicker layup is. The shoe uses a dual-Boa, single Velcro enclosure system with the BOAs adjusting the heel/ankle and arch/mid-foot while the Velcro is across the toes. The micro-adjustment on the Boas is done to tighten or loosen the shoes, and the distinctive click make these very easy to adjust on the bike, even with full finger gloves. Possibly the best design for midride adjustments from any manufacturer to date. The BOAs can also be removed easily if the need to replace one should arise. The change I like best (beyond the supermodel good looks) is the new fit. The form used for previous versions had been much wider in the toe box. The pair I owned read on at fl.cyclenca.org
PRO TOUR ❱❱❱
GAIMON
DOWN BUT NOT OUT Before starting classes at the University of Florida, Phil Gaimon started to ride a bike in an effort to loose some weight. He dropped the pounds and quickly found success racing on the collegiate racing circuit. “The crit series never ends in Miami,” said Gaimon of the Florida racing scene. “There’s regional racing and there’s good races in Orlando, Tallahassee, Gainsville area, and Tampa. They’re mostly crits.” Gaimon, who is knowing for his climbing prowess, was fighting for victories on the flat technical courses in criteriums. “Trying to get my category 3 upgrade was brutal in the flat crits because I couldn’t sprint. But the races are cool and there’s a lot of nice people,”explains Gaimon. “They (race organizers) do a really good job and it’s hard as hell. Those guys don’t mess around and are always in shape.”
Gaimon transitioned from racing on the college level to the professional with the Florida VMG Racing team. In 2013 Gaimon is now riding for the Bissell team. His season started off with a bang – literally. He crashed out of the San Dimas stage race requiring a helicopter to transport him to a local hospital. With only a week to the Redlands Classic the chance to defend his 2012 title was gone. Instead he rebooted for the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico. “Everything was perfect and it wasn’t an easy month (of training). It took a lot of heart,” said Gaimon of his preparation for Gila. Gaimon finished Gila in second place on the
“I WASN’T AT DEATH’S DOOR BUT WHEN YOU’RE ONLY AT EIGHTY-PERCENT IT ISN’T ENOUGH TO FINISH A BIG RACE.”
final general classification. He returned to his home in Athens, Georgia and focused on the upcoming Amgen Tour of California. However, a cold derailed his chances and after falling almost 30 minutes behind the peloton in stage 3 he was forced to withdraw. “It was a basic cold that a couple of guys had at Gila,” explained Gaimon. “I left the Gila and felt fine for a couple of days, but there was some pollen and I got some sniffles a couple days before (the Amgen Tour of California). I figured it was just allergies.” However his power meter revealed the truth and showed he had lost 40 watts of power, a sign something wasn’t right. “When you’re sick you find out there first.” The result was during California the Bissell climber didn’t have the strength to ride with the rest of the group. “I didn’t feel horrible, but not great,” said Gaimon. “I wasn’t at death’s door but when you’re only at eighty-percent it isn’t enough to finish a big race.” The extreme weather, with temperatures over 100 degrees, didn’t help the situation. “The doctor said drink plenty of fluids, instead I massively dehydrated myself and made it worse.” Back home in Athens, Gaimon was again training, this time in preparation for the professional national road championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The 27-year old attacked solo in the closing miles of the race, but was caught in the last kilometer. However, read on at fl.cyclenca.org
CALENDAR ❱❱❱
FLORIDA’S BEST EVENTS DATE
EVENT
WEBSITE
LOCATION
SPONSOR
8/31/2013
Tour of Sebring – Labor Day
www.tourofsebring.com
Sebring, FL
Highlands Pedalers
9/7/2013
Camp Boggy Creek Challenge Ride
www.kintera.org
Eustis, FL
Camp Boggy Creek
9/8/2013
Endless Summer Watermelon Ride
www.nfbc.us
St. Augustine, FL
North Florida Bicycle Club
9/21/2013
Miles for Hope
www.milesforhope.org
Clearwater, FL
Miles for Hope
9/22/2013
Ride for Ronald
www.rmhccf.org
Orlando, FL
Ronald McDonald House
9/23/2013
Ride 4aBreast
www.events.r20.constantcontact.com
Melbourne, FL
Cancer Centers Foundation
9/28/2013
Bike MS: PGA Tour Cycle to the Shore
www.bikefln.nationalmssociety.org
St. Augustine, FL
Bike MS
10/6/2012
CF Cycle for Life – Lake Mary
www.cff.org
Lake Mary, FL
CF Cycle for Life
10/11/2013
CF Cycle for Life – St. Petersburg
www.cff.org
St. Petersburg, FL
CF Cycle for Life
10/11/2013
Mount Dora Bike Festival
www.mountdorabicyclefestival.com
Mt. Dora, FL
10/12/2013
Spaghetti 100
www.cccyclists.org/spaghetti100
Tallahassee, FL
10/12/2013
Undefeated EOD Bike Ride
www.eodride.org
Niceville, FL
10/19/2013
Matt Wantz Blackwater Heritage Century Ride
www.active.com
Milton, FL
10/19/2013
Santa Fe Century
www.gccfla.org
Gainesville, FL
Gainesville Bicycle Club
10/20/2013
Horse Farm Hundred
www.gccfla.org
Gainesville, FL
Gainesville Bicycle Club
10/26/2013
CF Cycle for Life – St. Augustine
www.cff.org
St. Augustine, FL
CF Cycle for Life
11/2/2013
RAAM Challenge Florida
www.florida.raamchallenge.com
Daytona Beach, FL
SNAPSHOTS ❱❱❱
A SNEAK PEEK INSIDE THE AUGUST ISSUE OF FLORIDA CYCLING MAGAZINE. CHECK IT OUT AT FL.CYCLENCA.ORG
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CONGRATULATIONS ❱❱❱
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Tim got his Florida CYCLING scratch-off game at Cycle Sport Concepts of Tampa and was one of 5 grand prize winners in July’s Specialized Turbo Pro “tires for a year” contest.
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