The Bay Area Super Prestige cyclocross series is set to start this Sunday at San Francisco’s McLaren Park, but the festivities actually get started this Thursday at Sports Basement in the Presidio with a season kick-off party. It’s the perfect way to reunite with old friends, talk cyclocross and win cool ‘cross stuff. The event features free beer,  a big prize giveaway, and a cyclocross panel discussion featuring Vanderkitten pro Barbara Howe, series promoter and cyclocross legend Tom Simpson, and the editor of Cyclocross Magazine, Andrew Yee.

The grand prize up for grabs is a Jamis Supernova cyclocross frameset with an Easton EC90X fork – the same frame and fork ridden by cyclocross pro and seven-time National Champion Jesse Anthony.

The fun is free and starts at 6:30 and goes through 8:30 p.m on Thursday, October 1st.

Sports Basement – Presidio
610 Old Mason St
San Francisco, CA 94129
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Even though I promote the track i actually like to race cross.  I dunno why – the season is short, the races are closer, the weather is sunny and temperate – with a dash of mud, each race series (and race) has a different character ( i love the Surf City Halloween Psycho Cross and Pilarcitos races) – and the Belgian races are great internet TV.  Rumor is DJ Snead has started to show up for some local crits which signifies the start of cross season training.   NorCal is one of three official “Cyclocross Centers of Excellence” in the United States right next to Portland/Seatle corridor and New England.   The NorCal scene is like Switzerland – we are so good we don’t need to join the European Union.   Anyways…. August and September are clinic time…here are

a few that I’ve seen coming across my desk.

• Velo Girls Bike Skills 103 September 26 – LLL always gets a turn out and is beginner friendly.  The class is going to be taught by John Funke who is threatening to retire.  Funke has been talking retirement for the last year at least… i think everybody just needs to show up with “John 3:16″ signs  to show him some love and cure what ails him my miracle if need be.  We can’t lose a guy with that kind of passion to the Pro Bowling Tour.

• Sterling Sports Group has a camp and a training series going in September. Matt’s pretty intense, and well versed in training details, so this is a good one for the information- hungry-engineering types.  He’s even got a webinar scheduled for 8/27… Go Internet Man!

• Clark Natwick – The master, the myth, the man who brought it all home to NorCal has a few clinic’s rolling.  Clinic dates are 8/29, 9/5 & 9/12. Click here for more details. Clark Natwick Coaching.  For those that don’t know Clark was an early US Cross Champ… for some reason i get stoked seeing he’s teaching locals.  Its like the gods have descended from mount olympus and started handing out magic spears or something.  Anyhooters – YEA CLARK!

• The Alto Velo leprechauns usually hold a few early season low key clinics.  Right now they are planning their get togethers for  September 10 @ Byxbee Park, and September 24   6 PM start time…and that’s loose.  Keep an eye on the for details.

• During the season there are a couple of options.  Las year Roaring Mouse put on some clinics for racers before Pilarcito’s Bay Area Prestige races and Velo Bella does a star studded clinic before the pscyh cross.   Shoot them some emails and let them know you are interested early on.

•  Livermore Series – Even though its not a clinic Shane Huntoon’s Livermore series is a great way to start racing cross since they get rolling on early September 5th.  Cool courses and kids under six race make this a great family event.  Nothing says family like cross!

I’m missing all the good stuff going on in the East Bay, Marin,Sacramento and other cool NorCal spots but i don’t think they have put up any announcements yet.  I don’t know if it is in NorCal but I’m sure Rodney Cox will be doing a cross race every other day out in Chico – that man is a one man wrecking machine!  I want to go there just to see if those races are real or some kind of facebook joke.  Put up anything i’m missing in the commnets section…

Hey there folks, here’s some newz for yo’ shoes ~

KENNY SCHICK ~ Live at the ‘Drome!

Just in case you wanted to listen to some kickass music while you watch people go in circles.

Directions to the track are here.

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We’ll have free food and drink, so come on out for a later afternoon of relaxing and kicking off your weekend with biker friends.

Bring a jacket, get there early, heckle the bikers.

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Speaking of Biker Friends ~

Check out this awesome program that the Bicycle Trip in Santa Cruz is putting together.

This is VERY important stuff … well, from the opinion of a person involved in public health. It’s striking us all, that more and more ~ the modern lifestyle is one of valuing physical activity less and less.

And weirdly, our culture seems to be losing an appreciation of the beauties and sublime pleasures of physical activity in the outdoors. But, maybe that’s just my interpretation of our culture.

Nonetheless, the folks at Bicycle Trip are reaching out to youth and offering them glimpses of what fun and benefit one gets when soaking in movement, diving into the outside world … getting away from that damnable idiot-box, if you know what i mean.

Now, it’s kind of subversive … what they’re doing … disguising the program as a “bike shop” at the school … but what they’re really doing is kicking interest in youth about bikes, and riding, and laughing it up with the heart rate above tv-eating levels.

hell yeah. check them out, and if you’ve got a few extra bucks … think about becoming a sponsor. Contact Julie Mitchell if you want more info, julie @ bicycletrip.com.

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NorCal MTB League RAWKS!

Hey, aside from all the amazing races and outreach these folks put in … they’ve also got an ART CONTEST going on!!!

Right on, right on ~ combining a couple of my favorite activities … bikes and drawrings.

Spread the word, yo. And be sure to check out the cool stuff you can buy from the League.

Good cause, and all.

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Speaking of Good Causes … PROMAN’s Phone Program

yup, the PROMAN beauties are doing their own kind of good works.

be sure to play along with the beauties, folks. it’s good karma and … well, it just feels fine.

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ok, gotta jet … too much to do, never enough time …

lates,
~m

{advert, yo}

Hey folks, the Peaks Coaching “Power Training Camp with Hunter Allen” {{LINK}} is coming up in a few weeks. If you clicky on the big red graphic on the sidebar, it’ll shoot you right over to their site.

What impresses me about these Peak Coaching cats is that they stick you on a PowerTap for the camp and even give you a chance to buy the unit at a discounted price (or, you can bring your own). I mean, that’s pretty killer. If you’ve ever been interested in moving towards training with a power meter … and have some extra scratch dustin’ up the crib … the Peaks Coaching training camp might just be what the doc ordered.

But be aware, they limit the size of the camp and already have spots filled. So, you’d better call asap and reserve a spot if you want to put in a nice long training block (perfectly timed for the road season, eh?) AND want to take the plunge into the beautiful science of training with power meters. I was a power-JUNKY for a few years and it has made a ton of difference in my theories on training and performance.

Once you do it for awhile, you’ll see what everyone is talkin’ about.

The tuition for the training camp covers ~

Daily lectures, presentations and power analysis.

Full pro mechanical support.

Accomodations at the BEAUTIFUL Ralston White Retreat. I mean, we’re talkin’ Marin in the spring … oi, it’s just frickin’ paradise up there.

Meals … good, filling, PROMPT food.

Transportation from the airport, if needed.

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… oh! and some hella primo riding. You wanna know where lil’ Levi the ToChampion trains?

Right there, baby. Right there.

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So, for the camp ~ you get hands-on, uber-detailed coaching each day … focusing on training efficiently and with “life-balance” as the goal.

Hello? that’s us kids!

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Check it ~
http://www.peakscoachinggroup.com/camps/cycling_camps_marin_2008.html {{LINK}}
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This {{LINK}} is my kind of vacation.

Days of training right and in a place i like to term, not too shabby.

Marin … in March … and you’re taken care of 110%.

yeah, tough decision.