Kick-Off Cross

The Team returned to Point Marion, Pa. for the opening round "Kick Off Cross" of the Appalachian Bicycle Racing Association Cyclocross Series.

While we HAVE done this race before...and done this location before...we have NOT done so with out our Photographer in tow!

Allow me to introduce Nathan Black...a professional photographer and one of our new morning training partners!

http://www.nathanielblackphotography.com/blog/

Photo by Mike Briggs

Photo by Mike Briggs

Photo by SonicImaging

...who provided us with HUNDREDS of photos of JUST Ag3r racers! 

All the photos from here on in this post were taken by Nathan.  THANKS :)

Our results today were:

Logan Krause - 9th Place Men's 4/5

Hannah Brewer - 5th Place Women's 1/2/3

Kirk Morrison - 12th Place Open Single Speed

Mark Briercheck - 5th Place Open 40+

Hannah Brewer - 12th Place Open 40+

Mike Maher - 13th Place Open 40+

Steve Marlette - 2nd Place Open 50+

Henry Dimmick - 4th Place Open 50+

Rich Allen - 6th Place Open 50+

Kirk Morrison - 7th Place Open 50+

(This ain't your) MoM's Cross Country Race

Hannah Brewer, Kirk Morrison and Rich Allen continue as Ag3r's Regular Dirt Crew....by attending the MoM (Month of Mud) Moraine State Park Cross Country Mtn Bike Race.

Rich finished in 6th Place of the (11 mile) Masters 45+ Division

Kirk finished in 8th Place of the (14 mile) Single Speed Division

Hannah finished in 6th Place of the (14 mile) Womens Expert Division

Kirk Reports:
Race Review: Beautiful, sunny early Fall day. Temps in the low 60’s. Course was dry and fast with the always challenging, numerous rock/boulder sections. Fun course and excellent organization with over 100 racers. This was a good race for me with a Lap 1 time that was approximately 10 minutes faster than last years. Excellent officiating and course with some great racers !

Moraine Results:
http://monthofmud.org/?page_id=2262

Overall Series Standings: (after 2 of 4 races)
http://monthofmud.org/?page_id=2253

Hannah – 4th Place, Womens Expert (2 races)

Photo by Tad Riddell

Kirk – 6th Place, Single Speed (2 races)

Photo by Tad Riddell

Richy – 10th Place, Masters 45+ (1 race)

Photo by Tad Riddell

They've Got Legs....

...and they KNOW how to use them!!!

Hannah Brewer and Roger Lutz RAN the Slippery Rock Univ. 5K.

Roger Reports:
Hannah took 2nd Place in women's open category!
I took 4th Place in men's open.
Open was defined as non-student, and not masters (age 55 plus).

Overall I was 17 out of 241 overall.
Hannah was 84th ...but was totally sandbagging, saving the legs for the MoM Moraine XC Race the following day. Good luck tomorrow Hanna!

http://runhigh.com/2013RESULTS/R092813AC.html


To which HannaH Replied:
Great race, Roger!
If only I knew I was 30 seconds off of first, I wouldn't have sandbagged so badly!! But my legs will be thankful tomorrow :)


Roger's running future is SO BRIGHT, he (apparently) needs to wear SHADES :)



PBF w/out PBR?

Rich Allen and Kirk Morrison headed north into New Bethlehem for the annual Peanut Butter Festival Mountain Bike Race...the final installment of the 2013 Bike the Wilds XC Series.

Kirk reported:Light to heavy rain with wind.
Temps in the high 50’s to low 60’s.
Course was muddy and slick with plenty of treacherous log crossings and steep drop offs.
But a fun course and excellent organization with over 110 racers.

I rode the slick sections with plenty of caution to finish in 7th Place of the Masters 50-59 Division, and more importantly, finish “crash free” in my second post-injury race.

Rich finished in 3rd Place of the Masters 50-59 Division for the race...

...which landed him in 2nd Place Overall in the Bike the Wilds race series!

Richy, is SUCH a Dirt Worm :)

W.Va. TT Championship

Having exerted his Individual Time Trial dominance in Western Pennsylvania, Steve MarleTTe though he would try his hand against our neighbors to the south!

Here is the story, as told by Steve himself in his post-race interview with ALL the big cycling magazines!
-------------

This past Saturday I traveled to Rowlesburg WV for the Appalachian Bicycle Racing Association's  - West Virginia State Time Trial Championships.

Since I did not go to the PA state time trial, because it was so far away (being in the same State and all!), I thought this was a good chance to race in a State TT, even it was someone else's state.

The course was a rolling 15 and ¼ mile course, although it was advertised as a 16 mile TT (they must have shorter miles in WV...?)

The course is slightly downhill going out and slightly uphill coming back. The weather was very pleasant but a little cool (less than 60F) with a light breeze.

I took 1st Place in the Cat 1/2/3/4/5 Masters Category, with a time fast enough for 3rd Place Overall! 

I was really happy with my performance, and WIN, but I couldn’t help but think about the bonus there would have been if I actually lived in WV.....like some road kill, a new fishing lure, or some other local item of value!

Regardless, I was glad to return to Western PA (and civilization) with a win for the team and a bag of race swag!

P.S.
My performance was inspired by X-Ray man.

http://www.usacycling.org/results/?permit=2013-2859

MoM Brady's Run

Another year of the Top Gear Bicycle Shop "Month of Mud" MTB/CX Series is upon us.

For the opening event of the 2013 Season, at Brady's Run Park near Beaver, Pa., Hannah Brewer and Kirk Morrison made the trip with the following results:

Hannah Brewer
4th Place Expert Woman
35th Place Overall

Photo by Mike Briggs

Kirk Morrison
7th Place Single Speed
51st Place Overall

Photo by Mike Briggs

http://monthofmud.org/?page_id=2239

Erie TT

Ag3r Riders Steve Marlette and Ray Sielski headed NORTH for the season finale of the Iroquois Sports Boosters Presque isle Individual Time Trial.

-----------------
Ray writes:
Age is everything, just ask Steve Marlette.

Entering the State Park a flashing yellow board posts no advisories; Makes me wonder if there are no advisories why post?

Well, there SHOULD have been a posting, because the wind was WAY UP, with small craft warnings on the lake....and in the parking lot! 

This made for a strong headwind going out and sweet anticipation of putting up a spinnaker on the way back and breeze into the finish line. Not so fast, that wind was astern and blowing sand making for a teeth clenching and gritty finish.

Through all this, Steve puts up an impressive outing. Facing a strong headwind and stronger sandstorm assault from the side Steve manages to show the rest of the field how it is done by finishing in 2nd Place Overall...

...second overall to a rider 23 years his junior.... which should inspire all of the 50 plus class, to which Steve will join all too soon! Dammit Jim, bodes ominous for me.

Ray Sielski finishes in 7th Place of the 50-59 division, and 47th Overall.

---------------
Meanwhile, Steve writes:
High wind gusts that attempted to yank the bike from beneath you, was the main feature of the September 8th time trial on the Presque Isle Peninsula. Ray Sielski, Dave Hickey and I were there to test our TT skills as well as our nerves along with the 98 other participants. As it turned out, we were all in for a pretty good beating by Mother Nature.

Dust Devils swept across the beaches at the far end and attacked riders as the came through and I heard many reporting nearly getting blown off course.

Despite many scary moments, we all made it to the finish line. 

At the end of the day I manage to slot into the second overall!! My first time in the top 3! Maybe I should whish for horrific conditions for every time trial.

6 hours in the Valley (of Death)

Hannah Brewer, Steve Brewer, Mark Briercheck and Henry Dimmick headed east to compete in the 6 hours in the Valley mtn bike race sponsored by the Bike the Wilds group.

The day started foggy and HUMID, and soon turned to rain :(

Luckily it stopped just as we arrived to the race venue....so we did not have to set up camp in the rain.

Hannah & Steve teamed up for to compete in the Mixed Duo Division, while Mark and Henry paired up (again), so to speak! You may remember THIS picture from the last time these two paired up(???)!!!

Anyway, Steve and Henry started the race, doing the first lap for their respective teams.

Lap 1:
Steve put down one of the fastest times of the day....which soon earned him the label as "Least Desirable Teammate"....since the faster he rode HIS laps, the less time Hannah had to rest and get ready for HER lap!

Meanwhile, Henry put in a solid top 10 lap time.

Lap 2:
Hannah put in a lap time better than Henry's...

...while Mark BREAKS his CHAIN...!

Did I mention, that Mark had JUST PURCHASED his mountain bike only 2 days before this race?

Did I mention that Mark has NEVER OWNED a Mtn Bike before?

Do I have to mention how radically crazy it is that Mark's first mtn bike RIDE is a RACE

...or that his first RACE is a 6 HOUR RACE...?!?!?!?!

RESPECT!!!

Lap 3:
Steve is still on the gas....and now has enough distance to ensure a win in the Mixed Duo Division, as long as nothing mechanical happens. 

Henry posts a lap time within 15 seconds of his first lap time.

Lap 4:
Steve pushes Hannah to be fast....in order to move their Mixed Duo time up into honorable ranking with the Men's Duo teams! No....he is not competitive at all, is he...???!!!

Hannah totally complies with a lap only 2+ minutes slower than Steve...and again faster than Henry!

Mark, on the other hand, GETS A FLAT TIRE on his second lap...learning painfully FIRST HAND what mtn bike racing is all about!

Lap 5:
Steve rides fast...again. 
Henry rides to finish, knowing that Mark's two mechnicals have dropped them out of the top 10 rankings.

Lap 6:
Hannah stays fast, while Mark FINALLY gets his gravy lap....posting a lap time on par with Henry's times.

Without the mechanicals, Team Smurf (Mark & Henry) would have finished in 8th Place Overall.

Lap 7 & 8:
Steve and Hannah (Team Wario) get to do additional laps....just because they are FAST  ...and WIN the Mixed Duo Division ...and take home all the best Prizes, while Mark draws a lucky door prize and wins a replacement tube for the one he flatted...

 

...while Henry wins NOTHING :)

 

A fun (inaugural) race ....close to home!

PMVC 25 mile TT

Ray Sielski, Mark Briercheck, and Steve Marlette attended the final Pittsburgh Master's Velo Club Individual Time Trial of the 2013 season....a 25 mile long endurance affair!

Ray said:
Another nice effort by the Ag3r time trial crew.

Perfect conditions for the second week in a row at the Bud Harris oval. 70’s, clear, no wind.

Steve posted a Personal Record and sub 1 hour ride to take 1st Place Overall.
Mark just missed the 1 hour bar by 18 seconds to take 6th Place Overall.
Ray put in a good effort for 11th Place Overall.

-------------------

Steve said:
What a way to complete the last time trial Race of the season at the Oval: first place, new PR, and my 12th 25-mile TT under one hour.

On top of all that, it was a beautiful night, two teammates (Ray and Mark) were there to suffer it out with me, and my wife and neighbors came to cheer us on.

A nice end to the summer series!

Two Mile Run XC

Rich Allen and Steve Brewer attended the Bike the Wilds Series race at Two Mile Run Park.

Steve took 3rd Place in the Men's Sport 15-29 Division

Rich took 3rd Place in the Men's Sport 50+ Division

With ONE race left to go in this SIX Race Series, Rich sits in 2nd Place Overall in his division....in a 4-way fight for the Podium.

Go Richy Go!!!

PMVC 10 mile TT

Ray Sielski was the sole Ag3r representative at the Pittsburgh Master's Velo Club's (PMVC) 10 mile Individual Time Trial.

Two things made this evening a special one....

FIRST, Ray finished in the Top 10...with a 9th Place Overall Finish!

...and SECOND, this was Ray's 101st race as a member of
Ag3r-ButlerHealthSystem!

Congratulations X-Ray  :)

White Park MTB XC

Story by Hannah Brewer:

The White Park Throwdown is one of my favorite mountain bike races of all times.

It may be the ONLY race course that does not feel like it is uphill both ways. Although it is not rocky, the tight turns, flowy single track, roots, and pump-track sections make it somewhat technical at race speed. And since there are no long uphills, there is no time to rest either: It is a "pedal hard the whole time" kind of course.

This year, the slip-n-slide mud made it extra technical, and small roots and log crossings became a challenge for me. I had to slow down and hit them at the correct angle or I would wipe out. Ok, I did wipe out. But only once!

Being that it is my first summer racing in the women's expert field, I've been trying to pace myself and not go out too hard since the expert distances are longer than what I am accustomed to riding on a mountain bike. I was in 4th place for the ladies when we dropped into the woods on the first lap. At this point, I was hoping to ride consistently and keep my 4th place spot.

As the laps went on, my legs held out and I managed to move into 2nd place. All that climbing in CO with Sam and Deidre and chasing Richy at Moraine must have paid off!

With two laps to go, I saw a (fast-moving) flash of Top Gear's ultra-fasty, Jill Dugan, through the woods. And then "poof", she was gone again.

But with three strong ladies on my tail and the anticipation of being lapped by Gunnar or Gerry Pflug, I knew I needed to keep my pace fast, even though I felt like I was riding alone in the woods.

As the mud finally started to dry up, I crossed the finish line in 2nd place for the Women's EXPERT field. It was a good day.

Getting on the podium and not getting lapped by the boys made for a great race...

...but sometimes the best thing about racing is feeling good on the bike and enjoying the ride.

-------

Hannah Brewer - 2nd Place Woman's Expert

Rich Allen - 3rd Place Men's 1/2/3 55+