Velocity Time

I am currently setting up our Velocity winter training program. For those that participated last year I hope you plan on doing the same again. This program is open to everyone. It was a blast to have 14 cyclist from 3 different teams getting together once a week for a very painful, but productive, hour of training. I know for sure that this training improved my power and endurance this last year.

I am thinking an October start. Tuesdays are choice 1 and Thursdays are choice 2. Those days are available but their winter fills up fast. If we want Tuesday night they want a deposit from everyone sometime in September to reserve that night.

Who's in? What night and time is best? Last year we did it for 20 weeks. Was that good, too much or not enough?

Let me know.

Shirts for Sale

Last year when the Virginia Beach Wheelmen were sponsored by Bike Zone we had t-shirts made. These shirts were going to be sold at our race we held that year. If you remember that race was a wash out and only about 20 people total raced (bad rain). So I was left with these t-shirts and tank tops. At the end of the summer Bike Zone closed and All About Bikes stepped up as our bike shop sponsor. So now I have a lot of shirts and tanks that have a shop name that doesn't exist any more. I am trying to re coop some of my money back. Does anyone want any shirts or tanks? I have most sizes. Think of it as a retro shirt since Bike Zone doesn't exist any more.

$5 each.

Any takers? Email me.


Also if anyone is interested in sporting some other VBW clothing I have the VBW tech T-shirts and the VBW compression t-shirts. These shirts are just like our team jerseys except they don't have any of the sponsors on them. They have the VBW logo and team colors. The compression shirts are like under armor and the tech t-shirts are like running shirts or dri-fit gym shirts. They're pretty cool.

Interested in those? They are $45 each.

Plus buying any of these shirts also supports a local club/team.

The Last Ride

John William Taylor SUFFOLK - John William Taylor, 41, of the Steeplechase subdivision, passed away Aug. 16, 2008. He was employed as a salesman for Hilti Tools at Home Depot, Virginia Beach. John was a Navy veteran and avid cyclist. "Cannondale John," as he was known, rode with various bike organizations including Team Hampton Roads and was a weekend ride leader for All About Bikes-Suffolk. Survivors include his wife, Mellissa A. Taylor; three children, Sierra, Olivia and Cole; his parents, Edward and Carol Taylor of Leesburg, Va., and Elizabeth F. Taylor of Centreville, Va.; and brothers, Jim Taylor of South Riding, Va., James and John Gouldin of Leesburg; and sister, Catherine Gouldin of Alexandria, Va. A memorial bike ride will be held at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, commencing at the All About Bikes store in Suffolk. Riders of all ride levels are welcome. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. in Sturtevant Funeral Home, Bennetts Creek Chapel, Suffolk. Memorial donations may be made to Tidewater Autism Society of America, 6300 E. Virginia Beach Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23502.

A large group showed up at the All About Bikes in Suffolk to show their respect for a fellow rider, a friend, a husband, and a father. John Taylor died last Saturday after the the morning All About Bikes ride. He was 41 years old.



The Suffolk Police department was kind enough to lend their services. Four motorcycle cops allowed us to take the entire road, go through lights and safely pass through intersections.

14 miles at an easy pace for everyone. There were road bikes, mountain bikes and even beach cruisers.
And there was one riderless bike which was leading pack one final time.


Sierra. Is the daughter of John. One week before his death she told him she wanted to race bikes. She is going to keep that promise and every member from the Virginia Beach Wheelmen will do what we can to help her.

When her dad's bike pulled out, Sierra took over the lead for final ride back to the shop.

After the memorial ride a larger than normal group embarked for the type of ride John would have wanted to be on. 35 miles through beautiful Suffolk. Not too fast not too slow.John Taylor...RIP.

When Wal-Mart host a Flea Market

This picture was taken at an Alabama Wal-Mart that was having a flea market. Look closely. That is creativity.

"No need to throw those ripped briefs away, I'll make a tank top out of them."

Look how buff I am.

If you and your wife both race, and you both race on the same team, chances our you have jerseys that look a lot alike. My advice to you: Always check the tag when you grab a jersey out of the dryer...it might not be yours.

Check out Tim Shockley after realizing he had grabbed Jennifer's jersey. As hot as he looked, we couldn't get his number pinned on. Luckily Mike brought an extra one.

Damn you look sexy.

Too much racing, not enough legs.

On Saturday, John Gray and I packed up and headed to GFTL round 3. The Cat 3/4 race was a blast. It was fast from the go and never let up. I did what I could but I just didn't have what it took for the finish. I ended up mid pack around 22 I think. Hats off to everyone in that race. It didn't seem like anyone just sat in for the finish. Everyone made that race fast.

On Sunday I was feeling good. Maybe too good. I was a little over zealous and registered for the Master's 30+, Cat 3 and the Pro/1/2/3.

Since I was the only VBW in the 30+ race, and I had a lot more racing left in the day, I sat in for the final 10 laps and tried to conserve energy. Chuck Hutch and Keck Baker destroyed us and both took off early. Chuck soloed to the finish for the win. Afterwards he said that was probably the best thing for him because he was able to ride a steady paced race and he was less tired for the Pro/1/2/3. For the rest of us, we covered attacks and it was a typical sprint and coast race. I ended up 7th, which wasn't too bad.

The race I wanted to do well on was the Cat 3. We had Mike, Tim, Kyle and myself in the race. It started out good and I was feeling strong. With about 10 laps to go, both of my thighs started cramping. I tucked in and tried to recover. I was in good positioning for the sprint, but the legs cramped and I had to sit up. Shoot. I thought that was going to be a good race for me. Oh well, there is always next year.

My post for the Pro/1/2/3 is simple. I held in for the first 10 minutes (give or take). I wasn't the first to pull out and I sure wasn't the last. Once again Chuck stayed on the attack and Hosang, who said he was feeling bad, was able to stay up with him. Good job to everyone. It was a great way to end the season. I know some have some more races, but I am looking to cyclocross now.

Sad News.

I hate to be the one to bring sad news, but John Taylor died last Saturday. John was a regular at the Saturday morning Suffolk ride that leaves from All About Bikes. My brother and teammate, James, typically led those rides and was good friends with John. This last Saturday, after the ride, John apparently had a heart attack and died at his home. John was only 42.

This picture was taken in January and had made it into this blog at that point. It was a chilly day and I had decided to mix up my routine and ride in Suffolk instead of Virginia Beach. John will be missed and I am thankful to have met him.

This Saturday the Suffolk ride will be in his memory. Please try to make it to show support for a fellow cyclist.

Tentatively the ride will be at 7:30 am and leave from the Suffolk All About Bikes location. The ride will be 38 miles. I will let you know if anything changes from those plans.

Its not about the finish line

The final Heat of the Summer training series occurred last night at the Sportsplex in Virginia Beach. Forty-one racers lined up with storms threatening, wind blowing (not too bad) and temps very un-summer like (70s). I did not know what I had in my legs and looked, just by the line up, that it was going to be a very fast race.

On lap number 2 I realized my legs were feeling good. I tried to stay at the front and react to attacks or chase them down as needed. My prediction of a fast race was true. It was a shorter race then usual so I think that played into the speed a little as well. Here were the results:

1. Bill Collins Virginia Beach Velo
2. Marc Greco Tripower
3. Phil Johnson LeBlue
4. Jon Nisbet Virginia Beach Wheelmen
5. Rob Dinterman LeBlue
6. Frank Palmieri UT Cycling
7. Tim Starkey Tripower
8. Kevin Horvath Tripower
9. Tom Fournier Coastal Racing
10. Jerry Hadley Tripower
11. Steve Simet JRVS
12. John Gray Virginia Beach Wheelmen
13. Jeff Parker Virginia Beach Velo
14. Chad Holm Tripower
15. Elliot Craddock Siegler
16. Brenna Santoro Tripower
17. Dan Netzer East Coast Bicycles/VBV
18. Jimmy Deaton Coastal Racing
19. Wick Smith East Coast Bicycles/VBV

You don't even see my name on it, do you? I think I was probably in 20th place. I remember Wick Nasty passing me on the final stretch, I just don't remember if anyone else passed me after him. So how could I be so thrilled with my performance and didn't even make the results sheet?

Well its not about the about the finish line. In that race I put myself on the line many times. I pushed myself to the point that if a good counter attack occurred I could have been dropped. But I didn't get dropped. I feel like my fitness is the best that it has been and my abilities as a racer are the highest they have ever been. I don't seem to have the ability to find the finish line faster than everyone else. Luckily for me I have teammates that can. So if my job is to keep the race together, than I am thrilled with that task.

This year I really worked on two specific areas. One was power riding. I wanted to be able to TT better, break away or do long chases better. I worked on my power and I am now able to spin a bigger gear and grind away when I need to. Second area was riding at the front of the pack. I think these weekday races really helped me accomplish that goal. It seemed like something clicked one day and suddenly I felt comfortable at the front.

So I may not find the finish line the fastest. But I am still thrilled with my performance this year. Next year my goal will be to learn to sprint.

On a side note, the post race hang out was a blast. Thanks to everyone who raced, hung out and had a great time all season. One more weekend left for me and then its time to think about cross. Although I am planning on racing Fort Lee.

A Weekend of Racing and Hanging With Friends

Kyle the Kid performed impressively in his Nationals debut in San Diego. Here are the descriptions of his events from his mom Kim:

Our first day of racing is over. The Time Trial, Kyle's least favorite. He finished the 18K in 33:45, no where near the winner of the 15-16 group (27:04, man those kids are fast). Anyway, that time placed him 65 out of 81. He is happy, feeling good about todays crit and having fun (most important)

Kyle finished 17th yesterday in the Crit race - it was a tight group at the end and the sprint was intense.
We are very proud of him - of course he is second guessing himself and what he should have done.
Today is the road race, then tomorrow we head to VEGAS ! Maybe Dave and I can win back some of the cost of this trip LOL !

Well the final race was the road race. Kyle started off strong and was still in the front third of the pack on the 3rd lap, then a crash. He just barely cleared it but not enough, so he completely destroyed his wheel and scratched his knee. By the time the new wheel was on the bike he was 2 minutes back. He finished the race in 50 something place even though they pulled him in the last lap along with a whole group that were off the pack. Anyway, he is relieved to be done, he was pretty nervous about the whole race. So we started back home on Saturday, stopped over night in Vegas to a see show. Tonight we are in Gallup New Mexico We expect to be home by Thursday.

While Kyle the Kid was racing in San Diego, the rest of the Wheelmen showed up to the Chesepeake Crit. It was the largest showing of VBW this year since the VBW Smackdown. The only other teammate missing was James. James is training for a half Ironman and was able to ride the fully set up practice course that day.

Photo by BJ. Can't wait to see you back on a bike.

So myself, Jon Nisbet, John Gray, Mike Tamayo and Tim Shockley all lined up for the start of the Master's 30+. It was a fast race and the team worked well. A break got away that actually formed on the first lap and even though a lot of people chased, a lot of people also broke up the chasing (thanks Kevin). When the medals were award and broken down into 30-34 and 35-39, here's what it looked like.

30-34: 1st Jon Nisbet, 2nd Tim Shockley, 3rd Joshua Goyet, 4th John Gray

Good job to the Wheelmen.

On a side note. Have you ever been getting ready for a race and discovered a bar plug was missing? You need to have one in (not that they check anymore). Tim, Jon and John were all missing bar plugs. The solution:

Bottle top. Cheap and now another location to put a drink sponsor.

After the race it was off to the Dawg House. Kevin and Sally throw a good party with keg beer, burgers, dogs and a kick ass mac and cheese. It was here we discovered the results of the 30-34 race, so a podium picture was required. Only Jon has his medal because apparently team work ends once he gets off the bike. He only thought to pick up his medal. That's okay I got mine and Tim's at the TT. Just messing with you Jon.


I was the only Wheelmen to brave the TT the next day. I wasn't sure how the 8 or 9 beers I had at Kevin's would effect me. The wind was different that 2 weeks ago. I had just made a couple of positioning changes on my bike a few days prior. I felt I had a great race. 53:51 was only 8 seconds slower than my PR. And the wind was probably the factor there. I actually felt like I went harder on this one.

After the TT it was back home and Kevin and family, Mike and Lori Anne and James came over for Quesadilla Burgers and Wii bowling. Good time.

Now its back to work.

Kyle the Kid at Nationals

I just got word that Kyle the Kid got a top 20 finish in the 15/16 National Crit in San Diego.  Good job.  I'll post more information as I get it.

Heat of the Summer

Last nights race seemed pretty fast. As Bill Collins reported it was an average of 26.4 mph. There seemed to be a lot of attacks. I was feeling pretty good. These training races have really helped me this year. I feel they have helped me gain confidence and the ability to ride the front a lot more.

Jon Nisbet and myself represented the Virginia Beach Wheelmen. Jon went with a break in the final 10 laps and was able to pull out a 3rd place. The rest of the packed seemed to break apart on the final lap and as usual I forgot how long that sprint was from the corner. So I ended up dying out at the end but still ended up 15. I was happy. I worked a lot and it was great training. That's what its all about, right?

Here's the results:

1. Bill Collins Virginia Beach Velo
2. Mike Hosang Tripower
3. Jon Nisbet Virginia Beach Wheelmen
4. Keith Gerarden Triangle Velo, NC
5. Keith Johnson Carolina Masters
6. Rob Dinterman LeBlue
7. Brent Lehew Unattached
8. Dan Gibson LeBlue
9. Jeff Parker Virginia Beach Velo
10. Tom Fournier Coastal Racing
11. Andy Demarchena Fat Frogs
12. Fred Havens VBV/East Coast Bicycles
13. Emily Joyner Team Marshall Mechanical
14. Sally Tempest Tripower
15. Josh Goyet Virginia Beach Wheelman
16. Tim Faller VBV/East Coast Bicycles
17. Mitch Hunt All About Bikes
18. Zach Kyler Tripower
19. Chad Holm Tripower
20. Art Marks Tripower

Also, in case you throw it out, the race series has a story in the Virginia Pilot Beacon this morning.

Is this typically a problem?

Yesterday on my way up to Page Valley Road Race, John Gray and I stopped at a highway rest stop just before Richmond. This sign was hanging outside of the Family Restroom. I just got to know...is this a big enough problem that they needed to make a sign to let people know that you shouldn't do that?

It Hurt Like a Cross Race

Yesterday I worked out with the recruits. Our workout started with 10 push-ups. Then we ran through a rolling trail though the woods. When we came out of the woods we did 10 Turkish Get ups (See the video below). That is what really hurt. We did them using 35 pound dumbbells. Try them. Then we ran on a gravel trail that went led to a paved road to pull up bars. 10 pull ups. Then off through a mulch trail to the start again.

Each lap had about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile of running. Each lap had 10 push ups, 10 turkish get ups and 10 pull ups.

We did 4 laps. Every time I started a running leg I thought it hurt like a run up during a cross race.

Those turkish get ups are no joke.