Tomorrow. 7am. Secret Location.

You bring your cyclocross bike, I bring cones and barriers and we practice practice until we get good or amazing at. 

A guard did ask me to "Get off the lawn" last week, so we will thread lightly and get out if needed. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHHGzcuAzw0

I’ve seen Dave Sommerville and his kid a few times riding all over the grass/ trails in the VVA park, he should know better 

for anyone that wants to join me, i’ll be doing laps in the park tomorrow morning at GAP @ 730am.

Tomorrow Thursday Oct 13. 7am. KCCCX @ Secret Location.

You bring your cyclocross bike, I bring cones and barriers and we get awesome at it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJzyXrQ9ngE

If somehow cross is not your thing you are crazy but... Hilltop is doing some road bike laps too. 7am GAP (wear your Hilltop logo jersey if you have it) https://www.strava.com/clubs/849204/posts/22240235

Tomorrow Thursday Oct 27 7:20am KCCCX Secret Location

You bring your cross bike, I bring barriers and cones, we thread lightly if the ground is wet, and we get amazing at it! Croton comin' up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXg284XrPyQ

A bit late notice, but tomorrow Thursday Nov 3rd 7:30 am: KCCCX at the secret location.

You bring your cross bike, I bring cones and barriers and we get amazing good no big deal at it.

Cyclocross Panamericans Friday. LFG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stjYl99SYQ0

Tomorrow, Thursday Nov 10, 7:30am we'll do it all again: KCCCX at the secret location.

You bring your cross bike, I bring cones and barriers and we get amazingly good at NoHo, SlyFox, SCCX! LFG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVwKmzEck10

Team, it is time:

Friday April 14 6:30 am. GAP. Look Sharp.

• Wear your best full kissena kit & colors. Look sharp. You will be photographed
• We'll ride as a team, two abreast, taking turns at the front, but super stupid easy for about 90 minutes, gossiping and chatting about Greg's new Belgian cobbled blood 
• Don't come unvaccinated or if you feel sick, duh
• If late, just stop and wait, we'll orbit around.
  
• See you then! Will be fun!

How to look sharp:

Tan walls mandatory ?

We looked sharp 
park got busy busy 

some more photos from this morning 

Team, tomorrow Friday April 21st 6:30 am @ GAP. Look Sharp.

• Wear your best full kissena kit & colors. Look sharp. You will be photographed
• We'll ride as a team, two abreast, taking turns at the front, but super stupid easy for about 90 minutes, mostly chatting about how Demi or Pogi can win the Ardennes triple, and gravel threads. 
• Don't come unvaccinated or if you feel sick, duh
• If late, just stop and wait, we'll orbit around.
  
• See you then! Will be fun!

How to look sharp:

photos from yesterday 

Starting tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 4/25) @ 6:30am @ GAP we're going to have a weekly training ride in Prospect.  Each week we'll be focusing on things such as pacelining, attacking, or just intervals, to name a few.  Even if you're not racing, some of these skills are great to have to make riding on the road safer, faster, and more fun.

Tomorrow we'll start with pacelining with a focus on clean, consistent rotation through a single and double paceline.  If you are not familiar with riding a paceline, the various mechanics of pacelining, or you just want a refresher, checkout these resources for a good briefing:

http://www.mgridetoronto.com/uploads/6/9/2/5/6925446/mgcc_groupridemanual-05.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDxXRq5fo8A

• Pull through without surging.
• If two of you are peeling off the front of a double pace line, try to do so when there’s a gap in traffic.
• Rotating pace line: When you’re at the front and someone is pulling past you, say “yes” to let them know they can safely slot in front of you (without chopping your wheel). Say “last” when you’re in last position to the person coming back from the front of the pace line. Elbow flick tells someone when to come through AND which side to come through.
• Hold your line in corners.
• If you want to stand up (out of the saddle), do so smoothly and learn to not throw your bike back (that means no freewheeling when you're on the front of the paceline, especially on a downhill). This is harder than it sounds.
• give the person ahead of you on a climb a little more room to stand up.
• respect the yellow line and switch to single file when impeding traffic.
• When at the front you’re responsible for pointing out significant road problems to the group — if you see a dangerous hole, say “hole” (middle, left, right). Cars coming from front: “car up”. Car wanting to pass: “car back”.
• brake less, especially in a pace line. Learn the art of feathering your brakes. Keep a high cadence—85+rpm.
• follow the wheel in front and do not overlap.
• if it’s a no drop ride, we always reassemble at top of major climbs. If it’s a drop ride, know the route.
• You’re responsible for the person behind you. If someone punctures or is dropped, get to the front and inform the front rider — by default the group always waits/assists.
• change clothes as soon as you can post-ride #saddlesores.
• hydrate and fuel regularly during your effort (budget 1 bottle per hour).
• remember you’re repping the club whenever you’re wearing the kit.

Come ride bikes!

Some photos from this morning pacelines

Tuesday Training - 6:30am @ GAP

This week we'll do some hill efforts.  This will work on 1-2 minutes power.  We'll regroup over the top similar to Look Sharp and do a steady paceline until we do it again.  Rinse and repeat until the park gets busy.  If you want a target power, the pace up the hill in the final lap of races is 5-7 W/kg depending where you are in the front group.

Come ride bikes.

**Update** - With all the rain we had over the weekend, there was some (typical) flooding at the lower end of the park.  Since we're going to focus on hill efforts, we're still going to ride and will use the cut through if there is still water/debris in the road.

Kissenistas!! tomorrow Friday Cinco de Mayo 6:30 am @ GAP. Look Sharp!

You know it:

• Wear your best full kissena kit & colors. Look sharp. You will be photographed
• We'll ride as a team, two abreast, taking turns at the front, but crazy town easy for about 90 minutes, mostly chatting about gravel rides, giro kits, and the best brooklyn fish tacos
• Don't come unvaccinated or if you feel sick, duh
• If late, just stop and wait, we'll orbit around. 
• Rain could cancel, so check this space if raining.
• Looking forward!

On looking sharp:

Training Tuesday - 6:30am @ GAP

5/9 - Paceline with KOM lead-outs.  Pretty straightforward.  Start with a 1 lap warm up in a 2 up paceline.  Move to single file after the first lap.  Take as long or as short of a pull as you want.  Turn up the pace from the bottom of the downhill to the top of the hill.  When we hit the hill, the rider at the back on the line is the KOM "sprinter".  This will work on pacelining skills as well as leading out with a hilltop sprint.

5/16 - Chasing drills.  After warming up, 1-2 riders will breakaway from the group.  They'll have ~30s - 1 min to form a gap, then group will try to chase them down.  For the rider(s) in the break, this will work on breakaway power into sweet spot/threshold power.  For the riders in the group, this will work on group coordination, smoothness, and steady power/speed.  

5/23 - Bridging drills.  One rider will breakaway and hold pace up the road.  One at a time, each rider in the group will bridge up to that rider/group.

5/30 - Pacelining.  We're coming off a long holiday weekend.  Nothing crazy.  Not too fast, not too slow.  Focus on rotating smoothly and keeping the line tight.

Come ride bikes!

Turns out I'm not going to be able to lead the ride tomorrow morning.  I was hoping the repairs I had to do on my bike would be quick but they are quite the opposite.  Definitely still meet up and ride if you can.

Tomorrow. 6:30 am. GAP. Look Sharp.

• Wear your best full kissena kit & colors. Look sharp. You will be photographed
• We'll ride as a team, two abreast, taking turns at the front, but crazy town easy for about 90 minutes, mostly chatting about giro stage crashes
• If late, just stop and wait, we'll orbit around. 
  
• See you then!
  

Training Tuesday - 6:30am @ GAP

5/16 - Paceline with KOM lead-outs.  Pretty straightforward.  Start with a 1 lap warm up in a 2 up paceline.  Move to single file after the first lap.  Take as long or as short of a pull as you want.  Turn up the pace from the bottom of the downhill to the top of the hill.  When we hit the hill, the rider at the back on the line is the KOM "sprinter".  This will work on pacelining skills as well as leading out with a hilltop sprint.

Come ride bikes!

PS : with Floyd Bennet racing starting back up next week, we will be move these training sessions to Thursday mornings.  Same time. Same place.  

Tomorrow. Friday May 19. 6:30 am GAP: Look Sharp.

• Wear your best full kissena kit & colors. Look sharp. You will be photographed
• We'll ride as a team, two abreast, taking turns at the front, but super easy for about 90 minutes, mostly chatting about farmer's daugther, and that race in Italy
• If late, just stop and wait, we'll orbit around. 
  
• See you then!

How to look sharp:

Training Tuesdays are now becoming Training Thursdays!

6:30am @ GAP

This week we will be doing bridging drills. One rider will breakaway and hold pace up the road.  One at a time, each rider in the group will bridge up to that rider/group.  Rinse and repeat.

Hi Tomorrow, Friday May 26th 6:30 am at GAP: Look Sharp!

• Wear your best full kissena kit & colors. Look sharp. You will be photographed
• We'll ride as a team, two abreast, taking turns at the front, but super easy for about 90 minutes, mostly chatting about tire sizes, FBF races, and Giro stages
• If late, just stop and wait, we'll orbit around.
  
• See you then!

How to look sharp:

photos from the last few park rides 

Hi Tomorrow, Friday June 2nd 6:30 am at GAP: Look Sharp!

• Wear your best full kissena kit & colors. Look sharp. You will be photographed
• We'll ride as a team, two abreast, taking turns at the front, but super easy for about 90 minutes, mostly chatting about Giro time trials, Lemond movies, and Taylor Swift concerts
• If late, just stop and wait, we'll orbit around.
  
• See you then!