A personal note to club members

To all,

I would like to announce to all club officers and members that after a period of reflection I have decided that I will no longer be able to serve as club treasurer. As of December 31, 2010, I will resign as treasurer for the club. There are a number of reasons and I will address the key issues below in order of least to greatest.

November Club Meeting Minutes

special thanks to Craig for preparing these minutes each month

We met at the Pastry Pub on November 10 at 7 PM.  Those present were Steve, John, Chad, Holly, Ron, Vicki, Stu, Lasse and Craig. Read all the minutes.

Mesquite Gran Fondo

By Bruce Beattie

I decided to take advantage of my free entryintor a Planet Ultra event and participate in the 1st Annual (we hope) Mesquite Gran Fondo. There were several familiar things—roads and wind. The temperatures were such that no extra clothing was required. The front group was soon whittled down to about a dozen riders. It soon became apparent that we would be fighting the wind all day—it was a cross wind when we were heading WNW and when we turned north we were going straight into it. I was dropped about 21 miles in with more than 6 miles to go on the first ascent of Utah Hill. Brooke got dropped about a half mile later, but I could not catch her and never saw her again. I guess that was my Brooke fix for the year—it seems I see her on one ride per year. Read more…

Frog Hollow 25-Hour Race a Success

Twenty-five hours in one day? How does that work? The Frog Hollow race spans the change in daylight saving time. So during the race, everyone set their clocks back one hour making the race the longest one-day race anywhere.

Cimarron Chacon of GRO Promotions puts on the race with the help of many local sponsors and volunteers. This year’s race included a 6-hour version held last month and the 25-hour event just completed on Nov. 7^th.

In just its second year, the race has become a premier event that attracts racers and their supporters from all over Utah and 10 surrounding states. Seven Color Country Cycling Club volunteers were there at all hours of the day and night performing First Aid, working in the timing tent, and providing support at key spots around the course. Club volunteers included Craig Egerton, Curtis and Holly Hadley, Jeff  Huyboom, John LeCain and his son Sam, and John Stavros.

Here is a summary of a post-race interview with Cimarron:

Q:  How did this year go compared to last year?
A: This year went just as we had hoped. We doubled entries, we were able to add a lot of new special touches, and we refined our procedures since last year. The result was a smooth event and a great community feel to the venue.

Q: Was the community supportive? Do they see the economic benefit of an event like this?
A: The community has remained supportive of this race and the commitment keeps growing. Although we have not received our survey back, we estimate that there were over 260 people hosted between racers, supporters, and our staff and volunteers. People came from over 10 states, and numerous counties in Utah. They stayed in hotels Thursday and Friday nights (I am told several Hurricane hotels were booked), ate at Hurricane restaurants, and shopped at the retail stores. We used a local Hurricane restaurant to cater our after-race meal and they served 140 meals that morning. In addition, when the Hurricane Fire department became the Hurricane Valley search and rescue, their board voted a continuous sponsorship for the event. They made themselves available to riders throughout the event in case of injury.

Q: Will there be another Frog Hollow next year?
A: Oh, most definitely. We have been building this be a continuous staple on the ride calendar in Southern Utah. We look forward to even more growth next year. The 25 hours in Frog Hollow will be held on November 5, 2011.

Come join the fun next year either as a racer or as a volunteer. It’s a great local event that is gaining prestige. Check out the web site for this year’s results and details about next year.

Growing Support for World Bicycle Relief

Apparently, our club is in good company for selecting World Bicycle Relief for our annual charitable donation. Three of San Diego’s largest clubs along with Chris Horner have also thrown the weight of their membership behind it. Read about a recent fundraiser. Even if you don’t get out and ride with the club as often as you’d like, know that your membership is important.

IMBA Announces New Epic Rides — Guess Where?

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) just announced 6 new Epic Rides. These are trails that meet high standards for design, construction, great locations, and just plain fun. Read about which of our local trail made this elite list.