GamJams.net: Where Mid-Atlantic bike racers roll

New Featured Photo - Kyle's Fort Ritchie Summer Camp Postcard

Normally, it's Kyle's wife Amy who handles photog duties during the Cat 4 race, but since Kyle had the day off, this might be his work. Kyle or Amy - who gets the credit for this one?

It's from the inaugural Fort Ritchie Criterium, on what no small amount of racers called their favorite course in the region. Kudos to AVC for sourcing this one. The original photo is much better than the cropped version above, and is part of Kyle's Cat 4 Fort Ritchie Gallery here.

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo - Jim Wilson's Recovered Water Bottles at Poolesville

Have you ever been out golfing and seen a couple of kids sitting near the water hazard, merchandising smartly in egg cartons a few dozen golf balls of various manufacturers and colors? For only $1 each, they're happy to sell back to you every last Titleist you shanked into the pond last weekend, and that they have since fished out.

Well, don't be surprised to see a group of NCVC juniors peddling gently used water bottles next to the registration tent at an upcoming race. For only $1, you can buy back any of the bidons you lost among the potholes in Poolesville*. The original is here, part of Jim Wilson's collection from Poolesville on Saturday.

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

(*Special thanks to the Coppi guy in the feed zone who passed me an icy H20 in a Conte's bottle at the beginning of lap 5 of the 3/4 race. After losing one in the dirt on lap 1 and nursing one other for the next 3.5 laps, I was the sallow, dehydrated Artemis guy dangling off the back of the front group at that point. If you see this, drop me a note so I know who you are.)

New Featured Photo - The Long Ride through the pouring rain

This week's featured photo was taken by John Pszeniczny, author of the long ride blog. The photo is from Carl Dolan on Sunday, during the 30+/40+ race, raced with vigor despite (perhaps because of) torrential rains. It's hard to be certain, but it looks like more than one of those guys is laughing. What you don't see in the pic is Ramon and Fuentes attacking off the front, compounding the suffering absurdity further. "Great. There they go. That's just what we need right now - some discomfort."

See the original and some others here and one of Fuentes and Ramon here (which I would have used instead, but feared one more Battley Harley pic would set readers to thinking I was on the payroll). Nice work, John. Keep at it.

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo - K-Blogg's Unorthodox Method of Hanging with Battley Harley

You can't blame him, really. It's not easy hanging with the Battley Harley racers. K-Blogg reaches for Keck Baker's wheel, or maybe the Clif Shot in his jersey pocket, at the Fat Frogs Langley Speedway crit over the weekend. Yeah yeah, keep your hands on the bars, ride safe, don't screw around, whatever. But it's a darn funny picture, so while GamJams formal position is one of glaring disapproval, I'm posting it here anyway, in the interests of balanced journalism.

Kevin Horvath's wife Sally took the picture during the 30+ race at Langley.

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo - Juniors at Tysons via Jim Wilson

If I had two helmets, I'd tip them both to Jim Wilson - once for the many excellent photos he has given us, and again for the resources he has put into the NCVC Juniors program. Both benefit local racing immeasurably. The photos let all of us see (and share with our families) how chiseled our calves look while riding, and his work with his squad's juniors has sparked a competitive flame in many other clubs as well, resulting in burgeoning junior squads all over the region, larger juniors fields, and a legitimate feeder system into the senior categories. The appeal of mass start racing can quickly fade to all but the most dedicated if week after week the fields are half a dozen kids. But fields of 20 or more (the 15-18 field at Tysons was 28 strong) not only keep it interesting; the pack dynamics help keep developing racers in touch. It's a virtuous cycle Jim has tapped into, and we'll all benefit from it.

So this week's featured photo is by Jim Wilson, and comes out of the Juniors 10-14 race at Tysons. The original is here, part of Jim's Tysons Corner Circuit Race gallery here.

Jim has also started a blog, which has no small amount of detail about his photography (he took over 1200 pictures at Tysons!), as well as his perspective on being Race Day Dad as well as a Coach.

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo - 1-2-3 for Battley Harley at Jeff Cup

1    Fuentes    Dave    Battley Harley-Davidson
2    Fader    Evan    Battley Harley-Davidson
3    Langley    Russ    Battley Harley-Davidson
...
8    DeWald    Ryan    Battley Harley-Davidson
9    Butts    Brian    Battley Harley-Davidson

Tune-up successful. Now go make us proud at NRC events.

Thanks to Eli Hengst for the photo. And, frankly, for everything else he does to support local racing.

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Novice Track Racers at Sonny Hutchins

This week's Featured Photo comes from Live2Ride Ride2Live, who was out shooting at Sonny Hutchins this past weekend. The riders aren't fuzzy because they're novices; it's just a fuzzy picture. But I went with it anyway because I really like the composition, and believe pretty strongly that newbies deserve as much limelight as elite racers (and a fair share more than most pros).

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo: Albe's Starting Line at Snowball #1

This week's featured photo is from the Snowball Criterium #1 in Virginia Beach - kickoff to the racing season down in the 757. Albe Rodenas, Publisher and Chief Racing Officer of N Plus One spent the day there off the bike and behind the lens, making those of you who were there feel fast, and those who weren't there feel like you missed out. I particularly like the shot I've selected for the featured photo because everything in it - the booties, orange cone, starting line on the road, carbon fiber abundance, even the trench coat on the official - all say that it's the start of racing season.

The original photo is here, part of this gallery.

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo - Argyle vs Argyle

Dear Mom,

Look - these are the guys I was telling you about, the ones we went to the Bahamas to race against for our Tour of Cali tune-up. JV won't admit it, but I know he modeled our team after theirs - down the Argyle and everything. The little guy is Jared. The only reason I won the prologue is because he didn't want to bring his disk wheel and shoe covers down to the Caribbean. Oh, and because Fabian wasn't there. Anyway, we had a great time. When you see Christian next make sure to razz him for looking too skinny.

Love,
DaveyZ

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.

New Featured Photo - You don't need no stinkin' trainer

This week's Featured Photo was snapped by Darren Biggs of The Bike and More, on a wintry training ride where the road "was a combination of sections of dirt, snow, ice, and peanut butter mud." Mmmm... peanut butter. Full details at The Bike and More, including more pictures and a route map in case you too can't resist peanut butter mud.

If you have a shot that you'd like to see as a Featured Photo on GamJams.net, send it in. I try to update on Mondays or Tuesdays with a photo from the previous weekend, so push a few my way as soon as you wipe down your bike and/or your tripod. And no, you don't need to be a pro or even need to take professional pictures. Whatever shows it like it was works great here.

So have at it.

Submit your Featured Photo here.