GamJams.net: Where Mid-Atlantic bike racers roll

GamJams wants to help sick children and give you free GamJams merchandise

The mission of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital is " to find cures for children with catastrophic diseases through research and treatment." It was recently named the #1 children's cancer hospital in the U.S., and its research helps provide comfort, care and treatment to children nationwide. Much of its funding comes from the support of corporate partners, but increasingly non-profits are seeing their corporate funding shrink and must rely more heavily on grass-roots programs.

Or in the case of St. Jude, asphalt-roots programs. They've turned to toddler-powered Trike-a-Thons to bring in contributions, and work with pre-schools across the country. One participating pre-school is attended by Kyra May (pictured right, off the front as usual), the daughter of GamJams' publisher Mike May.

GamJams has stepped up as a sponsor of the Trike-a-Thon. In addition to a cash contribution of its own, GamJams is providing free merchandise to GamJams readers who contribute as well:

Make a donation; Get Free GamJams Stuff

The more you pledge, the more you profit:

• Give $10: Get a GamJams Water Bottle
• Give $25: Get a pair of GamJams Socks
• Give $50: Get a GamJams T-shirt by Cutaway Clothing
• Give $100: Get a pair of GamJams Titanium QR Skewers
• Give $200: Get a really nice GamJams wind jacket
• Give $1000: Get a Kazane alloy racing wheelset

How to donate:

Simply click on the "Chipin!" button on the widget below. You can pay with PayPal or any major credit card. (A shipping fee is added to cover the expense of sending along your free GamJams loot.)

Why to donate:

Can you think of something better to spend a few bucks on than a pedal-powered activity helping chronically ill children and buying you free cycling merchandise? Please drop in $10, and profit a water bottle and some karma. We don't make requests like this very often.

Richmond Pro Cycling presents its 2010 Corps

By Peter Henry

On Saturday, April 10th, the ‘River City’s’ most revolutionary non-profit organization, Richmond Pro Cycling, presented its 2010 corps.  Richmond Pro Cycling--a civic leadership corps that develops elite-level cyclists into community ambassadors, mentors, and role models--presented their four corps members to a crowd of over 100 Richmond supporters … including Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones.

RPC's 2010 Corps (left to right): Jeff Buckles, Mike Stoop, Matt Spohn, Cory Scott.

Haymarket Bicycles / HomeVisit bows new site, charitable mission

Haymarket Bicycles / HomeVisit Elite Cycling Team has had a very busy off-season. They have:

• Launched what may be the most robust team site in amateur cycling, anywhere
• Recruited a posse of pain purveyors from across the region to further deepen their talent pool
• Embarked on a lofty and admirable goal of raising $100,000 for Livestrong

Operating out of Haymarket Bicycles, the team will ride Trek Madones outfitted with Bontrager wheels and components. They are also sponsored by HomeVisit.com, Washington Fine Properties, Euro Motorcars and Haymarket Physical Therapy & Chiropractic.

2010 Team Roster:

Frederick Andersson (Cat 2)
Andrew Bridges (Cat 3)
Bryan Burns (Cat 3)
Joe Dombrowski (Cat 3)
Gonzalo Escobar (Cat 2)
Steven Grant (Cat 2)
Chris Hayes (Cat 1)
Chip Hoover (Cat 1)
Lance Lacy (Cat 2)
Jared Nieters (Cat 1)
Ryan Simpson (Cat 2)
Bryan Vaughan (Cat 2)

Meet Dave Zabriskie and Yield to Life in DC Tomorrow (10/1)

Fresh off his first professional stage race win ever, Dave Zabriskie will be at CycleLife in DC tomorrow (October 1), spreading the word about Yield to Life, an organization he founded to build awareness on Share-the-Road initiatives. Doesn't it seem like there has been a rash of bicycle vs. car incidents over the past year? Maybe there are, but maybe we're just more attuned to them.

Wouldn't it be something if motorists were as attuned to them as we are? That's where DZ comes in. Check him out at CycleLife tomorrow night. Tickets are available at YieldtoLife.org. 

(See how there are no cars on the road in the DZ photo to the right? That ain't gonna happen around here, so let's try something else.)

NCVC Announces Annual Ed Sander Memorial Cross Charity Raffle

Below is the announcement from NCVC on this year's Ed Sander Memorial CX Charity Raffle. Each $10 donation not only goes to the Chris Sander scholarship fund - it buys you a chance to win a 2010 Specialized Tricross Comp. (What an elegant looking bike.)

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The National Capitol Velo Club is holding a charity raffle for NEW 2010 Specialized Tricross Comp Cyclocross Bike – a $1900 value. Proceeds from this raffle will go to the Chris Sander scholarship fund. Chris is the only son of former NCVC racer Ed Sander.

Ed was a longtime employee of Lilypons Water Gardens who died tragically in August 2001 in a training fall. Speaking volumes to his commitment of cycling, Ed’s workspace had two photos hanging in it. One of Lance Armstrong. The other was of Nicole Reinhart—a racer for Saturn who died after a crash in a race in 2000.

A total of 300 tickets will be sold at $10 each. Tickets are available at Bikereg.

The raffle winner will be announced at one of the crown jewels of Mid-Atlantic cyclocross racing: the Ed Sander Memorial at Lilypons Water Gardens in Buckeystown Maryland on September 27th at 1pm. No other race venue is so uniquely tied to the race that it hosts. Ed was the manager of the ponds and property at Lilypons, and was "part of the family" to the tight-knit staff and owners of the company. Each year, the race passes by a permanent memorial just past the finish line that was erected by Lilypons in honor of Sander.

For full details on the bike, go to the Specialized website. The bike will be available to the winner at the Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross race  but the winner does NOT need to be present at the drawing. The winner will be able to exchange the bike for another size via the Spokes, Etc. shop.

Special thanks to Spokes, Etc. and Specialized bikes.

10 Questions With... Saul Raisin, on Raisin Hope at Reston Town Center Grand Prix

In 2008, our friends at Evolution Cycling began a partnership with Raisin Hope through the vaunted Reston Town Center Grand Prix. The program raised over $2K for Saul's foundation, through a raffle and direct donations. The partnership continues in 2009. This year, through Raisin Hope, Evo will specifically be benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project and those service men and women who have suffered brain and spinal cord injuries.

How can you get involved?

1. Make a donation when you register for the Reston Town Center online.
2. Enter the raffle at the event, with a chance to win one of many prizes (including the new GamJams socks)
3. Donate some merchandise or services to the growing list of raffle prizes. Mitch Ferro is your man.

In the meantime, take a few minutes to learn more about Saul Raisin and Raisin Hope through the following 10 Questions.

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10 Questions With... Saul Raisin, on Raisin Hope at Reston Town Center Grand Prix

(GamJams) 1. What was the biggest difference in your training from when you raced as an amateur to your career as a pro with Credit Agricole?
(Saul Raisin) Your first year as a pro you do Zero Training during the season. All you do is race and rest.  My first year pro I did over 80 days of professional racing.  I only had maybe two weeks all year I could use for actual training.  When you have a ten day stage fallowed by a Classic five days later, three days is not enough to train because one day is traveling to the race. Only the team leaders have time to train because they pick out their schedule. I had some say in my racing program but not a lot. The biggest adjustment for American cyclists moving to Europe is learning to adapt to their culture and way of life.

(GJ) 2. Who do you think has a tougher time of it - American cyclists racing in Europe, or the European Formula 1 drivers having a go at NASCAR?
(SR): That’s easy, - American cyclists racing in Europe because we all know Formula 1 is a heck of a lot harder than driving a NASCAR oval.  I have been to Formula 1 races like the GP of Monaco. They push the cars at 200+mph down city streets. It is intense.

(GJ) 3. After a big crash, how do you get over the fear of crashing again? What advice would you give to amateur racers who lose their nerve after hitting the pavement?
(SR): There is a famous saying: “SH*T happens”. And it does… Everyone is going to crash something or fall one time in their life. If they are scared about crashing a bike they should be more scared to crash their car.  The number one cause for Traumatic Brain Injuries are falls. Not falling off your bike but falling off your feet.  When you crash you learn more about yourself and your limits as a person.  Make the most of it.  Sometimes it’s good to just take a good look in the mirror and say “I am really messed up”.

(GJ) 4. Which has been more difficult for you - being a pro cyclist, or being an ex-pro cyclist?
(SR): Being a brain injury survivor. When you have a brain injury you are held under a microscope and everything you do is watched over to help discover the person you were before. I lost all my social etiquette, could not read facial expressions. You have to relearn it all if you’re not blessed to get it back.

RSVP for the MABRA BAR Party, Feb 15th at Sonoma

The MABRA BAR Party is back, celebrating the 2008 season and its winners, and kicking off 2009 racing, all for one low price.

Eli Hengst is the party's gracious host, opening up Sonoma Restaurant in DC for the occasion, and letting beer and wine flow freely (and free) during the festivities. There will also be appetizers and snacks, none of which come wrapped in foil packets or contain electrolytes.

The space holds 125, and all attendees must RSVP in advance (like a time trial). A donation of $15 per adult and $5 for child or junior is required, all of which will benefit a cycling charity.

The gig runs from 4:30 to 6:30 with the BAR Awards ceremony is in the middle somewhere. We'll be presenting the 2008 BAR winners their plaques, and then stuffing them full of fontina wrapped in prosciutto chased with generous goblets of barbera d'asti, to hinder their chances at a repeat.

Each attendee must be registered individually so that the RSVP form is accurate (also like a bike race). 

First 125 RSVPs get in, so please get in quickly (like a Cat 4 bike race).

Pre-Reg is now closed, but you can register at the door.

Details:

Date: Sunday February 15th
Time: 4:30pm - 6:30pm
Venue: Sonoma Restaurant
Location: 223 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington DC
Donation: $15 for adults, $5 for children / juniors

Here's who is signed up so far:

How your Coffee habit sends a young gun to Euro Cross Camp

This is Joe Dombrowski.
He's 17 and races for Haymarket Bicycles. This was his first year racing cyclocross. He raced fast. Really really fast. So fast that he was one of only 16 people in the country to be invited to Euro Cross Camp.

This is 53x11 Coffee.
Together with GamJams, they're helping send Joe to Euro Cross Camp. Between now and January 5th 2009 (when Joe returns from Camp), 53x11 Coffee will donate 15% of all coffee sales from GamJams to fund Joe's Euro Cross Camp trip. Treat yourself to a few bags of The Big Ring, The Chain Breaker, The Early Break or The Down Shift Decaf, or buy a few pounds for the caffeine hound in your life. All 53x11 Coffee is Certified Organic and Fair Trade, so buying it isn't just good for Joe - it's just plain good.

To make sure your 53x11 Coffee purchase is included, just click on any of the links or ads for 53x11coffee.com anywhere on GamJams.net. Link = Love. No Link, no love.

Buy some 53x11 Coffee and help send Joe to Euro Cross Camp here.

What is Euro Cross Camp?

It's a big deal for guys like Ryan Trebon (Kona-YourKey.com), Tristan Shouten (PlanetBike), Jaimey Driscoll (FiordiFrutta) and Danny Summerhill (Clif Bar), who were also invited to attend this year. It's a huge deal for up-and-comers like Joe, who get to train, race, learn and live with these guys at the USA House in West Flanders for two weeks.

The camp is run by National Cyclocross Coach Geoff Proctor and director of the U-23 national road program Noel Dejonckeerhe. While they are in Belgium they will be racing a mix of Belgian National races, the Superprestige series, the GVA series and the UCI Cyclocross World Cup series.

I'm excited about this promotion, and hope we can make a big dent in Joe's expenses for the trip (which total about $3-4K). What's great about it is that you don't even have to be generous on purpose. You can be a selfish louse and buy 10 pounds of coffee to give to yourself for Christmas, and still end up helping Joe. If you are exceptionally generous and want to help Joe even more, you can also make a direct donation here.

2008 Cannondale XR-6 Cross Bike: $10

Someone is going to pay $10 for a brand new 2008 Cannondale XR-6 Cross Bike this weekend. But it sure ain't going to be you if you don't enter the NCVC Ed Sanders Memorial Cross Raffle. $10 a ticket and only 300 will be sold. A 1 in 300 chance of winning and you don't even have to train, or turn a pedal in anger.

Buy a ticket here on BikeReg. Proceeds for a good cause. Read about it at the link.

And here's the bike, by the way:
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/08/cusa/model-8XR6C.html

Like a dork, I clicked right away on the "specifications" tab to see the gruppo and the weight. That's what I look for. The componentry list is straightforward, but there's a note relating to the bike's weight which is surprisingly candid and disarming:

WEIGHT: Don’t see a weight listed for this bike? Wondering why that is? Well we used to list our weights only to realize that while Cannondale will weigh a medium or 56 cm frame and err on the side of caution when we know there will be variances due to welds etc, our competitors (and you know who they are) are weighing their small or extra small frames and rounding down (because hey, who will know?) and you’re left wondering what’s going on and making an important decision based upon BS.

Nicely done, Cannondale. You sound like a person, not some faceless marketing department.

New Featured Photo: That's MPH, not km/h (Evo's Raisin Hope Winner)

This week's Featured Photo marks the first time the selection has been made beyond GamJams' tight editorial grasp. You may remember at the Gold's Gym Reston Town Center Grand Prix our good friends at Evolution Cycling held a fundraiser for the Raisin Hope Foundation. Poor Matthew Shields pitched in a few bucks hoping to win a HealthNet jersey signed by Matt Cooke, or Credit Agricole cap with Saul Raisin's autograph on it, or a $50 Gift Certificate to Bicycle Pro Shop. Instead he won a WTF. As in 'WTF did I win?'

Well Matthew, you're the proud and enviable winner of a featured photo in GamJams. After I explained to Matthew what that is (which came after the explanation of what GamJams is), he played along. And he played well - offering up the photo you see above of the Max Speed screen on a cyclocomputer - an image that either makes you shudder or drool. A buddy of his named Thomas Eng (a DC expatriate himself) took the picture after a training ride near Boulder Colorado, on the famed Morgul-Bismark course. Says Matthew:

It’s a safe road to really open it up as local traffic is used to the cyclists.  I've done this ride numerous times myself, but I've always stopped looking at my speed after I hit 55mph.  Thomas admitted being a bit scared too, in fact, it wasn’t until he got home and read his max speed that his jaw dropped.

65.9mph. Beats my stupidest fastest, with room to spare. What's your fastest?

Perhaps as importantly, thanks for making a contribution to Evo's efforts, Matthew. Thanks also to everyone else who pitched in. Mitch Ferro told me they raised over $2000.*

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.

*That's more than Dave Fuentes has taken home in primes so far this season.