CX @ Brewery Ommegang Update

To all our CX friends: We are sad to announce that we will not be putting on the cyclocross race at Brewery Ommegang this year.

This was a difficult decision for us as the challenges, logistics and levels of support to put on such an event were just not coming together. We would like to thank the brewery for their past support and wish all a safe and successful CX season.

Bingo

This past weekend a pack of Ommegangsters headed to the southern tier for the Binghamton Circuit Race.  This race, always a popular late April fixture on the race calendar for many years, intrigues many racers as it seems to have an identity crisis in that it's not sure if it's a crit or a circuit race.  In actuality, it shares many features of both.  It's relative easy to get to location and multiple race opportunities is ideal for racers in various states of early season fitness to test themselves against their peers.

This year's edition saw no precip with pretty cool/chilly temps and while the wind was a factor as it usually is, it seemed to be slightly stronger than normal.  The strong and gusty wind made the "bottom" of the loop especially hard with riders eagerly searching for protection as they turned into the wall of wind after having a good tail wind on the downhill just moments before. 

With a variety of races on tap (brew pun intended btw) and opportunities for many to do multiple races, Ommegangsters were well represented across many of the divisions.  Ray W and Eric G had real good showings in their respective divisions with many others posting respectable placings within their divisions. 

A link to the official results is shown below:


http://www.usacycling.org/results/?permit=2012-356

Racing has Resumed

The Ommegangsters have been hitting the early season races here in the good ol' upstate area with some pretty respectable results right out of the gate. 

A couple weekends ago saw a number of Ommegangsters line up at the start line of the Tour of Battenkill.  This relatively young but hugely successful event probably sees some of the stiffest competition many riders will face most of the year.  With the punchy hills and dirt roads thrown in for good measure, a few guys had pretty respectable rides including some top 10 and 20 action in the huge fields.  Results are here:  http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2012/04/14-Battenkill.asp

The following weekend saw some of the gang headed to Bloomfield for some road style circuit action while another batch went down to Prattsburgh for a unique CX/MTB event.  Racers at both events were somewhat blindsided by the dreary cold & wind that was considerably cooler than predicted.  

At Bloomfield,  some respectable results with the conditions alone proving to be extremely challenging based on the number of DNFs across the varying categories.  Bloomfield results here:   http://www.yellowjacketracing.com/2012.  (Props to Ommegangster friend & rival Dave F for his win at Bloomfield.)

The Ramble Around Prattsburgh also saw similar tough weather conditions with a all around good showing including a couple guys making top 5's in their respective divisions.   Ramble results here: http://ramblearoundprattsburgh.blogspot.com/p/2012-rambler-results.html

Binghamton up next with fingers crossed for some sunshine and temps over 45.  Get out there!

Great Beer Deserves Great Food Dinner & New Ales Coming Soon

Chef Ty-Lor Boring was at Cafe Ommegang for the second instalment of Great Beer Deserves Great Food (GBDGF) this past Saturday evening.  The Mrs. & I attended this sold out event and lucked out as we were seated next to resident brewmaster Phil L.  It was a fun night with plenty of Ommegang cheer to accompany the great menu.  The menu you ask .. see below

First course:  Paired with Hennepin

Forest Mushrooms on Pizza Blanca 

Made with thyme, tokyo scallions, & white soy

Second Course: Paired with Duvel Golden Ale

Bouchot Mussels

Made with Ommegang Witte ale, shallots, celery, thyme & laurel

Third Course: Paired with BPA(Belgian Pale Ale)

Brewers Yeast Roasted Chicken

Made with lacinato, dates, rosemary, orange, & fried egg aioli

Fourth Course: Paired with 3 Philosophers

Rice Chex & Pretzel Marshmellow Treat

Made with white miso, brown butter, dark chocolate, & peanut butter

This was a great time and I highly suggest you get out there for a GBDGF dinner if you get a chance -- it was a truly unique and fun experience.  These dinners may become a monthly (or near monthly) happening so stay abreast by checking out Ommegang on FB and/or the Ommegang and GBDGF websites.

And .....From the "New Ales Coming Soon" department, while tilting my head back (if you know what I mean), I noted several large banner signs on the adjacent wall in the Cafe dining area promoting upcoming events and brews.   Note the limited edition, speciality, and one-off ales in the pic below.

For those that have searched it out, you may have found the Q1 offering called Seduction.  The Q2 offering called Art of Darkness (see prior blog entry) is now on sale at the brewery and may be arriving in some retailers in the near future.  The remainder of the offerings for 2012, as you may note, include a Biere de Garde, Black Duvel / Black Abbey, a Belgian Independence Day Triple, a Harvest Cream Ale, a 15th Anniversary Ale, and an Opera Ale.  Lot's to look forward to in the coming months.  Cheers!

{Oh yeah, with this being a bike team blog, I should note I rode for 4.5 hrs to establish a proper calorie deficit prior to the dinner ... does that count?}

Art of Darkness

While you await the April release of Art of Darkness, (a limited edition release described as a deep, dark, and rich ale), you might consider Seduction (a speciality ale offering balanced chocolate-cherry notes, a bit of caramel sweetness, and a long, slow finish).  With a little searching you should be able to locate some Seduction now at your fav brew store.

On the cycling end of things, there's been unsubstantiated reports of some Ommegangsters already putting in 4+ hr rides on these mild weekends.  Of course these are counter-balanced with the usual grumblings like (a) "so much winter weight to lose", (b) "so out of shape" and (c) "can't understand why the power numbers are so low".  All in all it's shaping up to be another great year of riding & racing.  See Ya Out There.

Walking on The Moon? Get there with a Moonlander

Walking on the Moon -- something automatically triggers this song in my head when I see or read about the Surly Moonlander,  Moonlander you ask ... think "fat bike" or "snow bike" ... one of those mountain bikey looking things with wheels/tires that look like they're on steroids.  Check out the Surly website and peruse a few YouTube clips of the Moonlander or it's cousin "Pugsley" to see them in action.  There are even some Fat Bike races in some of the snowy spots around the land.

Now you're probably thinking they look like a whole lot of fun and it would be cool to try one out .. now if only -- stop right there because our friends at Syracuse Bicycle will be offering a Fat Bike Demo session this Saturday (1/28/12) at Long Branch park in Liverpool from 12 to 3.  This is your chance .. get out of the house and off the trainer and hop aboard a fat bike... no fee and an almost guarantee of a few smiles on a unique set of wheels.
 
Here's a link for more info ...
 http://www.facebook.com/syracusebicycle#!/events/351954138148299/

4th Annual Bikes and Brews Night

4th Annual Bikes and Brews Night

To Benefit Toys for Tots!

Syracuse Bicycle and our local cycling Team Ommegang presents the 4th Annual "Bikes and Brews" on Thursday, December 15th, from 6-9pm at Syracuse Bicycle. Once again, we are excited to partner with the US Marine Corps Toys for Tots program at this event. So bring along a new, unwrapped toy, come enjoy a glass of Ommegang beer, a few appetizers, and make a child very happy this holiday season! RSVP on Facebook or to trish@syracusebicycle.com.

Hope to See Ya There !

PowerCross & GobbleCross

PowerCross was recently hosted up in the Syr-a-burb of Van Buren by our friends from The MaxPower Cycling Team.   The course was a little different in it's second season with the dreaded "Faso Hill" being revised so it was just plain painful rather than causing potential cardiac issues.  With a race in the back yard of many of the Syracuse area team members, good results and representation were in order with some respectable results and a couple podium spots.

GobbleCross, also in a Syr-a-burb, brought a little post T-giving racing fun down on the Hadzor Ranch in Lafayette if you were not inclined to do the Black Friday shopping thing.  Dan T showed and dominated all while others went a bit more towards the having fun route and rode with their kids or on MTBs.  Good peeps, good brews and good times seemed to be the consensus.

Next up -- Bikes & Brews at Syracuse Bicycle on December 15 from 6 to 9 pm.  This will allow you to cut straight to post 'cross race recovery beverages and goodies without having to visit the pain cave for 45-60 minutes and then clean mud out of your teeth & britches.  Admission is an unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots program. 

PowerCross Results:  http://www.maxpowercycling.com/index.php/racing?layout=edit&id=28

GobbleCross Results:  http://btbathletics.com/wordpress/

The Greene Machines & Bethlehem Boys

Green Machines:  After posting some stellar results at the Greene CX event at the Greene school, the following weekend saw a batch of Ommegangsters heading back down to Greene for the Dave Panella Memorial CX (or KX if you prefer) event held almost across the street from the prior weekend's race at the school.   And much like the week before at the school, Ommegangsters picked up wins in the 35+, 45+ and 55+ Masters fields.

Bethlehem Boys:  While some headed down towards the Southern Tier, another batch of Ommegangsters headed out towards the Capital District to test themselves at the Bethlehem Cup (the last event in the NYCross.com series).  The results show a top 10 in the huge 3/4 field and a first and third in the 35+ Masters group.

Again another great weekend of results.  Way to go gents!

http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/11/13-The-Dave-Panella-Memorial-Kross.asp

http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/11/13-Bethlehem-cup.asp 

Greene-ery

A host of Ommegangsters headed down to the school yard in Greene for some CX lessons this past Sunday.  While the setting was definitely a school yard, the key players were more from the set of Camelot (or Harry Potter if you are still racing the open rather than a masters category).  First and foremost, we had the King Faruzel holding court in his, shall we say, Kingdom.  Next we had plenty of warriors, a healthy number of jesters (aka hecklers), a few damsels, and then the esteemed guru (aka Dan T). 

For the Ommegangsters, a great set of results with respective wins in the 35+, 45+, and 55+ categories.   In fact the 35+ masters group saw the top 4 spots all go to Ommegangsters.  And in the open event, with a clinic on display by Guru Timmerman, the Ommegangsters held their own with some respectable finishes.

Greene results here:   http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/11/06-Greene-Cross.asp

And while many of the boys played here locally, Fast Freddie went all NoHo on us and jumped into the action in the big pond of the Verge Series.   In the end, a respectable result after wading his through the huge field of 136 from the back half to make it to the front half. 

Northhampton results here:  http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/11/06-21st-Annual-Cycle-Smart-International.asp

On tap this weekend (plz note the brew humor):  Bethlehem & DPM -- get to it as it will be all gone before you know it. 

A Bike Shop Weekend full of 'Cross

First on the slate, the inaugural Syracross cx event held on Saturday

at Highland Forest right here in the outer Syracuse 'burbs this past Saturday.

Our bike shop/brew brothers at Mello Velo put on a kick-@ss event.  A great 

course, a post race keg of Middle Ages, WoolSports swag, and a bone warming

fire set a perfect race vibe.  The Ommegangsters showed up in force with some

pretty incredible results.  Podium sweep in the 35+ and top podium spots in 

the Cat 4, 45+ and 55+ along with 2 'gangsters in the top 5 of the open men. 

A big congrats to the MV dudes for a successful event with a consensus 

that hopes are this race becomes a regular on the calendar.

On Sunday, a handful of Ommegangsters headed to Rochester for the Park Ave 

event including a couple 'gangsters that were doing the back-to-back double 

after racing on Sat.

Again some pretty decent results across the various categories.  Great to 

see Jim R catching the 'cross bug and posting better results each week.

Nice work gents! 

Syracross Results:  http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/10/29-Syracross.asp

Park Ave Results:  http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/10/30-Park-Ave-Halloween-Cyclocross.asp

Tripel

Tripel your pleasure?  Team Ommegang-Syracuse Bicycle 'cross racers were working it at 3 separate 'cross venues this past weekend with some great results.   West Point, Parma and Saratoga were the venues with Ommegangsters taking top honours in their respective divisions at West Point and Parma. 

King Karl picked up the top spot in his division at West Point while Aaron J did the same at Parma.  Ommegangsters also picked up some additional podium photo ops at Parma as well.  Spa racers also represented well in some pretty sizeable fields and a reportedly challenging course.  Nice work gents. 

All results are at BikeReg:    Saratoga   West Point   Parma

Syracross up next at Highland in our backyard hosted by our Mello Velo friends -- let's represent! 

Troy, Syracuse, and more Troy

With the CX season in full swing, this past weekend brought about a couple racing options on the local scene.  The two-day NYCross.com event in Troy and the Syracuse Grand Prix on Sunday.  Some split their Sat & Sun between the two, some did just Troy and others did just the Syracuse event. 

All in all a great weekend all around with some of the Ommegangsters picking up some podium style accolades while may others placed well in some pretty stacked fields.  The Troy events saw Skinny Phil, Ray W, Tim O, Jeremy K, and King Karl in attendance on one or both days while a strong showing at Syracuse included Jason H, Aaron J, Jim R, Greg D, AJ F, Fred H, K I, Joe Mag, Skinny Phil, and Tim O. 

The Troy events reportedly featured some new twists and turns which was also the theme at Syracuse as they too sported a revamped course and perhaps one of the muddiest editions in memory. A bonus at Syracuse in the P/1/2/3 race was getting to see Dan Timmerman in action -- the dude makes it look too easy.

Coming up regionally this weekend .... again choices .... Parma/Rochester or Saratoga?   Either way your likely to see some Ommegangsters there.  Good luck to all.

Results for Troy & Syracuse below ....


http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/10/16-Syracuse-Grand-Prix.asp




http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/10/15-Uncle-Sam-GP-Day-1.asp

http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/10/16-Uncle-Sam-GP-Day-2.asp

Cobbs Hill, Iron Cross & A Charity Ride

A good batch of Ommegangsters headed off to Rochester to take on Cobbs Hill this past Sunday.    Upon arrival, a course pre-ride revealed that the course seemed a bit shorter with the crazy lllloooonnnggg hill climb being only about half of what it had been in previous editions.   With a few days of no precip prior and temps also pushing over 70 degrees on race day,  it made for a pretty fast course. 

Ommegangsters posted some great results with Aaron J picking up the win in the Cat 4 race (it's about time to upgrade isn't it?) and Tim O missing the win by a whisker in the 35+.   There were also some pretty good performances by a number of others with respectable placings. 

A lone Ommegangster, perhaps using some of is IronMan Lake Placid base, headed down to PA to participate in IronCross. Here's "K's" race report: 

I just came back from Iron Cross, and just wanted to say the race was
a BLAST. It was the funnest race I've done, by far, and the scenery
was stunningly beautiful! If you like Rambler, you MUST do this race.
The course is just like Rambler: a mixture of pavement, dirt roads,
gravels, single track trails, and mud, except there are more climbing,
and the course is twice is long (60miles), ... and it's sunny and dry.
Oh, and there is a long, long, walk-up which they call "hike-a-bike"
or something. There are a few short sections where you would want a
Mt. bike but the course definitely favors CX bikes. (I wouldn't be
able to shoulder my 29er for the long hike-up anyway.) I think CX
bikes with disk brakes are the ideal (Joe???).

The only downside(?) I found were 1) the start/finish was at a state
park, so it's strictly no alcohol :-(  and 2) the mass start is very
congested, so if you want to race, you have to start from the front,
otherwise, you will loose good 5 mins by mile 2; and 3) the burritos
they served were amazingly bad.

I got a flat 10 miles to go, only to find I brought a 20 year-old tube
with 7 patches on it (, which apparently didn't hold air), but thanks
to the neutral support, I got a brand-new tube and managed to finish
the race. Still enjoyed the every minute. Given my fitness and
handling skills, I would never want to "race" it, but definitely would
love to do it again.

While there was racing scheduled for Sunday (as noted above), a batch of Ommegangsters participated in the Trek Womens Breast Cancer Awareness Ride put on by Syracuse Bicycle the day before on Saturday.  While these events were held nationwide by Trek retailers, the Syracuse event somehow arranged for a beautiful fall day with a sunny 70+ degrees which only added to the festival atmosphere.  Some Ommegangsters hung with the family on the 10 mile route while others pushed the pace in the flat 25 mile ride.  As a nod to the cause and show the team's support for the event, all Ommegangsters present sported hot pink socks. 

Syracuse Bicycle put on a first class event with tons of food, bountiful swag and draw prizes and an incredible good karma vibe.  While official word has yet to be received,  the Syracuse ride was most likely the largest ride in the U.S. with over 400 participants.   Huge props and congrats go out to Syracuse Bicycle.

Cobbs & Iron Cross results here:

http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/10/09-Cobbs-Hill-Cyclocross.asp

http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/10/09-Iron-Cross-IX.asp

CX @ Brewery Ommegang 2011

Phew, another one in the books ... where to begin? .... Maybe start out by hoping all the racers, volunteers, and spectators have got all (or most) of the mud out and off their bikes, bodies and clothing.  The mud certainly made the race a whole different beast than previous editions .. maybe even a little more Belgian-esque?

First we need to give a hearty shout out to the racers for coming out and making the event a success.  Next, a big thanks to the many behind the scenes helpers that sacrificed their time and efforts in those critical "little" things like course set-up & teardown, registration, scoring,and various other aspects that get overlooked -- without these folks, there would be no event.  We also need to thank our supporters that included a few new faces and some that have been with us from the beginning.  It was an honour to welcome our new supporters Chobani and WoolSports -- both these folks totally mesh with the CX scene.  It was also a pleasure to have Endurance Factor and Road ID  supporting us again this year.  We also need to give props to our musical guru William Nicholson who provided the proper post race, recovery beverage enjoying vibe.  Lastly, we owe a huge amount of gratitude to Syracuse Bicycle and Brewery Ommegang for their support of our team as well as to this event.  We've probably forgot some folks in our post race delirium but we want to say thanks to all and everyone that had a hand in this event.

There's lots of pictures and some vids (and links thereof) at various FaceBook pages including those of Team-Ommegang Syracuse Bicycle, Syracuse Cycling and Central NY Cyclocross. 

Race results:  http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/10/02-ommegang-cx.asp

CX @ Brewery Ommegang - 2011

A little vid action of a couple of the 'cross kids at CX @ Brewery Ommegang.

Another great success at Brewery Ommegang.  A detailed recap to come but want to get the results out there .....

Results:  http://www.yellowjacketracing.com/2011

Ellison Park & Swandrome

The Ommegangsters spread out this past weekend for some CX action with some headed towards Rochester for some Sat and/or Sun fun at Ellison Park while some headed towards Ithaca to the iconic Swandrome.   Lot's of racers in lots of divisions with some strong results and podium action including Tim O and AJ F winning their respective divisions. 

Links to results are below:
http://www.fullmoonvista.com/ellison_xo.html


http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/09/25-Swandrome-Cross.asp

Pre-reg for CX @ Brewery Ommegang looking real strong -- should be bigger, badder (and quite possibly muddier) than previous events -- hope you can make it out to race or spectate and (if you're >21) enjoy a nice Belgian style recovery beverage).

Mom, Apple Farms and Cyclocross

Chances are if you are one of the 3 or so people who happen to read this here blog, you too are probably a little different than the norm so you'll understand why we have foregone the old "mom, apple pie & baseball" adage and revised it a bit.

This weekend saw two race 'cross venues held at apple farms.  Johnny Appleseed would be proud.  The Critz Farms Kermis was held on Sat in Cazenovia, NY while the Apple Farm in Victor, NY was held on Sunday.  At both events, the Ommegangsters posted some great results with a number of guys making the podium. 

Critz Farms Kermis results: 
http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/09/17-critz-Farm-Kermis.asp

Critz Farms pics (linked from team FB page:)  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Team-Ommegang-Syracuse-Bicycle/171848776204990

Apple Farm results: 
http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/09/18-Cyclocross-and-Fall-Festival-at-the-Apple-Farm.asp

'Cross season is ratcheting into high gear -- get out there (and if you were wondering .. Joey is OK!)

Kirkland (aka His Father was a Mudder! His Mother was a Mudder!)

A true Mudders delight at Kirkland this past Sunday.  While maybe not the muddiest CX event in memory according to a few vets, it certainly made the top 5 list of many.  In some regards it was a bit of a surprise considering this was the first 'cross race of the year for most when, aside from some wet grass from the morning dew, things are generally relatively dry in mid/early Sept.

Even more evident than the mud was the number of Ommegangsters there to taste some 'cross.  Around 15 of the gang showed up to race with a handful trying their hand at 2 races.   The results sheet shows a number of Ommegangster podium spots across varying categories with many showing some real nice results considering the size & depth of the fields.  Props also go out to Syracuse Bicycle's Trish D for her win at her first CX event as well as a nod to Stuey F (son of Ommegangster Ray F) for his win in a jr. category.

Results here:  http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/09/11-Kirkland-cx.asp

Pics can be linked from the FB page of Central NY Cyclocross

Hope to see folks at Critz Farms for some unique CXish type action this Sat.  The bonus/incentive (besides a great grassroots event) is they are officially opening their tasting room for the Harvest Moon Cidery!

Can't Keep Up

Yup, can't seem to keep up it seems as of late.  Just too much -- both on the bike & the team blog & team facebook page, etc, etc. 

So here's a supafast recap.  The Syracuse Bicycle Point to Pint ride to Brewery Ommegang was a success.  It was 90 miles of tough love for the 20 some riders but the brews & munchies at the end helped forget about all those rolling hills. 

While some rode to Cooperstown, a few went up to Oswego for the Tour de Loop.  Some great Ommegangster results with Aaron J representing very well with a 2nd in his age group in the 50 miler (& congrats to Omme-alumnus Craig N for the win) while Sean B (1st age group) and Dave M (2nd age group) represented in the 30 miler.  Also props to friend Bryan B for his 3rd overall.
Results here:  http://www.yellowjacketracing.com/2011

And if that wasn't enough, Dan the Plan went to the Capital District race as well and represented.  Results here:  http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2011/08/20-Capital-Region-Road-Race.asp

The last bit of news is registration is open at BikeReg.com for the Critz Farms Kermis on 9/17 and CX @ Brewery Ommegang on 10/2. 

Critz:  http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=14226
CX @ Brewery Ommegang:  http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13684