Author: greaselightnin

Dirty Dozen at Warda

Terra Firma Racing puts on an amazing race and this is one you need to consider for next year. The Dirty Dozen is a 12-Hr or 6-Hr mountain bike race for solo riders and relay teams on a 7ish mile single track course (Bluff Creek Ranch in Warda, TX). The vibe, the company of great people, and the Fireball makes this one totally worth it!

Warda is about 3 1/2 hours away from DFW, so most of our members showed up Friday, Feb. 5th. It was a chilly evening spent around the fire, drinking beverages, and chowing down on some of Mr. Castro’s finest foods. After a good night’s rest, we were charged up and ready to throw down on Saturday morning. With 30+, that’s right – THIRTY PLUS, members in attendance, we were prepared to dominate. Everywhere you looked, there was a red jersey in sight.

Everyone gathered for the pre-race meeting and then the race quickly started with a Le Mans start. Racers dashed into the woods twisting through the pines and over the roots. Team members as well as other racers cheered and supported one another as the day continued. One of the best parts of this race was approaching the BWR heckle corner where teammates cheered on racers (er – something like that), handed up shots of Fireball, and jammed out to some sweet tunes.

Just as we had hoped, many of our BWR members finished strong. James Beas placed 4th in the 12-Hr Solo Open Male category. Marcus Gillespie placed 4th and Brad Wendling placed 7th in the 12-Hr Single Speed Male category. Marcus Mendoza placed 4th, Randy Davis placed 6th, David Deery placed 8th, Nathan Delahoussaye placed 10th, and Greg Campbell placed 13th in the 12-Hr Solo Sport Male category. James Henson placed 2nd in the 12-Hr Solo Grand Poobah category. The Richard Gears, Mark Thompson and Braden Barnett, placed 5th and the Dirt Dudes, Wes Salas and Mike D’Aurelio, placed 7th in the 12-Hr 2 Person Male category. In the 12-Hr 4 Person Male category, Jonathan Braddick, Mando Zermeno, Logan Davis, and Dennis Vollmer placed 5th. Moreece placed 6th with his team in the same category. Bearded Women Racing Rockstars – Melissa Dalton, Brittany Smith, Reba Becker, and Lauren Lay – placed 1st in the 12-Hr 4 Person Female category. Kelly Hart, Judge Rucker, and Kate Castro placed 2nd in the 12-Hr 4 Person Coed category. Sadly, Dylan Garrigan didn’t get to race with them as he injured his finger right before the race began. In the 12-Hr 4 Person Masters category, Minh Nguyen, Daniel Johnson, Eric Swarvar, and Blake york took home 3rd place. Nick Castro, Mike Carroll, Shane Woodhall, Riley Moore, and Clint Fenske earned 2nd placed in the 12-Hr 5 Person Grande category. Last but not least, Brad McDaniel placed 18th in the 6-Hr Solo Sport Male category.

Dirty Dozen 2016
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Exciting Announcement!

Our club is now active with USA Cycling!

What does this mean?

Members may now race TMBRA, XC, CX, and road and select BWR as their team when registering for a race. Members will be able to collect points for each race to qualify for the opportunity to CAT up and become very competitive. Some of our members have requested this to further their cycling careers. In addition, our team will be able to host events and/or races and be covered by USAC insurance. This is a long term team goal that we are looking forward to achieving.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

usac

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Texas Chainring Massacre

“Giddy up, y’all!” was the feeling at Texas Chainring Massacre. The brisk 30 degree temps didn’t keep the Bearded Women away. We had a showing of over 7 members getting out and riding the gravel. Spinistry put on the best route and had a huge turnout of people.

Big shout out to Raul, Brad McDaniel, and Brad Wendling. New member, Russell Scott went out to accomplish 50 miles on his MTB. At mile 20, Russell’s derailleur blew up and was found stranded. Teammates, Raul and Brad, stopped and fixed him up as a single speed. Russell pushed on and completed the whole route with the badass support of Brad who reserved his ride to help out a fellow teammate.

Riders, Judge Rucker and Mando Mex, took on the feat with one gear! They took on climbs and distance and battled the grueling temperatures to take 2nd and 3rd place in the category. What a great day for Bearded Women Racing!12509845_10153324198600267_1949530791311619813_n

 

 

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Overdose @ OCNP

Several beards took advantage of the beautiful weather on January 31st and raced at the Overdose @ OCNP endurance event put on by Lonestar XC. What made this day extra special was that it was the first race for Nicolas Gauring, James Beas and Marcus Mendoza as BWR members.

overdoseOverdose offered several racing options 1 lap dash, 2 lap sprint, 4 lap marathon, and the ultimate test of an 8 lap ultra-marathon. Blake York put in an amazing performance and took 2nd place in the ultra-marathon finishing in 5:35:34. James Beas battled severe cramping by the 4th lap, but he persevered and finished strong, finishing 8th. Randy Davis was feeling great throughout the race and took 13th.

The competition for the 4 lap marathon was intense as 4 riders fought for the top spot, one of which was our very own Nicolas Gaurin. The leader attempted to lose him throughout the race and Nicolas would reel him in every time, getting within 1 second on the 2nd and 3rd lap. Nicolas ultimately took 2nd with a time of 2:26:13. Marcus Mendoza took advantage of his day off from being a bike cop by riding his bike 32 miles and placing 53rd. David Deery put in a stellar performance and finished 90th overall and 7th for the mature gentleman division of 50+.

Our very own team captain, Nick Castro, competed in the 2 lap sprint and came in 107th overall and as the only Clydesdale he dominated that category, taking home a 3rd place flask for the sub-categories. He reported receiving several slaps to his bottom from teammates and may be permanently scarred.

A special thank you goes out to Minh Nguyen and his family. They showed up to offer moral support and the use of their cooler.overdose2

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Marcus Mendoza, Racing Member, Geared

marcus men

Profile

Birth Date
July 10, 1980
Birth Place
Hopewell, VA
Home Town
Anchorage, AK
List and describe your bicycles 2012 BMC Te29
2012 Spec Crux
1980 Raleghi fixie
2012 Scott Scale 960 (work bike)
List past racing accomplishments in any sport you’ve competed in Raced MTB.
What is your first memory of riding a bicycle?
Down a hill too fast and ending up under a car at age 10 (still have the scar).
Why do you ride a bicycle?
Just because…
What does Bearded Women mean to you?
Rogaine to the face, attempting to grow a beard.

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Eric Colquette, Racing Member, Geared

eric col

Profile

Birth Date
July 11, 1969
Birth Place
Austin, TX
Home Town
Grand Prairie, TX
List and describe your bicycles 2012 Cannondale SuperX Carbon Ultegra (CX)
2015 Devinci Atlas Carbon SL (F/S)
Hope to add a cheap SS to this list and later a Tri/TT bike
List past racing accomplishments in any sport you’ve competed in Competed in several sprint, olympic, and 1/2 Ironmans; IMAZ 2010 finisher (12:33:21); 2nd place for my AG at Palo Dura 12 hour race; participated in 2015 Leadville Trail MTB 100 by qualifying in 2015 Austin Rattler (due to cramps only got to 73 miles)
What is your first memory of riding a bicycle?
About 3 years old when I learned to ride my bike and I wanted the training wheels on. While I wasn’t paying attention (at that age, imagine that), she took them off and I rode all day with a big grin on my face.
Why do you ride a bicycle?
I like the feeling it gives me when I get on my bike and just put all my daily problems on the back burner for several hours. Also, I have met some really great friends through cycling and triathlons. This sport has brought my dad and little brother closer than ever before.
What does Bearded Women mean to you?
Camaraderie and friendly people. Every BWR I have met is nice as can be. They just want to ride and have fun and obviously be first to cross the finish line. They have been a very welcoming group and I am honored to now be a part of this team.

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DORBA Frozen Series (2015) Recap Sponsored by GoTStrong.com

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Racing member, Brad Wendling

The Frozen Series is an endurance series with the option of 6 hours (solo or relay team) or 4 hours (solo only). The series kicked off at a chilling 28 degrees at Erwin Park in McKinney, Texas. We started off the morning with a small group of high performance, dedicated endurance athletes. First things first, cheers to the 2015 season! To start things off on the right foot, we slammed a few shots of spiced Jägermeister (super gross) and stood around for half an hour for a delayed race start. Luckily, we had some team members hook it up with the propane heaters and 2 gallons of smoking hot apple cider. It was helpful, but still very cold. The race start was your typical endurance Le Mans dash with your typical group of dude-bro racers sprinting to their bikes and the “Too Cool for School” crowd casually jogging behind. I’m not so sure the Le Mans start was very helpful in spacing out the crowd, because many of us got stuck behind the parade on the first lap with a major bottleneck at every turn. It’s all good though. This is endurance racing, you’ve got all day to catch up.  I saw some more Jägermeister shots going down and cheeseburgers being eaten between laps. Nothing sets the tone for endurance mountain bike racing like a party in the pit! It was a good time!

The good times continued at the second race at Northshore with a not-so-frozen day! The temperatures could not have been better. Hey, 70 degrees in the middle of winter? No complaining here. As we waited for the start, there were more shots being taken and blueberry pancakes were being devoured as BWR got ready to take on the day. After the usual racer’s meeting, everyone sat their bikes down and found their spot on the rail for the usual Le Mans start. The signal was given and the racers were off. The first part of the course was a lot of fun with some fast, flowing sections followed by a few switchbacks here and there. As we got to the second part of the course, let’s just say the more “technically-savvy” excelled as there were multiple rock gardens, some rocky climbs, and one tough cliff face climb. All in all, it was a great day for racing and we walked away with only one small injury (Sorry, Michael). 🙂

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Racing member, Mike D’Aurelio

The third and final race was at Rowlett Creek Preserve. Rowlett Creek Preserve is a trail that most of us have ridden numerous times.  It’s where a lot of events, races, and group rides take place due to its reputation for being more of a beginner trail.  This is the mindset that many had going into this portion of the Frozen Series.  Then, it was announced that the course was to be ran backwards!  BWR still had several members that were up for the challenge.The course was much more challenging and interesting than expected.  Since it was backwards, even those very familiar with the course got disoriented.  The beginning was full of good drops, steep climbs, and some fun dips while the middle had a couple of longer climbs that kept the heart rate going, while the end had some interesting obstacles to keep things exciting.  A wonderful course combined with perfect weather made for a great day!

All in all, we would like to thank DORBA for organizing the Frozen Series. We know this would not be possible without your hard work and dedication. We are looking forward to next year!

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Racing member, Brittany Smith

Here are the final results from Erwin:

6 hr Male Team

Minh Nguyen and Phil Hollings, 4th

6 hr SS Open

Jesse Bernal, 17th

Brad Wendling, 18th

6 hr Men (Solo)

Mike D’Aurelio, 18th

4 hr Men (Solo)

Yavor Gerenski, 9th

Evan McGinley, 7th

Dan Johnson, 29th

Dan Smith, 48th

James Henson, 49th

David Foster, 51st

4 hr Women (Solo)

Brittany Smith, 8th

Jenny Griffin, 9th

Melissa Dalton, 11th

 

Here are the final results from North Shore:

6 hr Male Team

Dan Smith and Phil Hollings, 6th

Michael Shannon and Ryan Nanayakkara, 12th

6 hr Men (Solo)

Mike D’Aurelio, 21st

4 hr Men (Solo)

Eric Swarvar, 10th

Yavor Gerenski, 11th

Dan Johnson, 49th

David Deery, 82nd

James Henson, 91st

4 hr SS Open

Brad Wendling, 8th

4 hr Female (Solo)

Melissa Dalton, 10th

Brittany Smith, 11th

 

Here are the final results from Rowlett Creelk Preserve:

6 hr Male (Solo)

Mike D’Aurelio, 9th

Shane Walden, 17th

4 hr SS Open

Brad Wendling, 5th

Jenny Griffin, 6th

4 hr Male (Solo)

Nathan Delahoussaye, 42nd

David Foster, 52nd

James Henson, 55th

4 hr Female (Solo)

Melissa Dalton, 2nd

 

 

Erwin Frozen Series Feb 2015

 

 

 

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DORBA Fall Series – Frisco

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Michelle Blackard tearin’ it up!

At the end of November, we wrapped up the DORBA Fall Series with a final race at Frisco NW Community Park Trail. The week prior to the race, BWR was sitting in 3rd place for the Overall Team award. The bottom line was we needed teammates to sign up for this race, so we could move up in the rankings. Teammates encouraged one another to sign up, and the BWR turnout that day was awesome! We had a whopping total of 25 racers ready to take on the competition at Frisco!

This final race was a bit different than the rest. Each lap was only about 4 miles, so Cat 3 racers did 3 laps, Cat 2 racers did 4 laps, and Cat 1 racers did 5. This trail also has very little tree covering, so much of the race was out in the open, which made it fun for the spectators.

The race began on a jeep road that went directly up a hill, quickly separating the leaders from the rest of the pack. Once we got up the hill, we went through an old barn and jumped right onto the single track. If you simply look at Frisco NW Community Trail, you would think it looks fairly flat. Guess again. There are few sections of long sustained climbs that definitely get heart rate elevated. The rest of the trail has a smooth, non-technical flow with some whoop-de-doos and tight turns.

It was so cool to have so many teammates, old and new, there to end the Fall Series. We are definitely looking forward to next year. We appreciate the work that goes into the production of these races. Thank you, DORBA, and volunteers!

Racing member, Will Jiron
Racing member, Will Jiron

Here are the full team results and photos from the day:

Cat 1 Men 60+

Cat 2 Men 60+

Cat 2 Men 35 – 39

Cat 2 Men 19 – 29

Cat 2 Men Single Speed

Cat 2 Women 30 – 39

  • Michelle Blackard, 1st

Cat 3 Men 50 – 59

  • David Deery, 13th

Cat 3 Men 40 – 49

Cat 3 Men 30 – 39

Cat 3 Men 19 – 29

Clydesdale Men

Cat 3 Women 40+

Cat 3 Women 19 – 29

Athena Women

James and Phil racing the 60+ category
Frisco Dorba Race 2015
Michelle & Evan Blackard
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Rudolph’s Revenge

Written by racing member, Evan Blackard
IMG_2128Rudolph’s Revenge is a 30-mile or 40-mile mountain bike race held on the Ray Roberts Greenbelt Corridor, the road between the FM455 Greenbelt access point and Isle du Bois State Park (FM455), the road in Isle du Bois State Park (from the park entrance to the DORBA trailhead), and the DORBA Trail at Isle du Bois. This year, it was held on Saturday, December 20th, with a start time of 9:00 A.M. Temps were in the low 40s and it was overcast and damp.

The 30-mile version began with a mass start from the red bridge at the FM428 access point of the Greenbelt Corridor. The start was very “low-key” compared to many XC races, with very few sprinting from the onset. Even those that did, quickly realized that the open areas of the Greenbelt trail would be better experienced in a drafting pack, and let the main group catch up. Drafting was very important on the greenbelt and the initial road  portion of the trail. Riders that did this well had significantly more energy reserves for the upcoming single track and the return on the road and Greenbelt gravel.

After riding the Greenbelt and some road (around 9 miles) from the FM455 access point to the park, into the park, and all the way to the trailhead, the single track portion of the race began. Isle du Bois is a demanding trail both technically and aerobically, although more so technically. It is very well balanced with climbs and descents, and doesn’t have an abundance of “lung-busting” extended climbs or open flats to “pound.” The technical aspect of the trail is largely due to the short, rocky climbs and descents in the D and E loops of the trail. There are many and they are tricky. I walked 3 or 4 sections after putting a foot down. I got the impression that increased familiarity with the trail would help with that, although it would be technically difficult nonetheless.

The Isle du Bois trail is around 10 miles and is fantastically fun. It’s a great place to destroy your legs because you’re having a blast while you’re doing it.

The road and gravel on the return was NOT fantastically fun. It was the identical route you took to get to the trailhead but in reverse, except this time, there was no one to draft with. It was punishing for everyone, but particularly for those who were better in the trees than on the road (like me). It seemed like it went on forever and it was just flat-out suffering (I got reeled in by a rider that I had put around a minute gap on in the single track). Painful. 😊

The 30 mile version and the 40 mile version race the same course, but the 40 mile version did the singletrack TWICE. (Ouch… Ask Ben.)

Shawn McAfee and his family provided pancakes and coffee, and The Sock Guy provided some free socks for the riders. Shawn also used your entrance fee to work an arrangement with the state park to cover all the riders entries to the park. There were about 50 total racers in the 30 mile and 30ish in the 40 mile.
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BWR had three participants:

Benjamin Leach, Nick Castro, and Evan Blackard.

Jesse Bernal from BWR is the trail steward at IDB and does an amazing job. There was rain leading up to the event that threatened to move the race to its backup date, but in the end, the race was a “go” and the trail was in fantastic shape. Thanks, Jesse.

I would highly recommend this race: multi-discipline, higher than average XC milage, in a “race void” time of year, held on a fantastic trail, and staffed by some really friendly people.

Rudolph may have had his revenge…

but I’ll be back.

 

30 Mile

  • Evan Blackard, 2:28:52, 13th
  • Nick Castro, DNF

40 Mile Singlespeed

  • Benjamin Leach, 4:10:19, 5th

 

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Sansom 66

lKevin from Spinistry is at it again with the infamous Sansom 66. The Sansom 66 is an endurance race with a 33 mile and 66 mile option. As Kevin said, “many people will attempt it, but few will complete it.” Sansom is not your “typical” DFW trail. There is approximately 1500+ feet of elevation per each 11 mile lap. The terrain is tough with tons of loose rocks, an abundance of climbs, fast descents, and maybe one straightaway to recover. This trail can be very fun, but also very challenging, and guess what? The racers did every bit of it!

A few of our teammates signed up for this torture, ahem, race. Braden Barnett, Daniel Smith, and Evan McGinley registered for the 33 mile option, which is pure insanity in itself. Yavor Gerenski and Brad Wendling did the unthinkable and signed up for the 66 miler. The race morning started out as any other except it was a bit chilly and drizzly. Kevin gathered the racers for the usual racers’ meeting and then the riders anxiously took their spot on the starting line. Within a few minutes the racers were off! Brittany, Melissa, Jonathan, and Emma were on standby for support. The ladies immediately took off on foot to find a good spot to take pictures of our teammates and offer them a cheer or two. We won’t mention how they didn’t actually ever find the racers… That’s beside the point. They were still great to have onsite as they were ready with nutrition and water as BWR came through on each lap.

Yavor and Evan were the first to come through on the first lap. Not far behind them was Brad, then Braden, and then Dan. All of them were looking very strong as they immediately jumped into their second lap. As everyone came through for the second time, you could see a mixture of emotions on their faces. However, they were all determined to show Sansom who was boss. One lap later our 33 milers crossed the finish line. Evan killed it with a time of 3:14:46. Braden came in next with a time of 3:52:20. Dan also finished with a very solid time of 3:57:11. Any person who has ever attempted to ride Sansom knows that 33 miles of that place is absolutely nuts and a HUGE accomplishment. Way to go, guys! You totally rocked it!

As time passed, the BWR pit crew (Brittany, Melissa, Dan, and Braden) continued to wait, help, and cheer on Brad and Yavor. Brad even got a leg massage in between laps. Talk about service! Both continued to look strong as they pushed on. After the fourth lap, Brad decided to throw in the towel due to some wicked leg cramps. We still felt so proud of him! Did I mention that he did all of that on a single speed?! Four laps out there on a single speed earns him bragging rights for a very, very long time.

We still had Yavor out on the course and we could not even believe he still had enough gas in the tank to keep going. Braden, Dan, and Brittany waited anxiously for Yavor to complete his final lap. As soon as they spotted him towards the end of the course, they ran over to him and began yelling and cheering for him. You could see the excitement on his face (I know, hard to believe). HE DID IT! He finished the grueling Sansom 66 with a time of 6:42:28. As he crossed the finish line, Kevin handed him his payout and everyone congratulated him.

After the day came to an end, Yavor posted this on his Facebook:

“It was a great experience today, definitely a tough race! Just wanted to thank the team for supporting me during those painful miles. Braden, Dan, and Brittany did a really good job helping with my nutrition and keeping my bike in good mechanical condition…. but what I’m most thankful for is the way they cheered me up every single time I crossed the start/finish line. Having such a supportive team definitely makes a difference. Thank you guys!”

Way to represent, BWR! Y’all did an amazing job! n

Here are the full team results and photos from the day:

Solo Half (33 Miles)

  • Evan McGinley, 3:14:46, 4th out of 21
  • Braden Barnett, 3:52:20, 11th out of 21
  • Daniel Smith, 3:57:11, 15th out of 21

Solo Elite SS (66 Miles)

  • Brad Wendling, DNF

Solo Elite (66 Miles)

  • Yavor Gerenski, 6:42:28, 4th out of 7
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