Women's Specific Road Ride - Recap and June 1st Route

Hello ladies! Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and were able to enjoy the warmer and dryer weather we've been having. Last week we had a beautiful evening for riding. Two new faces joined us, Mary Ann and Karen. Thank you for coming out, it was a pleasure riding with you! And thanks to Lisha, coming back for week #2! Click here for the ride recap.

Tomorrow we're going to have to keep an eye on the possibility for strong thunderstorms. Right now accweather shows activity at 6pm. Please check back to the blog or the shop for any cancellations. You can preview the route for Wednesday evening here. It's a bit of a mix of week 1 and 2. Ride pace will be determined by the group before we head off at 5:30pm.

I really look forward to meeting more of you!

jen

Ride recap & tonight's mountian bike ride

Morning everyone!

We got out last night for our second road ride from the Hadley store. We had a little bit bigger crowd this time out which was nice & we decided to stay as one group and do a quick 27 mile loop. It worked great! Thanks to Nate for putting the route together & we hope to see more of you on next weeks ride. Now here's the recap for the ride:

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Now for tonight...we are heading over to Shenipsit again. Jeff Landry is putting together another awesome loop for us, so it should be super fun. We will be meeting in the same spot as before (GULF RD)& rolling into the woods no later than 6PM. We'll have great weather and I hope we have a huge turnout.

Here's the map of where we are meeting:

View Larger Map

See you all there!
-Scott

Re~Ride

Hey Kids...hope you're all getting out side and having fun! It's so nice to see the sun, don"t you agree? So here's the deal, now that our beloved friend Scott finally has his candy coated mountain bike we are going back to Shinipsit! We will call it the re~ride (for many reasons)....It will closely resemble the last ride there...with the addition of a few fun trails we missed.

So come on everybody, eat a good, healthy breakfast and I look forward to seeing you all there. (Dan, that includes you!!!) Oh, and don't worry Phil, I will make sure the hammer heads call out the turns!!! Finally, let's meet at the Gulf road parking lot again. Please try and be there and ready to ride as close to 5:30 as you can. If you're running late call or text me at (860)989-6552..Heavy breathers welcome (Jaymo)....

Good Night,

J E F F

P.S. We had fun ride out of Hadley tonight. Perfect weather...can't wait to hear how the ladys did?

Women's Specific Road Ride - May 25th

Hello ladies, so happy that it's Wednesday and the weather is finally on our side. The route for this evening will eventually be posted on the ROUTES page, but until then, please check it out here. This is only our second ride, so if you are interested in learning more about the Competitive Edge Cycling Club or need to sign a waiver, come on over to the shop early to speak with me or a shop employee. You can also download the waiver form from this blog (check out the right margin with all the info). We'll determine the pace of the ride before we ride out from the shop at 5:30pm. I'm really looking forward to riding with you all tonight!

jen

UPDATE! - The route has been posted on the ROUTES page!

Ride recap & tonight's rides...

Yesterday we had our first CEC Club Weekend Ride. Steve Wallbridge put an amazing route together that took us from the East Longmeadow shop through Hampden, Monson, Palmer...into Belchertown, back into Wilbraham and home. It was awesome! The weather was perfect. It was a little bit chilly at first, but as soon we got pedaling, it was perfect. Here's the recap:


Stay tuned to the blog for the next long weekend ride!

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Now for tonight's rides...

Since we got rained out last week, we are going to plan on riding the routes that we had planned for last week. Check out the ROUTES page for the maps.

As usual, we will be leaving promptly at 5:30PM, so please be ready to roll out at that time.

Now for the weather...there is a chance of thunderstorms tonight. We will wait until 3:30PM before we cancel the ride due to weather, but I have a feeling we'll be safe. Keep those fingers crossed and those eyeballs glued to the doppler!

CHECK THE WEATHER!!!!

See you all tonight!
-Scott

Amgen Tour Of California

just in case anyone wanted to watch the live stream of the tour:

WATCH IT HERE!

Enjoy. Don't forget about the group ride leaving the shop tomorrow morning. Now get out on your bikes on this beautiful day!

-Scott

muddy trails, fun times & the plan for this weekend...

Hi everyone!

It finally looks as though the rain will be moving out of here (at least for a while). I know we have had kind of a depressing week for riding on the road, but we did get a chance to get into the woods and even though it was raining, the trails are in amazing shape and the riding was super fun.

Well, last night's ride at Earl's was no exception. We had a huge turnout with some old and new faces. We worked our way through the mud and water and ended up with a pretty awesome ride. Those trails are some of my favorite ones that I have ever been on & the fact that I got to get out there with an awesome group of people made it even better.

Here's the recap for the ride:

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Now for some weekend plans. This Sunday, we are going to host our first longer group ride from the East Longmeadow shop. CEC ambassador, Steve Wallbridge, has put together a great 52 mile loop.

I posted the loop in the ROUTES section.

We are going to be meeting at the East Longmeadow shop at 8:30AM on Sunday and departing from the shop at 9AM sharp. Even though this will be a no drop ride, please make sure that you have looked at the route and know where we are going prior to the ride.

Also, since the shop will be closed when we leave, please make sure that you have enough tubes, water, food, etc. before you get to the shop Sunday morning.

Shoot me an email if anyone has any questions, otherwise I hope to see you all Sunday morning.

-Scott

Earl's Trails! Tonight!

Morning Everyone!

For tonight's mountain bike ride, we are going to be heading up to Hadley, MA to ride an awesome set of trails most commonly known as "Earl's".

The trails are an amazing set of twisty and somewhat challenging single track. Climbs, descents, roots, rocks and everything else that you would hope for in a mountain bike ride!

Here's where we are meeting: BAY RD. TENNIS CLUB


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Please plan on meeting up at 5:30ish as we are going to be rolling into the woods at 6PM sharp! We are riding rain or shine, so we'll see you all at the meeting spot!

-Scott

Women's Specific Road Ride - Recap of May 11th

Are you all as disappointed as I am that the ride is cancelled? Three weeks and only one ride. Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us next week. I'll post a route early next week for you all to review. We'll probably incorporate some of the more scenic and smooth roads that we took last week, as well as exploring roads south of Rt. 83 into CT.

Speaking of last week, it was a beautiful night to have the first ever EL CE Women's Specific Road Ride! There were 5 of us that road out of the shop, with talk of many more friends interested in joining in the future. We ended up extending the ride to 19.5 miles riding at a pace of 14-15mph. Thank you Kathy, Kristina, Lisha and Cheryl for a great ride!

If any of you ladies have any questions about the ride please don't hesitate to contact me (jennifer_audia@yahoo.com). Again, at the beginning of the next ride we'll assess the pace of the ride before we start. If we have a mixed group we'll definitely look for opportunities to provide a consistent pace as well as throwing in opportunities to charge up hills or even hit some town line sprints.

With this rain it is a good opportunity to give a little TLC to your bike. Stop in the shop to get a tune up or purchase some bike lube, spare tubes or Honey Stinger Waffles (ah-mazing!) to have with you on your next ride. The crew at any of the Competitive Edge locations will be more than happy to help you with any questions.

If there are any female mountain bikers out there, please come out tomorrow on the Earl's Trails Mountain Bike ride. It would be great to see some ladies out there! Also check back for details on this weekend's long road ride.

JEN

UGH! Rain...

As much as I would like to be on the road, the rain this week is making it next to impossible.

We are going to be canceling this evening's road rides (Hadley and East Longmeadow Women's). It is a totaly bummer, but we have a lot of the season left & we'll get plenty of rides in.

But fear not, at least we have the woods! A few of us are going to head over to Robinson State Park tonight to get a little muddy on our mountain bikes. If anyone would like to join us, we will be meeting HERE at 5:30 and rolling into the woods at 6PM sharp.

View Larger Map

Hope to see you there!
-Scott

Zipp/Felt Demo Recap:

So, I am sure that by now you are all as sick and tired of this rainy weather as I am. Unfortunately, we had to cancel last night's ride. Fortunately, the Zipp/Felt demo still happened. CJ from Zipp/Felt was on hand to show off this season's offering from Zipp. Bottom line...the wheels are amazing! Expensive? Yes. Worth every penny? TOTALLY!! If you haven't had a chance to hold a pair in your hands, chat with anyone about them, or get out on a pair...now's the time to head over to the shop and get the low-down.

Sean from Felt was also on hand to show off this season's line of Felt Bicycles. Even though it was raining, it didn't stop people from showing up and checking things out. The bikes look awesome!

So thanks to the shop for having the demo, CJ and Sean for coming out, and everyone that showed up in the rain to show their support! We will be planning on having another demo with Zipp & Felt soon, so stay tuned to the blog for all the details.

Now let's pray for that rain to get out of here! See everyone soon!
-Scott

CEC Group Ride - MONDAY May 16th

Hope everyone had a great weekend, got a little riding in and managed to stay dry today!

I've posted the routes in the ROUTES section of the blog. Check them out. I will be printing cue sheets so everyone can grab one before we leave, but PLEASE take a look at the route ahead of time so that if there are any questions, we can clear things up before the rides leave.

Don't forget that we are lucky to have Zipp and Felt at the shop tomorrow supplying demos of wheels and bikes. Check the post below for the event flyer with all the details.

Now, the weather looks a little rough for tomorrow. It is most likely going rain early in the day and leave us with scattered showers and thunderstorms. As usual, please email us or call the East Longmeadow shop after 3:30PM to find out if the ride is still on.

CHECK THE WEATHER!

If anyone has any questions, please email us. Otherwise, we'll see you at the shop for the ride!

-Scott

wild race day!!!

Hey Comp Edgers'....hope you all had a great weekend? I know mother nature has had a bit to say about the riding conditions but look how awesome the trees, grass, and flowers are looking! I did get a ride in yesterday at Robinson. There was just enough rain to keep the dust down and make the trails super sticky and fast...Today, on the other hand, is a whole different story!!! Made my way up to Winsted, CT and competed in the RT66 series mountain bike race along with some great friends. I don't even know how to describe it! Fun, yes....crazy, yup....insane, there was that as well. Dirty...no, filthie, thick, deep, slippery, wild and wet!!!! Great times and one we will talk about for years to come. Nate and Jen were killing it as usual, Royce and Jaymo...eh, yeah cat1 killers as well. I did ok myself...hopefully it was the begining of eliminating my sandbagger reputation (ha, ha...thanks Scott). I gotta say, I'm so grateful to be involved with such wonderful people in such an amazingly fun "sport". The enthusiasm you all bring to the rides is infectious. Hopefully the weather holds out for us tomorrow....but regardless, I'm pretty sure Shawn is putting on a Felt demo which is worth the price of admission. Even if the weather keeps us from rolling, I reccomend showing up to see what's new in the trailer!!!

Until then, be well, sleep tight, and ride on!

J E F F

ZIPP DEMO & FELT DEMO!

Click on the picture for a larger view. If anyone has any questions, please call the East Longmeadow shop for details. Hope to see you all there!

-Scott

better late than never

Hey Comp Edgers'...just wanted to thank those who came out to ride Shinipset last Thursday! What a great time, beautiful weather and amazing trails. Our group was 14 strong with some new faces which is always great to see. I haven't yet gotten myself set up with a Garmin, but it's safe to say we rode around 14 miles with 2000 ft of elevation....not bad!!! Lots of laughs, smiles, and a ride I will remember for a long, long time.

On another note, there is a mountain bike race on Sunday in Winsted, CT. Some of our fellow Comp Edge crazies are signed up to participate. If anyone is interested in coming out to cheer them on and have a good time, the address is 200 Williams ave, WInsted, CT 06098. Or better yet, come out, sign up, and give it a go....you can find out info by looking up the RT66 series races.

Alright my friends, I'm heading out to get my chores done then spend some time on the 29er. Have a great weekend, look forward to riding with you soon.

J E F F

Thursday Night Mountain Bike Ride

Hi Everyone. Sorry for the last minute post, but I have been knocked out with a mean case of the flu. Anyway, we are still planning on meeting over at the GULF RD entrance to Shenipsit.


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As usual, we are meeting there around 5:30PM and rolling into the woods at 6PM on the dot. Tonight's ride is going to be led by Jeff Landry and Royce.

If there are any questions, just let us know. Otherwise, I hope everyone has an amazing ride tonight!

Women's Specific Road Ride - May 11th

It looks like there is only sunshine in the forecast tomorrow, so that means we are on for our first women's specific road ride. We are going to stick to the route posted for last week which you can view on the ROUTES page under "Wednesday May 4th 2011: East Longmeadow Women's Group Ride". Again, the pace will be determined by the riders that show, but regardless, it is a no drop ride. Please remember to come a little early if you want to sign up for the CEC Club or if you have not signed a waiver. You can also download the waiver form and bring it with you tomorrow (see in right hand column of this page under "Group Rides 2011").

If you have any questions about the ride or the club, please feel free to email us.

Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

RIDE RECAP: Monday Night Club Ride

We had another great night for rides last night as the A & B groups set out for Wilbraham and surrounding areas.

Jen and Tim took out the B group and even though the route was only 26 miles, they managed to tack on another 7 ending the ride with 32 miles! Nice job everyone! And thanks to Jena and Tim for leading the ride.

The A group went out toward Crane Hill road in Wilbraham for a nice little climb. We ended up switching the loop a little bit and adding an extra hill. It was totally worth it. Even though we ended up with less mileage than we planned, it was still an awesome ride.

Here's the recap for the A Group:

Thanks again to everyone that came out & remember that we have the ladies ride and the Hadley ride going out tomorrow. Stay tuned for those routes! See you all soon.

-Scott

CEC Group Ride - MONDAY May 9th

I'm staring out the window right now at what looks to be the start of an absolutely beautiful day & a perfect day for a bike ride.

I've posted the routes in the ROUTES section of the blog. Check them out. I will be printing cue sheets so everyone can grab one before we leave, but PLEASE take a look at the route ahead of time so that if there are any questions, we can clear things up before the rides leave.

Here's the plan for tonight's rides:

Both groups will be leaving the shop at the same time and traveling out of East Longmeadow and into Wilbraham together. Since we will be together for this first part of the ride, we will keep the pace at a minimum (16-17mph) until the groups split apart.

Both groups will turn right onto Soule Rd. in Wilbraham and that is where the groups will split.

Tonight's weather looks really promising. It may be a little bit windy, but the temperature is going to be perfect!

CHECK THE WEATHER!

The sun is setting tonight @ 7:58 and since we are planning on 40 miles for the A Group, please make sure that everyone is at the shop and ready to roll out at 5:30 on the dot.

If anyone has any questions, please email us. Otherwise, we'll see you at the shop for the ride!

-Scott

RIDE RECAP: Robinson Mountain Bike Ride

I want to thank everyone that came out for last night's ride at Robinson. It was great! There were ten of us that showed up, which is way more than I had expected. And we got to get out with Sean and Steve Rossi. It was great seeing Steve. Not only does he keep those trails in perfect condition, but he knows those trails better than anyone else I have ever met. It's awesome to watch him ride.

Well, here's the recap of the ride:

Since we had such a great crew for this ride, we will be moving to Shenipsit next week. Stay tuned for all the details.

See you all then!
-Scott

Good times

Ride Recap & More!

So, Monday's rides were nothing short of awesome! We had about 25-30 people there for our opening night of the 2011 season. We split into our A and B groups and hit the road.

Even though the B group's route was supposed to be 27 miles, they ended up with about 32 coming back to the shop just before 8PM. Awesome job everyone!

The A group went out on the scheduled loop. We rode fast for the first CEC group ride of the season, but everyone was riding so well that we couldn't help it. Here's the recap of the A group ride:


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In case you notice...it poured all day long. That meant no rides for us tonight. So hopefully we'll see all the ladies at the East Longmeadow shop & everyone else at the Hadley shop next week.

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Finally, tomorrow is our first mountain bike ride. We are going to start the season off at Robinson State Park. We'll meet HERE at 5:30PM and roll into the woods no later than 6PM. The weather could go either way tomorrow, but in true mountain bike fashion, we will ride rain or shine!

If anyone has any questions, let me know. Otherwise, we'll see you out there!

-Scott

Women's Specific Group Ride

Good afternoon! This post is for the ladies, tomorrow we are planning our first women's specific group ride at 5:30pm out of the East Longmeadow shop. It looks like we'll see some rain in the morning and possibly a couple showers in the evening. If we need to cancel the ride due to wet roads and rain, I will post a cancellation notice on the blog by 4pm, and you can always call the shop for info, 413-737-7495.

This is the first women's specific ride, so we are going to take things slow to start off, and gauge the pace and distance by those that come out. I've planned a 15 mile loop with very minimal elevation gain. I'm working on posting the route on the "Routes" page but we'll be staying pretty close to the shop(Route Link). If there is an interest to hit some hills and add a few miles, we'll definitely do so.

As Scott mentioned in his recent emails and post yesterday, in preparation for the rides, please make sure that your bikes are ready. If you are at all concerned about this please don't hesitate to touch base with me (jennifer_audia@yahoo.com) or the shop tonight or before the ride tomorrow. Also, everyone who rides will be required to have a signed waiver and/or sign up for the CEC Club (check out Scott's post on 4.26 for details). If you haven't signed up for the CEC Club yet you can do that tomorrow but plan at least 30 minutes to complete the application and still be ready to ride.

I'm really looking forward to meeting you all and riding with you this season. Hope to see you tomorrow!

CEC Group Rides!

Morning! I have uploaded the routes for tomorrow's ride to the blog. This season, instead of posting the routes directly into these posts, I have created a separate page that will keep all the routes in one place and nicely organized. If you look at the tabs underneath the header graphic, you will see a ROUTES tab. Click on that to see the routes for the upcoming rides.

Now, the weather for tomorrow looks a little questionable.

CHECK THE WEATHER HERE!

Keep your eyes peeled on skies and if there is any question whether or not the rides are going out, please call the shop to confirm(413-737-7495). We will cancel the ride at 4PM at the latest.

In preparation for the rides, please make sure that your bikes are ready and you have a signed waiver. And if you haven't signed up for the CEC Club yet, now's your chance. If you are planning on signing up for the club tomorrow, please plan at least 30 minutes to complete the application and still be ready to ride.

See everyone out there!

-Scott