The summer is nearly over and 2021 is slowly drawing to a close. We as a club managed to get a few things back up and running this year. The twilight road series had some fits and starts but even though we had to deal with Covid issues and a seemingly unrelenting amount of smoke we still managed to get in several good races. We plan on a better season next year and we will have the Twilight Mountain Bike series going. Cyclocross is coming up and we have a schedule up and races planned so keep an eye out for that.
In the next few months the Reno Wheelmen will be having their Board of Directors nominations and elections. This is an opportunity for you to get involved with the direction that the Wheelmen will take going forward. Running the events, organizing rides, planning out the year, and all the other things we do are spread out over a small group of dedicated individuals (many of whom have been doing this for a long time) and we would like your help. Please consider being on the Board or on one of the event committees as well as helping out at events when you can. We all like the benefit of being able to participate in the activities put on by the Wheelmen, but these don’t happen without the people that do the work in the background.
The bicycle industry has been a crazy place the last year and a half as many of you know, putting a lot more pressure on people such as myself trying to keep up with demand and find parts and bicycles for customers at the same time juggling a smaller available labor base. That has put a lot of constraints on the time I have available to handle both my personal life and business as well as the time I have to dedicate to the Reno Wheelmen. I cannot continue to do both well and as a result the tasks I have been taking on for the Reno Wheelmen have suffered and my responsibilities have not been taken care of as well as they should.
It has been a pleasure to serve as the Board President, along with several other positions on the Board, for more than a decade. I will not be continuing as President or as a board member next year. I have also been running the Twilight Road Series for the club since the 2006 season for a total of 16 years. I will continue to do so for next year although I am hoping to be able to start training a replacement next year so we can have a smooth transition. I will continue to be around and to help when I can but its time for a much-needed break.
If you want to see the club continue on being a success please consider stepping up to the plate to take on some of the bigger tasks at hand, the more people we get the more we can spread out the workload and make it easier on all of us. Thanks again for being a member and for the support you have given to me, the Board, and the Reno Wheelmen.
Cheers,
Rich
Announcements
TWILIGHT ROAD SERIES
Thanks for a great season!
TWILIGHT MOUNTAIN SERIES
We are in need of a race director! Got what it takes? Inquire within.
SAGEBRUSH CX SERIES
Cross is here, get all the details.
Get Involved
Photos Wanted
Stylin’ pictures? Send them to us or tag #RenoWheelmen on your post.
Volunteers Needed
Lead a ride? Run a race series? Register racers? Contribute to your community? Contact us.
Sponsor Spotlight: Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC)
The Wheelmen Kit has changed over the years. Some of you may still have the red, white and blue, others the mustard and navy and now to our current design. However, regardless of colors, a constant for 20+ years is the SNC logo. We are honored and grateful to spotlight this dedicated and generous sponsor in Volume 2 of our newsletter! With over 5000 employees, SNC is headquartered in Sparks, NV., but also has 40+ locations around the globe. The company was involved in over 400 successful space missions, and built the cargo Dream Chaser, which will resupply the International Space Station. Their innovative approach to solving global problems have earned them many accolades including:
• 2021 US Best Managed Company
• Tier 1 Superior Supplier for U.S. Air Force
• Fastest Growing Women-Owned Company in North America
They bring international recognition to our region and support our community in many ways. The Wheelmen have benefitted from their continued support.
Thank you SNC!
Who are they? SNC is a trusted leader in engineering answers to the world’s toughest challenges delivering end-to-end advanced technology solutions in space, aviation, electronics and systems integration. For more than 50 years, customers have turned to SNC, not only for their expertise in innovation, but for their reputation of delivering results on time and under-budget.
Reno Wheelmen Support
Generous financial contribution to support club operations
Member Spotlight: Danny Wasson
If you have competed in any Reno Wheelmen races in the last 25 years, you may have seen our spotlighted member, Danny Wasson—he’s been racing in the Twilight or Sagebrush series since 1995! Growing up in Lone Pine, CA. Back in the days of kid-supported transportation, he started with his BMX bike. The riding stuck with Danny.
When he and his wife bought their first house, mountain biking became a way to stay in shape. Since they were living closer to Reno, his competitive side sought out racing. Dan Brown introduced him to the Reno Wheelmen and he’s been wearing our kit ever since. Besides racing in the Twilight and Sagebrush series, he has been a board member and a long-time volunteer, often helping out a course set-up and tear down.“I mostly ride the cyclocross series. I will make an appearance one in awhile to some of the Tuesday night Twilights, but my job at Quality Bike Products (QBP) makes it rough to race the entire series.” We can relate!
Danny’s favorite places to ride are local- out the door in Loyalton or the gravel in Antelope Valley. One of his favorite ride stories happened just that way. On his birthday last year, he ventured out his front door for a 100mi. Loyalton Loop gravel grinder. He was lucky enough to connect with pro riders, Levi Leipheimer and Peter Stetina! They invited Danny to join them (how cool is that!) and share the hurt to Hallelujah Junction where they gave him food and sugar for the ride back to Reno. He burned every match to stay on their wheels, but it was a happy burn and the best birthday surprise any of us could have wished for!
Training tip — Boost Your Riding with BCAAs
Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) are widely known in weight-lifting circles, but they can also benefit cyclists and endurance athletes. BCAA’s may help burn belly fat, subdue cravings, improve endurance, build lean tissue, sharpen mental focus, improve immunity, and help with muscle repair.
Most notable BCAA’s are valine, leucine, and isoleucine. These are the building blocks of protein which in turn are the building blocks of muscle. According to professional athlete and exercise physiologist Magdalena Boulet, “BCAA’s account for 33 percent of muscle tissue and stimulate the building of protein in muscle and reduce muscle breakdown.”
Depending on your size and how active you are, experts recommend getting about 1,000 to 2,000mg daily. According to the American College of Sports Medicine that’s 0.5 to 0.8gm of protein per pound of body weight for active adults. Our bodies can only assimilate so much protein at one time, therefore it’s best to spread it out throughout the day - around 20 to 30gm with every meal and snack.
Excellent sources include lean meat, poultry, fish, soy foods, eggs, dairy (especially yogurt), and nuts and seeds. While most can get the recommended amount via a well-rounded diet, for those consuming a low protein diet or cyclists who are training hard and putting in high mileage can choose to supplement BCAA’s in pill or powder form.
Local TrailSpotlight: Ballardini Ranch Trail
Up for short mountain or gravel bike trail ride here in town? If the answer is yes, check out the Ballardini Ranch Trailhead in South West Reno. Search for directions on the web, the official address is:
8745 Lone Tree Ln
Reno, NV 89511
A relatively new trail that is part of the Washoe County Park system. At just over 2 miles in length, the figure 8 trail has and upper and lower section. The upper is West of the paved parking area and the longer of the 2 sections. The lower section is East of the parking lot.
There are vault toilets at the the parking area as well as a kiosk with a map. Like other trails in the Washoe County Park system, it is multi-use and is open cyclists, hikers, and equestrian users. The trail is single track and gravel. There may be future extensions to the trail.
The Ballardini Ranch Trail makes a nice quick option for an after work ride. With the short length, maybe more than one lap will be in order. The views are great.
Reno Wheelmen Board
Rich Paul, President
Rik Eckert, Vice President
Jenny Frayer, Treasurer
Lucie Oren, Secretary
Members
Amy Chatowsky
Jonnie Diederich
Ron Patch
Coby Rowe
Blake Shane
Board Meetings are open to all members and we need you! On the first Monday of every month we meet at Eclipse Pizza and start at 6:30 pm. We need more participation from our members so please email the board for opportunities to volunteer!
A Trip to USAC Nationals
By Rich Paul
The cycle has started again it seems. Every 5 or so years my level of activity on my bike seems to rise and fall fairly predictably. Life gets in the way of being able to ride as much as I would like, fitness goes away and weight comes back on and then after a few years I get some motivation and shed the weight, gain some fitness, and realize that in the next year or two I am going to be at the bottom of my age bracket once again when it comes to USAC age groups.
After a fairly solid year last year of 6,000 miles, I decided to up my goal for the year to 9,000 and work on eating healthier and losing a bit of the weight that had tacked on over the previous 4 years. My riding volume and intensity picked up, I lost 40 pounds, and was so far ahead of my goal I adjusted it to 12,000 miles (which at the moment I am also now ahead of schedule) for the year. Thoughts of going to Nationals hadn’t really crept into my head until Dan Dugan ( Reno Wheelmen sponsor with his company Trial Science) mentioned in June that Masters Road Nationals was going to be held in Albuquerque, NM the first weekend in August. That gave me approximately 5-6 weeks to get my act together and participate.
I arranged to stay with a friend and former Reno Wheelmen Member Janice Duis while I was there, and lined up a TT bike and the necessary equipment to give the time trial a go thanks to David Greif. I didn’t do any specific training for the event, just kept on plugging away at my miles (mostly indoor due to various circumstances) and tried to be consistent on my efforts. Ultimately, I wanted to go down and get a data set to use for training for next year when I once again will be at the bottom of my age group (55-59).
If you have not yet been to a USAC Nationals Event and participated I highly suggest to give it a try. I have attended 4 different events: 24hour MTB Nationals in Colorado Springs in 2012 in support of the winning 35+ mens team, 2018 Cyclocross Nationals here in Reno, 2019 MTB Nationals in Winter Park Colorado, and now 2021 Masters Road Nationals. Of all the events so far my least favorite has been Road Nationals. The cross and mountain bike events are generally held in one spot for all of the disciplines, and so far the promoters have over the course of the event held open “Non-Championship” categories for those that may not qualify or have a desire to compete in the championship event. There are usually lots of vendors and generally a party like atmosphere. Road nationals on the other hand was somewhat condensed to championship only races, venues at various parts in the city, and no real atmosphere surrounding them. You basically showed up, warmed up for your event, and either left afterwards (TT and Road) or possibly hung out to cheer on teammates for the Criterium events. Nonetheless it was still a lot of fun at the TT to see familiar names and faces, other competitors bikes and equipment, and to participate in what was a very well oiled event.
My personal effort could have been better. It had been a bit since I last rode a contraption with aero bars so I didn’t feel as stable as I would have liked. Overall my time was nearly 9 minutes slower over the same distance as my PR 25 years ago. I feel I’m fitter now and can beat that time, but I was spending more time preparing back then for the TT. If matched my PRI would have made the podium. As it was I am technically the 11th fastest person in the country in my age group. I know there are a lot more people faster than me that didn’t show up, but like the lottery, if you don’t play you don’t win. I also got some good data to use for next year and will try not to procrastinate for 11 and a half months with my position and training.
If you get the opportunity to go and participate in a nationals event seize it. Enjoy the camaraderie, the venue, the event itself and no matter how you do, take pride in the fact that you made the attempt. I hope to see you at the next one that I go to.
At Le Tour: Stage 15
by Amy Chatowsky
Letter from the President
The summer is nearly over and 2021 is slowly drawing to a close. We as a club managed to get a few things back up and running this year. The twilight road series had some fits and starts but even though we had to deal with Covid issues and a seemingly unrelenting amount of smoke we still managed to get in several good races. We plan on a better season next year and we will have the Twilight Mountain Bike series going. Cyclocross is coming up and we have a schedule up and races planned so keep an eye out for that.
In the next few months the Reno Wheelmen will be having their Board of Directors nominations and elections. This is an opportunity for you to get involved with the direction that the Wheelmen will take going forward. Running the events, organizing rides, planning out the year, and all the other things we do are spread out over a small group of dedicated individuals (many of whom have been doing this for a long time) and we would like your help. Please consider being on the Board or on one of the event committees as well as helping out at events when you can. We all like the benefit of being able to participate in the activities put on by the Wheelmen, but these don’t happen without the people that do the work in the background.
The bicycle industry has been a crazy place the last year and a half as many of you know, putting a lot more pressure on people such as myself trying to keep up with demand and find parts and bicycles for customers at the same time juggling a smaller available labor base. That has put a lot of constraints on the time I have available to handle both my personal life and business as well as the time I have to dedicate to the Reno Wheelmen. I cannot continue to do both well and as a result the tasks I have been taking on for the Reno Wheelmen have suffered and my responsibilities have not been taken care of as well as they should.
It has been a pleasure to serve as the Board President, along with several other positions on the Board, for more than a decade. I will not be continuing as President or as a board member next year. I have also been running the Twilight Road Series for the club since the 2006 season for a total of 16 years. I will continue to do so for next year although I am hoping to be able to start training a replacement next year so we can have a smooth transition. I will continue to be around and to help when I can but its time for a much-needed break.
If you want to see the club continue on being a success please consider stepping up to the plate to take on some of the bigger tasks at hand, the more people we get the more we can spread out the workload and make it easier on all of us. Thanks again for being a member and for the support you have given to me, the Board, and the Reno Wheelmen.
Cheers,
Rich
Announcements
TWILIGHT ROAD SERIES
Thanks for a great season!
TWILIGHT MOUNTAIN SERIES
We are in need of a race director! Got what it takes? Inquire within.
SAGEBRUSH CX SERIES
Cross is here, get all the details.
Get Involved
Photos Wanted
Stylin’ pictures? Send them to us or tag #RenoWheelmen on your post.
Volunteers Needed
Lead a ride? Run a race series? Register racers? Contribute to your community? Contact us.
Sponsor Spotlight: Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC)
The Wheelmen Kit has changed over the years. Some of you may still have the red, white and blue, others the mustard and navy and now to our current design. However, regardless of colors, a constant for 20+ years is the SNC logo. We are honored and grateful to spotlight this dedicated and generous sponsor in Volume 2 of our newsletter! With over 5000 employees, SNC is headquartered in Sparks, NV., but also has 40+ locations around the globe. The company was involved in over 400 successful space missions, and built the cargo Dream Chaser, which will resupply the International Space Station. Their innovative approach to solving global problems have earned them many accolades including:
• 2021 US Best Managed Company
• Tier 1 Superior Supplier for U.S. Air Force
• Fastest Growing Women-Owned Company in North America
They bring international recognition to our region and support our community in many ways. The Wheelmen have benefitted from their continued support.
Thank you SNC!
Who are they? SNC is a trusted leader in engineering answers to the world’s toughest challenges delivering end-to-end advanced technology solutions in space, aviation, electronics and systems integration. For more than 50 years, customers have turned to SNC, not only for their expertise in innovation, but for their reputation of delivering results on time and under-budget.
Reno Wheelmen Support
Generous financial contribution to support club operations
Member Spotlight: Danny Wasson
Training tip — Boost Your Riding with BCAAs
Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) are widely known in weight-lifting circles, but they can also benefit cyclists and endurance athletes. BCAA’s may help burn belly fat, subdue cravings, improve endurance, build lean tissue, sharpen mental focus, improve immunity, and help with muscle repair.
Most notable BCAA’s are valine, leucine, and isoleucine. These are the building blocks of protein which in turn are the building blocks of muscle. According to professional athlete and exercise physiologist Magdalena Boulet, “BCAA’s account for 33 percent of muscle tissue and stimulate the building of protein in muscle and reduce muscle breakdown.”
Depending on your size and how active you are, experts recommend getting about 1,000 to 2,000mg daily. According to the American College of Sports Medicine that’s 0.5 to 0.8gm of protein per pound of body weight for active adults. Our bodies can only assimilate so much protein at one time, therefore it’s best to spread it out throughout the day - around 20 to 30gm with every meal and snack.
Excellent sources include lean meat, poultry, fish, soy foods, eggs, dairy (especially yogurt), and nuts and seeds. While most can get the recommended amount via a well-rounded diet, for those consuming a low protein diet or cyclists who are training hard and putting in high mileage can choose to supplement BCAA’s in pill or powder form.
Local TrailSpotlight: Ballardini Ranch Trail
Up for short mountain or gravel bike trail ride here in town? If the answer is yes, check out the Ballardini Ranch Trailhead in South West Reno. Search for directions on the web, the official address is:
8745 Lone Tree Ln
Reno, NV 89511
A relatively new trail that is part of the Washoe County Park system. At just over 2 miles in length, the figure 8 trail has and upper and lower section. The upper is West of the paved parking area and the longer of the 2 sections. The lower section is East of the parking lot.
There are vault toilets at the the parking area as well as a kiosk with a map. Like other trails in the Washoe County Park system, it is multi-use and is open cyclists, hikers, and equestrian users. The trail is single track and gravel. There may be future extensions to the trail.
The Ballardini Ranch Trail makes a nice quick option for an after work ride. With the short length, maybe more than one lap will be in order. The views are great.
Reno Wheelmen Board
Rich Paul, President
Rik Eckert, Vice President
Jenny Frayer, Treasurer
Lucie Oren, Secretary
Members
Amy Chatowsky
Jonnie Diederich
Ron Patch
Coby Rowe
Blake Shane
Board Meetings are open to all members and we need you! On the first Monday of every month we meet at Eclipse Pizza and start at 6:30 pm. We need more participation from our members so please email the board for opportunities to volunteer!
A Trip to USAC Nationals
By Rich Paul
The cycle has started again it seems. Every 5 or so years my level of activity on my bike seems to rise and fall fairly predictably. Life gets in the way of being able to ride as much as I would like, fitness goes away and weight comes back on and then after a few years I get some motivation and shed the weight, gain some fitness, and realize that in the next year or two I am going to be at the bottom of my age bracket once again when it comes to USAC age groups.
After a fairly solid year last year of 6,000 miles, I decided to up my goal for the year to 9,000 and work on eating healthier and losing a bit of the weight that had tacked on over the previous 4 years. My riding volume and intensity picked up, I lost 40 pounds, and was so far ahead of my goal I adjusted it to 12,000 miles (which at the moment I am also now ahead of schedule) for the year. Thoughts of going to Nationals hadn’t really crept into my head until Dan Dugan ( Reno Wheelmen sponsor with his company Trial Science) mentioned in June that Masters Road Nationals was going to be held in Albuquerque, NM the first weekend in August. That gave me approximately 5-6 weeks to get my act together and participate.
I arranged to stay with a friend and former Reno Wheelmen Member Janice Duis while I was there, and lined up a TT bike and the necessary equipment to give the time trial a go thanks to David Greif. I didn’t do any specific training for the event, just kept on plugging away at my miles (mostly indoor due to various circumstances) and tried to be consistent on my efforts. Ultimately, I wanted to go down and get a data set to use for training for next year when I once again will be at the bottom of my age group (55-59).
If you have not yet been to a USAC Nationals Event and participated I highly suggest to give it a try. I have attended 4 different events: 24hour MTB Nationals in Colorado Springs in 2012 in support of the winning 35+ mens team, 2018 Cyclocross Nationals here in Reno, 2019 MTB Nationals in Winter Park Colorado, and now 2021 Masters Road Nationals. Of all the events so far my least favorite has been Road Nationals. The cross and mountain bike events are generally held in one spot for all of the disciplines, and so far the promoters have over the course of the event held open “Non-Championship” categories for those that may not qualify or have a desire to compete in the championship event. There are usually lots of vendors and generally a party like atmosphere. Road nationals on the other hand was somewhat condensed to championship only races, venues at various parts in the city, and no real atmosphere surrounding them. You basically showed up, warmed up for your event, and either left afterwards (TT and Road) or possibly hung out to cheer on teammates for the Criterium events. Nonetheless it was still a lot of fun at the TT to see familiar names and faces, other competitors bikes and equipment, and to participate in what was a very well oiled event.
My personal effort could have been better. It had been a bit since I last rode a contraption with aero bars so I didn’t feel as stable as I would have liked. Overall my time was nearly 9 minutes slower over the same distance as my PR 25 years ago. I feel I’m fitter now and can beat that time, but I was spending more time preparing back then for the TT. If matched my PRI would have made the podium. As it was I am technically the 11th fastest person in the country in my age group. I know there are a lot more people faster than me that didn’t show up, but like the lottery, if you don’t play you don’t win. I also got some good data to use for next year and will try not to procrastinate for 11 and a half months with my position and training.
If you get the opportunity to go and participate in a nationals event seize it. Enjoy the camaraderie, the venue, the event itself and no matter how you do, take pride in the fact that you made the attempt. I hope to see you at the next one that I go to.
