I would like to share my reflection on this year with the team. It has been one of the best years of my racing career. I've accomplished so much, including podium finishes, riding some amazing race courses, and establishing a Tuesday Night Time Trial. I've also had some challenges, including finishing near last in the standings at one race, and enduring the agonizing wait for a broken frame replacement. I am happy to be part of the Team BBC community, and I think it has been a great fit. I hope you can take the time to read this synopsis of my first year with Team BBC.
I found the team through a search for some winter riding buddies. I was on the Baltimore Bicycle Club website and found the posting for some rides out of Oregon Ridge Park in Baltimore County. Not knowing what to expect, I showed up and met Gary Kelly. Gary pretty much ripped me up on that cold Sunday in December. I remember thinking "I had better shape up--these guys are fast!" As 2008 gave way to 2009, I would meet the rest of the crew. Esther, Jeff, Brian Blackford, Matt, and John Scott welcomed me to squad. I signed up for the team and looked forward to riding my first races in Maryland.
My race season began early, in February. Having grown up in Minnesota, I never had a chance to be in a road race on my birthday. But on February 22nd of this year, I was riding on the course at the Trade Zone training crit. This was a great way to get warmed up for the races ahead.
The rest of spring went really well. My favorite had to be Fawn Grove. This course mixed steep gravel ascents and twisty descents with incredibly fast, paved sections. I took 3rd place in PA that day, and I can't wait to get back there next year.
The very next weekend we had terrible weather, but this made for great racing. The temps were in the mid 40's, winds were blowing hard, and rain pelted down on us. The cold temps motivated me to ride hard. The effort paid off--Mount Joy was my first ever 1st place in a road race. At this race, I realized the benefit of having pink on the uniform. When looking around in the pack to spot teammates, the pink shoulders of our kits stand out, no matter how blinding the wind and rain might be.
I also had a chance to do a little promotion this year. While not a team event, the Tuesday Night Time Trials were a blast. The 14 mile course starts out of Butler, MD. It includes sustained climbing, fast descents, steep climbs, rollers, and (aero proving) flat sections, all in a route that can be completed inside an hour. The TNTT was a good way to judge performance development over the season. It also gave me an opportunity to adjust my TT position. Ultimately the best part about this free event was meeting other riders. Word of mouth let the little TT grow and we saw some pretty fast times.
While sprinting to a top 15 finish at the Carl Dolan circuit race, my Salsa was making a nasty noise. Later, while cleaning the bike, I found a crack under the paint on the bottom bracket. This meant a sad end to the best riding frame I had ever raced. The fact that the warranty had expired only 30 days before did not improve my hopes for racing a light bike again in the near future. The folks at Hunt Valley Bikes really stood behind me and talked Salsa into covering the broken frame. It wasn't long before I was on a new Salsa. And man, can those guys make a bike right! This thing corners like a roller coaster, sprints like a hungry cheetah, and it's still comfy on a long ride.
I got the new frame built up in time for a stage race out in Washington County. Despite the sweet new ride, it was not my weekend to perform. I was blown off the back of the pack on the hilly and windy race course. The road race stage ended with me way off the lead pace. Discouraged, I thought about giving up on the next two days races to save any more embarrassment. Thankfully I went back, put in a good time at the TT, and barely hung on in the crit to finish (2nd to last) on the General Classification (GC). Normally, just finishing is not my goal, but when I saw that 20 or so others did not make that it that far, I felt better about my performance.
In June, I did one of the most important rides of the year. The Maryland MS 150 is a big deal for Rachel and me. It has become a solid event in our relationship. This was our 3rd year riding 150 miles together for MS. As a fund raising ploy, I challenged my friends to help me break the one thousand dollar mark. As a thank you, I promised to ride all 150 miles on a fixed gear bike. In short, largely due to donations made by the team members, I rode without coasting for all 100 miles on Saturday and 50 more on Sunday.
On weekends when I wasn't racing or on summer evenings after work, I'd head out for a group ride. One of the great things about Team BBC has to be the group rides. I know, I know, every team has group rides. But the BBC rides have so many options. We might do a speed work out, or we might have chat ride. I was attracted to BBC because of the group rides, and they have never disappointed. I invited the team to come out to central Howard County to enjoy the rolling hills and long flat sections that area offers. Those who did come out enjoyed a high tempo workout. There are some talented and fast riders on this team, and this was a great way to hone the teamwork that will bring us some podiums.
As the summer gave way to fall, I prepped for what would be my biggest race of the year. Rachel and I had entered in the Savage Man Tri as members of a relay team. This bike course is grueling and amazing. It has to be the toughest time trial anywhere, period. The route includes climbs over 7 miles long, grades of 22% to 31%, and attainment of descent speeds pushing 50 mph. Unlike other races of this distance, (55 miles) I was on my own. The pace I picked at mile 1 had to hold at mile 55. In the end, I had a top 3 time for my relay division, and I had a top 10 time overall. Considering the distance and the pro level competition, this was my best performance of the year. I couldn't have attained this level of performance without the support of the BBC race team.
All in all, the group rides, the team support, and the new friends have made for my best season on a bike yet. I look forward to my 2nd year with Team BBC, and I know there will be more to come.
Ride on!
Aaron (mojo) Mongeau Updated 1/8/2010
