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Case Cycling's track team, the reigning MWCCC champs. From left to rigth: (back): Avery Cross, Matthew Swartwout, Dan Segal, Sam Sprawls, Dan Muskin-Pierret, Evan Guarr (front): Anneke Frankemolle, Daniela Mehech, Jenna Tomasevich, Mallory Busso, Eric Silverman, David Takahashi. Photo credit: Gary Burkholder.

Case Cycling finished the collegiate track season on September 22nd by achieving its second-ever national ranking.

Only in its second year, Case Cycling’s track program sent two riders to the USA Cycling (USAC) Collegiate Track Nationals in Colorado Springs, CO. Graduate student Jenna Tomasevich and senior David Takahashi competed over three days of intense racing against the best in the country. Tomasevich placed 48th in the Individual Women's Omnium and scored enough points to place Case Western Reserve University in 15th place overall for Division II.

Tomasevich had this to say about her experience at Track Nationals:

“Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be racing at nationals when I started as an undergrad at Case five years ago … [and] I couldn’t be prouder to have represented my wonderful team and my university at the national level.

The route for Jarrod's 40th Birthday Century Ride. Photo by Jarrod Zickefoose. 

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“How do you want to celebrate your birthday?” my friend Katie asked.

“Let’s take a bike ride, a long one,” I answered.

And just like that, we were planning my first century ride.

We settled on Sunday, Aug. 18, two days after my 40th birthday. I created a Facebook event page. The invitation read, “This is a joy ride to celebrate friendship, bikes and aging with grace and purpose.”

In addition to Katie, two other riders, Austin and Frank, decided to come along. We planned to leave from Lakewood Park. We would head southwest to Oberlin, northwest to Huron, and east from there to Cleveland.

A steel drum band entertained Saturday evening during registration.

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I rolled into Hancock County with a trunk full of bicycle parts and about 1000 copies of the Great Lakes Courier. I was there for the Hancock Horizontal Hundred, the long running classic century tour, organized by the Hancock Handlebars club, through the flat cornfields of Western Ohio. The newspapers were for the nearly 1000 people who signed up for the tour. The bicycle parts were pieces of the bike I planned to ride. You read that correctly: I planned to assemble my bike in a hotel room and take it on its maiden voyage, a century ride, the next day. What could possibly go wrong?

Beer armor, PBR, and Moosehead - beer costumes spanning the globe!

Beer Lovers and Bike Lovers Unite! Cleveland Beer Week is October 18 through 26, and you can help kick it off with Cleveland Beer Week's only bicycle-themed event!

Join Century Cycles as they close out their 19th season of Night Rides on the Towpath Trail with their 4th Annual "All Hail the Ale!" Night Ride on the Towpath Trail. The fun begins at 7:00pm in the parking lot of the Century Cycles store in Peninsula, Ohio (1621 Main Street), where you can cycle-your-own smoothies using the blender bike! Arrive a little early to allow time for parking and getting your bike and gear ready. You'll need your own bicycle, helmet, and a headlight. The store will be open before the ride starts in case you need to purchase any gear or need help with your bike.

Have you seen this hiker? Nope was usually the answer by other thru-hikers.

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Wednesday…SKYLINE DRIVE, HERE WE COME!

In the rain. We packed up camp and headed to breakfast at a quaint little coffee shop before ascending straight up a mountain for 4 continuous miles. Or was it 5? It all blends together.

As I was checking the ‘Book, I made a nice little discovery that brightened my overcast morning. Seems the Frienemies were quoted $20 at the bunk house when they arrived. “I thought it was $10” says Frienemy #3. “It is” says Dennis, “But for PGH, its $20. 10 for the bunk. The other 10 goes to Bike Cleveland.” BOOM.

Anyhow, we were off: SkylineDriveSkylineDriveSkylineDrive!

Just to help you put this into perspective, this is the elevation profile of the next 105 miles we were riding with fully loaded bikes of pannier gear goodness and IPAs: http://goo.gl/FPT8gn.

And THIS is a detailed look at our first 35 miles… (pay special attention to those first 5 miles, will ya?): http://goo.gl/1ItKV6

CLIMBING LOVE. And actually, it was. ...

Jerry Layne, a yearly participant of The Dead Ride

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Every year, Crank-Set Rides hosts a ridiculous Zombie-themed event called The Dead Ride. Picture it: hundreds of cyclists on bikes... dressed as the undead. Drooling, moaning, peeling skin off their arms and picking bones out of their teeth.

This is the season to get in the spirit of zombies and mix it up with riding in Cleveland's amazing fall weather. The ride started in 2010, at Cranky's Pub on W25, where Crank-Set also hosted an Alley-Cat race to accompany it. The riders get their makeup done, ride around town, stop at various localities to terrorize the city a bit, and then end with a great after party. It truly is a unique event.

In recent years, The Dead Ride has been hosted at Lincoln Park Pub, to help accommodate the hundreds of participants on their large back patio. The site of this is most definitely a memory to keep. Usually a dozen makeup artists will dress your wounds (with more blood) and send you off on your most interesting evening.

Playing "Follow the Waterfront Trail"...

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The following is the story of the last six days of my 11 day self-supported bicycle trip around Lake Erie told through my posts to social media during the journey.

Wednesday, May 29
dispatch from Turkey Point, Ontario: Had a great day staying with Jessica and family as she recovered from her crash. I charged the zipline course through the forest canopy at Eco-Point. Nice to have a day off the saddle to prepare for the 100km+ to Long Beach tomorrow...

After unexpectedly losing a day, I surmised my journey would best be served by sticking to my original route to explore lower Ontario, but return by train from Buffalo in time for work Monday morning. My plan was to take the most direct route to the next evening’s destination: Long Beach in Wainfleet, Ontario. After getting into a good groove for the first 40km (25 miles), a sign marking the “Waterfront Trail” coerced me from the main thoroughfare and back to the lakefront. Meandering along the lakeshore, passing through picturesque farmland and stretches lined by cottages was so enjoyable that I gave up on making good time. After eating lunch at another empty provincial park, I continued following the shore with a detour to the tiny hamlet of Port MaitIand, and finally arrived by nightfall at Tim and Jackie’s summer cottage on Long Beach.

VeloSano, an annual cycling event to raise money for cancer research, has joined with two inaugural funding partners, ensuring that 100 percent of all proceeds will benefit life-saving cancer research at Cleveland Clinic. Inaugural founding partners include the Cleveland Indians and The Donna M. and Stewart A. Kohl Fund at the Cleveland Foundation. Supporting partners are MCPc and KeyBank.

Railroad crossing at East 4th, south of Payne Avenue

Last month, we showed you DIY or guerilla bike lanes on a short stretch of Detroit Avenue in Ohio City--white duct tape stripes, and sharrow stenciling, which the city promptly scrubbed from the pavement. 

The City of Cleveland has yet to make good on its promise of Detroit Avenue bike lanes.

In the mean time, and in another neighborhood, slightly more traditional graffiti vandals with an equally positive message have posted the reminder to "watch for bikes" on at least one railroad overpass. 

It is time. TO CELEBRATE.

You're Invited!

You have been riding your bicycle in the name of the Rust Crown for months. 5 months to be exact. You have dutifully logged your miles in Endomondo. You have encouraged your friends and family to join in the challenge. You have participated in forums. You have discussed the miles. The points. The fact that you would do anything short of implanting a cyclo chip in your dog's skull to beat to beat Pittsburgh at something Cleveland definitely knows better: BIKES.

But have your efforts paid off? Did Cleveland win?

Of course the suspense is over: Cleveland logged more miles, but Pittsburgh scored more points and took the Rust Crown home. If you've got it in you to ride to Youngstown, you can join the Cleveland delegation for the crowning ceremonies and to show some Cleveland pride. Contact RustCrownCLE@bikecleveland.org