What Blackbottoms Cyclewear made here is another full custom bicycle jersey. They are sponsored by a few great companies and Hammer Nutrition as well. Hammer Nutrition makes a wide array for nutritional products and is located in Whitefish, MT.

Essay by Joel Hsia, Team President

The University of Utah Cycling Club is the classic story of a developing group that has overcome long odds to firmly establish itself in collegiate cycling. Founded in late 2004, Utah Cycling started out as a group of students who paid out of their own pockets to travel, race, and ride. Fond stories are still told about the early years of racing in jerseys with a block “U” duct-taped on, and even resorting to wearing jerseys belonging to campus parking enforcement. — Utah Cycling is now self-supported and is able to assist riders in the costs of racing.

Like any club-level organization, Utah Cycling owes its survival to the dedication of its members and officers. It is labor and love from committed individuals that allows Utah Cycling to continue. One particular 2006-2007 school year marks a time of great struggle, when the team nearly fell apart from lack of a governing body. Utah Cycling’s advice to other small clubs or teams is that above all else, a solid group of leaders is the most important thing to have.

Beyond racing, Utah Cycling places value in supporting local community and organizations. Throughout 2009, on top of participating in charity rides, the club spent time promoting bicycle safety with young children of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Utah Cycling is also an active supporter for Bikes for Kids Utah, an organization that provides children with free bicycles to help them play, exercise, get to school, and develop hobbies. One of Utah Cycling’s top highlights is currently laying claim to being faster than rival-school BYU at the annual Red vs Blue charity hill climb. Proceeds from this community-involved event benefit the Bikes for Kids Utah group.

Utah Cycling’s major race accomplishments include consistent qualification for road and mountain nationals. The club is home to and has turned out globally ranked riders such as Mitchell Peterson, Rob Squire, and former MTB national champion Heather Holmes. Utah Cycling had spectacular results at 2009 RMCCC road conference finals, with multiple podium wins in all categories and disciplines. With a great group of riders, and transition into the new Inter-Mountain conference, Utah Cycling looks forward to 2010 and beyond.
Utah would like to recognize and thank the following organizations for their continued support throughout many years: Mass Mutual, Blackbottoms Cyclewear, CycleSmith SLC, and Ritchey Design.

Utah Cycling
www.utahcycling.org

Photo credits, top to bottom: Gina Duncan, Katie Gasser, and SOAR Communications

From the start it looked to be a show down between the Jamis and Cannondale teams. Adam Snyder led into the opening singletrack with his teammates Sager and Rob Squire close behind. Grant and Gillespie from Cannondale were still in the mix and quickly took the lead establishing themselves at the front of the pack.

Grant and Gillespie worked at the front getting clear by 20 seconds. On the second lap Snyder fell victim to mechanical while Squire and Swindlehurst stayed close to the leaders.

By the third lap of four, Swindelhurst had bridged to the leaders and launched an attack on the final section of doubletrack climb on the lap. Grant and Gillespie closed back down on the new race leader in the technical descent ending the third lap.
Again on the flat doubletrack Swindelhurst attacked again. This time the Cannondale duo couldn’t respond. Swindelhurst had too much speed in his legs and he held his gap through the final lap crossing the line 20 seconds ahead of Grant.

Gillespie took third just 15 seconds behind his teammate. 19 year-old wunderkid Rob Squire picked up right where he left off last season. Squire rode a strong race taking fourth just 38 seconds behind the veteran Gillespie.

Gary Fisher rider Chris Holley proved once again that you don’t have to have a great start to finish on the podium. After the opening road section Holley was toward the end of the 30-plus rider field. He battled throughout the race slowly making his way all the way to fifth by the finish.

Race Notes

The large turn out and fast course led to tremendous frustration among the racers as over 200 riders were battling on course at the same time. “It was really frustrating” commented Cannondale rider Alex Grant, “ we spent most of the race off the side of the course trying to pass people.” Indeed, many of the racers were disappointed with the conditions on course saying they were either passing lapped traffic or being passed all throughout the race.

Results

Pro Men

1, Burke Swindelhurst (Team Give) 1.43.46
2, Alex Grant (Cannondale) 1.44.06
3, Bart Gillespie (Cannondale) 1.44.21

So I signed up for a class at the Salt Lake County Ice Skating Center I showed up, filled out the forms and got my skates. Did you know that most people taking skate classes are little kids? Yep I was in a class of 6 year old kids. I figured that I wear spandex, I am a cyclist – I can do this. So I humbled myself and go on the ice with little kids. I met my instructor and got across the ice the first time with only falling 2 or 3 times. Going back to the starting point I fell about 5-6 times. I then rested and composed myself.

This is the good part -

I tried going back across and got halfway on center ice and I started to lose my balance. I fell to the right but my right skate stayed. I heard 3 distinctive pops. I knew I broke it or something worse. After I got some help they asked me if I could stand up. Keep in mind I am 6′3″ and 250 lbs. So I laughed and said “drag me I am on ice I will slide”.

After I go to the edge there was an off duty fireman who helped me and recommended that I get an ambulance to give me a splint. So the EMT’s showed up and they had to straighten the leg to splint it and the bone popped back out of the socket. They recommended they give me a ride as they would give me drugs and make the pain go away.

I thought they would give me pills, they thought an IV would be better and as soon as I saw the needle I started to get faint. I almost passed out because I am deathly afraid of needles. After I came too the EMT’s splinted my leg and got me on the stretcher. I went to the VA (cause I am a veteran) and after finding out that I broke the bone and dislocated it with X-rays they said I will need surgery. The orthopedic had to splint it and that was the worst pain I have ever had in my life. I am not a guy who cries but I was crying when they did that.

So after all that it is the next day and I am sitting here writing this. I get surgery tomorrow. So there goes my weight loss and fitness plan.

Eric Bierman raced through the mud puddles & rain, but regardless of the weather he stuck to his game plan. When he got to the top of the first climb he had a ten second gap and by the time he got to the bottom he extended his lead to one minute. He had some chain suck issue due to the mud, but ended up winning the race with a 2 minute lead in the Pro XC. Eric is now leading the Pro XC series comfortably.

Jan. 23, 2010 Southridge Winter Series Race # 2:

Eric Bierman placed 2nd again in the Pro XC. His is how leading the Southridge Winter Series in Pro XC. 45 minutes later Eric raced the Pro Super D and placed 4th on his 29er. The Super D was a joke! 3 minutes.. all down hill.

Jan. 9-10 2010 Southridge Winter Series Race # 1:

The weather was perfect for our first race of the 2010 season. It was in the low 70’s. The race was going according to plan until the last lap when Eric Bierman and another rider broke away from the field. Eric encountered lap traffic which slowed him down and he lost by 5 seconds. He got 2nd. 45 minutes later the Super D race was more like a downhill race. There were a lot of drop offs and fast technical sections and the total course was under 4 minutes long. Eric toughed it out on his 29er hard tail and was able to finish third.

Blackbottoms Cyclewear is making the 2010 event jersey that has over 10,000 rider enjoying the sun in the Coachella Valley on February 13th 2010. This is a great event and if you miss it you will miss out on an amazing experience.

Blackbottoms Cyclewear makes custom bicycle clothing and has been around since 1974. We are located in Salt Lake City, Utah and make custom cycling apparel for cycling clubs, bicycle teams, and cycling events. This is what the mens cycling jersey looks like and we hope that for those of you who will be attending the event will swing by our booth.

Follow Blackbottoms cyclewear on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/blackbottoms

Blackbottoms Cyclewear is happy to work with Precision Bicycles again this year. We look forward to hearing about their wins.

The stories and motivations are as diverse as the athletes that compete over the 3-day weekend and as long lasting as the memories they create. Please join us and make your own memories at the greatest triathlon festival in the world.

Blackbottoms Cyclewear made the jerseys for the 28th Avia Wildflower Triathlon this year and we went wild on these jerseys. This is a prime example of amazing graphics and fabric. What you see below is the men’s short sleeve raglan cut and the women’s raglan cut thermal long sleeve jersey.

We can do any design that you want, your vision is your limit and we suggest that you check out out website at http://www.blackbottoms.com and contact us for your 2010 RAGBRAI order and your 10% RAGBRAI discount.