Happy Holidays

God's Country Fat Tire Festival

Things are well underway in preparing for the opening round of the Unified Federation of Dirt series. Be sure to save the date. You will not want to miss it.

God's Country Fat Tire Festival - March 24 & 25, 2012

Boss Cross #4

Boss Cross #4, today at the Raytown BMX track was the last race of the series. What a way to finish it, rain leading up to and during the race made for a classic muddy cyclocross race.

Cowtown had John Williams and Rick Barret in the cat 3 race, with John getting on the podium for 3rd .

LMBC Turkey Day Ride

A very fun day of riding out at Clinton. Thank you to the Lawrence Mountain Bike Club for hosting this annual event. We always look forward to it. Some pictures from the days ride.

The Gobbler Grinder

Looking for a fun ride over the Thanksgiving weekend? Look no further...

Gravel Grinding Season

Changing leaves, morning chills, shorter days, cold rain and snow, dogs growing their winter coats. All are sure signs of fall which around here means only one thing - Gravel Grinding season is in full swing. What is gravel grinding you ask? In short they are what cycling is all about. Fun rides that allow you to explore some back country roads, trails and even some easy single track. It is about having fun on your bike, meeting new people and just riding for fun. Gravel Grinders leads you to places where fewer people dare to venture and in general slows you down and allows you to enjoy life.Two fun rides this week are planned. Wednesday the full moon will be out and we celebrate with the Full Moon Monty. Saturday is the Gardner Wind Howler.

For complete info on rides in our are visit http://gravelgrinders.blogspot.com/
What do need for a gravel grinder? Look for a complete article soon, but in general any touring/cyclcocross/commuter/MTB bike will do fine. In the above picture a road bike was used with 28 cc tires and worked great. We would suggest a sturdy tire. More info soon what it takes to have fun on gravel rides.

Boss Cross 3

Rick Barrett and John Williams came out to Raytown BMX for Boss Cross 3. It was a great day of racing on a on a very fun and exciting course. Rick and John worked well with one another to fight the wind and drive the cattle train to 7th and 8th place spots in the cat 3 race.

Joules Cross

Joules = The work required to produce one watt of power for one second, or one "watt second" (W·s) (compare kilowatt hour). This relationship can be used to define the watt.

Joules Cross was this past weekend. Promoted by Michelle Jensen of the Free State Women's Cycling Team. The event was held on some private land in Lawrence, Kansas. The course was a little bumpy (it is pasture land ), not technical and required plenty of Joules to be successful on the day.

Roger Harrison had plenty of pictures from his day in the pasture. Day 1 Pictures. Day 2 Pictures.
John Williams used his power to secure 2nd place on the day in the Master's 30+ class.
Richard Barrett continues a strong cross season with a 4th place in the Cat 3/4 class.

UFD Final Results

The final points are up for the Unified Federation of Dirt's 2011 season. Congratulations to all the series champions including our own Keith Baker who took top honors in the Cat 2 Men 50+ class. Some other great series results by our team include Ashley Blum, 2nd place Cat 2 Men 20-29 (2 event wins); Damian Almanza, 3rd place Cat 1 Men 40-49 (2 event wins); Tim Greene, 4th place Marathon; Sean Gaulter, 4th Place Cat 2 Men 20-29 & Jeffery Arnaud, 3rd Pace Cat 2 Men 30-39.

East Series Points

West Series Points

Cross Out Cancer

Another successful Cross Out Cancer event was produced by the Livestrong Army team this past weekend. Events for a purpose are always nice to support and this cross race does just that raising over 3K last year. Hopefully the team was able to match that amount this year.

Cow Town Cycling had a great showing at the event lead by Rich Barrett stepping up on the podium in the very competitive Men's Cat 3 class. Damian Almanza, John Williams, Robert Tarne, Tim Greene and Chris Locke all put in solid rides. Check out some great actions shots below by Roger Harrison - Cross Out Cancer Pictures.

The KCA officials again did a great job and the fruits of their labor are up - Results 2011 Cross Out Cancer Rick Barrett attacked the course to earn a spot on the podium with 3rd in the Men's Cat 3 division.

John Williams as always gives it 100% effort. Today he even raced twice in the Master's 35+ and Men's Cat 3 earning solid finishes in both events.

Damian Almanza was up front in the Master's 35+ class, but forgot to breath and fell to 4th place on the day.
Tim Greene fresh from his high altitude training in Colorado races hard in the Masters 45+ class.

Chris Locke racing hard with the 360 and Local Cycling men.

Bob Tarne makes his cross season debut in the Masters 35+ Cat 4 class.

Boss Cross #1 & #2

This past weekend were the first two races of the Boss Cross series put on by Joe Fox and Jeremy Haynes. The races were held at barry platte park, which offered all the fixin's for a good cross race. The course was run one way on Saturday and the opposite on Sunday. The general assessment was that Sat. was harder, but either way it was a fun yet challenging course that had all the elements, including two desert crossings that would have Moses himself asking for mercy.

Rick Barret and John Williams represented the herd with top tens on either day. looking forward to the next installments of Boss Cross, which are to be held at the Raytown BMX track. Ashley I hope you are reading this.

Manions Cross

This past weekend was third edition of Manions Cross. This race keeps getting better and better. the course was tough, but really fun. The winding turns through weeds at the bottom of the course reminded me of harvest time in sleepy hollow, with it's own monster ta boot. The climbs were do able, the fast sections were fast, and overall I think it flowed really well. Outside of the race itself the party was fun, great vibes, food from Cowtown's own PotPie, beer from Tall Grass Brewing, and all the wide open views of beautiful Wyandotte County you could handle.

Great job Colavita

Cowtown was represented by Rick Barret and John Williams

Rick took 2nd in the collegiate and 4th in the 3/4

John was 14th in the 3/4

Buffalo Bill Cyclocross

Cow Town headed over to Leavenworth to contest the Buffalo Bill Cyclocross race. Damian Almanza, Chris Locke and Dave Wathen represented Cow Town in the Master’s 35+ category. Brendan Sheehan (Santa Fe Trails Bike Shop) and Roger Harrison (Lanterne Rouge) promoted the event as part of the Buffalo Bill Sports Event Weekend.

The course was on a bluff above the Missouri River and involved a lot of climbing with very little recovery. A fit racer would do well here, as it wasn’t very technical but required a lot of power to get up the hills on the out and back course. From the gun, the selection was made. The fast guys were at the front on the uphill start and the rest of us settled in to see what would happen. Damian went to the front and opened up a pretty nice 40+ second gap on the second place rider, so Chris and Dave assumed the vigilant domestique roles and held the field in check as the hilly course did not suit their current fitness levels. Damian handily won the race solo and secured Cow Town’s first victory of the 2011 cyclocross season. Congratulations to Damian on his victory and thanks to Brendan and Roger for putting on a fine event.

Complete race results

Some fine photos

Dog Fish Cross

Another edition of the Dog Fish Cross, aka "Hermann Cross" was held this past weekend. Jeff Yielding orchestrated another great event in the heart of Missouri wine country. The city really gets behind this event and together with Jeff and his team make the Dog Fish Cross one of, if not the best cross race in the region. First class all the way from the fine wines that were donated for awards to the professional announcing by John Lefler.

Dave Wathen and Chris Locke ventured over to hang out with the "down-home" folks of Hermann and start their cyclocross season in style. Dave Wathen got off to a strong start on day 1 but yet another rolled tire cost him. He came back to finish 3rd overall on the weekend after riding "team backed" tires. The "hell with tubulars" could be heard through out the wine country...."Mr. Guru" was able to step up on the podium on both days and was very thankful that he was able to bring home the wifey a couple of bottles of wine. "Sunday was the best day for sure for me. The muddy course suited my lack of form and I was able to keep pace a little better. I still have a ways to go, but this a start".

Complete race results

Some fine photos and videos

Traffic Skills 101

Bike Walk KC is hosting the Traffic Skills 101 class. This bicycle skills class gives cyclists the confidence to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail.

Traffic Skills 101 course covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques and includes a student text book. Recommended for adults and children fifteen and older, this fast-paced, nine-hour course prepares cyclists for a full understanding of vehicular cycling.

When : 9/27/2011 6:00 PM through 9/29/2011 8:00 PM

Where: Kansas City North Community Center, 3930 NE Antioch Road, KC, MO 64117

More info: Traffic Skills 101

Kansas Criterium Championships

Tail Wind Cyclist & PSU Cycling hosted last weekends Kansas Criterium Championships down in Pittsburg Kansas. Roger and crew always put on first class events and Saturdays event did not disappoint. Two great days of racing, a rock climbing wall, combat shooting match and even a huffy chuck greeted all the participants. Some great racing in all the categories including the Men's Cat 3 class. Our own Richard Barrett fought back from a rear flat to secure a podium spot for the Kansas State championships. Congrats Richard on your Silver medal. I know silver prices are going up, but keep that one for the teams trophy case.

Complete Results - 2011 Kansas Criterium Championship

Some great photos from Roger's House of Photos

Riverfront MTB Race

Mark your calendars now...

Riverfront MTB Race in Melvern, KS will be held over the October 1st and 2nd weekend.

Saturday will feature a ride for the kids since it is IMBA's International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day

Sunday you have a choice (or you can do both for you own little off-road duathlon) 5k trail run in the morning followed by a day of cross country racing -MTB races - standard beg, sport, ss, expert classes.

Complete information at http://riverfrontmtbrace.blogspot.com/

It is great to see some Fall mountain bike races return to the calendar. Look forward to seeing many of you over in Melvern, KS.

2011 Kansas State MTB Championship

Lyle Reidy and crew put on another fine Crocodile Rock mountain bike race out at Perry State Park. This years event doubled as the 2011 Kansas State MTB Championships and top finishers would qualify for a trip to the 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross Country National Championships on July 14-17 in Sun Valley, Idaho

Hot and humid weather, which is very typical for this time of year, greeted the 140 riders on race morning as they attempted to be earn a State Championship and qualify for Nationals. The approaching storm clouds did little to reduce the temps and the only savior was to find shade. Luckily the 6 mile course had plenty of shade and offered some "fast and flowy" trails to keep the heat in check.

Midwest Cycling's Ryan Feagan escaped the flooding Mighty MO and made the trip from Iowa pay off with by taking the overall win on the day completing 4 laps in 1:38. Cow Town Cycling's Damian Almanza took the crown of "Fastest Kansas Man" and became the Kansas State MTB Champion with a time of 1:42. Brendan Jenk's rounded out the overall podium with a 3rd in 1:44.

Roxanne Feagan kept it a family affair by winning the overall title on the women's side completing 4 laps in 1:50. Ethos's racing Kay Lehman continued her strong season taking 2nd overall in 2:02.

Results are up - 2011 Crocodile Rock/Kansas State MTB Championship Results

Cow Town spotlight:

Congratulations to our new Kansas State Mountain Bike champions:

• Damian Almanza - Cat 1 40 - 49 Men
• Tim Greene - Men's Marathon

More great rides by John Wagner - 3rd Single Speed, Sean Gaulter - 4th Cat 2 19 - 29 and Brent Gowin Cat 2 30 - 39.

2011 MTB Summit by LMBC

2011 Missouri State MTB Championship

The 2011 Missouri State MTB Championships were held on Sunday. The KC Cup hosted the championships for the first time and did a great job. Here are the Missouri State MTB Championship results.Congratulations to the new 2011 Missouri State Mountain Bike Champion Ashley Blum. Ashley rode am impressive KC Cup to take his age-group title and overall in the Cat 2 division.
Damian Almanza showed some great form stepping up on the podium in the very competitive Cat 1 division. Look for Damian to defend his Kansas State MTB championship at the upcoming Kansas MTB Championships.
Rich Anderson put in a good showing in the very popular Marathon class. He just missed out on a podium spot and took home 6th on the day. Nice chops Rich....
Tim Greene got in 4 laps for a solid ride and was very happy to survive 4 times through the slick Rim Job.


We had staked field in the Cat 2 division to support Ashley. Jeff Arnaud put in a great ride for 2 nd place in the 30 - 39 division. Sean Gaulter continues to improve and took home 7th place and Chris Love paid for his early pacing and rounded out the field for 9th. Now if Sean could just learn how to put a number plate on....
Brent Gowin came out of a brief retirement and spent the entire day looking over his shoulder but still managed to take home 12th in the always tough Single Speed division.
Chris Locke continues a slow comeback and rode to a 9th place in the Cat 1 40 - 49 division.
Never let this guy borrow your bike - John Williams tries out MTB racing. Tim's Turner will never be the same...

Historic Gravel Road Ride

Dirty Kanza 200 - Cow Town on the Podium

Congratulations to all the DK200 finishers. A tough day in the saddle for many.

Another strong ride by our own John Williams - 5th place in 14:21. Mr. Pot Pie you are a damn machine.

Here are some pictures from this years Dirty Kanza 200 from Tim Greene.

DK 200 Resultsu

A local report - Race of Extremes

Some more reports: Tim Green's report - Tim's Excellent DK200 Adventure , Adventure Monkey, Cornbread

More to come...

KC Car Free Challenge

It is May which means Bike Week and time for the 6th Annual Car Free Challenge.

Cow Town Cycling Team has always supported this fun event and has had a very successful history with 4 overall titles - David Duerr, Chris Locke and Jeff Haug have won divisions in the past for our team. This year the tradition continues with a solid team including Rich Anderson, Caleb Anderson, Jeff Haug, Joshua Haug, Andrew Box, Jenny McGee and Craig Semerad. So far we are off to a great start with Rich Anderson and Joshua Haug leading the way.

Robidoux Roundup

Congrats to Ashley Blum for taking a big win at the Robidoux Roundup.

Tim Greene put in 4 solid laps in the Marathon class.
Chris Locke returned to racing at Krug to test his shoulder. Result: still needs time to heal....



The latest trail report from Randy says we have "Primo" conditions for Saturday's RR.

Complete info at http://krugparkmtb.blogspot.com/

Kansas Fat Tire Festival

Round #1 of the United Federation of Dirt XC West series was held this past Sunday. Great conditions and an awesome 20+ mile course greeted the 90 participants that came out west to enjoy the Kansas Fat Tire Festival at Wilson Lake State Park.

Cow Town was well represented with John Wagner taking the win in the Single Speed class - the largest class on the day btw. Jeff Arnaud made the trip out west and finished in 7th in the very competitive Men's 30- 39 class.

Complete results: 2011 Kansas Fat Tire Festival Results

A nice video from Bob Arnold

Wilson Lake Race from bob arnold on Vimeo.

Trail Care Day - May 14

The Lawrence Mountain Bike Club brings us