Bike Team

This may have been our best year yet. We say that every year but it’s true. Our team has won eight Championship Series Overall titles in 2012 including two Pro Championships with Mikey and Ben going 1 & 2 in the NY State Championship Series, and 1 & 2 and in the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series. And though not a championship series, Ben and Paul were 1 & 2 in the DarkHorse 40 Pro Open.

As of 9/28/12 we have had 75 XC podiums this year with 25 1st places. We still have yet to tally road and cross podiums and there are many more races before the end of the season. CCI Racing had four Pro Open racers place in the top 10 at the DarkHorse 40 (Paul F 1st, Ben 2nd, Terry 4th, Mikey 6th).

In Cat 1 Nick Glasser won the Overall in the NY State Championship Series 19-29. Frank O’Reilly got 2nd Overall in the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series 40-49. Mara Fronhofer, in her first year racing Cat 1, got 2rd Overall in the NY State Championship Series 35+. Paul Fronhofer took 3rd Overall in the NY State Series in the 30-39.

In Cat 2 Paula Williams won both the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series and the NY State Championship Series in her first year racing Cat 2. Tyler Conlon also won the Overall in both the Campmor H2H NE Regional Championship Series and the NY State Championship Series in 19-29.

In Cat 3 Brittany Serra got 2nd Overall in the Campmor H2H NE Regional Championship Series and the NY State Championship Series 19-39. Seth Glasser also got 2nd Overall in the H2H Series 50+ and the NY State Championship Series.

In 2012 the team has collectively completed 502 registered volunteer hours at park systems in NY and NJ, as well as many more non registered volunteer hours. In 2011 Mike Jaworski and the Oneonta Mtn Bike Club Bike Club built an entire trail and donated it to the town of Oneonta for multi use. They are currently working on another multi use trail that the town will use. Ben and Seth have taken a couple of IMBA sustainable trail building courses. This year we have been in touch with the Town of Orangetown, NY Supervisor and have received positive feedback about the possibility of opening some trails to mountain bikes here in Rockland.

Town Cycle, our bike shop sponsor, has been an awesome support for the team. We can’t say enough good things about the owner, Mike Hoek, and the great energy that encompasses the mechanics’ work area in back and in the entire shop. They have great mechanics, great products and great bikes including our team favorite, Trek. Town Cycle has their own bike team, Team Town Cycle, which is also excellent (tough competition). It’s been joyful working with Town Cycle. We are psyched as we reflect on the past two years and look ahead to next. We’d also like to give a very special thanks to Trek Bikes, our bike sponsor for the 5th year. Trek without a doubt has the best suspension linkage around. Also the most laterally stiff bikes I’ve ever ridden. I can never imagine racing any other bike. Thanks again Trek and John for your support.

We’d like to welcome our new sponsor, Adidas Eyewear, and say a special thanks to Sammy Bryant for his support to the NY State Championship Series, truly an awesome event. Adidas is the best eyewear, bar none.

We’re so lucky to have teammates that never seem to get burned out on racing. Can’t wait to hang with everyone next year.

CCI STANDS FOR CLOCKWORK CONSTRUCTION, INC., A BUSINESS I OPENED IN ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY IN 1987. CYCLING HAS BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE SINCE CHILDHOOD. THIS TEAM IS CONCEIVED OUT OF AN IDEA TO PROMOTE CYCLING AND SUPPORT CYCLISTS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROMOTING MY BUSINESS AND OTHER SELECT BUSINESSES THAT WE REPRESENT. THIS WILL BE OUR FIFTH YEAR HAVING THE TEAM. IT’S BEEN LOTS OF WORK, LOTS OF FUN AND ALSO REWARDING. CHECK OUT LINKS TO OUR SPONSORS BELOW.

THE RACERS

Mikey, Ben, Ken and Paula at Blue Mtn 9/12/10

Sensei Speaks..

As our fourth season comes to a close it would appear we’ve had highs and lows as a team. The lows were certainly injuries. Injuries are part of sport, and part of life. Injuries from first glance seem to be negative, even devastating. I’ve certainly had more than my share. One thing I’ve noticed though is that I’ve always benefitted from them. I’ve always grown from them like a plant benefits from being pruned. It’s a time to go within yourself, assess your life. And an opportunity to overcome something difficult. Very similar to a mtn bike race, it’s painful yet inspiring. Injury shows us how amazing our bodies are. What appears to be an event of destruction actually is one of building and growth physically and emotionally. And of course if you were over trained, over raced and burnt out it gives a fresh start w/ better perspective. (What’s really more important, results or the experience?) That being said, I know it sucks. The highs were obviously our results but not so obviously and more importantly lots of fun and great race courses. I had a great time again with the team.

2009

2010

Jeff, Mikey, Seth, Brittany, TQ, Ben, and Paula at Wawayanda 2011

2011 NY State Championship Series Awards: 1. Mara 3rd from left & Ben 4th from right 2. Paul gets 3rd overall 3. Mara gets 2nd for the day and the Overall Series win 4. Ben is NY’s #1 Pro in 2011!!

Fun in the mud at Wawayanda; Paula, Tyler, Mikey & Ben

Paula wins Kittatinny 7/17

Ben gets 3rd at Blue Mtn Chainstretcher

Mikey wins at Blue

Ken wins at Blue

Paula takes 2nd at Jungle- got some swag.

Tyler Conlon loves bikes. He has that little kid drooling over the coolest toy in the toy store thing going on, except that Tyler not only is a full time student but busts his butt like a Jamaican so he can buy the coolest toy. I can totally relate. Tyler also likes to show up at trail builds and talk about bikes while leaning on his shovel and has been known to complete ten hours of Pay Dirt while only working for one, making one of Tyler’s notable accomplishments annoying trail build organizers throughout the region. Also offending our sponsors. Tyler is a killer climber who seems to be committed to improving his skills. If he can figure out what food, drink and PSI are- watch out.

2012 Update: Tyler apparently figured all these things out, winning the NY State Championship Series and the Campmor Hudson 2 Highlands Northeastern Regional Championship Series, bumping up to Cat 1 next year. Tyler finished every race he entered in 2012.

Mara Fronhofer joined the team in 2011 concentrating on the NY Series races. She got stronger as the season moved along, getting 1st at Hurley Mountain and then at Windham on the World Cup course. She missed the start at Reidlbauer’s but managed to get 2nd anyway, and won the Overall in the NY State Championship Series Cat 2 women 35+. Mara also placed in the top ten at the Xterra Jersey Devil, at the 100K Leadville Qualifier, and finished the Leadville 100 mtb race in 11:41, plus placed 4th in two triathlons. Way to go Mara!

2012 Update as of 9/28/12: Mara’s favorite type of mtn bike course is wet and technical facilitating her signature maneuver of smashing her ribs against rocks, as she did at the 1st race of the H2H Series at Blue Mtn. Miraculously she bounced back and had a strong season. Mara upgraded to Cat 1 this year and got 2nd Overall in the NY State Championship Series. Mara also was selected for the Xterra World Team, and placed in the top 10 Overall.

Paul Fronhofer has a huge engine and is all in for racing. He and his wife, Mara, have two small children but they still manage to get out and race the NY State Series as well as some other tough races. Paul placed 3rd Overall in the NY State Championship Series 2011. He also likes to race his road bike. In 2011 he won the XTERRA Jersey Devil and set a course record there. Paul finished the Leadville 100 in 8:53. It’s great having him on the team.

2012 Update as of 9/28/12: Paul upped the ante and race speed this year by improving his bike handling skills, illustrated quite clearly in the photo left. This controversial technique of jumping head first off his bike in technical sections easily won him this race at Riedlbauer’s. Paul caught up to most of the Pro field and again got 3rd Overall in the NY State Championship Series despite missing races. Paul won the Dark Horse 40 in the Pro Open and was selected for the Xterra World Team, then placed in the top 20 Overall.

Nick Glasser definitely gets top honors for most improved rider. I rode with Nick the first year and he really got fast all around. In 2009 Nick bumped up to Cat 1, 20-29, and settled right in toward the front. Numerous technicals and crashes hampered his results. Highlights: 11th at Mt. Snow Nationals, 8th at Windham Nationals, 3rd at Something Wicked six hour race. In 2010 Nick moved to Boulder, CO, where he completed the Breckenridge 100 in 13 hours. This year he’ll be back in NY and CCI will not take no for an answer.

2012 Update as of 9/28/12: Nick had a strong year. He crushed it and placed 1st Overall in the NY State Championship Series, decimating the competition, and took 4th in the ultra competitive Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series. (Please try harder next year.)

Seth Glasser is a high end contractor in Nyack, NY. He has been in business for over 25 years. Seth started racing a few years ago as a true beginner. The first six months I rode with Seth he hit the ground at least ten times per ride, every ride. A late bloomer, Seth has shown tenacity and persistence in mountain biking. Its a wonder he can still walk. In 2011 Seth won the Overall in the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series even though it was demanding business season with minimal riding. He finished some tough races.

2012 Update as of 9/28/12: Seth had a strong year. He finished every race in the Campmor H2H Regional Championship Series getting 2nd Overall, and took 2nd Overall in the NY State Championship Series.

Mike Jaworski met Ben at the first race of the H2H Series at Waywayanda in the spring of 2010, where Mikey got 1st place in the Cat 1 19-29. He has been racing for CCI ever since. In 2011 Mikey won the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series for the second year in a row. He also won the NY State Championship Series Overall. Having wrapped up the H2H Series win in 7 races, Mikey raced the 8th race in the Pro class- his 1st Pro race. He got 4th out of 11 racers. Amazing. Mikey was once again our #1 Pay Dirt contributor registering 56 volunteer hours. It is a pleasure having him on the team. He has true spirit and racing etiquette.

2012 Update as of 9/28/12: Mikey really ramped it up for 2012, bumping up to Pro and getting rid of his enormous beer gut. Mikey and Ben battled it out in the NY State Series till the bitter end, with Mikey dethroning Ben as Pro NY State Champ by 1 position. Unfortunately Ben mopped the deck with Mikey in the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series, relegating him to 2nd place. Mikey took 6th in the DH 40 in the Pro Open. And once again topped the list with Pay Dirt hours; 75. It is more than nice having Mikey’s family and girlfriend at the races- we can’t say enough good things about them. Mikey also brought a huge crew from The Oneonta Mtn Bike Club to Riedlbauer’s to cheer on the racers making it feel like a world cup event.

Brittany Serra is one of our newest racers. She’s had a couple of rough injuries on her mountain bike but was game to get back on. Brittany has an interesting style of doing drop ins- instead of getting behind her seat she gets in front of her seat. Brittany completed every race she entered in 2011, was on the podium 5 times and won the Overall in the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series. She also placed 2nd Overall in the NY State Championship Series in 2011. It was awesome to watch her go through the season getting stronger and faster with each race, tenacity at it’s best. We’re glad to have her on the team.

2012 Update as of 9/28/12: Brittany once again finished all races that she started, getting 2nd Overall in the NY State Series, 2nd Overall in the Campmor H2H Series and 3rd in the National Championship in Sun Valley. Congrats!

Tom Quirk, our Cat 3 racer, finishes every race he starts. It’s great to hear his enthusiasm at the end of the races. He is an inspiration to anyone who says “I haven’t been riding enough to do a race” because Tom has literally raced more than he has ridden a bicycle. Always a great attitude. Tom has been known to ask before races, “Where’s town?”

2012 Season Update: Tom finally rode more than he raced this year. Unfortunately he did this by racing only 4 races. Tom has been training and is looking forward to next year. He also signed up for the Something Wicked Six Hour race which should set him up good for off season training.

Ben Williams raced some BMX as a teen, then started racing mountain bikes in 1992. By 1993 he was in the top five of the highly competitive Cat 1 class until a bad crash in a race and a shift in interest postponed his XC mountain bike racing for 13 years. He raced downhill as an expert for a season. He raced BMX with his son, Jasper- together they have piles of trophies. Ben started XC racing again in 2006 and won the Overall in the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series in Cat 2. The following year he bumped up to Cat 1 and won the Series Overall in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 he was on the podium in 3rd place. 2010 was the first year Ben concentrated on the NY State Championship Series as well as the H2H NE Regional Championship Series, winning them both despite overlapping races. In 2011 Ben bumped up to the Pro Open and won the NY State Championship Series Overall. He also took 2nd in the NJ State Championships, 2nd in the Dark Horse 40, won the Bearscat 50 in the 45+ Open Men, and placed 3rd Overall in the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series in spite of many setbacks and conflicting races. Ben’s wife is pretty sure that he’d have won the Tour de France had he given his life to racing rather than family. Ben says he feels faster than he’s ever been and attributes some of that speed to our excellent industry sponsors.

2012 Update as of 9/28/12: Ben won the Overall in the Campmor NE Regional Championship Series in Pro and took 2nd Overall in the NY State Championship Series (missed 1st by 1 second, but at least it was to a teammate). He got 2nd in the Dark Horse 40 in the Pro Open. Ben has been known to experiment with different race strategies such as hiding in the port o john until after his race starts (Kitatinny Time Trial). He has been known at races and on rides to say, “where is your jersey?”, “get off my bike”, and “have you done your Pay Dirt?”. Ben now has his Pro license- look out!

Paula Williams’ idea of training is to not eat for a week before a race so she can look good in her kit. Paula’s pre race warm up consists of strange hand gestures toward the sky and primping her hair. She is rarely seen on the podium in team kit. Paula got four 1st places out of 5 races in the H2H in 2011, winning the Overall championship in her class. She also raced the Windham World Cup course citizen's race where she says she learned the fundamental downhill skills. In the NY State Championship final at Reildbauer she won the day, beating some tough competition. Paula will bump up to Cat 2 next year. She attributes her success to her excellent Trek 9.8 bike women’s specific, her two Schwalbe Racing Ralphs, her super light Stan's wheelset (Paula has never flatted on a ride or in a race), and her excellent personal trainer, Ben. Paula is Clockwork Construction's and Team CCI's office manager and bookkeeper. She is also Ben's personal organizer, masseuse, training partner, and personal chef.

2012 Update as of 9/28/12: Paula bumped up to Cat 2 and really stepped up her game technically and fitness wise completing all of the 14 races she entered, winning the H2H Championship Series and he NY State Championship Series. Paula continues her years long run at having never flatted on a ride or in a race which she attributes to her Stan’s and Schwalbe combination. Paula would also like to thank Trek for the best bike on the planet.

Many more photos on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1542737437

updated: 10/17/12

Frank O’Reilly tends to train at strange hours owing to the fact that he has 12 kids, coaches 27 teams and is a teacher at 4 schools, has moved 3 times this year and his wife is now pregnant with octuplets. Congratulations. Frank used to race BMX professionally. He also races cross and road. He joined the team in 2011 in Cat 1 and got 2nd Overall in the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series. He also got 2nd place in B class in the cyclocross series and with all his accomplishments in road racing has bumped up to Cat 3. It is awesome to have him on the team. He always has a positive attitude and is very supportive and encouraging to the rest of the team.

2012 Update as of 9/28/12: Frank got 2nd Overall in the Campmor H2H Northeastern Regional Championship Series this year, 3rd Overall in the Rockleigh Criterium Series 1 in Pro 123, and 2nd Overall in the Rockleigh Criterium Series 2 Pro 123.

Frank, TQ, Ben, Nick, Paula, Tyler, Brittany, Seth, JD and Mikey at Tymor 9/16/12, Not present: Mara and Paul

2011