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A New Member…from Wyoming

Team Camp Report

January LG50 Ride

Helen’s Night

Race Report

New Members

Chuck Collins…A new member from…Wyoming.🤔 Why? Read.

Hello La Grange Cycling Crew. Rich asked me if I would like to share a bit of my story. Rich was also a bit curious as to how I showed up out of the blue while living in Wyoming to find La Grange!

First let me say that while technically I live in Wilson, Wyoming, the locals know these parts of the border of Wyoming and Idaho as Wydaho, found just west of Jackson Wyoming. Wilson ,WY is a tiny town right at the bottom of Teton Pass.For most of my adult career I have worked in the bicycle and Outdoor industry, thirty plus years in Utah. I still collaborate and counsel Cycling West/ Cycling Utah magazine, one of the largest regional cycling magazines in the country. I was a vice president of USA cycling from 1999 to 2001, and USCF Trustee form 1997-2003. I have a an undergraduate degree in aerospace science and an MBA. Aviation was once to be a career, but if that had happened, I probably would not have been a bike racer and advocate of the cycling community.Once upon a time Cycling-wise, I ran four clubs, promoted 40% of the races in Utah (1996-1997), organized an annual tour for several years and was very active in the Salt Lake City Mayors' Bicycle Advisory Committee. I'm an old category II racer. I have four Gilas in me, several Cascades, MT Hood, Casper Classic, and a couple of Nationals. I'm a former Utah State Masters TT and criterium champion. I can hardly remember. I still pick my battles. Last season, I raced Redlands in the 55+ and 45+, and then later in the summer, the Boise Twilight Criterium. I aspire. For this year, as with all things racing, you have to do the work. We'll see. In the mean time, the indoor trainer is my friend. Ha! Call it structure. With the terrain in these parts there's also some cx, plenty of mountain biking and endless gravel. My stable serves all three. Soon, I look forward to catching a La Grange group ride when I make to the Los Angeles area.
How I found La Grange? I've been around the bike community for a long time. I would often spend some of my winters in the Santa Barbara area. I regularly participated in the East Beach rides or up in Santa Ynez for the Saturday Dr J's ride. Occasionally a La Grange group would be in the area. I noticed your kits. Other times, I found myself on the Simi Valley ride or sometimes while hanging in Palm Desert, again I noticed the La Grange colors. This year, I was looking to switch it up. A Google and USA Cycling search led me to Socal clubs as apposed to clubs from Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. As I had remembered La Grange from the road, I was clued to check you out. To my recollection, I remembered the La Grange crew to have its act together. After checking out your website and your stories, indeed you do.To me it looks like La Grange is doing it right. You have a diverse membership. You have longevity. From all appearances, La Grange sets a professional example of what a cycling club ought to represent with your stewardship, mentorship, community involvement, and participation. You have strong relationships with your sponsors. Since my earliest days of cycling, I've considered myself a patron of the community. As far as I'm concerned, if you ride a bike, you're a patron of the bicycle community. For my part, I'm looking forward to representing La Grange in the Inter-mountain West.

I haven't been a member of a club in ten plus years. These days, most of the clubs that I'm familiar with seem as if they are only into racing and/or have a very tight circle. A few clubs step up and do more which I appreciate. However, many bicycle communities lack, well community. It's a problem. Many riders that I've come across have never seen a functional bicycling community where there is always respect and inclusiveness. The racer's have got to know that it takes 10000 people that ride a bike, any bike, once per week to get one guy road racer. It's 10000 to get a woman bike racer. Obviously, La Grange gets it. You provide a welcoming and supportive place for all interests and abilities in cycling. Chapeau!You also may have gathered that I might have an opinion or two about cycling - that I share in small circles. In the cycling world, I claim notoriety from my action at my first USA Cycling Board of Directors meeting when I voted no to the proposed amendments to USA Cycling Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws (1999). Most Directors received notification of the Amendments thirty minutes before the proposed vote that would have unilaterally removed the membership right to vote from the bylaws. The vote was 13 to 1. As you may recall, probably don't, the membership sued and won the reversal in the Colorado Court of Appeals. To some degree, my experience with USA Cycling took some of my cycling energy. Gratefully, I'm recovered from that time and on the easy side now: I just want to ride, be safe and have fun with friends, and maybe an occasion five/six/seven hours in the saddle with a bunch of climbing and/or in the wind.

Lastly, I'm not sure how much racing I'll be doing this next year, hopefully enough riding to keep my sanity. That's a bit of my story. I'm not sure when I'll make it to Socal proper. I do have some family and friends in Hollywood Hills, Burbank, and areas south. With a little luck, maybe I will make it for a couple of weeks in late winter and or early spring.

Chuck Collins

Team Camp Report

Team camp recap! This year the race team went south to Julian for team camp. Powerful headwinds truly forced the team to work together building skills, camaraderie and a real appreciation for the power of a good draft. Julian’s epic views, gorgeous roads and an endless supply of delicious pie solidifies our need for a quick return. Great adventure to kick off the 2020 season!

Renee and David discussing race strategy

Couldn't have done this weekend without our dedicated van driver Ellie keeping us safe, Thanks Ellie!!!

Rotating pace lines, learning the importance of a good draft.

Renee, Lucy and Danie taking a breather and talking about TTT.

"Apple pie, the best recovery meal for dead legs" Sam. And it appears Steven agrees. 🤗#RudyProjectNA

January LG 50 Ride

LG 50 is the name of the monthly La Grange social rides that started as the “50 for 50 rides. Jaycee Cary created a route up Sepulveda, through the neighborhoods of Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, and Woodland Hills, Calabasas, and Topanga.

I don’t know if there are any other photos since I did not quite finish the ride. #crash

Helen’s Night is February 10th

Monday night, February 10th at 7 pm is the date for the annual Helen’s Night.

Race Report - Santa Barabra

The racing participated in the Santa Barbara County Road Race. The course is a ~14 mile loop with a sub 6 minute climb in the middle on pavement that runs from smooth and new to rutted and terrifying.

This is a challenging course where our racers were put through all types of challenges and did well. From podium finishes to struggling through mechanical, having the mental grit to finish the race when the pack is long gone and one of the hardest things for me personally: knowing when to pull out of a race.

New Members

Welcome to the following 11 new members who joined in January 2020. Due to new California privacy laws, we will no longer use new member’s last names without their permission and it is simply easier to list only their first name due to the logistics to see who does and who doesn’t approve the use of their full name.

Chuck , Claire, Forrest, Lawrence, Martina, Michael, Mike, Morgan, Théophile, Tim, Tyler.