CYCLING

Cyclists can practice with pros in weekly ride

Cycle shop's training workout is friendly, but quite serious.

By Pamela LeBlanc
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

This story was originally published April 2, 2007.

Pedaling toward Texas 71, the cyclists reach down, tightening the buckles and Velcro straps on their shoes.

It's a sure sign they're about to surge forward. Every hill on the weekly Austin Tri-Cyclist shop ride is a sprint, an unofficial race for bragging rights. And these riders take it seriously.

This group pedal, which draws a devoted crowd year-round, got its start a decade ago. It attracts seasoned riders eager to log a good hills workout and time riding with a tight pack of skilled cyclists.

The group, which pedals at an average rate of about 27 mph and hits speeds close to 50 mph on the downhills, includes professional cyclists, Category 1 and Category 2 rated riders. (The lower the number, the more proficient the rider.)

"It's a training ride with a finish line," says David Wenger, 26, a Category 1 racer along for the ride today.

Even if it's pouring rain, some riders still show. Only instead of hitting the pavement, they pedal on stationary training bikes upstairs at the shop at 923 Barton Springs Road.

The Saturday morning ride "has a reputation of being rugged and competitive, but all comers are welcome," says Don Ruthven, who with his wife, Missy, owns the Austin Tri-Cyclist shop, which sponsors the ride.

Wrecks occasionally occur, as cyclists of varying handling ability jockey for position. That doesn't deter the diehards, who come from as far away as Houston, where you have to look long and hard to spot a hill, to join the sweat fest.

"Without a doubt, it's the best training ride in Texas," says Kim Wrinkle, a 48-year-old high school English teacher who gets up at 5 a.m. every Saturday and drives 2 hours and 15 minutes from his Houston home to join the ride. "Definitely, people will try to break your legs off, but nobody's vicious . . ."

'Fall behind, left behind'

The Austin hills outing started as a training ride for triathletes, but has morphed into one that attracts mostly road bikers. That's unusual in a cycling community where those two factions don't always live in two-wheeled harmony.

"We've just got different mind-sets," says Category 1 road racer Ian Dille, a sometime American-Statesman contributor. "They're all about aero bars (handlebar extensions that allow cyclists to hold an aerodynamic position) and straight lines; we like attacking, sprinting, bombing corners."

Donna LaKomski, 47, and Greg LaKomski, 51, have been riding with the group for about five years.

"Of Saturday morning rides, this is the hardest one in the state," says Greg, strapping on his prosthetic leg as he prepares to roll off. "If you want to find out how you're going to do (in official races), you come out and do this ride."

It's not for anyone who doubts his ability. "It's fall behind, left behind. It's medium fitness required or you're not going to like it," he says. "The Cat 3s and 4s hang on as long as we can — it makes us stronger."

In the peloton

At 8 a.m. on a recent Saturday, riders trickle into the parking lot of Austin Tri-Cyclist. Promptly at 8:30 a.m., they roll out, surging westbound onto Barton Springs Road and merging onto Loop 1 South. Along the way, more cyclists join the pack, which today numbers about 100.

As the mob turns onto Southwest Parkway, gears click and tires hum. The group strings out, sinewy legs straining, sweat beading on every forehead. On the downhills, the riders drop low over their handlebars. On the uphills, they're out of their saddles, legs pumping like pistons. Their bikes whiz along, inches apart. A tiny misjudgment could spell disaster for the whole peloton.

Soon, they swing onto Texas 71 West, a colorful band of neon Spandex gliding along, enveloping the outside lane. Cement trucks rumble past. A recreational cyclist pedaling slowly on the side of the road looks startled when the pack swallows him whole, flying past in a blur.

Among the lead pack of 20 or so riders today is a trio of women: Shontell Gauthier, who races for a Canadian team called Ultralink, is considered one of the best sprinters in the nation. Jen McRae, another feared sprinter, and Ally Brandt, a former pro triathlete now into road biking, race nationally as well.

Near the intersection of RM 620, the group splinters, with some pulling into the Jack Brown Cleaners for a breather. They'll head back to the shop to finish their 30-mile ride.

The others forge on. They're here to tackle at least 50 miles. The road swings down to Mansfield Dam, then there's a long uphill grind. They ride in tight formation, drafting off each other to conserve energy. They take turns pulling and attacking.

"This is the part I hate," Kevin Schaeffer says with a grimace as the lead pack pauses at a traffic light. "I try not to look at the speed. It psyches me out. So I look at my heart rate instead."

At RM 2222, many of the riders go their own way, tacking on extra miles or heading home. Some pedal back to the Austin Tri-Cyclist shop. There, hungry riders gobble up sacks of foil-wrapped breakfast tacos that Ruthven sets out for anyone who can stomach them after so much exertion.

"These guys are tough. It's hard for me to hang on," says Andrew Struck, 29, who just moved to Austin. "Pack riding is a lot different than riding by yourself. It's more aggressive, but more fun."

The tacos go perfectly with the heaping helping of smack talk that unfolds after the riders dismount. They boast good-naturedly about who climbed the fastest on Reflector Hill (the nickname for one stretch of highway), who ground up Dam Hill (the slow grind after Mansfield Dam) with the most energy.

Some, like Eric Sprangle, 36, who designs computers for Intel Corp., are happy just to hang with the lead pack for a few more seconds each outing. "The best part about this ride is it keeps you motivated every week," Sprangle says.

Ultimately, sweating it out on a training ride will make them faster and more focused in the official races.

pleblanc@statesman.com; 445-3994

Austin Tri-Cyclist Saturday training ride

Wheels roll at 8:30 a.m. every Saturday from Austin Tri-Cyclist, 923 Barton Springs Road, just east of South Lamar Boulevard. Free and open to the public, but cyclists should have good riding skills. Choose either a 30- or 50-mile loop through rolling to hilly terrain. For more information, call the shop at 494-9252.

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