Czech National Single Speed Championships 2011

results

2011-10-31T20:21:00.002+01:00

2011 Mistrovství České Republiky v Single Speedu
číslo	jméno	národnost	pořadí	čas
number	name	nationality	placing	time

05	Zdeněk Fiebinger	CZ	1	0:45:30	1. M
09	Lubomír Sedláčik	SK	2	0:47:00	2. M
02	František Salaquarda	CZ	3	0:49:00	3. M
07	Carsten Bischoff	DE	4	0:50:00	4. M
13	Petr Kuba	CZ	5	0:51:00	5. M
10	Sacha Russack	DE	6	0:51:10
08	Adam Rybář	CZ	7	0:52:00
00	Cory Benson	US	8	0:52:30
06	Anja Dinter	DE	9	0:54:00	1. Ž
04	Slavomír Szmigielski	CZ	10	0:58:00
01	Jakub Malý	CZ	11	0:59:00
18	Zdeněk Dokoupil	CZ	12	1:01:00
03	Marcel Rušar	CZ	13	1:02:00
19	Spencer Kennedy	US	14	1:06:00
14	Mikko Westberg	SE	15	1:07:00
12	Veronika Benson	CZ	16	1:07:10	2. Ž
15	Martin Dušek	CZ	17	1:18:00
11	Erik Wolf	DE	18	1:18:10	DFL
16	Franziska Lehman	DE		DNF
17	Tanja Russack	DE		DNF
20	Takahito Nakazaki	JP		DNF

2011 Champions!

2011-10-31T10:44:00.001+01:00

Fun was had by all!

Your 2011 Single Speed Champions are:
returning two-time men's champion - Zdeněk Fiebinger

and newcomer women's champion from across the border in Germany - Anja Dinter

more details in the next few days :)

ready to go on Friday

2011-10-23T00:14:00.004+02:00

We were up at Singletrek Centrum yesterday to do a quick check on the course. There are a few obstacles to note next weekend (your typical bridge out here and active logging there), but generally everything looks great; and there is even a lot of progress on much more newly built singletrack!

Having ridden on a colder day (colder than forecast for next weekend), we can make a few recommendations.

Wear something to keep your feet dry and warm. There are no significant creek crossings, but lots of mud puddles/standing water throughout the trails that cannot be avoided.
Good gloves will keep you happy.
Plus, bring extra warm clothes for our post-ride socializing. We'll have plenty of time to ride, but it will be nice to relax out of muddy clothes after the sun sets. And when the sun goes down, so will the temperature. And we will be both inside and out.

We will be there around 11:00 on Friday morning to set up a little and start to do some rides. People will be hanging out at the Singltrek cetrum shop all afternoon. There is actually a good bit of trail we haven't even had a chance to look at yet, so we are pretty excited to go play. Come as early in the day as you can. We'll be hanging out enjoying ourselves. And we would be happy to have your company.

Plus, if you pre-ride the course between 11:30 and 14:45 you will have chance to look for one of the 10 time bonus cards, which will be hidden in the forests along the trail. And if you bring it to the start you will get a head start of 1, 3, or 6 minutes from the bunch start depending on which bonus you find!

The actual main event race is scheduled now for 15:30 (leaving from Singltrek Centrum at 15:00 for the 4.5km 20-25 minute ride to the start.) We will start on time. If you are late, you will have to catch us on the trail! :)

Caution: If the weather is bad (ie. rain or worse) we will start 30 minutes earlier at 15:00 to make sure everyone is back before it gets very dark in the forests.

I know we don't really announce the course ahead of time, because we don't want anyone to have an advantage, but it should be late enough that no one will check it out now. It will be a 17.4km track with about 300m of climbing. We are expecting those of you who are super fast to finish in maybe 45 minutes if you can keep your tires on the trail. Normal people will probably finish in an hour to an hour and a half.

It is almost all singletrack, so there aren't many places to pass.

Very important rule, maybe the only one really is: Be Nice! If someone faster comes up behind you, pull over and let them pass. And if you come up on someone slower, tell them nicely and wait until it is safe or they pull over to let you pass.

The guys at Singletrek Centrum have been very helpful and are looking forward to seeing us on Friday. As they are supporting us and giving us a place to come in from the trail, we will try to give them some support back. They will have their regular setup of refreshments for sale: Beer on tap, very good coffee and teas, some other assorted drinks, sausages and other small snacks. They are also going to make some warm goulash soup especially for us too throughout the day. They also have a retail bike shop with sales, rentals, and service that has just opened up. Their prices are good, so bring a little cash to help out those who support us :)

Remember, we are happy to organize everyone to come ride together, and there will be prizes for all, but...

This is mountain biking in the forest, and it is NOT an official sanctioned event. You are riding at your own risk, so be careful, don't push it too hard and have a good time :)

So with that, come join us.

We are excited to see you next week!!

-Cory, Veronika, and a bunch of other helpful volunteers and sponsors

the official 2011 announcement

2011-10-10T18:46:00.000+02:00

OK, here is the official announcement.

What: Czech Single Speed Mountain Bike Championships - on over 30km of amazingly fun rolling twisty singletrack designed specifically for flowing mountain biking

When: 28 October 2011 - ride from 11:00; race from ~15:30

Where: Singltrek Centrum, Nové Město pod Smrkem - 50.92741N, 15.24399E

So working with Tomáš Kvasnička of Singltrek Centrum, we are going north this year.

Following the success of the past 2 years in Prague, our loosely organized and very informal Czech Single Speed Championships are moving to a new venue this year, after discussion with some friends in northern Bohemia.

Details are slowly being finalized, but we will have a full day event, say from 11-17:30, in the Jizerské hory region on an excellent mountain bike-specific system, which is very singlespeed friendly.

Expect a new event format with relaxed recreational riding (families welcome) followed by the competitive event later in the day, with warm food and drink available throughout from the newly opened Bike Shop/Snack Shop/General Bike-friendly Service Center of Singltrek Centrum.

Again, there is NO official registration.

And NO fees to participate.

Just don't expect the amazing support you have come to love from some 'real' races you find throughout the year. This is a first and foremost a social gathering. A chance to come together and ride with like-minded cyclists.

We have some small sponsors, and prizes will be on hand for winners and regular riders. And we appreciate if you click on the sponsor links and buy their stuff (but don't worry, we don't get paid for your clicking, so do it if you want.) But in the end food and beer will be mostly available to purchase, so bring a bit of cash, although the 'bring-some-to-share' system has always served us well.

Don't worry, we will have a race too.

You certainly won't win the championship in a raffle, but we try to even the playing field a bit too.

We are using the 28th as a Czech holiday, to start off a nice 3 day weekend in the mountains, so we hope some of you can enjoy the long weekend. Also we might have some cyclists from neighboring Poland and Germany joining us, so it is up to the Czechs to make sure some foreigner doesn't snatch away the title! :)

We can also help point you in the direction of some penzions in the area if you need; we have found a nice affordable place for ourselves in Nové Město. Also Tomáš has offered us free space next to his Singltrek Cetrum for tent camping for the brave and strong-willed. It will be cool, but not ultra-cold.

Keep checking the blog for updates, but this should be enough to get you there!

Hope to see you soon from Cory and Veronika, your faithful Praguer Singlespeeder semi-planners.

Information on the trail system in Czech, Polish, and English at:
www.singltrekpodsmrkem.cz/

Singlespeed championship heads to Jizerské mountains.

2011-10-06T23:44:00.001+02:00

So the reality is that the Czech singlespeed championship 2011 will be hosted on the official biking ground that is Singletrek Centrum. It is a very unique location, the only one of its kind in our country, so we probably don't have to remind that it is at Nové Město pod Smrkem in the Jizerské moutains. Remember, the winner of championship might not be the fastest person... so don' t run out there and start training!

So in conclusion, it will be like this:

28th of October, we'll meet each other from 11am on,

at Singltrek Centrum, in Nové Město pod Smrkem

28.10.2011 - The Date is Set!

2011-09-12T16:38:00.000+02:00

what: 2011 Czech National Single Speed Championships
when: Friday the 28th of October 2011
where: northern Bohemia

Anyone interested in participating, volunteering or supporting the event should contact the organizers at mcrss2011@gmail.com

NEWSFLASH!! Pick a date! MČRSS 2011

2011-09-07T14:33:00.000+02:00

Upcoming singlespeed national championship 2011

We need your help to pick a date for this year's race!

New plans are coming to a close for this year!
Details aren't final yet, but we will have a full day event, say from 11-17:30, hopefully in the Jizerské hory region.
Expect a new event format with recreational riding (families welcome) followed by the competitive event later in the day, with warm food and drink available throughout.

But, first we need your response!!

We have two dates in mind, 28.10.2011 and 22.10.2011.

Which date will you come join us for MČRSS 2011?

Please send us an email mcrss2011[@]gmail.com listing the date or dates when you are available.

We need your responses soon, and will announce the final date by 19.09.2011

Check the blog for regular updates which will start in the next week or so!

Thanks from Cory and Veronika, your faithful Praguer Singlespeeders.
See you soon!

Krakatit was drier!

2011-09-06T16:34:00.000+02:00

But still a bit of a mud fest.

So Krakatit was good, with drier conditions than last year (but that isn't really saying much.)

It didn't rain at all during the race which was nice, but there were still long lines to clean bodies and bikes after the race.

Unfortunately not many of you showed up, so we had only four singlespeed racers.

We had a good race, but SS turnout at races this year hasn't been very consistent.

They way it looks now, we will probably have to just compete amongst ourselves next season, as the summer SS series doesn't seem to be popular enough.

DON'T WORRY, the championships are still in the works.

(and will be for the foreseeable future!)

More detail on MČRSS 2011 will be coming your way this week.

upcoming Krakatit race with bonus new trail - 6.VIII.2011

2011-07-26T23:34:00.003+02:00

It recently has seemed like summer had already left, but here we are still in the middle of it.

And so another year of summer Single Speed racing just south of Prague is just around the corner in Dobříš with the Krakatit marathon.

Again our dear friends from mtbike.cz and Park Tool have worked together to bring us good singlespeed racing in the hills of Brdy. New great distance of just 50km, plus some new trail, about 3km less asphalt, and I can personally guarantee that it will be drier than last year!

So come join us for some good summer singlespeed fun.

6 August 2011 50km

more info at www.mtbike.cz

vernal equinox

2011-03-21T16:50:00.000+01:00

Greetings single speeders!

Winter is ending and most of you following recent muddy and/or snowy training sessions are certainly in great shape! :)

So please come join us and have fun at this year's first Park Tool SingleSpeed sponsored race premier, the AUTHOR ŠELA MARATHON!

All are welcome, we look forward to seeing you and your bicycle.

On-line registration has started, more info here.

And those who aren't already in peak fitness, should hurry up and get on the bike, so during the race you don't suffer unnecessarily:)

MČRSS 2010 maps

2010-10-17T13:48:00.007+02:00

new champions

2010-10-16T22:50:00.000+02:00

we introduce the new czech men's and women's Single Speed National Champions:

Kateřina Veselá and Zdeněk Fiebinger, in their winners' jerseys!

The race started out with nice weather which turned sour rather quickly.

But the 25 or so racers were so fast at times that they didn't really pay attention to the trail markers.

To be fair the course was a bit crazy and twisted, and being overcast and with some rain, it was at times difficult to track. (We will plan on a pre-Christmas leisurely group ride to lead anyone who wants on a relaxed pace guided loop of the course to end back at a hospoda for warm soup and griotka.)

Just a quick thanks to the presenting sponsors who helped make the event work, the other sponsors who supplied great prizes for all participants, and the super volunteers who orgainized whatever was possible and made the race happen.

Thanks and we look forward to riding with you all soon.

-Cory, Veronika, & Rebecca

OK, it's here: 16.10.2010, 14:30

2010-10-15T00:03:00.000+02:00

Join us this week-end for the annual Czech Single Speed mountain bike National Championship.

We will be set up across from the airport GPS: 49°59'13.687"N, 14°25'51.516"E

Shoot us an email or give a call if you still have questions.
(let us know if we forgot something!)

mcrss2010 [at] gmail.com or 728.zero-three-one.154 or 776.eight-seven-five.370

see you Saturday!

How to get to the race?!

2010-10-13T17:27:00.000+02:00

This week-end's event is being held in the same area as last year, but there is one small change this year.

The race this year will Start AND Finish in the SAME location, the Točna airport area, just as last year. We encourage everyone to drive to this area where there is plenty of parking, and we will generally be able to keep an eye on our cars. This does create two concerns:

The only permitted access to the area is across a rough dirt road leading from Cholupice. If you are not comfortable driving your nice shiny new car across this road please carpool with another rider. (That being said a normal car driven carefully will be fine.) The paved road connecting the airport to Komořany below can only be used in the direction leaving the airport.
Second, our event encourages recreational drinking of alcohol during and after the race. PLEASE carpool together and bring a designated driver. The race is less than a 2km ride up the hill from the Praha-Komořany train station, about 4km up from the Poliklinika Modřany tram stop, and just 1,3km from the Cholupický vrch bus stop.

Now that you know that you are planning to drive, so here is how:

From Prague:

follow the Vltava south past Braník and the Barrandovský most, direction Modřany
3.7km past the Jižní spojka/Barrandovský most access, turn left at the stoplight (underneath the tram overpass), direction Modřany
turn right at the first stoplight, direction Cholupice
follow the main winding road 3.7km to Cholupice
turn right onto the dirt road immediately after entering Cholupice just before the town football pitch (Loc: 49°59'15.889"N, 14°26'43.38"E)
drive straight across the open field, and park across from the fenced children's playground
the start/finish area will be at the edge of the forest opposite the playground (Loc: 49°59'13.633"N, 14°25'51.096"E)

From the south (Brno) coming towards Prague on the D1:

take Exit 10 west on the D1/R1 new Pražský okruh, direction Plzeň (newly opened motorway)
take exit 3 Vestec
go left through the roundabout at the end of the access road, direction Libuš/Kunratice
go left through the next roundabout, direction Libuš/Pisnice
turn left at the end of the road, direction Pisnice
approximately 400m outside of Pisnice, turn right, direction Cholupice
go through the curved center of Cholupice
turn left onto the dirt road immediately after the road towards Točná and the town football pitch (Loc: 49°59'15.889"N, 14°26'43.38"E)
drive straight across the open field, and park across from the fenced children's playground
the start/finish area will be at the edge of the forest opposite the playground (Loc: 49°59'13.633"N, 14°25'51.096"E)

From the north and east (Liberec or Hradec Králové):

take the Prague Štěboholská spojka R1/Jižní spojka MO (old Pražský okruh), direction Braník/Barrandovský most
take the Braník exit (do not cross the Vltava)
turn left at the stoplight at the end of the access road, direction Modřany
in 3.7km, turn left at the stoplight (underneath the tram overpass), direction Modřany
turn right at the first stoplight, direction Cholupice
follow the main winding road 3.7km to Cholupice
turn right onto the dirt road immediately after entering Cholupice just before the town football pitch (Loc: 49°59'15.889"N, 14°26'43.38"E)
drive straight across the open field, and park across from the fenced children's playground
the start/finish area will be at the edge of the forest opposite the playground (Loc: 49°59'13.633"N, 14°25'51.096"E)

From the west (Plzeň) coming towards Prague on the D5:

take Exit 1 east on the R1 new Pražský okruh, direction Brno (newly opened motorway)
take exit 3 Vestec
go left through the roundabout at the end of the access road, direction Libuš/Kunratice
go left through the next roundabout, direction Libuš/Pisnice
turn left at the end of the road, direction Pisnice
approximately 400m outside of Pisnice, turn right, direction Cholupice
go through the curved center of Cholupice
turn left onto the dirt road immediately after the road towards Točná and the town football pitch (Loc: 49°59'15.889"N, 14°26'43.38"E)
drive straight across the open field, and park across from the fenced children's playground
the start/finish area will be at the edge of the forest opposite the playground (Loc: 49°59'13.633"N, 14°25'51.096"E)

Championship Rider jerseys for sale

2010-10-12T13:54:00.001+02:00

With the support of our presenting sponsors and Champion Systems, we are offering our custom 2010 Czech National Single Speed Championships jerseys for sale to anyone who rides in this week-end's event. The Rider jersey is the same design as those awarded to the race winners, minus the red, white, and blue accents.

We will begin taking orders on Saturday following the race.

Jerseys are made for us by Champion Systems, thanks to our cooperation with their Czech representative here in Prague. They are available in either Long or Short Sleeve versions, both for 1250 kč +VAT, in a standard weight poly blend with a full-length hidden zipper and three standard rear pockets in a club cut fit.

Jersey orders placed on Saturday at the race will receive a 20% discount, for a cost of 1000 kč +VAT for either short or long sleeves.

All orders will be collected together from the race participants in the month following the race into a single order with an anticipated delivery of early January 2011.

16th of October 2010

2010-09-24T18:53:00.001+02:00

2009 Czech National Single Speed Championship

Prague, Czech Republic - December 19, 2009.

Another year has passed and the Czech Single Speed championships are just around the corner.

After a successful, if somewhat frigid event last year, the Central Bohemian community of
singlespeeders, present the 2010 Czech National Single Speed Championships in Prague on October 16th. As in years past, the friendly atmosphere and unique challenges during the race, will allow even a recreational singlespeeder to go head-to-head against their more competitive brethren; and who knows who will win? The race will be held on Saturday, October 16th at 14:30, starting in Prague 14 near the Točna airport and will take place on various trails in this area south of the city. Again the mostly singletrack route and trail markings will only be revealed at the start of the event. Organizers expect more than 35 racers plus many more friends and family at this unique event.

After the race, thanks to presenting sponsors Made Sustainable, Bohemia Cycles, and Park Tool, as well as our other sponsors, all competitors and families will be welcomed to a small cook-out followed by a move to a nearby hospoda for the social completion of a successful day. As the international Single Speeds mountain bike movement has begun to take hold in the Czech Republic, this annual meeting brings riders from different areas together, letting them meet and get to know each other and share a ride. Leading up to the event assistance will be provided to cyclists wishing to temporarily or permanently convert their bikes to singlespeeds to join in on the fun.

Anyone interested in participating, volunteering or supporting the event should contact the organizers at mcrss2010@gmail.com.

16th of October OMG!

2010-09-13T21:47:00.001+02:00

OK, so I can't believe we haven't updated here in months.

The race is on! The date is set. The course is always changing.

So the third weekend in October will bring the SS Championships back to Prague. We are sticking with the Točna area to ride, but will have some minor course changes and a new starting point. There will still be a neutral section at the beginning, which like last year allowed us to fix a small problem or two before the real racing started.

Tell everyone you know. (Maybe we strategically leave it to the last minute so no one has a chance to train.) Bring the whole family! We have even had a new playground specially built at the finish to entertain our kids. (Really, come check it out. Hopefully the swings will be repaired in time.)

The weather will be warmer than last year!

I promise NO fresh snow will be on the course this year! (although that means those of you not in the front will have to pay more attention to our minimalist signage!)

A few sponsors have been lined up, so we can expect some decent schwag for all riders again this year. Plus, both the Men's and Women's winners are going to get custom long sleeve National Champion Jerseys made for us by Champion Systems. After the race all participants will be able to order either a short or long sleeve SS competitor jersey at our group rate (more info on that in an upcoming post.)

We are still courting sponsors, so if any of your employers or friends want to donate some prizes, beer, or any support, we will be glad to recognize them; and we truly appreciate the support. As always this event is both competitive and friendly. All prizes, donations, and money we bring in go directly back out to you the rider. We are not for profit, but for the spread of the singlespeed love!

Mark your calendars and email us to let us know you and all of your friends are coming!

mcrss2010 [at] gmail.com

Upcoming SS races

2010-05-04T21:40:00.001+02:00

a very short update, but much needed:

Pedalsport.cz distributor of Park Tools is sponsoring 2 outside SS races this summer, gather your Single Speed friends and register soon:

1st: 24hr of Liberec - 12-13th June 2010

race either solo SS or as a 2 person SS team

2nd: Marathon Krakatit 7th August 2010 in Dobříš (Brdy)

race the 53km 'short track'

Plus a 3rd: National SS championships will again be in Central Bohemia this autumn. The race location and date is not yet fixed (maybe the same area as December), but will be in September or the first 2 weeks of October. Comments and suggestions for where and when to hold the race would be appreciated. Again it will be a similar style friendly race, but with warmer weather for more socializing afterward! :)

PHOTOS!

2010-02-08T15:08:00.000+01:00

OK, here are a bunch of pictures in one spot:

(If you have other good ones, please get in touch with me. I only have full size files from one photographer, so his were the ones we were able to submit and will be printed in VELO magazine. If you send me full quality shots, we will submit them to other publications as well. And you will of course always receive credit for your authorship. Thanks!)

Photo gallery of the semi-official 2009 Czech National Single Speed Championships.

Photos taken by Jiri Nemecek

Photos taken by Tomas Vitvar of Bajk.cz

Photos taken by Martin Hubka of Single-Speed.cz and organizer of pasts SS championships

Cyclocross World Championships

2010-01-27T12:30:00.000+01:00

We have been a bit busy with our new daughter (prospective 2028 SS champ Rebecca Roubaix Benson) born just after the last race, so sorry for lack of recent info.

No single speed cyclocross racing has been planned, but we are going to Tabor to see the race.

If you want to come post a comment or email me.
This Sunday are the Elite men and women's races. Check it out at www.mstbaor2010.cz

list of photos and video

2009-12-30T17:50:00.000+01:00

photos taken by:

Tomáš Vitvar of bajk.cz http://www.bajk.cz/web/data/clanek.asp?id_clanek=815
Martin Hubka of single-speed.cz http://picasaweb.google.cz/singlespeed.cz/SSMCR2009Cory?feat=directlink

video taken by:

Lukáš Klezl of Bicycle Café and sportkamery.cz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjlOmpoL5HI

New POV Race Video!

2009-12-20T16:28:00.003+01:00

Great video of the race produced by the racers (Lukáš Klezl) of Bicycle Café and SportKamery.cz (Prague helmet cam specialists) filmed with a VIO POV camera!

video © www.sportkamery.cz

MČRSS 2009 maps

2009-12-20T13:52:00.004+01:00

preliminary results! UPDATED!

2009-12-19T19:30:00.093+01:00

Thanks everyone who came out.

The weather was cold but the trail was a good challenge and it seemed like everyone had a great time. We had 24 riders start and most finished :) Plus we had about 8 photographers.

If you took pictures (or know someone who did), please send us an email to arrange for us to get them. We would like to get all images taken, in full quality to send them for publishing in bike magazines - of course with your authorship noted (either by email, cd by post, or our ftp.)

photo © Tomás Vitvar

finish # name number time (incl. bonuses)

MEN

1. David Kramár 01 1:51 (-2min TT)

2. Frank Salaquarda 03 1:52 (-5min Šance)
3. Pavel Šafář 05 1:52 (-3min TT)

4. Jan Dubec 10 1:54 (-1min TT)

5. Tomáš Mífek 23 1:54 (-2min)

6. Libor Oplt                    02       1:54
7. Václav Svatoš       08       1:54 (-2min)
8. Petr Beneš                  09       1:59 (+5min, noTT)
9. Cory Benson       22       2:07

10. Jakub Malý 04 2:12

11. RB Rider                 14        2:19 (-1min)
12. Miloslav Kubát          19        2:21
13. Mikko Westberg    11      2:22
14. Nick von Tsurikov      17     2:24
15. Zuzmen                 15   2:25
16. Ondřej Tančouz      18    3:11
17. Jiří Němeček           20       3:11

(thought to maybe have completed the course but did not sign in at the time trial)
? Marcel od Víšků     16       2:??

(did not finish the complete course, instead more wisely opted to enjoy the beer and warm fire) DNF - 06 Jirka Kraus, 07 Michal Roškot, 12 Zdeněk Dokoupil, 21 Petr Kuba, 24 Lukáš Klezl

WOMEN

1. Jitka Mimránková 13 2:23

The results are from our rough notes :) of the top riders who finished the complete 27km+ snowy course. If you think we missed you or the above is wrong, send us an email, and we'll try to correct it.

-C+V

trail conditions update...

2009-12-17T18:30:00.001+01:00

So I marked most of the course today and rode all of it,

As was expected the trails got a nice covering of snow overnight. Also they have frozen in the last week, which completely eliminated the threat of mud. With that came a few slippery spots, though. The run up near the beginning is going to be a bit of a struggle (but worth the nice single track at the top!) Two normally rideable climbs got a bit more technical because of the hard frozen ground. They will probably now require at least a little bit of walking from most riders, which should help warm the toes back up :)

All in all the course seems even a bit nicer with the cold and snow. Some spots are a bit slower, some are even faster with the frozen ground, but everything is even prettier than before, and the views are even more dramatic with the hills covered in snow.

A couple of short steep or off-camber downhills are pretty slippery (not icy though, just snow covered leaves and roots), and everyone will need to be careful. But they are pretty easy to see from a ways away; so they shouldn't sneak up on you.

We would recommend wearing shoes with metal toe-spikes (if you have them) or at least good traction for the few hike-a-bike spots. It was -7°C; and I was quite warm today, actually (sweating with a thin wool base tshirt + a medium weight long sleeve shirt + a wind proof softshell; single pair of smartwool ski socks + winter bike boots - no shoe covers.)

99% of the course is sheltered from any wind, and our 2 support spot are both out of the wind, too. If you want to bring a small bag with an extra warm layer or jacket to the start, we'll drive it to the finish for you (just put it in a bag that will be easy to pick out of 25 others, ie. no Tesco plastic bags!)

Also bring the widest tires you can with low pressure to maximize traction. If you have studded tires, they certainly wouldn't hurt either :)

Plus I stopped in the hospoda at the airport again today. It's only 450 meters from the finish, well heated by a nice wood stove, with a friendly staff, and they confirmed that they'll have some warm soup or something on Saturday afternoon, if you can stand the outside temperature with us other racers and our fans!

See you soon!

-Cory

OK, volunteers :)

2009-12-17T00:30:00.004+01:00

for the last bit of housekeeping we are giving out the info for our support team to be ready for the week-end.

we will be set up in two locations for the race:

1st across from the airport GPS: 49°59'13.687"N, 14°25'51.516"E and

2nd at the crossroads before the Šance overlook GPS: 49°58'24.882"N, 14°25'13.409"E

All Volunteers are welcome to meet us at 9:15 on the corner of K Ladům and Hornocholupicka, Praha 12 on the small road at the edge of the field - GPS: 49°59'35.421"N, 14°26'11.972"E. From there we will park / drive in to the 1st Location by car on the (rough) dirt road to get started. We'll set up base camp, beer and the fire barrel, then a couple of volunteers and any racers will head back to Camp Kotva for the start (while the others hold down the fort.)

People will be at Location 1 from 9:30, getting the fire ready and seeing who can freeze their ass off first. This will be the home base. Riders will pass here at least 3 times. And ultimately finish here!

If you haven't already told us you would help set up you can meet us at the start and still hang out with us! After the start, we will send a couple of people to Location 2 with a crate of beer.

No fire here, so we'll see how long it lasts.

If it gets too cold for them, the volunteers may move the beer onto the course for riders to search for, and head back to the main base to warm up by the fire.

Generally they are there to provide support and encouragement, but with a high temperature for Saturday of -5° C, don't expect too much! :)

OK, that should be everything.

Shoot us an email or give a call if you still have questions.
(let us knwo if we forgot something!)

corywadebenson [at] gmail.com or 728.zero-three-one.154 or 776.eight-seven-five.370

see you Saturday!

Are you ready?!

2009-12-14T19:30:00.001+01:00

So we have collected the treasure chest of prizes from our sponsors and are almost ready to race. Everyone who shows up and rides will go home with prizes from some of our sponsors, as well as bigger prizes for men's and women's winners at least three deep. Plus, some other prizes for winners of competitions to stay warm during the race.

Maps are printed up for everyone, and we have been out riding in the area this week-end.

It's been a bit of change of weather in the last week. With a bit of rain, and some cool temps, it has the potential to be a bit of a muddy adventure. Pretty much what we had expected for the week-end before Christmas, really. The trails are actually in pretty good shape though, and even got a dusting of snow over the week-end. This week's forecast calls for a bit colder nights and the chance of a little more snow, so the ground will probably be mostly hard and maybe a bit more white?! :)

Anyway we will meet next to Interkamp Kotva along the river at 11:00 on Saturday December 19th. (GPS: 50°1'51.827"N, 14°24'8.691"E, or U kempinku, Praha)

If you are coming by car, there should be plenty of places around to park. We will all most likely have a few drinks during the course of the race and post-race, so we recommend riding to the start if possible. We'll be finishing about 4.5km south of here next to the Točna airfield with a fire and few drinks to warm us up.

Bring a good pair of gloves and some warm socks.

NO registration fee, NO beer entry fee required.

Getting Down to the Wire

2009-12-03T16:35:00.001+01:00

So 19 December is fast approaching!

The last bits of event preparation are coming together (mostly.)

We've started collecting the promised prizes from our sponsors and are looking forward to doing some minor trail maintenance/clearing this week-end. (We won't mark the course til just before the race.) And we have the race maps and stations being printed.

We have a fire barrel that we will be setting up at out main support tent, where we will be stationing wives, kids, mechanics and other friends and family members to encourage us and offer neutral race support. Please bring out non-riders too to join those we already know of, so they can cheer us on as we ride by.

We do however need a bit of firewood, if anyone coming has easy access to it.

A warm fire will keep our non-riding friends warm while we are riding around, and keep the fastest riders warm while they wait for the rest of us at the end.

Plus it'll give us a good place to stand around, drink beers, and chat after everyone is finishes.

~~Speaking of which, the small brewer who we had been talking with to donate a keg of beer backed out at the last minute. :(~~

So in the end I think we are going to institute a race registration fee of 3 - 0.5l bottles of beer of your favorite brand. Bring it to the start and we'll transport it to the finish and keep it cold for you. Then we can share whatever my wife doesn't drink while transporting it.

~~Still, If anyone knows someone who would donate a keg of beer for us at the last minute like this, we would of course appreciate it and offer them promotion / advertising.~~ We have beer, now! :)

That's it for now.

Fire wood ~~and beers.~~

Don't forget to harass all of your friends to come out and join us.

The weather lately has been very friendly to us and the trails, so we are expecting a dry and mild December, with trails in great condition with a nice top layer of autumn leaves!

We'll give you more info as it develops.

Shoot us an email at corywadebenson [@] gmail.com to let us know how many race numbers we need, and how many crates to bring the beer to the finish line.

Setting up the Single Speed

2009-11-28T13:33:00.000+01:00

OK, so you are ready to turn your bike into a single speed, now what?

Well you can go online to one of many sites: Sheldon Brown being one of the best! Single Speed Outlaw is not bad either. Unfortunately both of them are apparently afraid of pictures, so we can recommend Google Image Search.

So essentially if you don't have a dedicated Single Speed bike, your biggest problem is chain tension. If you want to benefit most from the single speed fun, you can take your shifters, cables, & derailleurs off and even your small & big chainrings if you have bolts/spacers that will work for the one remaining chainring, but your chain still won't stay where you want it.

Your best quick bet is then to find the gear you want on your cassette (something in the middle). Then we recommend using an old (or your normal) derailleur, with a small piece of a spoke and nipple replacing the cable or a dedicated true chain tensioner. Take as many links out of the chain as possible still going through your tensioner, and voila you have a Single Speed.

If all else fails, you can just put your bike in a gear you like and wrap about half a roll of duct tape around the shifters making them no longer functional!

Just for a frame of reference, I have recently been riding in the area of the course on a 29er with a 38:20 (55.3 gear inches) gearing, which is about the same as a 32:15 or 34:16 combination on a 26" mountain bike. It's tough on some of the climbs, but fast on everything else.

Good Luck!

Give us a shout if you need help.

-the management

Course layout

2009-11-18T12:30:00.000+01:00

Well the course is mostly finalized (but we aren't showing it to you.)

We will however, update you with the distance and a suggested gearing in a week or two. But for now we can say that it will start with about 5km on asphalt of neutralized / non-racing parade together to get started on the dirt.

It is more than 11/16 single track or other small dirt trail, plus some double track / dirt / gravel forest road.

It was a bit muddy in a couple of spots over the week-end, so we're curious what the weather will bring us.

There are a couple of hills.

One will require running up with your bike a 100m, but pretty much everything else is rideable and fun.

It connects a bunch of trails few people ever set foot or tire on.

It also will pass one point three times, and we'll have a tent set up there, with water and support, and challenges you will have to complete in order to keep riding.

Feel free to bring a friend to hang out at the two support points.

(Let us know beforehand so we sort out and helpers.)

We can guarantee that you have never ridden this specific course. And that it will be fun.

That's it for now.

If you haven't already, click on the photo above.

The course is there somewhere.

Bike Brno

2009-11-12T12:30:00.023+01:00

So we were at Bike Brno (the central europe bike tradeshow) a week or so ago, spreading the word about the race.

We had pretty good talks with the Park Tool guys at Pedalsport (who had a nice belt drive Norco SS 29er in their booth), the Rebel Bike guy who imports Singular cycles from the UK, the marketing guy from Ultrasport who imports Niner bikes, a polish guy from Kross who had a very pretty steel SS 29er, and the promotions guy at Progress Cycle. Plus a handful of good bike industry publishers and the local Champion Systems folks.

We lined up a solid set of prizes for winners and participants alike.

No one will go home empty handed.

We also brainwashed several bikers to come join us.

(On a side note, we have since arranged for several friend and family volunteers who will be offering riders encouragement as they go by, giving universal support, and organizing the tasks/challenges that all riders will have to complete during the race!)

So post a comment or email us to confirm who's coming.

The Date is Set

2009-10-27T12:30:00.001+01:00

OK, Prague 4 - December 19, 2009.

The championship race will take place Saturday, December 19th at 11:00 am, beginning in Prague 4, and will take place on various trails south of the city. The mostly singletrack final route and trail markings will only be revealed at the start of the event.

Ride with other Single Speeders

2009-10-01T15:30:00.003+02:00

All single speed races (to most likely be held on Prague's south side) will be of the less-traditional non-sanctioned race in the style of the Single Speed World Championships, recently held in Durango, Colorado, USA. The aim is to promote Single Speed biking in the Czech Republic in general, to get SS bikers together for a fun event, and maybe to convince some Czech riders into going to upcoming Single Speed World Championships. (2010 SSWC in Rotura, New Zealand Oct 22. 2010 & 2009-10 SSCXWC in Portland, Oregon, USA Nov 7. 2009) Races will not be sanctioned be the UCI, ČSC, or ČEMBA. This is a friendly competition to fill the gap these official institutions leave.

This race is for everyone who likes to ride bikes with one gear, not just those who would ever race at an elite or even advanced level. The only requirement is to show up with one gear and be willing to ride. (It will help if you are willing to drink beer or rum, too, cause it will be cold!)

We'll be trying to keep everything in both Czech and English as much as possible,

but English updates will probably come first:

Mistrovství České Republiky v Single Speedu

Czech National Single Speed Championships

Become a SS National Champ!

2009-10-01T14:30:00.001+02:00

Prizes will be handed out for both Men's and Women's categories at least 3 deep. The traditional first prize in each category is a tattoo, so we'll have to work that out. (Keep in mind if you are about to finish first, maybe you should wait if you aren't ready for the tattoo.) Right now our biggest obstacle is spreading the word to potential riders and trying to line up some sponsors and maybe get a few volunteers to help set things up.

The final dates and times will be revealed soon, and final location will be only revealed at the beginning of the races.

It is safe to say though, that riders will start in Prague and end up in a bar!

Support us!

2009-10-01T13:30:00.000+02:00

Sponsors will be needed in the following categories:

Tattoo shop willing to donate time and material for 2 simple 5x5cm 3-color tattoos
Beer and/or alcohol distributors (or benefactors) to provide a couple of kegs and/or bottles
Bike shops willing to donate anything: tubes, tires, t-shirts, socks, advertising space
Bike and component companies willing to donate bikes or parts for prizes
Possibly a friendly bar willing to let in a bunch of cold drunk cyclists (and maybe give us a deal?)

All sponsors will be given advertising space here and at the events. 100% of all donations will be distributed to the race participants.

SS Cyclocross too!

2009-10-01T12:30:00.001+02:00

There is also talk underway of holding a Czech National Single Speed Cyclocross Championship in January to coordinate with the UCI World Champs in Tábor. As it stands this race would probably be held on the outskirts of Prague (using lights) on the Friday or Saturday evening of the World Champs, so people in town for the big race could come out and drink a few beers, ride around a bit, drink some more, and still make it back to see Zdeněk kick some Belgian ass down in Tábor. More info on this one as it gets closer.