FixedGearFever

Cyclist Kit Karzen Announces Kit Karzen Foundation

Los Angeles, California (January 3, 2011) - Cyclist Kit Karzen has just announced the launch of the Kit Karzen Foundation. The Kit Karzen Foundation seeks to enrich the lives of kids and teens with ADHD by promoting and providing the inherent benefits of cycling. The foundation assists municipalities, organizations, and non-profits in the promotion, development, and sustainability of their individual cycling-associated programs.

USA Cycling legislation indicates upcoming rule changes

Colorado Springs, Colo. (Nov. 19, 2010) – The USCF Board of Trustees met Nov. 6 to discuss and vote on proposed rule changes for the 2011 road, track and cyclo-cross season.

While numerous items were introduced by the Trustee representatives, the most significant legislation passed was the addition of a singlespeed national championship category for cyclo-cross and a rewrite of the rules concerning clubs and teams that shift the focus from sponsored to active clubs.

Baranoski wins bronze in the keirin at UCI Juniors Track World Championships

Montichiari, Italy (August 14, 2010) – Matthew Baranoski (Perkasie, Penn.) took home the first medal for the United States at the 2010 UCI Juniors Track World Championships on Saturday, winning bronze in the men’s keirin. Baranoski’s path to the finals began with a second-place finish in his opening heat, followed by a win in his first round repechage. He advanced to the finals with a runner-up placing in the second round. The keirin gold went to Matthew Glaetzer of Australia, followed by Mauricio Quiroga of Argentina and then Baranoski. The race included a crash involving the Italian and German riders.

The current men’s 17-18 sprint, keirin and 10-kilometer scratch race national champion, Baranoski was 35th overall in the men’s sprint on Friday.

Carney/Murfet take Mike Walter Madison

Trexlertown, Pa – The oldest man in the field teamed with one of the youngest Friday to win the Second Annual Mike Walter Memorial Madison on a beautiful night for racing that also featured the best of the Red Robin Marty Nothstein Bicycle Racing League making their Friday night debut.

American Jame Carney, 42, and Salamander Racing teammate Clay Murfet of Australia came back from a couple miscues in the initial 40-lap preliminary to take command of the 10-lap final, winning with 56 points over second-place finishers Myron Simpson and Paddy Bevin of New Zealand, who finished with 38 points.

American Olympian Bobby Lea and teammate Jackie Simes IV finished third with 28 points.

Getting Cranked w/Kit Karzen

Kit Karzen - not only is the kid fast, but he''s a one man promotion machine! Promoting not just himself but quality products and track cycling! He threw me this link and I couldn''t pass it up! Great interview w/Jamie Staff! Part 2 is available on his site! www.Cranked.tv

Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic: Day 1 Report

Youth Is Served As High-Schoolers Best Olympians and National Champions

Blaine, Minn. – In unusually cool temperatures and under the threat of rain, the Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic began its three-day run at the National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine with an evening of hot racing.

In the men’s field, the surprise was the performance of Colton Barrett (Texas Roadhouse), a local speedskater and first-year senior in bicycle racing. In two of the three race finals (miss and out and 60-lap scratch race), Barrett outsprinted 2008 Fixed Gear Classic winner Emile Abraham (Aerocat) for the win. Matt Baranoski (Alliance Environmental), a 17-year-old took the Keirin in convincing fashion.

Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co/TWENTY12) won the match sprints and the miss and out to take the first-day lead over Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft) – winner of the 60-lap scratch race.

Action at the velodrome continues through Sunday as elite men and women racers from around the country contest both sprint and endurance events.

Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic Begins Friday

Minneapolis – U.S. Olympian Colby Pearce, multi-time U.S. national champion Kacey Manderfield and Pan American Games silver medalist Emile Abraham of Trinidad and Tobago headline the star-studded field for this weekend’s Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic.

Action in the three-day event begins Friday at the National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine, Minn., and leads off the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival.

Pearce is a 14-time national track champion, a bronze medalist in the Pan-American Games and was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team in Athens, Greece. Abraham has won 24 national titles on the road and track, while Manderfield is a Michigan native, but will be racing at The National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine for the first time.

“It seems odd that I have raced everywhere else, but a track such as the NSC, relatively close to where I grew up, has escaped me. So I’m really excited,” Manderfield said.

USA Cycling hires Jamie Staff to manage track sprint program

Colorado Springs, Colo. (June 8, 2010) –USA Cycling announced today the hiring of Jamie Staff to manage the organization’s newly restructured track sprint program.

Developed and managed by Olympic track cycling champion Staff, the program will be based out of the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The former BMX and track cycling world champion will be tasked with building a world-class sprint program through athlete recruitment and development.

“I am very excited to be given the opportunity to develop USA Cycling’s Track Sprint Program,” stated Staff. “My immediate goals are to get us in a position to compete in the London Olympics and then go on and win multiple medals in Rio in 2016 and beyond. We have a world-class velodrome facility in the Home Depot Center, a V.P. with the vision and desire to put American sprint track cycling on the map and now myself with the motivation and experience to help deliver.”

KACEY MANDERFIELD TO RIDE FIXED GEAR CLASSIC

Kacey Manderfield will be making the trip out to Blaine, Minnesota to ride the Fixed Gear Classic, June 11 – 13, 2010. This will be her first Professional ride for her new UCI Track Trade Team – Cycle Loft.

Shortly after returning from her first Pro Six Day at Rotterdam, Holland in January, where she placed 6th over-all with partner Teresa Cliff Ryan, Manderfield signed a two year deal with Cycle Loft / Parlee. Team owner Jeff Palter was extremely excited to have Kacey on board. “She’s a great athlete, but she’s also a great ambassador to our sport. Right now, the sport needs people like Kacey,” said Palter.

A native from Michigan, Manderfield will be racing at The National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine, for the first time. “It seems odd that I have raced everywhere else, but a track such as the NSC, relatively close to where I grew up, has escaped me. So I’m really excited,” said Kacey. “I’ve also heard good things about promoter Bob Williams and that he’s a big Six Day fan, so we’ll have lots to talk about.”

Manderfield will leave her Trexlertown base on Thursday for Blaine, and after the Fixed Gear Classic will remain in the mid west for a series of criteriums at Americas Tour Of The Dairy lands.

5Bling Gloves - Josiah Brings It!

Several months ago, Josiah Ng sent me an IM. He said "You have to check out http://www.5bling.com! If figured this was some jokester site or something, but when I got here I found an image of Josiah with a bright white glove on.

We talked for about an hour about everything he had done with these gloves and insisted on sending me a couple pairs. How can I pass up an offer like that? Free gloves!

I''m generally pretty particular about my gloves. I''ve never been a big fan of what I (previously) called "mongoloid sprinter gloves" with the carbon knuckles and all that. I wasn''t sure I would be able to say too much favorable about the gloves, but I figured Josiah is a good guy with a ton of international experience on the track - he has to know something about a product he put his name on? Let''s try!

Two pairs of gloves arrived - the "Keirinjo" and the "Streamline Black". They are completely different gloves so I won''t even try to compare and contrast them.

The Keirinjo (shown on the left) is a traditional white sprinters glove with carbon knuckles and all the fancy reinforcements. I never really saw a need for all that but I have to say, I love the gloves. They are soft, durable and most of all comfortable. A couple layers of leather between your palm and the bars provide a bit of padding and a lot of sweat absorption in longer races. The big velcro strap holds them in place even during madison slings. The carbon knuckle protector is a bit ****bersome in a madison situation, but that is not what they were designed for. The red stitching - well - that''s your bling! They are really nice looking and overall a great product. The one thing I found in both pairs of gloves - the fingers seemed a bit short. The palm measurement was spot on for me (I wear a large) but the fingers seem a bit short. As I''ve sweated them up - they have stretched to a nice fit.