Super-volunteer Kim Perez needs our help now

Although this blog isn’t active any more since the new BTC crew has taken over, perhaps some of you are still subscribed and reading this. In any case, Kim Perez, our “pin girl” pictured below, who generously volunteered her precious time before the crack of dawn to help with registration and number pinning at Beat the Clock for many years, needs our help now. Her husband Ed has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and Kim is on leave from work to care for him. We all know the costs involved with a medical problem of this magnitude, so some friends have set up a fundraiser for Kim & Ed here: https://www.youcaring.com/kim-ed-perez-422754. Please consider donating, no matter how small the amount.

Kim Perez

Kim has helped out tirelessly at BTC in the past, it’s time we give something back. Thank you!

Beat the Clock … and Help the Bicycle Sundays 2015

It’s official – the new crew led by Jeromy Cottell and Pen Velo has taken over. This is one of the last posts on this blog me. The new crew has access to the blog, but they are in the process of setting up their own information system. This blog will remain online for record-keeping and historical results.

Here’s a copy of Jeromy’s email to the NCNCA list:

All,

First I would like to thank Carola Berger, Patt Baenen, and the entire BtC staff for starting and running such a great event series.  It was really nice having a time trial event on the peninsula and the proceeds were going to great cause.

For 2015, I would like to announce that the Peninsula Velo cycling club has stepped in to continue this time trial series.  The dates we are aiming for are below.

#1 – Sat Feb 14th

#2 – Sat April 25th

#3 – Sat May 23rd

#4 – Sat July 11th

What’s not changing:

Pretty much everything.  We will be using the exact same course (out and back along Canada Rd) and be staging in the same location (just north of Woodside).  We just hope that we can continue to provide the same quality event that you have come to expect from Carola, Patt and their team.

What is changing:

Peninsula Velo currently supports a great event that benefits that Livestrong foundation called Ryan’s Ride.  That event is run in conjunction with the Burlingame Criterium.  If you would like to support the Livestrong foundation, I highly encourage you to become involved with Ryan’s ride. http://www.ryansride.org/

Proceeds that are generated from the Beat the Clock series will instead go towards funding of the Bicycle Sundays program run through the San Mateo County Parks Department.  This is a program that closes the north end of Canada Rd to cars, allowing kids of all ages to walk, run, skate, bike, or anything else every Sunday morning.  More info can be found on their website. http://parks.smcgov.org/bicycle-sunday

Registration for the first event (Feb 14th) will be open soon, and I will send out another announcement once this is the case.

I look forward to seeing everyone out on Canada Rd this year.

Best regards,

Jeromy

Peninsula Velo

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

The 2005-2014 Beat the Clock Team wishes you very happy holidays and a super-speedy 2015 on two wheels!

Happy Holidays!

For those of you who have been wondering about the future of the Beat the Clock time trials, here’s an update: A new crew has graciously agreed to take over, with a few changes such as the charity that the TTs will raise money for, but the show and the TTs will go on in 2015! Stay tuned for more information.

Photo impressions from the last BTC, June 14, 2014

Photos courtesy of Patt Baenen-Tapscott, Lisa Hern, Ted Huang.

The final ride in costume

Course marshal John Novitsky

Greg Thomas’ fully wrapped HPV

Olympian Christine Thorburn is shocked by the “alien” (Carola Berger) as Patt Baenen-Tapscott and Jan Mock look on

Ted Huang’s selfie of the year

Debbie Merritt, Christine Thorburn, Carola Berger

Kim Perez, Jill Matzke, Jim Christol, Ted Huang, Sheriff Baenen-Tapscott

Kim Perez, Jim Christol, Karl Matzke, Ted Huang

Registrars Jim Christol and Karl Matzke

Kim Perez

Results page now complete

This is a quick note that the results page is now complete and contains the results for all 53 Beat the Clock events (Canada TTs, OLH hill climbs, days at Hellyer) held in the past 10 years from 2005 until 2014.

Raffle Winners

We’re happy to announce our raffle winners:

• Debra Paulsen – Voler certificate
• Dana Mason – Voler certificate
• Debbie Merritt – Voler certificate
• Jim Christol – Voler certificate
• Jill Matzke – Voler certificate
• Ray Gildea – Voler certificate
• Lisa Hern – Voler certificate
• Siamak Mirnezami – Voler certificate
• Simon Wood – Barry Beams Oculus light

If you haven’t yet gotten in touch with us, please contact us to claim your prize!

Congratulations!

Results for final BTC, June 14

The final BTC time trial was a fast one. Lots of records were set and lots of leaderboard entries obtained. Greg Thomas set the fastest time ever obtained at a Beat the Clock TT in any category, a blistering 18:08, in his fully-wrapped, super-low HPV. Mark King beat his own record by nearly a minute in the Single Speed Aero Men, and didn’t have enough, so he proceeded to set another leaderboard-worthy time in the Single Speed Non-Aero Men category. Kim Wik and Dave Maminski set a new record in the 2MW Mixed Tandem category. The dynamic trio of Cammy DeLuca-Flaherty, MaryAnn Levenson, and Andi Smith beat their own record in the 3W TTT category. The 4-men team of Tom Coulter, Don Langley, Dave Maminski, and Dan Smith set a record in the 4M or more TTT category.

Notable leaderboard entries include Phillip Plath on his high-racer recumbent, Harlan Chapman and Partick Coulson in the 2M TTT Non-Aero category, and Barry Burr in the Utility Bike Men category. And my own evil plan paid off to enlist Ted Huang to tow me around the course to sneak back onto the leaderboard in the 2MW TTT Non_Aero Mixed category. The credit for this feat goes entirely to Ted (though hanging on to an Olympian for dear life isn’t quite as easy as it sounds), thanks!

The full results can be found here sorted by category, and here by overall.

Photo impressions and results of our raffle to follow in separate posts.

Thank you to our fabulous volunteers and participants for making this incredible 10-year run possible!!!

Startlist for June 14

Startlist for June 14 in PDF format

Raffle prize update: Barry Beams Oculus

Just in time for the final BTC time trial on Saturday, June 14, Barry Burr of Barry Beams has donated an Oculus Lighting system for our raffle. The Oculus light features patented breakthroughs that give superior illumination on the road, without blinding glare in oncoming drivers’ eyes, and was developed here in the Bay Area. For further info on the light, check out the Barry Beams website: http://www.bikelighting.net/

Our “orphan” will draw the winners of the Barry Beams light and other prizes (Voler gift cards, …) after the final event on Saturday. You do not have to be present to win, but you do if you want to get a last chance at breaking one of our records.

Raffle tickets and ride entries can be purchased on bikereg or on Voost (same difference, depending on your preference). Registration closes on Thursday. All our volunteers are automatically entered into the raffle.

What does it take to run a time trial?

What does it take to run a time trial? Well, actually not that much by one single person, but when you add it all up, it takes a lot of effort.

BTC-wonderwomen Connie Miller, Lisa E. Hern and Debbie Merritt showing what BTC is all about (and no, it’s not just about ingesting enough caffeine at 6am)

In the past couple of weeks since the announcement of the end of the Beat the Clock TT series in June after a successful 10-year run, I’ve gotten countless emails asking us to continue and most of the time, people nominated everybody else other than themselves to take over from us. We’d be more than happy to show somebody how to run the show, but if nobody steps forward that’s not going to happen. I’ve learned a long time ago that if you want to get something done, you gotta do it yourself.

We couldn’t have done it without our core volunteer group that have been showing up before 6am all those many Saturdays. And when one or two of them happen to be out of town or be otherwise occupied, disaster seems imminent, because it’s not like Elvises, Olympians, and Super-Debs grow on trees. Neither do waterproof trafficators, hula-girls and -boys, finish line mathemagicians, and people who are awake enough before 6am to register and pin people’s numbers without causing bodily harm in the process. That’s what it takes — a set of dedicated volunteers. And when some of them are unavailable, things get to be a drag. That’s why we decided to at least take an extended break, though, never say never…

We want YOU for BTC!

In the meantime — if YOU want to take over, we’ll be happy to train you. Let us know. Otherwise — so long and thanks for all the fish! See you at the last BTC in June — register now.