GamJams Racing

Broom Wagon

We've made the decision to shutter the GamJams Racing teams for 2012. And by "we" I mean the people principally responsible for keeping the teams going - myself (Mike), Dave and Gus. There are a couple reasons for the decision. If you're interested in them read on. If you're not, know that it's now open season on poaching former GamJams riders for your own teams (but not all of them, as you'll see below).

Dave and I, some of you may know, are also the guys behind November Bicycles. We're wicked busy and about to enjoy even more work as the business keeps growing. How busy? I met Dave for a ride yesterday and he was too strapped for time to go downstairs and find a matching jersey, so he showed up with a Raw Talent Ranch jersey paired rather grotesquely with the new November team bibs. I got so tired of sitting behind him looking at the mismatched colorways that I even started taking pulls. Short ones, but still.

Anyway, because we're fancy pants bike executives now, we're kind of obligated to have our own team. But because our business model is to eke out a living with teeny little profit margins, we can't support a big squad. So we've brought about half a dozen guys from GamJams over to join us for 2012, which - not coincidentally - is the maximum number we can fit in my minivan. 3 of them are going to have to hold wheel bags in their laps on road trips.

The other reason the GJ team is climbing into the broom wagon is because I made some mistakes in forming the team that were hard to recover from. The biggest is that the team wasn't locally focused. That made team rides a rarity, and building camaraderie a real challenge. My advice to people looking to start a team: create a tight radius for membership. It's just better to race with the guys you train with, even if that dude who lives an hour away is really honkin fast. The other big mistake I made was getting injured and losing the first half of the 2011 road season, and then getting injured again on my first race back and missing the second half of the 2011 road season. Teams need leadership and this year I wasn't it. I had no succession plan in place for someone else to take over. I knew better but just didn't put it together (see "wicked busy" above).

The GamJams site rolls on, however. Gus has stepped up as Editor-in-Chief and has the ideas and passion to make sure the site doesn't suck (which has always been its principal ambition). And we're staying in the sock business, in part because we've got a couple hundred pairs left (including a lot of wool ones for cross, going up soon in a new Selling the Crap Out Of Some Socks Sale).

If you subscribe to the GamJams Newsletter, that's going to take on a new life as the November Newsletter, likely keeping the Beer of the Week and Dirty Trick of the Week features, and publishing other bits too racy for either the GamJams or November sites. You'll get a preview of it and a chance to subscribe to it soon.

Newsletter v2, #12: Enough Silly Titles

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Tubulars, and how to not roll them

There have been some reports of rolled tubulars recently. With crit season squarely upon us, let's not have any of us be tubie rollers.

First if you have tires glued on, bump the pressure down to maybe 50 or 60 psi and have a check. Try to roll the tire off. It should be a challenge to get the tire unstuck with your thumbs. Keep in mind that winning this challenge means regluing the whole thing so be cautious, but be thorough. If you tires have been glued since last summer, be a bit suspicious. The glue does dry out.

If you are using new wheels, remove ALL stickers from the tire bed. Use a solvent that is not paint thinner to clean the tire bed. Naptha and acetone are good. This gets rid of oils etc that may be left from building and handling.

Stretch new tires well. I go 100psi on a rim for at least one day.

I go two coats on the rim and one on the tire before they go together. The two coats on the rim are thin. Thin thin. Thick is bad, bare spots are bad. Thin and complete is your goal. To glue the tire, pump it up until it turns inside out, then glue the tire tape. I use my finger (in a glove) for the rim and a plumbers flux brush (about $5 for a lifetime supply) for the tires.  The finger technique let's me get thin and even on the rim but it doesn't work for me on the tire. Allow a day of drying btwn coats on the rim, and again before you install the tire.

When installing the tire, I put the glue on the rim. This makes it easier to not get glue where you don't want it. Ymmv. The glue will tack up pretty quickly, but if you've stretched your tire well, you'll be able to finagle the tire straight with no problem.  Then pump the tire to about 80psi and leave it for a day to dry completely.

Other techniques might work but I don't know because I've never used them.

You can get suspended by USAC for rolling a tire.  Don't be that guy.

Newsletter v2, #9: Postponement

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Newsletter v2, #8: And So Begins the Task

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Newsletter v2, #7: The Flag Is Ready To Drop

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Saturday Team Ride: Rescheduled

While the entire GamJams Racing team was ready to roll out with spiked tires and shoulder pads, the legal department at GamJams World Headquarters and Low-Velocity Wind Tunnel Testing Facility has advised us that the icy conditions along our planned route tomorrow are less conducive to team training and more conducive to impact testing.  To be more specific, they said "if you bring someone out there who's not on the team and has not signed our hold-pointless agreement and they break their butts open slipping on some black ice just because you idiots call 'sprint point' for an abandoned car battery or something, don't look for us to defend you against their frivilous lawsuit.  In fact, look to us as the ones who will box up your carbon fiber frames and hand deliver them as an apology."  (or some sort of legalese like that.)

Thus it is with sadness and regret that we announce a reschedulization of tomorrow's planned ride.  So, if you were planning on meeting us in the morning, change your plans and meet us next time.  We'll still be here.  If you want, feel free to use this as the excuse next year every time you don't win.  "If only it hadn't snowed and those namby-pamby lawyers from GamJams Racing hadn't'a forced them to cancel that ride, I would'a won.  Dead certain."

Team Ride: Mike May Be There! (and So Should You)

Saturday, December 18th, is going to be cold.  It's also going to be the perfect day for "invitation-only" GamJams Racing Team Ride.  So, here's your invitation: if you are reading this, you are invited.  Feel free to invite other guests but remember "guests of guests may not bring guests."

If you are new to the bike racing scene and are looking for a team or if you are a grizzled veteran looking to change things up for the 2011 season, this is a great opportunity to come out and meet some of the GamJams Racing Team.  Team Director, Mike May, has promised that he will be there (unless he's not) and will be giving out lots of team schwag (unless he doesn't) to those who come out to ride with him.

Here's what you need to know:

1. The ride will start at the Vienna Caboose, adjacent to the W&OD Trail.  Link to the map is here and there is plenty of parking.  There is also a Whole Foods Market nearby for pre- and post-ride coffee or chow.

2. Ride will leave from the caboose at 9:00 sharp!  (Unless we're running a little late.)

3. The route (link to an approximate map here) will take us mainly on backroads past some of the biggest homes none of us will ever be able afford in the Great Falls area.  After a gentle warm-up section, the middle section of the ride has a lot of rolling but short hills.  Near the end of the ride there will be a long section for a steady pace-line.  Route is a little over 40 miles and will take around two hours.

4. Pace will be determined by those in attendance.  This will be a no-drop ride in the sense that we won't leave anyone out there to die like a frozen dog in a ditch.  But there are times when the pace will undoubtedly be classified as "spirited."  We will regroup as necessary to make sure no one is in too great a spot of bother.

5. Remember: Bring your "necessities."  Dress appropriately for very cold weather.  Bring at least one tire change kit, complete with a pump or CO2 cartridge.  Bring whatever food and water you will need for a ride that will be approximately two hours.  Use your head and don't be a Fred.

If you think you might join us, please drop us a line here so we know to look for you.  Certainly we'd like to roll right at 9:00, but if we know you are coming, we will be glad to give you a few minutes if you are running late.  Sure, it'll be cold, but we'll huddle for warmth and await your arrival with smiles on our frozen faces...

Hope to see you all there!

GamJams Racing

Caveat Lector: We will not, in fact, be planning to give out free GamJams schwag before the ride.  After the ride, however, several of our team members may have one sock available to give to anyone who wants it.  If you ask around, you might get enough "one sock" handouts to make a few sets of your own.  You're welcome!

Team and 2011 Team & Prospects Ride, Sunday 11/14 at 9:30

Now that we are winding down on going to CX races and taking vacations and doing basically anything other than riding our bikes in an organized manner, it's time to start the GamJams team ride.  We have a lot of new members joining the team and this is a great time to get to know one another and share the joys and miseries of building up for next season.

We also have a number of people thinking about joining us, so these off-season group rides are a good way for you folks who kind of like us but don't really know us to see what you might be getting yourselves into.

The first team ride will be on Sunday 11/14 at 9:30am, starting from the Whole Foods at the Friendship Heights Metro stop.  This location is central for many, accessable to all of the better "get out of town" roads and offers the all important pre and post ride coffee, victuals and rest rooms.   9:30 generally lets the nastiest of the morning chill go away and is a compromise between those who get up late and those who get up early.
 
We'll post the ride route soon, but are headed toward 40 miles, with a shorter option built in there (and if Gus comes, a longer option built in by definition as well).
 
11/14.  9:30am.  Whole Foods at Friendship Heights. 

RSVP here if you're new to GJ and are interested in joining us, or if you can't join us but want to know about the next one.

ISO Fast in 2011: If you have some, why not race with GamJams next year?

Now that the GamJams Gossip Generator is up and running, it's time to start filling it up. We'll do our part by announcing the

Official 2011 GamJams Racing Recruitment Drive.

In 2011, we'll have two separate teams:

1. GamJams / Pre-Reg.com: A Cat 3 only squad with an unswerving focus on team objectives. If you're done hiding in the pack and saving yourself for the sprint and you're read to race towards a team goal on game day, you'll like what we're doing. And if you do expect to reach the upper categories, our aim is to get you there with some real team racing experience under your bibs. Team participation is by invitation only. Apply for GamJams/Pre-Reg.com by November 17th.
2. GS GamJams: An open racing club focused on the undercategory development, GS GamJams is the principal feeder for the GamJams / Pre-Reg.com Cat 3 team. GS GamJams is also the home of GamJams Women's Racing, which so far seems to appeal to women strong enough to chick the men's Cat 3 team on long climbs. Is that you? You'll fit right in. Join GS GamJams here.

Learn more about both squads here.