GamJams Racing

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.

GamJams Beer-B-Q Ride rolls again this Saturday. Want in?

We'll do another Beer-B-Q ride from the GJ World Headquarters and Coffee Roastery this Saturday. If you're on the GJ or GS team you already know about the ride. If you're not but, but want to get to know some of us in advance of 2011 team selections, why not join us?

Here are the details:

• Day: Saturday 7/31
• Time: Wheels roll at 9am. Arrive by 8:30 if you're going to futz around for a while
• Starting Point: 1 GamJams Way, GamJamsia City, Republic of Suffering
• Ride: 50-60 miles through the rollers north of Potomac.
• Recovery: Pot luck and BYO. We'll have some reasonably healthy chicken sausages or some such for the grill. If that's not enough for you feel free to bring something to pass.
• Espresso Machine: yes

Please RSVP to Mike so we know to expect you. We're looking forward to making you cry on the hills like a high-school cheerleader who got dumped by her boyfriend the day before homecoming.

Inaugural GamJams July 4th Beer-B-Q Ride

The Inaugural First Annual and Otherwise Premiere GamJams July 4th Beer-B-Q Ride will commence at 9am on Sunday 7/4 from the GJ Worldwide HQ, Low Velocity Wind Tunnel and Online Race Pre-Registration Customer Service Call Center.

Details thusly:

• Start Finish: 1 GamJams Avenue, Bethesda
• Route: About 65 miles, influenced by this veloroute map (there are many cutoff points to shorten)
• Wheels Roll: 9am. Which means you should arrive at the start prior to then.
• Who: GamJams, GS GamJams and anyone entertaining thoughts about racing with us in 2011
• Beer-B-Q: Immediately following the ride the grill at the the GJ World HQ will be hot, beverages will be cold, backyard sprinklers will be on for you to run through in your sweaty kits, if that's your thing. Shower, facilities, whatever you need are also available.

RSVP here please so we know you're coming. Let us know if you're coming for the ride, the Beer-B-Q, or both.

Team ride on Saturday 4/24/10

10am at Bell Builders on MacArthur Ave, very close to where Sangamore and MacArthur intersect.  If you are driving to the ride, there is street parking on MacArthur in DC.  DO NOT park at the lot which I thought was a "Park and Ride" lot (hence the reason why I named this ride the "Park and Ride" ride).  You will get towed, spat upon, insulted, frowned at and possibly ridiculed.  

We will do a very close approximation of this route: http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=22862

As advertised, we'll have a spirited pace but we aren't trying to find anyone an early grave either.  

Please wear team jersey if possible, let's keep it looking pro out there.  

Feel free to invite friends but use discretion in your invitations.  If your friend is Chuck Hutch he will be bored, if your friend is going to be a liability at this distance/pace, there will be more appropriate venues.