Hats off!  SVTC Kid's Triathlon 2007 is in the books and another great success.
A heart-felt thank you goes out to all those tireless people who pulled this off  -  again!

Over the past few years I've worked the bike course, been a 'floater', worked set-up & take-down and the transition area.  I 've never actually seen any kids swim or run around the track or finish, yet feel no less diminished for it . . .  only more to look forward to next year.  Today was the first time I saw the swim venue checking for gear after the event had concluded. 

What a cool swim center!  I can imagine I'd be jacked if I were one of those kids, swimming in that stadium-like pool, running up those stairs, out through the 'tunnel' to a transition area filled with 740+ bikes of every description!  Friends and parents, brothers and sisters and volunteers, cheering, waving and taking pictures . . . all this put on for 'ME'!  Wow!

And it showed in all those little spirits racing down from the swim to their bikes, racing from their bikes off to the track.  Even the kids who were 'wandering' and seemed a little bemused - they were all inspiring!

Thanks for allowing me to share in so many people's wonderful experience.

Ok, Saturday's ride.
That's the way to ride as a group!  Being aware of a light splitting the group you took the next available right, continued to ride on a side street until the rest caught up.  Again, each time the faster people got off the front a ways, you did the same.  You guys did it right this week. 

For those competing at SJ Inter the conditions were almost too nice  :o)  with a bit of following wind beyond Bailey and very little head wind back.  It almost seemed as though we had tail wind helping us up the climb - certainly not the norm!  Feel that way to you?  After riding so well Saturday, it will on the 23rd.
Think positive!

I saw good spinning up the hill with effective use of gears over the top to get your speed up ASAP down the other side.  Several of you were using out-of-the-saddle accelerations to pump your pace mid-climb to excellent effect.  Congrats and keep practicing those skills.

Some good lessons learned this trip.
 - CO2 inflators can be convenient, but riding 650 wheels with a 'standard'
   cartridge and all-or-none inflator doesn't produce the best results!  :o)

 - there will always be idiots on the road and we, as cyclists on our sub-20lb
   bikes, must at all times be courteous, turning the other cheek expeditiously.
   To whit:  coming down Bailey to the McKean intersection, we would U--turn
   to begin our return to repeat the Bailey climb.  Arriving at the stop sign first,
   I unclipped and stood as there was a car approaching from the right and
   another from the left signaling a rigth turn.  The right approaching car passed
   and the car turned onto Bailey passing me as I stood.  A truck was
   approaching from the left but a ways down the road and not signaling, so did
   my U-Turn and started back up Bailey.  Maybe 20yds from the intersection I
   heard sporadically squealing tires and the sound of big tires breaking loose,
   'hopping' on pavement.  Looking back I see the truck trying to make the right
   turn onto Bailey.  Dust is flying.  A Will Grimely/Santa Claus look-alike has
   the wheels cranked around half-way into the turn, truck kind of pogo-ing
   a bit.  Not the most comforting sight (or sound).  In the same glance I see
   two of my group approaching the stop sign, one behind the other approximately
   in the middle of the right lane with a car behind them.
  
This could have been ugly, but in the same glance it was apparent that the
   truck somehow would manage to get stopped before plowing into either
   my cyclists or the following car.
  
Santa's reaction was to yell and offer unflattering jestures at the cyclists
   including me as he punched the gas while gaining control, slightly, and racing
   on up Bailey.  We noticed, as his late model goldish-beige Chevy 4x4 extra 
   sped away,  he had no plates . . .

SO,  be vigilent, aware of your surroundings and always assume that the driver
of any vehicle in the vicinity doen't see you and if they do, they don't like you.
Our mission is to ride in a manner that will give drivers every inclination to change
their opinions of us and believe that we are wonderful people.  So, follow traffic rules to the letter - no matter what you see other cyclists doing.  We're not them.
    and remember the license plate number if they have one!

This Saturday  June 9
What:      Ride
Where:     'B' St and Carob Ln, Los Altos.  Near FootHill Expr and Miramonte
Focus:     See what you've learned re climbing, descending and effective use
               of gears.  We'll ride Stevens Creek Canyon maybe twice and then
               head to Magdalena.
Have a good week.
dan

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