Bring your custom, vintage or just plain SUPER BAD BIKES to the first annual SUPER BAD BIKE SHOW!
At 7th and Monmouth in Newport, next to Reser Bicycles.
All proceeds to benefit Bike Newport!
The Fusion Studio, located at 648 Monmouth St, is a comfortable and welcoming place to get into shape.
This privately owned gym offers its members cardio and strength training equipment, group exercise classes, personal training and coming in August, Individual Pilate’s Reformer Sessions.
We have Men and Women’s bathrooms with showers and complimentary towel service – so you can work out in the morning, shower & be ready to head to work all in one place.
For the bike enthusiast, Fusion Studio hosts Saturday 9am Bike Rides led by a Certified Cycling Coach. Beginners to the experienced road cyclists are encouraged to join us! CompuTrainer Assessments and Individual Road Coaching available by appointment.
Come see where your neighbors choose to work out!
I choose to support a locally-owned and operated workout facility because I appreciate the individual programs and the personal attention that the staff at Fusion offer. Susanna Kelley, East Row resident.
In case you missed it, Newport bicycle shop owner Jason Reser was in the news last week for chasing down and helping catch a man accused of stealing a bicycle last Monday (7-20) from a Colerain Township bike dealer.
According to local news reports and Reser, the $640 bicycle had been stolen Team Cycling and Fitness and the owner e-mailed other bike shops around town to be on the lookout. It was only a few hours later that the bike – matching the description and serial numbers of the swiped machine – was spotted outside Reser’s store on Monmouth Street. The suspect had ventured in to buy a lock.
After the suspect and bike left, Reser grabbed the fastest bike in his store to track down the man. He also called the Newport police to let them know what was up. Riding a super sleek carbon-fiber Orbea racing bike, Reser tracked down the suspect and stolen bike to Newport on the Levee, where the man was getting ready to board a bus. When he noticed Reser in pursuit, the man took off on the stolen bike, with Reser in pursuit and maintaining a safe distance while keeping Newport police informed of their whereabouts.
In hot pursuit along route that included shortcuts through parking lots and going the wrong way on one-ways streets, Reser’s persistent chase apparently wasn’t appreciated by the fleeing man. When they got to Victoria Square apartments, the man stopped fleeing, then walked up to Reser and punched him. Moments later, however, Newport police arrived and arrested the alleged bike thief.
Reser says he was just doing the right thing by following the suspect – albeit at a safe distance – and he knows all to well the personal sting of having a bicycle stolen. Since the episode, he has been swamped by “attaboy” e-mails, phone calls and well wishers who have stopped by his Newport shop to congratulate him.
Goosebumps! You know the feeling you get from the jets flying over at a Bengals game. This years RAIN (Ride Across Indiana) was one of the best rides of the season…and it gave me constant goose bumps.
Our Fusion team of 6 singles and 1 tandem was, first of all, one of the sharpest looking teams there because of our outstanding jerseys and our team spirit. We all started on the front line and our team consisted of racer, Ty Provosty who started and hung in the first group. In his own words; “The front group pace was SMOKIN’ !. At mile 52 my average speed was over 25.3 mph.” Ty flatted his tubular at mile mark 93 and “it took me every bit of 20 minutes to rip off the old carcass, apply the tubular cement to both rim and spare tubular tire, stretch the new tire on to the rim, inflate and remount. I saw a 2nd group pass me about 2 minutes before I got back on the road but was never able to catch them. My last 68 miles were mostly ridden on my own but there were a few riders I was able to team up with. My legs and morale were excellent all day. I did stop at the feed zone at mile 130 to fill two bottles and eat a banana. That refueling saw me to the end. My average speed at the finish line was 23.3. Ride time was 6:57.” Way to go Ty!
The team followed, in force, with Bill Johnson and Joyce Beebe on the tandem, the “Wall” of Christian Ambjorn and Dennis Green, Jamie Hoffpauir, John Barnes, and Dr. Jay Hoffman, all helping to keep our team out of trouble..
I’ll get the specifics out of the way by saying we rode 161 miles in 7:48, had an average of a very sweet 21.9 mph, with cool weather and tail winds most of the way…we had 3 short stops, all pre planned with our sag driver Walt Smith. No crashes, thanks to the constant “looking out” for each other of our team and only one flat. Even fixing the flat was a team effort and we were back on the road in minutes. Out of our 7:48 minutes, 7:21 of that was riding. That meant we made our 3 stops, waited for red lights, and fixed a flat all in only 27 minutes.
We had some funny encounters with other riders, too. Many knew we were all together because of our Fusion jerseys and those who didn’t make the connection got our stern but friendly request to “you are welcome to hang on the back, but, please go to the back of the line; we are all together in this”. The idea of “stranger danger” is never more prevalent than in a timed ride as this, with 1290 riders. We all know each others riding style and are comfortable with it. We had one guy who thanked us profusely for the “pull”. We passed him, after stops, a couple of times and he grabbed onto the back of our train with gratitude. He said “Thank you, I’ll never forget you!” Does that just make your day?
We all had something to do with the success of our TEAM and we each had some personal goals to achieve. Dennis wanted to do a century with an average over 22.5 mph. He played with the team until the 80 mile mark, where we were going slower, as a group, thru town. He took off at 80 miles, in order to keep his average up and Christian went with him. Dennis was glad for the company and they both joined the over 22.5mph century club. We all joined back up at our 101 mile rest stop.
Bill and Joyce wanted to beat their personal best time from 2 years ago, which was 7:58. We had amazing tail winds and “The Wall” to get us thru. Picture this….two strong, broad shouldered, talented, 6 foot tall riders coming up from the back of the pack and riding side by side in front of the tandem for several miles creating this blocking wall effect which could be felt all the way to our 5th rider back and probably father. Dennis and Christian were definitely, the dynamic wind block from heaven. They created such a stir when they made their move to the front of the line… We would be riding along and then hear the groans and shouts from John who knew his fate was sealed as he yelled “No don’t do it; don’t go there….please, we’re already going 27 mph”, just ”egged” them on. John hung on as well as the rest of the team. Dennis and Christian would then assume the position right on the front wheel of the tandem with Jamie, John and Jay following closely and increase the speed by 2-3 mph….all the while they laughed and joked, keeping us close on their wheel and making the most incredible wind block you have ever felt. I have never before recovered going 30 mph! It was the best! If you have ever struggled on a long ride then you will appreciate this following scene;…Much later in the ride, when many are slowing down a bit, in one of Christian and Dennis’ moves to the front of our line to pull, they had left a bit of a gap, momentarily, between themselves, the tandem, and the Team ….they passed a single guy struggling along…and when he saw and felt them pass him, with a space open behind them…. the look on his face told us that he thought he had died and gone to heaven…then a totally crestfallen look came over him when we and the rest of the team pulled in front of him and said “sorry, they were waiting on us”….
Jamie, John and Jay all finished with us, completing, what was for all of us, our first century in 4:45. In fact, Dr. Jay had never done a century before, he had done some very fast 40 mile rides but he just figured what the heck , skip the century…let’s just go for the 160 miles. He finished very strong in 8:25 with plenty of humor intact.
What a Team we had. Our least experienced riders were with 4 years of riding experience, the most experienced riders with us were 30+ years of riding experience. And our SAG driver, Walt Smith, having experience not only riding distances but also supporting RAAM riders. During the ride we each had a role to play and we all did it with enthusiasm and respect for each other. We kept each other safe and out of trouble, delivered someone who might have fallen off, back up to the group(our delivery guy- Christian), continued coaching each other with techniques that might help the team, and in general worked and acted in the best way possible.
We did learn a couple of basic lessons which I will share with all…one was the value of recovery…so we all took Sunday off! And the second is the necessity of consistency of movement while riding, not only in constant pedaling but in holding the line. Both of these add to the enjoyment of endurance riding in the front, middle and back of the pack.
Pulling a line is naturally, difficult, physically and also a bit of a thrill….and if you do it smoothly it can be a blast to the rest of the team…and while some may look on “wheel sucking” as an easy “chore”….I am here to tell you that, concentrating on NOT crashing, keeping the draft, and staying smooth for 160 miles may actually be more difficult , mentally, than pulling. Kudos to the “younger riders” who maintained the line and kept the draft while keeping the rubber side down!
In the past, we all have had others who have helped us in specific areas of our cycling and continue to…..and because of those people, as a Team, we succeeded in making this one of the best rides ever.
Just try and wipe this smile off of my face!
Enjoy Your Ride
Joyce
Fast & Flat, or Maintaining Mojo is the focus for this week’s Fusion Cycling Network ride. We’ll be leaving from the Fusion Studio this Saturday, July 18th at 9:00 AM and heading over the river eastward to New Richmond and back.
On this ride we will be working on consistent pedaling techniques, eating and drinking while hammering, staying aero for longer periods of time, and how to rely on you core muscles for extra power, comfort and endurance.
Keeping a high average speed over long flat distances is not always easy and requires the same basic skills employed in climbing but with a different pacing. (remember BARF?) Do not expect a lot of stops on this one, we’ll stop briefly in New Richmond for a water refill and that’s about it. There are Clif Bars and Gels etc. available at Fusion if you need to stock up before we leave.
So fuel up on Friday night get some rest and we’ll see you on Saturday! Give me a call if you have any questions.
Rob Currens
Fusion Cycling Coach
513-293-6782
rob@letsride.biz
Reser Bicycle Outfitters and the Newport Pizza Company have joined forces to celebrate the Tour de France on Tuesdays in July.
Don’t miss the opportunity to view the action! Enjoy pizza, beer and complete Tour coverage at Newport Pizza all month long. Join the Reser Road Ride on Tuesday evenings then head down the street to refuel. Everyone is welcome, riding not required. Race coverage begins at 8pm. Newport Pizza is located at the corner of 6th and Monmouth Sts in Newport.
7/7 Stage 4 – Montpellier – Team Time Trial
7/10 Stage 10 – Limoges to Issoudun
7/21 Stage 16 – Martigny to Bourg – Saint – Mourice
7/25 Stage 20 – Montelimar to Mont Ventoux
The Party moves to Reser Bicycle Outfitters – Join us for the most exciting stage of Le Tour. 6-10pm