La Voix

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A New Member…from Wyoming

Team Camp Report

January LG50 Ride

Helen’s Night

Race Report

New Members

Chuck Collins…A new member from…Wyoming.🤔 Why? Read.

Hello La Grange Cycling Crew. Rich asked me if I would like to share a bit of my story. Rich was also a bit curious as to how I showed up out of the blue while living in Wyoming to find La Grange! 

First let me say that while technically I live in Wilson, Wyoming, the locals know these parts of the border of Wyoming and Idaho as Wydaho, found just west of Jackson Wyoming.  Wilson ,WY is a tiny town right at the bottom of Teton Pass.For most of my adult career I have worked in the bicycle and Outdoor industry, thirty plus years in Utah. I still collaborate and counsel Cycling West/ Cycling Utah magazine, one of the largest regional cycling magazines in the country. I was a vice president of USA cycling from 1999 to 2001, and USCF Trustee form 1997-2003. I have a an undergraduate degree in aerospace science and an MBA. Aviation was once to be a career, but if that had happened, I probably would not have been a bike racer and advocate of the cycling community.Once upon a time Cycling-wise, I ran four clubs, promoted 40% of the races in Utah (1996-1997), organized an annual tour for several years and was very active in the Salt Lake City Mayors' Bicycle Advisory Committee. I'm an old category II racer. I have four Gilas in me, several Cascades, MT Hood, Casper Classic, and a couple of Nationals. I'm a former Utah State Masters TT and criterium champion. I can hardly remember. I still pick my battles. Last season, I raced Redlands in the 55+ and 45+, and then later in the summer, the Boise Twilight Criterium. I aspire. For this year, as with all things racing, you have to do the work. We'll see. In the mean time, the indoor trainer is my friend. Ha! Call it structure. With the terrain in these parts there's also some cx, plenty of mountain biking and endless gravel. My stable serves all three. Soon, I look forward to catching a La Grange group ride when I make to the Los Angeles area.
How I found La Grange? I've been around the bike community for a long time. I would often spend some of my winters in the Santa Barbara area. I regularly participated in the East Beach rides or up in Santa Ynez for the Saturday Dr J's ride. Occasionally a La Grange group would be in the area. I noticed your kits. Other times, I found myself on the Simi Valley ride or sometimes while hanging in Palm Desert, again I noticed the La Grange colors. This year, I was looking to switch it up. A Google and USA Cycling search led me to Socal clubs as apposed to clubs from Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. As I had remembered La Grange from the road, I was clued to check you out. To my recollection, I remembered the La Grange crew to have its act together. After checking out your website and your stories, indeed you do.To me it looks like La Grange is doing it right. You have a diverse membership. You have longevity. From all appearances, La Grange sets a professional example of what a cycling club ought to represent with your stewardship, mentorship, community involvement, and participation. You have strong relationships with your sponsors. Since my earliest days of cycling, I've considered myself a patron of the community. As far as I'm concerned, if you ride a bike, you're a patron of the bicycle community. For my part, I'm looking forward to representing La Grange in the Inter-mountain West.

I haven't been a member of a club in ten plus years. These days, most of the clubs that I'm familiar with seem as if they are only into racing and/or have a very tight circle. A few clubs step up and do more which I appreciate. However, many bicycle communities lack, well community. It's a problem. Many riders that I've come across have never seen a functional bicycling community where there is always respect and inclusiveness. The racer's have got to know that it takes 10000 people that ride a bike, any bike, once per week to get one guy road racer. It's 10000 to get a woman bike racer. Obviously, La Grange gets it. You provide a welcoming and supportive place for all interests and abilities in cycling. Chapeau!You also may have gathered that I might have an opinion or two about cycling - that I share in small circles. In the cycling world, I claim notoriety from my action at my first USA Cycling Board of Directors meeting when I voted no to the proposed amendments to USA Cycling Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws (1999). Most Directors received notification of the Amendments thirty minutes before the proposed vote that would have unilaterally removed the membership right to vote from the bylaws. The vote was 13 to 1. As you may recall, probably don't, the membership sued and won the reversal in the Colorado Court of Appeals. To some degree, my experience with USA Cycling took some of my cycling energy. Gratefully, I'm recovered from that time and on the easy side now: I just want to ride, be safe and have fun with friends, and maybe an occasion five/six/seven hours in the saddle with a bunch of climbing and/or in the wind.

Lastly, I'm not sure how much racing I'll be doing this next year, hopefully enough riding to keep my sanity. That's a bit of my story. I'm not sure when I'll make it to Socal proper. I do have some family and friends in Hollywood Hills, Burbank, and areas south. With a little luck, maybe I will make it for a couple of weeks in late winter and or early spring.

Chuck Collins

Team Camp Report

Team camp recap! This year the race team went south to Julian for team camp. Powerful headwinds truly forced the team to work together building skills, camaraderie and a real appreciation for the power of a good draft. Julian’s epic views, gorgeous roads and an endless supply of delicious pie solidifies our need for a quick return. Great adventure to kick off the 2020 season!

Headwinds and gorgeous views.

Road team 2020

Renee and David discussing race strategy

Our amazing sprinter van!

Couldn't have done this weekend without our dedicated van driver Ellie keeping us safe, Thanks Ellie!!!

Rotating pace lines, learning the importance of a good draft.

Daniel keeping pace.

Renee, Lucy and Danie taking a breather and talking about TTT.

"Apple pie, the best recovery meal for dead legs" Sam. And it appears Steven agrees. 🤗#RudyProjectNA

January LG 50 Ride

LG 50 is the name of the monthly La Grange social rides that started as the “50 for 50 rides. Jaycee Cary created a route up Sepulveda, through the neighborhoods of Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, and Woodland Hills, Calabasas, and Topanga.

I don’t know if there are any other photos since I did not quite finish the ride. #crash

Helen’s Night is February 10th

Monday night, February 10th at 7 pm is the date for the annual Helen’s Night.

Race Report - Santa Barabra

The racing participated in the Santa Barbara County Road Race. The course is a ~14 mile loop with a sub 6 minute climb in the middle on pavement that runs from smooth and new to rutted and terrifying.

This is a challenging course where our racers were put through all types of challenges and did well. From podium finishes to struggling through mechanical, having the mental grit to finish the race when the pack is long gone and one of the hardest things for me personally: knowing when to pull out of a race.

Warren Sutton

Charlie Herndon leading the pack.

Tyler Bojarsky

New Members

Welcome to the following 11 new members who joined in January 2020. Due to new California privacy laws, we will no longer use new member’s last names without their permission and it is simply easier to list only their first name due to the logistics to see who does and who doesn’t approve the use of their full name.

Chuck , Claire, Forrest, Lawrence, Martina, Michael, Mike, Morgan, Théophile, Tim, Tyler.

La Voix

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End of an Era

Van 2.0 Has Landed

December 50 for 50 Ride

January Happy Hour at The Dudes' Brewing Co.

2020 Club Kit Order

Helen’s Night

Race Report

New Members

Pierre Parriaux, a founding member of VCLG, has passed. 😢

Pierre Parriaux was one of the four founding members of Velo Club La Grange. It all began when Raymond Fouquet and the three waiters at his La Grange Restaurant decided they were getting paunchy and needed to get out on their bicycles to get in shape.

Raymond and Robert Van Hove had raced bikes as young men in France. Pierre hadn’t, but soon found cycling was a new love in his life. They entered some races, although their training was minimal due to their work schedules, but their love for the culture grew. And so did the club. Customers and neighbors began to join them at 8:30 on am (the original start time) Sundays for the Nichols Ride.

Pierre had immigrated to the U.S. in 1963 after having grown up as a small boy in World War II occupied Champagne, France. He had worked as a waiter in Paris, as a very young man, and was highly skilled at his profession. I believe he met Raymond while working at Au Petit Jean Restaurant. When Raymond was ready to open La Grange Restaurant, he asked Pierre to join him.

While Pierre was never particularly fast going up Nichols Canyon, he was a dedicated club rider and faithful supporter. He continued the Nichols ride until he bought a tandem and convinced his lovely wife, Jacqueline, to ride with him. Then customarily we would see Pierre and Jacqueline ascending Sepulveda while the club descended it. Ultimately, they rode their tandem in the U.S., France, and Spain. One of my treasured memories was a ride I did with them from West L.A. to Santa Barbara and then back the next day. It was a shared event that we spoke of often. 

Pierre and Jacqueline were a delightful couple. Both with movie star good looks and kind generous souls. Being invited to their home for dinner was an extraordinary event. They were both extremely talented in the kitchen. No one could produce a Grand Marnier or chocolate souffle like Jacqueline.

The character of men like Pierre and Raymond were infused into the DNA of Velo Club La Grange, and I believe that accounts for the club’s success. 

Below are a few words I put together for Pierre’s funeral:

I enjoyed the blessings of Pierre’s friendship for 42 years. Working with him, riding bicycles with him, and enjoying great food and wine with him, especially great food and wine if he and Jacqueline prepared it! Whenever he traveled, I would receive a postcard written in his elegant script. If we hadn’t spoken for a couple of months, my phone would ring and he would be checking in to see how my family and I were doing. 

He taught me a great deal when I first started to work with him at La Grange Restaurant. He also taught me a lot about cuisine and wine, but those lessons were just a small part of what he taught me. 

Most of what he taught me were lessons he was unaware of. Pierre taught me about respect. Pierre was a most respectful person. Not respectful in a subservient way, but in an appreciative way. He respected the beauty of nature. He respected the beauty of the arts; in particular Jazz. He respected others for their achievements. He respected people just for their humanity. His appreciation was always given freely. To me, this made him a very respectable individual.

Another thing he taught me about was integrity. Pierre was endowed with an innate sense of justice and fair play. In a world that usually operates in a “What’s In It For Me” mode, Pierre always looked for fairness and equity, even if it was at his own expense. I witnessed this quality in him on many occasions and it had a profound effect on me. I remember him coming to me, as a young 27-year-old, with questions about raising his teenage daughters because he was concerned that the ideals he had brought from the old country might not be correct for them at the present time in America. I believe Pierre likely had more integrity in his little finger than our entire U.S. Congress put together. We would be lucky to have leaders like Pierre.

Then, of course, there were the stories. Pierre had lived quite an eventful life and he did love to speak. I learned a lot from listening to his stories of growing up in occupied France, his adventures in the French Foreign Legion and his immigration to the U.S. We had many political discussions over the years and he was well-read and clearly knowledgeable. 

One evening, shortly after we began to work together, Pierre told me regarding our friend and boss Raymond Fouquet, “If you have Raymond as a friend, you can’t have a better friend.” I believe Pierre may have been wrong there, not about the value of Raymond’s friendship, but by not recognizing that, If you had Pierre Parriaux as a friend, you could not have a better friend. He was very modest about his own talents and accomplishments

Rest in peace, Mon Pote.

Dr. Bruce Shannahoff

Pierre donated his original La Grange jersey to the club shortly before his passing. Marco Fantone has it as part of his “banquet collection.”

Van 2.0 Has Arrived and Eli Has Departed

Van 2.0 made it maiden club voyage on Tuesday, December 17th to celebrate our good friend Elijah Szasz. A very merry La Grange holiday take over of Saddle Peak to celebrate our good friend Elijah moving to Utah. Enjoy this video created by Tina Grant.

December 50 for 50 Anniversary Ride

Jaycee Cary, the creator of the 50 for 50 Anniversary Rides, created a route through the neighborhoods of Palos Verdes. Many of us had not been through that area of the peninsula so it was a nice diversion from a usual ride. The Board has decided to continue the end of the month Saturday social rides into 2020 so keep your calendar open for these very popular rides!

Peet’s Coffee at the start. Photo by Caleb Yang.

Photo by Dan Mitnick

Photo by Dan Mitnick

Photo by Dan Mitnick

Photo by Dan Mitnick

Photo by Caleb Yang

Photo by Dan Mitnick

Photo by Dan Mitnick

Photo by Rich Hirschinger

La Grange Happy Hour Hosted by Mallorca Luxury Cycling

It's Happy Hour time! Join your La Grange friends at The Dudes’ Brewing Company for our first happy hour of the new decade, which is being hosted by Mallorca Luxury Cycling. Come join us on Tuesday, January 14, 2019, from 6 PM – 8 PM. The first bit of the tab is sponsored by Mallorca Luxury Cycling so come early! Mallorca Luxury Cycling was recently launched by club member Joel Bertet. Come hear all about the incredible biking and delicious Spanish cuisine to fuel your rides in beautiful Mallorca. The Dudes’ Brewing Company is located at 395 Santa Monica Place, #304, Santa Monica, CA 90401, which is on the top floor of the Santa Monica Place Mall.

Visit https://www.mallorcaluxurycycling.com/ to learn more.

2020 Club Kit Orders Close on January 5, 2020

The Castelli store will be open until midnight on Sunday, January 5, 2020. Once the store is closed, it is closed. So…order now! And remember, if you placed items in your cart but have not paid for them, then you will not be receiving them. A huge thanks to Jaycee Cary and Marco Fabrizio for designing the kit. The link for the store is http://teamorder.serviziocorse.com/index.aspx?pc=90C434EE-E8F8-4FCF-AF6E-22FB9B12F0CC

Helen’s Night is February 10, 2020

Monday night, February 10th at 7 pm is the date for the annual Helen’s Night. Mark the date on your calendar. Much more details to be announced closer to the date.

Race Report - Track Style

“Just to warn you, these neutral laps are never neutral.” And with that, the opening race of the Agnew Brusavich Holiday Carnival men’s endurance omnium, the elimination race was off, with a neutral lap that can only be described as, “about 30 mph.”

But let’s step back. What is the Holiday Carnival? Many tracks in the US host a multi-day marquee event every year. In Portland, they have the Alpenrose Challenge; in Minneapolis, they have the Fixed Gear Classic; and in Seattle, they have the Marymoor Grand Prix. Los Angeles has been without a marquee event for a while, and rolling into 2020, the board of the Los Angeles Velodrome Racing Association (LAVRA) decided that LA needed something, and why not the holidays (at the time, the weather in the rest of the country was decidedly nippier than “SoCal winter”). The result was the Agnew Brusavich Holiday Carnival (a nod to the Tasmanian Carnivals that happen around the same time), a two-day event on December 19-20, an event that came together quickly in late fall, and was made possible only through the quick and enthusiastic support of the events two sponsors: Gerry Agnew of Agnew Brusavich Personal Injury Lawyers and the Board of Directors of Velo Club La Grange.

The event was structured as a two-day elite event with omniums for sprinters, endurance riders, and Madison riders (What is the Madison? Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW3dOWItii0), with one day of amateur racing and one day of junior racing. The prize? The best ugly sweater jersey you’ve ever seen, with the words “Champion of Christmas” emblazoned on the back. In all, twelve Champions of Christmas were crowned at the Holiday Carnival this year. I raced in the elite men’s endurance omnium, and there were a couple other La Granger’s who dusted off their fitness to race as well. Phil Klinkon raced the amateur Madison, securing a podium spot in Saturday’s event, and new La Granger Lee O’Reilly claimed second overall in the amateur women’s omnium, having launched attack after attack in every race she entered. A small contingent of La Grangers (and a host of inflatable sharks) even came to cheer on the final evening session.

Moreover, for a first-year race, the Holiday Carnival managed to pull in a phenomenal field, with pro racers from Portland, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and our own backyard using the event as preparation for January racing at the Six Days in Europe and the Tasmanian Carnivals in Australia. As a racer, we had some of the best fields LA has seen in years outside of the National Championships. For 2020, look forward to a return of the Holiday Carnival on December 19-20 next year. For the racers, a four-race season will lead into this finale, and for the racing fans, mark the date, and bring a cooler to the track to watch some exciting and novel racing.

Phil Klinkon (second from right) on the podium for Saturday night's amateur Madison.

A little holiday cheer greeted racers looking for the mercy of the one-lap-to-go bell.

The new LG Sprinter Van made an appearance and stole the show out from of the Velo Sports Center.

The amateur men's scratch race, like many this weekend, was lined out single file as racers kept the speeds high.

New Members

Welcome to the following 11 new members who joined in December 2019.

Annie Whalen, Craig Grossmueller, Dan Mitnick, Frederick Lacey, Jeni Bakula, Lee O’Reilly, Mark Peterson, Mitchell Levy, Phillip Campbell, Roger Hunt, Welner Trujillo.

Castelli Fit Kit Organization and FAQ

The following is to help answer common questions we receive about the differences between various jerseys, bibshorts, speed suits, and accessories offered by Castelli. Click a blue link to go to that section of the page.

But before we get to to that, the fit kits are highly organized this year. Each of the 103 garments has a number. The garments on the left are men’s sizes in order of S, M, L, XL, etc. The garments on the right are the women’s sizes in order of S, M, L, XL, etc. The garments numbered from 51 to 77 are unisex. When you try something on, you must wear an undergarment and you must put the hangar back in numerical order. Why? To be courteous to your fellow members. There is a box at the bottom for gloves, head thingys, caps, and arm, knee and leg warmers. Please put these back in the same bag and then put them back in the box.

Items 1 to 50 are men’s cuts, 51-77 are unisex, and 78 to 103 are women’s cuts.

All hangars have a number from 1 to 103. Please be respectful and hang the garment back on the hangar and place it back in numerical order.

The box contains items that are in bags. After you have tried an item on, please put the item back in the same bag that you found them in and then put the bag back in the box.

Jerseys
Bibshorts
Speed Suits
Accessories

Jerseys

Aero Race Jersey: Aero Race and Climber’s jersey’s are based on the same cut and aero fit, simply offering different fabrics for increased aerodynamics or breathability, respectively.

• Fabrics and seam positioning based on engineering studies through computer simulations

• Developed to achieve maximum aerodynamic efficiency at speeds between 18 and 34 mph

• Aerodynamic construction of the shoulders

• Velocity Rev2 fabric in the front and sleeves

• Back in 3D mesh mesh fabric

• Long sleeves to the elbow with a raw cut

• YKK® Vislon® zip

• Internal elastic at the waist keeps pockets positioned close to the body

Climbers 3.0 Jersey: Aero Race and Climber’s are based on the same cut and aero fit, simply offering different fabrics for increased aerodynamics or breathability, respectively.

• Lightweight aero jersey

• StradaPro 3D fabric on back provides support to pockets and UPF 16 protection.
  Velocity Rev 2 fabric on sleeves and shoulders with close-to body fit and raw-cut endings

• 75 g / m² Flow 3D fabric on front keeps the jersey light and dry.

• Full-length lightweight front zipper.

• 3 rear pockets.

• Pattern from Aero Race 6.0 Jersey makes it aero

Podio Jersey: Performance fit (slightly relaxed but still fitted)

• Prosecco Strada fabric for breathability and comfort

• Mesh side panels

• Asymmetrical collar protects neck from zipper

• Full-length covered zipper

• Scorpion zipper pull

• Inset sleeves for perfect anatomic fit

• Longer sleeve length

• Elastic at waist to keep the jersey in place

• Reflective tabs

• 3 rear pockets

• Dropped hem pockets for better fit around waist

Team Long Sleeve Jersey

• Warmer fabric on body, with lighter fabric on sleeves for greater versatility

• New set-in sleeve construction

• Reflective tabs

• Full-length covered zipper

• 3 rear pockets

Bibshorts

Free Aero Race 4 Bibshort

• Vortex fabric in the legs for greater aerodynamic performance

• Fabric Strength in the part in contact with the saddle with 38% Lycra® for a perfect fit

• Mesh bibstraps with minimalist construction to keep the body cool

• Giro4 leg bottom for better adherence to the leg distributed over a larger surface

• Double V construction in the front for greater support and comfort

• Flat seams

• Progetto X2 Air Seamless Pad

Team Bibshort

• Textured fabric on legs for better aerodynamics

• Mesh straps for comfort and breathability

• Giro Air mesh-like leg gripper elastic for better grip distributed over a larger area

• Flat-lock stitching available in white or black

• Available in Kiss Air Seat Pad

Speed Suits

SanRemo 4.0 Speed Suit

• The fabrics, the positioning of the cuts and the seams are based on engineering studies through computer simulations

• Developed to achieve maximum aerodynamic efficiency at speeds between 18 and 34 mph

• Aerodynamic construction of the shoulders

• Velocity Rev2 fabric in the front and sleeves

• Back in 3D mesh mesh fabric

• Long sleeves to the elbow with a raw cut

• YKK® Vislon® zip

• 2 pockets with floating construction in the final part for greater capacity

• Vortex fabric in the legs for greater aerodynamic performance

• Fabric Strength in the part in contact with the saddle with 38% Lycra® for a perfect fit

• Giro4 leg bottom for better adherence to the leg distributed over a larger surface

• Double V construction in the front for greater support and comfort

• Progetto X2 Air Seamless Pad

Body Paint 3.0 Speed Suit

• Probably the fastest suit on the the WorldTour, now available to non-WorldTour riders

• Boundary Layer engineering to reduce drag over every portion of the suit

• Race number flap

• Progetto X2 Air seat pad for even greater comfort

• Mesh leg has a clear, silicone gripper

• Race fit: Note that this suit fits very snugly

• Full length hidden zipper

• Thumb loops keep sleeves in place

• No back pockets

Accessories

Team UPF+ Light Arm Sleeves: a light weight sun protection sleeve with no thermal attributes

• Solare fabric keeps the chill off without causing overheating

• UPF 50+ protection

• Polyester based for excellent moisture management

• Double-side silicone elastic at top for excellent grip

Thermoflex Arm Warmers: a lightly brushed fleece lined interior of the pieces with thermal attributes

• Anatomic cut for a close fit that doesn’t constrict

• Double sided gel grippers with soft stretch to hold warmer in place

• Black Flatlock stitching