Team Globalbike Blog

This is huge for the team! Check out the full article here

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Alder Martz flying the globalbike colors on Cycling News!

Alder Martz in Beaufort Speedweek, appearing on Cyclingnews.com

Quick Update: A little shell-shocked after the battle in Athens, all of Team Globalbike finished the second installment of speedweek in Roswell, GA. The highest finisher was Ben Miller.

The Bens of the Team

It’s 9pm Saturday night in Athens, GA. We’re all riding trainers under a tent as the rain pours down from the black abyss above. Occasionally the sky lights up in a flash from far away and the distant rumblings of thunder are faintly heard over the mix of music, crowd noise, and the announcer. The women’s pro race speed by with a splash, reminding us that our turn is next, we’re at the Athens Twilight Criterium, and 150 of our favorite friends will be trying to be first into turn one.

So, what’s it like to race one of the countries hardest criteriums in the rain, through puddles and rivers, in the dark? Absolutely crazy! 150 guys all double file, makes a very long line of riders that snakes half way around the course and takes over 30sec to completely pass a given point.

Fighting for Wheels

Those of us mid pack contend with traffic moving backwards as they blow up, sketchy people diving the corners, crashes on every lap, pot holes submerged under puddles, and hungry officials eager to pull you out of the race if you fall off the back. You navigate all of this in the dark, with a constant spray of water and road grit in your eyes from the wheels in front.

Josh Whitmore was the last one left before getting pulled

As the race goes on, less and less people are left. After 151 started, in the end, 31 finished. The battle at the back can be as tough as the battle at the lead, as gaps open and those behind are forced to close the gap to finish the race. Trips to the pit are often, as riders get caught up in crashes or flat tires in the potholes.

When the bell rang for the final lap, Team Gloablbike were all sitting back under the tent. No one had made it to the end. We were a bit demoralized, but also paid attention to the other 120 guys that were in the race that were now lining the course, many of whom are the biggest names in American Cycling.

Noah on a Mavic Pit Bike after breaking a shifter in a crash

Thanks to all the fans in Athens who cheered, yelled, helped us with our stuff. We’re hoping for better luck for the rest of the week!

Thanks once again to Eddie Helton for taking great photos of the team. Follow his link on the right of this page to see his other pics of the event.

You can now find up-to-date and instant news on Team Globalbike in Twitter.

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Renkema just before the finish Salute

Team Globalbike presented by Catoma Adventure Shelters continued its winning ways this weekend at the I’on Village Criterium in Charleston. The team rode a flawless race, delivering Ben Renkema to the line for an easy sprint victory. “They made it easy for me, I had to sprint maybe 10 pedal strokes” said Renkema who already has 4 victories in 2010. Check out the full race report at Carolina Cycling News.

Alder Martz Lapping the Field at Sunny King

Also on Saturday, Globalbike was represented at the Sunny King Criterium in Alabama by Alder Martz. As a part of the NRC series, Sunny King always draws great crowds and tough competition by the US pro teams. About halfway through the race, a big group formed off the front of the main pack. With Alarm Bells ringing in his head, Alder managed to bridge up to the group by himself. The group of 14 eventually lapped the field and then came to the line in a big bunch gallop. With no teammates in the race, Alder was on his own to fight for wheels in the final laps and took a little more conservative approach. “I wanted to make sure that I got to the line in one piece, so when things got aggressive and sketchy in the closing laps, I didn’t take any chances.” said Martz who finished in 12th spot - a fantastic result in a tough race!

Boyd Johnson sprinting for the SC State Championship

Back in Charleston, the rest of the team lined up for the SC State Championship Criterium on Sunday. Boyd Johnson and Noah Metzler of the team are SC residents and eligible to win the title, so the plan was to set them up for the win. Throughout the race, Globalbike once again dictated the pace as everyone else looked to the team to cover every move and do all the work. In the end, the team still managed to deliver Boyd Johnson to a good position to start the sprint, but was out-kicked by Marc Williams of Palmetto Velo to take the title. Read the full report at Carolina Cycling News.

Dr. Todd helping to get the team ready for the Rock Hill Criterium

One of the secrets of Globalbike success so far this year is our team chiropractor - Dr. Todd Riddle. Dr. Todd travels with us to events and helps make sure that our bodies are in good order before the race starts and after the race, helps us repair the damage we’ve done and speed recovery.

Dr. Todd employs some basic athletic trainer techniques to help us get warmed up and prime the muscles for activity. He also gives us chiropractic adjustments to ensure that our musculature and bone structure is aligned properly to ensure maximum efficiency and comfort. On an on-going basis, he also helps us correct long standing problems like pinched nerves, back/neck pain, imbalances, etc.

We can see here that Ben Miller could use a little more hamstring flexibility.

The team has found that it is amazing how just a few minutes with Todd before the race can make a difference. When you get into the hardest sections of the race, when every little thing adds up to prevent breakthrough performance, eliminating all those little hurdles definitely helps.

Dr. Todd can be found at Wise Chiropractic and Wellness in Spartanburg, SC.

Globalbike goes 1st 2nd 4th at Rock Hill Street Sprints

Rock Hill marks the first of the bigger races of the year on the Southeast Calendar. Globalbike was ready to bring its “A” game against some tougher competition as it continues to hone its performance leading up to the big national level races like the USA Crits Speed Week and the Joe Martin Stage Race later in April and May.

The team had a great start to the weekend in the Friday Night Street Sprints. 350m long, 8 people at a time, different heats to qualify for the finals. Ben Renkema easily won his first heat, automatically sending him to the finals. David Forkner took a little longer to get his sprint legs on, only qualifying for the finals in his last chance after contesting several consolation rounds. Nathan Race also qualified, sending 3 Globalbike to the finals. The final sprint under the lights did not dissapoint with Forkner over the line first, followed by Renkema in 2nd. Nathan Race took 4th. Read the full report on Carolina Cycling News.

2 Days - 2 Wins for David Forkner

Day 2 saw the men’s pro race tackle the classic 94 mile course of the Patriot’s Trail Road Race. Globalbike controlled the race very well with the goal of bringing the sprinters (also omnium leaders), Forkner and Renkema to the line for a bunch sprint. Several breakaways attempted to thwart Globalbike’s efforts, including one good looking move with Sean Weddell (Metro), Joey Roskoph (Mtn Kahkis), and Chris Monteleone (Kenda-Geargrinder) who gained a maximum 2.5 minutes on the field before being mis-directed off-course by race officials. The resulting wrong turn took that break out of the race.

Ben Renkema stole some more omnium points by placing in 2 KOM sprints on the course.

Another small group got away in the closing miles, but Boyd Johnson and Josh Whitmore of Globalbike closed the final gap within the last 1km to bring it all back together for the sprint. Forkner Delivered at the line, for his 2nd victory in 2 days! It took the whole team for the victory in the road race with critical work done by Ben Miller, Noah Metzler, Josh Whitmore, and Boyd Johnson throughout the race. Read the full report on Carolina Cycling News

Typical Scene in the Crit as Globalbike Controlled the race for a field sprint

Day 3 was the Winthrop Lake Criterium, a fast sweeping course with no super sharp turns. Globalbike’s team plan remained the same - protect Forkner and Renkema for the Omnium and control the race for a field sprint. The plan worked well with the green train a common sight on the front of the group as breakaway attempts were brought back. Pro Team Kenda-Gear Grinder had the same idea to set up their sprinter Rich Harper. In this photo, Josh Whitmore takes his usual spot on the front in chase mode.

The last few laps of the race were very exciting to watch. Kenda was very well organized with their leadout train, with Team Type 1, Mountain Khakis, and Globalbike all wrestling their leadouts into position for the final lap. After fighting for wheels, Forkner ended up halfway back in the group on the final lap. Josh Whitmore dropped back and delivered him up to about 10th wheel for the final 2 turns, but the effort proved a little much as Mountain Khakis Thomas Brown took the win ahead of Globalbike’s Ben Renkema in 2nd. Forkner needed to finish 9th or better if Brown won, and only managed 12th, dropping him to 2nd in the overall omnium.

Ben Renkema throws for the line

Perhaps most frustrating was that if Renkema would have won, Forkner would have taken the overall with Renkema in 2nd. However, in the end, Globalbike was pleased with 2nd and 3rd in the overall and a fantastic weekend of racing. Read the full report at Carolina Cycling News

Hawk Racing, the official Bottom Bracket Supplier of Team Globalbike, wants to extend a 10% discount to EVERYONE. In order to get the discount, you have to know the secret password. Well actually its not so secret, all you have to do to get it is go to our website and find it here.

Same performance benefits as Ceramic but a fraction of the cost!

The Team will be riding the Globalbike Green edition, but you can pick from a variety of colors. The bearings are the same quality and performance as Ceramic, but at a fraction of the cost. You can FEEL the difference with these bottom brackets, they are very smooth and resistance free!

Hawk Racing also makes some fantastic Carbon wheels. From 50mm-85mm, these are the ticket when you have the need for speed.

Globalbike Management