The first weekend in May has become the weekend for the Tri-Lakes Time Trial and a Gran Fondo, both sponsored by Cafe Velo. The local master's race team, Rotor Bike/CP Racing, a local masters race team, organizes the time trial, and based on the comments from participants it's one of the best organized around (if not the best.)

For anyone not familiar with the Time Trial format, it's a bike race against the clock. Riders are released from the start at specific intervals (in this case 30s) and you just ride the course as fast as you can. The winner in each division is the one with the fastest time. In this race there are no group tactics, just you and your race strategy to be the fastest you can be on the course. It's also a great format for the new cyclist or someone who wants to do an event but is not yet comfortable with group riding.

I headed up to Palmer Lake to volunteer and got there around 7am. I would have liked to have raced this as I did last year, but I'm 5 weeks post-op and still in the "no resistance" phase of my recovery cycling. Cafe Velo provided free coffee, which is always a hit. I helped at their tent with the coffee and selling some snacks. We also had a mechanic on hand to help the riders with any last-minute issues that might have cropped up.

Club Cafe Velo was well represented, both with people racing and volunteering, and at least one member took the win in her group. Because the race takes place near Cinco de Mayo, sombreros are the podium awards.

(Palmer Lake is a little dry...)

On Sunday, May 4th, the Gran Fondo took place. A Gran Fondo is "big ride" and our course allowed you to do 1-5 loops of a 22 mile route. It's a challenging loop, starting in Monument and heading up to County Line Rd via the "Indi Climb", then down Roller Coaster Rd into Gleneagle and back up to Monument. This was the 2nd year of the Gran Fondo, and we made some changes, this year starting at Pikes Peak Brewing Company. This event is also the main fundraiser for Club Cafe Velo, which raises money to support youth in cycling and triathlon.

While I would have also loved to have ridden this year, as that was the initial plan after surgery #1 last fall, I instead once again did my work as a volunteer. I arrived at the Brewery at 6am to help with check-in. After the riders were on their way, I managed the main aid station where we tried to time the riders and note their lap times, but more importantly their finish time and how many laps they did if it wasn't what they signed up for. The winds were really strong so many riders who signed up for 3-5 laps did one fewer than planned. But some braved out the full 110!

When I was relieved of my duty, I went back to Pikes Peak Brewing Company for a beverage and to mingle with those who were still hanging around. It was a great way to spend my weekend, even I wasn't pedaling.