While Siphiwe, Mike, and myself are certainly popular amongst the athletes, the real star of the show is Castle Hayne Elementary School’s Flat Stanley. On top of being the best dressed guy in the truck, (he wears a tie and cuff links!) he’s keeping us in line and supervising everyone’s bikes.

Here’s what he’s been up to:

Flat Stanley started in Washington, D.C, where we loaded 53 race bikes.

He likes hanging out with the bikes. In this picture, he is standing on what truckers call a “load lock”. It is a long adjustable bar that can be secured vertically or horizontally. This load lock stops the bikes from moving back and forth as we travel down the road.

He started hanging off the bubble wrap like a monkey and waved goodbye as we were about to pack up. Flat Stanley is thankful for Apex Packaging providing his bubble wrap. What can bubble wrap be used for other than packing bicycles? What type of noise does bubble wrap make?

Here he is hanging in the back of the truck as we pass through Indianapolis. What NFL team is home to Indianapolis? Can you name a monument in Indianapolis?

Here we are passing the exit for the University of Missouri-Kansas City Medical School. Why do people go to medical school? What color coats do doctors wear?

Try finding the cities Flat Stanley has been to on a map. Click here for a map. Flat Stanley may give you a shout out for the right answers.

The second letter I received:

Dear Mr. Zane,

Thank you for letting us give you our Flat Stanley. Thank you for showing us another cool bike! Can you please show us the coolest bike you have? Please come and visit when you get back from your trip, so we can play a game. Please keep Flat Stanley safe!
Sincerely,
Castle Hayne Elementary School

Have a question for Flat Stanley? Ask him on Twitter (www.twitter.com/kanebicycles) or in the comment section.

Thanks for reading and Flat Stanley cannot wait to show you more of his adventures!

Zane

Jack Kane Bikes

Here’s what has happened thus far:

• 53 Washington D.C. area triathletes have checked-in, entrusting us with their race machines
• 53 bicycles have been loaded, packed, and secured in our 53’ foot Prime Inc. trailer pulled by a beautiful Peterbilt Prime Inc. truck
• The San Diego or Bust truck departed D.C. shortly after 8pm. Next stop Denver, CO!
• Mike took the night shift while Siphiwe and I slept
• Awoke on the Ohio / Indiana border
• Now we’re driving along! 50 miles from St. Louis

Packing 53 bikes

It’s like a puzzle. While Siphiwe (Fitness Trucking / Prime Inc.) and Mike (driver for Prime Inc.) were meeting everyone as they checked in, I was swimming in cardboard and bubble wrap in the trailer. For those I was not able to meet, I am Zane Schweer, the Brand Marketing Manager for Jack Kane Custom Racing Bicycles. My hands are packing and unpacking your bike.

It’s more than wrapping your bike in bubble wrap and cardboard and placing it in the truck. You have to thrive with puzzles. The bikes are puzzle pieces that must fit together within strict spacing requirements. Different bike sizes, aero bars, saddle heights, saddle cages (the bane of my packing existence!), do not easily offer themselves to be packed – 11-12 across. I had to find bikes that complimented each other to fit into a snug, safe, and secure position. Once each row of bikes was packed and secured with a load lock, I looked for bike that could potentially move and fastened them down with bungee cords.

A Couple Things I heard:

A couple things I’ve learned:

Be on the lookout for:

-Want to see previous tweets? See hashtags: #ITUSD

Zane, Kane Bikes

JACKSONVILLE, NC — For the first time in its thirty year history, the governing body for triathlon in the United States, USA Triathlon, will be offering athletes free cross country bicycle transport to the San Diego World Triathlon Series and Global Club Challenge. The race weekend is the final qualifying event for the 2012 London Olympic triathlon team. The athletes’ bikes will be hauled 2,735 miles in a 53’ semi-trailer starting in DC, stopping in Colorado to add additional bikes, and then arriving in San Diego for the May 12th event. A North Carolina bicycle company has been deeply involved in this project to make it a reality.

Jack Kane Custom Racing Bicycles, a custom road and triathlon bicycle company in Jacksonville, NC and its Brand Marketing Manager, Zane Schweer, have been the consultants on this cross-country transport of almost 100 fully assembled bikes, “It’s been a very exciting project to be a part of. It has never been done before. It’s an honor.” says Schweer. “Being responsible for 100 athletes’ bikes and holding their ability to race in our hands is an adrenaline rush.”

The details for the logistics have been enormous. The goal is to keep the bikes assembled, reducing the risks of breaks that occur during airline travel and stresses associated with bike assembly. “These bikes will be painstakingly loaded into and then transported by a 53’ foot semi-trailer. Keeping the bikes safe and secure is our number one priority.” Schweer stressed. “We turned to Apex Packaging to help us with the project. They have been an amazing company to work with, supplying us with cardboard, bubble wrap, and the necessary materials to keep these bikes protected.”

The athletes’ bikes are in extremely good hands because the driver happens to be a competitive triathlete himself. Siphiwe Baleka of Fitness Trucking, travels across the country as a professional driver, while maintaining the strict training schedule of an elite athlete. As a result of his focus, he is a top performing triathlete and Masters swimming champion.

All in all, over two hundred man hours have gone into this project from numerous companies.

People are encouraged to follow them along on this inaugural trip starting May 6 through May 16. There are multiple ways to follow via social media (see below). They’re going to make it as interactive as possible as they cross the country. Castle Hayne Elementary school of Wilmington, NC is even sending along a few Flat Stanley geography paper dolls for Schweer to take his picture with during the trip. This will give the students an introduction to triathlons and truck travel, while showing the American landscape.

There are a couple of ways to follow the trip:

Jack Kane Bicycles Twitter: www.twitter.com/kanebicycles
Jack Kane Facebook: www.facebook.com/kanebicycles
Jack Kane Blog: www.kanebikes.com/blog
Endurance Films Blog: www.endurancefilms.com/store/home.php

####

Apex Packaging Products: http://www.apexpackaging.com/
Fitness Trucking: http://fitfortrucking.com/
Jack Kane Custom Racing Bicycles: http://www.kanebikes.com
USA Triathlon: http://www.usatriathlon.org/

For more information, contact: Brand Marketing Manager, Zane Schweer
Email: ()

A Castle Hayne Elementary School Flat Stanley

We were at one of the bigger criterium races in the U.S. with a lot of the prominent cycling teams toeing up to the line. A rider had wheeled his way up to one of the sponsor booths needing one of its products. The booth employees were excited to see him and had a board where they had sponsored athletes autograph. They asked the rider to sign their board. Now, you need to understand, there are fans along the sidewalk, by-standers watching what is going on, and volunteers walking around and standing in line and he proceeded to act like this:

Well, because you guys are sponsors, I guess I’ll sign this. I typically don’t. The one requirement is that you take a picture with this young lady as I sign it

Photo from Hungrytravels.com

You have got to be kidding me. Here’s what’s wrong:

• -Apathetic and forced response
• -Elitist mentality
• -Dictating the terms

The company that provides your team with gear/product/support whether through financial or product means and you’re not being 110% positive in front of fans? I would have to control myself from not revoking sponsorship on the spot. Without that sponsor you may not have been able to participate in that event. Even if I give him the benefit of the doubt, a sarcastic answer is inappropriate.

There are loads of other teams that would be grateful to have a company support them. Thus, here is the problem with some elite and semi-professional cyclists — They have lost perspective. Sponsors lust for events like these — big city, closed course, and easy access to athletes. It’s the riders’ time to shine and put their best foot forward, showing off their sponsors. Their pay depends upon race results and sponsorship funds. Thus, if a sponsor of your team asks you to do something, wouldn’t you do it with a smile on your face, instead of acting like a child in front of customers? An unhappy sponsor can pull the plug. Then, you wouldn’t even have the option to sign a board.

I wish we had more CEOs who were fans of the sport and could afford to support their passion by having a team. It would be a lot easier, but it’s not. There is no infinite money tree. Businesses are investing into these teams to grow their companies. Deciding to act like a punk probably isn’t in their sponsorship agreement.

My advice for riders on these teams? At every juncture, you should be jumping up and down for your sponsors. I’m not talking about being tacky or overly fake about promoting a company’s product. People can see right past that. However, sounding excited to do something in front of fans shouldn’t be asking too much. At the end of the day, any team or rider is replaceable.

What are your thoughts on a situation like this? Do you feel that some cycling teams do not understand what it means to be sponsored?

Mike’s Race Report

The competitors were from all over NC. The race was to benefit the Whalehead Club Museum.

It started at 8 a.m. with heats of five racers. The ages were from 10 to 60. All shapes and size were out to enjoy the beautiful day on the banks of Corolla N.C. The kayak stage took you a mile out into the intercoastal waters. With a gentle breeze blowing across the water it created waves big enough to break over the bow of the boat. After a quick exit of my boat with a little help from the race staff, I began a short dash to my bike. While running I began to take of my PFD (personal flotation device) to try and save time in the transition. I quickly sat down and threw my shoes as fast I could. I soon realized I was in second place playing catch up.

I hit the first turn on the bike stage and saw the lead racer was a half mile away. I made quick work of closing the gap and got with in four bike lengths just short of the three mile mark. By mile five I was beginning to feel the effects of drafting (note: it’s legal in this event) and listening to him shift quickly through his gears to keep his legs spinning. I realized it was mile seven and time to overtake him and push hard to the next stage.

As I pulled up to the running transition I watched as I was eclipsed in the staging area. It seemed liked my competitor transitioned in a blink of an eye. As I fumbled to get my shoes on, I soon realized numb feet are not fun to run on. I had tried something new on race day. While beginnig the run and final stage of the race I just stayed focused on my survival bracelet that was given to me as a memorial to my best friend Josh McDaniels. As I came into the final stretch, Elijah came running up to motivate me to run faster and push through the pain, but all I needed was my bracelet.

I finished second in my heat with my head held high and proud of my 1hr 56 sec finished and reminiscing on the fact that exactly a year ago I was dealing with being the victim of a IED.

Total Time – 1:00:56
Kayak – 12 min
Bike – 30 min
Run – 18 min 56 sec
14th Overall

The 2012 Greenville Criterium in Greenville, North Carolina hosted by the Bicycle Post brought a race within two hours (which is very close for us). Despite the threat of torrential downpours and sever thunderstorms, we brought a group of racers to race day.

After my warm-up, I rolled up to the line for the Category 3/4 race. The officials gave their race overviews and walked off the line. Like any performance or big event, the moments before the start are always instances of calm nervousness. The whistle blew and we were off — thankfully I hadn’t forgotten how to clip into my pedals in a tight pack. Boy, were we off! I have raced well over 120 races and this was the fastest start I have ever been a part of. The first four to six laps were brutal. I truly thought I was going to get dropped….. but I didn’t.

A breakaway formed in the first few laps. One rider said they were cat 3s on the cusp of being cat 2s. Once I regained my breathing composure, settled into the race pace, and my race legs from years past had hints of revival, I got down to business. I had a couple goals this race:

• Get back into racing form
• Work hard and feel “pain”
• Have fun
• Be safe!



It was raining, HARD!

The ominous clouds did give way to a downpour. I could not gauge how hard it was raining, but my peers said it was torrential for a few minutes. The picture on the left gives an idea. Criteriums, corners, street paint, and water are never a good mix, but everyone handled themselves pretty well. The cruising break away benefited the most from the weather conditions. For me, the rain was refreshing. After things settled down a little bit, I methodically worked my way up to the front of the pack. Proper cornering gained me so many places.

As the race progressed, I was on the front quite a bit, hungry to work. There were no aspirations of sitting in and saving myself until the end. I wanted to drive the pace, take my own lines in the corners, and keep out of harm’s way. Plus, I wanted to pull that lead group back. The little “hill” on the back side of the course was always a nuisance. When I needed a little breather, I’d sink back four or five places.

One of my favorite aspects of racing is when there’s a group of guys who want to work together. This race was no exception. Once we started communicating, we almost brought back the break away (twenty seconds initially and had them under a 10 second gap), but a couple guys broke up our rhythm and we lost them for good. Two of the lead guys ended up lapping the field… oh well.

With the final remaining laps, the speed picked up, I put in some work and then slipped back a couple spots. On the final lap, I was ready for the field sprint. We started the sprint and I ended up winning the field sprint. While it wasn’t for a podium spot, it was for a top 10 spot and pride. I accomplished all the goals I was aiming for. I was very pleased for my first race back.

The Greenville Course:

• Pot holes. I hope they patch them up in corner one.
• Bricks. There is one section in corner two. They caused problems in earlier races.
• Little “hill” on the back side. It has just enough rise to make the legs hurt if you’re tired.
• Overall, it was a good criterium course. I loved the wide sweeping corners because you can take them at full speed!

Observations:

• Corners. A lot of riders need to work on them. The roads were wide with 90 degree turns. You can easily take them wide enough to keep pedaling and not lose momentum. Taking time to practice cornering does wonders.
• Communication. I like communicating in the pack. It keeps us all safer, but it also brings organization. Organization can be a beautiful thing. Someone has to take control, set a game plan, and hope every one gets on board. It’s fun working with others (when the race dictates it). Thus, we almost caught the break away group.
• Handling skills. I still have them! I rode over a wet sewer cover and my wheels slipped out from under me, but I saved it.
• New Friends. It was great meeting some solid and friendly racers from the UNC-Wilmington cycling team.
• Racing is fun. If you have never raced before, give it a try. The first couple races I ever did I was lapped multiple times. Your body doesn’t know what to expect. You’re not used to riding in a tight group. Put your pride aside. You will quickly gain it back!! Once you have the basics down, it is exhilarating.


One of the guys from the UNCW Cycling team. He worked hard in the group.



Taking my own line leading through the corner.



Jordan and Ian helped set the pace and worked with me to try and bring back the breakaway. +1 for the red Jack Kane!



Garmin Stats (click for a larger view)

Finally, I had put aside my carbon steed for my K Team Carbon SL aluminum/carbon bike. Since joining Jack Kane bikes, I had not raced on this frame. I finally got too. Whooooo weeee, what a fast frame. No wonder our pro teams have done so well.

PHOTOS WERE TAKEN BY WALTER POFAHL. Source link for Walter’s Work



]]> http://kanebikes.com/2012/04/greenvillecriterium/feed/ 0 http://kanebikes.com/2012/03/theride_part1/ http://kanebikes.com/2012/03/theride_part1/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:03:19 +0000 Zane http://kanebikes.com/?p=4658
The group riding… without you.

Everyone remembers their first group ride. For some, it’s a make-or-break moment in their cycling experience. Most of us saw the group disappear over the horizon as we heaved, gasped for air, right as our legs cracked. To make matters worse, we weren’t familiar with the area, so it was going to be a long ride home or an embarrassing call to a friend. The unlucky ones said “This stinks”, “This isn’t for me”, “I’m going to ride by myself now”, or “I’m embarrassed” and the group just lost a potential new rider to help pull during a ride. The lucky ones had at least one rider that would either fall back to help or was jumping for joy that someone dropped before them. Those were the rides where we would make new riding buddies. No egos, just two riders thankful to have someone to share the pain and momentary feelings of defeat with. That ride made a difference.

I was inspired to write about this from a group ride a few weeks ago.

Every city and town that has a bike shop has an opportunity to grow a huge posse of cyclists. Granted, it’s easier for some than others. For us in Jacksonville, NC, it can be a little frustrating at times because we live in a military town. Our servicemen and women are always on the move. As soon as we get a big core group of riders, some are deployed elsewhere. This makes cultivating our community very difficult. It makes every ride in which a new rider shows up that much more critical. Every new rider can make a difference in ANY city or town.

Our area can still be a prime cyclist and triathlete locale. However, there needs to be a buzz about the rides.


With buzz, comes interest, with interest grows excitement, excitement lures action, action brings new curious group riders, and those new potential group riders have friends.

Promoting a buzz is huge. Once people are talking (or boasting) about the group rides, how relaxing it is, how fast they went, how sweet their bike is, and/or how friendly the other riders are, word spreads. You can Tweet, Facebook, Foursquare, Craigsist Missed Connections, or advertise all you want, but word-of-mouth is still the best way to grow.

I lead a group ride every Saturday. During the winter months, it’s typically a core group of riders that show up. Occasionally, we have a new rider show up. This one Saturday we had two. Neither had ever ridden with a group before, which can be intimidating. The first part of the ride was fine, but the inexperience and fatigue of one of the riders began to show through. As the rest of the group continued on, I slowed down and rode with him. This was an opportunity to make the difference.

For the rest of the ride, we were going no more than 12-14mph, but it didn’t matter.


The ride wasn’t about me. My “training time” was not being ill-used. I have aspirations to be a part of something bigger than myself and I see the larger picture.

The new rider and I did the typical small talk about what we did, riding experience, where we’re from, etc. A little over halfway through the ride, he said that this was the farthest he’d ever ridden and that he would have become lost if I hadn’t fallen back. He was setting his personal best. He told me he had given up smoking after two decades about five months ago. That’s fantastic. When we got back to the parking lot at the conclusion of our ride, he had a look of exhaustion on his face, but he also had a shy grin. He shook my hand and seemed motivated to start riding more.

A lot of veteran cyclists seem to have forgotten how difficult some group rides were when they started. Undertaking a group ride is a big deal.


You have to make the effort to come out, go way outside your comfort zone, hope your fitness is adequate, and take a risk. You don’t get better riding by yourself all the time.

Especially if they have to deal with riders like this, “Sh*t Cyclists Say” video.

The other new rider that showed up hung in with the group, but when he pulled into the lot he was dead. He even said it. The sprint near the end of the ride just about killed him, but he wasn’t ashamed. He had a huge smile on his face which said it all.


This is what’s sensational about cycling. We’ve all been there. We’ve all been “owned” on the bike, but we somehow come back willingly for more.

He was excited. One of his goals was losing weight and he was stoked that there was a group of guys and girls to ride with for support. We are a support system. Living in our area, as “civilians”, we can only hope to motivate military cyclists to come off base and ride with us and further excite locals to experience the joy of riding. Seeds planted.



It's okay to look back

Now, I don’t believe you should do this every ride for the same rider. That’s not fair to you. Once you’ve shown them the ropes and they know that they’re welcome and accepted, it is up to them to improve. You have ignited the fire. You’re the carrot, they’re the horse. Thus, when the day comes that they complete the entire ride with the group, take some satisfaction in knowing you helped add one more rider to the cycling “Greek” life and made a difference in someone’s cycling experience.

The next time you’re at a group ride (especially in the winter and early spring months) and see a new rider show up, look at the bigger picture. If you see them get dropped, try to help them out a little bit. It will make all the difference if they have someone there for support. Your training won’t be derailed from one ride.



Make them one of the lucky ones.

Zane

Thoughts? Comments? Success stories?
Have you ever been on either side of the equation? What did you do?

]]> http://kanebikes.com/2012/03/theride_part1/feed/ 2 http://kanebikes.com/2012/02/shitcyclistssay/ http://kanebikes.com/2012/02/shitcyclistssay/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:57:32 +0000 Zane http://kanebikes.com/?p=4732 Not since Velominati’s “The Rules” have I been so entertained by cycling satire. Cyclists and Roadies are a peculiar bunch. We have our own language, rules, rituals, and personalities. If you haven’t already met them, let me introduce you in the video “Sh*t Cyclists Say” — watch it below.

Every phrase, statement, and action is unfortunately spot on. It’s a satirical look at ourselves. As I have read the comments and thoughts on forums and YouTube, people chime in with their own additions, but there is one angle that has not been addressed — the different personas.

I cannot take credit for the observation, our Service Manager and Mechanic Steve brought it to my attention. It made me appreciate and find this video that much more hilarious and true.

The Cycling Personas:




The Snob

All about Euro-chic, would rather talk about riding than actually riding, loves boasting about himself, goes with the trends, and thinks he’s really important. A “Yuppie”?
“I get paid to wear this.”



The Know-It-All

Likes to ride, attempts to act like a know-it-all and lets you know it, really loves relaying buzz words to his supposedly less versed riding buddies, everyone lets him ramble on.
“Do you have ceramic bearings?”



The Fred / Excuse Guy

Idolizes other riders, spouts off names, buzz words, or anything that has been mentioned in a magazine, uses the latest technology, seeks approval, makes excuses, every ride seems to be a ‘Recovery Ride’.
“I’m just.. I’m just doing an easy day today.”



The Clueless Guy

Doesn’t know any better, asks questions to ask questions, comes into a shop to just pass time, they like riding, but are more caught up in the products.
“Is this organic?”

It is also interesting how you can view these individuals from two different perspectives:

• The first is that this is one guy and how he acts around different people.
• The other perspective is that these are the different types of cyclists we encounter.

This video should be a fun (yet frightening) reminder about how we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.

My favorite persona? The riding buddies. They just focus on the ride, enjoy to ride their bike, and let their legs do the talk.

I hate to cut this short, but I gotta go… I have a 4,000 kilojoule recovery day ride awaiting,

Zane

]]> http://kanebikes.com/2012/02/shitcyclistssay/feed/ 1 http://kanebikes.com/2012/02/bicycle_carbon_repair/ http://kanebikes.com/2012/02/bicycle_carbon_repair/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:47:54 +0000 Zane http://kanebikes.com/?p=5189 NORTH CAROLINA BICYCLE COMPANY GROWS IN CARBON FIBER REPAIR SERVICES

Jacksonville, North Carolina – Jack Kane, owner of Jack Kane Custom Racing Bicycles, is now offering his carbon fiber bicycle repair services to the public. His business has been strictly referral-based from bike shops, bicycle importers, race teams, and bicycle manufacturers themselves. However, the bicycle market is demanding carbon fiber specialists and he is making his services available to the general public.

Jack Kane has been building bicycles and repairing equipment since the 1970’s. His repair experience started with fiberglass molding and began fixing boats, surf boards, motorcycles, etc. As carbon fiber and composites have roared onto the scene, he has further diversified his skill sets by including carbon fiber repair.

As the carbon fiber bicycle market is demanding carbon repair specialists, Jack is raising awareness for his services. While not every frame can be repaired, Jack utilizes his tool and die maker experience and engineering background to repair most bicycles, saving customers thousands of dollars in the cost of a brand new bike. Jack is a professional painter of thirty plus years, so he is able to make a rider’s bike look brand new.

Jack’s repair service is open to riders across the United States. All work is done in-house in Jacksonville, North Carolina in Jack’s full machine shop. Riders wishing to have their bicycles repaired should contact us via the information below.

About Jack Kane:

Jack Kane has been in the bicycle industry for almost forty years. Since 1973, he has built a bicycle shop with a reputation for exceptional service, knowledge, and expertise. He has been working with carbon and composites bicycles since the late 1980s. In 2001, he founded his own line of custom designed and painted road, track, and triathlon bicycles, Jack Kane Custom Racing Bicycles. He is dedicated to making the bicycle industry a better place and empowering riders to express themselves through their bicycles and meeting individual rider’s needs.

####

For further information, contact: Brand Marketing Manager, Zane Schweer
Website: www.kanebikes.com/carbonrepair
Email:
Phone: 910.455.1011

]]> http://kanebikes.com/2012/02/bicycle_carbon_repair/feed/ 0 http://kanebikes.com/2012/01/overtrainingwithstrava/ http://kanebikes.com/2012/01/overtrainingwithstrava/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:11:35 +0000 Zane http://kanebikes.com/?p=4574 We see it all the time. We experience it ourselves during the worst possible spans. We know it can destroy entire seasons. We know it can affect our mental state. We call it “burn out”. Its hidden accomplice, overtraining / overextending bring dreaded symptoms. Unfortunately, most of the time, we cultivate it upon ourselves. Always hammering the group ride. Undertaking epic weekend excursions. Turning the cranks when we’re sick because we want to “get tough”. Could we be adding the clicking of a mouse and viewing statistics from the extremely popular site, Strava, to the list of culprits?

Let me say, I think Strava is very cool and innovative. The concept and technology is great. I am in no way hounding the technology — it’s not potentially at fault. It will help keep riders motivated and push themselves those extra few watts harder in a given section/interval. Plus, if you like bragging, then this is your Nirvana.

The Question

Do you foresee a higher volume of riders suffering from burn out or over training trying to win coveted Strava KOM spots/points or beating their peers?

]]> http://kanebikes.com/2012/01/overtrainingwithstrava/feed/ 0