The Krystal Chiks

New Chiks Kits are Here!

2009-10-21T12:08:00.001-07:00

The new Chiks kits have arrived - and they look fabulous! (Early reports also indicate they are very comfortable to ride in, too!).

We will be distributing kits tomorrow (Thursday) at Greenlife from 7-8PM following our weekly road ride (the ride will be just 1 hour tomorrow from 6-7 pm).

If you did not order a kit but want one, please come to the distribution tomorrow. You can also email us to let us know what size you want. We will sell out of additional inventory fast, so it's first come, first serve on the extras!

We also have kiddie jerseys available now too in children's sizes 1, 2 and 3. Again, it's first come, first serve, so let us know if you'd like to reserve one for a mini-Chik near you!

See you tomorrow!

CHIKS RULE CAT 4 PODIUM AT OAK RIDGE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS!

2009-08-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

Ashley Nichols, Kristi Hawken, Stephanie Rynas and Megan Whitley lined up at the Tennessee State Championships in Oak Ridge this past weekend for Team Krystal Chiks first official road race appearance. To put the icing on the cake, Krystal Chik Stephanie Rynas took 2nd and Chiks teammate Megan Whitley took 3rd, respectively, in the Women's Cat 4 State Championship road race.

l-r Kristi Hawken, Meghan Whitley, Stephanie Rynas, Ashley Nichols

In Ashley's words:
Wow ,what a day!! Saturday morning, Kristi, Stephanie, Meghan and I lined up with the Pro/1/2/3/4 women's field at the Oak Ridge Road Race. After waiting a good 40 minutes for the officials to start us, we were off. It was a 2 loop course, totaling 48 miles. We (excluding Steph) may not know much about racing, but we did have a plan (thanks to coach/husband Nichols) about what we were going to do at the finish. But, before we could get to the finish, we had a lot of miles to cover. The pack broke up shortly after the first real hills and eventually about 8 of the Cat 4s decided to do a rotating pace line to try to catch the pack ahead of us which consisted of the more elite racers and one other Cat 4. Well, that was going splendidly until we took a wrong turn and ended up adding about 4 miles total to our first loop. We got back on track and continued the rotations all the way until the last 1k. At this point, our plan kicked in. We knew we had a slight uphill finish and that Meghan and Stephanie were the best bets for killing it up the hill in the final sprint. So as planned, I led off the sprint at 1k with Meghan on my wheel. Once I couldn't go any harder any longer, Meghan zipped around me and she and Steph fought the pack to the finish taking 1st and 2nd place in the sprint- 2 and 3 overall!!! It was a great day for the Chiks. Kristi, Meghan and Stephanie- ya'll are awesome, thanks for a great experience. CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEKEND AT RIVER GORGE!!

From Kristi:
Congrats to Stephanie Rynas taking second overall in the state championship road race-- to Meghan W for being in a close 3rd and to Ashley N for pulling them into a good position and taking 6th!! I am so proud that the chiks represented Chattanooga by doing so well. Coach Nick Nichols was a fantastic help with tactics and tips (and water bottles as we were waiting for 40+ min for the race to start).

My grand plans of holding onto the Cat 1-3 women up a climb ended with my legs essentially exploding. I wasn't able to recover quickly enough to catch onto the back of the pack as they overtook me and unfortunately I rode a 35+mi time trial for the rest of the race. For me, it was a great workout and good lesson in what not to do as a new road racer. Coach Nichols didn't really tell me what to do to protect my ego in the case that I got dropped early on...haha. Looking forward to next weekend and to next season with the team.

Megan's report:
Saturday was my first experience with road racing, and I have to say I LOVED IT!! I can't wait until next weekend. Congrats to Ashley, Stephanie and Kristi. We had a great plan going in (thanks to Nick's excellent coaching) and we were able to execute it perfectly. I love the team aspect of road racing... something you just don't get in triathlon. Saturday was a great team effort with awesome results. Great start for the CHIKS!!

One Chik's Take on Her First Triathlon!

2009-08-26T06:04:00.001-07:00

IMG_5075 (#25) go chiks!
Originally uploaded by ohjusttri

August 22nd, 2009 -- Great job Jaclyn Rider on her first-ever triathlon, the Booker T. Off-Road Triathlon hosted by Scenic City Multisport. Here's Jaclyn's first-hand report:

This was my first triathlon experience, and my first Chiks race so I was definitely a rookie. There were only 30-40 people registered, so the event was very small, but very well organized. The weather was PERFECT, and the water was WARM. I could not have asked for better racing conditions.

The swim: the water was so murky, I couldn't even see 6 inches in front of my face! I had been worried about seeing giant man-eating catfish or snakes, but thankfully the water was way too cloudy! I felt like I wasn't moving forward at all, so I finally did the backstroke the whole way. I felt great, but missed a buoy then tried to backtrack but the volunteers laughingly said, "keep going" then got really far off-course around the second buoy (b/c I couldn't see where I was going...since I was on my back. Anyway, I made it to the shore 3rd from last place (but not dead last, and not dead either) so I consider that to be successful. Thankfully someone had kindly but a towel over the hornet's nest so I wasn't stung during transition.

The bike: the mtn bike trail is FUN. I had a minor incident w/ my chain (it got wedged in between my derailleur and frame somehow) and I have a really nice scrape on my leg that I don't remember doing but I made good time, beating my personal record and passing several guys.

Both of my transitions were very smooth, but I forgot to take off my helmet when I started my run so I maintained my entertaining performance for the volunteers and my family.

The run: I began by walking the steps and eating protein bites which were FABULOUS. I finally broke into a run and was able to maintain a run/walk pace w/ only two people passing me. Hydration was not a problem, and the course was well marked w/ 3 water stations along the way. All in all I beat my goal time by 7+ minutes, stayed on the bike, didn't drown and ran across the finish line.

Our Newest Krystal Chik & Triathlete Heather Sweet Takes on Mountain Bike Racing at Booker T!

2009-08-26T05:52:00.000-07:00

I moved to Chatta-vegas from IL 6 months ago. I just joined the Chiks Friday and did my first mountain bike race (ever) and as a Krystal Chik on Sunday. I am so excited to be part of the Krystal Chiks team! I was on a tri team back in IL that I really enjoyed racing and training with them.

Sunday was a very new experience for me. I have done 2 Ironman triathlons (Wisconsin and Florida) and a bunch of half Ironman and shorter distance triathlons, but I have never raced a mountain bike. My husband gave me a Kona Bear for an engagement present 2.5 years ago and Saturday was the first day it was in "ready to roll" condition. I think I can count on 1 hand how many times I have rode a mountain bike.

I got to the race venue at about 10:30 and signed up for the beginner women's race. Hung out for a bit and found my friends Justin, Amy, and Brad. Kym and Mark were racing so it was nice to cheer them on while trying to soothe my nerves. When 1:08 finally came around, I soon realized the field was rather small (only 3 of us). We lined up and discovered we were only going to do 1 lap. I was kinda disappointed, being my first race, I wanted to "get my money's worth" I guess. Oh well, we were off. I knew I had no business pushing the start, but my race head got the better of me. Once we were in the woods, I realized I shouldn't go as fast as I wanted to because I do not have the bike skills to counter minor bobbles. Silly me, I kept pushing and kept crashing. I only crashed hard two times. Got some minor bruises on my legs and a whopper of a strawberry on my hip. Came in 3rd (out of 3 women ;-)). I had a blast. I also discovered I need to ride a mountain bike A LOT more before I race again. I think I will stick to the road and cross season for a while!

Thanks for letting me be a part of the team,
Heather Sweet

Krystal Chiks Road Racing Clinic - RESCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, MAY 25TH

2009-05-24T09:31:00.001-07:00

We have rescheduled based on the weather forecast for rain and thunderstorms this afternoon.

The Chiks Road Racing Clinic scheduled for today (Sunday, May 24) will now be TOMORROW Monday, May 25th from 10:00 a.m. - noon.

The location has not changed - it will still be at the old BiLo parking lot on Dayton Boulevard.

Greenway Challenge Adventure Race Report - by Celeste Sneed

2009-05-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Dale and I ended up the first team of women across the finish line at the Greenway Challenge. I think we were like the fifth team overall, and we ranked third in single sex teams. Seems like a convoluted sort of ranking, doesn't it? I confess I had little idea of what to expect so it fits from my point of view.

It was tres soggy out there. Cloudy, not hot, and I don't think we got rained on until the very last part of the race. Dale's back was just covered in mud at the end of the bike portion. There was a lot of riding through soggy fields, quite a bit of pretty deep standing water, and the uphill singletrack that's really hiking trail which was mostly too steep and muddy for us to ride. No real slippage problems until we hit some smooth sidewalk after a gravel road. She and I both nearly lost control but managed to keep the rubber beneath us.

Getting in the water to paddle cleaned us off somewhat. Paddling was hard for me as I didn't figure out until about half a mile from the end that you're supposed to use your obliques, not your arms (thanks for the tip Dale!) but we made pretty good time anyway. We were in a two person kayak. There was a three person team behind us in a canoe that was gaining for a while but they never passed us on the water.

The hardest part for me, by far, was getting over the wall. Was it 10 or 12 feet? Very tall, with slippery muddy shoes and hands. Dale managed to haul me up eventually though I had to jump to reach her forearms. I got one forearm over the wall and couldn't pull myself up so she snagged the leg of my shorts and tugged me. Good times!

There was a muddy section of bushwhacking in the run. We could see where people in front of us had been sliding. We didn't really have any mishaps there. I think we gained a lot of time on the team behind us in that section. Adventure racing clearly uses a lot of different skill sets. I kind of like the mountain goat thing. The rest of the run was lots of up and down in woods, over logs, and along some roads. We kept a pace where we could talk a little if we felt like it. I mostly stared at her calves going uphill wondering when it was gonna end!

My least favorite portion of the whole race was the second ride and tie. Dale was running and I was riding, and we'd bungied her to the bike. I was really afraid I was gonna drag her on the downhills, but she didn't complain so I guess it went OK. We did well in the mystery events, I think. Dale doesn't sit around talking about things forever (we saw teams that did) so we got through them pretty fast.

I think I really like Adventure Races, though it's difficult for me not really knowing what to expect. I couldn't of had a better partner, though. Dale is very strong, focused, and determined. I had a GREAT time! Barbie and Jennifer were out there racing with some random guy (!) and we had a lot of fun trying to convince him that if he's gonna race he needs to shave off all his body hair. If Jennifer hadn't been laughing so hard he probably would have believed us. But I'll let them tell their own stories.

Highland Rim Road Race Report - Kristi Hawken

2009-05-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Although I am inexperienced in the road world, I had a great time and ended up 11th/13 racers. The 2 other road races I did were in 2003, so the learning curve is steep. (Carol, I figured out that it was the Goose Gap RR in 2003 that I did.) The road course was a 55 mile loop and it rained a ton, so drafting was a wet mess. It was 15 miles to the base of a 3 mile climb, then a bunch of really long, but generally shallow rollers on a windy ridge for the next 40. The whole cat 1-4 pack was together at the base of the climb. One girl fell right at the base and the helper instinct in me made me stop and see if she was AOK and hand her a piece of her broken bike before chasing the group-- looking back, had I had a posse of people relying on me, I wouldn't have stopped.

Anyways, I was able to catch back up to one of the Velo Vixens, Crystal Galloway, and eventually we both caught another VV, Jenny, and the 3 of us worked together for a bit. Ultimately, we ended up being a group of 5, with Crystal pushing the pace the most. Crystal and I briefly pulled away from our group on the 2 mi descent toward the finish, but no real gains on the group were made as 2 of the 3 caught up once it was flat. I was going to try to lead Crystal out to the finish but my legs were toast by the time we got within sight of the line and she and the other 2 dropped me in the last 200yds.

The road racing world of tactics on the go is so different from mtn bike racing, but I had a blast. I am so impressed with those racers for doing the RR, resting a few hours, doing a TT and then waking up for the crit the next AM.

Krystal Chiks May Road Ride & Social

2009-05-15T11:47:00.001-07:00

Krystal Chiks Road Ride & Social
Originally uploaded by krystalchiks

We had a great turnout for the May Chiks Road Ride & Social - including new member Jaclyn Ryder (far left), Kelly Bishop, Kristi Hawken and Christy Tittsworth. Not pictured: Kelli Smith, Shelly Houston, new Chik English Rockholt, and Emma Williams. Mark your calendars for the next ride & social on Wednesday, June 10th!

KRYSTAL CHIKS WIN WOMEN'S DUO AT DIRT SWEAT & GEARS!

2009-05-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

Kristi Hawken pushes for the women's duo lead
Originally uploaded by krystalchiks

Congratulations to Krystal Chiks mountain bikers Kristi Hawken and Celeste Sneed, winners of the 2009 Dirt Sweat & Gears women's duo team! The pair overcame bike-choking mud to put some pink on the top podium spot! (Write-ups from Kristi & Celeste coming soon!)

NOTE: PHOTO CREDIT & THANK YOU TO BRYAN BLOEBAUM - VISIT WWW.BLUETREEIMAGES.COM FOR MORE OF BRYAN'S GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY & SPORTS EVENT COVERAGE!

GO CHIKS GO!!!!

2009-05-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a big spring for the Krystal Chiks! Here are a few quick highlights!

Britta Rusk, Celeste Sneed, Barbie Stewart, Jennifer Lockhart, Ashley Nichols and Dale Tillman all completed the Scenic City Triathlon in April, putting several Chiks on the podium in the process!!!

Then Ashley Nichols hit the road for some criterium racing, and Barbie Stewart, Jennifer Lockhart and Kim Humphries completed their first ever half-Ironman.

Several Krystal Chiks also participated in the Dirt Sweat & Gears 12-hour mountain bike race in Fayetteville, Tennessee, including Michelle McKinnon, Celeste Sneed and Kristi Hawken. Word is this was one of the muddiest races on record...good job the Chiks were there to brighten up the weekend in their pink kits!

Race reports, adventure stories and photos are on the way!

Chiks May Road Ride & Social - May 14th

2009-05-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

The Krystal Chiks monthly road ride & social is Thursday, May 14th at 5:45 PM in the Greenlife parking lot. We'll roll out at 5:45 for a leisurely hour's road ride, then return to Greenlife for dinner/social hour at 7. If you can't make the ride, come by and socialize afterwards!

CHIKS HEAD WEST

2008-12-02T05:28:00.000-08:00

Christy Tittsworth represents Chiks at the Carpenteria Triathlon in California -- here's her report:

I made the most of our family vacation to California and decided to participate in a triathlon! The 11th annual Carpenteria Triathlon was a very well‐organized race in a quaint southern California beach town just south of Santa Barbara. There were 750 participants with both olympic and sprint distances. It was a great experience being my 1st ocean swim! I was very pleased to complete the sprint distance 8th place out of 29 my age group. I highly recommend this race and look forward to returning next year with some teammates!

CHIKS' GINA HAMEL FINISHES IRONMAN FLORIDA

2008-12-02T05:25:00.001-08:00

Gina Hamel became the first Krystal Chik to finish an Iron‐distance triathlon when she completed Ironman Florida on November 1st – here’s her account of the big day:

IMFL was spectacular, a very special day!! Finally, I was able to reap what I had been sowing for the better part of an entire year.

Since this was my first IM, my goal was to be a finisher. I knew I was trained, my job was to race smart and execute the best I could, AND have fun. I felt great through the swim, the bike, and most of the run. The day got really tough for me with some nausea from miles 14‐19 on the run, but I just kept moving forward and by mille 20 I was feeling better.

About 2 miles from the finish I could hear Mike Reilly announcing people's names as they finished. I couldn't wait to hear my name!

I now know that to understand this distance you have to do it. Yes, that sounds cliche, but it is so true. And by doing the distance, I don't just mean on race day. It is the distance covered emotionally, physically, and mentally during training. Race day is the culmination of that and a day of celebration of that distance. I am fortunate to have experienced this all.

Yes, I will do another Ironman.

CHIKS AT HAW RIDGE

2008-12-02T05:20:00.000-08:00

By Kristi Hawken

The Haw Ridge 12hr was so much fun! It goes from 11a‐11pm, so there were a few night laps involved. None of the girls on the Krystal Chiks team had ever done the race before, but I think it's safe to say that we all would do it again.

The Hill of Truth was named well‐‐ it was a 1/4 mile or so that went straight up. The festivities surrounding the race were a blast. There was a nice bonfire, a live band, people in costumes for Halloween while racing, and we celebrated completing with good beer. There were only 2 women's teams there‐‐ hopefully we can get more people together for next year!

CHIKS FIRST IRONMAN FINISHER!

2008-11-14T13:16:00.001-08:00

Krystal Chiks is proud to announce that Gina Hamel is the first official Krystal Chik to complete Ironman! Gina completed Ironman Florida on November 6th, 2008! CONGRATULATIONS GINA! WAY TO GO!!!!!

CHIKS FACE THE HILL OF TRUTH AT HAW RIDGE

2008-11-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

Anita Jones, Cindy Meadows, Christy Tittsworth and Kristi Hawken represented CHIKS at the Haw Ridge 12-hour Hill of Truth mountain bike race in October and did an outstanding job! The tough course includes the "infamous" Hill of Truth - and lots of fun, too!

Scenic City Velo and SORBA were also there to represent Chattanooga - as were our Team Vantaggio/Specialized friends!

Pictures and a full race report from the participants is on the way so stay tuned!

Chiks Fun at Frantic Frog!

2008-09-30T10:07:00.001-07:00

Despite the fact we were missing one of our favorite team members, Kim Leasure, due to illness, Chiks had a great time at Scottsboro, Alabama's classic sprint triathlon the Frantic Frog (September 7th) this year. Even better, our parent club Scenic City Velo walked away with a majority of podium spots -- helped along by Ashley Nichol's second-place age group win and Dale Tillman's master's podium spot! This was also the second triathlon ever for new Chiks Barbie Stewart and Jennifer Lockhart - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!

Chiks Take the Podium at Booker T MultiSport Weekend!

2008-09-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Krystal Chiks took podium spots at the inaugural Booker T MultiSport Weekend August 30 & 31, with competitive showings in both Saturday's off-road triathlon and Sunday's mountain bike race! The weekend was hosted by our favorite local race director, Ken Radley, of Scenic City MultiSport.

Chiks at the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon

2008-09-30T09:51:00.001-07:00

Krystal Chiks were well-represented at the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon in July. Racers included Celeste Sneed, Ashley Nichols, Susie Lodico Hutcheson, Emma Williams, Dale Tillman and Dana Moore, while the outstanding Krystal Chiks support crew included Kelli Smith, Kelly Bishop, Gina Howard (who took many of these great photos!), and Christy Tittsworth.

Extra thanks also go to our Chik guys - Eric Tittsworth, who served as team mechanic!, Nick Nichols and Collins Bishop who all helped work the tent, cheer and provide lots of support! Chiks-in-Training Anna Clare Tittsworth and Zoe Howard also turned out to cheer!

Krystal Poker Ride September 28th!

2008-09-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

It's time for the Krystal Poker Ride again on SEPTEMBER 28TH and we need to get some teams together - you can do this solo but it is more fun as a group (say 3 riders to a team)....

Athletes will leave the start line at 9am; they will have 3 hours to collect as many cards as possible (No more than 1 set at each location. Athletes must use a 1 or 2 wheeled human powered vehicle (Unicycle, Bicycle) at 12pm we will announce the winners based on best five card hands. You do not need all five cards to win. Upon arrival to each Krystal location, athletes will have the opportunity to receive extra cards by eating Krystals. Up to three extra cards 1 for each Krystal consumed.
For more information go to www.krystalsquareoff.com.

If you're interested in being on a Chiks team email krystal.chiks@gmail.com or hop on the forum!

City Address Distance from Ross's Landing Cards
Chattanooga 307 Cherokee Blvd 1 1
Chattanooga 621 Signal Mountain Road 4 1
Chattanooga 3407 Broad St 4 1
Chattanooga 3701 Rossville Blvd 5 1
Chattanooga 2304 E 23rd St 5 1
Chattanooga 5401 Brainerd Road 9 1
Chattanooga 4416 Highway 58 9 1
Chattanooga 4850 Hixson Pike 9 1
Chattanooga 6300 Ringgold Rd 10 1
Chattanooga 6119 Lee Highway 11 1
Chattanooga 7300 Shallowford Rd 14 1
Ft. Oglethorpe Highway 27 14 1
Ringgold 5520 Alabama Hwy 17 2
Ooltewah 5120 Hunter Rd 20 2
Trenton 5071 Highway 136 21 2

Some Chiks & a Vixen - Fall Creek Falls Triathlon Relay

2008-09-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Britta Rusk, Celeste Sneed and Velo Vixen member Michelle Meek on their relay win at the Fall Creek Falls triathlon August 17th!

River Gorge Road Race!

2008-09-08T11:54:00.001-07:00

Krystal Chiks made their road racing debut at the River Gorge Omnium in Chattanooga over the weekend of August 23rd & 24th.

Ashley Nichols, Emma Wiliams and Jennifer Lockhart took part in the women's cat 4 River Gorge Road Race on Saturday followed by the time trial on Raccoon Mountain (Ashley, Celeste Sneed and Emma). Then Ashley represented the Chiks solo on Sunday during the criterium through downtown Chattanooga!

Raccoon Mountain SERC Race

2008-06-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

The Chiks turned out in force at the Raccoon Mountain Bike SERC race. The overcast weather served us all well with the cooler temperature! We had a great mix of first time racers and ladies who race regularly. Great job everyone!

Pre-Race Pic

Tuesday Night Red Bank Ride

2008-05-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of our new kits at tonight's Tuesday night road ride...

Holiday Party!

2007-12-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

The Chiks Holiday party was much fun with families, BBQ, and Krystal raffle prizes. Thanks to everyone that came to be a part of the festivities!

October Ladies Road Ride Photos

2007-11-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

October 27, 2007 Road Ride

Here are some photos from October's monthly group road ride. Thanks to Mike and the gang at Suck Creek Cycles for letting us meet at their shop!

-Kelly

Krystal Chiks Dirt Day

2007-10-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2007

On Saturday, October 20th, the Krystal Chiks presented the inaugural Dirt Day Mountain Bike Clinic! Over 30 girls showed up at Raccoon Mountain to ride, learn and have a good time together. After registration and a brief welcome, the clinic started out with mountain bike skills instruction and practice, followed by a group ride. After lunch (provided by SORBA-Chattanooga), professional mountain bikers from the Vantaggio-Specialized team presented workshops on nutrition and trailside bike maintenance.

Getting started

The morning started with some fun practice and instruction at skill stations in the field near Laurel Point. There were six skill stations set up so that everyone could practice obstacles that they would find out on the group ride - hills, winding singletrack trails, sharp corners, logs, etc. Mountain bikers from SORBA-Chattanooga and Scenic City Velo were on hand at each station to give tips and advice. There was a hill climb station so that everyone could practice going up and down steep hills. The figure-eight skill area was made up of cones opposite of each other in varying distances to simulate tight corners and switchbacks. There was log crossing skill area where riders could practice riding over logs and rocks (this was a popular area!). There was even a "slow-poke" skill area where girls could practice balancing at very low speed - not as easy as it sounds! (Emma proclaimed that she would get a gold medal if this were in fact an Olympic event - info on her formal petition to the Olympic Committee to follow).

Sharon, Tiffany, and Emma practicing balance

Rock Hoppin'

The AM skills sessions in action

Trey Commander and members of SORBA-Chattanooga manned the bike fit station and helped riders make sure that their bikes were properly adjusted. He had help, though, because he was also watching Linell's precious twins Hailey and Hannah while Linell participated in the clinic.

Trey Commander with Linnel, Hailey and Hannah Schultz

After the skills sessions, we all went out for group rides on the Raccoon Mountain trails. Kym Fasczewski led the beginner group ride. Paula Burks led the intermediate/advanced group ride. Paula and Kym are both pro mountain bikers from the Vantaggio-Specailized Team. I led the intermediate group ride. The trails were a ton of fun and allowed everyone to apply the skills that they had learned in the field.

Getting ready for the group ride

Paula Burks led the intermediate/advanced group ride

Lunch was provided by SORBA-Chattanooga to feed hungry riders after the group ride

The afternoon brought a workshop on trailside maintenance taught by Paula Burks. She taught us how to change a tire (including taking off the back wheel), fix a broken chain, and turn our bike into a singlespeed if our derailleur breaks on the trail. She even taught us what the turn knobs are for on the brake lines and shifting lines that you can find at the handle bars; and that it’s necessary to pump up your fork to the right pressure frequently. It sounds intimidating as I’ve listed them, but she was very patient and helped each of us understand that in many cases we can fix our own bikes well enough to get off the trial (which is such a better option compared to walking out when you’re miles into a trail). Thanks so much Paula! We all learned a ton! One of the ladies said that they were ready to take apart their bike when they get home.

Paula Burks taught the trail-side maintenance workshop

After that, Kym Fasczewski taught us a nutrition workshop as our final event of the day. Kym received her Primary Sports Nutritionist License from the National Association of Sports Nutritionists in 2006. Kym taught everyone about the basics of proper sports nutrition and answered everyone’s questions. We learned that it’s important to take in calories on the bike while riding about 90 minutes or more (times can range based on individual). She also taught us that it’s important for recovery that we eat within about a half hour of finishing a training ride to help the body replenish and refuel. We appreciate all your help, Kym! So many ladies commented that they learned an immeasurable amount from you!

Kym teaching proper sports nutrition

The Krystal Chiks would like to specially thank Krystal, Scenic City Velo, SORBA-Chattanooga, the Vantaggio/Specialized Women’s Pro Cycling Team, and TVA for making this event possible.

We also appreciate the guys that helped out: Collins Bishop; Trey Commander; Eric Grau; Jeff Clumpner; Bill Parsons; and Paul Talbott.

More pictures available here.

Thank you to everyone who came out and spent the day with us. We hope that you had a good time and we are looking forward to holding another mountain bike clinic in the Spring.

-Kelly

SORBA Trail Day - Raccoon Mtn

2007-10-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2007

The Chiks joined in with SORBA today for the start ofthe 2007/08 SORBA Winter Trail Work schedule! We eased into it today (we'll be sore enough as it is). Collins, me, Barry Smith, Tom Bowen, John Sullivan, Brian Grow, Celeste Sneed and her son Ian all got together on Raccoon Mtn this morning for some fun. Barry had machine cut a smaller loop off of the South Rim trail last spring. The loop was never opened, though, since all of the rest of the effort went to completing the main (17 mile) loop.

Kelly, Celeste, Ian and the the rest of the SORBA crew

This is going to be a great addition to the Raccoon Mtn system. The new spur loop includes a beautiful view of the River Gorge and an interesting rock formation (Split Rock) which will form part of the new trail. This is going to be fun on future Chiks rides!

Thanks to Celeste, Ian and everyone who came out!

-Kelly

The 12 Hours of Dauset

2007-10-13T20:19:00.001-07:00

September 22, 2007

Kelli Smith, Collins and I headed down to Jackson, GA, on Friday night to both grab a great spot at the race to pit and avoid waking up at 4am to get to the race by 8 something (about a 3 hr drive). Thankfully, there were still some good spots when we got there. After a somewhat rainy and humid Friday night, we awoke to the hustle and bustle of race morning.

Anita, Michelle, Paul (Anita’s husband), and the remaining members of the guys team arrived and the 12 hour race started at 10am. The race was a lemans start (meaning that the first racer in the rotation start at a given point and run about 100 yards to their bikes). This allows the faster people to get to the front and get to the singletrack first. Anita started off the Chiks team with an energetic run and off she went into the trail.

Anita on the run

The course was fairly flat (I loved that). It had several roots and rock sections with the morning being slippery from the rain the previous evening and it dried out as the day went on. It was about a 10 mile loop and Anita came back all smiles. Michelle was up next, then me, then Kelli Smith. We did two rotations so we completed 8 laps or about 80 miles. While everyone did really well on their laps, the award for most brave in the least amount of riding history goes to Kelli Smith. She has been mountain biking for 4 weeks and she did the night lap. She rode in the pitch black with a very bright light on her helmet (thanks to Trey Commander and Light in Motion for the loaner). She said she liked that lap better than the one during the day.

Michelle, Kelli, and Anita

Transition area Kelly B. to Kelli S.

The tough award goes to Michelle. Michelle is awesome to come and race as she has only been riding 4 months; but the situation I’m referring to: About half way through her last lap, someone tried to pass her and did a poor job of communicating and executing this pass. The person somehow ripped Michelle’s shorts in the process and she rode the remaining 5 miles with her left cheek exposed.

Michelle on the course

The guy’s team did really well along with Chip Purcell racing in the six hour solo.

What could possibly make this day more fun? Well the guy’s team, Kelli Smith, and I asked ourselves that very question before we were caravanning back to Chattanooga. We came upon an all in one gas station / Wendy’s / Dairy Queen. What more can you ask for?

Thanks girls for a really fun time!

-Kelly

Chiks Ride at Raccoon Mtn.

2007-10-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

September 20, 2007

The weather has cooled down a little and the leaves are almost getting ready to change. There must have been something in the air because the Krystal Chiks ride tonight was awesome. We had a big group and everyone had a ball.

The start of the ride

We had a few interesting moments when a rider from another group temporarily got mixed in with our group and altered the official head-count. When we wound up a rider "short" after the first few miles after she went her own way, I wound up on a search for a phantom rider. Not a good feeling, but after a riding the loop backwards, we figured out what was going on.

Tiffany also got a course in on-trail bike repair. She managed to snag a branch with her rear derailleur, mangling it. Collins was nearby on one of the many overlaps in the S.I.T. trail and he managed to make her bike a single-speed for the ride out. The frame looked fine and once a new derailleur is installed, it will be right as rain.

Super fun ride!

-Kelly

We Are The Krystal Chiks

2007-10-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

Are you a beginner or intermediate rider and are looking for some direction on how to improve?

Do you currently race and want to be a part of an all-women's team which shares a passion for cycling?

Do you like to ride with other people, but don't really plan to race?

Then the Krystal Chiks are for you!

Are you a guy? - While many of you may be comfortable wearing pink... sorry, this is not for you.

We are the Krystal Chiks - an all women's developmental team based in Chattanooga, TN. We hold regular group rides (road and mountain), conduct instructional clinics, support community service and race together.

Group Rides

Instructional Clinics

Races

If you are interested in joining us, please contact the Program Director at krystal.chiks@gmail.com!