Pack your bags because Coloradians will be doing a lot of traveling for medals this year. Of all the planned championship events only 1 lands in Colorado, the 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships

April 16: BMX National Championships - Chula Vista, Calif.
May 6-8: Collegiate Road National Championships - Madison, Wis.
May 28-30: USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships - Greenville, S.C.
June 22-26: USA Cycling Elite, U23 & Junior Road National Championships - Augusta, Ga.
July 7-10: USA Cycling Junior Track National Championships - Frisco, Texas
July 14-17: USA Cycling Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championships - Sun Valley, Idaho
Aug. 2-7: USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships - Trexlertown, Pa.
Aug. 20: USA Cycling Professional Criterium Championships - Grand Rapids, Mich.
Aug. 31 – Sept. 4: USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships - Bend, Ore.
Sept. 15-17: USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championship - Indianapolis, Ind.
Sept. 17: USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships - Bend, Ore.
Sept. 24-25: USA Cycling Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships - Beech Mountain, N.C.
Sept. 29 – Oct. 3: USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships - Carson, Calif.
Oct. 1-2: USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships - Colorado Springs, Colo.
Oct. 28-30: USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships - Davis, W. Va.
Jan. 4-8: USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships - Madison, Wis.
Date TBD: USA Cycling Track Tandem Sprint National Championships - Trexlertown, Pa.

Are you tired of fighting crowds? Unsure of what to get that cyclist that’s on your list? Just plain stressed out and want to get your shopping done? Well, here are some gifts that may just end your shopping and put a smile on someone’s face. Whether you want to spend $15 or $650, our friends at Excel Sports Boulder have it all. In addition to our list, Excel has put together their own list of gift ideas that you should check out! (http://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=15)
$25 or less
Want a stocker stuffer or just one last small item to round out your gift? One (or all!) of these six may just be the trick!

• Stan’s Tire and Rim Sealant. A standard for any rider using tubeless tire setups. A must have, but not a glitzy self purchase (like buying socks – great to have good ones, but hard to buy for yourself).
• Gift Card Really unsure what to get? Get money. Never fails.
  

Mountain bike race season has been done for a couple months in Colorado but Heather Irmiger and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski have had a busy fall. They traveled to New Zealand so they could both race the Single Speed World Championship (SSWC - Heather was the defending champion) and then came back to the United States and headed to Michigan for the Iceman Cometh (Jeremy was defending his title). I recently sat down with them and asked them a few questions about the SSWC, The Iceman Cometh and being a married couple making a living racing mountain bikes.

JHK Leadville 2010 - Photo Credit: 303Photo

[303Cycling] You both competed in the 2010 SSWC (Heather being the defending champion from 2009).  How did the race go this year and for the bike geeks out there what type of gearing did you run?
[Heather] SSWC 2010 went just as it should - crazy!  The start of the race went off in a very non-traditional way - true SSWC fashion.  1000 riders were corralled into a large circle and told to ride clock-wise until the gun went off at some undetermined time.  There was only one exit to the circle to get to the start of the course, so depending on where you happened to be at the signal to start, you were either almost to the exit, at the exit or just past the exit and had to ride all the way around!  And so it went - I ended up just past the exit and effectively at the back of the 1000 person race.  It was a total blast though - I was able to do some fun socializing, check out some great costumes, and then work my way up through the race.  Despite taking the beer short cut both laps, I'm not sure where I ended up - but then again, the only spot that matters in this race is the win/tattoo receiving place!  My gear was a 32/20 aboard my Superfly Single. 
[Jeremy] I had an absolute blast yet again at SSWC. I actually had a pretty good start despite the craziness and made it into the lead group on the first lap. However, Ben Bostrom and I missed the first beer-chug shortcut and lost about 2 minutes to the rest of the group - and that was it, we never caught up. We made sure to hit the rest of the beer shortcuts though, and had a ton of fun the rest of the way. I ran a 32x19 on my Fisher Collection Sawyer.

[303Cycling] I know you both competed at Iceman this year and last.  The race has become very popular.  Can you tell our readers a little about the race?
[Heather] The Iceman is such a great race - I want to do it every year regardless of my fitness level!  It's great on so many levels: it's a point to point which is such a great change from the standard multi-lap races, the course is super fast and not all that technical but somehow very entertaining - the hills, corners, trees all combine for a cool ride.  Of course, there is the uncertainty of the weather which makes it fun - it could be 55 or it could be 30 and snowing, either way you're out there testing your limits.  It's also spectacular because it caters to all skill levels - there are shorter distance options and it's not so technical that beginners can't test themselves on the long course.  Last, the fans and riders are some of the most enthusiastic and excited people on bikes.  The positive energy is contagious and you can't help but have a great time.