Members of the Southwest Association Of Mountain Bike Pedalers, known as the SWAMP CLUB, are riding full speed ahead into the 2004 off-road season. The adventurous group of Tampa riders likes to "chill out" off the bike by donning sticky climbing shoes and scrambling to the top of a plywood gym wall with the help of built-in grabbing bolts. On Jan. 17, the club invites its friends to socialize at Vertical Ventures Indoor Climbing Gym, 5402 Pioneer Park Blvd., Tampa, from 6-8 p.m. Beginners, experts and new members are welcome. Instruction is available, and the cost is $15 per person.
"Come out and enjoy the evening," SWAMP member Robert Hernandez said. "We promise that you will get home in time to get enough rest to ride on Sunday morning."
Other club activities in this early part of the cycling season include trail work, during which each member logs hours of volunteer service at various area mountain-bike hot spots. Tampa's Wes Eubank, who leads many of the outings, says he is proud the International Mountain Bicycling Association awarded a $500 grant to the SWAMP Club.
"IMBA awards grants to some of the clubs that have shown leadership in trail development programs," Eubank said. The club was among 50 U.S. organizations receiving an IMBA Trailbuilding Care Package. IMBA got $25,000 from Recreational Equipment, Inc., and it went toward the packages, which include trail signs, tools, gloves and books.
Last season, IMBA's network of 450 clubs and 32,000 members recorded more than 1-million hours of volunteer work, building 1,000-plus miles of trails.
One of the more well-known IMBA members is five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. He says he enjoys his fall cross-training, which includes off-road riding near his sprawling ranch near Austin, Texas.
Locals who are winning SWAMP prizes as a result of volunteer work at Alafia, Croom, Morris Bridge and Boyette include John Allan, Ray Danco, Mike Doyon, Sally Eakle, David Fleet, John Kranc, Harvey Minton, Eddie O'Dea, Todd Riceman, Anthony Porter and Frank Zaldivar.
The club will have its annual Croom 35/50-Mile Single-track Challenge Feb. 7 at Withlacoochee State Forest in Brooksville.
This is not a race. All mountain cyclists and their families are welcome. Events include night rides, weekend camping near Silver Lake Campground and bike-shop demos.
For information on the sport, call Eubank, 813 689-5109; or go online to www.SWAMPclub.org
ARMSTRONG WINS AWARDS: Last month, the U.S. Postal Service/Berry Floors cyclist was recognized by the Associated Press as the 2003 Male Athlete Of The Year. Armstrong was honored by Reuters as the Sportsman Of The Year, and Sports Illustrated For Kids readers voted him the Athlete Of The Year. Velo Magazine, a French cycling publication, gave Armstrong the Velod'Or, its highest international award. Armstrong will begin his season during a March race in Spain.
CHILLY WILLY DUATHLON: Race Place Management will play host to the Feb. 1 event, 8 a.m., at Fort DeSoto Park. The competition's distances will be two 5-kilometer runs and a 10-mile bike ride. All cycles are permitted. Awards will be three-deep in all USA Triathlon divisions.
Last season's Tampa Bay Grand Prix Points winners included local triathletes Graham Steele, Bob Wagoner, Ian Payne, Roland Lajoie, Sam Nall, Roger Burke, Larry Yost, Bill Hough, Charles Lasley, Brianne Harrington, Alex Lechner, Cindy Horrocks, Celia Dubey, Patty Farese, Bev Buysse, Carol-Jean Vosburgh, Katie Knight-Perry, Shirley Taylor and Jackie Yost.
For Fort DeSoto triathlon and duathlon information, call Joe Fernandez, 813 874-7223; or go online to www.flraceplace.com
