I’d like everyone to meet J.R. Petsko. He’s not actually from Pittsburgh; he’s from West Virginia.  But Pittsburgh racing is really all about racing in the greater Western Pennsylvania area, and that includes our friends in West Virginia.  Last year J.R. started the Appalachian Bike Racing Association (ABRA) and has a slew of races scheduled in our area for this year in both the road, cyclocross and hilly-billy variety.  I asked J.R. a few questions to find a little bit more about him and ABRA.

Q: How did you get involved with bike racing in this area?

Well that is kinda a long story so lets see if I can make it shorter so I don’t bore folks to death on the first question.   I used to race motocross, however around 1992 thing become just to expensive to continue racing.  About then mountain biking was booming and it was the hot thing to do here in Morgantown.  It had a lot of thing similar to riding dirt bikes but was a lot cheaper at that time then dirt bikes.   From then on I was hooked, however there is not much of a price difference between the sports now.  If you would have told me in 1993 that people would some day pay $5000+ on a mountain bike, I would have slapped ya for lying..  I still remember the Fat Chance I got in 94′ it cost me a whole $800 and was bad!  Wish I still had that bike.  From there I just fell in love with the sport and it has almost been 20 year now.

JR is the 2009 WV Clydesdale State Champion

Q: Do you do a lot of racing yourself or are you mostly into promotion?

I am the current WV Clydesdale State Champion and the 2009 WVMBA Clydesdale Series Champion.  I actually had my best ever year in 2009 with 10 wins.  It only took me 18 year to have a good year like that.  I have learned in the last year that I am pretty good in sprints so I am interested in doing some crits this year.  I have a lot to learn so I think I will be coming up to the oval on Tuesdays to get in some practice. So I guess the answer is yes.

Q: What was your motivation for starting ABRA?

Well I guess it all started because of cyclocross.  I am a BIG fan of the discipline and spent a lot of hours traveling to the bigger racers over in MABRA land with the Shogren’s the last few years.  One day I was just thinking why are we all driving all the way over there?  Between Northern West Virginia and Western PA we have enough racers to have our own series.  From there I added a road series and it has now evolved in ABRA (Appalachian Bicycle Racing Association)  I have got big plan and hopes for the future, so I guess we will all see were it goes from here.

Q: How excited were you for the Morgantown Road Race, the first race of the new road series?

A solid two months of work went into making sure everything under my power was done to have that race ready for all 250 racers.  I was very excited but at the same time I was very nervous.  There was a lot riding on that event.  It was not the first year for the event but it was the first race of the new organization and the Appalachian Road Series so I felt some pressure to make sure things were done right.

Q: What is your secret to bringing in all the sponsors and volunteers required to put on these races?

A lot of calls and emails. Sponsors are no where near as hard to find as volunteers. Look at the Morgantown Road Race (MRR) I needed over 25 volunteers for the event. Not a ton of folks, however when all your friends are taking part in the event who else to you get to help? It has always been the hardest part of the job. On a similar top, in the past two days I have gotten hand full of emails saying how great the volunteers were at MRR. I want to thanks them for there help. That race could never have happened with out their help. Folks like Greg, Dustin, Chris, Mike, Tim, Dan, Liew, Nick, Bill, Charlotte, Sharon, Alice, Kristin, Andrew, Don, Heather, Jerry, Steve, John, Jarrett, James and everyone else, THANK YOU!

Q: Have you actually ridden the final climb at the Tour of Tucker County?  Do you know how many people curse your name as their souls are crushed on that climb?

Yes I sure have, while I lived in Davis, WV we did it maybe once a month or so.  However I will tell you a dirty little secret. I ride a triple.  I am a big boy and I need the granny gear. I never get to personally see the carnage on Sugarlands, but I have seen the photos. I love seeing folks walking their bike.  Makes me feel like I put on a hard race, and that is what I am looking to do. Getting your money’s worth if you ask me.  One year I hope to sneak away from the finish and see more of the attack on the mountain.

Top of the 7-mile final climb at Tour of Tucker County

Q: What’s the best part about riding/racing in West Virginia?

Options!  Mountain bike, road ride or dirty road ride, there is always a epic ride right from your front do with no driving to ride required.

Q: What’s the deal with the Hilly-Billy Roubaix?  The flyer says the route may include “missing bridges, car-sized potholes, gravel, mud, black top, cow paths, and maybe a piece of road kill or two.”  Explain yourself.

This race idea came from two places.  First, our little group (Gunnar, Betsy and Chris McGill) has done Iron Cross the last few years and it is a super event.  It’s a 60+ mile race over paved, dirty and even some single track.  Second, we have some great dirty roads in this area that I could never use in a road race because the folks would probably kill me if I had them on those roads with their Zipp wheels.  Put those two things together and you have the Hilly Billy!  It is going to be a mean one. It is more of an endurance style race then you standard road race.  The rumors are true there is a creek crossing, and when you see a few of these “roads” you will not believe they are actually roads, but they are.  Don’t get me wrong it also has a fair share of paved roads and your standard dirt roads.  Oh and just a hill or two.  ::Wink, Wink:: We have done two scouting rides so far.  Half the course one ride and the second half the next.  I was toast after each one.  I am really wondering who much it is going to hurt we we decide to go out and ride it all in one day.  You want to come?

J.R. performing quality control on the Hilly-Billy Roubaix course

Q: Are the rumors, which may or may not have started here, true that the Hilly-Billy Roubaix will be worth 3x ABRA series points?

To bad the season started, I kinda like that idea.  I should give bonus points for doing the Hilly Billy..

Q: Will ABRA expand into mountain bike racing?

Top Secret!

Q: Cross season is too far away for most of us to think about right now, but you have a series of 9 races planned, including a few new ones.  Any teasers you’d like to share?

Not really teasers but I really have the feeling we are going to see a huge explosion in cross participation in the coming year in our area.  Once a large population of road and mountain bikers find out how much fun it is, they are going to fall in love with it like I did.

JR and Betsy Shogren

Q: Were you behind the formation of the new Dynamic Physical Therapy Cycling Team?  Who’s the team leader?  It’s Betsy isn’t it?

Well I think the idea originally was Betsy’s.  Chris and I both loved the idea but we still had to convince Gunnar.  He is old you know?!  Old folks sometimes take a long time to make decisions.  Leader?  hmmmmm….   Well ya know maybe it is Betsy. We all know that is the only person Gunnar is going to listen to…  I know it ain’t me that is for sure.

Q: You now hold a dirty dozen record, could you explain it and what it means to you?

Ya know I think that was one of my favorite cycling days.  Not that I enjoyed the pain or anything like that but climbing all 13 of those hills was a big accomplishment personally for me.  I was at 240 pounds at the time so I have the record as the heaviest finisher ever of the DD. As a big guy hills are very hard, I will never forget that day.  Plus as a bonus riding through downtown Pittsburgh was sure fun for me because I have never done that before. I have since however given up on the Clydesdale lifestyle and just going to try and be healthier now a days.  Today I weigh 213 pounds.  So I guess I will not be setting a new record with weight at the 2010 DD.  Has any one ever done it on a tandem?  hmmmmm!

JR on Canton Ave

Thanks JR for the interview and for putting on kick-ass races for us.

Related posts:

1. Interview: Sinead Miller of Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12

Tags: ABRA | hilly billy | interview | petsko | west virginia

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