RIM Racing

Starting off 2014 I have high expectations this year for results. A lingering injury prevented me from fully training the way I wanted to but it finally worked itself out. I focused on swimming this winter which really helped me improve in that area. The bike is all dialed in with great add-on’s from World Wide Bearings, Polydyn and HED wheels. The bike is weighing in at 19.5lbs now, and with a few more upgrades it could be at 19lbs. The off season yielded a few new sponsors. Hammer Nutrition was a very welcome addition and my nutrition needs are being met much better than last year. Timex helped me keep on pace during the bike and run. The Global GPS Trainer is a really cool tool and the customizable screen is great. So I can see the details I want during the run and bike. Bont shoes really helped out in the transition and fit well.

The race started in chilly 63 degree water and learning a few tricks from last year taught me to wear 2 swim caps. Every race has a mandatory cap for the race you are in. I had a good swim and felt really good. I tried to use the draft but may have focused too much on that instead of just swimming my own race. Coming back to shore after the final turn buoy the wind was really strong. This slowed a lot of people down and it was a challenge. But to compare from last year, I still beat my time and felt really good during the swim and out to the transition. I was not so winded and I attribute this to the Hammer products I used.

Transitioning to the bike was helped out with the new Bont triathlon specific shoes. The shoes are easy to get into and out of so it really helps on the bike. Plus the stiff carbon fiber sole helped with power transfer. I’m familiar with the this course and knew where I could push a bit harder but there were some very fast bike times laid down. This race always brings out some serious riders and bikes with full disc rear wheels, which I don’t have and those wheels really help out with overall aerodynamics and speed. I was able to post an average speed of about 22mph, but the top finishers were in the 24 range. The bike ride was good for the first race of the year. I still need to get back to my level from the end of last year, but I’m close.

Running was a challenge as I have not been able to train for the run like I wanted to. Overuse and stress on my Achilles has been any issue all winter. I was able to figure out how to heal it but those training days slipped by this winter and put my training off schedule. I was not at the pace in the race I wanted to be at, but it will come back fast. I was able to manage 23rd overall, but to my excitement I got 3rd in my age group. I was 10 minutes off my PR for that race course but for the first race of the year with limited training I was happy with the result.

Thanks to all the sponsors and everyone who came out to cheer on all the triathletes!

Hammer referral program 15% discount code: use 221216 when ordering. Plus get a bunch of free samples!

RIM Racing is sponsored by World Wide Bearings, Polydyn, Timex, Hammer Nutrition, Zola acai drinks, Bont Shoes, HED Wheels, SRP Graphics. NE Designs provides webpage support and layout.
For more on RIM Racing’s Mike Morgan please visit www.mikemorganracing.com

Mike Morgan
RIM Racing

And like us on Facebook – RIM Racing Mike Morgan

Goshen, Indiana Monday 27 January 2014

RIM Racing’s Mike Morgan has announced his retirement from AMA Professional road racing. After an extensive search for over a year to secure funding for continued racing in the AMA, RIM Racing was not able to find a title sponsor. Without a title sponsor RIM Racing did not feel that a proper effort could be put forth. This is not an end to RIM Racing’s efforts and does have future plans for Triathlon competition.

This Announcement gives Mike the final opportunity to say farewell and thanks to fans, friends, and race organizations that he has been associated with for so many years.

Mike Morgan stated:
“After 8 years of racing at the top level in the US I have achieved a great deal for a privateer with a very limited budget. The friends I have made and the great help I received from sponsors and supports has been priceless! Without sponsorship from Kenwood and Autolite / Fram the team would have had to cease racing operation long ago and I would have had to retire anyway. Be RIM Racing was able to persevere for many years on a shoe string budget and that allowed me to race at the top level in the USA. Being able to ride for the Vance&Hines team in the XR1200 class and having a career best 2nd row qualifying effort at Mid Ohio and multiple top 10 finishes was an amazing opportunity and finishing in the top 15 multiple times in DSB/Supersport over the years was only possible because of hard work and great sponsors! I cannot thank my many sponsors and supporters enough. Without them none of what I accomplished would have been possible. My last race was the final AMA round in NJ, 2012. As I quietly finished the weekend it ended like so many others. It was a successful weekend and saying the final good by’s too many friends and fans were to be for the last time. Now I will turn my attentions to triathlons and hope for an even higher level of success.”

To all the fans, fellow racers/teams and sponsors thank you! I wish everyone continued success.

Mike Morgan #811/11

Mike Morgan retires from professional motorsport taking with him countless successes, memories and lifelong friendships.

RIM Racing

The last triathlon of 2013 was my 4th Olympic distance triathlon this year.
A little more fine tuning of my nutrition plan with Zola and some gels and a new bicycle seat were a few tweaks before this last race. The HED Wheels which were outfitted with ceramic bearings from World Wide bearings and lubricants from Poldyn continue to impress.

My swim went well, but an area I still need to improve in, and I was able to exit the water in 8th place. My time for this 1000m swim was 18 minutes. I do much better in the transition areas and it only took me just under 2 minutes to get out of the water and onto the bike. To explain how fast this happens, I have to run from the water exit to the bicycle area. I also have to take off my wetsuit, put my helmet on and get the bike out of the transition area before I can get on it. The same thing happens after the bike portion before the run.

The bicycle portion again was flawless and with the new HED wheels, World Wide ceramic bearings, and Polydyn lubricants. I was able to consistently pass other people and ended up being the Fastest bicycle on course with an overall average speed of 23.8 miles an hour. The pavement was also wet because of morning rain showers which made the pace a bit slower. So it could have been a 24mph average in better conditions. I was extremely excited to see this result and my overall finishing position. I was even able to outpace several other cyclists with full disk rear wheels and larger aerodynamic front wheels again in this race. I love these wheels and the build I did to them. My overall bicycle time was 55 minutes.

Coming out of the transition into the run I was feeling really good and was able to take off. My Achilles’ tendon on my right foot was still giving me a bit of problems and this run course was totally on trails (which I don’t like) and that did not help. I was able to run at a 7:30 per mile pace. I still want to be in the sub 7 min. mile and closer to 6 min. flat. This would help me a great deal in overall finishing results. A bit more practice and no injuries and I will be right there. During the run I was able to judge what place I was in and a few other athletes told me in passing. Also myself and a few others were the only athletes out at the 3 miles turn around. And to my surprise and excitement only one other athlete came back past me just before the turn around.

This was my first Overall podium this year and I finished in 2nd place and only 5 minutes behind 1st place. I was very happy with this result!!! Ending the season like this is awesome and I totally look forward to 2014 and the expectations I have are much higher for myself. I’m thinking a Pro license might be in my future, time will tell. My total overall time was 2 hours 3 min. and if I can hold this pace for a half Ironman I would finish under my goal of 5 hours. So now I have something to shoot for in 2014.

Thanks to all the sponsors and all the people who came out to cheer all the triathletes on!

RIM Racing is sponsored by World Wide Bearings, Zola acai drinks, Polydyn, HED Wheels, SRP Graphics. NE Designs provides webpage support and layout.

For more on RIM Racing’s Mike Morgan please visit www.mikemorganracing.com

Mike Morgan
RIM Racing

And like us on Facebook – RIM Racing Mike Morgan

Sept 2013
RIM Racing

The Muncie triathlon was my 3rd Olympic distance triathlon this summer. Now that I have done several triathlons I am much better acquainted with the overall strategy needed and physical endurance. An Olympic distance consists of a just under a 1 mile swim, 25 mile bicycle ride and finished up with a 6.2 mile run. New for this race was sponsorship from HED Wheels which were outfitted with ceramic bearings from World Wide bearings and lubricants from Poldyn. I was very excited coming into this race because of the possibility of a stronger finish then my previous attempt at this race back in June.

Now that I understand better what I need to do before the start of a race I was able to get in a good swim and start at the front of the pack. This helped out immensely and as I exited the water I was the 4th person in what is considered age groups. I was also racing against college athletes in this race, as part of the college triathlon series. So my swim went considerably better than last time and I was able to finish just under 30 min.

The bicycle portion was flawless and with the new HED wheels, ceramic bearings, and Polydyn I was able to consistently pass other people and ended up being the 2nd fastest bicycle on course with an overall average speed of 23 miles an hour. Only the first place overall winner had a faster average pace of 23.8 miles an hour. I was extremely excited to see this result and my overall finishing position. I was even able to outpace several other cyclists with full disk rear wheels and larger aerodynamic front wheels. The Jets 6 wheel offers a great combination of aerodynamics and light weight so you can climb hills easier. And this bicycle course has several small climbs throughout the 12.5 mile loop. My overall bicycle time was 1:06. To put this in perspective my bicycle time at the same event in June was 1:13.

Coming out of the transition into the run I was feeling relatively good but it took me a bit of time to get my “running legs” after putting in a pretty decent effort on the bicycle. My Achilles’ tendon on my right foot was still giving me a bit of problems but it did not affect my run that much. But I was not able to run at the 7:14 per mile pace that I had done in the previous race. One thing I have learned is that you cannot compare race course to race course because they vary so much. This running course has some very long gradual hills to go up and one is just before the finish line. My runtime was slightly slower at 7:38 per mile. I would like to be in the sub 7 min. mile and closer to 6 min. flat. This would help me a great deal in overall finishing results. A bit more practice and I will be right there.
I was very satisfied with the overall result finishing 5th and finishing 2nd in my age group! This is the highest finishing positions that I have ever achieved in an Olympic distance triathlon. 4th place was just ahead of me and with a bit more of a push during the run and swim I could’ve easily been there. There may be one other additional triathlon I can do before the season is finally over for my first year of doing triathlons. My total overall time was 2 hours 27 min. and if I can hold this pace for a half Ironman I would finish under my goal of 5 hours. So now I have something to shoot for in 2014.

Thanks to all the sponsors and all the people who came out to cheer all the triathletes on! And special thanks to new sponsor HED Wheels!

RIM Racing is sponsored by World Wide Bearings, Zola acai drinks, Polydyn, HED Wheels, SRP Graphics for this triathlon endeavor. NE Designs provides webpage support and layout.

For more on RIM Racing’s Mike Morgan please visit www.mikemorganracing.com

Mike Morgan
RIM Racing

And like us on Facebook – RIM Racing Mike Morgan

RIM Racing

During this summer of non-motorcycle racing I have been looking for sponsors and staying fit with a few triathlon races. My goal for this year was to compete in the Ironman series 70.3 race. That ½ Ironman distance consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bicycle ride and finished up with a 13.1 mile run (which is half marathon length).

This was my first endeavor at this length and I was hoping to finish under the 5 hour mark but that was not to be. I’m still new at the triathlon racing and I continue to learn from each event, but it goes a little bit better every time. The swim went relatively well and I finished that in 42 minutes. One thing I have learned is that you have to warm up before these events because your body cannot go from a complete resting state to all out competition. In one of the shorter triathlons I did I was not able to properly warm up and got about 50 yards offshore and started to hyperventilate. The other challenge during the swim is actually swimming in a straight line. Swimming in Lake Michigan with the waves coming at you from the side make it a lot harder than swimming in a pool.

I had 2 small errors during this race but I tried not to let them disrupt me very much. The first issue I had was that I lost 3 out of the 4 gel packs I had in my triathlon suit in T-1 (the transition area between swimming and bicycling). I did not realize this until I went to get my 2nd gel during the bike leg. At that point I was behind on my meal plan and at the next aid station I was only able to get one more gel because I dropped the banana that I tried to get. Nutrition in a race of this distance is very important. Your body can only absorb so many calories and you don’t want to get an upset stomach during the middle of a race. But you need to intake the proper amount of calories so you don’t run out of energy. I was able to maintain a decent pace on the bicycle and according to the Ironman website I was averaging just over 20 miles an hour. There was some pretty decent wind on the course and I had most of my calories dialed in for the beginning of the bike leg so I could taper them down before the run and then pick back up more calories after I settled into the run. I finished the bike leg in 2 hours 46 min.

The last section of the race is the run and I was not able to maintain the pace I wanted. During the run I was only able to average about 8-9 minutes a mile which was underneath my personal goal to be below 8 minutes a mile and closer to the 7 minute mark. The run was fairly difficult with several elevation changes and 3 very large hills. One of the hills was right out of the gate which I studied and knew not to waste a whole bunch of energy going up that right at the beginning of the run. I was able to keep any major issues from happening and overall this first half Ironman race was a success! The day was a great day and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. My run took me just under 2 hours and my total overall time was 5 hours 36 min.

Thanks to all the sponsors and all the people who came out to cheer all the triathletes on!
RIM Racing is sponsored by World Wide Bearings, Zola acai drinks, Polydyn, SRP Graphics for this triathlon endeavor. NE Designs provides webpage support and layout.

Mike Morgan
RIM Racing

And like us on Facebook – RIM Racing Mike Morgan

With motorcycle racing on hold for 2013 until we can find a new title sponsor, I have been keeping up with my fitness by doing a few triathlons. With 2 Olympic distance triathlons under my belt so far this year the main goal will be the half Ironman race in Michigan the beginning of August, Steelhead. This 70.3 race will be the ultimate test for endurance and mental thoughness.
Want to thank the great sponsors that have continued to help in this off season endevor. World Wide Bearings, ZOLA, Polydyn.

RIM Racing would like to thank all of our wonderful friends, family, and supporters for all of the help and support over the last several seasons. Racing at the highest level in the United States, AMA Pro Road Racing, takes top quality partners and RIM Racing is thankful for the relationships we have made over the years. RIM Racing always runs a top-notch program and anything less is just not acceptable for our standards. However, after a long search to secure appropriate funds for 2013 RIM Racing has not been able to find a viable title sponsor. RIM Racing is now looking on to 2014 with possibly a new team look and a new motorcycle manufacturer that we believe will help keep RIM Racing at the top of the sport.

If any opportunities arise in 2013 we look forward to completing once again in AMA Pro Road Racing. We look forward to a renewed program in 2014 and continued support from our great sponsors, fans, friends, and family!

Thank You,
Mike Morgan
RIM Racing
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AMA Pro Racing Daytona Sportbike #11

Barnett Clutches, KENWOOD, NEXX Helmets, Zola Juices, Motul, Vortex, World Wide Bearings, Autolite, TCX Boots, EBC Brakes, Spider Grips, SRP Custom Graphics, Yoshimura RD, FRAM, NE Web Design, Advance Auto Parts, Pilot Leathers, LP, Hotbodies, Held Gloves, Turn One Motorsports

RIM Racing is actively seeking a Title sponsor for 2013.  All team sponsors are a great help and are appreciated very much.  We hope to continue our forward progress in 2013.

Thanks to all the sponsors, fans, and friends that make our racing effort possible!

Mike Morgan

RIM Racing is sponsored by ZipLine, Barnett clutches, Autolite spark plugs, Fram oil filters, Motul oil, TCX boots, Yoshimura R&D, EBC brake pads / rotors, World Wide Bearings, Kenwood, NEXX helmets,  Superior Body Works, SRP Graphics, Vortex components, Zola acai drinks, Spider Grips, Advanced Auto Parts, Pilot leathers, Held gloves, Hotbodies, Lockhart Phillips

And like us on Facebook – RIM Racing Mike Morgan

RIM Racing #11

www.mikemorganracing.com