8th Menlo Park Grand Prix - July 28, 2013: Registration Opens May 30, 2013
Join us for our 8th edition of this always-popular criterium on July 28, 2013 at Bohannon Industrial Park in Menlo Park. With a full day of racing action, the Menlo Park Grand Prix, is part of the Northern California Nevada Cycling Association BikeReg.com Premier Series, featuring the very best men and women elite and masters racers in the area. In addition, this year's race is the 2013 NCNCA Women's Elite and Masters State Criterium Championship, where you can watch the top women go head to head for the honor of wearing the state champ jersey for the coming year.
The Menlo Park Grand Prix is a fun-filled event for the whole family. We encourage you to come, race, spectate, and bring the kids. We're bringing back the Menlo Park Mini Prix, a free fun race for children ages 12 and under. The kids will race at 12:45pm and every child will receive a medal! You can pre-register your child on-line or just arrive by 9:30am to register at the race.
→ RACERS: REGISTER ONLINE BEGINNING MAY 30, 2013
HELP SPONSOR THE MENLO PARK GRAND PRIX
Seize the opportunity to become an event sponsor, whether you want full title/naming rights, or present specific category races, or even provide the means that enable Velo Girls to put on an event with even more fun for the whole family. Visit gofundme.com/8thmenloparkgrandprix for details.
Double Trouble on the Davis Double
On Saturday, Team Velo Girls member Diane Blattner fulfilled her goal of riding the Davis Double Century. By her side, during training and the ride, was teammate Lyn Roberts. Diane shares her experience with us:
I'm so glad Lyn was with me on the Davis Double. She has more stamina and resiliency than almost anyone I know and it is hard to imagine a better riding partner. It a was long and challenging day and night. We started at 4:20 AM and rolled back into Davis about 10:20 PM. Of the 18 hours, I think I was rolling about 15.5 hours.
There are three major climbs with the hardest one in the middle, a ten mile climb starting around mile 95. It is so tough, the organizers put a water stop just a mile from the top; just before the stretch that is a 14% grade. At the beginning of this segment were four miles of unpaved, hard-packed dirt. Yuck!
The ride passes both Lake Berryessa and Clear Lake. I've never been to either before and it was great to ride amidst such incredible beauty. Around mile 90, I ran into my daughter's work friend from the UC Davis Bike Barn. There was a charming little lake right there, so we stopped to take a picture and texted it to my daughter and to his mom. It was just too daunting to stop at the pretty parts when there was so much riding to do so aside from the un-scenic rest stop photos, these are the only pictures before mile 200.
One thing that stood out to me was this funny shack about halfway up the last big climb called the Oasis. Even in my exhausted state, it did not seem too Oasis-like to me.
The miles between 140 and 160 were the most challenging for me. My computer stopped working and my Strava app lost the GPS signal, so for 20 miles I had no idea how long until the next rest stop. Beautiful as those miles were, they all looked the same... no turns, no change of scenery. I couldn't tell if I was bored or tired; I guess both.
We made really good time on the next stretch, which is a highway with no shoulder that runs by Cache Creek Casino -- there was a nice tailwind and we were motivated and determined to get off that road as quickly as possible to avoid the shift change at the casino. I scored my Strava Queen of the Mountain segment in this stretch, which I got to keep for one day until another rider uploaded her results to Strava. Still, after 160 miles and more than 8,000 feet of climbing, it feels good to know I was still capable of setting a record on that stretch of road.
We were met at the end of the ride by my lovely daughter, Beccy who is a freshman at UC Davis. It was the first time anyone has ever met me at the end of the event. She's on crutches from a knee injury, so having her there was even more significant because of the effort it took for her to get there and back from her dorm. Finishing was both emotional and exhilarating.
Given all the time I had to be introspective on the ride, I discovered a shift in my thinking. As a young woman, there were many things that I thought I couldn't do, that I would never dare to imagine. Now that I've climbed many thousands of feet, completed numerous cycling events, a whole bunch of half-marathons and jumped out of a plane, it is no longer an issue of whether I think I can do it, but if I am willing to challenge myself more and the answer is Yes. I understand that it is not just the physical fitness, but also the mental toughness and resilience that get you through.
I thank Lyn and Laura for joining me on all the extra training rides, and all my teammates, riding, and training partners and Velo Girls club members who rode with me and encouraged me all winter. A few weeks ago, before the Grizzly Peak Century, Team Velo Girls member Winnie said to me,"you can and you will" and then I did.
Just Added: Dirty Velo Girls BEGINNER Mountain Bike Rides
Hey ladies! If you're new to mountain biking, we've got the PERFECT ride for you. Starting in June, we've added a series of beginner mountain bike rides at Coyote Hills in Fremont. These rides are designed to help you get out on the trail and prepare join us on our weekly Dirty Velo Girls rides at Arastradero later in the season.
This ride series is designed for ladies who are brand-new to mountain biking! Hosted by members of Team Velo Girls, we will go over some basic mountain biking skills and practice riding the trails of Coyote Hills. Located in Fremont, near the Dumbarton Bridge, Coyote Hills Park has mostly flat trails with a few options for practicing climbing and descending. It is a perfect spot for beginners. While this series is designed for those new to mountain biking, you should have prior experience riding a bike.
Mountain bikes are best for this ride, but hybrids and cyclocross bikes will work fine, as well. Bring: water, snack, sunscreen, a helmet and a bike in working condition. Hope to see you out there!
Our Dirty Velo Girls Beginner Mountain Bike ride dates are June 8th, July 20th, and August 17th.
You'll find details and RSVP on our meetup: meetup.com/velogirls
Hello, Hollywood!
Team Velo Girls members participated in last week's Sea Otter Classic in Monterey. In addition to being one of the largest competitive and recreational bicycling events in the world, Sea Otter is also the largest consumer trade show. That means we get to spend quality time with our sponsors from all over the United States.
Here are a couple of video spots of Team Velo Girls members with our sponsors Action Wipes and Pactimo.
Sponsor Love: Your Next Frontier Awaits!
Team Velo Girls has a long history of supporting and promoting small businesses. For 2013, Frontier Snacks joins our list of sponsors and we couldn't be happier to develop this relationship.
Headquartered in Mountain View, CA, Frontier Snacks is the brainchild of founder Matt Oscamou, an engineer who decided to use his skills to solve the problem of creating a healthy energy food that tastes good and is made with all-natural ingredients.
Matt, along with his brother Nate, first came up with the idea for Frontier Bites, not with the idea of starting a business, but because they were simply tired of overly-processed snack bars and wanted to create something that was cleaner and tastier to enjoy throughout busy days and active off-hours. To do this, in true competitive-brotherly form, they had a baking competition to see who could come up with the best-tasting natural snack.
The rules were simple:
- Only 8 ingredients
- Crunchy texture, without feeling heavy
- Gluten-free
- Soy-free
- Dairy-free
- Only natural ingredients that every person can recognize
The competition had begun and on Easter Sunday of 2010, they held a taste-test showdown. While several great options were presented, Nate's Almond + Blueberry + Lemon flavor was ultimately the victor. The result was crunchy and flavorful and it wasn't long before they realized that this could be the start of something big.
Fast-forward to 2013, and Matt has perfected Frontier Bites with three amazing flavors:
- Almond + Blueberry + Lemon Bites
- Macadamia + Pineapple + Coconut Bites
- Pecan + Cherry + Cinnamon Bites
All flavors were designed to find a clear balance between great flavor and healthy energy. They're held together with a combination of honey and brown rice syrup, the perfect combination of glucose -- a simple sugar that your body takes up right away -- and polysaccharides that burn slowly and cleanly through your system. They're full of antioxidants and omega-3s because all ingredients are pure and natural. There's nothing fortified or added to them. You'll love crunching Frontier Bites one at a time and you'll feel satisfied without a dreaded sugar crash!
Frontier Bites are:
- Non-GMO
- Gluten-free
- Soy-free
- Dairy-free
- Preservative-free
- and include no Refined Sugars
We've had the opportunity to sample Frontier Bites on a handful of club rides and camps and the reviews are outstanding:
"OMG! Could there be anything yummier? I've found my new go-to snack for long rides."
Convinced? You'll find Frontier bites in single-serving sleeves and multi-serving pouches. You can order them directly on the Frontier Snacks website or find them in a growing list of bike shops and grocery stores.
Like many new products, Frontier Bites is growing in leaps and bounds! Matt is ready to take this project to the next level and is offering you the opportunity to get in on the ground floor. You can join the Frontier Snacks Kickstarter.
And, of course, Like Frontier Snacks on Facebook for news and give-aways.
Racing with Team Velo Girls: CCCX #4
Third time's a charm for Team Velo Girls member Simone Willett, as she learns the importance of the hole shot at the Central Coast XC Mountain Bike Race on March 30th. After second-place finishes at her last two races, Simone scored that elusive WIN!
It was a great day at the races for Team Velo Girls. Not only did Simone bring home the gold, but so did Cristina Mann (women's single speed). Julie Kinder scored a silver (CAT3 women 35-44) and Jessica Uphoff also scored a silver (CAT3 women 19-34) in her very first mountain bike race ever!
Congratulations to all our racers!
So it was 12PM and I looked at the weather for Tahoe this weekend and it was going to rain up at the mountain, so I decided to go to the race in Ft. Ord. I knew I needed new brake pads, so I also changed those out after I decided to go to the race, which by the time I got to bed, started just a couple hours later.
Got some Starbucks and made the 1.5 hour drive down and it's lightly raining. The start of the race I took off first (Note: put the bike in the big chain ring in the front), then kept the same pace along the road to get to the single track. I let this one girl pass me but wasn't going to let anyone else. I sat on her wheel for a mile or two before she started braking down all the downhills. I excel at the light rain and mud, I love that traction it gives you, so I passed her and never saw her again.
Before the 3rd lap I thought it was over so I was racing this guy to what I thought was the finish then slowed down until I heard my boyfriend yell that there was another lap to go! Whoops. I caught up to the other guy and sat behind him for a while until he died on one of the hills. After that I snuck down a gu-like thing from my pocket after spilling half of it and that gave me the little bit I needed to finish off the race.
I learned my lesson about being first to the single track after last weekend I let this mom and her daughter pass me and it took me so long to get by them that I never saw the first place person again. Really makes a difference to have that positioning. I'll have to work harder on making it to be the first to the single track.
Fun race!
-Simone
Riding with Team Velo Girls: Hill Climb Series
As we wrap up our 10-week Cinderella Progressive Training Ride Series, we're excited to announce our next endurance training series for 2013. Led by our billy goats, Lyn and Diane, this five-ride co-ed series will include the most popular climbs in the bay area. Whether you're training for a hilly event like The Death Ride or simply want to summit these peaks with a cool group of riders, this series promises to challenge you in a fun, supportive way.
- April 28th: Mt. San Bruno from San Francisco
- May 12th: Mt. Tamalpais via Alpine Dam from Sausalito
- May 26th: Coastal Classic (Old La Honda, Pescadero, Tunitas Creek) from Woodside
- June 9th: Mt. Diablo from Oakland
- June 23rd: Mt. Hamilton from San Jose
Which is your favorite climb? Is there another bay area climb not on this list that you'd like to bag this season?
And if you're training for The Death Ride, make sure to check out Savvy Bike's 5th Annual Alpine Altitude Adventure (aka Death Ride) Camp. This co-ed camp provides three days of climbing on the famous Death Ride passes with expert coaching and friendly SAG support, all with a group of super-fun folks who love to climb, too!
Details for this series and all our rides and events can be found on our calendar.
Coach Lorri Lee Lown joins staff of Specialized Women Sports Camp
Velo Girls founder and president, Lorri Lee Lown, has signed on to coach the road cycling programs at this summer's Specialized Women Sports Camp. Now in it's third year, this unique camp, set in beautiful Lake Tahoe, CA, includes programs for road cyclists, mountain bikers, triathletes, and runners. In addition to focused programs for each sport, all participants can also enjoy yoga, stand-up paddleboarding, clinics on bike fit, nutrition, stretching, and social time with other women athletes.
Joining Coach Lorri on staff this year are an all-star staff of sports superstars: mountain bike legend Marla Streb, professional triathlete Jessi Stensland, Mermaid Series founder Heidi Boynton, Darcy Norman and Amanda Carlson-Phillips of Athlete's Performance, and Anik Demers-Wild.
The Specialized Women Sports Camp was founded by Inger Norman, who's spent the past 15 years managing women's teams and sporting events, including the Luna Chix program. In Inger's words: "We are a group of women who are passionate about the outdoors and all the fun that comes with it. We've experienced intimidation through lack of confidence, lack of skill, lack in training and lack of knowledge in gear. We know how paralyzing it can be to getting out there. That's why we created the Women Sports Camp! We've called up our friends and brought together the best resources we knew to create the most fun, non-intimidating, empowering environment and we invite YOU to join us!"
As a special incentive to Velo Girls members and friends, please use promotional code "VeloGirlsSpcl" to receive a 5% discount on registration.
Racing with Team Velo Girls: Snelling Road Race
Most of the team made the trek to the central valley last weekend to race in the Snelling Road Race on February 23rd. It was a great team weekend with a course pre-ride on Friday followed by a team dinner and then the race on Saturday. Where's Snelling, you ask? Just another glamorous and exciting central valley farm town where we get to race our bikes each spring!
New racer, Pamela Levine, shares her race report from Snelling, her second of what promises to be many road races this season. Thanks, Pamela!
It could have been perfect. I had pre-ridden the course, found the smooth points, the hairy turns, and the uphills-followed-by-downhills-so-don't-worry-too-much-about-it-because-you'll-be-able-to-make-up-the-difference. I'd even practiced grabbing a water bottle from the feed zone. I'd been seeing improvements in training. I'd had a good breakfast that morning and I'd warmed up.
Pulling up to the pack of 48 women -- twice the size of last week's field at the Cantua Creek Road Race -- I got nervous. After the whistle blew, those nerves let me fall to the back of the pack. Even though the first miles were neutralized and the race hadn't even begun yet, I was already tired from the break-pedal-break-pedal rhythm at the back of the pack.
And then the race began, and then a small gap opened up. It's hard for me to pinpoint exactly what happened -- whether it was my legs still warming up or feeling timid about being at the back and having to slam the brakes hard again -- probably some of each. With the strong winds on that part of the course, the gap got bigger until I couldn't close it.
I wasn't expecting to have to mind-shift from Competition Mode to Survival Mode so early in the day, and it was disheartening. I tried, but couldn't easily shake the frustration and doubts: "What is the point?," "I could be riding by myself in the wind at home!," and the particularly dramatic "Will I ever be able to do this?!"
Another W4 In Survival Mode caught up to me briefly. She seemed even more annoyed than I was, huffing and puffing about how windy and hard it was, how her friends had told her to come, how it was her first race, how her current goal was just to catch up to me...Wait, what? Somehow hearing her there, I became her cheerleader, telling her it was all good and to finish it for the training. They were all the things I needed to hear myself, and I felt better. We rode together for a while but when she didn't want to draft I pressed on ahead.
I began my second lap alone and encountered another Racer In Survival Mode from one of the Men's fields. I made sure to ride next to and not behind him (per USAC drafting regulations), while he made sure to tell me how pissed he was that his chain dropped at the beginning of the race and how he was just going to call it a day early. My resolve strengthened to focus and finish this out strong and positive--I didn't want to be him.
I kept going, and much to my surprise, I passed a W4 from another team who must have at some point fallen off the pack. And then another. Okay, the second one was a mechanical, but at the time these were small wins that helped me keep putting in the effort. Next the Men's CAT4 peloton passed me and Yuriy (husband of another Team Velo Girls member) yelled out "Good job!" I started to feel happy and like this was, in its way, fun.
And then, just as I was finally starting to enjoy myself there, a bee got stuck in my sunglasses and stung my eyelid. Dang! For a split second I thought, "Now I actually have a decent excuse to quit." I was right by the finish line. But then I thought, "Nah, it's way more hardcore if you finish now!" so I raced through the line and heard Anique (daughter of a Team Velo Girls member) yell "Keep going!!!" as I began my third lap.
As I climbed that hill for the third time that day, I saw Velo Girls up ahead. I couldn't believe it! I was high on bee venom and happy to see teammates. See, for much of the ride I envisioned myself so, so far behind; visions of Teammates waiting for me at the finish line while marinating in cow smell taunted me. But now, after working by myself for so many miles, maybe I wasn't as far behind as I thought. I rode up next to them and Lindsay and I started taking turns pulling. I still had a bee stinger in my eye, but I was just so happy to be working together with a Teammate--to be doing something I couldn't have done on my own.
I remember Lindsay and I passing one or two other W4 women. Then we caught up with Lorri and worked as a group while sharing lighthearted conversation with three other W4s. Suddenly on a hill, one of them started to break away from our friendly pack of six.
A part of me knew the race was over, that places 1 through 10 had already been secured, that what happened next didn't exactly matter. But another part of me thought that even though I didn't ride with the peloton that day, maybe this could be my race. Maybe I could not let this one get away. So I followed up behind her and we pushed through the cobble-y part of the course. Pretty soon I saw the 1km sign and told myself to get ready to sprint. I wondered if I'd be able to do it at all, or alternatively if I'd sprint for a little only to blow out too early. When I saw the 200m sign, I just gave it a go, sprinted up past her, through the finish line, and up to Tiina and Winnie, who didn't seem upset about waiting in the cow smell at all. It was great to see them there.
It was extra great when Lindsay pulled the bee stinger out of my face.
So that was my race, and it turns out that Snelling wasn't that perfect moment--the one that Lorri has told us from the beginning not to wait for. So, I'm keeping at it, working on fitness, and trying to have a long view of my first season training and racing. I got dropped, and I still had fun. For today, I can live with that.
Racing with Team Velo Girls: Cantua Creek Road Race
Team Velo Girls kicked off their road racing season with a great presence at the Cantua Creek Road Race in Coalinga on February 16th. Team member Winnie Brehmer shares her report of the race:
You really couldn't have asked for a better day for a bike race, slightly overcast and warm. We had a great W4 field, reportedly 27 women of all ages and experience levels, plus Mary our mentor who kept it all together for us.
The greatest difficulty pre-race was getting the bib numbers pinned correctly, which some of us had to try more than once. Trainers, potty breaks, sunscreen, stuff everywhere, and all of a sudden we were lining up for the start. Supposedly a neutral quarter mile, which not everyone observed as the ladies moved around in the pack for better position. Whatever. Then the race was on, at a quick but steady pace. There was an early attack, go figure, which Tiina caught and I reeled in a short while later. Wow, chasing the break was hard work, in the full wind! Highest heart rate of the whole race, as I discovered later. (No checking the Garmin mid-race, except maybe once or twice to get an idea of miles covered / to go.)
Riding in the pack was easier than expected. I was surprised to find that I was one of the more confident and steady wheels and managed to stay in the top third without much trouble. The turn-around had me a little worried, and to my dismay one of the ladies went down in the gravel. Everyone did their best to continue through safely and the first aid support quickly came to her rescue.
The rest of the race was pretty steady. Sometimes slow, which left me antsy, and sometimes fast, which challenged my ability to close those gaps. I watched our girls drop off slowly, which was difficult to see. Then I lost my bottle with my liquid calories... dammit! That was gonna hurt. It messed with my head, and I couldn't get my nutrition right after that. I fell from the front of the pack to the very back. Struggling to regain my focus and composure, I was still at the back at the half-way point and fighting hard not to lose the other girls on the climb. After the turnaround, the pace seemed to ease and once again I was sitting comfortably in the pack. With only one teammate left in the main pack, I didn't know what to do. In my weakened state of mind, all I could really focus on was sticking with Tiina.
Apparently there was a breakaway at the final turnaround which neither Tiina nor I really saw. We relaxed in the back of the field and Tiina focused on saving energy for the finish while I was slowly being dragged down by cramps and fatigue. I knew I needed to eat but couldn't get it together. My head was gone and I was too tired already. A mile or so from the finish line, the Pinnacle women organized an attack and took off. The field splintered and Tiina chased, leaving me gasping and blown half way up the final climb. I put my head down for just a second and was off the road. Thank goodness I had worked on my bike handling skills enough to recover safely, but I was shaken. I dumped some water over my head and shook it off, then gritted my teeth for the last 200 meters.
As I rolled past the other girls I thanked them all for a great race and they were equally kind. "Nice work Velo Girl" one of them said. At the W4 debriefing, mentor Mary made a point to say how awesome the Velo Girls raced today, and how Lorri did a great job of preparing us for racing.
Post race emotions were mixed, disappointed with how I let my position slip in the final few hundred meters, grateful to have raced strong and enjoyed the ride for the most part.
Special thanks to Oralia and her family for their hospitality.
And to Tiina for being a huge moral support in keeping me pushing hard when the fuel tank was empty.
And to my husband who set up my trainer, pinned my number, followed in the support vehicle, and whose presence alone got me up that finishing climb.
And finally to our coach and fearless leader Lorri who got us to our first race with the skills and preparation to race hard and race well.
First race - DONE. I'm officially a racer!
Winnie
2013 Velo Girls kit by Pactimo available to order
Each year our Velo Girls club jersey designs just get prettier and prettier. For 2013, we commissioned Team Velo Girls member (and graphic artist) Lindsay Platoshyn to design a fun and funky kit. Orders have been pouring in via our Velo Girls membership registration page but we've got a limited, one-week ordering window directly with Pactimo for those of you who didn't order with your membership.
Please note, all orders will be delivered mid-March (in plenty of time for the Cinderella Classic).
At this time, we're offering three items through our Pactimo store -- short sleeve jersey, sleeveless jersey, and wind vest.
You can also place an order for cycling shorts, cycling bib shorts, or long sleeve jerseys with your club membership. At this time, we don't have enough pre-order on these three items to add them to the Pactimo store but if we reach minimums, the order will also go in for delivery before Cinderella. If you've already purchased your 2013 membership, you can still click over to the membership site and order (just click the "clothing only" option).
And if I've completely confused you, just shoot me an email with the items you're interested in ordering and I'll help you out -- Lorri@velogirls.com
Where will you ride in 2013?
One of the really cool things about Team Velo Girls is that we're a multi-disciplinary team. Our members include road racers, mountain bike racers, cyclocrossers, and endurance road riders who lead all of our club rides. These awesome women, ranging in age from 20s to 60s, are experienced endurance riders who focus their goals on helping you achieve your goals. Each year they put together an awesome schedule of training rides to help you challenge yourself and prepare to ride in some great organized rides. Each of our progressive training ride series is designed to gradually increase your duration and climbing and to prepare you to ride your best events yet! These are members-only rides, so make sure to join or renew your Velo Girls membership for 2013.
ENDURANCE SERIES #1: CINDERELLA
JANUARY 19 TO APRIL 6, 2013
Join us as we prepare for the Cinderella Classic, a fabulous all-women's ride on April 6th. There are 2 options available - a metric century (63 miles) and the Challenge ride (90 miles). This popular event sells out every year so register early. If you don't receive a registration card in the mail, email cinderella@velogirls.com and we'll send one to you.
You'll also find details and RSVP for all Cinderella Progressive Training Ride Series rides + events at our meetup: meetup.com/velogirls.
- January 19th - Cinderella Kick-Start Clinic
- January 20th - Cinderella Shake-Out Ride (with Melo Velo) - 15 miles
- January 26th - Cinderella Ride #1
Paradise Loop from Mike's Bikes in Sausalito - 25 miles, rolling hills with one small climb. - February 2nd - Cinderella Ride #2
Three Bears from Orinda BART - 21 miles with 1,500' of climbing. - February 9th - Cinderella Ride #3
Los Altos Ramble from Woodside Town Hall - 28 miles with 951' of climbing - February 16th - Cinderella Ride #4
Lagunitas from Mike's Bikes in Sausalito - 37 miles with 1,850' of climbing - February 23rd - Cinderella Ride #5
Edgewood, Los Altos, Golden Oad from Woodside Town Hall - 43 miles with 2,000' of climbing - March 2nd - Cinderella Ride #6
Moraga Loop from Orinda BART - 45 miles with 2,100' of climbing - March 9th - Cinderella Ride #7
Los Gatos from Woodside Town Hall - 45 miles with 2,500' of climbing - March 16th - Cinderella Ride #8
Morgan Territory Loop from Heather Farms Park in Walnut Creek - 54 miles with 3,233' of climbing - March 23rd - Cinderella Ride #9
Pt. Reyes Station from Mike's Bikes in Sausalito - 60 miles with 3,900' of climbing - March 30th - Cinderella Ride #10 + Series Celebration!
Woodside from Burlingame Caltrain Station - 30 miles - April 6th - Cinderella Classic
Series #2: Billy Goat Climbing Series
May + June
Hills, you either love them or hate them, right? But if you ride in Northern California, there's no way to avoid them. Join Team Velo Girls for this series of all the best climbs in the bay area, including Mt. Hamilton, Mt. Diablo, Mt. Tamalpais, and Old La Honda. This series focuses on elevation gain (not mileage) so you'll get a big bang for your pedaling buck! Detailed schedule will be available in March.
Series #3: Foxy's Fall Century Progressive Series
August - October
Let's keep our cycling fitness up through the fall months. We're going to prepare you for an awesome fall century - Foxy's Fall Century on October 19th in Davis. Detailed schedule will be available in May.
In addition to these series, check out the calendar for our other club rides:
- Melo Velo Beginners' Road Ride
- First-Timers' Mountain Bike Rides
- Midweek Madness Co-ed Road Ride
- Dirty Velo Girls Mountain Bike Rides
So what are you waiting for? Pull out your calendar, pencil us in, and join us for a great year of riding in 2013!
Velo Girls & Savvy Bike Winter/Spring 2013 event and clinic calendar
Everyone can benefit from our skills clinics, whether you've been riding six months or two decades! We take the hit or miss out of the learning process to help you flatten the learning curve. It doesn't need to be difficult or painful to learn to ride or race a bike. We'll help you ride "with" your bike instead of "on" your bike. And we'll help you have fun!
By popular demand, we introduced our Bike Skills modules in 2008. We took our most popular two-day bike skills clinics and broke them down into 4-hour modules so you can focus on those skills that are most important to you. Some of these clinics are for women or men only; some are co-ed.
We highly recommend you participate in Bike Skills 101 (or an equivalent clinic) prior to registering for our more advanced road clinics.
Registration is open for all our January - June programs at http://savvybike.eventbrite.com
CINDERELLA KICK-START CLINIC
January 19, 2013 | Redwood City, CA
Are you planning to ride the Cinderella Classic on April 6th, 2013? If so, this is the PERFECT clinic for you. We combine the best skills from our Bike Skills modules, along with important information about nutrition and bike maintenance, to start you off in the right direction for a successful event. Then, join us for our progressive training ride series that begins the following week and you'll be crossing the finish line in style! Meet other women who will be riding Cinderella and have a GREAT day of bike-love learning.
CARMEL VALLEY WOMEN'S CYCLING ESCAPE WEEKEND
March 22-24, 2013 | Carmel Valley, CA
Join us for an action-packed weekend in beautiful Carmel Valley. We'll be based at the historic Los Laureles Lodge, featuring adorable rooms and mouth-watering meals. We've got plenty of options for both road cycling and mountain biking. In addition to supported rides + educational seminars, we'll fill your girls' weekend with yoga, spa time, and wine tasting. Escape with your bike to amazing Carmel Valley!
SAVVY BIKE SKILLS CLINICS
BIKE SKILLS 101: FUNDAMENTAL BIKE HANDLING SKILLS - SPONSORED BY BICYCLELAWYER.COMThis 4-hour co-ed clinic is the foundation of everything else you'll learn on the bike. This is the clinic where we teach the old dogs new tricks and the newbies the fundamentals. You'll learn about balance and weight distribution and how that affects your ability to ride your bike safely and confidently. We'll learn skills like riding with no hands, emergency stops, and how to look behind you while holding your line, how to steer, and counter-steer. After just four hours, we guarantee you'll be a better bike handler and have much more fun on the bike. PLEASE NOTE: Bike Skills 101 is the pre-requisite for all other Bike Skills road clinic modules.
February 3, 2013 | Redwood City, CA
March 16, 2013 | Redwood City, CA
April 28, 2013 | Redwood City, CA
June 8, 2013 | Redwood City, CA
BIKE SKILLS 102: FUNDAMENTAL MOUNTAIN BIKE SKILLS
It's time for a little dirty fun! We'll teach you the basics (and not-so-basics) of balance, weight distribution, and how to use the terrain to your advantage. Learn to rock, roll, hop, and jump. Master the art of steep climbs. Learn to descend with confidence and skill. After just four hours, we guarantee you'll be a better bike handler and have much more fun on the bike. You'll need a mountain bike or a cyclocross bike for this clinic.
April 7, 2013 | Palo Alto, CA
BIKE SKILLS 201: CLIMBING + DESCENDING SKILLS - SPONSORED BY TERESA CALLEN OF IMAGE ARTS SALON
Bike Skills 201 is a continuation of what you've learned in Bike Skills 101. In this 4-hour co-ed clinic, we'll teach you how to climb like a pro - seated climbs, standing climbs, short climbs, steep climbs, extended climbs. And then, we'll teach you how to come back down again, focusing on a fast straight descent, and then a technical switchbacky descent. Pre-requisite: Bike Skills 101 or equivalent experience.
February 3, 2013 | Portola Valley, CA
March 16, 2013 | Portola Valley, CA
April 28, 2013 | Portola Valley, CA
June 8, 2013 | Portola Valley, CA
BIKE SKILLS 301: PACELINES + GROUP RIDING
Wheelsucking is an art! Whether you're a racer or a recreational rider, group riding skills will help you ride longer, faster, and farther. We'll learn draft theory and basic pacelines, beginning with partner work and progressing to more complex group riding skills and introductory racing techniques. Pre-requisite: Bike Skills 101 or equivalent experience.
March 3, 2013 | Woodside, CA
May 5, 2013 | Woodside, CA
BIKE TOURING 101
May 25-26, 2013 | Pescadero, CA
Have you thought about touring on your bike but don't know where to begin? We'll unravel the mysteries of supported, fully-loaded, and semi-loaded touring for you. This new program includes a two-hour seminar on the topics of equipment, bicycle choice, what to bring, how to pack, camping, cooking, safety, and choosing your route. Then, we head out for a weekend of semi-loaded touring with a 40-mile hilly option or a 25-mile rolling option, both ending at Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel in Pescadero, where we'll have dinner, spend the evening, soak in the hot tub, and sleep. The next day, we pack up and return to the start. This is a fully-supported event and includes ride nutrition, dinner (Saturday) and breakfast (Sunday), SAG, and your accommodations at the hostel.
5TH ANNUAL ALPINE ALTITUDE ADVENTURE (AKA DEATH RIDE TRAINING CAMP)
June 21-23, 2013 | Markleeville, CA
Join us for a fun, co-ed training weekend in Markleeville, CA, home of the Death Ride. This 5th annual co-ed weekend camp is designed to help prepare participants for the rigors of endurance riding at high altitude. Based in Markleeville, CA, this camp is appropriate for Death Ride participants and others who wish to gain high altitude experience. Daily mileage options range from 25 - 75 miles. Registration fee includes camping (Friday + Saturday), a Friday skills clinic, SAG on rides, cycling nutrition, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Sunday breakfast and lunch, and lots of fun with cool folks. Thursday and Sunday night camping options are also available. You are responsible for transportation to/from Markleeville, however participants will be encouraged to carpool.
2013 TRI-FLOW DEVELOPMENT RACING PROGRAMS
The Tri-Flow Development Racing Program is designed to be a small, focused training program that teaches cyclists how to road race and supports experienced racers who aren't part of a season-long team. Because of the small group size, each participant will receive very personalized attention. This six-week program will prepare participants to race in the Bariani Road Race in Zamora, providing both skills and fitness training. The entire group and coach will race together, and we'll provide full logistical and strategic support on race day.Registration for this program is $525 and includes a custom team jersey, USA Cycling race license, race registration, six weeks of coached group training (two sessions/week), a group training plan developed just for this program, and email coaching (and group) support.
BARIANI ROAD RACE
February 3 - March 17, 2013
