Aug/110
My Other Car is a Cargo Bike
Photo by Daniela Becker Gauvin
Sure, many cyclists can haul ass but can they haul anything else? Bikes like Yuba’s Mundo aim to change that
By Pete Gauvin
Admit it: Many of us in the outdoor sports world are cycling fiends. We ogle and fantasize about bikes according to our respective sporting dreams and aspirations, be they road, mountain, downhill, cross-country, cyclocross, triathlon … or multiples there of.
I’ve been guilty of bike envy myself. Yet these specialized bikes, in addition to rarely being cheap, are often the ones we have to carve out time to ride. And “finding more free time” might very well be the most frequent lament in the universe.
Really, what more of us sportos need, or anyone for the matter, is a bike that fits into the fabric of our daily lives, a bike that allows us to ride more everyday, a bike that is not solely recreational but functional — whether it’s a run to the grocery store, hustling to work with all your supplies, picking the kid up at daycare a few miles away, shipping some bulky packages, or grabbing a 12-pack, some chips, TP, and oh yeah, a bag of dog food, from the corner market. Try to stuff that in your backpack.
Really, what more of us need is not a bike that can haul ass but one that can haul a lot more than that. Not only would it be good for us, it would be good for our communities.
The Mundo from Yuba Bicycles out of Sausalito is such a bike.
For not much more than the cost of a high-end suspension fork or a carbon-fiber wheelset, the Yuba Mundo ($1099 base, under $1500 fully outfitted) is a complete bike and a smooth ride that provides ultimate two-wheel, emission-free utility.
“There’s a pedal revolution in progress,” says Steve Bode, director of marketing for Yuba. “More people are wanting to use their bike for regular transport. The Mundo was created specifically so they can replace car trips with bike trips and to do that you need a bike that can carry four full grocery bags. On the Yuba you can.”
Bode adds, “A lot of people are used to riding bikes for exercise. They’ve got a road bike and a mountain bike, but nothing in their quiver that they can go to the grocery store with.”
Yuba Bicycles was founded five years ago by Benjamin Sarrazin, who helped launch another innovative Nor Cal-based cargo bike company, Xtracycle.
Whereas Xtracycle’s primary direction at the time was promoting its Free Radical frame extension to convert existing bikes into long-wheelbase utility bikes, Sarrazin started Yuba believing in the need to design a complete, rigid-frame bike that would be affordable and capable of handling significant payloads.
Rated for loads up to 440 pounds, Sarrazin says the Mundo can actually handle much more than that. Last year he hauled 544 pounds of food donations on his Mundo during the annual San Francisco Street Sweep Food Drive.
One of the unique things about the Mundo, which also helps keep the cost down, is it only comes in one size. With a low stand-over height, a long seatpost, and an adjustable stem it can accommodate riders from 5-feet tall to 6-foot-5. Virtually any one in a family can use it with a quick seatpost adjustment.
It really is comfortable, too. After riding the Death Ride in July on a whim, and on my less than ideally geared ‘cross bike, the Mundo was the only bike that welcomed my sore ass, neck and shoulders for the following week.
While the Mundo may be a utility bike that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to ride. It’s upright and with its long wheelbase has a surfy feel, sort of like a Harley without the deafening pop-pop motor. And like a pickup truck or an SUV, the Mundo rides even smoother with weight in it. A SRAM 21-speed drivetrain lets you tackle hills with surprising capability. And big platform pedals allow you to hammer no matter what footwear you’re wearing. Simple. Beautiful. Functional.
Practical considerations aside, the Mundo is also a great tool for recreational endeavors. Sarrazin himself is a former professional whitewater kayaker (he named the company after his favorite river) and is now a sponsored stand-up paddler, who regularly hauls his 12’6” Boga raceboard on his Mundo. Rather than sitting in traffic, just getting to your destination becomes an enjoyable part of the experience.
Think you might need a little power assistance? There’s a new electric version, the elMundo ($2,597 before accessories), which can cover up to 20 miles between charges. (The power kit can also be added to a standard Mundo for $1350.) With the ability to carry two kids and up to six bags of groceries (like the Mundo) and the assistance of electric power boost, Yuba bills it as an alternative to the minivan.
There are other longtail cargo bikes on the market: Extracycle now makes the Radish (starting at $999) and offers the Surly-made Big Dummy ($1849), and mainstream manufacturer Kona offers the Ute ($1099). But perhaps none are as strong, smooth and capable as the Mundo for the price.
If you make the leap, don’t skimp on accessories. At least one cargo bag, tie-down straps and a dually kickstand are mandatory for functionality and ease of use. “A utility bike without utility accessories is not very valuable,”” says Bode.
Despite or because of the poor economy and high gas prices, Yuba’s business has been tripling each year, according to Bode.
There are three benefits Yuba hopes to foster with its cargo bikes, he says:
Providing an affordable, useful alternative to car trips that significantly reduces emissions.
Improving communities by getting people out of their cars, reducing traffic and parking congestion, and creating a more inviting streetscape.
Providing a sense of well being and incidental fitness that are byproducts of commuting by bike.
That last point may pay off when you finally find the time to hop on your race bike. Remember: Cycling is not just a sport, it’s a legitimate and liberating form of transportation. You might as well put in a few miles doing the things you have to do, rather than waiting for free time to make more of itself.
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Yuba Mundo at a Glance
• One size fits all
• Steel frame, chromoly sideloaders
• SRAM 21-speed drivetrain
• V-brakes (disc brake capable)
• Strong 48-spoke wheels with 14mm axle
• Fenders, back deck and bell included
• Capacity 440 pounds plus rider
• Length 6.9 feet, weight 55 pounds
• $1099 base, under $1400 with key accessories
Key Accessories:
• Go-Getter Bag ($119), holds lots and weatherproof
• Stand Alone dual-leg kickstand ($77), eases loading/unloading
• Utility Straps ($20), 9-foot cam straps for attaching boxes, kayaks, surfboards
• Deflopilator ($22), keeps front wheel straight when parked
• Soft Spot ($30), padded seat for passengers
• Peanut Shell childseat ($159), the Mundo can accommodate two
For more info: yubaride.com
Apr/113
Mining for Inner Strength
Mining for Inner Strength
Writer must find her ‘49er grit on a solo bike tour through Gold Country
By Laura Read
Illustration by Annaliese Miller
Semi-trucks thunder past; perspiration stings my neck; overheated thoughts spiral into chaos. What am I doing? Bicycling through California Gold Country – yes. Grinding over one of America’s tallest mountain ranges – yes. Suffering a mother lode of curses inside my helmet-shackled brain – like a drunken prospector, yes.
I am bone-tired and glum. “It’s time to stop this adventure and go home,” I whine to my sinking ambition. But right now I really have no other option than to keep cranking up the road.
Seizing a whim, I’d begun this solo bike tour five days earlier on the northern end of State Route 49, which is named for the waves of fortune seekers who swarmed into California during the 1848-1855 Gold Rush.
Like their journey west 160 years before me, this would be no breezy jaunt. The northern end of Highway 49 starts in the Sierra Valley at 5,000 feet, about 40 miles north of my home in Lake Tahoe. My plan was to ride a counter-clockwise route west over Yuba Pass, south through Gold Country, east up State Route 88 over 8,500-foot Carson Pass, down into Hope Valley and then north over Luther Pass to Lake Tahoe.
It would be about 220 miles and a lot of up and down, all in six days.
So far, with the trip about two-thirds complete, I’ve pedaled down densely forested mountainsides, across rolling oak-covered foothills, and through a half dozen canyons. Now I’m angling for home on a 40-mile, 6,000-foot undulating ascent up the Sierra’s west slope. I hope to reach my lodge at Silver Lake before nightfall, but I’ve been riding, resting, or eating — mostly riding — in heat for seven hours, and my will power is fading.
Another rattling truck leaves me choking on diesel fumes. I groan. From inside of me, something whispers back — a raspy male voice.
“Little lady,” it says, “you wanted this challenge. You need to face this down.”
It’s my inner gold miner telling me to buck up.
I’ve always wished I could have whacked about as a 19th century Gold Rush miner with a pick and shovel. I’d have liked, romantically speaking, to swill whisky, roast rattlesnake meat on a stick, and recollect stories by the campfire.
Though I couldn’t really be one of those hardy guys, I realized that I could test my grit against the Gold Country in another way.
I’d dreamed of doing multi-day bicycle rides in California. I figured doing a ride alone would push me to rely on my ownresources. Mapping my route, overcoming fatigue, fixing my own flats — I’d be 21st century tough.
Opportunity arrived when I had an unexpected gap in my schedule in September. I wasn’t in good enough shape, but the window was open. I could make excuses, or just go. What would a frontier miner do? He’d go.
Highway 49 skirts the Sierra Nevada in a wavy hem from Sierra Valley to Oakhurst near Yosemite. It crosses many of the greatest rivers draining the Sierra; in the northern section, where I’d be riding, these would include forks of the Yuba, the American and the Cosumnes. Highway 49, of course, is also the rope that connects the Gold Country’s most colorful mining towns. Downieville, Nevada City, Auburn, and Placerville would be way posts on my path.
My plan was to sleep in hotels to keep my load light. Comfy beds aren’t exactly miner material, but it was a concession I made knowing I’d be a shriveled violet without good sleep.
It’s mid-September when I tie a rucksack to my Bianchi and pedal off.
In the 19th century, people plodded through the region on foot, mule, horse, and barrel-stave snowshoes. With the benefit of pavement, good wheels and fresh legs, I cruise over 6,700-foot Yuba pass in less than two hours.
Stopping in a Sierra City café for lunch, I take the last table among a pack of motorcyclists and gobble a chicken sandwich and fries. Next to bikers wearing black leather and big boots, I feel self- conscious in my favorite cycling shirt — a bright orange affair emblazoned with a giant yellow butterfly good for alerting motorists on mountain roads. My mint- green Bianchi next to their Harleys looks wimpish; but my muscle power isn’t at all milquetoast.
The ride to Downieville (elev. 2,925) is easy. I check in at the Carriage House Inn and jump into the Yuba River for a swim.
The next day’s route drops into three river canyons — the three forks of the Yuba — on the way to Nevada City and Auburn. This is sublime country, for sure. The terrain-cutting rivers roil below, and forested slopes stretch to the sky. Pickup drivers are insanely polite, shifting into oncoming lanes so as not to bump me off the road. The flies are not so. The hovering vermin bite at my neck and knees like obsessed miners who have just struck gold.
In North San Juan a motorcyclist on a beastly Harley toys with me. I’ve had my share of run-ins with bullies. Once a trucker chucked a beer bottle at me; another time a biker gunned his engine so loud that I careened off the road;and once a car passenger screeched, “Environmentalist!” Now there’s a dirty label.
“I saw what you ate yesterday,” the biker snarls. “I was wondering what you people eat.”
What kind of thug would fix his unsavory nature on a woman riding a 21-pound Bianchi? Huffing back, I gun my own engine and pedal away into the leaf-flecked countryside, seeking friendlier encounters.
The heat of late summer is bearing down. When I reach the South Fork of the Yuba River, I jump in and don’t want to get out.
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“I figured doing a ride alone would push me to rely on my own resources. Mapping my route, overcoming fatigue, fixing my own flats — I’d be 21st century tough.”
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The next morning south of Auburn, torture takes a new form: traffic. Cargo vans nudge me off hairpin turns; tourists bleep their horns. To get away I peel off Highway 49 onto backroads to Placerville, where I flop into a musty bed at a cheap motel.
It’s time to leave this narrow road, I decide; the streaming traffic is a hammer to my spirit. The next day I chart backroads between Placerville and FairPlay. My journey begins in a cool tunnel of overhanging cedar on Cedar Ravine Road, and takes me into the winery and rancho estates of El Dorado County on Mt. Aukum Road.
The backroads deliver me to a good- as-gold lunch of black truffle fettuccini at Bocconato Trattoria in Fair Play (elev. 2,320) and a blissful all-afternoon wine tasting at Winery by the Creek. That night at the Barkley Homestead B&B, the proprietors serve me up some homemade fried chicken from their kitchen. We stay up late telling stories in the flickering beam of their big screen TV, sadly a 21st century replacement for the campfire.
The next day, my fifth, starts out great as I climb up the forested and lonely Omo Ranch Road to its juncture with Highway 88, where I find more sustenance worthy of a hungry miner: three flapjacks fried in butter at a greasy spoon inside Cook’s Station (elev. 5,000), an old roadside stop built in 1863.
This route over the Sierra connecting the Central Valley with Nevada’s Carson Valley was blazed in 1848 by Mormons traveling east to Salt Lake City. Despite admiring their pluck, I stick with prospector legends for my inspiration. The rasp of my inner gold miner has got me through one hurdle, after all.
An hour later though, I’m struggling with a stubborn flat, and my resolve is tested. The doldrums hit again. A trucker roars too close. “I’m over it!” I scream in fatigue and frustration. I consider thumbing a ride.
Suddenly, a roadside apparition appears, too unexpected to be even a hallucination. I cut off my whiney complaints the way a miner might use a shovel to sever a rattlesnake’s head.
At first it’s just a bright moving speck on the roadside. Then, I make it out to be a runner in shorts and a tank top … a man jogging along the highway … out here?
His name is Charlie Engle, age 45, who I would later learn is a well-known adventure runner who’s made two documentaries about long excursion runs.
He’s on another one now. In fact, he’s attempting a 3,000-mile run across America with ultra-marathoner Marshall Ulrich, who’s somewhere down the road still.
Sounds like slow torture to me; but he’s thrilled, if tired from today’s climb.
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“An hour later Silver Lake appears, cradled in granite. On the eastern end, I roll up to the rustic and elegant Kit Carson Lodge, a copacetic alpine oasis for a road-weary cyclist.”
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We begin to puff and pound together into the Sierra high country and have a real campfire-style chat, diving right to the heart of things.
Do we do these hard endeavors because they’re mostly fun? Easy answer, yes.
Because they make a difference to anybody else or the world? Not necessarily, but maybe.
Is there something else this effort is good for?
“To see what I can do, I guess,” I say. “To see if I’ve got it in me.”
“Got what?” he asks.
“I’ll tell you that when I’m done.”
“That’s just it,” he says, adding that you can’t always know what to expect when you start, but whatever comes your way, your body can adapt marvelously. It adapts and improves. So does your mind. That’s when you achieve things you never imagined you could.
Now I’m feeling like I’ve just discovered my guardian angel and spiritual guru.
The truth is, when I started this odyssey I wasn’t at all sure I could finish this Highway 88 leg. But here I am, churningaway, displaying way more physical and mental strength than I knew I had. It begs the question: If I can do this, what else can I do?
As I pedal away, I feel calmly focused. What kinds of reserves might I discover? If I give up now, I’ll never know what I have. Into my thoughts enters the phrase: quiet mind, quiet mind.
Up the road a ways I pass a support crew parked in the shade waiting for Engle.*
An hour later Silver Lake appears, cradled in granite. On the eastern end, I roll up to the rustic and elegant Kit Carson Lodge, a copacetic alpine oasis for a road-weary cyclist.
Below my cabin the lake glimmers in moonlight. Above me, a ghostly ridge elbows the sky. I scramble downhill and follow the shore to a cove. My legs buzz from the day’s effort. It’s the biggest, baddest ride I’ve ever done.
My Gold Rush-sized feat is no longer the stuff of unrealized dreams, but now a nugget of satisfaction.
The next day, rejuvenated, crossing the summit of Carson Pass feels relatively easy. The rest of the ride is froth on the brew — a breezy coast down the pass into the aspens and meadows of Hope Valley, a tiny grind up Luther Pass, and finally, a return to Lake Tahoe. I’m plumb tuckered out, yet stronger and wiser for making the journey.
Laura Read lives in North Lake Tahoe. www.ReadWriteShoot.com
*Author’s note: When I checked Engle’s blog, charlieengle.com, for this story, I was shocked to learn he is serving a 21-month sentence for mortgage fraud arising from an attempt to raise funds for a 4,300–mile run he did across the Sahara in 2007, chronicled in the documentary “Running the Sahara,” narrated by Matt Damon. Regardless, that doesn’t in any way diminish the impact his advice had during my ride, which came from experiences well earned — physically speaking — and had nothing to do with how he funded them. Indeed, for others, his words may have even more power from prison. Engle has titled his blog, “Running in Place: A Blog About Surviving Adversity.”
Feb/110
Spinning to Paradise and Back
Riders approaching the Durham Rest Stop, photo by Dave Wyman.
Chico’s 30-year-old Wildflower still one of the best centuries to test your riding legs, even for a rookie over 50
By Tim Hauserman
When you get to a certain age — say when the women you are riding with says, “Oh, yeah, my Dad’s about your age” — you begin to think about ways to test your physical capabilities that are challenging but don’t require jumping off rocks or screaming down mountains.
A century ride fits the bill. A hundred miles on a bicycle is certainly a physically challenging day. And just about every weekend in the spring, summer or fall you can find a unique century somewhere in California.
Last year, I decided to embark on one of the most popular, the Chico Wildflower.
For most of the last 30 years, bike riding for me has meant mountain biking on the awesome trails around Tahoe. But a few years ago, I found myself spending a lot of time riding on pavement: grunting up Barker Pass Road or hitting the bike trail between Tahoe City and Squaw.
So two years ago for my 50th birthday, I gave myself my first real road bike (that ten-speed in college doesn’t really count) and discovered the world of road riding. I began spinning on the flats, trudging over Donner Summit to Cisco Grove, or venturing to Sacramento for the 60 miles of pavement that is the American River Parkway.
The next step, once you begin to love road biking, is to take a dip into the world of century rides, metric first.
A great place to start for me was last June’s Tour de Manure in Sierraville. It’s a very civilized century: 200 feet of climbing and a nice metric distance of 100 kilometers (62 miles) through the expansive Sierra Valley set at 5,000 feet. It was all about spinning and holding on to a group that is going your speed.
Then in November it was off to Solvang for the Solvang Prelude Metric Century — a beautiful rolling journey through vineyards, farmland and fancy estates on the Central Coast.
Now I was ready for the next challenge — a full-blooded 100-mile century.
The Chico Wildflower, which celebrates it’s 30th anniversary ride on May 1, has been in the back of my mind for years. Primarily because it’s in Chico, where I went to school on the five-year plan. What’s the hurry when you are living in Chico and the tuition is $100 a semester?
Ah, Chico in the springtime. Bidwell Park. Frisbee. Jumping in the creek at One Mile. What a great place for a century … and the town is flat so how difficult can it be? To put the icing on the cake, the ride was on my birthday, so I had to do it.
Lots of Tahoe riders I’d met were effusive in their praise for the event, although they all seemed to have their own special shortcuts that would drop eight to 20 miles off the total.
What’s up with that? If you are going to do a century do the whole damn thing, right?
And do the whole thing I did. It was an incredible ride. You wind through Chico in the chill morning air and then warm up with a four-mile climb up Humboldt Road, a narrow rough pathway dishing out the quick realization that this isn’t going to be just a flat cruise through the orchards.
After a swift downhill on Highway 32 showcasing a nice view of Chico, you hit Honey Run Road and begin winding along Butte Creek, which in the spring is more of a small river coursing through a progressively deeper walled canyon of red-hued igneous rock. The route heads past delightful countryside with expansive estates hidden in the trees to the first rest stop at the Honey Run Covered Bridge, a Chico-area landmark.
Now comes the big climb, up narrow, switchbacking Honey Run Road to Paradise. Like all substantial climbs, it seems to go on forever, but it’s a great ride in the shade and the numerous chalk signs on the old pavement offer encouragement to help pull you up the hill.
When it eventually tops out at the next rest break you’ve reached Paradise — literally, not just cause the climb is over — and you begin to appreciate what an organizational undertaking this ride is. Hundreds of riders mill about or wait in line to drink and eat and use the loo. It seems like it is all running smoothly.
With lots of miles to go, however, the milling must end and I am off to Pentz Road and a big-ring downhill toward Oroville. Give me the long steady hills and even the flats, but my chicken feathers flutter on the downhills. When I see a sign that says 12% grade, I put on the brakes and feel the breeze of dozens of riders roaring past. Near the bottom of the hill is a sign, “Speed limit 55, so pedal harder.” I put on the breaks and more people pass me. The number of fearless flyers amazes me.
The downhill is followed by lovely views of the coast range capped with snow, impossibly green fields marching on for miles and wildflowers galore bringing you to the shores of Lake Oroville’s Thermalito Forebay and another well-organized rest stop. Only 15 miles and the dreaded Table Mountain between me and lunch.
Table Mountain is a steady mostly unshaded climb. The heat gets the attention of us Tahoe guys. 80-plus degrees in April? That’s not what we’re acclimatized to. I pass a sign that says four miles to the top and about three days later I reach the three-mile mark.
Eventually Table is topped. After a break for flower peeping on the mesa, it’s easy rolling terrain, with a couple of sucker uphills before a winding, steep downhill on a lumpy road brings you to Highway 70 and the lunch stop. I relax with the crowds of people lying like dogs under patches of shade.
Sixty miles completed, only 40 to go with no major climbs. Piece of cake, right? Well not exactly. It starts out easy enough. More magnificent riding across the grassy, wildflower dotted terrain. How did I miss this springtime glory when I was at Chico State? Too much time tubing down the Sacramento, or was it those countless hours in the library?
Crossing Highway 99 we ride through miles and miles of orchard country to Durham and Dayton. It’s flat. I’m tired. I understand that at this point the trick is to jump on a group riding by and stick on the back rider like my life depends on it. The problem with this theory is that you’ve got to have enough oomph to latch on as they pass you. After several attempts, I realize my turbo will not kick in. I manage to hold on to one group for a few minutes — until Mr. Hammer takes the front and begins pounding nails in my hurt locker.
Just before Dayton I come upon a moment of decision that many century riders must face: One rider is telling two tired ladies that if they just take this little old road instead of the main route it will cut 10 miles off the remaining 25. He is like the little devil of conscience sitting on my shoulder and egging me on … But I stubbornly refuse to listen and press on. And on. And on.
The last 20 miles of a century can be an uncomfortable tug-of-war between your will to finish and your body’s aching desire to get off the bike. Time and distance seem to creep along in slow motion. But I keep the pedals turning on fumes and centrifugal force and the green power of pride.
Suddenly I am on the tree-lined streets on the outskirts of Chico, and my spirits rise with a tide of energy born of relief and accomplishment, knowing that the end is near.
It’s a great day because I realize that even though another year had accrued to my personal tally, I can still ride one hundred miles … One hundred beautiful miles with nearly 4000 other cycle-happy folks sharing the road and the common bond of a rewarding achievement.
Tim Hauserman is the author of Cross-Country Skiing in thee Sierra Nevada and Monsters in the Woods: Backpacking with Children.
If You Go:
This year’s 30th Wildflower Century is on May 1. The registration deadline is April 15. The ride is limited to 4,000 riders. The entry fee is $65 and includes a 30th Anniversary Chico Wildflower Century t-shirt. Contact the Chico Velo Cycling Club for more information: www.chicovelo.org
You can camp at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds where the ride begins. There are restrooms, nice grassy areas to set up your tent and it’s fun hanging out with a bunch of other riders the night before. Just camp as far away as possible from the go-cart track. It’s very loud and they ride late into the night.
Upcoming California Centuries
FEBRUARY 2011
February 26 — Spring Death Valley Century
Death Valley, www.adventurecorps.com
MARCH 2011
March 12 — Solvang Century & Half Century
Solvang, www.bikescor.com
March 26 — Hell’s Gate Hundred
Death Valley, www.adventurecorps.com
APRIL 2011
April 3 — New Moon Century Ride
Santa Monica, www.newmooncentury.com
April 16 — Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic
San Diego County, www.adventurecorps.com
April 16 — Tierra Bella Bicycle Tour
Gilroy, www.actc.org
April 17 — Diablo Century
Walnut Creek, www.ccjcc.org
MAY 2011
May 1— Chico Wildflower Century
Butte County, www.chicovelo.org
May 1 — Grizzly Peak Century
Moraga, www.grizz.org
May 1— Delta Century
Lodi, www.stocktonbikeclub.org
May 7 — Wine Country Century
Sonoma County, www.srcc.com
May 7 — Tour of the Unknown Coast
Humboldt County, www.tuccycle.org
May 14— Hungry Buzzard Century
Visalia, www.sscbike.org
May 15 — Strawberry Fields Forever
Aptos, www.strawberryfields.org
May 28 — Heartbreak Hundred
Frazier Park, www.planetultra.com
JUNE 2011
June 4 — 2008 Auburn Century
Gold Country, www.auburncentury.com
June 11— Fiesta Metric Century
San Diego, www.shadowtour.com
June 11 —Sierra Century
Rocklin, Placer County, www.sierracentury.org
June 25 — Summer Solstice Century
Quincy, www.SummerSolsticeCentury.org
June 26 — Climb To Kaiser
Clovis, www.FresnoCycling.com
AUGUST 2011
August 7 — Mt. Shasta Summit Century
Shasta, www.ShastaSummitCentury.com
August 13 — Tahoe-Sierra 100
Soda Springs, www.globalbiorhythmevents.com
TBA — 2007 Marin Century
www.MarinCyclists.com
SEPTEMBER 2011
September 24 — Tahoe Sierra Century
Squaw Valley, www.TahoeSierraCentury.com
OCTOBER 2011
October 29 — Fall Death Valley Century
Death Valley, www.adventurecorps.com
Oct/090
2010 Amgen Tour of California HOST CITIES AND TOP COMPETITORS ANNOUNCED VIA TWITTER
2009 Map
May Timing Allows Route Changes and New Host Cities for Eight-Day Stage Race
LOS ANGELES (October 22, 2009) – The host cities for the record-setting Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race were announced this morning via a Twitter exchange that took place shortly before 9 a.m. PT between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and some of America’s most accomplished cyclists, including Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and George Hincapie. This marked the first time an event of this stature has ever been announced via Twitter.
Along with the overall announcement of the race, the four cyclists also revealed their intentions to participate in the fifth-annual event, considered to be America’s most important and prestigious cycling race.
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s announcement of his intent to compete in the fifth-annual race was met with enthusiasm from race organizers and fans. After mounting an incredible comeback to professional cycling in 2009, competing in the Amgen Tour of California and other top races around the world, including finishing third in the 2009 Tour de France, Armstrong will start the 2010 season on his newly formed Team RadioShack. Returning to the Amgen Tour of California for the second consecutive year, Armstrong is expected to be a top competitor in the race.
The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will travel to 16 host cities throughout the state over the course of eight days from May 16-23. After four years of being positioned in February, the date change will allow the Tour de France-style road race to visit locations that wouldn’t have been possible in February, including the very first mountain-top finish in race history.
The Amgen Tour of California will cover more than 750 miles of beautiful California terrain, beginning with the first ever visit to Nevada City, Calif., which will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Nevada City Classic, in which many notable riders got their start. The eight-day race will travel through some of the state’s most scenic landmarks, with the overall finish taking place in title-sponsor Amgen’s hometown community of Thousand Oaks.
The 16 official stage start and finish locations that have been selected for the 2010 race include: Nevada City (new city for 2010), Sacramento, Davis, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Modesto, Visalia, Bakersfield (new city for 2010), Pasadena, Big Bear Lake (new city for 2010), Los Angeles (new city for 2009) and Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village (new city for 2010)/Agoura Hills (new city for 2010).
“For the 2010 Amgen Tour of California we had the unique opportunity to move our race to a part of the year when we are almost guaranteed great weather in California,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “This timing will help us to better showcase the beautiful features the state of California has to offer, while allowing us to travel to parts of the state that just weren’t feasible in previous years.”
Highlights of the route brought on by the date change and new host cities include the race’s first venture into the Sierras and the Sequoia National Forest, creating a new backdrop for America’s largest cycling event. Another exciting addition to the 2010 race, the first-ever mountaintop finish in Big Bear Lake, will give fans the opportunity to see each and every cyclist in a grueling battle to the Stage 6 finish line.
For the first time in the race’s storied five-year history the route will travel through the city of Los Angeles. Stage 7, the individual time trial, a significant stage in the race, will take place in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The stage will both begin and end at L.A. LIVE, the new sports and entertainment district that is home to Staples Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE and much more.
Beginning with the inaugural year in 2006, the Amgen Tour of California quickly became the most successful race in the United States with regards to economic benefits to the state, global recognition and the level of competition. The race also continues to set records in attendance for a single sporting event in the state of California, as well as any cycling event ever held on U.S. soil, with an estimated 2 million spectators in 2009.
“Choosing the host cities for the Amgen Tour of California gets more and more difficult every year, as interest in the race continues to grow throughout the state,” continued Messick. “We are fortunate to have visited some of the best cities in the state during the last four years and the list keeps growing with the addition of four brand new cities in 2010.”
With the timing of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California moved to later in the year, giving the cyclists even more time to train, the competition will be even tougher. In previous years, the race has drawn some of the world’s most renowned and respected riders, such as top Tour de France competitors, World Champions and Olympic medalists that include Lance Armstrong, Tom Boonen, Oscar Freire, Paolo Bettini, Fabian Cancellara, Carlos Sastre, George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish and Andy Schleck.
After the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, three-time defending champion and Santa Rosa resident Levi Leipheimer went on to compete in the Tour de France, but unfortunately suffered a crash during Stage 12 that took him out of the race. After a few weeks of recovery time, Leipheimer, who recently announced that he will race during the 2010 season for Lance Armstrong’s newly formed Team RadioShack, returned to take sixth place in the Tour of Missouri.
“To win the Amgen Tour of California once, that was huge. To win it twice, that was almost a little bit of a surprise and almost felt like luck. But now, to have won the Amgen Tour of California three times, it’s the sweetest victory of all. It’s hard to describe,” said Levi Leipheimer after winning the 2009 race.
Returning as the title sponsor for the fifth consecutive year, Amgen will continue to leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through the Breakaway from Cancer® initiative. A leading global biotechnology company with headquarters in Thousand Oaks, Calif., one of the 2010 race host cities, Amgen’s invaluable support has helped to ensure the continued success of the race and impact beyond the sporting arena.
“Sponsorship of the Amgen Tour of California has given Amgen the opportunity to educate people about the great advances in medicine made possible through biotechnology, and to strengthen our relationships with local communities, cancer support organizations and cancer survivors through our Breakaway from Cancer initiative,” said Stuart Arbuckle, vice president, Amgen Oncology. “We look forward to collaborating with this year’s host cities to promote the Breakaway from Cancer initiative in their communities.”
One of the only American races listed on the international professional cycling calendar (2. HC ranking), the Amgen Tour of California has drawn the attention of both cycling enthusiasts and first-time spectators, solidifying its position as one of the most anticipated cycling events of the year.
Beginning with a road stage, a first for the race, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will visit 16 host cities for official stage starts and finishes, while other cities along the route also will have the opportunity to witness the excitement of elite professional cycling. Stages for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California include:
- Stage 1: Sunday, May 16 – Nevada City to Sacramento
- Stage 2: Monday, May 17 – Davis to Santa Rosa
- Stage 3: Tuesday, May 18 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz
- Stage 4: Wednesday, May 19 – San Jose to Modesto
- Stage 5: Thursday, May 20 – Visalia to Bakersfield
- Stage 6: Friday, May 21 – Pasadena to Big Bear Lake
- Stage 7: Saturday, May 22 – Los Angeles (individual time trial)
- Stage 8: Sunday, May 23 – Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills
For further information on the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.
About the Amgen Tour of California
The largest cycling event in America, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, presented by AEG, that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course from May 16-23.
About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science’s promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses. With a broad and deep pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people’s lives. To learn more about Amgen’s pioneering science and vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com. To learn more about Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative, visit www.breakawayfromcancer.com.
About Breakaway from Cancer®
Founded in 2005, Breakaway from Cancer™ is a complementary component to the Amgen race sponsorship. Breakaway from Cancer strives to raise awareness of the important resources available to cancer patients from prevention to education, and patient care to advocacy and financial support. The initiative includes charitable partners the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Patient Advocate Foundation, Prevent Cancer Foundation and The Wellness Community, and it also has joined forces with the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer. Learn more at www.breakawayfromcancer.com.
About AEG
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of
companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Sprint Center, The O2, NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE and NOKIA Theatre Times Square; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), two Major League Soccer franchises, two hockey franchises operated in Europe, management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, the ING Bay to Breakers foot race and the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race; AEG LIVE, the organization’s live-entertainment division, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production. For more information, visit AEG today at www.aegworldwide.com.
Oct/090
Team ASJ Race Report: Tahoe Big Blue Adventure Race — Big Blue Grinning and Sinning
Teammates Tim Johnston, Katrin Tobin, and Mike Erbe, aka Team Adventure Sports Journal, held the lead in the Big Blue Adventure Race Series going into the final event …the challenging Big Blue Championship, held on September 11th.
Race day dawned in spectacular Lake Tahoe fashion: cool, clear, and thankfully, unlike the 2003 edition of the race, with no wind to antagonize the waters we’d be kayaking in. The Big Blue Championship was to be the longest and toughest of the four series events. And the point stakes had been raised for those of us competing for the Overall Series. Our wins at Red Tail and Silver Sage had put us atop the leader board in the 3-Person coed category, but the halo of Team Our Angel Nicole glimmered in our peripheral vision. It would take a 4th place finish or better to beat them to the Pearly Gates of Big Blue Heaven.
The race began with a brisk run from North Tahoe Regional Park to Kings Beach, where the kayak started. We had identified the Silly Rabbits (4-Person Coed) as a team of distinction due to their astounding finish times in previous races so we felt confident with them leading the way. It appears we were in good company as the entire herd of kayaks chased the Rabbits all the way to Carnelian Bay.
We paddled back to King’s Beach and after dropping off the kayaks, ran back up to the bike staging area at the park. As usual, given Tim’s pace, it was intense. After charging up to the Sawmill Flat checkpoint by bike, teams chose which to tackle first: eight bike check points in and around Northstar or eight Orienteering checkpoints on foot.
We headed out toward Mt Pluto on our bikes hoping to take advantage of frisky cycling legs. We pedaled intently up the paved Fiberboard Freeway to the back of Mt Pluto. We had raced to the top of Northstar’s ski mountain from Tahoe City the year before so we pedaled with conviction in the efficacy of our route choice. The absence of other teams should have concerned us. But at the time, we figured most of the teams were opting to Orienteer first and bike later, and smugly thought we might simply be ahead of the rest…
The scenery was spectacular, the cycling terrain a blast, and we all felt good. In fact, at one point Katrin was unstoppable as she zoomed down a wickedly fun single track, leaving Tim and Mike in a cloud of dust! As a result, the endorphin levels stayed high even though, as usual, we did a bit of head scratching with regard to matching our actual position to the squiggles on our maps. “Where do YOU think that we are?”
We eventually made it back out of the woods to the Sawmill Flat checkpoint and the Orienteering section of the race. We had brushed up (pun intended) on the map symbols, and were really concentrating on using our altimeter and compass. With Tim leading the charge, we managed to pick off seven of the eight checkpoints with no problem. As for number eight… Well, that one took a bit longer as we ran around in the forest mumbling, “It’s gotta be here someplace!”
It was then back on the bikes for a return ride to the park, and the finish line. Tim set a blistering pace, and boldly led us along some white-knuckle fire roads as we descended back toward the lake. We sprinted, still
grinning, across the finish line with a time of eight hours and 13 minutes and 3rd in our division.
As we awaited the final results and feasted on the post-race BBQ, we compared strategies and routes with other teams. It wasn’t until another racer commented, “I thought the Fiberboard Freeway was off limits,” that our grins faded a bit. Back in a huddle, we carefully uncrumpled our race instructions and read, “No riding on pavement west of Sawmill Flat.” No wonder we hadn’t seen very many teams out there – they had climbed the trails at the front of the mountain while we were skirting around the back.
Todd Jackson, the organizer of the Big Blue Series, frequently mentions the cerebral aspect of adventure racing. There is more to this sport than just going fast. Not only do you have have to think your way from checkpoint
to checkpoint but you also have to carefully read and digest the race rules! We told Todd what had transpired, accepting responsibility and any consequences for our mistake. It was some consolation that we were not the
only team that had blown it. We were given a two hour time penalty, which bumped us down to 8th place in the co-ed division for the day. Absolved of our foolish sins, and given our top finishes in the other three races, we were still left with enough points for second place in the series. Kudos to our angelic (and intelligent) rival, Team Our Angel Nicole, who raced piously enroute to winning the Series Championship.
This was Team ASJ’s first full season of adventure racing. We got schooled and had a blast. The teamwork, the training, and the learning elevated us both as a team and as individuals. And, we really need to thank the folks at ASJ for being so helpful and supportive. They exemplify the very spirit of adventure racing.
EDITOR’S NOTE: There is evidence indicating that the members of team ASJ have not yet hit the off-season couch. In fact, even after fixing a flat tire, Katrin turned in an amazing performance and placed 2nd in the Santa Cruz Sentinel Triathlon on Sept. 26. Tim returned to Lake Tahoe, and garnered a fantastic 3rd place finish at the X-Terra Triathlon on Sept. 25. He will be heading off to the XTerra World Championship race later this
month. Meanwhile, Mike also raced in the Sentinel Triathlon, finishing 2nd in his 45-49 age group. The very next weekend he placed 4th overall and won his age group in Scott Tinley’s Off-Road Extreme Triathlon.
Team ASJ at Xterra Nevada
by Tim Johnston
It was another great race weekend at Lake Tahoe as I represented Team ASJ at the Xterra Nevada off road triathlon.
Two triathlons were held in Incline Village during the last week of September – the USA Championships, which are reserved to Xterra series point leaders, and Xterra Nevada, which is open to anyone hearty enough to want to conquer the tough course. Having raced only one Xterra event this year, I did not have enough points to qualify for the championship race, but wanted to give the Nevada course a shot. The bike course and distance are the same in both races, but the swim is shorter (thank goodness!) and so is the run.
The swim started with a cannon blast. All 259 competitors ran to the water’s edge, and then tenderly stepped on the rocky lake floor until the water was deep enough to dive. I wondered why the swim would start in such a rocky area – then I remembered I was racing Xterra, where nothing is conventional or easy.
Despite rumors that the water was “relatively warm,” my feet and hands were numb upon exiting the water and starting the much anticipated mountain bike ride. But the bike course made it all worth it. It was an
absolutely amazing 18 miles of the best single-track, rock-jumping, edge balancing, technical riding that stayed true to the spirit of offroad riding. Much of the trail ride gave a thousand-foot view of the clear lake below.
The run was a dizzying 3.1 miles, meandering through creeks, over logs, under branches, then over the creek again on a narrow felled tree.
My finishing time of 2:30:51 put me at the top of my age group and 3rd overall in the race.
And now…off to Nissan Xterra World Championship in Maui!
Sep/090
IMBA’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day is Saturday, Oct. 3
IMBA will celebrate its sixth annual International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. This is a great opportunity for you to pass your passion for pedaling on to kids!
You can find an event in your area on our new Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day Worldwide Map. Clubs and individual groups from around the world have already registered events in Canada, Italy, Mexico, Myanmar, South Africa and all over the United States.
IMBA’s International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day celebrates the life of Jack Doub, an avid teenage mountain biker from North Carolina who had a true passion for the sport from an early age but passed away in 2002. Funding is provided by the Jack Doub Memorial Endowment. The event takes place each year on the first Saturday in October.
Assistance provided by Trips for Kids, helping disadvantaged kids discover mountain biking since 1988! Trips for Kids chapters nationwide make a difference in kids’ lives by opening their world to mountain biking. By starting a Trips for Kids Chapter in your town, you can take disadvantaged kids on mountain biking all year round. Learn how to start a chapter.
Sep/091
A Taste of the Two-Wheel Future: Innovations from Interbike 2009
By Seth Lightcap
Despite an economy that can barely afford a garage sale ten-speed, the bicycle industry showed both optimism and enthusiasm at the annual Interbike trade show last week in Las Vegas. There was no damper on the excitement about countless new products as manufacturers presented innovations worth tempting even your extra, extra hard earned dollars.
Green products such as electric bikes and accessories made with recycled materials were especially hot items. Two companies with cutting edge offerings in this eco-market were Kilowatt Bikes and Green Guru Gear.
Brand new for 2009, Kilowatt Bikes out of Fort Worth, TX had the sexiest electric bikes at the show. Riding a philosophy that you can reduce your carbon footprint and look good doing it, Kilowatt’s designs offered an elegant rationalization for ditching your car and zipping around everywhere on an e-bike.
Kilowatt’s Cruiser was big pimpin’ with clean lines, a polished dual-crown fork, and an efficiently packaged battery system tucked in the rear rack. The throttled power-assisted pedaling comes courtesy of a 250 watt DC motor hooked to a lithium-magnesium battery. The electric motor can hit speeds of up to 20 mph with a range of 30-50 miles. Stickered at $2415, the Cruiser is a spendy townie bike but the price tag should be no surprise for such a swanky smart ride. For more info: www.kilowattbikes.com
Green Guru Gear out of Boulder, CO showed serious recycled radness with their finely detailed messenger bags constructed out of mountain bike inner tubes and other reclaimed materials.
The MTB Messenger felt extremely durable and notably well-designed as the internal organization included a padded laptop compartment and an internal water bottle holder among a host of other nicely zippered pockets. The bomber shoulder strap was also fully padded and anatomically designed to stay put while pedaling. $140 will sling this ultimate inner tube creation over your shoulder. For more info: www.greengurugear.com
Thinking ahead to a few multi-day mountain bike rides I’d like to tackle, my eyes instantly drew to this ‘one rack fits all’ carry system from a new company out of New Zealand called Freeload.
The Freeload is the world’s first fully adjustable bicycle carrier rack that can be fitted to the front or rear of any bike, including full-suspension rigs. The rack arms and webbing straps can be positioned to attach to either your frame’s seat stays or your fork and are rated to support over 50 pounds on the molded plastic deck. Shaking the rack on the demo stand it felt glued to the bike and seemingly plenty capable of hanging tough through rough terrain. With a turbo overnight kit and a sack of extra food lashed to a Freeload I can envision the range of my epic off-road rides to extend many, many miles next summer. About $85 bucks will get you racked up with a Freeload. For more info: www.freeload.co.nz
Another clever innovation beating a new pulse at the show was the Gate’s carbon belt drive system. Can you imagine never getting chain grease on your pant cuffs or fingers again?
Gate’s belt drive system is just like your standard chain and sprocket system only there is no grease, no noise, and less drivetrain maintenance (The belts last three times as long as your average chain). The system requires uniform belt tension so changing gears with a derailleur isn’t part of the program, but you can get away with an extra speed or three using a multi-speed hub. Expect to see the carbon belt drive on more and more new single speed and metro cruiser bike models as the system has been well tested by the motor sports industry and is primed for a bright future in bicycles. For more info: www.carbondrivesystems.com
Rolling into the rainy season I couldn’t help but notice this sweet new jacket from Showers Pass, an outerwear company from Portland, OR.
The Mountain Elite jacket features a 3-layer eVent fabric body with additional abrasion and tear-resistant SuperFabric patches protecting the elbows and the shoulders. The SuperFabric is also non-slip so your hydration pack will stay riveted to your shoulders. A stowable drop down tail piece and optional hood add to this garment’s killer design. $249 will see you sporting this beauty next rainy ride. For more info: www.showerspass.com
It just wouldn’t be an Interbike report without drooling over some carbon so I’ll wrap things up with two fantasy frames debuted at the show.
This is not your father’s Ibis Mojo. This is the freeride remix – The Mojo HD. Bigger and badder than the orginal Mojo, the Mojo HD has been reinforced to run up to a 180 mm (7 inch) front fork and it’s geometry has been relaxed to improve the performance in the berms and off the jumps. Just announced, the Mojo HD has no release date nor price set yet, but there is no doubt this frameset will be on the tip of people’s tongues in talk about the hottest all-mountain bikes of next summer. For more info: www.ibiscycles.com
Famous for outfitting the Phonak race team, BMC introduced the Team Machine SLR01. The full carbon frame weighs in at a scant 840 grams and features seat stays about the diameter of a marker. Despite the featherweight countenance the SLR01 is slated to ride as stiff as any frame the legendary Swiss manufacturer has ever produced. $4000 will allow you to test those claims and keep the bike in your garage or next to your bed, whatever you prefer. For more info: www.bmc-racing.com
Sep/090
Specialized Completed their Ride to Interbike on Monday
Specialized completed the 660-mile ride from Morgan Hill to Interbike’s Outdoor Demo in Las Vegas on Monday. Specialized has donated over $450,000 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure since 2007 and plans to continue with donations through 2010. Here’s a pre-ride video.
