Dunnigan Hills RR, 2013.

The year prior our team had won this race and we agreed that winning again would be the priority while trying to stack Cal Cup points would come secondary. Race favorites were Johnathan Teeter (Marc-Pro/Strava), Zeke Mostov (Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team), Tyler Brandt (Get Crackin'), and Chris Stasny (Hagens Berman Cycling). Thankfully Dunnigan Hills doesn't actually have any hills, because otherwise it would have been a slightly boring day of watching Teeter and Mostov ride away from everyone. The course is flat, borderline windy, with some small rolling hill sections - which is exactly what is needed to max out the Specialized Venge's aerodynamic advantage. Unfortunately less than two miles in the race four riders went down on an oil slick taking down teammate Steve O'Mara - a huge blow to us as O'Mara has been a dark horse all season long and would have caught a lot of competition off guard by how strong he is.

The first move came at about five miles and had too many big names in it and not enough teammates. Teammate Rainier Schaefer and I sat on trying to convince the break to sit up and reshuffle, but they decided to keep riding and deal with us later.

"Later" came in the headwind section with thirty-five miles to go, with everyone in the break taking turns to launch attacks. Schaefer was on point today in a big way and took turns with me matching each acceleration. Mostov and Chuck Hutcheson (Marc-Pro/Strava) were able to split the break up and rode away with me on their wheel, but with some fifteen riders giving chase and myself still not liking the odds and not working we all regrouped with ten miles to the finish.

A lot of cat and mouse riding started up, with Hutcheson trying to put me in a box every time Teeter attacked. It probably should've made me mad, but it was so ineffective that it was actually really cute. Chris Harland-Dunaway (Marc-Pro/Strava) showed just how big his motor was and took some big pulls and some huge welds during this time, chasing down moves he missed and ultimately keeping everyone together for a pack sprint finish.

Coming into two kilometers to go Mostov attacked and made the move of the day, putting in huge time into the group very rapidly. Schaefer came out of nowhere and did a tremendous job of chasing him down and setting me and teammate Adam Switters up for the sprint. Right when I thought Schaefer was dead and done for, he shifts up a few more gears and starts his standing sprint for a good ten more seconds.

His lead out had caught everyone off guard and riders who should have been marking me were too many bike lengths back - it set me up perfectly for my jump at around 400 meters to the finish.

The gap opened on my jump proved large enough to hold off the group for the win, with teammate Adam Switters flying in for third place just behind.

riggswin

Alex Chiu  and Tim Westmore were at the race and took some amazing shots. Special thanks to Heather Pugh for sitting in the feed zone all day for us and feeding me boat loads of OSMO and Equator Coffee.

Tour du Equator Coffee & Teas

Have you ever wondered what goes into producing that hot cup of coffee you drink in the morning? For most, the process is simple: buy the coffee, put it in the coffee maker, add water, and drink the coffee. But there is much more to it. This past Monday, Andy, Steve O., Brandon, and myself were given the opportunity to learn all about the newest sponsor of Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase: Equator Coffees & Teas ­­­­­­– a Marin-based coffee roaster with major focuses on quality and sustainability. Our tour began with a brief introduction to the company and its history by the company’s co-founder and CEO, Helen Russell. As she spoke about how the company was started in a garage, Ted Stachura (Director of Coffee at Equator) began brewing and pouring samples of the new TMB Speed Blend and their single-origin Don Pepe Bourbon for side-by-side comparison.

We continued the tour though the facility with Ted, as he thoroughly explained the process Equator takes in establishing long-term relationships with its growers around the world, and the life of the coffee bean from fruit to brew.

Equator is proud to be one of the first roasters in the nation to possess a Loring SmartRoaster, a sophisticated machine that reduces carbon emissions by 80% without compromising their artisan quality.

After taking a short look at their operations for packing and shipping, Ted and Caitlin took us through Equator’s cupping system of tasting coffees in small batches, from beans in green form, side by side. It’s a very delicate process, and allows them to try several different samples from potential suppliers in a timely manner.

To finish the tour, we were each given an Equator t-shirt and a freshly roasted bag of TMB Speed Blend before it hits the shelves at Mike’s Bikes stores around the Bay Area.

Equator’s commitment to producing their coffees and teas at the highest quality, and in such environmentally responsible methods, is beyond cool. This was an incredible learning experience, and we’re stoked to have such an awesome company on board to help support our racing and development.

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Specialized Toupe Saddle

The right saddle can prevent injury, increase wattage. A bike saddle is a basic piece of equipment, one that most people don’t put much thought into. They should. For years I rode on a popular, narrow Euro saddle that touted its long length as a quality that let the rider shift around, hopefully into the right position. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I never shifted into anything close to an optimum spot. It turned out the saddle’s talk of length was just an effort to compensate for a lack of performance and unwanted motion. And my body and wattage suffered as a consequence.

Specialized Toupe Saddle

Enter the Specialized Toupe. After years of dealing with mysterious use injuries, many of which seemed to stem from my sacrum and low-back, within a week of riding the Toupe they were gone. In their place came a crazy new sensation – sit bone contact. It turned out that my shifting on my old slender, Euro saddle had been causing irritation; the lack of sit bone contact had undoubtedly been costing me watts. The Toupe makes this happen with its simple but thoughtful Body Geometry philosophy: design saddles to fit a rider’s body. And one size doesn’t fit all. That’s why the Toupe comes in three sizes, 130, 143, and 155 MM. Your local Mike’s Bikes shop can tell you what size you are with a simple tool that measures the width of your sit bones. I’m a 143. My old Euro saddle was ~130. Because that was the only size it came in.

Beyond assuring a proper fit and optimum sit bone contact for power output, Specialized’s Body Geometry team lab tests its saddles to assure blood flow to sensitive arteries. Enough said about that. All this and the 143 mm Toupe Pro tips the scales at just 137 grams.

Menlo Park Grand Prix

by James Laberge After last night's San Rafael Twilight Critrium, it took a little bit of extra time to get up and get moving but once I drove down to Menlo Park, it was all game on and the forces of the team were ready to head out for a win in the prestigious Premier series race. The team was: Roman Kilun, Shawn Rosenthal, Rainier Schaefer, Dana williams, and myself. The plan was to be attentive because it was windy but if it comes down to a field sprint, then Roman would lead me out for the sprint.

The race started out fast with lots of guys trying to gutter everyone, making nobody feel safe in the pack. Lots of attacks kept going up the road and only a couple cases where there was a decent gap back to the pack but with the strengths of seasoned pros such as Nate English (5 Hour Energy) and Phil Mooney (Jamis/ Hagens Berman) everything was getting brought back. This was until about 15 laps to go when former teammate Tyler Brandt (Get Crackin') and Rob Evans (Bear Development) were able to get away and get another decent gap but this time no one wanted to chase it down.

We threw in some attacks trying to bridge up there but nothing suceeded. With 5 laps to go, we put the whole team on the front to start slowly bring the two breakaway riders back. At about 2-3 laps to go, they were about 15 second up the road and other teams wanted to take over so we let them do that to save fire power for the last lap and then we took over at 1 lap to go, just as we catch Tyler and Rob. Shawn then took a massive pull in the headwind section on the back straight and then an attack came from Phil but we were able to get on him right away. Coming through the last couple turns/chicaine, I was 3rd wheel behind Roman and Dana. Dana opened up his sprint and I stayed on him for another 50 to 100 meters and then opened up my sprint. I put my head down and was able to put my hand up for the win! Dana was also able to hang on for 2nd place and makes a Team Mike's bikes P/B Incase victory and 1-2 finish! Roman was able to hold onto 9th place and keep his distance from Chuck Hutcheson (Marc-Pro Strava) in the individual standings in the premier series.

It was a great job by the team today and we did a great lead out for the win and extend our lead in the Team standings by about 75 points. Thank you again to Shawn, Rainier, Roman, and Dana for a great lead out and teamwork! Thanks also to all of the sponsors that support the team! Thanks for reading.

San Rafael Twilight Criterium

by Dana Williams This article can also be found on Dana's blog: http://www.achieveptc.com/san-rafael-twilight-p12-criterium-a-premiere-show-comes-to-town/

The San Rafael Twilight Criterium is what Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase considers our ‘home race.’ This is because Mike’s Bikes original store (the 1st of 11) and head office are both within a block or two of the four-corner rectangle course. The energy and excitement surrounding this race each year is what we really look forward to. This year there was a bit of added pressure, with teammate Eric Riggs, being the defending champion. It felt as though most other team’s crosshairs were directly on us.

Our plan going into the race was pretty simple: be attentive the first 30 of the 90 minutes, then get more aggressive and try to get two guys in a break, with at least one of our sprinters. If a break didn’t succeed by five laps to go, then our team would go to the front and line up our train for Riggs or James Laberge (who won the field sprint for 3rd in last year’s race).

Before the race got underway, event organizer Project Sport did what many in their position try to accomplish, and in my view few achieve with as much success. The energy and excitement they create is astounding. Music pumps and resonates through the streets as the sun sets; Dave Towle, the voice of US cycling, calls up riders in a fashion that makes them feel like superheroes; these same riders are escorted to the start line under umbrellas held by beautiful women; the crowd buzzes like electricity. I know I wasn’t the only one with goose bumps.

The whistle blew and we were off. In typical fashion, the first few laps were fast and strung out. Guys who started further back pushed hard to move up. Guys at the front worked hard to stay there without expending too much energy. There were a few close calls, with riders being aggressive and trying to stamp their authority by shooting through tight holes that closed up quick. Thankfully I didn’t hear the agonizing sound of carbon scraping along pavement.

The first real move of the night happened 15 minutes into the race. Our team’s newest recruit, Brandon Trafton, who never likes to sit in and watch the race unfold, got off the front and held a 10-second gap for about 10 laps. Guys attempted to bridge on countless occasions. My teammates and I made sure we were on all of these moves. Brandon got pulled back at about 30 minutes into the race. The next 50 minutes were pretty consistent; small breaks formed, getting no more than 10 seconds up the road and then being brought back. I marked a few moves and stayed towards the front, but soon felt as though the race was going to come down to a bunch sprint.

At around eight laps to go, my teammates and I started to amass at the front. Then, as I recall, with five laps to go, it was Shawn Rosenthal, Roman Kilun, Adam Switters, and Brandon Trafton rotating in front of me and keeping the pace high. Eric and James were on my wheel. With around three laps to go, guys were coming up and trying to get in our leadout train. Two guys ended up being successful, Eamon Franck and Justin Williams, both slotting just in front of me and behind Brandon. My role going into the race (if it came down to a bunch sprint) was to take over out of turn two on the last lap and get James and Eric into turn three first, just as I had done last year. I was feeling strong and believed I was going to be able to come over Eamon and Justin on the back stretch of the last lap, as they were likely not going to want to leadout the pack from that far out.

As we sped over the finish line with the bell ringing, Roman pulled off and Brandon took over. Everything was going fine through the entrance of turn one, but all the sudden I heard the dreaded sound behind me: carbon scraping along the pavement. Then in the blink of an eye I was hit from behind and unclipped my left pedal while fighting to stay upright. It all happened so fast. I thought my race was over and guys were going to come by me. I did my best to quickly clip back in. To my surprise, I didn’t get swarmed by riders. The chaos behind me slowed the surging field. I stood up and sprinted to try to get back to Brandon and the other two guys. It’s a bit of a blur as I think back, but I caught them around half way down the back stretch. Instinct kicks in and tells me to go by them on the outside, so I do. I’m first into turn three and four. I’m leading the San Rafael Twilight Criterium with about a 250 meter slight uphill drag to the finish line. I hear my teammate yelling ‘Go, go, go’ from behind. I try to carry as much speed out of the turn as possible, not knowing how close the guys are behind me. I put my head down and start sprinting. A gear shift stalls my momentum ever so slightly. The lactic acid begins to seep into my quads like water exploding through a river dam that has given way. A wheel enters my peripheral vision, soon followed by the mass of a muscular 21 year old rampaging like a bull running the streets of Pamplona; his name Eamon Franck. Then another wheel and rider; Justin Williams. I was dying a slow death, just hoping the finish line would come soon. And finally it did, to my relief without another rider coming by. Third place it was!

It’s easy to look back at a race like this, where I came so close to winning, and wonder if I could have done anything different. Unfortunately, my team had a bit of bad luck on turn one of the last lap after doing a fantastic job leading out. But ultimately I’m happy to find a spot on the podium. It’s a way to thank my amazing teammates of Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase, who rode such a great race, like so many other races this year, and our sponsors and supporters, who we couldn’t do this without them. Thank you.

2013 Tour de Nez

Teammate Brandon Trafton would be my only teammate for the day. At the San Rafael Twilight the night before he soloed for 25% of the race and still had enough energy to lead out and send teammate Dana Williams into the final straight for the sprint finish. He's flying, I was pretty stoked. The race started fast with a first lap prime and immediately after Trafton is off the front with Johnathan Teeter (Marc-Pro Strava). Teeter just recently finished second place at the NRC Cascade Cycling Classic Time Trial and is the race favorite for the day.

The peloton chased hard after them for forty-five minutes, notably the entire Predator Cycling team, fresh from their win over crit-powerhouse UHC at Pairie State Cycling series, and Max Jenkins (Kenda Pro Cycling - 5-Hour Energy).

Justin Rossi (Marc-Pro/Strava) and I went ultimate passive aggressive blocking mode, clogging up lines in the turns and pretending to pull while Trafton and Teeter rode super humanly and maintained their thirty-five second lead.

Eventually the chase cracked and Rossi and I made the bridge up to Trafton and Teeter. All four of us traded pulls working together (photo credit: Steve Ellsworth),  maybe only thirty seconds from lapping the field, until about four laps to go when Rossi and Teeter started to light things up and trade attacks, not wanting it to come down to a sprint.

We rode really well during this time, going all out to match Teeter's and Rossi's accelerations knowing that if we gave either of them any space they would just time trial away from us.

Coming into the last lap Rossi launched an attack that I chased. It gapped us pretty far from Teeter and Trafton. I sat behind Rossi, waiting for sprint distance to the finish line or for Trafton to catch up so I could lead him out, whichever came first. Trafton opted to play it safe and sit on Teeter rather than risk leading out Teeter in his chase up to me, which was a tremendous sacrifice on his part and ultimately gave me the win.

I had been cornering really well all day, so with the final corner in sight I jumped as hard as I could into it and came out with a decent gap that I carried to the finish line for the win. Trafton did the same thing behind me and came in for third.

Quick final note: Reno was incredibly hot and incredibly dry. Most of the race I had globs of dry spit accumulating on my lips and my throat being torn to bits from sucking down mouthfuls of dry air. I've had to take people's word that OSMO is the best drink mix for endurance athletes because I know absolutely nothing about life sciences, but today was the first time I was able to physically feel just how powerful this drink mix is. I am speechless as to how much better and how much easier the pedal strokes came after each drink of it.

Little City Stage Race Report

by Brandon Trafton This was my first year doing the Little City Stage Race and I was very impressed with the event. All three stages were on top level courses which were both hard and unique. Because I feel my victory on Sunday was a direct result of my racing on Saturday, instead of just recapping my win, I will review Saturdays racing as well.

The stage race was an omnium (point system), this was great for me considering I was going to “Merckx” the initial TT. After placing 10th on the 10 mile course, I was happy considering I did not loose too many points going into the criterium, which was later that day and RR on the following day. Unfortunately however, I did not race the criterium as well as I had hoped. Towards the end of the race, a break of 5 riders went off the front and I was caught out of the breakaway. It was a very brilliant ride by the Marc-Pro Strava racers Chris Harland-Dunaway, Nate Freed and Chuck Hutcheson; not only did they place 1st and 2nd in the criterium, but they moved Chris into 1st overall. I only managed to place 9th after many unsuccessful bridge attempts and an unsuccessful early field sprint.

Frustrated with my race, I did what I normally do when I need to clear my mind, I decided to go on a bike ride. Heading out of town, I saw a road called Kingsbury Grade, “what the hell,” I thought. Every pedal stroke up the mountain felt like another bit of frustration leaving my mind. By the time I got to the top, I was smiling ear to ear and ready for another day of racing. I told myself looking into the valley below that I was going to race the RR as hard as I could, win or loose I would leave it on the course.

The road race started as expected, many riders were marking each other thinking about the overall GC. Because of the blistering heat and expected winds, many were sitting in trying to save their energy for the final laps. The course was 6 laps of an 11mile loop with two consecutive 3 min climbs. Anyone that has raced with me knows I am not one to sit in and wait for the sprint, I am a rider who goes on the attack, usually early and often, so for me to wait until lap two was patient by my standards. On lap two, I tested the waters by setting a moderate pace up the climbs. Sure enough, this drew out some attacks following the 2nd climb. Nothing got too far up the road and by the start of lap 3 we were back together. Just as the lap prior, I set the pace again but this time with the intent to attack after the initial accelerations over the top of the second climb. Sure enough the attacks came and then off I went. Luckily, I had Pete Morris from Team Cliff Bar follow me to share the work. Chuck Hutcheson from Marc-Pro also followed my attack, this was good and bad. On one had, this would stop the chase by Marc-Pro, but on the other I knew he would not work very enthusiastically because his teammate was behind trying to defend the race lead. Sure enough, he sat on Pete and I for 90% of the race (as he should have). Pete and I decided to remain “civil” on the climb to make sure we had enough energy to pull away from the pack on the remainder of the course. By lap 5 we had over a 3 min gap on the pack. Coming into the last lap, I felt surprisingly fresh for a 2 hour threshold effort at altitude. Knowing Chuck and Pete had the upper-hand in the sprint, I attacked with 1K to go holding on for the win. My goal for the race was achieved, I left if all on the course and the win was great added bonus. On top of the win, this gave me enough points to move into 5th on the overall. I did get to pay for this post race however from what I later concluded may have been a mild state of heat stroke. I guess 3 hours in a 100º+, 4721ft high, dry environment will do that to you.

Thanks for the awesome race Bubba Melcher!

Smith Pivlock V2 Sunglasses

By Brandon Trafton

Simply a great product. Sunglasses are not only an aesthetically pleasing addition to a cyclists uniform, but they provide the very important roll of protecting a set of very vulnerable organs, the eyes! Proper eyewear should not only protect your eyes from UV damage, but from the random projectiles launched by your riding companions tires. I am sure many can recall that large thud given off when a rock hits that precious S-Works paint job, one of those to the eye will turn an awesome ride into a bad day pretty quickly.

There are 3 features to the Pivlock V2 sunglasses that I particularly find noteworthy:

First and foremost, the lack of peripheral vision obstruction. Smith Pivlock sunglasses have no solid edges, leaving your peripheral vision range unobstructed. I find this absolutely crucial when I am racing handlebar to handlebar on a narrow technical circuit. The last think I want when I am racing, is a large piece of plastic obstructing my sight when I am in O

2 

debt trying to out maneuver though 100 guys on the final lap of a criterium.

Secondly, the weight of the glasses You can hardly notice them on your face, but they are surprisingly secure. There is often a compromise, the lighter the glasses the less secure they are on your head. Fortunately, Smith found a great balance.

Lastly, they just look good. The Pivlocks accent the clean, fast and light concepts of road cycling. We roadies want everything to be lighter and more aero, which these lenses compliment well.

Eye protection on the road is a must, because as the saying goes, “it is always fun until someone gets their eye pocked out.” How do you make sure you remember to wear eye protection? Easy, get a pair of really cool sunglasses, like the PIVLOCKS.

2013 Berkeley Bicycle Club Criterium: Fast from the Gun

By Travis Lyons I like this crit. It’s a four-corner course, about 1km in length, with a few spots of bad pavement and a pretty high crown on the road surface, making the majority of the turns off camber. The back straight has a slight hill in it, and the 3rd and finishing straights are downhill with fast turns.

Originally, we had planned on having only three riders in the field- Eric Riggs, Dana Williams, and myself. A couple of our other teammates, Shawn Rosenthal and Roman Kilun, both who live in a close area of the course, rode over to watch the event. Roman decided to race at the last minute- so you’ll have to excuse his “got dressed in the dark” appearance with miss-matched kit.

At the line we had four of the twenty-six starters in the P/1/2 field. On the whistle, Roman put in a little dig to initiate the early breakaway. Another rider followed and Dana was behind him. The three of them got a small gap before turn two as they started up the hill on the back straight. Their advantage didn’t gain them any more than 8 seconds in the first lap. Going into the second lap, the peloton started to bring back their lead on the downhill section and the gap was closed almost completely. On the back straight of the second lap, Riggs counter attacked to pass the group with Roman and Dana. A rider who tried to follow Riggs unclipped at the front of the field, and swerved off to the right of the road, and the field sat up for a second. A Davis rider went to follow Eric with me in tow, as Dana, Roman and the third rider, Rob Scheffler of Fremont Bank, followed. The Davis rider was gone after that, and I have no idea what happened him after he brought me up to my teammates. About a half a lap later, we all looked back to see about a 10 second gap to the field. Roman, Dana, Eric, myself and Rob were in the break… How’d that happen? Fewer than four laps into the race, we had all four of our riders in the five-man break.

The next thirty minutes were pretty boring for me. I sat at the back at the back, pulling through every so often to try to put Rob on the front during the headwind/crosswind sections of the course. Our gap stayed pretty steady around 20~25 seconds to the main field. From what we heard after the race, a few 2- or 3-man attempts to bridge were made without success.

We lapped the field with about ten minutes, or 8 laps to go. Roman and Eric quickly got to- and off the front again. Dana and I were back in the group of lapped riders with Rob racing for 3rd place. Roman and Eric’s group stayed off to the finish, with Roman crossing the line first.

Going into the last lap, Dana was on the front with two riders between him and Rob with me riding behind Rob. A Giga OM-ARO rider attacked going into the last lap with a rider on his wheel, Rob followed them. He attacked on the back straight and hammered into the third corner. I sat on his wheel out of the last corner and started my sprint with less than 200m to the line. I waited too long and ran out of road, so Rob took third by about a half a wheel.

Capo Bib Shorts: Only the Best Survive

By Dana Williams I hate to admit this during a product review of one of our sponsors, but Capo for the second year in a row made the same mistake. Hold your breath......sorry Capo, I hate to say this, but you made your bib short too good once again. It's mid season now and the shorts and chamois still feels like new. How can a company expect to sell their products when they make them so superior? I could still be wearing my shorts from last year and be happy.

All jokes aside, what I pointed out above is true. In all my years of riding and racing, I haven't worn a bib short that feels so great and last for so long. And no, Capo isn't paying me to write this. I was going to write a similar review at the end of last season, but life got too busy (my wife had our second child, I started my new training and cycle coaching business; www.achieveptc.com, among other things) and I wanted to see if this years shorts were just as good. And yup, they are.

There's not much else to say. The chamois doesn't cause any sore spots (wash them after each ride, like you should with all shorts), the spandex doesn't stretch out so it still compresses my legs and the stitching and seams stay together well. Thank you Capo. Keep up the great work.

Zipp 404 Wheels: Going Fast Just Got Easier

By Eric Riggs It has long been my opinion that wheels are the most important thing a cyclist can get right in his equipment lineup order to go fast. Even as the sport is rapidly approaching this new era dominated by aerodynamic road bikes and helmets, wheels are still the most important piece of equipment to making a cyclist go fast.

With this in mind, I couldn't be more pleased that Team Mike's Bikes p/b Incase are riding ZIPP 404 Firecrest for the 2013 season.

These wheels are the fastest on the market and a testament to ZIPP's innovative thinking and approach to wheel building.

Aero wheel designers typically focused only on the front half of the wheel. While this will produce a fast front half, when it is flipped in reverse on the back half it would often slow a wheel down and never reach that wheel's full potential.

ZIPP started looking at how wind attaches to a wheel and then trails off, which caused them to spend a considerable amount of time working on the back half of the wheel. They found this was a vastly superior approach to aero wheel building. The end result of this labor is the Firecrest wheel.

Racing these wheels for two years now, my experiences have reflected the data. These wheels are obscenely fast. I was dorking around and threw my 404s on an old, steel Lemond frame and was absolutely amazed at how much faster the bike rode. Racing these wheels in technical crits they are adequately stiff to get me around the corners and take a tremendous beating when I'm throwing tons of force into the front end during sprints and attacks. Strangely enough, these wheels seem a ton more stable in crosswinds that other deep dish carbon wheels I've ridden. I can't really explain it, but it feels like they are just slightly being pressed by crosswinds rather than wrecked and thrown around all over.

Feel free to demo these wheels and see what I'm talking about: http://mikesbikes.com/about/bike-and-wheel-demos-at-mikes-pg900.htm

2013 Colavita Grand Prix

By Dana Williams As a team we went into the P12 race with just three riders; myself, Brandon Trafton and Travis Lyons. Our main goal was to try to get Travis the win. He is a Cat 2 rider looking to upgrade to Cat 1. Brandon and I were happy to do what we could to help him collect valuable points. Both Travis and I had won a race on this course in prior years; I believe mine was the Cat 2 race two years ago and Travis in the 2/3 race last year. We talked prior to the race and realized our wins had come in similar fashion. We agreed that Travis stood the best chance of winning by having Brandon and I lead him out to an agreed upon critical point of the course, where he would start his sprint and go for the win.

There was a decent size field of around 40 guys, with one or two Cat 1 ladies jumping in for race experience, at the start. Red Peloton definitely had the biggest numbers with six or seven. From what I recall (results aren't up yet) Squadra and Olympic Club had three or four riders, MarcPro Strava and a number of other teams had two, followed by lots of solo riders. The three of us decided that we would play a more defensive role in the race based on the fact that it was Travis' second race of the day, plus we could rely on Red Peloton and other teams to chase if they weren't represented in the break.

The course isn't very technically; basically a 350 meter front and back straight away with a 100 meters on each end. Turn 1 to 2 is more like an semi circle while turn 3 to 4 has a little convex bend in it. The whole back stretch was a climb of around 2%, except for a little 50 meters 5% kicker at 200 meter. There was also a head wind. Out of turn 4 (start of the start/finish straight away) was a little 5% downhill ramp, where it then flattened out for 75 meters before the start/finish line, and then continued to turn one.

It didn't take long for guys to start attacking. I'm not sure what Red Peloton's plan was but if I was in their advantageous position, consistently throwing guys off the front would seem to be a good move. Brandon and I were doing a solid job of marking dangerous moves. At around 30-35 minutes into the race a break of 10-12 guys formed. Brandon and I were both in it but unfortunately Travis was not. In general the break was working pretty well together, with the occasional attack. Brandon and I wanted Travis to be in it so we decided we would rotate through when our turns came, without accelerating, in hopes that Travis would bridge up.

Travis ended up in a chase with four or five other riders. The gap between us bounced between 20-30 seconds for quite a while. Finally, with around 15 minutes to race, Travis and the others in his break bridged up. We were now 15-20 riders. It was now time to execute our plan. The only hitch is that Travis told me he was feeling some leg cramps and wasn't sure if he could sprint at full strength. I told him to sit in and see how things felt towards the end. On the third las lap, Brandon and I moved to the front. We rotated and set a good tempo. Travis soon found my wheel as we ended the second to last lap. Right around this time, Will Riffelmacher of the Olympic Club shot off the front in a last ditch effort to stay away. We didn't panic, kept the pace going and were able to bring him back on the back stretch.

As we crested the short 5% pitch, Brandon on the front followed by me, I looked behind and realized Travis wasn't there anymore. He would later tell us a hamstring cramp snuck up on him which ceased his effort to stay with us. It wasn't a time where we could sit up and wait as guys were nipping at my back tire like a hungry pack of wolves. It was time for 'Plan B'. Brandon dug a little deeper and got me to turn three. Guys started to swarm me so I couldn't wait any longer. I saw a little gap between two riders, stood up and sprinted. I looked back and had a little gap. I knew I had to give it all to keep away from the 'hungry dogs' chasing me down. I exited turn four in the lead and pushed hard, all the way to the line. Time was on my side and I was able to raise my hands,   in celebration of getting my first win of the year. It was even more special because my wife and two boys were there cheering me on.

Thank you to all our sponsors and supporters for your continued support.

Specialized S-Works Prevail Helmet: Cool, Comfortable and Safe

By Shawn Rosenthal Coolness:

Thermoregulation is one of the most important aspects to consider during an endurance event in the summer sun.  Your head is one of your body's radiators.  Keeping it cool is essential.  This helmet is made with massive vents to channel cooling air.  Lots of air.

When I get to the start line of a warm, sunny race and I see others wearing a closed vent aero road helmet and a thick, dark skinsuit, it cracks me up.  I'll stay cool in my mesh white jersey and vented helmet.

Comfort:

Years ago, I remember switching from one of my old helmets to one of the new Bell helmets.  What a world of difference it made having a helmet that simply disappeared out of thought once I put it on.  The Specialized Prevail sits yet another step up. I got the same impression when I went out riding for the first time with it.  It feels like I am not even wearing the helmet.  This is accomplished by two characteristics.  First, the helmet fits to your head perfect with a minimalistic, padded frame, holding the actual structure of the helmet away from your head.  Second, the helmet is a featherweight.

Safety:

Yes, the helmet protects the head.  We got a chance to crush one in the testing labs.

This one far exceeds the required safety requirements and is one of the safest helmets on the market.  It utilizes a large amount of lower density polystyrene on the sides, allowing the helmet to crumple a greater distance for a lower pulse upon impact.  They've achieved the ability to use lower density polystyrene through their kevlar internal skeleton.

This is one component under appreciated that will make you feel better and enjoy your ride more.

Shawn is the 2013 NorCal District Road Race Champion. He lives in Berkeley, CA and run his own cycle coaching business: http://www.provantagesports.com.

Zealios Sun Barrier: We Use it to Protect Our Skin and Maintain Performance

By Adam Switters Although many cyclists manage to get more tan than cast members of the Jersey Shore, it comes with the unwanted side effect of multiple hours in the sun everyday. It’s about time we started to protect our skin and that’s why Team Mike’s Bike p/b Incase is proud to be sponsored by Zealios Sun Barrier.

Along with preventing skin cancer, wearing Zealios Sun Barrier is also performance enhancing; it reduces radiant heat absorption and keeps your body cooler. Zealios Sun Barrier is made for athletes. It’s oil free and isn’t greasy like a lot of sunscreens out there. It’s sweat resistant meaning you’ll still be burn free 4 hours into your long ride. It even has anti-oxidants to help absorb free radicals!

We use Zealios Sun Barrier because we know it’s the best and you should too.

U23 Nationals Criterium

This was my 2nd race of the day; racing the Elite National Criterium just hours earlier that unfortunately took a tight turn in the final lap of the race so I was hungry to do much better in the U23 race. I went back to our host house after the Elite race, showered, ate, and took a quick nap in order to be ready for the U23 race. I knew I was going to get a call up as I am ranked in the top 8 in the USA Cycling rankings so I had a little bit of more extra time to spin around and wake up my body for the race. The team was: Marcus, Nick, Travis, and I. Just as the Elite race, we had a strong feeling that a break might get away so we wanted to be represented in the breaks and if it came down to a sprint, we want to try to lead me out or get me into position. It was fast at the beginning as expected but it settled down after about 20 laps. Cal giant was the dominate team, having about 10 riders, so they sent riders off the front and whenever Hincapie or Bontrager miss it, they would chase hard to make sure it comes back. Eventually a break got away that last for a while but Hincapie went to the front and brought it back by 10 laps to go. At this time, Marcus, Travis, and I were all together, stayed right at the front and fighting for position with the big names the whole time. We were able to do this until about 7 laps to go, where it started to get harder and harder to stay together so I released Travis and told Marcus that it's just the two of us then. By 3 laps to go, we were right behind Cal Giant and I then released Marcus because I was right where I wanted to be. Marcus and Travis ended up staying right behind me and guided me through the next 1-2 laps. I was in about 12th place coming into 1 lap to go so I moved up on the inside, slotting right behind Hincapie, who was taking over Cal Giant. I was behind Ty Magner (Hincapie, previous National U23 crit champ) which was perfect for me. We were fighting very hard for position with the Cal giant riders and a few others behind all the way into the third corner. Going into it, I hit a crack in the road which sent me wide through the turn and allowed the Cal Giant riders by and the others behind me. As the official lead out took place up the hill to the finish, I didn't have much left as I raced the Elite race earlier in the day and got stuck behind the 2nd row of riders. A close call going around the last corner made me sit up for a second which forced me to roll in behind them for 13th. This was a bit disappointing, knowing that I was in great position and a small mistake going around the 2nd to last corner cost me the race.

I would like to thank my teammates for all of their hard work for me and I feel horrible not getting the job done for them. I am looking forward to coming back next year and looking to counter on how I did this year. I would like to thank all of the sponsors for all of their support throughout the entire year because this team wouldn't be possible without you!

Thank you for reading.

--James LaBerge

Elite Nationals Criterium

Coming into today, I had been fully rested after racing Wednesday from the U23 road race that put Nick and Marcus in the 22nd and 23rd spots and Roman finishing a strong 8th place in the Elite road race two days before. It had been unbelievably nice there in Madison, Wisconsin and I knew it had to change sometime or another. By Sunday the weather was in the 80's and the humidity was roughly the same which made it a bit uncomfortable.  Nevertheless, I moved on and pre-boosted before the race with the Pre-load OSMO to get me ready for the day at hand. Coming into the race, I knew there were 4 teams we had to watch out for if a break were to get away: Cashcall, Champion Systems, Elbowz, and Predator cycling. The team was: Roman, Eric, Shawn, Marcus, and I so we needed to be careful in what we did but we ultimately wanted a field sprint. The race started out very fast, as it was expected with a couple dangerous moves throughout the race but we made sure we had one us at least one of us represented in the breaks. The laps kept ticking down and by 10 laps to go, Roman, Shawn and Eric went to the front to take control and keep the pace high so that no one could sneak away. By 8 laps to go, Cashcall took over and I hooked onto Eric and we stayed near each other the entire time. I reconnected with Eric coming into the final laps and at 1 lap to go, we were about 8-10th place. Eric moved me up to about 5th going into turn 2 with a mix of Elbowz and Cashcall riders in front of us. Coming into the all-important turn 3, a rider a couple places in front of me swerved for some reason which caused Eric to do the same and that unfortunately left me with no where to go but hit Eric's back wheel as I was seeking to stay out of the wind. I was fortunately able to keep my body upright and save myself some skin but the price was that I clipped out of my right foot and by the time I got it back in, I was about 30 guys too far back and there was no chance of any kind of good placing after. I had the U23 Nationals Criterium coming up in only a couple hours so I decided to just roll in instead of fighting for a -45th placing. It was a bit disappointing that this happened on the last lap but it is part of bike racing and I knew my form was there so I'm pleased with that, at least.

I would like to thank all of my teammates for putting their trust in me; as a 20 year old, it is huge to get these kinds of opportunities and I can't tell them thank you enough for all of their hard work that put in for me and I feel dreadful of not bringing home anything for them. Also, I would like to thank all of the sponsors and Team Management to get us all out here to Nationals and race for a National Championship! We all greatly appreciate it and we look forward to next year back in Madison, WI!

Thank you for reading.

--James LaBerge

Red Kite Criterium #4

By Brandon Trafton The Red Kite Series has been truly great all season. This was the 4th criterium in the series, but the course was altered to change the dynamics of the race. I was a lone wolf in this race, no teammates to share the work. The previous two Red Kite races that I have done this year ended in a break, so I was expecting this one to finish the same.

Lombardi Sports and Leopard were the two teams with numbers in the race. Sure enough, they used them to their advantage and ensured they were well represented in the breaks. Chuck Hutcheson and William Myers  from Marc-Pro Strava were also active throughout the race. I did my fair share of attacking as usual, but nothing was sticking.

Finally with 10 laps to go, I was able to get of the front with Patrick Briggs from the Prime Time Masters team. We rotated, but behind the pack was chasing hard. We were caught with 2 laps remaining so tried to positioned myself for a sprint. Jared Kessler of Folsom Bike laid in a great lead out for his teammate Matt Chatlaong, Matt got the win by a tire in front of Randy Bramblett. Unfortunately, I lost some positioning on the back side of the course, but held on for a 9th finish. Another great race for the week, looking forward to the upcoming week in Novato with a handful of Team Mike’s Bike’s p/b Incase riders.

U23 National Road Race Championship

by Nick Newcomb Location: Madison, Wisconsin Teammates: Marcus Smith, James Laberge and Travis Lyons Place: 22 out of 150

I went into this race with no expectations as some of the top teams in the country showed up including Bontrager (fresh off the Tour of California), Hincapie, Hagens Berman, Cal Giant, and BMC. The course was a really awesome, mostly flat circuit, with a steep one mile climb and fast twisting decent. We had to do 6 laps totalling around 80 miles and approximately 7000 ft of climbing.

The race started with Cal Giant sending guys off in a break away which forced Bontrager and Hincapie to stay on the front and chase. This kept the pace nice and steady. Through the first half of the race James, Travis, Marcus and I all stayed in good position. Every time we hit the climb, the whole field went ballistic. Marcus and I helped each other to stay in the top 30 and were inspired by Eric yelling like crazy on the sideline.

Eventually the break was brought back and Bontrager promptly sent another break up the road. Now the race was really blowing up and we all battled for position going into the last climb. I positioned myself in the top 20 and soon found Marcus. Now there was only one thing we could do;  put on our pain faces (as seen in the photo), After going cross eyed up most of the climb, I crossed the line 22nd and was stoked to see Marcus right behind me in 23rd. Great success!

2013 Elite National Road Race Championship

By Roman Kilun The Elite National Road Race was held in a beautiful wooded and hilly park in the farm lands of Wisconsin with the finish atop the tallest point in the state. The race was a relatively short 140k of 6 laps, but the hills and the heat would make for a tough selective day. The first few laps where rather odd and not particularly memorable. The only breakaway of note was teammate Eric Riggs who was solo for the first portion of the first lap. Throughout the first half of the race Team Mike's Bikes p/b Incase stayed attentive and focused on hydrating with Osmo.

In the middle of the third lap there was a big split in the field over a steep kicker. Shawn and I were slightly caught out and he did a great job closing the gap. At that point I knew that the next ascent of the main climb would be decisive. Therefore I put myself in the best possible position and prepared to suffer. As expected the strong guys made there move and group of five split clear of the shattering field. I was close to making it but got caught in traffic and was not on the wheels of the escape. Luckily, I was in good company as Leece, Santos and one other rider were making a desperate effort to bridge over the top.

On the descent we joined forces and made a mad drive to get across. Once across the group was eight and we had to work. The gap slowly stretched out to a 1:30 over the 4th lap. On the 5th lap Cole House somehow bridged with another rider. It's never good to add riders to a breakaway yet it was nice to have the additional horsepower as the wind continued to kick up.

The breakaway started the final lap with a 1:50 lead and continued to work smoothly until the midway point where Cole House threw down a blistering attack. Only the Elbowz rider followed the wheel but I was able to work with Leece to get across without much drama. This gave me some confidence for the finish as the other riders appeared to be struggling. The remainder of the lap was uneventful as we sized each other up and prepared for the climb to the finish which included an extra 1 kilometer pitch from the normal circuit. Up to this point I was perfectly confident and was dreaming of a podium spot. However, as we started to climb I felt the twitches of a cramp in my quads and knew I had to be very careful. Often, I can prevent a full on cramp by avoiding any sharp accelerations.

Things were going according to plan until Leece attacked mid way up the climb. Surprisingly there was not much reaction but the pace went up significantly. The group started to shatter under the pressure and it was every man for himself to the finish line, which I crossed in 8th place. I would have loved to do better but it is a result that I am very proud of and have no regrets of how I rode the race. My equipment was perfect and the support of Team Mike's Bikes p/b Incase is more than I could ask for.

Tomorrow we will try again in the crit. #MBFY

Davis 4th of July Criterium

By Brandon Trafton The Davis Fourth of July Criterium is truly one of Nor-Cal’s classic races. Despite the blistering heat, year after year, it is always sure to draw a competitive field. Because of the heat, we expected the race to be won from a break. We had planned to follow the attacks, and decided to reserve Dana for the sprint just in case it came down to a pack finish.

The attacks started early, never truly dying off. However, nothing got too far up the road. The moves that were going either did not contain enough riders, or the right mix of guys. We made sure we were represented through out the race, but with only 15 min remaining, a few of us predicted that a field sprint was likely. Sure enough, this is when the field began to split.

A dangerous move containing Ben Jacques-Maynes, Chuck Hutcheson and Nate English among others rolled off the front, leaving a splintering peloton behind. Within a few short laps however, it was all coming back together. As the break was caught, Nate English laid in a perfect attack taking a Folsom Bike rider with him. With only 3 laps to go, the gap was significant and we knew the race was now for 3rd place.

At 2 laps to go, Team Mike’s Bikes p/b Incase took control of the peloton and started the lead out for Dana Williams. Adam Switters took Dana around the final corner to a 3rd place finish (1st in the field sprint) and Adam managed to hang on for 5th (3rd in the sprint).

All in all it was a great race, hot, but very fun.