Team Camp - The Rides

Team camp was a one of a kind of camp! We had three great rides and shared many thoughts about the upcoming season. We started out with a ride from Ronnie Lenzi’s house (amazing hospitality!!) out to the coast, to Dillon Beach and back inland to Petaluma. The next day we had major climbing and sprint workout/lead outs going on all day! This was a must for the team and it paid off very good! Look out for the big black/white train of Mike’s Bikes! We then climbed over Sonoma Mountain, into Sonoma Valley and then up the 2,000+ ft climb up Cavedale Road! I’ve done this climb many times before and it has never been so beautiful while you climb up to the top! It was an amazing scene during the intense climbing. We then descended back down Trinity Road back down to on valley floors of Sonoma Valley, back over Sonoma Mountain and back to Petaluma.

We then had a photo shoot and did a late afternoon ride with the photographers. They were amazing– having to deal with us for over 10 hours!

Overall, it was an amazing weekend of hospitality from the Lenzi’s and so much positive attitude and teamwork! Thank you all to all of our sponsors that make this all happen– Mike’s Bikes, Specialized, Zipp, Sram, Bike Smart, Go Pro, Capo, Garmin, Clif Bar, and Look!!

First race of the year is this Sunday in Napa with the Cherry Pie Criterium! See you there!

-James

Rainier's Photo Journal - Training Camp

Ten miles into our first ride together as a team.

Ten miles left of our first ride together as a team.

Ben adjusting.

Paul crushing.

Matt contemplating.

more here and here.

Team Camp Photography

For those of your that don't frequent our Flickr page or are friends with some of our riders on Facebook, we had some beautiful shots taken from Studio Six this past weekend at our team camp. Here is a sneak peak at some of the excellent photos to come and visit our our Flickr page for some more photos taken by us at camp including a video of our own Maurice displaying one of his other talents. Enjoy!

-Hank

Day Two - Team Mike's Bikes Training Camp

Today was the second day of team camp. The morning started a little later than Saturday and a whole lot slower. The one-two punch of Morgan Territory-Mt. Diablo had us all clambering for coffee and breakfast. Much to our delight, the was plenty of both to go around as Ryan "Master Cook" Johnson was preparing a spread fit for a king. There was everything from bacon and eggs to a delicious oatmeal concoction, and, of course, lots and lots of coffee. After stuffing ourselves with delicious food, it was time to think about riding. Unfortunately, the July-like weather that had recently descended on NorCal had left, leaving in its wake an onslaught of wind and rain. Naturally, some moaning and groaning ensued, but eventually we donned our Capo kits and prepared to ride.

With much grumbling, we eventually set out on our ride. After just a few minutes, the sky opened up, dishing out what was to be the worst weather of the ride in the first 30 minutes. After a few flats in the opening miles, we settled in for a beautiful ride through green rolling hills and mostly fair weather.

The second day of training camp is always interesting. The riders who pushed themselves hard the day before are showing it, their stiff pedaling and slow accelerations giving them away. It is also a day when those who have arrived with god fitness come to the fore. There were several riders who rode impressively, despite the previous day in their legs. Paul Ngo put in an impressive ride, finishing the climb up Patterson Pass first after a hard fought contest. He also managed to contest the sprint at the end of the day!

Ride data from Ryan's Garmin:

Team Mike's Bikes had a great start to the season with its inaugural training camp. With the start of the NCNCA Road calendar right around the corner, we can't wait to get out and show you, in person, the new team. Come on out to Cherry Pit in Napa next Sunday, February 6th (Super Bowl Sunday!) to see us start the season right.

Until next time.

-Tyler

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Team Camp - Day 1

Greetings from the close of day 1 of team camp!

Today's ride can be described as nothing short of epic. Team member Ben Stern's knowledge of East Bay rides led to a trek from Discovery Bay, where we are making our home for the weekend, through Morgan Territory, over the Diablo saddle and back again. All 13 of us made it out for camp and we were joined by Mike’s Bikes co-wner Matt Adams for 90+ miles of climbs, descents, and attacks through sun, fog, and, towards the end, rain. Below is Hank's ride data: While my extreme exhaustion prevents a detailed account of all the impressive, strong riding I witnessed today, I can tell you succinctly that this team is coming to race this year. The attitude around the house this evening is unbelievably positive. Somewhere, between the smell of Matt Talbott’s coffee and Maurice Monge’s piano overtures, we are definitely coming together as a team and are ready to wreck house!

A bit of a plug here....one of the most impressive points of today happened before we even had turned a pedal on the street. Matt Adams gave a short overview of the Mike’s organization and he went over in particular detail the Mike’s Bikes Africa Project which is focused on setting up self sustaining bike shops in African countries (so far Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe), largely through donations from folks here in the States. If you haven’t perused the Mike’s Bikes website, jump over there and take a look at the link for this project. I, for one, was really impressed by what I found out and am very proud to be involved with an group that puts such value on reaching out in this way.

Ok, I have to put my legs up if I’m supposed to follow anybody tomorrow. Enjoy the pictures and I hope you’re having as much fun riding this weekend as I am!

-John