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!! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU TOMORROW !!
Camp San Luis Road Race, Saturday July 4
SLO Downtown Criterium Classic, Sunday July 5
DAY OF REG IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR ALL CATS EXCEPT MEN 5.
Click HERE for more information, schedules, and official race flyers.
See what's happening with Women's Focus Activities, Kid's Krit, and SLO Little 500!
The 3-day is Chock FULL of Activities. See a Weekend Schedule HERE.
You could WIN a Limited Edition Fat Tire Cruiser from New Belgium Brewing Co!
>Details HERE<
Introducing the 2009 SLO Downtown Criterium-inspired Art, by Jeff Herring of SoCalCross.org. Thanks Jeff for your talented contribution! Look for fantastic t-shirts, jerseys and posters using his creation.
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:::NEWSBLOG:::
 Art after Dark at 1060 Osos Street, celebrating the opening of the Bike Momentum Gallery, was magical to say the least and just generally a packed house of bikeys and lovers of art. This year's gallery is blowing people away with the beauty of its presentation and the sheer multitude of cycling-inspired art.
First off, here's a sneak peak of some of the wonderful SpokeCreate pieces unveiled. Created by Fred Pasion, the piece to the right is called "Beach Cruising Pismo". It includes a cornucopia of found materials: rebar, metal and fiber lath, concrete, beach pebbles, shells, china, ceramic and glass tile, bottle glass, sawn asphalt and concrete; and a "beach ball” constructed from an old basketball tops the whole thing off like a cherry.
Chris Skrabanik's "Re-Cycle Family":
Tricycle and three bicycles fabricated from scrap sanding discs, wire and grinding wheels, ½” and 5/8” hot-rolled solid round bar, 1/8” angle, various sizes of chain link, and other random bits and pieces.
More Spoke Create pieces to be highlighted here soon, including a chance to vote online for your favorite piece. Votes will be tallied and first and second place will be announced and awarded with cash at the SLO Downtown Criterium.
The Bike-Citement was extremely high all night as people roamed from piece to piece taking it all in:
We particularly wish to highlight the Memorial displayed in memory of Bonnie McKee Hoadley, shown below. Bonnie was the wife of Rod Hoadley who founded Peak Racks, and mother of their two children, Casey and Helen. The Hoadley family has been one of the most committed bike families in our community, having set up Hawthorne Elementary's successful Safe Routes to School program and the innovative Racks with Plaques program, which has been responsible for the erection of over 100 bike racks in the city of San Luis Obispo over the last few years. Bonnie passionately believed that kids learn how to be more independent and learn better when they are able to bike and walk to school. It is hard to think of a more dedicated parent. Bonnie passed away after a lethal fight with Leukemia. She is sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Hoadley family.
You would be silly to miss this public event happening at the SLO Downtown Criterium, and even sillier to participate. We hope if you are reading, you are the latter. Read about and sign up for this 4-person relay+costume mania at none other than www.SLOLittle500.com! Think Bike Happening meets Bay to Breakers meets the Cutters.
So. Get your team together. Choose a theme. Get creative. Be a movie cast, a sporting team, or meld your teammates minds to create a fantastic theme of your own. Prizes will be awarded for best costume by our panel of judges. Judges will rank costumes based on originality, extravagance, and all around amazing-ness. Take over the race course on July 5! Come ready to compete more on best style and greatest show rather than who comes over line first. Proceeds go to the SLO County Special Olympics.
 There's many reasons to like the Tall Bike Posse, started by Sheriff Bill, and one of them is there motto: We ride high, in the sky, on the fly, with that guy. In addition- Tall Bike Posse plans, organizes, and creates the space for the annual Bike Art Gallery for SLO County Bike Month. This year it's call Bike Momentum and will take place at 1060 Osos Street, SLO.
All month long you can come and peruse some of the coolest local art based on our favorite muse, the bicycle. Bill has put a teaser pic on their blog of one of the pieces that will be shown, and what an amazing piece it is! Proceeds from art sales go to the SLO County Bicycle Coalition.
SATURDAY!
and, SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY:
Announcing our Top Sponsors for the 2009 Central Coast Cycling Classic.
These great businesses and organizations are what make this weekend so awesome. Click on the logo block to visit our sponsor description page click through to company websites to learn more:
Thanks to the Tall Bike Posse, producer of the long standing Bike Month Art Show, SPOKE CREATE now has a home for May’s Bike Month. We have partnered together to jointly host both art shows in the same location; 1060 Osos St. (same location as last year). Lucky for us, May 1 st happens to be the first Friday of the month, which is perfect for kicking off both art shows on the 1 st day of Bike Month and for being part of ART AFTER DARK! Join us on May 1st from 6-9pm to check out awesome bike related art, meet the artists and enjoy food and drink with friends.
photo: snapped by Yardsale Dan at the 2008 BikeExperience Art Show
Still Looking for Artists to Win Cash !
Spoke Create is still looking for art! Not to be confused with the Tall Bike Posse’s show, Spoke Create is a competition and will be awarding cash prizes based on a People’s Choice Award. Spoke Create Art needs to be made from recycled/found materials and must be free standing and at least 4’ tall. Deadline to submit Spoke Create Art is April 30th at 1060 Osos St. Please contact me,
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
to reserve a spot for your art. Space is limited.
Be sure to check out contest details here.
Camp SLO is a military base, but you'd be hard-pressed to feel like you're on one when you're racing our course, and you get to the top of the climb, surrounded by wind-swept views of SLO's valleys and volcanic Morros. Here's looking out west:
And looking south, continue on the road course:
Yet another gorgeous view...
Camp SLO Road Race is a 7-mile circuit. See the road course here.Some of the pavement has large gouges and potholes in it, some of which we can mend. Luckily those that are more prominent are on the uphill climb which makes them way more visible and avoidable. This all reminds me that many of us will be journeying through Copperoplis' pocked and crappy roads tomorrow! Cali's Paris-Roubaix! Well, Camp SLO is not half as bad, but there will be some advisories out so you are forewarned!
But ultimately, during our photo recon, we found this warning to be the trump of all warnings. Don't be scared- a little Threatcon B never hurt anyone. And besides, isn't that a name of a famous rap star?
The thought of racing through a downhill into a hair-pin 180 turn on a bike does not appeal to just everyone. Fortunately for the Santa Cruz Classic Criterium and its long history, its participants are now loyal, hearty and many of them seasoned competitors. An idyllic day and great turnouts put smiles on many a face. SLO-town had two Nexusians out there dueling it out- Paul Yun and yours truly. Rock Solid/Bishops Peak team had quite a squad and in the P/1/2 race Dillon Clapp, Craig Nunes, Matt Carinio, and Nate Erickson raced their hearts out. I can't imagine doing a better job of summarizing the day than Mike Hernandez of NorCalCyclingNews.com does, so I won't. Especially when it comes to the Men and Women Pro races and describing P/1/2 winner Dan Holloway's performance. Read his great report Here. Click on the pic below for a slurry of shots from the day.
The March Warm-up Triathlon has come a long way... 
going from a pool swim and hosted on campus, to going off campus on the bike leg, to heading outta SLO and into Arroyo Grande at Lopez Lake and hosting both a sprint and Olympic distance race.
We came out this year toting our trusty bike blender and we forced tired and hungry triathletes to bike their way to smoothie-dom. It was cruel and delicious (the smoothie) punishment, and they all enjoyed it thoroughly and soon smiles were beaming from skinsuit-clad student athletes. Good weather, and a great team of volunteers made the triathlon a pleasure to be a part of.
We'll be announcing the winner of the Cyclo-Mania package from the 50 emails we have and sending a great package of items at the end of this week! Click on the pic to see more.
Saturday is the MTS at Lopez Lake. Nimble Creative will be out there with the ever-popular bike blender at our booth. As we were going through our old promo gear from past promotions, I pulled out our 2006 "Racers Legs" photo board. Ahh the memories. 2006. Back when we were just starting out, hosting on a different website, and putting the race on at Prado Business Center! These legs will crush you! Kids loved standing behind this and getting their picture taken. Thanks to Zach Wasil, (the engineer behind Spider Bikes which are the quadricycles that have been at each festival from the start!) for creating this board.
So, back to MTS, we'll be signing people up to win a Cyclo-Mania Grand Prize Basket with over $250 worth of gifts:
Thanks to the awesome cycling companies that sponsor us, it includes: Voler Certificate for a pair of shorts, SRAM socks, a 2-disc DVD set of 2007 Amgen Tour of California, Action Wipes and Sports Spray, Lezyne tire levers, Sombra Natural pain relieving gel, AND a pair of Time RXS Pedals that retail at $140. Maybe see you out there at Lopez Lake Saturday morning for some fun!
Redland's tradition runs for years back. The Criterium is an inordinate, technical course in which you better stay awake and alert or else! Very fun to race, just stay in the front of the pack or you're the yo-yo.
Above: The starting line for Men 3.
Above: David and Stephen Leece, father and son power duo, from SLO's Rock Solid Cycling!
Above: a wicked rad woman battling it out in Men 3. She stayed strong through it.
Also representing the Central Coast, Michael Reese of Central Coast Magazine Team in Master's 45+.
SLO contenders Dillon Clapp of Rock Solid Cycling (Men Pro/1/2) and Shaba Mohseni of SLO Nexus- Gym One (W 3/4) also raced. Congrats to the Board of Directors for their time and energy on this staple event, and to each racer for putting their heart and soul into what they love!
Karin Johnson, our Community Outreach and Promotions Coordinator, hit the ground running this year, putting together some great new additions to our road competition weekend. Besides just being an all-around fantastic team player, Karin is spicing things up with her fresh perspective and imagination. We hope you'll get involved or pass on the good word about these opportunities to others in the community- Spoke Create Art Competition, the Downtown Weekend Guide, and the Solstice GreenWay. Click on the pictures below to get more info:
The SLO County Bicycle Coalition raised over $1600 from the Felt-ATOC raffle and a warm THANKS goes out to all of the ticket buyers. This was an excellent way to kick off the Coalition's fundraising plans for the year and a solid reminder of how many great supporters and members the Coalition has!
And now Coalition has new website to better serve you, including a whole area dedicated to updates on the Railroad Safety Trail progress. Check it all out at www.slobikelane.org
Paso Robles was brimming with Bike-citement this last Thursday at the ATOC finish, and the crowds where thick.
Lots of good activities for the little sprouts in the park, which was the hub of the festival.
I was stoked to come upon Central Coast PediCabs and a gaggle of students passengers cruising through the festival. It's good to see CC PediCabs doing their thing cuz they're just fun cats plus they're bringing yet another green transportation option to you. Check their link above and hire them for your next event, wedding, party, shindig!
Then it was time to hit the finish line tent. The whirring blur of the announcers's voices woke everybody up and had them pressed up against the fences in anticipation. Cavendish's win was thrilling to see. And also a little perplexing... we still don't know what he is pointing to here, as he comes over the finish line...
Nevertheless, his sprint win commanded some serious admiration, which he seemed to receive with giddy excitement from the podium girls...
A great day for the Central Coast and Paso Robles. Of course, I'd like to see the ATOC come back to SLO, but honestly Paso did this year's stage proud!
 In the back room at Spikes, packed with bike lusters, Tour fans, music lovers, and just generally fun-loving peeps, the SLO County Bicycle Coalition raised over $600 in raffle tickets sales of the Felt F95 Garmin-Chipotle Team Issue bike, taking the organization well on their way to raising over $1200 so far with this fundraiser in celebration of the ATOC. THANKS to all of you who contributed to this great party and cause!
Many walked away with some fantastic door prizes as well, including Lezyne's latest sexy carbon multi-tool and hand pumps, CBO apparel, and more. The band Mandarax got the room cookin' and we think guitarist Nick Nesbitt actually blushed when we all sang a spirited happy bday to him.
Check out more pics HERE>>
 Mothballs Criterium hosted a large number of racers and benefited from amazing weather. Cats were full, the women's race was very dynamic, and the Pro/1/2 was full of heavy hitters including members of Team Type 1 and Rock Racing. It was a great way for many to start the season.
SLO Nexus-Gym One Team had a strong showing in Men 3, Men 5, Master's 35+, and W 3/4.
We're debuting the Camp San Luis Road Race! July 4th. And on Sunday July 5th,
the 3rd Annual SLO Downtown Criterium will host the SCNCA Elite Criterium Championships.
DON'T MISS THIS WEEKEND! Registration and Hotel info are going to be going out shortly.
For your reminiscing pleasure, check out some great 2008 photos HERE>>
CLICK HERE FOR TALLEY VINECROSS RESULTS
Talley VineCross '09 was a success thanks to you. Go to more photo albums, including the podium shots of top winners and photos of the kids' race HERE>>
Click on the pic:
Cross Fever & Talley VineCross in Cyclocross Magazine:
"...Next up Nimble Creative and SLO Nexus cycling team will host the first  ever cyclocross race on the central coast at Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande. Bring your family and friends for the weekend of racing, vacationing and wine tasting. Special hotel rates are available. Check out details at: www.CenCalCycling.com Series passes available at Sportsbase Online." Read Complete Article>>
Contribute to the SLO Bike Kitchen at Talley VineCross:
 The SLO Bicycle Kitchen is a place for the community to come together for the purpose of bicycle education, camaraderie, parts recycling, and do-it-yourself work which teaches you to be confident in knowing your bike.
The kitchen is a repository of bicycle tools, bicycles, bicycle parts and knowledge available to the community to draw upon at no or very low cost. We can help you build a bike from the ground up, or fix that junker you just found at a garage sale.
The SLO bike Kitchen is a nonprofit chartered organization doing good things in our area.
DONATE to them at the event! They need:
Bicycle tools (wrenches, pullers, cutters, turners and twisters, etc...)
Hand tools (screwdrivers, pliers, etc...) Metric sizes please.
Old bike parts (stems, derailleurs, cranks, seat tubes, pedals, etc)
Old clothes for use as rags.
Tube Recycling with the Bike Kitchen - 26”, 27” & 700x35c+
They have teamed up with a Seattle company that makes products from tubes!. Give your tubes to them instead of sending them to landfill! The sizes above are accepted, unless they have slime or are super thick turn resistant ones.
Talley Vineyards, located just south of San Luis Obispo off Lopez Drive, produces lovely wines such as the Bishop's Peak Rock Solid Red and their Talley Estate Pinot Noir. If you are an athlete in this area, you might also have participated in or heard of the Marianne Talley 5k fun run. Talley also sponsors Bishop's Peak/Rock Solid Cycling team, and now is opening their beautiful vineyard land to a cyclocross course. This challenging course hugs the vineyard valley floor and meanders up onto one of several vine-laden hill plateaus offering a wind-swept view of their land.
This weekend, we set out to test the 1.7-mile course, inviting local cyclists from around the County to take part in a practice race complete with race numbers, lap cards, and prizes. Let us not forget, as well, the wonderful perks of having a sunny courtyard to picnic in afterwards and sip delicious wines. Life is good. Above: Megan Cordes racing past the vines.
Above: the first run-up is a steep and stubborn hill that gets you huffing within the first minute of your lap. Edwin Rambuski of Black Market Racing taking it on in second place.
Above: Tyler Wertenbruch, SLO Nexus Cycling, telling the second steep climb who's boss.
The vines that yield the sweetest of nectars. We thank Talley for hosting this practice race and for partnering with us for 2009's Cross Event in January. More details forthcoming on registration! All photos thanks to the talented Bill Mulder. Please see his flickr photo streams here>>.
See more pictures from this album Here. 
All Photos: Ryan Matteson
Check out Mark Johnson's exceptional tidbits here.
photo: Mark Johnson; call ups for Pro 1/2 starting line; posted on www.socalcycling.com
Holy Moly. Thanks to Cassandra and the rest of the kick-ass student team over at the Mustang for putting together a great online audio slideshow, with sweet voice clips from racers and participants, including a recap by Pro 1/2 winner Daniel Holloway of Garmin-Chipotle's U23 team!
Check it out HERE>>
Stay tuned for more pictures to come, both on this site and others! THANK YOU to Everyone: volunteers, staff, spectators, competitors, and our amazing sponsors for taking the 2nd Annual SLO Downtown Criterium to the NEXT LEVEL.
Surrounded by thousands of spectators, Slipstream's VMG-FELT U23 Team Member Dan Holloway, 2007's National Criterium Champ, takes first place at the SLO Downtown Criterium. Ricardo Escuela and Cody Reilly of Successful Living Pro Cycling Team, took 2nd and 3rd respectively. Antonio Cruz of BMC Racing, not pictured, in 4th Place, and Danny Finneran of Rock Racing's Junior Team takes 5th place. What a fantastic Men Pro/1/2 race.
Fans were going wild as Beatriz Rodriguez of Southern California Velo clinched first place in the Women Pro/1/2/3 Race. Acqua al 2/SDBC's Bonnie Bourque was a close second, with 16 hyear old Kendall Ryan of Major Motion Cycling Club in third. PROMAN Racing's Melodie Metzger and Virgina Perkins took 4th and 5th place, respectively. A very exciting race for all to see.
Click HERE for Archived blog posts |
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