Merco Madness Day 1

Day 1 - 50 mile Road Race

Ok, so this was a race!

It was kind of crazy to start - there was a lot of shuffling on the front from the get go. Lots of people coming around, up and circling through. I had to really pay attention. No looking at the cool cows, or hawks or pretty streams... darn. This was my first big 123 road race, so i didn't really know what to expect. I also hadn't pre road the course so when we got to the climb - it was a little bit of a mystery - which made pacing myself hard...

The pack slowly started to accelerate up the bumpy climb on the first lap. There were patches of rock and gravel in some sections, which was kind of sketchy. It got really hard for me pretty quick and I felt myself drifting back, breathing hard and thinking NOOOOOOO don't fall off! With about 300 meters i did. But, there was a healthy group that did too. So on the wicked fast decent (rolling decent not very steep) we made up the ground and re joined the peleton. One smell comes to mind from that lap - the smell of rubber burning on carbon heading into a 90 degree turn. It was kind of cool, i have to admit.

We all stayed together up and through the rolling road past the start. And then we hit the hill again. I tried to stay with them, but half way through I had to ease up or I would have buried myself something fierce.

Good news - more fell off this time, so I had company. It was a fun crew mixed with team Red, PB&CO, Tibco, Metro Mint, Touchstone, Webcore, Vanderkitten, and a few others... We rallied together, and began pace-lining... we saw the main group and stayed steady...I think we all were about 10 min off the leader, which i felt wasn't that bad given the strength of the field.

It was really hard, but awesome to work with a group like that. I feel like i learned a lot about pulling, resting, and finding the flow in a larger group.

We all stayed together for pretty much the whole race - we were trying to survive, to make the cut off time. At the end, we all sprinted it out and I came in midish pack.

I was pooped after the race - came back and slept for a few hours, ate a burrito, jumped in a bath full of ice, and called it a night!

All in all it was a lot of fun, and a great experience. I learned a lot!

Thanks for reading. =)

Beth Welliver gets into the Leadville 100!

"It’s an uphill battle. Even downhill"

This is big news! I know a 100 miles doesn't sound like a lot when you're logging hours and miles on the road bike..but when it comes to a mt bike let me be the first to tell you - IT IS! Let alone, a 100 miles of mountain in Colorado...at altitude!

This will be a great challenge, and one we all believe Beth is certainly capable of achieving, and knocking out of the park! She just may have to borrow my scalpel...hehe.

If you haven't heard about the race, or watched the movie "Race Across the Sky", with none other than Lance Armstrong - here's a little description i took from their website. Thanks Leadville people!


"Determination. Guts. Insanity. If you don’t have them, stop reading now. Leadville events aren’t for everyone. They’re for only the toughest athletes looking to challenge themselves — and impress the world. Set 13,000 feet up in the treacherous Colorado Rocky terrain, the strong may survive, but only a few will leave with their pride.

Race Description

This is it. The race of all races. 100 miles across the high-altitude, extreme terrain of the Colorado Rockies. Created for only the most determined athletes. Starting at 9,000 feet and climbing to 13,000 feet, you’ll be challenged to catch your breath — while the views try to take it away."

Neat facts about Leadville the town -

Situated at an elevation of 10,152 feet (3094 m), Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States. A former silver mining town that lies near the headwaters of the Arkansas River in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the city includes the Leadville Historic District, which preserves many historic structures and sites from Leadville's dynamic mining era.

Top finishers in past years -

1. Rebecca Rusch, ID 7:47:35

2. Amanda Carey, ID 8:12:54

3. Anne Gonzales, CO 8:45:46

4. Natasha Hernday, CA 8:47:35

5. Lisa Isom, CO 8:47:51

6. Kelsy Bingham, UT 8:53:57

7. Rachel Farrett, CO 9:27:57

8. Jane Rynbrandt, CO 9:30:47

9. Johanna Mickle, CO 9:32:41

10. Kathy Kallner, AZ 9:32:50

Ron Riley (Team Bike Station Aptos) Race Re-Cap

Our very own Ron Riley beat his long standing nemesis Buz Brockway in 70+ cat 1 for first place in Sagebrush Safari, Kenda Cup #1 outside San Diego last Sunday despite the less than ideal weather conditions that included snow, ice, mud, and several chilly stream crossings. The weather was so bad, the original course was converted to a short loop which took a lot of effort to put together - way to go Kenda Cup race organizers!





This was Ron's debut of his new Scalpul 1 which he said performed perfectly under harsh conditions.

Congrats Ron and way to represent BSA on the podium!

Bike Station Aptos TV - CCCX MTB #1 - Fort Ord

Central Coast Circuit and MTB Race Reports - 2/12 & 2/13

We had yet another spectacular sunny weekend here in Santa Cruz, which made for some pretty great racing in Nor Cal. We are fortunate enough to have some really amazing local race promoters that put on great Cyclocross, Road, and Mountain Bike events in Monterey County. If you haven't checked out their website - do it! The CCCX series draw people and ability levels that span from beginner to professional, and because it's California you really never know who's gonna show up on race day.



As of Saturday morning there was one pre registered rider for the road circuit race in the W 123 category, so we figured it was going to be pretty low key. However, the field - combined with some super fast masters -- got up to over 20 which made for a really fun and competitive race! Overall Bike Station Aptos represented on the podium with a 3rd and 4th place in the W123 division. Way to go!

Shout out to Michelle Heaton who blasted past the 123's to snag the overall win, and Beverly Chaney who always makes me work harder than I want to in pretty much any race we enter - cross or road!



Sunday came too soon for me, but not soon enough for Devon apparently who made her way through multiple fields to win the Womens Expert/Pro MTB and probably a few of the Mens Expert age category races... Talk about talent - it was her first mtb race! And to top it all, she raced with a camelback on. hehe! It was a tiny womens field (hopefully that will change as the season progresses), but great course and as always very well run by Keith, Rod, and the rest of the CCCX crew.

Other notable BSA riders that competed were Ron Riley who battled it out in the 65+ category, Kurt Brown (Sport Men 35-44) who placed 5th out of an impressive group of 26 34, and Joseph DeSante (Sport Single Speed) who placed 5 out of 13. Also - we had a great little cheering section at the MTB race that consisted of Beth Welliver, a new member of the BSA womens team (yay!)who couldn't race due to being sick (no!), and Harriet Riley, devote race supporter and water-bottle-hand-up extraordinaire! Thanks you two!



Thanks for reading and thanks to all of our supportive sponsors!

Team Bike Station Girls

Been to Cafe Sparrow Latley?

Big thanks to Cafe Sparrow for their generous donation and sponsorship of the road team this year. We love our local sponsors, and encourage the friends of Bike Station Aptos to check them out. We believe in shopin' and livin' local. It takes a village! =)