It's a new year for all you Touchstone Cycling fans and as such, I thought it'd be a good idea to let all of you in on what's going on and what WILL be going on in the Touchstone Bike Club for 2009. You can also check out the Touchstone Cycling Blog to stay up to date with everything happening with the Cycling club.

Happy New Year, Happy Cyclists!

We don't know about you, but our resolution is to get back on the bike, whether it be road, mountain or cyclocross – or all of it. Lance is doing it, so why not us? All rides and cycling-related events will be posted on the Blog Calendar for quick and easy reference (http://touchstonebike.blogspot.com/).

With the whole year ahead of us, there are many things to consider.

Ride a 100 miles or two. Here's a smattering of centuries to train for:
1. Wine Country Century – 5/2/09
2. Grizzly Peak Century – 5/3/09
3. Davis Double – 5/16/09
4. Terribly Two – 6/20/09
5. Death Ride: Tour of the California Alps – 7/11/09
6. Marin Century – 8/1/09

Cheer on our team (or even join the team?):
The Touchstone Road Racing Team is primed for the 2009 season. Stay tuned for race results from racers in the following categories: Pro Women Elite, Men's Masters Cat 3, Cat 4, and Cat 5, and Women's Cat 3. If you're interested in joining the team, please contact Markham at markham@touchstoneclimbing.com.

Club rides not limited to road…
Many Touchstoners have been spotted on the vast number of singletrack routes around the Bay Area. Let us know when you'll be riding next and need some company.

And, if you need inspiration, see the pros ride our roads!
Amgen Tour of California – Feb. 14-22
Stage 2, from Sausalito to Santa Cruz, takes the peloton over the Golden Gate Bridge! (And I don't think the route will take them around the towers either…!)

If you have any suggestions for the Touchstone Bike Club or would like access to post rides, please send an email to touchstonebike@gmail.com.

Labels: Biking, cycling, Touchstone Bike Club, Touchstone Climbing

Just got this awesome press release from those in the know with all the Touchstone Cycling awesomeness and I thought it'd be something I'd be smart to share with all of you. Bottom line, they do great, great things and if you're in the area and into cycling, they are something that is beyond worth your time to check into.

Without further ado, here is the Press Release I just got my hands on! Check it out, then check THEM out...it should be a wildly exciting 2009, that is for sure!

Touchstone Cycling Press Release

Touchstone Climbing enters the 2009 season with an expanded roster and additional sponsorship. After an impressive 2008 season, Touchstone looks to increase their presence and podium appearances.

Kelly McDonald, 6th in the Mogollon RR at Tour of the Gila (or [with consistent top NRC placings]), returns to the team and looks to add to her impressive NRC results. 2008 Irish National TT Champion, Olivia Dillion, will also look to build on a successful 2008 season. Other returning riders include Holly Borowski, Jill McLaughlin, Maria Monica, Pat Ross, and Janeen Thorpe.

Touchstone picked up several highly talented new riders including Sarah Bamberger, who spent the last three years on Cheerwine and Beverley Harper, who spent the last two years on Webcor. Touchstone expects to benefit greatly from Beverley and Sarah’s racing experiences. Other new riders include Kristina Seley, Carol Irving, and fellow Canadians Cara Gillis and Megan Rathwell. This mix of talented, powerful, and intelligent riders will make for a successful 2009 season.

Touchstone Climbing and Fitness remains the title sponsor, and Wrench Science continues its support of the larger roster. Additional sponsors include Velo Vie, manufacturer and reseller of high quality and customized bicycle frames, Lezyne, a cycling accessories company, Voler, apparel providers, Williams Cycling, world class lightweight wheel systems, Clif, Fluid Recovery and Psoas Massage & Bodywork.

Touchstone is also proud to support the National Ataxia foundation and BORP (Bay Area Outreach Program).

Team Roster: Sarah Bamberger, Holly Borowski, Olivia Dillon, Cara Gillis, Beverley Harper, Carol Irving, Megan Rathwell, Kelly McDonald, Jill McLaughlin, Maria Monica, Pat Ross, Kristina Seley, and Janeen Thorpe.

Sponsor Websites:
www.touchstoneclimbing.com; www.wrenchscience.com; www.velovie.com; www.lezyne.com; www.clifbar.com; www.williamscycling.com; www.voler.com; www.livefluid.com; www.psoasbodywork.com;

Labels: cycling, Press Release, Touchstone Cycling

Just a quick note to let all you fans of Touchstone Cycling know that they have officially finalized their roster for the 2009 season! After an extremely successful 2008 season, the combination of new riders to the squad and some returning members should make the 2009 team a pretty intense and lethal combination

According to their site, "New additions for 2009 include Sarah Bamberger, Cara Gillis, Beverley Harper, Carol Irving, Megan Rathwell and Kristina Seley. Returning riders are Holly Borowski, Olivia Dillon, Kelly McDonald, Jill McLaughlin, Maria Monica, Pat Ross, and Janeen Thorpe." Personally I can't wait to see what this new squad can do, and if it's anything like their previous teams, it should be quite a bit and it should always be impressive.

We'll keep you up to date on more relevant news and information concerning Touchstone Cycling as it comes up, but for now, welcome to the 2009 Touchstone Cycling Team all you new members, and welcome back all you seasoned veterans! Here's looking towards an awesome 2009 season!

Labels: 2009 Roster, cycling, Team Sport, Touchstone Cycling

The Touchstone Bike Club is back. With the races finally over, Biketoberfest seems to be the perfect time to kick off the fall season with some mellow rides. All riders welcome to join in on a casual road ride (approx. 50 miles; consistent pace with limited stops) this coming Saturday, culminating in time to for some beer tasting, music, and food at Biketoberfest in Fairfax.

When: Saturday, October 18, 2008
Where: Riders will meet at Fairfax Coffee Roastery (4 Bolinas Road, Fairfax) at 9:15am (earlier if you need your java!)
Roll-Time: 9:30am sharp!!
Route: TBD but will head north toward Tomales Bay. Plan for 50+/- miles! Bring money for potential bakery stop.

Biketoberfest Info: http://www.biketoberfest2008.org/

Hope to see you all next week!!
Gary, Brian, Amy & Jess

Labels: cycling, members, Touchstone Bike Club

With the introduction of new applications for the iphone, there have been numerous fitness based apps appearing in the iTunes store. One of these is RunKeeper, a $9.99 training assistant, that allows you to track your runs & rides by keeping GPS. It keeps track of:

- Duration
- Distance
- Pace
- Speed

It even plots your route on Google maps.

Here is a demo:

Labels: cycling, fitness, Iphone, tips

Weather was mild and smoke from the nearby fires had cleared by the start of the first annual 4th of July challenge. Instead of their usual lightweight rides, 24 hardy bike club members showed up at 9am on Independence Day with single speed cruisers, townies or mountain bikes, for an urban photo scavenger hunt.

“The Challenge” was the brain child of club member Scott Clark, who broke the group down into teams of 3 or 4, gave everyone a digital camera and issued instructions along with a list of potential pictures. Among the list of nearly 50 possibilities: a statue of a naked man, a yellow cat, a misspelled sign, American flag clothing, a bike locker, a line with 4 people. More esoteric required photos were: “something fishy”, “guilty”, “lucky”, or “that’s not what that’s for”.

Teams were given just an hour and a half to collect as many photos on the list as possible, and were limited only by how far or how fast they could ride together as a unit. Re-grouping after the ride, everyone enjoyed a massive pot-luck while Scott compiled pictures and scored each team. It was widely agreed that this was the best event ever held by the fun-loving Sacramento group, so kudos to Scott Clark! To see some of the results of the scavenger hunt go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/ScottinSacto

For information on your local Touchstone bike club events or rides, go to our message board and look under cycling: http://touchstoneclimbing.com/board/

Labels: cycling, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

Touchstone is proud to support our members who are participating in the AIDS/Lifecycle ride from San Francisco to L.A. on June 1-7, 2008. The AIDS/Lifecycle ride is a 7-day ride that travels 545 miles through beautiful California from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The ride is about raising money and awareness for HIV/AIDS.

To learn more about the ride, visit: www.aidslifecycle.org

If you are a Touchstone member participating in this ride, Touchstone will make a $500 donation to your fundraising goal. (This offer is limited to the first 10 members who contact us. After that, we will make $100 donations.) We will also provide a Touchstone Bike Jersey for you to wear during the ride.

If you would like to be sponsored, please e-mail us at: aidsride@touchstoneclimbing.com

Labels: community, cycling, members

The Touchstone Bike Club has grown up and is graduating from weekly email announcements. From this point on, all club announcements, ride info and last minute updates will be posted on http://touchstonebike.blogspot.com/ -- easy for you to access and leave your comments for others to view real-time. If you still prefer to receive these updates through email, you can sign up for an email subscription which will email any new posts once a day (between 7pm – 9pm).

If you're interested in contributing your own posts to the blog (new route ideas, Sunday/mid-week ride call out, need for carpool to get to a ride start, etc.), send us an email and we will invite you to be an "author". (Note: You'll have to sign up for a gmail account if you don't already have one.) Otherwise, you should be able to leave comments.

Blog Rules: This site was created in the spirit of community. Please limit your comments and posts to Club/bike-related matters only. Any inappropriate postings will be deleted and we'll have to limit site access to members only.

Suggestions for making the site better are welcome!

Happy blogging...

Labels: cycling, touchstone, Touchstone Bike Club

The Sacramento Pipeworks bike club met on a recent cold winter night for their 2nd annual Christmas lights bike ride. Bundled up, riding bikes decked in lights and armed with thermoses of hot chocolate or “holiday cheer”, club members followed a 10 mile route through some of the most beautiful holiday light displays in East Sacramento. Started in 2006 by club member Scott Clark, the ride has already become a tradition looked forward to by all club members. For pictures of more bike club events and activities go to online gallery.

Labels: cycling, members, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

For the 3rd year in a row, Sacramento Pipeworks bike club sent 4 representatives to the bicycling endurance event called Cycle Oregon (CO). This year’s route was a loop starting at Sisters Ore. and returning back to the start via Crater Lake, featuring 481 riding miles spread over 7 days. To celebrate the events 20th anniversary, there was nearly a Mount Everest worth of climbing: 28000’! The event is a portable mini-city with amenities that include a daily CO newspaper, showers, a mobile pizza parlor, beer and wine garden, nightly music or entertainment, and a transportable kitchen with facilities to provide 3 meals a day for 2500 riders and staff.

Our group was required to supply their own sleeping accommodations (a tent), and they unanimously agreed that the hardest thing about the whole ride was getting up to pack their camping gear in the bitter cold, oftentimes before sunrise. According to Kimberly, “breaking ice off the tents rainfly” was a daily chore. More than anything, CO is about extremes: the longest ride was 100 miles, the shortest 45, and temperatures ranged from a low of 28 degrees to a high of 95 on the same day. Will, a veteran rider with 3 CO’s to his credit admits that our group has been lucky: “There has not been one single flat tire in 2 years!”

Congratulations gang!

Labels: cycling, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

When former Sacramento Pipeworks staff member Zane Griffin (above, with beard) and friend Scott Ferreter decided to ride bicycles across country this summer, they realized they had just 41 days to cover 3500 miles, but thought “it sounded like a good idea at the time”. Having done only a few overnight trips on bikes before, to plan the trip they depended on internet research and local bike shops for advice. It was rather hard to find people who had real reliable information, and they managed to speak with only one person who had done it before.

Regardless, one foggy day at the Golden Gate Bridge, with bikes weighing 80 pounds fully loaded, they started. Although there were no luxuries - no I-pods and only one cell phone which they ended up not using – the bikes were still heavy and hard to handle. Almost immediately they encountered the hardest section of the whole trip: Highway 50 through Nevada, with 85 miles between water. “I realize now why they call it The Loneliest Road in America” Zane said.

They ate mostly at small diners, roadside bars or cooked for themselves; but adding to the challenge, both adhere to a vegetarian diet - incredibly difficult in the mid-west where a majority of meals are meat-based. Subsisting on granola bars, peanut butter, bagels and pancakes, they were always hungry - it was hard to intake the 4,000-5,000 calories per day Zane estimated they were burning. At night they stayed in City parks, or were invited to pitch their tent in people’s backyards. The generosity and warmth of strangers was the most amazing thing about the trip according to Zane - offers of a place to stay or something to eat were plentiful.

Despite the abundant hospitality, not knowing where they would stay or sleep every night still left them feeling vulnerable and exposed the whole trip. Due to fatigue and the Appalachian Mountains, the last 4 days were especially challenging: having booked their return flight before leaving, the pair weren’t even sure they would make it to the airport on time. But make it they did – 41 days, 11 flats, 1 pair of shorts and 5 tires later they rolled into our nation’s capital - almost 90 miles a day with not 1 day off! In looking back, Zane said overcoming self-doubt and uncertainty were the biggest rewards of the trip. To other would-be transcontinental riders he quipped: “If you want to do it that fast, be prepared to be uncomfortable”.

Labels: cycling, members, Sacramento Pipeworks

The Touchstone Bike Club would like to invite everyone up to Sonoma County this weekend to ride with them in the BORP Revolution 2007 event.

Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to improve the health, independence and social integration of people with physical disabilities through sports, fitness and recreation programs. At BORP, we believe that sports and recreation provide a path to greater achievement to which all people should have access, and we continually strive to make this a reality. - from www.borp.org


Saturday, 10/6/2007 - SONOMA
BORP Revolution 2007!
All levels welcome! This event benefits athletes with disabilities in the Bay Area Outreach Program (aka "BORP"). Rides range in distance from 25 – 100 miles through scenic Sonoma County. Ride ends with a massage and feast at Trentadue Winery.
Visit http://borp.org/revolution/index.htm for more information!

Volunteers needed too!

Labels: cycling, event, Touchstone Bike Club

Aug. 20 - 24, 2007 several Touchstone members (Bruce Berg, Dan Brekke, Jaime Grant, Marty Kaplan, and Elmar Stefke) participated in the 16th Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) randonneuring bike event. Much like the Olympics this grand spectacle is held every four years and predates the Tour de France. Cyclists must successfully complete a timed series of rides called brevets, covering distances of 200K, 300K, 400K, and 600K in order to qualify for PBP, which covers a distance of 1200K (actual distance 1227K or 763mi) and over 30,000' of climbing in less than 80, 84, or 90 hours (participants chose their starting time/time limit).

This year's PBP turned out to be tougher than usual. Daily rain and wind combined to make things miserable for many of the 5300 riders from around the globe and the number of abandons exceeded that of previous years, including many 'anciens,' previous PBP finishers. The event was truly unique and spectacular, heading over rollers through green fields and quaint villages out to Brest on the Atlantic and back much the same way. Trying to stretch fifty French words into a conversation that would pass time for hours, staving off boredom and exhaustion in the dark and rain. Sitting in pacelines with a handful of foreign riders who hadn't slept much for several days. Was that "to your left" in Danish? Finally the French along the road, who proved to be unparalleled cycling enthusiasts, constantly clapping, cheering, and urging the riders forward, even in the pouring rain and early morning hours. 'Bon Courage, Bon Route, Bon Chance!'

Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, cycling, members

The Sacramento Pipeworks Bike Club, always willing to travel long distances for a beautiful ride, had a camping and riding get-together one recent weekend in Bodega Bay! The club took over 2 camp sites at the Bodega Dunes Campground on Friday and Saturday night, with 12 members showing up for the festivities. Friday night’s dinner was held at a great local family–style Italian restaurant in Valley Ford, before adjourning to the campsite to rest up for the following days ride. On Saturday morning a large breakfast was served before the group departed for a long day in the saddle. One group rode a 35 mile loop that included good amounts of flatland pedaling along with more serious hill climbs, while the second group added about 25 extra miles of strenuous climbing for a 60 mile day. Both rides featured gorgeous scenery and perfect weather. While lounging around the campfire that night, the days ride was relived over drinks, along with a good amount of teasing and joking. The huge post-ride dinner, prepared by Rhonda and friends, along with s’mores prepared by Tanya sent everyone off to their tents with a full belly and a smile on their face.

Sacramento area riders who are interested in the club can be added to the email list by contacting Rhonda at: rosa_alba@msn.com

Labels: cycling, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

The Bear Valley Adventure Sports Festival is coming to the High Sierra this weekend August 25-26, 2007. This two day event celebrates the thrills of human powered recreation through competition, education and community. On the menu is rock climbing, mountain biking, road cycling and flatwater kayaking. It doesn't matter whether you regularly "pull, peddle or paddle", or simply just want to try a new outdoor sport in a safe and supportive environment, the Bear Valley Adventure Sport Festival has something for everybody, including the kids.

Highlights of the festival included:

• 2nd Annual Bear Valley Boulder Bash – outdoor bouldering contest for all abilities and tons of prizes – including cash! (1st Annual report)
• Ebbetts Pass Century & Metric Century Ride – 101 miles & 12,800 feet of climbing
• Grizzley Challenge – A serious 21 mile, 5000 feet of climbing mountain bike ride.

For more information please visit www.AdventureSportsFestival.com or call (209) 753-6556 ext. 1 – We love to talk about our work!

Labels: climbing, cycling, event

This past weekend was full of competitions for Touchstone Climbing.

On Friday night, Berkeley Ironworks hosted the 3rd stage in the Touchstone Roped Series. This was the biggest turnout yet for a TRS event with over 128 climbers turning in scorecards. You can check out the complete results here. The next TRS event will be on August 10th at Mission Cliffs.

On Saturday, the Touchstone Cycling teams took to the hills. Well, one very large hill to be exact. Eleven Touchstone team members competed in the 3rd annual Mount Diablo Hill Climb. Touchstone Climbing was a co-sponsor of this event and our Director of Operations, Markham Connolly, built a very impressive start ramp for the event. The Touchstone Women's Elite team had a strong showing by placing 3 riders in the top 10.

And finally as noted last week, Mark Melvin, founder and CEO of Touchstone Climbing, competed in the Hardrock 100 Endurance Run in Colorado. Mark finished the 100 mile run in 37 hours 56 minutes, an hour or two before nightfall the second night. He placed 44th out of 98 finishers and 134 starters.

Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, climbing, comps, cycling, Mark Melvin, Markham Connolly, touchstone, Touchstone Roped Series

Touchstone Climbing is a proud sponsor of the Mt. Diablo Hill Climb Time Trial and the Lafayette Criterium this coming weekend. On Saturday, racers will roll down the Start Ramp, built by Touchstone, to start the grueling 10K climb up the North side of Mt. Diablo and finish at the junction that leads up to the summit. Last year Beverly Harper, former Touchstone Women’s Elite Team member, posted the fastest women’s time at an impressive 28 minutes flat. The next is the Lafayette Criterium in downtown Lafayette . Again, Beverly crushed the field in the Women’s Pro 1/2 race at the Lafayette Criterium. This year the Women’s Elite Team will be represented by Pat Ross, Kelly McDonald, and Janeen Thorpe. Lisa Stefke and Anne Taupier will be riding for the Women’s Cat 4 team while John Ormby, Scott Herring, Andrew Tilin, Chris Kurrle, Sean Odom and Michael McCabe will represent the Men’s team. For times and more information please visit the C4 Racing site. Stay tuned for results.

Labels: cycling, touchstone

A while ago, long-time Sacramento Pipeworks bike club member Kent “Touchstone Man” Gillis was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder that would ultimately prevent him from riding conventional 2 wheeled bicycles. Never one to give up easily, Kent began looking for alternatives to the 2 wheeled machines and soon purchased a custom-built 3 wheeled hand cycle. He knew it would take months of training to pack enough muscle onto his upper body to propel himself forward using only arm strength, but that thought just made him train harder. Eventually he decided it was time to try his hand at racing, with his first foray taking place recently at the Truckee Criterium. The hand bike race, a fairly flat .8-mile circuit around downtown, was the warm-up act to the pro criterium, so there were quite a few enthusiastic spectators lining the streets. Kent describes the race: “...gnarly crash right in front of me on the very first turn, two bikes got together and one guy splashed on the pavement....welcome to crit racing! I hit 21.5mph on the slight downhill back-stretch, followed by a hard right-hander executed on two wheels (NOT intentionally). The rest is a blur, but I think I did seven laps, came in 6th place and was lapped by the winner twice.” Kent got to do it all over again the next day in downtown Reno on a longer circuit that had a short arm-crushing climb. More spectators, more speed and more fun.

“Unfortunately, the downhill to the start/finish line was into an insane headwind, so what should have been a 35mph screamer was only 25mph” Kent remarked. “I was more relaxed this time, being a veteran racer and all, and enjoyed the experience more, but was toast by the end. This time around I finished 7th and was lapped once.”

Everyone in the Sacramento Pipeworks Bike Club looks forward to watching Kent flash by in his Touchstone jersey at the next hand bike criterium!

Labels: cycling, members, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

This past weekend Kelly McDonald (pro 1/2) won the Kern County Women’s Stage Race near Bakersfield, California while Janeen Thorpe took second in the cat 3 field. The three day race with four stages included a time trial, two road races, and one hill climb. It’s a grueling race. Kelly’s GC win was not sealed until the last lap of the last stage of the race. In the same weekend, Jill, another pro 1/2 rider, won the Panoche Valley Road Race outside of Hollister. Jill has won 5 races this season so far, with her most impressive win at the Tour of Gila in New Mexico. The Touchstone women have won eight overall this season. Congratulations to our Women’s Elite Team. Please visit www.touchstoneclimbingcycling.com for all results and stories.

Labels: cycling, touchstone

Member’s from the Touchstone Men’s Masters Team, the women’s cat 4 team, and the women’s elite team will be racing in the Berkeley Hills Road Race this Saturday, May 12th starting at 8am. The course is the grueling 20 mile Bears Loop that has three difficult climbs called the three bears. The men’s and the women’s cat 4 team will be doing 2.7 laps (52miles) while the Women’s elite team will be doing 71 miles. This is a brutal race for all levels. For more information please visit http://berkeleybike.org/events/berkeleyhills_2007.html. Please come out and support the Touchstone teams. Stay tuned for results.

Labels: cycling, touchstone

Runners and bikers! Always guessing how far a new route might be? Now you have a way to check out the mileage online while you are at work! This online system allows you to click through roads, turns – even short-cuts – to get the most accurate idea of the length of your route without being there. Planning alternate and new routes has never been easier.

http://www.runningmap.com/

Labels: cycling, fitness

This weekend was another great weekend for the Touchstone Race Teams. Pat Ross of the Women’s Elite team won the Orosi Road Race by a huge margin. Known to be a climber’s race, the Orosi Road Race is a 60 mile course (two 30 mile laps) with 4,000 feet of climbing. On the first major climb Jane Despas (Klein Real Estate) set a hard pace. Near the top, though, Pat moved to the front of the group and after a minute or so she looked back to discover that no one was behind her. She immediately bolted to create a larger gap between her and the rest of the field. Low and behold she stayed away the next 50 miles to finish over 8 minutes in front of the others. Can you say stamina? Congratulations, Pat!

Closer to home the Cat 4 women’s team participated in the popular Berkeley Bike Club Team Time Trial set on the other side of the Berkeley Hills. The race is a 16.6 mile two person team time trial with 3 climbs and 3 fast descents. The time is based on the second rider crossing the finish line. Anne Taupier and Vanessa DeGier crossed the finish line with the winning time of 53:02. Jessica de Jesus and Lisa Stefke placed third with a time of 54:01. Ken Dick and Chris Ackerman raced together to cross the line with the 3rd best time of 47:31. Congratulations to all our Touchstone Racers for another great showing.

Labels: cycling, touchstone, Touchstone Bike Club

As reported several months ago, 8 members of the Sacramento Pipeworks bike club formed two 4-person relay teams to complete the California International Marathon (CIM) held in Sacramento last December 2nd. Of those 8 people, 7 committed to training for the Chico Bidwell Classic Half Marathon that was held Saturday March 3rd. Injury and illness sidelined a couple runners, but 5 were left to stick it out. Rhonda Hurst ran the 5K and placed 10th in her age group, with the remaining 4 bike clubbers running the half marathon. Tina Johnston placed 5th in her age group and 97th overall; Scott Clark placed 6th in his age group, 40th overall; Kristen Venditelli placed 16th in her age group, 353rd overall and Pipeworks manager Vaughn Medford placed 23rd in his age group, 269th overall. “We plan to continue running as a group but I think we all agree that it’s time to get back on the bike – at least until this years CIM!” Medford said. Congratulations everyone!

Labels: cycling, fitness, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

Wow! The Touchstone Climbing Race teams have started the 2007 season with a bang. Let’s start at the highest level. The Touchstone Women’s Elite team have won Northern California’s first two major road races. Maria Monica, one of our fine climbers, won the Pine Flat Road Race, a race for climbers in the Sierra foothills near Fresno. Jill McLaughlin, one of our fine sprinters, easily powered through to win the sprint at the Snelling Road Race. Well Done!

The Touchstone Men’s Master’s team have had similar success. John Ormsby, our power master, sprinted for 2nd place in front of a huge field at the Early Bird Criterium. Scott Herring, another power boy, etched by Eric Hoffman, a Mission Cliffs member, at the finish line of the ever so popular Snelling Road Race. As Eric came to the line, Scott snuck by him with a photo finish win. It was a pretty exciting finish.

The newly formed Category 4 Touchstone Women’s Team has started their first racing season with two wins at the Early Bird Crits. Vanessa DeGier in both races darted from mid pack to sprint for easy 1st place finishes. Amy Padula, came 4th at the Pine Flat Road Race.

Congratulations to all the Touchstone Climbing Cycling Teams to a great start. For more information, please visit the bike club page.

Labels: cycling, touchstone, Touchstone Bike Club

Touchstone bike fans are getting pumped up to watch the return of the Amgen Tour of California from Feb. 18 through 25, 2007. Professional teams will compete over a 700-mile route that includes the redwoods, the wine country and the Pacific Coast. The first three teams to be announced were The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, Team CSC and Predictor-Lotto. A total of 16 teams are expected.

A new element that was missing from last year’s inaugural race is a loop through the Central Valley. Individual time trials start in San Francisco Feb. 18. The tour itself begins the next day with a stage from Sausalito to Santa Rosa, and the following day to Sacramento. Then riders will skip south to Stockton for the Feb. 21 stage to San Jose. From there the race shifts down the coast with a leg from Seaside to San Luis Obispo. Subsequent stages go to Solvang, Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita and Long Beach.

The sponsor, Amgen, a pharmaceuticals developer based in Thousand Oaks, is hoping the California tour will someday eclipse the Tour de France. While it has a long way to go, the California tour got off to a good start. The first one drew 1.3 million spectators.

“I was out watching the first three days of the race last year and it was definitely worth the hype,” says Jessica de Jesus, who helped start the Mission Cliffs Bike Club. “It's pretty special seeing all these guys riding the roads we ride all the time at the blistering pace they set. One of the most impressive things was seeing the amount of spectators out on the road, even mid-week! I was just in France this past summer watching the Tour de France and it was very similar in many aspects, which is a very stunning comparison to be able to make.”

The Sacramento Pipeworks Bike Club will definitely make plans to attend the tour as a group, says Pipeworks manager Vaughn Medford. “The Amgen tour is certainly everything they say it is. Still too young to be considered on par with world class rides like The Tour De France or Paris-Roubaix, it is already equal to something like The Tour of Georgia.”

Mission Cliffs will be out in full force as well.

“In addition, we will probably organize the last club ride in February to be a portion of Stage 1 of the race,” says de Jesus.

Aside from being an exciting sports event, the tour also raises funds for cancer care and treatment. Last year, Amgen raised more than $1 million for The Wellness Community. This year the tour also will support the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.

Labels: cycling, event, Touchstone Bike Club

Now's your chance to check off that item on your New Year's Resolution List and get into Touchstone high fashion. We're placing a new kit order on Monday, January 29, same design. (Note that we are offering two **NEW ITEMS: a long sleeve jersey and wind jacket.)

Items offered: Wind jacket (unisex - $60-70), W's longsleeve jersey ($60-70), W's shorts ($55), W's full-zip jersey ($60), M's longsleeve jersey ($60-70), M's full-zip jersey ($60), M's shorts ($55), M's bibs ($55). View sizing chart here.

If you would like to place an order, please e-mail the bike club.

Please place your order by NEXT MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 3PM. (Pay at pick-up. Estimated delivery time to the gyms is early March.) This will probably be the only order we place this year, so hop on the train and don't get left behind!

Labels: cycling, touchstone, Touchstone Bike Club

Touchstone Climbing would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. We had an exciting 2006 at Touchstone. We saw the finale of our 1st annual Touchstone Bouldering Series, which had an amazing 440 unique competitors. The Touchstone Roped Series started with our biggest rope climbing comp ever at Mission Cliffs. There were many changes to the gyms including a complete bathroom remodel at Ironworks. 2006 was a huge year for both our men's and women's cycling teams and we are very excited for the 2007 season. The Touchstone Bike Club continued to grow and remains a favorite among members. Last year also saw the passing of Todd Skinner, Steve Karafa and Jeff Schoen, who all will be deeply missed. Touchstone's commitment to reach out to the community continued in 2006 with the Bike Corral in Sacramento, a blood drive in Concord, food and toy drives at Mission Cliffs, a climb for breast cancer research at Class 5 and a charity climb for homelessness at Ironworks.

We are looking forward to a wonderful 2007 including an exciting announcement during the first part of the year. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Labels: climbing, cycling, event, members, touchstone, Touchstone Bike Club

For people who an hour and a half of spinning just isn't enough, Demented Thursdays are back! Starting in December, Berkeley Ironworks now offers two back to back spinning classes starting at 5:30pm, also known as Demented Thursdays.

If you can't make the full hours, for what ever reason, there will be a change over mid-way through the class so you can take either the first hour or second hour of the duo. All-Star cycling instructor Wendy Georges will teach the first hour and Jen Worth will lead the second.

A great idea for those who might be a bit intimidated by the idea of two hours of cycling: take the first class, and if you're feeling gassed, stop at the change over. Of course, if you're feeling good, and a little demented maybe, you can go for two.

Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, cycling, fitness

From the Touchstone Bike Club:

The holidays are upon us and for that, this Saturday's ride will kick off a new tradition, the Holiday Tailgate "Pub on Wheels" Party TM. This week's Level 1/2 Leaders (Scott and Arthur) invite you to a post-ride gathering of fresh brews & other non-alcoholic beverages to raise a glass to another great year of riding in the Sports Basement parking lot. RSVP by Thursday, Dec. 7, to touchstonebike@gmail.com.

All rides will start/end at the Presidio Sports Basement Parking Lot at 9:15am. ALL RIDERS (Levels 1, 2 & 3) are welcome, we just ask that you RSVP. Rain or 30% chance of rain or greater will (sadly) cancel the ride. Please visit www.wunderground.com for "Stinson Beach, CA" for weather.

Dec. 9 – Marin
Levels 1/2 Ride - Stinson Bolinas-Fairfax Loop (All riders should be self-sufficient)
55 miles; 4,250' vertical climbing (detour likely due to Hwy 1 closures)
Leaders: Scott Herring and Arthur Combs (Level 1/2)

Labels: cycling, event, Touchstone Bike Club

If you ever meet Will Harris, expect him to be pedaling. For the past two years he’s been a Spin instructor at Sacramento Pipeworks. As a member of the Pipeworks Bike Club, he bikes 50 to 100 miles most weekends. And he bikes to his day job as a geologist at the California Geological Survey, about a 10-mile round trip.

“It keeps my butt from getting soft,” says the 44-year-old Sacramentan.

While Harris is bike-centered, he’s not self-centered. Earlier this year he was instrumental in setting up a bike cooperative program for residents of Quinn Cottages. The transitional housing for the formerly homeless is right across the street from Pipeworks.

Harris got the idea while on the weeklong Cycle Oregon ride in 2004. Many volunteers and volunteer groups help to organize the annual ride, including folks from Portland’s Community Cycling Center. Harris learned of the CCC’s annual bike collection drive that puts bikes in the hands of Portland’s disadvantaged youth. Harris and fellow Bike Club members transplanted the idea to Sacramento and, with the help of the Quinn residents, modified it. They set up a bike “library,” where bikes can be checked out by any Quinn resident. The Quinn folks call it the QuinnWorks Bike Corral.

The Pipeworks Bike Club collected 25 bikes from gym members, friends and coworkers for the Corral. They fixed the bikes up pretty and raised more than $1,000 for more bike repair and general operating expenses.

“Quinn Cottages is just half a mile from the American River Bike Trail,” Harris says. “We wanted the Quinn residents to be able to take advantage of the beauty and recreation the trail has to offer, and we want them to have bikes for general transportation. Sacramento is so flat—it’s ideal for bike commuting.”

The Corral opened this past spring with a group ride on the trail — a “non-Lycra ride,” says Harris — and included a dozen Bike Club members and 17 men, women, and kids from Quinn. In the Corral’s first week, Quinn residents checked out bikes more than 40 times.

Harris was back on the Cycle Oregon trip this past September, a 500-mile loop starting along the Columbia River and through the Blue Mountains. He was joined by Pipeworks Bike Club members Scott Clark and Kent Gillis. They rode with about 2,000 cyclists, stopping and staying in small towns in central and eastern Oregon. The visits extend the tourist season for those rural communities just a bit longer. Cycle Oregon provides an opportunity to get to know good friends better and to meet new friends, all while riding through beautiful country, says Harris.

And you never know what kinds of neat ideas might present themselves along the way.

Labels: community, cycling, members, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

Most people can’t imagine the effort it takes to ride a bicycle for 7 days straight, in excess of 500 miles, and with an incredible 28,000 feet of climbing. This was exactly what Sacramento Pipeworks Bicycle Club members Scott Clark, Kent Gillis and Pipeworks cycling instructor Will Harris did at the recent Cycle Oregon benefit ride. It was Scott and Kent’s first time on the CO and Will’s second. Cycle Oregon was a tale of extremes: temperatures ranged from a 38 degree low to a high of 100 degrees; most days were windy and some days it rained; the longest day was 89 miles while the shortest was 49. Kent, who is slim to begin with, lost 14 lbs on the challenging ride. Kent’s remarks reflected how extreme this challenge was also. From: “Day four was my best day on a bike – ever” to “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It was physically, mentally and emotionally tough as well”. There were nearly 2000 other participants, necessitating a traveling tent city with nightly entertainment, rest rooms, showers, and facilities to feed over 2000 people three meals a day. Aside from 3 flats and some minor knee trouble, the whole trip went by trouble free. Congratulations guys, everyone at Pipeworks is proud of you!

Labels: cycling, members, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

70 riders from the greater Touchstone Cycling Club Community geared up for a hot, late summer day in Tilden Park in Berkeley. Levels 1 and 2 rode one tough ride, the "McEwen Loop," which gets the heart pumping and legs screaming up its heavy hill interval profile (max grade on McEwen Rd. might be 15%): the bulk of the climbing happens in the last 27 miles. The finale is a stinger up South Park with the final 250 ft or so at +/-15% grade to the picnic site. Ouch. Level 3 riders did the classic "Three Bears Loop" and avoided the South Park Sting by enjoying the windy roads of Wildcat Canyon and Grizzly Peak where they were rewarded with a fun, super fast descent down South Park. All in all, not so bad despite a handful of flats, including one person going through four tubes, a blown side wall and a broken derailleur. The last of the riders came in safe and sound, around 3:30pm – just in time to savor Kent's Puerto Rican BBQ and an ice cold beer. Yum!

Big thanks to all the leaders—Markham, Dave, Jess, Brian, Gary, Andrea, Ileana and Robin—for looking out for the riders and making it a safe and fun day!

Labels: cycling, event, Touchstone Bike Club

Sacramento Pipeworks Bike Club members Bruce and Tawni Parr are proud to introduce their newest addition to the Touchstone family: Madeline Olson Parr. Born August 8th and weighing in at 6 lbs 14 oz, daddy Bruce promises “We'll have her on a bike and leading club rides in no time.” Tawni, a long-time Sacramento Pipeworks cycling instructor adds: “Maddie is going to be disappointed that she can't join you on the All Club Ride - she's been looking forward to showing off her new Touchstone kit!”

Labels: cycling, kids, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

Under the leadership of front desk staff and all around great guy, Andrew Descalso, Touchstone Concord is starting up a branch of the Touchstone Bike Club in the far east bay. Anyone with a road bike is invited to attend the first ride on September 9th at 9am. The meeting spot is the Heather Farms Parking Lot at 1750 Heather Drive in Walnut Creek. This will be an intermediate ride with two options: a 17 mile or 29 mile course. For interested parties, there is also the possibility of doing a 12 mile extension to the 29 mile course going past Blackhawk and through downtown Danville to finish in Walnut Creek.

If you can't make this ride, but want to stay in the loop about the club and future rides, you can either leave your name on the sign-up sheet at Touchstone Concord or call the gym to get signed up on the bike club e-mail list.

Labels: concord, cycling, Diablo Rock Gym, Touchstone Bike Club

Rhonda Hurst, a Pipeworks member since 2003 says of Touchstone’s Sacramento club: “The gym is in a good location; it’s not fancy like other gyms with mirrors everywhere” and “it has a good feel to it, a good vibe”. Initially too intimidated to take a standard weeknight spin class, her interest in cycling began with a private Saturday morning class offered by Pipeworks personal trainer Laurie Dakin. After that, Rhonda became a regular at the Tuesday / Thursday performance cycling classes and shortly set a personal goal of 5 indoor cycling nights a week for 1 month. Before long she discovered she was comfortable with the routine, so after the month passed she just kept going. In a little while her initial fear was forgotten and she eventually learned the value of rest days and cut spinning back to 2-3 days a week. Soon looking for an even bigger challenge, Rhonda found herself buying a road bike and a week after her new purchase she showed up to ride with the Pipeworks bike club. Rhonda developed rapidly as a road rider and promptly became one of the most consistent riders in the club. She started bike commuting to work during The Million Mile Challenge in May and still makes the 40 mile round trip at least once a week. When Rhonda began riding with the Pipeworks bike club, another rider asked if she ever thought about riding a century (100 miles in a day), and she replied “Oh no I couldn’t do that – maybe next year”. To her own surprise, less than 3 months later Rhonda found herself completing her first 100 mile day! Since taking up cycling in March of 2006, she has completed a Century, participated in 5 organized rides, lost more than 40 pounds and lowered her cholesterol count by an astonishing 65 points! Congratulations Rhonda, you are a true success story!

Labels: cycling, members, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

No one can question Penny Avril's dedication to cycling -- she races for the Touchstone Climbing Elite Women's Cycling Team, after all. But she thinks many cyclists take the sport too seriously.

"My biggest passion is, and will probably remain, cycling," says Penny. "However, my motivation is more seeking adventure than performance." Her attitude extends to her training advice: Find a form of training that is pleasurable. If you do not enjoy it, stop. "And recover with wine," she adds.

Her own favorite training routine is to ride the mountains around the Bay Area whenever she can find time, sometimes even playing hooky a little from her job as a product manager for Oracle Corp. When it's dark and cold outside, well, that's what warm, well-lighted gyms are for. The gym also gives her a place to work on specific strength training.

Penny's quest for adventure sometimes takes her to places she hadn't anticipated. One time on a training ride in Maui she set off on a dirt path around the island's east coast. She knew at the time that it probably wasn't the wisest move, but couldn't resist. "It was a long and rough day in the saddle," she recalls. And nothing is scarier than when a dog takes off after her on a ride. "At least it makes me go faster," she says.

But don't make the mistake of thinking this 35-year-old San Franciscan can't deliver a top performance when the situation demands. Among her major accomplishments she lists the San Francisco Grand Prix, which she finished in September 2004. She calls it the "hardest race in America," more than 100 miles through the hills of San Francisco in full view of a half-million spectators. That's the memory she holds dear: "Climbing Fillmore Street to the screams of thousands of supporters, and hitting air on the Broadway descents." And for a racing cyclist, it's always a thrill to see the streets closed to all other vehicles, with the freedom to ignore all the traffic signals.

After four years of racing, some of the novelty is starting to wear off. Penny has started thinking of some other bike-related adventures. Or maybe even hiking and skiing.

But even though she says her proudest moment was wearing Touchstone Climbing kit for the first time, don't expect to see Penny climbing -- indoors or out. "I suffer from vertigo and would be a terrible rock climber," she says.

Labels: cycling

Labels: cycling, Touchstone Bike Club

Touchstone Climbing was a proud sponsor of the Mt. Diablo Hill Climb Time Trial and the Lafayette Criterium last weekend. On Saturday, racers rolled down the Start Ramp, built by Touchstone, to start the grueling 10K climb up the North side of Mt. Diablo and finish at the junction that leads up to the summit. Beverley Harper, a Touchstone Women’s Elite Team member, posted the fastest women’s time at an impressive 28 minutes flat- especially considering that she had only 3 hours of sleep after returning from the Nationals Time Trail Championships in Pennsylvania the night before. Incidentally, she came in 7th at Nationals. The next day Beverley went on to crush the field in the Women’s Pro 1/2 race at the Lafayette Criterium. With the help of her teammates, Pat Ross and India San Juan, she was able to pull away and maintain her break for more than half the race. Congratulations to Beverley and the Touchstone Women’s Elite Team. Touchstone would also like to give a big thanks to Ruth Bender, David Chen, Susan Abrahamson, Penny Avril, Christine Frolich, Mark and Debra Melvin for their support at the Mt. Diablo Hill Climb. They played an integral part of its success.

Labels: cycling, Mark Melvin

The Sacramento Pipeworks Bike Club will meet on Wednesday July 19th to watch stage 16 of the Tour De France: Bourg d’ Oisans to La Toussuire. If the previous day’s famed Alpe d’ Huez stage doesn’t decide the Tour’s outcome, then this even tougher stage will do the job. Climbs include 42km at a 4.5% incline, 22km at 6.9% and a monstrous finishing run of 18km (even longer than the Alpe d’ Huez) at a punishing 6% grade. With the absence of 7 time winner Lance Armstrong and hit by a doping scandal that took out several riders favored to win, the 2006 Tour is up for grabs!

The Bonn Lair pub at 3651 J st. will be our meeting spot. They have great beer, food is available and we will have our own area reserved to watch the race on the big screen. The event will be broadcast from 5-8pm (approximate times). Happy hour is from 4-6, so don’t be late!

Labels: cycling, event, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

Touchstone Men’s Masters Cycling Team hit the pavement hard with the rubber side down for a great start in its first season. The team showed its diversity and prowess in the Spring classics by finishing in the top 10 in almost every race. Our criterium and flats riders Dave Chen, Scott Herring, and Sean Odom placed in the top 10 at Snelling Road Race, Rondee Van Brisbeen, and Wente Criterium. Our climbers Markham Connolly and Craig Steinmaus cranked up the hills at the Orosi Road Race to place 3rd and 5th respectively. Craig went on to win the Masters 40+ Cat 5 Road Race at the prestigious Sea Otter Classic in Monterey. He continued to place in the top 10 at California’s Paris-Roubaix, Copperopolis Road Race and Wente Road Race. The team is taking a break to ramp again for the late summer season except for one Touchstone racer, John Ormsby. His goal is to complete 20 races by the end of May and 40 by the end of the race season in October. You go, John!!! For team bios, race reports, and photos please visit the teams web page.

Labels: cycling, Markham Connolly

Touchstone Climbing Women's Elite Cycling Team wins Berkeley Hills Road Race: The women's team executed their plan perfectly to win the Berkeley Hills Road Race. Pat Ross, spinning and boxing instructor extraordiniare, made an attack on the first lap to show that Touchstone was a force to be reckoned with. Once the group regrouped Beverly Harper and Pat controlled the front of the race making sure attacks from other teams wouldn't get away. Team member Jill Mclaughlin then attacked to see if others would follow while Penny Avril, the chosen one to win, sat in the group resting for the final climbs. After Jill was caught by the group Beverly drove the pace in front once again to set Penny up perfectly to make the final assault to the finish line. And you thought cycling was an individual sport. Congrats to Penny and the Women's team for an already outstanding season. For photos and a complete race report visit www.abcycling.com.

Labels: cycling

Berkeley Ironworks is proud to host the annual kick-off party the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (AKA BORP) on Saturday May 20th between 2pm and 4pm. BORP is a non-profit organization that provides adventure fitness and recreation for people with physical disabilities.

In December BORP's bike storage facility was burglarized. All hand-cycles, tandem bikes, trikes, helmets and tools were stolen, and in one fell swoop their whole adaptive cycling program came to a halt. The media quickly picked up their story and sparked an overwhelming response from the community. PG&E and Wells Fargo swiftly put up challenge grants, and immediately donations began to pour in from people all around the Bay Area and beyond. BORP has received over $130,000 in
grants and donations since the theft.

Join Berkeley mayor Tom Bates as BORP thanks all of their generous donors for rebuilding the Cycling Program. Don't miss the ribbon cutting ceremony at 3pm that will showcase the brand new bikes.

Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, community, cycling, event

Sometimes a setback can open up new opportunities for achievement. It happened with longtime climber Jessica de Jesus a couple of years ago when she tore her ACL in the gym.

For rehab, Jess began cycling and discovered a new passion. Today cycling is the main sport for this 32-year-old San Franciscan. She helped start the Mission Cliffs Bike Club and is proud of the interest it has stirred up. As many as 30 people have shown up for a Saturday morning ride, even in the rain.

"It has really become a strong sub-community of the gym," she says. (Twice a year the Mission Cliffs club takes part in a big all-club ride that draws an average of more than 75 riders.)

"Nothing beats time on the bike," says Jess, who rides with the bike club on weekends and goes solo during the week. When she needs a quick workout, she comes indoors for a spin class. This season she also started training outside in the rain -- in one of the wettest rainy seasons on record. "I still try to climb a little bit for balance," she adds.

"For me, it's true love and respect for the sport and all the people you meet along the way. Traveling by bike provides an experience like no other," she says. "I just love getting to the club rides and seeing lots of new and familiar faces and people of all riding levels get together. It's been a really fun project to get off the ground." One of the Club’s goals is to inspire more women to come out and ride with the Club. Jess doesn't race, so one way she measures her progress is by cutting down the times that separate her from the Men's Masters Team.

"My goal and motivation has been to keep up with them on their base training rides. I’m close but still have a ways to go!" she says. “Base building is key and essential to being a good rider, as well as pacing. I learned that from Marty!,” says Jess. With no kids to look after, training time is not hard to find.

Her training rides include the new Endurance Series that she and Marty Kaplan started for the bike club on Saturdays. They are long rides, 80 to 105 miles. On a recent Saturday, 11 members rode a 105-mile loop from Livermore, up to Mt. Hamilton, and back via Calaveras Rd.

Those training rides will be put to the test in July, when Jess and about a dozen other club members head up to Markleeville for the Tour of the California Alps, also known as the Death Ride. Sponsored by the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce, it sends bikers on a 129-mile trek with more than 15,000 feet of climbing, hitting elevations up to 8,730 feet through five mountain passes.

"If I complete all five passes, that will be my biggest accomplishment," she says. Then it will be off to France for a month to watch two stages of the Tour de France and spend a few weeks biking on her own. Jess calls herself "a terrible mountain biker," but she did do the Telluride to Moab 7-day hut ride last year. "I was never so scared as when I was descending on my mountain bike into Gateway, Colorado -- white knuckles and overheating breaks all the way," she says. "My proudest moment was rolling into Moab in one piece and on my bike."

Labels: cycling, mission cliffs, Touchstone Bike Club

We are pleased to announce the birth of Isabelle Grace Connolly. On Sunday, April 30th at 12:22pm, Markham & Joelle became the proud parents of a healthy baby girl. Markham is the director of operations at Touchstone and the founder of the Touchstone Bike Club. Everyone here at Touchstone wishes them all the best.


And please forgive Markham if he appears a little tired over the next few months, as he gets comfortable with being a dad.

Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, cycling, Markham Connolly, touchstone, Touchstone Bike Club

Thanks to the generosity of Pipeworks members over the last several months, 32 unused bikes were gathered to benefit Quinn Cottages, a facility near Pipeworks that provides transitional housing and life skills for the formerly homeless. That’s seven bikes beyond the stated goal of 25! The donated bikes are to be used by Quinn residents and families for recreation and transportation. On one recent Saturday, 18 Pipeworks Bike Club members, friends and family spent a day cleaning and repairing the donated bikes in preparation for the April bike give away. A big thanks to all who donated their time, a bike or money to this worthy cause!

Labels: community, cycling, event, members, Sacramento Pipeworks, Touchstone Bike Club

Touchstone is proud to announce the start of the second season of the Touchstone Climbing Women’s Elite Cat 1/2 bicycle team. Last year the team came in second for the Best All Around Team in the Northern California and Nevada region, the most competitive region in the United States. Three of our women placed in the top 10 in the Best All Around Rider category, including our spinning and boxing instructor, Pat Ross. We congratulate the 2005 women’s team and look forward to a successful 2006 season. To keep up to date on the team’s results and stories please visit the Touchstone Bike Page and click Women’s Elite Team to their website.

In addition to the Women’s Elite Cat 1/2 team Touchstone is proud to announce the new Men’s Masters Cat 4/5 team. They already have started the 2006 season with a bang with six top 10 finishes. The team includes members Dave Chen, Craig Steinmaus, Berkeley Ironworks spinning instructor Mark Nielson, and Touchstone’s Operations Director, Markham Connolly. To see the team bios, photos, and race reports please visit the Touchstone Bike Page and click on Men’s Masters Team.

Labels: cycling, Markham Connolly