Berkeley, CA – In a joint statement today, GU Energy Labs and Carmichael Training Systems announced a new partnership beginning in January 2009. Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, GU will become the Official Nutrition Supplier for Chris Carmichael and Carmichael Training Systems, the coaching choice of Tour de France and Ironman World Champions as well as amateur and professional athletes around the world.

The two companies will work together to maximize opportunities to educate athletes in proper sports nutrition. GU, the market-leading energy gel manufacturer, will provide products to all CTS coaches, camps and clinics from their growing array of performance sports nutrition offerings. These include original GU Energy Gel, Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gel, GU2O Electrolyte Drink and the soon-to-be-launched Chomps Energy Chews. Chris Carmichael and his talented team of coaches will endorse GU products as a part of their camps, clinics and individual coaching services.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to bring our premium sports nutrition products to a wider audience,” commented Holly Bennett, GU’s Senior Marketing Manager.

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Los Angeles, CA – Felt Bicycles is pleased to announce the sponsorship of the Hawk Relay Cycling Team, a UCI professional Track trade team based in Los Angeles, CA. Hawk Relay Cycling Team members including 2-time World Pursuit Champion Sarah Hammer, 2-time US Olympian Adam Duvendeck, and Canadian National Champion Travis Smith (shown) have already begun using their new Felt frames.

“I basically told Felt Bicycles we wanted to be associated with the best technological partners in the world and Felt Bicycles is at the top when it comes to producing world-class track frames. Their work with Sarah and other elite athletes over the last couple of years is well documented and I’m very excited about this partnership. I believe this relationship is going to give our team every advantage.” says Robin Horwitz, Team Director and owner.

“When Sarah and her coach Andy (Sparks) told us she was moving to Hawk Relay and that there was an opportunity to be associated with the whole team, it instantly became interesting.” says Doug Martin, Felt’s Marketing Director. “After a 2-hour meeting with Robin it was clear he has the talent, desire and passion to make it all go. We are thrilled to have Adam and Travis on our bikes and listed as Felt athletes.”

The Hawk Relay Cycling Team will be using the Felt TK1 which was developed in part at the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel. The Felt TK1 is the same bike used 2008 US Olympians Sarah Hammer, Taylor Phinney, Michael Blatchford and Mike Friedman in Beijing. The TK1 frame is currently available as an aftermarket product.

Evening event to feature road cycling World Cup champion, Katheryn Curi Mattis, and Bissell Pro Cycling Team members, Andy Jacques‐Maynes and Eric Wohlberg Pros to offer racing tips to give Classic participants competitive edge and preview their Amgen Tour of California participation

SAN JOSE, CALIF., — Sports Basement will host a special San Jose Cycling Classic
evening, 6‐8 p.m., Tuesday, February 3, 1177 Kern Ave., in Sunnyvale.

The event will feature Katheryn Curi Mattis, a member of the Webcor Builders Women’s Professional Cycling Team. Mattis will be on hand to share training tips as well as San Jose Cycling Classic race day advice. One of only three women in the world to have ever won a road cycling World Cup (1st Place in the Geelong World Cup), Mattis also will share her observations from more than a decade of racing.

In addition, members of the Bissell Pro Cycling Team will discussing their race experiences and offer tips for those in attendance. They include Eric Wohlberg, Bissell Pro Cycling team director and three‐time Olympian, as well as Andy Jacques‐Maynes. Bissell Pro Cycling Team is competing in the upcoming Amgen Tour of California, coming to San Jose 10 a.m.‐noon, Tuesday, February 17, for the Tour’s Stage 3 Start.

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Solvang, Calif. — To the cheers of “Team Type 1, Team Type 1,” five members of the men’s and women’s professional racing teams made a grand entrance Wednesday at a special presentation to students at Solvang School.

Samantha Schneider, Morgan Patton, Jacquelyn Crowell, Daniel Holt and Willem Van den Eynde appeared in front of more than 200 students and faculty to share information about Type 1 diabetes, bicycle safety and what it is like to be a professional cyclist.

Their appearance came in conjunction with the team’s training camp in nearby Buellton, Calif. Team Type 1 will return to Solvang next month as part of its inaugural appearance in the Amgen Tour of California. The quaint Danish town will host the Stage 6 individual time trial on Feb. 20.

As part of Wednesday’s school visit, Solvang Mayor Jim Richardson made a surprise appearance to present the five with special commemorative city pins. A question-and-answer session and autograph signing followed.

Schneider, who was participating in her first public appearance as a member of Team Type 1, said she felt somewhat like a rock star during the 45-minute presentation. Many of the students lingered with the team long after school had dismissed for the day.

“The kids asked some terrific questions and they were really into learning about the team and how Morgan and Willem live with their Type 1 diabetes,” Schneider said. “One girl even made me something and held my bike for 10 minutes while I signed autographs. I thought, ‘I’ve got a new friend here.’”

Team Type 1 will return to Solvang on Sunday to lead a private “Ride The Route” event that takes place in conjunction with the Tour of California.

SAN JOSE, CALIF. – Hotel Valencia Santana Row is excited to welcome the largest road cycling event in America, the AMGEN Tour, by offering a special incentive for sports enthusiasts! AMGEN spectators and participants will enjoy the “Stay and Play” package on Monday, February 16. “Stay and Play” includes a discounted room for two and a deluxe carbo-load breakfast buffet the next morning. Rates are from $249, per night, exclusive of tax.

“Hotel Valencia is proud to offer an exclusive package for this year’s spectacular AMGEN Tour,” said Bonnie Best, General Manager of Hotel Valencia Santana Row. “Stay and Play” is a unique offering among San Jose Hotels and we’re thrilled to support the racers, their families and fans.”

The morning of the race, guests can partake in the deluxe carbo-load breakfast buffet. With plenty of fresh pastries, delicious berry blintzes, oatmeal, a variety of cereals and granola, fresh and dried fruit, as well as eggs, sausages and more, sports enthusiasts and racers can have an energy packed meal before heading over to the starting line of the third leg of this legendary race. For those that prefer an even wider variety of breakfast goodies, Hotel Valencia provides a separate breakfast menu with additional morning treats to begin the day.

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Women are different from men. From bike fit to nutrition to aging patterns, women ride differently. Most serious cycling books fail to address the specific concerns women have about cycling. In Bicycling for Women, cycling authority Gale Bernhardt discusses all things female for women who love to ride.

Bicycling for Women is up-to-date, smart, and clear. Gale addresses basic questions on bike fit, equipment, and training before moving on to more complex issues like cycling and pregnancy, injury prevention, nutrition and diet plans, and making cycling more comfortable. The book features five detailed training plans to help women meet their cycling goals, including 50-mile and century rides, improved hill climbing, and multiday bike tours.

Encouraging for newcomers and invigorating for experienced cyclists, Bicycling for Women is an essential resource for women who love to ride.

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AeroCat LLC, an Indiana based high performance bicycle manufacturer, is pleased to announce the availability of their new R505 carbon fiber road bike. The new AeroCat model is a spin-off of the popular ACR500 frameset that launched the company into the high-end bicycle market just less than two years ago.

“The ACR500 has been an incredible success enabling our entrance into the market,” said company President Dave Poole. “Based on feedback from our customers, dealers, and elite team partners, we decided to launch a naked version and call it the R505. The original market reaction has been very positive as we have generated a significant backlog of orders for this product and several elite cyclists have committed to racing this bike for the 2009 road season,” stated Poole.

Featuring a 3K carbon fiber monocoque frame construction, the R505 is engineered to be lightweight, comfortable, and provide extremely efficient power transfer with the re-enforced bottom bracket area design. The matte carbon finish with white and silver accents provides a simple yet attractive and streamlined appearance that can mesh with nearly any choice of clothing making it ideal for cycling teams and clubs.

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Multi-day cycling and community events target diverse roster of amateur and professional riders in conjunction with returning Amgen Tour of California and LIVESTRONG® Challenge San Jose kick-off

“Season of cycling” to promote San Jose Green Vision green mobility

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—The San Jose Cycling Classic will be held February 14, 2009 throughout San Jose. The multi-pronged event will encompass professional, amateur and community cycling activities, including a competitive time trial race, a criterium, a recreational ride and a CEO Challenge. It is expected to attract more than 1,000 cycling athletes, 20,000 spectators and cycling-related exhibitors.

“Cycling is an important form of alternative transportation, and San Jose’s Green Vision puts San Jose on the path to being a cycling-friendly city,” San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said. “The San Jose Cycling Classic lets the cyclists everywhere know that San Jose and the greater SouthBay region is a one of the best places in the world to cycle whether you’re an amateur or a professional.”

The San Jose Cycling Classic will kick off with the The King of the Mountain Time Trial and Ride sponsored by Mattson Technology, and a CEO Challenge powered by SunPower, where riders will leave San Jose City Hall and reach the base of Sierra Road for a mass start time trial race. This challenging hill was featured in several Amgen Tour of California races and exploded the peloton. The climb is 3.7 miles long with an average gradient of 10 percent; however, some pitches reach 17-18 percent. It will include police motorcycles leading a rolling closure north and east of Downtown San Jose to the base of the Sierra Road climb. The San Jose Cycling Classic will also feature a 30-mile recreational ride which will start along the same route but will not include the challenging Sierra Road climb.

All rides will start with police motorcycles leading a rolling closure north and east of Downtown San Jose to the base of the Sierra Road climb. Cyclists on the King of the Mountain and CEO Challenge ride will then cross a timing pad to activate timing chips and begin their ascent up Sierra Road—a stunning 3.7-mile, 1,830-foot climb. After summiting Sierra Road, riders may complete the Sierra/Calaveras/Piedmont loop and ride west to City Hall. Even though the ride officially ends at the Sierra Hill summit, riders are invited to return back to City Hall for a post ride celebration.

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Mixed Heritage

The Colnago CLX is a monocoque carbon frame made in Taiwan and comes from a factory with some of the most experienced craftsmen. It is billed as “Colnago quality, but not the typical Colnago price.” The CLX frame retails for about half of the premiere C50 model (lugged carbon, made in Italy).

When Colnago first announced that they would be making frames sourced from Taiwan, it was a great source of debate on several websites, even our own RoadBikeReview Colnago forum. As a long time Colnago fan and owner (my own personal road bike is a Master X Light in Mapei colors) I have to admit that I was a bit dissappointed to hear that my favorite brand was going to building bikes out of Asia. A big reason that I bought my Colnago in the first place, was because I wanted something steel, something Italian, and something that fit my style of riding. I am one of those riders that couldn’t bear the thought of putting Shimano parts on my Italian bike, even though I loved my Dura-Ace. So, I was a bit saddened when I first heard the news.

It’s been almost two years now since those first announcements came and many things have changed. The main thing that has changed for me, is the fact that I have had the chance to put several rides in on the CLX, and in doing so, have regained an appreciation for carbon bikes, for Colnago, and maybe even for cycling in general.

(for the record, the CLX I tested was a 48cm Ultegra SL equipped bike, in 2008 red paint scheme.)

First Impressions

As I pulled the CLX out of the box, the first thing that we all noticed was the (typically Colnago) beautiful paintwork. I know from first hand experience that Colnago paint is beautiful but not always the most durable. But the CLX had a very nice clearcoat finish that looked very durable. The black with red and white highlights was not my first choice (the yellow and black scheme was my first choice, but it was not available stateside and is currently no longer available), but I was not dissappointed in the red. The fit and finish were typical Colnago quality, so that put my mind at ease right away. On our office scale, the complete bike weighed 17.7 lbs without pedals. Not bad, but not as light as I was hoping for, for a carbon bike. But the CLX is not meant to be the lightest bike out there. I was more interested in how it would ride.

From the Manufacturer:

“After a fantastic introduction, CLX, Colnago’s entry level carbon fiber model is back for 2009. Ernesto Colnago created the CLX as an affordable, yet high performance Colnago with an innovative frame design. CLX has a monocoque front triangle, designed and created in Cambiago, Italy as a project of Colnago Lab.”

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS:

• External Reinforcing Ribs
  The CLX front triangle has two special external reinforcing ribs along the top and down tubes and bottom bracket and uses a variable carbon lay-up, where extra strength is in the head tube and bottom bracket to provide additional rigidity under stress.
• Arc Shaped Chain Stays
  CLX features distinctive, arc-shaped rear chain stays for better braking performance and comfort, and rear chain stays in Colnago’s distinctive leaf shape section.
• All New Monocoque Carbon Fork
  An all new monocoque 1” 1/8 CLX carbon fiber fork and Colnago AERO Carbon seat post that matches the aero section down also grace Colnago’s new CLX.

Next: Colors, Specs, and Geometry>>    |   How Does the CLX Ride?>>

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Solvang, Calif. — Five members of Team Type 1 will pay a visit to a California elementary school to speak to students about Type 1 diabetes, the importance of bicycle safety and what it is like to be a professional cyclist.

Morgan Patton and Willem Van den Eynde – two of six racers on the Team Type 1 professional men’s and women’s teams who have Type 1 diabetes – will be joined by Jacquelyn Crowell, Samantha Schneider and Dan Holt on Wednesday afternoon at Solvang School.

Students in the fourth through sixth grades will hear the five pros discuss Team Type 1’s training camp in the Santa Ynez Valley. The 16 men and eight women on the team’s pro squads will be training and attending meetings and sponsor presentations in Buellton through Sunday, Feb. 1.

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