Hello, Hollywood!

Team Velo Girls members participated in last week's Sea Otter Classic in Monterey.  In addition to being one of the largest competitive and recreational bicycling events in the world, Sea Otter is also the largest consumer trade show.  That means we get to spend quality time with our sponsors from all over the United States.

Here are a couple of video spots of Team Velo Girls members with our sponsors Action Wipes and Pactimo.

Team Velo Girls members Annie, Tiina, and Pamela with Pactimo's Karl Heigden

Team Velo Girls member Tiina demonstrates proper Action Wipe technique after the Sea Otter Road Race

Sponsor Love: Your Next Frontier Awaits!

Team Velo Girls has a long history of supporting and promoting small businesses.  For 2013, Frontier Snacks joins our list of sponsors and we couldn't be happier to develop this relationship.

Headquartered in Mountain View, CA, Frontier Snacks is the brainchild of founder Matt Oscamou, an engineer who decided to use his skills to solve the problem of creating a healthy energy food that tastes good and is made with all-natural ingredients.  

Matt, along with his brother Nate, first came up with the idea for Frontier Bites, not with the idea of starting a business, but because they were simply tired of overly-processed snack bars and wanted to create something that was cleaner and tastier to enjoy throughout busy days and active off-hours. To do this, in true competitive-brotherly form, they had a baking competition to see who could come up with the best-tasting natural snack.

The rules were simple:

• Only 8 ingredients
• Crunchy texture, without feeling heavy
• Gluten-free
• Soy-free
• Dairy-free
• Only natural ingredients that every person can recognize

The competition had begun and on Easter Sunday of 2010, they held a taste-test showdown. While several great options were presented, Nate's Almond + Blueberry + Lemon flavor was ultimately the victor. The result was crunchy and flavorful and it wasn't long before they realized that this could be the start of something big.

Fast-forward to 2013, and Matt has perfected Frontier Bites with three amazing flavors:

• Almond + Blueberry + Lemon Bites
• Macadamia + Pineapple + Coconut Bites
• Pecan + Cherry + Cinnamon Bites

All flavors were designed to find a clear balance between great flavor and healthy energy. They're held together with a combination of honey and brown rice syrup, the perfect combination of glucose -- a simple sugar that your body takes up right away -- and polysaccharides that burn slowly and cleanly through your system. They're full of antioxidants and omega-3s because all ingredients are pure and natural. There's nothing fortified or added to them. You'll love crunching Frontier Bites one at a time and you'll feel satisfied without a dreaded sugar crash!

Frontier Bites are:

• Non-GMO
• Gluten-free
• Soy-free
• Dairy-free
• Preservative-free
• and include no Refined Sugars

We've had the opportunity to sample Frontier Bites on a handful of club rides and camps and the reviews are outstanding:

"OMG!  Could there be anything yummier?  I've found my new go-to snack for long rides."

Convinced? You'll find Frontier bites in single-serving sleeves and multi-serving pouches. You can order them directly on the Frontier Snacks website or find them in a growing list of bike shops and grocery stores.

Like many new products, Frontier Bites is growing in leaps and bounds!  Matt is ready to take this project to the next level and is offering you the opportunity to get in on the ground floor.    You can join the Frontier Snacks Kickstarter:  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/290464381/frontier-bites-your-next-frontier-awaits

And, of course, "like: Frontier Snacks on Facebook for news and give-aways: https://www.facebook.com/frontiersnacks

Links I Like -- 10 February, 2012

Ah, Valentine's Day is on the horizon.  Do you secretly dream of finding love on wheels?  Here are some special Valentine's Day cycling links:


Instructable's How to Make a Valentine Out of a Bicycle Chain -- http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-Valentine-out-of-Bicycle-Chain/




Pactimo's Designer Valentine jerseys for women + men -- http://shop.pactimo.com/house-womens-designer-jersey-valentines-day/

SF Gate:  Romantic Bike Rides -- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2012/02/09/NSV91N1PLB.DTL




San Francisco Bicycle Coalition "Send a Valentine" Campaign -- http://www.sfbike.org/?valentines

Pactimo's Sweet Heart Jersey for Women!

dream it, do it

Have you ever dreamed of changing your life and re-defining your career?  Check out this great video  from ABC7 about Velo Girls sponsor Gina Centoni of Alioto Centoni Restoration + Development and how she transitioned from the board room to a hard hat.  While this might not seem a traditional career path (especially for a woman), Gina found that her management and analytical skills enhanced her business partnership and has been key in her success in a new industry.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8522413

Thanks for your support Gina + Mike!  We're thrilled to welcome you to our family of sponsors for 2012.

Welcome to our new sponsors for 2012!

Velo Girls has developed some amazing relationships in the past decade with businesses and individuals who support our mission: to help women improve their lives by riding a bicycle. Many of our sponsors have supported us for many years. Our goals in sponsorship are to support local, California and US businesses, develop long-term relationships, and to truly endorse the companies with whom we align ourselves.

For 2012, we'd like to welcome the following NEW sponsors to the Velo Girls family:

Alioto Centoni Restoration + Development -- Presented by Mike Alioto & Gina Centoni, their restoration and development services include design development, floor plans, pest repair, facade makeovers, specialized restoration & development projects, and whole house remodels. Gina is an active Velo Girls member and one of the only female general contractors in San Francisco.

John Hendricks Law -- Renowned for their strong commitment to client advocacy and representation, the Law Offices of John T. Hendricks offer full-service legal representation to businesses, their owners and other enterprises worldwide. The firm was founded with a singular focus: to provide clients with the highest level of legal services, from litigation, to advice and counseling, to transactional matters of all sizes. John is an active cyclist (with a very tall bike) and participates in the AIDS/Lifecycle event annually.

Pactimo -- Pactimo is thrilled to be the official outfitter of all Velo Girls programs for 2012 and 2013. Based in Colorado, Pactimo creates the most comfortable, technical, and visually stunning clothing in the cycling industry. As a relative newcomer to the custom clothing industry, they bring a fresh energy and innovative spirit to their work and have been honored as one of the fastest growing companies in Colorado.

Savvy Bike -- Savvy Bike is the evolution of a successful, 10-year coaching program in northern CA, offering professional bike fit and skills coaching services to men and women. Founded as Velo Girls Coaching Services in 2002, the business has expanded to serve more than 1,000 cyclists each year. About 40% of our clinic participants and about 60% of our bike fit clients are men, so it was time to create a brand that reflected that. Check out our 2012 clinics + camps schedule at http://www.savvybike.eventbrite.com/

Specialized Bicycles -- Specialized is more than just bikes! Yeah, they make some of the fastest, lightest, most awesomest bikes in the world, but they also focus on the ergonomics of cycling and create helmets, saddles, shoes, gloves, and other clothing and components that help the rider get the most from his or her cycling experience, whether it's shredding the gnar on a favorite trail, commuting to work, or competing in world championship events! Velo Girls is excited to begin a partnership with Morgan Hill, CA-based Specialized Bicycles for 2012!

munday funday -- 26 December, 2011

A holiday favorite from our friends at Specialized Bicycles. Team Velo Girls is thrilled to begin a new partnership with Specialized for 2012 Enjoy!

Holiday Gift Ideas from Velo Girls

We LOVE to support the companies who support us and we think YOU should, too.  Check out some of the great products from our fabulous sponsors.

Savvy Bike -- check out the jam-packed calendar of clinics and camps in 2012!  now there's a gift that will just keep giving every time you get on the bike.  also available are gift certificates for professional bike fit + coaching.

Tri-Flow Superior Lubricants -- their new soy line of products is THE BOMB!

eShutter Creative -- graphics, photography, and AWESOME web design.

Erik Butler Photography -- nothing tells a story as well as a photo and Erik tells some EPIC stories.

Gary Brustin -- let's hope you don't need him, but if you do, the Bicycle Lawyer will help you navigate the ins + outs of bicycle personal injury law.

Jan Medina Real Estate -- who wouldn't want to tie a ribbon on a new house in San Francisco?  Jan will help you!

Image Arts -- Teresa Callen and her lovely + talented stylists will make you look and feel beautiful.  Teresa also has a fabulous new line of products.

Silicon Valley Finance Group -- if you're still keeping your receipts in a shoe box, call Jan Reed.  she'll help your business maximize profits!

Mike's Bikes -- hands-down the BEST bike shop in Northern California.  check out their 12 Days of Deals for your holiday gift list.

KENDA -- the best tires for road or mountain.

GU Energy -- the best sports nutrition products on the market.  indulge in some of their holiday flavors (much better than giving a fruitcake).

Pactimo -- stock up on the BEST clothing in the bike industry.

Defeet -- these aren't your daddy's socks -- fun + functional socks, warmers, and base layers for the cyclist you love.

Rack + Road -- bike racks, ski racks, cargo boxes.  you've got the gear and Rack + Road will help you haul it.

Action Wipes -- there's nothing better to freshen up after a ride than Action Wipes!

Betwixt -- nothing comes between us and our chamois except Betwixt!

Links I Like -- 25 November, 2011

Action Wipes -- a 20% thank you from Velo Girls partner -- like a shower in a bag!  There's nothing better to refresh and recharge after a ride.

Bike Flights -- great options for flying with, or shipping, your bike!

Grease Monkey Wipes -- one of my favorite products with a HOT discount for Black Friday.  I use the canisters in my bike fit studio and carry the single packets on rides.


Pactimo Black Friday Sale -- check out our latest partner with 30% off all orders with discount code "blackfriday" and free shipping on orders over $100.  


Savvy Bike on Facebook -- go, like, get savvy!


The Holstee Manifesto: Lifecycle Video

I am Mike

Check out Team Velo Girls member Tammy Won, featured on one of Mike's Bikes new bus ads.  We LOVE Mike's Bikes and are honored to represent them.  The awesome photo was shot by our official team photographer, Erik Butler.  Erik is teaching a live-action photo workshop in the bay area on June 11th -- check it out and learn how to shoot bike races (and other action sports) from a seasoned pro.

a picture speaks a thousand words

of course, I'll write a few more.

thank you to everyone who voted the 2009 Tri-Flow Menlo Park Grand Prix the "best cycling event" in the Competitor Magazine Best of 2009 readers' poll. this honor is shared by all of us -- Velo Girls, our sponsors, and all of the racers who came out for a fabulous event on March 8th, 2009.

mark your calendars now for Sunday, April 11th, 2010. we're busy planning the the 5th edition of the Hippstar Menlo Park Grand Prix and the event promises to be bigger and better than ever.

of course, we need your support to make that a reality!

if you'd like to sponsor the Menlo Park Grand Prix in 2009 -- if you'd like to be part of THE BEST CYCLING EVENT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA -- shoot me an email. we have a diverse range of sponsorship opportunities available, for cash, service, and product sponsors. and we'd love to have YOU share in the glory of being part of the BEST of 2010!

Lorri@velogirls.com

Jan Medina Real Estate to sponsor Girls Got Skills!

I've had the good fortune to meet many fabulous women since founding Velo Girls in 2002. One of those women is Jan Medina.

I've been trying to remember when I first met Jan. She's been a part of the Velo Girls family for as long as I can remember, participating in rides, clinics, and events for many years. She's a Lifetime Velo Girls Member and has been sponsoring the Team Velo Girls almost since it's inception.

A handful of years ago, Jan hired me to coach her for a cross-country bicycle ride -- yup, that's all the way across the US. During our first coaching consultation, I admit feeling envious of her upcoming journey and thinking just how incredible it would be to ride across the US.

During that coaching session, Jan asked me about sponsoring Velo Girls and a check arrived in the mail a day or two later. And through the ups + downs of the real estate industry, Jan has always found a way to support the programs we provide for women.

Jan has been instrumental in recruiting women to Velo Girls and to our many clinics -- she's one of our biggest cheerleaders. In addition to her trans-continental tour, she's completed the AIDS LifeCycle (from San Francisco to Los Angeles) and recruited friends and family members to participate in that ride with her. And through the ups + downs on the bike, she's always kept Velo Girls close to her heart.

I'm excited to announce that for 2010, Jan will be the title sponsor of our Girls Got Skills clinics. Jan has participated in these clinics twice since 2003 (yup, they're that good) and brought many women cyclists with her over the years. It's only fitting that we put her name on a program that has been so instrumental in her cycling career.

Thank you, Jan, for your continued support of Velo Girls!

Competitor Magazine Best of 2009

Competitor Magazine (formerly City Sports Magazine) finally brought back the Best Bike Club category in their 2009 Best of Competitor survey. It's been missing since 2006. Velo Girls won in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. Can we do it again?

Clickity-click the link and vote, and while you're at it, vote for our sponsors, too: Best Bike Shop (Mike's Bikes), Best Energy Drink (GU Brew), Best Energy Food (GU Chomps), Best Sports Medicine (Discover Chiropractic). And don't forget to vote for our race, the Menlo Park Grand Prix, as the Best Bike Event!

http://competitor.com/bestof2009

October Sponsor of the Month -- Action Wipes!

One of our new sponsors in 2009 is Action Wipes. How could we not fall in love with a product with the tag-line "your face is not a baby's butt -- don't wipe it like one?"

Lorri met Martha Van Inwegen, founder and creator of Action Wipes, on Twitter of all places, but it's indicative of the spirit behind the product. New to Twitter (and not exactly sure what to do with it), Lorri found that someone named MarthaVan was following her. With a little research, Lorri learned that Martha owned a local, California company called Life Elements. Like most cyclists, Lorri should own stock in baby wipes (handy for cleaning both bike and body after a ride). And with the Velo Girls goal of aligning ourselves with local, California sponsors, Lorri decided to learn more about the company.

Our relationship has been a match made in heaven! Martha has been a great supporter of Velo Girls this year and we've been signing the praises of Action Wipes ever since!

What's so great about Action Wipes (besides an awesome product)? Martha Van, is, that's what! She's a fun + fabulous woman with a very progressive, guerilla marketing strategy (just like Velo Girls). She's a social media maven and has run marketing campaigns via Twitter and Facebook aimed at introducing Lance Armstrong to her product (@LanceArmstrong, you should be using Action Wipes) -- a very cool photo campaign featuring cycling super-stars big and small with a newsprint poster harolding that tag-line. Although she claims she's not an athlete, she's immersed herself into the global cycling community in a way that the big, corporate brands could only dream of doing.

Martha was host to the team when we raced in San Luis Obispo this summer, and she told the girls the following story, illustrating her entreprenurial spirit, creativity, and desire to succeed:

Life Elements was the parent company to C+M Couples (C = her husband Curt and M = Martha). C+M Couples is a line of seductive and sassy personal care products targeted to the spa market. When the economy took a dive it affected the spa market (and her business). So, she met with a marketing guru who helped her re-define her product line, now targeted at the active lifestyle market. So she re-labeled all her products in her home office, creating the product we all know as Action Wipes.

When life gave her lemons, Martha made lemonade....and Action Wipes!

Thank you, Martha, for your friendship and support this season!

Friends, Family, Sponsors....Join us at the Giro di San Francisco

As the 2009 road racing season draws to a close, Team Velo Girls would like to invite all our friends, families, and sponsors to celebrate a fabulous season at the Giro di San Francisco on Monday, September 7th. The team will be out in all their pink fabulousness to contest the Women's 4 race @ 8:00am. The Giro is the last local race for the team in 2009 and, as part of the Bay Area Women's Cycling Association Women's Point Series, promises to bring out the best women racers in Northern California!

Immediately after the race, join friends + fans for a tailgate brunch at the Kenda tent.


RSVP for this event!


Velo Girls love our sponsors! You should, too! Check them out!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# Tri-Flow Superior Lubricants
# Eshutter Creative
# Erik Butler Photography
# Gary Brustin, Cycling Attorney
# Image Arts
# Jan Medina Real Estate
# Discover Chiropractic


With Industry Support From:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# Mike's Bikes
# Kenda Tires
# GU Sports Nutrition
# Simbree Energy Foods
# Voler Team Apparel
# Trashy Cat
# Defeet
# Rack N Road Car & Truck Outfitters
# Action Wipes
# Flex Power
# Protech Skincare
# Beljum Budder

Bikes + Burgers = Fun!

Join Velo Girls and Mike's Bikes for a fun event next Saturday, June 6th at Mike's Bikes in Palo Alto -- the Big Huge Bike Drive BBQ! We're collecting bikes for Mike's Africa Bike Drive, and we're going to have a lot of fun, too! Join us for these fun events throughout the day:

12:00 - 2:00 Free BBQ

1:00 flat changing clinic

2:00 co-ed group ride led by members of Team Velo Girls (road + mountain)

4:30 flat tire changing contest

5:00 raffle

More info at http://www.mikesbikes.com .

Can't make it to the event, make a tax-deductible donation to the Africa Bike Drive here: http://mikesbikes.com/itemlist.cfm?category=293

Discovering Discover Chiropractic

This from Team Velo Girls member, Jill Eyres:

Dr. Kam Leung of Discover Chiropractic in San Francisco hosted Team Velo Girls last night for an educational and fun evening. Dr. Leung practices both chiropractic and Active Release Technique (ART), which targets the tissues of the body. Using these complementary techniques, he said that “as long as it’s not broken or bleeding,” there are things he can do to help. For example, he estimated that 85% of headaches originate in the neck, which can be addressed through adjustment and ART. Even pregnant women can benefit – he said that breech births can be caused by misalignment of the pelvis that prevents babies from turning properly in utero.

Dr. Leung demonstrated ART on our teammate, Yari, who has had pain in various places along the right side of her body, including her knee and her back. He talked about the interconnections of the body, and how a problem with one part can cause problems in the connected parts as well. He started by working on her right ankle and calf, then moved up through the IT band and some other muscles and tendons that I’ve never heard of and/or have forgotten the names of (I think psoas was in there somewhere). For each area, the technique involved Dr. Leung applying pressure dynamically along the length of the muscles/tendons while moving them through their full range of motion. After Yari, Vanessa mentioned that she has had some problems with her hands associated with bike riding; Dr. Leung talked about how this was probably symptomatic of something going on higher up in the arm, in the forearm or just above the elbow.

One of the interesting things Dr. Leung talked about was how ART can be used to improve athletic performance by addressing adhesions and other conditions that prevent muscles from working to their full potential. He also talked about what athletes can do on our own to improve our health and performance. Stretching is important, particularly the day after a workout, in order to encourage muscles to recover and strengthen in a long position rather than in contraction. Dr. Leung demonstrated stretches for calves, quads, and hamstrings. Of course warming up properly before a workout is also important.

Thanks to Discover Chiropractic for a great evening and for supporting Team Velo Girls!

Thanks for a Sweet Ride!

La Dolce Velo. Have you heard of them? They're Rob and Jacquie Mardell -- longtime Team in Training supporters/coaches and Jacquie is a Velo Girl, too! In 2001, they started a little bike shop in their garage, primarily helping Team in Training friends.

As time passed, their business expanded and they followed their passion by opening their own shop -- LA DOLCE VELO.

In addition, they offer coaching and training and even organized triathlon training programs! Good stuff. And they're right in San Jose!

Well, La Dolce Velo stepped up to the plate to help Velo Girls promoter the Hellyer Hoedown on Friday -- yay!

Send 'em a big thank you when you've got a chance: Contact Rob Mardell or Jacquie Mardell

Better yet, stop by the shop and show them a little retail love!

to Otter or not

I chose not to race Sea Otter this year. I've been there racing (road and/or mountain) or coaching for the past seven years. Of course, when you don't race, everyone wants to know what's wrong. Nothing's wrong with me or the team, but there's a lot wrong with Sea Otter. I would rather give my registration support ($$$) to a local race (or three) and feel positive about the whole experience. Sea Otter seems to leave a bad taste in too many mouths each year. The event has gotten bigger and bigger each year. Registration fees have increased. Support for racers has decreased. PITA has increased. Accuracy of results has decreased. The length of lines has increased. My desire to participate has decreased. I decided this was the year to finally quit playing the Sea Otter game.

But because it's Sea Otter, we really had to make an appearance. And it's the ideal opportunity to spend some quality time with our sponsors who aren't in the northern california area. So Friday was sponsor day: my teammate, Dana, and I headed down to Monterey for lunch, booth time, sponsor gifts, dinner and drinks, mucho fun.

Jim Wannamaker of Kenda -- one of the most supportive and generous sponsors in the industry!

Linda Elgart of Voler Team Apparel -- not only a fabulous sponsor, but one of my athletic idols. Linda has won national championships in just about every discipline in cycling.

Mattias Presser of Sock Guy -- what a charmer with a little moustache and a little accent to match.

What can I say about Tri-Flow? Velo Girls would not be who we are without their generous support of our team, race, and racing development program. Here you see Brian, Steve Spirko, and the ever-funny Bob Wrona.

This is Mortiz Hoemke from GU -- one of our very first sponsors in 2002!

And this is the lovely Sally Virgin of Simbree Energy Foods -- one of our brand new sponsors for 2008.