Serotta Spins through Colorado

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If you fancy yourself a a bike geek, or even just an avid cyclist, Serotta is a name you’ve probably heard before. Ben Serotta has been hand-crafting beautiful custom bikes in the US since 1972. In the 1980’s Serotta built bikes for the 7-Eleven team (though they were labeled as Huffy) helping legendary riders like Eric Heiden win the US Pro Championships, Davis Phinney win a stage of Tour de France in 1986 (the first for an American), and Andy Hampsten win the Giro d’Italia. Serotta also pioneered bike fitting, developing the first Size Cycle back in 1979 and organizing the industry’s first School for Professional Bike Fitting. Serotta also created the first double-butted titanium frameset, the “S” bend chainstay and the patented pivoted ST carbon seatstay. If you are looking for a new bike check out the best road bike here.

Today, Serotta is one of the most vertically integrated bicycle manufacturers in the world, with its own carbon fiber composites production facility in Poway, California and manufacturing in a state of the art facility in Saratoga Springs, NY. Serotta also just strengthened its leadership with the addition of Stan Mavis as the new president. Stan was a co-founder of Pearl Izumi and later president of Sugoi (not to mention a former world record holder in the half marathon and Colorado Running Hall of Fame member). The newly formed Serotta Sport company will continue to offer Serotta’s legendary custom, hand-built bicycles and also be the exclusive North American distributor of Catlike helmets and ETXEONDO cycling apparel.

For those of you in Colorado, Stan and the team from Serotta are making a few stops at their dealers to show off their latest handmade creations and talk about what’s new in the world of professional bike fitting. Serotta will be in Aspen today and then in Boulder on Saturday and Sunday. Here are the details:
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  • Thursday 4/22: The Hub of Aspen, 3-6pm (970)-925-7970
  • Saturday 4/24: Sports Garage, 1pm-4pm  (303)-473-0033
  • Sunday 4/25: University Bicycles, 1pm-4pm  (303)-444-4196
The public is invited to attend all of the events to meet Serotta’s new leadership team and geek out on some beautiful custom bikes.
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Race Across the Sky Trailer

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I could do without the overused, dramatic baroque music and most people with an interest in cycling already know, “WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?” at this year’s Leadville Trail 100 MTB race (spoiler alert: Lance wins). That aside, this trailer for ‘Race Across the Sky’ is pretty sweet. The HD footage is spectacular–especially the helicopter shots–and movies about mountain bike racing are few and far between, so yeah, I’m excited to see this.

Posted in: Biking, Videos

LZ the Local Legend

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You would never know it talking to him because he’s ridiculously modest, but Len Zanni is kind of a big deal.

In addition to helping run the show at sister companies Big Agnes and Honey Stinger, Len is a bit of a local celebrity on his bike. This year Len has been crushing the competition at pretty much every Wednesday night local race. He currently sits in third place in the overall points series of the Mountain States Cup. He finished 17th at the National Mountain Bike XC Championships at Sol Vista last month and he won the Leadville Silver Rush 50 a couple weeks ago.

But this weekend featured what might have been one of Zanni’s biggest races yet. Len certainly had some homefield advantage at the Blast the Mass race in Snowmass this past Saturday, but he also faced some of the toughest mountain bike competition on American soil. It just so happens that part-time Aspen local and 7-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, decided he wanted to join the fray at the Snowmass race. Lance’s appearance definitely added some excitement and brouhaha to what is typically a fairly insular regional mountain bike race scene.

Lenny leading Lance and other pro men up the starting hill. It's not everyday you can race ahead of a 7-time TdF winner.

Lenny leading a 7-time TdF winner and the other pro men up the starting hill.

Despite the spectator donnybrook surrounding Lance, Len kept his eyes on the prize and raced his own race. Lance shot out to three minute lead over perennial Mountain States winner and full-time pro rider Jay Henry, with Len holding onto third place in a field stacked with strong regional pros. In the end Lance proved he can ride a bike off road as well as on, and won with a three-minute margin. Jay stayed in second and Len finished in third – his best Mountain States Cup finish all season.

Jay Henry, Lance and Len

Jay Henry, Lance and Len.

It’s not every day you get to share a podium with Lance. Not bad for a guy pushing 40 with two kids and a full-time job. Nice work Len, we’re proud of you.

Posted in: Biking, Client News, Colorado \ Tagged: , ,

Sorry Boulder

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imagesThis month Good Magazine revamped the overused and overprinted “Best Bike Cities In the U.S.” story to include some not-so-obvious contenders. Who knew Pittsburgh would make the list? Not I. Check out which 2-wheelin’ metropolis may be giving Boulder a run for its money.

Read here:
http://www.good.is/post/sorry-portland/

While you’re there, check out this awesome story on how your phone technology may lead to better choices. Want to know if the store you are in front of is hiring or where you can pick up the closest Zipcar to your current location, and all you have to do is point your phone?? Sounds crazy.. but so did velcro once.
Check it out here. http://www.good.is/post/better-choices-through-technology/

Posted in: Biking, Environment, Technology

Backbone Carbondale, Backbone JH, Backbone Big Apple

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Let’s see, last week Backbone was in Beantown, Boulder, Richmond, City of Rocks and Chicago.

No trip to Chi-Town is complete without a trip to the Wrigley Bleachers

No trip to Chi-Town is complete without a trip to the Wrigley Bleachers

Friday afternoon saw a flurry of action here at the Carbondale HQ as Lance and Levi stopped by to warm up for the local time trial. Meanwhile, our team in Jackson Hole is out looking for a larger office space to accommodate growth there.

Lance spinning while Greg offers Sage advice on the Backbone stoop

Lance spinning while Greg offers Sage advice on the front steps at Backbone

This week? Ride the Rockies is in town. Greg, Mavis, Ian, Sarah, and Dax are in NYC hosting an event with Kristan Clarke’s Rendezvous Event Management agency .

Cloudveil, SmartWool, Newton Running, POC, Brunton, Gerber, and Boa will all be there!

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Biking, Client News

Independence Pass Ski Outlook

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For those of you still jonesing to ski, Indpendence Pass certainly offers some of the most accessible backcountry terrain in the state. We were up there on our bikes yesterday and this is what we found (click photos to enlarge):

Notice the BIG wet slab.

Notice the BIG wet slab slide.

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If you want to beat the crowds, get on your bike and get up there before Thursday. Or, you can call Sari and see if she’ll give you a ride in the Chariot. Or, embrace the party and join Lou Dawson up on the pass for his annual Memorial Day BBQ.

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Biking, Skiing \ Tagged: , ,

How To Race An Xtracycle

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Last weekend I participated in the 18 Hours of Fruita with the Stomparillaz, an informal cycling club here in Carbondale. The Stompaz don’t do anything by the book, and our team raced the 18 hours on Xtracycles. I initially went as support, as I don’t own an Xtra yet, (it was ordered yesterday in fact), but I was able to grab my female team member’s e bikes UK & number and do a lap (our 6-8 open team turned into 12 riders). Thirty-four minutes wasn’t too bad – it was the average lap time – for a 5.8 mile single track lap, especially as it was my first ‘mountain bike’ race, it was raining and I was on a bike I had never ridden before, let alone I’ve never ridden an Xtra before.
Couple things I learned about racing an Xtra:
1.    Standing up on a climb isn’t recommended, as all your weight is in the front of the bike, causing the back tire to slip like nothing else. Not great when the front shifter is broken…
2.    Sharp turns? Ha! This thing is like a semi truck. Need to take turns wide if you don’t want your tail to go off the trail and into a pile of cactus.
3.    ‘Normal’ racers either stare at you in confusion or awe, but either way, are very encouraging, and I felt like a badass.
4.    If you have fenders (which my borrowed bike did as its normal day job is a townie), mud is a killer. Take those puppies off!
5.    Its hard to take yourself seriously when ridding a long bike, and so adding decorations like blow-up toys and flags and drums make it much more interesting.

Thanks to Over the Edge and New Belgium for a fantastic race! I’ll be back next year with my very own Xtra in tow. Now its on to ‘Bonedale Bike Week – our take on National Bike to Work Week, and in true Stompa-Style, will be filled with fun and crazyness.

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Biking \ Tagged: , ,