Equipment Sponsorship...

Just found out today that, thanks to Joe's hard work at Wheelworks, Cervelo, Giro, and Rudy Project are on board for 2008...

The deals are too smokin' hot to post specifics here. might fry the interwebs... but, if you are privy, check out your email for all the details.

I love this time of year when all the schmoozing, chasing, back-slapping, and brown-nosing comes to fruition!!!

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Kinda like being a kid at Christmas time again!

A Blast from the Past... Pics from WCCCA MTB Finale'

Recently I've been thinking that DBCJRT has been doing a good job of meeting its mission... now I'm not so sure.

Thor, one of our recent graduates, is riding dirt for Cal-Poly SLO. Technically I guess we've met, at-least a portion of our mission with him. He has continued to ride his bike so we have fostered an active, healthy lifestyle in him. He still is racing, so we succeeded in providing access to racing for him, but have we created a well-rounded, community-minded individual? You tell me...

Check out that beard... now you know why we call him Thor...

Just riding MTB doesn't eliminate you from being a community-minded individual, but hanging out with guys like this might...

Hey Blake... crack kills!!!

Happy Thanksgiving... Burritos Anyone?

I haven't heard officially from Slipstream yet, but one of our enterprising young'ns sniffed out a little tidbit on the Slipstream/Chipotle Website... seems that DBCJRT has earned the Polka-Dot KOM in their "Causing the Slipstream" development program. Which means that in exchange for jersey space we get, among other things, free burritos... settle down TK, they all aren't for you, but you will get your fare share.

I'll let y'all know when I get the official word, in the mean time... Happy Turkey Day!

Weekend What Nots...

Saturday AM by the numbers: Nine juniors and three parents not counting me.

Veteran DBCJRT'rs AWfoSho, El Gigante, PtotheArker, and Tapinator took this years latest class of recruits on a nice-to-get-to-know-you spin out to Winters. I'm sure enough excited to see Brian, AJ, Ryan, Kyle, and Peter out riding their bikes with the normal crowd. There is nothing so cool as seeing orange and white all lined up heading down the road. Soon enough, we'll have the new kits and all the kidlets will be sporting DBCJRT colors. Can't wait.

Ryan and Kyle had to cut the ride short... something about six hours of a hockey tournament to get off to. Pretty hardcore for little guys! Brian, Peter, and the rest of the parental crowd returned to Davis from Winters just in time to see the fog burn off. AwfoSho took the rest of the crowd out for a tour of three hills... good old Gibson/Steiger/Cantelowe... rumor has it that PtotheArker and the Tapinator are getting themselves uphill pretty darn well. And AwfoSho reports that AJ is a climbing maniac for a kid who hasn't spent much time on a bike. Fun, Fun!

Sunday's ride was less about social and more about suffer... AWfoSho, Staz, TK, and El Gigante showed up for the Jesse ride along with Caren and me.

AWfoSho, Caren, and TK opted for a 4.5 hour jaunt up towards Auburn via Jesse roads... Baxter Grade and any other road that doesn't have a centerline on it. After a descent to the Confluence and a climb to Cool, they returned via Salmon Falls. I'm told that this is basically the "Around the Lake Loop" in reverse, except that Jesse spends more time on tiny little side roads than the main route. Its cool to see the boys hangin' with the local hardmen, but the coolest thing today was watching Caren chick a bunch of those hardmen... she'd had enough of "gettin' no respect" out there in her DBCJRT junior kit, so today she dug out one of her old Jane's Cosmetics kits. Just to say, "Look at me, I used to be a Pro!" Chick'n the hardmen... gotta love it.

El Gigante and Staz were relying on me to get them back to the car from somewhere around Auburn... a little take a left here and a right there escapade that finally saw us riding back into Folsom after three-and-a-half hours... we did get to spend a good chunk of time riding levees and gravel, which always makes things a tad bit more interesting...

Has This Ever Happened to You?

A few years back I was suckered into a deal... Get 3 issues of Vel-Old-News for free when you purchase a 12 month subscription. "Sure," I'm thinking, "At least it'll make for good bathroom reading." Send in the postcard with the little yellow sticker that says, "Yes"... Ya'll probably know which one I'm talking about.

Several weeks later I'm anxiously awaiting my first issue. Finally it arrives and, in small print on the cover, it says, "display until May 06" or something like that. Problem is it is July 06. Hmm... Flash forward a few weeks and a notice comes in the mail. Mind you, I haven't received my 2nd free issue yet. It says my subscription is about to expire. Gotta be a mistake, I'm thinking. I haven't even been billed yet. Then the bill comes and, just like dad taught me, I pay it first thing. Still haven't received my 2nd free issue though. Then sometime in September I get two issues back to back. The first one says it should be displayed until September something or other. Cool, I'm thinking they finally got it right. Then the next day, my 3rd free issue comes and it is supposed to be displayed until August and covers the first half of the Tour. Hmm... I think I received one more issue and then they sent me an expiration notice along with a request for renewal. I simply wrote,"Yea, right." and returned the card. No more issues...

So, it's all good. I'm sure it was a simple mistake. Or, maybe, somebody went postal somewhere and my issues were retained as evidence, or something like that... afterall, it was only a few bucks.

Recently, El Gigante received a subscription to Vel-Old-News from his grandmother. First two issues right on time. Then nothing... Finally, three or four days ago, the issue with Bettini blasting away on the cover comes. Okay, at least it's semi-timely, but I can't even crack the cover because I've already heard all the news. And today... Vel-Old-News blessed me by telling me that good-old Georgie won the Tour of Missouri. What? do those guys randomly send out back issues whenever they feel like it?

Regardless, I let go a solid belly laugh when, in addition to the ToM issue, there is a letter from the rag requesting a subscription, for which I will be able to not only NOT receive my issues but I can give them the address of any friend I wish so that they may also NOT receive their issues. A two for one deal!!!

I'm half-tempted to subscribe and have the free subscription sent to myself also. Maybe that way I'll get half the issues I pay for in half the time it usually takes to get them to me.

BTW Has anybody heard who won Milano-San Remo this year?

Just a Quick Shout Out Before I'm Off to the Land of ZZZZZZZZ

A lot of coaches who offer sponsorship deals to riders and/or teams find it hard to squeeze in time to personalize their practice for sponsored athletes... especially kidlet athletes. And probably rightly so... there may not be a lot of return on kidlet sponsorships.

As most of you probably know because of the big Moore Performance logo on DBCJRT kidlets' backs, Jesse Moore provides expert level coaching for our athletes. He brings a lot to the table... race experience, a masters degree, an athletic mindset that is to die for. Just enter into a conversation with him about biomechanics, nutrition, peaking, or maintaining a mental edge and you'll see what I mean. He is cutting edge... up-to-date on everything that is relevent. He gleaned a heaping helping of knowledge from Testa and Heiden before they split for Salt Lake and continues to throw garnish and spices on the dish with all that is current in the field. The boy knows his stuff.

And the best part... he takes time to personalize his approach for his athletes. Got a call from him tonight... well after working hours, when by all rights he should have been having dinner with his better half, talking about her day over a glass of wine and a meal. Not that he is neglecting that better half, I'm sure he takes care of her as well as he takes care of the DBCJRT kidlets, but he was just calling to check in on the boys... make sure they were doing all right, was there anything they needed?

He's professional... does his job to make sure the little kiddos are doing their job. That is, to make sure that the Moore Performance logo on their back is the last thing the competition sees as the boys take off down the road...

Couple of Things...

First... from Alex's email:

All, Alex wanted me to send out an email about a couple of upcoming rides...

Tomorrow, Monday, 11/12: Alex, Zach and I will be leaving our house at 9:00 am sharp. 1959 Lake blvd #157. Same place the meeting was held except at our apartment. We will be riding to Winters and back at an easy pace... about 1.5 hours. Nobody will be dropped. RSVP to this email if you are planning on coming.



Next Saturday, 11/16: We'd like to make this a team ride, and want as many of you as possible to come. We will be riding to Winters at an easy pace, nobody will be dropped. After we get to Winters you have two options. 1) Alex and Zach will continue on for an additional 2.5 to 3 hours with hills. This portion of the ride will be faster and they can't guarantee that you will not get dropped. 2)I will be returning to Davis at an easy pace, as slow as the slowest rider, nobody gets dropped. This is a perfect chance for you to come out and meet your teammates, ride with them, get to know them. Come out and ride. Again, 9:00 am sharp at 1959 Lake Blvd #157. Parents are welcome to come also. RSVP to this email address.



Looking forward to seeing all of you on the bike.

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Next: Got to ride with AJ yesterday morning, before the rain... The kid traded pull for pull with AWfoSho and little old me... He's gonna be fast. Can't wait to see him in the hills. AJ's spent just a few hours in the pool throwing a little yellow ball around. All those eggbeater kicks have developed some strong legs. A few years back we had a couple of water polo players on the team. Remember Jake and Trevor Allen? Remember how they went uphill? If I remember correctly, Jake is swimming for Stanford right now. Trevor can still be seen around Davis, at least for a couple more years, until he graduates. But I digress. My point was that water polo players make good climbers. AJ is gonna be good!

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Finally: 5:01:37... ride time, 85.4 miles... ride distance, elevation gain... you tell me. How much climbing is there if you ride from Folsom to Placerville, down Chili Bar and up the other side, over to Greenwood, back to Cool, over Salmon Falls cut-off back to Folsom. That's what Jesse did to us today. We started out with a group somewhere between 20 and 30, including riders from the Cal-Giant, Seirra Nevada/Specialized, Webcor/Alto Velo, and, I think, Eric Saunders was there along with TK, AWfoSho, the Staz and me. By the time we hit Chili Bar we were down to 10 0r 12 because of flats, mechanicals and plain old droppage. My legs yelled quit somewhere around Cool (really they were yelling it long before, but that is when I finally succumbed to their insistence). The Staz and I pedalled the final hour and a half all lonely like, but it's all good because Staz got to learn about old-man toughness. "We're still an hour plus from the car. There is nothing for it but to git'er done, so keep pedalling."

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Looking forward to seeing you all on the bike!

DBCJRT Cash Sponsorship Solidifies

DBCJRT is pleased to announce that new sponsorship agreements have been reached with most of its sponsors from 2007. Without support from businesses outside of the cycling industry the complete scope of DBCJRT's mission would have to be scaled back considerably. For helping to accomplish the mission of 1)providing access to racing for junior cyclists, 2)fostering a healthy lifestyle in its athletes, and 3)creating community minded individuals, DBCJRT would like to thank James Childress, DDS, Inc; e-Motion Video; Benton Runquist, DDS, MS; Tandem Properties; Sweetwater Homes; and Unity Forest Products.

James Childress, DDS has been a practicing dentist in Davis for many years. He is a five time recipient of the Yolo County Dentist of the Year Award. DBCJRT is pleased to have formalized a relationship with Dr Childress for 2008. Dr Childress' comittment to the team for the 2008 season follows an informal relationship in 2007 when he first expressed interest in supporting the team.

e-Motion Video is a video production company based in Davis. DBCJRT is happy to have them onboard. From their website:

e-Motion Video was born from a passion and talent for shooting
and editing subjects near and dear to our hearts -- mainly cycling,
windsurfing,
skiing, or any other adrenalin-based or human-powered
sport.

It soon became apparent, however, that our top-quality
production services were in high demand in a business and broadcast environment
as well.

Hal Sloane, company founder and president, came to the
production world from a successful TV news career. The driving force of e-Motion
Video, Hal possesses the unique ability to create
captivating video quickly
and efficiently. His innovative style and editing tempo have produced
compelling, award-winning work for 16 years

e-Motion Video is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2003 Videographer Award of Distinction.

Benton Runquist, DDS, MS is a multi-year sponsor of DBCJRT. 2008 will be the third consecutive season he has supported the team. Dr Runquist practices orthodontia in Davis and has straightened the teeth of several DBCJRT athletes.

Like Dr Runquist, Tandem Properties has pledged its support to DBCJRT for a third consecutive year. From Tandem's website:

Tandem Properties was founded in 1965 as a sole proprietorship by John Whitcombe. John graduated from UC Davis and then from the Harvard Business School. The original company began by designing and building custom homes. In 1969, Bill Roe and Paul Makley both graduates from the Stanford Business School, joined the company to help manage it's growth. For over 30 years, Tandem Properties has maintained its tradition of quality housing and fair business practices which the community has come to expect year after year. Today, the company continues this reputation of service to the community. Tandem Proeprties is an official corporate sponsor of UC Davis Athletics and the AGGIE PACK, the largest student booster organization in the country. The company has also benefitted local organizations such as Families First, Yolo County Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center, International House, Head Start and more. As Tandem Properties grows, so will it's capacity to provide more quality rental housing, excellent customer service and outstanding stewardship of the community.

Sweetwater Homes has renewed its relationship with DBCJRT for a second straight year. Sweetwater is a real estate development company responsible for developing much of North Davis.

Also, supporting DBCJRT for a second straight year is Unity Forest Products. From Unity's website:

We are a lumber remanufacture plant & sawmill located on 22 acres in Yuba City, CA. U.S.A. We are a group of people coming together with a common goal. That goal is customer satisfaction, reliable service and quality products. In this day and age, it is equally important to find products that fulfill specific niches in the market. We strive to achieve these goals at our mill.

DBCJRT would like to extend a warm welcome to our team to all of our sponsors. We look forward to sharign our successes in 2008 with all of them.

Rider Bio: Cody Tapley

The Tapinator... regular kid with a big heart!

Cody is just like any one of a million teenagers. He goes to school, hangs out with his friends playing football, has a part time job -AND- rides his bike, a lot...

Cody was introduced to DBCJRT by a neighbor. He'd see his neighbor, former DBC'er Trudy Bjornson, pedalling out of her driveway on regular basis. Soon he was joining her for hour long rides. Trudy put him in touch DBC, introducing him as an aspiring bike racer. The first ride is probably something the Tapinator wants to forget: suffering, sweating, pedalling, huffing, and puffing while trying to hang onto AWfoSho and Juge's wheel. Unfortunately, in the spirit of fun, his teammates won't ever let him forget about it. Perhaps the ride was more painful for AWfoSho and Juge as they "pedalled along at fourteen miles per hour."

Bicycle racing is a tough sport for kids to break into. Typically a teenage kid, full of spit and vinegar, wants to be like Lance. He jumps into his first race or ride with visions of glory. And, he's promptly dropped. The art of racing, the speed, the accelerations, the close proximity to twenty or thirty other kids trying to stay upright on two spinning wheels is something that takes time to learn. Most kids, having their legs and lungs handed to them, having their pride crushed, take a second look at racing and say, "I'm never doing that again."

Tapley, having more heart than most, never had second thoughts...

One hour spins were traded for hardcore training rides. His first bike, a steel-framed Falcon, was traded for a carbon Raleigh provided, in part, by a sponsorship through a local bike shop. Soon Tapley was riding off the front of the local Tuesday/Thursday race ride.

A Rising Star...

Now the Tapinator is training religiously with long rides, building a base for 2008.

DBCJRT has a long standing tradition of winning the NCNCA Junior Point Series. For four straight years they've taken top honors in the 15/16 category. The Tapinator has his sights set on upholding that tradition in 2008. Beyond 2008, Tapley's "goals for cycling are to just keep riding, I mean, I dream of becoming a pro, but, if not, it's okay. I'll still ride my bike."

When he's not on his bike training, Tapley is working on bikes at his part time job at Davis Wheelworks. A neo-mechanic, Cody describes his job as, "the Walmart bike mechanic." Wheelworks is the premier Northern California bike shop where it is routine to see $5,000 $6,000 even $10,000 bikes come and go through the doors. Cody is cutting his teeth on the inexpensive stuff first, and that is fine with him. "[It] is okay because I learn new things everyday."

Cutting his teeth in the bike shop, cutting his teeth on the race course. Full of heart, the Tapinator is going to make his dreams come true...

Hope You Marked Your Calendar in Pencil

Grab your eraser and change the date...

from Jason Eiserich, Masters Team Member:

Hey Team,

Just an FYI. Due to the Team night at Ken's Bike and Ski having to be held on 14 November, we will have to reschedule the DBC Race Team end of the year party. Stay tuned on your email soon announcing the new date of the Race Team party.

best,

jason

This was the team party scheduled for Steve's Pizza. I'll let you know when I hear the date...

Just Some Bid'ness

1. Clothing orders for the 2008 season are due this Saturday, 11/10... I have to have it to Voler by the 12th and need the weekend to compile it.
2. If you want long sleeve items like wind jackets, thermals, or armwarmers you need to order those with the adult team clothing order... that order form can be found here. Make sure you follow all of the instructions.
3. Race reimbursement requests for 2007 are due to me by 11/14. That way, if you completed all your volunteer hours, you can have a nice check to spend on new bike equipment for 2008...
4. Speaking of 2008 equipment... I met with the man earlier today. Looks like we should know in two weeks who our bike sponsor will be, what new helmets we will be sporting, and what optics we will be wearing.
5. And finally, to close out 2007... the team party is scheduled for November 14th at Steve's Pizza on F Street in Davis. Mark your calendar!

Now, because business is so boring...

Ran into the Tapinator today at Wheelworks... the kid has a job! Can you believe it? Anyways, Cody has been burning up the pavement with Dishes and Laundry this Fall. Putting in some time in the hills... If we can keep him motivated over the winter, when the cold north wind creeps into your bones like slow death, when the pavement's wet and the air is wetter, when the fog is thick enough you can cut it with a knife (couldn't resist the cliche'), watch out world...

we are looking for somebody to retain that 15/16 Junior Point Series Trophy... Tapinator, we've had it ever since Thor was a youngen', four straight years as far as I can tell. Ya'up for it?