El Camino Bike Shop

February Ladies Night @ El Camino Bike Shop

2009-02-28T10:06:00.000-08:00

Another successful Ladies Night @ ECBS last Thursday. Thanks to Tori B from Trek, Lisa J from Velo Betty and Sean L from Pearl Izumi.

We were happy to see ladies from Meetup.com, the YMCA, Team Luna Chix and Swamis.

The night started around 6:30pm with the ECBS men serving the ladies wine and snacks. After half an hour of socializing the presentations began. During the evening, we learned about bike fit, bike specific clothing and bike handling skills.

After some great raffle prizes Tori finished up by showing us her famous "how to fix a rear flat and not get your hands dirty."

All the women had a good time and agreed that it was nice to meet new friends to ride with. ECBS has a "Women who ride" mailing list. If you are interested in joining that list send us an email.

Estimated times for Stage 8 Tour of California

2009-02-17T06:45:00.000-08:00

Here are the official estimated times of various points of interest of Stage 8
KOM @ Wolford - 12:55 to 1:05
KOM @ Palomar Mtn - 1:47 to 2:06
KOM @ Cole Grade - 3:02 to 3:35
Finish @ Party Swamis - 3:51 to 4:33
Click here for the complete estimates..

Stage 8 KOM as of Monday

2009-02-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

Jeff Bean took this video of the top of Palomar as of yesterday. Road looks good, but a lot of snow on the side lines... Good that we have Party Swamis to go to.

Hopefully with the clear skies predicted for Wednesday to Sunday the snow will melt and it will be clear space for all the spectators.

Phil Zajicek bike in VeloNews

2009-02-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

Check out Phil's bike on VeloNews after bringing it into our shop. We do not sell Parlees, but I got to admit it is a sweet looking ride.

Team Bike set up:

Frame: Parlee Z4 carbon
Fork: Edge Composites 1.0
Wheelset: Edge Composites 38mm all carbon clincher
Brakes: TRP 960
Drivetrain: SRAM Red
Bar: Edge
Stem: Thompson (temporary—will be Edge Composites by Tour of California)
Seatpost: Thompson (temporary—will be replaced with Edge Composites by Tour of California)
Saddle: Fi'zi:k Antares

Pedals: Speedplay

Here is the complete interview with VeloNews about the bike. Click here for the article

Other sources of Info for Stage 8

2009-02-03T06:17:00.000-08:00

There is a nice article in Interbike Times about what is going on at the top of Palomar. Highlights are:

Two other site of info from the people who live at the top of Palomar:

http://palomarsummit.blogspot.com/

http://palomarsummit.com/

New info from the article:

Bicycles will be allowed to ride on S-6 after 9 AM until approximately 60 min prior to estimated arrival of the first rider.

The summit businesses (www.palomarsummit.com) will offer limited parking for a $10 fee on a first come/first serve basis.

Johnny at Mother’s Kitchen has a long history in the bike industry (mostly in the Santa Cruz, CA area) and is a great guy. Said he’d been going to Interbike “since about 1973″ (about 10 years before there was an Interbike, btw).

More info for Party Swamis - Keep it Coming

2009-02-02T05:23:00.000-08:00

It is becoming clear that Swamis is connected. Several of you are calling, emailing me info about Stage 8. Here is the latest I have been told.

There will be a Jumbotron TV on the top of Palomar Mtn for all on the mountain to watch the race
For those of you that are looking to use Nate Harrison Grade & State Park Rd to get up and down the mountain they will stay open all day on Sunday 2/22
Andy Green and his posse of mtn bikers, seems to have the best understanding of the possibilities of using the back roads of Palomar Mtn to get the most of seeing the KOM. Email him if you want more info.
Tour planners have an alternative route for the race if Palomar Mtn has snow or ice on the roads. Alternative route is not known
We have confirmation that the finish sprint has been changed and Party Swamis is right there. The finish will go right down Escondido Blvd in front of Party Swamis at the Center for the Arts.

Swamis/FOS keep those rumors/info coming - Email me if you know anything

The perfect Sunday Bike Ride

2009-02-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

From 5 AM 'til nearly 5 PM in Bogota, Columbia every Sunday over 70 miles of city streets are closed to traffic where residents come out to walk, bike, run, skate, recreate, picnic, and talk with family, neighbors & strangers...

Why can't we do this in San Diego...

Trek's Soho - First Review

2009-02-01T05:40:00.000-08:00

The Soho will be available in March, but we got a chance to check the bike out...

Trek's Soho is a great commuter bike for the hills here in North County San Diego. With tons of features, these deceptively simple bike are still somehow chock full of the little touches that add up to the top bike on the market today for those urban riders who use their bike for getting around town.

Almost inch by inch up and down this bike, Trek's engineers have built a number of commuter specific items into the Soho to make this ride both comfortable and practical for getting you around town.

The first and most obvious touch is almost a comedic one to show you're a serious commuter. What is it? A coffee cup, of course! You need your joe in the morning, and so with the Soho bike you can get a stainless steel commuter coffee mug designed specifically for it that goes in your watter bottle cage complete with Soho label. The mug itself is a high-quality insulated container that is self-sealing to keep dirt out and your drink hot or cold for a long time.

Another brilliant and highly visible design element are long rubber bumpers implanted in either side of the top tube. The people at Trek who put these in are people who know the reality of riding in an urban environment. These strips, in addition to just looking cool, serve as a cushion when you lean your bike up against stuff, keeping your bike free from dents and dings in the paint. Also, if you've used a sign or another type of post as a bike rack, you know it's easy for your bike to slide and scoot forward and flop over. The rubber bumper helps keeps the bike in place because it's a better gripper than bare metal.

Belt-Drive - Durable Components and Easy Maintenance

The Soho ($989) has an intriguing belt drive set-up paired with the internal gearing of the 8-speed Shimano Nexus 8 rear hub. Using a Gates C-Drive carbon composite belt, Trek bills it as "brutally tough yet cleaner than any chain you’ve ever owned." The Belt drive is super quiet and easier to maintain that traditional chains, and the range of gearing will allow you conquer the steepest hills as well as max your pedaling for all-out speed on the flats.

The Soho uses an internal Shimano IM50 roller brake, again contained in the hubs, making maintenance a snap as your brake parts aren't continually subjected to dirt and moisture. Bontrager Hardcase tires with integrated reflective sidewall comes standard for safer night riding on the Soho; matching fenders are another nice plus for people who have to count on their bike to get them around in all types of weather.

The Soho is built on a lightweight Alpha Black Aluminum frame with built-in dropouts that allow mounting of a rack and fenders without special mounting hardware.

The Soho is the true commuter bike, it is going to appeal to most people who are thinking about the decision to buy a bike like this much as they would analyze a potential new car purchase. What kind of features does it have, and what do I need? The Soho has all sorts of terrific features that will appeal to commuters and urban riders for their true convenience and benefit they offer. Despite the fact that the nearly thousand dollar price tag is going to be a deterrent to many cyclists, the fact is that the Trek Soho is a great value at this price point given the innovative engineering built into it. The cutting edge belt drive and internal hub and brake system should save you a lot on maintenance, repair and replacement over the years, even with everyday riding in all sorts of elements.

Strongest Tour of California So Far...

2009-01-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

VeloNews had a nice overview of the riders...

....“It is clear that this year’s Amgen Tour of California has the greatest field ever assembled in our country. We have legendary champions like Lance Armstrong, an extraordinary array of the best professional cyclists riding today and many of the most talented young riders in the world,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports.

The unprecedented field of riders expected to compete in the fourth-annual event, which drew a record 1.6 million spectators in 2008, includes two Tour de France Champions (Armstrong, Sastre), a Giro d’Italia Champion (Basso), 10 World Champions (Armstrong, Boonen, Cancellara, Michael Rogers, Cavendish, Brett Lancaster, Stuart O’Grady, Francisco Chicchi-Jr, Yoroslav Popovych-Jr. and Janez Brajokovic-Jr.), 26 Olympians and eight Olympic medalists (Armstrong, Cancellara, Hamilton, Leipheimer, Gustav Larsson, O’Grady, Rogers and Hayden Roulston) and 25 past and current National Champions......

Click here for the rest of the article

Blackburn Flea comes out on top for Bike Couriers

2009-01-30T05:37:00.000-08:00

Hugo Giron, Bike Courier did a review of bike light for the NY Times. Here is what he said about the Flea.

"The Flea was definitely my favorite light," Mr. Giron said of the ultracompact Blackburn. "The design was small, the lights were super bright, and they were convenient because they would attach to anything." Mr. Giron said the Flea's hook-and-strap self-mounting system was secure but easy to remove, and the lights would fit in his pocket when he dashed into a store for a delivery. But "the really rad thing" was the Flea's charger, which uses a 1.5-volt battery to juice the front lights for 3 hours steady (6 hours flashing) and the rear for 6 hours (12 hours flashing). "These lights were the bee's knees," Mr. Giron said. "They were so small and ridiculously bright."

Click here for the rest of the article

Team Astana bike signed by Lance Armstrong on EBay

2009-01-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

Trek Australia donated an official Team Astana bike to auction with 100% proceeds to the Cancer Council of South Australia (CCSA). To add to the auction results, the Premier of South Australia has agreed to donate $3 for every dollar raised. This is a huge fundraising effort that exemplifies Australia’s commitment to make cancer a priority!

This auction ends Saturday! Go to Ebay to place your bid

Location for Party Swamis & Rumor change for Finish Sprint

2009-01-29T13:14:00.000-08:00

Sources are telling us that Stage 8 finish sprint is being changed and "Party Swamis" may be right on the the finish sprint. Here are the rumors...

1. "Party Swamis" is officially next door to the media center for the Tour of California. Good news for our media efforts and our team - Fly Vaustralia Presented by Successful Living.

2. It is not confirmed, but the race route will finish down Escondido Blvd. and not Grand, therefore Party Swamis will have race side positioning instead of a block away and across the park!!! This is killer news if it is true, stay tuned....

Here is the google map

View Larger Map

PVC Surf Rack for Bike

2009-01-29T03:54:00.001-08:00

If you do not have the money for a Carver Surf Rack, but you know your way around PVC check out this rack for your board.

Click Here for more info

Armstrong welcomes Landis return

2009-01-23T07:46:00.000-08:00

Landis and Armstrong making nice for the Tour of California.. Click here for the article

....Armstrong said Italian Ivan Basso, the biggest name in the peloton to be snared by the Operation Puerto drugs scandal, should also be given a second chance.

"There's no point in criticising Basso or Landis - they've paid their penalty... that's normally the way society works and let's forgive and forget and get back on down the road," he said.

Landis and Armstrong are likely to face each other at the Tour of California on February 14-22, and the former said he is excited about Armstrong's comeback.

"His comeback is good for the sport," Landis said, adding that he had been watching Armstrong's progress in the Tour Down Under in Australia.....

"You know, he's just one of 200 other cyclists there, but I'm getting an idea of his condition by how he's doing in the Australian race."

Armstrong added: "I think it's good that the strongest riders in the world are in the best races in the world.

"Floyd is a friend of mine, he's a former team-mate and he has a lot of fans.

"I've heard that he's riding well. From a sporting perspective he'll be strong there (California)."

Look at the paint detail of Lance's Madone Frame!

2009-01-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

Check out the detail here..

There is a rumor that there are a few hidden messages in the graphics (none of them shown here). Trek Team liaison Ben Coates promises he will share their meanings when he posts photos of the complete bike. Watch for more photos in the weeks to come!

See more here...

More info for seeing Stage 8 & Free Parking at Harrah's

2009-01-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

Got an email from from Kevin Carter, Special Events Coordinator for Harrah's Rincon Casino. He is inviting all Swamis to feel free to park at the Casino and ride to the KOM. He will be sending me around 100 "Rack Cards" that will have a food coupon on the bottom. So if you get stuck on Palomar and cannot make "Party Swami" make sure you get your Harrah's coupon from me in early February.

Use this to help determine how to see as much of the race as you think you can.

Our continued work to see as much of Stage 8 as possible. I do not have a solution, but more information...

Here is the official street closure info for Stage 8. Keep this official link to get any changes.

Street Closures Saturday, February 21–Monday, February 23, 2009
Grand Avenue from Maple to Kalmia; Maple & Kalmia between Valley Parkway & 2nd Avenue will be closed from 6 a.m. Saturday, February 21, to 5 a.m. Monday, February 23.
Broadway between 2nd Avenue & Valley Parkway will be closed from 8 p.m. Saturday, February 21, to 12 a.m. Monday, February 23.
Grand Avenue between Escondido Boulevard & Juniper; Grand Avenue cross streets between Valley Parkway to 2nd Avenue will be closed from 8 a.m. Sunday, February 22, to 5 a.m. Monday, February 23.

Rolling Street Closures Sunday, February 22, 2009
Bear Valley Parkway between San Pasqual Valley Road & East Valley Parkway	Noon–1:15 p.m.
East Valley Parkway between Bear Valley Parkway & Lake Wohlford Road	12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m.
North Lake Wohlford Road between Valley Center Road & El Norte Parkway	2:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
El Norte Parkway between Washington Avenue & Escondido Boulevard	3:00 p.m.–4:45 p.m.

Back story of Escondido getting Stage 8

2009-01-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a NC Times article about how the Stage 8 made it to North County.

Will Tour of CA return?
Mattson and Bettin said strong community participation and avoiding any significant problems will probably be key factors in whether race officials return to Escondido next winter.

"There are no guarantees they will be back," said Mattson, explaining that some cities have been abandoned since the race was founded four years ago. "My goal is to do everything possible to get them back."

Mattson is the main reason the race will be here in the first place. She said tour officials decided last spring that they wanted to expand into San Diego, but they were unsure where.

When Mattson got a request for proposals that was sent to nearly every chamber of commerce and visitors organization in the county, she immediately began brainstorming and eventually landed an exclusive contract for the local stage of the race.

"I knew Escondido and Rancho Bernardo had both been hit hard by the (October 2007) wildfires, so I thought they could use the exposure the most," Mattson said.

Tour officials were also attracted to using Palomar Mountain, which will include the highest point ever featured in the Amgen Tour of California event.

But Mattson said the race will only return if it is embraced by local businesses and residents.

"We need to show them our community flair," Mattson said.

Surly Long Haul Trucker in Winter

2009-01-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

Saw this - Daniel LeLievre & Derek Marshall are traveling from Seoul, South Korea to Sagres, Portugal on Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bicycles. goal of this ride is to raise $50,000 for the fight against world hunger.

We do not see much winter here in San Diego, so I thought it would be good to relay their thoughts about their bikes and riding in winter.

Some things they learned from the ride:

SKS Fenders, or fenders in general, really make for a cleaner ride. Derek doesn’t have fenders and was covered with mud after about 2 minutes on the bike. I was perfectly clean, although my front Ortlieb panniers were covered in mud.
Adding some extra inflation to your tires increases speeds while under heavy load. I was rolling pretty heavy on the ride and my speed was down about 2km per hour. I stopped and pumped up my tires with my Topeak Road Morph up to near max capacity. I was rolling with the wind and got an extra 4km per hour out of my bike.
A simple 3-layer clothing system seems to keep us warm. I’m wearing a pair of synthetic moisture-wicking long underwear (tops and bottoms), a think wool jacket on top, and a Gore Wind-stopper Jacket on top of that. For my legs, I’ve got the long underwear, a regular pair of boxer shorts, and wind-protective pants. Add some wool socks, a pair of cycling gloves, and waterproof shoe covers, and that’s it. We were riding in light rain, 34 degree weather, and a 20mph wind. No problems. I really think the addition of the Wind-stopper jacket has solved my problems.
The Surly Long Haul Truckers are holding up nicely. I have over 900km on my bike while Derek is still breaking his in. I have had no problems thus far with any part of the bike. So far, all of my racks, panniers, and water cages are holding up just fine.

Lance's First Race of 2009 in Adelaide

2009-01-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

Lance has been in Australia for the past week promoting his Livestrong Foundation and Saturday he did the 50km Cancer Council Classic, held on a compact circuit in the center of Adelaide and run off at a rapid 47kmph. It has been 1,274 days having elapsed since his last professional race (for you statistic sport fans).

Armstrong, who, before crossing the line in 64th place – 23 seconds behind the winner, admitted to having "a lot of anxiety" about his first race back but "zero doubt in my mind that I have done the right thing" in returning to the sport.

Watching from the pits, Johan Bruyneel, the director of Armstrong's Astana team, said: "It's a special day, an important moment. After a lot of talk about his comeback, now it is a fact. He has a number on his back; he's a racer again."

Click here for the complete article

Final details of Lance's bike

2009-01-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

Here are the details of Lance's bike from Trek Bike -

........Lance Armstrong's Tour Down Under bike is a stock Madone red series carbon frame with a full custom paint job. Although the bike went from a twinkle in the designer's eye to painted and built in less then a full week there was nothing easy about it. It took over 30 hours to paint the bike, not including curing time, that is strictly airbrush gun in the painter's hand pointed it at the frame...... Everything on the bike was painted in house at Trek by one of our Project One painters. There are no decals on the bike, the bike is 100% paint! When you see it up close it really is a site to behold, knowing that it was hand done makes it even more incredible.
Getting the bike to Lance has been an adventure in and of itself, delays, shipping mishaps, changed flight plans, canceled flights, driving in the snow, running through the airport.....and finally handing it off to Lance.......

Click here for the rest of the story, complete with cool pictures

The Haro Z20

2009-01-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

Robin's daughter, Kelly has been coming into the shop since her mother started. She is a great kid and we talked her into giving her perspective about bikes. Kelly will be blogging with us as "girl on Wheels". She will soon be writing under her own byline... But here is her first blog for ECBS......

Kelly's first entry...
A cross of mountain-meets-street bike, the Haro Z20 can handle rough terrain as well as hard concrete making it perfect for all freestyle and BMX fans. Some of pros include a hand brake plus coaster brakes so you can use whichever your comfortable with, a smaller more compact frame for maneuverability in those tight spaces we sometimes find ourselves in, gets great air, and comes in stunning colors like this neon pink that are sure to get attention.

Bontrager Race X Lite shoe review: pezcyclingnews.com

2009-01-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

Check out Pez Cycling's review of the new Race X lite shoe. Looks like the prefect shoe for our warm, mild San Diego weather.

........One of the best things about the roomy inside is a really good ability to accommodate orthotic inserts. I have ESoles top line (full custom) insoles and they are double+ the thickness of the inserts included with the shoe as standard. The RXL swallows em up and leaves room for a foot in each shoe too, which sounds logical but simply ain’t the case with a lot of other shoes…

Then comes the venting…

This time of year, these things just flat freeze my feet (that’s a good thing). I did an hour on the trainer and then, with sweaty feet, went for a road ride at 50 degrees and you could feel the venting in a BIG way. These are some of the best venting shoes I have ever used. No trouble at all putting on overshoes for winter, but come spring and summer these will be dream shoes…...

Click here for the complete Bontrager Race X Lite shoe review

The making of bikes U.S. vs. Asia

2009-01-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

Trek is one of the few bike manufactures that produces some (Madones) still here in the States...

Trek Madone on YouTube & National Geographic
If you have a few minutes check out this great Youtube video of the making of Madone frames. It's from a program on the National Geographic channel detailing the revolutionary frameset of the Madone series. Check it out:

The video offers a rare look into Trek's carbon fiber production facility (A place that was only opened to the public back in 2003. It's an interesting look at the bikes and how they are made. The testing of the bikes is in person, and spoken face-to-face with some of the individuals in the video. I think you'll enjoy it.

Bicycle Frame Building Video from China & Taiwan on You Tube

Finally, this post on YouTube, shows the construction of bicycle frames and the assembly of the complete bike. Not quite the same quality of machine as in the previous video - but no less interesting. China and Taiwan produce somewhere near 80% of the world's bicycles in facilities just like this one.

Thanks for watching!

Is riding a moutain bike the way to see the most of Stage 8?

2009-01-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

Andy has a good way to see a lot of the race with a mountain bike...

-----Original Message-----
From: agreen01@san.rr.com [mailto:agreen01@san.rr.com]
Subject: RE: [swamis] TofC and CHP trying to rain on "Party Swamis"

Dave,

If you think that the MTB idea is worth exploring, here's my thoughts.

I would plan to watch the race at "collarbone corner" (the last U-curve on South Grade); this offers a couple of advantages:

1. Climbing 50ft up a trail gives access to State Park Road and a panoramic view of South Grade; you can watch the riders coming up, then go back down to watch them up close.

2. Mothers Kitchen & restrooms are walking distance and accessible via State Park Rd.

3. At any time after the race goes by (not dictated by crowds or CHP) you can go back up the trail, ride a few miles to the park and down the Nate and watch the whole thing again from Cole Grade.

Check it out on Google Earth, let me know what you think.

Andy

If you are going to do this, a hardtail 29ER would be the way to go...

More parts of Lance's bike showing up..

2009-01-16T16:48:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest from Lance's twitter account. The front end of his bike. It was a vote from people that followed him no twitter..

Earlier today the frame showed up...
.....In contrast to the blue and white rigs piloted by the rest of his teammates, Armstrong’s bike is a decidedly more somber black and grey punctuated by a bright yellow ‘Livestrong’ logo and band on the top tube.

Littered throughout the graphics are a number of “hidden messages” though we’ll have to wait until the rest of the bike is unveiled in Australia to see exactly what they are. According to Trek road bike marketing manager Scott Daubert, lying beneath the custom finish is a fully standard 58cm Madone 6.9 frame pulled directly off the production line..

Contador: Armstrong return ‘better than imagined’

2009-01-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

By VeloNews.com

Posted Jan. 16, 2009
Alberto Contador admits that he initially had reservations about the return of Lance Armstrong, but says now he’s excited about sharing leadership duties with the seven-time Tour de France champion.

Speaking to L’Equipe after receiving the Velo d’Or prize this week in Paris, Contador said having Armstrong around should only help him.

“When I first heard about (Armstrong’s comeback), I was racing the Vuelta. Such news can be destabilizing at a time when full concentration was necessary, especially with the chance to win the Vuelta,” he said. “It wasn’t the best news at first, but later I spoke with Johan Bruyneel about the new configuration of the team. At first, I didn’t think that ‘cohabitation’ would be possible, but now the situation is better than I could have imagined.”

Contador and Armstrong will share leadership duties at Astana during this year’s Tour, likely the only race they will start together in the first half of the season.

Contador also said he’s not worried about closer ties between Armstrong and Astana boss Johan Bruyneel.

“The relationship between Armstrong and Bruyneel is strong. They came together to the team and the won together the Tour. Their relationship is stronger than I have with Bruyneel, but I don’t think this will be an issue during the Tour,” he said. “We won’t race together right now. We might coincide during the Dauphiné, but one thing’s sure, we’ll be together during the Tour.”

Armstrong is set to make his comeback debut next week while Contador will debut his season at the Tour of the Algarve in Portugal in February.

Armstrong’s comeback has another advantage: The Texan is attracting most of the attention from the media.

“He’s a big champion who can help sell the sport. His comeback has a lot of advantages, if only for the weight that he brings with the media,” Contador continued. “It might seem trivial, but it’s more quiet for me and there’s less pressure. It’s obvious that Armstrong has a presence.”

Win a Gary Fisher SS 29ER

2009-01-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Saw this on my 29er alerts

The Fat Cyclist and Eldon, aka “Fatty” is helping his wife Susan in her battle against cancer. Eldon has convinced Fisher Bikes to step up and commit to an awesome raffle opportunity for all the rest of us.

Not only will the lucky winner recieve an exclusive, not for sale to the public Fisher Superfly single speed frame, but Fatty has arranged for SLC Bikes to kit it out as a complete rig. All you have to do is enter, win, and pedal!

In addition, Eldon has a goal of raising more money than any other team in the Livestrong Challenge. Travis Ott, Fisher Brand Manager put it best, I think:

Elden at Fat Cyclist has the audacious goal of raising $1 million and have the largest team at the 2009 Livestrong Challenge. I like the idea of a bunch of mountain bikers helping to punch cancer in the mouth.

You know what? I couldn’t agree more! Go here to donate to Fatty’s Livestrong Challenge fund. For more details on the raffle and how you can win the Superfly SS frame and components donated by SLC Bikes, go to Fatty’s page here.

Hincapie recommends this article about him & Lance

2009-01-16T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hincapie twit this article today.

"The Lance factor is unknown; nobody knows how strong he is, everybody hears that he's really strong - but even if Lance is at his best, this is really not his type of race, so I don't know if he's going to be one of the favourites anyhow."

Click here for the full article

Solvang City Council Approves In-Room Masages for Tour of California

2009-01-15T18:16:00.000-08:00

It just goes to show you the new power of the Tour of California...

By Raiza Canelon/Staff Writer - The Santa Ynez Valley News
.....Adopted the new massage ordinance, which became an agenda item after council members expressed interest in changing the ordinance in December, due to the Amgen Tour of California bicycle race.

The professional race, the biggest in the country, will again have a one-day “time trial” in Solvang in February, and riders have said they want the option to have private massages.

By city estimates, there are 62 massage therapists working in Solvang. Therapists who want to be on the approved list must be state-certified as massage therapists or have a Solvang city license.....

Click here for the complete story....

Chris Says we can still complete "Party Swamis"

2009-01-14T08:09:00.000-08:00

From: chris evertsen [mailto:cse66@cox.net]
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 8:06 AM
Subject: RE: [swamis] TofC and CHP trying to rain on "Party Swamis"

We can do it, we been there (sort of) and know how fast the caravan goes through.

Agreed though that going down south grade could be congested, but it is the direction most people will be going.

Ride notes;

At an estimated average MPH of 26:

Leader expected at the top of south grade at 1:39pm
On 76, not expected to cross south grade until 2:27pm (50 minute to do a 10 minute descent at speed…)
Leaders reach Valley Center intersection at 2:39pm and continue to the most underrated climbs of the stage Nate Harrison and Cole Grade
Leaders turn back onto Wolford (Date rd) at 3:26pm (gives us 45 minutes to travel less than half the distance with NO climbs)

To me it actually suggests being able to see riders at 3 points; where we chose on South Grade, at 76 and Valley Center Rd or base of South Grade and 76, and at the finish

Lastly, even if we do get stopped at the base of South Grade we can still get back out in front of the tour as they go up Cole Grade and we short cut through valley center and wolford (reverse)

Rider time from 76 and South Grade to Date st. 59 minutes

TofC & CHP are trying to rain on "Party Swami"

2009-01-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

The last post had this information within the email from Eric Smith, the ToC course director

Once the race heads up Palomar, spectators will not be allowed down South Grade until the end of Caravan passes. Since the race is expected to shatter and the caravan will be stretched out, Hwy 76 will continue to remain closed to allow the entire race to come back on Hwy 76 westbound for Cole Grade. People will be held on South Grade until the entire race passes again. You should expect at least a half hour wait from the front to the end of the caravan.

So tell me how we can get around this... We need to see both the KOM & the Finish in Escondio
Here is the complete email

Behind the scene of Stage 8 Part II

2009-01-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

Mike Meyer of the TuesdayThursdayRide@yahoogroups.com) found this...

Eric Smith says we are not able to make the KOM & the Finish - Tell me it is not true...

How to "Spectate" Stage 8
(What goes on behind the curtains) Eric Smith, the ToC course director

This is a challenging course for the riders and the race fans. There are four prime places to see the race:

1. Race Start in Rancho Bernardo – If you want to see the riders and get some autographs, this is the only place. The teams are pretty accessible and team parking is open for everyone to walk through. Astana and Lance are going to be pretty invisible due to their security concerns. If the only thing that is missing in your life is to talk with Lance and get his autograph, you might want to change your priorities. Each rider is required to sign-in at the start of the Stage. We have a short corridor on each end of the sign-in stage where people can get autographs – Autograph Alley. You can usually score any autograph you want, but with the "Lance Factor" this year, that area will be slammed with people. If you are at the start, you will not be able to get to Palomar to see the climb. While the race starts at noon, the road up Palomar will be shut down to cars at 9:00am, and any available parking near Palomar will be gone by early Sunday morning. Your next options would be to go to Cole Grade or to the Finish line, but it will be very difficult to do both. There are no neutral laps in Ranch Bernardo.

2. Palomar Mountain – We expect up to 10,000 people to watch the race from South Grade Rd or the KOM. South Grade will be closed to cars by 9:00am. Any available parking on South Grade will be gone by Friday. East Grade will remain open longer but you will not be allowed to exit down South Grade from the top until the complete Caravan passes. All of the camping spots have been sold out and there is only parking on the top for a few hundred cars. No Parking Areas will be strictly enforced and tow trucks will be on-site.

The best way to get to Palomar will be by bike. Plan on parking several miles out. Those areas on Hwy 76 leading to South Grade from both the east and west where there is parking will be used for our two feed zones and no spectator parking will be available. Once the race heads up Palomar, spectators will not be allowed down South Grade until the end of Caravan passes. Since the race is expected to shatter and the caravan will be stretched out, Hwy 76 will continue to remain closed to allow the entire race to come back on Hwy 76 westbound for Cole Grade. People will be held on South Grade until the entire race passes again. You should expect at least a half hour wait from the front to the end of the caravan.

If you are going to watch from a decent spot on Palomar (near the top), that will be it for you. You will not be able to catch the start, Cole Grade, or the finish. The only alternative is to watch from the very bottom of the climb (not too exciting) where they turn onto South Grade. Once the caravan passes, you would have the chance to watch from Cole Grade or the finish. Forget driving to Cole Grade from Palomar. Parking will be long gone. It is downhill and not that far from South Grade to Cole Grade so plan on riding. Also, we have not finalized the road closures for Hwy 76. Driving on Hwy 76 may not even be an option. Everyone is aware of the "ingenuity" of the true (rabid) cycling fan, especially CHP. With only one road in and one road out, I am putting my money on CHP this time.

3. Cole Grade – I think this will be the sleeper spot to watch the race. You will be able to catch the start and get to Cole Grade, but parking will likely be gone so plan on hiking a bit or take your bike. I suspect the race will be shattered by the time it reaches Cole Grade. Like South Grade, you will not be allowed to drive in either direction of Cole Grade until the end of caravan passes. If you park on Cole Grade, that will be the end of your race. By the time you get to Escondido, you can help us pack things for the trip back to Georgia.

4. Race Finish in Escondido – Who knows, you might watch history being made. Does Lance have the goods to wear the yellow jersey at the finish? It should be a great party and the Lifestyle Expo is always a great place to cruise through. Also a good time to grab some nice deals. There are no circuits in Escondido, but you can expect an incredible sprint to win the toughest stage we have ever had.

Behind the scene of Stage 8 Part I

2009-01-14T05:47:00.001-08:00

Mike Meyer of the TuesdayThursdayRide@yahoogroups.com) found this...

Creating the 2009 Amgen Tour of California Race Route

(What goes on behind the curtains) Eric Smith, the ToC course director

After 12 years of producing the Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, I thought I knew just about everything there was to putting on a bicycle race. The 2006 Amgen Tour of California comes along and I quickly learn how clueless I was! Fast forward four years and now at least I know enough to be really scared when I see something about to go wrong. Over the next few paragraphs, I will attempt to give you a little insight as to how the course is created each year and provide some tips about watching the race on Stage 8 as a spectator.

The race ends on February 22nd in Escondido, but we are already working on the 2010 race. We are looking at potential host cities and possible routes. The real work each year begins in March. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are sent to several cities: every city that has hosted a stage, those new cities that have expressed interest, and cities that we are interested in exploring. This is a big pot with a lot of ingredients stirred in to come up with the final selection: a challenging course, areas that showcase California, host cities which have been very successful in the past, new routes vs. old routes, expectations of the sponsors, weather, the potential of snow, and a dash of politics.

From that comes 9-10 different versions of the route. A quick sanity check will tell us if a particular stage is even feasible. A stage that is longer than 135 miles or requires us to use a freeway is not viable. Once everything gets whittled down to our final host cities, we head out on the road and start our preliminary course layout, noting every intersecting street and landmark. Caltrans and CHP review

the routes and provide their feedback. The course is re-logged. Next, monthly meetings begin with each city to lay out the "footprint" for the start/finish area and to determine the best way to enter or leave the city.

It is then a six month process to secure all of the various permits and permissions that are required to bring the race over the 775 mile course. Some are simple and some seem like they will never come.

Bringing the race over the Golden Gate Bridge requires seven different permits. Taking the race up Palomar Mt. is not much easier. We meet with scores of small towns along the route to explain how the race comes through. Each RR crossing means a call to someone to make sure we won't meet a scheduled train. Churches, schools, factories, post offices, road construction sites, draw bridges, and freeway ramps all need to be planned for.

A lot of work, but we are just getting started! Working closely with Caltrans, CHP, and a few traffic mgm't companies, plans are created for each stage to determine where we will place signs, what type of sign, what will it say, and when it will be placed. Detours are planned. CHP needs to determine how they will manage the traffic on each stage. Each intersection and side street and driveway needs to be examined to determine who is going to cover that spot. Training is provided to the CHP group that will be in the caravan for the entire race.

Feed Zones, Sprint Lines, and KOMs have to be selected and mapped (it's always fun to argue about what Category a climb should be). Feedback starts to trickle in from some of the pro riders and

invariably the course gets tweaked a little here and there. It is now a little more than a month from the start of the race. The course will be driven once more to address any hazards that might cause a problem. Between now and race day, there are countless internal meetings and calls. I can also look forward to meetings before town councils, school boards, county supervisors, National Park Service, and a few more at the Golden Gate Bridge.

Thousands of letters need to be mailed to people along some of the route. We also need to consider places along the route that are prone to flooding or snow (yes, we have an alternate route laid out in case there is snow on Palomar). One of the final things to do is to hit the road and train volunteers in each of the cities. It is a lot of work, but in the total scope of what goes on to make this race happen, this is just a small piece of a huge and complex puzzle.

Lance Armstrong is ready to race in Australia

2009-01-14T05:38:00.000-08:00

From LA Times...

Lance Armstrong has arrived in Adelaide, Australia, where he plans to kick off his comeback tour at the Tour Down Under. That race is akin to a spoke-wheel, with riders taking trips out of Adelaide every day and seeing some of the South Australia countryside before heading back into Adelaide.

This will be the first public test of Armstrong's fitness and his standing in the peloton as he embarks on a schedule that will include next months' Amgen Tour of California, the Giro d'Italia in May and, finally, what Armstrong hopes will be a competitive attempt at an eighth Tour de France win in July.

Versus will have coverage of Armstrong's attempted return. So will the Fabulous Forum and latimes.com/sports. And our coverage will be live, starting Saturday!

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Lance Armstrong during a news conference today in Addelaide, Australia. Credit: Tony Lewis / Getty Images

Bike race expected to attract big crowds

2009-01-11T23:27:00.000-08:00

Event to go through county for first time

By J Harry Jones Union-Tribune Staff Writer

2:00 a.m. January 11, 2009

Late next month, 100 of the best bicycle racers in the world and tens of thousands of spectators are expected on the streets of Rancho Bernardo, Valley Center, Palomar Mountain and Escondido.

Organizers were predicting that as many as 40,000 people could jam downtown Escondido to watch the end of the race – and that was before Lance Armstrong said he would be riding.

The Amgen Tour of California, a nine-day race conducted in eight stages across the state, will finish at Broadway and Grand Avenue in Escondido around 3:30 p.m. Feb. 22, the end of a 96.8-mile course.

To continue article click here

Trail Work @ La Costa Hills

2009-01-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday El Camino Bike Shop supported a day of trail work at the La Costa Hills. SDMBA and Richard J. are very active in the area and more than 60 people showed up for the 4 hours effort. We will be working on the very heavily used Switchbacks. The work included repair of drainage features to keep water OFF the trail and revegetation of shortcuts to keep people ON the trail.

After the work, the workers noshed on Chipotle burritos and we gave away swag including Continental Tires, Sockguy Socks, and PI Jerseys.

The day started at 8am with Rich and others explaining about trail efforts around San Diego County, how to use tools safely and what were the goals for the day. Rich had posters of lobbying efforts he and SDMBA are doing in Los Penasquitos Canyon and Calavera Lake area. Rich is trying to keep a major portion of Penasquitos open and create a Mtn Bike Skill Park in Calavara. GO RICH....

They had over 100 people coming out to work on the trails. It was great to see so many people. After the work, everyone sat down and got something to eat as Rich did a raffle and quickly gave away all the swag that we provided.

Go to SDMA to see when and where the next trail day occurs.

Tori Comes by to help out and pick up the Demo Bikes

2009-01-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

Tori B from Trek, recently back from her 3 week vacation to Costa Rica came back on Friday to impart her wisdom to ECBS and to sadly pick up the cool Trek/Gary Fisher Demo bikes she had lent to us.

With the new year Tori will be touring the Western US for Trek, spreading the word of the great bikes and people from Trek Bicycles. At our shop Tori spent a day working with us and our customers. Tori worked with new hire Robin, talking about WSD bikes, clothing and equipment.

With Tori help, ECBS hopes to have several new event in 2009, including Ladies Night, new Bike Demos.

It’s the end of an era - team Trek-Volkswagen will not continue in 2009, forcing dozens of racers and team managers to scramble for new sponsors, according to VeloNews. Trek says the decision came after Volkswagen decided cut its involvement with the team making it impossible for Trek to finance on its own.

This has impacted Tori as well as her cool VW that pulls her trailer of bikes will need to be replaced. Who knows what kind of truck she will come back with...