After a quiet, wet winter, it’s that time of year again - when professional cycling gears up for the oncoming season. Races start to appear on the calendar, teams finalize their schedules, and racers start to fine-tune their fitness and their goals. An integral part of any professional cycling team’s preparation for the competitive season is team camp. Team camps are often at least a week long, allowing all the riders to spend quality time with each other as well as their staff and sponsors. They train together, eat together, sleep and wake together, all the while learning, bonding, and …

Every winter, as the weather cools and the rains slowly come, the competitive road cycling season comes to an end. This off season is a time for those that compete to rest, relax, and recharge. At the highest level, racers usually give themselves just four to six weeks off the bike before they start training again, with an eye on the next season. But, really, it is important for anyone that races their road bike regularly, at any level, to step back, relax, and mix it up athletically. The trick is to rest your body, yet maintain fitness, have some fun, and avoid mental or physical burn out. …

When I first put out the word to my friends and contacts in the cycling world that I was interested in profiling a mountain biker, the response was swift and decisive. I simply had to talk to two riders: Sofia Hamilton and Victoria Yoham.  About half of the people I spoke to knew them and the other half had heard of them and wanted to hear more. What made this all so intriguing is that my friends and sources are all adults, and Sofia and Victoria are still in high school. These two young ladies have apparently made quite an impact on the cycling community and I was eager to meet them. So a …

This past Saturday saw the fifth edition of the Lion of Fairfax Cyclocross race held at White Hill Middle School. Every year, the race draws hundreds of racers and fans, is staffed by dozens of local volunteers, and has the relaxed and supportive feel typical of Fairfax. All proceeds benefit the school and go towards everything from overhead projectors to team uniforms to school dances. The morning kicked off with kids races and went all through the afternoon with different categories of amateurs and professionals tackling the difficult and technical course. There was a barbeque, …

"This is why you should ride a bike, so you can hang out with friends, eat good food, and drink good wine." Professional cyclist Alison Starnes might have been laughing when she said it, but she summed up the inaugural Cucina Giro de Marin perfectly. This past Saturday, San Anselmo shops Paradigm Cycles and the Cucina restaurant partnered with the local professional cycling team Peanut Butter & Co./Twenty12, and invited anyone with a bike to join them for a group ride followed by a simple, delicious lunch at the Italian restaurant. The difference between this ride and other group rides that …

While most of us know that San Anselmo and Fairfax are great hubs of cycling, you might be surprised to learn exactly how deep the talent runs here. And I'm not just talking about on the bike; cycling is made up not only of racers, but managers, coaches, mechanics, and team directors. All can be found here and, uniquely for the sport, they are largely women. Katherine Carroll, of San Anselmo, won the popular local race - The San Rafael Twilight Criterium – on July 11. But Carroll isn't just a local racer. She also races internationally with the U.S. National Team, as well as her professional …