Erik’s Regional Race Team Report – Memorial Day Weekend Recap

Erik’s Regional Race Team member Andrew Hellpap on his Specialized Venge semis it during  the Time Trial.

 

What a weekend! Great weather in Minnesota and Wisconsin means the start of many people’s cycling season, but for Erik’s Regional Race Team, the season is already going strong. Ben Schinke submitted this report from the weekend. Take a look:

Circuit race, started off with Dan Casper trying a couple digs but really overall nothing too eventful as the whole pack stayed together for most of the race. Brady showed he was definitely back with picking up the most intermediate sprint points on each lap. Then in the last lap a Hollywood ride went off the front so we jumped in as a team and helped Revolution bring it all back together by the headwind section where then the sprinters all went to work again in the uphill into the wind almost slow motion sprint with Laszlo finishing it off nicely for us.

TT [Time Trial] – we then all took to the TT and everyone had really respectably good times, and sorry you will have to check results for details on this

RR [Road Race] – going into this we knew Las was in second and that Dan from Revolution was in first so we knew Las had to mark Dan to be sure he was with him when he went as we all knew he would. He jumped a few times and each time an Erik’s ride with him, and then finally the jump that broke away MIchael followed even after being away for some of the first lap to be sure we did not do any work, and then Las also jumped and Michael came back to the group the break of 5 was up the rode and gone. Dan Attacked the break more times than humanly possible but again Las was able to hang on for 2nd. The rest of us brought home the field sprint.

Crit- Just Las and I this time and he was still in second and needed the prime bonus points and to come in at least 2 places in front of Dan to take the overall. I did my best to chase what jumped but kind of screwed up and let two guys off. Did what I could to pull them back, but the Flanders army did not seem to want to help. Las still got a few bonus point in each sprint and one point i threw as much as I had left as we had the break back to within 15 seconds. In the end we were never able to pull them back and in the finish Dan showed just how strong he was to take the field sprint for 3rd. So finished the weekend with a 2nd overall.

The Erik’s Regional Race Team (ERRT) is in its second season, and races across Minnesota and Wisconsin. Team members race on the 2014 Specialized Venge Pro. Are you interested in racing? If you’re not sure how to get started, post a question here and we’ll get it answered!

 

Women’s Ride Day at Erik’s! – Join us May 31st

It’s time again for the Specialized Women’s ride Day at Erik’s! Erik’s has some great route options available for this year’s women’s ride day, with various rides in Minneapolis/Saint Paul and Milwaukee. We’ve got rides for new riders and experienced riders alike, for mountain bikers, road bikers and casual riders who love coffee! See the schedule below and RSVP via Facebook or show up to ride on May 31st. See you there!

 

Women’s Ride Day – Eagan – MN

When: Saturday, May 31st, 10am
Where: Erik’s Eagan Store
Description: Join Heidi out of our Eagan store for a casual ride up to Harriet Island and back. This ride will be a no-drop ride, 11-15 MPH and around 18 miles in length. Whether you’re new to group rides, or looking for some new riding partners, you’ll have a blast on this ride!
RSVP: Join this Ride on Facebook!

Women’s Ride Day – Minneapolis – MN

When: Saturday, May 31st, 10am
Where: Minnehaha Falls Park
Description: Join Morgan for a ride on the Mississippi River Trail into downtown Minneapolis – we’ll then ride along the Cedar Lake Trail and back to the Minnehaha Falls area and Sea Salt for a break. Enjoy the post-ride with your new friends and some food and drink if you would like!
RSVP: Join this Ride on Facebook!

Women’s Ride Day – Vadnais Heights – MN

When: Saturday, May 31st, 10am
Where: Erik’s Vandais Heights Store
Description: Come Join Renee for the Tour De French Roast as she likes to call it. A scenic road ride (no-drop of course) followed by a coffee break near the end. What’s not to love about this Saturday morning?
RSVP: Join this Ride on Facebook!

Women’s Ride Day – Whitefish Bay – WI

When: Saturday, May 31st, 10:30am
Where: Erik’s Whitefish Bay Store
Description: Join Erik’s Ambassador, Christine for a no-drop Ride out of our Whitefish Bay store. We’ll ride the Oak Leaf Trail into Downtown and back. If everyone is interested, we may stop for refreshments along the way.
RSVP: Join this Ride on Facebook!

Women’s Ride Day – Hoyt Park MTB Trails – WI

When: Saturday, May 31st, 2pm
Where: Hoyt Park MTB Trails
Description: Join Becky at the Hoyt Park MTB trails for a casual MTB ride. Ride will begin at 2 PM, so show up ready to ride. Whether you’re new to Mountain biking or looking for other women to ride with, we would love to have you!
RSVP: Join this Ride on Facebook!

 

How do I get into bicycle racing? – Announcing Erik’s Women’s Racing Program

Whatever form you cycling takes, at Erik’s we want to get you out there. We’ve got Erik’s Riders Club for riders from beginner to advanced, casual to competitive and road to mountain with everything in between. Erik’s Regional Race Team is holding things down on the competitive side and Erik’s Ambassadors are out there in force, but we have heard from many women about a growing desire to get into racing, but often they don’t know where to begin.

Do it for you!

Erik’s is excited to announce our Women’s Racing Program for 2014. Whatever your goals, whatever your style, we can get you started. To do this, we’re rolling out a women’s only program and supporting you on select race days in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We’ll be at road, mountain and cyclocross events – for the complete schedule, see the Women’s Racing Page on our website. The first race will be June 1st at the Capital Criterium in Saint Paul, Minnesota. We want to provide you as the new racer with support so you can focus on your race.

Race Day Support

As part of the Women’s Racing Program, you get exclusive access to a VIP tent on race day. We’ll have a dedicated space to sit down in, prep for your event or unwind afterwards. Whether you’re warming up or cooling down, you can have a place to take a break, fill your water bottle, grab a bit of ride fuel, and get adjustments to your bike. That’s right – Erik’s mechanics will be on hand to get your tire pressure dialed in or make that last minute adjustment, and if you need to stow some extra gear nearby, we’ll be on hand to take care of you.

Community

Membership in the program gives you access not only to the tent on race day, but to other women who are experienced in racing, from organizing group rides with other riders or getting tips and tricks from people with a bit more experience. The Women’s Racing Program gives you the support of other riders – leading up to your event, you’ve got the community and on the event, you’ve got people who you can strategize with and race along side.

How do I join?

Joining is as simple as buying the Women’s Racing Program Jersey. We just got these in and they should be in stores by the end of the week. You can also buy these online via the women’s racing program page here. Come join us this summer! We’ll see you at the races.

 

 

Mountain Bike Demos in Minnesota

Where can you test ride a mountain bike in the twin cities? What is the best road bike for me? Many people considering a new bike ask these questions. Coming next weekend, Erik’s and Specialized Bikes will be hosting two demos in the Minneapolis / Saint Paul Metro area so you can try out the latest and greatest in bicycles from Specialized.

Saturday May 17th from 10 AM to 4 PM at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan

Sunday May 18th from 10 AM to 4 PM at Elm Creek Park Reserve

 

These demos are weather permitting, and are subject to change if mountain bike trails are un-rideable. We will update the status of these should weather change our plans.

For More information on these demos, see our Demo Page at http://bit.ly/1o6yEG9

 

2013-14 Critical Year for Professional Women’s Cycling

For professional female cyclists everywhere, the 2013-2014 season proved that dreams really do come true. Road racing at the professional level for women went from lacking sponsors, races, funds and publicity, to a full-fledged sport that not only shares the spotlight with professional male cyclists, but as of late, has dominated it.

In looking back, the recent demand for equality in men’s and women’s professional cycling really started at the 2012 Summer Olympic games in London where, for the first time, the same number of cycling events were offered for both men and women.

After realizing the publicity and sponsor potential that professional female cyclists could garner from the Olympics, a few key players began to push for a more even playing field. Amongst these leaders were professional athletes Emma Pooley, Marianne Vos, Kathryn Bertine, Chrissie Wellington, and Lizzie Armitstead. While Pooley, Vos, Bertine, and Wellington led the crusade for a women’s “Tour de France” by creating a petition that reached over 90,000 signatures this April, Armitstead served as a strong proponent for “The Women’s Tour,” which will be England’s first even sanctioned multi-day stage race for women.

Professional cyclist, Lizzie Armitstead

“I’ve been pretty vocal in my support for women’s cycling being treated properly and on an equal footing with the men so obviously am very excited about the Women’s Tour. I am totally behind what the organizers are doing and the ethics behind the race if you like, but as we get closer, being a racer, my focus is simply on the race itself and how we can perform best as a team,” UCI World Cup leader, Armitstead said in an interview with The Women’s Tour.

With all the momentum that these ladies have created in receiving UCI and sponsor support, it is critical that, as proponents of the sport, cyclists continually bring the same amount of enthusiasm and reverence to events such as the Ladies’ Tour of Qatar (January 4-7), the Giro Rosa (July 4-July 13), The Women’s Tour (May 7-11), and La Course (July 27) as they do to men’s races.

Some of the best ways to show your support for women’s professional cycling are to join the social media movement through using hashtags such as #TDF4women and following @LeTourEntier on Twitter along with watching the races online, and following your favorite female cyclists on Facebook or Instagram where you can see training photos along with the general silliness that comes about as a result of how awesome these teams are. On Instagram, I recommend following Carmen Small (@smallsunday), Ally Stacher (@stacherchick), Evelyn Stevens (@evelyn_stevens), and Tayler Wiles (@taylerwiles) as a start, along with some of your favorite teams such as Specialized-Lululemon (@velociosports), or Colavita Women’s Pro Cycling (@teamcolavita).

Additionally, remember that the absolute best way to support women’s cycling is to support the female cyclists in your life whether that is joining her on a casual evening ride around a lake, cheering her on at her first triathlon, or washing off her bike after a grueling day of singletrack. The only true way to contribute to the growth of the sport is to get more ladies on bikes more often, and ensure that they are supported in every way possible.

Color-Dipped S-Works Road Shoes and Prevail Helmet

Available to order, limited edition hyper green Prevail Helmet, S-Works Shoes as well as socks are part of this EXTREMELY limited collection.

 

Something exciting just arrived at Erik’s today. Everyone always wants to know how they can get their hands on unique colors that Specialized makes for pro riders and teams, and now you can ride on something that few others will have. The new Hyper Green Colorway from Specialized is available in the Prevail Helmet, S-works road shoes and matching socks. Erik’s only has a few of these in stock, and they will be available at our Saint Louis Park store by the Saturday.

If you want to get your hands on these, act fast because they won’t last long and are extremely limited in supply – please note that due to dealer agreements, we are not allowed to sell these online. All product must be paid for, and picked up exclusively at and Erik’s location.