#13 southern california 1
Bicyclist Events | culture | bicyclism
WILD IN IDYLLWILD HONOR THY CHAIN STATE BICYCLE CO.
MALIBU GRANFONDO - TOUR DE MURRIETA - REDLANDS STRADA ROSSA III STRONG BEACH BRAKELESS CRIT - ISM SADDLES - ALÉ APPAREL MONTENEGRO MANUFACTURING - UNLIKELY CYCLIST - 2016 RACING CALENDAR THE ROUTE: PIER TO PIER II - CLUB DIRECTORY - THE CLIMB: THOMAS MOUNTAIN RECREATION EVENTS CALENDAR & SO MUCH MORE
#socalbicyclist
Socalbicyclist.com
“I have tremendous respect for his exceptional professional ability and am grateful for what he accomplished on my behalf.” -Timothy W.
SERVING THE CYCLING COMMUNITY SINCE 1995 Thomas Forsyth has been practicing law for 26 years and has been representing cyclists since 1995. Mr. Forsyth is an expert in his field and offers free legal advise to all riders. When represented by an expert, there is no learning curve.
“I could trust that my case was in good hands, and I could focus on recovering from my injuries. I was very pleased with the professionalism, and also the personal care that they took in handling my case.” - Judy H.
“After meeting Tom at his office I was pleased to discover that he himself is an experienced cyclist and knows firsthand the trials we face everyday, as well as the love we feel for the sport.” - Kevin J.
Bicycle Attorney: Law Offices of Thomas F. Forsyth Serving all of California with offices in both Pasadena and San Jose
Pasadena (626) 240-4633 San Jose (408) 573-3670
Se Habla Español Please see our website for further information
www.bicycleattorney.net
Contents 14
community
IDYLLWILD
May 2016 Events | Culture | Bicyclism
27
provisions
OFFROAD DIVISION state bicycle company
REGULARS
EDITOR'S NOTE Companionship & Solitude 5 NEW & NOTEWORTHY Did You Hear About... 6 READER'S RIDES Your photos #socalbicyclist 7 BACK TO BASICS Honor Thy Chain 11 The CLIMB Thomas Mountain 16 THE ELECTRIC AGE A Letter to the Editor 22 The ROUTE Pier to Pier II: Ventura to Santa Monica 32 CROSSWORD Updates and Follow-Up 45 LAST PAGE Nick Roumonada: A True Inspiration 46
COMMUNITY
WILD IN IDYLLWILD RED RIDER CLUB Riding For A Cause SEA OTTER CLASSIC Monterey
WANDERING PHOTOGRAPHER
MALIBU GRANFONDO Westlake Village STRONG BEACH CRIT Long Beach TOUR DE MURRIETA Murrieta STRADA ROSSA III Redlands
14 21 23 12 18 24 36
#131 35
profiles
UNLIKELY CYCLIST
PROFILES
MONTENEGRO MMFG. Downtown LA 9 UNLIKELY CYCLIST Costa Mesa 35
PROVISIONS
REVIEWED ALÉ Cycling Apparel REVIEWED ISM Endurance Road Saddle REDUX SRAM GX 1x10 EXPERIENTIAL State Bicycle Co. - Deluxe Pulsar
8 10 26 27
EVENTS
HIGHLIGHTS & PREVIEWS 38 2016 CYCLING EVENT CALENDAR 39 GRAVEL Adventure Racing / Grinders COMPETITIVE MTB Get Dirty, Ride Clean COMPETITIVE ROAD Test Yourself RECREATION Help A Cause, Make New Friends ULTRA LENGTH 150 Miles And More ARTS & CULTURE Off The Bike
CLUBS
DIRECTORY Find Your Future Peloton 44
COVER
The State Bicycle Co. Deluxe Pulsar 29er in the Wild at Idyllwild. Read about the place on page 14 and the bike on page 27.
4
socalbicyclist.com @socalbicyclist
REGULARS
Companionship & Solitude
S
ome people ride bikes to find companionship and some ride bikes to escape it. This dual aspect of cycling, being both a social sport and one that provides solitude, is something that has always appealed to me. I find opportunities to enjoy both and appreciate the importance and benefit of cultivating them in my bicycling life. The self-reliance that develops during solitary time in the saddle builds confidence and helps reinforce the perception of our own independence and unique capabilities. The commonality of that perception can become the glue that bonds many of the friendships in the cycling community. Yet, sharing the experience of cycling is unlike that of many other sports for a number of reasons. With an extremely
low barrier to entry, fitness and experience don’t preclude participation or enjoyment. Traveling on a bike between two points in a safe and enjoyable environment is an experience attainable by more bicyclists than ever before. Living in Southern California provides an endless array of distances to travel, sights to see, and new people to meet. And, experiences to share. When someone becomes more comfortable on their bike, distances increase, average speeds become faster, and more measurements may be taken. But the experience - that feeling upon arrival at a planned destination, or the nerves before departure, let alone the sheer joy of completing a climb that you thought you’d only ever be walking up - those feelings remain the same, to be experienced again and again, perhaps in new
Editor's Note
scenery and around new faces. But the exhilaration of piloting a two-wheeled vehicle with your own body continues, whether or not numbers measuring your performance rise or fall. SoCal Bicyclist is dedicated to providing the most comprehensive listing of calendar events and bicycling clubs for new and seasoned riders. Ask a few more people to join at the start of your next journey and you will have more with you to celebrate at the end. You’ll have shared a time together where politics got left at home, work life was silenced, and the group carried on with a singular purpose and focus - turning the pedals and moving down the trail - in a community of cyclists. See you on the trail,
REGULARS
#131 - May 2016 EDITORIAL
CONTRIBUTORS
Kelley O’Toole - KO | Managing Editor kelley@socalbicyclist.com
READ/FOLLOW/LIKE
Chris Reynolds - CR | Editorial Director chris@socalbicyclist.com
Victor Prestinary - VP | Editor-at-Large victor@socalbicyclist.com Catherine Latour | Senior Editor catherine@socalbicyclist.com Tim Wilson - TW | Associate Editor tim@socalbicyclist.com Bob Becker - BB | Senior Writer bob@socalbicyclist.com
ADVERTISING
Victor Prestinary | Advertising Coordinator victor@socalbicyclist.com
ONLINE
Chris Reynolds | Design & Development chris@socalbicyclist.com Kelley O’Toole | Social Media kelley@socalbicyclist.com Tim Wilson | Social Media tim@socalbicyclist.com
DISTRIBUTION & LOGISTICS Victor Prestinary | Director victor@socalbicyclist.com
PUBLISHING
Chris Reynolds | Director chris@socalbicyclist.com
Cate Clark, Cody Lewis, Justin Macias, Andreas Moore, Samuel Parks Shari Sullivant, Teresa Todd, Tim Wilson www.socalbicyclist.com @socalbicyclist /socalbicyclist #socalbicyclist
SUBMISSIONS & CONTACT
Contact info@socalbicyclist.com for editorial guidelines and information. Southern California Bicyclist 14252 Culver Drive Irvine, CA 92604 (949) 264-3346 contact@socalbicyclist.com Designed and Printed in SoCal Founded by Will Decker All photography and design performed in-house by Chris Reynolds & Victor Prestinary unless otherwise noted.
Read us on
About VITALS & SUBSCRIPTIONS
Southern California Bicyclist is a multi-platform lifestyle and destination guide celebrating the arts, skills, events, and culture of the cycling life in Southern California and other locations in the Western U.S. SCB is published 10 times per year. The print edition can be found at more than 1000 locations and events throughout California and adjacent states. Find a location near you or view the interactive, digital version at www.socalbicyclist.com Print copy subscriptions are $20 per year for 10 print issues delivered to the destination of your choice in the United States. International print subscriptions are $35. For more information, visit www.socalbicyclist.com/subscribe Copyright ©2016 All rights reserved. Published April 4, 2016
DISCLAIMER
Although all best efforts are made to avoid the same, we reserve the right to publish unintentional mistakes and/ or factual errors which may occur on an issue basis. No responsibility is assumed by the publishers for unsolicited materials/articles/letters /advertising and all submissions will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright and/or appropriate licensing purposes subject to SCB's right to edit and comment editorially. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine reflect the opinions of their respective author’s and are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form [print or electronic] without prior consent of the publisher.
Bicycling can be a dangerous sport and can lead to serious injury or death. Make it safer for everyone and obey all traffic laws, ride responsibly, use common sense, and wear a helmet.
southern california BICYCLIST #131
5