Napa Valley California, arguably one of the most scenic places in America to ride a bike. The valley itself consists of five major towns: Calistoga, St. Helena, Oakville/Rutherford, Yountville and the city of Napa.  For our first ride we decided to start near downtown St. Helena at Velo Vino. Our friend Efrain Barragan hosts a Saturday morning ride from Velo Vino starting at 8:30am. Velo Vino is the tasting room for the Clif Family winery, the brainchild of Garry Erickson (founder of Clif Bar) and his wife, Kit.
California wines are …

This recipe has been a long time favorite of mine. There is something about the way a freshly grilled coho salmon fillet wilts the fresh wild arugula beneath it. The warm, tangy, savory, wild rice is the perfect complement as well. Back when I first began life away from the comfort of home as a freshman at UC Davis and submersed myself as a full time competitive cyclist and student I knew the importance of learning to cook healthy, wholesome, and tasty meals. This is a dish I first discovered …

Destination:
China Camp Sate Park
899 North San Pedro Road
San Rafael, California 94903

GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.0144
Longitude: -122.46
Elevation: 26 feet

China Camp State Park is gently nestled in the southwest shore of San Pablo Bay about three miles from downtown San Rafael in majestic Marin County: mountain biking central. Escape to here from the cold layers of fog in San Francisco by driving a quick thirty minutes north over the Golden Gate Bridge to enjoy China Camp’s sunny beaches, well-maintained picnic areas, and top-notch hiking and mountain biking trails. Many of the …

One thing I preach to my clients often is the importance of fresh fruit and vegetables in ones diet not just for the obvious nutritional benefits, but in addition the role they can play in a balanced diet aimed at cutting unwanted body fat, excessive bloating, and of course those stubborn extra pounds. You might expect to find a salad like this in front of the menu at a Michelin star restaurant but that doesn’t mean you can’t easily create this dish at home for a fraction of the price …

We at Velocurean pride ourselves in the fact that we do things differently. We think progressively, we dream, we are always thinking ahead of the “game,” we enjoy and embrace life as well as all of its challenges. When it came time to start off the day for my partner’s (Kevin Eisele) bachelor party; I held true to that concept by secretly having a private plane waiting in a hangar at the Petaluma airport. So Kevin, Christopher Mast (Bikenovice.com), and I (Joshua Seaman) headed out early on a Saturday morning …

Most of us have never heard of a food stylist, yet their creative hand surrounds us and their unique style influences us on a daily basis. We try to emulate them by strategically spreading the almond butter on our morning toast just so, or arranging things on our dinner plates but it never really looks right and we fall quite short of our mark. Food stylists are the unsung heroes of the culinary print, television and film world. Every time you open a cookbook, magazine, or see a billboard of …

Traveling to Europe this past July with my Indy Fab road bike was never made easier. Thanks to the latest invention by Biknd, the new Helium inflatable bicycle transport case made my travels so much easier and less expensive.
The upfront investment for a $599 travel case seemed high but when I stepped up to the airline counter and the representative said, “only one bag,” I knew the investment was well worth it.  We’ve all dragged 50+ lb hard cases to the counter and know the end result. The Helium makes …

Talk about the history of the shop and the transition from Bike-Rx to Studio Velo. Why the name change and need for a different space etc.?
Studio Velo started as a mobile bike repair service by Scott Penzarella, in June 2003.  He later set up a repair and fitting service, Bike-Rx, out of a small office space in Tam Junction before we moved into the current location in August 2007.
The name change came about a year and a half after we opened in our current location.  As a small business that …

German Rieslings are among the most beautiful, natural, versatile, & prestigious wines in the world.  It is common for wine professionals, wine connoisseurs, or wine experts of some sort to follow exceptional vintages and appreciate the wines for how unique and stunning they are capable of being.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, people that are simply getting use to drinking wine, or do not habitually choose wine as a libation will often drink Riesling for the sweetness and approachability.
Either way, it is important for anyone thinking of purchasing one …

Last November (2009) I was seduced by the cyclocross mentality and lifestyle… The people are so nice and there is always a buzzing family atmosphere with kids playing and riding bikes everywhere, music, BBQ and people from all walks of life mingling and roaming around in unbiased acceptance. Even the communication between the competitors is civil; I often hear them notify each other of their attempts to pass and then follow up with “please,” “thank you,” and “sorry.” Huh!? Now, mind you that these people are racing at maximum threshold …

Aside from the super-fun flip-top bottle and side shot of concentrated hops, this “hoppy” Belgian IPA is very smooth, not bitter and is a perfect holiday season ale. In addition to the dominant hops there is a subtle presence of complimentary flavors, including berry-like fruit with a malty sweetness in the finish, a trademark of finely crafted Belgian brews.  Athough Hopus packs in an alcohol content of 8.5%, the variance of flavors masks the above average ABV and lends to a very refreshing drinkability.
We invite you to enjoy one of …

Recently I joined the Bay Club Marin for the winter season – they have 40 spin classes a week that are complemented by a sauna and steam room. Aaahhh. As well as the great classes, my new membership granted me a free session with a nutritionist, whom I visited with yesterday. I asked her how to pick up my energy levels during these dark winter days. She suggested adding some more protein and healthy fats, such as eggs whites and avocado.

A friend of a friend gave me this recipe a …

We received our first shipment of the Catlike Whisper Plus a few months ago. Since then we’ve had great feedback from our clients and we’ve had great results ourselves. So how is one helmet different from another?

The Catlike helmets are very quiet. Ok, how is a helmet quiet? Venting can sometimes channel air through the helmet is a way that just happens to be loud. The Catlike runs quiet, especially for a helmet with venting that works this well. This is because of the careful attention paid to air flow …

Long have the days passed since the average wine drinker still considered all sparkling wine champagne.  Most people now know in order to be labeled champagne the bubbly product must come from the specific region of France.
However, it is also helpful to understand the grape varietal composition in champagne. Depending on the champagne house’s different cuvees, or blends, the three grapes are Chardonnay, Pinot noir, & Pinot meunier.
Pinot meunier is most commonly used in small amounts for blending to complete a flavor profile. A champagne labeled blanc de blanc is …

2011 is our opportunity to grow stronger, multiply in numbers and make a difference. This past year has definitely been one of growth and change; we have met so many awesome people and have built a very solid and healthy foundation for this year. So today, we just wanted to let you know about the various things we will be providing you with including the continuation of the current contributors, various new features and several of our hopes and goals for 2011 – the year of Velocurean.
We will not only …

“If we can promote the sport through sexy photos… Then why not?” Hanka Kupfernagel, who races road, cross, mountain and track, sums up the Cyclepassion Calendar venture with that one simple sentence. Bringing in Cyclefilm to produce the documentary film – “Eyes Wide Open – The Making-of Cyclepassion 2011” brings a whole new layer and depth to the project. In fact, the entire foundation of this endeavor seems to be deeply rooted in the healthy addiction to cycling. “It all started with a cycling holiday in Mallorca, I was in …

This beer holds the exclusive title of “Drink of England” and is dubbed, “the quintessentially English pint.”  Using their own natural well water, sunk by Charles Wells himself, for the brewing process and adding more malt per pint that any other English Ale, Wells Bombardier lives up to its authenticity.
Wellingtons brought Wells on board for our last St. George’s Day celebration last April and its overwhelming popularity gave us the large clue that we should keep it on permanently.
So if you’re reminiscing of times past when you enjoyed an English …

Randy Bramblett and I decided to meet at Pasta Pomodoro at five pm in Laurel Village and I show up a little early so I can choose the table for the interview. A waiter brings me a menu, a glass of water and some bread with a garlic pesto dip. I order a Lagunitas IPA and look over the menu. Pasta Pomodoro is a restaurant that is required to put the calories of their dishes on the menu; it can be eye opening to say the least. I was looking …

“Vanderkitten-Focus Women’s Cycling Team to Lead the Peloton in 2011.”
“New partnership brings together forward-thinking apparel maker and #1 German bicycle brand.”
(February 07, 2011; Carlsbad, CA) FOCUS Bicycles USA will further its commitment to world-class bicycle racing through co-title sponsorship of the Vanderkitten-Focus Women’s Cycling Team.  Vanderkitten-Focus represents an exciting new era of growth in women’s racing, with focus on athletics, results and marketing, blended with distinctive feminine style.  Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the team will compete across the United States and in select international venues.
Vanderkitten-Focus will …

How did Bespoke come to be, whose vision was it and where did the three of you meet?
We’ve all been in the industry for quite a long time and had worked together for a number of years as well. An opportunity presented itself to strike out on our own and we decided that the time was right. We were all on the same page as far as the form our business would take and that was that. We were open for business six months later.  Ari and I worked together …

Everyone has a comfort food dish that mom used to make embedded in their memories, whether it be that famous home cooked macaroni and cheese or the every so popular spaghetti and meatballs. For me, it was a little different since I had a Chinese mother who posses a gift to be able to cook any type of ethnic cuisine at Food Network type quality. This mushroom pesto lasagna dish reminds me of that very feeling I had as a kid coming home to the smell of this rich and …

When I first had this dish, I was amazed at how complex the flavors were for a dish that had such simple ingredients and cooking process. I’m a huge seafood lover and I try to consume fish one to three times per week. So when I had the opportunity to try this dish I was very excited. Being in the health and fitness industry and constantly dealing with clients who struggle to balance weight or body fat loss with a performance enhancing diet, I often find myself suggesting fish as …

There is a certain passion, some might call it an obsession, that it takes to be a cyclist, or a chef for that matter and they both infatuate Chris. Chef Dressick just got back in to mountain biking in the last few months – he rode a mountain bike as a kid in the late 80’s early 90’s. In fact, he raced “downhill” while at Western College for one of the local bike shops. Though he had a couple podium finishes, his most memorable race was the Kamikaze Downhill in …

On September 13, 2008 San Francisco hosted its first and only Twilight Criterium. The eight-block course in Cow Hollow was packed with some of the best talent on the west coast, and it was the women’s field that was truly impressive. Starting with two time Olympian and 2004 time trial champion Christine Thorbur of team Webcor, Canadian Olympian Gina Grain also of team Webcor and long time veteran Laura Van Gilder, but the reason I was there was Liz Hatch of team Vanderkitten. As the women lined up for the …

Although it’s fairly common for bike shops to host Demo events, product launch parties and weekly group rides, I really can’t think of one that has put the recipe together quite as Velocurean as Studio Velo in Mill Valley. On Sunday April 3, 2011 with chef Chris Dressick on the “Rapha Patio” serving up Belgian beer, brats and frites, Studio Velo welcomed Ridley Bikes to the showroom floor.

“On all Ridley frames we follow one design philosophy – ‘FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION.’ Every tube shape, frame construction and geometry is chosen for …

Fellowship can best described as the state of sharing mutual interests, experiences, and activities. This is what we aimed and hoped for, and this is what we achieved on the inaugural ride of the Velocurean Bicycle and Social Club.
For our first ride we invited Chandon Clenard, Executive Chef at Pacific Catch, to be our guest. Our ride began in Corte Madera and continued around the Tiburon peninsula on Paradise drive and concluded at Pacific Catch in Corte Madera for lunch with Chef Chandon.

The day started as most Northern California summer …

We here at Velocurean would officially like to invite you to ride in a kit that you ALL can relate to and truly feel a part of its meaning. Velocurean represents the northern California lifestyle of food, fellowship and cycling. No matter who you are, what team or other club you belong to; or if you are a beginner, a weekend warrior or seasoned veteran… we are all a family and we all belong and live the Velocurean Lifestyle.

Please make your way to the Velocurean Team Store and place your …

“Seldom does an individual exceed his own expectations” -Unknown

Scott Panzerella, owner of Studio Velo in Mill Valley, California, recently crossed one more item off his bucket list: the Leadville 100 bike race. This is the story of his road to Leadville.
Leadville, Colorado nicknamed “the two-mile-high city,” is the highest incorporated city in the country. Sitting at 10,152 feet above sea level, this oxygen-depleted ghost town was once the second most populated town in Colorado, next to Denver. That was back in 1880 during the Colorado silver boom when Leadville …

Sometimes the greatest inspirations and ideas are borne on the wings of suffering… Today, the day after Thanksgiving, my intent was simply to ride my bike with no destination in mind except for the valley of suffering. It’s 8 am; it’s cold, wet and grey with plenty of hills on the menu. But, hey, this is NorCal cycling and I am Velocurean, it’s simple, I ride, endure and grow stronger; it’s what we do.
Yeah, right! It’s simple except for the fact that it’s late November, cold and wet in the …

INGREDIENTS

2 1 1/3-pound flank steaks
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
11/4 cups thinly sliced green onions (about 6)
1 12-ounce bottle fat tire beer
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
Using sharp knife, lightly score flank steaks about 1/8 inch deep on both sides in a crisscross pattern at 1/2-inch intervals. Place steaks in 13×9×2-inch sealable dish. Sprinkle steaks on both sides with oregano, sugar, cumin and generous amount of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of steaks, rubbing oil …