January 2014: Month in Review
As New York City cyclists we have another four weeks of training to bear until the 2014 season opens with a CRCA race in Central Park. So with no racing to write about (and a good chunk of our roster fleeing winter in NYC for riding on the West Coast) we take a quick look back at the first month of the 2014 calendar year with highlights from one of the worst winters for riding in recent years.
WHILE NOT AS MUCH FUN AS RACING, WE HAD SOME PRETTY WILD TRAINING RIDES
Into the Mist, A Photo Series by Photo Rhetoric, highlighted some incredible (but thankfully not too miserable) weather conditions on our usual training roads in and around New Jersey. In some ways this was a redux of last year's Zero Visibility photo series.
In Festive 500 Round Two Ollie Davis recounted riding through a water logged UK before returning home to finish up his second annual Rapha Festive 500, capturing some pretty incredible imagery in the process.
Misery Index 11 documented some of the most challenging conditions we have ever experienced on the bike, complete with excerpts like: "After the rain turned back to snow my drivetrain froze. But I couldn’t feel my fingers to shift anyway." This is one ride we would prefer not to relive.
WE ANNOUNCED OUR 2014 SPONSORS AND ROSTER, AND RECEIVED SOME PRETTY COOL TEAM BIKES
On the "official team business" front we were proud to announce our 2014 Sponsors. We're proud to partner with each of these organizations and look forward to discussing them in much more detail as the season progresses.
As a teaser for the arrival of our custom painted team bikes, we highlighted the capabilities of the Louis Garneau Dream Factory. This is definitely a topic we'll be addressing further in coming months.
We also published our official 2014 Roster, featuring four new additions to what is our eighteen man roster for the season. We couldn't be more excited about our roster for the season.
ON INSTAGRAM OUR TEAM BIKES GOT THE GLORY, ALONG WITH PLENTY OF #RIDEALLYEAR PICS
Our biggest Instagram hit of the month featured our new Louis Garneau Dream Factory Bikes
http://instagram.com/p/jvF9Y0DwC5/
Followed by a bunch of #RideAllYear snaps
http://instagram.com/p/jcg1VzjwHV/
Though as usual our official mascot, Winnie the Bulldog, also got some social media love
http://instagram.com/p/jjpvZjDwAP/
AND THROUGHOUT IT ALL WE PLOTTED TO SURVIVE THE DOLDRUMS OF THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS UNTIL WE CAN START RACING BIKES
By planning for some of our favorite races of the season - the Bethel Spring Series, the CRCA Grant's Tomb Criterium and the Trooper Brinkerhoff Memorial Series.
While simultaneously booking airfare for Cali, where we've had some pretty good training rides. And where we don't have to worry about the polar vortex.
