Featured Cyclist
Rock Racing Cycling Team
Our next featured cyclist is not actually an individual, but an entire racing team. Rock Racing Professional Cycling Team is our second featured cyclist(s). Rock Racing is a new US domestic pro team, formed in early 2007, that has taken the National Racing Calendar by storm. See the team website at www.RockRacing.com.
In February of 2007, I received a call out of the blue from Haldane Morris, racer and part-time cycling coach, asking if I would come fit a new team he was riding for, in Southern California. I knew nothing about what I was getting into. For years I have provided Bike Fit services to Haldane (every single time he gets new Campy cleats, to be exact) and many of the cyclists he has coached. I thought this trip would be just like old times.
Well, as I came to find out, this new team was sponsored by a guy that used to race a little with Haldane and me, back in the day. I could barely remember racing with him actually. Fast forward to today and that same guy, Mike Ball, is the Owner and founder of Rock & Republic Jeans. Rock & Republic is at the forefront in the fashion world. Luckily for cycling, his passion for the bike never left while he scaled corporate and celebrity milestones with such success that reading about it would sound like an improbable fairy tale.
Some of the other guys on this new team were familiar names, like Rahsaan Bahati, while others were new to me...mostly the younger guys. And, for the most part, it was a split team, from my perspective. To the young guys, I was like some old fat guy showing up that thinks he knows "something" about cycling. The older guys mostly knew me, as many of us raced together. Once again, my endurance event equivalent of the same age (we were both Junior National Champions the in the same year) Frankie Andreu and I were hanging out on the same turf, as he had just been named Director Sportif for the team. Also, one of the Rock Racing managers, Allen Bean has been an associate of mine for many years, having fit many of the cyclists he coached as well.
Pictured here is one of the older guys, Kayle Leogrande. His Bike Fit was one that had some challenges. Half the time the guy was sick in the bathroom and the rest of the time was trying to figure things out and address his one arm/wrist which rotates inward so much it is like he is constantly turning left. If you ever get a chance to see his bike in person, you might think his right brake hood needs adjustment but it doesn't, as the placement is intentional.
This team is built of the "fringe" when it comes to personality. Almost no one rates as "down the middle of the road" of normalcy, if there is such a thing in US pro cycling.
So, the staff at Bike Fit Systems wants to extend BIG congratulations to the Rock Racing team for the numerous victories in their first year. Most of all a big thanks for livening up the cycling world with some much needed excitement...like a different color skin suit every race and showing up in a fleet of pimped out Cadillac Escalades. We need more people like Mike Ball putting back into the sport!
Best of luck to an even more exciting 2008 to Rock Racing. Make sure to check in on them periodically at www.RockRacing.com
Swifty
PS: Where are my T-shirt and pair of jeans??? ;-)
In February of 2007, I received a call out of the blue from Haldane Morris, racer and part-time cycling coach, asking if I would come fit a new team he was riding for, in Southern California. I knew nothing about what I was getting into. For years I have provided Bike Fit services to Haldane (every single time he gets new Campy cleats, to be exact) and many of the cyclists he has coached. I thought this trip would be just like old times.
Well, as I came to find out, this new team was sponsored by a guy that used to race a little with Haldane and me, back in the day. I could barely remember racing with him actually. Fast forward to today and that same guy, Mike Ball, is the Owner and founder of Rock & Republic Jeans. Rock & Republic is at the forefront in the fashion world. Luckily for cycling, his passion for the bike never left while he scaled corporate and celebrity milestones with such success that reading about it would sound like an improbable fairy tale.
Some of the other guys on this new team were familiar names, like Rahsaan Bahati, while others were new to me...mostly the younger guys. And, for the most part, it was a split team, from my perspective. To the young guys, I was like some old fat guy showing up that thinks he knows "something" about cycling. The older guys mostly knew me, as many of us raced together. Once again, my endurance event equivalent of the same age (we were both Junior National Champions the in the same year) Frankie Andreu and I were hanging out on the same turf, as he had just been named Director Sportif for the team. Also, one of the Rock Racing managers, Allen Bean has been an associate of mine for many years, having fit many of the cyclists he coached as well.
This team is built of the "fringe" when it comes to personality. Almost no one rates as "down the middle of the road" of normalcy, if there is such a thing in US pro cycling.
So, the staff at Bike Fit Systems wants to extend BIG congratulations to the Rock Racing team for the numerous victories in their first year. Most of all a big thanks for livening up the cycling world with some much needed excitement...like a different color skin suit every race and showing up in a fleet of pimped out Cadillac Escalades. We need more people like Mike Ball putting back into the sport!
Best of luck to an even more exciting 2008 to Rock Racing. Make sure to check in on them periodically at www.RockRacing.com
Swifty
PS: Where are my T-shirt and pair of jeans??? ;-)
Featured Cyclists' Archive
Our next "Featured Cyclist" is not actually an individual, but an entire racing team. Rock Racing Professional Cycling Team is our second featured cyclist(s). Rock Racing is a new US domestic pro team, formed in early 2007, that has taken the National Racing Calendar by storm. Read about this exciting new team here.
Congratulations to Sherry Dariotes, of Redmond, WA, on completing her first STP (Seattle to Portland) ride, this past July 14-15 weekend. Read about Sherry's accomplishment and why we chose her to be our first "Featured Cyclist"!
