Gearing Up for the Tour

It's just a few days away now, and our very own Simply Stu has teamed up with Versus commentator and Vision Quest head coach Robbie Ventura, who will soon be bringing us the inside scoop from France. Have a listen as the preliminaries get underway by clicking here.

Also, be sure to enter to win the weekly Power prizes from Saris/CycleOps, including the first release 2009 PowerTaps and Pro Series trainers! Click here to enter now.

Harness the Wind

Unstoppable. By headwinds, by hills, by anything. It's official, parent companies Zipp Speed Weaponry and CycleOps Power are proud to announce the union of the sleekest wheels in town to the master of energy application. The offspring of such a partnership? Record smashing speed and precision performance analysis.

Finally available to the public are PowerTap fitted Zipp disk wheels, weighing in at just a fraction over the total weight of unTapped disks. Featuring a 2.4GHZ wireless transmission and absolutely no hindrance in strength or aerodynamic efficiency, the Power is yours.

Team Evotri partner Inside Triathlon Magazine details the several varieties of disk wheels now available, complete with price breakdown here. Have a look, and take the first step in harnessing the wind this season.

Summoning the Power

The human spirit is fascinating. Riding 112 miles for an Ironman is enough to widen the eyes of any would-be challenger, and double the distance plus is nearly inconceivable. Add to the mix sub-freezing conditions and life-threatening related circumstances, and you have the latest test of raw power and will of one Rocky Reifenstuhl and his trusty PowerTap Disc Brake Hub.

The two set out together across the 2008 Alaskan Iditarod Trail Invitational to tackle the 350-mile and 1,000-mile race not for glory or fame, but for the reason anyone dares the seemingly impossible - to see if it could be done. Click here to read the incredible physical, mental and mechanical trials by fire, -er... or should we say ice? We're sure you'll be as awe-inspired as we are.

Racks That Give Back

One thing especially near and dear to Team Evotri is the concept of giving back to our communities. For this reason, we're honored to be affiliated with Saris/CycleOps as they reach out to try to make a difference on a global scale.

Saris will donate $5.00 from the sale of each Pink Bones rack to one of the most accomplished National facilities in breast cancer research, the UW Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center in Wisconsin, as well as $5.00 from the sale of each Purple Team in Training Bones rack to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to aid in the fight against leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Join Saris/CycleOps in the fight against cancer by learning more at the TNT web site, or the UWCCC newsroom. To find a Bones dealer near you, please click here.

Finally, if you have a Cancer story to share, either of loss, survival, or hope, please also visit Write2Fight.com, and help spread the word for the cure.

What Powers David Millar?

David Millar, leading the pack at the end of Stage 3 at the 2008 Tour of California. Image source.

Our very own Simply Stu recently found the only way to catch up with wickedly fast Team Slipstream-Chipotle rider, David Millar - a one-on-one interview in which Millar explains how training and racing with Power has impacted his performance.

Recently, Millar averaged a blistering 403 watts during the last hour of a Tour of California four-and-a-half-hour stage, and of this stated,

"You can suffer a lot in training; you see pretty good numbers, and it's kind of consistent, but then you get to the races, and its just a whole other world. You're talking about numbers you'd never see in training."

Click here now to listen to the rest of this fascinating exchange.

NEW from CycleOps!

Here at camp Evotri we are absolutely ecstatic about the latest CycleOps announcement - the PowerTap SL 2.4 Disc Brake Hub System is finally available!

After rigorous testing by the CycleOps precision-minded engineering team, as well as several pro athletes like Jeremiah Bishop, Julian Absalon, Conrad Stoltz, Melanie McQuaid, Wendy Simms, Manual Prado, Danny Pate and Rocky Reifenstuhl, it’s officially time to put some Power in the dirt world-wide.

Beefed up and ready for a beating, all components of the new disc brake have been fortified to endure the rigors of off-road without sacrificing accuracy. No wires and now no limits for any mountain biker out there ready to rule the trail!

Kudos CycleOps, and thank you!

To listen to more about CycleOps’ brand new disk brake hub, stay tuned for the next Zippcast with our very own Simply Stu, coming out soon. In the meantime, click here for the latest interview with the CycleOps’ Power experts on Tap.

Team Evotri Spring Training in Full Swing!

Before the sun came up on March 6th the team was up and moving, ready to kick off their season with baseline fitness assessments at the Vision Quest Coaching headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Some drove a few hours, some flew in the night before, but once inside those doors it was unquestionable that they were a team and that this was the beginning of one incredible a year.

The day began with a warm welcome from the Vision Quest staff, and immediately it was clear why this facility was one of the fastest growing skill shops around. From the state-of-the-art equipment to the vast experience and professionalism of the staff, there was simply no questions in the athletes' minds that that they were in the best hands possible for each of their unique endeavors this year.



Once initial greetings were exchanged among the crew, Rob and Dave of Vision Quest introduced the team to VQ affiliates from the Chicago Blue Dolphins. Swim professional John Fitzpatrick would be assessing the team's swim strokes in the double wide Endless Pool, which was outfitted with cutting edge underwater video recording equipment and a mounted flat screen TV. While the first group hit the bikes with VQ Founder, Robbie Ventura for blood lactate testing, the other half of the team executed their swim sessions and came out armed with new skills and new drills to maximize their efficiency and strength in the water. Their attitudes after the fact were unanimously confident. Look out Lake Michigan, Team Evotri is coming!

After the team's swimming and LT analysis, they hit the floor with Nancy, VQ affiliate and functional assessment extraordinaire. She put the crew through the wringer of grueling strength, flexibility, balance and movement tests, and encouraged them every step of the way. When all was said and done the team sat together and reflected on the simply unmatched, precision machine that was Vision Quest Coaching and their affiliates, and at how each member of the corresponding staff was the embodiment of such.

Thanks to the spot-on scheduling, the team moved through their morning evaluations and were then treated to a round table talk on Power with Robbie Ventura. The experience was intoxicating, and the athletes found themselves gripped by his vast knowledge and magnetic personality. Rachel, CycleOps super star, elite cyclist, and true friend of the team, was also on hand to lend her expertise and support. Between the two, the team felt bulletproof in the knowledge that they had a clear advantage in training and racing with Power.

A big thanks goes out to all the people from VQ, CycleOps, and the Chicago Blue Dolphins who made the team's spring training kick off a huge success! Thanks also to Lisa Parsiola and James Korn for their moral support, and to James as well for the awesome featured photos of the day.


(Click the Picasa logo to view the layout of photos in their entirety.)

Chillin' Out at Frostbike, '08!

One great to look forward to when the cold weather comes is all the hot gear on display thanks to QBP's Frostbike show in Minnesota. The annual event took place a few weeks ago, and featured over 100 of the top tri-brands on the market including our very favorites, BMC, CycleOps, Zipp and SRAM.

Team Evotri was among the invited guests, and as you can see from the pictures below, they had an awesome time! Thanks to QBP for their hospitality, and to all the sponsors who took time to sit and talk with us and show us around. To see more photos and to learn more about Frostbike, please visit www.frostbike.com.

TJ Tollakson and Becky Lavelle were among the crew at Frostbike who stopped for a chat with our own Simply Stu and Rural-Girl.

Dave Ripley - Product Manager for Zipp, and Rural-Girl present the latest and greatest in speed technology.

Simply Stu interviews the always charming Scott, brand manager for BMC.

A tricked out and fierce BMC TT02 - the official bike of top pro triathlete Tyler Stewart and Team Evotri.

BMC athlete and 3-time Xterra World Champion Melanie McQuaid chills out with Simply Stu at Frostbike, 2008.

Start Your Engines!

While everyone is fast at work building their sites and writing their posts for the second Making the Team: 2008 contest, the current members of Team Evotri are gearing up for their first meet-up of the season. The place: The Vision Quest Coaching headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

This Thursday, the team will be given the complete range of baseline assessments. They'll meet with their individual coaches as well as with Robbie Ventura to discuss their results, and to touch base on planning for the year ahead. The team is also excited that their newest member, Charlie Parsiola and his wife Lisa, will be able to join the crew for the event! Ace sponsors CycleOps will also be on hand to support them as they officially begin their season.

If you haven't already joined the team as an Evotri Ambassador, please do so now according to the instructions in the post below so that you may be part of the evolution right from the beginning. Photos and media from the trip to Chi-town will be coming soon, and remember, voting for the next fully sponsored team slot begins on March 15th!