Cycling Illustrated

Tobin Ortenblad (Bear Development Team)
© Eric Clarkson

Off the Front

by Tobin Ortenblad (Bear Development Team)

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a bike race in Santa Cruz, with a great group of hometown fans and perfect weather. We started with about 60 racers and a fast pace, with attacks flying left and right in the first 20 minutes of the race. Most of these attacks were all going up the little hill towards the start/finish line.

There were a couple good, little groups that got established early, but nothing stuck until later on when Ben and I went. After about 20 minutes of racing the group was going at a pretty good tempo and I was right on Ben’s wheel when we hit the little climb. When Ben decided to go I was in the perfect position to cover. [Read more...]

Bear Development Team, CA

Bear Development Team riding in the Marin Headlands

Press Release:

Photos and captions by Bear Team Rider Tim Aiken

California-based BEAR DEVELOPMENT TEAM is announcing a newly formed partnership with TREK BICYCLES today. BEAR Team Riders will race TREK MADONES on the road and TREK SUPERFLYS on the trail in 2013.

BEAR more than doubled the size of its roster for 2013 adding new Team Riders to its Women’s and Men’s Development Cycling Teams. Many Team Riders are racing both road and mountain bikes next season.

BEAR Team Riders will receive local support from a network of TREK retailers throughout California. These TREK retailers include: City Cycle in Corte Madera, Epicenter in Santa Cruz, Palo Alto Bicycles in Palo Alto and Trek Concept Store in Santa Rosa.

When asked about this newly formed partnership, City Cycle Owner Cory Farrer shared the following: “We are very impressed with the work Stu has done with Bear Development Team and are excited to have the team racing on Trek bicycles this year. We intend to throw our full support behind the success of these young racers and hope it will be a long partnership.”

Team Director JULIA VIOLICH commented: “I look forward to forging a strong relationship with TREK, a long time leader in cycling technology and community outreach. I am confident the team will reinforce brand awareness of the Wisconsin-based company here on the West Coast.”

BEAR Team Rider IAN STOWE has been winning on a TREK CRONUS CX bike this cyclocross season. When asked about the bike, he had this to say: “CRONUS is crazy light. Plus the power just seems to find its way through the bike really efficiently. The traction is just there. There is so much technology in this bike. Best of all, it looks cool, especially this matte finish paint job.”

BEAR’s road team has been training on TREK MADONES for a month now and the feedback from team riders has been very clear: stoke level is high.

BEAR Founder Stu Bone added: “The non-profit foundation that funds this team is moving to develop a platform of ongoing youth skills clinics like those our Team Riders put together on a one-off basis for younger riders in 2012. We hope to build this partnership with TREK and its retailers so that we can offer these youth skills clinics on a larger scale in 2013 and onward.”

Bone continued: “I’m also very happy to see our racing teams on TREK MADONE and SUPERFLY. These bikes are designed and built in the USA (6 and 7 series Madones). They are as aerodynamic, efficient, stiff, light and responsive as anything we’ve ever ridden. Lastly, our network of local TREK retailers: EPICENTER, CITY CYCLE, PALO ALTO BICYCLES and TREK STORE SANTA ROSA are offering meaningful local support to BEAR team riders. BEAR feels a strong sense of gratitude to TREK and its retail partners for this high level of support to our Team Riders. Look for good things, fun things from TREK and BEAR this coming season.”