It couldn’t have been a better day of bike racing in Northern California: 80′s and light winds all day! I got off work (Jamba Juice) at 1pm and quickly got home, packed everything up, picked up my girlfriend and we were off to the races! We got there and it was hotter than expected but I was anticipating this race and kept thinking about it all morning at work. Before I knew it, it was game time and the whistle blew.

Eric Riggs and Travis Lyons were also here representing Team Mike’s bikes and our game plan was to save it for the sprint because it almost always comes down to a field sprint here. We did just that, but it wasn’t easy at all: there were non-stop attacks and the average speed was about 29 mph! A small breakaway did get away, but we reeled it back in in the closing laps. All three of us got organized and Travis got Eric and I into position for the last two laps as we sat between 5-10 guys back, just waiting to pounce in the last kilometer of the race. At 700 meters I yelled at Eric to go and he went off like a rocket. I kept encouraging him in these desperate moment and told him up once again and he even got out of the saddle! This guy has some raw power! I took off at 200 meters and held it off by a bike length! Chuck Hutchenson (Marc-Pro Strava) and Austin Carroll (Full Circle Cycling powered by Pure Gear) were creeping up beside me but the finish line came soon enough so that I can put my hands up and give Team Mike’s bikes another “W” for 2012!

Eric Riggs gave me a perfect leadout and I finished it off! Photo Credit: David Cheung

Thank you to all of the sponsors for everything that you do to make this team rise this year!

–James LaBerge

Team Mike’s Bikes’ own Rainer Schaefer beat out all  contenders to take the cover spot of this year’s Mega Sale catalog.

Beyond Rainer’s rugged good looks, the catalog delivered the scoop on one of the best bike sales around to the mailboxes of households across Northern California.

The sale is on now through Sunday at all 10 Mike’s Bikes stores, including the new shop in San Jose.

Find the nearest store to you here.

Everything is on sale. Check out great deals on stylish Capo kits, high performing Specialized bikes and all the accessories you need from Bike Smart.

Some great footage from Eric Riggs at the Sea Otter Crit.

It was 90 degrees and we were in a parking lot..wait..I mean town center of El Dorado Hills. The course formed a bell shape with many turns and a two block section that rose slightly. With my teammates away winning at Sea Otter, I was left to my own devices. Half-way through the race Peter Graf (Fremont Bank Cycling Team) was alone off the front and a teammate of his was swerving back and forth across the road at the head of the peloton. That was weird so I attacked and bridged to Peter with Chuck Hutcheson (Marc Pro-Strava), Joshua Carling (Michael David Winery Cycling Team), and Peter Knudsen (Team Clover). We cooperated well and held a twenty to thirty second gap to the field, saving the shenanigans for the last couple laps. The five of us finished the race ahead of the chasing peloton with Peter Graf first and myself second.

See the rest of Jim Elder’s photographs here.