Bike Diva

Garmin-Slipstream Cycle Team Anti-Doping Program

PRESS RELEASE Top U.S. Professional Cycling Team, Garmin-Slipstream, Partners With ADSI to Continue Anti-Doping Program Participation in Anti-Doping Science Institute's New Program Continues to Demonstrate Garmin-Slipstream's Dedication to Anti-Doping and Ethical Sporting BOULDER, Colo., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Slipstream Sports LLC and its chief venture, the Garmin-Slipstream Professional Cycling Team, isn't just sporting a new name in 2009, when it will officially be called Garmin-Slipstream. The top U.S. team today announced that it will participate in a new program run by the Anti-Doping Sciences Institute (ADSI) to further its anti-doping mission. The program will include profiles from testing conducted over the last year and will share data with UCI and other international and national anti-doping agencies. ADSI has been involved in the management of the Garmin-Slipstream anti-doping program since June of 2008 as part of its previous relationship with the Agency for Cycling Ethics. All 29 athletes on the team are voluntarily participating in the program, which will test them over 600 times in 2009. There will be an intense focus on EPO and related substances as well as continued focus on longitudinal profiling of blood and steroid levels. Detection of traditional doping products will also be included. Providing the oversight and program design for ADSI is Don Catlin, one of the leading names in anti-doping in the United States. "When we began our anti-doping program in 2007, we wanted to help turn the tide in professional cycling," said Jonathan Vaughters, Director Sportif of Team Garmin-Slipstream. "We wanted other professional athletes and teams to put their resources and efforts into the fight against doping. It worked. In 2009, we're on a mission to continue what we started. With partners like ADSI and Don Catlin, we aim to continue to foster the ideals of fair sport." The testing program will be comprised of both blood and urine sampling and will focus on EPO, CERA and related drugs, but it will also include full screen testing for doping agents such as testosterone, cortisone, anabolic steroids, and masking agents. In addition, blood and steroid profiles will be used to detect longitudinal abnormalities and remove a rider from competition if suspicious results are found. Analytical work will be performed by Anti-Doping Research, under contract to ADSI, as well as other labs selected by ADSI. This combines the best of traditional testing and longitudinal testing into one program. By participating in this testing regimen, Garmin-Slipstream's intention is to simply prevent any rider who could be doping from competing, and to continue to inspire fair sport. "I have been involved in doping control for decades. When I developed the first anti-doping laboratory in the United States at UCLA in 1982, my hope was to prevent doping in sports and to work with teams and athletes who shared that hope," said Don Catlin. "Team Garmin-Slipstream has proven that they do. I'm thrilled to be able to work with them." Team Garmin-Slipstream has been dedicated to anti-doping since its inception and the new Catlin program is an extension of its original intentions. It began participating in independent monitoring programs under the ACE model in 2007. "We're collaborating with Team Columbia on this effort with ADSI because we strongly believe that by working together, we can continue to help inspire fair sport," said Vaughters. "Trust between teams and management is essential to success - on and off the road - and our fans and athletes alike deserve that trust." About Slipstream Sports Founded in 2005, Slipstream Sports LLC is a highly progressive sports management company dedicated solely to promoting the ethical growth of American cycling. About Team Garmin-Slipstream Owned and managed by Slipstream Sports, Team Garmin-Slipstream is dedicated to promoting ethical sporting and developing the next generation of cycling champions. Team Garmin-Slipstream competes in a full schedule of professional cycling races in the U.S. and Europe. Additional information is available at www.slipstreamsports.com. About Anti-Doping Sciences Institute (ADSI) Founded in 2004, ADSI is a company dedicated to applying its unique approach, scientific knowledge, expertise, and abilities to creating customized anti-doping solutions for today's rapidly changing landscape. ADSI specializes in designing and conducting world class drug testing programs, performing supplement analysis and interpretation of results, providing expert consulting for legal cases or other situations, managing athlete information hotlines, and other related areas of work. For inquiries please contact Oliver Catlin at ocatlin@antidopingsciences.org. About Anti-Doping Research (ADR) Founded in 2005, Anti-Doping Research is one of the leading performance-enhancing drug research and analytical organizations in the world. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, its mission is to help rid sport and society of performance-enhancing drugs by: conducting world class research in efforts to develop detection methods for developing doping substances; providing its unique analytical abilities to the government, professional sports, athletes and others; pursuing and promoting new anti-doping approaches and concepts; educating the public on anti-doping issues; and fostering collaboration in the field. www.antidopingresearch.org Source: Slipstream Sports LLC CONTACT: Marya Pongrace, Team Garmin-Slipstream, +1-212-931-6142, or Cell, +1-347-698-3412, mpongrace@peppercom.com; or Oliver Catlin, Anti-Doping Sciences Institute, +800-522-8591, ocatlin@antidopingsciences.org Web Site: http://www.slipstreamsports.com/

Ran My First Half Marathon

The Bike Diva ran her very first half marathon yesterday morning. Sunday, December 7 marked the 5th annual Marathon of the Palm Beaches. The marathon started at 6 AM from Myer Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Florida. NOT ENOUGH TRAINING I didn't do half as much training as I originally planned on doing. I mostly trained on my own, so it was hard to keep motivated. There were many days when I planned on going out for a run but never ended up going, or I went for a bike ride instead. Although I did do one 10 mile run a few months ago, my training runs were either 6 or 8 miles. So I was kind of worried about completing the half, since I had never even attempted running that far before. I only ran one time during the 3 weeks leading up to the marathon, and that was an 8 mile run the Wednesday before the marathon. Talk about being under-trained. FAMILY VACATION We went out of town, to visit family in NJ for 5 days right around Thanksgiving. That wasn't a planned trip, but we found really CHEAP plane tickets, so we decided to go visit my husband's 18 family members for an early Thanksgiving. It was WAY too cold for this Floridian to even think about running while we were up there. It was 25 degrees when we got off the plane at the Atlantic City airport and REALLY windy. I would like to go back and visit my in-laws in the summer time. They live right on the bay in Surf City, New Jersey. They live exactly 9.25 miles from Barnegat Lighthouse on Long Beach Island. That would be a really nice run. My family could drive to the lighthouse ahead of time, look around and play tourist while I was doing my run. Then as soon as I got there they could drive me back to the house. Something to think about for a future trip to Surf City, and the ORIGINAL Ron Jon's Surf Shop is just a short walk from my in-laws house - bonus points! SPEED DEMON - NOT! Although I didn't set a land speed record at the Marathon of the Palm Beaches, I did manage to finish the half marathon in a time of 2:34:50. I estimated that it was going to take me around 2 1/2 hours to run the 13.1 miles, and I finished pretty close to my goal. I went online, earlier today, to look at everyone's official race times. The competitor in me looked up my friends times, only a couple of them were faster than me! So now I want to pick another 1/2 marathon to run, but actually get serious about training for this one, so I can increase my speed. A lot of my running friends have been running for years and years, so I thought my time was pretty good for a biker chick that has just started running in the spring of this year. The Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon takes place on February 22nd, that's the same day as the Tour de Cure century ride that benefits the American Diabetes Association. My husband and I were planning on doing that bike ride, but if I can get him interested in training for the 1/2 marathon with me, we might end up doing the run instead. Now I'm just waiting for the official photos of the Marathon of the Palm Beaches to be posted online. If I find any photos of me running the half marathon, I'll post them to the Bike Diva site. UPDATE: Here's a link to a few photos of me running the 2008 Marathon of the Palm Beaches. Take care, Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Expresso Fitness Capital Funding

more info...
Expresso Fitness logo. (PRNewsFoto/Expresso Fitness) SUNNYVALE, CA UNITED STATES 10/16/2008
Dec 8, 2008 08:00 ET <!-- -->
Expresso Fitness(R) Receives Additional $14 Million in Funding Capital to Drive Growth of Company's Portfolio SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Expresso Fitness(R), the leading supplier and developer of interactive cardio fitness systems, announced today that it has completed a debt and equity funding event for a total of $14M. The capital will be used to fuel Expresso's revenue growth by expanding the company's product portfolio and market reach. Silicon Valley Bank opened a new $7 million working capital line with Expresso. The equity round was joined by all existing investors including Sierra Ventures, Physic Ventures, and Enterprise Partners Venture Capital. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081016/AQTH042LOGO) "Silicon Valley Bank is pleased to support Expresso Fitness as its long term partner," said Teresa Li, senior relationship manager, Silicon Valley Bank. "The company has tremendous potential, as evidenced by the robust revenue growth the company has seen in a difficult economic climate." Jeff Loomans, Sierra Ventures partner and Expresso Fitness board member, added, "Expresso has continued to deliver very strong revenue growth by providing outstanding business value to fitness establishments in both good and challenging economic times. They are one of the fastest growing companies in the Sierra portfolio, and we believe they have a very bright future." With the introduction of the S3 line in October, which offers enhanced features and functions on both the upright and recumbent bike, Expresso Fitness has had a strong year with increased revenue growth -- specifically with the recumbent models. Recumbent sales have gone from 0% to 40% of the company's entire sales volume since Q2 2008. "We are pleased to have a great investment team that has supported Expresso throughout its development, and we welcome Silicon Valley Bank as an integral part of this growth," Brian Button, CEO of Expresso Fitness, said. "We are now better armed financially to capture more market share from our competitors." To date, riders of Web-enabled Expresso Bikes have logged 20 million miles and burned 700 million calories at leading fitness facilities across the U.S. About Silicon Valley Bank Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for companies in the technology, life science, venture capital/private equity and premium wine industries. SVB provides a comprehensive suite of financing solutions, treasury management, corporate investment and international banking services to its clients worldwide. Through its focus on specialized markets and extensive knowledge of the people and business issues driving them, Silicon Valley Bank provides a level of service and partnership that measurably impacts its clients' success. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 27 U.S. offices and international operations in China, India, Israel and the United Kingdom. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group (NASDAQ:SIVB) , with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital, SVB Global and SVB Private Client Services. More information on the company can be found at http://www.svb.com/. Silicon Valley Bank is the California bank subsidiary and the commercial banking operation of SVB Financial Group. Banking services are provided by Silicon Valley Bank, a member of the FDIC and the Federal Reserve. SVB Private Client Services is a division of Silicon Valley Bank. SVB Financial Group is also a member of the Federal Reserve. About Sierra Ventures Sierra Ventures, founded in 1982, is a privately held venture capital firm focused on investments across all areas of the Information Technology sector from semiconductors to enterprise software. Sierra Ventures has managed nine venture capital partnerships and currently has more than $1.5 billion of capital under management. Some of the firm's investments include 360Commerce (acquired by Oracle), Active Software (acquired by WebMethods), AmeriGroup (AGP), Authentec (AUTH), Centex (acquired by WorldCom), ConvergeNet (acquired by Dell), FatBrain (acquired by Barnes & Noble), Frontbridge (acquired by Microsoft), Healtheon (merged with WebMD), Interact Commerce (acquired by Sage), Intuit (INTU), Micromuse (acquired by IBM), OnAssignment (ASGN), OnLink (acquired by Siebel), Quinta (acquired by Seagate), StrataCom (acquired by Cisco), Sourcefire (FIRE), Sychip (acquired by Murata Manufacturing) and Teradata (acquired by NCR). http://www.sierraventures.com/ About Enterprise Partners Venture Capital Enterprise Partners was founded in 1985 and is the largest venture firm headquartered in Southern California, with over $1.1 billion in capital under management. Enterprise focuses on seed, early stage and promising later stage companies across a broad spectrum of technologies and the life sciences. http://www.epvc.com/ About Physic Ventures Physic Ventures, founded in 2007 and based in San Francisco, is a venture capital firm committed to "investing in keeping people healthy." Physic Ventures partners with entrepreneurial teams to build leading businesses in consumer-driven health and sustainable living. Physic Ventures has invested in such firms as Dreamerz Foods, Elixir Pharmaceuticals, Novomer, and Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy. http://www.physicventures.com/ About Expresso Fitness(R) Expresso Fitness(R) was founded in 2003 with the mission of satisfying an exerciser's need for an engaging and effective cardiovascular fitness experience. The company leverages the benefits of superior interactive technology at an affordable cost to provide the health, sports and fitness industry with fully integrated, commercial-grade virtual reality-enhanced cardio fitness systems that are revolutionizing indoor exercise. Expresso systems are sold to fitness facilities and consumers in North America, Europe and select international locations. http://www.expresso.com/ / http://www.expresso.net/ Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081016/AQTH042LOGO AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comSource: Expresso Fitness CONTACT: Katie Williams of Formula PR, +1-619-234-0345, williams@formulapr.com, for Expresso Fitness Web site: http://www.expresso.com/ http://www.expresso.net/ http://www.physicventures.com/ http://www.sierraventures.com/ http://www.epvc.com/

Florida Cycling Clinics for Women

Women's Cycling Skills Camp

Dates: January- 9th 10th and11th ______February – 20th 21st and 22nd ______March – 6th 7th and 8th What: Three day Skills Camp Cost: $195.00 E-Mail Inquiries: Sales@southlakebicycles.com Phone: (352) 394-3848 Contact: Mark Marshall Limited to 15 people per-weekend This course is designed for all levels of Cyclist’s and Triathlete’s. It is designed to teach you to be more skilled when riding alone or in groups. This weekend is designed to make you a more skilled rider and to help you prepare for the unexpected. This course will take a deep look into how to control your bike as well as feeling more relaxed when you ride your bike. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced rider, there is something for you to learn. Cycling skills Covered Balance Turning Cornering Getting out of the saddle with power Pace line skills Climbing Basic bicycle repair Schedule Friday 6:00 PM - Where: South Lake Bicycles Bicycle repair meet the Coaches Saturday 8:30 AM - Where: Lake Louisa State Park 8:30 to 12:30 - Balance, Stop-And-Go drills, turning drills 2:00 to 4:30 - Cornering, Ridding in a Pace line 6:30 to 8:30 - Q&A Sunday 8:30 to 2:00 - Where: Lake Louisa State Park Review Balance and Turing drills, Paceline Climbing Getting out of the Saddle with Power Bicycling Fitting available Friday, by appointment only. www.southlakebicycles.com South Lake Bicycles 121 W. Washington Street Minneola, Fl. 34755 United Cycling Federation Coach Mark Marshall

Hydration Packs by Hydrapak

Bike Diva about to hit the trails

I recently had a chance to try out the rebuilt mountain bike trails at Quiet Waters Park in Pompano Beach, Florida. Not as exotic as it sounds, Quiet Waters is just a 15 minute drive from my house! A marketing rep for Hydrapak recently sent me a nice package of their products which included a Aqualine Hydrapak, a Point Reyes Hydrapak and a Gelbot water bottle. My husband and I took the two hydrapaks with us to test them out on the Quiet Waters trails.

Aqualine Hydrapak

I tested a pink and gray Aqualine Hydrapak. It was the perfect size for me. I had been using one of my husbands hydration packs, made by a different company, which was a bit too large, hot and heavy for my needs. The Aqualine Hydrapak is a women-specific design with a shorter torso in mind. The Aqualine Hydrapak had plenty of room to store my cell phone, keys, gel paks and more. Besides being a terrific hydration system to use while biking, the Aqualine would also make a fantastic day pack for short hiking trips.

 

Aqualine Hydrapak

Features of the Aqualine Hydrapak

• Women-specific fit and styling
• Easy-access front pocket with organizer
• Large main pocket with zippered gear pouch
• Reinforced and padded shoulder straps
• Removable waist strap
• Ventilation provided by raised padding on the back
• Suggested retail price: $44.99
• Reservoir: 2 L (70 oz) Reversible Reservoir II with Plug-N-Play
• Gear Storage: 200 cu in, 3.2 L

Bike Diva with Aqualine Hydrapak

Point Reyes Hydrapak
My husband got a chance to try out the masculine, Point Reyes Hydrapak in a macho rust/black/gray color scheme. No girly girl colors for him! My husband has used many different hydration packs over the years, and he gave the Point Reyes Hydrapak two thumbs up.

Point Reyes Hydrapak

Features of the Point Reyes Hydrapak

• Large main pocket with zippered gear pockets
• Deep mesh pocket on front with pull-tab closure
• Outside compression straps for excess gear storage
• Padded shoulder straps
• Removable quilted airmesh Backbone Media waist strap
• Suggested retail price: $64.99
• Reservoir: 3L (100oz)
• Gear Storage: 350 cu in, 2.6 L

Additional Information
Visit the Hydrapak website for further information on their hydration packs and other products they offer. Paragon Sports and Performance Bicycle are two US Distributors of the Hydrapak line of products.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

EQ Thirst Equalizer

"EQ Thirst Equalizer has been an excellent, hydrating sports drink for us, especially after racing all day long. In addition to EQ's hydrating qualities, we really enjoy the tropical flavors!" Tiffany & A J Bontorno, BMX World Rank Riders

Coconut Water Wars

I was recently contacted by another company that makes coconut water, to see if I would be interested in reviewing their products. The marketing director for the company saw my reviews of the ZICO and O.N.E. coconut waters, and thought Bike Diva would be a good match for their product. I received a case full of 3 flavors of EQ Thirst Equalizer, which is made by the Hurricane Juice Co. based out of Sarasota, Florida.

Comparing EQ's three flavors of coconut water to the ZICO and O.N.E. brands, was like comparing apples to oranges. The ZICO and O.N.E. coconut waters are very similar in taste and packaging. EQ Thirst Equalizer, which is available in Tangelo, Lemon Lime and Mango Pineapple flavors, reminded me more of a sports drink than of coconut water. EQ didn't taste anything like the other brands of coconut water. My husband LOVES all three flavors of EQ Thirst Equalizer, so I am letting him take the rest of the samples in to work.

Coconut Water Facts

Here is some interesting information regarding coconut water which I read in the EQ marketing materials. "Coconut water is a clear, fat-free, isotonic fluid found in young, green coconuts. Coconut water so closely matches the electrolyte mix in human plasma, that it was used as emergency IV fluid during WWII. The high potassium level also affords excellent regenerative qualities."

Bike Diva's Review

I personally didn't care for EQ Thirst Equalizer, the natural flavors added to the three varieties overpowered the coconut water taste. I quite enjoy the taste of both ZICO and O.N.E. coconut waters. EQ reminded me too much of a sports drink, and I'm not really a fan of sports drinks. But EQ Thirst Equalizer is much healthier than a regular sports drink. EQ contains NO artificial colors, NO preservative and NO high-fructose corn syrup.

EQ Thirst Eqalizer is made with coconut water, cane sugar, citric acid and natural flavors. EQ, which is low in sodium, is also a good source of potassium. EQ is packaged in 16 ounce plastic bottles, with each 8 ounce serving containing 60 calories.

Although I didn't personally care for the taste of EQ, I would still recommend it to my athletic friends as a healthy, all natural sports drink alternative. Like I mentioned earlier, out of the 3 brands of coconut water we've sampled at our house, my husband's favorite is EQ. And unlike the other brands of coconut water we've tried, EQ is packaged in a convenient, resealable bottle. EQ Thirst Equalizer would be the perfect product for anyone that doesn't enjoy the taste of the other brands of coconut water.

Further Information

Visit the EQ Thirst Equalizer website for additional information and to find out where EQ can be purchased in your area. EQ Thirst Equalizer is available in select Albertson's and Whole Foods grocery stores.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva