Swiftwick

Race Report from Topeak-Ergon: Snake Creek Gap TT #3

2010-03-08T09:28:00.002-06:00

March 6, 2010
Georgia, USA

The Snake Creek Gap Time Trial series in Dalton, GA is quickly turning into a Southern favorite for winter racing. The race attracts people from all over the east coast and mid-west US. March 6 was the third and final of the monthly
time trails on the rugged 34 mile trail. January saw sub-freezing temperatures with frozen bike parts, bottles, and limbs. February was a mud-fest, and March was perfect in every way!

Team Topeak-Ergon USA members Eddie and Namrita O'Dea both raced in the 34 mile race. The course conditions were fast, the sun was shining, and the bikes and equipment worked flawlessly. Eddie placed 2nd in his class, 14th overall and Namrita placed 2nd in her class, 4th overall.

The next event for the O'Deas will be the Mountain Bike Klinik and no-drop ride with Topeak-Ergon members Jeff Kerkove and Sonya Looney and Competitive Cyclist on March 25 in Little Rock, AR followed by the Ouachita Challenge 60 mile race in Arkansas on March 28.

Woods takes the Henry Hines Championship Cup

2010-03-08T09:01:00.001-06:00

For the second year in a row, the Brentwood/Ravenwood Hockey Team Co-op, Woods, won the Henry Hine Championship Game!! Last night’s game against Blackman was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation. Goals were scored by Stephen Tedder and Ben Herrmann with assists by Matthew Pollack and Oliver Moore. The Woods then played three 12 minute overtime periods before Nate Longest assisted to Andrew Falls who scored the winning goal. Michael Cox had the game of his career, stopping 33 of 35 shots on goal in the 73 minute contest. Congratulations WOODS!!

Holy Zamboni Batman!

2010-03-04T10:19:00.002-06:00

Our beloved Pred's are back after a Vancouver hiatus, with a Gold and Silver respectively, and what a welcoming they were given! Nashville came out to represent with one of the largest attendances I've seen. Looking forward to watching at the new Bridgestone Arena, and hope everyone gets rested and recovered(shameless plug for our Twelve Olefin Recovery Socks inserted here)going into brutal playoff hockey. Check out what Hockeyplayer.com had to say about our socks here too!

Here's the latest addition to the rink--a very good looking Zamboni if I say so myself. Who wants a ride!?

TEAM ACE RACE REPORT: GTS #1 & #2

2010-03-01T09:05:00.002-06:00

The season started last week as usual, in Greenville, SC with the first weekend of the Greenville Training Series at the Donaldson Center (long, boring laps) and then the BMW Test Track (short, windy laps).

Saturday's race was challenging due to the dearth of teams with multiple riders, like Team Type 1, Global Bike, Hincapie, United Healthcare (or whatever their name is this year), Metro, etc. It was just Chris Emory and I, with Eric in the Cat. 3s working on upgrade points. It was an 8 lap race, and after some early excitement, we settled into a nice pace with attacks coming through the hills on the back of the course. Nothing really stuck until after the move that I was in got brought back! Global Bike and TT1 had guys in the move and they drove it home as the other teams weren't able to do much. Once it was apparent that they weren't going to be brought back, I tried to be as active as possible and just get in a good workout while testing myself (this being a training race and all . . . ). Chris Emory was active as well, but the gap stuck at 2 minutes and the break and money was long gone. We rolled in with the field, and went to see how Eric did. The good news is that he CRUSHED the 3s field! After launching a counter move after 2 laps, he chased down the break and then proceeded to drive it to the finish after dropping all but 1 other rider. Congrats to Eric after his first official race on Team ACE, and first Cat. 3 win! Shouldn't be long before this 'developmental' rider moves up to a 2. Sweet!

Sunday greeted us with similar weather to Saturday: about 65*, light breeze, and some nice sun. This was a nice change over last year when there were 20-30mph winds that made the race at the BMW track brutal! Then again, I like those conditions and was able to lap the field, so my joy was a little short-lived! After Eric's herculean effort on Saturday, being away for about 3/4 of the race, he was suffering the effects of dehydration and decided to take the day off. This left only Chris and I again to battle against the other bigger teams. It was a similar result to Saturday with a break going from the gun with Hincapie & Globalbike (and Metro?), and staying away all day! Chris and I were active again, but no match for the teams with more matches to burn. That's OK, because when we bring our full team, we will be a force to be reckoned with! Field finishes for both Chris and I capped a mediocre, but enjoyable weekend of racing. The weather was good, the power and legs were good, and it was nice to be back in the thick of the action rubbing shoulders and getting tan lines once more! Oh, and we took away a win!

Thanks to all our 2010 sponsors: Highland Brewing, Trek & Bontrager, Liberty Bikes, Rudy Project, PML Pathology, Mosaic Realty, Honey Stinger, Swiftwick, Carmichael Training Systems, Dr. Steve Miller DDS, Crossfit Brevard, Joe Lilly Photography, and Affordable Home Inspections.

See us online at: www.ashevillecyclingelite.com

MS Women's Luncheon: Maureen Manley

2010-02-19T10:25:00.002-06:00

Swiftwicker Rachel attended the MS Women's luncheon with guest speak Maureen Manley yesterday. Here's her take on the mid-day noshing.

Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision.

Imagine these symptoms affecting you in the biggest race of your life: the Women’s Tour de France. Maureen Manley, member of the US Cycling Team, won a National Championship, set a national record, earned a silver and 2 bronze medals at National Championships, competed in 3 World Championships and won a silver medal in the 1990 World Championships, began climbing with the best in the world. And then she fell over.

Her story inspired a room full of women who had never been on a bike, who walked in the room with canes, whose life was affected by Multiple Sclerosis, or those touched by the disease from family, friends or neighbors. Everyone could pull away from her speech points that they could relate to; however, I couldn’t help but think I was the most enthralled. That I was the most appreciative of the work she had to put into being an athlete. Knowing what pain it would inflict to give up your dreams, what you train for, what you live for. But everyone in that room was moved, and some maybe more than I.

The closest I have ever come to MS was my childhood best friend’s mother who passed away from the disease. It’s amazing how it can swoop in and completely change your life forever. We take things for granted every single day, and I know I do. Maybe I don’t ride my bike fast enough, train hard enough,fight with my significant other, or have bad days at work, but at least I have the ability to do it with a healthy mind and body. Others afflicted by this disease don’t have that luxury.

I was motivate today to appreciate what I’ve been given. Maybe you can be motivated to participate in a cause–willingly, none of this ‘I gotta do it because of team requirement crap’–that benefits a group of your choice.

Swiftwick’s and Stiletto’s

2010-02-10T15:55:00.002-06:00

Report from Swiftwicker Melissa after attending the Style Blueprint trunk show. Swiftwick can be fashionable and functional!

There is a distinct line between fashion and function, and I have always lived by the motto “fashion before function.” Yes, I would much rather cram my ten toes into a pair of pumps in the name of style than take a more practical approach in choosing footwear. Being a part of the Swiftwick team, I have been immersed in the functional side of the fashion industry. With our technical approach to socks, we rarely look at the fashionable side of Swiftwick. So when I was asked to attend the Style Blueprint fashion preview cocktail party event on Thursday night to represent the Swiftwick style, my answer was an emphatic YES!

Since I joined Swiftwick at the beginning of January, I have learned more about my feet than I cared to know! So as I tried on outfit after outfit getting ready to attend the opening night cocktail party for Style Blueprint, one thing resonated in my mind…my feet are going to hate me for manipulating them into my pair of 5” BCBG ankle boots…but then it hit me. Every day I talk to people about Swiftwick socks, their compression value and overall health benefits they have for your feet. So as I slipped into my black and grey Ralph Lauren cocktail dress and black J. Crew tights, I added a new layer to my wardrobe...my black 4” Olefin Swiftwick’s.

As I walked into the Style Blueprint event downtown Nashville, my feet were very happy with me. I was able to enjoy walking around the event without cringing at every step. The Director of Development for the Nashville Children’s Alliance, Lee Anne Willis, immediately introduced me to the details of the evening. She, along with other volunteers for the organization, helps organize the event that is a huge benefit for local Nashville children. Elizabeth Fox founded the event a few years ago as a benefit for the Nashville Children’s Alliance. She gathers new or lightly worn clothing, footwear, accessories and jewelry, and sells it on consignment at the event. 30% of the proceeds go to benefit the Nashville Children’s Alliance, a Nashville based charity that provides free service to children who have experienced sexual or severe physical abuse.

As I perused the racks of Oscar de la Renta dreses, Manolo Blahnik shoes and Gucci purses, I saw a spirit of charity on the faces of the fashionable women of Nashville who were taking part in raising money for the Nashville Children’s Alliance. With champagne flowing and clothes flying, the Style Blueprint event was an amazing evening highlighting the desperate need for helping the children of Nashville. As the ladies tried on patterned cardigans and printed skirts, I got to step back and realize how fortunate we are to be part of such an amazing community.
Walking to my car that night in my Swiftwick’s and Stiletto’s, I had a strong sense of pride that Swiftwick has such a strong community presence, that we take part in bringing awareness to the realities of hardship that surround every community, and that fashion can be functional as well!

Team USA's Kat Carroll sporting the Wick at the Ladies Tour of Qatar

2010-02-08T13:07:00.004-06:00

Keep up the great work Kat! See how the Ladies Tour of Qatar went on Velonews.com.

Predators Fangtastic 5k Weekend

2010-02-06T12:25:00.001-06:00

It was a cold one this morning-spitting sprinkles in weather’s poor attempt at snow. But it wasn’t too cold to get up and run 3.1 miles in support of our Nashville Predators! That and a little work thrown in there. The Swiftwick team worked the booth at this morning’s 5k, slinging socks and giving away autographed Pred’s memorabilia. As a team, less James as he was manning the booth, we all went out in our Swiftwick armwarmers and socks, and gave it the ol’ college try. We came away with a few victories, first-timers results, and one successful event.

Melissa rocked the house with her first 5k finish, Sam came in third for his age group with a 20:54, and Rachel second with a 22 minutes flat. Not too bad for a freezing day and a not-so-flat(but fun!) course. It must be the socks.

Thank you to the Nashville Striders for posting results. All results here. Also, thank you Predators for moving the expo and awards area inside. And thank you to all the volunteers out there on a cold day.

Ride for Reading Benefit Concert Update

2010-02-05T15:15:00.002-06:00

Pre-order your socks today. All orders will be available for pick up at the Ride for Reading headquarters open house book drive and at 3rd and Lindsley that evening at the first annual Acoustic RfR benefit concert on Friday, March 26, 2010.

Advanced tickets are on sale for the mountain bike community for one week at http://3rdandlindsley.com, then we are going to launch them to the general public. Advanced tickets will be $10 or $15 at the door on the day of the event.

The show will feature the singer/songwriters Sean McConnel, Ashely Ray, and Megan James!

All funds raised will go directly to furthering Ride for Reading's mission of promoting literacy through the distribution of books to children of low-income areas.

We also hope to see everyone at the first TBRA points mountain bike race, Chickasaw Trace Classic hosted by the Columbia Cycling Club at Chickasaw State Park in Columbia, Tennessee on March 28, 2010! Let's make this a great weekend for meeting, greeting, and mountain biking!

Ride for Reading custom socks will also be available for purchase from these fine local retailers by February 25th: Acme, Bike Pedlar Hermitage, Bike Pedlar West End, East Side Cycles, Endurance Sport and Rec, Harpeth Bicycles, Gran Fondo, and Woody's Bike Shop.
***All preordered Ride for Reading socks will be held until grand opening date. Customers will receive a confirmation email after pre-order purchase. Orders will be processed immediately.***

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market First-timers

2010-02-02T10:45:00.010-06:00

Long-time coming, but have a bit of time to surface for air post OR and wanted to give a quick report. Swiftwick experienced its first OR in Salt Lake City, Utah last week; however, Utah had its first run in with Swiftwick. We made several new friends and connected with old ones over the course of the 5 day trade show...

Like the Yogaslackers...

And the Kuhl MTB Guys...

Each other....

Media outlets...

Success Rice...

Scantily clad Scandinavians...

We were positive we'd be welcomed in the outdoor world but had no idea that we would be this busy. We came back with new retailers Jungle Outfitters, Bink's(whom we had to travel all the way to SLC to land this Nashville retailer), Radical Edge Performance, Contender Bicycles, Wild River Outfitters, and Earth Traverse Outfitters to name a few. More still rolling in as our show special is extended until February 19th. All retailers can take advantage of our show specials too! Just call us and we'll tell you all about it. Also, some great exhibitors to check out: Canada Goose folks, Mountain Momma, Cycle-Dog, Soles4Souls, RunBare.

Swiftwick LLC, employee receive special honors on Brentwood Home Page

2010-02-01T10:04:00.000-06:00

Swiftwick LLC, employee receive special honors on Brentwood Home Page

“Sal was so excited to be recognized for his successful transition through life’s challenges, starting with great training programs and finishing strong at Swiftwick, there was a moment when I thought I could hear his heart beating after he shook hands with both Mayors. That kind of support from County and Franklin City leadership, with all the effort from great people at the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center is what helps a private enterprise like ours make a difference in our community," said Mark Cleveland when asked about Sal's feelings on the award. “Honestly, earning the TRC Employer of the Year Award was a complete surprise, but we are thrilled to have this opportunity to highlight how important it is to buy American products and support employment in our city, region and state. Everyone knows someone looking for work. We appreciate our customers who choose Swiftwick, which make a success story like Sal’s possible.”

Zoo Run Run Fun

2010-01-23T13:58:00.003-06:00

Taken from fellow Swiftwicker Sam's blog. Check it out at theSchmillers.blogspot.com. Swiftwick participated in the Zoo Run Run with a coloring contest for kids. Lots of pint sized Picasso's out there. Also, gave away a Free Family Membership to the Zoo for a photo caption contest. Congrats all winners and 5k runners. Read the full report from the fun run below:

Lions and Tigers and Zebras OH MY!

Last Saturday Jessica and I went to work the booth for Swiftwick at the Zoo Run Run hosted by the Nashville Striders. If you have not done this event before I would highly recommend participating next year. There were more than 1500 runners that ran through the zoo and I would imagine 1000 additional fans watching. The Swiftwick booth was packed as usual since we somehow always have a magnetic vibe that pulls people to the lure of high quality socks (must be the people behind the table).

Despite wind gusts of 30 miles per hour, the weather was tolerable and everyone enjoyed themselves. There were a lot of costumes that were really creative which always makes an event more fun! I was able to hand out 2 awards one to the little girls who were runner ups in our sock design contest. The other award was to a guy named Steve who wrote the best photo caption. I got on the microphone and talked about Swiftwick to a lot of people, made them laugh and for a second felt like Bono. I thought about singing but am glad that I didn't.

Beer Blog Friday—Nashville Style

2010-01-12T15:53:00.012-06:00

As a kid, we all loved any chance to escape the classroom and attend the rare field-trip. Now we’re getting a little older and working in the real world, but this feeling still remains. When the opportunity presented itself for Swiftwick to be involved with Hammerhead Bicycle’s Beer Blog Friday, everyone jumped at this without hesitation. Naturally, we chose our local brewery—Yazoo—as we all here have never been to the brewery, they support mountain biking and love our socks, and well…make damn good beer.

After the Nashville brew appeared at Hammerhead for their experts to put it to the test, we spoke with Neil and arranged a private tour of the 5,000 sq ft facility in Nashville’s Germantown District.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with complimentary Dos Perros and Pale Ales for our 8-person tour. Having never been to Yazoo Brewery, we were all shocked to see the factory’s adjacent tap room packed! Not only that, we discovered that our local cyclists and friends like the place too as we ran into several folks we knew.
Despite being slammed, Neil took the time to explain their brewing process, history, bottling, labeling and upcoming beers and move to be on the lookout for. Some facts that we all found interesting:

--As large as the operation appears, Yazoo employees 7 full-time people.
--The name Yazoo is a county and a river in Mississippi and is the brewmaster’s hometown.
--Currently, the building they are in is about 100 years old and at one time was known as the “Detroit of the South”, producing touring cars for most of the southeast.
--They are moving to an area we Nashvillian’s call the Gulch due to a need for space.
--Look for a variety pack to hit shelves soon! Yay!
--All their production waste is utilized by a local farmer for feed for his animals.
--Wort does not taste good.

Our tour commenced as we finished our beers. Nice. We naturally filtered into the tap room after our tour and stayed until the lights came on—our indication to pack it up and head out. If ever in Nashville, stop by Yazoo Brewery and Tap Room. You will imbibe and dine with an eclectic, undoubtedly Nashville crowd.

Our Beer Blog Friday Report

Sam Miller—Relationship Manager
My favorite beer is and has been for a while Dos Perros. Now my review will not be as official as Hammerhead because they sound like experts. The fact of the matter is I tend to like beer that is a little dark but not too dark. I don't know about hops or malt or way these great drinks are brewed. What I do know is my mouth likes it, so since my mouth likes it, I like it.

Dos Perros is a darker beer with a taste that is just right, not too strong but not too light. It doesn't taste really heavy either like a Guiness or Left Handed Milk Stout would. I also like the way the beer lingers, it has a very pleasant after taste. That is about how technical I get, you should try it, I bet you'll like it.

Rachel Scott—Marketing Director
I’m not nearly the ale sommelier that the Hammerhead Beer Bloggers appear to be; however, I do know what I like and will do my best not to butcher the description. In other words, don’t laugh. I’d have to say my favorite Yazoo brew was the Sly-Rye Porter. I’m a fan of dark, bitter tastes from coffee to red wine, and beer is no exception. I liked the Yazoo Porter as it was not nearly as sweet as some other Porters I’ve had in the past. Though the website states that it’s a chocolaty Porter, it was more of the 72% dark cocoa.

After initial taste tests, the finish was a little peppery or spicy, my taste buds can’t tell the difference. I did a sample of all 6 Yazoo Brews and I found myself going back to this English style Porter. My only dislikes were my poor food pairing choices: Brewer’s Yeast Pecans=great, Sly-Rye Porter=great, combined=dehydration. Next time, I’ll have this beer with steak. 5.7% abv

Lucas McCain—Swiftwick fan and Assistant to Marketing Director
Yazoooooo – after a great tour of the facilities we settled in to the taproom for FRESH Yazoo brews. Since I didn’t want to be selective, I made the decision to spread the love and try some of Yazoo’s flagship beers as well as a new Amber. I’ll start out in order, at least as I remember, cause these beers were going down easy.

Beer #1 - Yazoo’s Pale Ale. This a modern take on my favorite beer, the American Pale Ale. The lighter amber color of this beer is typical amongst pale ales but Yazoo’s brew has a nice citrus taste to mix with its bitter kick. The Pale Ale is my favorite beer that Yazoo regularly bottles.

Beer #2 – Dos Perros. While I’m not typically a fan of Dos Perros, I felt obliged to give it a shot while at the brewery. Dos Perros has a great following in Nashville and, I will admit even though it is cliché’, is very good with a nice fat spicy burrito. This dark brown ale has a malty feel to it which finishes off with a clean coffee taste. Personally, I prefer a bite but this beer is goes well with spicy food.

Beer #3 – Something Red(Silky's??). Yes, it was one of those nights and by the time I reached my third style of beer, the names started to blur a bit. Yazoo had a limited edition Amber beer serving on tap and it was goooooood. Is this enough for you?

All in all the tap room was a warm and friendly place that screams for you to raise a glass and turn your head every time the doors opens and shout “Norm”.

James Hurlburt—Account Executive
I personally preferred the pale ale that I had the great pleasure of tasting while at Yazoo. I typically take a liking to the lighter beers when I go to grab a cold one, but this was unlike most “light” beers. It had more flavor then I have ever tasted in a light micro brew. Normally a light beer tastes as if it has a secret blend of H2O, but the Yazoo pale ale had more of a bold flavor that left a pleasant aftertaste. Not to mention, feeling like your standing in a row boat after just one glass, taste aside, I always take the road less traveled when it comes to drinking away a tough day. Lucky for me, the Yazoo pale ale had a lasting effect and a great taste!! I might go get one right now….

As our first go at Beer Blog Friday comes to a close, we look forward to participating again this spring/summer. Maybe this time sampling an Austin brew??

81 miles....on a Mountain Bike...a Tandem MTB!

2010-01-08T10:05:00.002-06:00

Received these photos last night from the HammerHead guys down in Austin.

Me and one of my buddy's did something crazy last weekend. We ended up entering a local marathon event on my mtn tandem! We rode 81 miles and were on the bike for about 8.5hrs. It was the 2nd race in out TX Marathon St Championship. Both Swiftwick and HH were publicly thanked during th awards ceremony.
http://www.hammerheadbikes.com/forum/index.php?topic=1540.0

Derrick MasonNFL.com Interview: Sportin' the Wick

2010-01-05T14:03:00.003-06:00

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-player-interviews/09000d5d8153ee34/Derrick-Mason-interview

Snake Creek Gap TT Race Update

2010-01-04T09:59:00.002-06:00

With $500 on the line from Swiftwick, folks flocked to the first race of the Snake Creek off-road Time Trial this weekend. As a reminder, any female to beat Willow's course record of 3:13 gets $500.

Below is the race report compliments of Jeff Kerkove of Team Topeak-Ergon USA racing. Great finish Namrita and Eddie! Don't forget to mark your calendars for Southern Cross this Saturday. Visit 55nine.com for more details.

Snake Creek Gap Time Trial #1

01.03.10

To bring in the new year, Eddie and Namrita O'Dea from Georgia rode in the first of three Snake Creek off-road Time Trial races. Over 300 riders registered and most of them braved the day's below freezing temperatures. The O'Deas competed in the 34 mile race. Around the first mile marker, there is a knee-deep creek crossing that all the 34-mile racers needed to negotiate. Namrita chose to ride it and Eddie chose to walk it with bare feet and legs. Both were successful. After that, the next several miles are rolling singletrack and doubletrack with some steep ups and downs and many rocks littering the trail. Because the ground was frozen, the trail was pretty fast riding. However, because it was so cold outside, riders were dealing with frozen drinks, drivetrains, brakes, and limbs. The last five miles of the trail are very technically demanding with steep pitches and many technical rock gardens. Eddie got a flat tire and had some trouble changing it. Thanks to the help of a fellow (Ergon-sponsored) Faster Mustache Team rider he was off rolling again. Eddie caught up to Namrita after the singletrack and both rode into the Finish Line together. Race times, in general, were longer than expected for most racers. Namrita finished in 1st place in her class and Eddie, even with his flat tire troubles, finished in 8th place.

The race and volunteer support was excellent, as was the competition in all classes. There are two more Time Trial races left on February 6 and March 6, 2010.

Tennessean: Ride for Reading Bike Hub

2009-12-30T09:52:00.000-06:00

December 30, 2009

Ride for Reading gets new facility, bike hub may be next

By Juanita Cousins
THE TENNESSEAN

Swiftwick CEO Mark Cleveland and Mathew Portell, founder of Ride for Reading, stand in front of the new headquarters for Ride for Reading.

A Brentwood-based company has donated the use of a West Nashville building to a nonprofit that delivers free books to Nashville public school students on bikes, placing the organization in the center of the planned bike lane expansion.

http://www.swiftwick.com/">Swiftwick International building at 5105 Alabama Ave. will be a book storage facility and bicycle hub for group rides for Ride for Reading.

The relocation moves http://rideforreading.org/">Ride for Reading from a 5-by-10-foot storage shed in founder Mathew Portell’s yard to a 3,800 sqaure foot facility, he said.

“They’ve got major publishers and families all across Middle Tennessee giving books, and they have so many books and no place for them or to sort and it makes it tough,” said Swiftwick CEO Mark Cleveland. “This is the kind of space they need, and I am glad I am able to provide it.”

Portell said the building is in the perfect location for a Ride for Reading headquarters because the http://www.nashville.gov/mayor/bpac/">Nashville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee has proposed a bike lane to run down Charlotte Pike up to 51st Avenue.

This would provide a safer route for fleets of volunteer cyclists to deliver donated books to children, he said.

“Now we will have volunteer opportunity to increase the number of books we can take and what we distribute,” said Portell, also English Language Development coach for Metro schools.

Portell founded Ride for Reading in 2008, after the then English Language Learner teacher discovered 20 percent of the 700 students at his elementary school didn’t have age-appropriate books at home.

“I involved the cycling community and the common community for the greater good of building literacy,” said Portell, a 32-year-old Inglewood resident.

Since then, he and his crew have delivered more than 12,000 books to Metro Nashville Public Schools students.

The Alabama Avenue facility will be a hub for cyclists to organize group rides and to deliver books. Portell plans to divide the building into rooms and separate books by age and reading level so that students and teachers who visit can easily find books that suit their reading levels.

As Ride for Reading’s operations continue to grow, Portell said he hopes to add a summer reading program, lounges for students to come and read and bike safety courses.

Cleveland said the building, an $500,000 investment property intended to become a manufacturing plant for his athletic sock and apparel company, is better fit for the reading program because it will allow volunteers to deliver books safely to more Nashville students.

They have put a new roof on the building that used to be a roofer’s union, added an energy-efficient insulation and removed paneling separating rooms. Now they’re are looking for volunteers to help with a work party Jan. 9 to put up sheet rock and lights so that the building is ready for use.

Cleveland passed the keys to Portell in December, solidifying a relationship that began over a bonfire.

The cyclists met at an endurance mountain biking race and talked over their visions for mountain biking in middle Tennessee and personal goals around a campfire.

“You just watch someone’s vision come to life and have responsibility to help out,” Cleveland said.

Swiftwick is also creating socks through its Custom Socks for a Cause program to generate processes for Ride for Reading. The socks have logo on the ankle and a blue band that says, ”Ride for Reading.’’ They are available for order now and will be in Middle Tennessee cycling shops in mid-January.

Additional Facts
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Ride for Reading is located at the corner of Charlotte Avenue and Alabama Avenue. To help at the House Party Work Day contact Mathew Portell at info@rideforreading.org or 378-READ.

Update from the ladies: Katie Compton, Alison Dunlap and Pua Sawicki

2009-12-16T10:18:00.002-06:00

Received lots of great updates on Swiftwick's ladies.

Katie Compton, taking 1st and Alison Dunlap taking 4th after her comeback at the U.S. Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, Oregon. Now on to Belgium for the World Cups. Stay tuned for Roubaix and Hoogerheide in January!

Pua has had a great year and thanks everyone for their support. Read below to see all of Pua's great cycling accomplishments from 2004 to date.

LUNA Pro Team Signs Rising Star Amy Dombroski

2009-12-15T10:04:00.002-06:00

Press Release received last night from Marla, an incredible pro XC champion herself.

Berkeley, CA: The LUNA Pro Team has added another 105 pounds of punch to its powerhouse squad, signing of Amy Dombroski, US National U23 Champion in Cyclocross (3x), Cross-Country Mountain Bike, and Road Race. Already a star in no less than three cycling disciplines, Dombroski, aka "Lil' Diesel,” is now perfectly poised to continue her meteoric rise as she steps on board of the starship LUNA Chix Pros this coming New Year's day. Dombroski's breakout 2009 season saw her dicing it up front with Georgia Gould and Katerina Nash on the National Cyclocross circuit, as well as "viciously" sprinting for the win at the Under-23 National Cross country event in Granby, Co.

For 2010, Amy is slated to follow much of the U.S. National Cross Country series, select world caliber events, and the Cyclocross Nationals. Also look for "Lil' Diesel" sporting her new LUNA Sport digs at some popular classic events like the Breck Epic and Iceman Cometh.

Amy was born and raised on alpine skis in the boonies of Vermont, eating a lot of beef jerkey, maple syrup, and Phish food. She currently lives in Boulder, CO (another place overrun by hippies). Dombroski fittingly has a lightning bolt tattoo'd to her wrist, and there is a bagel hanging in her garage since the building was built in 1989. She candidly claims it is her good luck bagel and there is no mold on it.

These facts, whether real or made up, are just further confirmation that Amy will make a great fit with the LUNA Pro Team.

###

Marla Streb

Swiftwick makes Velonews.com and Cyclingnews.com

2009-12-14T16:24:00.002-06:00

Twice in less than 7 days, Swiftwick has graced the interweb on cycling's two most popular sites: Velonews.com and Cyclingnews.com.

Yesterday, Katie Compton mentioned Swiftwick Merino Fours as an integral part of her kit.

“They keep your feet warm when they’re wet because they are wool,” says Compton. “It’s a good, even compression around the ankle. They’re great when it’s cold and you’re running with mountain bike shoes, which don’t provide much padding.”

To read more on Compton's Dresses for Success article, click below.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/12/cyclocross/compton-dresses-for-success-when-the-temps-fall_101891#disqus_thread

Last week, Cyclingnews.com followed someone around that you may know at their Arizona training camp. Thank you Velo Images for providing us great photos of our Swiftwick Armwarmers....and that other racer:-)

Typical Pre and Post-ride Conversations

2009-12-08T13:50:00.003-06:00

A teammate passed this along. Bet you've never had a conversation like this before....

Milliegoat update on 90-day VBlog

2009-12-02T11:05:00.002-06:00

Read the press release below why Milliegoat is Vblogging. It's for a great cause.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jon Graff, Principal - Revolution 360 Marketing (858) 775.4170 jon@rev-360.com

Junior Cyclist extraordinaire Millie Tanner of JetCycling on a 90-day challenge to bring national awareness to the sport of Women's Cycling.

Denver, CO - November 25, 2009 - Junior cyclist Millie Tanner of Southern California-based Team JETCycling is no stranger to hard work and athletic commitment. Millie has recently completed her third season of competitive road cycling with an outstanding level of achievement! So when the opportunity arose for the 12-year-old athlete to commit herself to a different sort of challenge, she immediately saddled up.

Millie rides and races with Team JETCycling, a junior development group based in Irvine, CA. The team's mission is to develop junior level racers in the areas of Road Racing, Time Trialing, as well as Criteriums. JETCycling offers its riders three separate avenues for development - Collegiate Development, USA National Team Development, and Professional team exposure.

In Millie's three years with the team, she has racked some amazing statistics, including two California state championships (2008 Road Race, 2008 Time Trlal), 2009 California/Nevada regional championship, and very strong finishes in the 2009 National Championships (3th in Time Trial, 5th in Road Race, and 7th in the Criterium). Additionally, Millie was featured in the January/February 2009 Kids Sports Illustrated.

Recently, Millie embarked on a 90 day challenge to not only bring awareness to the sport of Women's Cycling, but also to raise support for the John Wayne Cancer Foundation in Newport Beach, CA. Since it's founding in 1985, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation has supported awareness programs, education programs and support groups, and is aligned with like-minded groups and non-profits that advance the fight against cancer. The JWCF has also been committed to groundbreaking cancer research and education at the John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI).

Millie was one of many athletes that have become involved with Team Duke, an athletic fundraising program like no other. As a competitive cyclist, Millie ties all of her efforts on the bike into a donation support program benefiting Team Duke and the JWCF. Additionally, Millie has committed to 90 days of athlete blogging supporting her individual sponsors, Team Duke, and the JWCF. It is her hope that these actions will raise funds and awareness to the two things she is most passionate about - Women's Cycling and Team Duke.

About Revolution 360 Marketing - Denver and San Diego-based Revolution 360 Marketing is a brand activation and marketing company specializing in the sports, athletics and cycling industries. Representing the needs of individual athletes, teams and sports organizations, Revolution Marketing - or Rev360, focuses on strategic relationship marketing and brand touch point activation. See www.rev-360.com on the web.

About 4Cycling / Team JetCycling - Irvine CA based 4Cycling is a non-profit charity program tailored for junior developmental cyclists. With the ultimate goal of raising visibility and awareness around the sport, 4Cycling operates Team JetCycling, one of the premier Junior Cycling teams in the United States. See www.jetcycling.net on the web.

Swiftwick CEO on Judging Panel for Centennial High Business Idea Competition

2009-11-30T10:04:00.003-06:00

Swiftwick CEO Mark Cleveland assisted a local high school's economics class on Entrepreneur Day, Wednesday November 23. About 120 honors economics students had hours to come up with an idea for a business and present it to community and business leaders. See The Tennessean article below.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091123/COUNTY090101/911230302/1164/COUNTY09

Photo credits
http://www.noblitphotography.com/belmont/

Thankful for you

2009-11-25T14:48:00.002-06:00

I'm sharing an internal email sent to us from the Swiftwick VP, D'Wayne, affectionately known as "Mr. T". This is why Swiftwick is different. We care about each other and this industry, know how to work hard yet have a little fun, and simply love doing what moves us. We're thankful for all of our retailers and avid Swiftwick wearers. Swiftwick had a great year and is having a great year because of you! I may not know you out there, but I'm thankful for you supporting us. Happy Thanksgiving.

Swiftwick Team

All,

Thanksgiving….what a great time. A holiday focused on families, friends, memories and moments spent together. As I took a second to reflect last night on this THANKSgiving, I wanted to make certain that each and every one of you knew how much your effort, your commitment and your time is appreciated. There are many things that we each must do every day. Whether at home or at work, we are all moving at 100 miles per hour. From new grandma-hood to new engagements to new places to live, our lives are quickly changing.

During this wonderful time, and while you’re away, please take a moment to think about the big things. Think about those who, without even knowing, have helped you along the way…those who by “random acts of kindness” or by focused, targeted efforts have helped pick you up by the bootstraps to make you a better, stronger person. Think about those, too, who you can help along the way. Reach out to them…make their lives better and more focused as well. And think about your friends and family…those who hold a special place in your heart…don’t let moments slip by without telling them how important they are to you.

I’m becoming a firm believer in the law of “diminishing intent”…the longer we wait to do something, the less likely we are to complete it. Whether it’s a simple hello or a discussion on an important matter, we must minimize the possibilities of our intentions being eliminated. So tell someone TODAY what’s on your heart and mind…not tomorrow.

I am truly thankful for each of you and appreciate all that you’ve done to make me a better person and to improve this thing we call Swiftwick. Your efforts and your commitment are powerful and much appreciated.

Enjoy the time and do the little things to improve folks lives..and yours.

Later.

D'Wayne Tanner - VP of Sales

C3-Athletes Serving Athletes Random Race Report

2009-11-22T13:56:00.001-06:00

In the words of Amy from C3-Athletes Serving Athletes in random order:

Report from NC race -- Dee Dee Wins!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/north-carolina-grand-prix-race-2-c2/elite-women/results

Well, here goes... we all have been racing and racing and racing up here... Some good, some bad, but they are all experiences we can take with us to improve our game, and hopefully in the end be satisfied. We are all pimping the socks and have been all season, loving them still and feeling better out there with them on. I even chatted with Georgia Gould (she is a good friend of Kris's, he actually helped her get into cross in Baltimore!!) and we both agreed that they are the best socks ever :). I hope you are doing well with Trade Shows, learning how to make hosiery (passing your class!), and getting some good rides in!! A good amount of us are going to the MAC races in Long Island, NY and the majority and staying in MD for the MABRA races that our team is supporting. Deidre Winfield is going to a UCI race in NC to scavange up some UCI points...

So this past weekend most of us went to the USGPs in NJ, Day 1 was an aweful mud slogfest, while Day 2 was a bit better but still soft.
Day 1 - Deidre Winfield 8th in Womens Elite
Laura Van Guilder 11th in Womens Elite
Sam O'Keefe (a jr) 11th in Mens Bs
Mark Broadwater 14th Mens Bs
Gunnar Bergey 8th in the 17-18 race
Kristopher Auer 9th in the Elite Masters race
Jeff Cordisco 14th in the 45+ race
Diane Grim 5th in the Master women
Andy Wulfkuhle 40th in the Elite Mens
Amy Breyla 29th in Womens Elite (not a great day)
Kim Dubeck 7th in Womens 3/4
Kat Wulfkuhle 13th in Womens 3/4

Day 2 - Deidre Winfield 11th in Womens Elite
Laura Van Guilder 7th in Womens Elite
Sam O'Keefe (a jr) 4th in Mens Bs
Mark Broadwater 20th Mens Bs
Gunnar Bergey 13th in the 17-18 race
Kristopher Auer 11th in the Elite Masters race
Bill O'Keefe 26th in the 45+ race
Diane Grim 1st in the Master women
Weston Schempf 32nd in the Elite Mens
Kat Wulfkuhle 19th in Womens 3/4

On Day 2 - Laura Van Guilder got the hole shot in the Womens Elite race!!! Report below:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/usgp-of-cyclocross-round-6-mercer-cup-c2/elite-women/results

Dee Dee Winfield gets an interview on Cyclingdirt.com!!
http://www.cyclingdirt.org/videos/coverage/view_video/235928-usgp-5-6-mercer-cup/211507-dede-winfield