2007 Sponsors

The Mad FORCs are pleased to announce the club's 2007 sponsors. Without their support the Mad FORCs would not be the great club that it is. We love these companies and we'd love it if you'd patronize them too.

Williamson Bicycle and Fitness continues it support of the Mad FORCs offering all the help a club could hope for to support members from beginner on up to advanced riders. Willy Bikes, as it's commonly known, is the premier bicycle shop in Madison, WI. With locations on East and West Washington Avenues there is a shop close by staffed by knowledgeable and friendly people just waiting to help you out.

Another long term sponsor, Planet Bike, returns again for 2007. Planet Bike produces great bicycle accessories from lights powerful enough for 24 hour racing to fenders to keep your ride dry and comfortable. The FORCs are excited to continue our relationship with a company as dedicated to advocacy as Planet Bike. We appreciate the support they give the club and all of cycling.

As anyone who mountain bike knows you get a little thirsty out on the dusty, hot trail. That is why the Mad FORCs are excited that Sobe continues to sponsor the team. There's nothing quite as nice as returning from a club ride to a cooler full of Sobe waiting to quench your thirst.

As everyone knows half the battle is looking good (and the other half is showing up for the ride or race). To ensure that the FORCs can win the style competition Madison's coolest outdoor clothing boutique, A Stone's Throw, continues to keep us looking fashionable yet ready for the outdoors.

However, sometimes a girl needs a little extra help in the fashion category. Luckily for 2007 Horny Toad is there to help. With a line of casual and fun clothing you can't go wrong choosing Horny Toad for the office or for around the camp fire. We're excited to add Horny Toad as a sponsor. If you'd like to check out their clothes stop in to A Stone's Throw. I bet you won't leave without something!

Mountain bikers get hungry and sometimes we all like to get together over pizza and talk about our last ride, our upcoming race or who has what new lightweight bike part. Thanks to long time sponsor Rocky Rococo we can hang out over pizza, pasta, breadsticks, salad and a pitcher of beer (or soda).

If you got a FORCs newsletter or postcard, saw our flyer, or picked up a brochure then you can see the great support the club receives from Bob's Copy Shop. If you went to UW Madison then you've probably been into Bob's Copy Shop a million times but you don't have to be in college to enjoy the fast, high quality service at Bob's Copy Shop.

Obviously the FORCs love to have a good time but that doesn't mean we don't have women who are serious about their training. Thanks to new sponsor Saris the FORCs will have access to the right tools for the job. Look for FORCs using the smoothest trainers on the market for warming up at races and for training inside during blizzards. In addition, watch out for FORCs using the best power training tool on the market, the PowerTap. There is no doubt that this season we'll be the ones training the smartest, riding the hardest and still laughing the most.

The Mad FORCs would like to thank all of our sponsors. We're looking forward to an amazing 2007 season!

Went for a run and realized I'm not a runner

Well, the snow is melting and I have obligations that take me away from the weekend's ski race -- the Birkie (well, the Birkie isn't really a race this year anyway due to a lack of snow) so I went out for a couple of little jogs this week. I haven't really been running at all this winter because of the great snow so it felt a little rough. On Wednesday I got to run along Lake Michigan as I was at my sister's house in Two Rivers. It was cool seeing the waves frozen in place. The weather forecast seems to be offering the promise of more snow so maybe I'll get some more skiing in before I transition to biking. And yes, I do realize that is a sacrilegious statement on a bicycle blog!! However, my last bike race was in mid-December so I don't feel any rush for winter to be over.

Renee

Race Team Meeting

The Mad FORCs race team will be meeting on Thursday, March 1 at 7pm at ZuZu Cafe (on Drake St across from the zoo). All current and potential members are encouraged to come and help us plan for the season. On the agenda for the evening will be a discussion of training rides, seminars/ways to work with Angie Sturtevant, new sponsors, 24-9 and more!

Time to get back to training.

My first Blog post ever and I'm thrilled it's for my all-female mountain bike team!

I started training in October and then fell off during the month of December, due to work and the holidays. I blame work for missing January, but I can't blame anything or anyone anymore! I'm feeling excited about getting back to taking spinning classes and weight training.

Another great motivator is I'm getting a new mountain bike to replace the one I ran into the parking structure at The Great Dane-Fitchburg. My first place choice is a Giant Anthem 1. It's a dual-suspension bike, so I hope to adapt quickly. I'm also turning 40 this summer, so I think a new bike is a great way to celebrate.

Barbara

I rode my bike today!

In the winter I'm not one of those dedicated bike racer gals like many of my teammates who rides their trainer or gets out to do base miles. I like to ski and play in the snow and so I don't do any bike-related training. However, I don't put the bike away completely and continue bike commuting to work. I've been traveling around the state since the coldest spell hit so I haven't been out biking. Today I was back in Madison so I found all my bike commuter gear and pedaled to work. The bank sign said it had "warmed up" and was now only -1. It actually didn't feel that cold although I really needed to have a layer under my tights . . . next week I'll wear either my Craft boxer briefs or some bike shorts if it is still that cold out in the morning.

Renee

Mad FORCs Race Team Blog

The Mad FORCs are going to give blogging a try as a way to keep everyone informed on our race season. Check back for more info!