stradalli-colavita-29
This is the 2014 version of the Colavita/Fine Cooking photo shoot we did at camp last year. Since I became violently ill less than an hour after the photo was taken that time, I was more than happy to sit back and provide creative direction this time around. Plus it was fun to see how long we could get Lenore to pretend to cut an onion.
Stradalli Colavita Lindsay Bayer Ride
Team Colavita out for a final spin at the end of camp. We stopped by Flywheel to support our director, Jame, as he was participating in a class.
Stradalli Colavita Girls
Representing in our Stradalli/Jaco tee shirts while out on the town. Apparently I messed up the photo by being the only one in shorts with legs exposed. Dude, it’s January and warm enough for shorts. WHY WOULD I WEAR PANTS.
Stradalli Colavita Camp
Seriously, though, why wear pants? I don’t even know which part of this photo to love the most. Lenore’s expression? Scoots? The red shoes? So much to choose from, so many laughs.
Stradalli Jaco Colavita Girls Lindsay Bayer
We love our new team shirts. I plan to wear nothing else for the rest of the year. As you can see from the photo above, I mean that literally.
Stradalli RP14 Bike Colavita
Our race bikes for the 2014 season. They used my bike for this photo shoot, so please feel free to silently have all the opinions you want about my bike fit. This bike is a sweet ride – stiff, responsive, and light. I’m sold.
Stradalli Lindsay Bayer Princess 2
Princess (Tom’s dog) is now our official team mascot. Holding her is sort of like cradling a warm, uncooked chicken.

So that was camp and now I am back in Virginia where there are no palm trees and exposed skin is an invitation for frostbite. It’s always a challenge to switch gears between being at home and being on the road; both have upsides that I miss when I’m not there. I already miss everybody from the team and can’t wait to see them again. Camp was a non-stop adventure with endless riding up and down the A1A, too much time spent in our chamois (like, 8-10 hours a day), lots of good food and coffee stops, so much new stuff, and at least a half dozen times where I nearly peed from laughing so hard. If camp is like a trailer for the movie that is the upcoming season, I think it’s going to be a very good year.

I would be remiss if I didn’t end this post by thanking Tom Steinbacher, head of Stradalli Cycles, for making the Team Colavita camp an awesome experience. When I first heard of Stradalli and looked up the company online, I was skeptical; the image was questionable and I wasn’t sure about riding bikes made by a company with an unknown reputation. But now I’ve spent a week with Tom and the guys behind Stradalli and spent countless hours at their HQ/warehouse. I’ve ridden my training and racing bikes hundreds of miles and asked lots of questions about how the company got started, how the bikes and wheels are made, and why cyclists should choose Stradalli. I left camp feeling confident in my bikes and the brand as a whole, and also really lucky to have somebody like Tom supporting our team. He was endlessly generous, providing all sorts of gear, showing us around the town, and taking us out for multiple meals. Female professional cyclists – at least from what I know – aren’t used to getting the red carpet treatment, but Tom welcomed us, spoiled us, asked for our input, and did everything he could to promote our team. That kind of support in women’s cycling is rare and I’m so grateful to have him and Stradalli as part of Team Colavita.

And now I can hook you up with discounts on olive oil AND carbon bicycles!

One thought on “Sisterhood of the Traveling Leftover Fish

  1. I especially enjoy the bike in the kitchen in the top photo. Gives to meaning to “eat and run”.

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