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We Are Sorella Cycling
Our Club Roster is 151 Members Strong
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Sorella Cycling's membership continues to grow. Our members range age from 26-63 years young! We have a mother/daughter team among us (Ana & Sofia Blanco). We are teachers, personal trainers, police officers, realtors, IT professionals, moms, doctors, project managers, radiology techs, coaches, engineers, ministers, physical therapists, pilots, GIS analysts, nurses, lawyers, sales reps, veterinarians, orthodontists, business owners and more! We love to ride our bikes, whether it is for physical fitness, stress relief, or to socialize. We support one another. WE ARE SORELLA CYCLING!
The club welcomed these new and renewing members in April:
New Members: Kat Kadous, Natalie Naylor & Juliette Lee
Renewing Members: Sharon Mickelson, Linda McLean, Gretchen Hull, Cristy Sellers Smith & Maggie Hudson
If you know someone who would like to join our club, please send them this membership link
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Kim Moore placed 2nd at the Chain Buster Shake and Bake on April 23.
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Sorellas shredded the podium at the Gone Riding GSC Mountain Bike Race in Macon on April 24. From left, Stephanie Wilmet, Brittany Hopson Montgomery, Cambrie Epperson, and Trish Albert.
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Carolyn Baldwin tore up the Goldwater Enduro Race on April 24.
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Korey Goto podiumed at a rode race in Macon, Ga on April 24.
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Race Report
by Jenna Downey
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Austin Rattler 100K – Mountain Bike – Austin, TX – April 8
We headed to Austin to race the 100K as a qualifier for a better corral section. This was my first mountain bike race and probably the biggest race I’ve ever entered (besides running) and I loved it. There were 850 people signed up (totally sold out) and never having done a mountain bike race we ended up towards the back. The gun went off and we sat there for a couple of minutes before the crowds started moving…it was a road for a little bit before it went into singletrack. This was a true challenge of patience, but also I tested my aggressive side as you couldn’t hold back or you would never get to ride. Eventually, we would start moving and then you’d see a DANGER XXX sign and a line of bikers. The course was 3 laps – 20 miles each – lots of fast sections, but also some great singletrack with technical spots. After a lap and a half of fighting through people, I finally got into a groove and was able to just ride. Having just come back from Moab, I was feeling very confident and was able to squeeze past people on the single track and ride the whole way. Going into this race, I had no intention of “racing” but my competitive spirit got the best of me as I passed a girl and then she stuck on my wheel. I led her for a while, then let her jump in front and then I took over just before the single track and was able to lose her. I made myself hurt a little more than I wanted to, but finished the race in 5:10 – 13th female overall, 5th in my age group and 224th overall. Our goal was sub 5:30 to get in the 4th corral at Leadville, so SUCCESS. J I would love to do it again with a better starting position. Also, I will say – having my Sorella kit on made me a better person as I knew I had to represent the team well and what we stand for, but there were times I was so frustrated with people during that race (aka men with egos.) ;)
Read more race reports by Jenna on the sorella website
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Featured Sorella
Saskia Hoppe
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About Me: My parents are from the Netherlands but I was born in New York and lived all over the place (including Nigeria, Israel, Netherlands, Florida and England). I live ITP (I'm learning the local lingo!) with my hubby Mathew (yes, 1 t!) and our fox hound Peanut and we love living so close to a major city yet having all the benefits of outdoor stuff at my doorstep too. I work in IT, but no, not really super techie, I thankfully have a team of developers doing that piece who hate it when I'm away because they have to sit in all my meetings. Outside of cycling I'm currently pretty boring and just try to spend as much time outside with Mat and Peanut as I can, having spent the last 10 years or so in rainy England (yes, it's as grey, miserable and wet as Seattle!).
Road, Mountain or Cyclocross: Road and Mountain.
Type of Bike I ride: I mostly ride my Colnago road bike named Colin. My poor mountain bike hasn't been out much since we moved here last October and I really should do something about that!
Favorite Place to Ride: I love riding around the Buckhead/Vinings area, so many quiet roads, couple of hills and looking at all those big houses keeps me entertained as I catch my breath between climbs! I haven't cycled too many areas (yet) and I know I need to be educated in all the good routes around here :)
Biggest Accomplishment on My Bike: My biggest accomplishment on my bike was about 2 years ago when we cycled from London to Paris. The ferry we wanted to take was full so we had to go a day later, which meant we had the cycle the distance in a day less, especially the last day was a gruelling day both distance wise and elevation! But then you see the Eiffel Tower and you've made it and it was awesome. Then we had the joy of smuggling the bikes on the metro because after 3 days your legs are gone but one is not supposed to take bikes on the metro... Bikes don't really fit through the automated gates but we made it work, one way or the other!
Why I Love Being a Sorella: Being a Sorella is great - being new to the city it's been really helpful to meet new folks and have some guidance on where to ride! I'm not fussed about racing, but am interested in personal challenges (3/6 gap being my next one, I'm a little [read - a lot] terrified) and plenty of ladies who are working towards their own similar challenges to ride with.
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Cycling Clinic with Pros Robin Farina and Tina Pic
by Jennifer Klein
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About 25 Sorellas and friends came to the Women’s Cycling Association sponsored Ride Clinic on Tuesday April 19. I think our pros Robin Farina and Tina Pic had a great time too!
We started the evening with an overview at Atlanta Cycling Vinings, then an on-road session in a nearby hilly neighborhood.
Order of the day: tips on climbing and descending. Robin says include in your climbing a bit of standing, gaining power from a quick gear change and stepping on the pedals. Talking about descending, Tina’s rule #1: always descend in your drops. It’s the most stable position and lowers your center of gravity. She also explained counter-steering to guide your bike around the sweeping descents: “You’re not a truck so you don’t need to turn the steering wheel far, just apply pressure on the drop on the inside of the turn, and your bike will follow.” Then we did another few loops of the Nancy Creek/W. Wesley hills to put our tips into action.
After meeting up with the Sorella/AC Tuesday night ride, we had some sprinting practice on Valley Road, our Buckhead runway. Tips: sprinting happens on the drops, and watch your gearing -- better to have really fast cadence than too hard a gear to push. They stressed it’s okay for the bike to rock side to side in sprinting, but NOT YOU.
Next we went to TMac and chatted and ate and asked questions... how much do you train? How much training is too much? They ride a lot! 14-17 hours a week. Said we need to build in REST as part of our training, and never ride more than 3 hard days in a row. Especially if we usually ride with guys we need to take it easy when we can.
Plans are underway for further clinics with these great pros who want to promote women’s cycling at all levels.
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Trailfest Women's Skill and Maintenance Clinic
May 7, 2016
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Join Sorella President Sharon Martin Andersson and Stephanie Gore Wilmert at Trailfest in Woodstock. Sharon and Stefanie will discuss and demonstrate basic bike handling skills: bike position, braking, cornering, descending, climbing, clearing obstacles, along with proper helmet fit, basic bike fit, and other areas of interest such as casual riding, trails, racing, groups to attend, clothes to wear, etc. Free Flite will provide basic bike maintenance tips and education about what each rider needs to know and needs to carry in her equipment pack.
Bring water, helmet, bike, and wear proper riding attire.
Open to: All Women
When: Saturday, May 7
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 am
Where: Elm Street Cultural Arts Village Event Lawn, 8534 Main St, Woodstock, GA 30188
RSVP on the Facebook Event Page
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Annual Meeting Well Attended
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It was so great to see so many Sorellas at the annual meeting on April 3. Thanks to all who were involved in putting on this great evening, especially Sorella event coordinator Beverly Yearack.
Our sponsor, Eventide Brewing, generously provided beverages and each Sorella received a complimentary bar glass. Emory Healthcare also provided swag. Dinner was catered from Fox Brothers Barbecue.
The evening festivities included Kit pickup, a history of the club, information about our sponsors, and a great opportunity for fellowship.
There were loads of door prizes, including $20 gift cards generously donated by our sponsor, Atlanta Cycle.
Winners of the 6Gap/3Gap Entries were Michael Friedlander and Saskia Hoppe ( This is a $61 value prize!).
Winners of the Hincapie Gran Fondo Entries were: Katie Hamlin, Trish Albert, Jennifer Larimore, Sylvia Poulos, Mary Jo Falvey, Susan Haynes, Kim Nelson, Linda Rathje, Rhonda Cook and Chloe Murdock (This is a $195 value prize!)
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HELMETS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL SORELLA RIDES
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Tuesday Night Ladies-Only Ride
Tuesday Evenings 6:30 pm
Open to: Sorellas and Friends
Leaves From: Atlanta Cycling Vinings 4335 Cobb Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339
For us Sorellas, the highlight of this weekly series is the Tuesday Ladies Only road ride which will always have a sweeper to ensure everyone's safe completion of the ride. In the past we have had great Sorella representation on these rides and look forward to everyone joining this weekly ride! The ride rolls out of the AC Vinings store promptly at 6:30PM during April - August for an 18 or 22 mile loop on low traffic roads. The AC full group ride schedule can be found at http://atlantacycling.com/articles/atlanta-cycling-group-rides-pg37.htm
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Wednesday Night Women's Buckhead Ride
Wednesday Evenings 6:30 pm
Open to: Sorellas and Friends
Leaves From: E Rivers Elementary School 8 Peachtree Battle Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
This ride runs the first Wednesdayin April thru September and is led by Sorella Linda Rathje. Start time is 6:30 and it will leave from E Rivers Elementary School at the corner of Peachtree and Peachtree Battle. Restroom are available at Starbucks, across the street if you need them. The pace is 14-15 mph which doesn't sound like much but the route is a hilly 21 miles. It is not a beginner ride. You should be comfortable riding with a group in light traffic and in hilly terrain. It is a great opportunity to improve your climbing skills and step outside your comfort zone, with a friendly group of women. There are a few pretty good climbs (4 or 5) and you can take these as hard and fast as you want. We regroup at the top so everyone can continue to socialize to the next climb. The group usually grabs dinner after the ride at La Fonda.
Q? Email Linda Rathje
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Wednesday Co-Ed Mountain Bike Ride
Wednesday Evenings 6:30 pm
Open to: Sorellas, Fellas and Friends
Leaves From: Atlanta Cycling Vinings 4335 Cobb Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339
Ride the Callen Trail to the MTB trails at Cochran Shoals. Then return after a loop or two, at dusk.
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Monthly Eventide Brewing Intown Ride
When: Thursday May 19, 2016
Ready to Ride @ 6PM
Open to: Sorellas, Fellas and Friends
Leaves From: Our Sponsor, Eventide Brewing, 1015 Grant St SE Atlanta, GA 30315
Join Sorella ride leader Brittany Hopson Montgomery (Bhop) for our monthly Eventide Brewing Intown Road ride. The group will leave Eventide to enjoy a 14-16 mile no drop loop all intown on streets that are not busy during rush hour! This will be a very chill social ride, no crazy climbs, very beginner friendly. Brews afterwards at Eventide to quench our thirst!
R.S.V.P. on the Facebook event page
Q? Contact Brittany
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Monthly Silver Comet Trail Ride at the Caboose
When: Sunday May 29, 2016
Ready to Ride @ 2PM
Open to: Sorellas, Fellas and Friends
Leave From: Hiram Caboose 531 Seaboard Ave Hiram, GA 30141 Plan for extra travel time if you have never been to the Caboose. It can be tricky to find.
Join Sorella Cycling as we lead a ride on Silver Comet Trail from the Paulding Caboose trail head in Hiram, GA headed out toward the big tunnel/Rockmart.
Bring a Fella and/or a friend! The ride will split into several different groups for desired distance (20 to 45 miles) and pace so we encourage everyone to join us.
RSVP on the Facebook event page
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Join Us for Cyclofemme
Sunday May 8, 2016
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CycloFemme is a grass-roots global celebration of women’s cycling. Every year, on Mother’s Day (US), women around the world share in the joy and empowerment of riding a bike by coming together in self-initiated rides and sharing their stories online with #CycloFemme.
Join ride leader Korey L. Gotoo for the 4th Annual North Atlanta CycloFemme ride, Sunday, May 8 at 8:30 am for a brief meet and greet followed by 3 ride options in Silk Sheets—Fairburn, GA. Wheels down at 9 am— 3 groups: a 25 mile route for those that need low-casual, a 32 mile casual pace, and a 50 mile option for a more brisk (16-18 mph) Intermediate-advanced level pace.
THIS RIDE IS FOR ALL LEVEL RIDERS, MEN AND WOMEN. All routes are no-drop. Each route will have chaperone Sorella ambassador riders and SAG available. Join nearly 200 other women's cycling groups gathering around the world as we celebrate "the power of the pedal for positive social change".
Come whether you are NEW to cycling or a SEASONED rider willing to show up in solidarity and lead the way to becoming healthier and inspiring the next to ride! We welcome every one to come and have a good time. On behalf of the Sorella RAAM Team 2015 we're asking for a donation of $10.00 to benefit Wellspring Living (a non-profit restoring lives hurt by sex trafficking).
What: North Atlanta Cyclofemme Ride at Silk Sheets
Who: All Level Riders, Men and Women.
Where: 8650 GA-92, Fairburn, GA 30213
When: May 08, 2016, Mother's Day.
Time: 8:30 am gathering, wheels down at 9 am.
Directions: (Note: Please park across the highway from the church on the Church Street roadside, on the grass at the nearby Lodge property, or the field across from Texaco.)
I-285 to I-20W first exit outside the perimeter - Fulton Industrial. Turn left (south) for 8 miles at which point the 4-lane becomes 2 lanes. Continue straight for 4 more miles to the intersection of GA-92 (red light at Texaco station). Turn right at the light. Turn next right to park along roadside - Church St. The church (next to Texaco) always welcomes cyclist parking except during church service hours. Drive time from Atlanta Cycling-Vinings is 30 minutes.
This event is cross posted to our public Sorella Facebook page so please invite non-Sorella friends via that event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1735005700111683/ |
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Athens Twilight Criterium
When: May 6 - 7, 2016
Where: Athens, GA
This is a favorite race for Sorella Cycling. Events include a pro race, amateur race, kids events, bmx race and more. The event includes a festival with music, food and entertainment.
Website: http://athenstwilight.com
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Bike Roswell Festival and Crit
When: May 7 - 15, 2016
Where: Roswell, GA
The 2016 Roswell Cycling Festival features an entire week of daily bicycle related activities culminating on May 15th with Bike Roswell! presenting the Mayor’s Ride, Roswell Criterium, and the Kiwanis’ Kids Bicycle Safety Rodeo. In addition to the events of May 15th, we will have a full week of activities in conjunction with RAMBO (Roswell-Alpharetta Mountain Bike Organization), beginning with the 3rd Annual Big Creek Enduro on Saturday, May 7, and family rides, mountain biking, film festival, and more, throughout the week.
For more information, visit http://www.bikeroswell.com
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2nd Annual PAALS Criterium
When: Saturday May 14, 2016
Where: Gwinnett Braves Stadium
The mission of the Promoting an Active Adolescent Lifestyle (PALLS) foundation is to grow the sport of cycling by focusing on the next generation of cyclists with focus on sound principles and values, good sportsmanship, attitude and teamwork. Events include a criterium and a triathlete clinic.
Event Flyer
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Jackson County Brevet
When: June 4, 2016
Where: Braselton, Ga
Experience the rolling/flat terrain of Jackson County where traffic is NOT an issue and benefit from 35 years of century ride experiences that formed this premier event. Choose from 22, 44, 64 or 104 mile distances. This event was founded by Sorella sponsor Robert Wilhite. 90% of your entry fee is donated to the Kelly Wilhite Aplastic Anemia Research Fund at Emory University.
Website: http://www.jacksonbrevet.com
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Social Mountain Bike Ride and Skills Clinic
When: June 11, 2016
Ready to Ride @ 10am
Where: Blankets Creek Mountain Bike Trail 2261 Sixes Rd, Canton, Georgia 30114
Join Sorella Mountain Bike Racer Precia Caraway as she hits the trails with the Little Bellas on June 11. Little Bellas is a mountain bike organization whose goal is to help young women realize their potential through cycling. Rebecca Loose leads them in mountain bike skills to increase their safety and speed, skim over roots, rocks and tackling technical challenges along the way.
Rebecca Loose was chosen by the Little Bellas organization to bring their program to North Georgia. By creating a community that empowers girls through the sport, Little Bellas emphasizes the importance of goal-setting, promoting healthy life styles and recognizing the positive effects of strong female bonds. While this program is centered around creating camaraderie for girls on bikes, it is most importantly about having fun in a constructive environment. Little Bellas brings together girls, ages 7 to 16, and female mentors in our programs across the country.
Learn more about Little Bellas on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/littlebellasmtb/
Event Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1733690733565387/
Q? Email Precia Caraway
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EVENTS AROUND THE SOUTHEAST
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Atlanta Cycling Festival
When: June 11 - June 16, 2016
Where: Varies
Be part of the third annual Atlanta Cycling Festival this June. Take the whole week off: You'll need it. This is a week of bike related activities includes events for MTB, road & tandem. You'll sample art, tech, volunteering, advocacy, culture, doughnuts, beer and a whole lot more!
For more information, visit the event webpage
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Atlanta Bike Expo
When: July 16, 2016
Time: 9 am - 7 pm
Where: Georgia International Convention Center
2000 Convention Center Concourse College Park, Georgia 30337
This event is Georgia's Largest bicycle consumer exhibition, with a mission of bringing together all things cycling. Meet professional road cyclists. See all the hottest new road, mountain, electric, commuter and indoor cycling spin bikes. Get great deals on cycling apparel, bike accessories and much more. There will be bike competitions, and outdoor test track, a kid zone and various contests.
For more information, visit www.atlantabikeexpo.com
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Looking for a Ride or Event Near You?
Visit Southeastern Cycling's Website to learn about rides and events throughout the southeast. The site was founded (and is maintained by) club member Trish Albert.
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 Free Bikes For Kids (FB4K)
FB4K is geared towards helping all kids ride into a happier, healthier childhood by providing bikes to those most in need. Their goal this year is to refurbish and give away 1,000 bikes to metro Atlanta youth! FB4K Overview Video
If you have a used bike to donate, or would like to volunteer, contact Chris Larson at 612-594-1288 or email fb4k.atl@gmail.com. You may also visit fb4k.org
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Featured Sponsor:
Escape to Blue Ridge
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Escape to Blue Ridge welcomes visitors to experience the serene beauty of the North Georgia mountains. There's an Escape to Blue Ridge vacation cabin to suit every occasion - from intimate romantic getaways to multigenerational family reunions. Cabins are fully-equipped with essentials, luxury extras and upscale amenities, and are outfitted to create an idyllic vacation.
For information on how to book your next getaway, visit http://escapetoblueridge.com
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Help Spread the Word. Our mission is to foster a supportive, open environment for women to ride for fitness, recreation and racing. Do you have a friend or acquaintance who may be interested in joining our club? We accept new members year round. Forward this email to a cycling friend. And click here to join!
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Did you know that the club has a members-only Facebook group? Be part of the lively discussions. Make new ride buddies and find rides in your area. Contact Kim Nelson to be added to the group.
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