Red Peloton would like to extend its deepest condolences to the family, friends and teammates of B4T9 rider Suzanne Rivera who passed away after an accident at the Mariposa County Women’s Stage Race this past weekend. The cycling community is very close knit and this tragic event has sent shock waves not only through our women’s team, but our team as a whole. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that is touched by this tragedy.

Best Regards,

Red Peloton

With the end of the 2011 season we wanted to provide you all with an update on our season. Before we begin, just know that we are very grateful for the support you provided us this past year – there is no way we would have been able to be as successful as we were without you. We are truly appreciative and hope you were proud to be part of our journey. We are sure to have missed many of the team’s collective wins and accolades with so many of them happening each month. Still the following are but some of the better moments our terrific organization put up through the year.

2011 saw us sprinting out of the gates. By the end of April we had already tallied 33 top 10 places in road and mountain bike events with the highlights being:

- Jonathan Lee’s 1st place in Valley of the Sun’s (Phoenix, AZ) Stage 1 of the Elite Men’s Cat 2 Race

- Twyla Robert’s 1st place finish in the Beginner Women’s class at Boggs 8 hr MTB race

- And the start of Jenny Gott and Kashy Ghazzagh’s impressive seasons with 2nd and 1st place podium finishes (respectively) at the Bicycle Plus Early Bird Criterium.

As the season progressed, we managed to stay in stride with 65 more top 10 finishes (28 of them podiums) by the time summer came to a close at the end of July. Perhaps more astounding was the emergence of a strong group of Cat 4 women racers from within the Club Women’s team. They took the racing scene by storm proudly displaying their team and sponsors on the podium all over Northern California and in Wyoming and Idaho!

By the time the last race was completed, Red Peloton tallied a total of 70+ podium finishes and another 100+ top 10 finishes (4th – 10th place). That includes:

- Keith Flood’s overall win in the NorCal MTB series

- Shannon Mitchell’s 1st place in the Dunnigan Hills Cat 4 Women’s Race

- Nina Strika’s 2nd place finish at the Esparto Time Trial in the Women’s 1,2,3 race

- Lauren Rignel’s overall 2nd place finish (women’s Cat 4) at the Folsom Cyclebration Omnium, and Kashy Ghazzagh’s overall 1st place finish in the Men’s Cat 3 field at the same Omnium.

That is nothing short of outstanding given the field sizes and competition! But all of the victories aside, the greater outcome is the fact that all of this was completed while maintaining a great core of philanthropy and support for our local community charitable events.

Although being successful on the bike is important, it comes second to what we strive to do as an organization: give back to a community that gives us so much. In 2011 we proudly supported many events and organizations that are important to the community as a whole. That includes:

- $1000 donation to Bike Monkey for their Annadel fundraiser
- $2000 + volunteers to the Tour De Fuzz which supports the Sonoma County Chaplaincy
- $1000 to Santa Rosa’s chapter of Bikes for Humanity
- $500 + event participants to support Sutter’s Cat Walk for a Cure (fundraiser for Breast Cancer research & Services) which raised a total of $250,000 for their cause
- $500 sponsorship as well as volunteers for CX Nation/Bike Monkey Santa Rosa Cup cyclocross series
- And The coordination and staffing of Levis Gran Fondo On-Bike Course Marshals

Add in mentoring the new riders and juniors at the local TNT crit races, our volunteer support for the Tour d Organics and our holiday donations (by bike!) of food to Redwood Gospel Mission and toys for Toys for Kids drive this December, and you get an idea as to how much we gladly give back to our community. We’re proud to be a team that gives back in this way and we were glad that you could be a part of it all with us.

As we move into 2012, we hope you and yours all have a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to even greater successes both on and off the bike!

Red Peloton and Friends present the 3rd Annual Holiday Toy & Food Drive

WHEN: Saturday, December 10th at 3 PM

WHERE: Starting at NorCal Bike Sport

WHAT:
Come join us for our annual Holiday charity event that is perfect for the whole family!

• We ask that each of you drop off a few unwrapped toys and non perishable food items at NorCal between now and Dec 10th.
• Then come ride over and join us with your backpacks, panniers, trailers, and jersey pockets ready to pack and ride to deliver it all. We will load everyone up with unwrapped toys and non-perishable foods. We will then ride over to Redwood Gospel Mission and drop off the food and then over to the downtown fire station and drop of the toys for their Bike Elves and Toys for Kids programs. Families and children are very welcome!
• We NEED food, toys AND riders for this event!!!

WHAT’S NEXT?: Help us spread the word and get food and toys to NorCal before the 10th. Let’s overload ourselves with deliveries again this year. Can’t join us but still want to participate? Contact us and we’ll figure something out.

We look forward to seeing you and your families soon!

On November 20th, the Press Democrat ran an article regarding the relationship between motorists and cyclists. In the printed paper for that day the caption under the picture stated that the riders depicted were from Red Peloton. We’d like to clarify that although one of our riders is quoted in the article, none of the riders in the picture are from Red Peloton. The reporter was contacted and a correction was run on Tuesday, November 22nd.

While we are not perfect, we are working hard to try and bridge the gap between cyclists and the community at large. We participate in a number of charitable events that support our local community to show folks that cyclists do care and are involved in things other than riding their bikes. Of equal importance, we also hold various bike clinics to educate other riders in proper riding etiquette. If you would like to join us in these efforts, please contact us.

This last Friday, October 14th we The Red Peloton lost one of our very own. While cresting the top of Los Alamos road with fellow team mate Henry Stroud, Matt Wilson collapsed and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa. It was his 23rd birthday. Following is a brief video put together by the team to pay tribute to Matt. We hope you enjoy the many photos taken of Matt and by Matt over the years. As evidenced by the overwhelming response to his passing by the community at large, Matt’s presence both on and off the roads of Sonoma County will be very much missed.

On the morning following Matt’s passing we held a memorial ride up to the top of Los Alamos. How wonderful it was to see so many of you at NorCal’s door that morning, to ride in remembrance and honor for Matt. There were other pelotons of his people whisking down the Sonoma County roads this day, riding for Matthew Wilson in heart and mind.

We saw a large crew from West County Rev. roll up to join our group. There were Windsor Bike Shop riders there, 2Wheel, Colavita, Boba’s, Echelon, SRCC members there, NorCal folks, Red Peloton folks, even local cycling strongmen like Sterling Magnell and Ted Simpkins rode for Matt.

We asked Shaun Ralston, Garth Powell, Laurel Green, Henry Stroud, Susan Noble, and Parker Neece to lead us up the first part of Los Alamos. They took flight with the notion. The top of Los Alamos that morning was beautiful as always. We laid our respective mementos on the grassy hillside in a spot Henry approved of and took in the sunlight and wind against our sweat-laden bodies.

This would near-perfectly be, the precise way Matt would want us to celebrate him. On his roads, sun, sweat, wind, smiles, commingling… and tears because we miss him. Some of you may have barely known him; some of you were closest friends. And although Matt is loved by many in cycling circles, he wants to be remembered not just as a cyclist but as a person who loves Community, first and foremost.

There is something about Matt though, you always feel like his big brother or sister, or his parent. This will usually last throughout the months/seasons but every so often it will get blurred when he hits you with some of his quirky wit and offbeat humor. It is during these moments, you begin to realize you are in the presence of a superior mind, a greater intellect than yours. And it seems to happen most often when you are about ready to blow sky high on some climb in Sonoma County and Matt will be beside you talking happily at you, and just smiling away.

Matt ALWAYS smiles. Nervously, mischievously, sarcastically, dorkily, joyfully…..always. At the sight of all of you on your bicycles riding to his homage, Matt would have blushed, mumbled something inaudibly towards his handlebars, and then powered away over the far horizon. All the while, a huge smile would break out across his face, as usual.

I recall when we first gave Matt his jersey and shorts to join our team. We sat down with this young exuberant lad. We told him that we were a serious team, filled with serious people, doing serious things. He politely allowed us to pontificate until we felt supremely important. He even nodded and smiled at every uber-critical point we made to him. I know that Matt was overjoyed to receive his Red Peloton kit. It reminds me of when you give a superman costume to a 3 year old boy for his first Halloween.

I am positive that Matt took it straight home and tried it on. I am sure he ran around the house leaping over sofas, bounding up and down stairs, and high-fiving the other furniture. Pausing only when he passed his reflection in windows and mirrors. I am sure he then leapt onto his bike and rode 500 miles around Sonoma County seeking out cyclists in need on HIS back roads. “Don’t worry ma’am, Red Peloton is at your service!”

It is good to take the time to miss Matthew. To comfort those closest to him who miss him the most. But do not linger upon grieving for Matt. There are some who live until they are 103 and have experienced far less joy and camaraderie. There are sadly those that have few to count as their good friends. There are many that don’t know the sublime beauty of the sunrise over Sugarloaf State Park. Or the fulfillment in helping your friends tackle their goals.

Matt had all of these things in spades, and much more. It is ok to miss Matt. But do not grieve for Matt. Matt is ahead of us all in the most important of events. Matt is leading us in the most mysterious of races. Matt has embarked on the next stage of his Grand Adventure. There are some that have lamented what they consider a cruel irony that Friday was Matt’s birthday. Do not waste a moment on that. Matt wouldn’t want you to. When I embark on the next stage of my journey, I think I’d like for it to be on my birthday, where I first begin.

Matt believes in a Higher Power, a Higher Calling, as do I and a lot of you. Matt is smiling down on us now, I suspect surrounded by a harem of hot women all of whom are far wittier, quirkier, dorkier, and sillier than he is. Perhaps feeding him grapes while he tries to explain something while mumbling bashfully …and smiling away. I’m sure he would have something witty to say to get us all laughing right now…I won’t try to compete and risk falling far short. You were resplendent in his honor these past days. He is most definitely smiling now. His smile is bigger than the sky over Los Alamos.

Please feel free to share your memories & thoughts in the comments section below…