And what a day it was. The rain! The mud! The feeling of “I can hardly see, but we’re gonna keep pedaling, damnit!” I crossed the finish line of the 50 mile race more than an hour faster than the year before* and I felt like a million bucks, despite a very wet, very muddy ride. I was already thinking about going back for the 100 in 2023.
Whitefish, Montana is a beautiful place but it is very far away from Minnesota. Watch the video below to see how four Stamina teammates tackled the 20 hour drive to The Last Best Ride, as well as the shenanigans that led up to and followed the race itself!
So many people helped us take on this journey and we are so incredibly grateful!!
“I learned so much, and yet I still learned more about how little I actually know.” Haema summed up Stamina’s Wolf Tooth experience simply and perfectly. On a warm Monday evening seven Stamina riders drove down to Burnsville, MN to visit with three Wolf Tooth employees (one of which was a third of the owner/creator team!) They started the meeting off strong by treating us to pizza and a new flavor of La Croix, and then Chelsea delivered a highly educational presentation on the history of Wolf Tooth, bicycle components in general, and Wolf Tooth products in particular. Dan and Kurt layered on additional history and technical explanations.
Elise and Christina were so excited leaving the event that the following conversation occurred.
Anisa (she/her) with the wolf of Wolf Tooth!
Christina : The most interesting component to me was probably chainrings. Before today, my understanding of chainrings was that the big ring is harder and the little ring is easier. It ends up there is so much more to chainrings than the big ring and the little ring! For example, I didn’t realize that the big ring on my road bike would be any different from the big ring on my gravel bike.
Elise : Right! I appreciated that Chelsea explained the rings to us in a way that made sense. I like how she started with something we understood: chainrings that have more teeth make pedaling harder. Then she explained that road bikes generally stay on roads, which are designed for cars and therefore are generally less steep than mountain bike trails. Therefore mountain bikes and fat bikes tend to have smaller rings than road bikes.
Christina : It was especially cool to learn how many different sizes of chainrings Wolf Tooth has made. I love that they listen to customer needs and are agile enough to make small batches of chainrings. It was fun to hear Dan say that they have made a tiny chainring for someone who was going to fat bike the Iditarod route and they have made a gigantic chainring for someone aiming to break a speed record.
Chelsea introduces us to Wolf Tooth’s handy bolt circle diameter measurement guide. If you print this off on a standard 8.5”x11” piece of paper at 100% scale, you can place your current chainring on the guide to determine which chainring will fit your bike. This looks very useful for ordering the right chainring!
Elise : Beyond the size of the chainring, I also liked learning about the shape of a chainring. I had heard of oval chainrings before, but I hadn’t looked into them or understood why they were oval.
Christina : I liked learning why oval chainrings exist, too. Dan started with something we understood: our legs produce the most downward force when the pedals are horizontal and the least downward force at the top and bottom of the pedal stroke. The oval chainring is widest where the most force is produced and narrowest where the least force is produced, and this capitalizes on the maximal force.
Dan explaining the physics behind oval chainrings.
Elise : On top of that, it was interesting to hear about different oval shapes. If the chainring is too far from circular, then pedaling feels strange. If the chainring is subtly oval, then the pedal stroke can be efficient and still feel natural.
Christina : Chelsea said she put a Wolf Tooth oval chainring on her bike and she adjusted immediately; her pedal stroke still felt comfortable.
Elise : She definitely sold me on that oval or “ellipse” shape, I want to try it out and see what it feels like. Somewhat related to the chain rings but mostly just feedback from the experience, I truly appreciated how welcoming Chelsea, Kurt, and Dan were during our visit. I wasn’t afraid to ask any question, no matter how silly it may have seemed.
Christina : Oh absolutely! They are so customer focused that it was no surprise how willing they were to answer our countless questions. They said you can chat with them through the website or send them an email and real people will respond.
Elise : Exactly, their dedication to customers is out of this world. I thought that the cassette on a bike was made up of different sized chain rings but Dan nicely corrected me and told me that nope, those are called cogs. Knowing that it is a completely different product than the cassette has my head spinning around the fact that they make more than 300 different types of chain rings?!
Christina : It’s bananas.
Elise : Not knowing the difference between a chain ring and a cassette is just one way in which I realize how little I know. Which is why, as someone who likes organized, clean documents, I loved learning about their tech documents! When Chelsea showed us where you can find all their different product resources on their website I almost giggled in excitement.
Christina: I wish more companies would provide documentation like that!
Elise : Same! Knowing that all of that information is available for me and other customers is reassuring so next time I start filling up my digital basket with goodies I actually know what I am getting instead of just guessing.
Christina : The other cool thing about the resources is that they actually explain what they are used for; they don’t simply assume that every single customer knows all the answers.
Elise : Totally. Speaking of filling up our digital baskets, let’s talk about the bar tape. I can NOT wait to add the bar tape to my gravel bike! I like the Supple Lite bar tape because it is super comfortable while still being lightweight. It seems like it would do a great job of cushioning my hands from the bumpy gravel roads on our gravel adventures.
Mariya’s bike sporting Wolf Tooth Supple bar tape and a blue anodized headset spacer.
Christina : Absolutely, and I was shocked to feel how light it was. Even so, I think I’d get the Supple bar tape because I want my hands to feel like they’re holding onto clouds. I hope they start making it in pink!
Elise : Oh yes the fun colors! Who doesn’t love to personalize their bikes? I am leaning towards that brown color for my gravel bike but once my road bike tape goes out I might go for a brighter color to make my dark blue bike really pop.
Christina : Everyone deserves to have the comfiest handlebars possible! We use our hands constantly so why not treat them like the stars they are?
Elise : I 100% agree. Another thing I want to add to my gravel bike is the B-RAD water bottle adapters. Right now, one of my water bottle cages sits a little high on my frame, and so when I ride with my frame bag attached it’s hard to get my water bottle out. The B-RAD system would let me lower the water bottle cage so that I’d have more space to pull out my water bottle without squishing my bag.
Christina : I also like how the B-RAD system allows you to put two side-by-side water bottles where only one water bottle would have fit before. I want to carry all the water bottles! Last week we had to stop at that gas station to buy more water. With the B-RAD system, I could have space for enough water bottles to get me through the Heck of the North (if anything will get me through the Heck of the North!).
Elise : Yeah there are a couple of different products that Chelsea mentioned that really are designed with the rider in mind. The company clearly is so thoughtful in their actions and earnestly believes that any body is a biking body. The solutions that they have come up with for different folks to modify their bikes is inspiring and proof that you can create a perfect bike that fits your body and needs.
Christina : Woof, what a great trip. I’m so happy they were able to meet with us.
Elise : It was an absolute blast and now I need to go dust off my credit card and start putting in some orders!
Madilynn, Elise, Erin, and I (Christina) hit the road to venture to Whitefish, Montana for the Last Best Ride. We had an incredible time and can’t describe the whole trip without writing an epic, so buckle up for this listicle.
From left: Christina (she/her), Madilynn (she/her), Elise (she/her), Erin (she/her)
Going on a bike road trip soon? Here are our top ten tips to make your road trip fun and smooth.
Erin, Christina, and Madilynn displaying Saris’ SuperClamp EX 4-bike
All four bikes ready for the long drive home (numbers were not removed because some of us were in denial that it was over).
4. Fill a couple water bottles and freeze them the night before getting in the car. You have to pack those water bottles anyway for your time on the bike, so you might as well make them useful in the car. The frozen water bottles can keep your fresh food cold.
5. Did someone mention fresh food? Oh right, that was me. Absolutely pack fresh food. First of all, your tummy will be displeased if you eat fast food for too many meals. Second, if you’re driving somewhere rural, you may drive for hours without seeing even a fast food joint, and then you’ll be hangry. Third, packing food can be cheaper than buying it on the road. Fourth, eating packed food saves you time on the road (no need for slow restaurant service). Fifth, after a long day of driving, it’s nice to eat real food for dinner. I made a southwest-inspired mix in advance (chipotle chicken, corn, tomatoes, arugula, black beans, cheese, southwest dressing) and packed wraps separately so that we could have a tasty road-side lunch on the first day. Madilynn made empanadas in advance so that we could have an incredible dinner after 12 hours in the car. If you aren’t ready for that level, just pack some sandwiches (with meat or just pbj), snacky veggies (like carrots or celery), and easy fruit (like apples, oranges, bananas).
Elise’s selfie to the crew to confirm that yes, she was awake, and yes she was ready to hit the road.
6. Buy and wear compression socks on long drives. When you’re in tight quarters (such as in a car with 3 teammates on a road trip), you can’t move your legs as easily so circulation in your feet and lower legs isn’t so great. Compression socks apply pressure to your feet and lower legs to prevent blood from pooling in them. After 12 hours in the car, your legs and feet will feel a lot happier. Do compression socks look cool? If you use your imagination. Are they effective? Heck yes.
We made new furry friends every single day.
7. Remember that gas station coffee isn’t necessarily gas station coffee. In other words, you don’t have to drink the coffee that the gas station has stored on a hot plate for the last five hours. Check the fridge area to see if they have canned/bottled coffee. Canned coffee saved the day for us pretty much every day we were on the road.
8. I know I just mentioned coffee, but you also need to drink lots of water. You want to arrive at your destination, pop out of the car, and be ready to hit the trail. To be ready, you need to stay hydrated (and properly fueled). Bring pickles for electrolytes.
Pickle juice is always the answer.
9. Download some music to your phone if you’re heading anywhere rural. Our route through Montana didn’t have internet access so streaming music wasn’t possible for about 10 hours. When I learned that we couldn’t stream music, I generously offered to sing, but Erin rudely turned me down. Don’t worry; nothing can kill my vibe.
After 7 hours on the bike Erin was happy to accept this wiggly pup into her arms.
10. Pack dog treats. You never know.
“Feeling more connected with my training I could now push myself further. Whether it was a threshold workout to hit specific power levels or recovery rides where I could actually pick terrains that would reflect a relaxing ride outdoors (and not the -15 degree and ice covered road outside my window).”
We are grateful for our generous sponsors. As a team just starting out, it is encouraging to be supported by businesses that share our core values so early in our development. It is important to us to prioritize sponsors that have signed the WTF Cycling Industry Pledge, a public declaration that participants hold themselves accountable in their pursuit to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. With our sponsors assistance, we will diversify cycling at an accelerated rate.
One on One Bike Studio is a shop located in South Minneapolis. They have a combined experience of 100 years servicing bicycles and it is evident that they know what they are doing as soon as you enter the shop. They have committed to do their part when it comes to making cycling a more diverse sport. From the beginning, their shop was founded on the idea that any rider, no matter how experienced, no matter their bike, would receive excellent “one on one” service.
With our priorities in mind, we were excited to work with One on One Bike Shop. In addition to participating in the Cycling Industry Pledge, the shop has sponsored many emerging events over the last 18 years: the inaugural Babes in Bikeland, MIA Bike Night, StuporBowl, Little Bellas, and many more. While these events bring lots of joy and engagement to the Twin Cities cycling community, the daily customer service efforts are where we see the OOOBS team really shine! On multiple occasions, members of our team have paid visits to the shop, and each time we were met with quick service, a detailed breakdown of what work needs to be done, and thoughtful answers to each and every one of our questions.
“I’ve had nothing but great interactions with One on One. Zach was great the first time I went to pick up my road bike after they got done with the build. Randall was also great in helping me figure out what was wrong with my chain ring and figured out why my chain kept falling off. Even though they were busy, he took the time to figure out what was going on and fixed Frankie in a short amount of time which I really appreciated because I could get back to training right away.”
“Zach helped me with my saddle and was very helpful. He also gave me tips on what to actually have at home in regards to tools. His tip was to not overspend on silly tools. Just stop by and use theirs for free!”
“The first time I walked into the shop, the owner Jennifer came right up to me and introduced herself to me. It felt awesome to be seen and to feel like they cared from the start! Zach and Randall are always great when it comes to answering my questions, whether it be about what gravel race I should do next, or what type of brakes I should get on my fat bike based on the events I want to do in the future. Graham always calls me when my bike is done and ready to rip, and is always ready to answer my questions when I have them. He tells me what I’m doing well to maintain my bikes, and I never feel stupid asking him questions. Finally, perhaps most importantly, they have a shop cat (Goose) and a shop dog (Turnip) who always make my day”
In order to train, race, and adventure on our bikes safely, they need regular service from a shop we trust. We are grateful to have a shop that caters to our needs while making us feel at home. Thank you, One on One, for being in our corner!
Be sure to stop by One on One the next time your steed needs some work done. They’ll take care of you. And make sure to keep following our social media accounts to find out about future group rides and events from One on One! You won’t want to miss it!
Throughout our lives, Stamina team members have faced multiple challenges due to our marginalized identities and the reality is that we would likely not be able to fulfill our dreams of racing if it weren’t for our incredible sponsors. One of those sponsors is Coach Corey Coogan Cisek! We will forever be grateful for her generosity and kindness. It is very rare for beginner cyclists to have access to coaching, let alone from an elite cyclocross racer!
As we reflect on the last three months of coaching, we realize that we have learned so much in a seemingly short period of time. Some of our team members had never heard of or used any of the terminology related to training until we started working with Coach Corey. She truly is one of the most humble and down to earth people I’ve ever met. She is so thorough and clear in her descriptions, expectations, and feedback. She explains the reasoning behind each workout, which is also very helpful as we learn to navigate all the complexities of competitive cycling. She is extremely patient and has made us all feel so good about cycling and ourselves!
Here are some things some of the other Stamina riders had to say about Coach Corey.
“When I was confused about whether I had tried hard enough, she told me “With all these data points (speed sensor, HR, Zwift) anything could be off. That's why, at the end of the day, instinct and feel are important.” and I liked that.” - Christina
“My favorite part of Coach C’s style is her ability to work collaboratively with me toward my goals. She is incredibly knowledgeable and I am so fortunate to be working with her. She intimidates me in the best of ways and makes me want to push harder.” - Ashley
“I love that Coach C is thoughtful about our training schedule. She’s got the short-game AND long-game in mind when it comes to training.” - Madilynn
“What I appreciate most about Coach C is she’s both aware of and respectful that all of us are juggling multiple priorities in our life, be it work, school, family, or all-around balance, Coach C takes this into account when she plans our workouts, gives us feedback, and checks in with us. She has a personalized touch, treating each of her riders as individuals and understanding that we come from various backgrounds and have different personalities. - Haema
Thank you, Coach Corey! We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us! Follow our team to see our progress, our ups and downs, and get a behind the scenes look at the incredible amount of work it takes to start a team from ground up, in the middle of a pandemic, with very limited resources. Also, follow Coach Corey on Instagram (@coogancisek and @tripleccoaching) and her team @Velorevolution_cxcustom) as they take on Europe in elite cyclocross racing!
Our First Sponsorship Deal!
Hello our dear followers, supporters, and community members! We are so excited to share with you our first sponsorship deal! ARE YOU READY?!?!? Eight of our Stamina Racing Collective riders are going to work with professional athlete and coach Corey Coogan Cisek to get ready for next season! Coach Corey reached out to our team early in our development to express her interest in collaborating with us. She has since offered us a generous sponsorship to increase accessibility to coaching services for our team. SRC and coach Corey share many similar values, including but not limited to mentorship, community development, and the importance of bike-life balance.
Corey has conducted successful clinics and workshops in the community for Femme/Trans/Women athletes who want to learn more about cycling - specifically cyclocross. Through these clinics, she creates an inclusive space for learning, taking risks, asking questions, and stepping outside of one’s comfort zone to improve skills and confidence.
Additionally, Corey genuinely enjoys work with beginner riders. In terms of bike-life balance, Coach Corey often states, “happy cyclists go faster.” From the moment the team met her, we knew that we wanted to work with her. We are humbled by her generosity and look forward to working with her. If you’re not familiar with Corey Coogan Cisek, check out her website at https://www.tripleccoach.com/coach-corey You can also read about her amazing journeys and time in Europe here. She is a wonderful person inside and outside of the racing world. Her impressive pro cycling career, which spans over a decade, includes some amazing wins and placements.
Corey races professionally in the United States and Europe (mainly Belgium) and has participated in almost 300 races since 2010. Given her extensive racing experience, as well as her down-to-earth and humble personality, her mentorship will be invaluable for SRC riders considering most of us have never raced before and have some worries about it. Coach Corey is equally excited to work with us. She stated, “I’m tremendously excited to work with Stamina racers. Their enthusiasm is evident. This is going to be fun!” WE ARE SO EXCITED, TOO!!! Coach Corey has a great deal of knowledge and we feel very fortunate about having the opportunity to learn from her. Follow us over the next several months as we share reflections on our coaching and training experiences. For more information about Coach Corey, visit her website and make sure to follow her on instagram @coogancisek
