Rolling through California

The Hagens Berman U-23 team has been enjoying our time in Guerneville, CA. We’re staying in a neat house right along the river. Many times at races and other events, the team is split up between different host houses, so having all the riders in one house is really good for team bonding and convenience.

We’ve also enjoyed a few beautiful rides already. The scenery around here is diverse, going from sweeping coastal views, to old-growth redwood forests, to alpine fields all within the same ride. The forests remind me of the planet the Ewoks live on in Star Wars. 

We’ve also had a confusing encounter with a local California Highway Patrol officer. He pulled us over for riding single file and had a power trip for a few minutes.  Fortunately, we were able to resolve the situation without any real problems. He was on the lookout again today as we rolled back into town, so we took a detour over a bridge to avoid any potential conflict.

Between rides, we’re staying busy with massage, snacks, and debating which rappers are the realest (popular answers are Kendrick, Logic, and Gambino). Noah and I are also dropping a few jokes, but I’m keeping the infamous Nate the Snake joke in my back pocket for now.

A big plus at any team camp is new gear. We just got our Gabba 2 jackets, cycling caps, and Omegawave units (more on those later) and have already been putting the new equipment though the paces. It’s been impressive so far.

We’ve started to settle into a good groove, so things should really be running smoothly by the time the real objectives in April come around.

Noah makes a quick wardrobe change

Photos by coffeeintheam.