Honey Stinger-Trek Off Road Team Camp Buzzes into Fruita

FRUITA, COLO. - Members of the Honey Stinger/ Trek Off-Road team recently gathered in Fruita, Colorado for their annual training camp. Intended as a team-building event and introduction for new riders, the camp served as a fun way to test Honey Stinger products, newly built Trek bikes, take a few days out of ski boots for mountain town folk and dial in suspension and equipment issues. Obviously the lure of riding desert singletrack as ‘training’ for the coming season is the big draw. Beer and blazing fires each night helped too!

Riders camped in Big Agnes tents at Highline Lake State Park north of Loma and rode for several hours each day at Loma, Rabbit Valley or the Lunch Loops. A highlight was riding the Rabbit Valley Mountain States Cup XC course as it’s a super fun ride incorporating techy, power-robbing trails on top of Westwater Mesa as well as the classic Western Rim Trail. There weren’t any stitches required this year but the number of flats numbered in the low teens – too much dry sealant after a long winter perhaps?

A few riders like solo 24 Hour freak Kelly Magelky left the fireside on Saturday and burned some night laps around Highline Lake (location of 18 Hours of Fruita) to test out new lights from sponsor Light and Motion.

The team will compete in top-tier off-road events across the region and country in disciplines ranging from short track to stage races. On the team’s schedule are the Mountain States Cup regional championship series, select Pro XCT and XTERRA races, the Firecracker 50, the Leadville Trail 100, a full cyclocross schedule and The Breck Epic MTB Stage Race.

The 2011 Honey Stinger/Trek team roster includes riders from the Pro, Category 1 and Category 2 ranks as established by USA Cycling. 2011 pro/elite riders include; Jen Gersbach, Jaime Brede, Jen Tilley, Caitlyn Vestal, Kelly Magelkey, Patrick Valentine, Dax Massey, Chris Brandt, Dan Matheny, Kelley Cullen, Sari Anderson, Scott McCalmon, Ryan Dorsey, Nate Bird, Ben Portilla, Len Zanni, Max Taam, Colin Osborn, Peter Kalmes and Bryce Gordon. Brede and Valentine were 2010 age-group XTERRA National Champions while Anderson, Taam and Zanni won 24 Hour National Championships in separate categories. Also, Peter Kalmes was Cat 1 25-29 Mountain Bike National Champion. Other riders include: Ryan Hamilton, Trevor Walz, Luke Falcone, Craig Rench, Chris Tamucci, Rose Alford, Ian Anderson, Bill Gamber, Rich Hager, Michael Hayes, Josh Cullen, Brian Schaefer, Ed Schultz, Karl Fritzche, Rob Peterson, Rob Russell, Nathan Waldron and Todd Kennedy.

The Honey Stinger/Trek Offroad Team is supported by; Honey Stinger, Trek, Big Agnes, Westone Labs, Bontrager, Alpina Capital, Boa, Huckandroll.com, Mountain Flyer, Osprey, BAP!, Feldmann Nagel, LLC, Smartwool, Carmichael Training Systems, Light and Motion, Smith Optics, Chamois Butt’r, Crank Brothers, SRAM, Nuun, Steamboat Ski & Bike Kare, Planet Foods, Feedback Sports, Voler and Squirt Lube.

All images by Devon Balet