Our hometown of Greenville, SC has slowly been growing over the years as a cycling hub. It started back in the 90’s when the Tour DuPont rolled through town. Our town caught the cycling bug and it’s been building ever since. Greenville has now grown to become a destination for cycling tourists, home of multiple professional cyclists and is the current host to the US Cycling National Road Championships. Today it was announced that Greenville has again proven its support of cycling by being selected as the host city for the 2014 UC Para-Cycling Road World Championships.

Having an international cycling event in our hometown is thrilling for us. We hope that the event continues to help para-cycling grow in the southeast and in the US as a whole. Para-athletes such as our friend Matt Updike are an inspiration and we are looking forward to watching them compete. View the clip below to learn more about these amazing athletes and para-cycling events.

It’s always nice to get feedback from our customers. It’s especially nice when they share the same enthusiasm for a product that we have. The Pro Duffel is a big favorite around the office and on our Development Team, so it was nice to hear from Brett in Minnesota who wrote the following note.

“I recently received my gym bag (Pro Duffel) and I am very happy with the product. I have been looking for a gym bag with a divider and there are not many out there. Your bag has the divider and more innovation, inside pockets, water bottle holder and the shoe holder is by far the best out there. The design of this bag helps me to organize and neatly pack the right gear making my workouts more enjoyable.”

Thanks for the kind note Brett. We always welcome feedback – good or bad. You can share your comments or questions with us by email or by calling our toll free number 866-359-4796.

The BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Cycling Team will compete in its first race, the Tour of the Bahamas, January 27 - 29, 2012. The team will compete for its share of $16,000 in cash and awards in a stage race in one of the world's most beautiful locations.

The Team’s Bahamas squad will include Tanner Putt, Ty Magner, Tyler Karnes, AJ Myer, Blair Turner and Isaac Enderline. Sports Director Thomas Craven believes every rider will be in contention for the general classification and individual stage wins.

“This is a versatile squad of riders for this course, which sets them up to contest the GC and individual stage wins,” said Chief Sports Director Thomas Craven. “Aside from being our first event, the race will literally go right by the headquarters of Holowesko Partners. Mark Holowesko has been a major supporter of our program so we have a unique opportunity to thank him with results.”

The race comprises three stages. Craven expects Stage 1, the short, Eddy Merckx-style time trial, to be separated by seconds and not decisive for final GC standings. Stage 2’s circuit race will take the riders along a flat, short and fast stage likely to end in a field sprint. The Stage 3 road race is likely to be decisive, with a making it a deceptively hard parcourse marked by a section with strong winds likely to split the peloton.

The BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Cycling Team is the result of a commitment by Hincapie Sportswear, BMC and Holowesko Partners to expand their support of cycling by creating a continental Under 23 development team for the 2012 racing season. The new BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Cycling Team is registered with USA Cycling as a UCI continental team and is the official development program for the BMC Racing Team. The team is a way for George Hincapie, one of the most successful and revered U.S. professional riders ever, to give back to a sport he loves.

Introducing the Amgen Breakaway from Cancer® Most Courageous Rider jersey design contest! Create an original design and you could win a trip for two to California including round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, VIP Hospitality passes, merchandise gift pack, autographed Most Courageous Rider jersey AND the chance to present your winning jersey to the Most Courageous Rider during the Stage Awards Ceremony! Get more information now.

We’re thrilled to announced that Citrus Park Cyclery has joined the Hincapie Team. Citrus Park Cyclery is known in the Tampa, Florida area for not just being a place to shop, but also a great place to hang out and talk cycling. Andy and AJ Baxter, the father and son duo who own and operate Citrus Park Cyclery, are truly passionate about cycling and it shows in the community they’ve built around their store. If you’re in the area, stop by Citrus Park Cyclery and check out the Hincapie line and talk bikes with the Baxters.

Citrus Park Cyclery
6573 Gunn Hwy.
Tampa FL 33625
(813) 644-7222
www.CitrusParkCyclery.com/
info@citrusparkcyclery.com

Every cyclist eventually has their turn hitting the deck. It’s the part of the sport we’re all afraid. You know it’s going to eventually happen to you, but if you dwell on it, you’ll never be able to enjoy the thrill of riding your bike.

This past week we were out with the camera taking photos of our friend Katie in her awesome new Velocity kit. On Paris Mountain there is a gnarly climb up Autobon Road that features a great turn for taking cornering shots. Katie took several passes around the corner as she dialed in her line and we dialed in the camera. Then disaster struck. The perfect storm of leaves, speed, break pressure and camber all came together to knock out Katie’s rear wheel…on “film”.

I think we know what Katie was saying when this photo was taken

Now Katie has amazing bike handling skills. She can mix it up at the front of a hammering peloton with the big dawgs — strike that, she is one of the big dawgs — or stay on anyone’s wheel down the descents of the local MTB trails. I would dare say that some cat 2 crit racers would have trouble holding her wheel around the turns down Paris Mountain. As luck would have it though, it was just her time to go down on the bike. It happens to the best of us. We’re just thankful that she escaped with just road rash and some ripped-up shorts. (I think we know some people who can find her some new shorts.)

Just a little road rash

Join George on Sunday the 20th for a fundraising ride to benefit the Greenville mountain bike trails and pump track. You can sign-up for the event here.

Here at Hincapie, offseason is the time when the talk shifts from race and training schedules to a a decidedly more relaxed and favorite topic: wine. (You didn’t think that riding was all we talked about, did you?)

We’re really excited about a new wine company called Y+B Wines. They’re importing some great organic wines and building their company in on a sustainable model that feels good to support. (Yellow + Blue = Green, get it?)

George enjoying a glass of Y+B's 2009 Monastrell from Spain

Right now, Y+B is offering a Malbec and a Torrontes from Argentina, a Spanish Rosé and a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. All are delicious, organic and sourced from vineyards that use only traditional, natural winemaking processes.

The first thing you notice about Y+B is the bottle, or lack of it. Y+B uses a package called a Tetra Pak, which you’ve probably seen them holding other products in organic grocery stores. The Tetra Pak saves considerable weight over a conventional glass bottle, as Y+B points out:

Consider: A case of wine in glass weighs 40 pounds and holds 9 liters of wine — close to 50% wine and 50% packaging. A case of Yellow+Blue weighs 26 pounds and holds 12 liters of certified organic wine. That’s 93% wine and 7% packaging.

The environmentally friendly Tetra Pak packaging

Y+B furthers this smart packaging model by transporting the wine from Spain and South America in insulated steel containers and doing the packaging here in the States.

All these good practices wouldn’t mean much if the wine wasn’t good. Here. Too, Y+B makes the grade. In fact, award-winning wine blogger Dr. Tyler Colman called their 2007 Malbec “a crazy-good value.”

Visit their site to find a dealer and learn more. In the meantime, here’s a video intro to the company.

Next year’s training schedule will be here before you know it. Now’s the time to relax and dream big about next year’s race schedule, with a glass of Y+B.

Cyclocross is going off in the US and we couldn’t be happier about that.

We love racing here at Hincapie and ‘cross epitomizes everything that inspires us as a company. It takes serious resolve, an ability to ignore pain and charge when your tired, muddy body and bike would love to stop and it absolutely doesn’t take itself too seriously. What other sport features top-level pros and a citizen class with people racing in costume all on the same day? In the rain? The passion of cross is a great addition to the US cycling scene.

For a second consecutive year, Hincapie Sportswear is joining forces with the Cyclocrossracing.com p/b Blue Competition Cycles, a team that features serious pros, but also has a Grassroots Team that’s open to any category racer. We love that - it’s how you build the sport.

The 2011/12 team roster is deep. Last season, the team racked up wins and top ten finishes, including a 7th overall in the USGP Series, top tens at the US Cyclocross Nationals (Elite), U23 and Single Speed, and Collegiate Nationals. These guys are good.

So, watch for the team with the big, red CX on their Hincapie kits and give your cowbell an extra ring for the team this season.

One of our favorite local charities is Greenville Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels provides daily hot meals to homebound Greenvillians who are unable to prepare meals on their own. Each day more than 1,300 meals are delivered throughout our city.

The top Meals for Wheels fundraisers.

Cyclists in our community, led by local businessman Larry Webb, have organized an annual Wheels for Meals charity ride to raise funds for Meals on Wheels. This year the ride brought in close to $100k. The top ten fund raisers alone brought in over $36,000 dollars, equaling 7,308 meals! In recognition of their efforts, George hosted a private group ride for these top fund raisers. George and the Hincapie team are grateful for all that Meals on Wheels has done for our community. We have personally seen what the organization has done for our neighbors, friends and family members. Thank you!

Rae Harrison (riding alongside BMC's Chris Butler) raise over $4,330!