5th Wheel Cycling Team

While we await the “official” race report, here is the GPS data from our second place finish.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/11265789

I’m usually pretty frugal when it comes to purchasing bikes and bike accessories, but I splurged a bit when I saw these shorts on Chainlove for $61.99.  Three years ago when I first started riding, I would have scoffed at spending that much on a pair of shorts, but now I guess it’s considered “cheap.”

I don’t really like buying clothing without holding it in my hand first, but I decided to take a chance on these shorts since I had good luck with some Chainlove Jett shorts and the MSRP of $125 must mean that these are some high quality shorts. When the shorts arrived, the color scheme was nicer than I was expecting, but I was disappointed that they didn’t come completely as advertised.  The key things that were missing were the two cargo pockets and removable liner.  I contemplated returning them, but wanted to test them out before deciding.

My waist size is somewhere between 34 and 36 and the size L shorts fit a little more snug than I was expecting.  They aren’t tight by any means, but I still find myself sucking in my stomach when putting them on.  Once on, it’s a near perfect fit.  They don’t go below the knee and I can move very freely in them.  The chamois is where these shorts really stand out.  On their maiden voyage, my ass did not get sore whatsoever.  That was enough for me to keep them.  Overall, I would rate these shorts 3.5 out of 5 stars.  I like the style and the chamois, but dislike the feel of the pockets and the velcro fly.  I also had to dock a few points due to the bait and switch.

http://www.sugoi.com/usa/usaeng/Products/Bike/Men/Shorts/Details/1705-36305U-Gustov-Short

5th Wheel Cycling Team will be represented at the Kirkwood 9 to 5, an inaugural endurance mountain bike race put on by veteran Northern Calif. race organizers Team Big Foot. 5th Wheel founders Dennis Lui and Vince Camiolo will be racing as a two-man team. Friend of the team, Matthew Sonetto will serve as team support.

In this format, teams of one to four complete as many laps on the 6+ mile course as they can within eight hours, one team member on the course at a time (a relay). This is the first race of this format for 5th Wheel.

Kirkwood, a Lake Tahoe-area resort, will host the eight hour relay event; what many hope will be an annual race.

The lack of content on this site may lead you to believe we are a bunch of posers, but we really do ride bikes. For the non-believers, proof will be provided this weekend.

-Dennis

After years of deliberation and living on the back burner it seemed as though the 5th Wheel Cycling Team may have existed only as a short-lived overgrown idea of founders Vince Camiolo and Dennis Lui. Vince’s pair of mountain bike races in the summer of 2006 and a team effort urban scavenger hunt in 2007 were all 5th Wheel could jot down on a competitive resume. And then more than a year went by.

Sure, we rode our bikes. A lot. But our interest in 5th Wheel waned.

Dennis in Sedona during our early '09 MTB tour of Arizona. Photo ©Vince M. Camiolo

Maybe it’s the fact that Vince and Dennis both purchased shiny new bikes in early 2009, but 5th Wheel is now bolstered by a renewed interest in riding with a purpose!

After almost a decade of suffering (thus getting stronger) on one gear Vince is hitting the trails on a geared bike with a renewed commitment to competitive cycling and 5th Wheel. More than 20 events fill his race calendar between now and the end of the summer, consisting of mostly mountain bike races, peppered with the possibility of a few adventure races. Many races he will be accompanied by other talented athletes acting as guest team members. And co-founder and San Diego mountain bike socialite, Dennis, is rumored to make a race appearance or two.

Two races are already behind us, and reports should be appearing on the site shortly.

Follow 5th Wheel updates on Twitter and keep an eye on the site for race and ride reports, other interesting musings and hopefully some 5th Wheel swag in the near future!