Amgen Cycling Club Fall Events

Hi SYVCC

Amgen Cycling Club – California Peloton:

Two exciting cycling events this fall in Southern California.

1. Once again Amgen Cycling Club will be providing a day to ride on the Velodrome located in the Carson, CA VELO sports center. This year’s event will be on October 3^rd from 4pm to 9pm. The club will reserve the track rental time, rental track bikes for riders and coaches for our club. Participants will need to pay for the track time. Exact cost is TBD but expect $30-50. Thank you Tony Reed for making this event happen!

Never been on a velodrome (oval bike track with banked turns)? This is your chance to give it a try in a very low pressure, supportive environment. The LA VELO center goal is to get more people interested in track cycling as participants or fans. The LA Velo center track will be used for the 2028 LA Olympic games.

A few track cycling details:

• You MUST have a helmet, and you can wear regular bike clothes. Great opportunity to promote Amgen cycling with your 2026 club kit (or any other year)!
• You cannot bring your own bike. The VELO center has track bikes that are part of the rental. We recommend you bring your own cycling pedals and shoes, or you can use the platform and toe strap pedals they have.
• Track bikes are fixed gear meaning you cannot shift or coast. You are always pedaling, which is great for developing a smooth pedal stroke but does take some time to get used to. Don’t worry, the coaches will teach you this process as they have done 100s of times.
• A velodrome has banked turns; these can be quite intimidating at first but quickly become exhilarating with careful coaching and just a little bit of practice.
• This session is booked for 5hr but you will not be riding that full time. It will take about 45min to get everyone set up on a bike and some general safety. Then the group will be broken into smaller groups for riding sessions that will start with 5-10min and expand to longer rides (20-30min). If you tire out or have had enough you can sit a session out. They will also need about 30min to collect all the bikes, get your pedals off etc.
• If you are comfortable riding in a road paceline then you will be comfortable, with a little adjustment, on the track. If you have no paceline experience, just let the coach know.
• Oh, and track bikes also have no brakes! Again, this will be very uncomfortable at first, but you will quickly learn that, since no rider has brakes, it is actually safer in a riding group because no one in front of you can quickly stop. The coaches are great about getting you comfortable with this element of track cycling. And hey, there are no cars!
• More info: https://www.dignityhealthsportspark.com/about/venues/velodrome – VELO center site
• Location:  18400 Avalon Blvd, Carson, CA 90746  (~52m from Thousand Oaks, 1.5-2hr drive)

2026 BONUS: Men and women of the US National Cycling Team (including Olympians, past and future) will be training on the track from 10am to 4pm, just before the Amgen session. The Amgen Cycling Club is welcome to come and watch these speed demons prepare to go for the GOLD!

Interested? Please contact Tony Reed @Reed, Tony to put you on the list. The track can accommodate up to 25 riders, and we need a minimum of 10 riders to make it work.

2. Solvang Harvest Ride – Oct 10^th: 4^th Annual Solvang Harvest Ride, and each one is better than the last – You can choose from a ride that is flat and easy to steep and long. Either way you finish with the best lunch in the valley.
   • Meet at Hans Christian Andersen Park in Solvang at 8:50 AM, Oct. 10^th.  There will be 3 routes distances/challenge levels that will meet every rider’s goals.  In the Age of Inflation expect to have more fun, more good times, more happy memories-yet the price is still only $10 for hamburger/veggie burger humongous plate of food. For people whose tastes run more towards A1 than ketchup, a steak option is $25. While exploring the Santa Ynez Valley by bike, take part in the Poker Run Challenge.  Tasks such as taking a selfie of a windmill, a picture of your favorite mammal, a (distant) pic of a wild animal, a pic of a man-made object from 1800’s (covered wagons are common in the valley).  Each completed task earns a card from a deck of cards; best poker hand wins a prize.  Could be your choice of Dr. Squatch bar soap, Mango Tango, Rainforest Rapids, or Eucalyptus Greek Yogurt.  Imagine your new found popularity as your downwind aroma makes you the favorite cyclist to draft. 
   • If you want to have fresh air, fun times, and great food join the 2026 Solvang Harvest ride by contacting Darren Potter at <a data-linkindex="1" href="mailto:dpotte01@amgen.com" title="mailto:dpotte01@amgen.com” style=”mso-line-height-rule: exactly;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;color: #007C89;font-weight: normal;text-decoration: underline;”>dpotte01@amgen.com.

Ride On!

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