Una Pizza Napoletana and Soulcraft Cycles Present A Ruota Libera: A San Francisco Bicycle and Pizza Show

Date: March 20 2011

Location: Una Pizza Napoletana 210 11th St and Howard St. San Francisco, CA 94103

The greater San Francisco Bay area is home to numerous world-renowned bicycle frame builders. On March 20th many of them will converge at Una Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco for 'A Ruota Libera', a bicycle and pizza show designed to showcase and celebrate the rich culture and history of frame building that exists right here in our own backyard.

Anthony Mangieri, owner and pizzaiolo of Una Pizza Napoletana, is an avid mountain biker and owner of several custom made bicycles. For Mangieri, the event represents an opportunity to invite fellow craftsmen, who share his appreciation for detail, into his own 'workshop' where he will happily churn out his signature Neapolitan pizzas for the show.

Sean Walling, owner and frame builder behind Soulcraft Cycles, immediately saw the value of bringing local builders together for the show and partnered with Mangieri to bring A Ruota Libera to life. "The frame building talent we have within a 50 mile radius is an embarrassment of riches," says Walling, “and Anthony has the same obsessive approach to pizza that we have to bikes, so why not get together and give the locals the opportunity to experience this all in one place."

Walling and Mangieri both agree that A Ruota Libera will be a great venue for all, whether frame builder or fan, to appreciate what results from years working toward mastering a craft.

A Ruota Libera will also showcase a live musical performance by the internationally praised duo, The Mattson 2 and a screening of 'FROM STEEL': The Making of a Soulcraft' by director Michael John Evans.

The name “A Ruota Libera” is Italian for “Freewheel.”

Moretti Beer and Mr. Espresso coffee will also be available.
Admission to the event is $10 (includes pizza)
Free on site bike parking will be provided.
Tickets are available at the door the day of the show.
Doors open at 1pm and close at 7pm.

www.unapizza.com
www.soulcraftbikes.com

"If a group of frame builders goes riding together and no one knows about it, is it cool?"

In substitute for the dog and pony show in Austin, a few custom bike builders got together to do something almost unthinkable upon their wares. They rode them.

So what's the answer to this post's title? According to El El Capitán Pirata, it's "No, definitely not".

24 Hour Race Report

2011 Old Pueblo is in the books, and as usual, it was both brutal and fantastic at once. The day started off just fine, I felt great for my first solo 24 attempt.
Noon: The mass LeMans start was mayhem, there had to be 1000 people all trying to run in bike shoes. I got off to a comfortable start, cruising with a big group, until I misjudged a corner and ran my foot through a cactus. Oops. After the lap I changed shoes and went out again, and this time the winds started kicking up.
3pm: Winds hit 40 mph, out camp area blew down, and I started trying to find big dudes to ride behind. Fortunately, my husband Andy got the pits back together (mostly) and kept everything running smoothly.
6pm: Bike race turns into shitstorm. Winds are howling, rain is coming sideways, temperature is dropping fast. Somehow I am dumb enough to go back out in it.
9pm: Rain finally stops, and wind slows down. I'm suddenly an HOUR up on second place. Laps keep coming smoothly.
2am: All my technical skills desert me. I hit every rock within a foot of the trail. Kept it upright only because my bike knows how to ride better than I do.
4:30am: Things start getting weird. I start hallucinating rabbits, or at least I don't think they were real. I kept telling myself "don't swerve, they're not really there!"
6:45am: Sunrise lap! I felt sortof ok again, and put in a decently fast lap. Met up with a fellow solo rider named Phil who pulled me around the back half of the course. Thanks Phil, I would have been a lot slower without you!
10am: Made the decision to go out for another lap. I probably didn't have to, but I wanted 13 laps...that one hurt. A lot. I felt like I was going about 4 mph, but I still made it back in under 2 hours.
Noon: The finish! Finally! I have a photo from the end, but it's too awful. I couldn't bring myself to put it on the internet.

Final tally-24 hours, 212 miles, 15,600 feet of climbing, 27 dead kangaroo rats on the trail (yes, I counted), and 1 sweet first place trophy.

Mid-ride pint

Vine St Pub, Denver, CO

Race Report: CCCX #1

Me and my secret weapon (pre-race PB&J) rolled up to CCCX #1 at Fort Ord today, anticipating the usual fun that Keith D. and th' boys put together. This time, I remembered to bring my warp drive, a new pair of MTB shoes, and my quick-release-mounted spikes to try my luck in the 35-44 Cat. 1/Exp./whatever division. Weather was extra-spectacular, and not a lot of cold wind that Fort Ord has this time of year. After a hot lap and a half, I decided the new shoes would have to wait for some more adjustment, and I threw on the old retreads. After chatting/meeting up with some riders/buds just emerging from their caves, Rod The Startman and MC put us 3rd wave, and with a drop of the hanky, we took off for the 1/4 mile asphalt drag-race to the first turn and start of the dirt. The following are transcripts from the little voice in my head. "1st lap: super mellow. 2nd - 3rd: mellow. 4th lap: mellow still, but let's go a little faster, try to close on the leader a little, and pass a lot of flotsam from the waves that started before us. 5th and final lap: test the mettle a bit, glad this is just the first race, too much road-riding-read sore butt, and they made the course a bit more fun to help us lazies feel confident that we can still ride, am looking forward to 2011." This course is fast and in places very slick, but no hassles, not even a close call-damn I'm smooth. There was a guy right behind me during the middle of the race that pulled a complete vanishing act: one second he was there, the next, the ground sucked him right up. I'm pretty sure I heard a "Whoa, hey Moe" back there. If not for a family function I had to hurry up and git to, I would of stood on the box. Next time, we're racin' for pinks. Thanks Keith and the CCCX gang for your brand of family fun.

Editor's note:

Supposedly, there was some video generated from the races-will post as req. so you can view my exemplary trail etiquette ("oh, but no, you first"), textbook bike-handling skills, and clean, close shave.

cccxcycling.com

P.S. Sean, love the bike-building movie. When do we get the director's cut?