Blue Ridge Miles

We just returned from our second training camp of 2024 in Brevard NC. The week was full of miles and hills, great food, and a little March Madness.

At this camp we had some a few OG Rollfast members, some camp veterans, and a new Rollfast member doing his first camp!

Ricardo Banuelas (now known as “Ricky Blondie”) brought new energy to the camp. I’ve known Ricardo on the bike for the past few seasons in Carmel, but it was really nice to get to know him personally. Hear his story. Learn about his family. And, of course, to share some more time on the bike.

I enjoyed showing him what Rollfast and our camps are about. Not just crushing big watts, but helping each other and building each other up. Making each other better cyclists AND people.

Here was his take on camp…

One of the reasons I joined Rollfast was their training camps. I was definitely looking forward to spending time riding with the team but wasn’t completely sure what to expect. I can happily say that I really loved every aspect of the camp, these are my top 7:

Preparation: From day one it was very clear what to expect and the planning was second to none. Matt communicated very clearly and kept us informed. We knew the routes, nutrition, accommodation, travel plans etc… well in advance. No surprises and the right amount of flexibility to accommodate for changes in weather or how we felt during the day.

Location: Rollfast knows where to camp. Brevard is amazing and a great area to do different things and routes. Every ride felt different. It was great to be able to explore the area cycling.

Accommodations: We stayed in a really nice house with plenty of room for everyone. Thanks Breedan for finding it! We even had our own bicycle garage!

Routes: Every day we had a planned route to do, we knew expectations and pace. No one was left behind. Routes were very scenic and had their own unique challenge. I had the opportunity to practice climbing different gradients.

Food: we did a combination of eating out and preparing our own food. Chris did a great job and prepared some delicious meals. They even accommodate my diet restrictions.

Training: I came back with lots of miles and much fitter. Those mountains are no joke and definitely made me stronger. I got great tips on how to climb, descent techniques and power control.

New connections: During the camp I had the opportunity to connect with teammates beyond the friendly interactions during rides, they made me feel welcome and had a great opportunity to meet great people who I have a lot more in common than the love for cycling. Now I am not only looking forward to cycling with them but to catch up with my mates and to know more about them.

Overall it was a great experience, I came back with lots of happy memories.
Ricardo Banuelas