2022 SEA OTTER CLASSIC ICE CREAM SOCIAL RIDE

04.13.22 | Photos by Jay Melena

Flashpoint MVMNT is all about making riding bikes more welcoming, inclusive, and most of all, FUN! That’s why our Ice Cream Social Rides have become such a big part of how we like to engage with other cyclists at events. At the 2022 Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California, we hosted our best Ice Cream Social Ride yet! The goal of this ride is to offer a social group ride experience that is fun for everybody, no matter how much or how little riding experience you have, or how fast or how slow you like to ride. It’s a no-drop ride with lots of regroups along the way, meaning nobody gets left behind and everybody feels like a valued part of the group. What’s the secret that makes it even more fun though? We stop midway through the ride for some trailside ice cream! Does it get any better than that?!

At this year’s Sea Otter, a group of about 40 cyclists gathered at the Giro booth to meetup for the Flashpoint MVMNT Ice Cream Social Ride. We had such a wide variety of people join the fun: industry veterans, teenaged racers, first-time group riders, youngsters, families, pro cyclists, and a few people who were new to riding gravel bikes on singletrack. It was fun to bring so many varied backgrounds together for a day out on the bike.

*Our ride leaders Amanda Schaper and Scott Chapin gave the group of about 40-riders a quick intro to the route as we got ready to head out for a fun day riding bikes together. (Photos by Jay Melena)*

Our group headed out on the Laguna Seca Raceway to pre-ride part of the Sea Otter Classic gravel race course, which is a mix of swoopy singletrack and fireroads. It was fun to see our experienced riders fly through the singletrack, and even more exciting to see our less experienced riders conquer new terrain with the support of our big crew. There was no shortage of smiles and good vibes throughout the day!

*From the raceway straight into the singletrack! Good vibes were flowing throughout the whole ride. (Photos by Jay Melena)*

We were especially inspired to see our youngest rider of the day finish the full route and push hard to ride up steep climbs and tricky singletrack. He was so motivated, and we all were inspired by his determination to clear sections and stay with the group. The future sure does look bright!

*This young shredder rode hard all day, pushing himself to make it up steep climbs and clear tricky singletrack sections. We were impressed! (Photos by Jay Melena)*

It was a beautiful day with impressive wildflowers and wildlife - some of our group were lucky to even see a large bobcat on the trail! Best of all, we just had a great time seeing so many smiling faces, connecting with old friends, and making new friends while having an awesome shared experience on the bike.

*The stoke was high and many new friends were made! (Photos by Jay Melena)*

The real highlight - no surprise - was the trailside ice cream stop. Giro’s Marketing Director and Flashpoint’s biggest cheerleader, Dain Zaffke, met us on our ride route with a cooler full of delicious ice cream sandwiches. His daughter June had the important job of making sure each rider got some ice cream, and she crushed it. Giro is Flashpoint’s founding partner, and we always value when we get to spend time with our Giro friends out on the trail…especially when they bring ice cream!

*June Zaffke was our ride MVP since she met us to deliver some trailside ice cream! (Photos by Jay Melena)*

Thank you to everybody who joined us at this year’s Sea Otter Classic Ice Cream Social Ride. It was the highlight of our weekend, and we loved spending the day with so many friends, both new and old. Connecting with people and building community is what bikes are all about to Flashpoint MVMNT, and we had a blast spending the day with so many kind, positive, and supportive cyclists. We can’t wait for the next one!