At the end of August, we had the opportunity to visit Bend, Oregon to hang out and train with Paula Findlay and Eric Lagerstrom for a weekend, as they graciously shared their favorite gravel roads, running trails, and coffee shops in their backyard. A culmination of a Castelli x TTL sweepstakes held a couple months back, we had folks from both coasts of the United States fly in and join the fun.

Perhaps not literally lost, but the labyrinth of gravel roads and trails in and around Bend had us smiling ear to ear and all wishing we had a lot longer than a 3-day weekend. Disconnecting from the rigors of training, spending time together, and getting lost in the woods was not only a perfect start to our time in Bend, but set the tone for the theme of the entire weekend.

Let’s be honest: it’s a big part of why we do all of this to begin with. If hunger is the best appetite, then cycling is surely one of the greatest cooks. There’s arguably no better way to end the day than by eating good food with great people, and the pizza ovens were burning hot as we shaped dough and crafted our individual pizzas. Perhaps skewed by the fatigue of the ride and time in the sun, these portable Gozney ovens turned simple, hand-made balls of dough into some of the best pizzas on this side of the Deschutes River.

As with all good things, the weekend came to an end – far too abruptly than we would have liked – but we went out with a bang on Sunday with a trail run followed by some excellent coffee and pastries from our friends at Thump Coffee.


This weekend really reminded us, as we packed up and headed back to the realities of our daily life, that the human connections we make while participating in sport – the community we create – is really what it’s all about. Sure, we do sport for a variety of reasons, from health and fitness improvements, to performance, to the post-workout, dopamine-enhanced euphoric state we all love, but combining it with friends and with food surely make it a lot more memorable. And although the dust has hardly settled from this weekend (we haven’t even had the opportunity yet to clean our bikes), we’re already eagerly looking forward to the next opportunity to make memories with friends.

Last, but not least! This weekend only, over on the TTL website you can get your hands on the latest addition to their collection: the Adventure Hoodie. Available in limited quantities for both men and women, this lightweight piece has quickly become a favorite for runs and rides, as well as for putting out casual vibes at the coffee shop.

Bend, Oregon

Photo credit: @samanthaweald / Joel Sunderland / @eric_lagerstrom