skip to content
Current Lead Times: Simple-Custom Framesets: 1 week. Full Custom Bikes: 7 weeks.

U.S. Built Custom Bicycles in Titanium and Titanium-Carbon Mix

Tag: Mike Taylor

Taylor Takes Five at Hartford Crit

Kenda-Seven racer took lead early and never looked back

Riders raced 50 laps on the closed city loop
Riders raced 50 laps on the closed city loop

A very fast one! 50 laps, around a .7-mile loop, with no actual corners, a real “loop”, around Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut. The weather was about as perfect as it’s been since we arrived out East.
Downtowns always look so nice when it’s a holiday weekend, and Hartford was no exception. A beautiful capitol building and the grounds were green and clean.

Mike suited up while the Scrapper and I did our normal routine: check out the competition. The Nerac Team was hosting the race, and so they were out in numbers, as was the Fiordi Fruitti Team. And Colavita’s Italian Stallion: Davide Frattini (whom I did not recognize at first…the blonde bombshell is no longer blonde!). 110 guys lined the start of the Men’s P1/2 race. Luckily the streets were wide and the pavement was smooth!

Seven's Mike Taylor lines up with the 110-strong Pro/1-2 field
Seven’s Mike Taylor lines up with the 110-strong Pro/1-2 field

Race rules read and they’re off! Taylor got a good start near the front of the massive peloton, while the Scrapper and I found a nice resting spot in the shade. (She forgot her sun-screen!) About 7 laps later, my “Seven” rider comes hammering off the front at turn one, leading the way. Suddenly a Colavita guy flies past! Frattini leads the way into turn two with Taylor on his wheel; but soon, with 108 guys chasing, the field was quickly back together.

The bunch was very attentive, and while many riders attempted to escape, no one ever got more than 15 seconds off the front. Right around lap 48, the Fiordi Fruitti 8+ man train took their turn at the front. Taylor quickly took his position behind the train with Frattini hot on his wheel and some Target Training riders in close proximity. The storming peloton was strung out like a snake, and the only guys who weren’t on the train were the ones who got crashed out.

As they turned the last corner, I could see Taylor in the distance. Too excited to see him in the front of the race, I closed my eyes. So I missed one of the “Red men” zig-zagging his bike dangerously across the road in the sprint. Mike finished strong though: 5th place and in the dough!

We celebrated a fine Sunday with a plethora of sushi and beer—and toasted our sponsor/employer (Seven Cycles) for the lovely day!

Scrapper dog
“the Scrapper”

Seven Welcomes Mike Taylor

Kenda-Seven racer took lead early and never looked back

Mike Taylor is not only the newest member of the Seven Cycles Fit Specialists team. The easy-going Minnesotan is also a six-year pro road racer who will be flying Seven’s colors on the racecourse. Seven Cycles is proud to have Mike onboard. Read Mike’s bio and race highlights below.

Mike Taylor at the races
Mike flies Seven’s colors out in front at Sturbridge Road Race. Photo courtesy of Bob Griffith

Mike began racing in 1991, moving from a Cat 5 rider to a Cat 1 rider in a single season. He spent 6 years racing with the Lombardi Sports Team, an elite amateur team in Northern California before becoming a professional rider. He spent the last 6 years as a professional, riding with the National Professional Teams (UCI Div 3/Continental) of Ofoto, Webcor and Mcguire. He also spent two seasons (2002 and 2003) living and racing the Belgian Kermesses and stage races in Belgium, France and Italy.

He recently relocated to Watertown, Massachusetts to work for Seven Cycles in the fit and design group after 15 years racing and working in the bicycle retail industry in California. Mike is very excited to be representing Seven Cycles in the Pro/Elite fields in New England this year. He’s competed and won races both domestically and abroad, is good all-around rider, and enjoys the team aspect of bike racing.

Growing up in the Midwest, Mike’s competitive eagerness began at an early age. His father, a junior high Physical Education teacher and coach, spent many a summer’s evening organizing and supervising neighborhood kids in countless games of the sport in season. Mike’s interest in athletics continued throughout high school where he competed in basketball, baseball, track and cross-country. Mike attended St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota where he graduated in 1991 with a B.S. in Business Management and was a member of the Varsity Basketball team.

During the off-season, Mike has worked as a mentor/coach of the PenVelo Junior Cycling Team with Clark Natwick of USA Cycling. His hobbies also include mountain biking and cross racing in the off-season and traveling and cycling in foreign countries with his wife, Joni, and his Jack Russell Terrier, Sydney.

Career Highlights

  • 2005 Camden Classic – first place
  • 2005 Lake Rebecca Cyclocross Classic – first place
  • 2005 Red River Cyclocross Challenge – second place
  • 2005 Erikson Brothers Tree Farm Cyclocross – third place
  • 2005 Rum River Cyclocross Challenge – fourth place
  • 2004 Infineon Criterium – third place
  • 2004 Infineon Circuit Race – seventh place
  • 2004 Tour of the Gila – Stage 3 – fifth place
  • 2004 Coyote Creek Classic – second place
  • 2004 Mount Hamilton Road Race – third place
  • 2004 Leesville Gap Road Race – second place
  • 2003 Tongerenn Kermesse – second place (Belgium)
  • 2003 Kapellen-Tienen Kermesse – fifth place (Belgium)
  • 2003 NorCal/NV District Road Race Championship – first place
  • 2002 Winters Road Race – second place
  • 2002 Incourt Circuit Race (Belgium) – fourth place
  • 2002 Wente Road Race – first place
  • 2002 Madera Stage Race Overall – second place (also in 1999, 1997)
  • 2002 Daulton Road Race – second place
  • 2002 Madera Criterium – second place
  • 2001 Pescadero Road Race – first place
  • 2001 San Bruno Mountain Hill Climb – first place
  • 2001 Leesville Road Race – first place (also in 1995)
  • 2001 Vuelta a Tachira (Venezuela) stage 1 – eleventh place
  • 2001 Vuelta a Tachira (Venezuela) stage 4 – fifteenth place
  • 2000 Lucca A Castallenia (Stage Race) (Italy) – first place
  • 2000 Pine Flat Road Race – second place
  • 2000 Mount Hamilton Road Race – second place
  • 2000 Redlands Bicycle Classic prologue – eighth place
  • 1999 McLane Pacific Road Race – first place
  • 1999 California Cup Overall – second place
  • 1999 University Road Race – second place
  • 1999 Ben Hur Time Trial – second place
  • 1999 Suisun Harbor Criterium – second place
  • 1999 Redlands Bicycle Classic Overall – sixteenth place
  • 1998 Madera Stage Race Overall – first place
  • 1998 Daulton Road Race – first place (also in 1997, 1996)
  • 1998 Ben Hur Time Trial – first place
  • 1996 Tour of Sausalito – first place
  • 1995 Mount Hamilton Road Race – first place