The Way We Were...

 Well Mr Peabody, were you taking us tonight?

Well Sherman, I am very glad you asked..tonight we step into the way back machine to 1995.

Why 1995 Mr Peabody?

Well young Sherman, sit down for a few moments and I’ll show you..

Picture the year, 1995. Russia was hit with a 7.6 earthquake, Michael Jordon makes his return to the NBA..Toy story debuts and sends middle class parents into credit card debt....the glove doesn’t fit OJ...and dead heads got a little more dead because Jerry Garcia cashed all his chips in...

Oh, mr Peabody, I know those things but what about here in Michigan ?

Well Sherman, the Michiganscene was getting ready to blow up mountain bike racing was a weekend thing, and slowly the old skinny rode tire set was about to jump on the coattails..yes, emerging from a steel grey slumber the Festina series was slowly cooking.a true to form just like there hairy leg counterparts..the roadies were coming. And with that teams began to sprout up, creating a cast of characters to go with the stage, and one the best dressed ever were the boys they called..The little green men...team Alpine cycles. Not a large group by any stretch but a solid mix. 

the Formidable on and off road Highlander, Brian Adams, Former bmx world champion, and sprinter Jamison Hendler, Ex college runner Alan Zoltoski, Charles Allarie, The Vanwesseps, the late Former state cyclocross champion Brett Robinson. And making his road debut The ex Bianchi Martini pro mountain biker  Scotty Quiring ..Scotty let everyone know at the annual MMBA meeting that winter he was going to the road scene as he walked around all pushing his tricked out Mario Cippolini Caad3 through out the day..... 

Later we see guys like Jimmy Mcmurray still Cannondale mounted don the infamous argyle Lycra yes indeed this was a power full group. They even had at unheard time a mountain bike squad dubbed Alpine Red led by Calvin Rickard..

Sherman..the wins didn’t come easy...Although they did there share ....but what did was the style. The Fonz would of gave them all thumbs up from the early Bianchi's, to the brilliant Red Cannondale..the Specialized king cobra lids..and those super cool Briko stingers..yes young lad...They were the first to bring the look of a team to the scene.....a style that has yet to be matched by this day...

Pappa T holding off the green men..

Alan winning in Midland

yes Sherm..I’d call this the birth of cool. Although like most good things. The team was short lived 3 years at best before the band broke up and moved on.. some went and formed the Saturn of Okemos and then later Mclain Roller squad..some went to other countries to seek the truth a few went on to live normal lives and some moved to various places to compliment other pioneers of the golden age, but none will be known as cool as the Alpine boys