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From the Champ herself, Kim Finch talks about her race experience from the Shimano Winter Series #4

There was not much time for training for this race with all the rain, but I did manage to get a couple rides in. I mostly focused on injury recovery from a prior race. We got in early Saturday for the XC race. I chatted with everyone while setting up. As always Tony checked over my bike and tires before he headed for his practice DH run! Couple quick spins around the parking lot and it is up to starting line. While we were waiting to start, I chatted with Priscilla and the rest of the women in our category. The mass start is off with all the Beginner riders; I pull ahead of a few men to stay in eye contact with my competition. We are all off to the climbs and then the asphalt road and I seem to be ahead. I pass a couple of ladies in the 34 & under group and am feeling pretty proud of myself. The newly cut section is part of a prior Super D course and I was at first disappointed thinking they took out my favorite single track section but they added a climb back up to my beloved single track section.

I was surprised to see the amount of riders, mostly guys that were hiking up this section. I pedaled my way up and hit the single track! The race had some stiff competition with Natalie, which was the other lady in my group. We were neck in neck the whole course. The rain had made a lot of changes on the trail with many ruts. I & my competitor had a small crash at the end of the final single track, which by the way I have never crashed there before. This gave her a slight push ahead of me and I could see her increasing the gap as another two riders crashed where we had just cleared. I jump on my bike and realize my brakes are in the wrong place, quick spin of the bars and I am off again.

I stand up and pump out every pedal stroke with all the energy I have left in hopes to catch her! She is in my sight, along the fence line and then she rounds the corner, one hill left and it is the rocky climb I see her jump off her bike to run up the hill. I was stoked because I can make this climb and pass her. I yell “Rider Up” but she is still on the line I would like to take, so I go around her. I make 3/4 of the climb and stopped dead by a rock, I jump off and run up the hill! Remount the bike and it is a sprint to the finish line! We are rounding the final corners, down the double arrows, which by the way I had no time to pick a clean line and should have crashed flying down it. We hit the final turns to the finish and there is our Team, RL yelling at me, “She’s right behind you”..like I was not aware..Then THE FINISH!! I WON!! Times posted and it was 2 seconds!! What a GREAT RACE!! I was spent.

Quick change of clothes and bikes and I head up the hill for DH practice! I was very glad to see the DH course was mostly off camber turns and no real technical spots! Was designed for me! One run was all I had left in me! Race day Sunday get in one practice run and feel pretty good! Relaxed with the team and up to the top of the hill to “WAIT.” We had a great time cheering for all of the riders as they started their races.

Finally our turn, I told myself that it was MY course and it was just like the San Juan Trail. Getting over the countdown jitters and off I go! I can hear RL cheering, “Go Kimmie! Go get em’!” I rode through the course and I was having a blast! I reminded myself, during the “G” outs, maintain speed so not to over shoot the corners. It went great! Got to the lower rock garden, found MY line and cleaned it just as I planed!

Got the famous wall and legs were spent. I could hear the cheers of teammates in the lower rock garden and the famous words “PEDAL” “GET UP & PEDAL” so I gave it the last that I had! I never checked the times but was so excited and exhausted I just knew it was good!!

Thanks as always to the entire A-TEAM for their support! Thanks to Tony for always making sure my bikes are ready for BATTLE! Special thanks to all of our sponsors! Evomo, Ergon, Hoss MTB and BikeCommuters.com

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Afraid of the new trail?

I noticed it the first time I did a shuttle ride. Normally I’m all about the XC trails: flowy, some tech, uphills, downhills, singletrack for miles. But the shuttle ride was decidedly not XC. It was definitely more AM-ish so much so that when the shuttle driver picked us up he commented on my bravery for going out there with a hardtail (80mm). Out of the 15 or other bikes on the trailer only two bikes were not full suspension. Mine and my friend W. But W is crazy and a freak of nature. He told me afterward that he he’d like to do it again on his rigid SS.

On the shuttle ride up the mountain I had to allay my fears of riding this trail. I couldn’t believe that I was nervous about what I had gotten myself into. In the end it turned out to be fine. I ate it a couple of times but it wasn’t because the trail was too much. I was ether being too lazy and not getting back or not attacking stuff with vigor. It turns out that I really liked the trail and can’t wait to get back out there.

Not knowing whats around the next corner adds to the fun of the new trail

Most people like to ride familiar trails. They know where the difficult parts of the trail are: the lung busting climbs or the technical descents, the rock gardens, the sudden blind corners that lead to a steep staircase… The familiarity of the trail makes the rider feel a sort of security blanket attachment to the trail. I would also venture to guess that most people also like to ride new trails as well. You don’t get into mountain biking without a sense of adventure, right.

But there are riders who are afraid of the big bad new trail. These riders are terrified of how long and/or steep the climbs could be. They get nightmares when they realize they have to go down that descent. They get so worked up mentally that they end up defeating themselves before they even begin the ride often to the point where they just don’t enjoy themselves out there.

Since you’re already out there, take in the unfamiliar scenery

Just to clarify: there is nothing inherently wrong with being afraid of new trails. But I know you didn’t get into mountain biking because you wanted to tell everyone that you’re the numero uno rider of the city bike path did you?

Time for a bit of self diagnoses: Are you afraid of the big bad new trail? When was the last time you hit up a new trail? Did you make it through the whole thing or did you have to ditch partway through because it was too much (insert: climbing, descending, steepness, exposure, dirt, flowers, pretty landscape) __________?

If your answers are not satisfactory to you read the solutions.

Solution: Man up, buddy. If you’re a newb and you’re reading this you get a pass but not for long. If you’ve been riding for a while and it’s always the same old, same old… I’m calling you out: it’s time to wean yourself from your blanky and hit some new trails.

Another suggestion is to get some friends who are at your level or slightly better than you and ride with them. When you’re riding with better riders you almost always get better. You also have the added benefit of someone to help you out with tricky terrain.

Don’t be afraid to walk. Walking sucks, falling sucks more, breaking something while falling sucks the most

Don’t be afraid to walk. Just because I’m suggesting you ride new trails doesn’t mean you have to go balls out on stuff that’s way over your ability level. Use common sense and walk stuff that is just too hairy. Yes, walking the bike sucks but getting injured sucks even more.

Embrace the walk. You’re not going to conquer everything out there like you do with your familiar trails

Tagging along with “don’t be afraid to walk”, Embrace the walk. There are going to be places out there where you have to walk. It might not be on every new trail but as you ride new stuff, you’ll realize you’re going to have to walk it at some point in time. I say “Embrace the walk”. Hating the walk only dampens the mood. Enjoy the walk, take pictures, take in the new scenery, remind yourself that at least you’re not seeing the same things you saw on the same trail you rode last week and the month before that and the years preceding that.

By the way, we’re riding a trail that is new to almost all of us. We’ll be there this Saturday morning, Feb. 28. Click here if you’re in the area and would like to join us.

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Hey Fart Faces!

Come ride Sycamore Canyon and meet the staff of MtnBikeRiders.com. That’s right, you’ll meet:

Lady P

Big J, no not Jesus, but Jeremy Yang

R to the L! If you’re good, he may just show you some “tough love”

Joe “The Meat Inspector” Solancho. If you bring your meat, he’ll check it out for you.

Unfortunately, The Moe can’t make it. He’s got a big race on Sunday so he’s taking the day off.

So here’s the details of the ride.

Start time 7:30am
Sycamore Canyon
Here’s the trail head location.

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=92835&daddr=33.9543789,-117.3210212&h1=en

Hope to see you there. Oh by the way, a majority of us will be riding single speed. So if you’re in the mood to throw up…then bring your SS out!

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This past weekend I had the honor of joining my team mates out in the infamous Southridge dirt. This was my third race in Shimano Winter Series and my first time racing this series. If you keep up with the site you may know that this by far is my least favorite trail, so it took a lot of nerve to decide on racing a whole series out there! In retrospect I am glad that I did, and I have surely come a long way…

Let me debrief you on my first experience out there…. April 2007. I freaked out and couldn’t get past 3 miles on that trail. It was the big boulders and exposure that did me in. Those big scary hills sent me home in tears – I cried like a girl. I didn’t revisit that trail until about a year later in May of 08! Yep – that’s how traumatized I was! If you told me then that I would be racing there someday I would have bet money against it!

Lucky for me I have a pushy riding partner – that Pesky RL and some VERY patient riding buddies. RL has a way of pushing me outside of my comfort zone like no other. This series has been quite a learning experience for myself. First off, let me just say who’s idea was it to start a race series RIGHT after the holidays?!!?!? I don’t know about you, but I surely wasn’t training anything but my taste buds over the holiday season! Now that I got that off my chest..lets move on….

I feel like I have been riding nothing but Fontana since January! My first race was Jan 24th and I have spent just about every weekend out there since! I wanted to keel over after that first race. It was tough and I was in no racing shape. I finished really discouraged because of how slow I felt and how difficult parts of the trail still were for me.

It was sobering but motivating at the same time. There’s nothing like a little failure to keep you on your toes!!! lol. I just have to work a little harder then some, and that’s okay with me as long as it will get the job done. So the next couple of weeks were spent helping me with some technical portions. RL and David took some time out to help me get through some obstacles and it really made all the difference. The 2nd race wasn’t as bad. I came in less than a minute behind the rider ahead of me so I felt great about that. The best part was I that I was able to ride through some of those parts that I previously had to walk.

RL picking up my trophy for me ..lol

So this past weekend was the halfway point in this series. I’ll try to keep this short since you know how I can ramble on forever. First off, I must thank Tony for providing me with brakes 20 min prior to the race. It is good to have the ability to stop out on the trail. He did try to convince me otherwise saying that I would go faster without brakes but I actually would like to keep my cute little face in tact and body parts in place. Lucky for me he keeps stuff like this [brakes] stashed – he’s like the James Bond of mountain biking or something. lol. RL slapped those bad boys on in no time and I was ready to roll. It’s good to have friends.

The race itself wasn’t too bad. I always get my butt kicked on the first climb to the tower but I am happy to report no injuries. I can’t say the same for the girl who rode on ahead of me though. Poor thing went face first into a boulder at a switchback. By the time I rode up she was resting with lots of blood on her face. I couldn’t find it in myself to just leave her there so I asked if she was ok..and helped flag down one of the orange vest guys to help her out. She prompted me and another guy to continue on. Once I saw him walking over (I think Tony directed him too), I wished her quick healing and rode on. I looked for her after the race but couldn’t find her. I heard she had a nasty cut under her chin from the crash.

Photo courtesy of Joe

At that point I was pretty far behind the crowd of racers and I came to peace with just finishing the race with a good attitude. And so that’s what I did. I was happy to make it through those technical portions that I previously practiced with the boys and I put a lot of thought into smiling for my pictures out there on the course. It’s hard to hold that smile when you are grinding through those climbs! lol. I finished around 5 min after 1st place. Not too bad but motivation to do better next time.

Thanks to Kim for pickin up my trophy and making me look good. RL and I had to rush out because we have been helping our friends look for their lost Niece these last couple of Saturdays after the races.

Good times were had by all that day. Super proud of my amigos. These boys and girl tear it up out there. I am encouraged by the leaps and bounds I have made since 2007 but I can’t wait until I am good enough to race down hill!!! lol. I can’t forget a shot out to our sponsors of course – Evomo Clothing, Ergon, Hoss MTB and I’d also like to thank KHS for providing me the frame to race with.

Photo courtesy of Monique Spaulding

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Press Release!!!!!

Colorado Springs, Colo. (Feb. 25, 2009)—USA Cycling announced today the creation of a new professional gravity mountain bike series designed to recognize the top gravity racers in America. The USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (ProGRT) will consist of five events, including three UCI-sanctioned races, throughout the United States. Together, these races will provide world-class athletes with a consistent stage to showcase their downhill and 4-Cross skills.

Beginning in May of 2009, the ProGRT will visit four states and offer series ranking points to top finishers, resulting in overall individual titles for men and women. In addition, competitors will also have the opportunity to accumulate international ranking points as three of the five races are inscripted on the UCI calendar.

The series opens with the downhill contest at the Fluidride Cup in Port Angeles, Wash., May 1-3 and then heads south to the Chile Challenge in New Mexico where both the downhill and 4-Cross contests will be a part of the ProGRT. The tour then picks back up on Aug. 8 with both the downhill and 4-Cross at the Blast the Mass in Snowmass, Colo. The following weekend, the ProGRT moves east to the Yankee Clipper at Windham Mountain, the only race on both the Pro Cross Country Tour (ProXCT) and ProGRT. Wrapping up the tour will be the Whiteface 5K Downhill in Wilmington, N.Y. on Aug. 29.

“The Whiteface Mountain Bike Park is honored to be part of the Pro Gravity Tour. Five of the premier venues in the U.S. have been chosen for this historical series that will surely last for generations,” said Downhill Mike, promoter of the Whiteface 5K Downhill. “It is only fitting to be the last race on the tour with our eight-minute downhill track as racers should be=2 0in their best condition of the season by late August. The Lake Placid/Whiteface region has hosted two Winter Olympics (1932 & 1980) and has attracted numerous top athletes of all kinds ever since. The time has now come to bring a new breed of world class athletes to Whiteface Mountain and Lake Placid. Welcome Pro Gravity Tour.”

The objectives of the inaugural USA Cycling Pro GRT are to provide a sequence of international-caliber events for elite gravity racers, to recognize the best gravity athletes competing on U.S. soil, to spotlight America’s top races that have made a commitment to host high-level events and ultimately to raise the level of competitive gravity racing in the U.S.

“With the development of the ProGRT we were looking to showcase the country’s strongest gravity venues,” said USA Cycling Mountain Bike Events and Program Director Kelli Lusk. “We want to bring the elite riders together to compete against the best on the country’s top courses and ultimately crown the season’s preeminent gravity riders.”

2009 USA Cycling Pro Gravity MTB Tour (Pro GRT):

May 1-3: Fluidride Cup – Port Angeles, Wash. (DH $5,000 purse)

May 23-25: Chile Challenge – Angel Fire, N.M. (DH and 4-Cross UCI category 2)

Aug. 8-9: Blast the Mass – Snowmass, Colo. (DH and 4-Cross UCI category 2)

August 15-16: Yankee Clipper at Windham Mountain – Windham, N.Y. (DH and 4-Cross UCI category 1)

August 29: Whiteface 5K (DH) – Wilmington, N.Y. (DH $5,000 purse)

About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization and sanctioning body, USA Cycling consists of 64,000+ members, including 57,000 competitive cyclists, 1,500 coaches, 4,000 student-athletes, 2,200 officials, 350 professional cyclists, and 200 certified mechanics. USA Cycling also sanctions 2,500 competitive and non-competitive organized cycling events throughout the United States20annually, as well as 1,800 clubs and teams. Associations of USA Cycling include the United States Cycling Federation (road, track & cyclo-cross), the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), the BMX Association, the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the United States Professional Racing Organization. USA Cycling is also responsible for the identification, development, support and promotion of American cyclists through various athletic initiatives and programs including the USA Cycling National Development Team, the USA Cycling Women’s National Team, the USA Cycling Junior Development Team, Talent Identification and Regional Development Camps, domestic and international race calendars, direct athlete funding and support programs, and educational camps and seminars. USA Cycling also fields and supports U.S. National Teams for various international events, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, Pan American Games, Continental Championship and World Cups across all levels and disciplines of competitive cycling. USA cycling further supports grass roots and locally-based initiatives through its 32 Local Associations and comprehensive network of licensed and certified coaches and officials. Additionally, USA Cycling conducts National Championship events for amateur and professional cyclists, awarding more than 600 national titles annually to men and women in junior, U23, masters, elite, professional and paralympic categories throughout the various disciplines of competitive cycling. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org. For media-related or general inquiries, please contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867 or alee@usacycling.org.

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