Animal is a great ambassador for MtnBikeRiders.com as well as super cool guy. He’s also a bit of a celebrity at the local trails and events. People ask me all the time…”Who’s this ANIMAL guy…” I simply say…”He’s THE ANIMAL, that’s who!”
Instead of cake, The ANIMAL prefers Smoked Turkey Legs…
So from all of us at MtnBikeRiders.com, Happy Beer-Day!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Not too many people know about this story of Moe, Eric “The Animal” and I. But it started off like this. Animal called me up and ask, (read the following in a super deep,manly voice), “Hey RL, its ERIC! I wanted to see if you’d and Moe would be interested riding the Top Secret Trail(local trail)?” I said I was interested and Moe also agreed to go. We set up a time and date for the ride, it was for Saturday morning @ 7am.
We rode up the trail and once we got to a resting point, we stopped. Animal sits down on the ground, opens up his hydration pack, and pulls out a WHOLE Rotisserie Chicken! Moe and I look at each other, then at our Clif Bars and Gu and start to laugh at the Animal since he was chowing down on the chicken. What made Animal’s snack look good was the fact he had some potatoes and gravy in a container!
As we’re sitting, eating, and chatting, we start to hear some rustling in the near by bushes. I’m looking around but I don’t see anything. Animal looks over his left shoulder, and he lets out a sigh, well more like a groan. Then he says, “ugh…its Kyle.” I asked him who or what Kyle was? Animal then said that Kyle is a Cougar that likes to make an occasional appearance on the trail. “He must have smelled my lunch, dangit, I hate when that happens!” Said Animal. Moe replied, “What do you mean…”when this happens? So you’ve seen Kyle?” Animal reassured us that Kyle the Cougar wouldn’t bother us and will probably only venture out once we leave.
However, Kyle the Cougar had different plans that day. Kyle starts making his way through the bushes. First his left paw, then his nose, then his eyes and eventually his whole head was sticking out. He had an intense look in his eyes. He wasn’t looking at me nor Moe, but he had locked eyes on to Animal’s lunch, the rotisserie chicken.
Kyle takes two steps forward, and by this time, his whole body is out of the bushes, he lowers his head as if he’s getting ready to attack. None of us make move. Then Kyle lunges forward towards Animal! Kyle is going straight for the chicken! Animal yells out, “Nuh UH!!! That’s MY CHICKEN!”
As if the world suddenly hit the slow-moe button…everything was so clear and vivid. Kyle was in the air attacking Animal. But Animal was determined to keep his chicken, and you can see his face changing, from annoyed to really mad. All at the same time, his veins are popping out of his arms, shoulders, neck and his face as he’s cocking his right arm back getting ready to punch. By the way he’s got the chicken on his left hand. Then next thing you know, BOOOOOOOM!!!!!! Animal punches Kyle on the face!!!!!
Kyle falls straight to the ground. But he gets up! Then the weirdest thing happened…Kyle SPOKE!!!! He said, “Dude! WTF was that for!” Animal replied, “That’s what you get for trying to take my chicken! You didn’t even say please!” Kyle said, “Aw c’mon man, I’m super hungry! All I had was a small gopher today. Can’t you just give me a wing or something?” Animal replied, “Fine, but you can’t be jumping out of the bushes like that! You scared my friends!”
Kyle the Cougar apologized for making Moe and I crap our pants. Animal finally introduced us to Kyle and he actually wasn’t that bad of a Cougar. He even opened up to us and shared that his lover, Julius left him for another Cougar. Apparently, Julius wanted to have Cubs, but Kyle didn’t. Anyhow, after about 20 minutes of hanging out, we gave Kyle some Bro-hugs and I gave him some of my Clif Bars and Gus since he looked hungry.
When we got back to the car, Animal asked us, “Did you learn anything from today’s ride?” I said, “Uh, yeah that Cougars can talk?!” “No!” Animal replied, “Sharing is caring, see a need fill a need!”
Popularity: 2% [?]
One week ago our MtnBikeRiders.com Team finished the SRC winter series and Triple Crown at Southridge.
I signed up for the Single Speed 34 and under XC race. At the start of the race I was the only one in my class, so I was convinced that the Single Speeds would be grouped together. In my head I was racing the 35 and up class as well, this power house named Robur (35 years +) was in attendance, he is a killer on the climbs and down hills. I have chased him and his carbon SS before in the Triple Crown series.
The race starts and I leading the pack though the course, I keeping telling myself to relax and keep the tires on the ground. Half way up the water tower road Robur takes the lead, I try to stay with him as we are passing other riders on the single track. I saw an opportunity to take the lead spot back on a tough uphill section, I charged and passed Robur on his right. Robur did not let up, he passed me about a mile later. I caught up to Robur on the flat section of the course and started cranking as fast as I could, I peaked at 25 mph on 32 x 20 gearing too fast for Robur’s gearing, that was the near the end of the first lap of three. Race day I weighed 245 pounds, in the end the gear choice was key. It was not too hard to lug uphill and I could ring it out on the flat sections of Fontana. After almost 13 miles of pushing my legs and the Redline MonoCog 29er to the limit, I came across the Finish Line first with Robur only 9 seconds behind Wow!
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1
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Eric
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Hunner
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ZH
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235
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S-S Men 34 & Under
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01:08:27.00
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1
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Robur
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Rodgers
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ZI
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804
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Single-Speed Men 35+
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01:08:36.00
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2
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Mark
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Mumea
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ZI
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15
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Single-Speed Men 35+
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01:12:31.00
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3
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Rick
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Lane
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ZI
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220
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Single-Speed Men 35+
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01:23:15.00
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Click here for SRC’s home page if you want to get into racing http://www.southridgeusa.com/
and SC Velo’s site http://scvelo.com/component/content/article/90/103-2009-incycle-cross-country-challenge
Thank You to all of our Team Sponsors
Popularity: 6% [?]
RL Policar-The Animal shares his experience during the 2009 Traverse. Read his report and you’ll be amazed by his strength. I swear man, its like reading about Paul Bunyan or Hercules or something big and strong…I would like to add that The Animal is a very humble guy. The whole team as well as strangers alike are always commenting on how amazing he is or how powerful and how he has these massive banana sized hands, but The Animal remains low key about his abilities. Not only is he a great racer, but he really is a super cool dude.
I am starting to write my report a little more than 24 hours since the finish of “The Traverse” an epic race though the Santa Ana mountain range. Today has been a little rough, I am still feeling the after effects of the race,
I raced in The Traverse in 2008 which was a burner with temps hovering in the mid 100′s, so I didn’t take any chances as far as hydration was concerned for this years race. I outfitted my Ergon BD-1 with two bladders, one 3 liter with straight water, and a 2 liter with a mix.
This combination works well for me at 240 pounds I need a lot of fluid, and weight is not an issue with the Ergon backpack. I stuffed my Hoss shorts full of Sportlegs, Ibuprofen {a necessary evil when riding rigid long distance}, Hammer Gels, Power Bars, taped another Power bar on the seat post, and taped more gels on the handlebars. I didn’t want to start thinking about the catered El Pollo Loco at the finish half way though the race. I wanted to race my race and not stop at check points to eat. Lots of food, lots of fluid, and a hassle free Single Speed geared 32×20 on 26″ wheels with lots of PSI in the tires.
My wife was kind enough to drop me off at the start on Blackstar road. I took a quick spin down the road to loosen up, and it was about time to line up for the mass start all 175 of us. I chatted with some familiar faces that I met while racing with the MTNBikeRiders.com Team, one fellows name was Mark [we met at a Mt. SAC race] small world. Mark and his son were racing The Traverse together, very cool I hope to do the same with my little girl some day.
The Pro and Expert class take off promptly at 7am and the rest of us follow. I started right behind the Pro and Expert class and stayed to the side for the first two miles of flat terrain to stay out of the way of geared riders Big Ringin it down the the fire road. As the climbing started I began weaving though the same riders that passed me minutes before. Next stop Beek’s Place, I put my head down and started pressing on I had a long race ahead of me.
Beek’s Place is only a few hundred yards away and I hear RL hooting and hollering. It is an incredible feeling to have support on top of the mountain especially coming from from your team, it is no easy feat to get up to the ridge by car/truck/or suv and be on time for the event. Joe hauled his camera gear up the mountain captured the action unfolding in front of me. I was chasing a single speed up Blackstar and made my pass just after passing Joe [by the Golf ball], I kept up a fast pace and held off the other Single Speeds behind me. In The Traverse they do not have a Single Speed division but I chose to ride one anyways and so did about 5 other riders.
The weather was about perfect this race I don’t think the temp went over 100 degrees and there was a slight breeze. After many miles of riding and eating a bunch of science food all I could think about was El Pollo Loco at the Finish Line. It was 11:37am and my friend Mark caught up to me as I slowed down to ward off the cramps. We were riding up the last climb to West Horse Thief trail and I said, “El Pollo Loco is going to be served in 23 minutes I can not wait” we are still an hour away from the finish. That hour felt like two hours after going down loose shale rocks and ruts on a rigid bike. I finished the race for the second year in a row, and improved my time by an hour. 2008 time 6hours 36minutes, 2009 5hours 36 minutes. I was glad just to finish this race, it it one of the hardest races I have done yet.
Popularity: 7% [?]
On behalf of the MtnBikeRiders.com Family, we’d like to wish THE ANIMAL, a Happy Birthday!
The Animal prefers smoked turkey legs than cake…Happy B-Day buddy!
Popularity: 3% [?]
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