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As you all know, members of the race team have kicked butt all winter long! We started racing in Fall of 08 and started the Shimano Winter Series on January 5th,2009. Since then we’ve basically had a race weekend every two weeks until the end on March 22nd, 2009.

Our team consisted of our core crew of Priscilla Policar (XC), Kim Finch, (XC, Super D and DH), David Sanderson (Single Speed XC), Eric “The Animal” Hunner (Single Speed XC), Tony Finch (DH and Super D) and Joe Solancho (XC, Super D, DH). Then there is Moe Ramirez and yours truly, RL Policar. Moe tried his hand in XC racing in 08 then decided to race Super D and DH for 09. I raced my first DH event in 08 and continued to race for 09.

Before I go on, I’d first like to thank our sponsors, BikeCommuters.com, Evomo Clothing, Hoss MTB, and Ergon USA. These companies have supported our team since the beginning and truly deserve some love. So do us a favor, click on the links, buy their stuff, why? Well honestly, its because their products rock! Evomo has some sweet mountain bike related clothing and jerseys, Hoss MTB makes some of the best riding clothing such as shorts, and jerseys. Ergon Bike…need I say more? Ergon makes super comfortable hydration packs and their world famous grips will literally change your riding…trust us!

One of the things I’ve often mentioned to the team and on the website is our chemistry. Not only do we all get along, but we actually like spending time with one another. In fact, on my birthday, almost all of the team showed up for the surprise celebration that Priscilla set up. I also have to mention that we all chip in with the responsibility of each race. Usually we would have a BBQ or some sort of potluck and we could easily rely on the team to bring what was needed or what ever they promised to bring.

Encouragement was also key to the success of our team. We cheered each other on during the races and while some of us were on the podium. One of my favorite things to do was to keep tabs of riders in each of their respective categories. So that meant I would keep a tab on the riders in Eric and David’s SS group, and as they passed by the feed station, I’d give them an update on how each rider was from them. After the races, our team would do so well, that they would often times get the opportunity to stand on the podium. This is when more cheers and praise from the team would come out in support of our rider. I think we were one of the loudest groups during the awards…

Our mechanical support system has been amazing. Tony Finch was our roving bike shop. He had just about any part you needed in his car. Plus if we needed advice about our bike, tire pressure or the terrain, Tony was the man to go to. With his years of racing and riding, Tony was like the living/biking Wikipedia for bikes.

As we raced through out the months, there were times when we all felt like the races had started taking a toll on all of us. It’s not exactly easy to race every other weekend. Some of us live far, have kids and the preparation as well as the effort to get to each race can be taxing after a few months. But I have to tell you, once we got on our bikes…all that seemed to not matter. We were all doing something we loved…riding bikes!

All in all, our team performed really well at Fontana. We took home a few championships and it also cultivated something much more out of each of us. I think if anything, I saw each rider push through some tough times on the trail as well as in our own lives.

I can’t really get into details, but some of our team members had gone through quite a bit during the series, yet they persevered and kept coming back. I tell you, our team is great. I actually look forward to seeing all the guys and gals. There’s just something about seeing Eric’s strength come into play whether off or on the trail. David’s enthusiasm was infectious, Joe’s photos and heart to race has been pretty awesome. Tony Finch’s knowledge and fatherly qualities was great to see because he really made sure he coached all of us newbies. Kim’s tenacity was very impressive. In fact Moe often viewed Kim as his racing role model. Then there’s Priscilla, she has been very supportive during the series. Not only was she out there giving her best, but she was there to support the rest of us during our own races.

I also want to take the time to say how proud I am of my buddy Moe. For this guy to race downhill is nothing but impressive. I’m not saying he rides like Eric Carter, but the guy is out there giving his best. Each race Moe isn’t holding back, he literally gives DH 100% of his heart and doesn’t stop working hard until he crosses the finish line.

Though the Winter Series is over, it doesn’t mean we’re done racing. There are a few more events this year and I am just as excited as everyone else to get back on the bike and compete. Besides, we get to hang out with each other again!

So I hope you’ve enjoyed our racing adventures through videos and race reports. We certainly have. I know that racing has brought something new and different to the site’s content. If anything, many bike companies we deal with are really happy to see us out there racin’ and having fun. How do we know this? Well…some of then will either tell us during the events, or we’ll get emails stating they love what we’ve been doing. Don’t worry, we’re still the same set of people that do reviews, articles and all that jazz.

Thanks again to our readers for choosing to visit MtnBikeRiders.com and for your continued support in what we do.

Shimano Winter Series Overall Results:
Tony Finch Sport Men 43-50 2nd Place
Kim Finch Beg Wmn 35+ 1st Place DH, 1st Place XC
Joe Solancho Beg Men 35-42 2nd Place, Super D 2nd Place
Moe Ramirez Beg Men 35-42 3rd Place, Super D 4th Place
RL Policar 200 Club 1st Place
Priscilla Policar Beg Wmn 34 under 2nd Place
Eric Hunner SS 34 Under 2nd Place
David Sanderson SS 34 Under 4th Place

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My Saturday started with a practice DH run. I hiked up to the start since I like to stop and check out some of the sections of the DH course. As I was walking up the hill, I also noticed the Yellow signs with the blue arrows, these are the signs that marked the SuperD course. As I pushed the bike to the top, I noticed that the SuperD course was very similar to the one from the first race, except that it didn’t go through the lower rock garden.

Picture courtesy of Chris Sharky Gattas

There was a snafu and my name was not on the name list, that meant I had to go dead last. I didn’t care, less pressure for me. Unfortunately I had a terrible race, the terrain was rather loose and I lost it in a couple of places. I also got lost twice, luckily, Sharky was there to do traffic enforcement and my team mate David also redirected me to where I was supposed to go.

I had a great time racing SuperD, the KHS Flagstaff 29er was an excellent weapon of choice when the terrain was fast and flowy, my KHS AM2000 served me well when the terrain was a little more challenging and I needed all 6 inches of travel. I ended up taking 4th place on the SuperD overalls, I am more than pleased with those results.

When I woke up Sunday, it was raining hard. I loaded the DH200 and took off to Fontana. Since I did some soil-sampling on Saturday during a practice run, I re-injured my shoulder and I opted to just race and not practice.

Joe and I were tied on points for second place for the overall. I knew that whoever came in first was going to take 2nd overall. Joe and I have really enjoyed racing against each other, this time was no different. I knew that he wanted it as much as I did. I had a near flawless run, the rain really did the trail some good and I felt rather fast. As soon as I crossed the finish line, I started counting, I saw Joe coming in and I counted about 25 seconds, I knew it was going to be really close:

Yup, Joe was faster than me by less than a quarter of a second. Now that’s racing!

I had a great time racing DH, my personal goal was to have fun and not to kill myself, third place overall was just icing on the cake!

I want to thank all my team mates and their family for their support, KHS Bicycles and Vince Calvillo for letting me use the DH200 (review coming soon!) and the Flagstaff 29er, Evomo.com, HossMTB, Pricepoint.com, Ergon, and Serfas.

Next stop: The Nationals!!

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All week Weather Forecasters were predicting that Sunday would bring rain to Southern California. But as you know weather people are always wrong at least half of the time. I got up around 5 am to get the trailer ready to head out to Fontana to do some practice runs. Fellow team mate, David Sanderson agreed to go with me and take in a few practice runs.

As I drove on the freeway, rain started to come down. In various parts it would sprinkle then a mile later a big down pour. However, when I got to the venue, the place was still dry. As soon as I was done setting up base camp, rain had arrived with David.

We suited up and got on the shuttle van only to be greeted with a pouring rain. The van was full of racers and we all talked about how nasty the trail will be. I sat in the middle row and as the van pulled up to the top of the mountain, one at a time, the racers placed their helmets on their heads then quickly exited the van. The whole scene reminded me of some sort of action movie where the Commandos are being told to get out of the plane/truck and head into battle.

David and I lined up at the gate and the rain was hitting harder than ever. The wind was blowing at pretty good rate as well. The race course was far different from the dry and loose sandy conditions from the day before. Now it was a slippery mess and when you combine that with big rocks and boulders, its a Molotov cocktail for disaster.

David started before I did and I gave him at least a 5 second start. When it was my turn, I maneuvered through the course like an old lady on a Sunday stroll on her walker. I made sure I took my time to remember the proper lines, and taking extra precaution to be careful not to do anything that would cause injury. I don’t know about David, but I was slipping and sliding the whole time. I made it down to the bottom of the course, passed the finished line. We headed back to camp to wait for the rest of the team. As soon as Joe, Kim and Tony arrived, we jumped on the next shuttle to do another run. This time the rain had stopped a bit and the course was more tacky than muddy.

Races started at 10:30 am sharp. However, my category was the last group to go and that meant we had about a 2 hour wait before we had to line up. Around 11:30am, we loaded up on the last shuttle run for the day and made our way to the top where staging was occurring.

I saw off the rest of the team before having to line up. My only competition was Dustin, whom I had previously beat. Johnny D of KHS decided to retire from racing and focus on photography.

I forgot to mention, since this was the finals, I decided to have a bit more fun and wear my pajamas for the race. I orginally wanted to get a suit, you know, an old tux from the 70′s..but didn’t have enough time to do so.

I line up, and off I went. It’s really funny, during practice times, I have such a hard time with a course, but when it comes down to the race it self, I do a bit better. I nailed every turn and only put my foot down on one turn because I slipped. I am on my down to the last part of the mountain and as I turn the corner, I see a rider down, It was Traci Adams (Kim’s competition).
Photo courtesy of DALE RH


I slowed down and even wanted to stop to make sure she was ok(its the Dad in me). I asked her if she needed help, she declined and said she was ok. That’s when I let go of the brakes and finish the rest of my race.

By the time I hit the wall, my legs were on fire. I sat down a few times and as soon as the burning went away, I stood up again to pedal hard. Eventually I even caught a glimpse of Kim who was just crossing the finish line. I pedaled as hard as I could…dead legs don’t move all that fast. I cross the finish with PJs and all! Woohoo!

Dustin Hampton came in really fast, which meant I took 2nd this time. However, since I raced 5 out of the 6 events, I took home the overall champion award. I have never ever raced DH in my life. I had always talked about wanting to try DH, but never had a bike to do it with. What’s funny about this whole experience is the fact that I basically raced with an XC bike made by Ibex Bikes. The Ignition was close to an AM bike as you can get. The rear had about 4.5 inches of travel and the front about 5″. Joe let me borrow his Marzocchi fork which gave me a total of 6″ in the front to help absorb some of the crazy drops we experienced.

Some have told me that I may have done better on a longer travel bike. But if anyone knows me at all, I like to do with what I have. Besides I wasn’t willing to spend a grip of money on a DH bike…I have 3 kids that need my cash on a 24hour basis! Anyhow, I was rockin’ the Ibex through out the series and I have to tell you, this bike is one strong rig! I did have 3 problems that occurred through out the months of sessioning and racing. 1, the rear XC wheel came loose. On one training DH ride, the axle nuts came loose. It was quickly fixed with a set of cone wrenches. 2, rear triangle pivots came a bit loose from the same training ride. That was remedied by tightening them. 3, severe chain suck. On Saturday’s practice run, I hit a rock garden that bounced my chain off the middle ring, passed the granny and was wedged between the bottom bracket and the swing arm. I fixed that with an MRP chain guide the same evening. But overall, the bike lasted through months of abuse and this XC bike probably has seen more rough terrain than it was intended to.

I would like thank our awesome sponsors for supporting us throughout the races, Hoss MTB, Ergon USA, Evomo Clothing and BikeCommuters.com

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RL Policar-The Animal has been a great asset to the team and continues to deliver great results in each race. Read his report below and enjoy his race experience for yourself.

I had a great day to say the least. I arrived early in the morning at Southridge to get settled in, I got myself registered for the 34 & under Single Speed class, started the fire in the old school portable Coleman fire pit, ate a tasty ham sandwich for breakfast, followed up by some Sportlegs and Gatorade one Power Bar.

I started off on my pre-ride with very little pressure, I was on time to the event, my bike was dialed in from the Pow Wow event two weeks prior, the dirt and sweat still on the bike from that 44 mile event, I didn’t want to disturb the bike it was working just fine, and the course was in perfect condition for racing all the new sections had settled in. On my preride of the course I stopped and put down two Hammer Gels-Apple Cinnamon best flavor if you like sweets, and one banana.

On the back stretch of the preride which is mostly flat, I practiced my one leg high speed cadence pedaling, and the switch over to the other leg that was resting while other one was working. Single speeds don’t have to be slow on the flats just start pedaling like a crazy person. In my case sprinting with two heavy legs at 150 cadence on 32×20 gearing with 26″ wheels doesn’t make sense to be spinning all the excess weight, give a leg a break and let one do the work. You may be thinking how did I come up with this, in the past I have had many crank arm failures, even snapping a crank arm off six miles from the truck. The bike still rolled, so why walk? Pedal what you can with one leg I thought. I threw the broken arm in my bag and gave it a shot, it worked. Now years later I am using my one leg pedaling to keep up with or pass other racers with or without gears in the flats, during the race I was pedaling up to 21 mph on 32×20 gearing with the cadence as high as 165.

Let me get to the race, we had a large turn out for the SS class this final round at the SRC Winter Series, all the usual suspects were here in attendance David Sanderson, Adam Spik, Rod Leveque, and myself all battling for the overall Shimano Winter Series points for SS 34& under X-Country. We started the race and I surprised myself being able to hold on to fourth position out of the thirteen SS racers with gearing choice. I put my head down and started grinding away at the water tower hill, I kept hearing “Go get’em Mike”. Mike was in the 35 & up SS class, he set a good pace he pulled away at top of the hill putting me in fifth position. I didn’t want to lose any more positions so I kept up the pace with Mike Brauns, we went back and fourth all race. On the second lap riding into the aid station RL tells me I am in the lead position [in my class] and to keep it up. RL then runs up the hill and noticed I was sprinting with one foot, he asks me if I was OK, “I am doing just fine”. I had not showed RL my trick yet. Later on the second lap, out in the back section Mike says, “You are killing me, I am trying to stay up with you” I replied about my gearing being 32×20 he said,” I am running that too” I said on 26″ wheels. Mike then said,”I am on a 29er, you must be spinning like crazy”.

Mike Brauns & I at the finish

We headed for the finish line a few miles away and I think Mike saw my one foot pedal action on the flats, I caught up to a geared bike about to hit the last rocky hill before the finish and see him slow down from a distance and change gears heading for the path on the right, I just aim for the middle and powered down until the rocks claimed my momentum. I jump off and put my new Shimano SH-M182 Cleats to work digging the the toe spike in between the rocks looking for traction and ran past three people tied up in the rocks. I then have only two things on my mind the last half mile to the finish ‘Don’t fall & Don’t Flat’ I made though to the finish in 59min 35 seconds good for First place in the 34 & under class.

Eric and Rod L.

Eric, Adam and David

I ended the Winter Series on a high with First place and Second overall in points to Rod Leveque, Adam and teammate David tied for points.

Podium for overall results.


I had a great time in this Winter Series due to the camaraderie of the other racers David Sanderson, Adam Spik, Rod Leveque, Mike Brauns, and Jon Fugitt. Another big Thank You to MTNBikeRiders.com Team for the support, pictures, gear (Evomo Clothing, Ergon USA, Hoss MTB and BikeCommuters.com), and the great food after each race. Good Times…

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