The winter holidays came and went all too quickly for me.  I had dreams of a 3 month off-season but the 1st race of the 2010 winter series was approaching quickly and I decided to treat this as training for the bigger races from March to May. It was a beautiful day with temps in the 70s and as usual Don Jackson and his crew at Southridge Racing do an excellent job in providing a fun race environment. I noticed more entrants in the younger categories, it’s great to see more kids getting into this sport!

For Sport, the course was the same as November’s Southridge Challenge – three,  5.5mile laps.  This was gonna be a challenge as  I do better on the longer courses at Southridge, they have more singletrack and downhill that suit my riding style and help me make up time on the stellar climbers in my category (Sport 27-34).  Climbing is my weakness, I have a gut and at 185lbs (5′8″) I’m heavy/stocky for an XC racer. I even have a habit of blowing up in races by sprinting from the start line for too long!  After about 6 weeks without training, I knew that I couldn’t hold a sprint very long. So when Donny counted us down and we took off, I dropped into third and planned to keep the leaders in site.  We climbed to the water tower and the leaders gradually pulled away and I fell back a few more positions leaving me a panting, sweaty mess as I mushed my way up the hill. I recovered in the single track sections to regain third and moved into second on one of the long downhill sections. My strategy became clear.

On the way to the asphalt road for the water tower climb

I held second to start the next lap and as we climbed to the water tower I was passed again, but I kept my competitors in sight this time. Through the single track I was flowing and managed to close the gap as we approached the downhill where I previously passed. We start heading downhill and I’m cranking hard, building speed to shoot past #2 and eventually the race leader. Next is a short uphill I desperately climb and barely manage to keep the wolves at bay into the next downhill singletrack section where I can build a gap. I finish lap two and begin lap three. I don’t see anyone as I begin to grind my way up to the water tower, my right knee burning in protest as I try to put some power down. After negotiating some of the rolling hills near the water tower as I grit my way up the last climb before the single track, I look back and see 2nd place 10 yards back and attacking! I attack, he knows he is close and is trying to catch me. I sprint, my legs grow thick and heavy with lactic acid, my lungs burn as I sink into oxygen debt my pulse fills my ears, I can only hold this pace for a moment more. I put about thirty yards between us as crest the hill and bomb into the single track. I pedal all the downhills and by the end I enjoy a 2 min victory! Before you think that I was lying about not being in shape, I finished in 1:12:51, in November I finished in 4th with a 1:10:52, so that means that the fast guys just didn’t show up for this race and I’ve got some work to do.

1st XC race win, Sport 27-34

I’ve got to thank the team sponsors for their help, Evomo and Hoss for the cool clothes, IceToolz for the tools and Serfas for the glasses and Ergon for the comfort.

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On Jan 10th I headed out to Fontana for one last practice run and my first DH race in the sport category. After a few mishaps in my first couple races, I managed to finish out 2009 with some success in the beginner group and decided it was time to move into sport.

The DH course was a mix of previous Southridge Racing Co courses. With the upper 1/4 from November’s Southridge Challenge and the next 1/4 from July’s Fontana City Nationals. This meant a couple cool lines in the upper section with some berms and fast sections. A rocky chute into soft sand that took out many riders followed by some of the dustiest, loosest S-turns in SoCal! This was followed by a nice g-out hip and then a long pedal to cross the fire road into the usual rock garden and the dreaded wall!

Thank goodness the course was familiar because following the previous day’s XC race I just had nothing in the tank and managed just two practice runs before calling it a day due to exhaustion.

Sunday was a beautiful day and I whipped out the Vholdr Contour HD 1080p helmet cam to record my run. At 2:52 I’m neither happy nor dissatisfied with my time (7th in sport 27-34), I know I’ve got to get quicker if I want to podium, but with three total practice runs, it wasn’t a bad outing.

I’ve got to thank the team sponsors for their help, especially KHS bicycles for the demo Lucky 7 bike to use! Evomo and Hoss for the cool clothes, IceToolz for the tools and Serfas Optics and Ergon for helping us be comfortable.

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I struggled for a couple days to write the review of the KHS Lucky 7.  I kept transitioning from reviewing the bike to telling stories about the bike.  Finally, I’ve decided that’s exactly what I’m going to do.  What follows, is the story of my time aboard this bike.  The trips, the rides and the races that the KHS Lucky 7 carried me through.  Watch for the review in the upcoming weeks.

The Lucky 7 has been my go to gravity bike this year. Team sponsor KHS cycles has been nice enough to grant me extended time with this demo bike, on the condition it is raced and that I share the results.

Though designed for free-ride use, the Lucky 7 is the go to bike for the KHS race team at smaller DH race courses. However a thorough resume is not a prerequisite for hopping aboard the Lucky 7 and getting the most out of the experience.  I was a casual mountain biker, I owned one trail bike and rode two or three times a month.  I had other hobbies and interests that split my time.  From 2006 till November 2008, that was my riding experience.  That’s when I met RL through this very blog and eventually the rest of the Mtnbikeriders team.  Which led me into single-speeding, then XC racing and eventually DH racing.  So as I, a true newbie to downhill, I began my time with the Lucky 7.  The first race [Southridge Winter Series, 2/22/2009, 13th out of 14] was a disaster!  I did manage to get the durability testing out of the way immediately, though!

The next race [Southridge Winter Series Finals, 3/22/2009, 10th out of 20] was a lot better!  With no dirt naps in-store for me.  I began to see the capabilities in the bike and the potential I had to become competitive [in Beginner Men 27-34].   Unfortunately, I would be without the Lucky 7 after this point until a shuttle session at Telonics a couple weeks before the 3rd race of the Golden State series in Fontana on 07/12/2009.

In Telonics I got to ride some real DH terrain on the Lucky 7 and it was amazing!  It’s just a forgiving bike that soaks up the small and big hits.   We had a ton of fun and burned through a set of brake pads in the process!  Now onto the race, with a two run format and no “wall” to pedal, this is the closest to a true DH race located in So-Cal nowadays.   With a fresh new attitude on DH riding and fresh legs (normally I race XC the day before the DH race), I was able to put together “the run of my life” I recall telling Tony at the bottom.  What a rush!  To have a clean DH run, one where I honestly felt I rode as fast as I possibly could, clean without any mistakes, I get excited thinking about it!  The result was a 3rd place and my first DH podium.

Next up was Mammoth mountain, now this is a true DH race.  On a mountain with loose pumice, a nasty rock section, a wall ride and a finish through the 4x track.  Mammoth lived up to its name, with a fast race run coming in 4 minutes, the track was over a minute longer than any Fontana run.   The Lucky 7 was beautiful here, through the steep sections, over the jumps and pedaling the straights.  We were a team, and we were determined to make it to the podium.  Well, we did better than podium, we won!

So, now here we are near the year end.  The 18th annual Southridge classic has just concluded (though I’m gonna make you wait for that story).  Be sure to check out the upcoming Lucky 7 review and review the 1st impression here.  It’s funny, we’re so used to reviews coming from expert and pro riders.  It’s true that they can push a bike to it’s limits, but couldn’t they ride almost any bike down the Mountain?  Wouldn’t a bike we (mountain bike enthusiast) consider stable and comforting seem slow and unresponsive to them? Anyways, if you don’t want to read a review from a Beginner DH racer, don’t worry.  I’m moving up to sport the first race next year.  I’ve got to say thanks one more time by the way to KHS Bicycles and their our Lucky 7.  Don’t forget to check out the KHS SixFifty 606 too.

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Arrived Saturday morning to just some AWESOME weather. Got bikes off loaded, gear up & catch shuttle truck to the top of the hill. I see the same smiling faces and warm welcome we have come to expect from the SRC crew! Now it’s time to see what Donny has put together for us. Start line is at the top of a ramp, well there is a little nerves there but I did it before. Climb up to the top, hold my breathe and we’re off!

First practice run of the day. Little rock garden at top is pretty rough, jagged edges. I can hear my tire hit dead on. Couple “S” turns to a small drop that are a soft. Quick right and sharp left clear the top portion. Then came the real fun nice banking turns which I threw down my “Sam Hill” style, couple table tops I roll over. Another rock garden with nice smooth line. Few more banking turns and head for finish line. Much to my surprise and given speed I launch off what I thought would be a roller little hill! There I am in the “AIR” instant prayers going out to land on both wheels safely! I did it. First practice under my belt and all was safe! Put down couple more runs then ran in to our team member “The MOE” and Joe “J-SIZZLE”! Always nice to see all that show up at the races.

Headed over to the camp ground area to see who all was there and as always all the familiar faces were there. Traci & I chatted for a while and Nancy was there as well! Roger, Nancy’s husband even gave me a few pointers after following me on one of my practice runs. Traci & I head up for some more runs! See is getting faster, if she ever decided to pedal I am going to be in trouble!

After practice, we over headed to hotel for a shower & then out for dinner. Is always fun hangin’ out with friends! We talked about what line to take, how we felt about the course as well as catching up with each other.

Race day: Good (free) breakfast at the hotel with the team and Roy, our little camera bug. Lots of tea, couple of “Sport Legs,” pack up and off we go. Check over the bikes and hit the shuttle truck. Take couple practice runs to see the changes and man was the top loose. Major dust bowl! Manage to get in two practice runs before the call of “Race Runs” by Steve, SRC driver we all love!

Chatted with Traci as her nerves were on the edge and get her to relax. Joe was still talking about the first rock garden..but by the time lineup came he seemed to have set his mind. Tony was very calm which I thinks helps the whole team and Moe stood over things like he was “The Boss”!

Plug in the iPod, Climb up the ramp, Donny starts his count down and I was calm! Was kind of strange most of the time I get anxious but I was very calm almost excited. I told myself to run slowly through the dusty “S” turns at the top and then have fun through the rest! This is what I did on both first and second runs. After first run, and yes I got a little air out of that last jump..landed it to the sound of my cheering teammates!! It was an awesome time of racing and friends! I had so much fun on this course it felt more like a fun ride with friends then a race. My combined times placed me 8 seconds ahead of Traci for first place! YEAH!!

Thanks for all the team support! I want to through a big shout of thanks to Serfas Optics for the sunglasses as I rode my race with shade & clarity! They were awesome glasses! Also big thanks to KHS, Hoss, Evomo, Ergon & Bike Commuters.com. Big hugs and thanks to our own little photo bug ROY!

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We gathered up the crew and invited some friends to try out downhill riding at the World Famous Southridge course in Fontana, Ca. We were joined by my former Downhill Race Rival/Buddy Johnny Dow as well as Tim Scissors, Mark West and Val M.

This was Priscilla’s second time riding DH and she has remarkably improved since her first time. She was more confident and was even building up speed as she attacked certain portions of the trail. For the most part it was Tim, Mark and Val’s first time out on a DH course. Some of the stuff we did can be intimidating, but when you have a great support system, anyone can be successful.

Memorial Day DH session at Fontana from RL Policar on Vimeo.

I took a spill that morning, my front tire went into a run and I tried to ditch the bike run, but since I was on a descent, I lost my footing, tumbled, hit my head and right shoulder, tumbled, and came to a sliding stop. I sat there for a few seconds, took inventory and found that I was ok. My Sette Impact Suit really protected me. Thanks to the Dainese Raptor helmet…I’m still here!

Everyone else did really great. In fact you can see all the photos from this weekend, courtesy of Joe Solancho, HERE.

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Who:
The Kona Bicycle Company designs, manufacturers and distributes more than 60 models of purpose-built, high-performance mountain, road and urban bicycles. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Ferndale, Washington, USA, Kona bicycles are distributed worldwide in more than 60 countries through independent specialty bicycle dealers. Kona funds several professional road, mountain and cyclo-cross racing teams that include World Cup Champions, World Champions and National Champions.

Kona King Kahuna, freshly built up

Product Tested:
Kona King Kahuna

Website’s MSRP:
$2,299

Specs:
Frame sizes 16″, 18″, 19″, 20″, 22″
Frame tubing Kona Race Light Scandium Butted
Fork Fox 32 F29 RL 80mm
Headset FSA Orbit DL
Crankarms Shimano SLX
Chainrings 44/32/22
B/B Shimano SLX
Pedals Shimano M520 Clipless
Chain Shimano Deore
Freewheel Shimano Deore (11-34, 9spd)
F/D Shimano SLX
R/D Shimano XT Shadow
Shifters Shimano XT
Handlebar Kona XC/BC Deluxe Riser
Stem Kona XC/BC Deluxe
Grips Kona Race Light
Brakes Shimano SLX Hydraulic Disc
Brake Levers Shimano SLX Hydraulic
Front hub FSA XC-290 Wheelset
Rear hub FSA XC-290 Wheelset
Spokes FSA XC-290 Wheelset
Tires Maxxis Ignitor 29×2.1 Kevlar
Rims FSA XC-290 Wheelset
Saddle WTB Rocket V Comp Cromo
Seatpost Kona XC/BC Deluxe
Seat clamp Kona Clamp
Color Grey Metallic/Pearl White

About Me:
6’1” 210lbs, 29 year old male. I’m a mountain biking enthusiast who enjoys XC riding.

Clearing a long climb on the King Kahuna at Fontana’s XC Winter Race Series

Testing Grounds:
Whiting Ranch, Fullerton Loop, Southridge and many other trails in Southern California.

First Impressions:
The Kona King Kahuna is a looker. The build up was easy as most of the bike was pre-assembled. The brake lines were a bit long. They were not so long as to cause any issues while riding but they were long enough that they look a little awkward even though functionally they were fine. If this were a bike I was to keep I would have invested in shortening the lines but since this was a 3 month demo I decided to leave them as is.

Strengths:
I have to say that the Kona King Kahuna is one knock out bike. It is very pretty if you’re into those things which I happen to be. The color scheme is excellent. The graphics on the bike are top notch and very cool. The paint job held really well even after I ate it a few times out on the trail. The blue on the top tube has a sweet metallic finish that shimmers in the light. White forks have always been a plus in my book and I personally like the look of the SLX crankset as compared to Shimano’s LX or XT cranks.

Dropping into a local trail, taken by Mr. Ivan, photog extraordinaire

But what sets the bike apart from other bikes is the Kona branded parts. House brand parts can be hit or miss especially when there is very little information about the parts. You really can’t stack them up against the Race Faces, Eastons and Ritcheys of the world with such a short review period. Over the testing period the parts worked fine which is always a plus but where the Kona parts really shined was the look. The stem, handlebar and seatpost drew rave reviews from virtually everyone who stopped to look at the bike. I was even asked if Kona sold those bike parts separately from their bikes. All I knew was that they were on the website, but without pricing details, I wouldn’t know if they could be purchased sans bike.

Beyond the superficial and subjective opinions on the look of the Kona King Kahuna, what makes the King Kahuna really stand out at this price are two things: 1. the Scandium frame and 2. the Fox fork.

The frame rode surprisingly well for a Scandium frame. Coming off of riding a steel hardtail I was expecting the Scandium frame to be brittle and harsh, but over the testing period I never thought twice about the frame. I was very impressed at how great it felt for not being steel. I wasn’t able to get an exact weight for the frame as the bike came 80% assembled to me but the full bike was probably at least a pound less than my similarly built steel hardtail.

The geometry used on this frame seems to be the “standard” 29er geometry right now. The 71/73 degree head tube/seat tube angles respectively seems to be the norm for 29er hardtails and when I jumped on the bike, I felt pretty much at ease. About the only thing I have to point out is the slightly taller standover height. Most bikes at 19”/Large size do not sport the 32.5” standover height. This, thankfully, did not rear its head in testing, but it is something to be aware of when considering what size to buy.

The Fox F29 is a very good fork. It is stiff and plush for being only 80mm of travel. It took me only a ride to get it fully adjusted to the way I like it which to me makes it easily adjustable. The surprising part to me about the fork is how well it worked on pretty much everything I threw at it. I wasn’t able to get out on really rocky or long technical descents rides but I did ride a lot of my favorite trails. On the trail, there were many times I would just look to find the gnarliest line and send the King Kahuna down it. During those sections I never really wished for more travel which sort of surprised me. The travel is really good on the F29, so much so that the 80mm advertised seems incorrect.

Dropping the King Kahuna in to Cactus at Whiting Ranch

I was able to get the King Kahuna out to Fontana for a XC race during the winter series. The bike carried me to a fourth place finish on a course that had a little bit of everything including muddy climbs, rocky climbs, sandy descents, switchbacks, singletrack… The King Kahuna did a great job of navigating me through it all.

Weakness:
I really had no issues with the Kona King Kahuna from beginning to end. The geometry is good and the bike is a looker. The components are good for the price, all the way around the bike save two parts.

About the only thing I can nitpick on are the two Deore level components on the bike: chain and cassette. These are two “hidden” components that, at this price point, should not be spec’d on a bike. At $2,300 I feel that the minimum level of componentry should be SLX and higher. From our friends in the industry, I know that spec’ing bikes is a difficult process. Getting the best parts for the price is a difficult task but Deore level components, which although not bad are still two steps below SLX, in my opinion should not be on a $2,000 plus hardtail bike.

Steep downhill section at the Fontana race, see the Pro rider behind me? j/k. He was on his 2nd lap… me just finishing my first.

Summary:
The Kona King Kahuna is Kona’s high end hardtail 29er. It comes with a great Scandium frame that combines surprising comfort while also keeping things pretty light weight. The Fox fork and strong components make for a durable well rounded bike that can withstand some hard trail riding while also easily slipping into the racer mode if you so desired.

For more info on the Kona King Kahuna, click here.

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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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RL Policar-Eric never stops to amaze me. Not only did he race, but he went on a training ride right after the event!

My race prep started days before the actual race, this included shopping for healthy food, riding my local spots, and making a trip to Shimano to drop off some cleats to hopefully get replaced under warranty. I didn’t plan on the tread ripping from the bottom of my cleat only days before the race. It is just something I have gotten used to, bike parts breaking on me at the worst possible time. As I expected the cleats didn’t make it back in time. It was on to plan “B”; I pulled my old cleats out of retirement. I arrived early at Southridge to preride the new cross country course; I had some trouble in the fresh cut winding single track on top of the hill so I rode it few times until I cleaned it. I was warm and ready to race. I made my way back to our base camp and the rest of the MtnBikeRiders team was setting up now. I made what I thought was the last of adjustments to the bike before the start of the race.

The call goes out “All cross country racers go to the start line” I make my way over to the start and the bike feels sluggish. I spin the rear wheel and nothing until I set it down in the dirt, totally flat. I run back to our base camp and ask for a foot pump. Kim Finch {Champ} runs over with pump in hand and turns into my own personal PIT Crew. RL runs over with a new tube. I am in and out of camp fairly fast and make my way over to the start with a few minutes to spare. Teammate David Sanderson and I had a strong solid race free of mechanicals thankfully. In short course racing I have found just throwing your chain off will cost you positions on the podium. Better make sure your ride is solid. David Sanderson finished fourth, and I finished third. I just finished my seventh short course race 18 miles or less since the longer events of 2008. The shorter races every couple of weeks is great for staying competitive and prepared for the longer races.

I left Southridge shortly after my race concluded and headed towards Saddleback Mountain to add some more miles for training and to break my body down to see how far I can push myself. The next event for me is the “Counting Coup” put on by the Warriors Society http://warriorssociety.org/ this event is 44 miles long and is a real test to even finish. I will be doing this on a single speed again as I did in 2008.

I parked my truck on Blackstar road and grabbed my bike and backpack that was still set up for short course [one tube, pump, tire irons, no patch kit]. After some grueling miles climbing Blackstar Canyon especially after a race I made it to “Beaks Place”. Moments later the rear flats again just as it did before the race. What a perfect time to take a break at “Beaks Place”. I tear into the rear tire and find that the rim tape had failed. I now remember that my tools and tubes are limited and not set up for epic rides. I carefully reset the rim tape and install my only tube. I continued for another mile and a half on Main Divide road and came up and some shuttled Downhillers, they were about to drop in but hit me up for some allen wrenches, that I had. I chatted with these 4 guys wearing assorted items from “The PATH” before they dropped into Corona, I decided it best that I turn around and head for home.

This part of the story ends much like it started. My Team & Friends bailed me out-and kept me rolling. Upon my decent down Main Divide I came up on a couple taking a break at “Beaks Place”, just as I pass the woman she said, “Hi Eric” I then realize it is my friend Shannon. Shannon is one of my friends that rides in our group on Wednesday’s (Shannon was out training for the Counting Coup as well).
Shannon and Robert were resting after their climb up Blackstar. We chatted for a bit and continued downhill. About ten minutes later I was out of the game with a pinch flat no more tubes or patch kit. I tried to tie the inner tube in a knot at the cut, but it didn’t seal. Just then Shannon and Robert came around the corner and threw me a tube. Luckily they stayed with me, it was not my day. As I was filling the tire with air the valve stem broke in half. Shannon throws me a second tube this one was Animal approved much better quality. The tire holds air and we ride for another six miles, we get to the road safely without walking. Day’s Total 6 mile warm up lap, 12 miles of racing, 23 miles of post race training, 4 inner tubes, 2 gallons of water, 1 gallon of Gatorade, 5 Power Bars, 1 bag of Turkey Jerky, half pound of trail mix, 4 bananas, 2 apples, 1 orange, 10 sport legs, and a hard lesson to bring the proper supplies when going on longer rides= priceless.

It’s nice to have great friends to help you when you need it, and don’t hesitate to stop and help someone on the trail. You just might meet someone really cool.

Looking for more pictures of the Southridge Winter Series? Click on the banner below!

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This was race #4 of a 6 part series at Fontana. What’s neat is we’re starting to see familiar faces of other racers and we’ve made a few friends here and there.

On Friday I was able to take one practice run right after the marked the DH course. One run just isn’t enough to get familiar with the course and even find hidden lines that would work better on your race run. With that said, I made sure I took a helmet cam video during practice and watched it over and over again just so I can see where I needed to go.

Come Sunday, I arrived at the venue late. Basically as soon as I pulled up, they announced that sign ups were closed for the day. I quickly ran as fast as I could to the ladies that did registration, and because of their kindness, they let me in. I soon checked the seed list and saw that my old rival, Johnny Dow of KHS Bicycles was my only competition. As soon as I turned around, JD showed some relief that he would have someone to race with. We chatted for a bit and we parted ways since I had to get my gear and bike ready for the race.

A few last minute check up on my bike and I was ready to roll. We boarded the shuttle vans about an hour after registration and at the top of the mountain, JD and I hung out. What’s funny about JD is that he likes to make you think that he’s not a good rider. But I’ve seen how he works on the trail and the guy does have some talent.

As they called up each group to race, a few of us had to wait until the end to line up so that gave us an opportunity to cheer on our team mates as they rode through the course. First it was Tony Finch, man that guy flows like water. Then it was a Moe, Joe and eventually Kim’s group as well as my group (JD and I) lined up.

Right before Donny counted down JD, I gave him a pat on the back and said for him to have fun and be careful (we had seen quite a few crashes already). Off he goes and he had a great start and I watched him disappear as he went into one of the turns. What’s funny is, I normally don’t get nervous until Donny counts me down from 15 seconds. I take a deep breath, and as soon as he said 1, I pedaled.

I rode through the somewhat unfamiliar course as fast and as safe as I could. I knew I was going way too slow on some of the parts. I make it through some of the toughest sections in which we had seen many riders go down and I eventually make it to the bottom of the mountain. Before I get to the lower rock garden, there’s an inclined road that I normally would sprint through. But my legs were feeling the burn and I sat down and pedaled as hard as I could. I get to the rock garden and there are still a large number of spectators watching and I maneuver through the area, but I felt like I was in slow motion. I finally pass the garden and hit the infamous wall.


In the last few races, I hammered the wall to make up for lost time, but that day, my body was worn out. My legs were burning, my lungs were on fire and I had nothing left but a weak pedal through the finish line. I meet up with my team mates and ask them how far I was behind Johnny, Moe said he counted about 30 seconds and Kim’s face wasn’t reassuring as she said that I took a while to get through the line.

Walking to the awards ceremony.

Though no mechanicals or crashes occurred, I felt that my run was lack luster. Results were up and I saw that JD took first by beating me with a whopping 6 seconds! I walk over to JD to congratulate the fella, that was a well deserved win. JD is one great rider and I was honored that he and I were able to compete against each other. The last few races, he wasn’t able to ride due to illness and he really showed his determination this past weekend.

Now that the race is over, I keep going back in my mind about all the scenarios where I could have done better. I’m sure everyone does this and I am pretty resolved that more training, practice runs and time in the gym will be needed to execute a better race run.

So here’s what was encouraging. When I entered my first DH race, I placed 15th out of 22 or something like that in the 27-34 age group. I purposely gained weight (its called the holidays) and raced in the 200 Club since my previous race time was more consistent with riders in that group. But when I saw my race results this past weekend, I was pleased to see that I would have placed at least 8th in the 27-34 category. Keep in mind 27-34 are a fast group of skinny riders. Though 8th place isn’t podium, but I considered it progress that I could hold my own against some really fast racers in the 27-34, I figured once the winter series were over, that I’d drop at least 20-25lbs or more and compete with my respective age group. As for now, 2 more races to go and I’m already looking forward to go against JD!

I’d like to thank our sponsors for supporting us through the series, Evomo Clothing, Ergon, Hoss MTB and I’d also like to thank Ibex Bikes for providing me the Ibex Ignition Frame to race with.

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Sunday morning I left my home at 6am to hopefully get a few practice runs in before race time. During my practice, I took it pretty easy since it started to rain. You’ll even see drops on the lens. Anyhow, watch it and you’ll what kind of stuff we had to deal with.

Southridge Winter Series #3, Practice Run on Sunday morning from RL Policar on Vimeo.

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