Racing in March

It's about the end of March and I've already done two races this month. Bonelli was a solid race and I was happy to finish on the podium. From the start I was up at the front leading the group down the pavement to the first fire road climb. I was a bit concerned since I usually don't find myself leading up at the front at the start. Rest of the race was spent just trying to settle in a decent pace and try to minimize the time differences. I faded away on the third lap and finished the race in fourth place. I had suffered a slow leak during the race as my tire was really low when I crossed the finish line. Not too shabby.

Photo Credit: Allison Man

I stayed and watched the pro short track afterwards. The pro men and women were killing it out there.


The Fontana National was last weekend and it was an interesting race. The recent weather provided the Fontana course with some moisture which made the surface nice and tacky. The tires hooked up like Velcro, you could rail the turns with so much speed. So the start of the race was where things started to look bleak. I got call up so I had a front row start. We get the green light and I struggled to get clipped in, keep in mind this was the first time I was using my new Shimano XTR pedals. I figure, not a big deal since I didn't want to go to hard before the national hill. We approach the first turn and some random rider decides he can't commit to the inside line and swings out wide and takes out three riders. I happened to be one of those riders unfortunately... I got flung off my bike. I know this because I had to walk back to my bike. Now my bars and shifters are misaligned. My left shin made contact with my pedal and I was now starting the race at the back. Definitely not the way I wanted to start the race.

That said I can't just give up yet, the race must go on whether I'm a part of it or not. So for the next four laps I spent it just reeling in as many riders as I could. I kept it conservative for the first lap because I did not want to blow up trying to make up time. I recall climbing the national hill and overheard a rider saying this race is over. I comment back saying that this race isn't over till it's over. No sense in giving up yet. I had no clue what position I was in, but all I knew was that I was catching riders and that's all that mattered. I was surprise how much time could be made on the national hill. If you were able to clean it, you would put some time on the riders behind you. The finish for me came down to a sprint between my buddy Scott who I had caught on the very last lap. Scott managed to nip for the line by .5 seconds. Well played on his part.


Next race will be in Riverside. See you then!

Sage Brush 2011 Race Report

Sage Brush was very different than the years past and it was definitely an unsuspecting surprise. To sum it, it was really muddy. Recent snowfall from last night brought down several inches of snow. Due to concerns of the lack of road access for emergency vehicles, the course was changed. It was somewhere between a cyclocross and short track course. It was roughly 220 ft of climbing per lap; five laps of 4 miles.

I've always thought of myself as a climber and the course description left me worried about how I would perform. The course change was last minute and while I wasn't too thrilled about the new course, I was looking forward to racing for the first time this year. Start was chaotic since the race organizers decided to start the Pros and Cat 1 together. Thinking that I could simply make my way through to my group, I was told that we would all start together and that I should say put where I was. Drafting from the start was very important since a lot of time could be made up on flat sections.

Justin Mann and I spent a lot time riding with each for most the race and it was great since it kept the pace high. I ended up taking second with a comfortable lead. I had a couple mistakes, but in the grand scheme of things it was a solid race. I'll definitely take a podium finish for the first race.

1. Believe it or not, all that snow had melted away by the time we left.
2. The fresh powder from last night made excellent snow for snowballs.
3. Preparations.
4. Post race. Smiles across our faces.
5. My trusty bike, she has seen better days. Thanks for not falling apart on me.

1. Post race meal, Trader Joe's cheese and black bean burrito.
2. Justin Mann and I were trading spots throughout the race. Photo credit: Allison Mann.
3. 2nd place and off to a great 2011 season.
4. This section just sapped my legs every time I came through. It became impossible to clean after the third lap.
5. Cody Philips and I showing off our trophies. Cody took second in the CAT 1 Junior 17-18 cateogry.

First Race of the Season is Approaching

It's just days until the start of the first official race of 2011. Every serious contender will be out there, rain or shine. That said, it does appear that the first race of the season will be one to tell about. The current weather predictions have suggested that rain is very likely days prior to the race.



So what does that mean exactly? Well besides this race looking to be as epic than last year's, it's going to be freakin' hard. This is probably one of the most challenging course in Southern California. Add a bit of rain and possibly snow, you're looking at race that will challenge the best racers. The course will reward riders who can climb well and descend well.

Starting from the beginning, riders will start on a long flat section of road before it kicks up. If you survive by not getting your handlebars tangled or getting dropped, then you might have a chance at doing well. Should any of the two things happen to you before the climb, you might as well kiss your chances at the podium goodbye. Then comes the kicker, the climb up the pavement road to the top. This climb will completely split the field; you're either going to be with the leaders or spat out from the back. I've seen this happen every time. If you find yourself with the leaders, you're odds are looking good.

Then comes the descent. Riders who have an edge with descending over their competitors will allow them to have a head start. The course isn't really technical, but it's one of those course where the faster you go, the more technical it becomes. Followed after the descent is the hike a bike section. You're just going have to suck it up and feel the burn. For many riders, this will be the wall. If you're mentally defeated by this point, this hike-a-bike section is going to punish you. Can time be made up on this section? Perhaps, but you risk putting yourself into overdrive and leaving nothing left for the rest of the race. After this section you have a short descent before a pavement climb back to the top.

Upon reaching the top, you'll do another repeat what you just did before finally heading back to the start/finish. However this is not a downhill finish, you have a long flat section before arriving at the finish. It will be a drag race till the very end. If you're lucky, you would've put enough time on your nearest competitor to allow you to finish with a comfortable gap. If not, it's going to come down to who wants it more.

So there you have it. If you play your cards right, you might just have a shot at taking the win. Early recon done by other riders have indicated that there is a presence of snow as evident in this photo.

Photo Credit: Dazs

Racing in the elements brings a whole list of challenges. Bike preparation is key and this is where experience comes to play. Whether it's positive or negative, experience will aid in deciding the final bike setup.

During the meantime since the beginning of the year, I've been spending my time studying and training. I recently received my new Trek Madone 6 series frame and I am loving it. The taller headtube allows me to sit up more right and overall the internally routed cables are a nice touch. I honestly don't feel a difference between the 2011 6 series and the 2008 6 series despite some changes in the frame layup. I wasn't too sure about the paint scheme, but it is definitely growing on me.

The recent rains in Southern California brought snow to some unusual low levels in the San Gabriel Mountains. It might be hard to make it out, but there's definitely some snow on those mountains.

The clouds breaking formation as the storm clears up.

I'm certainly looking forward to this weekend.

The Holidays and The New Year

Oh where do I even begin. I barely had anytime for studies and the blog had to be put aside. It's time to jump start this blog again.

Lets do a quick recap of the end of 2010.

-I raced in true cyclocross weather for the first time. My poor bike had to brave the elements. Luckily I had done the proper equipment preparation which saved my bike from falling into pieces after the race.

Brent Prenzlow on his way for the win. Yeah it was really muddy out there.

-Snowboard for the very first time. If there is anything mountain biking taught me, it's balance and learning how to fall. I lost count how many times I fell, but I was told that I did really well for a first timer.

-Epic mountain bike rides with my pals.

Challenge Accepted

Night ride fun

Someone must have just given up and left

Drifting in the snow too much will result in crashing and bleeding

And you will snap your shifter off

I'm now back into school and the race season is slowly approaching. Time to put in the extra work to see the results during the race season.

Mt. Sac Classic

So last Sunday was the Mt. Sac Fat Tire Classic! I'm always looking forward to attending this race each year. This race has some sentimental value to me as it was my very first mountain bike race. I recall getting pumped about racing my mountain bike despite having never ridden a lot on my mountain bike. Let's just say that it wouldn't have been a surprise if I just quit riding that day. I ripped my shorts on the first lap and rode with half my ass exposed. While traumatic, for some reason I'm still racing to this day and I've made an effort to come out to this race each year.

My trusty steed. Shout out to AME grips for providing with grips this year.

Team Pablove kits.

To sum it up, the race went well. From the start I just spun as fast as I could till it started going up the hill. It was a combination of powering up the hills and recovering on the flats while on the single speed. It was enough to take the win and earn one of the fastest times for three laps that day. I welcomed the new changes to the course since it added something different this year. Yes, I was that guy racing in the pink kit on a single speed bike.

Phil racing to win the Men CAT1 27-34

First place in the Men single speed 34 and under.


Phil for the win!

Trophies were off the hook for this year!

Yoshio and I raced a lot in the CAT1 19-24 group in the years past. He would always finish ahead me in each race and was my inspiration to do well. He suffered a serious accident on the bike at the beginning of the year, but he showed up and raced. I definitely choked up a bit when I saw get on the podium. I'm so happy to see him on his bike and I know he will get better as time goes by.

Team Pablove


Having a good time on the bike.

Good to see everyone out there and I look forward to the next Mt. Sac Fat Tire classic.