Chains Required Bike Shop
41869 Big Bear Boulevard, CA
909 878 3268
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Romolo the racer rforcino@hotmail.com
Jack the owner bvsnbs@verizon.net
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News
1/28/2012
Racers and Chasers #3 Sycamore Canyon January 28, 2012
By Freddie Espinoza
The kids were out of town with the grandparents for the weekend so my wife Janey was able to come with me to this race. We left Idyllwild at 0’dark 30 and headed towards Sycamore Canyon. We got there a little before 8:00 am (a little later than I had planned) and had to park what seemed to be about a mile from the venue. It seemed like everyone (including me) was registering on race day instead of registering online and the line was really long and moving very slow. I was a little worried that I wasn’t going to have enough time to get back to the car so I could get dressed and warm up before the race started. Lucky for me, the race started about 45 minutes later than planned so, as it turned out, I had plenty of time to get ready.
I have never been to this area before so it was going to be another one of those “learn the course as you go” races. I found a decent position in the mass start and was off to a pretty good start. At first, I couldn’t believe how rough the course was. The first mile or so consisted of a series of short climbs and descents on a 6’ wide path filled with softball size rocks. I got caught riding too close to someone who couldn’t make it up one of the short climbs and I ended up walking for a bit too. To be courteous to the other racers that could stay on their bikes through this section, I quickly moved over to the side and walked through the really rough rocks. I think I was the only one that did because I quickly noticed that lots of other guys were running by me pushing their bikes up the smoother easier line on the trail. It seemed like a lot of riders passed me while I was walking through the rocks. Once I was able to get back on the bike, I pressed forward and was doing pretty well working my way up through the field for the next couple of laps. The rest of the course was actually pretty fun and I was really enjoying the race. Even the rocky section wasn’t too bad without all the congestion. Temps climbed into the low 80’s during the race and I was glad that I had decided to carry two bottles for this one. On the beginning of the 3rd and final lap someone caught up with me and passed me right before the rough section. I was able to keep up through the rough rocky section and passed him once we got to the bottom. I picked up the pace through the flats and gave everything I had on the climbs. It turned out to be enough and I finished first in my category this time!
1/14/2012
By Romolo
Ain't No Place I'd Rather Be
Once again I decided to open my racing season with the Rio Bravo Rumble in the foothills outside Bakersfield. The race is a six mile run followed by a 16 mile mountain bike and there is not a flat spot on the course. I take a lot of time off the bike in October, November and December and the dogs and I get some good days of jogging out on the dirt roads here in Oak Hills. Even though my boys are getting a little older, they can still put in the miles with big smiles on their faces. Usually I will run about 40 minutes with the dogs and then drop them off at my house and then do some running on my own. They object to being left behind, but it seems to be best for them.
This year I was able to have my new teammate Freddie head out to the race with me. It was his first experience at this type of event, but it didn't slow him down. As we stood at the start line I just had to laugh at the fact that Freddie was not only carrying some type of I phone device, he was carrying two of them. He had a computer in each hand for the run and no, he's not 17 years old.
Freddie and I started off the run together and that's the way it stayed for the hilly 6 miles. Something told me that I would be able to get out of the transition area a bit quicker than Freddie as he was carrying two computers. Out I went after the leader. The bike starts off with a 20 minute climb and I had taken over the lead in about 10 minutes. From there on I extended my lead to finish in first by 8 minutes. It was nice to see that I am still going. Freddie followed in at 4th overall and had a great showing for his first real season of racing. I told Freddie if he can run with me, he can ride with me. Freddie has a bright future in cycling.
I am very fortunate to be able to enjoy life and race my bike. Even though I ride the bike, it's not just me out there. It takes a team to make this happen. I look forward to many more great days with the team, my friends, family and the wonderful state of California. There ain't no place I'd rather be.
11/19/2011
By Freddie
Southridge 20th Annual Challenge, Fontana 11/19/11
The weather was perfect at Fontana for this race. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had taken out the really steep climb and added more single track to the XC course. I was feeling really good and got off to a pretty decent start even though I was not familiar with the new part of the XC course. Unfortunately, I missed a turn on the second lap and ended up about 200 yards down a very steep section of the Super D course. It took me a while to climb back up with my bike to get on the XC course again. Although I was feeling strong and tried my best to dig deep, there just wasn’t enough time for me to make up for this mistake. I ended up placing 5th in my category. Later, I was reminded that “it’s always a good idea to pre-ride the course if you can”. Good advice!!
Racers and Chasers Winter Series #1, San Diego 12/3/11
I decided to get another race in before the holidays and went down to San Diego to check out the Racers and Chasers event. I have never raced one of their events but have seen this company at several other race venues. They usually set up a lounge area with shade and refreshments for racers and anyone who needs a place to relax for a bit.
The forecasts leading up to the race were not very favorable and I was a little worried that there would be high winds or rain. Even though the morning was a little chilly, the weather turned out pretty good for the race. There was a marathon category that started earlier that morning so I wasn’t able to pre-ride the course due to racers already on the course. While riding the first lap I found that the race course was made up mostly of fire roads and power line roads with a little bit of single track and some city street crossings with traffic guards. Once again, I felt like I was off to a decent start and was able to keep moving up through the field throughout the first lap. A couple miles into the second lap I was gaining on a guy wearing a camel pack. He saw me coming and picked up the pace but I put the hammer down on a steep climb and got by him enough to get a good gap on the next descent. And then I did it again! I went the wrong way at the bottom and it took me a bit to realize it and get turned around to get back on course. I worked hard to try and make my way back up through the field again. I was able to catch most of the racers that got by me while I was on my little detour except one, it was the guy with the camel pack. I finally caught him and tried to pass at the beginning of the final lap but he busted out a little sprint and stayed in front of me. He kept trying to pull away from me but I was able to keep up with him for the next 6-7 miles. He kept up his attacks and started to get away from me as we were approaching a street crossing. His timing was perfect and he was able to get across without even slowing, but the traffic guard started letting cars through and I had to stop. While I waited for traffic and watched him disappear more racers caught up with me. I was already pretty tired from battling it out with the camel pack guy and it took everything I had to stay in front of these guys for the next couple of miles. One of them ended up getting by me on the home stretch. As it turned out the split times were pretty close and I ended up finishing 3rd in my category. I never saw camel pack guy again………..maybe another day?
By Freddie Espinoza
Happy Holidays!!
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12 Hours of Temecula #3 November 12, 2011
By Freddie Espinoza
After being talked into it by a friend, I decided to do this race only a couple of days before race day. I usually race cross country, but had recently rode in the Fat Tire Epic 50 miler at Vail Lake on October 1st and the San Jacinto Enduro 75 miler on October 29th so I figured I would give the 6 hour solo a try. I recently got a new bike and figured this would be a good opportunity to try it out. I am glad I did it! I will definitely be back for more next year.
Since I have never done this type of race before and only had a couple of days to prepare, my strategy was pretty simple, ride as fast as I can and keep up on fluids and calories (that’s really the only strategy I know :0). I figured a realistic goal would be to complete 6 laps. Laps were just a little over 10 miles so I decided to go light with one bottle and a flask of gel. I mixed up a smoothie to sip on during pit stops and had plenty of apples to throw in my jersey pocket to eat while riding. Since it was raining, I rode with plain water on most laps (so I could rinse mud out of my eyes if needed) and sucked down electrolyte mixtures during pit stops.
It was cold and there was a light, steady rain as everyone lined up for the mass start. It was chilly and raining during the entire climb on the first lap and then the rain stopped and conditions were really good for the descent. It got warmer so I stopped and took off my jacket after the first lap. Conditions were great for the next four laps and I was having a blast getting used to the new bike. As I started lap 6 it got a lot colder again and then it really started raining! It was wet and freezing and I had trouble keeping a good pace on the muddy course through most of the last lap. I was even a little worried that I wouldn’t get back in time to count the last lap. I was very happy to finish my 6th lap in time! I headed straight for the showers to thaw out and jumped right in with all my riding gear (shoes and all) still on!
What a day! They ended up calling off the race at 4:30 due to the heavy rain. Good call, I couldn’t imagine trying to navigate the muddy course in the dark. Good job and thanks to SoCal Endurance and all the vendors and racers who came out in the rain to make it all happen!!!
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The Dream
October 2011
I am not exactly sure why, but it’s been a dream of mine to win the 24 Hours of Moab. It may be because Moab is such a famous mountain bike destination or maybe it’s because the race itself is so challenging.
This race had been on my calendar for months. Not only was it going to be a race, it was also going to be a reunion of sorts. Many of my great friends were going to meet up out in the Utah desert for some epic mountain biking and lots of laughs. McKenna, Ferris, Miles, John, Iceman, Danny, August, John Nobil and I all gathered at the base of some snow capped mountains at behind the rocks in Moab.
We awoke race morning to a steady rain. Are you kidding me? The rain continued for hours, right up to the start of the race. At high noon we all ran around the famous juniper tree and hit the rocks.
The plan for Nobil and I was to set a mellow pace and start racing late at night. I went out and did some solid laps, but John was killing it. His times were real fast. He was so fast, I felt like I better save some energy just in case he melted down. He never did. John rode fast all night. We took the lead early in the race and never looked back. We rode one lap after the other all night long. When morning broke I took a close look at our competitors and it seemed like we could stop riding around 9:30 am and still keep the lead. We did just that and still won by a lap.
My experience at the 2011 24 hours of Moab was surreal. I got to hang out with some of my best friends from the college years. I was able to race with one of the best and most interesting racers in John Nobil and we were able to pull out a win.
The Moab course is rocky and bumpy. My Trek Superfly Elite 100 smoothed out the bumps and I rode all day and night in comfort. The niterider pro 1500 lit up the night and vision was never an issue. My race fuel was Hammer Heed, Recoverite and Endurolites.
Another wonderful night in the American southwest came to an end. We laughed all night long as we dealt with one challenge after the other. It was so nice to see all my pals and share good times with them. I can only hope that there is more fun to come.
By, Romolo
