The first installment of the Epic Rides’ Off-Road Series kicked off in Prescott, Arizona. Just as the Arizona desert was heating up, riders headed north to Prescott, where they were treated them to perfect temperatures for a great weekend of mountain bike racing.
Friday’s Fat Tire Crit drew a full roster of pros for a 15-mile race. Then on Saturday morning, amateurs took to the start line for 30- and 50-mile mountain bike races. On the final day, it was time for the pros to set a blazing pace on the 50-mile course.
BikeFlights.com was on hand to help racers who had shipped their bikes and gear get ready for the weekend. Colin Blanchard, our West Coast Event Specialist was joined by Gordon Wadsworth, Chief Hi-Fiver on our Support Team. Another Support Team Member, Taylor Lindeen, also took part in Sunday’s pro race.
Gordon and Colin had not planned to race, but they were excited to do some riding during the trip. After getting the expo set up, they set off to pick up Gordon’s bicycle. It required some ingenuity to get it back from the local FedEx Office.
To show off some local flare and remind everyone that they were in the wild west, all the the races at the Whiskey Off-Road were started by a group of wild west re-enactors, the Prescott Regulators.
A good number of BikeFlights.com Brand Ambassadors were mixing it up in the pro race, including the Stan’s / Pivot Pro Team. There of their four racers made appearances, including Chloe Woodruff, Sofia Villafañe Gomez and Keegan Swenson. Local favorite Chloe came in second place, while Sofia finished sixth in the women’s field. Keegan had an amazing race, battling back a large time gap to take the win in the men’s race.
With the racing over, both Gordon and Colin needed to spin out their own legs, and with tons of amazing riding, they decided to head up to Sedona and then down to Tempe to ride with the crew from Pivot Cycles.
We’re already looking forward to the next installment of the Epic Rides Off-Road Series in Grand Junction, Colorado, in mid-May. We hope to see you there!
Back on the road just two weeks after the Sea Otter Classic, BikeFlights.com headed to the Whiskey Off-Road put on by Epic Rides in Prescott, Arizona.
“The racing was fantastic, especially watching the crit,” said BikeFlights.com’s Owner William Alcorn, who made the 20-hour drive from Portland, Oregon in the trusty BikeFlights.com van. “The fat tire crit is unique and makes for exciting racing, plus it was great to see many of our BikeFlights.com Brand Ambassadors in action.”
Alcorn not only manned the BikeFlights.com expo tent for three days over the weekend, but he also raced the 30-proof (30-mile) amateur Whiskey mountain bike race on his singlespeed Moots mountain bike on Saturday.
“The new singletrack was awesome,” said Alcorn of this year’s course changes. “I didn’t have any mechanicals and had a blast out racing with others. Yes, the weather was cold and at one point, it started raining hard, but fortunately, I had carried with me the waterproof jacket that I took on Paris-Brest-Paris last year. I stopped and put it on and was toasty warm the rest of the time.”
The 2016 Whiskey Off-Road was dedicated to former World Cup racer and U.S. National Team Member Sue Haywood, who was formally honored for her contributions to the sport of mountain biking during an event on Saturday night. Haywood still races regularly, and she also teaches mountain bike skills clinics around the country.
“During the weekend, I got to talk to lots of riders who had shipped their bikes to the Whiskey Off-Road with BikeFlights.com, plus I helped others book their shipments for the trip home,” said Alcorn, who was planning to stop for a few hours of riding near Hurricane, Utah to break up the 20-hour road trip home.
The BikeFlights.com van is on its way back to World Headquarters in Portland before our next trip to the Grand Junction Off-Road on May 20-22.
@thrasherdax and @hunterkeating leading out the pack with one gear #Repost @s_crites ・・・ Watching MTB'rs avoid photographers this morning. #iamspecialized #sworks #hammernutrition #drunkcyclist #whiskeyoffroad (at Prescott, Arizona)
This. 👊 @epicrides ・・・ Earn your turns in 2016 at the #EpicRides Off-Road Series. Registration opens on 12/31 (link in profile). #whiskeyoffroad #grandjunctionoffroad #carsoncityoffroad
BikeFlights.com Brand Ambassador Serena Gordon, 36, lives in Bend, Oregon and races for the Liv/Giant Team. In addition to racing as a pro, she is the Program Director for the Conservation Alliance, a non-profit funding organization which connects outdoor businesses with conservation organizations to permit land protection across North America.
Serena Gordon (Liv/Giant) in action at the Sea Otter Classic. Photo credit: Giant Co-Factory Team
BikeFlights.com: What cycling disciplines do you do?
Serena Gordon: I race mountain bikes and cyclo-cross. I do a little road racing, but mostly just for fitness.
BF: How has your 2015 season been going so far?
SG: It’s going by too fast, but it’s going well - nationally and locally. I’ve seen some important gains since last year, which is always motivating and encouraging. It’s cool to see all your hard work pay off.
I did my first mountain bike national series race of the season at Sea Otter and got top 20 in the cross country and short track.
After that, I did the Whiskey Off Road, one of my favorite races. I was eighth in the Fat Tire Crit and seventh in the 50-miler.
At the Missoula Pro XCT, another national-level race, I was ninth - it was great to finish in the top 10. I love that course!
Serena Gordon (Liv/Giant). Photo credit: Giant Co-Factory Team
BF: Will you race the US Mountain Bike National Championships in Mammoth in mid-July?
SG: Originally, mountain bike nationals were going to be in Bend, then they got moved to Mammoth, California. They are also the same weekend as the High Cascades 100 here in my backyard. I was back and forth on what I wanted to do. Then, I made the decision to stay home and try my best to win the High Cascades.
BF: What are your goals for the rest of the mountain bike season?
SG: I’m transitioning into longer races for the next part of the season. The High Cascades is a 100-mile race; it’s about 90 percent singletrack, so it will take longer relative to many 100 milers.
I have a big mountain bike stage race in August in Colorado: the Breck Epic. I have never done a mountain bike stage race before, and I’ve never ridden at 10,000 feet elevation.
Serena Gordon (Liv/Giant). Photo credit: Giant Co-Factory Team
BF: Do you have any advice for other aspiring racers trying to make it on the national circuit?
SG: That’s a great question. I think the biggest thing is that when you stand on a starting line, remember that it’s just like any other race. You can only give what you can give on that day. Stressing out won’t serve you. Know that you’re prepared and that you’ve come to the start line as well as you can. You can train well and still get pre-race jitters.
Someone once told me that you can have butterflies, but you have to make sure they all fly in the same direction. Put your energy into going forward in the race and not into freaking out. On any given day, you probably won’t go from 15th to winning a UCI race. Ride within yourself and treat it just like any other race.
BF: Will you race cyclo-cross in the fall?
SG: Yes. I’ll take a break from mountain bike racing in August, then my big ‘cross racing campaign will start in October. It seems like the start to ‘cross season keeps getting moved forward, and it’s already a long season. I understand why it’s moving forward - ‘cross is fun and popular - but it’s hard if you’re also racing mountain bikes.
BF: Tell us about your experience using BikeFlights.com thus far.
SG: I’ve contacted Customer Support a few times, and they are super easy to reach and very responsive. They’ve been helping me with questions as I get ready to ship my bike to Breckenridge for the Breck Epic.
Serena Gordon (Liv/Giant). Photo credit: Giant Co-Factory Team
BF: Any parting thoughts?
SG: It’s been such a positive season in that I’ve enjoyed how much the community of women in mountain biking inspires each other. This season has been different than past seasons because there has been so much positive energy and camaraderie.
I’d like to say thank you to all the other women with whom I’ve been racing for providing awesome competition, camaraderie and friendship. I appreciate how we all keep each other motivated.
