Photos by: Gavin & Quinton Spaulding

The Sea Otter Classic event is exactly that, it is classic! If you’re a Cycling Enthusiast or a Pro Racer and you’ve never attended it and seen it in person then you are simply missing out on something quite spectacular.

The Sea Otter Classic really needs no introduction. This is where everybody in the cycling industry goes to see what’s new…show off there new gear, bikes, sponsors, rigs, fitness and everything it takes to be noticed at an event of this magnitude! Of course the “KHS Army” means business wherever we go, whether we are at a local race or a World Cup! We love to race our bikes at a very high level, and put on a good show for anyone who would like to watch us do so.

Here are a few of our “Factory Race Rigs”, we had a weapon for every occasion at this years Sea Otter Classic. It is important to have as many options as you possibly can when competing in Downhill, Dual Slalom or Mountain Cross. The more options you have in your arsenal the more obstacles or adverse elements you can overcome in your preparation before it is time for your race run or run’s.

We are making fans everywhere we go! These guy’s had a pretty elaborate setup at the “OTTER” (Take note of the name on the EZ-up tent)

The Slalom track was crowded on Saturday afternoon in what were very windy freezing conditions for the Pro Finals

Luckily there was enough parking for everybody. At least I think there was!

KHS’s own Melissa Buhl was on fire during the finals and dominated her way all the way to the final heat were she was matched up against MAXXIS rider and current World Champion Sabrina Jonnier.

Photo: Courtesy www.mbaction.com

Unfortunately Buhl crashed out in the final heat, she was pushing it to the limit with everything she had looking for the win. Melissa won both the DH and 4X disciplines at the Fontana National a few weeks back and was trying to repeat this performance at the “OTTER”….she came real close!

The KHS Cross Country Team was also present and flying the flag for Cytomax / KHS. Charles Jenkins Pro XC racer took some time out of his extremely busy schedule to chat with us at the event and gave us a great update on the teams training and performance thus far into the season. We are extremely proud of these guy’s and the way they represent KHS, and the sport of cycling as a whole…THANKS Chuck!

Buhl continued her current dominance in the women’s downhill on Sunday, she blew what was a world cup field on any given day out of the water! Sea Otter attracts all the best talent from around the world and if you look at the results you will see many, many recognizable names on that seed list. Great job Melissa keep it up!

I am also very proud to report that I managed to bring home a win for KHS and it’s sponsors. I took the win in the hardtail downhill on Saturday and had a huge amount of fun doing so. I dethroned fellow KHS racer Chuck Valenzuela who won it last year, Chuck finished 3rd putting both of us on the podium. I plan on coming back in 2009 and defending that title!

I would also like to thank all the KHS Factory Team sponsors. You guys are great and make our lives so much easier!! We have a fantastic group of sponsors who take very good care of us and it is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

The “KHS CREW” will be at Woodward West this coming weekend for round number 2 of the California Downhill State Championships.

We hope to see you there. Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best,

Q.

Report by: Quinton Spaulding
Photos by: Monique Spaulding

It’s always exciting to get to the first National Race of the year. Everybody has been training, testing equipment, getting their heads in the game - just all round zooming in…keeping their eye on the prize and hoping to do well at the first BIG race of the year.

Setting up is always fun at the Nationals!

We arrived in Fontana, California Wednesday evening to some beautiful weather. Immediately we got to see familiar faces, faces that we see year in, and year out, people that become your family away from home.

Team Big Bear Race Promoter Tom Spiegel Checks in with his MOMMY!

Southridge Park was bursting at the seams this past weekend!

I was told the numbers were up 35% from previous years and that this was the busiest Fontana National to date. This is inspiring news for Team Big Bear , Southridge USA and for the mountain biking community all round. We all love what we do, and go to the races because we want to be there, and to have the stats looking bright for the future is AWESOME! This goes to show that we do matter at ground zero! Melissa Buhl took the 1st place qualifying spot in the Women’s 4X Friday evening, and ran a time that none of the other girls could really compete against. Despite the fact that Buhl was racing seasoned World Cup 4X pro’s, she went on to win without anyone coming close at all, on what was an exciting Fontana 4X course…well done Buhler!

Logan Binggeli qualified in 9th place amongst an extremely competitive Men’s 4X field. Some of the best in the world had showed up to do business. Binggeli went on to earn a very respectable 7th place overall, and remember this kid is just getting started.

Dale Holmes qualified 12th in the Men’s 4X, however as we have come to know with Holmes…when you have a World Class gate start like him, qualifying spots do not always mean that much. Holmes raced a fantastic 4X, and won every one of his heat races like he always does…all the way to the finals. Unfortunately he’s gate start in the final was not a 100%, yet he still fought back from 4th to take the overall 3rd place finish and most importantly a 3rd place podium spot for KHS Bicycles and all it’s sponsors.

After 4X Saturday evening, some CRAZY STUNT PEOPLE put on a fantastic demonstration of skill and confidence whilst throwing their crotch rockets around the Southridge parking lot. These guy’s and their SUPER BIKES put on quite a spectacular show for all those in attendance.

Sundays Downhill went well for us. This was definitely a World Cup top ten in the Men’s Pro Final. This is a really tough course to run a qualifier on and then race. By the time you have done both, your legs are DONE! I mean DUN! Sprinting the infamous wall is an incredible case of mind over matter your legs and lungs say NO! but the brain overrides them and you continue to sprint, some racers have even complained of blacking out before crossing the finish line. What made this even more difficult was that we had to race the California State Championship Downhill race right after the National on the same course. Once done with the national, I was in disbelief that I had to go up and do it again for the Cal State!

Melissa Buhl topped the podium again, Buhl had a good enough run to separate herself from 2nd place by a whopping 8 seconds. Melissa’s training is definitely paying off, because like I have mentioned before there is nothing more physically demanding than sprinting the wall in Fontana

Chuck Valenzuela also got on top of the podium for KHS in the Cal State Vet Pro DH race. Valenzuela is always a feature on the Vet Pro DH podium. He also placed 17th in the Semi Pro class for the National.Logan Binggeli placed 29th in the Pro DH National and 7th in the Pro Cal State Pro DH.I ended up 40th in the Pro DH National, one place behind Eric Carter who was 39th and I took 9th in the Cal State Pro DH.

http://southridgeusa.com/2008-NMBS-DH.php

KHS Factory Team mechanic G-Money had his hands full at this race! He worked on bikes 24-7 all 4 days, and I know he was happy to see his work turn into podiums for KHS.

You can be the best athlete in the world but if your equipment is not ready and reliable you’re not winning the race says Gavin on Sunday afternoon after all was said and done.

KHS has been the Presenting Sponsor of the Downhill at the Fontana National for the last 3 years. We gave away 15 bikes…yes I said 15 bikes to some lucky winners throughout the entire weekend. Here are some pictures of a few winners.

The KHS Factory Crew will be at the Sea Otter Classic next. Hope to see you there! Please stay posted for more updates and photos as they become available.All the best!

Q.

Take a look at this new ad campaign for Cycle Safety in London. No use of a bicycle or cyclist to be found in the ad, but the message may be more evocative than obvious.  Let’s hope it makes a difference.

Click here to watch the video

For the 14th straight year, KHS will be at the Solvang Century providing technical support and displaying bicycles at the Ride Expo. The 26th Annual Solvang Century takes place on Saturday, March 8th. The Solvang Century is considered one of the best century rides in the nation. Pro race teams like Discovery and Slipstream hold their off-season training camps in the beautiful rolling hills located around Solvang.

Riders have become accustomed to seeing the blue and yellow KHS tents on the side of the road and at the expo area. We provide service when needed, including flat tire repair, brake/derailleur adjusting, spoke repair and truing etc. Riders and their families love seeing the KHS bicycles at the Expo area on Friday night during the pre-ride check-in, or at the finish line area. If you’re riding the Century, please stop by the KHS booth be sure to say HI! and take a look at the 2008 bikes.

For more info about the Solvang Century, please click here 

By the way, Solvang is the Danish village that recently hosted the Amgen Tour of California Time Trial.

Caroline stands on the top step for the Under-19 DH and Elite 4X Championship

Mt. Beauty is the last Downhill National series race in Australia. It rained on race day…in fact, 7 out of 7 national rounds have rained in AUSTRALIA.  It’s starting to feel like Europe.
Womens DH Results: Tracy Moesly 1st, Tracy Hannah 2nd, Caroline Buchanan (KHS) 3rd. This awesome result placed Caroline 3rd for the Australian National Downhill Series (2007-08).  Caroline is only 17 and places 3rd behind two Elite Pro women.  Incredible!  
2007-08 Australian National Champion 4X Australian National DH Champion and Australian National 4X Overall Series winner.
Under-19 Downhill Champion and 3rd place in the Overall National Series Championship (2007-08).

With these victories Caroline gets to wear the Australian colors on her jersey when competing in those events.

Click here to read cyclingnews.com story

At the last minute, about five days ago, I decided to race the Nautica Malibu Sprint Triathlon. While this is not a race I would normally do, as it has no points or prize money, I signed up because I knew there would be a decent pro field coming out. Aside from some local pros,the biggest names were Fabio Carvalho, Jose Azevedo (both from Brazil), and another Australian pro by the name of Chris McCormack. McCormack is the only triathlete to win both World Championships and be #1 on the World Cup rankings in the ITU. McCormack has numerous wins at Escape From Alcatraz, Wildflower, Chicago Tri, LA Triathlon, Ironman Australia, and the list goes on. He is on of the heavy favorites to win next month’s Ironman Worlds.

So I signed up for this race, knowing that it would be a rare chance to race one of the greats–especially at a shorter distance.

At the gun, roughly 100 people in the Pro/Elite wave ran into the chilly 59 degree water and out to the first buoy. I knew I had to get out fast because it was such a short race, so I pinned myself to McCormack’s feet and hung on for dear life. As we rounded the last buoy, I felt good enough to try to break from the pack (something I have never, EVER done) and put a little time on a few guys. Coming in through the surf, I looked around and didn’t see many people except that I was running out ahead of McCormack. I got to the sand and he slowly passed me, but I quickly realized that if I wanted the official credit of beating him out of the water, I would have to sprint ahead to the timing mat–which I did!

Out onto the bike, I had lost a little time in transition, but was feeling surprisingly good in fourth place behind McCormack, Carvalho, and another pro, Caue Suplicy. I had changed the setup on my KHS Flite Team with Cole Shuriken Carbon Lite T85s and it was really working for me. At the halfway I had gained all the time I had lost and was feeling incredibly strong riding near the group of three at the front. With about five miles to go, I made a big move on McCormack and Carvalho to keep the pace honest and test them a little. They responded fairly quickly, but it definitely made things a little tougher. As we came into the transition, I saw that the media and spectators were there in full force with cameras and flashes going off everywhere. It was pretty crazy.

Off the bikes, I had a slow transition compared to McCormack and Carvalho, so I lost quite a bit of time going out onto the run. Usually for the run, this doesn’t matter as much because I can make it up quickly, but that wasn’t going to happen today with this field. It took me a little over a mile (out of the four mile course) to bridge up to those two guys and it took a bit out of me. Once I got up to them, Carvalho started to fade off the pace and it was just me, Chris McCormack, and a huge television helicopter following us around the point at Malibu. Very, very surreal. At this point, I figured I would not win if I tried to play back and forth with a World Champion. I knew the only things I had going for me where that I had a very strong kick (from being a miler in college) and that he had no idea who I was or how I ran. I stayed off his shoulder and played it smart until we hit the three mile mark, and I totally took off in almost full sprint. From what I am told (I started running and did NOT look back), they say I gapped him early probably because he thought I would fade, but then with a little to go, he started charging. I could hear the crowd going crazy, so I started sprinting again for the line. Once I hit the line in first, everyone went nuts. I was immediately whisked away for a bunch of interviews with Triathlete Magazine, FSN, Fox, and other media outlets.

This race was probably the most perfect race I have had so far in my career. I swam at the front, cycled at the front, and used my run to win the race without having to completely bury myself. I didn’t make any mistakes and everything went exactly to plan. Not only that, but it was so exciting to win in from of a home crowd with my coach (Bernard Baski), Karli (my girlfriend), and so many of my triathlete friends there to watch. Certainly with all of the media coverage and the fact that I beat Chris McCormack, this race will open a few more doors to sponsorships, contacts, and probably training groups (McCormack is a very cool guy and has offered to set me up with some of his contacts from his ITU days). And somehow with all of this, I think the best is still yet to come!

Thank you as always for your support and your encouragement, this day could not have come without everyone’s help!!

… We are in a bit of a lull with the racing season so not much to report. Sean Donovan and I did however give one of our local races (Rim Nordic XC) the one two punch this last weekend with a First and Second place. Sean took off on the start and made a pretty good lead on the first lap. I was also feeling good even with a full week of training under my belt and pulled to within 25 seconds at one point. I must have put the fear in my teammates legs because when he started seeing me closing in he put the hammer down on the final descent and won by exactly one minute. It was no problem though because it was however a Cyto/KHS rider in the lead.

I have a few pictures from earlier in the season (Fontana National and Ellings Park Cal State race) of Sean and I. Notice the dirt on Sean. He took a really hard digger injuring his left hand in the process. He was almost totally healed but is still running both shifters on one side so to keep the stress off his thumb.

Chuck Jenkins
Cytomax/KHS Racing

Sean Donovan (left) and Chris Jenkins (right) of Cytomax/KHS Team

Racing at Snowmass got off to a great start with the 4X qualifying Friday evening. Dale, Melissa and Caroline all took the top qualifying spots in the men’s and women’s Pro 4X (below is a shot of KHS racer Dale Holmes "getting it done" in the finals after taking the number one qualifying spot amongst the best Pro Men 4X racers in the world). Dale looked superb throughout the evening placing 1st in every heat up until the final. He really came into his own at Snowmass, displaying to everybody around him that he was definitely the guy to beat. Dale raced extremely well in the final and placed 2nd overall, a fantastic result considering 3 out of the 4 racers in the final heat all hailed from the Factory Yeti Team. Yeti’s Jared Graves took the win after a great gate start, and Dale did his best to chase him down but could not get by him… what a great race!

Dale pulling ahead - by Quinton Spaulding

Melissa Buhl was on top form as usual… riding like a women possessed! She went on to take the top qualifying spot for KHS in the Women’s Pro 4X. She continued that form all the way to the final heat Saturday evening, going on to win by beating her KHS team mate and Australian 4X National Champion Caroline Buchanan, who qualified 2nd for KHS. This had the entire event talking about Team KHS and solidified our image as "The KHS Army". This win also secured the championship for Melissa and crowned her 4X National Series Champion.

Melissa on course - by Chuck Valenzuela

Everything came to a head on Sunday… it was time for some high speed "moto" style Downhill. This course was fast and choppy with some of the most high speed sections we have seen all season. To win this one was going to take some fearless braking.

Melissa Buhl did not disappoint, after taking another 1st qualifying spot early Sunday morning. She came down to the finish line during the final, powering through a rough finish line straight away to take top honors. Luna’s Marla Strebb placed a close second but it was to be Melissa’s day… and season. She closed everybody out and took the National Series DH Title with this win. Talk about taking care of business!

Women’s 4X Podium - by Chuck Valenzuela

Snowmass treated KHS and its "army" very well. We came home with two Major Championship Titles, three individual gravity event wins and a total of eight podiums!!! I stand back now and realize that all our hard work has paid off, the training, injuries, hardship’s, excitement and the desire to win are all pieces to this great puzzle that make a successful race season.

Men’s 4X Podium - by Chuck Valenzuela

We all race because we love to, but without the help from our sponsors, the racing scene would be completely different. KHS would like to extend a VERY BIG thanks to all of our esteemed co sponsors for helping us make this dream season a reality.

We still have some racing to take care of in 2007, Melissa Buhl and Dale Holmes will both be attending the Jeep King of the Mountain series this coming weekend in Colorado and we wish them the best of luck. The KHS Factory Team will be in Keystone Colorado for the 2007 Keystone Climax - MSC series finals September 1-3.

Very best regards,
Q