McWilliams Warp-Final MBAA Race and Series awards ceremony

McWillaiams Warp....MBAA final race of 2011 was scheduled to take place in Williams, AZ last weekend. Williams is situated around 7000ft elevation and so is generally much cooler than Phoenix. Unfortunately the Arizona wildfires closed all state forests just days before our race...officials were forced to find a new venue for our final race. Ironically they choose McDowell Mountain Park which was the location of our first race of the season as well!

With temps of around 110 predicted we were forced to start at sunrise around 530am. This ensure the survival of all.

I had been training hard for this race and was feeling good the morning of. I like this course and also enjoy racing in the heat so things were looking pretty good. I knew I just needed to finish in order to clinch the state championship but I really wanted a podium spot as well.

Wavering on my race strategy I decided last minute to just "go for it" and race as hard as possible.

There were some really fast guys on the line and once we were off and racing I found myself in second place of the 4 leaders.

Slowly but surely our pace increased and my handling started to get sloppy, I was going all out as we swapped positions over and over again the first lap.

We all slid out or slipped up on the fast, slick, sandy trails and made our own mistakes. Unfortunately mine was rather costly as I was forced to make a quick repair to the bike on trail near the end of lap 1. I lost contact with the other guys and continued to chase them for the rest of the day. Racing in the desert provided an opportunity to see the guys I was chasing even as they were nearly one minute ahead. This helped me to keep the pace high and push as hard as possible....hard enough to crash out a few more times and ruin my chances at a podium spot. I was reminded once again that sometimes you go faster by going a little slower and finally rolled in less than a minute from my podium spot in 4th place.





At some point I brushed an evil Cholla cactus and the spines went deep into my calf. It was extremely painful in a "charlie horse" kinda way whenever I would coast on the downhills but there was nothing that could be done without a pair of pliers. These are also known as "jumping cactus" as they seeming jump onto you as you pass by.











The good news is that I finished in position to take the 2011 Pro Men Arizona State Championship Title! This was pretty exciting for me as it was my goal when I arrived here 6 months ago and only my second state championship title of my cycling career!





So as I was competing in my final Arizona Series XC race my rock star girlfriend L-A was competing in her first bike race in Arizona and of 2011. I was stoked to see her back in action and reunited with the podium again! She is quickly earning a reputation on and off the bike in the local cycling scene!









After the racing was over and my spines were removed by the medics I got to hang with all of our new cycling friends, old cycling friends, new/old cycling friends and my girlfriend. (she is such a bad ass)

Looking back on the season I was impressed by the number of talented cyclists of all skill levels who I see at races and out on the trails. Phoenix has a very large and varied cycling scene and it's been my dream for some time to live in a place like this! The turn outs for some of the races were surprisingly large and others surprisingly small. The race courses were varied and fun but lacked technical terrain for the most part. There is a very large group of junior racers which is promising. The race entry fees were among the highest I have seen anywhere and the cash paybacks were among the lowest. Switching to a hardtail mid-season was very difficult for me. Getting used to a new riding style, bike, pedaling cadence was like learning to ride again but kept things interesting in a way I had never considered. In the long run it was a great decision...not because I prefer a hardtail but because my bike and I needed something "fresh" in our relationship.

A big I O U goes out to Bob Myers and Trek Bicycle for keeping me on the best racing bikes and products available. I absolutely could not have done this without the help of Trek and my other sponsors: Dales Bike Shop in Oberlin Ohio and Bontrager clothing and components.

Next up I think I may show my face at an Ohio race or two and then venture into the world of ultra endurance mtb, and maybe some road or cyclocross races this fall.

Arizona State XC Series Race #7 "Flagstaff Frenzy"

The Trails in Flagstaff are some of the best anywhere, or so I had heard. Our second to last race in the series found me at the base of Mt. Humphrey, the highest peak in Arizona. Since this venue is so distant from my house I was unable to preride the course. This always makes for an exciting race but also puts me at a slight disadvantage.


Temps were in the 70s under sunny skies, the starting grid was stacked with some really fast guys. Among them was my nearest rival "Mimmo" along with the regulars and some new faces too. Mimmo and I were going into this race at 1st and 2nd respectively in points (me in the lead) and I suspect neither of us had done the math to know just how important this race was. It didn't matter, we both were going to race as hard as possible just like we always do. My point is we were both visibly focused on winning and there was a "seriousness" on the start line that was not present at previous races.


The start of the race was fast, I got a decent start and held the Italian's wheel as we snaked feverishly through the mostly flat, dry, and extremely fast singletrack. There was a group of about 4 of us that battled for the lead as we took turns almost crashing in the dusty turns. I tried to stay as close as possible to get in the draft and avoid the large amounts of dust coming up from our treads. We were going at a really hard pace for me, I was drooling already and I knew I would not be able to hold this effort for long, but my plan was to hold onto my rival at all costs so that's what I did.


He was riding very well this day and there was a few other really fast Pro's at this one too. Before long the sandy singletrack pointed upward and we began to climb up an ancient lava flow. This was essentially a very technical, long ascent up a boulder field. Having spent all my coins trying to stay with the leaders I simply did not have the effort or trail familiarity to ride smoothly in this section and I watched helplessly as I fell back several places towards the back of the pack. It seemed like this section went on forever before we finally were spit out onto a steep dirt road. Heading for the sky I concentrated on drinking, I was out in the full sun at altitude and I could "sense" the fluids rapidly leaving my body. The dirt road went on forever and it did not level out at all. We climbed nearly 30 minutes and I began to see some of my rivals again as we neared the top.


This brought back some hope of a decent finish and I began to think about a new race strategy. Just then, as I was "just riding along", I experienced a devastating mechanical failure. I will not bore you with the details but my day was over.


Knowing anything was possible I decided to finish the race as long as I was able to pedal my bike.....and I was able to pedal, slowly and occasionally between frequent repairs. I actually was surprised the bike held together enough to finish the race and I was not too far back from the leaders considering how much time I spent stopped on the side of the trail. Of course I had finished in last place but I had finished and this was to be my last opportunity to gain points on my rival.


It was too bad I had to have bad luck at this one as Flagstaff has some ripping trails with phenomenal views, thick ponderosa forests, (the largest in the world), and real dirt.


Luckily for me Mimmo, who had led much of the race, imploded at some point as well and finished just off of the podium, keeping my hopes of a state championship title alive.


I have just one more week to prepare for the final/mandatory championship race in Williams, AZ on June 25th! I am hoping to go out in a blaze of ....some sort!

And let's not forget the post race/end of season party!

Prescott Punisher Arizona State XC Race #6

Prescott was host to the MBAA race #6, dubbed "The Prescott Punisher". This area has some really great riding. Sandy singletrack through Pine Forests. Large granite boulders, tree roots, elevation, views....I could go on and on. My point is I was pumped to return to this terrain even though my last race here did not go so well. Prescott has a cool vibe and this really cool brewery that I seem to get sucked into over and over.

My girl L.A. and I arrived extra early in order to do some volunteer work before the race got started. The weather was perfect, 70s, calm, sunny, and some of the bluest skies I have ever witnessed.

The morning went by quickly and as usual start time arrived before I was really ready for it. I had been able to ride a few sections of the course and had a vague idea of what I was in for. We were to do 5 laps so I had some time to learn the terrain during the race.

11a.m. arrived and we were off and racing! I grabbed a crappy start as we struggled through the gravely sand pit that was the start line. A quick parade lap around the start/finish zone and we were finally out into hardpack single track.

As the trail turned uphill I began to move forward and was shortly into 4th place or so as we climbed a moderate double track climb for the next several minutes.

We were going UP up UP and then it was finally time to start one of the many awesome downhills. The trail snaked quickly downward with huge bermed turns, some dips, and a super slickery gravel type consistency, very fast and very sketchy.












By the end of lap 1 I had moved into third and struggled to stay within reach of Mimmo and another rider.









The three of us rode within sight of each other for nearly an hour. All the while the gaps between us grew steadily. The course was very fast in most spots and pretty technical in others. Not like anything I had raced on yet. The first 10 minutes was really fast long ups and long downs, but the second half of the lap was very techy, tight, and twisty with shorter, power climbs. There were a couple big jumps on the downhills too so I was of course airing it out a couple times per lap :)


The BONTRAGER 29-2 tires have become my new "go to" tires for all conditions. They grip great on the loose stuff and still roll plenty fast on the hard stuff....I like em! Going to ride them every race for the rest of the season.

The TREK SUPERFLY was perfect for this course. 29 inch wheels gave me tons of grip on the loose surface and confidence on the downs. The superlight frame puts all my power into turning the wheels so I crest climbs faster and fresher.





Eventually by lap 5 I lost sight of everyone and rode in by myself. I had been pushing hard hoping to catch 2nd place somewhere but it just never happened.















Third place would have to do and I was not unhappy with that. I felt great, rode well, and for once would not have changed a thing about this race. It was a great day on the bike!

After the race we enjoyed the sunshine, people, and yes the brewery! Truly a day to remember.

Globe Grind

Last Saturday was Arizona's State Championship series number 5 of 8. The venue was located in Globe and I had no idea what kind of trails to expect.

After a scenic drive through some beautiful country we arrived at the venue. The turnout was pretty small,only 5 guys in my category. A short preride of the course was quickly abandoned as hilly dirt roads led to more hilly dirt roads. I finished my warm up on the pavement and lined up for the start.

Temps were in the low 90's and I was happy about this since every race so far this year has been rather cold for my taste. USA cycling dude sent us off and we immediately hit a series of steep dirt road climbs which split the pack up pretty well. The current state champ was off the front and I fell into second place as the Italian Mimmo Fuita was not far behind me. After the steep climbs the road leveled and for the next 15 minutes we struggled into the wind up a mild grade.

Not knowing the course I took a wrong turn at an intersection and fell into 3rd as we began a hilly and rocky 4 miles of atv trail. The hills were steep and loose, most of us were walking them and just for good measure there was nearly a mile of deep deep sand. Riding through the sand was miserable, It was indeed ridable at max effort but getting off and walking was nearly as fast. Considering we were racing I decided to ride it and save a couple seconds rather than walking to save energy.

The long downhill back to the start was a sweet way to end the loop and grab a fresh bottle of water. Speaking of water I should have had more. Going into lap 2 I finished that bottle right away but was able to move into 2nd place again and put some time on Mimmo. It was hot and the course seemed harder than the first lap. I was racing hard (of course) and going into my final lap I started to get concerned about my hydration. I was feeling very hot and the mouth was getting dry and those are both bad signs.

Racing in the desert heat and full sun dehydration can creep up very quickly. For the entire final lap I continued to ride slower and slower as I lost fluids. I was taking baby sips from my bottle in order to preserve it for as long as possible. What I really wanted was to chug it down and then have two more!

Luckily for me I did hold out until the end and crossed the line feeling like throwing up. I drank and drank for the rest of the day and most of the night and made a mental note : "bring more water than you need" for the next venue.

This was a big finish for me and a nice podium spot towards the state championship series. The final 3 races are all at altitude and I am a bit nervous about this. Currently I lead the series but not by much and there are a couple contenders who have me in their sights.

The next race is back in Prescott where I "shit the bed" at the Whiskey 50 a couple weeks ago. And then I hope to return to Ohio for the Mohican 100. Will I repeat the shitting in the bed or will the sheets remain clean?

The Wiskey 50

My long weekend in Prescott, Az began Friday morning at the "mandatory" pre-race meeting. Followed by the evening's "mandatory" Fat Tire Crit aka Road Race on Mountain Bikes. We were to do 30 minutes plus 3 laps on a very hilly road course. The video can explain it better than I can although its a bit difficult to see just how steep these roads were.

2011 Whiskey Off-Road Pro Men Fat tire Crit from Yuki Ikeda on Vimeo.

It was hard for sure but I was able to maintain a mid pack position until I was pulled near the end. A little more fun than the flat road crits I was used to and it made me consider road racing again after many years away.

I felt pretty good despite the 5500 ft elevation and was looking forward to the big event on Sunday.

Saturday was spent enjoying the town and the local trails, eating, resting, a hike with the dogs and someone special.

The trails at this altitude are more like what I grew up racing and riding on. Smooth dirt, trees, roots, logs, stream crossings...not the rocks and sand of Phoenix I have become accustomed to. The racecourse itself is impressive and can break a man in many ways. Altitude, Dangerous Descents, Unending climbs, it had all 3.

The morning of the race I was nervous, the starting grid was packed with dozens of the fast guys from all over, sunny skies and temps in the high 40s, there was a cowboy with a shotgun ready to send us off.

80 racers had entered this event and without delay we were off and racing. The first 5 miles is road climbing and the pace was not too bad for most of it. As we approached the trailhead though the road steepened and the pack began to splinter. I counted about 40 guys ahead of me as we hit the singletrack and continued to climb up the mountain for another 5 miles. The trail was steepening and the dirt was loosening as we approached the top of the climb, guys were beginning to crack, pull out, walk. I was moving up and counted myself about in the mid 30s now after ascending non stop for 45 minutes. I was feeling fine about how the day was going but feeling the familiar pain that comes with this sort of fun.

Suddenly I began to struggle and before long I had some sort of bonk like I have never experienced in my life. Im still not sure what happened but I was happy to make it to the top of the mountain after nearly an hour.

Finally a downhill! This was a serious downhill too, nearly 9 miles with some really high speed loose sections, plenty of exposure, and really beautiful views...if only I had time to look. I passed a ton of people on this one and everything was good until the next climb. I began drinking and eating here, realizing I should have done that long ago and simply went backwards for the rest of the day as we aimed again for the sky. This 3 mile jeep road climb was STEEP and I was suffering quite badly. But after about 30 minutes of getting passed and gasping for breath I crested the top and began my descent 12 miles into Skull Valley. This was 12 miles of high speed fire road that just went on and on....and on. I was thankful to be pointed downhill but also knew that when I reached the bottom I had to turn around and climb back up. The road twisted and turned for miles without sight of a building or person, no racers in front or behind I was now just out there in the middle of nowhere racing my bike.

Near the bottom of the mountain I began to pass those ahead going back up and finally realized how far back I had fallen. into the mid 40s now and half the course to go. Including the 12 miles back up the fire road followed by the most awesome 8 miles of singletrack downhill back to town.

Climbing out of skull valley was pretty sad. I was hoping to have good legs after some food and drink and make up some time but I simply spun my way up in baby gears praying for the top while feeling bad. This went on for oh about an hour and it was misery. Near the top I knew it was mostly downhill so I gave it whatever was left and cruised into the finish in just under 4 hours for 46th place. The final singletrack downhill was especially sweet as we cruised through a burnt forest, down the mountain into several stream crossings, some rock gardens, and finally some road down to the finish.

It was a bad day on the bike but I was still happy to see the course, meet some new and old friends, and explore Prescott for the weekend.

This was also my first race on my new Superfly Hardtail. After 1o years racing full suspension I have decided it may be time for change. It's like learning how to ride again but this thing is light Show allat 20 lbs and feels fast on the climbs.

Fontana Triple Crown U S Cup 2011

Last weekend I traveled to Fontana, California to compete in the US CUP #2. This "Triple Crown Event" offered the xc and Super D on Saturday followed by Short Track Sunday afternoon. This was to be my first Big National Race as a Pro and I was hoping for a top 40 finish.

Saturday I arrived just in time to the overcast skies and cool temps. The venue was on a mountain right in the middle of suburbia. If you watch the videos you can see for yourself what I am talking about. After the old registration and warm up routine I lined up with about 100 of the fastest racers in the country. There were teams from several other countries as well. I actually got a call up although it was at about 60th position on the line so it was little help.

Before long we were off and racing! The start was a quick series of S turns that caused a huge "yo yo" effect in the pack. Back at mid pack where I was we came to a complete stop at the first few corners while the leaders sailed through and were gone.

The course was rocky and flat near the start but quickly led up to an extremely long and steep climb. It was sandy, rutted, relentless. We were all in our lowest gear grinding up at near max effort. Some of the guys ahead slipped mid way up and we were all forced to dismount and run the remainder. As if my legs did not hurt enough already! Within a few steps the burn was intense! More than the normal amount of pain for sure. I made a mental note to stay on the bike at all costs on this climb the remaining 4 laps.

Finally near the top of the mountain the climb leveled out and we were up to speed on some really sweet packed-sand singletrack. There were plenty of boulders here and there and the course followed the ridge of the mountain for a while before the downhill. What a downhill it was! High speed, swoopy, scenic, two wheeled fun! Then a little bit of road leading to the start finish where we would do it all again.

Our class was extremely spread out, there was little passing opportunities and I took the first two laps just sitting behind people much of the time. Lap 3 was better, I finally rode the whole giant climb now that the pack was thinning. I was feeling pretty good, the bike worked great. I ran the new bontrager 29-2 tires. While they are optimized for loose conditions they work well just about anywhere and were a huge help on that long sandy climb. One slip and a racer is off the bike and walking to the top!

Lap 4 was going good, I was getting optimistic as I saw the guys ahead of me starting to fade back. Although I was moving up it was not enough to keep me from getting lapped by the leader just before crossing the line for my final lap. I was forced to abandon and scored in my place at 66th out of around 100 guys. Not the finish I had hoped for but wow what a fun race and insane competition!

Later that day was the super D event. It was a downhill course with one small climb in the middle. We not only competed against the top xc guys but also the top downhill guys at the race. I dropped a chain and was forced to dismount to fix it during the race but still placed 29th which I was quite happy with. The course was really fun with some pretty scary drops near the bottom, I nearly lost it near the finish to the delight of a large crowd that had gathered there. It was cool to nearly crash then save my own ass to the cheers of so many spectators!

Finally Sunday night closed with the short track. Race. A twenty minute race around a short loop. The course was very roadie friendly and I knew I would be in trouble when I got another way back call up. I was starting near the rear and a crash at the start brought my group to a screeching halt in the first corner. By the time we got moving the leaders were way gone and the panic ensued. Our group stretched out to a single file line as we all sprinted hard trying to catch up. I was redlined beyond the redline, I blew and struggled alone a couple of laps before latching onto a rider and getting some air back into the lungs. I hung on for a couple laps, made a move to pass, and just as I was getting tired again we got pulled as the leaders approached from behind. I was not sure what to expect but I made it 16 minutes before getting pulled which I was not totally disappointed about. Overall for the weekend's Triple Crown I managed a 45th place which I suppose would be categorized as an honest ass kicking. What a humbling experience to line up next to legends and really see where I stand.

Next up is the Whisky 50 where I will again be battling with the big guns in the Arizona high country. I suspect it's going to be Epic!

Check out the two videos below, they give a glimpse of the giant climb and the awesome trail conditions, as well as the insane speeds we travel at on our bicycles.

Watch more video of US CUP PRO TRIPLE CROWN #2 FONTANA on cyclingdirt.org

Watch more video of US CUP PRO TRIPLE CROWN #2 FONTANA on cyclingdirt.org

MBAA Race #4 Foray at the Fort

Foray at the Fort, MBAA race #4 was probably the most important race of the Arizona series for me. This race was worth "points and a half" so it was a good opportunity to get a good finish and some much needed points toward the state championship.

I had trained well, stayed healthy, prepared my bike, arrived on time, all of the requred stuff to have a good finish. Located just a few miles from Mexico on a military base this course was just too far for me to make the drive down for a preride. Luckily I arrived early enough to scope out the first 2 miles of the 6 mile loop. It was all uphill, starting with a false flat and slowly working up to a loose, techy climb near the top.

I finished my warmup and devised a psuedo race plan. Then, just as I was approaching the line and making final adjustments to my gear I broke the zipper on my jersey. Crap on a stick! The temps were cool and the course was fast so I really did not want to compete with my jersey open and flapping in the wind. Near the starting line I struggled for several minutes to repair it. I could hear the announcer over the loud speaker "pro's you have 2 minutes til start" I though for sure I could zoom over with 20 seconds til start and still make it.

Well, apparently they did not use the loud speaker to send off the first wave of racers because when I finally gave up on the zipper and lined up there were no pro's on the line.

"where is the pro class?" I asked the racer next to me. "They left already!" he replied. I cursed and jumped off the line, heading up the road and into a headwind all alone. So much for my race plan!

For the first several minutes I was all alone, could not see anyone. Then I caught the first guy in my class struggling up the steepest part of the first climb. I passed him and moved on into the singletrack that I had not ridden yet. It was very loose and rough, I had thoughts of my bike breaking from the beating it was taking.

The rest of the lap was more of the same, tough, lung burning climbs at altitude followed by steep, loose, rough downhills and finally to the only short road section through the start finish. 1 lap down, 4 to go!

Lap 2 was more of the same, I was moving up and gaining time on second place slowly but surely. He did not see me creeping up behind him and I was just about to make contact, pushing myself hard, riding on the edge, when I lost it in one of the many loose corners and went down hard!


The crash tore a hole in my shorts, bloodied my hip, elbow, shin, and tore my rear shifter housing which eliminated half of my gears. I had no idea I was bleeding and had torn shorts. Too much concentration was needed to keep my chain on a usable cog. I had to hold my shifter between gears on some of the climbs and I dropped my chain several times the 3rd lap, having to stop, dismount, and reinstall it.

Now my hopes of 2nd place were pretty much gone and I just tried to keep my bike together and not crash for the second hour of the race. It was a disappointing feeling to be racing at less than my maximum speed but I managed to keep it upright while navigating through the lapped racers.

"The Fort" was easily the most difficult course I have raced this year, mainly because of the altitude, difficult climbs, and teeth rattling downhills.

I finished 3rd and that was good enough for a podium spot and some valuable points in the series. Currently I am leading the points race but that could easily change considering we are only halfway into the series. We now have a 5 week break in the AZ series. This weekend I intend to travel to Fontana to compete in the US Cup Triple Crown. I will be lining up against the fastest racers in the world in the xc, super D, and short track events! Should make for some good stories at least!

thanks to Barry Hart Photography for the awesome photos!