Mountain States Cup – Wildflower Rush

Photos by: Monique  Spaulding

Report by: Quinton Spaulding

I just love traveling the Highways of America, every  trip has something new and spontaneous to offer.

Traveling through Utah (on our way to Crested Butte, CO), we were treated to some awesome rainbows.

We arrived at the base of the mountain in Crested Butte on Thursday morning to pleasant weather and beautiful scenery.

KHS Factory riders Melissa Buhl and Logan Bingelli were in Europe at this time racing  the “Wheels of Speed” in Willingen, Germany. They then made their way to Maribor, Italy which is one of the friendliest stops on the UCI World Cup Circuit . Buhl on the podium in Maribor with a fantastic 2nd place finish in the 4X.

This was Bingelli’s first World Cup appearance for KHS.  Although he did not qualify for the Final on Sunday, he still put in a good effort gaining some invaluable experience that he can build on down the road as he ventures deeper into World Cup racing. He finished 24th at the “Wheels of Speed”… a good result.

Some crazy sights from the town of Crested Butte.

The peak of Crested Butte Mountain in the background.

In the village.

Next door.

The Crested Butte “SKI Resort” is  well equipped and prepared for a major “action event”. It is rumored that they have future plans for a World Cup Downhill race… on a brand new track.

The Wildflower Rush, MSC # 4 was a new track, which was  nicely laid out with many well built features. This was a “strong pedal” track and fitness was a big factor.

The finish line area had a great ski jump for the crowds. Along with riders that were launching it, it kept the crowd entertained  all weekend long.

We had some good rain showers before qualifying, which made for some pretty slick and sluggish conditions.

I had a fairly decent qualifying run finishing up 22nd out of 65 plus riders.

I shaved 10 seconds off of my qualifying run in the final, along with almost everybody else on a faster drier track. I finished 24th overall on the day and felt pretty good with that result at a National Level.

PRO Men DH Results

Matt Eglin… “The Man” at Hayes that takes care of the teams needs at all our events, outdid himself again at this race …thanks Matt!

KHS will be back in Colorado again for the US National Championships at Sol Vista Mountain Bike Park – July 16th thru the 19th. We are aiming high and looking for titles.

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

2009 California Golden State Championship – Woodward West

Report by: Quinton Spaulding

Photos by: Monique & Brittany Spaulding

This past weekend the “KHS CREW” was at the wonderful facilities of Woodward West in Tehachapi, CA for round # 1 of the California State Downhill and Mountain Cross Championships.

I live to race my downhill bike no matter what the track. I have to admit however, that I was really pleased to see that Donny and his guy’s from Southridge Racing had prepared a newly improved track for us to compete on. It was a short track, yet it had all the attributes for a good race track that “downhillers” would  like instantaneously.

David Dasta

Jim De Haven

Scott Johnson

Francine Johnson

Johnson says that he feels so good in his gear…so good, he wears it out to dinner!

The start gate at Woodward is  just perfect! It drops you in from about 15 feet of elevation and gets you off to a fast rolling start into the top of the track.

The Shuttle trucks  worked hard all weekend  making sure racers were on the track for practice as well as for the race.

The practice lines were pretty busy too, so much so that it seemed that everyone was having so much fun on the new track getting in the maximum amount of practice runs.

As always, KERN COUNTY had all their bases covered when it came to injuries of any kind.

A quick round of “foot golf” right before the first of 2 runs in the final. Cal State races always use a 2 run combined format whereby each rider does two timed race runs. The two times are then combined to determine the winner.

I have not broken my “crashing streak” yet! I went down in my first race run which set me back in the overall. My second run was way more competitive, and if my first would have been as good, I would have had a shot at a podium finish. I finished 11th overall.

Scott Johnson put down 2 consistent runs and placed 12th in the Pro Class overall.

Jim De Haven in one of his race runs.

“Big Cheeze” in the house!  Ric Houseman did such a good job of providing live run- by- run commentary on the racing straight out of the start gate. This made for a fantastic race atmosphere, I could hear him through my helmet during my race runs… it was truly inspiring!

Mountain Bike Actions own Ryan Cleek was also out at Woodward racing DH. He recently suffered a broken Humerus (upper arm) at the first Gravity National held at Bootleg Canyon earlier this season. Ryan ended the weekend with a very strong 2nd place podium finish.

KHS “B-Team” racer Francine Johnson (spouse and teammate of Scott Johnson) finished 2nd in the Pro Women DH, with some excellent riding throughout the weekend.

Chuck Valenzuela takes a solid 3rd place in the Vet Pro class. Valenzuela is always a threat to the podium in this class.

KHS “B-Team” rider Jim De Haven captures 4th place in the CAT 1, 27 -34.

KHS “B-Team” rider Rodney Bradley earns a 5th place finish in CAT 3, 40 -45. The KHS “B-Team” is really growing, and is operating like a well oiled machine.

We all had a really good time and look forward to the next one.

Every time we leave a race we seem to see something interesting. Here is a photo of one of the many windmill farms in that area of California… they are pretty captivating.

If you know of anyone who is interested in joining our “B-TEAM” or “R.A.C.E.R.” programs, please shoot me an email, or contact our R.A.C.E.R. (Team Manager) Vince Calvillo on our sponsorship page… just click on the email our R.AC.E.R. Team Manager “button”.

Proud Sponsors of the 2009 KHS Factory Team

KHS will be at MSC # 4 – Wildflower Rush in Crested Butte, CO  June 19 -21, hope to see you there.

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

US Open of Mountain Biking – 2009

Report & photos by: Quinton Spaulding

The US Open has become one of the most prestigious Mountain Bike Race events across the world, drawing a list of names you would only see on a World Cup qualifying sheet! This was an awesome event , the KHS team were out there representing to their fullest… just doing what we love to do!

The Diablo Freeride Park in Vernon, New Jersey has hosted the US Open since its inception. It is also known for its volatile thunderstorms (that can change conditions within just a few minutes) however, the weather on Friday was unbelievably nice.

It was quite apparent, with all their signage and tents that were placed on the mountain, that Redbull is the “Big Sponsor” at the US Open,

Binggeli was back to do his first race since he broke his wrist earlier this year at the St Pattys day race in Bootleg Canyon, NV. As always, he had full blown A.D.D. the entire weekend!

Thanks to our friends over at O’NEAL, especially to Daniel Burt who went out of his way to send us a couple helmets and few additional items…just making sure the KHS Team was taken care of!

I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to Jim Wannamaker and KENDA TIRES, for letting us pit out of their expo area throughout the entire weekend, and for helping us with everything we needed… YOU ARE THE MAN JIM!

This track boasts a rock garden second to none. The “JBL Rock Garden” as it is known, had rocks as big as cars… which put the riders skills to test for sure! The track conditions all the way up to our qualifying run were superb.

It was just before  qualifying that the heavens opened up and dumped rain, enough to change the track conditions tremendously. Up until then we had only ridden the course  dry, so qualifying was going to be a blind run as far as conditions went.

Photo courtesy: www.sicklines.com

I went down in the rock garden during my qualifier Saturday, which immediately eliminated me from the “big show” on Sunday. This was a really tough pill to swallow, and a sharp reminder of just how “on your game” one has to be at all times when racing downhill.

Bingelli makes a few important cuts to his tires to maximize traction in the wet condtioins.

It also rained before the finals on Sunday, so the only time the track was wet was for the qualifying and race runs… the mountain biking Gods!!

Buhl had a solid final run Sunday and took a 4th place podium finish as well as a check for her efforts!

Top 5 women in Sundays Final.

Logan road really well throughout the event. He did exactly what he needed to do to get back on track after his injury, rode consistantly, with lots of focus and snatched a 25th place amongst the very best in the world.

Naish Ulmer had a tougher time during his final run Sunday. He was riding on the edge to go fast but went down twice during his run, which left him in 45th place overall. Ulmer is still working hard on improving, and continues to show more focus… he just needs that “breakthrough run” we all seek, to take him to the next level.

PRO MEN DH RESULTS

Everybody at the finish line waited in anticipation to see the Big Winner and race favorite, Sam Hill (Specialized / Monster). Hill did not dissapoint, capturing the top spot on the podium with a convincing win.

There were many riders in the line up that could have taken the win, but with the rain just before the finals it made it that much harder to go wide open.

KHS was well represented at the US Open. We practiced as a team throughout the weekend, and we continue to gain more and more momentum as the season builds.

The Diablo Freeride Park is an amazing place, and anyone who gets to ride there for the entire summer (like some of those locals) should consider themselves extremely blessed.

Buhl took 2nd in the Giant Slalom, which is a new event at the Open.

Buhl taking 4th in the Downhill.

Buhl leaves for Europe next week for the next round on the World Cup circuit at Fort William, in Scotland… we wish her all the best!

Back home again! Vegas for most is a tourist destination, yet for me it is home and a place for a little recovery… just enough before I head out to the next race event on our busy schedule.

The KHS Team would like to thank Rich over at Pro Cyclery in Las Vegas who has gone out of his way on a few different occasions to rebuild some Sun Ringle wheel-sets for the team. Also on very short notice, yet building them with excellence I might add!

Thanks Rich.

KHS FACTORY TEAM SPONSORS

We will be at WOODWARD WEST this coming weekend for round number 2 of the California State Championships. Stop by and say hi if you are there, we would love to see you.

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

Pro GRT – Port Angeles, Washington

Report & photos by: Quinton Spaulding

Back in the air once again… checking baggage, boxing bikes, and flying the friendly skies. Off on our way to attend the Pro GRT in Port Angeles, Washington – home of the Fluidride Cup 2. We had heard so many good things about this event and venue, so we were really looking forward to it.

Seattle is a beautiful city, it has all the attributes which make up the complete package for anyone looking for a great place to live. And if you enjoy a little more than average rainfall, then Seattle is the place for you.

The Hood Canal Bridge – an important link between Seattle and Port Angeles, was closed for 6 weeks of construction work just hours after we crossed over it Thursday morning.

Little did I know… we would have to reschedule our return flights and travel plans to accommodate this temporary bridge closure.

Washington State is unbelievably beautiful, and the mountain range in the background of this photo is where we were headed.

Waylon Smith, the ultimate privateer!

Our pits for the weekend.

There were several hundred participants at this event, and if you consider that they were all downhillers… that is impressive!

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

Naish Ulmer crushes the finish line berm during some extremely fun practice runs. This track was so well laid out, and the dirt was perfect!

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

Ulmer had a really decent downhill final, he finished 35th out of 81 entries. The local talent at this race was incredible, and you could tell these guys get to ride there a lot, they all looked extremely fast. Ulmer is still looking for that break through run!

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

Practice at Port Angeles was more fun than its ever been throughout my entire racing career, just really fast flowy run, after fast flowy run... what a blast!

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

I felt so good on this track, and really thought I had a chance at a top 20, or better finish. During my race run Sunday I hit a tree, and that destroyed any chance at a good finish. That is racing though, and I will be back strong at the US Open aiming for a good result.

The “Fluidride Cup” is a racers race, the courses are built by professional racers, and they know what people want. It has left a really good first impression on me, and it certainly provides exactly what our industry needs to bring Downhill Racing back to the numbers we saw in it’s “hey day”!

Our drive back to Seattle was twice as long as it was coming in, but well worth the scenic beauty!

The man behind the Professional MTB Gravity Race Tour, Jeremiah Dylan Dean. Jeremiah worked hard to make this event the success that it was, this has to be one of the best mountain bike races I have ever been to, over all the years. The track was awesome, the shuttles were extremely efficient and the timing was spot on!!

Check out www.pinnedmtb.com for future Pro GRT Tour race dates and other details.

HUGE PROPS TO OUR FACTORY SPONSORS!!!

Next on our race schedule is the U.S. Open of mountain Biking in Vernon, NJ May 22nd – May 24th. This event is the equivalent of a World Cup, and has a $5000 purse for the winner! This is technical, rocky track which takes a huge amount of focus. Buhl, Binggeli, Ulmer and myself will all be there given it our best for KHS. This will be Binggeli’s first race since his unfortunate injury at Bootleg Canyon earlier this season.

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

Sea Otter Classic – 2009

Photos by:  Monique & Brittany Spaulding

Report by: Quinton Spaulding

The “Sea Otter Classic”… what more can one say – it is a classic. I have been attending the “OTTER” for 10 years on a trot now, and I cannot say enough about what it does for the sport of cycling in the U.S.

Sea Otter get’s people out riding bikes, it enhances the weekend warrior’s competitive spirit, and attracts the biggest names in the sport of cycling from across the World.

We got set-up early as usual, because “that’s how we roll”.

I love the feeling one gets at the start of a race…. it is so primal, and instinctive.

Slalom was the first major event on the schedule for our crew, and this was the driest, dustiest track I ever did see… during a Sea Otter event.

Buhl looked great during practice, and seemed to get her lines down in a quick fashion.

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

Melissa had a very strong Dual Slalom qualifier, and placed second to RedBull Rider – Jill Kintner. This secured Buhl a comfortable spot in her race bracket.

The crowds came out in droves to watch the Pro Slalom Saturday afternoon.

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

The action packed Slalom racing got heated, and it came down to the top 2 qualifiers in the final heat for the ladies, Buhl and Kintner. Melissa prevailed with a blistering final heat and took her first ever Dual Slalom win at Sea otter, adding another title to her long list of accomplishments.

Buhl on top of the podium for KHS!

ELVIS is in the HOUSE!

There was all kinds of festivities in the pits throughout the weekend, and here we were treated to a local high school marching band.

“G-Money” KHS Factory mechanic worked endlessly every moment of the event to ensure that all the KHS Factory race bikes were fine tuned and ready to “throw-down”.

Sundays Downhill was just as hot, dry and dusty (the hottest driest Sea Otter Classic on record), and probably one of the rougher Sea Otter tracks I have ever raced.

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

Buhl was hoping to repeat her 2008 performance, and win the Downhill in compilation with the Dual Slalom win. She missed it by only hundredths of a second to Great Britain’s – Tracey Mosely (Trek Factory Team).

“New Addition” Naish Ulmer looked great throughout the weekend and was looking good for a top 20 finish.

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

He had the added pressure of running the number 1 plate, and unfortunately crashed in his race run finishing 101st.

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

This track was a lot of fun.

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

Berms, jumps, ruts, drops and lots of pedaling!

Photo courtesy: Jeremiah Dylan Dean

I had a fairly clean run and was a little surprised, but not disappointed to finish 64th out of 138 pro racers… racers from across the world.

Please visit http://freecaster.tv/ to see footage from the DH and Slalom finals!

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!!!

Next on our race schedule is round #2 of the PRO GRT Tour in Port Angeles, WA. This is a big mountain track, and it should favor our style of riding… wide open and rough!

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

2009 Fontana City National – US CUP

Photos by: Monique & Brittany Spaulding

Report by: Quinton Spaulding

Professional Mountain Bike racing in the US has been given a face lift for 2009. SHO-AIR has stepped in and provided the sponsorship we have so dearly needed to put on a competitive race series.

“The Early Bird gets the Worm”… we arrived early Thursday morning grabbing ourselves a “primo spot”.

Most of the vendors and bicycle companies were there too for an early morning set-up.

Once all our “ducks were in a row,” we took off on a quick trip to Lake Elsinore to get a few runs in on Sam Hills local test track ...nothing but fun!

KHS Bicycles was the presenting sponsor of the Mountain Cross event for the Fontana City National.  With all our signage and 4X specialists, it was becoming apparent that we might own that track once Saturdays finals rolled round.

Some fine tuning on Dale Holmes’s 4X bike before Fridays practice.

Holmes looked flawless in 4X practice, attacking the newly built track (thanks to Eric Carter), with nothing but confidence and total commitment.

Dale showed everybody why he is the Multi UK 4X National Champion, and surprised all the young guns with his unique and somewhat daring line choices.

Melissa Buhl showed her skills on the track too. Buhl who is  always in perfect form on any given day, is looking ready to tackle the 2009 World Cups and will be adorning her World Championship jersey for the 4X events.

Our pit area overlooked the 4X track, which was fitting as we were the presenting sponsor.

We were also situated right at the “start / finish” of the Cross Country event, which allowed us to always be right in the thick of all that was going on.

Saturday afternoon brought some great family entertainment when the Independent Ridas showed up and put on a great stunt show.

These guy’s work hard at perfecting their craft, however, I am not sure if their training is as intensive as ours… but their skill level definitely compares!

Right after the stunt show came the 4X finals.

Buhl was the number 1 qualifier in the woman’s elite field.

Left to right: Ashley Verhagen (BOS), Jill Kintener (RedBull / Intense), Melissa Buhl (KHS)

Jill Kintner (RedBull / Intense) is back  from her BMX Olympic bid in Beijing and showed that she will be tough to beat in 2009 on the MTB World Cup Circuit. Melissa took a 3rd place finish on the podium for KHS, not exactly how she wanted to start her 4X season, but still a very respectable performance.

PRO WOMEN 4X RESULTS

Holmes had everything fall into place for him at this 4X National. He won every heat race and simply killed his competition in the Final… taking the win in commanding fashion.

Left to right: Blake Carney (YETI), Dale Holmes (KHS), Eric Carter (GT)

Dale in his Championship jersey at podium presentations.

PRO MEN 4X RESULTS

Photo by: “SHARKY”

The Downhill went well for our team in Sundays Finals.

I felt good all weekend, even after a really big crash n my last practice run on Friday afternoon.

Photo by: Craig “STIKMAN” Glaspell  (www.craigglaspell.com)

I managed to have enough fuel in the tank to pedal the entire wall during my final and ended up taking 19th place overall. Obviously I would like to win every race I enter (I am very competitive by nature), but I am grateful to finish in the top 20 at a National Level with International riders in the field and unscathed!

Naish Ulmer keeps building on the foundation he has created thus far in the 2009 race season – he placed 16th overall in the Final.

Photo by: “SHARKY”

Ulmer has an enormous amount of raw talent, and with the right direction and training he could definitely be a contender at any race. I expect he will do well on the bigger courses later on in the season… the US Open in Vernon, NJ should be a great test for him.

PRO MEN DH RESULTS

KHS “B TEAM” rider Scott Johnston on the podium again. He took 2nd in the cat 1 Downhill, and a 3rd place finish in Saturdays cat 1 Super D. These are great results and enough for him to submit a petition to USA Cycling to upgrade to Pro. I think Johnston has a substantial chance at some bigger Super D finishes in 2009.

Left to right: Michelle Rivera, Kathy Pruit (JAMIS), Melissa Buhl (KHS), Sabrina Jonnier (MAXXIS / Rocky MTN), Jennifer Wolf (VIXXEN)

Melissa Buhl scorched the Downhill track on Sunday. She dominated the women’s field taking a win with a 5.8 second gap on second place finisher, Kathy Pruitt.

PRO WOMEN DH RESULTS

The Pro Cross Country was the final event Sunday afternoon, and excitement levels were elevated for the start.

The pro men class had a huge field of riders and it took almost a half hour just to stage them!

It was a great way to cap off the weekend. Sometimes it takes an event like this one at Fontana to remind people just how ALIVE Mountain Bike Racing really is. This was a busy weekend, full of action and excitement.

IN-N-OUT was in attendance on Sunday, providing free burgers and fries to the first 150 pre-registered riders, (which was enjoyed by all). What a good way to cap off a great weekend!

Without our AWESOME group of sponsors none of this would be possible… Thank You all.

Next on our agenda is the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA April 15th – 19th, the KHS Factory Team will be there looking to win some titles. If you happen to be there, please drop in and say Hi.

Stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

15th Annual SHIMANO Winter Series – The Finals!

Photos by: Monique & Brittany Spaulding

Report by: Quinton Spaulding

This  past weekend brought us back to Fontana, CA for the “Finals” of the SHIMANO Winter Series. Farmer Boys restaurant had their mobile kitchen out there and served up arguably the best food ever enjoyed at a Fontana race.

Joining us this weekend and participating in the 4x, was our very own Free Agent BMX Team Manager, Dale Holmes,(who had a weekend off from his busy schedule ). Holmes is a feature on the KHS Factory Team roster and joins us when he can. He was also getting warmed up for the US Cup Mountain Bike Series National presented by SHO-AIR that will be held in Fontana this coming weekend.

Photo Courtesy of: Johnny Dow

Photo Courtesy of: Johnny Dow

Here’s a couple of shots of Dale getting some practice Saturday morning.

Picture courtesy of: So-cal Trail riders

This is Holmes during one of his heat races …out in the front like he so often is!

Dale had a stellar performance and was the first one to dethrone GT Factory rider Eric Carter off the top spot of the podium this entire Winter Series.

Left to right: Blake Carney(Yeti), Dale Holmes (KHS), Eric Carter (GT)

PRO MEN 4X RESULTS

Left to right: Evelio Suarez(KHS/NEMA), Jake Kinney(AVENT), Eric Carter(GT), Blake Carney(YETI)

KHS sponsored rider, Evelio Suarez took 4th place in the overall 4X results for the Winter Series.

More kids on KHS bikes.

Factory SHIMANO kids racer!

Future World Champion.

Naish Ulmer getting ready for some Saturday DH practice runs.

Naish Ulmer took a 5th place in the Super D Saturday. Ulmer will contest a number of Super D events for KHS this season.

Photo courtesy of: “SHARKY”

Photo courtesy of: “SHARKY”

DH Practice Saturday was dry and dusty.

However, everything changed Sunday … it rained all morning with  intensity and was gone by noon.

Waiting in shuttle lines, in the rain, not fun… but it has to be done!

The sun came out for a brief moment before the race start on Sunday.

Naish Ulmer keeps building on his DH finishes at Fontana taking 16th place on the day. Fontana is a difficult place to do well, the sprint down the wall is where this race is won!

Photo coutersy of: Eric Foltz

I had a small bobble in the lower rocks (that cost me a couple seconds), but completing a perfect race run in the Downhill discipline is a very rare occurrence. I finished 12th on the day, and took 9th place in the overall standings for the series.

PRO MEN DH RESULTS

We ended the weekend at a well known food joint. Trying to eat healthy on the road is an overwhelming task at times, so we only had a few tacos(quite a few)!

KHS would like to give a “shout out” to our sponsors!

The KHS Factory Team will be in Fontana,  CA  March 25th – 29th for the 2nd round of the US Cup Mountain Bike Series. If you happen to be there, drop in and say Hi.

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

Bootleg Canyon – 3rd Annual St. Patty’s Day Feast.

Photos by: Monique & Brittany Spaulding

Report by: Quinton Spaulding

Crash Innovations held their 3rd Annual St. Patty’s Day Feast at Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, NV this past weekend. This race is a favorite for us as we do a lot of off-season training and testing there.

Brent Thomson (”The Trail Master”) who built a network of trails at Bootleg Canyon, recently succumbed to complications from Bypass surgery. He will be  sadly missed by all in the Mountain Bike community as well as all of those who knew and loved him. On the Saturday of the event, he was honored with a memorial ride along with a bonfire and a toast from all his friends.

Early Saturday morning getting ready for some DH practice.

The shuttles at a Bootleg race are usually packed to the gills and sometimes it can take a while to get your turn…

… and then there are those racers who prefer to shuttle themselves in style to avoid those long lines!

Binggeli, Ulmer, Buhl and myself  during one of our practice sessions… there is no “I” in team right??

We practiced as a group the entire weekend, sporting our new gear and bikes

Binggeli was looking really solid during practice, and was a definite favorite to win.

He rode smoothly all weekend.

Unfortunately Binggeli crashed hard in his race run on Sunday (just 2 turns from the finish line) and he was on a good time too!

He broke his arm just before the wrist (there is an upside to this, if there is such a thing)… none of the bones in the hand or wrist were damaged!

The bones  were set in his arm at the Emergency Room of the Boulder City Hospital, and Binggeli will most likely have surgery in his hometown of St. George, UT – later on this week.

His bike did sustain some damage in the crash… high speed crashes are always the worst!

New KHS rider and “Pro Rookie” Naish Ulmer also looked fast in practice.

Ulmer, who has “Styles for Miles”, had the best result of his pro career thus far and took a 2nd place finish on the podium for KHS… well done Naish!

Melissa Buhl rolling fast during practice.

Buhl was unstoppable in the woman’s field and took the overall win Sunday morning in the finals!

I was hungry for the win on Sunday, wanting to defend my 2008 title.  I felt confident in the start gate that I was going to do well and knew that if I wanted to win… I would have to “let it all hang out“!

Photo courtesy of: Ian Hylands

I gave it my all and with a clean run, I laid down the fastest time of the day (besting Naish Ulmer by hundredths of a second for the overall win).

PRO MEN TOP 15 DH RESULTS

Left to Right – Tasa Herndon, Melissa Buhl(KHS) and Jackie Harmony(All Mountain Cyclery)

KHS’s Melissa Buhl on top of the podium!

Left to right – Scott Johnson(KHS “B TEAM”), Quinton Spaulding(KHS), Naish Ulmer(KHS) and John Keep (T.L.D)

KHS almost swept the mens podium. Had it not been for Binggeli’s injury… I am sure we would have!

Everything ran efficiently at this event. The timing was done by Team Big Bear, the race scheduling was on time, generally speaking …there were ZERO complaints!

A great product raffle followed the awards and all was over by  3.30pm.

I would like say a big Thank You to Matt over at HAYES, who took care of our teams suspension, wheels and brakes throughout the weekend.

The Official sponsors of the 2009 KHS Factory Team.

The KHS Factory Team will be in Fontana,  CA  March 21st – 22nd for the Final Round of the SHIMANO Winter Series. If you happen to be there drop in and say Hi.

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

15th Annual SHIMANO Winter Series #5

Photos by: Monique & Brittany Spaulding

Report by: Quinton Spaulding

The SHIMANO Winter Series is coming down to the wire, we were back in Fontana last weekend for round number 5. The finals (which are a National) are just a couple of weeks down the road and everybody is rallying for points.

The week before the race turned out to be a real downer, some low life scum broke into our trailer in storage and got away with many key items.

They moved cameras, cut alarms, and then savaged our trailer… they deserve to be punished to the fullist extent of the law!

We have patched all the holes and moved forward though. Racing is what we have to take care of, and we choose not to dwell on the misery that others try to enforce.

Our good friends, Mike and Rod (over at GATORWRAPS ) will cover the damage next week with their expertise, when they are done no one will ever know it was there! “SKIN FOR YOUR RIDE”. If you ever need anything professionally wrapped these are the go-to guys!

Melissa Buhl and myself getting in some early practice runs Saturday morning.

Photo coutersy of: “SHARKY”

Logan Binggeli had a solid finish – taking 6th place. He wants to be number 1 on top of the podium, but this is a good result never the less.

Photo coutersy of: “SHARKY”

I finished 11th in a group of  36 fast pro’s, and was relatively pleased with my result. if I could just shave a couple of seconds I could get on the podium… more work to do! “INTERVALS”

Picture courtesy of: www.bluefirepictures.com

The latest addition to the KHS squad – Nash Ulmer finished 20th. This was an improvement on his last Fontana race, Nash is a rookie in the pro field for 2009. He is a little more comfortable in the Pro class now,  and feels the need to go faster. Nash also raced the Super D discipline Saturday morning and had a strong 6th place finish right behind Rich Houseman (Intense Cycles).

PRO MEN DH RESULTS

Picture courtesy of: www.bluefirepictures.com

Melissa had a blistering run in Sundays final, taking the win with time to spare.

PRO WOMEN DH RESULTS

David Lee and Clayton Goldsmith over at MANITOU Suspension have really gone the extra mile for us this year. They had custom decals made for our DORADO forks that match the KHS Factory Team jerseys… we couldn’t be more proud.

Hey look here… honestly this could happen to anyone of us! Dylan Dean (Senior Editor) of PinnedMTB was caught on film posing in a ladies bra… just blame it on the COORS JDD! !

“WE LOVE OUR SPONSORS!!”

Win a trip for two to Whistler, BC -  along with two bikes!! Just click on the KHS web-site link below.

KHS Bicycles wants someone to Live the Ride…and Ride the dream in Whistler, BC with a place to stay and a pair of Brand New bikes to ride!

The KHS Factory Team will be at Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, NV  March 13th – 15th for the “St. Patty’s Day Feast”. We LOVE racing at Bootleg, and plan on getting the KHS logo all over the podium this weekend.

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

15th Annual SHIMANO Winter Series #4

Photos by: Monique Spaulding

Report by: Quinton Spaulding

Fontana, California is a “Hotbed” for racing, and not only were we back there to dual it out in the hills of Southridge, but NASCAR was there as well to contest the Auto Club 500.

H3 Publication’s Road and Decline Magazine had their “Open House” February 20th for all members of the Biking Industry.  Our very own Wayne D Gray (KHS-Vice President) was in attendance  cooking up his freshly caught 200lbs TUNA and serving it up with his own special sauce. Wen Hsieh (KHS-President) who was also in attendance, assisted Wayne D with the FIRE! I heard that the fish was unbelievably good, and the sauce… well the sauce was a secret!

I  wish I could have been there snacking on that Ocean Fresh Tuna, but we had work to do in Fontana… maybe next time!

As always, SHIMANO was out there offering “FREE Tech Support” to all those who needed it  (believe me they were busy). I also had a chance to meet Peter O’Brien (seen in this photo). He is the gentleman in charge at AMINO VITAL and one of our new sponsors for 2009.

Cross Country at Fontana is always so consistent. These guys are so “die hard”, they are there at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning ready to race the most disciplined event in Mountain Biking.

This track was a little longer than usual and somewhat more tiring. Being as it may, you will always find more than one KHS rider in the crowds giving it his or her best!

A deserted feeding station, but only when the XC is done.

The Shimano Kids Race is a FREE event. It has become a huge hit with the little ones and parents alike… they are even starting to form their own teams!

Would you get a TATTOO from this Shop??

Last minute preparations before Sundays DH final!

Fontana is looking very green after all the recent rainfall.

Logan Binggeli on his way down the top half of the track.

Photo courtesy of: www.socaltrailriders.org

Binggeli swore “no-more 7th place” at the last race, and he held true to his words, taking a place on the podium for KHS.

PRO MEN DH RESULTS

“KHS B-Team” rider Chuck Valenzuela on the podium.

“KHS B-Team” rider Jim De Haven on the podium.

Johnny Dow on track!

I wanted to mention that Johnny Dow, (KHS inside salesman) took his first win at Fontana last Sunday in the DH and made us all proud. Johnny has challenged all the office staff at KHS to come out and see the action.

A “SPECIAL THANKS” to all our 2009 sponsors!

The KHS Team will be in Fontana, CA  March 7th and 8th for the 5th round of the SHIMANO Winter Series. We will continue to use this series as a boost in our training and readiness for the upcoming National to be held there later in the month of March.

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.