Words and photos by Epic Rider John Prosser
As the event drew nearer it seemed a long to travel for a bike race, I would need to take a couple of days off work and fly down to California from Portland, Oregon and make my way to Monterrey, but there are not many events like the Sea Otter, so off I went!
The annual Sea Otter Classic (SOC) is a four-day “Celebration of Cycling” that welcomes over 8,000 athletes and 50,000 race fans and other bicycle enthusiasts.
Professional and amateur athletes make the annual pilgrimage to participate in one of cycling's best competitive events in various mountain and road bike disciplines. Hundreds of pro cyclists, including national and world champions, come to Sea Otter to race, sign autographs, and share their racing techniques with fans.
Recreational rides are another feature of this cycling extravaganza, including Sea Otter’s Gran Fondo routes, which are fully supported and meant to be enjoyed with family and friends.
The Sea Otter Classic also hosts the largest consumer bike exposition in North America. The Expo holds hundreds of vendors who display new products and offer samples and bargains.
This year, NeilPryde Bikes would also have representation at the vibrant Sea Otter Village, hub of this four-day action-packed festival. On display at the NeilPryde Bikes stand were both the Alize and Diablo with different set ups.
I rolled into Monterrey on Thursday after and made my way to the display to met Clive De Souza the USA Representative for NP Bikes in North America. I had discovered that during the travel my Diablo had been inspected security staff who had dismantled the headset and Clive was good enough to re-assemble it for me ready for the road race tomorrow.
Early Friday morning brought my main objective of the trip. The 56 mile road race was to be held on closed roads around the venue. It was a rolling course with one longer climb and concluding with a tough final kilometer uphill. It should suit my abilities and I was extremely motivated. Straight away the pace was quick enough to tail off riders on the longer climb we tackled on each of the 7 laps. One of the things I love about racing at the SOC is the completely closed roads. It really makes a difference compared to racing in a field of 60 plus riders squeezed into just half the road plus you feel like it’s a professional race.
As we reached the final climb we had one rider away and looking solid for a well deserved victory while the rest of us positioned ourselves for the uphill climb to the line. I was in the perfect position going into the last kilometer but a tall Norwegian cyclist literally rode me off his wheel to take second and I cracked to crawl in sixth position just of the podium to my disappointment.
After the race it was time to hang out at the NeilPryde Bikes stand and hang out with the guys and talk with visitors about the bikes. A cool thing about the NeilPryde Team of Clive, Mike and Bruce was that they were riders’ not just salesmen. They would talk about the bikes and the story behind their development from a rider perspective. They had a genuine enthusiasm for the bikes that they would ride around Monterrey after the crowds went home. It was a good afternoon; the weather was warm, the crowd friendly and informed and the NP bikes received considerable attention. The interest was not just from the general public but also other manufacturers who appreciated the functional innovative designs including very complimentary remarks from a certain Creative Director of one of the best known brands who will remain nameless!
I dragged myself away from the fun of the Expo and went back to the hotel to rest as the next day would bring the Circuit Race which uses the Laguna SECA Motor bike race course.
The next day’s race was again held in perfect racing weather. I had competed at the SOC twice before but not in the circuit race and it was a blast! We would climb up a long climb to then drop steeply through the exhilarating “Corkscrew” descent and through its bends we hit well over 50 mph! So it was a few minutes of torture hanging on up the climb and then you fly down through the Corkscrew to test your nerve - it was great fun! The Laguna SECA course was perfect for the Diablo, you certainly appreciate a bikes handling around a corner at that speed. Although I was tailed off on the last accent of the climb, I let rip on the descent and just managed to regain contact before the sprint to finish 9th.
All in all it was a great experience to come back again to the Sea Otter and with the added bonus of meeting the NeilPryde Bikes team well worth the effort. Might even see you there next year?