Team Pryde
Christine
Pai
Rider profile
Age: 28
Birthplace: Taipei, Taiwan
Hometown: Laguna Niguel, CA
Nationality: United States
Bike Size: XS
Bike:
I started cycling for fun during the summer of 2012 as a way to get in shape for competitive sailing. Taking out my poor neglected road bike, it was very difficult at first (especially having no previous aerobic capacity), as a 15-mile neighborhood ride around with my dad would wipe me out. Pretty soon the sailing season ended and with my growing interest in cycling, I turned to training on the road bike in hopes of competing in the near future.
As a doctoral student studying immunology at UC Irvine, I was able to join the cycling team that same fall season to train. Within a few months I was able to complete century training rides and longer climbs like Palomar Mountain. Though I was very excited to race in 2013, an early season crit ended in a bad crash, fracturing my pelvis in a couple spots.
By the time I was up and training on the bike again, cyclocross season was just around the corner. My boyfriend and I decided this could be a nice transition back into the competitive cycling scene and got interested. This is when I discovered my friendly local bike shop, G2 Bike. Every Sunday soon became the most anticipated day of the week, mostly because of the race support and camaraderie they provided. I quickly moved up from the C category to B, after successfully winning four races in a row. In the B class, AJ (one of the owners of G2 Bike) and I podiumed race after race and at the end of the season, we rounded out the top two podium spots at the district championships.
As the cross season ended, I looked forward to get back on the road bike, except that my bike was getting pretty dated. By a stroke of good luck, the folks at G2 Bike received a fleet of demos from Neil Pryde, including an xs sized Bura SL. My first try on the Bura SL was actually a century training group ride. During the ride I knew immediately that I couldn't give it back. The responsiveness that came from the stiff carbon frame offered a no frills ride that I truly enjoyed. Everything I put into the bike translated into pure power, it really shined during climbs and sprints.
So far this 2014 road season has started off well; I have podium'ed in both my first road and criterium races. I am looking forward to developing my ride more and training hard on the Bura SL—a definite part to my success alongside my family and friends at G2 Bike.