I am very happy with the sponsors I have this year. Their products have helped me accomplish my goals and I look forward to riding and representing these products for the rest of the year.

           One of the best products I have used yet and I proudly represent is the SDG I-Fly ti-railed saddle. I have been using the I-Fly railed seatpost on my hardtail Carbon Scott Scale 10. At 145 grams, it is light but suprisingly very comfortable. When I first put it on my bike, I wasn't sure what to think of it. It seemed smaller then my old SLR saddle, and tended to have a more raised back end. These features were a huge plus once I got use to them. My weight is more distributed on my sitting bones and I am able to produce more power through my legs with less saddle in the way.

          On another note, the  Sun Ringle wheelset I have been using is very smooth, light, and durable.  Besides the frame, I consider the wheelset the next important bike component. Sun Ringle wheels represent one of the best wheelsets I have used. The dirty flea hubs run great and have been maintainence free so far throughout the SERC series and the DS1-XC rims are light and durable. I run these with Stan's No Tube rim strips and Stan's Solution. The combination minimizes rolling weight, provides great cornering,  and gives me that much more of an advantage over the competition.

         The El Camino Hayes disc brakes I have been running have worked great and been problem free since they were put on my bike 3 months ago. In Bryson City, this years extreme mud fest, the brakes held up well. Many of the other riders lost their brakes early on due to the extremely muddy and wet conditions. I was able to keep solid brake performance throughout the race. Most of this I contribute to the El Camino brake system. It slows you down when you need it the most.

        Now when it comes down to looking good, Freestyle watches knows what they are doing. Their watches look good and are made of expensive, long lasting materials. I am very proud to represent their product. It looks good, fits well, and is a great product.

       On a final note I would like to thank all the sponsors I have had so far. Their products have been great and have helped me accomplish my goals early on.

          After an unexpected and dissappointing 4th place finish at SERC #3, I came out on top of my game at SERC #4 in Athens, GA to pull off a top 3 finish.  The course was excellent with a combination of technical decents, technical ascents, flowing sections, and just plain old fast downhills. The rain from the previous day was soaked up well by the thick orange clay commonly found in Georgia. This left the course with some slick, moist roots making it that much more worth the 10 hour drive from Florida. So after a solid start and finish, I was happy to come out with the 3rd place on the podium giving me the opportunity to move up to the Semi-Pro class.

               The 3rd SERC cross country race in Bryson City, North Carolina, turned out to be one of the most memorable, but drastic races I have competed in. After arriving and setting up for the race on Sunday, the 1st of April, conditions changed from rather pleasant weather to a consistent rain fall all day. Surprisingly I didn't really care though. I was actually excited about racing in some mud for once (something we Floridian's don't see too often). So I went off with the typical warm up, got up to the starting line and waited for one hour! Apparently an injury from a previous wave delayed our start.  To top off the already muddy conditions, the course was changed from the regular 13 mile 3 lap course to a new 10 mile 3 lap course due to the injury. But, I just stayed positive and raced as if it were any other race. The gun went off and I was drenched with mud within minutes. However things didn't stop there! After settling in on my now 30 pound mud-drenched bike, I found out on the 19th mile that the race was going to be cut short at 20 miles. That left me one mile to catch up to the suffering competitors ahead of me.  I came into the finish line frustrated and angry at the shortened course. But, I was aware that the race officials were looking out for the safety of all the riders. It so happened that two other riders were seriously injured: one to the point where he had to go to the trauma center for treatment. This was the least of my worries at the time though. I needed only one more top 3 finish to get my Semi-Pro license and I finished 4^th; 30 seconds behind 3^rd place and a minute behind 2^nd place.

            Were these circumstances worth shortening a race? I have to say no. No because I traveled a total of 24 hours for that race, took 2 days off work, and spent hundreds of dollars to be cut short in a sport where I thrive off of extreme conditions. Also, every rider at that starting line knew there was a risk involved! And then to make things worse, they not only change the course, but they cut it short and only give you one mile notice. So I guess I would leave this up for debate. What are your thoughts on this?