Being on a bike team isn't just about the training or the time between the start gate and the finish line - it is also about where it can take you. For the Pivot Factory DH team, a trip to the West Coast meant that they had two weeks to find new trails, visit new shops, play tourist and maybe race just a little bit. Photographer/Videographer Jens Staudt joined Bernard Kerr, Emilie Siegenthaler and team wrench Jack Noy for a road trip from Los Angeles to Port Angeles (Eliot Jackson took a week off to recover from his monster crash at Lourdes - he'll join the team again at Fort William).
Not everything went as planned - Bernard's idea was to get the biggest, best RV to be found in LA for the least amount of cash. Unfortunately, the Beaver didn't make it out of the city limits.
Once they got the vehicle situation figured out (
in a much smaller, less stylish, but far more reliable rental car) the crew beelined to Sea Otter.
Already a familiar face on World Cup podiums, Emilie raced her first ever Dual Slalom and grabbed her first podium in that event with a 5th.
After some test runs on the Dual course, Bernard chose his Pivot Mach 6 Carbon enduro bike and finished with a 3rd spot on the podium.
Emilie had a strong run in the downhill race and grabbed her second podium of the weekend with another 5th.
Team mechanic, Jack Noy, is no slouch on the bike and got his own race in after the other events wrapped up. Emilie provided stoke and the occasional heckle.
And then it was time to hit the trails in Santa Cruz... Bernard takes flight.
Stoppie Sunday waits for no one. Bernard gets it done on the streets of San Francisco.
Local shops are a welcome rest on any road trip. The team chills out in Eureka, CA at Adventure's Edge.
The team went back to work in Port Angeles at the first Pro GRT of the season. Emilie Siegenthaler had a huge crash in training, but held it together for the finals and ended up on the podium, in 5th again.
Bernard felt great on the track, but an error put him in 12th place for the day.
The last stop was at Cyclepath in Portland - a day of townie bikes and then a glass of beer to wrap it all up before heading back to Europe.
MENTIONS:
@pivotcycles /
@bernardkerr
Shorting a box at the skate park is no big deal on the fatty, but the same mistake leaves me patching 4 holes on my 29er or 26er. As with all things, there are tradeoffs, but with the right geo and setup, they can make great do-it-all bikes.
the blue one...
MET what ?
tnx