Shimano/Kenda PCA Enduro Series Round 1 Recap

The first official Enduro race of 2014 just took place in sunny Southern California a few miles from scenic downtown San Diego. Shimano is proud to announce their co-title sponsorship of the 4 race series put on by Robert Herber and Eric Carter of PCA (Progressive Cycle Association). Shimano has a long history of supporting events and is a big supporter of the emerging Enduro format and will be on hand throughout the series offering free tech support to any rider in need on race day.

Race promoter and Veteran Pro, Eric Carter gets in a pre-run to make sure the course is ready to ride.


Early morning riders meeting to discuss the schedule, rules and ethics of participating. Just remember- you are only cheating yourself!

Fresh race bikes for the new season. Jon Buckell get his new Santa Cruz Bronson dialled before heading up the hill.


The only delay of the day was due to some of the course markers that had been secretly removed overnight. Could this be the home of Bigfoot, or just a disgruntled local? Either way, the staff was quick to fix the problem and racers were sent down only 20 minutes off schedule.


A great turnout of riders came from near and far to participate in the kick-off event at Black Mountain and enjoyed dry 80 degree weather! With the Enduro format being relatively new promoters have struggled a bit with timing the last couple years, but for the PCA guys timing was on point and results were available to riders literally moments after crossing the finish line via the webscorer web timing. By using a mobile phone with online service riders could easily keep track of results throughout the day.

The Pro men’s race was won by BMX Legend Chris Powell from nearby San Diego. Although Powell no longer races full time, the new discipline of Enduro has perked his interest and he is planning to finish out the series and is possibly going to compete in a few Oregon Enduro Series events later in the year.

Second place went to another local rider Tim Langdon who is an avid motorcross rider who is actually relatively new to mountain bike racing. Third went to Shimano’s own MTB marketing man Joe Lawwill (above) while Team InCycles/Shimano/Santa Cruz rider Jon Buckel recovered from a mishap in stage 1 to finish an impressive 4th place overall.

Rounding out the podium was Shimano rider Craig Harvey from Big Bear Lake.


Top step of the Pro Women's Podium went to Intense Cycles rider, Margaret Gregory. The rock garden on Stage 2 didn't seem to slow her down at all.



"I like parts of different ones, but overall I like stage 3, and especially the top section how it flows and how you pump through the rock section as your curving around the peak. But, they are all really good. Stage 1 is almost like a true downhill, and stage 2 is the most fitness oriented, but it has also got this type of corridor / tunnel of vegetation that you ride through, so it has this kind of Jedi / Star Wars feel! We like it all. It's a good venue for us and we definitely enjoy coming out here." Eric Carter talks about the different stages.

Great views from the top. Black Mountain is a great area to ride or hike, but be sure and come prepared. The heat can be unrelenting, and getting stuck out here could have some serious consequences.




Riders gather back at the pits after completing the final stage. The PCA races have a reputation for being fun and having a laid back atmosphere. Riders and families were treated to drinks, snacks, raffle prizes and even a bounce house for the wee tikes!



"The race went really good! First and foremost as a race promoter, I'm always glad to hear that the last rider is through the last finish of the last race stage, and that we didn't have any substantial injuries. So you breath a sigh of relief there. As I look around the venue here, before we do the awards, I see that everybody is smiling and having a good time, so as a whole, we can chalk this one up as a success." - E.C.

Eric Carter and Robert Herber take a rare 20 second break from running the event. Big thanks to these guys and their staff for putting on a great race!

For more information about the PCA Enduro Series see www.racepca.com for details.

Complete results by Webscorer timing.

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Racing and Events Shimano Kenda