Carrie Hammond
Current residence:
Vista, CA
How long have you been riding?
Mountain biking since I was 19 years old. Became an avid rider in 1994, 22 years ago!
What or who influenced you to start riding bicycles? No one influenced me to begin riding. I always loved riding my bike! I can still remember riding my Schwinn banana seat bike (with tassels of course) on trails during family campouts. I LOVED the feeling and freedom! Almost every place I moved or traveled to in my 20’s was because of mountain biking… I went where there was open space and amazing trails! Chico, Santa Cruz, New Mexico, Colorado, Tahoe, etc.
What disciplines do you compete in and what do you love most about this type of riding?
I now race endurance cross-country mountain biking events. On occasion you’ll find me at a local shorter race just to mix it up I am a former NORBA racer and also competed in adventure racing, cyclocross, 24 hour team events, and X-terra events for years. I have never been a fast racer or a sprinter… my body is designed to go at a slower pace, but for a much longer duration
Give us some of your racing/competition highlights:
For me, it’s never been about the podium. Sure, it feels great to stand on it and know that you gave it your all. However, it’s really about the people I’ve met, places I’ve seen and trails I’ve ridden…that’s what I treasure. And sometimes it’s just about survival…getting through a tough race and crossing the finish line, (World Cup Napa, 1998, UG!) These are the events that stand out as true challenges where I had to dig deep, ride the pain train and to make it to the podium.
Do you have any goals for 2016?
Complete 12 hour solo SoCal Endurance series
Complete Stagecoach 400 endurance event (March)
Complete Gran Fondo Catalina (April)
Complete Grizzly 100 (September)
And always, stay safe, uninjured and maintain good body/mind wellness so I can keep riding and racing!
What’s some of the best bicycle-related advice someone has given you that made a huge difference for you?
Day job?
Aside from balancing family life and training I can be found helping businesses with their promotional marketing campaigns; Morgen Marketing.com
2016 sponsors:
The Hub Cyclery, Idyllwild, CA
Shelta Hats
Vista, CA
How long have you been riding?
Mountain biking since I was 19 years old. Became an avid rider in 1994, 22 years ago!
What or who influenced you to start riding bicycles? No one influenced me to begin riding. I always loved riding my bike! I can still remember riding my Schwinn banana seat bike (with tassels of course) on trails during family campouts. I LOVED the feeling and freedom! Almost every place I moved or traveled to in my 20’s was because of mountain biking… I went where there was open space and amazing trails! Chico, Santa Cruz, New Mexico, Colorado, Tahoe, etc.
What disciplines do you compete in and what do you love most about this type of riding?
I now race endurance cross-country mountain biking events. On occasion you’ll find me at a local shorter race just to mix it up I am a former NORBA racer and also competed in adventure racing, cyclocross, 24 hour team events, and X-terra events for years. I have never been a fast racer or a sprinter… my body is designed to go at a slower pace, but for a much longer duration
Give us some of your racing/competition highlights:
For me, it’s never been about the podium. Sure, it feels great to stand on it and know that you gave it your all. However, it’s really about the people I’ve met, places I’ve seen and trails I’ve ridden…that’s what I treasure. And sometimes it’s just about survival…getting through a tough race and crossing the finish line, (World Cup Napa, 1998, UG!) These are the events that stand out as true challenges where I had to dig deep, ride the pain train and to make it to the podium.
- 2nd place overall series; Surf City Cyclocross 1997
- 3rd place Lake Oroville Classic 1997
- 24 Hours of Moab, team finish 1997, 1998
- 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo team finish 1998
- 2nd Place Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon 2000
- 1st place Keystone X-terra, 2000;
- 1st place Mammoth Mountain Kamikaze cross country race - 2013
Do you have any goals for 2016?
Complete 12 hour solo SoCal Endurance series
Complete Stagecoach 400 endurance event (March)
Complete Gran Fondo Catalina (April)
Complete Grizzly 100 (September)
And always, stay safe, uninjured and maintain good body/mind wellness so I can keep riding and racing!
What’s some of the best bicycle-related advice someone has given you that made a huge difference for you?
- Let someone professional help fit you to your bike. They can help you make small changes that make a big difference in your comfort and fit.
- When your bike shoes are wet, stuff lots of crumpled up newspaper inside…they will be dry by the next day (densely pack in shoes; replace if extremely wet) Seriously one of my favorite tips!
- When riding in more remote locations, always let someone know where you are going; know your trails and where you are on the map
- Don’t wait until race day to wear new shoes, clothing or try new energy/supplements…test them out beforehand
Day job?
Aside from balancing family life and training I can be found helping businesses with their promotional marketing campaigns; Morgen Marketing.com
2016 sponsors:
The Hub Cyclery, Idyllwild, CA
Shelta Hats
