Local riders in nationals of mountain bike competition
Isaiah Uchida of Bob Jones High and homeschooled Bella Hyser continue to make memories that will last a lifetime as competitive mountain bikers. They recently participated in the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships held in Winterpark, Colo.
“I always rode my BMX around the neighborhood with my friends when I first started using plastic ramps with jumps,” said Uchida, 16. “Two years ago I took up mountain bike a little more seriously and have been to the nationals for two consecutive years.”
“The races were very difficult, especially for those of us not used to the high altitude of the mountains in Colorado,” added Hyser.
The 15-year old Hyser finished third in the country in the Category 2-3, non-championship, 15-18-year old division with a time of 1-hour, 37-minutes, 30-seconds in the 15-mile competition. She also placed 12th in the Category 1-2, championship, 15-16-year old division with a time of 1:01:30. She also partook in the Team Relay race and finished fourth and the Short Track race where she finished 13th.
For Uchida, a junior at Bob Jones, he took fifth place in the Category 2-3, non-championship, 15-18-year old division with a time of 1:21:17 and placed 36th in the Category 1-2, championship, 15-16-year old division with a race time of 1:19:42.
“We did up to 10,000-feet in elevation and that was a factor for those not used to the conditions,” said Uchida, son of Ryan and Michelle Uchida. “I played soccer and baseball up until two years ago, but racing mountain bikes is what I like best.”
Uchida uses a specialized Hardtail low travel bike that are priced around $2,700. He said he received the bike for Christmas four years ago and it remains the only bike he has.
For Hyser, daughter of Tom and Erin Hyser, she sticks with a Santa Cruz Blur bike, which cost in the vicinity of $5,200 and is a specially constructed of carbon-fiber material. She said she went biking with her family many years ago and liked what she experienced. “I did T-ball and soccer and was a competitive swimmer, but when my family moved here from New Hampshire three years ago, I got into the Alabama League and joined the NICA Huntsville-based Trailblazers Composite MTB Team. I stayed with mountain bike racing since age 11.”
Hyser represents Blevins Bicycle Company, where she works part-time, and also supports HandUp Gloves and Squatch Company in her racing endeavors. She participates with Team Bad, a regional developmental race squad based in Birmingham. Besides her time racing, Hyser also finds time to play the guitar and get into photography.
Both riders raced throughout the season-long schedule earning points in a way to qualify for the races in Colorado.
Regional races included those in Chattanooga, Tenn., Columbus, Ga., and other stops in the states of Mississippi and North Carolina, plus a local race held at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Out of 140 national qualifiers, Uchida was seeded No. 26 overall while No. 6 in the 15-18 age category race. He also holds the state title for three consecutive years in the NICA State Championship event.
Hyser was seeded seventh out of the field of 37. She has claimed the NICA State Championship front-running jersey for the past two years. She also claimed the GoNutsBiking.com race series, which led into the nationals.
“The first race at the nationals was very difficult as I felt good and I’m happy with the results,” said Hyser. “The second race was more challenging, although it was cut short due to weather. We only went 10 miles instead of the scheduled 15. My strategy was not to burn out quickly, especially with the altitude. I concentrate not to burn out all my matches early.”
“I had two good races as the second race featured more elite bikers on the trail,” said Uchida. “Next season of racing begins in December and I will be on the local NICA, which stands for National Interscholastic Cycling Team, from the Huntsville area. I try and practice about 10 hours a week on Monte Sano Mountain with five of my friends as we usually put in about 20 miles each workout.”
Like most racers, both Hyser and Uchida know how to care for their bikes should something go astray. They’ve taken repair classes at local bike shops and carry a small repair kit with them at all times.
“I love to fish, hang out with friends and even ride my unicycle for fun,” added Uchida. “I’ve been free of any major injuries, too.
Hyser’s 12-year old brother, T.J., also rides mountain bikes and sure to be a strong opponent within the family sometime soon.
