JasonMiles1 - CopyThough he’s 43 years old Jason Miles will still be one of the riders to watch in the Men’s Elite category in Weaverville. “I was sixth last year, I was second in Italy. I just won a race two weeks against guys much younger than me, so there’s no reason yet to drop down from elite into an age group. No reason yet at all,” the Manchester, UK racer said in a recent Skype interview when asked if his elite days are numbered. “I’m certainly not thinking I should be done with it, that maybe I’m too old,” he added.
He continued to recount how his sixth place in Scotland last year was perhaps not representative of his true potential, “I didn’t have a brilliant race, but it was okay. It was mainly a gastric problem. I spent a bit of time off the bike. I think my worst position in the race was fiftieth. So sixth? I think I did alright. I did rather a lot of laps to have come in sixth. That’s really just testament to JasonMiles3 - Copythe strength and depth of the field at these races. You’ve got to be absolutely right at the top of your game just to break into the top ten. This sport has gotten faster, even just in the normal local UK races.” That increased speed means that long-time endurance racers have needed to up their game to remain competitive. “Once that gap appears it’s quite difficult to get it closed again,” Miles observed, “There are so many ways of going faster in this sport. It’s a long race, 24 hours, but once you’re a lap behind you’re probably going to stay a lap behind unless the guy out front blows up.”

 

That he’s able to compete at such a level is impressive considering he’s a family man with a regular job, “I work full time in IT. I have a wife and three children—well two children—one is an adult. In my spare time I’m a 24-hour mountain bike racer,” he said and continued to explain how he manages to train, “In a good week I get in twenty plus hours on the bike. You’ve just got to get out of bed early and go to bed late sometimes and have a very understanding family and just be creative. If you’re going to go and visit somebody who’s several hours drive away, then meet the family there and ride there and ride back. During the week it’s mainly about getting out early—getting out four or five in the morning and then going and doing a day’s work. Luckily I’ve got a desk job. So I’m not carrying bricks around all day so I’ve got a good solid eight hours during the day to recover.”

 

JasonMiles5Miles got into competitive cycling relatively late in life, “I’ve been doing this for eight years,” he explained, “I didn’t do a whole lot of racing before, I just rode bikes a lot and just jumped right into the team way of doing 24 hour races and realized that I don’t like having to get up out of a sleeping bag in the middle of the night. So I’ll just do the solo thing. I like the fact that you can do a race, learn from it each time and work more toward getting it perfected.  I’ve done 20-something races. Podiumed in quite a few, won a few. I have quite a few wins, but I think my best result really was the 2012 WEMBO race (Finale Ligure, Italy) where I got second—something I’m really quite proud of—and it was a nice surprise as well. I was behind, guess who. Jason English. I was quite a ways behind. He was on his second pasta bowl when I finished. It was a very convincing win for Jason. The real battle was taking place behind him for second, third and fourth place.”

 

Miles is looking forward to again being among those front runners and to seeing some more of California, “I’ve been to California before, many years ago. We went to Las Vegas and then went up the coast but not as far as Weaverville. What I’m really looking forward to is, living in the UK I’m looking forward to almost guaranteed dry trails. We’re in the middle of summer here and it feels like autumn. It’s rainy now and windy and it’s maybe in the high 50’s.”

 

In closing Jason Miles offered the following words to those racers thinking about making the trip to the historic gold mining town. “If you’re not signed up yet, get signed up!. I’m coming out for the adventure—for something to tell the grandkids. That’s what it’s all about—an interesting story to tell the grandchildren one day—that time I spent a long weekend in Weaverville, California to do a bike race.”

JASON MILES: “If you’re not signed up yet get signed up!”
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