3rd Annual Specialized Anaheim 1 Ride Daze: Biking with the Supercross Pros

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<b>This is where it all starts. No, not with Chad Reed's factory bike. Just like Chad's son, Tate, many motocross stars and enthusiasts got their starts on two wheels with pedal power.</b>
<b>But it doesn't stop when you hop on a dirt bike. Not if you're serious about racing. Just like with Reed's Specialized Stumpjumper, the majority of pro MXers ride bicycles for cross-training. For this reason, Specialized has hosted the A1 Ride Daze for the past three years.</b>
<b>The first portion of the Specialized A1 Ride Daze was a road ride the day before Anaheim 1 that began at Surf City Cyclery in Costa Mesa, CA. Well over 100 riders showed up to pedal.</b>
<b>Surf City Cyclery has a bunch of rider's jerseys on display inside. It's always cool to see MX memorabilia in unexpected places.</b>
<b>Make no mistake, a "casual" ride for a group with a bunch of pro athletes is anything but casual. If you ever participate in the Specialized A1 Ride Daze, expect your legs to be burning.</b>
<b>Not quite as many Pro MXers participated in the pre-A1 ride, for obvious reasons, but there were still some names in the mix such as Chris Plouffe (left), Jeff Ward, MotoGP star Nicky Hayden (far right), and former factory rider, Steve Boniface.</b>
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<b>Justin Barcia discusses cycling in his training program.</b>
<b>A mountain bike route was on the agenda for the second portion of the Specialized A1 Ride Daze, the day after the big race. Here, Barcia gets his bike ready at Rock-N-Road Cycles in Laguna Niguel.</b>
<b>GEICO/Honda's Wil Hahn was on hand for a little MTB. The 450 rookie spends plenty of time pedaling for training.</b>
<b>The MTB portion of the Specialized A1 Ride Daze was hosted by moto hero, Johnny O'Mara. The former MX champ also has numerous MTB titles.</b>
<b>Adam Cianciarulo has been training with Aldon Baker who integrates lots of pedal time into his fitness programs.</b>
<b>Along with Adam, Aldon Baker also trains Ryan Villopoto and Ken Roczen.</b>
<b>Barcia is one of several Specialized-sponsored motocross riders.</b>
<b>So does Barcia prefer whoops or rock gardens?</b>
<b>Mitch Ropelato charging hard. We're pretty sure he made moto noises the whole ride.</b>
<b>Ryan Villopoto looked comfortable on the hills despite spending most of his time in Florida flat country. That's Curtis Keene chasing him down in the background.</b>
<b>Keene strapped on a GoPro and tucked in behind Villopoto for a descent during the 18-mile loop.</b>
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<b>Villopoto talks about his cycling involvement while Keene narrates during the ride.</b>
<b>We all know Aaron Gwin as one of the leading Pro Downhill racers, but for a few years he was an up-and-coming SoCal motocross racer.</b>
<b>According to Gwin, the cross training between DH and MX has its pros and cons.</b>
<b>Jeff Ward (pictured) was known for his training and cross-training programs during his racing career.</b>
<b>What's scarier for Gwin, whoops or rock gardens?</b>
<b>Jeremy McGrath has been on two wheels for most of his life, but the motorized kind didn't start for The King until he was 15 years old.</b>
<b>Bikes have been an integral part of McGrath's life.</b>
<b>The King.</b>
<b>Epic 29 or Enduro? MC's ready for just about anything with that pair.</b>
<b>Ropelato flies by as MC weighs in on whoops or rock gardens. Either way, he's having fun.</b>
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Whether it's on the road or on the trail, bicycles are becoming a standard for Supercross training regimes. Specialized is well aware of this, sponsoring several Pro motocross racers, and for the last three years has hosted road and MTB rides before and after Anaheim 1, the opening round of Supercross season. We joined them for the fun!



Photos and interviews by Brandon Turman and Bayo Olukotun
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