Rider Profile: Greg Arden

Age: 47

Education/Career:
Mathematics at the University of Washington. The UW is what brought me to Seattle. I work in software development.

Family: Married with kids ages 8 and 12.

Racing Category: Cat 3/ Master B on the road

Years racing:
I have 9 years of racing under my belt. I raced the last 4 years on the Avanti Racing Team in Seattle, I began racing in New York State, during the “Lemond era” when I was about 30 years old.

What bikes are you currently riding?:
My race bike is a Kestral Talon. My commute, winter, and rain bike is a Surley Cross Check.

Year started cycling?:
I rode my bike to my first job in high school and I’ve been commuting by bike ever since.

How did you get into cycling?:
I have always ridden as transportation and eventually I started riding recreationally and even did some touring. Later a friend of a friend asked if I wanted to join a racing team with him. We started training and began racing together. We became great friends.

What does your yearly cycling schedule look like? Miles per week/year?:
I do road racing March through June then focus on a few time trials for the later part of the summer. Training for the season begins in December. The core of my winter training consists of team rides on the weekends and a weekly team indoor trainer ride. From December to May I’ll be riding 10 – 15 hours a week. When the season roles around I do the Seward park race on Thursday and often race either Saturday or Sunday. I cut back on the racing by mid summer so I have more time for family summer outings.

As the 2008 road season winds down, what’s on your radar for 2009?
Next year my team has a new sponsor we will be Blue Rooster. I’m looking forward to another year of training and racing with my friends. Also, my 12 year old son tried racing some this year and wants to get more into it next year so that will be exciting.

Greg hammering at the sharp end of the paceline.

Tell us about your most memorable race or ride:
My favorite race of this year was the Category 3 Vance creek race in Elma, Wa. It was the longest race of the year for me at 72 miles. Before the race I suggested a team strategy. I would try to get in an early break. Even if we couldn’t stay away both my breakaway companions and who ever worked to chase us down would be exhausted from the effort. This would make the job easier for one of my teammates who could sit in and conserve energy until we got caught.

Well, 3 miles into the race I was in a break with 9 other riders. We stayed away for most of the race and at one point had a lead of over 3 1/2 minutes. With 12 miles to go the break had eroded to 5 riders and our lead to 90 seconds. On the final climb to the finish there were only 3 of us left. We rode frantically, but we finally were caught by the charging pack only 1 km from the finish line. One of my teammates got 3rd place.

It was a good result for our team, and although I barely finished in the top 20 I had been a key player in the way the race unfolded. I had a good shot at a top 3 finish, and I had helped set up a teammate. Racing doesn’t get much better than that.

What’s your favorite Seattle-area ride?
The Thursday Seward park races are a great opportunity. It really helps my training and fitness. Mercer Island is another jewel of a ride that makes training in the city possible.

For something less well known, my favorite local climb is High Rock / Lake Fontel near Duval.

Do you have any advice for folks getting into cycling or for cyclists thinking about racing?
If you like to push yourself on a bike, you should try racing. It’s amazing how much faster you can get by training smart and racing. Fall is the perfect time to commit to racing in the coming year. Check out the “Meet the Teams” rides to find a racing team for the coming year. In spring or summer beginners can try racing at Seward Park on Thursday at 5:00.

What keeps you excited about cycling?
I love the feeling of getting stronger as my training progresses through the year.

What obstacles get in the way of cycling?
It’s always a challenge to find the time to train and race.

The Velocity Blog’s “Rider Profiles” highlight the accomplishments of some of our amazing local cycling athletes, and provides insight into their lives that may inspire us all.

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