This profile was prompted by Kent Smith, Team Manager for Bicycle Centres/Collision 1 Cycling Team:
Nathan has been on the Bicycle Centres’ team for four seasons now. I have been managing the team for the last two seasons and t has been great fun to see him develop as a person and rider.
Being only 20 years old, Nathan has tremendous potential. Nathan has been an exclusive Dirt Squirt until he recently moved to Walla Walla where he started riding on the road and actually enjoying it. In August he won the Crystal Mountain Washington State Hill Climb Championships in the category 5 mens. Not too special, except for the fact that his time was actually 0:04 seconds faster than the category 1/2 winner….
Age: 20
Family: Father, Justin Bannerman; Mother, Karen Bannerman; One older sister, Nickole, and a younger sister, Tiffany.
Racing Categories: Cat 5 Road, Open MTB, Cat 2 ‘Cross
Year started cycling: 1996
Years racing: 11
What bikes are you currently riding?: Specialized S-works Tricross, Specialized S-works Tarmac, Specialized S-works hard-tail mt bike, Giant STP
How did you get into cycling?:
I grew up going to road races with my dad and as I got older I started to ride more and more with him on our mountain bikes, so we started to go to mt.bike races and it took off from there.
Nathan in race #1 in the Seattle Cyclocross Series at Evergreen High in Seattle. Nathan finished 10th in the category 1/2 race.
What does your yearly cycling schedule look like? How many miles do you get in every week? Every year?:
From the beginning of the season in March through August, all the races are usually spread out with a couple weeks in between races to recover and heal up for the next race. From the beginning of ‘cross in September through the middle of December, I am usually racing every other weekend if not every weekend. I usually try and log about 10-15 hours of riding either the mountain or the road bike from mid January to mid August so I have the long base miles in. As the days get shorter though, so do my rides, and the intensity gets ramped way up. I try and keep my training the same days each week year round if I can but during the fall I do a lot of night riding on my mountain bike to work on my reaction and it is a whole new world in the forest lands at night, you get to see things that you normally would not notice, especially all the little animal eyes that your light reflects back off of.
Tell us about your most memorable race or ride:
My most memorable race would probably be my first race ever that was put on my Mark Peterson and the WHIMPS at Lake Padden. I was almost 10 and the smallest kid to show up for the race, in fact the next youngest kid was 14 I think. I remember having to get off my 20″ mountain bike and having to push it up the most of the climbs just so I could hopefully have a fun hill to go down on the other side and knowing I had to finish so I could prove to kids at school that I got to race my bike against kids 3 times my size and was able to finish. After my race I got to hike up the gnarly downhill section that I had to walk down and watch another local Anacortes guy, Erin Hartford kill it in the Open Category race
Do you have any advice for folks getting into cycling or for cyclists thinking about racing?
Just go have some fun riding your bike and if you come across a race in your area, go check it out and maybe give it a try, racing isn’t for everyone, but for me, it is addicting and a fun, family oriented life style.
Race number 3 at South Seatac Park in the Seattle Cross series with a 14th place finish. “I was having a bad race with mechanical issues so I decided to have some fun on a hill we where coming down fast every lap.”
What obstacles get in the way of cycling?
The 2 biggest obstacles are work and family, there is a fine line of when you are riding too much and not spending enough time at work or with the family and if you encroach into the time for either of those things then stuff can get a little messy.
Tell us about your 2008 season so far. What were some highlights?
My goals for this season are to start racing road to increase my endurance on the mountain bike, get top 5 overall in the Indie series, finish in the top 5 of the Seattle cyclocross series, move up to cat 1 in cyclocross, and get a top 20 placing at the Portland USGP, and a top 20 at cyclocross nationals.
As the 2008 road season winds down, what’s on your radar for 2009?
My goals for next year are to become a cat 2 on the road, place top 20 at Mountain bike nationals place top 15 at cyclocross nationals, and increase my overall performance through the whole season.
What keeps you excited about cycling?
I love the feeling of freedom you have on a bike and all the different aspects of cycling. I especially love the burning sensation after a hard ride or race. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.
What do you like the least about cycling?
I don’t like the pain and agony after crashes or being beat by someone you know you are faster than.
How do you work with your team to help you meet your goals?
The sharing of training ideas, team and solo tactics, tips on nutrition, coaching, and great fellow cyclists to be around and work with.
What other sports do you participate in and what do you like/not like about them?
I shoot archery, snowboard, and run. Archery is great for working on patience and accuracy but is too slow paced for me. Snowboarding is fun because you can only bomb the mountains on a board certain times of the year; but I also dislike it for that same reason. I like running because I can just throw on a pair of shoes and shorts and I’m out the door. It’s refreshing because I run the trails I ride and can actually look at every thing that is a blur on the mt.bike. I can have time to think and get my frustrations out. The thing I don’t like about running is it is hard on the knees and ankles; but you get used to it after a while.
What other hobbies/activities do you participate in?
I enjoy trying to work on my truck, drawing 3D structures, and if gas ever comes back down in price, I like to go camping and 4x4ing on jeep trails.
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.
