April’s rider of the month is James Foster. James was first introduced to mountain biking at the age of 6. He distinctly remembers while out on a family four wheeling trip his father asking his mother, "Why don't we get the family mountain bikes?" James’s mind immediately began planning all the endless adventures he would have out riding. James's father ran with the idea and James was given his first mountain bike. Eventually he began racing local races back home in Lake Tahoe and couldn't get enough. James was homeschooled, so once he finished his school work he had plenty of free time to spend riding. Like many members in our club, James is fortunate enough to have a few bikes to choose from when it comes time to ride. Usually, you can see James riding along on his Specialized Rockhopper 29er or on his Giant Reign X. Once in a while he will bring out the single speed and mash up all the local hills.

James began riding with the club last September and the camaraderie and friendly bike talk kept him coming back for more. When not checking out one of our weekly rides, James can be found taking on his favorite trails: the Kern River Trail and Cannel Meadow. He is also looking forward to participating in a 50 mile ride in SoCal, if his busy schedule as a pilot allows.The ultimate goal is to ride 1000 miles by the end of this year. With the good influence of the club, James is predicting in exceeding that goal within a few months. James would like the club to know that if we ever want to plan an international ride and charter a jet, he’s the guy to fly us there.

Next time you see James out on the trail, make sure and say hello to our ride of the month!

March is International Women’s month and the SSFTA is pleased to honor Rossy Robles as rider of the month. Rossy’s first mountain bike experience came when she was 35. Mountain biking was the sport of choice in the Robles house and Rossy, not wanting to let a great adventure pass her by, picked up her son Issac’s 2006 Epic and headed for the hills. Not only did Issac let his mother ride his bike, he also let her use his gloves and sunglasses so she could have a safe ride. In the summer of 2011 Rossy began attending the weekend group rides and says she owes Eddie Gonzalez a thousand thank yous for being so patient and kind to her when she first showed up and for continuing to be so welcoming.At the beginning of 2011 Rossy was diagnosed with several serious illnesses including stage one cancer. Even though Rossy was sick and extremely afraid of the snakes, bobcats, coyotes, and the big downhill sections in the foothills, she still continued to ride with her friends and family. Staying active with loved ones seemed like a much better option to her than staying home worrying about how sick she was. In less than two years of riding Rossy is happy to announce that all of her illnesses are disappearing and have been replaced with two fat tires and a big grin.

Rossy continues to show up on the group rides because of how much fun the group is and how caring each rider is for one another. Although Rossy loves the rides in the foothills, she is always ready to take a ride down her favorite trail in the canyon, Just Oustanding on her new carbon Specialized Fate 29. Rossy is looking forward to attending The Sea Otter Classic with her family and all the fun that comes with chasing her family around on bikes. Rossy’s goal is to continue to chase Mark, Jerry, Patrick, and Susan around on the rides as they have inspired her to believe that good riding comes from lots of experience.

Rossy would like to thank all of the members of the SSFTA for inspiring and encouraging her to keep going.

February's rider of the month is Elyse Goin! Elyse was first introduced to cycling by her coworkers. Not being one to let a new adventure pass her by, Elyse went out a bought a full rigid, purple, Cannondale M300 comfort hybrid.  Her “tank of a bike” accompanied her on many rides, but the luster of the dirt inspired Elyse to swap out the factory slicks for a pair of knobby tires. Elyse can now be seen riding her orange Specialized Era with her matching orange seat bag. Elyse started riding with our club in September 2012 and the incredible ride leaders and supportive atmosphere has kept her coming back for more. Elyse has been using the club rides not only to meet incredible people, but to improve her technical and climbing skills. Elyse’s riding goal is to conquer the last hill climb out of Roller Coaster. Her enthusiastic approach to riding and eagerness to ride new trails has taken her to several out of town rides with the club and she is always looking forward to more rides in the Kern Canyon.  

Elyse’s favorite trails lay in the hills of Ventura County: Gas-Pipe in Chesebro Canyon, Guadelasca in Sycamore Canyon, and the Sisar Canyon-Gridley Loop in Ojai. Elyse is looking forward to participating in the year’s Keyesville Classic Mountain Bike Stage Race in March and after getting on the podium at last month’s Rio Brave Rumble and this month’s Foothill Classic, she is sure to do great.

Elyse would like to thank all club members for being so welcoming and encouraging during her transition from Ventura to Bakersfield. If you spot her on her orange bike, be sure to say hello to February’s rider of the month.

Our first member to be honored as rider of the month for the new year is Dominic Zaninovich. Dominic was introduced to cycling by his older brother at the age of 13 and was encouraged to elevate from a bunny hoping bmx rider to all an mountain machine. Before he could get the title, he had to get the hardware, so he went out and picked up a Cannondale F4000 hardtail and hasn’t looked back since. The mountain was not enough for this towering member so he quickly took up road biking to build stamina and endurance. Dominic moved to Bakersfield to start his career which, unfortunately, sparked a five year hiatus from mountain biking.

In 2011 Dominic’s wife, Briana, motivated him to get back into the sport he was so passionate about and thus began his relationship with SSFTA. For the last year Dominic and his wife Briana have been riding with the club on the local trails and have also been joining the out of town rides. After joining the club, Dominic feels as though he will never have to ride alone as there will always be one of us itching to get some dirt on our tires.

Dominic appreciates how the welcoming the club was to his reintroduction to mountain biking and how helpful everyone was about sharing tips on the trail. Dominic’s trail of choice is the backside of Hanglider  Hill down to Celica, but is always ready to hit his favorite riding spot, Montana del Oro whenever the opportunity arises. The days of his Cannondale F400 hardtail are long gone, but he can be seen riding his black and yellow Specialized Camber with his signature golden rear hub. Dominic is looking forward to competing the this year’s Rio Bravo Rumble, Foothill Classic, and the Big Sandy races, and with the help of his focus on a more structured cross training routine, will be someone to look out for at all of these events.