Ned Overend Q & A
At the end or the 2001-racing season, MtbREVIEW caught up with Ned Overend to discuss the influences on his mountain biking career and his most recent racing season. We thank Ned for taking the time to talk to us and providing insight on where he's been and where he's going with the sport. Here is what Ned had to say.
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- MtbREVIEW: If you hadn't become a professional mountain biker, what
would you have done for a living?
Ned: Teaching, middle school or high school, possibly subjects like sociology, geology and physical education, or working in an experimental physical education program for troubled youth.
- MtbREVIEW: What and/or who inspired you to become a mountain biker?
Ned: Nobody in particular. Mountain Biking is a combination of skills I already had
from other sports I was doing. Climbing fitness from road bike racing, off road handling skills from motorcycling, mechanical skills from working in a bike shop and I preferred to train on the trail to escape the traffic. In Durango we have the trails and plenty of mountains for climbing practice.
- MtbREVIEW: Specialized has supported your racing efforts for many
years now. In what ways has being sponsored by Specialized helped you to succeed in mountain bike racing?
Ned: I first started riding for Specialized in 1987. At that time I switched to their team because they convinced me that they were dedicated to racing and
committed to using the team to help develop the best products in the world. Specialized has always trusted me with knowing how to organize my season, what races to focus on and when to peak. So they never pressured me to perform, they just supported me with good equipment, mechanics and soigners. Pressure from a sponsor to perform is usually unnecessary at elite level racing. The athletes put enough pressure (sometimes too much) on themselves. If the team members wanted to try a different suspension setup, tire, shoe, etc., the engineers would usually have something for us later that season and often times a similar product would make it into production. Since 1996 I have been an employee and we don't have any specific agreement about my racing, just a general understanding about my contributing to the development and promotion of Specialized products.
- MtbREVIEW: Let's say you were 20 years old today and an aspiring
professional mountain bike racer. Given the current state of the sport worldwide, the bicycle technologies and big name sponsors in the sport today, how would you approach your mountain biking career?
Ned: The races today are a little shorter (closer to 2 hours instead of 3) and they don't have the long climbs that were common ten years ago. The racers tend to ride in groups now. I would do more road racing to develop leg speed. Also, many of the important races are in Europe where it's muddy so I would make an effort to train on muddy, technical terrain like in Mt Snow, Vermont where there are lots of slippery roots and rocks. Equipment wise, I would be racing a full suspension bike on courses that were rough enough to warrant it. Courses like at Napa, Vail, Durango and Mt Snow. I would also be using tubeless tires, which have the potential to eliminate most pinch flats. For an athlete to be successful today they need to help their sponsor have an impact on the fans. Its not enough to just get results, you have to seek-out the media and consumer exposure.
- MtbREVIEW: So you'd set your sights on the World Cup?
Ned: Yes because that's where the money and media attention is. Also if you want to be the best in the world you have to go out and compete against the best on a variety of courses.
- MtbREVIEW: Who would you give credit to for helping you become such
a great cyclist?
Ned: "You never achieve real success unless you like what you are
doing."
- Dale Carnegie
My High school cross-country running coach, Doug Basham, because he taught me a style of training for endurance sports that was fun and effective. We did
group workouts where the team supported each other, we trained on a
variety of terrain and he emphasized the importance of rest. Ed Zink, a race promoter and bike shop owner in Durango. He promoted the Iron Horse classic road race, which was such an exciting event to watch I felt compelled to start bike racing. Race promoters everywhere because without them we wouldn't have a sport.
- MtbREVIEW: Ideally, what type of mountain bike do you prefer to race on; a dual suspension or a hard-tail rig?
Ned: I am all about the full-suspension .I first started racing dual suspension on
selected rough courses in 1994. Since then the bikes have gotten lighter and the
suspension more efficient so since 1997 I have raced exclusively on full suspension. There are occasional courses where it's not a benefit so I just lock out the
suspension. I find full suspension makes me faster and more efficient on rough climbs. I can stay in the saddle longer, which saves energy. On the downhill sections it's faster because your wheels are following the contour of the ground so you get better traction in the corners and while braking. Overall your body absorbs less shock so you're fresher at the end of long races and you recover quicker after the race. It is important to know how to set up your suspension so that it is active without being inefficient.
- MtbREVIEW: Athletically, what did you set out to accomplish for 2001?
Ned: Xterra US series. Since it is only four races this year I hoped to be
able to focus better and in a perfect world, win the series. I also wanted to do well at the Xterra World Championships in Maui. I competed in several mountain bike, road bike, road triathlon and running races as they fit my schedule and training program for the Xterra races.
- MtbREVIEW: What makes the Xterra races so appealing to you? Why do
you look forward to these races?
Ned: Because the Xterra races are so complicated and each one is different. The swim; where you need to get into a rhythm despite trying to swim in a frenzied
mass of people, the mountain bike; which is an all out time trial while negotiating
technical terrain and if you push it too hard you lose time while you pick yourself up off the ground, then the run; where if you have something left you try and chase people down or if you're spent, then you just try to run efficiently and hold on to your position. At the finish you can bask in your fatigue while you pound a few calories and recount the adventure with the other racers and event staff.
- MtbREVIEW: Every year, it looks like more and more high caliber competitors come out to race at the Xterra events. The competition is getting tougher. What are your impressions of the level of competition and how well were you able to compete at the Xterra events this year?
Ned: I was disappointed that I did not win one Xterra event this year. The competition was much better this year with Conrad Stoltz and Nickolas Lebrun taking first and second in the series. I was third overall and the first American so I got the US champion title. That is satisfying because there are some tough Americans like Michael Tobin and Kerry Claussen. I was fourth in Maui but only a minute out of second place. I had a great swim there, finishing a minute closer to the top pros
compared to last year. That will get me psyched to improve my swim this
winter.
- MtbREVIEW: What races will you focus on for 2002?
Ned: I will focus on mountain bike races in Europe early in the summer and then I may hit the mountainous Xterra races like Keystone and Lake Tahoe.
- MtbREVIEW: Being the family man and pro-racer that you are, how
about some advice for mountain bikers who juggle family, career and racing? What are your top 3 pointers?
Ned: (a) Don't be an obsessive trainer, do the work and go home because quality not
quantity makes the best use of your time. (b) Take time off in the off season, keep fit
but spend a lot of quality time with your family exploring other
interests besides just cycling. (c) Don't think that because you're involved in racing you deserve special treatment, respect that what your wife and kids are doing is equally as important as what you do and if she is a full time mom, its more important than what you're doing. Don't expect her to be your number one fan, its great if she is but certainly understandable if she isn't.
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