TEAM SPOTLIGHT - SERIOUS CYCLING - PAIGE HANDY
We recently had a chance to catch up with Paige Handy from the Serious Cycling Team to learn a little more about her journey with cycling and her approach for a ride like the Mammoth Gran Fondo.
Plus, Paige was the fastest female in the 102 mile route in 2022 and 2023……and she is coming back for more in 2024!
Looking back on your first MGF experience, what are some tips for first timers?
Respect the altitude. Make sure you stay hydrated and don’t enter into your high heart rate zones early on in the day. My first year I went into the red zone early on and spent the rest of the day trying to recover. It’s better to save your energy for the later efforts.
What was the impact or importance of showing up as a team for the weekend?
Having teammates by your side at the start line helps to ease the nerves of a big group start. Additionally, having your friends by your side makes the suffering moments all the more fun. Also, it’s a good feeling to have wheels that you trust in the peloton. Lastly, it makes the post ride celebration all the more fun, no matter how the day turns out.
Did you spend more than two days in Mammoth for the GF? How did that affect your ride and overall experience?
I like to arrive the Friday afternoon before the event but then spend a few days in town afterwards. After working hard on Saturday, I get to spend the night eating and drinking with teammates & friends. Spending a couple days after, I get the chance to spend quality time with my pup and loved ones hiking the beautiful trails throughout the area and admire Mammoth from off the bike.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into road biking?
I’ve been mountain biking in Mammoth since around age 6. My dad got a used road bike off of eBay for me when I was 14. From then on, I appreciated road cycling and it got me into triathlons. After stopping triathlons due to leg injuries, I dove full on into the world of road cycling and haven’t turned back.
How did you come to start riding with Serious Cycling?
I started riding with Serious Cycling at the end of the summer of 2016 after I had graduated from undergrad. I was focused on triathlons at the time and wanted to find some people I could train with on the bike. As the months passed, I went from a stranger who randomly showed up one day to part of a family. By the next summer, I had paused triathlon due to leg injury and the Serious Cycling family drew me into road biking. My love of road biking increased as I got to spend more time in the mountains on my bike now that I wasn’t also swimming and running. By the 2017-2018 season, the Serious Cycling family convinced me to start crits and road races. I’ve gotten to enjoy participating in so many races surrounded by encouraging teammates since then.
What is it that you love about riding with an organized team/group on a regular basis?
As a novice to road cycling in the early years, I loved the opportunity to learn and ride with so many experienced men and women. I didn’t know anything about group etiquette, but I got to learn the necessities from kind, knowledgeable folks. Additionally, riding with a group allows me to become familiar with people in the community that I otherwise would have never met. Some of those people have then become some of my closest friends. I have gotten to know so many successful, humble people from the community that I have set great examples in life for both on and off the bike that I would like to emulate.
How many times have you ridden the Mammoth Gran Fondo?
I’ve done the MGF 2x officially. However, in 2021 a group of us from Serious Cycling came out to ride the MGF course, despite the event being canceled that year due to poor conditions.
When you are riding gran fondo type events what are your goals?
I want to always make sure that I never leave anything left in the tank by the end. I’ve met my goal if by the end I’ve completely given my everything and have emptied my legs completely.
How do you keep yourself motivated to train and prepare for an event like the Mammoth Gran Fondo?
Last year, I was training for Leadville just the month before so my fitness from that event carried me into the MGF. I simply love being out in the mountains all day riding and pushing my legs & heart to the limit. The simple love of the bike is the best way to stay motivated. If you love being on the road with your friends for hours, then training for a fondo is just fun. I would recommend doing rides that will last approx. 4-5 hours to make sure your legs have the training they need and that you’ve figured out your nutritional needs.
What is your general strategy/approach with a ride like the Mammoth Gran Fondo?
For me personally, my strategy is to watch the front and follow any promising moves as long as it’s within my zones. Following a group that is beyond your heart rate zones in the first half of the race will potentially result in you bonking early. It’s important to challenge yourself, but also important to respect your zones. Once you’re past the 60 mile mark, it’s safer to start pushing past your limit and begin to attempt passing people.
What would be your main suggestion to someone riding the Mammoth Gran Fondo for their first time?
Make sure you hydrate plenty the days leading up to MGF and don’t drink alcohol the night before. The altitude is no joke. Also, make sure you have figured out the amount of food and hydration you need for during the race. Keeping up on your carb intake during the ride will make the day much more enjoyable. It can take a few long training rides beforehand to figure out how much & what exactly you need to keep yourself going strong.
When things get super hard, what do you tell yourself to psych yourself up to keep pedaling and complete the ride?
I tell myself that right now is my opportunity to use my hard work from all those training rides. Once the event is done, I don’t get the chance to put in any more work so I want to make sure that I’ve made all my training hours count and leave everything on the road.
What is your favorite post “big ride” snack and beverage?
A beer and ice cream are always the best treat after a big day on the bike.
Serious Cycling is more than just a bike shop or club; it's a tight-knit community dedicated to the exhilarating sport of cycling.
With locations in Northridge and Agoura Hills, Serious Cycling serves as a hub for cycling enthusiasts, offering not only a space for group rides and training in the scenic Santa Monica mountains , but also as a valuable resource for bicycles, accessories and maintenance. Beyond the camaraderie found in these rides, Serious Cycling stands out as a competitive force with its own race team. Supporting a diverse range of athletes, from young talents to seasoned masters, the team represents a local amateur powerhouse with both men and women making their mark. The atmosphere within the group is not only encouraging, but also inspiring, as members push each other to surpass personal goals, creating an environment that fosters growth and achievement within the realm of cycling.
Our mission is to "Grow the Love of Cycling!