It’s true. During the 1984 Carlsbad Grand Prix, a group of bicycle riders raced 2 laps around the Grand Prix course as a half time exhibition (Doug “The Wheelie King” Dumokus must have been unavaliable.)

We were promoting a new sport – and a new type of off-road bicycle – called Mountain Biking.

Yours truly (top center) is wearing the white tank top, black helmet and red/black LYCRA shorts!

Can’t remember where I finished, who won, or any of the heckles from the beer-drunking, sun-baked motocross crowd.

Side note: Jammin’ Jimmy Weinert announced the race!

Those were the days.

From Giant Press release:

“Ketterer set a new World Hour Record in the 50-54 age group, riding 45.386 kilometers – that’s 28.2015 miles – in one hour. The old record was 44.890 kilometers, or 27.8933 miles.
The new record involved rocketing more than 180 laps around the velodrome at a pace that most professional bike riders – including those much younger than the 53-year-old Ketterer – would find impossible.”

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Keith has a long, winning history as a mountain bike and road racing legend. He managed the Diamondback U.S. Mountain Bike Team in the 90′s, which led to World and National Championships. He coached Susan DeMattei to a Bronze medal at the first ever Olympic Mountain Bike event in Atlanta in ’96. He also discovered the insanely talented Cadel Evans, who is now a top Tour de France contender.

Congratulations KK!