Meet the Team - Russ Moul

Hometown: Kent, WA

Racing category: Sport 40+

Years racing: 3

Years on Black Diamond Racing: 2

Why join the team?: "Because Ann Davis harassed me endlessly until I joined."

Goal for 2009: Over Memorial weekend Russ is going to race the 24 hours Round the Clock in Spokane. It will be his first 24 hour solo race. Russ is also targeting "to do well" in the Indie Series.

Long term goal: To be happy, stay healthy and have fun!

Racing highlight: It has to be the 2008 BC Bike Race. "Playin' Dirty", a team comprised of Russ and Vince, finished 9th out of 44 teams in their Veterans 80+ category. This was Russ' first experience with a multi-stage mtb race. Russ especially enjoyed the challenge of racing over 335 miles during those 7 days on 7 different courses and spending some rest time in the "fun, festival-type atmosphere" once the race day was over.

Support crew: That would have to be Vince Haag since he is the person he rides with most.

First bike: Schwinn Stingray that he repainted in a green metal fleck that was oh so popular at the time. He doesn't think he can locate a photo of it, but if he could more likely than not the picture would be of it lying down in the front yard...so uncharacteristic of how well he treats all his current bikes.

Favorite racing venue: Russ likes the Indie Series for the fact that each of the races are different. If he had to pick just one, it would be the one at Greenwater.
Location most likely to be riding: Black Diamond. He also likes the trails at Skookum Flats, Suntop and Palisades.

Giving back to the biking community: On Thursday evenings Russ leads a road ride, targeted towards 1 day STP riders, for Cascade Bicycle Club. Check out the event calendar at www.cascade.org for more details on how to join Russ on the strenuous training ride.

Time spent off the bike: "Is there time off the bike?" Besides work and cycling, Russ somehow finds enough time to teach a Java programing course at the UW Extension 2 times a week for 9 months of the year.

Worse cycling crash: Even though Russ was hit by a car 2 years ago, resulting in several scrapes and bruises and totaling his carbon road bike, his "worse accident didn't involve a car." It was last year when he went down to Southern California for 4 days of road riding. About 8 miles into the ride on day 1, he hit a patch of loose gravel while traveling at high speed, causing him to go down HARD resulting in lots of abrasions, a shredded team jersey, but fortunately no broken bones.

Interesting fact most people don't know: "As a teenager I had a pet falcon." First Russ had to obtain a license and then he was allowed to trap a falcon. Once he captured the falcon he trained it to fly back to him and to hunt.

Dream vacation: "That would have to be a bike tour of New Zealand" but he has yet to convince his wife Jeanne to agree.

Shout out to our sponsors: "Obviously that would be Black Diamond Bikes!"