Kent Hammond's name is synonymous in SoCal with drop bar handlebars, skinny tires, and dirt. That's because Kent is a legend among the CX and gravel communities having won numerous LA Tourist races, snuck his foot onto to a podium at Cyclocross Nationals, age group gravel race podiums like Crusher in Tushar, Mammoth Tuff, Old Growth Classic and even a race in Maine, Mainly Grave, with a 4th in 2019 CX nationals.
Peter Rinde, former President of PAA and an avid dirt rider himself, reached out to chat with Kent about all things dirt.
Peter: How did you get into the drop bar, dirt world of cycling and PAA?
Kent: I switched from casual bike commuting to racing about 10 years ago. Started with cyclocross and gravel. First connected with PAA at one of Nick’s Cyclocross training sessions, not sure but was probably around 2016.
Peter: What drew you into the specific cycling disciplines of drop bar bikes with rigid frames and thin tires on dirt…was mountain biking not challenging enough?
Kent: I stumbled upon cyclocross about ten years ago while doing a CicLAvia, that same day there was a Cyclocross race at the Cornfield/LA Historic Park and it piqued my interest. Something about hopping off the bike and running up stairs, I guess.
Peter: In our dirt areas, say radius of 50-miles from PAA’s namesake city Pasadena, what would you say is your favorite go to dirt route? And why does this route call to you?
Kent: Only partly dirt, but the go-to is the random hills of North East LA between Debs Park and Ascot Hills.
The Verdugos are always a quick escape and then when more time allows, like to go up Mount Lowe Railway and then down pavement.
Peter: What is a typical on the bike workout for you? Does this change between training for a gravel race or event vs. CX race?
Kent: Don’t really have a regular workout - I ride without a power meter, so pretty much when I come to a hill - go up it as fast as I can. And then on to the next. For cyclocross, the hills are shorter with more reps, and for gravel I will search out the bigger ones. Beaudry South in the Verdugos is always a good test to see where the legs are at.
Peter: What is your favorite dirt event or race and why?
Kent: The Single Speed race at CX Nationals - it's beautiful chaos. And then the LA Tourist races, these bring together so much goodness: staring at maps, calculations based on weird combinations of math and intrigue. You never know how the Tourist is going to go, except that they will definitely test your limits - and there will be moments when you question your life decisions.
Peter: Kent, for all our readers who are aspiring gravel riders/racers or CX racers, if you had to impart one key piece of advice, what would it be?
Kent: No advice, just ride it how you want to.
Peter: That wraps it up. Stay tuned to future PAA newsletters and social media for everything gravel and CX.