Chris Uberti

Name: Chris Uberti
Age: 26
Height: 5’10″
Hometown: Detroit
Favourite style of race: Criteriums in the Rain
Major goal for 2014: Win a USA Crits Race

Detroit isn’t known for its warm winters. You grew up there. Was that where you started riding and how did you brave the cold?
I luckily spent most my first winters cycling in West Lafayette, IN while I was at college, which is all of 3-5 degrees warmer. I particularly hate riding inside and got very used to wearing every article of clothing I own and spent lots of time on dirt roads in the winter.

You’re renowned in the peloton for the most positive attitude. How does possessing that personality trait benefit your performance on race day?
Bike racing has so many uncontrollable variables that go into it that it seems like you need an alignment of all the planets in order to win. If you can’t shrug off bad luck, you’ll miss a lot of great opportunities. Besides, it’s all just bike riding.

You’ve studied rocket science. Do you find the tactics in bike racing more complex than a lecture on drag co-efficients?
The rocket equation, orbital dynamics, thermodynamics, all make sense to me; they’re governed by a set of rules that don’t get broken. Bike racing on the other hand has the Human element that doesn’t know the meaning reason or following rules. The most meticulously choreographed race plans are typically the worst. In racing you have to be able to follow attacks in a split second and change your entire race plan at the drop of a hat based on what’s going on around you. Rockets are much more predictable.

How does your education reflect in your choice of Litespeed bike?
Litespeed has always been a leader in the development in cutting edge bicycle technology. Litespeed was even involved in the Mars Curiosity Rover and use the same technology for their Titanium bikes…if their frames are good enough for NASA, they’re good enough for Crits.

Cycling is the sporting equivalent of Darwin’s theory of “the survival of the most adaptable”. What do you do to make sure you’re ever evolving as a cyclist?
I think it’s all about trying new things and keeping it fresh. For instance: I’ve traditionally been a sprinter, but last year I did a lot of breakaways. Also I bought a track bike this year. Statistically speaking most criteriums turns go left, so riding the track will help a lot with my ability to turn left!

Note from the team: “Chris comes to the team after a year of focussing on criteriums with Smartstop. As we were looking to bolster our squad for the USA-crits and NCC races we spent time looking for the best criterium racers we could have. Chris falls under that heading, and we are happy to have him on board”.