Interview by Stephen
Balsley
Eric Carter called up a shop in the summer of 2006 and asked if he could come out and ride with them the following Monday. The shop owner, not believing that it was really Eric Carter, argued with him, asking who it really was. It seems the owner thought one of his friends was prank calling the store. As Eric said, “He was like ‘Who is this really?’ And I had to convince him by saying ‘This really is Eric Carter’.” It’s those kinds of stories that demonstrate why Eric’s one of the most beloved, popular and celebrated mountain bikers ever. We sat down to ask him a couple of questions before a hot summer ride to see what makes him tick.
A world champion 4X racer and the 2006 U.S. National Mountain Cross Champion, Eric Carter has been dominating the downhill slopes of major UCI events for years. Racing on his Mongoose® signature bikes, the Eric Carter Downhill (the EC-D) and the Eric Carter Mountain Cross bike (the EC-X), Eric worked his way back from an early-season
injury in 2006 to once again hit several podiums since, including the US National Championships. EC worked very closely with Mongoose® to develop his frames to meet his demand. Something that we know every rider will respect.
SB: What was the first race you ever won?
EC: The first race I ever entered. Seriously. I was 8 years old and I entered a local race in the Regional SoCal Cycling League on a borrowed bike. I was so intimidated by the starting gate and the entrance – that I braked all the way to the bottom of the hill. But then I passed everyone. I guess that is kind of like my style now. I might not be the first one out of the gate, but I ride hard and pick good lines to make sure I can pass guys. I was a wound up and determined little 8 year -old who really didn’t want to lose.
SB: What three people would you most like to go on a ride with?
EC: Man, that’s a tough question. I would definitely have to pick my grandfather because he passed when I was 10 years old and I never really got to have a grown
EC-D™
FRAME: MONGOOSE Freedrive Downhill 6061 Aluminum w/ Patented Floating BB, Replaceable 150 x 12mm Thru-Axle Dropouts & Disc Mount, 7.3-8.4" Travel
FORK/SHOCK: RockShox Boxxer Team w/ Motion Control Damping w/ High & Low Speed Compression Damping
&Rebound Adjust, 203mm Travel; Fox DHX-5.0 Coilover w/ Piggyback Reservoir, Boost Valve, Adjustable ProPedal Damping, Adjustable Tuning Range, Preload & Rebound Adjust
DRIVETRAIN: 9-Speed w/ SRAM X-9 Derailleur & Trigger Shifter; Truvativ
Holzfeller 38t Crankset w/ External Bearings
BRAKES: Avid Juicy 7 Hydraulic Disc w/ Speed Dial Adjust & 8" Rotors
WHEELS: Sun MTX Team Rims w/ Ringle Abbah SOS 32h Thru Axle
Disc Hubs, Kenda Nevegal DH 2.5" Tires w/ Stick-E Rubber
COCKPIT: Easton EA70 31.8mm Bar & Havoc Stem; SDG I-Beam
up conversation with him. He was a smart guy who worked in the Pentagon and for the military for years, and I don’t know if he ever really got the chance to ride. I guess I would have to pick my dad for the same reason. He never really got to ride either, and I know that’s something I look forward to most in the world is heading out to ride with my son in a couple of years. The third guy would have to be Doug Jicha. I use to race BMX with him in the day, but he passed away from Hodgskin’s Disease about 10 years ago. And I just miss the guy. If I had a chance to ride with him one more time, that would be cool.
SB: This past year, you started the MONGOOSE Tribe of riders. What’s it all about?
EC: The Tribe was an idea that was kind of created out of a desire to have a gathering of like minded, fun, riders. To take a group of people with common interests and really get them out their together and ride. I mean, the guys in the Tribe aren’t all pro riders, they are more the salt of the sport kind of Sport and Expert class riders that really live this lifestyle. I believe so much in my
EC-D™frameset
FRAME: MONGOOSE Freedrive Downhill 6061 Aluminum w/ Patented Floating BB, Replaceable 150 x 12mm Thru-Axle Dropouts & Disc Mount, 7.3-8.4"Travel
SHOCK: Fox DHX-5.0 Coilover w/ Piggyback Reservoir, Boost Valve, Adjustable ProPedal Damping, Adjustable Tuning Range, Preload & Rebound Adjust
signature bike and I really wanted to help get more guys out there riding. I was having so much fun at the party, that I wanted to bring some other guys along. It really is a great experience.
M:Tell us about your best day on a bike that was not a race.
EC: I can’t narrow it down beyond two rides. Sorry. But these were both pretty epic. One of them has to be the 2000 RockShox Fork Demo when a group of local riders in Moab took me out into the desert and showed me a really cool dinosaur fossil. It wasn’t just a couple of bones, this was like the whole spine just hanging out there. That was pretty amazing. And the other one has to be my first Kernville Fat Tire Festival. Another ride that was really epic trails, but it was my first time really getting into mountain biking. It really showed me the lifestyle with guys out camping next to the river and drinking some beer with friends. That really got me into the whole lifestyle.
SB: What is the best advice you could give to someone just starting out in 4 cross or downhill?
EC: Two things. Have fun. Don’t take it so seriously that you forget why you are out there. I see too many guys with really cool bikes and expensive kits who are out there to win, and they forget to have fun. It’s not only about winning, it’s about riding. And the other thing to do just that, have a good time on
your bike. You can make tons of lifelong friends riding bikes. I don’t think there is anything cooler than that.
We couldn’t agree with you more, Eric.
