Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/105496
When I look at the entirety of the season, it was a combination of dealing with the nagging injuries and a little bit of bike set up. Because I couldn't ride the way I wanted to, I never felt in sync with the new bike. It wasn't until I felt better that we were able to do some meaningful testing and finally get the bike set up the way I needed it. After that, we won the Moose Run and inched our way to the top of the Enduro podium, finally winning the last round of the Enduro series. The first few races were so frustrating, getting smoked like that is tough to deal with. What is the off season like? We've been working on getting the new bike set up and it's come a long way. I am happy with where we're at compared to last year. I am also riding for the Factory Husaberg squad this year which is great because I am a fan of the PDS shock - so that was a bit of a homecoming for me. The bike doesn't feel too different, but I wouldn't call it a Blue KTM, either. The polymer sub-frame has a different feel to it, but I am already comfortable on it, so it hasn't been a difficult transition at all. Aside from that, I've been mixing up my training with some endurance and weight lifting. I added weights to this year's program to increase my overall strength How did the Husaberg deal come about? Well, Husaberg is looking for a US title and also KTM was looking to pick up Stew Baylor after winning the National Enduro series. He had an awesome season and deserves a factory ride. As much as I love being part of KTM, Husaberg is a sister company and I will still be dealing with a lot of the same people, so that's a good thing. It's also good to be teammates with Mike Lafferty again; he's been on the Husaberg for a couple of years now and is a good resource. Husaberg's slogan is Pure Enduro and they are looking to advance the two-stroke, which I have always preferred. So I'm happy to be a part of that. What's your schedule like for next year. I will be contesting the National Enduro and the OMA series again. I will also probably do a few other races like the Moose Run, the Alligator Enduro, the opening round of the GNCC and maybe Six Days again. With Husaberg, we seem to have more leeway in what events we can run. Photos by Simon Cuddy Husaberg, FMF, Motor X, Dunlop, Cycle Nano, Renthal, Motion Pro, Rekluse, VP Racing Fuels, RK Chains, Ride PG, A60 Excel, Hammer Nutrition, IMS, DVS, Troy Lee Designs, Scott, WP, Sidi, Rockwell, PodMX, HydraPak, Enduro Engineering. January 2013 45