Evomo Rider Profile: Michael Takahashi
by Bryan on September 21st, 2007
Michael Takahashi is the latest rider to join the Evomo DH Team for 2008. Recently he and Brett Miller both won the overall points in the beginner/sport FOX Racing SHOX Downhill category at the Nationals at Mt Snow, Vermont. This is a great accomplishment for both Takahashi and Miller and its an awesome motivator for taking it to the next level in the 2008 season.
The other day we had a chance to learn a bit about what Michael Takahashi has been up to and where he is going. He always loved riding bicycles as a kid and grew up riding BMX bikes and building jump ramps with his friends. Here is a little interview the man:
EVOMO: So, how did you first get into mountain biking?
TAKAHASHI: As a kid, you kind of use bicycles as your mode of transportation before getting your drivers license. He also rode skateboards and he would ride his road bike to get to all the his friends’ half pipes, it was faster than riding just a skateboard. This was back in the day before all the cities had nice public skate parks for kids to ride. We had to build our own stuff, and it seemed like all my friends who had room for half pipes, all lived in the hills, and they were kind of spread out. Riding up the steep hills was kinda hard to do on my road bike, I liked the idea of having a triple ring on the front and larger cogs to climb steep hills, so I saved my money and got a mountain bike to ride up the hills. Soon after, I found a hiking trail that was a short cut in between two of my friends houses. It was much faster to ride the trail instead of going all the way around on the road, so that was my first taste of trail riding… This was before they even had signs that said “no bikes.” There used to be a German Shepard that would sometimes be wandering around loose, so I would try to be as quiet as possible, and then ride as fast as I could when I got close to the dog’s house. You didn’t want to use any brakes on the downhill part because you needed as much speed as possible to outrun the dog!
EVOMO: What was your first mountain bike?
TAKAHASHI: Gary Fisher - Mt. Tam…
EVOMO: Being Japanese, how do your ninja skills help you perform on the race course?
TAKAHASHI: Ninja skills do come in handy on the race course! However, I am bound to secrecy. It is against the code to divulge any information about the secret ways of the ninja.
EVOMO: Whats your favorite trail to ride?
TAKAHASHI: That depends on which type of riding I’m doing. For DH, I like Tunnel in Auburn, and some stuff I have built on private land. I never gave them any names. For XC riding, I like Hole in the Ground, and stuff in Downieville. I’ve ridden a lot of awesome stuff, but since it’s not local, I don’t get to ride it often enough, and dont’ consider them as candidates for a “favorite trail.”
EVOMO: What has been your best finish and what do you think contributed to that?
TAKAHASHI: Best finish to date has been 1st place at the 2007 National Championships at Mt. Snow VT. This season I actually focused on training on the Road bike and XC bike. I told myself that this season I wanted to have much better fitness than I had previously. You make a lot fewer mistakes on the Downhill course when your fitness is good! It also takes fitness to sprint and pedal a heavy DH bike if there’s any flat spots on the course.
EVOMO: How did you first hear about the Evomo brand?
TAKAHASHI: After coming in 2nd at last years nationals, I began checking into new companies for sponsorship. I came accross Evomo on the internet, and got hooked up with them through Sponsorhouse.
EVOMO: So do you have a favorite Evomo tee?
TAKAHASHI: I have them all, but I have to say I like the Splatter design. I like the embroidery and special look. The Ranger & Braincase are others I like as well!
EVOMO: Have you ever eaten sushi off a naked Japanese woman?
TAKAHASHI: I can’t say I have, at least not exactly how you’ve worded the question 
This gentleman prefers Blondes and Brunettes…
EVOMO: What bike are you running now?
Lets see… I have several Arrows in the quiver.
Intense - M3
Intense - 6.6
Intense - Tazer
Arrow - DSS
Titus - Locomoto
Specialized - SWorks Ultimate
Free Agent - Limo
Colnago - Master XLite
EVOMO: What are your plans for the 2008 season?
TAKAHASHI: Keep up my training schedule, represent Evomo & race baby!
Besides wining the 2007 National Championships at Mt Snow this past summer, Michael Takahashi is also the 2007
California State DH champion, and has picked up 17 other medals along the way this season. I am sure we will see more of the NorCal Ninja on the podium in 08, so be sure to say hello and see if he will reveal any of his secrets!
September 21st, 2007 at 7:21 pm
ummm… overall in beginner, that makes him like 5000 overall
September 21st, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Yea that may make 5000’Th but that is still over the 20,000 sissies that don’t have the guts to get out on the race course and test their metal. Way to go man!
September 22nd, 2007 at 5:19 am
Thats awesome dude! keep up the good work! Got enough bikes? lol
September 22nd, 2007 at 7:41 pm
represent mr miagi, you are truly the samurai………….
sandbagger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 30th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Hey, He may be the Samuri Sandbagger, but, had it not been for Michael helping me line up a ride down to Fontana the weekend, I would not have been down wearing my Braincase EVOMO TEE on the podium for the 4th place finish at he first nmbs race of the season !
So, he is KING Samuri Sandbagge to me !
PS I am one of the other guys in that Photo of Michael and Brett wearing the Nationals Champ jersey in that photo at Mt Snow, but, not yet cool enough to be a TEAM RIDER !
Hope to see you guys at Sea Otter
I need to get me one of those rad new team jerseys for before that race
March 31st, 2008 at 11:11 am
sandbaggers never move up. and beginner cat is FULL of sandbaggers everywhere. They are dudes who have been there season after season and dont move up to sport cause they know they will get whooped.