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Hog Hill, otherwise known as the Redbridge Cycle Centre close to London played host to some exciting early season youth racing on March 1st, with SIC sponsored U16 racer Carl Jolly debuting in the category and rolling on some rather special custom SIC K2 Carbone race wheels. 

Carl’s manager, chief mechanic and Dad Chris Jolly takes up the story.

“A large field of over 70 riders took to the circuit for the 15 mile race as the youth road racing season really starts to get under way. Carl came 3rd after getting in the winning break of 5 riders. A great result for Carl in his first year in the under 16 Category, and up against some pretty stiff competition.

“To say that Carl loved his SIC K2 race wheels would be an understatement. You can probably see by the look on his face just how much he was enjoying the race. 

“Hog Hill races usually set the men from the boys and can be quite attritional due to the hill every rider must grind up lap after lap. Carl finished about a bike’s length behind the winner Anthony Anderson in a sprint for 2nd, just losing out to Tim Torrie by less than half a wheel.”

Chapeau Carl! 

We first met Carl at the NEC Cycleshow in 2013.  A smart young man stood patiently by whilst The Dr. chatted with some older generation racers perusing our wheels. Carl then said something along the lines of “I just wanted to say hi and thank you for building such awesome wheels.” Being rather modest ourselves, we said our own thanks to Carl for riding them, and introduced him to our own “Officially Semi-Awesome” top-most level of product commendation and praise.  Carl talked about his ambitions and told us for 2014 he was being upgraded to an 11 speed drivetrain courtesy of his new KTM race bike, and wondered if we could rebuild his older gen 10 speed SPN Supersonic wheels to crank all the way up to 11. We decided instead to get him straight onto our latest generation super fast, wide profile K2 Carbone clinchers. Judging by the speed at which Carl’s riding already this season, we reckon this was the right thing to do.  

Chris told us that when Carl isn’t racing he likes eating and solving maths problems. That sounds like a top combination of noble pursuits to all us at SIC. Keep it up! And Carl told us that his new SIC K2 Carbones are most definitely semi-awesome.

More news from Carl throughout the season, and thanks to another dedicated Race Dad, Gavin Page for the photos.