THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 9, 1995 TAG: 9502070138
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, COMPASS SPORTSEDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
FOUR YEARS AGO, when Davidson Lewis thought that he had outgrown his BMX, he asked his parents for a mountain bike for Christmas.
It was quite an investment - the least expensive mountain bikes start around $400 - for the 12-year-old's leisurely rides around his Larchmont neighborhood. But Lewis' parents gave in and the investment paid off.
Lewis, now 16, has competed in 22 races and is ranked first in the region for the junior division by the National Offroad Biking Association. Nationally, the association places him 54th.
``I love nature and we do a lot of camping and back packing when we go on the road,'' said Lewis, who is a junior at Norfolk Academy.
He relishes the spring when he and his Mom, Ellie, who travels with him to all of the events, hit the road for the races. They've gone as far north as Vermont and as far west as West Virginia.
They're even planning a trip to Georgia this year for a national event in hopes that Lewis can climb the rankings like he does the steep Vermont mountains.
The two, along with friends who usually tag along, camp out to save money.
Good thing, because since that first bike, Lewis' taste has gotten expensive.
He now rides a 1993 Titanium Gray GT RTS-2 that is Deore LX equipped and is in the $1,800 price range. It's fully suspended and it's got ``rock shocks.''
``I have such a good time and I get to meet a lot of people,'' he said. ``There's a lot of things to do when you're not racing, too.''
Lewis said jovially that the campers usually have a Huffy Roast or a Huffy Toss so the biker gods will be favorable in the upcoming event. They gather around and toss a Huffy in a fire or toss it around like a shot put until it's completely demolished.
``It's really funny,'' he said.
But when it's time to get down to business, Lewis is the fiercest competitor.
Since his first race, when he showed up wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and came in 17th, Lewis has finished in one of the top three spots in 14 of his 22 races. He's come in first in five of those races.
That kind of resume has caught the attention and the checkbook of three sponsors.
Even though mom chips in and Lewis works in the summers, the costs for traveling up and down the East Coast can get pretty rigorous and the sponsorship makes things easier.
GT Riteway, Service Cycle Supply and Fat Bottom Titanium have kicked in for some equipment and traveling expenses for the region's top mountain biker.
So how does someone who has never had any formal training get good enough to be sponsored in such a short period?
Lewis says that he simply rides all the time, in his neighborhood or down at the Beach when he spends time at his dad's house. When he's not on his bike, he's on the Norfolk Academy track, running long distance events or pole vaulting.
``It helps with my endurance,'' said Lewis, who is used to competing in bike races that range from five to 33 miles, both up and downhill. But Lewis' track workout is just that. His love rests with mountain biking.
``I love the sport,'' he said. ``There's nothing you can compare it to.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by PATTI WALSH
Sixteen-year-old Davidson Lewis is ranked first in the region for
the junior division by the National Offroad Biking Association.
by CNB