Ron Peterson
UCLA Cycling Head Coach
 Ron Peterson has made racing bicycles, in one discipline or another, his passion since straddling his first mountain bike in 1989. In 1990 Ron entered his first mountain bike race - an experience which included bonking, cramping, crashing and various other forms of self-inflicted torture. Needless to say he was hooked. The one important result of his initial foray into the world of bicycle racing was an intense new-found interest in the science of training.
Soon after entering the Mt. bike world, Ron discovered road riding as an alternative training method. Of course, the freedom and speed of riding the road made road racing inevitable. Thankfully all the experience, knowledge, and fitness gained from the Mt. bike translated well. He rose through the ranks quickly, eventually earning his Cat 1 license.
After graduating from University of Colorado, Ron continued to pursue the dream of becoming a pro bike racer. After a few years of traveling throughout the U.S. Ron decided to explore the Mecca of road cycling: Belgium. For a summer he raced in Northern Belgium, gaining invaluable experience in race tactics, recovery, and how to survive in the rain.
After turning 30, Ron decided to join the "Real World", working for a computer consulting firm. Much to his chagrin however, the bike would not leave his system. He got his "fix" by racing the track, which required more intense, but less time consuming training. He even ventured into the muddy world of Cyclocross, but this insanity was thankfully temporary.
After moving to Los Angeles Ron decided to pursue his true love, and started coaching local riders. The hard-earned knowledge proved invaluable to his new clients, and their cycling enjoyed considerable improvement. From there his new business continued to develop, growing into full-time employment.
Ron has coached the UCLA Cycling team since 2008. |
