SOE 2025 CHAMP SIMON SERVILLON EASE OFF ON THE PEDALS JUST LONG ENOUGH AFTER THE RACE TO CHAT ABOUT BIKE LIFE WITH US
He came, he raced and he conquered! Meet Simon Servillon from the Philippines. He is only 19 years old this year but his riding enthusiasm and prowess is way bigger than his lean frame and age. Bikezilla chatted with Simon about his cycling life and his local riding community.
GETTING TO KNOW SIMON SERVILLON
Name: SIMON SERVILLON
Nickname: SAI / MON
Send me Presents on: 13 Feb
Hometown: Davao City, Philippines
Daily Grind: I was working at multiple bike shops so that I was able to join races. Right now I’m not working but just focusing on my studies.
Dream Job: If riding bikes could be a job I really dreamed of being a World Cup Racer.
Years on Wheels: I’ve been riding bikes for 18 years now.
Favorite Riding Discipline: Enduro Mountain Biking
Racing team: Canfield Bikes / Bike Boy PH
Sponsors: Canfield Bikes / Hayes Brakes / Nobl Wheels / PNW Components / Black Ox Sealant PH / SuperB1 clothing / Coast Optics / Bike Boy PH. Special thanks to Bike Boy PH for discovering me after the Asia Enduro Series at Iloilo City, Visayas.
How Bike Life Started: I started with riding BMX (street riding specifically) for 11 years, but the BMX community is not progressing as fast as I am hoping. BMX could not bring me to my aspired next level. I was getting bored with it and that’s when I decided to switched to mountain biking. I started joining a lot of races and began to see the progressions I am hoping for. I’d say that mountain biking could really take me to the next level and that is what I am enjoying right now. Besides mountain bike races I also race fixed gear bikes. I treat this as a form of cross training.
Current Weapon: Canfield Lithium – This is one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden. This bike is just different from the other bikes I have ridden and has great personality. This bike’s industrial style design may not be the “Apple of the Eye” for some riders that go for bikes with aerodynamic good looks. But, the riding personality and competence of this bike is amazing. The Canfield Balance Formula (CBF) Linkage system is truly a “Riding is Believing” design. I highly recommend everyone to give it a try to experience it for yourself.
Find Me Here: Facebook – Simon Servillon Instagram – ServillonSimon
ABOUT RIDING AND THE WORLD WE RIDE IN
Congratulations on your performance at Singapore Open Enduro 2025. SOE is also called “World’s Flattest MTB Enduro Race”. Please share your thoughts about this event. Is there anything SOE could do to improve itself?
Thank you, this is my first Singapore Open Enduro race and my first international race. While I enjoyed the event tremendously, I also hope SOE could improve their rules regarding the allowed suspension travel range for the race because I feel it is unfair racing on a long travel bike against a short travel or XC bikes on those race tracks.
Any memorable story to share about this year’s SOE?
An “oxymoronic” funny thought for me during this SOE is when I knew that I won the race on a Long Travel Bike at the “World’s Flattest MTB Enduro Race“.
What are your thoughts about the Singapore trails?
Singapore has great trails – very established and very safe to ride.
It is amazing that your riding time here is so limited and yet you did so well during the race. What is your secret?
It’s my first time riding Singapore trails. I think it is partly due to me being able to adapt quickly and get comfortable at most trails. This said, I still walked each section that really needed to pick lines precisely so that there could be no time wasted.
How do the trails at your local area compare with Singapore’s trails?
My local trails have a lot more elevation and they are also longer. They also have more gnarly and technical sections than those in Singapore.
Please share with us your riding regime.
I ride everyday – it could be trail riding or smashing some laps on the streets with my fixed gear bike. I don’t have any planned diet, just a normal young adult eating whatever I want and trying my best to be sensible about what I eat.
Tell us more about your local riding community.
The riding community in my home town is really big. It’s nearly impossible to know everyone. There are lots of riders in every bike discipline. Even when I go for long rides out of the city, we could still see a lot of riders along the way. As Bike Boy PH is located far from my home, I usually hang out at my friend’s Fixie shop – PKT Cycle. I also workpart-time at PKT Cycle.
What do you think are the best ways to help young adults become better sportsperson(cyclists)?
I am hoping to be able to teach young riders to pick up mountain biking. Mountain biking is good for the body. For those who eventually make it to races, regardless of their race results, I would like to gather them to reflect on their races and discuss where they could improve. Another way to help promote cycling is to organize group rides or races for young riders. This would increase their interest and enthusiasm for mountain biking and set goals for themselves.
Parting Shot: What would we be expecting to see from you in the near future?
Honestly, I don’t really know what is coming next and where my career path might lead. (Ed: He’s only 19 by the way …) For now, I’m looking forward to more regional and international races and continued support from my sponsors. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my sponsors for making this trip and my mountain biking life a fruitful one thus far!
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Video, photos and story by Bikezilla
Additional Photos by Simon Servillon/team and SOE Photographers (CS Chong @ Snap_MTB, Stanley Cheah @ Stanley_ActionPhotos)