EDDIE MONNIER 🇺🇸
Santa Monica, CA, USA
From Santa Monica to the Summit: A SISU Racing Story of Grit, Joy, and the Long Game
While much of the SISU Racing peloton sleeps, one rider in Santa Monica, California is already deep into the work. An early bird by nature, he prefers the quiet intensity of morning racing—often lining up between 9 and 11 a.m. Pacific time, fully aware that it means taking on a fired-up European field at their strongest. For him, that challenge isn’t a deterrent. It’s the draw.
When the watts are flowing, the soundtrack is loud and unapologetic—Blink-182, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine—unless it’s a team time trial, where silence and communication matter more than riffs. His setup mirrors his philosophy: simple, stable, effective. The Zwift Ride is his weapon of choice, paired with a double espresso before and after the ride. Fast caffeine metabolism has its perks.
A Life Built on the Round Wheel
He describes himself modestly as a climber—“pack fodder” against elite A fields—but the truth is far richer. His cycling journey began more than four decades ago, born out of necessity and curiosity. After leaving home just days after high school, he ran eight miles a day until a knee injury pushed him toward cycling. One borrowed bike, one ten-mile ride that felt like the edge of the world, and a bold decision to sell his car to buy a bicycle later, he was hooked. He even showed up to his first local criterium in gym shorts and tennis shoes.
That was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to what he affectionately calls the Church of the Round Wheel.
The Crash That Changed Everything
For years, he swore off indoor trainers—scarred by long winters staring at old race tapes. But in 2019, a hidden sinkhole on a familiar descent launched him over the bars, resulting in a severe arm fracture held together by plates and screws. Recovery could have been a setback. Instead, it became a turning point.
With help from a friend who happened to be a Zwift co-founder, he logged his first virtual ride. He stepped off the bike and told his wife it was a game-changer—fitness, gamification, and community rolled into one. He didn’t just come back; he came back stronger.
Racing, Results, and Resilience
The 2025 season was a standout. Targeting the competitive California Bicycle Racing (CBR) Criterium Series and the demanding four-day Il Campilaro in the Pyrenees, he raced aggressively rather than waiting for sprint finishes stacked against him. The strategy paid off: a solo win, multiple podiums, and two series jerseys in the 60+ field—Best All-Around Rider and Most Aggressive Rider—followed by the overall SoCal Cup title.
Il Campilaro told a tougher story. Racing while unknowingly infected with COVID left him underpowered on the climbs and led to months of cardiac irregularities afterward. His message now is crystal clear: don’t train through illness. Fortunately, patience won out and his health fully returned.
Mindset Over Medals
Perhaps the most powerful evolution wasn’t physical but mental. Pre-race nerves once dominated his thoughts. Last year, he reframed the question from fear of failure to curiosity about performance. I’ve done the work—now let’s see how I stack up. The result? More joy, more consistency, and a reminder that if it isn’t fun, it isn’t worth doing.
Wisdom Earned the Hard Way
Intentionality defines his approach. Every ride has a purpose, and he believes deeply in doing the minimum effective dose to trigger adaptation—a lesson learned from Joe Friel and echoed by sports scientist Olav Bu. Early in his career, unstructured riding held him back. A proper plan unlocked wins, category upgrades, and even a stint coaching others at a high level.
Brushes With Greatness—and Community
Highlights off the results sheet include riding with Mathieu van der Poel during a sponsor-supported SoCal group ride—holding his bike during one of three flats, no less—and frequent rides with Eric Min, whom he describes as a wicked fast sprinter. Yet just as meaningful is the culture he finds within SISU Racing: humble, supportive, and genuinely people-first.
SISU Through and Through
As the reigning Men’s B Grade Champion, he knows there’s no fairytale defense this year—just a healthy serving of humility and a love for the hill climb discipline that never fades. Looking ahead to 2026, he’s dialing back the massive retirement-era mileage and refocusing on power targets, while continuing to race aggressively for the joy of it.
Ask him what SISU Racing is, and the answer is simple and sincere: a club of amazing people who race hard, support each other, and keep it fun. And in a sport defined by suffering, that might be the strongest performance of all.