He’s been a multiple winner on the pro cycling tour. He’s set records at “king of the mountain” hill climbs from New Hampshire to Hawaii. He’s come back from serious injuries while racing. He’s ridden for some of the sport’s iconic race teams. Phil Gaimon is all of those things and more.
He has published three books on the sport of cycling and has plans for another. He’s a social media sensation with 111,000 followers on Instagram, 18,000 on Facebook and 140,000 on YouTube. Even so, he thinks his next book will be titled “Don’t Call Me an Influencer.”
The University of Florida graduate, who was born in Columbus, Ohio 39 years ago competed on the pro cycling circuit from 2009 to 2016, then retired and shows up at special cycling events like hill climbs.
Gaimon earned recognition as this year’s recipient of the Legend Award at the 2025 Redlands Bicycle Classic for being the overall individual champion of the Redlands event in 2012 and 2015 and his contributions to cycling over the past 16 years.
He will be presented with the award on Saturday afternoon of the event, scheduled for April 9-13. That morning, he will lead the 70-mile Oak Glen ride (one of four routes), of the RBC Legends’ Fondo (fun ride).
At the 2012 Redlands Bicycle Classic, Gaimon won the first stage, a prologue time trial and wound up the overall winner by just .02 seconds, the closest finish among individual racers in the history of the event that dates back to 1985. He returned to Redlands in 2015 and won the Oak Glen Road Race stage in route to taking the top spot, this time by 24 seconds, timed in 10 hours, 39 minutes, 11seconds in the five-day event.
Just recently Gaimon set a new time record for completing the “world’s longest paved climb” to the top of the 10,023-foot Haleakala Volcano on Maui in 2 hours, 23 minutes and 36 seconds. In February of 2024, Gaimon set a record for the hill climb at the Mauna Kea Volcano on the big island of Hawaii, making the 13,803-foot climb in 4 hours, 58 minutes.
Gaimon gained notoriety for winning Mount Washington hill climbs in 2008 and 2009 in New Hampshire. He took fourth overall in the Cascade Cycling Classic in the Pacific Northwest in 2012 and in 2013, Gaimon placed second overall in the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico. In 2017 he won the USA Cycling Hill Climb National
Gaimon gained notoriety for winning Mount Washington hill climbs in 2008 and 2009 in New Hampshire. He took fourth overall in the Cascade Cycling Classic in the Pacific Northwest in 2012 and in 2013, Gaimon placed second overall in the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico. In 2017 he won the USA Cycling Hill Climb National Championship and Mount Washington. In 2022, he again was first overall up Mount Washington, setting a new record for the event (58 minutes, 38 seconds).
But as a professional, Gaimon says that his first Redlands victory is what put him on the map. He still passes through town for memories and coffee.
Gaimon has posted videos of some of his adventures on social media and has published three books.
- “Pro Cycling on $10 a day: From Fat Kid to Euro Pro.” 2014
- “Ask A Pro: Deep Thoughts and Unreliable Advice from America’s Foremost
Cycling Sage.” 2017 - “Draft Animals: Living the Pro Cycling Dream (Once in a While)” 2017.
Now, cycling fans can call him Legend.
PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE RBC LEGEND AWARD
2007 – Thurlow Rogers
2008 – Scott Moninger
2009 – Christine Thorburn
2010 – Ron Kiefel
2011 – David Bailey
2012 – Davis Phinney
2013 – Kristin Armstrong
2014 – Gord Fraser
2015 – Mari Holden
2016 – Derek Bouchard-Hall
2017 – Mara Abbott
2018 – Chris Horner
2019 – Amber Neben
2023 – Danny Van Haute
2024 – Linda Jackson
