As a professional mountain biker, Andy Mills is used to challenges.

He is part of the Trek/Volkswagen Southeast Factory team of riders, along with Marcus Watters of Apopka, Earl Bradley of Melbourne and Erin Winter of Athens, Ga.

His best time for 100 miles is 4 hours, 20 minutes.

Given all that, Mills’ biggest challenge might be succeeding in mountain biking despite being from Winter Garden and, well, mountains and Florida don’t go together. Or do they?

“Mountain biking can really take place anywhere,” said Mills, whose favorite local trail is in the Little Big Econ State Forest in Chuluota. “It’s not like you climb all day and then go downhill. The riding requires more finesse, because it is more technical — tight, twisty trails over roots and sand, weaving through trees and ridges along creeks.”

With his odometer reaching 12,000 miles per year, Mills rides as many miles on his bike as some people do in their cars.

Most of his focus now is on the Trek-Volkswagen team, which is training for the “12 Hours of Razorback.” The endurance race, which it has won the past three years, is scheduled for Feb. 19 in the Razorback Mountain Bike Park in Reddick, north of Ocala.

“The race is 12 hours long but can be won by a short amount of time, by 30 or 40 seconds,” Mills said. “You go absolutely all-out because you make every second count. The whole time, it’s that intensity — faster, faster, faster.” Read More.