Evan Renwick is not your normal 14 year old.

While most of his peers spend their idle moments basking in video games and text messaging, Evan dons a brightly-colored spandex outfit, slips into a pair of biking shoes and takes off like a rocket through the hills, streets and trails of the South Sound.

Such is the life of a cycling wunderkind.

A devout love of all things on two wheels drives young Evan to push himself harder.

He trains daily, pedaling at a blistering pace through the cyclocross trails near SeaTac, only to dismount and huff his bike up steep hills and over obstacles.

Later, he may take a 30-mile ride with this dad "just for fun."

For a young man as calm and collected as Evan, his parents-Dan and Pat Renwick-say he has as fierce of a competitive streak as anyone when Evan is on his bike.

With Metallica pumping through the earbuds of his iPod, the bashful teen mounts his bike and becomes a shaggy-haired, victory-hungry machine fueled by a desire to cross the line ahead of the pack.

And he's got all the credentials of a rising star except the big shot ego. His resume includes the Washington State Road Race Champion, the Washington State Time Trial Champion, the Washington State Team Time Trial Champion, a second place finish in the Washington State Hill Climb, and a medal as the Overall Champion at the Walla Walla Stage Race.

Evan also took second at the 24 hours regional mountain bike race; third at the 2006 Cyclocross National Championships, fifth at the 2004 Cyclocross National Championships; and emerged as the Overall Champion in the Emerald City Cyclocross series.

He currently rides for the ASC Racing team, a junior development program of 44 teenage athletes that serves as a competitive outlet for young, talented riders and also a scouting pool for those seeking to cycle at the next level.

ASC Racing is the largest junior development team in the Northwest, and its team members carry the bright red and green sponsorship of Oh Boy Oberto and Redline Bicycles.

Evan's dad, Dan, serves as the team's road manager, helping the team with training and equipment.

"The people at school think it's pretty cool," Evan said, when asked about the reaction he receives from his peers at Saghalie Middle who know how successful he has become at racing.

The administration at Saghalie has also shown its support for Evan.

"Before the cyclocross nationals in December," Pat said, "his teachers and principals told him that no matter what the outcome, this was a great life experience for him."

"The support was pretty cool," Pat said.

The school has also shown its encouragement for Evan's pursuit by working with his class schedule to accommodate a busy race itinerary that sends him all over the country.

Evan took third at December nationals in Providence, Rhode Island last December.

Cyclocross, a hybrid of sorts of road racing (made famous by Lance Armstrong) and mountain biking, combines the speed of road racing with the terrain of mountain biking.

Participants must dismount their bikes to traverse obstacles or portage them up steep hills, Dan said.

"The sport has been going on in Europe for ages," Dan said, "but it's a fairly new sport in the US."

"Cyclocross is really growing in popularity," he added.

The cyclocross bikes look a lot like road bikes, with curved handle bars and thinner, faster tires, but use knobby lugs for traction and mountain biking pedals that allow the rider to dismount quickly.

The cyclocross season begins in September and runs through the rain and cold month of December, Pat said.

"They even ride in the snow," she said.

The Renwick family follows their talented son all over the area to watch him race, from daily training sessions to weekend competitions, to larger regional meets where Evan has emerged as one of the region's top cyclists.

The Renwicks have already begun preparing for a big race in Boise, Idaho in July.

A surprising reversal of roles, considering that Evan first got his start in cycling well before his tenth birthday at the kid's competitions held during his father's road races.

But there are limitations, Pat and Dan admit, and financial obligation that such an intense competition schedule demands would make most soccer moms shudder with fear.

From $3,000 bikes (with a different bike for each type of racing) to plane tickets to Germany for next year's Nationals, the Renwick's have found it nearly impossible to do it all.

Like many young riders, Evan hopes a major sponsor will recognize his talent and ambition and start picking up the burgeoning tab needed to feed his growing appetite for competitive cycling.

In fact, the prospects look good for that to happen soon, Dan said.

Regardless of the level he achieves, Evan's parents insist that the decision will be his.

"We've never forced him to do any of this," Dan said. "Each time he's wanted to advance, he's had to prove to us that he wants to."

Evan concurred.

"Is that what you'd like, Evan, to be a pro and make money at cycling?" his mother asked.

The young man just smiled and nodded. He doesn't have to say much; he lets his riding to all the talking.