Cycling Oklahoma
Cycling Oklahoma
Conversations with Chris Drummond & Alan White
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*Discussing the 2026 Oklahoma Race Calendar
*Redman Triathlon is back with a new venue
*Update on Ryan Drummond bid for a UCI World Championship spot
*Alan's winter thong
*Coldlahoma Endurance Series
*Springtime mountain bike racing
*How we got here with 2 mountain bike race series
Quick Intro & Episode Roadmap
SPEAKER_01What is up, cycling Oklahoma? I'll keep the intro short because the episode is long. The three knuckleheads are back together covering all the things in cycling Oklahoma. Um, I think you'll laugh. I think you'll love this one. And we cover, you know, the race schedule coming up and what the year's looking like, the endurance series, what the details are with that, um, spring racing and mountain biking and kind of the calendar layout for the year and just get caught up. We cover uh the Drummonds trip and the UCI cyclocross racing with another exciting announcement for Ryan Drummond. So you want to tune in and make sure you hear that. And uh it's fantastic for one of Oklahoma's own. So super breaking, exciting news that just got released today. So tune in and uh listen to that. And then the back half of the episode is probably why you tuned in to hear the gossip and the scoop of everything happening with mountain biking, how we got to this point uh with GCXE, which is uh now being called OKXE. Rebranding is happening as we speak and the race calendar with that, uh, how everything went down with the mountain bike scene with the series that is expanding across Oklahoma, not just in the Northeast, and uh how that came about. So if you want the scoop, the gossip, um we told the truth, we told the exact way that it went down from our perspective, and um, again, from our perspective, and we kind of laid it all out there. So I think people are going to people love gossip and people love you know the dirt. So here it is. Enjoy. Let me know what you think.
Redman Triathlon Returns At Lake Draper
SPEAKER_01Come on, Chris. Talking about triathlon and how much you're gonna train for rapture. You did run one time. I remember you ran uh uh off-road duathlon thing. You didn't beat me. I did it, uh I've only done one duathlon in that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I did a team one, that's right. I made Aiden run. That's how I won. You won. He beat um, what the hell was red-headed dude's name?
SPEAKER_00Caleb? Uh Rob was there. I was gonna say that was Rob. Rob Bell got second, and then some guy in like a USA.
SPEAKER_01How in the world did you beat Rob running?
SPEAKER_00I didn't beat a mountain bike.
SPEAKER_01I yeah. I was gonna say, like, that's the one that Troy will never let me let down. Because I weren't at Schlagel's then, so we raced, we were gonna do the two, because it was the I had an off-road on one day and an on-road day. We were gonna do a time and a combined thing. So we go doing a bike. I gotta borrow a bike from Schlegel's. Like, I didn't even have a mountain bike. So we know what happened. Yeah, I went around a corner, it clubed a tree, took a handlebar about an inch from the jewels, and then and finished, but Troy crushed me on the bike, like but his little horse riding legs didn't do so well on the run. So he beats me, of course, like we knew was gonna happen. The next day I couldn't get out of bed. My leg was so swollen and like legitimately bruised all the way down my entire leg. And I I couldn't bend my knee, so I didn't show up the next day. Brilliant.
SPEAKER_00I I couldn't walk the next day either. I didn't do the I didn't do the road because my my IT band was so bad. Yeah, I couldn't walk down my stairs, but I didn't train for it. I just went and did it. I can't believe you did it. I did it and won. That's impressive.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, that's right. That was fun. That was fun. Yeah, I I threw it out to well, it's gonna be a lead in for a red man, but I threw it out to the trio PC group that if they wanted to do another off road per cell is drain material for an off road. Is it really fun to do I want to dream? I think there'd be enough uh curious people that would go do it, like people who aren't runners. Uh Thunderbird around five or so years ago. Yeah, six years ago, it was great. It was really good, had a decent turnout. I mean, for an off-road, probably like 60 people, yeah, which is pretty good for a first-year event off-road here. Um, that was good, but and for sell would be great for it. Do it out there, we'll see if they ever do it. But nice, yeah, if they too.
SPEAKER_00No. Your running career is over. I I only run when I'm carrying my bike. Um carry it, yeah. That's fine. Just go on it, just flash. For the whole run. That's fine. What happened to Tarlian Cross is coming.
SPEAKER_01I'll just scream it the whole time as you're running around a trail with your bike on your shoulder. Um, I guess we can just jump with Red Man Box since that's oh my god. Uh-huh. You you brought it up. You started it. You you did start it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, I started it by saying I was tired of talking about it. That's why it's a cycling Oklahoma podcast that's diversifying.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Drummond. I don't know if you know anything about trying to get through it. Triathletes are people too. Kind of. You work on their bikes, you would know. Yeah, my glasses just keep getting dirty. Um, how many piss smelling seat posts have you pulled off lately? It's gonna go up, right? I don't want to talk about it. Right. I didn't understand it until I worked on a bike shop. I was like, yeah, I get it now. Nasty humans, yeah. Really, really are. Or anyone you do fence on them, dude. You start taking their bike apart first off. If you can get it apart, right. If you can get a bolt to move, it's impressive.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, all that all that sweat and dust like goes in the air. Tell yourself it's sweat and dust. Yeah, I mean, on the handlebars, I think it is. Especially when winter time, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it'd just be parked on a trainer for eight months. It's true. Yeah, yeah. I used to just put a Walmart sack around my over my handlebars and on my elbow pads and my um you remember you remember the bike thong that uh Saras did?
SPEAKER_00I still have one though. You're probably wearing it right now. I should have brought it. Yeah, yeah. The bike thong. I'm not surprised you have one.
SPEAKER_01Wait, are we recording? Yeah, oh, this is brilliant. Yeah, I do actually almost brought it out the other night on the trainer. It was sweating like crazy. I was like, wait, I should I have that from my thong on. It doesn't work worth a damn. Oh, but it's cute. It is cute. Yeah, uh, so Red Man is coming back. Yes. Um, and somehow clearly they did not have enough people in Oklahoma City to be on the board, and they asked me to be on the board. Oh, what were they thinking? I don't know. It's not the best idea they have, but at least I can get some inside scoop for you guys. Um, so it's October 17th and 18th. Um, I think it's been a wave for I don't know, six to eight years. I don't remember the exact date when it went away. Moving from uh Hafner to Draper. Draper that it's new. They just announced that I think the last time they did it at Hafner, it was amazing uh and not in a good way because like the swim just became a half-mile run through Lake Hafner because it was so I have a fantastic picture of Schlegel standing out in the middle, everybody around him swimming, and he's like waist deep, just walking and swim around it. That's awesome. Yeah, I have a great picture of that. Yeah, but they did move it. Um, and the reason that they moved it was because okay. Well, I don't know how much I'm supposed to say, but you know, I have a big pizza. You're on the board, you can say whatever you want. I don't think it's opposite of oh, that's right, yeah. Yeah, um but basically okay C P D says to Hefner. Yeah, yeah. They're like, we're tired of that situation where we have no triathlon. Oh the MO Blake Hefner. Yeah. Uh the crowd can or the of the crowd control. Yeah, yeah. Um the traffic control. And so actually, they had a really cool horse they were trying to get approved. And you would have basically went up to memorial and would have gone to MacArthur's memorial, gone. They would have had one lane in memorial, you would have gone down, and then you would have had one lane on Hefner Parkway. Oh, awesome, went north, turn around and come back. That's cool. That's what they were trying to get done, and they the power just Popo said no. Yeah, they just said they they were nice and did help find the that's probably gonna do a draper. A draper. So the police department actually did help facilitate that route. Um, so there'll be a sprint in the Olympic um on the first day, which will be on Saturday, the 17th of October, and then the 18th will be a half Iron Man. The course hasn't been released yet, but the sprint and the Olympic day on Saturday will stay around all everything will stay around the lake. Um, and then the half will go out to the east, south and east of the lake. And uh, use your imagination, you'll
Winter Endurance MTB Series Details
SPEAKER_01figure it out. It's hilly out there, it's really hilly out there. It's hillier than you realize. Yeah, yeah. Which that was my comment last night to all the triathletes in the meeting for Monday night. I was like, I can't tell you how excited I am that you guys are gonna have that triathlete are gonna have hills, and they were like, Yeah, every triathlete's pissed right now.
SPEAKER_00It's like I'm so excited about this. And there's a good amount of dogs, I think, and spots. Oh, that's right, yeah. I used to ride out there all the time, and they're they're not bad, no, they didn't used to be, but it's definitely hilly.
SPEAKER_01Dog sprints, dog sprints, this is the best, and so we're gonna have uh yeah, it'll be good. I think it's gonna be around probably somewhere in that area of 2,500 feet of climbing up for the 56 miles, which for tri athletes that's a lot of time. Is it really for triathlete? Yeah, and so yeah, I mean that would be a healthy course, course, yeah. Sure, not like really climby, but it would definitely be hilly. I mean, when you look at Heifer, Heffery went to basically Crescent and came back, was like full of feed climbing. Yep, so it's gonna be much hillier, and then the run um will stay right there on that path at the lake and stuff like that. So awesome. I think I actually at first I know people probably were like Traver, like oh everything but the lake is kind of ideal. But Hefner, I mean I don't know if Hefner's any better. Yeah, I mean what Oklahoma Lake you're gonna swim in that's not, and we had a race at Arcadia, it's no different than Draper. So, but I think the actual I was it's once I thought about it, I'm like, man, this is actually gonna be more interesting of a course. Yeah, because Hefner, I mean, that it's not the most uh entertaining course. The only thing that's good about some of the restaurants there and stuff like that, but like it's really not nope interesting as far as the ride or the run. Okay, and flat around the lake, like it's kind of boring. And and the ride was like over to County Lion out to Cash and back, and it's like, yeah, this is just put your head down. Not exciting, but this will be some hills. I think it'll be better for like the actual race for people who there will be like real racing with that kind of terrain. So I think it actually will be much better. Um, and maybe it's a good way for this generation to make this their red man instead of the red man of old. Yeah, you know, you don't have to live up to that expectation, it's just it's new, yeah. So I think I'm excited about it. I think it's gonna be fantastic, it's just gonna be different. Yeah, I think I told you guys, I told Jen, hey, get ready. All these triathletes are gonna come out of the woodwork for their bike fit. It's already happening, man. Yeah, yeah. So if you do need a bike fit, yep, shameless plug. Go see Jen at Wheeler Dealer. She'll she'll take care of it. She's gonna hate me for saying that. That's right. Um, so yeah, I mean that's gonna be really exciting. It's nice to have that come back. So uh I don't think there's really anything else on that. Is that a good time of year in the triathlete calendar? Yeah, it's October. Wrapped up. Is it really? Uh-huh. Yeah. Um and weather-wise, that was kind of one of the things that I was like, man, could be good, could be bad. It could be real cold or it could be an absolutely ideal. Yeah. Um, because it was always at the the third week of September, and that was always like either absolutely perfect or hot for a triathlon, for a half or full. Um, so I think it I think it will be if it's normal, it'll be perfect. If it's normal, yeah. You know, sometimes in Oklahoma ain't normal. Yeah. So nice.
SPEAKER_00We had tornadoes last week, right?
SPEAKER_01Just naughty. Who knows? Um well, I think uh you want to jump in. Well, let's let's continue with the race thing, and then we're gonna we'll jump into the Europe thing. But so endurance series coming. Woohoo! Um, I didn't pull up the exact dates. Didn't did the dates change on the from the original ones? Okay, because they originally were gonna have they had three races posted the first time, but there was more they were working on a fourth. Yeah, then they ended up dropping one of the races and it had a that one that was gonna be the fourth, which is Arcadia, and so they basically canceled the first race and lose everything back. Okay, yeah, cool.
SPEAKER_00Uh that mess with your training program.
SPEAKER_01It it actually kind of does, Christopher. Thanks for asking. Because um Billy and I are gonna be on a boat at the end of January on a cruise. Uh well, our wives are going too. Well, just to be clear, Mackenzie's not Billy's wife just yet. So his girlfriend is going to be. She still has time. Yeah, she does. Yeah, but yeah, we're my hopes that won't hope she figured out. We're gonna go we're just all waiting, but like still still keep waiting. Drugs are or we'll serve. I I think there's a lot of drugs and alcohol involved. Yeah, we're I don't know. I don't think you can pay her enough. Yeah, so he and I are gonna go be pirates of San Juan, fly into San Juan and take a boat south to Venezuela. No, you should. We are oh nice, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it should be uh clear sailing down there. Trump's got the the oceans open over color, then yeah, clear sailing. Yeah, we'll get to see some gray boats out there too. No, you're not for long. Yeah, that's true. But yeah, I think the uh the way the dates got pushed back, so we'll be able to do two out of the three. Okay, so you won't be there for the 20. So the first race that changed. Yep, we'll be gone for that. And I didn't see weather. That's hopefully it gets delayed because there's a cold front. Uh-huh. And like the first like big cold front.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, oh, is it? Last time I looked, yeah, it looked good. Must have changed.
SPEAKER_01Last night I saw that kind of the day before. It's gonna be cold, cold, cold, but yeah. Remember the Uno Moss race we did to try to I try to forget it. Yeah, think of that one. Yeah, so hopefully we got time. Hopefully that changes. Yeah. So January 25th is at skip. Uh, we're just here in Oklahoma City. Then February 8th is uh Abbey Mercury Stillwater, which is super pumped about that. That'll be on the red trail.
SPEAKER_00Went from no action there to all.
SPEAKER_01I I did go ride the red trail up there probably just before Christmas. It's phenomenal.
SPEAKER_00Good.
SPEAKER_01Phenomenal. It always is. It always is. I know it's so fun. It is a fun one. Well, and it's one of those weird ones that doesn't really require much maintenance. No, so fun and fast, flowy. Yeah. I don't know which direction it's gonna be run. Oh, okay. There's a potential, there's a possibility that it could be run backwards. Hey, possibly that could be interesting. Yeah, maybe. Um, so that's February 8th, and then February 21st, we'll be wrapping it up at uh the damn zombies at Arcadia and at Earth and Hey, uh, shout out to those folks managing those trails at Arcadia. Yeah, that is now out there. It's hands down, probably the best trail in the state right now. Just so harsh with what they've put into it. He's worked a hard, he's worked really hard. Yeah, yeah. The better space loop and then um like the damn trail side themselves. Like it's fun, just a phenomenal. And they have a little of everything. They have some features, they have I mean, they're they're doing everything they can with what they have, yeah. Sure, they're maximizing everything. Yeah, it's really good. Um that's the G3 guys are putting this on. Yeah, they're putting the series on, and this will lead into here's what in the biz we call teaser.
SPEAKER_02Ooh.
SPEAKER_01The end of this episode's gonna get real good. So we've been able to work and communicate, kind of help plug people together. And it's amazing that how the community is working together. Oh bullshit. No, okay. Sorry, for the most part, got it. Okay, and uh and the G3 guys have have pulled this together and really are it's gonna be awesome. Yeah, so I'm really excited that they stepped up and that they they actually listened to the podcast and heard it. And Ray was like, Man, we need to, you know, put this endurance series together and get it out there. And they did that, which is phenomenal, and they worked with everybody to do that, yep, which is phenomenal. And the GCXE guys, Ray Hall, is uh donating the timing system for use and trained them on it the other day, so they're gonna have that. Um, it yeah, it's it really is the community coming together with this series on, which is phenomenal. Something new and different and fresh, yeah. Nobody nobody likes old and stale. Only like you. So uh Collihoma, but they're gonna have three-hour race, six hours, six hour race, and teams. Yeah. The overall series will only be on the six-hour stuff, not on the three hours. Yep.
SPEAKER_00So but but I think, yeah, I mean, anyone can do one of those three, so you shouldn't I mean I think everyone shouldn't go support it because we we you know we keep saying we wanted this a series like this. Now we have it, and next year it can grow. Um, but only if people support it. 100%.
SPEAKER_01And they're they're perfect training race events coming into the spring.
SPEAKER_00It shouldn't be a hundred percent. It's just you know, I've talked to a lot of people about it. Like, I don't know if I'm ready. Like, I'm definitely not ready. I'm gonna go do the three hour because I want to be there, but they are phenomenal three or six hour training rides.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, don't worry about the cold, do a team and you can take breaks. Yeah, yeah, do a team, make it fun, have friends, like and the thing is you've never done an endurance mountain bike race, you do whatever the hell you want. Like, it's that matter, yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's pretty loose.
SPEAKER_01The best part. So if you want to, you sign up for the six hour, and you if you want to ride for two hours, take a break, hang out, and go back out for an hour, then come back in, hang out, go back out for the last third. Like, you do whatever you want. Yeah, that's a good point. You don't have to ride for six hours. No, you can ride for one hour, you could ride for two laps and start drinking beer.
SPEAKER_00You might still get a good result. Yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_01Because in a six-hour race, let's say a hundred people sign up. I mean, what do you say? Like a 20 ride for six hours, 30, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, yeah. People don't ride for six hours, yeah. Yeah, everybody just does whatever. You just do whatever you want, but it's fantastic. Yeah, so just come enjoy it, hang out with your buddies, bring the family out. Like just it's just there for a good time. And three really good courses. Skip skip will be a lot of fun. I think it's I think they're all three perfect for this kind of race. Yeah, yeah. And Joe always does a great job at Arcadia with changing it out. Yeah, every race he has, it's a different trail. Yeah. Always, which is nice. Yeah. Yeah. When he did the last damn zombies race and was flipping the course back and forth during the race during the race. Yeah, it was like, holy crap. Uh-huh. I have to think now. I don't like thinking while I'm riding. That's where he's riding up. It is where that's right. That's right. Why am I going in front? Why is everybody stopping? Oh, I can go in front. Oh shit. Oh, it's chained off. Uh-huh. Oops. Um, but yeah, I'm excited about Cold Home is gonna be fantastic, and we really everybody's for it. Yeah, for sure. So check it out. We'll have it on our page. G three has it on their page. I know uh GCX has it on their page, like everybody's posting it so. Oh, get out there and do. And it's cheap. So cheap.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it is. I mean, I think it's like a hundred bucks if you sign up for a formula.
SPEAKER_02That's fantastic.
SPEAKER_00Because you get a discount if you do all three at once. Oh, nice. So I mean, that much that's like that should be reason enough.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, the money is going to help pay for stuff for G3. Awesome. So these guys aren't making this money and putting it in their pocket. It's going back into going that the events. The reason that they wanted to do this series was so they could buy certain things for the G3 series. So if you like gravel, yeah, come do these because you were supporting Gravel and Oklahoma by doing these. Yeah. Yeah. And if you're new to mountain biking as well, like endurance events are a really good way to start into it because they really don't have the sort of hot starts for the most part. Whatever you want. Yeah. Like it's all a one start. Yeah. So you can sort of ride at your own pace and the entire day. You will pass people, and people will pass you, and you'll have no idea where you are. No, no, no. After like two laps and nobody has no. But I think we will have uh live timing updates, like other cool stuff like that. So yeah, it'll be it'll be as first class as it can possibly be. That's awesome. Yeah, it's I'm really excited about it. I'm I'm very thankful for G3 doing that and uh all three of those uh people stepping up to put those races on. Yeah, so it's gonna be really good. Um what races are uh you guys doing this year?
SPEAKER_00I don't know.
Training Talk: Zwift, Gear, And Goals
SPEAKER_00I don't know.
SPEAKER_01Are you gonna race your bike this year? I'm working on it. Um are you riding? When was the last time you actually rode your bike uh this morning? Hold on. I saw I saw something I never thought I'd see in my entire life. You ride a gravel bike? Worse. Oh god. Do you want do you want to tell me what'd you do? The Zwift? Yeah. I've I've Zwifted plenty. You've never seen it. I haven't either. Alan and I did beta Zwift. Oh, that is that is true. Yeah, that was one of my first ever where Ryride beat me dying so bad was on Zwift. Was it like eight? Yes. Like for real. Yeah. I we did do the early Zwift days.
SPEAKER_00I uh I mean I gotta start somewhere. I haven't really ridden since September, so yeah. It's pretty bad. So I'm just trying to get on my bike every day, and if it's cold or windy, I just get on the trainer. It's good. Yeah, yeah. Oh fitness. It's not good. It's I mean, it's it's probably the worst it's ever been since I've been cycling. That's awesome. We should go ride. Now I've got I've just gotta like suck it up for a couple months.
SPEAKER_01So I mean, do you have plans of trying to do anything this year or is it just trying to get fitness back?
SPEAKER_00Maybe cycle cross, maybe nationals because it'll be in Fayetteville. I got all year to actually get ready. Um that would actually be perfect if you yeah. I I kind of need it really to be that ready, but um other than that, I don't know. Do them do the spring mountain bike series and a spring mountain bike series, you said maybe do some crits, you know. I think everything I do, I'm um will just be geared towards getting fit for cross.
SPEAKER_01But you you'd think you'll go at it again that's you're like for real focus, maybe we'll see.
SPEAKER_00It's the plan right now. It's a long ways away. Are you just riding on Zwift? Like, what are you doing? I seriously am just riding zone two mostly. No, because I have no fitness. I mean, I'm not I'm not downplaying it here. It's pretty bad. Yeah, we can probably still beat you.
SPEAKER_01No, you're not, but not on not on Zwift where I can change my weight. That's true. Yeah, did you have you probably do that A little? Yeah, uh huh. I'm a CD or small. Yeah, well, I have one of those smart scales that just it passes it across. Which guy don't you can why do you screw yourself? Like Zwift is so full of sandbikers. Oh, yeah, it's crazy.
SPEAKER_00It's actually I forgot how how entertaining it can be. I can get on there and do like an hour, hour and a half in the morning and I don't really think about it. Uh there'll be like a climb to do, and I get locked into that. Yeah, trying to like do it, but not do it too hard because I'm like, yeah, I had a consultation with Taruki. I was like, all right, just confirm what I'm thinking here. He's like, Yeah, you need to just take it easy. Yeah, that's you just need to ride easy. So, which I don't like doing, and I'm having to force myself to do, but I did one of the Zwift ride bikes.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah. It's a good investment. Is that like the Wahoo vibes? Sort of. It's just Swift's like they built a frame and put controllers on it, so there's no it's all electronic shift. It's like made for Zwift. Yeah, is it nice? Oh, it's brilliant. Really? It's just a game changer, like it's it's shit, like it controls like a real bike. Yeah, controls everything for you, the whole nine yards. Nice. So yeah. At this point, it's probably not a whole lot more than what a old school trainer was. Or what trainer used it? 700 bucks. Yep. No way. Yep. I was getting some like two grand. Yeah, no. Nope. 700? Yeah. That's cheaper than a big expensive thing. You gotta buy the trainer for wow, like they do the combo, I think it's around a thousand.
SPEAKER_00Oh, if you have a trainer, the bike's bike goes on it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you just gotta get their little cog thing. Yeah, that's the one piece. Uh-huh. Yeah, but like that was a genius invention. On their part, buy a trainer with that on it. It's pretty I mean, I think if I was gonna buy a trainer, that'd be long.
SPEAKER_00But does that does that force you to use erg mode, or can you still shift?
SPEAKER_01No, it's all so they give you like it's full electronic shifting on and you can set it up either SRAM or Shimano, however you want it. And so it it and you can set their your gear ratio too, and how you shift up and down, and it's like instant. That's cool. It's pretty cool. I was impressed.
SPEAKER_00That's out of your box. Yeah, that's wild. But I don't have to put a thong on that thing. No, I mean you can, yeah. The Cyrus one, yeah. So you don't have to worry about the corrosion. Yeah, I'm gonna take a picture. That's the only thing I don't like about riding mine on the trainers because they're you're sweating like mainly on the bars, but you're sweating so much on it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I don't have to worry about that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. First red man, and now you're disgracing that crossbike.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna send him a picture tonight with my thong. Yeah, send it, and I'll send it to this episode. It's your thong. Awesome. That's brilliant. Yeah, yeah. My crossbike was a very good bringing in because it shifts most of the time. Most of the time.
SPEAKER_00Well, you you always want me to kind of fix it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Still fully fix it. Right. Just kind of fix it. Yeah. What what events are you doing? There might be some corrosion on that drone though. Are you gonna race your mountain bike this year? When you say race, do you mean try or do you mean like show up at events? I think Cape Epic broke you. Yes, it did. In more ways than basically every possible are wrong. Yeah. Are you gonna ride your mountain bike in events this year? Yes. Okay. I feel like I'm probably obligated to riding in the uh GCX. And we'll talk about the name change with that. But what's the name change? The Ryan Ellis mountain bike series. Oh, awesome. Oklahoma's premier mountain bike series. The newest. Oh, newest, correct. Okay, that's a t-shirt. More T-shirt. So uh I am doing the Oz stage race. Oh, cool. Which is uh kidding wrong every single time. Whatever the holiday is, it's in May. Labor Day or Remoled, that's Labor Day, whatever it is. Labor. Okay, whichever one that is, it's that weekend. Yep. Um, so end of May. It's three days. Stantonville or Fayetteville? Okay. Yeah, it's three days. Each day is about 35 ish to 40 miles, around three to four thousand feet of climbing each day. Yeah, three good days of riding it. Nice. So I'm gonna go out and do that. I do those events truly just to like get myself something, just not be a fat ass and go enjoy them because there's no categories ascending. I mean, there is, but I mean, let's be honest, like it doesn't matter, yeah. So the they the pro category is like really big money. I want to say that maybe like 15 to 20,000 payout for the yeah, it's a lot of money. Yeah, so there'll be some big pros there, um, which would be kind of cool to see and race with them, and then uh you know, it's always nice to go to Arkansas and ride trails and hang out and stuff. So um, yeah, that's the only one that I have is like when I say focus, I'm trained so I don't I can complete it to do anything, and then that I'll probably do the GCIC stuff. Um I shouldn't uh and then cyclocross say it. And then I don't know, we'll go from there. So but I don't I don't think I'm gonna I'm not focusing on anything or like preparing for anything or like gearing up for anything ride my bike at events and have a good time. Nice if I do a race, then I do a race. If I don't, I don't, I don't have a really true plan this year. Kind of still in that boat.
SPEAKER_00What what races are you gonna quit this year?
SPEAKER_01So I'm you'll be shocked at this, Christopher. I'm actually training training. My question stands. Yeah out of three three official races on the calendar. I know he's training because I've seen his uh Nana Glasses videos. Oh yeah. And he when he turns the record on, he does hit IWAP numbers. That's only for 30 seconds, dude. Gotta play the game. That's it. Uh-huh. I saw him was like he was like in the that that ride though was a full the group ride, it was by yourself. Oh yeah, so it was intervils, yeah. Yeah, yeah. He was like in the the three to four hundred while while recording recording while recording for 15 seconds. Yeah, but that one group ride we did was a like that was brutal. It was like, why are we doing dick measuring contests in December? Yeah, yeah. We were rolling along in a legit group, uh-huh, and you were in like the 300 watt range for long periods of time just in the group, uh-huh. You're like five wheels back. Yeah, you are like why are we doing this? Yeah, yeah. That's what I that's why I think the message. Why are we going so hard? Why are you asking you so hard? To which I replied exactly. Yeah. Uh three races. Mid-size, uh, and then I'm gonna go do like you so you guys will enjoy this. So UCI Gravel Worlds qualifiers in Fayetteville this year, uh Highlands Ranch, I think is what it's called. And it is it's there every year, yeah, one of them, and it's entirely age group based. So last year, um, three dudes went out in my age group wearing flannel shirts, riding salsa bikes with luggage racks, and qualified for the gravel world championship in Italy.
SPEAKER_00So I think I think your finisher medal at that race is getting to go to worlds. 100% it is fucking insane to me.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, and and and UCI Gravel Worlds this year is in Australia. Oh yeah. It's basically what USA triathlon is. Yes, same thing. You go to their nationals, you you basically are gonna go. Yes, yeah, somehow, somehow they're gonna get you in. So yeah. So I haven't told Jennifer we're going to Australia in the winter of this year. Yeah, yeah. Uh huh. That's okay. Yeah. And then uh I mistakenly got into unbined. Wait, when's the national the qualifier? Uh April. April's the world qualificer. Yep. So April's world. Yep. Yeah. Uh 50 plus. Okay. It's an awesome shit. Yeah. How old are you now, Christopher? You're 40. 43. Yeah. Maybe 44. Not too long. You always think, and uh what age group are you? Uh I turned 47 on Saturday.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01You always think as you start getting older, like it gets like gets easier and slower. The opposite occurs.
SPEAKER_00I just feel like shit every day.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yep.
SPEAKER_00It's yeah. Oh wait, I gotta take more ibuprofen now. I do more and more stuff to not feel like shit. It doesn't seem to change. No. And I feel worse. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I had last week four days I couldn't turn my head to the right because I'm not exactly pretty normal. Days. Yeah. I was I went to Bentville last week and I'll cancel my trip because my dad cursed the fat from sleeping for all. Yeah. Yeah. I'm dead serious. The question is do you carry a jar of ibuprofen in your car? Uh I did.
SPEAKER_00See? Genius. Follow us for more tips.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. It was for the old folks. I smell like like my grandma's. Yeah. That's awesome. It's a true story. Yeah. Brilliant. Yeah. Banana unbined and a May. That's awesome. It's gonna be an ass kicker. Yeah, that's gonna suck. Yeah, it is. That's dumb. Yep. So I'm actually training, training. First time in about 10 years. A focus training. Yeah. And I'm using uh the robots AI this time. For your cooking? Yeah. I don't know that one. So they're pretty good. A lot of sweet spot stuff is what they focus on. That's all you need. And uh so they built an app that is full on AI.
SPEAKER_00Quit promoting that.
SPEAKER_01Quit promoting that. Oh yeah. I'm using Christopher Drummond. Yes, he is the robot. Yeah. He's my motivation. He's your motivated. How many people are you coaching these days, by the way? I think I have like 10. Oh, nice. Like a sweet spot. Yeah. Yeah. 10 to 12 is like a really good spot.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, he kind of fluctuates, I think. Like I have some people that did cross that are kind of unexpected to take a break. And then people that are ramping up for mountain bike or road that want to do it now. Seems like it. I don't I don't think I'm gonna have a lot of people that are just year-round going at it. Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't, I don't know why you would want to really, unless you're really serious.
SPEAKER_01Money and are okay, what's been in that for yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh yeah, this app is dirt cheap, like 20 bucks a month. So and you sort of have to know what you're doing. Yeah, that's the thing. So you have to know how to regulate it a little bit.
SPEAKER_00Like it's a clue. Yeah. Yeah, I think a lot of those are good, but you could like be not doing enough or be overdoing it, and it doesn't tell you that. Yeah, you just go.
SPEAKER_01My opinion is like you have to have had sort of years of training and know what you're doing to do that. Saxbee's it's borderline. I mean, it's self-coaching. Yeah, it's really what it is. Self-coaching with an outline. Yep, yeah. Saxbee's using one for kind of a uh off-road duapon that he wants to do, and it's kind of the same thing. Like he sends it to me, and yeah, yeah, maybe add some here, take this out there. But if you were like you have no idea what you're doing, it would it's better than nothing. Yeah, and you just pinging it. Yeah, but even he's like, this doesn't seem right. What do you think about this? I'm like, Yeah, I mean it's great, yeah, great outline. I joke that it's the structured Troy Cowan method. That's what it is. That's something special. Yeah. Are you using training peaks? It's gotten so much better. Yeah, all that they have their outline. So much better. Virtual, virtual neck, yeah. I saw that the other thing. Yeah, yeah. It's basically Ruby, I think.
SPEAKER_00I'm not man, all I all I'm familiar with is Lyft because it's all I've ever used, and I don't know, I think it's fine. Yeah, it's big with traffic. I don't care if it's like a real world route or yeah, I go on and I pick a route based on duration and elevation. It's like I want a little bit of climbing in it, and I want to ride for an hour.
SPEAKER_01That works well. Before we came here, I wanted to ride for an hour and I just found a route that I hadn't. There's a new route done it yet. It was only 10 miles. So I'm like, I'm just gonna do that twice. Yeah, because I need to check the box of the route.
SPEAKER_00I gotta I gotta have the I gotta have one lap because I'll quit on two laps. Oh so the the thing I use. I'm like, yeah, I'm done.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I use the they have the robo pacer groups. Those are good. So you can pick your like you want to do whatever, a 20-minute warm-up at a certain pace, you join that group, and then if you've got a set interval, you can teleport to a different pace group. Oh, I don't know how to do that. It's in the like, you know, when you pull up the little like all the things at the bottom of the screen where you can take a picture and shit. One of them is teleport. And if you're doing a robo pace group, you can teleport to a higher paced or lower pace group. Really? And it's like that's a game changer for I just I know what pace I want to ride at, and oh now I can ride with people around me. That makes total sense because that's fantastic because I know it because the C group is too easy, and and the B group is is too hard. I start there. Yeah, like if I'm warmed up and rolling, cool, do it. Yep, but that's like gonna be a solid, kind of like a sweet spot-ish kind of area. But I'm like, I can't go from like turning it on to get into that group. Yeah, but the other group I'm rolling in like 180 watts, and I'm like, okay, like this is I yeah, I need something. Yeah, yeah. I figured it out about two weeks ago on it. Because I was like, wait, you can actually move between the groups in the middle of your ride. Okay, this is cool. That is cool, yeah. Okay, that's good. Yeah, I know so you just park yourself beside those robo pacers and oh I do. I do too. Makes it go quite fast. Yeah. Cause it points. Yep. All the drops.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I know I have so many drops and I don't even I don't buy anything now. I'm just like hoarding it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Like a I'll delete my rides. Because I think they'll double upload because I use I actually use my head unit. Oh, yeah. So I just delete them afterwards. I don't get any points. I don't think I do.
SPEAKER_01What has this podcast become? Triathlons and Zwift and points. What the Chris? We need to get yeah, we need to move on. Yeah, you started this. Who is Chris become? I don't know. I like it.
SPEAKER_00Wait, watching Redman sure. Um I wrote in I wrote in Red Men once because I was commuting when I worked at Charlie's. When I got on Macarthur and they had the road shut down, and I was like, hell yeah, this is awesome. I just got over there and I wrote cheering for me. And see, it's a great community. Everybody signed up. I mean, that I enjoyed that part.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I do remember who it was. It's it's what somebody we know, and I'm blanking on who it was at this point. But they were it was when Charlie's was up there on 122nd, and they were somebody was in the race riding out, and their uh battery died. They're too and they went and just sat in front of the shop and waited for them to I remember the happening.
SPEAKER_00I don't know who it was either. Who it was. I remember that story. I don't know if I was there or not. But it was somebody that's like that we all know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. And they just went and said waited for them. No, it's like uh-huh. Um all right, let's talk about before we get to the good stuff that's probably gonna make more enemies than it's
Europe Trip: Life Inside CX World Cups
SPEAKER_01not. Let's talk about Europe, your trip to Europe. What do you want to know? Are you gonna move there?
SPEAKER_00We talked about it, it's pretty nice. It's badass. What I what I don't know, there's a lot of badass, and you moved from there. Yeah, there's a lot of things I like, but I'm like, there's gotta be a trade-off. There's gotta be some things that don't like. Get this. There's a well taxes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, the trade-off is uh, and it's what I got spoiled and a custom the convenience of things here uh versus there is night and day different.
SPEAKER_00Disney group that's that was number one. It was like you you you recognize how lazy and how spoiled we are here. Yes, a million percent. Everyone over there is riding bikes everywhere. Yeah, like I mean, people are driving cars, but what I thought was really interesting is the amount of I would say teenage and early twenties. Females use bikes to commute and I just like looking at them. I'm like, that woman here would not be doing that. No considering like in the cold. That's just like how they're getting around. And it's very normal. And there's just tons of bikes everywhere.
SPEAKER_01It's just so much slower. So much more. It's just that it's like going back in time compared to here. Where everything is like you just walk into Walmart and you go by everything almost.
SPEAKER_00I kind of appreciate that it's not convenient and that it's kind of it's you almost easier to get around on a bike than it is a car. So where did you go? Let's talk about where you went. Everywhere I went, where'd I stay? Uh I stayed in the Netherlands. Um Sittert is the town. There's a there's a complex there, uh it's named Watersley. And from what I'm told, it used to be like an asylum. Way cool. Way back when, and now it's turned into a sporting complex. That's cool. So you have like Watersley has their own team there, they've got a mountain bike trail there, but it's like all these dorm-style housing that there's riders that live there full-time. There's like some really like T-Bord Del Grasso lived there until a couple years ago. There's there's some like pretty high-end athletes that still live there. USA Cycling has that a house that I believe they own there uh full-time because they use it a lot for road. That we we went as competitive edge, so we we weren't there as USA Cycling. Um, so we were in basically the house next door. But they're pretty cool little houses. I heard they're pretty cheap. If you like you can rent, you can just rent a room in the house. So if there's several individual athletes going over, then they'll just rent you a room and everybody's in the same house. So it works really well if you're traveling over there to do like a block of racing. Um, but that we're in like this little so like to the to the west would be Belgium, to the east would be Germany, and we're in this sliver of the Netherlands, is where this is. So everything we went to was in Belgium. So we drove. The longest was probably three and a half hours, and there's and then everything else was like two hours to 90 minutes, and a couple are like 40 minutes away. How many races did you guys do when you were there? I'd have to count. It's kind of a blur, it's kind of crazy where it seemed like looking back on the start, it seemed like an entire race season, but it was really a span of like two and a half weeks. But we were racing like almost every day. That's insane. I think it I think it's like 12 races total that are that happen in that time period. That's nuts. There's two that we I think there's two we didn't go to at all. And then, you know, not every athlete, I think we had nine riders. Not every athlete did every race. So you had like a different group at each event. Okay. Um so so that made it sometimes easier, sometimes harder. Usually easier when you had less. But depending on if like the World Cup had a U23 category, if it didn't, then you know all of the men were in the same race. And that's that gets really hard, at least in the first few laps. How many athletes were there with you guys? I think I'd have to count. I want to say nine. Okay.
SPEAKER_01And you were there as a mechanic. Yeah. And Vanessa was there as she there through USAC?
SPEAKER_00She was there with competitive edge. Okay. She had to do some stuff with USAC to kind of fill in because someone had to leave and they needed a USAC employee to stay in the house. So she had to go next door and stay some. But yeah, she was there as kind of a swanier. So she was helping with like getting groceries. Yeah. Um, yeah, helping cook. The athletes actually cook quite a bit. Um, she would go to she went to the start line, got jackets, pants every day, and then she waited at the finish line or the 80% line to give people like because it was cold so they could get their stuff back on. Uh so she got to do a little bit of like she didn't move around the courses a lot because if a writer pulled out early or got pulled early, she needed to be there with clothing. But that was kind of her role, and my role was just mechanic and do whatever's needed.
SPEAKER_01Cool wasn't to be involved in like such a massive some of those events were massive with Flighthead. Yeah, they all are people. They all are.
SPEAKER_00I mean, the smallest ones would still blow your mind.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, the snow race, I think the cry they estimate is close to 60,000 people. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_0020. Yeah, 20. I'm sorry. Yep, that's it. But they are predicting like 50 to 60 for world championships. Yeah. And where's that at? That's in Holst, Netherlands. Yeah. Uh January 30th through February 1st. Yeah. Luckily I had to book flights the other day. We can get into it.
SPEAKER_01But so how is it to to witness a race of that caliber with that with the athletes of that level? I mean, you're you're seeing the I mean the best of the best of the best.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I I hate to I hate to downplay it and make it not sound great, but you're really like you're doing a job. There comes a point in the race where clearly like our riders are on one side of the course, and wow, and Matthew, you are on the other side of the course, and you can kind of watch the race. Every event also had a big screen at the pit, so you could see we could like watch what you would watch on the feed. Yeah. So like when we knew our riders weren't coming, we could see what's going on in the race. But yeah, it's it's funny how uh you kind of get used to where you're at, and it's just like the same thing you do over here. But every like, but you look up and Vanderpool rides by. He comes in for a bike and he's this he's this close to you. Different scale. And it's but it's I mean, when with what we're doing, it's like you kind of need to stay on your game. You can't be you can't become a fan because if your rider comes in and you're being a fan, you really fucked up. Yeah, so you gotta be paying attention, and most of the time they never come in, they don't need anything, but the one time they do, you gotta be ready. And then as soon as like if they get pulled early or they come by the last time, it's as fast as you can get back to the truck because those bikes are getting washed. Sometimes, you know, we had a shit ton of wheels. Yeah, sometimes we needed to like the U-23 wheels, they needed to go on the women's bikes for their race, and then so you got to kind of shuffle, so you had to get straight back, everything had to be fully washed, switch wheels, do tire pressures, get bikes on and off trainer. It's just kind of it's a lot, it's it's the hurry up and wait. Yeah, it's like we get there at the days. We'd usually leave like 5-6 a.m. If we had a junior race, that was probably around noon. So you like you get there, there's nothing to do, but you've got to get there to get your parking spot because the events are so catered to the spectators only. Like I think our longest walk from the truck to the pit was 1.3k and you do it like three times. Wow. So like it's not convenient for the teams in any way unless you're Wout or Matthew, because they put their buses as close as possible. Um so you gotta get there early to get get your parking spot. I mean, you're kind of assigned spots, but you if you miss it, like some races had like a USA section and USA cycling had four bands, and there's other USA programs. Yeah. So if you don't get there in time, then like you might not get to park there. So we would get there early, and then you know, the men's race was usually at like 310, and they would race for an hour, and then we'd wash the
Why Europe Dominates Cyclocross
SPEAKER_00bikes and we load everything, and then we drive back. It's like they're long days, but it's it's kind of weird how fast it goes by because you just don't do anything for a while. And it's everything set up, and then it's like you're going non-stop for like three hours and then it's over.
SPEAKER_01How cool is it as a parent to see your child like in that environment as a professional, essentially a professional athlete.
SPEAKER_00I I think the cool like the part where you it's like really cool is like they're they they call every rider like over the PA system, like you hear every rider and then in country. So like when they would say his name, usually I'm like walk into the pit, but I can hear it. I'm like, that's pretty cool. But then once the race starts, it's like again, like it's the same thing I've always done. It's like I'm watching for him, like, where is he at? Has he moved up? Is like, do I think he has a problem? And then, like, if I think I need to yell something at him and I think he's actually gonna hear me, which he I does it most of the time. It's like you're doing that, you want you just want the race to go well, and then when it's over, it's over.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, 23.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, he had some he had some good races. He did, he did really well. I mean, it's really cool, and it's not just him, it's all the other writers, but the so the writer cards they get, which which look like baseball cards kind of super cool. Those those people over there, um, they collect them and they're really, really into it. Like they know they'll come to our they'll find our team, which we don't have anything labeled, but they'll know where we're at, and then they'll come ask for specific writers because they look at the start sheets, I guess, and they're fans of the space. These are just they're not writers, even they're just random Belgian guys, but they know, like, all right, I don't have this writer card, so they'll come to R V and they'll ask by name for somebody, and they want them to they want them to come out, they don't just want the car, they want to see them, and they really like to see them in their in their kit. Like if they're in regular clothes, it's not as good for them. Wow. I mean, there were several times Ryan came out and and these guys had cameras and they they took pictures of the riders, they would like have them stand there, like arms behind their back, kind of posed. Wow, and they they're just that into it. That's like they would walk by and like touch the bikes and the tires, and we had one bike that had like gravel tires because that was like his what he rode on the trainer, and then we switched them, and they were like freaked out by it. They were like they were like 40 millimeter tires. We finally had to move that bike away. There was there was there was races we had to put we had to put up tape and like tape off our area so they would walk all the way up to the RV and like look in the windows. Oh my gosh. I've heard it, I've heard it's bad, especially with the females. Like, you need to pull the shades down because they're just standing out there. I I mean, I don't not creepy away. I think they're trying to be creepy, but they are looking in the RV. Yeah, if they're in there changing, they're looking in. I've watched them. I mean, those guys stood outside the RV for an entire hour waiting for one of our guys to come out and give them a rider card. That's crazy. And then he told them no, because it was I mean, he was like doing his deal. It's like just the time. But yeah, I mean it's kind of cool. Like he didn't give like Ryan a deck of cards. No, the team, the team provides those, yeah. Okay, so he got a box of them.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Um business cards, essentially. That's Ryan's first experience with that.
SPEAKER_00No, um, I think that's his first year that he had writer cards, though. He's been over and they ask for them and you don't have them. And um, but this year, so the first year he went was as a junior, they don't do that. And then he went with this team last year, but not on the team. And I think they still try to make writer cards if they have time, but we had like seven days from when Ryan knew he was going to going last year. Yeah. So this year the team made cards for everybody, and it's got like you know, a picture of them on the front and their name, and the back's got like nickname and all that stuff.
SPEAKER_01Alan, a rookie card. No lie, yeah. I we need to start this for like G3. We need rider cars. I like it. I'm telling you, I like it. New and refreshing. It's a new idea. Uh-huh. They'll say it. Somebody will steal it. Oh, right. So, age old question. Why are European cross riders or European cyclists in general so far ahead of US riders?
SPEAKER_00I think I mean, I think there's a lot of reasons. Um like the cyclocross guys, if you saw where they trained, they have like these dedicated like sand pits and parks where they like so on Wednesday, there's this really famous um, it's called the forest, where they all train. It's on Wednesdays. There's like spectators go out there to watch them train, and there's like all these burned-in courses. And I mean, but I mean what it comes down to, I think, like this is like a national sport over there. So you have 20,000 spectators at these races, and most of them do not race bikes. Yeah, they're just fans of the sport. So if you can imagine, well, I mean, why is our NFL so good? Right. Like how many kids start in little little league P weey football, yeah, and then you have this giant pool to choose from. So when you get the best, you get the best of everybody. Yeah. And I think that's that's my theory on what cycling's like. Like it's so it's so popular over there that you have everybody's doing it, and then the when they get weeded out to like be the best junior, yeah, and then the best U-23. Like, like the best juniors over there were turning lap times as fast as the U-23s. And then like the fastest U-23s can top in the elite race. So that's insane. I mean, you just get like the cream of the crop over there is just yeah, so good. Yeah. And there's, you know, I'm sure it's probably a little bit better funded nationally to have programs like that.
SPEAKER_01The barrier to entry financially is significantly lower. Yeah. Or you're paying for as much. Especially if you have training facilities like that everywhere. Yeah. I mean, here, like you're gonna go train, you're gonna be like, oh, I'm just gonna ride my bike on the river trail. Yeah, no, yeah. Like any sort of youth sports here in the US, like it is a significant financial investment to have your kids go do it, play it, whatever it is. Over in Europe by home, it is no, whatever the academy is, whatever the. Whatever the club is, they fund it. Yeah, so now your your barrier entry is significantly lower, and like your your pool of athletes is way bigger. Yeah. And you're not missing out on those kids who hey like I can't afford a bike. Yeah, okay, cool. Well, got one for you. Yeah. What a full experience, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, it's like both times we went and talked to anyone in customs, like those people knew cyclocross. Yeah, they they knew all about it. I mean, the one guy we talked to, he said, Oh, we're we're we're pretty good at this. And I'm like, Yeah, we know. Yeah, he said, except the one Dutch guy. Like, so like everybody knows it. If you had to, you know, US customs here and said cyclocross, they'd be like, What the fuck are you talking about? Cross dress? I mean that we chunk off a plane, yeah. Yeah, it definitely brilliant. It's just it's a big, big deal there. So let's talk about the big news.
Breaking News: Ryan Drummond To CX Worlds
SPEAKER_00Uh Ryan got selected to race world championships. Uh wild. Yeah. Badass. U23. That I think that news will come out tomorrow. Well, actually, we're gonna do it tonight.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna do it tomorrow.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, let's wait, let's wait on the official, but okay. Uh, yeah, U23.
SPEAKER_01That's awesome. That's so cool.
SPEAKER_00So that was kind of a big how many uh Americans are gonna do that? I I don't know. Okay, I know I know two people that are going, and that's because one of the kids right and has always raced with his dad sent me a message, so I know he's going, but um, I don't I don't have the whole list. He just got an email saying that you're that's awesome.
SPEAKER_01You you were going back over? You went back to road or aubrey.
SPEAKER_00So we're making it a quick trip because we were just gone, but we're gonna go over. I think we're gonna leave on like Wednesday. And that's the end of this month. Yeah, yeah. So go over cool. You don't know how many times that's gonna happen, so definitely go do it.
SPEAKER_01Especially if you hope it's gonna happen a lot, but do you know do you know what we need to do? We need to tell Rai Rai he needs to come mow our yards before he goes racist worlds. Yeah, all I know is that shit.
SPEAKER_00He's in Spain. Oh, that's right. Damn it. That's right. He won't be back until after. So that was kind of you know, we planned the year around going to worlds and hoping, and but you really don't know. Like you ticked all the boxes on paper, he should be going. Yeah, but there's a lot of stuff that goes into like the funding, how many riders they can take, because how much staff can they take, and you know, even whether you deserve it or not, there's odd there's people that are automatically qualified, and there's people that are selected, and he's a selected writer. So we didn't really know until he got the email. But what a year that kid's new lie. So I told him the other day, I was like, man, he's come back like from Washita and on. Like from this time last year, yeah. Jeez, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, what a year. He won't have a year that probably like as explosive gross, yeah. No way, yeah. There's no way, yeah. That's awesome. Probably doesn't even understand. No, like that that picture of him in that snow race. That's cool. Like, I don't I don't know that he's quite I'm sure he does sort of a little bit understand it, but that's one of those you get that original picture and you blow it up because that's like that is on your wall until you die. That's a one percent of the one percent of the one percent. Like, no shit, Grandpa.
SPEAKER_02Is that yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I I asked him, I was like, was it really loud? Because it's usually like when the leaders drop into that pit, the crowds like goes off. Yeah, he's like, Not that much, but there was like a there they came out of it, and most people were running it. He's like, I was riding it. He's like, I had to put a foot down at the top, but I think like two or three people rode that. He's like, they were going nuts when I was riding up it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then you want to ride it so much more, yeah. Yeah, yeah, you're on adrenaline. Yeah, what an experience, yeah.
SPEAKER_00But no, like the plan was for him, you know, to go to Spain. It's not that much money for him to go to Spain from the Netherlands, train there, stay there. If he goes to Worlds, he's already in Europe because they he actually has a World Cup this weekend in Spain, and then he comes back and has two in the Netherlands, and then they're back to back. It's like a Saturday, Sunday, that's awesome, and then worlds the next week. It's like, well, just go to Spain. If you get selected, you're there. We don't have another international flight to deal with. If you don't, you just fly home. So luckily it worked out, and yeah, so cool. Jet lag's a real thing too. But trust me, yeah, I just fourth, yeah. Just now, yeah. This week now this past weekend, Vanessa and I finally slept past 2 a.m. Yeah. We just it messes you up so bad. We couldn't make it past two, yeah. Just in time to go fancy go right back for him. That's awesome. And what's what I I don't know this to be fact, I think this is true, but the last person to go to worlds for cyclocross from Oklahoma was Paul Bonds. Our good buddy. That was a long time ago. Yeah, yeah, that's cool. That is cool. I don't I someone brought up Megan Long. I don't know if she did or didn't. I know she went probably went to Worlds several times. Uh Charles's daughter, yeah. I don't know, I don't know the the facts on that, so maybe I'm wrong, but yeah it would be it would be cool if it was Paul because it's our good buddy. Yeah, cool.
SPEAKER_01And that was in like I want to say 91. Wow. Holy crap. Jeez, and he's gonna go up again. Like the U-23 pool this year, there's some heavy hitters in that year.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I mean it's it's tough. What's what's what's funny to me is the elite world cups he did, he finished better when you filter U-23 than the U-23 World Cups did. He also had a lot of we we discussed it a lot, we can didn't come up with an answer, but like his first two laps were just really, really bad. Like really bad. And then he would start writing, and he would move up, but like you're not catching those guys.
SPEAKER_02No.
SPEAKER_00So I I think a little bit of it was the first time he's raced over there with like with expectation of like doing something other than just being there. And he was really, really, I think a little stressed about the world selection. Because it doesn't other than UCI ranking, what he did domestically has no not a lot of bearing unless he wins Pan Ams, which is automatic. Yeah. It's all based off that two weeks in Europe. Okay. So it's really heavily weighted on that two weeks. Adrenaline's a real thing, man. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So that's why he only raced World Cups over there. He didn't race any of the other races, which I think a few he wanted to do, but he was really focused on learning just World Cups.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Good for him. Yeah. What a fantastic year. Yeah. Good for the whole family. Like it's cool. Yeah. Super cool. Damn. Yeah, it's exciting. Just remind him I beat him in a uh Halloween costume crit at Draper on the mountain bike. You just told us about how he beat you when he was eight. Well, I beat him just after that. I was dressed as Elvis and he wasn't all it was. He wasn't dressed. He was probably seven. He was mad because he's probably really going trigger treatment. He was wearing his dump truck jersey. Yeah. That's what he really trigger treated in. He was mad because his dad told him to get out of people's way.
SPEAKER_00And he was out there full on sand and he's still got that self-belief.
SPEAKER_01It's a real thing. That's brilliant. That is awesome. I love it. Well, when he gets back, I guess we can do uh do a recap episode. That'd be cool. Yeah. Yeah. He'll have a lot to talk about. Yeah. My yard needs some leaves, but not too big.
SPEAKER_00I think three goes. I'm maybe out of business right now. Yeah. Don't like the soundboard.
SPEAKER_01His prices are gonna go up. Um Alan? What's next? Do you want to uh talk to me about mountain bike series? What the fuck is going on? Well, to let everybody know we gave Alan four range. This is awesome. Ask anything he wants. Yes. Being transparent about everything. So I've been missing from the podcast from a couple of months. Uh-huh. Assholes. Uh-huh. Yeah. So tell me about uh this new, fresh mountain bike race series. Boy, how are we? Chris can ping pong back and forth on this thing. That's however we want to go with it. But as a former tour to dirt world champion, like tell me about these new events. Were you ever a tour de dirt champion? I was in the jersey. Uh yeah. Oh nice. Cat three, baby. Out of boy. Yeah. Out of boy. Um 19 to 29.
unknownGod.
SPEAKER_01No, no, no. No. Say Dan is an old series. I stand corrected. 30 to 30. Yeah, that sounds more, right? Yeah. Because you were raised in 19 to 29 at the time. Yeah. Yeah. Still am. Yeah. On the same old courses against the same old people. Exactly. Yeah. So tell me about this new improvement. The podcast episodes that we have all done over the last gosh, at this point's been a year once. Um, we stirred up hot enough people off to get enough traction that we were able to connect with basically everybody and put together a race calendar for the year for the state. And everybody is like, oh, this is a great idea, and this is how it should be, and everything should have a season, and then people can focus on it, and races aren't on top of each other. And then if new races want to come out, everybody kind of knows where it slots in. The way that it shouldn't flow. You mean an actual schedule? It's yeah, I know it's shocking and weird to it's what the hell? And it's an it's an innovative thought, yeah. Yeah, so through that, uh, Chris talked to a handful of people, I talked to a handful of people, and everybody was like all on the same page. Brilliant. Let's do it besides one group. What? Which we'll get into that in a sec. But everybody thought it was a great idea, besides one group. And so we move forward with it. And um, through the conversations, which again is why G3 is putting on the endurance series that's coming up, which is why we need to support that. They they took the lead and are handling the endurance series over the winter speed. Mount biking, XC stuff should be in the spring. Yep, you know, crits and stuff going spring through the summertime, summer's kind of dead, fall is kind of early fall with travel, late fall and early winter is cross. Yep, and then we start all over. Everybody loves it, everybody thinks it's a great idea. Something we've been after for years is an actual scheduled calendar. Yes, yep, and everybody's on board. Um, so we're doing it. And we talked to GCXE and they uh Bobby and Ray.
SPEAKER_00Actually, they reached out to us right first, yeah, because they said we want to be a part of what you do. Like if anything happens with this based off that one podcast. So they were we didn't have to reach out to them, they were eager to make this happen.
SPEAKER_01Very eager, which is fantastic. So wait, wait, a rising tide lifts all boats. Stop it. Shocking and Bobby and Ray, what they've done in Tulsa and what they did with GCXC in one year was fantastic. And that group of race directors that they had
The Backstory: From GCXE To OKXE
SPEAKER_01up there, it wasn't just those two guys, yeah, but that group of race directors and the trail bosses and all stuff they did a great job for a one-year series and getting it off the ground and getting it going. But they were all about like what do we need to do? How do we grow how like what yeah, what's next? Yeah. And so we reached out. I mean, okay, we're gonna be fully transparent here, and this is probably gonna really ruffle some feathers, but I'm gonna hold nothing back because I'll tell you this in person or we can talk about it here. I just don't my other beer, hold on. Ginef. Um, so whenever GCX came to us with that information, we're like, cool, let's reach out to tour and see if we can get everybody to come together. Yeah, like at this point, me and Chris have nothing to do with any of this besides facilitating conversations. And we just want to connect everybody. We're just middle man to like, hey, you guys get together and let's like do work together. Yep. Um and Tour Dirk said, Okay, well, let's meet with our board. We explained everything, what was happening? Let's meet with our board, we'll talk about it, and I'll get back to you. Fantastic. But here's what we're proposing is a spring mountain bike series. GCX on board. If you guys want to come on board, the schedule's marry. You have three races here in Oklahoma City, they have three races in Tulsa or wherever you want to have them. The whole state comes back together. We have one series, spring races done. Genius, genius. Uh tour de dirt came back and said, and in the process of that, um, they were like, Yeah, we have no interest, we're gonna do it our way this year. And through a long conversation that night on the phone, I was trying to get to the roof of why that that was their answer. And the final statement was because this is the way we're always done it, and this is the way we're gonna do it. Wow. Well, I mean, that's what Blackberry said back in the day. That's about doing not well. That's what Nokia said. So that was the attitude. They said this year we're gonna do our thing. Uh we'll have, but we would entertain a conversation for next year, but this year we're gonna do what we want to do. I mean, that's sad disappointing.
SPEAKER_00When when no schedules had been announced and nothing is nothing's set in stone. This was in November. Maybe it's not easy, but it's possible to pivot. Yeah. And they chose not to. Just like I mean, I feel like that's why GCXE exists, because they choose not to listen to feedback and cooperate. And I mean, it's it's kind of sad that it can't all work together. That would have been the preference for everybody. Um, but I mean, moving on, like the the world evolves, man, and moves on. And if you're not I think there's a lot of I think there's some people that don't know enough about any of the situation, like why did GCXC start, why is this continuing? Yeah, why are they why is GCXE doing races in Oklahoma City? And it's because the masses, and I mean most of the people I talk to have have issues with Torted Art or they have had issues in the past, and there's just some animosity there that they they don't want to support it. I know people I talked to two people that will not race just because of that series. Yeah. And it was a conversation of like, well, why not? And what would it take? And they're they're all good with something new starting. It would have been better if it started with everybody, everybody doing it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But if they choose not to do it, we're gonna we're still pressing on, and we're not not doing it out of spite, we're doing it of creating a better product to get more people racing, to raise like we've talked about a hundred times, attendance numbers, the equality of events, yeah. You've you've got without charging more money to provide a quality event. That's that's another goal is like can we provide this quality without it costing you a hundred dollars to get signed up initially? And guess what? It can. What?
SPEAKER_01So any great idea that GCXE, which we'll put it out there right now, the name will be changing to OKXE. What? Because it's an Oklahoma series. Whoa, it started out as a Tulsa series, so that's where Green Country GCX came from. Now it's an Oklahoma series, so it's gonna be OKXE. And you know, instead of being a money grab for certain individuals, it will be a race series put on by racers, invested back into the series, hmm. Yeah, because it's all about growing the sport. Yeah, the whole point is growing the sport. So we you won't have to pay 25, 30 bucks, whatever the number. Any idea that we come up with announced on this and probably do through the series will be stolen and done through Tua to Dirt because that's how everything all evolution at Tua to Dirt next year happened and evolved. Dimitri is the sincerest form of flattery, man. So and that was actual quote from someone on Two or the Dirt's board to one of our people was oh, I love what you did there. I'm just gonna tell you we're gonna take that this year. Cool. Which like they've done everything else. Yeah, so we're not charging for race plates. So instead of having to show up to your first race and spend 25 or 30 extra dollars for your race number, you get one. And if you lose it, you have to pay it again. Yeah, get one. Yeah. Well, who would have thought that would be a great idea? Innovation. Innovation. So it's gonna be fantastic. You are gonna have an Oklahoma race series. It's gonna we're gonna have races in Tulsa, we're gonna have races in Stillwater, we're gonna have races in Oklahoma City. Per cell. Per sale. So the series, just before we get into more of that, so the series starts on March 7th, sales, which is in Tulsa next to Turkey. Yep. Uh raced it last year, phenomenal little course, and this year, I I don't I'm I've been told a hundred percent it's gonna happen, but there's a potential that you're going to ride through a building on the race course. I mean, which is gonna be cool. Yeah, I hope it happens now. Yeah, uh strong potential that you will ride through the middle of a building on your laps, which is really cool. Sorry on purpose, on purpose, yes, not your lost. Yeah, you'll have a skills course in the front that you'll do stuff, fun stuff through, and through the middle of a building, we're right out into the trail. It's gonna be super cool. Our second race is uh March 21st, which is gonna be at Purcell. So it'll be the first race at Purcell uh on the new trails, which is fantastic, you know. Again, imitation is flattery. Yep. Um, so we'll be and they're fun trails, they're super fun, yeah. Fast, flowy, really cool, beginner-friendly, like great, great trail system. And those people down there that are doing that, man, they're they're crushing. Yeah, they're doing a really good job. Um, the next race will be back in Tulsa, which is in Moser, which is right next to Bales. Yep. Um, and that would be something that for Oklahoma City people, it's like skip with a few rocks. Yeah. Not when I say rocks, they're just in the ground, they're not drops and stuff like that. But it's very smooth trail. These are these aren't your old school keystone bosage back in the day. It's like I can't ride my bike over that shit. Oklahoma City. Well, not with that attitude. Oklahoma City people will be fine doing those races. Uh, the next one is April 25th, Mercury, which after the Cold On Colma series. Ooh, the first XC race at Merchant. Which True to Dirt is following up later and a few months later. And so you can ride the same course later if you would like. So come on and pre-ride it. Uh come on preride it for your True to Dirt series. Um, after that will be May 9th, which is Keystone. So if you want some good hardcore rocky mountain biking.
SPEAKER_00Well, they've and they've told us it's gonna be much tamer than in the past.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because the old Keystone used to climb up the dam, and then you do that drop in. Uh and there's hard as shit. Yeah. I don't know, like, no kidding. You you sort of figured out in an actual race environment, I'm faster getting off my bikes and running with my bike up over this than getting jammed. There's some rock gardens for sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. That trail took me years to figure out, and you know, I finally got good at it, but yeah, I think what they have now is not not that trail. Yeah, so not not to scare anyone off.
SPEAKER_01No, but it will be a mountain biker trail. Yeah, it'll be rocky, yeah. So it'll be we'll have a little of this, a little of that. Yeah, yeah, and then the grand finale will be May 30th at Arcadia. So if you want to free ride for another tour to race at Arcadia, Arcadia will have that race first as well. Um, but it will also be a one-day state championship. What? And GCX team up with this brilliant idea last year and pulled it off and did it. A state championship this year. You'll have another. So the last that's what I'm training for.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I missed it last year. That's it. Yeah. After lobbying for years for it, and then I was out of town when that happened. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01So wait, can I get a state championship jersey for an age 51? No, no, no, no. Born in April from Ireland category. Like, I don't know if you're eligible,
New Spring OKXE Series: Dates & Venues
SPEAKER_01actually. Damn it. Yeah, I think you'd be domestically born. Oh, yeah.
unknownDamn it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And you have to finish the race.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah. Step step one. Yeah. So the final race of the year will be at Arcadia in Edmonds. So you'll have a one-day state championship, plus, it'll wrap up the series championship. That's cool. Two different race, you know, championships happening that day. Joe always puts on a phenomenal event there, phenomenal trails. So six races, counting five. Some of the other details will be coming soon. Um, and they're all getting put on the website and updated, all that stuff on GCX. Um, but again, it'll be OK XC with the name of the series. Um, and and then we will we will go into like basically everything is getting refreshed. There will be new ideas, friends, bigger age groups. There will be payouts for the for the uh I don't know what we're calling it. Not you're not sports sports, the second one. What's the first category? Expert. Expert level. There was payouts for that, men's and women's. It's gonna be phenomenal. Is it uh USA cycling? Nope. What nope, not this year. Cool, not this year. So barrier to entry financially is extremely well, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, very, very simple to to start. Yeah, favorite race flight. So that's but you'll have a cool race flight.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's cool. And it's all in the spring. So if you really want to focus on racing your mountain bike, it's not a year-long commitment if you don't want it to be. Yeah, um, use these colombers races to train, kind of get in shape, transition straight into this, and yeah, then you're done by May. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01If you want to be, if you want to be. I've said this before, and I'll always stand by it. Is I stop mountain bike racing because I show up to a race and I know exactly where I'm gonna finish, and I'm paying to know that based on yep, I know these people are gonna finish in front of me, and I know these people are gonna finish behind me, and I'm gonna ride in the trees by myself for an hour and a half. Well, these will have much bigger age groups that won't necessarily be happening. We cool. Because so you'll have a much bigger age group to ride with, which is gonna be a lot more fun, yeah, but you're always gonna have people around you. Yeah. Um, I do know most of the races will be on a Saturday compared to a Sunday, so that's a little different and fresh. Um, and then some of the other things that will be different and fresh, like the bigger age groups. You're gonna have um I believe we haven't nailed it all down yet, but I believe that the expert in the sport will be starting first. Cool. So you won't have to read around for two hours to get your award, which is a genius idea. And so it'll flow much better, it'll wrap up much quicker by the time awards are wrapping up for the first two races. The uh the last race will be finishing up and their awards will start then. So it's gonna be it's gonna flow much better. Way cool. It's gonna be really cool. What talk about the kids questions do you have? Dirty questions you have on all this stuff. Oh, you want to hear some of the gossip. But Nica is involved. What? Um, so if you haven't been added to a Nika event, there are so many kids racing bikes at that thing. Oh, and by the way, their parents are right there too. And they're helping build trails. Uh-huh. Nica brought down I don't even how many people the other day to per sale to build trail with kids. Yeah. I don't know, it's probably 20, 30 people put up in Percell to help build the trails for nice. Yep. It's phenomenal. Yeah. Nica is actually putting on our event having Mercury. That's awesome. So that's going to be a fundraiser for Nica. They're going to do a two-day event as of now, if he can get it all done. So Saturday will be a day for the kids, and they'll do all kinds of stuff. You can't have that night, all that. And then the adult race will be on Sunday. It's almost like a youth development system that then feeds up into an uh adult series. Again, with working together, all of the adult races will have kids' races as well. Yep. In the in those events. Um, but you'll have all of our races are done in the springtime. So guess what you can do in the fall? You can focus on your child and their racing instead of making a choice between your race and your kids. What? Right. You mean I can go see my well, my kids are growing, so they'd be racing adult, and I my kids don't ride bikes. But if I had a kid that rode a bike, I would be like, hey, I should probably risk my bike too. Right. So all and all the Nica races are in the fall. That's awesome. Again, it's a calendar working together. Yeah. Adults' races essentially. And the kids can race in the springtime. And as just like an extra race is kind of getting them excited, and then they have all their Nika races in the fall, instead of having a Nika race on a Saturday or Sunday and having a tour to dirt race on the same weekend, which is going to happen in the fall. You tell me how that makes sense. I don't know. Yeah. Uh, and then we'll just throw a gravel race on one of those weekends and probably some cross races on one of those weekends, and then have a rain out in the spring and throw that in the fall, and we'll see what happens. Do you know what I like my Sundays for? My ass laying on the couch recovering. You can do that. Yeah. Wait, cool. That's awesome. Ooh, I'm sure you have dirty questions. I have lots of questions. But this is a PG 13 podcast. Who's doing the timing for it? Uh well, that's fun. We threw that out there and said, Hey, a race director gets to pick the course. Here's the innovative idea. Race director gets to pick the video. Okay. Then they get to pick the course that they want to do. Yeah. Then they get to pick the awards they want to do. They just pick everything. Wow. But in other series, they don't get to pick who does their timing. What? Which is weird. Shocking. But in ours, they can pick whoever they want. They're they won't want our help with it. We'll provide the timing for free. Wait, cool. Keeps the race director's costs down. Yep. We'll help them with all the registration, which is something that race directors don't want to do. Yep. So we'll help them with all that. So it's a better thing there. And guess what? They make more money, which most of these race directors put that money as it's a fundraiser for something or it goes back to trails. Yeah. So now more of the money goes into where it's supposed to go instead of into somebody's pocket. Yeah. Again, it's a series of iRacers for racers. That's awesome. Oh, so I'll throw in the controversial question. So other race series that have made the incorrect decision this year. Is there an opportunity for them next year to go, hey, maybe I do want to be a part of that?
SPEAKER_00That door's always open. I don't I don't know if it's open or not. I mean, maybe those maybe events can join the series, but I mean we we tried. And we were turned down, so not turned down, straight up told.
SPEAKER_01And no yes, told no. Uh-huh. And uh also with that question coming up, um, we were told we will have this conversation. We would like to maybe have this conversation next year about merging. Yeah, but here is all of our stipulations. And those stipulations were not about a merge. Yeah, stipulations were you join us, which is interesting. I'm I mean, I'm not the smartest businessman on the planet, yeah. But a merge is people coming together. Yeah, uh, hey, you have all the leverage, but you have to join us. So I'm gonna say they can come together, they're not gonna come together the way that they want them to come together. Well, times move on, man. So it's new, it's fresh, it's fun, it's exciting. Yep, it's all over the state. You're gonna get a wide train of trails, you're gonna get new trails, not the same crap you ride every day and you've ridden for the last 15 years.
SPEAKER_00And and hopefully, yeah, like a rotating schedule if trails are ready and available. Yeah, that we're not doing that's cool. That's gonna leave out some trails, but we uh we also have some ideas on how to incorporate those trails into off-weekend events so that those trails still get showcased, we can still, you know, raise some money for that trail system with entry fees. Um, we don't want to put that idea out because we don't want it stolen, but um, there's some ideas around that too. Because there's a lot of good trails that are gonna I don't want to say get left out, but like we could just you just can't put every trail on the race series and do it in the spring. So if it's not on the schedule um and they and they want something to happen, you have an idea of how to make something happen.
SPEAKER_01The six races that we have, the six trails that we have this year, yeah, may not be the six trails we have next year. Yeah, that's maybe there's some that are staples, yeah. But we will you will have new trails Ryan every single year. That's awesome, which is going to be really, really fun. That's it. I'm cutting my handlebars down on my mountain bike. I'm racing. Gideon. Yeah, going 680. And just don't put draw bars on it, please.
SPEAKER_00How do suspension fork? I like it. Yeah, do it. Yeah, very dry. And right, and Ryan and I got involved in this. Trust me, we're not trying to make money. And Ray is donating, and there's probably things that are costing him money. Uh Bobby, the same. Like, but this is something we want. Everyone that's that's involved in this is doing it out of passion. Yeah, because we want it to be better. We could give a shit about making a dollar off of it. It's it's just we want it. We just I'm a racer, I want better racing. Yeah, and I want if if someone has a complaint or has a problem and wants something
Format Changes, Timing, Payouts, Kids Races
SPEAKER_00changed, like you guys can reach out. We we put a poll out like what would you like changed? Um, taking that feedback and actually applying it to something means a lot to people. Yeah, and that's there's been a lot of feedback and a lot of suggestion for years with that other series. Yeah, and there was never a conversation about these things. I mean, anything that I brought up to talk to them about was a hard no. Same. No, no, like, why do you want to do that? It was just no.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And that's I mean, that's just not how you do it when when the people paying the entry fees are are the ones that can should control the series. Like give the customer what they want. And and the ultimate measure of success is gonna be where'd people go?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, do they want new and innovative or stale and old? Right, right. And I will say Ray and Bobby have been without those two guys, yeah. This doesn't even come close to getting off the ground. Yeah, those two guys have they put in so much work. Bobby, that dude, he does a lot of work behind the scenes. And Ray, he wants nothing to do with attention on any of this, yeah. He's taking a step back from stuff this year um for a lot of reasons and taking a big step back. But man, that guy still like won't stop working. Yeah. But Ray and others have been saying this for 10 years. Like, we need to do something different. We need to do something different. Yeah, those two guys in the Tulsa group, man, they are they are phenomenal. Yeah, and we can learn a lot from them. Yep, they are they're really stand-up great guys. And uh, whenever I was told um by the other series that GCX tour to dirt, yeah, yeah, we call it what it is, sneaky and I don't want to give them that free promotion. Oh wait, is this like Voldemort thing who should not be named? Oh, I like others, yeah. Others so um I was told that the uh the the others told me uh point blank that GCX was sneaky and not oh cool forthright and went behind their backs and did X, Y, and Z. And I was like, okay, I I will never be that. Yeah, I will tell you whatever you want to know, ask any question, and I'll tell you straight up to your face. Like and I'm not in a rude way, but I'm not gonna hide anything. Yeah, and I think that's what this episode kind of started. We're not getting anything. We're being very honest, we're being very blunt. This is how all this transpired. It's not an evil takeover, it's not a we have this agenda, we're trying to make all this money. Listen, there's no money to be made. Any money that's being made is going back into the trails or to a like a night. Yeah, like so trying to partner, do some new innovative stuff. This thing should come together. Yep. And Tulsa, I don't care why Oklahoma City wants to admit, Tulsa's got some shit going on right now. Yeah, like Turkey, that's legit. I've written it twice in the past like two or three weeks. It's legit. That's so good. Yeah, it's so good. Yeah, it that used to be one of those places where it's like, yeah, it's like 50 miles alright. Yeah, nah, it's like that's legit. And there is so many people out there. Yeah, mountain bike scene there is blowing up. Yeah, we could learn a lot from that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so we should and I would also add if you live in Tulsa and you're a fan of what we're trying to do, drive down here and race. Yes, come down. And if you're in Oklahoma City, go up, drive up there and race. It's 90 minutes. Yep, but not that far phenomenal trails.
SPEAKER_01You Oklahoma City people will drive three and a half hours to Bentonville. Yep, Tulsa's 90 minutes up the road.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, do it. Carpool, go up with a group, whatever, but like we gotta travel back and forth to make this work. Yeah, and that seems to be a big hurdle for people for some reason. That should I think Saturdays though will be better. I think that's gonna be a big whole Sunday.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, kind of feel like you have a weekend. I can spend Sunday with my family, and it doesn't interfere with college football in Oklahoma. What? I know another one, but and then the courses that we have in Tulsa are not scary Tulsa courses, like that's that those days are like not they're not here right now, anyone, or not right now. Very cool, it's very ridable. Everything is very ridable, and everything Tulsa people coming out here per cell is not just turney in the trees. Yeah, there's a little sand in the little trees, but you'll be okay. Yeah, it's flow. That's awesome. Yeah, that's good. So anything else we want to wrap up with? About mountain biking? About anything, I don't care. What else do you want to talk about? What else is on your list? That's it. Oh, wait, wait, mountain biking. We need to talk about Mark Lingle. Oh Lord. Oh man, if you don't know Mark Lingle, go follow him on Facebook. Brilliant, brilliant follow. He is a brilliant follow. And Mark will love this shout-out. We're not doing anything that Mark's not gonna love. No, he is uh, I love the guy to death, but man, we need to wrap him in bubble wrap. What uh slightly so he's Mark, if they don't know, Mark is how seven beat. Yeah, yeah. Well, I here's a perfect example of there's what's his actual age that nobody knows. He's in his 70s, and Mark is triathlete by trade because yeah, and Mark signs that for whatever's the longest beat possible, and he just did some high rock shit then in Dallas. I thought yeah, yeah, he'll do whatever.
SPEAKER_00Yep, the hardest, longest event possible. I just I guess I'm Facebook friends with him. I wasn't sure, but you're scrolling through, see?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, instead of like so we just recently got Arcadia full on at shit. No, oh Lord, yeah. Cause he's full send, man. Full send. Uh there's a little jump he decided to try and do, and there was a trench that was right at the other end. He went ass over tit. Um is a phenomenal follow up. It's just it's I love the guy to bear. I aspire to be more like Mark in my life. Yeah, not much less as a 70-year-old. Yeah, well, and here's the best part. Like, most of us do something like that, eat shit. We're like, mm-hmm, we're hurt, right? And he's like bleeding from thinks it's hilarious. He goes down to Pinto's house, gives him this free spray, so he sprays shit all over him, like, I'm good now, man. I saw Mark at uh it was at Thunderbird, yeah, uh last year. Yeah, and I was and I'm they're lining up. I'm like, Mark, why why are you in that? You're you signed you're in the Cat One race. Yeah. And when I say Mark is a tri athlete, he he's beaten on a try, especially with his bike handle. Oh, yeah. And I said, I when I walked in, I was like, Mark, what the hell are you doing? Yeah. Cat one race. I go, wait, you saw it was the longest race to sign up for, and you signed up for and he's like, Yeah, why? And I'm like, oh lord. Yeah, they were okay. A Thunderbird, it starts in the open field and it's like, I don't know, what hot 75 yards to the trees to the twenty turn left. Uh maybe, yeah, yeah. 50 to 75 yards, he turned left. Everybody was around the corner, and Mark probably wasn't halfway. I love it. I love it. He finished, yeah. He wrote, I bet he got lap. I bet the I bet the winner, I bet you were racing. I'm gonna say you lapped him however many laps you did is how many times he's lapped. Yeah, he he's the opposite of he refuses to quit. He will have broken limbs and will refuse to quit. And he'll be out there for four hours, hour and a half race. Yeah, and he'll come across he's gonna be finish it and smile nulls. Yeah, it's Ronda will be on the side with the weenie dogs, yeah, cheering, having the best day of her life. Yeah, loving her man, cheering for him. Mark's a great follower, yeah. Mark is the upper edge version of John Perkins, the lower end version. It's like Perkins, come on, man. John or uh Mark will say very offensive uh things on Facebook. Oh, yes, that is true. Yeah, because I I think he made you think that he's like texting this. His friends, yeah, he says post it, yeah, and and Rhonda bless her heart is March. Every post, yeah. Yeah, it's a good time. It is well worth a follow, but really yeah, guys out there mountain biking and just full sand. And then like there's he's one of those, like, you know, when you put your you know five and six year old on a bike and they have no fear, like they will ride it in anything. That's Mark at 70 plus. Like he's out there riding the beast side at Arcadia. He doesn't care. No, going off rock ledge is like, well, I'll figure it out. I saw him at Arcadia last year at the race. I kind of get a like a I don't think it was a ski helmet. I think it was a ski goggle. Yes, and then ski goggles. I go, it's not a bad idea when it's cold. Uh huh. It wasn't cold. It was like 70. One race at Arcadia last year. Oh, not the not the damn zone. No, no, it wasn't that one with the dirt race. Yeah. And I saw him, I said, How Mark, how are those goggles like bro? Yeah, I took a picture of him. I was like, are those super hot? He's like, No, they got Vince up here, they breathe all right. Jade, they would be full, that would be seeing like they'd be in sweat if they have those things on. I've thought about it in the cold before, though. In the cold, yeah, I can see it. Yeah, I've done it in the cold. Mark doesn't care in go to shints about anything. Yeah, I love him. Uh only other show not I have is two uh uh on the positive orgs doing good things in the city, and OBS and that crew are just they're they're killing it. If you're not a member, go sign up. Graham Harris is the new president. If you don't follow them on Facebook, like Tony De La Vega is is he is the best sort of uh narrator of adventures and rides they do. Greatest ride leader of all time. Yeah, yeah, agreed. And and they've got some massive groups. Like if you're new to cycling, phenomenal groups, go join and go do some of their rides. Or if it's just like to ride for fun or you think you're slow or whatever the yeah, most welcoming group, and and they're all there's always a ride you can do. Yeah, and it's 20 bucks for an annual membership, and they put on a lot of good stuff. That's cool. Yeah, yeah. OBS, they and they've been around forever, long time. Yeah, they're one of the so speaking of stale and old, like if it's they've been around a long time. Like the website is from the 1980s. Nice guys, update the website. Oh, it's the first.com. The older
Community Shoutouts & Closing Banter
SPEAKER_01waves like probably works better in Netscape. Yeah, yeah. But they're a group I see them every weekend, but not like just amazing. Every bike, every kind of bike. You name it, people are right there on it. That is a great group for sort of intro to cycling. It just started and um, yep. The major tailor group is kind of that way too now. They've exploded, yeah. Yep, they're up there and I and sort of like t-shirt rides, t-shirt world championships. Um, you know, Red Bud's obviously number one, but that major Taylor Eastside ride is not right with it. Rides they're huge, yeah. They're doing huge cycling, especially in the eastern part of the city. Yep, yeah. And they have a they have a huge group in Tulsa. Yeah, the group and Tulsa is massive. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, they're doing really good things. Yeah, so it's good stuff. Do you have anything to wrap up with?
SPEAKER_00No, I don't think so. How many beers are you in, Chris?
SPEAKER_01Just two. That's disappointing.
SPEAKER_00I gotta get home. Are we gonna ride Zwift tonight? I did this morning. I gotta get a K O M. On Zwift? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Did you really?
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna go take it. I'm gonna reduce my weight. There you go. Now for that unscale that tells the truth. No shit.
SPEAKER_02Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01All right. All right. Thank you, gentlemen. Take care.