Cycling Crashes, Doping & Survival Stories w Josh Serna (Finish Line Coffee)

🎙️ In Part 3 of my conversation with Josh Serna, owner of Finish Line Coffee, we dive into the side of cycling that most people never see. Josh shares stories about brutal crashes, racing at over 25 mph with only a layer of spandex for protection, getting hit by vehicles, and the dangers that come with competitive cycling. We also discuss Lance Armstrong, performance-enhancing drugs in sports, extreme health optimization, and the obsession some people have with living forever. This episode is packed with stories, opinions, and laughs. 

Topics include:
 • The worst cycling crashes Josh has witnessed
 • Why competitive cycling is more dangerous than people realize
 • Road rash, broken bones, and race pileups
 • Cyclists vs. cars
 • Racing strategy and drafting
 • Lance Armstrong and performance-enhancing drugs
 • Drug testing in cycling
 • Biohacking and longevity
 • The pursuit of perfect health
 • Funny stories from the cycling community

If you enjoy conversations about sports, fitness, entrepreneurship, current events, and real-life experiences, be sure to Like, Comment and Subscribe for more episodes.

Connect with Matt Reyna:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattreyna2023
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.reyna.12

 Connect with Josh Serna:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jawattz/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jawas.6
 
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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Okay, so I know I know that obviously in this time in this amount of time you've seen a pretty gnarly wipe out when you first saw it. What did you think?

SPEAKER_00 0:11

You were like, what? Like on a bicycle? Yeah, dude. It it's it's like it's all slow, but the ground's like fucking sandpaper. Like this is gravel. So you're going and then you foot you you're going like maybe 20, 25, 28 miles an hour, just depending on where you're at. You hit the ground and you just you either bounce, you get lucky, you might skid, or you bounce, or if you're one of the unlucky ones, you just fucking eat it. Like you just like go into it and you bounce a little bit. Like, I got a lot of scars. You get oh, you see that one right now. Oh, yeah, you see that on there. I can see it. Yeah, you see that how it's all fucked up. Like, that's that's fucking that's that's falling off a bike, and then this two right here. Oh yeah, like all this stuff right here. That's falling off a bike. And that I broke this shit playing tag from my playing tag with my nephew on New Year's Day. I didn't break a bone from falling off a motorcycle or crashing. I broke a bone fucking playing tag with my nephew on New Year's.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

So yeah, this shit just and then also too, what y'all wear, y'all wear like spandex, right? Or whatever. So there ain't much well are some of it helps you slide.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

I was gonna say, does it like some of it helps you slide, which is really good, but once you tear through it, like there's no more protection. Like my whole ass right here, it's like road rash like this big. Well, it was like this big, and then it you know, over the years it shrinks, but it's still probably like this big. What's what's uh the craziest thing that you've seen?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Well, you've been on a bike, like a like a stupid crash like that, or like uh I've seen some really dumb crashes, but somebody got hit by a car.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Oh no, at the red bull. Well, you dude, I got video of some I got video of some stuff like from the crits that I used to do. My homie was taking a turn and he slipped and a car was coming and he got underneath it. The car stopped right in time, or else he would have got run over. Damn. I can show you the I can show you the video after this when I'll I'll I'll look for it, but it's fucking wild. That that's not even the craziest thing. Like they used to be there used to be a race around the Red Bull, the Red Bull around the Alamo. Did you ever see that? No, hear about that? So it was like track bikes, road bikes, and then we they would just go around the Alamo. It was badass. Red Bull sponsored it and stuff. Nice, it was sick, and then this one year, this dude's like we're we're this dude just like hauling ass going straight. I think it was like barely the first, second lap. He doesn't turn, he fucking goes into the barricade, and then the interconnectors of the barricade fucking goes in him. Oh like I forgot where it was at, or he punctured a lung or something crazy, but this shit went in him, and then like he fell down, and there was like blood like squirting like everywhere.

SPEAKER_02 2:43

Like hit something crazy.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

He yeah, he he hit the barricade, and like they had to the hospital came, he was fine, but like that was one of the craziest crashes. Like, I've seen people break their collarbone all day. That's like that's just snapshot.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

I was gonna say that's just like a common one.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

That if there's a crash, you can almost guarantee like somebody's gonna break a collarbone, you know what I mean? Unless everyone's okay, but yeah, that was that was one of the craziest ones, and then like you can see like blood on the floor, like a puddle of blood, just like just from riding a bike.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

They're hauling ass, right?

SPEAKER_00 3:15

Yeah, you're hauling ass like 25 miles an hour on a bike, you know what I mean? And on a car, you kind of you can't tell, but if you're on a bike going 25 miles an hour, it's like it feels different, like it's especially since the the only thing from you in the ground is like some spandex. Like that's it. That's the only thing that's gonna even save you.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

And and like a pile up, have you seen that?

SPEAKER_00 3:36

Yeah, like uh like how I've been on a fucking pile up too. It's like we were at the drive. It was my homie too. He was right behind me. I was like two laps ago. We're like getting an order because you get an order. You get an order, and then like somebody fucking gives it their all, and then they follow them and they get the draft.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

Do you really get the draft like that?

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Like NASCAR big time, big time, yeah, it's a big difference. Wow, and so like these dumbasses, like the dog, we're they they crash before the fucking last lap. It's like, how stupid are you? Like, they're from Austin. Go figure, anyways. He's all fucking just like go figure, and then it was funny because we crash, whatever the fuck, and I'm like, oh fucked, fuck this. Like, I'm going down, bloom, hit this dude. I flip, and then somebody fucking body slams me, like body slides, you know. You're I was like trying to get up, and then someone just fucking boom, like all their body is my homie, it's just a bit taller than me, weighs a little more than me, just got me good, pancaked me. And I was like, Oh, I was like, this motherfucker. Damn, I'd be waiting. I'd be scared of the next dude's coming, you know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, well, they could really, they could really fuck your shit up, dude. Oh yeah, man. Big time. Like you could run over someone's fucking neck, like and hurt them, or you could run over their head, you can run over their body, break their ribs. Like, it's crazy. And it's like when you fall, it's like it's not like a slow fall, it's like, oh yeah. That's it. Yeah, it's it's happening. That's the fall. Like, there's no like bouncing, you know. Especially if someone's in front of you, it's like something's gonna hit, like something's gonna, something's gonna break. And have you seen somebody get like ejected?

SPEAKER_02 5:07

Like, boom, and like his body flies away from his no, nothing like that. Okay, not like a bike, like a motorcycle.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

I've seen videos like people like that, car gets in the way and they're boom, fly over. I have never witnessed it. Oh, my buddy got hit by a bus. Get the fuck out of here. Yeah, we're everyone's acting all crazy, you know, and then we just take a turn in front of this oncoming bus, and he doesn't go fast enough. Oncoming, you said clips his back tire, he goes flying. He's he's alive to this day. He's a really good friend of mine. Fucking love the guy. He's like the nicest fucking dude you'll ever meet. But he's he's wild too, though. You know what I mean? Like he gets on the bike, let's haul ass and just fuck it. Anything goes like he's he's he's wild, dude. But good thing he's okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

It's like ride, man.

SPEAKER_00 5:51

This is just that was the mentality. Like, yeah, dude, he like I was in front, I was in front, and then he was behind, and then I just hear a lot of commotion, and then we go back, and I'm like, oh shit, like he's flew, like his bike was all broken and stuff, and I was like, damn. I was like, he's still he was like alive. Like, do you know of anybody who's gotten like seriously, seriously hurt? Dude, yes, wow. A buddy of mine got hit by a car in a hit and run, and some somehow he found out who it was.

SPEAKER_02 6:21

Get the fucking shut the hell up.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Yeah, oh wow, it was it was it was kind of scary, like so it was like late at night. I think it was it was late at night, and I'm on Instagram, whatever, and it's like maybe one, two in the morning. I forget the time, and he's like posting like, Oh, I just got hit by a car, this and that. I'm like, wait, what the fuck? Like, what I was like, what the fuck's going on? Like nobody around, just him pointing at a picture of his bike and just saying stuff like on camera, and I was like, okay. Dude, are you good? Like, what's going on, dude? And then like he posts another video of the same thing. Fucker has a concussion. So he's cut he posts 20-30 videos of the same thing. Get the fuck out of here. I'm not fucking around, dude. It was fucking scary. And I was I was messaging him, and then a lot of people were messaging him.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Can you mute that, please? And he was and he wasn't um on on the on the thing, just hit the mute button. So um he kept on posting the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Yeah, it was dude, it was crazy, it was wild.

SPEAKER_02 7:14

And then he when he got out of the concussion, was he I I guess he was just cool after that.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Yeah, he was he was okay. I know he got he got uh he's another really good friend of mine and own him forever on the bike, dude. Just like super OG. And it's just like it's crazy. Like, dude, this shit happens, and it's like, dude, we're just on a bike, we're just trying to ride a bike. Word. Is it that hard like to just ride a bike? You know what I mean? Like without having to risk our life.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

Is there a is there like drama involved in it? I would assume there is. Like people that are like each other's mortal enemy.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

Oh, yeah, they're definitely that that's in everything, though. Yeah, exactly. That's in everything, bro. You could just be the most chillest person and then someone's gonna hate you, you know what I mean? Because they don't know what to do with their time. I feel like that's what it is, bro.

SPEAKER_02 7:55

Like, why do you hate someone so much that you just it's so funny too, because like it's so a bunch of a foreign world to me. I'm just all like, I don't know, but like you said, it's the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

You just take you just take any drama you've been in, and then you apply that with bikes and spandex. Bikes and spandex, and it's the same situation, bro.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

Is there in your level? I don't know, like what is it, bro?

SPEAKER_00 8:18

Is it not even a high level, okay? Cool. I'm pretty much mid, I'm just a mid dude. Do people buy?

SPEAKER_02 8:23

Oh, okay. Um, so I uh I I'm into all the documentaries, right? And I saw the Lance Armstrong one and all of that, like in the doping and all of that shit. Is that is that a thing? Like, well, like in your I'm sure.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

For real? Damn. I'm sure that's in any world, though. You can apply dope that you could apply any performance and hatching drug to any world, anything. Okay, so everything has their people that are cheating, everybody knows it.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

True. I mean, well, we have the tournament later on today, the Southside. I ain't nobody dopey.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

Well, I know, but that's that's a different level, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 8:57

Like true, but uh y'all y'all guys riding for money and stuff? You win money, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

What I didn't know that for winning a race, you get if if it's the if it's the right race, you'll win cash. Do they test y'all? Yeah, they do. What I've never gotten tested. I never wanted up. Oh, that's when they start doing it. Well, yeah, at the higher levels, they'll just be like more testing. More it's more testing every now and then for like people. They'll show up. That's not a really big organization, but if like you call a number and like if you have your racing license, then anyone can call them, like I think it's you Sada or some shit, and be like, yo, I think this guy's doping. Here's his name, they'll look up your number, and if you're registered to race, they'll fucking straight up either send you a kit or they'll show up to your house or some shit and be like, hey, you or you'd be like, hey, you gotta come in to do a piss test or like a blood test. Like it's it's that serious, like when you have a uh racing license.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Well, I would assume so when it gets like it's a Lance Armstrong level, but like Yeah, some people some people even got knocked for being like mid and have been taking in performance enhancing drugs. From what I understand at that level, it was like, well, if you're not doing it, you're not gonna hang whatsoever.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

That that's a hot take. It's like everybody was doing it. He's just no good guy, he's just a guy that got caught. Word, and then people don't like people don't want to admit it, but like, how the fuck are you going as fast as this dude that's doping? And he's about that life. Like Lance Armstrong was about that life. He was training, doing everything he needed to do to be the best, and he was doing every substance he needed to do to be the best. Yeah, it's kind of impressive. It's like you know, he was kind of he was just about it, dude. He was just about it, you know what I mean? Like everyone else was taking it, but they weren't as fast.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

Well, so well, it's kind of like Arnold, right? Like, and obviously Arnold's the man, you know, when it comes to Mr. Olympia and all of that stuff, and they're juiced out of their minds, you know what I'm saying? So but it's uh it's a different thing, I guess, to kind of portray yourself as this clean athlete, or they all do, and then yet yet they're all.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

I think a lot of athletes are are are clean for the most part, but I think there's there's a lot that aren't like you know what I think?

SPEAKER_02 11:06

I think that there's a lot of things that they're taking legally, and we're like, if we knew about it, uh knew about it, we'd be like, how is that legal? But yet it is. I know that you could like in the NBA, you could take cortisol shots and stuff like that. Oh yeah. I know that they put a cortisol shot in Manny, you know, before he fought, you know, um Mayweather. And obviously that's a painkiller, bro.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

So I mean, is that I I guess I know I know taking taking Tylenol and caffeine's a thing. Like if you take that before race, it gets your heart pumping up. Tylenol, you don't feel any pain in your legs, like you're able to fucking push even further. That's a thing. People do that. So where's the line, right? Over the counter, I guess. When it's no longer over the counter and you're meeting up in someone's fucking garage, someone's garage off Craigslist.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

Dude, if you get pumped up, I wonder how much of a difference you feel with like the red blood cells if you have it pumped like that.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

If I'm sure you feel really good, I'm pretty sure if I'm not mistaken, it's your own, right? I think, yeah, I think they take it out, oxygenate it, give it back, or you do like high altitude training, they take it out while you're and then when you go back home or whatever, with like a C level race, then they'll pump it back into you. So it's like you're all fucking juiced up on your own shit.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

On your own blood. Yeah, dude. Speaking of that, uh crazy. Isn't that crazy? You you know that guy who is like trying to stay young and all that? Oh, yeah, yeah. Did you hear it? He looked like a weasel, dude.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

He looks so weird, man.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

He looks like a young, a young old weasel.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

Yeah, it's like, why are you so young and old dog?

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Recently I saw something, I don't know if it's true or not, but he was like pumping blood from his son to him, and he get the dude. He's sick now, bro.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

You see what I'm saying, bro? It's sick, it's not that serious, though.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

He was yeah, I remember reading an article, right? He was like, he was like bragging. He's like, Oh, my genetics are like gonna live longer than anyone else's on the planet, and I'm like the most genetically like perfect person in the world. Something like that. Who cares, dog?

SPEAKER_02 13:07

Who cares, bro? Yeah, but yeah, but yeah, but you can you can like never eat a Frito pie, or you know what I'm saying? I'm like, bro, have you seen what he eats? I I saw that's another documentary that I saw. I based my life off of documentaries, bro, basically. So anyway, um, so I'm watching Netflix and I'm I'm watching his whole thing, and bro, it's like um it looks like a like a can of like sardines, like like that, or like tuna. And um he like peels it back and it's like it looks like broccoli with like Parmesan and that's what it looks like. And it's it's all it's all vegetables and whatever, right? I don't think he does meat. I don't think he does chicken. Um, I don't think he does anything like that. I'm just like, bro, like the you have to think about okay, so when you're overdoing it like that, man, I think you have to think about the quality of life, you know what I'm saying? Like whatever your obsession is, bro. If it's like a detriment to your life, your friends, you know, that's what he wants, though.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

Like he gets he's choosing to be perfect, I guess. I'm not too sure. He's walks outside, breathes in all these toxins. Like he ain't he's not escaping the fucking gas from the 1985 Corolla, like blowing smoke right by him. You know what I mean? You ain't not gonna escape that. Maybe what do you think happens? Breathe it in, your body absorbs those toxins, like what's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 14:22

I guess he's trying to do like the minimum, like the minimum as possible or whatever. Well, okay, so what was really smart on his part is he was saying that he takes his blood, right? And he eats based off of and he does all his nutrition and his vitamins and all that stuff based off of what his blood is telling him he needs, as opposed to us. We eat and then we figure out the way that we feel and this and that, and you know what I'm saying? So he's kind of working in reverse order. But I'm like, yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

I think part of that blood test said to take his kids' blood. Like, did it tell him like you need to inject yourself? Oh, I haven't heard.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

I haven't heard that part. I think he's ever just making shit up. Nah, nah, just nah, but I haven't heard anything about it. No, what's it no? But it doesn't surprise me, dude. I mean, that like when people get like super highly obsessed like that. I mean, I guess it's it's it's uh understandable to be obsessed about something like that, like prolonging your life, cool, but that's cool. Like you said, but you know what at the same time, dude, like you're doing it right, and you're like the only person that's doing it. You're kind of like alienating yourself, not even like your wife is doing it with you, so they all can like live together, I guess. I don't know, like you might like that.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Like that might be what he's his goal in life is that's just his get off, yeah. And I mean there's a there's a lot of weird things like in society, period. Like, you know what I mean? Yeah, it's like there's but there's two different types of people. There's like the type of person that like doesn't like what someone else is doing with their life, so they try to dictate their life, and then the other part is like eh, let's accept everybody for whatever the fuck it is. So let this guy do whatever the fuck he wants. Who cares? Might not be cool to us, but it's cool to him. You know, yeah, no shit.

SPEAKER_02 16:02

I wonder how he feels. Like, I wonder if he feels optimal or whatever. From what he said though on the documentary, um, they said, Are you hungry? And he's like, Always, like all the time. Damn, that's not a good feeling either. That sucks.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

I'm like always hungry, but I'm perfect.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Right?

SPEAKER_00 16:17

I'm perfectly.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Well, I mean, if you think about it, bro, his body fat is like to a certain percentage where his body is literally eating itself.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

What is it like below six, right? Percent or below five percent body fat.

SPEAKER_02 16:30

He's got like veins on his abs, bro. The hell he's got veins on his ass.

SPEAKER_00 16:35

What the hell?

SPEAKER_02 16:36

Like nice.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

He's really muscular or something's fucking wrong.