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Published on:

20th Sep 2024

Riley Amos: The Rising star of mountain biking

Riley Amos is enjoying a career year. He recently won his first rainbow bands by securing the U23 short track title in Andorra, shortly after a 7th place finish at the Olympic games - the best performance ever by an American man.

He's dominated the U23 World cup with five straight wins in this year's competition... and is returning to north America to close out his season, and planning to secure a US lockout of wins in the division.

He joins Bobby and Jens to talk about his plans to move to the elite level permanently, the mind blowing tech on MTB bikes and passes judgement on Bobby's riding...

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Transcript
Speaker:

Hello and welcome back to another episode

of The Odd Tandem.

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Today we have another great guest

fresh off seventh place in the elite

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Mountain Bike Olympic event,

and followed it up a few weeks later

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by winning the under 23 World Championship

short course in Andorra.

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Jens our guest today.

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What did you think about that?

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It was absolutely fantastic to talk to him

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and to hear his point of view on racing.

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On how he did the first race

with the Elite Racing with Tom Pidcock

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at the Olympics,

the takeaways he took from there,

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what he learned from there,

absolutely fascinating.

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And I believe we just experiencing a start

in the making.

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Absolutely.

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And,

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you know, I don't want to go any further

without wishing you a very happy birthday.

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You turned 53 years old yesterday.

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You're two months, two months ahead of me.

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Were getting older.

So happy birthday, sir.

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Another thing I wanted to say

to our viewers and listeners.

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I've been on a road trip, to say

the least, the last week, week and a half.

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And, I've met a lot of you out there

on on the Road.

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And I just want to tell our viewers

and listeners right now,

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odd tandem is the name of our new podcast.

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We used to have an old one.

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You're obviously listening to this one,

but if you have a friend,

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make sure that you tell them

about the new name of the odd tandem.

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So sit back and relax

and listen to our great,

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incredible conversation with Riley Amos.

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All right.

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Welcome, Riley Amos to the odd tandem.

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Thank you.

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Appreciate you guys having me on.

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I'm stoked to meet you all. And yeah.

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Tell you a little bit

about the mountain bike side. I guess.

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So I recently saw you up in Aspen

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at the USA Cycling Foundation

fundraising event with Mari Holden.

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But, where are you now?

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Are you back in Durango?

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Yeah, back home in Durango, Colorado.

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So kind of across the state

from wherever you were in Aspen.

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But. Yeah.

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Hey, Riley, we try to ease into it,

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so we got a few quickfire

questions for you.

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So you answer basically just yes or no.

Alrighty.

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You ready for that?

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It's easy. Don't be nervous.

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It's all easy stuff.

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Let's start burger or pasta for you.

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Pasta mtb, forever or later,

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Maybe road cycling.

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MTB forever.

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Cool.

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Country music or rock n roll?

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Country.

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Short course or Olympic length MTB racing.

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Both.

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I can't pick that.

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All righty. That's fair enough.

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That's your answer. Awesome. Yeah.

Thank you.

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Well, that's an easy intro into,

the beginning of our conversation.

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You've kind of had a busy

last couple months.

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You know, you were seventh in the Olympics

in an elite category.

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Best ever result for an American male.

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And then, a few weeks later,

you won the under

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23 world Championship short course.

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Tell us a little bit about how this whole

last couple of months have come together

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for you in these big events.

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I mean, you've been

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really successful all year,

but those are pretty big milestones.

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Yeah.

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I mean, the last couple months

has just been really crazy.

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Like the whole first

half of the year was just like

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really good preparation,

really good racing back to back.

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Nothing kind of thrown for a loop

and just amazing results.

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Amazing result.

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Checked off and then kind of like

right before the games.

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We're in France for a World Cup

and this year, just come from Swiss,

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the last World Cup and got France

feeling good, ready to go again.

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And I got super, super sick

like I was just laid up in bed.

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I don't even know

if I'd really moved from bed for three

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days, like the beginning

of the race week of the year.

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So that was kind of the first,

like real hiccup, to the season.

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And it just kind of made the call

with the team to, to go home at that point

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and take two weeks at home to recover

and get ready for the Olympics.

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And so it's just a big kind of question

mark at that point because, like,

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everything had gone really

well at that point.

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But then we had been racing a bunch.

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And so like with the mountain bike racing,

you're kind of on the one race day

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and you're like super tapered,

really fresh to have a good result.

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And so I hadn't put that much training up

in the last couple weeks

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and then just kind of basically on my bike

for a week straight.

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So we kind of came to the games

just with a big question mark.

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I mean, for me, the the goal for

the year was always world champs first.

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And getting to go to the Olympics

is the main goal.

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Like it's just it's funny

how fast your perspective changes

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because like in in January

looking forward to the year.

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It's like, man, if we had a chance

to get to go to the Olympics

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and we're able

to, it'd be a huge win for the whole year.

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Like that's just,

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just just getting to go to Olympics

was the goal.

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And and getting to go

was the reward in a way.

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So like, I didn't really have too much

in terms of, like, bunch of,

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like pressure on results

or like really trying to focus

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specifically on the result

there at the games.

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Like truly just on getting to go.

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And then in a couple of short months, it

the perspective changes completely,

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you know, and it's like,

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oh, we're going to the games

and we want to have a great year.

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Right.

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So it's funny

how like you try and keep you

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just you can reevaluate falls

a little bit in the season.

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But like,

I never really lost sight of the fact

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that I really wanted

to have a great writing world. So

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I went

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to the games, feeling pretty good

during the week,

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like you said,

just had an absolutely unbelievable day.

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Like you got to start on the front row

with all these incredible elite athletes.

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That kind of had looked up to

and not really got to race

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for a bunch of years

and had a great start and ended up

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getting to mix it up at the front

with all these guys.

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And yeah, it was just so cool

because lap after lap, it was like,

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just riding on the wheels of,

like my idols in sport,

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like getting a tow from Pidcock

after he changed the wheel

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back to the front group

and like the one point had to, like,

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make the call to try and jump across

inside the group to the first group

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when, like,

Nino [Schurter] is getting dropped.

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It's just such a crazy, surreal experience

to go from

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in my head like a young,

developing junior under 23 mile,

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my parents through to going toe

to toe with these elite guys, you know.

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So that was just absolutely unbelievable.

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Came home and then really committed

to doing some really quality work

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for world champs

and kind of get that confidence back and,

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and your body and your fitness to be able

to go to worlds and, and deliver

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on the one day

because like for world champs,

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it's the most important race in mountain

biking for sure.

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Like we don't have a tour de France

and where it looks a bit differently.

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So everyone always goes to world champs

on the best form of the year.

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Like that's the

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that's the one day

to take the biggest honors

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in mountain biking

besides the, the Olympics.

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So did a ton of good work at home.

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Went to Andorra

just on a course that I've ridden

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really, really well on, from altitude.

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So it's just

and it's just kind of the stars

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align moment for me

to be able to go to this world champs.

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As of last year, 2023, in Andorra,

got there a couple days early.

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I was feeling really great. And then

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the morning

of the team relay on Wednesday,

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I like, started to feel a little tickle

on my throat and literally like got up

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to the venue and started doing my warmup

and it was like

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just starting to have like these second

thoughts of like, oh, it's Wednesday,

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I know I race, Friday and Sunday.

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Like, I really don't want to jeopardize

the, the really important race.

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I think I'm getting sick.

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It's just like,

it's super, super hard to try to, like,

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figure out what to do in that situation

because you, like, worked all year.

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I waited for this moment,

and then I kind of got a little,

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dose of life, and, like,

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I just picked up

a cold week of world champs.

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And so I, like, sat out the team

real life and was just

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like a super big follower

because I've been on the the U.S.

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team relay world champs team

for the last six years.

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And like we've won a couple medals

but never won the jersey.

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And then I started out

and they won the jersey without me.

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So I was like, so, so stoked for them all.

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But I

was like, so bummed to not be a part of it

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because I've been I've never

I've never won a world champs jersey.

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And so I sat out the real life,

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stuff on Super Crappy the next day,

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woke up feeling pretty crappy

for the short track, but kind of

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just like made the call with the team docs

and stuff that at that point,

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theoretically I wasn't going to like made

my sickness worse by racing.

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Which was the main concern

because the individual

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cross-country events

kind of the big goal for the weekend.

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So kind of just decided to start the short

track and

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launch with some snot rockets left

and right out there.

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But once we got into it, I was feeling

okay, and it was just an insane laughs.

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Three laps from like a Swiss guy

trying to go off the front, two laps

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to go, dropping his chain, me

kind of being a little farther back than I

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what I wanted in the group and like having

to make a little last minute

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like all, effort

to try and catch the front and, like,

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catching the leader,

like on the last downhill

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and then totally, like, made a sketchy

inside pass and the second to last quarter

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and won the short track world championship

and my first ever,

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first ever world championship title ever.

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So it's just unreal.

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Rollercoaster

of week of, last month or two.

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And to conclude,

or not quite conclude yet,

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but to include thus far

like pretty insane year and then, yeah,

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I, still kept trying to race

and mock up for the cross-country

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a little better, but my body just kind of

didn't have it for the for the main day.

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So you get highs and lows with sport.

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But yeah, it was crazy to close the door

on like my last world championship race.

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That's not an elite, you know.

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And and wonder

what could have been. Right.

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But you can't win everything. So

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yeah that was

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kind of meandering along too long

but so so

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you already raced Olympics

with the elite category.

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That will be your future next year, right?

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Correct. So yeah.

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And we could see how happy you were

to finish the season.

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Your last on a 23 season off

was the title, right.

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And at the Olympics,

what did you take away from there?

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Where do you think it is a Pidcock

or somebody like them are better than you?

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They’re physically stronger?

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They're technically better?

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They’re more daring on the downhills

or what do you think?

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Where where can you improve

or where do you need to improve

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for the coming year

to actually go face to face with them?

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Yeah, for sure.

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There was a lot of really good takeaways

from that.

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One first and foremost

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is like,

okay, in a lot of ways they are better,

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but in a lot of ways, like,

I am there and I'm ready for it.

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In terms of like,

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I mean, part of it's, it's

special with the Olympics because it's

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so like there's so many emotions that run

so high on the day of the Olympics

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because it's such a big goal

for so many people.

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And maybe some people lose their cool

a little bit when it comes

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to the race, craft and tactics portion.

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Excuse me.

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On one day.

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But it it was cool to feel like,

okay, I'm actually racing with these guys

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and like, I, I, I don't want to say

I know what I'm doing,

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but I've, I've learned over

the last couple of years

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the tools to be able to,

to battle a little bit with these guys and

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especially like the technical side, like

we've kind of we kind of touched on it

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earlier, like,

I didn't come from a, a road background,

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like I grew up here in Colorado

riding mountain bikes.

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And like with a culture of mountain bikes

and my, my roots are in mount biking.

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So I really love riding my bike,

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on trails, on really hard

stuff, hitting jumps, drops.

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Like I've really pride myself in the

like the bike

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handling more than maybe the

the physical portion, of things.

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So it was really cool to feel like, okay,

I can especially on the down

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and those like race

with the best guys in the world

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and really pick and analyze great lines

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during the week and have like a couple

cards up my sleeve a bit.

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And in terms of on the track

and turn some of, my skills

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and I've really come a long way,

I think in the last couple years in terms

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of like race, craft and tactics,

but it was definitely eye opening to feel

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how you race that level of a race

with that many good guys, because I think

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in the under 23 race, it's like maybe

five guys that can win on a given day

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and usually within the first lap

the race breaks apart.

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Around five guys.

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And then we did

the first lap at the Olympic track and it

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didn't feel

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slow, but it wasn't like absolute

all out from the gun.

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And then we came out on the second lap

and it was like 15 guys swarming me for,

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for the single track.

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So it was like definitely a really eye

opening experience, how cutthroat

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and aggressive racing it is,

because there's just so many good guys

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that that are going to the battle

you for that, for that position,

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like over and over.

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So I took away for sure they're like

they're a lot of them are a lot stronger.

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Like I have years in depth of the

physical portion that I need to improve.

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But like we're getting there and,

and we have the tools

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to hopefully be able to have success

in the next couple of years.

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It's like the biggest takeaway for me,

it was just like a, a big sigh of relief

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that a lot of under 23 guys have really,

really struggled to race with the elites.

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And I mean, it was one race, so God knows

it's going to happen next year, right?

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But,

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yeah, we're we're hopefully on track.

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I know I don't want to be too confident

because anything can happen.

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But if if we keep doing what we're doing,

hopefully

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it won't be the hardest jump ever.

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Maybe.

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I'm getting cocky, I know, but

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so, so kind of a two part question here

real quick.

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Was this

your first was the Olympic, long course

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event,

your first race with the elites all year

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with like that many high level elites?

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Because like in the US, we kind of race

some domestic races as an elite rider.

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I race like the short track

at the continental champs

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earlier in the year

with the elite riders and won.

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But that was like actually putting

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a lot of really good elite riders

in one place and then racing with them.

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That was the first time.

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And second part.

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I've been to the Olympics

and normally the women have their events

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before the men.

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How motivating was it

when Haley Batten won her silver medal?

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Did that kind of like take a little bit

of the pressure off and show

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like what's possible here on a

on a special day like the Olympics?

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Oh, so much like it just sets the tone

so much.

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Like the

I actually don't get to really spend

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that much time around to Haley and Chris

[Blevins] and Savilia [Blunk]

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throughout the year because we kind of

ride for our different federations or,

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I mean, sorry, our different factory teams

instead of our federation.

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So like, stay with them all

way to connecting with them.

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And then, like you said, watching

Haley just like, absolutely smash.

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It just sets the momentum

so much within the team.

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And like, everyone's morale is so high.

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And it totally like just getting to, like,

learn from them,

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like Chris and Haley and Savilia.

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But just like their processes and mindset

and kind of what makes them

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some of the best drivers in the world

was super impactful, in Paris as well.

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And then, like you said, like watching her

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smash that silver medal

and just see that was just huge.

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Yeah. Just amazing.

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Do you think,

there is some sort of information

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or tactics crossed over

between men and women in mountain biking,

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or is it the different type, style

or lengths of racing?

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And you cannot give each other

much of a like a helping tip or anything?

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No, I

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think it

should have some subtle differences, but

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I think it does have a lot of crossover

and it's a lot pretty similar.

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Like just things you saw from Ali's

race in terms of where they had

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a couple flat tires, where the race split,

you know, like you don't

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we don't really know how the race course

was like kind of race necessarily.

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I mean, there was a test event,

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I think it was about a year

before the Olympic event.

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They had a test race on the course, but

they had changed quite a bit since then.

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So it definitely gives you

a ton of information,

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to watch them race and that also like,

just communicate with the

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women like Haley and Savilia

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They just get their tips, right?

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So like, like that was a very,

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for me, a key indicator of where

a couple flat tires happened

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and then equipment choices based on that,

how much their race actually,

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like broke apart.

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But you can also ride back into this

like,

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like a lot of subtle things of,

how to pace the race,

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whereas in important places

to be up in the group or not stress

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so much and then like I said,

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make like a little bit of the equipment

choices was definitely super helpful

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from watching their race

and communicating with them.

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And can we just can you just clarify for

for us as well as our viewers

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and listeners, the difference

between short track and long course?

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You know,

I originally thought that the short course

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was basically just like less laps

than the long course, but

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how was it

in the Olympic or, you know, in your World

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Championships, for example,

or in all the World Cup races?

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Yeah, we've kind of just been bouncing

kind of back and forth all over.

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But to clarify, like the short track

and the cross crossbencher

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are two completely different races.

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Typically with the World Cup circuit,

which is kind of like the,

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the pinnacle of our sport.

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You know what we what we race

all year long across the globe.

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We kind of have like, a short track

race on on Friday or Saturday

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usually it's kind of like the opening race

for the weekend or was maybe

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like,

like, like a cricket kind of thing.

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Super short lap, maybe,

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three minute laps that we race for around

20 minutes.

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Just super short. All out tactical racing.

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And then,

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the cross-country, the Olympic

cross-country event

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is kind of a main event

for a weekend on a World Cup weekend.

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So it's a bit longer of a track.

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Usually between like three

and a half and 5kms circuit, climbing,

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descending, natural singletrack,

manmade jumps, rock gardens, features,

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and laps

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will be anywhere from like 11-15 minutes

usually.

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We race for about an hour

and a half usually.

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So kind of completely different event.

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But yeah, both part of,

a cross-country racers toolbox.

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I guess you could set

because they all all contribute.

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But the short track events are not,

in the Olympics.

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Like, it's just the cross-country

and the Olympics, but new the last couple

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years,

we've had short track world championships.

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So that's pretty cool.

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And I really, really have grown

to love the short track discipline

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from the kind of in the early days

to like a bit of a weakness for me to now.

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So I'm like a bit of that

strength is pretty cool.

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And once you're ready

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in the middle of explaining, please

explain the team relay.

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How is that going to work?

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Yeah.

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So that was just, an event,

the world champs.

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It's like a really special event

every year.

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Just the world champs. It's.

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Each nation has,

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a team comprised of one

junior male and female,

375

:

one under 23 male female

and one elite male and female.

376

:

And they each do one lap

full gas of the cross-country course.

377

:

To compete for a world championship

title is a country.

378

:

So it's super, super unique and special.

379

:

I think

do they do it in cyclocross as well, or.

380

:

Because I don't do anything like that,

but I think it might be cross.

381

:

Not sure, but not.

382

:

But yeah, it's super.

383

:

It's just like a unique one event

where it's cool to, like,

384

:

I just, as a team because, you know,

no bike.

385

:

It's not like we're a team sport

in terms of the structure

386

:

of, teams

and support for mountain bikers.

387

:

But on race day, it's an individual sport,

you know?

388

:

And like, you're,

you're writing your own race for yourself,

389

:

for gas

every time you're on that starter line.

390

:

So it's a cool opportunity

where you're still going for gas, right?

391

:

But you like it.

392

:

You're working as a team and relying

on each other and like, you're only

393

:

as strong as your weakest link

as a nation, not an individual. So

394

:

cool.

395

:

Cool.

396

:

But I'm in absolute,

of the courses that you guys race down

397

:

and, you know, the new kind of thing

seems to be that rock garden.

398

:

You know,

I've been to Bentonville, Arkansas.

399

:

I've seen the manicured trails.

400

:

I've seen the way that they build them.

401

:

But, what sort of courses

402

:

do you prefer, or is it pretty much,

you know, kind of the same template that

403

:

they take around the World Cup circuit,

the World Championships and the Olympics?

404

:

I guess

there's a couple couple base to that.

405

:

I guess

406

:

I really prefer

the harder, more technical track.

407

:

So like I said, I, I, I'm a mountain biker

408

:

you know, like that's what I consider

my strengths is, the tactical aspect.

409

:

And I've had a lot of success on days

when the, the weather's insane

410

:

and it makes it even harder

tactically wise.

411

:

And like, I really love the track.

412

:

So there are natural

and there's a lot of line choice

413

:

and you really can make or lose time

414

:

really easily based on like your skill

and the like choice.

415

:

And it I,

I really like to pick apart pick apart

416

:

a track like from from a skill

and physical perspective.

417

:

It's hard though,

because a lot of some of the new tracks

418

:

and like when they build a new track,

like it's different

419

:

when you go about the solo,

you go to know a master on these tracks

420

:

that have been in the World Cup

circuit for ten plus years,

421

:

and we've ridden

essentially the same track for ten years.

422

:

And so all that rock room is super

exposed and super rough,

423

:

and then it's different

424

:

when you build a track like for Olympics,

when like they're literally taking,

425

:

a city park and,

and building it to a mountain bike track.

426

:

So there's just not like they have

to build every inch of the track.

427

:

There's

nothing already there really to work with.

428

:

So you just you have a lot of there's two

kind of different personalities, I'd say.

429

:

And some of our, our tracks nowadays

and kind of these heritage classic been

430

:

on the circuit for a long time, tracks

that are maybe more

431

:

natural, more rough.

432

:

Maybe

not slower speed, maybe a little slower

433

:

speed compared to like, some of these

new tracks are building that are quote

434

:

unquote more built for TV that are,

more manmade features, more higher speed.

435

:

But there's a lot of these new tracks,

right?

436

:

They might be this really tough, rough

rock garden,

437

:

but there ends up

438

:

only being like kind of one line down it

and you kind of hang on to your bike

439

:

and just bounce through at full speed,

like it's super rough and hard on the bike

440

:

and the equipment and the body,

but you're not necessarily like using

441

:

skill or finesse to get it through

any kind of just hanging on and praying

442

:

that you make it down to the other side,

if that makes sense.

443

:

So like you're not necessarily making or

losing much time, but not in those ways.

444

:

Whereas these tracks where you have like

445

:

some really technical route sections

or some off camber,

446

:

or it's open and rough and

you have a lot of options for line choice,

447

:

like that's one kind of rider's skill

really can make or break a lot of time.

448

:

And I really love I love that

because it becomes a different game.

449

:

It's not just a game of legs,

it's a game of, of skill as well.

450

:

You know?

451

:

So in cyclocross,

start is the most important part.

452

:

And then you kind of like, hang in there.

453

:

Would that be the same

for mountain biking?

454

:

That start is super, super important.

455

:

And then you negotiate your racing

from there on or say like, okay,

456

:

just start fast in the middle five phase

and then the final or did

457

:

you cut your race into smaller portions

or you just take it lap by lap?

458

:

Yeah, I kind of it depends a little

on the track, the dynamic.

459

:

But the start is extremely important

in my biking because like a lot of times,

460

:

you know, we have an open section,

461

:

a wide section off the start

but then different decide will cross.

462

:

It'll go into like really a single file

trail section.

463

:

So like

464

:

if someone in front of you is suffering,

it opens a gap in the single track.

465

:

Like there's

466

:

you can't necessarily just go around them

and chase it down super easily.

467

:

So the starts extremely important.

468

:

Usually within the lap

kind of the the front group

469

:

is, is separated and the race

kind of blows apart quite a bit.

470

:

And so if you've had a bad start,

it's just a lot more ground to make up.

471

:

And your race, you can still do it.

472

:

And, and certain

473

:

tracks are better or worse to build a ride

through duration, for sure.

474

:

Some people focus too much on that start,

maybe blow up

475

:

a little physically and go backwards

from there and vice versa.

476

:

And sure, as you see it cycle across.

477

:

But the starts extremely,

extremely important.

478

:

And then kind of it'll be really hard

for a bit, driving some separation

479

:

and a lot of the old school mile

bike racing where they

480

:

where is a bit longer of a race or maybe

a bit longer climbs, it's kind of shifted.

481

:

And it's a lot of the tracks now, maybe

482

:

the longest climb,

you see is two and a half, three minutes.

483

:

So it's become a lot more,

I would say tactical

484

:

than just all out threshold racing.

485

:

So what's that?

486

:

Was those front groups

kind of established turns into, a race.

487

:

If you're at the front

of how little energy can you

488

:

can you use until you know

you want to go for it?

489

:

To go attack and go for the win or

or if you haven't made that front right,

490

:

you're kind of right in your own race

to try and get to the front.

491

:

So it really kind of just depends

where you're at in the race.

492

:

I'm sure with, with,

493

:

with cyclocross as well,

it's pretty similar, using your strengths

494

:

and your, your competitors weaknesses

as much as you can against them.

495

:

And are

496

:

you riding to power or just sensations

497

:

and staying on the wheel in front of you

when you're doing these events?

498

:

Yeah.

499

:

We're never we're

never really riding off of power metrics.

500

:

It's it's I can't see it. Right. Yeah.

501

:

There's there's no time that they consider

you have to kind of be able to,

502

:

to ride off of feeling instinct.

503

:

And like I said, really like that's

what's special about mountain bike

504

:

racing is you're not

505

:

you're not just doing tactics.

506

:

And what's right there is like

a unquantifiable skill component.

507

:

That's that's a part of bike

racing that makes and loses races.

508

:

So that's I think that's what's

the coolest part of it is we can't just

509

:

go train every day on the road

and develop this, this perfect.

510

:

Engine, you know, and like.

511

:

Yeah, like, you can't

necessarily put a science to test skills.

512

:

Right.

513

:

And so I think it's something

that's really cool about our sport.

514

:

And that brings a lot of joy to me.

515

:

And what makes me love it

so much. For sure.

516

:

When you talk about skills,

have you ever fancied doing the downhill

517

:

mountain biking or you do it every now and

then to improve your skills, even more?

518

:

Or is it a completely different

kind of cycling or motorbike?

519

:

And you go

now I stay away from it or what?

520

:

It help you to do a few of them?

521

:

Yeah.

522

:

I mean

we have lots of downhills in our races

523

:

that are really rough, really technical

that I think would surprise

524

:

a lot of people,

maybe how hard they really are.

525

:

But the actual downhill racing

526

:

is quite a different spectacle.

527

:

Like it's unbelievable

the size of jumps, drops, features

528

:

these guys get here and the speed

they carry and the bikes

529

:

that they ride and set up for

that is it's unbelievable.

530

:

And so like while most amateur is maybe

with their jaw drop

531

:

when they see some of downhills

we ride on, my jaw drops.

532

:

When I see what they ride on in the scale

they have.

533

:

So I think it'd be cool to go

like maybe try a downhill ride somewhere,

534

:

but I don't think I'm currently qualified

for that for sure.

535

:

I think,

536

:

the yeah,

537

:

those guys live in and ladies

lives and breathe,

538

:

totally different level of skills and

539

:

and tracks and bikes especially, you know,

540

:

so that is

that is crazy for me to hear you say that

541

:

because I was never the

I was never the best descender.

542

:

But I definitely noticed

543

:

towards the end of my career

that I started to see the fear a lot more,

544

:

which makes you hit the brakes

and go a little bit slower.

545

:

As you saw, you know, I had a nice

pinarello bicycle, but I couldn't.

546

:

That was well above my pay grade.

547

:

I mean,

548

:

I was on the brakes the whole time, and

you guys just left me going down the hill.

549

:

But going down those rock gardens,

you mentioned that you just go

550

:

straight down and you hold on like that

must mean that you don't have the same.

551

:

You don't see the same fear

as people like myself.

552

:

How do you develop that?

553

:

Because there's consequences,

like on the road,

554

:

if you slip out in a corner,

you just kind of slide and you know,

555

:

there's not that many obstacles

that you have to deal with.

556

:

But like if you slip out on a mountain

bike course,

557

:

I mean, there is a tree

ready to greet you and say hello.

558

:

That's a totally different

next level of fear for me.

559

:

But how do you how do you young kids

overcome that fear and

560

:

and deal with, the technical technicality

of some of those descents?

561

:

Well, first of all, I thought your slide

the other day we rode together.

562

:

I thought you were a great mountain biker.

563

:

And you're a terrible liar.

564

:

But we appreciate the effort.

565

:

Oh. That was good.

566

:

But we feel so much better now.

567

:

But honestly, to me, like,

568

:

the road crashes terrify me way more.

569

:

The mile bike crashes.

570

:

But I think it's just because, like,

571

:

I don't know, I think

the road hurts a lot more, to be honest.

572

:

Like, you guys are going a lot faster

when you hit the ground.

573

:

And there.

574

:

Yeah, there's not much protecting you.

575

:

I mean, there's no protecting the no bike

either, but, like,

576

:

for me, I think

577

:

it's hard with the with the fear

and the skills development.

578

:

Like, it's not like we're we're

just jumping into these World Cup tracks

579

:

for the first time

without really preparing, you know, like

580

:

we've spent in the same way

you spent hours, training physically.

581

:

We spent hours training tactically,

and riding a ton

582

:

of really challenging terrain.

583

:

And, but I think to, to someone

maybe that's

584

:

nervous or wanting to progress, you know,

585

:

and like you have to kind of build

that confidence up brick by brick,

586

:

the same way

you have to build in training.

587

:

And so, you know, starting simple.

588

:

And then kind of working your way up

slowly to, to harder and harder things.

589

:

And for me, riding with people that are,

like, better than me, that I have to,

590

:

that I struggle to be able

to hold the wheel or, and push it out

591

:

of my comfort zone a little bit is what

creates like that progression from the

592

:

from the skills perspective.

593

:

Like, obviously you can't just hawk

your me with without any,

594

:

without any terror, right?

595

:

Because like you said, it does

it does hurt, but like build it up and,

596

:

and slowly kind of pushing yourself,

on more and more challenging terrain

597

:

and with people that are better than you

and honestly,

598

:

like learning the fundamental skills

with mountain biking is super important,

599

:

from cornering technique

to braking technique.

600

:

Like it's super different.

601

:

And so yeah, that's a

that's a huge part of it.

602

:

But I actually had my really

603

:

my first really bad road crash,

believe it or not, about two weeks ago

604

:

I was on my mountain bike on the road,

and I was coming through

605

:

town at about 28, 30 miles an hour.

606

:

And in Durango, Colorado,

we have a ton of deer in town,

607

:

and one of them jumped from someone's yard

into the side of me

608

:

and took me out off my bike

at like 30 mile an hour.

609

:

And I just, like,

slid across the pavement.

610

:

Never even saw I come in

611

:

and it's hurt

a lot more for the last two weeks

612

:

than most of my mountain

bike crashes have, so I'm more more

613

:

fearful of the road and deer after that.

614

:

By far.

615

:

And now we talk too much about skids.

616

:

And to rock gardens,

617

:

you also need a lot of good equipment

to go through there, right?

618

:

Earlier this year, we went with a TV team

from Eurosport to interview

619

:

a few teams and a training camp and so on,

and they came across a mountain bike

620

:

team, from, Trek Racing.

621

:

And they had these, to me as a roadie,

622

:

funny

looking foam inlets inside the tires.

623

:

What are they for?

624

:

Why are you using them on?

625

:

What are the helping for

to our viewers and listeners,

626

:

they have never seen them before.

627

:

Yeah.

628

:

I mean, now by technology in the last

629

:

five years has is

come an insanely long way.

630

:

So it's unbelievable

how much our our bikes have changed,

631

:

our tracks have changed.

632

:

And so you used to go from seeing people

on hard time on bikes that are barely

633

:

more than a road bike, with skinny

little flat bars and 2.1 tires.

634

:

So now we're on full suspension,

120 mil travel, 2.4in wide tires,

635

:

and we have these inserts, or most people

have these inserts in their tires.

636

:

And it's literally essentially a piece

of foam inside the tire rim that helps.

637

:

Protect.

638

:

So if you were trying to kind of run

the lowest tire pressure we can safely

639

:

because it gives a lot more traction,

a lot smoother ride on rough stuff.

640

:

And but the downside is that is right.

641

:

If you're going to lower your tire

pressure,

642

:

you can actually hit the rim

on on rocks and stuff.

643

:

And so like that insert gives you an extra

layer of protection against the rim,

644

:

to push the tire pressure

a bit and offers a little bit of,

645

:

even stability to the tire

to make your handle better.

646

:

And in addition, the bigger

one of the biggest things for me is like,

647

:

if you do end up having a flat tire,

if you tear chunk in your tire,

648

:

there's a gash.

649

:

You know, if you I don't know

if you've ever tried to ride on a mountain

650

:

bike trail with a flat tire before on

just the rim, but you don't go very fast,

651

:

and a lot of times you end up like

having to carry your bike on the track.

652

:

But with these inserts, right.

653

:

It creates a good enough,

654

:

it holds the tire to the rim

655

:

and it creates a good enough, cushion

that you can, like, honestly, just ride

656

:

the insert, ride the rim to the feet out

and not lose not nearly as much time

657

:

before you have to change the tire

like it's it's completely changed.

658

:

The racing.

659

:

Like, I actually had a flat second lap

and that was solidly last year,

660

:

and I was able to come back to the podium

the third place.

661

:

And like this year, world's,

most people didn't even realize

662

:

that I had a flat tire in the race

because I only lost two positions.

663

:

So it's like, pretty incredible

what some of the new mountain

664

:

bike technology has and

665

:

what we're pushing it like with our flight

attendant systems on our bike.

666

:

We have completely from Sram, RockShox.

667

:

We have completely automatic lockouts

on our suspension.

668

:

So it's taking data from our power meter,

669

:

from accelerometers,

from motion sensors on our bike.

670

:

And it's completely

adjusting our suspension from open

671

:

to a middle pedal firm mode

to completely locked out,

672

:

depending on the terrain and our power

input automatically at all times.

673

:

It's unbelievable.

674

:

Ian, the his bike was in the bike room

when I was putting my pedals on my bike

675

:

and I was with Christian Vandervelde

and he said, whoa, whose bike is this?

676

:

And he went over and touched it like,

just put his hands on the handlebars.

677

:

And all of a sudden this thing above

the shock kind of lit up and started.

678

:

It looked like a Tron bike.

679

:

And I'm like, Christian, don't touch that.

680

:

Who knows what that is?

681

:

And then he realized,

oh my gosh, that's Riley's bike.

682

:

Maybe it's his Olympic bike, but like,

683

:

that is just amazing technology to me

because the bike that I have at home

684

:

and well, my first bike,

d get a mountain bike like in:

685

:

and I'd write it to school all the time

and, you know, just cruising around.

686

:

And then I got, I rode for Ritchey

you know, Tom Ritchey.

687

:

So he for a longest time

made amazing bicycles.

688

:

But he wasn't a fan of the front shock.

689

:

So like,

you know, the riders on his team were,

690

:

I think at a severe disadvantage

for a while there

691

:

until he finally rolled over

and allowed them to to use shocks.

692

:

But now with front suspension,

rear suspension, dropper post.

693

:

I mean, as a roadie,

there's way too many things to think of.

694

:

And even on that Norelco, the pinarello

that that, Tom Pidcock and Pauline

695

:

Ferrand-Prévot use, I'm looking down

and I'm like, wait, is this one a shifter

696

:

or is it the lockout for the for the,

suspension or is it the dropper post?

697

:

And I was getting it wrong

the entire time.

698

:

So I can imagine with that sort of system

that you have

699

:

on your bike, it's

kind of just set it and forget it.

700

:

Right? You're not having to think of all

those little micro adjustments.

701

:

And that takes a big like neural load off

of what you have to do.

702

:

Correct. For sure. Left it.

703

:

We're just trying to go as fast as we can

to like that things

704

:

adjusting our our suspension

:

705

:

Right.

706

:

So it's it's,

it's constantly optimizing it.

707

:

It's not something that maybe you could

consciously think about to that level

708

:

while you're racing your bike.

709

:

So like a lot of the shifting

dropper posts, you know,

710

:

that's

all like kind of muscle memory over time.

711

:

But those little marginal gains,

you know, with the suspension

712

:

and that's also that's what the what

713

:

the system zone is, is more than what,

like you said, the neurological load

714

:

is it's quite a bit to push your lockout

30,000 times a in a mountain bike race.

715

:

So, so and just for our,

listeners and myself to better understand,

716

:

to make it really easy, your bike realizes

if you in the rock garden

717

:

or if you just go across a smooth

718

:

field, then it locks down the suspension

719

:

because you don't need much suspension

when you're on a smooth pass.

720

:

And it realized when you go up,

when you're out of the seat, your bike

721

:

realizes with all the information it gets,

it realizes where you are on the circuit

722

:

and it adjusts the suspension to your

needs.

723

:

Is that what it is

724

:

exactly did is not correct.

725

:

It's literally it's unbelievable.

726

:

Yeah.

727

:

And it's it's, it's because like,

you know, we have all that suspension.

728

:

It's really good to absorb in rocks and

bobs and especially like on the downhills.

729

:

But, like that

when you're on something really smooth

730

:

and you trying to accelerate

like really hard or get out of the saddle.

731

:

Right.

That suspension kind of works against you.

732

:

It kind of takes some of that, force

733

:

you're trying to put into the pedals,

into the tires, and works against you.

734

:

So it's constantly

fighting the balance of suspension

735

:

to, to go faster in suspension,

to not take energy from you, you know?

736

:

Good lord, are these,

so what is the name of that,

737

:

setup that you have from Sram flight?

738

:

That's is they,

they call it flight attendant.

739

:

Flight attendant.

740

:

Is that available to everyone?

741

:

Because I think, you know,

we need to get one of those

742

:

because we don't have the skills

that it is available to the public.

743

:

Yeah. It's it's available. Yeah.

744

:

Wow. Wow.

745

:

One more question about your your season.

746

:

You know, I saw that there's been a bunch

of events outside of North America.

747

:

You know, you were in Brazil

for to the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland,

748

:

the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy,

Switzerland, back to France,

749

:

Switzerland, back to France.

750

:

The worlds were Andorra.

751

:

And now you have two more events

left in the season,

752

:

in the USA, in Lake Placid and in Canada.

753

:

Are you travel?

754

:

Are you like staying over in Europe?

755

:

When when that kind of circuit is going

on, are you be bopping back

756

:

and forth to Durango?

757

:

Yeah, it just kind of depends.

758

:

This year it worked out really well

759

:

that all the European World Cups

were like pretty much blocked together.

760

:

So I went over and mad

Race in the Czech Republic.

761

:

We had two weeks

till the next round in Italy.

762

:

So I went with some friends, teammates

up to living in Italy

763

:

for a little altitude

training camp, stayed over for two weeks.

764

:

Race the next week in Italy, Val di Sol

race the next week in Crans-Montana,

765

:

and then the next.

766

:

We had one week off

and then it was a race in France.

767

:

So like that Europe block was basically

like, that was all in the one chunk.

768

:

So, yes, I stay over for all of that.

769

:

But then we had a couple weeks

till the game, so I went home.

770

:

I mean, part of that was I got sick.

771

:

But yeah,

I was still kind of trying to decide

772

:

if I was going to go home,

then came back from the games.

773

:

And then there's just

that big chunk of no racing again.

774

:

So I went home again

because honestly, like in Durango,

775

:

I'm super promised that we have an insane

no bike community.

776

:

Like I wouldn't be into mountain biking

or have the opportunity

777

:

to do this as a job without

without my community at home.

778

:

Like, we just have hundreds of miles of

amazing signature right on our doorstep.

779

:

We live at 2000m of altitude.

780

:

We have great weather most of the year,

and we have just an amazing community of

781

:

other pro athletes, and mountain bikers

and endurance athletes specifically.

782

:

They kind of started with that over

in, in:

783

:

ever mountain bike World Championships

just up north from my doorstep.

784

:

Went over and won.

785

:

And so since 1990,

I guess, is kind of where

786

:

the first seed of, of mountain

biking history was planted here.

787

:

And since then, it's

just kind of unbelievable to see

788

:

what happens when, like, a small community

embraces an outdoor sport.

789

:

And yeah, it's just it's just so cool.

790

:

We have some great local group rides

with really good pros to push ourselves.

791

:

We have a university with a varsity

cycling team, so that I've made

792

:

some of my best friends, and, and started

the university before I got a job.

793

:

Decided to drop out.

794

:

But. Yeah, it's just for me.

795

:

It's it's like this place is what's given

me success and what's giving me a job.

796

:

An opportunity to,

to ride mountain bikes for a living.

797

:

So as of right now,

I don't really feel a need.

798

:

Want to go to go set up full time

anywhere else and bike or I'm not home.

799

:

Hardly at all to begin with.

800

:

So it's still my favorite place

to come home to in it when it makes sense

801

:

to come home between World Cups, I do,

and when it just doesn't.

802

:

In terms

of like travel and logistics and jet lag,

803

:

I stay over there and it works great

because the team's been super good of

804

:

supporting us on on race weeks

and then just for those couple weeks

805

:

between either they help out a good amount

or just a little bit out of my pocket.

806

:

But yeah, it's it's been pretty simple

so far.

807

:

We'll see you in the next couple years.

808

:

Like, if there's a better change

coming with the World Cups

809

:

and the number and timing, etc.,

like if it makes sense to like,

810

:

get a visa and set up

or permanently over there.

811

:

But for now, for now, Colorado

is my favorite place in the world.

812

:

So yeah.

813

:

And do you think maybe it gives you

a little bit of an advantage

814

:

to have the last two World Cups

on your home soil, so to speak?

815

:

Less of a Trevor.

816

:

You don't have to fly across the ocean

like Europe and you have to come over.

817

:

And maybe only one time zone in between.

818

:

You think there's there might be

a slight advantage for you?

819

:

Huge.

820

:

Yeah, definitely a huge advantage.

821

:

Just like when we go over there.

822

:

I remember the first couple times

I went to Europe, like I.

823

:

And I had not ever been

out of the country to Europe

824

:

until I was 17 years old.

825

:

And so the first time I went over there

and raced, like World Cup

826

:

and World champs the junior year,

it felt like

827

:

I was traveling to another planet,

like to another universe, you know,

828

:

especially like some little small town

kid, right?

829

:

And trying

830

:

to figure out the different food,

trying to figure out nothing's in English.

831

:

Right.

832

:

It's just like everything is different

in culture where I'm living.

833

:

And I still have to figure it out

834

:

when I go over there,

you know, after six years of doing it.

835

:

And so, I mean, I spent I've been on

I think I look

836

:

the other day was like 36 flights

this year, ten of them over eight hours.

837

:

So like you,

you added the amount of time traveling

838

:

in the July from that and it's a huge hit

to your, your performances.

839

:

So being able to take a short trip,

race on home soil,

840

:

eat home food culture

like all that just has a small effect

841

:

on your well-being, I'd say,

and performance associated with that.

842

:

So, yeah, it's huge advantage

843

:

to race on home soil and it's it's awesome

because

844

:

we've had a World Cup in North America

the last couple of years, but it's been in

845

:

in snowshoe, West Virginia,

and it's a lot of the year.

846

:

I was complaining because it was just like

in the middle of nowhere.

847

:

It was just like hours

from any airport in the middle of woods.

848

:

And I loved it.

849

:

I thought it was so cool out there,

but the coolest thing

850

:

is it's

in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

851

:

Like not really close to anything.

852

:

And the amount of us fans

that like, came out and the different like

853

:

vibe and culture and like cheering that

they brought to the race is just so cool.

854

:

Like a bunch of crazy Americans

and American onesies

855

:

and cowboy hats and super

drunk on the side.

856

:

Of course, just yelling at you

is just so it's just sick.

857

:

Like,

I just it makes you it makes you stoked.

858

:

And so I think, like,

classic could even, could be even better.

859

:

And it's just, it's, it's absolute dream

come true to be able to wear a leader's

860

:

jersey of the World Cup overall

and a world championship

861

:

jersey in the short track at,

in the United States, like just inside.

862

:

So I just I'm so pumped to hopefully

go put on a good show for everybody.

863

:

Right after we saw you up in Aspen,

we came to Boulder, myself

864

:

and my buddy Rob.

865

:

And the next day

we got to hang out with his son,

866

:

who is doing the Boulder

Junior cycling cyclocross practice.

867

:

So there was a bunch of kids out there,

you know, just learning

868

:

cyclocross,

practicing starts having fun, right?

869

:

Yeah, I understand that.

870

:

You kind of came out of a young program

like that called Durango Devo.

871

:

Can you tell us how important that is?

872

:

And, you know, just just

what sort of impact that had on

873

:

you starting mountain

biking in the first place?

874

:

Yeah, definitely.

875

:

I mean, Boulder Junior cycling’s

an amazing program and they have a ton of

876

:

a ton of amazing athletes.

877

:

It's come out of it and it's just so cool

because programs like that, I go Devo.

878

:

They have just they've offered or

they offer just like, another afterschool

879

:

activity for kids and something

to keep kids, busy and get them outside.

880

:

And so Durango Devo is their motto

developing lifelong cyclists

881

:

one at a time.

882

:

It's not developing world class athletes

one right at a time, you know, and so

883

:

I grew up, you know, just two days a week

and in elementary school,

884

:

going after school

with, just a group of kids and a coach

885

:

and just go riding your bike

and having fun and learning

886

:

just small skills along the way.

887

:

And then as I got older,

they kind of naturally give you the option

888

:

to introduce a little competition as well,

and travel into some high school

889

:

league racing, with like,

some local races around here.

890

:

Jump in, like I said, with the,

the university,

891

:

the team a bit here and there and like,

it was just

892

:

it was just a really, really special thing

because most kids grow up

893

:

playing soccer,

football, baseball, basketball.

894

:

Right. And having all those options.

895

:

But nothing is quite like having

the option to, to go on and on bike ride

896

:

with your buddies like, it's it's just

it was something that I loved.

897

:

It was was good.

898

:

And then when we brought

a little competition to something I loved

899

:

and was good at it,

it was just like an awesome.

900

:

It was just a it just blossomed and

901

:

like I people ask me,

you know, occasionally from time to time,

902

:

what would you do

if you weren't a metal biker?

903

:

And I just, like, I have no clue.

904

:

When I was, my first year,

I went to my first year of university.

905

:

I went to the college here,

and I was like a really good junior.

906

:

But that wasn't good enough in mountain

biking to like, give me,

907

:

professional opportunities

straight out of juniors.

908

:

And so I was like, in school

and trying to train really hard

909

:

and wasn't sure really

what I wanted to be a school for

910

:

because I just knew my heart

and soul was in cycling.

911

:

There's no biking.

912

:

I felt like I was putting

like 50% of my energy in the school

913

:

and 50% of my energy in the cycling,

and just doing okay,

914

:

and, like, wasn't really sure where

I wanted to be here, where I wanted to go.

915

:

And so the fact that mountain biking

916

:

gave me this opportunity, to do this

as a pro is just like a dream come true.

917

:

And without programs like Devo,

without Boulder junior cycling,

918

:

without introducing kids to cycling from

a young age in a supernatural fun way,

919

:

let them develop the foundation

and the roots for why they love cycling.

920

:

But we won't.

921

:

We won't grow cycling in the US.

922

:

And so like, it's it's super,

super special and yeah,

923

:

you can look at the history of who's

924

:

come out of Durango Devo

and it'll blow your mind from Sepp Kuss,

925

:

Quinn Simmons to me, to Chris Blevins,

to Howard Grotts.

926

:

I mean, it goes on and on.

927

:

And so,

928

:

like, there's obviously

some keys to success with the way

929

:

these programs are set up from

930

:

getting kids and deciding from a young age

and not putting

931

:

any sort of competition

or pressure behind it and developing fun

932

:

and lifelong experiences and adventure

and, a sense of good personality,

933

:

character through programs like this

934

:

and then letting them find the competition

naturally.

935

:

It's like there's obviously

some cases success there that of

936

:

what is working for us,

creating an amazing cyclist.

937

:

So, yeah.

938

:

Riley,

939

:

thanks a million for giving us all that

time.

940

:

And best of luck from Bobby

and me for the last two races of the year.

941

:

Hopefully you can

then wear your World Champion jersey

942

:

and share it with the crazy Americans

in one season.

943

:

Go ahead. Yeah, exactly.

944

:

That would be so awesome.

945

:

Yeah.

946

:

Again, Riley,

thanks a million for being our guest.

947

:

It was fantastic to talk to you,

948

:

and hopefully in the future

we will have you back as a guest.

949

:

Yeah, it was super nice to meet you, too.

950

:

Thanks for having me on. Thank you. Bobby.

951

:

Pleasure.

952

:

That's everything for this week.

953

:

Now remember to follow us at Odd Tandem

on TikTok,

954

:

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and wherever

you get your favourite podcasts.

955

:

Thanks to Riley for joining the podcast.

956

:

Also, please remember

if you want to see the video version

957

:

of this podcast,

it's up on our YouTube channel right now.

958

:

Youtube.com/@OddTandem.

959

:

And if you want the full,

uninterrupted version of this podcast

960

:

and your name in the titles,

just head to our Patreon

961

:

where you can sign up for $5 a month

and keep this podcast going.

962

:

That's Patreon.com/Oddtandem

963

:

thanks to our Patreon members Scott,

Steven Kimbrough, Marie Teixeira, Jeff

964

:

Kralik, Brian Colon, Chris Merritt,

Tim Farriss, Jim, David Swartwout,

965

:

Bill Babcock, Nancy Ness,

Michael Terblanche,

966

:

Jim Burns, Swim school Bob, Steve,

967

:

Scott Nabors and Joseph who’ve done

just that.

968

:

And remember if you want your question

in our next mailbag episode

969

:

make sure you keep sending us your

questions to oddtandem@shockedgiraffe.com

970

:

or any of our oddtandem social media

channels Please keep sharing the podcast

971

:

with your friends and keep leaving

your reviews wherever you're listening.

972

:

It really helps us to build our audience.

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About the Podcast

The Odd Tandem Cycling Podcast with Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt
Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt on all things cycling
Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt are back with a brand new cycling podcast. Speaking to the biggest names in the professional peloton and sharing their wisdom from their own careers.