I thought about quitting racing when I was 19 years old.
I was driving from Petaluma, where I lived at the time, to a trailhead near Fairfax. There were thoughts circulating around my head about how conformed I had become with each pedal stroke I had taken over the last few years. I stepped out of my car and couldn't wrap my head around the idea of completing the four-hour training session my coach had prescribed for the day. I had already gone rogue and ditched the road bike in favor of the mountain bike, hoping I could at least get the hours in on the ''fun'' bike. My duffel bag on the passenger seat was full of form-fitting spandex plastered with logos from companies that paid me to live this dream. I missed riding like a reckless kid through the neighborhoods where I grew up in wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I left the duffel bag packed, locked the car and set out up Mt. Tam in my jeans and a flannel.
I felt as if I had traveled back in time to my childhood and was overwhelmed with a new love for my bike. I rode bikes for fun as a kid and I never thought it would get so serious. It got too serious.
On that ride I realized that as a "Grownup" I could just ride faster and farther than when I was a kid! I challenge you to embrace this idea of fun and go rip it in a flannel and jeans. Trust me, that smile won't be wiped away for weeks!
Fast forward five years to a recon ride of the FlannelGrinder route. We set out in flannels with tubes, patches and giant grins on our faces. It was one of the best days on a bike I have ever had, and it brought back nostalgic memories of that day on Mt. Tam.
We want to share our sense of adventure with you and help you get away from the seriousness that bike racing can often be. Come rip some new roads, drink some beers, and devour some tacos with us on April 9, 2017. It’s time to embrace debikery.
-Ryan Eastman.
Emergency Medical Technician
Former Professional Cyclist