16
NOV/DEC 2018
17
putting in training time
OOM: Besides riding your bike, what other training do you do?
RU: For cyclocross I will run. I used to run cross country in middle school but chose
to do it as training for cross and it’s really helped a lot. I will also go to my coach’s
gym to do plyometrics and other workouts with him.
OOM: Do you ever wake up and say, “I don’t want to ride today” or is that
never an issue?
RU: There are days like that but I always tell myself to give it 15 minutes on the bike
before I make a call on whether I stay at home or not.
OOM: Who are some of your training partners in Bend?
RU: My dad is one of my biggest but Gavin Bowen is someone who I train with a lot
along with his dad Bart, my coach. Otherwise I tend to ride alone or sometimes I will
meet up with someone but not too often.
OOM: Who are your current coaches?
RU: My current coach is Bart Bowen and I have trained with him for about 3 or 4
years now.
QUICK FACTS
Age: 16
Born in: Bend Oregon
School: Summit High School
Grade: 11
Sports: Cycling, skiing
P: Whit Bazemore
Uncle ben sealed the deal
OOM: Do you remember your first bike? When did the training
wheels come off?
RU: I heavily resisted until I was at the age of 5, but my uncle Ben came
out for a summer and by the end of the first day I was riding down the
stairs at our local park. From that summer on I have been in love with the
sport.
OOM: Was there any purpose or thought behind naming you Ryder?
RU: My name would have been Cadence if I was a girl. My parents never
wanted to pressure me into racing but I just found a love for it from their
support.
OOM: Do you think sacrificing much of your teenage social life is
worth it? Do you have any time to hangout with friends?
RU: This is something I think about all the time. If anything it has taught
me to find the most valuable friends because they are the ones worth
making my time for. I may have 1-2 days a week and sometimes not even
which makes you truly value the people you have.
OOM: What’s it like being an only child? Do you ever get bored and
wish you had somebody to wrestle with, bike, or hang out with?
RU: It can get quite boring but I tend to have something keeping me busy
which is always nice. I don’t know how I would have developed if I was
born with another sibling. It’s an interesting thought.
P: Karen Jones
P: Glen Bolin
OOM: You ride for a few teams, tell us a little more about them. How has the
team concept help you improve?
RU: The atmosphere on the Bear Development Team is wonderful. I’ve made so
many friends and connections across the country and I feel like a part of a family. I
really look forward to this year with Top Club Cyclocross and it’s an awesome group
of coaches and racers. I sadly don’t see them nearly as much as they are mostly in
California and there are a lack of races for me down there this year.
OOM: What do you consider is a satisfying race performance?
RU: If I finish knowing there wasn’t anything else I could have done. I feel like I
have a steep learning curve which is why I am having so many mechanical issues. I
recently found a way to help my back which I have been struggling with for years. I
find that I am satisfied with a race when I am completely drained at the finish line.