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NOV/DEC 2018
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adapting the school schedule
OOM: How are you handling the grind of public school, with the demands of
an emerging cycling career?
RU: I found I had to adapt my schedule for the year to fit my racing and training.
I decided to take two opens so I can get training done more effectively during the
winter where I was chronically short on time last year. I also decided to take two AP
classes rather than four like some kids.
OOM: Have your teachers been understanding? Have to struck any arrange-
ments?
RU: Most of my teachers get it and are super helpful with my travel schedule and I’m
so grateful.
OOM: You’re a Junior this year, will you be able to finish out four years at
Summit High School or will you look for a education program that will suit
your busy schedule?
RU: I plan to finish my senior year here at Summit. It’s a great school and I love the
teachers here and the classes I take and I look forward to another year.
OOM: Your family moved to the eastside of town, but your school is in the
westside of town. Are you huffing it to school every morning or giving the legs
a break by driving?
RU: Most mornings I drive. I rode a lot during my sophomore year but would be
exhausted in classes during the morning.
OOM: Do you think you will go straight to college after graduating?
RU: I plan to attend COCC for two years. Partly because it’s cheap and it gives me
time to choose what I want to do with myself while still racing.
“I KNOW THAT IF I DID MY WORK-
OUTS, ATE WELL AND RESTED
ENOUGH I WILL NOT HAVE ANY WAY
TO CHANGE THE RESULT”
three racing seasons then sleep
OOM: Do you have any pre-race rituals?
RU: I do not and that is good in my opinion. I used to be very ritualistic but I have
moved away from that and choose to let things play out as they may. I know that if I
did my workouts, ate well and rested enough I will not have any way to change the
result.
OOM: For people who don’t know the cycling race seasons, take us through a
year?
RU: In the past, my Cyclocross season has ended after nationals on January 7th but
this year nationals is in December which will give me more recovery time. I generally
take 1-2 weeks off and by February I am training or at least riding again. March is
when the early mountain bike season starts and it has less density within the races
with more weeks in between races. However it goes until early summer for me when
nationals happens around July 20th. Then I will take 1-2 weeks off and start building
for my cyclocross season.
OOM: Do you prefer one season over the other? Do you have a favorite?
RU: I have been trying my best to keep an unbiased view of all of them. Road is the
most recent one I have gotten into and I look forward to exploring it more and more.
Mountain biking has always brought me peace and I have always loved riding the
trails and racing hard. Cyclocross is so diverse for me. I will ride my cross bike on
the trails and go on gravel rides without any of it feeling out of place. Of course they
all vary when it comes to racing but that keeps it interesting for me.
OOM: After a long season of training and racing, what does Ryder do to relax?
When is downtime?
RU: I sleep a lot. I love naps in the afternoon and during the school year I will catch
up on schoolwork. Otherwise I will play guitar and find some way to keep occupied.
OOM: Favorite race of the year? Least favorite but still need to make an ap-
pearance? Or do you like them all?
RU: I love them all in their own special ways. The Best Of Both took me by surprise
to how fun doing a road race then a mountain bike race is and the Bend Gravel
Grinder was super new to me and I loved it. My least favorite race had to be Mud-
slinger this year. I did not wear proper clothing and was close to hypothermic and
cramped awfully. I still somehow enjoyed a bit of it when I wasn’t losing my sanity.
OOM: What race conditions do you prefer? Rocky high desert, muddy temper-
ate rain forest, or the cold slippery cyclocross evenues in the winter?
RU: I love racing in mud. It’s so unusual to me with the dry climate in Bend. I love
the riding and racing here year round because I do enjoy all the dust to a point and I
do love riding some snow too.
OOM: What countries would you like to race in?
RU: I would love to race overseas this year especially in Belgium.
OOM: Are you a good bike mechanic or do you let others take care of your
equipment?
RU: I will do small fixes but mainly I leave it up to my dad or my mechanic.
OOM: Who are some of the older cyclist that you look up to in Bend? Who are
some of the young guns who we should be watching out for?
RU: I look up to my coach Bart quite a bit among many other pros and retired pros
such as Carl Decker or Eric Martin. I’d watch out for Ian Brown he’s gonna be quick.
OOM: Most people outside of the biking world wouldn’t understand why guys
need to shave their legs. Explain the purpose of a clean shave?
RU: Well I have not shaved in months but I am shaving for cyclocross season when
I use Embro to heat up the legs when it’s frigid outside.
OOM: Do you agree with everything US Cycling is doing? Is there anything
you would change?
RU: For the most part USAC is doing a great job at growing cycling nationally but
I disagree with their mindset towards junior cycling and cyclocross. They have cut
funding for sending juniors to Europe which is a pain along with cutting much of the
cyclocross budget as they attempt to grow track cycling.
OOM: What top finish are you most proud of? What podium has eluded you?
What podium is a lofty goal?
RU: This year I’m looking for top 5 at cyclocross nationals and I’m very proud of my
win at Reno Cross in the Category 1 men.
OOM: Could you ever imagine your life without cycling?
RU: I prefer not to but it seems very bleak.
OOM: Do you always look to the future or are you living/cycling in the mo-
ment?
RU: I think anonymous the future but I prefer to focus on how I’m living and racing
right now and how I can improve that.
OOM: Even with former champion Lance Armstrong making cycling well
known in America, do you think cycling has a long way to go to become a
P: Whit Bazemore