Interviewed at Bay Front Park, San Francisco, on April 2, 2026

When did you first start riding road bikes?

I bought a gravel bike in 2023, on my birthday. That was the vehicle that allowed me to get into all sorts of cycling — road cycling, gravel cycling specifically.

Did you try it first, or did you just get it on a whim?

I was into skateboarding when I moved here, and then I moved here and had no one to skate with and kept injuring myself. So I was like, "I need to find a new thing on wheels." I saw so many people cycling around and thought, "I like riding bikes — let's get a bike." I was curious about trails and road riding, and gravel biking kind of found me. I tested out a couple of gravel bikes and then bought one.

When did you get serious about riding?

I got a job at Specialized doing social media things for them. I thought I was into bikes, but I was not into bikes at that point. That job really accelerated my knowledge and awareness of cycling culture, community, and everything that goes along with it. I'd say late 2023 I started going on bigger rides and riding on work days — like an after-work ride — which was something I would never have done before.

So your job actually got you into it?

Yeah. I joined Specialized maybe five months after I bought my bike, and it changed a lot for me. I was around people who rode bikes a lot and knew a lot about it, so I was able to learn and develop everything I knew about cycling.

What does "serious" mean to you?

I think it means very intentionally going out of your way to go on a bike ride — planning it out multiple days in advance, doing it consistently. I think once you start thinking about nutrition, or going for a certain pace, or wanting to climb a certain amount of feet, and you start building consistency around those more goal-oriented desires — that's when it gets serious.

It's kind of a flywheel effect. It's fun, and then the more you do it, the more fun it gets because you feel fitter.

The more serious you are, the more serious you want to become. It just keeps snowballing, and next thing you know it's all you think about.

Talk more about that.

It's really changed things. I was always mildly interested in the weather, but now I'm checking it religiously — multiple locations, multiple times a day. Checking wind speed, UV index, things I would never have looked at before.

And the more you get into something, the more you learn about niche things. I was fortunate to work for a cycling apparel brand, so I was able to expand on that whole side of things — helmets, clothing, what different gear is used for. That really snowballed.

You have a pretty awesome helmet collection. What can you say about that?

I do have quite a few helmets. I have a good friend I met at Specialized who still works there and does custom paint jobs for VIP clients and specific Specialized riders. He did a bunch of paint samples on some helmets and they weren't his size, so he was able to give a few to me. They're pretty cool and unique, and I love wearing them.

I am genuinely envious of your helmet collection. It's really cool. In what ways does road biking impact your life?

Almost every way. It's really been the core of my community for the last two years. It's taken me all over the world, which is amazing, and it's made me much healthier — not that I was unhealthy before, but I'm extremely fit now and very dedicated to staying active.

It's also helped me learn the Bay Area really well. It's a great way to explore without necessarily relying on GPS — you can just think, "this road looks cool, let's see where it goes," or "I wonder if this connects to that area over there." I feel comfortable calling the Bay Area my home because I really do know these roads — almost better than the roads where I grew up. It's taken me a lot of places and I've met a lot of great people.

Do you ever drive anywhere?

I don't have a car anymore. I did have one the first few years living here, and I have driven out for some rides — this weekend I might actually do that, though that's more mountain bike oriented. But I've definitely driven out for road rides too.

I was more thinking about when you were talking about learning the roads.

Oh — when I drive, I often take a route that I normally bike, and then I realize it's a really stupid way to drive. Like, there's a freeway. I'll take my parents to Mount Tam and then try to go check out Sausalito, and I'll start driving like I'm about to get on the bike path and it's the wrong freeway direction.

But I really like driving places I've cycled because it gives you a new appreciation. As a cyclist and as a driver you can see both sides. I think it's actually really fun to drive a road you've biked — you're going twice the speed with no effort.

It's funny, the uphill takes no effort in a car. Your experience of the topography is so different.

Exactly — there's no hard work and then relief. It's just steady the whole way.

Have you ever felt like road biking has negatively impacted your life?

A little bit. I've dealt with some injuries from road biking, and while those are a negative, the trade-off is far worth it. I think it's improved almost every aspect of my life. It's made me more dedicated and focused on other things. It's somewhere I've developed a lot of diligence, and I'm able to apply that elsewhere. And because I want to ride bikes, I'm willing to work harder so I can have more time to do things like that. It's also helped my relationships blossom.

I don't think it's ever really taken away from something. I'm never having to sacrifice something to ride a bike.

Net, net do you think road biking is positive or negative?

Extremely positive, in multiple ways beyond just personal benefits. I take pride in benefiting the environment — not polluting as much as I would if I were driving everywhere. I bike almost everywhere I go, or take the bus. It feels great to be outside, exploring, with minimal impact on the environment around me.

Do you have any goals for yourself in regards to road biking?

Not necessarily. I'm really content with consistency — sometimes that means more biking, sometimes less, but as long as I'm happy with the amount I'm doing, that's cool. Getting faster or stronger is always a goal, but I'm very content where I'm at. I'm lucky to ride with a lot of really fast people, which is humbling, but it's always a win if I can hang with the fast group for a day or even just for a climb. I never feel bad about myself. My only real goal is just to keep riding bikes.

What are some things you absolutely love about cycling?

I love going uphill, I love climbing. I love the feeling of summiting a mountain and being greeted with an amazing view you might not get any other way.

I love the feeling of going fast without too much effort. It doesn't happen all the time, but on a certain type of road where you're pushing a little but not all out and you're still cruising at 25 to 30 miles an hour — that's amazing.

I love where it takes me, exploring new areas. I always look at my heat map of everywhere I've ridden, and it's super cool to zoom out and see, for example, that I've ridden 380 miles of Highway 1 from Fort Bragg down to Big Sur — that whole stretch is completed now, which I think is really cool.

I like maps, so being able to incorporate that with riding is something I genuinely enjoy. And I just think bikes look cool. It feels cool to ride a bike.

That feeling of going fast without much effort — I always wonder if that's what a bird feels like when it's migrating. Just cruising, working, but effortlessly.

Yeah. I also love riding with the right people. My ideal ride involves two or three people, or just by myself. But there are times in a big group where everyone is comfortable with each other and the synergy is amazing — ripping a paceline for 20, 30 minutes, or even an hour, working really well together and feeling comfortable. That's a really cool feeling too.

If you had zero constraints on your time, how many hours a week do you think you would ride?

I just wrapped up what I think was my biggest week ever — about 20 hours. And that's not all structured training; I ride to work every day which is about an hour total, and I ride around town just for transportation. But I'd say 15 to 20 hours, maybe more. I've never really tried taking two weeks and just riding as much as I want to see how fatiguing it would be. But I think riding two to three hours every day — maybe even more — would be amazing.

And what's your best guess for an average week right now?

I've been pretty consistent over the last nine months or so, getting around 12 to 15 hours a week, which is amazing.

What is something you wish a non-cyclist could experience about riding?

There's a really satisfying feeling of working so hard physically that you know you're suffering, but being able to continue and overcome the challenge — whether it's a climb, trying to catch up to someone, whatever. It feels really good to accomplish that little victory, and it's accessible at all different levels.

A sunset descent on Mount Tam — I would wish that upon anyone. It's as good as it gets.

And I also think it would be valuable for non-cyclists to experience the danger and discomfort of riding around cars. It can be pretty scary, and it's something people don't think about if they've never ridden. There are people who are intentionally aggressive toward cyclists, but a lot of people just don't know. I've been in the car with friends who pass cyclists and ask, "Was that okay?" and I have to tell them no, you need to give more space. If more people experienced cycling from a cyclist's point of view, there would be a lot safer driving.

I was thinking about the first part of your answer — getting into a zone of discomfort and pushing through it. We have a lot of emotional and intellectual discomfort in life, but there aren't many opportunities to really hit a physical limit and realize you're way stronger than you thought.

Yeah, I'd say it's actually pretty uncommon — even in other sports. In endurance sports you'd find it, but in most team sports you're not really hitting a point where you're struggling against yourself for an extended period. That's a big part of it.

Yeah, it’s the self-doubt you're fighting.

Exactly.

Have you ever taken a total break from cycling, and if so, why?

The only breaks I've taken have been injury related, which is unfortunate, but it's also helpful to have that reset. I think it's important to step back from anything and reevaluate.

Last year I took a full week off voluntarily, which was something I'd never done without an injury. Normally if I need a big rest I'll take two or three days, or whatever comes up while traveling. But I'd never taken a week off by choice before, and it was needed — more for things happening outside of cycling. I needed a general reset.

What did you experience taking a week off by choice?

Desire to ride, mostly. It was hard not to because I felt like I could — but I'd committed to a week, so I stuck with it. I was pretty bored. I was dealing with some hard things outside of cycling, and cycling is such a helpful tool — a distraction, a way to work through problems. Not having that tool was hard.

It's funny — I think a lot about whether it's a distraction or a genuine solution. There's the neurochemical side, the dopamine and real physiological benefits. But there's also just the time it takes up. Does the deep ruminative thinking that happens on the bike mean you're consciously working through a problem, or removing yourself from it? It's hard to know.

Yeah. I'm fortunate that my life here doesn't have a lot of responsibilities pulling at me outside of work, so it does feel like a kind of luxury. I don't feel like I'm taking away from something when I'm riding. It's helpful.

Last question — describe yourself as a cyclist using just three words.

Adventurous. Excited. And, impressed.

Impressed. I like that, that’s good.

I'm impressed by a lot of things — the people I ride with, but more than that, the places. We live in a really beautiful area and we're very spoiled by it. I'll never get tired of any road I ride, any location I visit, any beach I pass. It's a special place.