Navigating A Privateer Life

Just a little update, I'll be moving to Monterey so I wanted to catch up, tried to talk about some new tech or soon to be wheelsize fight.  A few legends of the bike industry had died including Roland Della Santa,  a Reno frame builder who built amazing frames for people like Greg Lemond.  Thanks for listening, and supporting me through this transition.Support the show

Shanaze Reade, Jamie Staff, and Chris Hoy were all renowned Bmx racers in their day, but became world champions on the velodrome.  Watching their rise on the track shows the powerful sprinting powers that BMX creates.  Any BMX racer out there should go race track to, create different competition and opportunities to grow as a cyclist.  Check out Freebooterracing.com for a special on getting a new Track bike if your Bmx racer, it's only $400 dollars, or a new Bmx race bike for $350.  Sign up for our Patreon, to get discounts on those bikes and many other bikes including enduro and road bikes.  Support the show

I sit down with my old friend Jon Wilson, and we talk about bikes.  Jon Wilson was a 2x National Collegiate Champion and the winner of the first NMBS Super D series.  We talk about how being a fun person can lead to sponsorships, going pro too soon or doing it to ride with the best, and the stories that led to him being a local legend.You can find an unedited version of the interview on Freebooterracing.com and you can check out Jon Wilson's Brewery tour if you are ever in the Reno/Tahoe area.Support the show

Graeme Obree was the one hour record holder as well as a 2x Pursuit world champion.  His story is one of being self made as well as struggling against rules, governing bodies, and social nonacceptance.  Take his story and help it guide you to why your riding.His biography and his movie The Flying Scottsman are a great read or watch.  They tell his story of the path to his one hour record.  The latest movie Battle Mountain, tells the story of the struggles to beat the human powered speed record.We get in to what you need to do to pitch a sponsor to support you. The pitch and numbers you need to properly approach a sponsor.Support the show

There are some races that are in a world of their own.  They create feeling that leave a taste in your mouth for the rest of your life.  Some of those races aren't big, or very prestigious but put you in a place that is unique. Some races change the direction of cycling like the Downieville Classic or the Dirty Kanza.  Some are a reason to let loose with other racers who you usually see on a tough weekend before they have to trek home.  Stagnate racing comes quickly.  Bike racer are always interested in something new and unique.  Bmx is a sport that is fighting that tooth and nail for no other reason than they see competition with new bike parks.  This has never been the case for racers.  We want more, we want different, and we want lots of people to see us.  This podcast was sparked by a cool indoor mtb race at Paris, France in 1996.  It got me wondering about how many other cool races I've been around or that have changed the way racing is.  Hope you enjoy my rant.Remember to follow us on Instagra

Taking a look at the spectrum of extreme focus to extreme versatility.  The careers of Sean Palmer and Nico Vouilloz are opposites.  They came together in the 1996 World Downhill championships with one of the closest victory margins of all time.  Palmer is a legend among action sports and was the unspoken, or overspoken, ambassador of the 90's extreme sports movement.  While Vouilloz is the hands down most successful Downhill racer of all time.  To learn about how you approach cycling and all it's diciplines is about what you want.  Do you want to be like Sean Palmer, Peter Sagan, or Jared Graves?  Do you want to be like Nico Vouilloz, Lance Armstrong,  or Julien Absalon?  Focused or diverse?Support the show

A quick update on how my training has gone nowhere followed by an interesting take of the medical paper the Psychology of Pain.  Studies on how the brain perceives pain as it comes in contact with emotions.  This is a powerful tool to use when you are planning your training and how you approach your racing.Make sure you donate on Patreon, we have cool packages and discounts to our store which will have bikes and parts for our privateers. We are starting reviews so keep an eye out on youtube for those to come up.  We will be giving away our reviewed product so make sure you keep up with us, we move slow so it shouldn't be that tough. Thanks for listening.Support the show

  In 2004, I rode in the shadow of the mountains that Tour de France legend Greg Lemond trained on.  Knowing what he did helped drive me to reach my dream goals.  The ultimate goal of what you want to achieve in cycling.Your ambition is as big as your goals, make sure you approach your dreams with the same amount of ambition as you can put into it.  Knowing your idols training regiment will help you put that into perspective.  Support the show

Coming out of highschool into the real world can be a tough prospect for aspiring pro racers, even ones that aren't trying to go pro, but still be a competitive racer.It was my first competetive year as an adult, self funded, and brutal.  The life of partying and riding bikes clashing constantly.  I made it to the national championship.  I did well at the national championship.  This is the story of that race.Make sure you check out our Patreon, where you can get discounts on product that we review at freebooterracing.comSupport the show

The Athertons have been powerhouses in the world of gravity mountain bike racing.  So what do you do when your goals are to "just continue to win world championships".  It's a nice problem to have, but we have seen others jump out of the sport to keep things fresh.  The Athertons went in a different direction.  This is a little bit about how their pivoting kept the family on the move and a continuous success in downhill racing.Support the show

On my comeback journey I felt I was doing well.  Out of nowhere my little brother, Brody Honea an off road motorcycle racer racing for  Chidester Transport Racing, wanted to go for a ride.  Putting me back into my brain, questioning if I was ever going to be ready to get into the race scene again.A roller coaster of thoughts, It was good to ride with my brother again.Support the show

Racing is a product of the times.  While riding your bike never changes, the popularity of disciplines waxes and wanes in the ever fickle world of what bike riders think are cool.  Today is so diverse in what you can race, I think it is truly incredible.  Bmx to fat bike snow races are just an indicator of the paths you can choose to get the most out of you racing career.Roland Green was a product of the "Lance Train".  A fast and talented racer had an unprecedented rise to become the XC World Champion, then as he began to transition to the lucrative world of road racing, a crash ended his career.  Then nothing from Roland Green. Learn from the Story of Roland Green to take advantage of the times not just become a product of them.  Support us on Patreon to purchase products we test at a discounted price.  Support the show

When I drove around for work, I always saw a healthy dose of mid morning riders at the trail heads.  I was always jealous of the fact that it was always perfect temperature, there was no rush to beat the sun going down, and that I was going to work.  This was my first ride that I was able to try to recreate that feeling, but things didn't go quite as planned.  Support the show

The alter ego is a way to approach cycling in any way you want.  The story of Marco Pantani showed how his fierce alter ego "The Pirate" and the man off the bike were completely different.Make sure you check out our Patreon page.  We have privateer support tiers of all levels.Support the show

Life changes are in the works.  Big ones.   A grand plan is finally set in motion through the loss of my job.  A little bit of a rant, but don't be fooled I'm ready to pursue a racing life once again.Support the show

The story of Kuwahara and how it relates to personal dignity.  Do you feel it's better for a brand to do whatever it takes to make money and stay alive, or stay small and a little obscure to keep the name true?  Take the lessons of Kuwahara into your personal racing career to create the right path as you create your racing identity.Support the show

A place to start.  A base to tell my story of being a privateer bike racer.  The feelings, stresses and envy.  These are the thoughts, from me as I start my journey to become a bike racer again.  Support the show