PEORIA'S ORIGINAL OUTDOOR STORE. SINCE 1971.

What outdoor sports do you enjoy?
Mountain bike racing,road riding,trail running and gravel grinding ( riding back roads made of gravel)

What's your favorite product or brand in the store and why?
Giant bikes, I've been riding and racing the Giant NRS for around 5 or 6 years and they have never let me down.

What favorite competitions have you participated in?
24-hr mountain bike racing at 24-9 in Wuasau,Wi. Mohican 100 MTB race in Ohio and The Trans Iowa Gravel races.

What's your greatest sporting achievement?
two 2nd place finishes at 24-9 (24 Hours of 9 mile)

What's a sport/outdoor lesson you learned the hard way?
Endurance racing requires you to eat calories...Bonking sucks !

What's the strangest/scariest thing that has happened during an event?
A terrible thunder storm with heavy lightning came rolling in last year during a gravel race in Dekalb,Il swollen creaks and lightning hitting all around me for 2 hrs.

Tell us how many hours a week you train and how you stay motivated.
If I have a event coming up,15 to 20 hrs is common, motivation can be hard with so much time on the bike, but I like trying to push myself to finish a crazy race that others don't even think about trying.

Name the next item you're planning to buy from the store and why?
I'm in the store on a regular basis buying my nutrition needs but would like to walk in some time and buy a Giant Anthem 29r

What's your most useful advice for someone who's thinking about getting into your sport for the first time?
Learn nutrition, you can't race if you don't know what your body needs to keep going. Keep your bike in top shape, get a mechanic if you don't know what to do.Bob and Al have kept my NRS's in top shape for all of my races.

What music do you train to?
nothing when I race but you will always here some Metalica or Pantera coming from my car or head phones before a race.

What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?
While training for my 3rd 24 hr race,I learned from a guy to do 6 to 7 hour rides on back to back days instead of a long 10 or 12 hr ride.I really believe that's why I hit the podium for two years in a row

What's the most memorable event you've competed in?
Racing on the same course with the pro's at 24-9 was pretty cool and the two attempts at Trans Iowa I'll never forget.

What new sport would you like to try and why?
Snowboarding... I need a cool Winter sport.