Being the host of the Bikerumor Media Cup, the race within a race for us blogger/journo folk at the 2010 Breck Epic, I’m also throwing my hat in the ring and sharing a bit about myself, mad libs style. So far, you’ve met Rich “Team Dicky†Dillen and Doper Suck’s Brandon Dwight and Jasen Thorpe, and should the other folks that have said they’re participating bother to send in their profiles in the coming weeks, you’ll learn about them, too. And next week, I unveil the grand prize. Until then, here’s me in a nutshell:
Name: Tyler Benedict
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Breck Epic Race Bike: 2010 Niner Jet 9 and a Santa Cruz Blur Carbon as a back up in case I do something stupid
Bike Spec: Manitou fork, Black Flag Pro wheels w/ Maxxis rubber, SRAM XX and Easton bar/stem/post, and the Blur will have the new XTR.
Bike Weight: 26lbs 1oz, but it might get lighter with a few key parts swaps should things come through before race day. I haven’t weighed the Blur yet.
My name’s Tyler Benedict and I’ve been riding bikes since I was five or six years old and racing for about 9 years, but that was like six years ago. I used to race Sport, and stayed Sport because every year the Sport guys kept getting faster, and my favorite racing accomplishment is beating Rich Dillen at the inaugural Cowbell Classic, FTW!I’m ‘racing’ in the Bikerumor Media Cup because I produce ridiculous amounts of content for Bikerumor and because it was my idea. Unfortunately, Jasen Thorpe is racing in the Cup too, which sucks because all these other bike journalists I talk to say he’s an animal and will likely make me look as slow as I really am. I haven’t met the other folks in person, so I can’t, er, shouldn’t comment.
However, Rich Dillen is racing in it too, which is good because even though I only beat him at the Cowbell because his rear hub blew up and he pulled out, he talks slightly more smack than Peter Keiller, which will make it extra satisfying. Plus, Dicky says Peter’s slow, so where’s the fun in that? It’s like kicking a hurt puppy.
Thus far, my training has consisted of riding sporadically at altitude at various press camps. In the month leading up to the Breck Epic this August, I’ll be preparing by holding my breath at or below sea level trying to catch Florida spiny lobster in the Keys and drinking lots of beer, then sitting in a car to drive from Key West all the way to Breckenridge with the wife and kids, all the while hoping that Evan is holding down Bikerumor HQ and my house in a satisfactory manner.
If I win the Cup, I’ll celebrate by sharing the prize beer and taking a good long nap.
Hot action shot after the break…
