Introduction: My cycling journey began with a childhood love for bikes that evolved into a competitive passion and a stunted career as a professional cyclist. Reflecting on these times, I met the most amazing people, gained invaluable insights, and underwent significant personal growth. Yet when burnout and setbacks threatened to extinguish my cycling flame, the combination of my return to college, carefree rides from Davis to Ruhstaller, and the creation of Boundless Locomotion miraculously reignited my passion for bikes. Nutty Cross is near and dear to my heart because it combines the joy and camaraderie I missed from my competitive cycling years with a casual and lighthearted spirit often lacking at these cycling events. I want to provide a little peak behind the curtain of my cycling journey: from racing neighborhood kids to competing as a professional cyclist across the globe to a brief period of general bitterness for the sport and then to organizing cycling events with Boundless Locomotion, which eventually brought me back to Ruhstaller for Nutty Cross. And this is where my passion for bikes and the joy of competition converged.
Early Love for Bikes: My early experiences with cycling were as simple as biking around the neighborhood and spending time with my friends. When I was fourteen, I started experimenting with longer rides. My dad, an avid cyclist, had a profound influence on me. I vividly remember watching him kit up for a ride in what seemed like a blizzard when we lived just outside of Toronto. Perhaps this is why I loved training and racing in horrendous conditions.
One of my most significant cycling milestones was conquering Cantelow Road, a local climb near our house. I started with flat pedals and cages, struggling to scale the steep 19% grade without stopping. After many failed attempts, my dad upgraded me to clipless pedals, and I conquered that climb without putting a foot down. That feeling of accomplishment was intoxicating. I summited Cantelow countless times during my training and soon became intimately familiar with every crack in the road.
The Ascent to "Professional" Cycling: My journey into competitive cycling began with a deep desire for improvement through repetition. I instantly loved the process for improvement, the freedom the bike provided, and the people within the cycling community. It led me to meet some incredible individuals who remain close friends. I joined the Davis Bike Club's hit-squad junior team, which was a powerhouse. However, it took time for me to mature into my strength and skills. In my first year in the U23 ranks, I upgraded to Cat 1 and achieved some wins in local P/1/2 races.
The Davis Bike Club Junior Race Team - 2008
San Dimas Stage Race. Cat 2 - 2009
Trying to learn CX in 2008. Check out Cody and Jeremy trying not to laugh at me on the left.
An exciting turning point came when the California Giant Berry Farms team recruited me to join their new U23 development program. This experience gave me a taste of what it meant to be a professional cyclist and the sheer dedication required. After a few years, I had the privilege of representing the US national team in a stage race through China, which was eye-opening in many ways. After that trip, I decided to pause my college education and go all-in on a cycling career, promising to return to the classroom one day when the time was right.
2010
2012
Tour of China - 2011
My next step was joining Hagens Berman Racing, an amateur outfit out of Seattle. It was there when I truly felt like a professional. The team was well-organized, and we had exposure to great national races in the US and Canada. What made it special was the bond between riders, a camaraderie that is hard to explain unless you lived it. Five racers graduated to the professional ranks the following season, including myself.
One of my favorites as a lead-out man. You can see my arms up in the background. I knew he had it as soon as I pulled off. It was an amazing feeling to win a UCI one day race as an amateur team. - 2013
Same race we won in 2013. Notice the trophy on the seat. I was destroyed for hours after.
The Breaking Point: However, my last two seasons in racing took a rocky turn. I found myself on two separate tier 3 professional teams, which left me disappointed with my performance and disillusioned with professional cycling. Health issues, both physical and mental, further exacerbated my troubles. I was diagnosed with overtraining syndrome, setting off a vicious cycle of getting sick, missed rides, and attempts to catch up through excessive training, leading to more illness. I showed up to races unprepared, performed poorly, and descended into depression and self-sabotage. I decided, although difficult, to step away from racing halfway through the 2015 season.
When you cruise the mountains of Malibu you take impromptu photo shoots. 2015
The transition was challenging. It took hard work to stop doing something where I was once in the top 1% of the global population. Even though I was unlikely to win the Tour de France, it was tough to go from identifying as a professional athlete to what? I lacked a career aspiration outside of professional sports. Now what?
Reintroduction to Fun: The unintended consequence of my decision was that I began to despise bikes, and all aspects of cycling, from the clothing to the bikes themselves, became sources of frustration. Occasionally, even the sound of a freewheel hub could send me into a spiral. I was grumpy with anyone still pursuing a career in the sport, believing they were doomed to follow my path.
It was time to fulfill the commitment I made to myself years ago: Finish college once my racing career was over.
Channeling Passion into Events: I was accepted into the business program at San Francisco State University (Go Gators!) and studied business management while taking elective courses on entrepreneurship. These classes inspired me to apply my learning to something more tangible than hypothetical group projects. Enter Boundless Locomotion, my antidote to cycling-related angst. I made a platform where I could build something within the cycling industry that aligned with my interests. The goal with Boundless Locomotion was, and still is, to remove all of the things I hated about my prior experiences pursuing a professional career in cycling and remind people that riding and racing bicycles was something we should ENJOY.
My first event was a road fondo, a classic choice for a retired roadie. I contacted Ruhstaller for support, and JE, the owner and avid cyclist, loved the idea. This first event collaboration marked the beginning of a fruitful relationship on all future events and the initial spark of a lasting friendship. The road Fondo went well, but I still needed to find a better fit.
At one point in my career I was team mates with each of these remarkable athletes. It was so great having them all come out for the road fondo in 2016
JE meeting Andrew Talansky and sharing a beer.
During this, I was spending increasing amounts of time in Davis, where a rag-tag group of hooligans started to reintroduce me to how fun it is to ride bicycles. I joined their regular "dirt church" rides from Davis to Dixon to drink beers at Ruhstaller and then ride back home before the sun went down (sometimes in the dark). The group was always looking for every patch of dirt we could find between those two locations. We commonly had multiple mechanicals and crashes, but the whole thing always left us so stoked on life. Some of us were on road bikes, which was likely a factor in our crashes and mechanicals, but we certainly embodied the gravel spirit. We rarely wore spandex and preferred summer button-ups or flannels to blend in a little more at the brewery. Armed with this new perspective on cycling and shortly after that first fondo event, I landed on the idea of the "Flannel Grinder" with the help of this rowdy group of friends. Look for the most out-of-control racers in the Men's B race at Nutty Cross, and you'll find a few of those Dirt Church members. IYKYK.
Friendship and New Beginnings: After the first Flannel Grinder event, I got a job at Ruhstaller, working closely with JE. I was at Ruhstaller during a turbulent period for the company and had a unique experience. A strong friendship blossomed between JE and me. We understood each other well, kept calm under pressure, and spent time discussing bikes over beers. I learned a ton about running a business and paying attention to details from him. Although my time there was brief, our bond remained.
Ruhstaller's continued support for the Flannel Grinder has been a blessing, and their love and dedication to crafting delicious beer has become an integral part of our cycling community.
Nutty Cross: As the pandemic upended the world, Ruhstaller was on the path to revival. During this time, their Farm transformed into something truly extraordinary. I visited the Farm's new location while it was under construction, and a crazy idea popped into my head: What if we hosted a race here?
It took time and tremendous help from Frank, Nathan, Cody, and others, but we pulled it off. Nutty Cross was born!
Conclusion: This is why Nutty Cross means so much to me. It's a celebration of everything I love about cycling and the spirit of competition. Cyclocross captures the essence of fun, even amidst the mayhem. Look at Folsom Rodeo Cross, and you'll understand. Behind the chaos, there's a ton of hard work, both from athletes and organizers. It's a party and a celebration of tremendous dedication to performance and skills at the highest level while keeping an inclusive atmosphere. It's the perfect fit with all that Boundless Locomotion stands for.
Closing Thoughts: Bikes are incredible, and the people who make up our cycling community are even more awesome. My journey from professional cyclist to event promoter has given me a profound appreciation for the cycling community. I will continue to bring people together for events and remind everyone to take things a little less seriously while being kinder to each other than is necessary. I know what the opposite of that looks and feels like, and I do not recommend it.
Call to Action: I invite you to join us at Nutty Cross and the Flannel Grinder each year, two events you want to attend, and keep an eye out for anything else we decide to cook up. Boundless Locomotion will keep the challenges coming, but we will also remind you why you ride bikes in the first place: because it's fun!
I hope to see many of you in Dixon on November 18, 2023. Don't forget to have fun out there :)
- Chris Stastny
