Meet
Joe
Home place
Bloomington, Indiana, USA. Sometimes Cicero, Indiana, USA., if I’m away from school. I get choice of flats or rollers!
Why I Ride
When I ride, I don’t think about anything. I love putting my head down and completely forgetting about everything else. To me, it’s healing. And when I do look up, it’s nice to recognize new places I’m seeing and new people I’m interacting with.
What I Ride
2006 Merlin Agilis, 2003 LiteSpeed Blade
Favourite Race so far
Gotta be Psycho! Those flat roads are my jam, and views of the little inlets are so cool. The Beliveaus also do a wonderful job race directing.
An endurance highlight
At Big Jay’s 12 hour I broke away solo from the main group at mile 100. I believed the peloton was right behind me the entire time, so I pushed super hard in very hot temperatures. I finished with 254.5 miles – over 20 miles ahead of the next rider. That winning high ended when I tried my first IPA. It was lukewarm and did NOT make me feel like the happy little dude pictured on the can.
My most challenging moment
Shortly before CASA24 in 2023, I moved everything out of my apartment, was going through burnout, sickness and was running on very little sleep. It was a challenging decision to get on that starting line. I made excuses, but I knew I’d paid for registration, and that I needed to race.
What I tell myself to keep the bike moving forward
I’m still working on self-talk and motivation to keep the bike moving. But if I know there’s a carrot up the road, I’ll always chase it.
Racing or Riding Goals
Be fully supported in races around the country. I’d like to race in more west-coast races, which I don’t yet have means for.
What endurance teaches me
It’s cool how one small action – a pedal stroke – when done repeatedly, can take you very far. You can race in distant places, write stories, make new connections, careers. It’s all because you committed to doing that little thing over and over.
Favourite treat-food on the bike
A nice cold Snickers ice cream bar and RedBull’s latest “summer edition” flavor.