A Saturday in Colorado Springs with Finn Gullickson

We asked our athlete, Finn Gullickson, what his favorite ride is. No strings attached, not his favorite workout, not his favorite “epic day out”, just his favorite ride. Finn is a professional on the road with the Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling Team. He is a young up and comer, and we are lucky to be working with him. Sorry, I’m rambling, on to the good stuff. Here’s what Finn had to say about his favorite ride. The following is all written by Finn, and we hope you enjoy it!

Every Saturday morning local riders from the Colorado Springs area convene downtown at a Starbucks to take on a 60 mile loop around the south side of the city. The Starbucks actually happens to be a block away from where I went to high school and luckily for me only a five-minute ride from my house. The ride rolls east out of town really easy until finally we take a right hand turn and the first flat effort of the ride begins. This first effort is long and flat making it possible for riders who aren’t as strong to hang at the back of the group and not get dropped right away. After the sprint finish of the first effort the group turns around and heads north back towards town, stopping at a gas station to refuel on the way. The group ride finishes with an optional climbing effort up to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, where the gradient gets steeper and steeper until separation between riders is inevitable, this is where the strong riders are able to really test their legs. From the zoo, I either have the option to ride straight home and make it a three hour/sixty mile loop or, what I normally do is add on a few more climbs on my way home to make it a four or even five hour ride.

After doing my first few group rides on a cross bike in oversize cycling kits then starting my first road race a few months after, I have learned to embrace the pain in my legs and lungs and made it to the professional level. I still use the Saturday group ride as a really quality training tool, and a way to gauge my fitness at different points in the season. Catching up with friends and the local cycling community makes the ride fly by and provides an opportunity to meet other riders and maybe even make future ride plans.

I would encourage any cyclists, no matter where you live to check out a local group ride. If you are just starting out and haven’t raced yet, it could be a good way to get your feet wet and get comfortable riding with a big group. These rides are a great way to find new riding friends that are a similar strength, because riding on your own is great for a while but can get stale and repetitive. Even experienced riders can use group rides as a way to mix up their normal interval training rides and even practice some race tactics. Just remember it’s a group ride not a race, so stay safe!