In this episode of All Things Endurance, host Rick Prince chats with cycling race director, Micah Rice, about the rise in popularity of gravel riding/racing, and what the future or gravel riding looks like. Micah is the race director of one of the most popular gravel races in the United States, SBT GRVL, and other gravel and mountain bike events such as Pikes Peak Apex.
Micah has over 25 years of being involved with some of the most prestigious cycling events in North America, including a role as VP of National Events with USA Cycling. As such, Micah brings a level of experience and knowledge regarding the current and future of gravel riding/racing that few others possess.
Areas covered in the podcast:
- Your background/what events are you currently the race director of
- The sport of cycling has changed a lot over the years concerning what disciplines are popular. Currently, gravel is the hot discipline. Could you talk about how we got here?
- What you do think is the allure of gravel riding/racing?
- How big of an influence is distracted driving to lure cyclists away from road riding?
- Where do you see the future of gravel riding/racing going?
- If someone wanted to consider getting into gravel riding/racing, what would you advise them?
- What are some key differences between gravel racing and road racing?
- If someone wanted to be a professional road cyclist, is gravel a viable route to get there given the lack of road races in the US?
