I sat down with Rob Brown, the newest member of McDowell Mountain Cycles. Here are a few excerpts from our interview.
MMC: You’ve been with us for what, 8 weeks so far? How’s it going?
Rob: Good! Learning a lot.
MMC: You’ve really been with us in some capacity from the very beginning. What made you want to come work here officially?
Rob: Just the attitude and seeing what you guys are doing and wanting to be a part of that.
MMC: Favorite color?
Rob: Blue
MMC: What sort of music do you like?
Rob: Classic rock. 60’s and 70’s.
MMC: How did you get started riding bicycles?
Rob: Well, I was into motorcycles for a long time and my oldest son started riding bikes and mountain bike racing and left a bike around to try to get me to try it. I guess about 7 years ago, I starting riding it a little bit and about 5 years ago I got pretty serious with it.
MMC: And, you’re one of the crazies in the bicycle world. You’re a singlespeeder…
Rob: I am. (laughs)
MMC: Haha…why?
Rob: Because it made me become a better rider. I was riding with a bunch of people who were singlespeeders and I just noticed that they were really strong climbers and their endurance was really good and I thought, “Hey, maybe I need to try this crazy thing.” So that’s all I’ve done for about the past 4 years.
MMC: Favorite food?
Rob: Hmmm. That would be a toss-up between Mexican and sushi.
MMC: How about Mexican sushi?
Rob: Haha, that might be interesting!
MMC: What’s your favorite trail?
Rob: Ahh, locally that would be Escondido. Outside of that, I would say the AZT through Flagstaff and I like a lot of the Black Canyon Trail as well. There are so many good trails, though, and we have a ton in our backyard.
MMC: Road or mountain?
Rob: I’m probably partial to mountain, but I’ve learned that road is fun, too, and it’s a great way to train.
MMC: What do you tell someone new to the sport and looking to try it?
Rob: Outside of the fact that you’re going to get into better shape, to me a lot of it is the camaraderie of doing something with friends who share the same interest as you. And I think when you’re enthusiastic about something, like most of us out here are, that seems to grow on other people and it makes them want to give it a try. As far as talking to them, I probably get a little carried away but I like to stress how much fun it is. And the group of people we have here, how much fun we have riding together.
MMC: Is there a day that’s better than New Bike Day?
Rob: My anniversary!
MMC: Well played… So your wife, Dee, rides and she’s gotten pretty darned strong in the last couple years.
Rob: She has; I’m very proud of how far she’s come in the past five years.
MMC: Has that had any impact on your relationship, being able to ride together?
Rob: When I first started riding, like I said, I came from a motocross background, and our kids raced and we all shared that. But then the kids moved on and I didn’t just want to pick up something new that I couldn’t do with my wife. So, to me, the whole interest in getting her riding was it was something we could do together. She’s my best friend, so I’d rather be riding with her than anybody!
MMC: What’s your next bike?
Rob: Trek Top Fuel.
MMC: Didn’t even hesitate…
Rob: Nope.
MMC: Do you ride in any weather?
Rob: Oh yeah.
MMC: There’s a lot more to riding bikes than racing, but a lot of us do, so why race?
Rob: For me, it’s not about trying to win, because I know I’m not that good. But it’s about going out and pushing myself and sometimes that’s hard to do otherwise. So, in a race situation, especially in a team type deal, like a 12 or 24 hour event, it makes me give that extra everything I’ve got.
MMC: Has it made you a better rider in any way?
Rob: Racing has probably made me a better rider in some ways, but more than that is just riding with the group we have here in Fountain Hills. That has probably done more to make me a better rider than the racing.
MMC: Saturday Road Ride or our TNR?
Rob: Why not both? (Laughs)
MMC: The Tour or the Giro?
Rob: The Tour
MMC: So far, what’s been your favorite aspect of being a part of MMC?
Rob: Meeting new people. I enjoy talking to people and sharing my enthusiasm and hopefully, seeing more people get involved in our sport.
MMC: Awesome, thanks Rob. Welcome to the Team!