Sports Garage Ambassador Brian Firle has been a member of the SG family for over a decade now. Like a fine wine, our friendship has only gotten better with age. Originally a shop mechanic, Brian has since become a family man who recently moved to Durango where he continues to share his passion for cycling with a global community.
We caught up with Brian to find out how spending time on two wheels–Hunt Wheels, specifically–improves his outlook on life, what bikes he prefers on which of his local trails (hint: he has a comprehensive fleet!), and more. Find it all and get inspired to start planning your next trip to southwestern Colorado, below.
What was it like being a mechanic at SG? Is the culture the same, or has it changed?
Lots of life has happened since I was on staff at the SG! I wrenched there from 2010-2012, over ten years ago now! The culture at the time was so fun and I can still remember every employee, many of the jokes, all the riding trips, and little moments that made that crew so special. It’s been awesome to watch the culture of the SG remain the same after all these years. The SG has always been the go-to place for real riders looking for real help, service, and advice from the experts. The employees have always been the purists who ride, as well as the perfectionists who are meticulous with your bike and your riding purchases.
How does being an ambassador for SG fit with your professional and family life?
The SG holds a special place in my heart because the clients and (most of) the employees are just senders who ride, not pros looking to be somebody. They are restaurant owners, moms, dads, van-lifers, teachers, normal folks who go out and chase a rip whenever they get a chance.
I’ve moved into a season of life where I’m not racing at an elite level anymore and I’m just chasing the miles here and there like everyone else with day jobs and a family. What’s amazing about living in Durango is there is so much good riding right out our door. Whether it’s town-rides on our local slabby, chunky gnar, or mid/high-country rides that take you up into the San Juan Mountains, there is so much riding to do and so much variety. Being equipped with both an XC and Trail bike, allows me tons of flexibility to put in miles and go fast, or climb slow and scare myself on our local DH trails.
Family life is so sweet and spending time with my family is my first priority. But what I’ve learned is that taking care of myself and finding my own inspiration and joy actually empowers me to be a better father, better spouse, and better friend. We’ve learned that our family’s rhythms need to revolve around prioritizing things like relationships, joy, and fun. Riding thankfully fits into all of those things!
You have a super unique role in the cycling industry. Tell us about how you found this path, and also a bit about your own experience as a racer.
Throughout my time wrenching and racing bikes as a young adult, I realized that the mental, emotional, and spiritual support pro-riders were getting was minimal and that just “going riding” doesn’t solve most of our problems. Cycling at any level can be used for something, whether it’s coping, running away from our problems, numbing, finding meaning and hope…all of which aren’t necessarily “bad,” but long term aren’t always helpful in us becoming healthy and whole people.
I knew I wanted to step up and be a part of a transformative process in both the lives of individual athletes and more broadly, develop a healthier culture in elite cycling. In 2015, I joined the non-profit Athletes in Action, which is a Christian organization that provides chaplains and pastors in professional athletics. I joined a small team of staff that were working in road cycling and started using my relationships, influence, and network to begin connecting with pros all over the world.
Since then, we have put a full-time staff person in Girona, Spain, to minister to athletes in Europe and we have developed an entire outreach and spiritual community for the endurance, offroad, criterium and road pros here in North America. Many of the pros you see racing on TV and at the sports’ highest level are a part of our community and we continue to mentor and pour into them in their personal lives.
Your family recently moved to Durango. Any advice for where to ride when we visit?
There is SO MUCH to ride here! Whether you are looking for some more mellow XC trails to ride with the family or you’re looking for some epic high country days, there is something for everyone.
When I ride my Santa Cruz Blur, I like to do longer XC days. The Colorado Trail from town is an amazing ride, whether you connect over to Dry Fork or ride all the way up to Kennebec Pass, there are a handful of ways to get on the iconic trail. Horse Gulch, Twin Buttes, and Hermosa are all awesome XC rides with just enough spice to keep them interesting.
When I ride my Rocky Mountain Instinct, I like to do the steep stuff, both up and down. Haflin, off of Missionary Ridge, is a local fave. The Hyper-Ridge trail in Horse Gulch is one of the most technical trails I’ve ever ridden. But the best stuff is all the high country rides in the summer: the CT Highline, Blackhawk, Stagecoach, Engineer, Graysill, Calico…pretty much anything that takes you above 10k feet and then plummets back down. It’s all so good!
Get More of Brian
Follow along with Brian’s backcountry rides and see all the huge rainbow trout he reels in each summer on his Instagram. Learn more about Brian’s mission with Athletes in Action and get involved.