Ep #25: First Ride Series, Ryan Griffith

For this episode of All About Bikes, Kalen interviews PFR Next Gen rider Ryan Griffith. They discuss Ryan's first mountain bike ride, his journey to the world stage and more. Find the journal for this episode in the journal section on Pivot's site or visit: https://www.pivotcycles.com/en/the-first-ride-series-ryan-griffith/

Transcript

Pivot Cycles (00:00)
Welcome to another episode of the Pivot Cycles All About Bikes podcast. I'm Kalen, your host for today's episode. Today is the first episode of the First Ride series. In this series, we'll be exploring the first ride of professional mountain bikers, how they found cycling and their stories from pedaling to professional life. Today we have Ryan Griffith on the show. Ryan hails from Whistler, BC and has been a member of the Pivot Factory Racing Next Gen Squad since 2021.

Ryan has been racking up solid results in downhill racing on the world stage since joining PFR. Welcome to the show, Ryan. Hey, thanks. It's awesome to be here. Can you tell our listeners where in the world you're joining us from today? So right now I'm in Morzine, so that's in France. So quite a ways away from home. So, yeah. Nice. How's the weather out there? It's pretty good. Yeah. It's like 30 degrees and sunny. So, yeah.

It's awesome. Did you get any riding in today? Today we actually went on like a massive hike up to like the tip top of this mountain, like 1300 meters, I think. But yesterday we were riding with Dane and then Finis as well. So yeah, it's pretty sweet. Nice. Yeah. Well, let's take a step back from where you are now, riding and racing with the world's best to a time when you were just starting out on two wheels.

How and where did you get your start mountain biking? So the first time I'm mountain biking was when I was six years old. It was definitely a crazy experience. My brothers and my dad have been into mountain biking for years now. And the parents didn't really want to spend a bunch of money and buy me a bike and stuff like that. So I just chucked all my brother's gear. It was definitely probably about four sizes too big.

Nothing fit, the bike was way too big. So I went up to Silverstar, the mountain in British Columbia, near Kelowna. Yeah, we started out, me and my dad went down the first run and hit jumps right away. Got a photo actually of me on the jump and it was like, my helmet was way too big, just like slammed to the roof. And yeah, got into it right away. I was pretty stoked on it.

didn't really think much of it. It was just having a good time and, and, yeah, I was, I was loving it. Nice. And you took, took to the air straight away. Weren't scared of hitting jumps or getting up in here. Literally first run, just going down. My dad stopped and took a photo and I just was, I felt like a natural. Yeah. Just jumping and everything. I was loving it. Did, were there some other sports that you were?

Comfortable with skiing or something else that made you feel like totally comfortable going downhill at a high rate of speed? Honestly, no like I just At that age. I was you know kind of just doing whatever like not anything specific. I don't think I skied at that age yet. I was Not doing that yet, but I don't know I just did it and it felt natural So I was yeah, just kept going with that and it turned out well

Yeah, I'd say so. Yeah. As you started to become more focused on riding, your family relocated to Whistler, is that right? Yeah, that's correct. How did moving to a renowned mountain bike destination influence your passion in riding? Yes, we always traveled to Whistler, like for when we lived in Kelowna to kind of escape and go to one of the best bike parks in the world. And it was...

always a dream Mars to go out there and move out there. So once we finally did, I feel like it definitely, you know, extended and made my biking career jump ahead a lot, like way more than it would in Kelowna. So yeah, it's honestly made everything like I wouldn't be here without it.

You started racing in Whistler. How did that first race go and did it help get you more confidence in riding? Or was it scary? Were you a little nervous? How'd racing start for you? So I was, I believe, eight years old and we were actually there on a trip, but we were in Whistler and my parents asked me if I wanted to race this little local race. And I was like, yeah, for sure.

I was super confident with it and I actually said I was going to win it and I went ahead and did win it. So I was pretty hooked from then and yeah, it was a good time.

When you do get home to Whistler for a break from the World Cup season, do you head straight to the bike park for lift laps or do you go do some shuttle runs with your friends or pedal the trail bike? What's kind of your favorite thing when you get home? Definitely my favorite thing is just to go straight to the bike park. When I'm there in the off season, I'm pretty much shuttling the whole time and riding like the local trail. So when the bike park opens, I'm headed right there and lapping every day pretty much.

As you've gotten more into competition, can you tell us what it was like when you were invited to join Pivot Factory Racing and transitioning into that professional riding and racing? Yeah, it was definitely like an unreal experience. It didn't like just kind of hit me and I was like, wow, like I'm on Pivot Factory Racing, like next gen. Like it was insane. And it just kind of like jumpstarted my career and like my everything that to like.

I just felt so stoked, wanted to ride more, get faster, get better, just made everything progress better, faster. Were we the first brand to approach you or had a bunch of other companies kind of been knocking at your door? You were the first brand to approach me, yes. Awesome. We lucked out, got there first. What are some of the challenges that you have faced transitioning into international competition?

And how did you find ways to overcome those challenges? yeah, it's definitely a tough change being away from so far away from home. Like everything's just different, you know, languages and, and the scale of a race, like a World Cup is such a big scale. But thankfully we're, we're put it up with some riders that have been riding and racing for, you know, many, many years. So we can definitely like get help from them and they help us out lots and.

Yeah, we kind of just feed off of that. So, yeah.

Does Bernard take you under his wing or Matt, Ed? Yeah. Who's kind of the one that helps you out the most? Eddie's such a nice guy. He's got a warm heart. So I would say Eddie. I mean, everyone does. Like Emily even is always out there filming us and telling us what lines are good and whatnot. And track walk, Bernard saying what like where you should be going and where you shouldn't be going. So I feel like everyone just kind of jumps in and helps us out. So, yeah.

In 2022 you came out to Arizona for the Pivot Company Christmas party. What did you think of the office and the riding? Did you have any interesting experiences while riding in Arizona? Yeah, it was definitely amazing to come down there. Check out the HQ. It was pretty insane down there just to see where your bikes come from. So that was a really cool experience. The trails up there was definitely something I've never really been used to.

so many rocks and hotness out there. I think it was, yeah, it was December and back home, it was probably like eight degrees. And then there, it was like 30 and it was like, well, you know, a big difference. But I remember what the biggest thing was breaking my wrist. Had a bit of a crash there and broke both the bones of my wrist. But other than that, it was a good time. Yeah.

The wreck was pretty impressive and I've never seen somebody put stress cracks in the spindles of pedals, but the XTR pedals you were running had like stress cracks. They were both bent. Like it was insane. The force that you put into that stuff was incredible. So I'm glad it was only a risk that broke on you. Yeah, I got pretty lucky considering the crash. It was a big one.

Bernard, when he was up in Whistler a couple of years ago, said he was really impressed riding with you and said that when he was your age, he wasn't riding at all the way that you were. And then you filmed with Ed and Matt, that Ed and Matt versus the Whistler Grom's edit. And you and Dane really were kind of putting a clinic on for those guys. What was your favorite part about showing those guys your home trails?

Yeah, I mean, I've been on these trails for many, many years. So it was pretty cool to have the pros come down and the people that you've been looking up to and kind of take them down to your trails and show them what you're capable of. It definitely hypes me up and makes me ride better when I ride with those guys. So I was definitely trying to show them up and see what I can do. So yeah, it was awesome. How did you come up with the punishments for the losers of each challenge?

that was actually Eddie and Matt. actually, no, we all kind of like chipped in and stuff. but I remember I had to pull like fully slam my socks down. So I was like, my socks are fully to my ankles and then like my pants are quite a bit. So it just looked pretty, pretty goofy, but yeah, we kind of just come came up with it on the fly and yeah, just made it a bit more fun.

So, goggle strap down, no visor, body armor with a full XC lid. What are some of the other lift line gaper moves that people visiting Whistler should avoid? I would say wearing like hockey gear. That's a big one. You know, I try to keep my chest plate under my jersey most of the time. It depends what you like to do.

Yeah, just kind of bike set up. I mean, there's lots of lots of things that are factors into making yourself look better, but yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a fun, funny place. You see a lot of different stuff in the lift line. Yeah. Yeah. You see lots of different stuff. That's for sure.

So back to some professional racing. Last year there was a controversial decision to cancel the junior race in Ludenville because there was rain overnight. How did you feel about that decision when they didn't let you race? Yeah, it was definitely disappointing not being able to race. You know, you come out all that way and you want to perform and show your ability and your skills. So getting that race taken away from us without even being asked or...

or anything like that, you know, it was pretty, pretty heartbreaking. And even thinking like about like private tiers and stuff like that that have gone out all that way and paid all that money and all that stuff and just had the ability of taking or racing got taken away. So hopefully that never happens again, but it was definitely unfortunate. Did you feel like the conditions were more dangerous due to that rain or what, what were your thoughts on?

kind of the safety aspect of it. I mean, it definitely plays an effect in that. Like I would say there's, there's definitely a lot of crashes in the morning practice, but I mean, that goes with without saying like it, whether it does that, that happens at all races. So yeah, I definitely think it was still fine to race. Like I did my practice run, people were crashing. I don't think anyone got hurt in the morning because you just such so such.

such slow speeds that you just fall and slide. So I believe it was good to race.

So for this season, you've already started off with a top 10 finish at Fort Bill. How are you preparing for the next race and the rest of the 2024 season? Yeah, Fort Bill was definitely a good one to start off top 10. I've never been there before, so that was my first time. So it was pretty exciting to see that famous track. Definitely wanted to get a bit more out of my run, but I'm excited to be alive and healthy and ready for the next one.

So I just want to take that result and keep building and yeah, hopefully get up on that podium. When Bernard had his wreck there on the track, did that give you some kind of reservations going through that section or were you, did you have your line figured out and knew where you were going? Yeah, I mean, people have crashes kind of all down the track everywhere. So I try to just block that out. I'm not too focused on what other people are crashing and what they're doing through sections. I just kind of.

do what I know I can do and go as fast as I can. This year the racing coverage is a little different and it's kind of difficult for different areas of the world to watch the racing. Do you have any thoughts on how that's going to work and how your family and friends are going to be able to follow you through the racing season? Yeah, I think for the juniors it's pretty good because I think it's just on YouTube. But for the elite it's definitely they've changed a lot and made it a lot more difficult for everyone to watch.

and the price to watch is a lot more. So it would definitely be good if it went back to normal. But hopefully things change and get easier for everyone.

Have you come up with some new setups for your bike this year or kind of continuing on from last year and how does working with the rest of the team affect bike setup? Yeah, I mean, coming to this first race, I had my suspension settings kind of all messed up. So my new mechanic, Peter, he definitely helped me out there, sorted all that stuff out. And the bike's feeling great. I mean, just being with the team and learning how they set up their bike and.

I can just kind of take it off from them and kind of apply it to your own bike. And yeah, just kind of learning from the environment around me. And yeah. Cool. This is your first year with Peter as your mechanic? Yeah. Yeah, first year. And how do you know Peter? Marci is a really good friend of him. So I saw him around last year. And.

talked to him quite a bit. Marci is my old mechanic from last year. So, definitely, and he's been around for a long time, so I know of him and yeah, he's a sweet guy. Awesome.

Now that you're living your dream as a professional mountain biker, what do you enjoy about it most? I enjoy the thrill of racing and just kind of traveling around the road with all your buddies and having a good time like it's truly something you never would experience if you weren't racing so being with teammates, friends and the thrill of racing is unlike anything else so pretty stoked on that.

Have there been any tracks that you've encountered that have taken you a while to work up the courage to hit the lines that you want to do? Fort Beaux was, I would say it was pretty difficult. There's such a long tracks you get fatigued and sometimes you get bumped off your line later down the tracks you're fatigued and you just kind of got to go with the flow. But I would say maybe Mont -Sainte -Anne was one of the most difficult.

It was a physical track and there were some gnarly lines that were intimidating. So yeah, throughout the weekend I got, progressed myself and did well. So yeah.

Do you have any advice you'd like to share with young riders looking to follow in your footsteps? I would say having fun is the main thing. Enjoying your riding, enjoying who you're riding with, and just having a good time with your bike, having a good time with your buddies. Really enjoying the sport will take you a long way.

How are you keeping up with school? Do you have any career aspirations other than professional racing? As of right now, I actually graduated in January from high school. So I'm fully done school right now. And as of right now, my main focus is mountain biking. So I'm just full throttle on that. And yeah.

Do you see coaching as something else you'd like to do when you do finish racing or taking over the reins of Pivot Factory Racing? What would you like to do when you do hang up your racing plate? Yeah, I mean, that's definitely something I haven't fully thought a lot about, but we were talking with my buddies the other day and saying how you could just coach some little kids and it would be a pretty good time, you know, just teaching the younger generation and...

helping them get faster and et cetera. But I mean, being a team manager for Pivot Factory Racing would be a dream. That sounds amazing. Definitely be stoked on that. Well, I think you got quite a few years of racing ahead of you before you have to worry about that. Yeah, exactly. Hopefully. We can just do what Burner does and do both. Yeah, there you go. Yeah. Ryan, you've had an impressive career already in just a few short years.

We're all wishing you the best of luck for the rest of the season and the rest of your future in cycling. Thanks for taking the time to join us today. Awesome. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah, it should be a good, good coming years and I'm stoked for it. Yeah. We look forward to seeing some podium results from you. Yeah, let's do it. I'm ready for it. thank you for listening to the All About Bikes podcast. Follow Pivot Cycles and Pivot Factory Racing to see more about Ryan and the team as they travel and race.

If you liked this story today, check out the journal section on Pivot Cycles website to learn more about the Pivot family and see some of Ryan's early riding photos. Stay tuned for more episodes of the First Ride series. Happy trails!