The Weekly Rider - Matt Bird
Matt Bird has the most admirable trait in a cyclist: a desire to get rad. He's a downhiller-turned-roadie-turned-CXer. Studies architecture, is a keen photographer, and co-runs the Gravier.cc website fully devoted to having a great time on a bike. We like Matt. He's our kind of awesome.
Photo: Frame and Spear
Where do you live: Adelaide, South Australia
Dream Bike
My dream bike would have to be something custom, metal, with disc brakes, fast geometry and clearance for big tyres. because who doesn't want to go fast over EVERYTHING.
What is your favourite local ride
i'll be a bit biased and say our weekly ADL Belgie we've been running with our mates at Curve Cycling, its about an hour and a half to two hours of thrashing through the back streets and foothills around Adelaide, highlights include a gravel climb, urban single track and about 700 vertical meters in 30 kilometers, and post ride cafe latte. However, being blessed enough to ride bikes in Adelaide nearly every day makes it really hard to pick a favourite.
Matt getting many inches of rad. Photo: Ryan Finlay
What is your current cycling goal
Learn more, race more, go faster and go further.
When I am on the bike I....
Don't really stop talking, you'll know i'm working hard when i go quiet.
How did your love of bikes come about?
My dad used to take me down to Aldinga beach when i was learning to ride a bike, the first time i went without training wheels i wouldn't stop riding over the piles of seaweed and trying to get "air". Sixteenish years later i'm still trying to get rad at every given opportunity.
Share a cycling memory
Matt on the gruelling Gravelaide Grinduro. We can confirm he had a rad time. Photo: Sam Rosenzweig
Suffering into a massive headwind with La Velocitas own James Raison for 80KM at the inaugural Gravelaide Grinduro (heaps good ride you should do the next one) , thinking to myself quietly "well i haven't died yet maybe i could do an Everesting" i like to think that the hard times you go through on the bike make you better at dealing with stress and managing problems in day to day life which comes in handy as an architecture student.
I love to ride because....
No matter how hard the ride is or how bad the weather is i don't think i've ever gotten off my bike in a bad mood.
The Gravier lads are well dressed thanks to Spin Cycle Clothing. Photo: Wade Whitington
Matt and Gravier are sponsored by: Bicycles Mount Barker, Curve Cycling, Red Berry Espresso and Spin Cycle Clothing
