Meet two of our favorite mountain bikers – Syd Schulz and Macky Franklin. These professional bike racers are a married duo and residents of Los Alamos, NM. Both lifelong bike enthusiasts, they’ve been racing professionally since 2014 and have amassed a following on YouTube and Instagram, sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to ride a bike for a living.
Syd and Macky are on a quest to race the best and most challenging bike races around the world. This translates to a mix of cross-country, enduro and marathon distance events.
They do a lot of three- to four-hour cross-country mountain bike rides, and this is what they wear and bring to be comfortable and well equipped, plus read on to learn about one of their favorite trails.
THE KIT:
Primal Alitios Vertos Jersey and Helix Bibs
“This jersey is super lightweight and breathable, which is especially important as we head into summer,” says Macky. “Pair it with the Helix bibs, which have Primal’s top-level HX8 chamois, so it’s perfect to keep comfortable for long rides.”
Primal Lightning Long-Fingered Gloves
“These are a must-have for mountain biking to protect your digits from thorns and brush, as well as in an event of a crash.”
“These are light and stiff with great power transfer.”
Laser Kineticore Strada Helmet
“Light, comfortable, with a 5-star protection rating. Couldn’t ask for anything more!”
MORE GEAR:
Stage Dash L200 Cycling Computer
"We load our route onto this so we don’t have to stop to look at our phones.”
Shokz Openrun Pro Bone Conduction Headphones
“This lets us be aware of our surroundings but still listen to some tunes.”
USWE Outlander 3 Pack
“We keep two liters of water, tools (CO2s, tire plugs, tire lever, multitool, and spare tubes) in here.”
Tons of Snacks + a Water Bottle with Electrolytes
“We are currently loving the new Salted Maple crispy rice cake from Skratch Labs as well as the Skratch Labs Active Hydration.”
And, Syd and Macky recommend riding around Volcan Osorno in Chile.
If you ever find yourself in the lakes region of Chile, make sure to set aside a day to ride the "Conquista Volcan Osorno,” a 48 mi (77 km) loop with 5500 ft (1675 m) that circumnavigates the Osorno volcano. In addition to the spectacular views of the volcano, there's the chance to jump into Todo Los Santos lake and stop for an empanada and some kuchen -- a popular Chilean cake -- at any number of roadside restaurants. The ride is a nice mix of pavement, dirt road and singletrack making it manageable in a day without doing an out-and-back or dealing with any frustrating shuttle logistics.”
Follow along with their trails and travels here: https://www.instagram.com/sydandmacky/