One of the Good Guys

Last weekend I was given the opportunity to speak about someone I deeply admire, and consider to be a superhero. Unfortunately the setting was his memorial service. What follows is the text of what I delivered on behalf of AJ Linnell. If you have a chance, please take the time to enjoy more of his writing at: http://ajplayingwithgravity.blogspot.com/

I can’t tell you when I first met AJ, knowing him was just a part of living in Teton Valley. But I can tell you there is a very clear distinction, in my mind, of the time before AJ joined our biking community and the time after AJ joined our biking community. The time after AJ joined the biking community is waaaaay better. He became a big part of our bike racing team and an inspiration to me, and everyone (I mean everyone) who got to know him through mountain bike racing. But he sort of came out of nowhere for a lot of us.

Seriously, one year he walked into the bike shop and said, “I’m going to start singlespeed racing”. OK, I thought, sure, he’s one of those fun haters. You know “Fun Hater”: someone who goes out to suffer, brag about their suffering, quick to tell you how they finished the event despite how hard it was, and all that woe is me kinda stuff. Why else would you take all the gears off your bike and go race for a hundred miles over the most mountainous trails in the country. You have to hate fun to race singlespeed mountain bikes.

But that was my thinking before AJ joined our biking community. Once I started to get to know AJ a bit more I realized how wrong I was about pinning him as a Fun Hater. Turns out, AJ was the biggest fun LOVER I have probably ever met - it’s just that his definition of fun was everyone elses worst nightmare on a bike!

From AJ’s blog:

“There’s mud in my teeth, in my hair, packed in my ears and working its way behind my sunglasses into my eyes, but as long as I lay off the brakes and embrace gravity none of it matters. This is mountain biking, and I love it.”

Everyone who knew AJ in the biking world says a variation on the same quotes I heard this week

“wow, that guy was sooo fast but sooo humble and cool.”

“He was one of those totally rare guys who could be both super fun to be with in heated competition with AND just go out and have a casual fun ride with.”

“Nothing ever phased that guy”

“In the finish area is where racers usually show their worst side. When a race doesn’t go as planned people can lose it and really make a scene. Not AJ, I NEVER saw that guy get upset - always a class act.”

“regardless of his results, he was always there at the finish line to give a high five and congratulate a friend”

In 2012 AJ won his first big singlespeed ultra endurance race, the High Cascade Classic in Oregon. 100 miles, 12,000’ of climbing, 8 hours, 16 minutes, and 12 seconds. You have to hear it from AJ himself. If you not as familiar with this side of AJ, I hope this gives you a little insight into his passion for singlespeed racing:

“3am was dark, cold, and early. The starting area at 5am was still dark, cold, and early, although a bit more lively. When the clock started at 5:30, dawn had just broken and I was questioning my decision not to wear a vest in addition to arm-warmers. (more…)