Team Spotlight: AJ Linnell



This week we spoke with AJ Linnell, one of the many freshmen riders on the Fitzgerald’s Bicycles team who have made a serious impact on race scene. AJ shares with us why he is scared to ride a snow bike, the philosophy of the single geared bike and how he has gotten good at wrecking.

SKH: How long have you been on the Fitzy Team?

AJ: I am a proud member of the freshman class of Fitzy Riders.

SKH: Why did you join the team and what do you like best about being on the team?

AJ: Well, I was WAY stoked to be asked to join the team — I just love the camaraderie and energy on the Fitzy Team! Traveling to races together, group rides, being a member of the cheering section for anybody and everybody who’s cranking their way through a race course. And I love orange.

SKH: What kind of riding do you do?

AJ: I enjoy riding just about anything with 2 wheels, although it’s been a couple decades since I’ve been on a BMX bike and I have yet to try the FAT tire craze. (When did mountain bike tires get demoted from fat status?) Mostly I’m scared of the inevitable investment that will follow the realization that riding on snow is freaking awesome.

For the most part I spend as much time as possible on my singlespeed mountain bike — that’s the bees knees for me. Road biking is pretty fun too, when I can’t get out on dirt. One of these days I’m going to replace my 24-year old Trek 1000, but so far it has taken me everywhere I want to go on pavement.

Ultimately, knobby tires and a single gear are where it’s at.

SKH: What is your favorite ride?

AJ: Damn, how can you choose just one? I suppose Pole Canyon would be my favorite. It’s a great ride right from the house. Steep, burly, scenic, fun. If I’m going to drive somewhere my favorite trail link-up is Shark’s Belly to the Bovine descent (in the Horseshoe Canyon trail system). Totally different than Pole Canyon - flowy and manicured for mountain biking, must plain fast.

SKH: You’ve had a great season this year with lots of great results. Any favorite races?

AJ: Marathon Nationals in Bend. The riding out there is just such spectacular fun, everything from fast, bermed flow to technical lava rock. Fun competition too.

SKH: How long have you been racing singlespeed? And why singlespeed?

AJ: Probably 4 years now. Why singlespeed? Philosophers have been trying to answer just that question for centuries, or decades. A few years anyway. There are all kinds of answers - beautiful simplicity, lust for pain, less to occupy an already-taxed brain, lighter weight, less frustrating shifty bits, setting a trend, following the herd… it’s endless. As put by Rich Dillen when he was asked to explain his singlespeed choice, “I had finally found the hammer that would enable me to treat every problem like a nail.”

Singlespeed is actually a misnomer, in my opinion. Single-gear would be better. I have 3 speeds on my bike: Seated (sort of fast), Standing (slower), and Walking (why bother?).

SKH: Tell us about MTB Nationals.

AJ: Marathon Nationals was rad! I got my ass handed to me by Carey Smith - oh well. I just need figure out how to ride my bike faster. Damn, what an amazing event. The course was mind-blowing, and the competition was legit. I thought I would be able to hang with Carey longer than I did, but he crushed it. Some other guy named Cody Peterson was wicked fast too — no idea who he is or where he came from, but he was plenty fast.

The whole experience was just way cool - watching the sunset from my “camp” at the race venue, seeing friends from all over (including a childhood friend who I haven’t spent any time with in years - she made it onto the 30-39 women’s podium), watching the best riders in the nation tear it up. I could have done without the solo drive time, but it gave me the opportunity to spend an evening with the Byers on my way out to Bend.

SKH: Do you have any fall racing planned?

AJ: I just raced in the inaugural Jurassic Classic over in Lander - that was great. Other than that, I’ll probably jump into the Moose Cross, but mostly I’m planning to help make this fall’s Cross events happen. I’m super fired up about the whole endurance singlespeed thing: those races are pretty much done for the season. Besides, Erica (my wife) will go ape-shit if I pay any more registration fees this year.

SKH: What is your favorite post ride treat?

AJ: Chocolate milk without a doubt.

SKH: Do you have a mantra?

AJ: “Focus Foward.” It doesn’t matter who’s behind me; I just need to ride my race and reel in anybody who’s in front of me.

SKH: Does a particular song get stuck in your head during long rides?

AJ: I typically ride with an earbud in my right ear, so I have a soundtrack playing along with me: Iron Maiden, Metallica, My Chemical Romance, Bad Religion, Social Distortion. My taste trends toward loud, fast, and hard to understand.

SKH: What piece of gear have you purchased from Fitzgerald’s that is essential?

AJ: I have to say that the super-special chamois in our team bib shorts is totally sweet. 9 hours of bouncing around on a hardtail can turn my rump into hamburger, but I’ve honestly had almost no saddle-sores in the bits this season, compared with chronic saddle-sores last season. My rear end is happy, and I owe it to Fitzy’s.

SKH: Do you have any superstitions or lucky charms for races?

AJ: Not really. I had really good luck with a lack of mechanical issues this season. Better prep maybe? Definitely better tires this year. (Ed. Note: AJ is riding on the Maxxis IKON’s this year). I think I’ve gotten good at wrecking too. I only had one wreck-free race this season, and didn’t incur any major injuries, so apparently I’m doing something right when things go wrong.

I don’t tend to be superstitious. Just be methodical in my race prep and take care of the little things.

AJ has had some great results this season. Here they are:

• Knobby Boise 9 to 5: 1st Place SS and 1st Place Overall
• Galena Grinder: 1st Place SS, 11th Overall
• Breckenridge 100: 2nd Place SS, 14th Overall
• High Cascades 100: 1st Place SS, 16th Overall
• Pierre’s Hole 100: DNF
• Hampshire 100: 3rd Pace SS, 19th Overall
• Teton pASS Kicker: 1st Place SS, 2nd Overall
• Park City Point2Point: 3rd Place SS, 14th Overall
• MTB Marathon National Championships: 3rd Place SS
• Jurassic Classic: 1st Place SS, 1st Overall.