Race 5 Performance MVP: Ryan Rinn
Meet Ryan Rinn, who’s currently 2nd place in the Men’s A series standings and has been a contender at the front of any geared or Singlespeed race for many years. We’re highlighting Ryan after his worst result of the season because sometimes it’s not about where you finished, but what you had to overcome to get there. After a crash, mechanical issues, and three bike changes during the race he still came across the line 10th because quitting is not in his nature. Ryan is always a positive voice and advocate for the sport, and has also contributed a lot of energy off the track to support the cycling community. We’re proud to highlight Ryan with the Performance Bicycle MVP award for Race 5 and a $100 gift card!
How long have you been racing cyclocross and how did you get into it?
Back in 2007 when I was living in Chicago I really got into riding fixed gears and eventually got the racing bug after doing some alley cats. I bought a Bianchi San Jose that I set up fixed to commute on during the winters with the hope of maybe one day trying out cyclocross. I went to a cx clinic and immediately bought a bike rack and raced my first cross race the next day. I was hooked for the next 15ish years. Cross Results is missing a few but it says I’ve got 230 races and 44 wins so far which is a little nuts to me. I’m more proud of the fact that I only have two DNFs and that was from my first season when I didn’t have a pit bike.
What is your “day job” and how do you balance the training needed to compete at a high level and all your other responsibilities?
Right now I’m between jobs and enjoying being full time dad to my 5 year old (Hayes) and 3 month old (Rowan), so my training schedule revolves around their schedules. Luckily, I have an amazing partner in Erin who is almost as obsessed with cross as I am. We divide and conquer and make sure we both have time to ride. Together we’ve won multiple state and district champs on our single speeds, run a cross team for the past 13 years, and flown across the country for several national championships. Somehow it only got more fun (although a little more challenging) after Hayes was born in 2019. I actually had my best season ever when he was a newborn. He loves coming to the races and heckling me to “go faster”. It takes some coordinateion but having the whole family together and supporting each other has definitely changed race day for the better.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your cycling career?
Coming back from multiple hip surgeries in my 30’s was rough. I have a genetic impingement in my hips which basically means they’re not shaped properly and they cause me a lot of pain and affect how I’m fit to my bike and often the power I can put down. I’m constantly tweaking and adjusting but every season I make it through without a full hip replacement is a blessing so I just keep going.
What are your goals for this season?
Really I just want to balance being competitive and having fun. I’m trying to do as many races as I can and give it my all while not being too hard on myself. I’ve been racing long enough to know that even if you put in the work, sometimes things don’t go your way, like this past race when I had three bike changes. 5 years ago that would have really gotten to me, but now I just focus on finishing the race the best I can and living to fight another day.
Tell us about your race bike! What is it and how have you personalized it?
I’ve been racing Rock Lobsters for over a decade and I’m thankful to have such rad builder and human (Paul Sadoff) who still comes out to race. I have two aluminum Lobsters that are identical except for the paint and that one is geared and one is a single speed. Purple’s been my thing since the beginning so I always try to vary up the shades and schemes with every new frame. Paul was skeptical of the paint at first but I think he’s coming around to it.