by Justin Young, Peace Coffee Bike-Related Affairs Specialist Patrick Tsai is a relatively new member of the Peace Coffee Racing team and recently took on what is known to most as the "world's toughest mountain bike race." Tour Divide is a mountain bike grad tour race between Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, USA. Tour divide totals around 2700 miles in usually completed in 27 days. Patrick, 28, lives in North Minneapolis and works as a computer programmer at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (Peace Coffee's parent company). Like all Peace Coffee Racing riders, he loves to being in the saddle. I recently had an opportunity to grab a coffee with Patrick and ask him about his passion (or craziness depending on how you look at it) for biking. Also, to gather the answer that most people would wonder about Patrick…"WHY WOULD YOU PARTICIPATE IN A 2700 MILE RACE?!!!" Here's what Patrick had to say… JY: Tell me/everyone about your experience racing with Peace Coffee Racing (PCR). PT: I’ve had limited experience racing with Peace Coffee. I joined the team a few months ago. I only have positive things to say about it. It is a large team, and there are always opportunities to learn and improve cycling skills through weekly team rides. JY: You just completed the Tour Divide, what was that experience like for you? PT: I guess it’s hard to explain the entire experience. It was my first multi-day race. I was learning everyday. The first week was pretty difficult for a few reasons. I was unfamiliar with the route. I didn't know my body's limits and how to push myself while conserving enough energy the next day. And lastly dealing with the aches and pains that come with riding about 100 miles of off road trail day after day at high elevation was difficult at first and caused me to reassess my planned daily mileage. I believe being able to adapt, not only to the environment but also your race strategy, is the best quality in grand tour racing. Eventually my body began to tolerate the pain and altitude. I saw a lot of the country I had not seen before, and that I would never see unless cycling the route. Traveling along the continental divide is amazing. I don’t think there was ever a moment where I could not see the mountains. It was both beautiful and painful. JY: What motivated you to take part in the Tour Divide? PT: I believe grand tour racing suits me best. I'm not fast, but I can push out a decent amount of mileage consistently day in and day out. There is a mental aspect to these races as well. You need to be able to be in the saddle 14 to 16 hours a day. That gives you a lot of time to think about life, what you are doing and if it's worth the 20+ days of riding just to say you finished this race. There are no prizes, no support. Historically the attrition rate is 60%. You are basically racing for yourself and to see if you can finish. If there is a doubt about anything in your head you need to be able to just shut it off, and that is hard to do. It’s really easy to say to yourself, “Ok, I’ve completed 1500 or 2000 miles, that’s enough for me, in the next town I’m going to hitch a ride to the nearest airport and be home in my bed.” I found that staying positive about the route and keeping an adventurous spirit helped to bring me the 2745 miles to the end. JY: What motivated you DURING the 2700-mile Tour Divide? PT: During the race I simply thought about my day as mileage to the next town. Getting to the next town was always a highlight, especially if they had a restaurant. Towns were a place to re-supply and fuel up on calories. In this race I was reduced to the essentials, consuming calories, staying hydrated and finding a suitable place to camp. During the times that I questioned whether or not I should continue riding I would think about all my friends and family back home, and how excited people were about the race. I felt as though I would be letting people down if I didn’t finish. I also thought about what a great opportunity I had, and how I might not get the opportunity to race this route again. People often times describe me as stubborn and I think that helped as well. JY: Did you experience any highs or lows during the Tour Divide and what were they? PT: I experienced highs and lows daily. I remember almost crying after I dropped my opened candy bar in a puddle of mud. The highs were the incredible landscapes. I remember riding from El Rito, New Mexico, to Abiquiu, New Mexico, at sunset. I had a grin on my face the entire 20 miles. I think it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. JY: How did you get into the sport of cycling? PT: I started cycling as a commuter. Eventually I started riding multi-day bicycle tours. That progressed to racing local events, and then I wanted to ride further longer in a race setting, which led me to the tour divide. JY: What were your interests in joining PCR? PT: Because I work at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, I have a close connection with Peace Coffee. I also like the fact that there isn’t a cap on team membership. I feel as though there is a lot of exclusion or exclusiveness in the bike community. I think the atmosphere around cycling should be welcoming to absolutely everyone in any context of bicycling, especially when it comes to racing. My favorite bike experiences usually occur at races. There is such a positive atmosphere there. No matter if you are racing citizen class or expert, people are there to cheer you on. JY: What are your racing plans for this season? PT: I'm a big fan of the gravel races. I plan on riding the Almanzo Gentlemen’s ride in September and Heck of the North in October. I'm sure I'll be at Buck hill on as many Thursday’s as I can. As well as try to make as many Minnesota Mountain Bike Series events. And hopefully my application for the Arrowhead 135 will be accepted this winter. JY: Where are a few of your favorite places to ride for fun? PT: I like riding Theodore Wirth because it’s only a mile away from where I live. But basically wherever I’m at on my bicycle is my favorite place to ride. I just like riding. I think it’s always fun to learn new skills or sharpen old ones. As long as I'm becoming a better cyclist I'm happy riding wherever. JY: Where are a few of your favorite places to race? PT: I really don't have a favorite place to race. I'm relatively new to racing. Most locations are new to me, but even the trails I’ve ridden countless times have something I haven’t noticed. So I'm always learning something and that makes whatever trail I’m riding fun to ride. JY: Other than biking specifically, do you participate in any other sport? PT: I don't participate in any other organized sport. Last winter I started cross country skiing. I really enjoy it. I also like jogging, but not competitively. I hope to participate in some 5ks just for fun. JY: What is one interesting fun fact about you?! PT: I'm a little bit crazy. (Back to Headlines)