Redemption17 Interview Part 2: The Singletrack Sampler
This is the second part of the Redemption17 interview. I promised you guys I would make this as soon as Alexander (The Singletrack Sampler) gets back to me so here it is. They were both extremely helpful and kind to do this with me so go show some love to their channels and subscribe to them if you haven't already. Brian (BKXC) answered my questions in part one which you can check out by clicking here.
1. I asked Brian how he experienced the "minimalist" lifestyle of being on the road. Because you already live out of your car, what would you say are your favorite parts about experiencing "your lifestyle" with another person? Were there any downsides?
When I invite friends onto a road trip with me, I love to share my lifestyle with them and really just see what they think. It's definitely not for everyone, but I believe that there is much to be gained by simplifying our physical world of possessions and focusing on our day to day experiences - there is so much awesomeness overlooked in the modern fast paced lifestyles! My favorite thing to experience with another person on the road is just how simple the things we appreciate can be: a flat campsite with an open clearing, a free shower, really bad coffee in the morning, the good company of one other person. For me that is a big one - having someone join me on the road means company, conversation, and shared experiences - which is what it's all about if you ask me - and one of the biggest reasons I share videos on YouTube!
There are definitely struggles when it comes to bringing someone else in on my lifestyle. Money generally seems to be at the root of it. The thing is, generally speaking, when people encounter problems the solution is money as that is the fastest and easiest way to avoid discomfort. When living frugally on the road, this isn't the case, and many of the times I live in discomfort or deal with not fun situations myself in order to save money. The outcome is that, yea, I'm out of my comfort zone a lot of the time, and yea a lot of things that generally wouldn't take long for others, will take me quite some time (such as hunting down free water, a shower, internet, or just a place to rest), but I think that this fact makes me appreciate the good stuff so much more when I do get it.
2. You rode a LOT of trails during your road trip; which one/ones would you say was your favorite and why?
Man that is a tough one!! One that stands out in my mind is the ride in North GA on the Pinhoti trail because it was such an adventure! We started out riding straight into the backcountry and as soon as we hit the climb, it began just DUMPING rain. We contemplated stopping, but decided to push on. Further up the climb near the top, we ran into some road work on the gravel road we had to cross that was having erosion fixed. The guys told us we weren't allowed to pass and had to turn back. Well we weren't going to take no for an answer. I've ridden this trail before, and knew that it switchbacked a little way down and met back up above us, so we walked back a little out of sight of the workers, and turned up the mountain with our bikes on our backs and hiked straight through some seriously thick and steep forest. Once we got to the top, we were able to enjoy a long awesome singletrack ride with around 3k elevation over 14 miles and just had a phenomenal time!
3. Your guys's friend Shawn had a horrible crash during one of your rides. A lot of people, myself included, were impressed about how well you guys were able to handle the situation involving shawn's crash and injury. I know that words don't really do it justice but just how intense was it and how were you able to stay calm during something like that?
I appreciate that, and my heart goes out to Shawn, who is still recovering from the accident. This one is hard to explain, as it's one of those in the moment type things. Have you ever seen the video where Cedric Gracia breaks his pelvis and it slices his femoral artery? If you haven't, go check it out - it's insane. Anyway, I mention that because that was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw Shawn's wound; the hole was in a very similar spot on his leg, and it was immediately gushing more blood than I had ever seen. I didn't know for certain if it was indeed his artery, but I did know that if it was, and I didn't act immediately, that he would die. So I didn't think twice before ripping off my favorite jersey and getting around his leg then kneeling on his leg above the wound to stop it. No one knew for sure just how bad it was, but there was about 5 minutes where I was seriously worried about Shawn as he lost color, got queasy, and almost lost consciousness. Later on everyone's nerves calmed and Dylan, the nurse, showed up which helped a ton. At that point we were able to turn our attention to keeping Shawn comfortable and in good spirits. I know that lot of people in the comments on the video had plenty of critiquing about what they would have done better, but in the end you just can't know until you are there in the thick of things. I think we all did pretty well as a group - everyone self delegated to a critical task and made it work with almost no time for discussion.
Honestly, when I look back at the road trip some of the fondest moments are the ones just hanging out with Brian either in the car, at the campsite, or out at a meal. I just really enjoyed his company throughout, and think he's one hell of a funny and interesting dude. We also had a super great time while in Asheville with Seth. I will never forget our live stream where Seth did a hand stand on a stool, I lost the contest and had to chop off my hair, and Brian was taking the blower to the face... always great times when you get the three amigos together.
5. After not being on your bike for quite some time due to your shoulder injury, how much did Redemption 17 help with moving on from the injury and making you more comfortable and confident on your bike ? Were there any other factors that helped you with that?
Redemption17 meant a whole lot to me personally. It had been a long time since I had such a bad injury with that long and tough of a recovery, and on top of that it came at a really important juncture in my life - when I was attempting to make a leap into full time YouTubing. The whole ordeal was a seriously trying time for me as I began to doubt everything I had set out to do, and as you guys have seen, it almost got the best of me. I came up with the idea for Redemption17 to both prove something to myself, and send a message to others - NEVER GIVE UP, no matter what. Six months of inactivity, and you better believe I knew that the beginning of the trip was going to be difficult, and that I was going to be seriously struggling as I got back on the bike and tried to keep up with Brian, but I made a point of sharing that aspect in the videos to attempt and show others that although it's gonna suck for a while, the comeback is always possible. Throughout the trip, however, I slowly progressed, one pedal stroke at a time. Slowly but surely I thought less and less about what would happen to my shoulder if I fell of my bike. Having Brian around for moral support and as a rabbit to chase definitely helped as well.
Man, well, I'm currently at a coffee shop trying to upload a video for today and then I'm really hoping the rain holds out long enough that I can get on a ride. I'm pretty sure I have a place to sleep tonight, but I'm not certain... lol
I know you probably are looking for an answer beyond that, and it's really hard to say. This entire thing is a new frontier, and I am doing my best to navigate it in a way that stays true to both myself and my channel's values. I have so many ideas that I want to explore: van life, creative collaborations, bike advocacy projects, international bike trips, clothing and gear lines, the list goes on....
My one mission I know that will never change is this: Biking has had a profound impact on my life for the better, and that is an opportunity I desperately want to share with others. I think that the more people that get on bikes, the better off the world will be. So far there are right around 50K people subscribed to my channel that believe in that message, and I think there are plenty more to come.
7. Any final thoughts and words to all of your followers?
Of course I do.....
LIVE FREE
RIDE HARD
& GET STOKED!!!!
Thanks to everyone out there that has stood behind me and what the channel stands for. I'm constantly blown away by you guys, and am one lucky bastard to have each and every person reading this stoked to watch my content and be a part of this community. I've never been so excited about anything in my life, and know that there are many great things ahead. Stay stoked my friends!
Many thanks to Brian and Alexander for bringing this interview to life. I really appreciate them taking the time to answer my questions! I wish both Brian and Alexander the best of luck on their future biking adventures and am looking forward to their next uploads!
Check out their channels here:
BKXC
The Singletrack Sampler
1. I asked Brian how he experienced the "minimalist" lifestyle of being on the road. Because you already live out of your car, what would you say are your favorite parts about experiencing "your lifestyle" with another person? Were there any downsides?
When I invite friends onto a road trip with me, I love to share my lifestyle with them and really just see what they think. It's definitely not for everyone, but I believe that there is much to be gained by simplifying our physical world of possessions and focusing on our day to day experiences - there is so much awesomeness overlooked in the modern fast paced lifestyles! My favorite thing to experience with another person on the road is just how simple the things we appreciate can be: a flat campsite with an open clearing, a free shower, really bad coffee in the morning, the good company of one other person. For me that is a big one - having someone join me on the road means company, conversation, and shared experiences - which is what it's all about if you ask me - and one of the biggest reasons I share videos on YouTube!
There are definitely struggles when it comes to bringing someone else in on my lifestyle. Money generally seems to be at the root of it. The thing is, generally speaking, when people encounter problems the solution is money as that is the fastest and easiest way to avoid discomfort. When living frugally on the road, this isn't the case, and many of the times I live in discomfort or deal with not fun situations myself in order to save money. The outcome is that, yea, I'm out of my comfort zone a lot of the time, and yea a lot of things that generally wouldn't take long for others, will take me quite some time (such as hunting down free water, a shower, internet, or just a place to rest), but I think that this fact makes me appreciate the good stuff so much more when I do get it.
2. You rode a LOT of trails during your road trip; which one/ones would you say was your favorite and why?
Man that is a tough one!! One that stands out in my mind is the ride in North GA on the Pinhoti trail because it was such an adventure! We started out riding straight into the backcountry and as soon as we hit the climb, it began just DUMPING rain. We contemplated stopping, but decided to push on. Further up the climb near the top, we ran into some road work on the gravel road we had to cross that was having erosion fixed. The guys told us we weren't allowed to pass and had to turn back. Well we weren't going to take no for an answer. I've ridden this trail before, and knew that it switchbacked a little way down and met back up above us, so we walked back a little out of sight of the workers, and turned up the mountain with our bikes on our backs and hiked straight through some seriously thick and steep forest. Once we got to the top, we were able to enjoy a long awesome singletrack ride with around 3k elevation over 14 miles and just had a phenomenal time!
3. Your guys's friend Shawn had a horrible crash during one of your rides. A lot of people, myself included, were impressed about how well you guys were able to handle the situation involving shawn's crash and injury. I know that words don't really do it justice but just how intense was it and how were you able to stay calm during something like that?
I appreciate that, and my heart goes out to Shawn, who is still recovering from the accident. This one is hard to explain, as it's one of those in the moment type things. Have you ever seen the video where Cedric Gracia breaks his pelvis and it slices his femoral artery? If you haven't, go check it out - it's insane. Anyway, I mention that because that was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw Shawn's wound; the hole was in a very similar spot on his leg, and it was immediately gushing more blood than I had ever seen. I didn't know for certain if it was indeed his artery, but I did know that if it was, and I didn't act immediately, that he would die. So I didn't think twice before ripping off my favorite jersey and getting around his leg then kneeling on his leg above the wound to stop it. No one knew for sure just how bad it was, but there was about 5 minutes where I was seriously worried about Shawn as he lost color, got queasy, and almost lost consciousness. Later on everyone's nerves calmed and Dylan, the nurse, showed up which helped a ton. At that point we were able to turn our attention to keeping Shawn comfortable and in good spirits. I know that lot of people in the comments on the video had plenty of critiquing about what they would have done better, but in the end you just can't know until you are there in the thick of things. I think we all did pretty well as a group - everyone self delegated to a critical task and made it work with almost no time for discussion.
4. What are your favorite and most fun moments from the road trip to reflect and look back on?
Honestly, when I look back at the road trip some of the fondest moments are the ones just hanging out with Brian either in the car, at the campsite, or out at a meal. I just really enjoyed his company throughout, and think he's one hell of a funny and interesting dude. We also had a super great time while in Asheville with Seth. I will never forget our live stream where Seth did a hand stand on a stool, I lost the contest and had to chop off my hair, and Brian was taking the blower to the face... always great times when you get the three amigos together.
5. After not being on your bike for quite some time due to your shoulder injury, how much did Redemption 17 help with moving on from the injury and making you more comfortable and confident on your bike ? Were there any other factors that helped you with that?
Redemption17 meant a whole lot to me personally. It had been a long time since I had such a bad injury with that long and tough of a recovery, and on top of that it came at a really important juncture in my life - when I was attempting to make a leap into full time YouTubing. The whole ordeal was a seriously trying time for me as I began to doubt everything I had set out to do, and as you guys have seen, it almost got the best of me. I came up with the idea for Redemption17 to both prove something to myself, and send a message to others - NEVER GIVE UP, no matter what. Six months of inactivity, and you better believe I knew that the beginning of the trip was going to be difficult, and that I was going to be seriously struggling as I got back on the bike and tried to keep up with Brian, but I made a point of sharing that aspect in the videos to attempt and show others that although it's gonna suck for a while, the comeback is always possible. Throughout the trip, however, I slowly progressed, one pedal stroke at a time. Slowly but surely I thought less and less about what would happen to my shoulder if I fell of my bike. Having Brian around for moral support and as a rabbit to chase definitely helped as well.
6. What does the future hold for The Singletrack Sampler?
Man, well, I'm currently at a coffee shop trying to upload a video for today and then I'm really hoping the rain holds out long enough that I can get on a ride. I'm pretty sure I have a place to sleep tonight, but I'm not certain... lol
I know you probably are looking for an answer beyond that, and it's really hard to say. This entire thing is a new frontier, and I am doing my best to navigate it in a way that stays true to both myself and my channel's values. I have so many ideas that I want to explore: van life, creative collaborations, bike advocacy projects, international bike trips, clothing and gear lines, the list goes on....
My one mission I know that will never change is this: Biking has had a profound impact on my life for the better, and that is an opportunity I desperately want to share with others. I think that the more people that get on bikes, the better off the world will be. So far there are right around 50K people subscribed to my channel that believe in that message, and I think there are plenty more to come.
7. Any final thoughts and words to all of your followers?
Of course I do.....
LIVE FREE
RIDE HARD
& GET STOKED!!!!
Thanks to everyone out there that has stood behind me and what the channel stands for. I'm constantly blown away by you guys, and am one lucky bastard to have each and every person reading this stoked to watch my content and be a part of this community. I've never been so excited about anything in my life, and know that there are many great things ahead. Stay stoked my friends!
Many thanks to Brian and Alexander for bringing this interview to life. I really appreciate them taking the time to answer my questions! I wish both Brian and Alexander the best of luck on their future biking adventures and am looking forward to their next uploads!
Check out their channels here:
BKXC
The Singletrack Sampler
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