Riding With Wayne

Photos by Dan Sharp
Words by Joe Staples

Two days ago we, the Rapha Continental, did 95 miles, with 10,000ft ft climbing including a single 20 mile ascent that topped out at 10,800ft. It was the second day of Ride the Rockies and we shared this amazing experience with roughly 2000 other people. That's enough stats for one day, this ride isn't about numbers, it is about meeting people and you can imagine, on a ride with that many people, you will meet a lot of them.

Amongst the great people we rode and chatted with was one Wayne Stetina, if you don't know who he is, hit yourself twice and then Google him. Wayne was riding with/chaperoning/schooling Elliot, a young U23 Garmin rider, and in the same breath he also schooled us. It is also interesting to note that Wayne's nephew, Peter, is part of the current Garmin squad. A family with a real tradition in cycling.

While I  rode in the paceline in front of him I wasn't aware that he was checking out how I rode. But, at the next stop Wayne pulled me aside and said "You've got a really nice pedaling action and long femurs, but your bike is set up like a track bike. That saddle needs to be "slammed back". He then explained the physiology that I thought I already understood [but obviously didn't] and asked if I wanted him to fix my position. Errmm, yeah.

Right now you're probably thinking, "Joe, it's pretty dumb to change your position 10miles before a 20-mile climb", I thought the same. Wrong. My new position is amazing.

Story doesn't end there. He had other comments for Carey, he lowered her saddle considerably and slammed it back, she has never been more comfortable. Another one who received the treatment was James Selman, again, "Slammed by Wayne". Selman has finished 11th at Leadville 100, he knows bikes. But in 5 minutes he had knowledge dropped on him that he says has "changed his world." Now he says he can't wait to get home to redial his other bikes.