7-18-08 // Online Exclusive: The Kyle Strait Interview

Colin Meagher

Arguably the most versatile athlete of his generation, Kyle Strait is in a bit of an odd spot. Exactly where does he fit in? Freerider. DH racer. Dirt jumper. And roadie. Yeah, you heard me: roadie. Just don’t look for him to be lining up anytime soon in Lycra—that definitely ain’t his style.

So why the road biking? It all stems from a burning desire in Kyle’s soul to compete at the highest level everywhere he rides.

Last year, you see, was a bit of an anomaly. The wunderkind from California seemed to have finally made a decision in the minds of the race community to go to the dark side—the freeride scene—with all his heart: he didn’t race any World Cups or Nationals. So the assumption was that Kyle had finally turned his back on racing.

“Not true, not at all,” says Kyle. “I was committed to the Qashqai series, and every date conflicted with the World Cup schedule, and once that series was over, then there was Crankworx, etc. Basically, there was either a filming or free ride comp conflict with every single major race last year. But I missed racing, so here I am.”

These words were spoken in Andorra, three weeks after Kyle’s return to racing in a big way, notching 24th place at the first World Cup of the 2008 season, held in Maribor, Slovenia. Not bad for a guy who last raced World Cup a little over a year and a half previously.

So…why the road bike?

“My dad was looking to lose some weight, so he started riding, and I started riding to kind of keep him company. And I’m strong, but I knew I needed the extra fitness that time on the road will give me. So I started riding on my own. If I’m going to compete seriously, I know I need that, so I ride 3-4 days a week now, usually for about an hour or so.”

That’s a far cry from the regimented training you’ll see out of, say, Fabian Barel, but given Kyle’s raw talent, it appears to be enough. Landing in the top 25 after an 18-month hiatus is not exactly easy, not to mention doing it the week after snagging 4th place in the Madrid Qashqai event.

Asked about the slopestyle competition scene, Kyle is eager to laud the Qashqai events for bringing mountain biking to the masses, but also just as quick to criticize it for not being a “true” mountain bike comp.

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