Just One More Lap (Hardwear Sessions)

By Victor Ichioka

Sean McDevitt is part of our tent design team, the self-described "detail guy" of the group. He is also a mad cyclist. He generally makes a two-wheel commute to and from work and is often part of the lunch-hour ride that some of the folks at Mountain Hardwear have instituted. In addition, Sean is currently in training for his second 24-hour mountain-bike race (he described his first one on this blog earlier in the year / "24 Hours in Old Pueblo").

Sean first got interested in cycling while in the US Army. While stationed in Germany in 1990, when a bike manufacturer was offering great deals to soldiers, Sean picked up a road machine to tool around the Bavarian country roads. He ended up on a long road trip through Germany and Austria to Switzerland. And he recounts that he took the train back to the base.

After leaving the Army and heading to college, Sean started hanging out with some mountain bikers. This led to single-track adventures, a job in a bike shop, and, eventually, to cycle-cross racing. In cycle-cross, participants ride a 3- to 4-mile course that contains obstacles, some of which require you to dismount and carry your bike. The races are generally ridden on road bikes equipped with knobby tires and run for a specified length of time. The person with the most laps when the final bell rings is the winner.

As Sean got more known in the local biking community, he received invitations to participate in team events. Early this year, he got offered a spot on a four-person team riding in a 24-hour mountain-bike race. Next month he is returning to the scene of the crime, this time as a solo entrant.

When asked to describe the experience of such a race, Sean uses the word "horrific." He quotes a biking adage stating that in a 24-hour race "you come face-to-face with your soul." What does an encounter of this kind do for you? He says that it teaches you mental toughness and to approach a seemingly overwhelming task by taking on one moment at a time. He says these things carry over into other parts of his life including tent design. When the design team faces a large project, like revamping a large number of tent designs, it helps to break it down to small steps. Just one more lap will get you there.