Recovering from a record-setting ride
At the end of May, Travis Samuel’s body was finally feeling back to normal. “It’s been a roller-coaster, that’s for sure,” he said from his home in Peterborough, Ont. In April, he accomplished his biggest ride ever, without leaving his dad’s garage. Riding 24 hours straight on his indoor trainer, he broke a world record by covering 1,008 km within Zwift. He participated in the Crush covid fundraiser, an event spearheaded by his team, Toronto Hustle.
That effort took a massive toll on his body. “The first two weeks after were hell. Even 30 minutes on the bike was excruciating,” Samuel said, after a deep breath. He spent the following days connecting with cyclists who were inspired by his ride. “As cool as it is to break a record, hearing those stories is why I ride a bike.”
After racing with continental squads Dcbank Pro Cycling and Silber Pro Cycling, it’s the community connection that led him to Toronto Hustle for 2020. Samuel is pursuing a business degree at Trent University, and has a refreshing perspective on being a pro cyclist. “I’ve seen so many kids come and go, with a singular focus on being a pro, and that’s very difficult to sustain mentally.” He wants to help his younger teammates go pro, but also prepare them for a life after cycling.
With the race calendar wiped clean, Samuel was fine to focus on enjoying the local gravel roads, but only a few hours at a time.— Jakewilliams