Dexter Kopas

Only makes sense I’d get my proudest bike performance so far at such an incredible event as @ozarkgraveldoom . Found some new depths I could push to, and managed to complete all 407 miles and 50,000 feet of climbing in one push without ever shutting my eyes for the overall win in 45 hours and 42 minutes. Gonna be thinking back on this for a long time. A lot of people thank for this experience. @onermaa for inviting the world to his backyard. Clearly so much work put into this route and making this insanely challenging event happen, all while managing to keep it light-hearted and inviting. All the other kind weirdos I got to ride with who also cherish such a challenge as this. Ya’ll brought me much laughter, smiling, and inspiration. Hometown mechanical heroes @framing_jake and @mr.beniciajosmith at @campfirecycling for getting my bike in top shape to perform. @drsethwood I thought I was just getting a ride to the start of the race, but I also ended up making a friend. @redshiftsports for helping me get a lot of comfort on the bike. Who needs full suspension? @kaicaddy for bringing so much to life with his cameras (such as all these fine photos above) @jasonpedals and @stephaniehall94 for always being supportive. @tucson_endurance for kindly telling me all the things I’ve been doing wrong bike fit wise. @wild_arizona_ All my coworkers who value a work-life balance, and the work itself for all the cross training. The kind people of Arkansas. Never have I gone so long on a bike without feeling threatened by a driver. Anyone who sent me messages of encouragement that I didn’t respond to cause I wanted to be off my phone and be fully present for my ride.

Day in the life of restoring the Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River with @wild_arizona_ and training for races this summer

Well, it’s about time I made official what I’m training for this year. With several friends living in Europe, a sponsor support network built up, and a desire to escape the car-centric political mayhem of the US, I’ll be spending four months across the pond. Just in time, as I’ve had two vehicles get rear ended in the last six months, and I can’t wait to live out of a series of @oldmanmountainracks and @southcitystitchworks bike bags. - May 23: @hellenicmountainrace , Greek highlands 570 miles, MTB -June: ride with homies from Sweden to Paris -Jul 9: @pedalma_cycling The Capitals, Catalonia, 520 miles, gravel -Aug 28: @frthr.co Perseverance, Pyrenees Mountains, ~300-400 miles, MTB -Oct 22: @azt300_800 , Arizona, 300 miles, MTB Time to strike while the iron is hot. 📸 @framing_jake

@hellenicmountainrace scouting, day 6

2.5 days in Copenhagen and Lund visiting friends, meeting new ones, shaking the legs out, eating spicy tinned fish, and enjoying the most human-friendly city design I’ve ever seen. No time to waste, I am now on a bus in Greece. the Pindos await.

Leg one of my EU26 summer is the @hellenicmountainrace , a 920 km (570 mi) trek through the Pindus Mountains of northern Greece. To gain familiarity with the culture, landscape, riding, food, and language, I will be pre-riding most of the course for two weeks, both solo and joined by an old friend. An opportunity both to maximize potential for the race, and to slowly enjoy old friends in new places, before rapidly gobbling up the course on 5/23. Here are some highlights of my touring setup Bike - @otsocycles Fenrir Ti hard tail , UDH version - 32x10-52 mechanical drivetrain - 2.2” Race Kings - @ergonbike GS2 Evo grips - @wolf_tooth_comp Resolve dropper post Rev2 Bags - @oldmanmountainracks Elkhorn rack w/ @southcitystitchworks Love Handle harness - 2x OMM 5L Hemlock panniers - OMM Manzanita cradle w/ 9L top-load bag - SCSW full frame, top tube, and feed bags Gear - Bobs red mill flaxseed bag still serving as toiletry bag after years of use. - @oceanandsan tan cargo bibs - Kindle with books on Greek history - @kanberrasport Taint Paint chamois cream, w/ tea tree oil wipes to keep my undercarriage joyous - 1P tent, fly only. (Trusting @stephaniehall94 prediction of minimal mosquitos 🤞) - Exercise band - @silca_velo Elettrico Ultimate Inflator - A sack of 300g @carbsfuel drink mix To put it mildly, 🤠

After more than a year of my neighbor and I lobbying the city of Tucson, I can now say that my home street of has three traffic-calming speed humps. Too many nights I’ve been awoken by speeding cars. Dogs have been killed. My neighbor saw a kid get run over while she was growing up here. And just last month my parked rental car got violently rear ended in the middle of the night. It’s a small victory, and more needs to be done to make this street more human-designed, but this will be celebrated nonetheless. A perfect send off gift before I fly to Europe on Monday, where, with any luck, I won’t get behind a wheel for four months straight. Hoping to return home to find less car noise and more sounds of kids playing in the street. Ward 3 Speed Hump Proposal app link in my bio.

30 apples for a 30th birthday boy