At 17-years-old, Caden Gray is already amongst some of the best mountain bikers in the world and with the unique and challenging trails around San Luis Obispo, he gets train on some the toughest terrains on the West Coast.
“It's been really good for me just to kind of go around and get all different types of riding and it's been really good,” Gray said. He's been all over the West Coast growing up in Mukilteo, Washington before moving to California where he lived in San Diego prior to his current home in San Luis Obispo.
Mountain biking isn’t just a hobby to Gray who’s been riding since he was two. It’s a full-time, 7-day-a-week commitment that from the outside looking in, can seem grueling, but for Gray is all time well spent.
“It helps you get out of your head," Gray explained. "On any day, you can go do it and not be tired of it because there's always a different reason to go ride.”
Despite the various injuries Gray has suffered at the hands of the high speed sport, it never stops him flying down rocky chutes atop mountains and courses around the world.
“There's definitely been a few injuries, a few concussions, broken collarbone, wrists, and sprains," Gray admitted. But ultimately, "you kind of just want back on the bike.”
On June 29, Gray entered the UCI Downhill World Cup in Val Di Sole, Italy, recovering from the stomach flu. However, Gray found the strength to make it through qualifying and reach his best mark to date in the World Cup Downhill final with a time of 4:00.952.
“Wasn't really expecting much after being sick and weak a whole week so I just went into it and ended up going top 25, got into qualifying, got into the big show, so it was really good.”
Gray competes with the Outlaw Tribe, a team of elite and junior elite riders that compete in the World Cup development pipeline. But it's more than a group of talented mountain bikers for Gray, it's a team that he stays with, competes with and bonds with in competition.
“You have someone to push you along the whole way and you're pushing them. These guys build on each other and it just helps you the whole way.”
With the constant international travel and long periods of time spent away from home, it’s not only a huge commitment from Gray but from his family as well.
“Pretty much all they want to do is have me move up and do what makes me happy," Gray said. "They support me full speed ahead.”
Whether it be illness or injury, one thing is for sure, Gray will always just keep riding.
Gray’s next ride comes at the end of the month where he’ll compete at Crankworx in Whistler, Canada for a series of races July 21-30 followed by a trip to Europe on early August competing in the country of Andorra in early August.
