THAT WAS A DISASTER (Breck Epic Day 3 - Circumnavigation of Mt. Guyot)

[@sydandmacky]

Can't wait for Day 4? Watch it right now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/111825298 Interested in racing Breck Epic? bit.ly/breckepic25 (use code "SYDANDMACKY25" for 20% off)

[@AileenBaker]

Syd, I genuinely love how even when you're struggling hard you literally ALWAYS comment on how beautiful the place you're riding is ❤ Way to be awesome both of you!

[@MrBinyamen]

How you respond to set backs is awesome. Positive mindset. Champions!

[@Frostbiker]

Yeah, I would have been whinging and sulking all the way through. Watching somebody with such resilience is such a good example of what to do.

[@gkichok2]

Watching your races unfold from the saddle is amazing. I was in likely 100s, if not thousands, of races from 1985-1991. There are no videos of any of those epic rides I did and very few photos. I watch you racing with cameras recording everything, and it makes me so happy. "I did races just like that!" and "That was exactly what it was like!", way back then. All I have are my memories. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing!

[@dlwilliamson5644]

I remember Breck Epic 2021 and it was brutal. Completely shattered my shoulder and begged the Breck Epic angels to allow me to finish the stage. It is wonderful for me to learn that everyone who has done it remembers the "way back when" too. Thank you.

[@bodhi47]

Having the power/bpm numbers on the climbs helps me really understand how heinous the climb really is. Also the speed display on the downs also brings home what you’re physically doing is huge. 👍🏻👍🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@ZenEndurance]

Pro tip from triathlon - We've been putting sealant inside our innertubes and spares for years and years. If you're carrying a spare inner tube, put sealant in it ahead of time as well. Then when it punctures (it will) it's very likely to seal on it's own. There are TPU tubes out there with removable cores you can put sealant into no problem. If the valve has silver metal on it, that's one with a removable core. I can't imagine carrying a spare tube without sealant in it because it's just going to flat again in a matter of minutes if you're riding rough stuff. Then the only thing you have to worry about is pinch flats, so make sure to air it up a little higher than normal to prevent that.

[@marick791]

When I tried it the sealant would bung up the core and so couldnt get enough in😪. I have been using slime tubes as they work well and I can change from summer to winter tyres without the mess of tubeless😁

[@bruce.KAY-bike-drifter]

It was very impressive how calm you remained during all the hassles with the tyre and rim, and multiple tube changes. Remaining in 10th after all those hassles is really good. Keep in there, Syd. I loved hearing your positive self-talk.

[@angelabraun-uu4kd]

I love it when you have the bottom bar for the elevation !,

[@mat2ca578]

Bottle caps and gloves helped keep me aligned with who the footage is from. Watching your footage of the Breck Epic stage races is always personal to me. I don't race but, as of this year, ridden the day one route CW and hiked part of day 2 trails. Great job as always.

[@diaztools]

Believe it or not. Your bad days’ are MORE inspiring than the good ones. Your willingness to share and persevere keep my bad days in perspective. Thank you! You guys are awesome. I appreciate the self talk and it’s something I use now to keep perspective.

[@JakobBakker]

I'm amazed by all the awesome trails, the way you guys ride and the documentation. It’s truly kinda epic. I used to watch several “How to” videos by both of you which have helped me on several occasions. Keep it up! Or in Syds case…keep it down.

[@MaximilianRoof]

What a day for you guys. I just have huge respect for both of you to finish the stage under this circumstances. I could never ever do, what you guys do. Love your work.

[@PumpkinVillage]

As much as I enjoy your racing how you interact with each other is what steals the show. Thanks for the video and take care, Al

[@MrIanrocks]

I am so impressed at how well both of you dealt with that and continued to move forward

[@cheryljerry3650]

You two personify Churchill's quote "If you're going through hell, keep going." Great video.

[@windmillcancersurvivor2568]

Racing is hard enough without the nightmare scenario you experienced. You guys are having a great year.

[@jemsmay2167]

The on screen data (speed, power, elevation etc) are great, more please!

[@chrisbailey2861]

What an incredible video and series...so far...looking forward to the next. Love how candid you both are....and love you both giving the inside view of the race. (....and I love the 'thumb nail'.....it pretty much describes some of the turmoil of this segment....and if it helps drive more views....that means more $$$ for you....and that means more Syd and Macky for us). Thanks for putting these videos together for us to follow!!!

[@mckinleyparkbikes]

It is cool to see mountain bikers being mountain bikers checking in on other people. One of the many reason I love the sport .

[@jasonjohnson145]

Wifey and I really enjoying these videos, we too rode Breck this year and loved every minute of it. These videos are great for bring back the fun memories. We see you have signed up for the Volcanic Epic, you are going to love that race - awesome trails, brilliant organising and best bit no Hike-A-Bike - we did Volcanic at the start of 2024....

[@mariopejovic]

Sucks to have a such bad luck. But you showed grit and guts, and kept pushing and going. Truly inspiring. Regarding folks there, I've said before, people who love to be outdoors, hikers, mountain bikers, trail runners... Are almost all nice people. Like, 90% of them. Thank you for another great video

[@Kenneth_R]

Wow. You guys did great. I live and ride in Colorado and those trails are HARD. Its also VERY difficult to recover when sleeping at high elevations. If you dont mind the commute its best to sleep much lower if possible. Idaho Springs is a good spot at about 7.5k feet. Makes a huge difference. The drive is just under 1 hr. Food for thought.

[@RGCastro7]

Admirable attitudes! Keep up the good work, you legends.

[@ostankovalex1176]

wow, a cracked rim through an insert - it must've been a pretty nasty hit great job for keeping yourself calm

[@fovo2]

What a day!!, so proud of the way you guys handled it and stayed positive ( as you could), actually made this grown up guy weep. Those power meter shots show just how much you’re putting into this race!!

[@mtbrnn]

Grit when the going gets tough. Love that attitudes and professionalism.

[@auzyham]

SO MANY ROCKS! My knees are scared just watching

[@dj_ath]

Push it to the limit. Love it stay safe. You both deserve a vacation once winter set in.

[@Biking_with_Akiva]

That Macky sure can stay calm under what some would say is a stressful situation! Way to go Pit stop crew pop's was on it 💪🏾💯. Syd you are a warrior that was insane. Looking forward to seeing the next one 🤙🏾

[@hoxleyholesoap]

Don’t feel so bad about the vomiting. I would always get such altitude sickness at Breckenridge and Snowmass. Just a constant state of nausea. 11k to 12k of altitude is just tough to adapt to. It’s pretty there though and both your riding is so inspiring. Keep up the good work and videos.

[@JimCockerham]

Rough day, but you both made it through, congrats! I don't know how you were able to continue after throwing up, serious determination.

[@flynbenny]

Thanks for censoring the language, my 6 yr old daughter is enjoying watching this series with me. We vacation in Breck every year, she's like "hey I know where that street is!"

[@heyangst6159]

Great racing guys

[@josephroberts9183]

Just keep going!

[@sydandmacky]

Thank you!

[@stevencole7331]

I recently put aspens on my hardtail watching what Mackey can do on them . They are exo casings and rather narrow at 2.1 . I went from 2.3 dhf . Those were the only tire that I did not flat in my high desert riding area so I took a risk on the aspens but having the exo casings that would provide some protection hopefully . I also removed my suspension fork and replaced it with a carbon ridged fork . I will have a xc race in a couple months and thinking about going with this setup .

[@damnedlock2956]

that scenery is so beautiful....getting flats suuuuuxxxxxx!!

[@CharlesbolesBoles]

Wow you're camera quality is amazing now souper clear and focused

[@SkiRidesMTB]

Those Aspen ST's are the most paper thin unreliable tires ever released. I would hesitate to run them on my gravel bike at this point.

[@madyogi6164]

Roadie myself, but always a pleasure to watch. 13:10 "Tubeless" commercial or what? "Stay tubed"... 😉

[@AzureCloudCowboy]

Well done guys.

[@Bargos1968]

You both had some bad luck but full credit for hanging in there. Those rocky / stony climbs and descents look truly awful.

[@ZenEndurance]

1. Y'all really make me want an Ari bike. They look SWEEEEET. 2. Keep it up. Y'alls videos are the best!

[@mustclime5311]

another awesome video, thanks for posting.

[@chilloutyaall]

Dig Deep! Never give up!

[@danielbruton6536]

Amazing work! I am sorry for the mishaps in this race. We are watching race 4 and I just twigged- have you considered you might have been altitude sick as it was more than 3000m above sea level- vomiting is a symptom!!? Same thing happened to me in a hike in Nepal at 3000m and I thought it was something I ate. And then when we got back to Australia the penny dropped! Just food for thought. From Anna on my husband’s KZbin account hahahahha

[@IthacaDon]

Sorry you both had trouble, but on the plus side the quality of your videos have improved by 300%! Do you have someone helping with the editing? The best word I can think of to describe the improvement is: BO-dacious!😂❤😊 Can't wait to watch the next one.

[@roryennis96943]

Felt for both of you guys but I think your mental toughness was on display, for Macky a lot of people would have imploded after a mechanical like that and the subsequent flats, and worrying if the wheel was going to make it to the finish line that day. I know I would have broken myself with worry. For Syd battling thru not feeling well and digging deep to finish was one thing but being able to collect yourself and as Macky said not be completely destroyed afterwards was a positive and I think you both will bounce back from these setbacks. As always we are all behind you and hope you the best on the next stages and races.

[@qwertycycles1173]

Macky did you check the tyre for thorns after the first puncture before you put the TPU tube in?

[@MrRunner10]

Wow! Gutsy ride both of you! 👍

[@ddminwi]

I truly appreciate how calm Mackey is with the flatting. A seasoned racer!

[@ddminwi]

Sorry for not catching the auto correct of your name

[@sydandmacky]

The fact that you even noticed is impressive!

[@blindtrace7220]

That was awesome.

[@dCip77]

I hate the stans darts, apologies if your sponsored but I've been out deep in the middle of nowhere on multiple occasions and the darts never helped. A cracked rim is a different story, but I switched to the really thick lezyne bacon strips and they're fantastic, I've even used them to seal long sidewall punctures!

[@sydandmacky]

Yeah, haven't had any luck with darts either and have stopped carrying them.

[@davetri3]

Keep it up. Go be awesome.

[@Sck519]

It's amazing that Mackie was in 20th after all that and Syd, I puke/dry heave every race. I usually feel so much better after haha

[@bunniidol6181]

As a racer myself puking during a race is my biggest fear! I would have stoped the second I felt like puking! Aslso thanks for not showing it idk how to say this but like I’m glad you cut that out😂

[@GeekonaBike]

SuperGlue w/ baking soda is good for carbon rim repairs, apply glue & sprinkle on baking soda, do as many layers as needed

[@jennifermacdougall8346]

Woke up starving at 2am, then nauseous in the morning, my first thought was you’re pregnant !

[@sydandmacky]

Apparently pregnancy and stage racing at elevation have similar symptoms! (For the record, not pregnant).

[@funiguy8779]

I swear I thought the same thing! 😂. Syd does appear to be glowing most of the time though! ❤

[@330_Crew]

That grit will serve you well at Marji next week. It’s all about finishing what you started no matter what.

[@gkichok2]

It's probably been said, but vomiting and headaches are signs of altitude sickness. Might be good to train more at altitude and get yourselves into a hyperbaric chamber to recover faster.

[@joelsherlin-fd6fj]

I don’t understand why racers run such light casing tires???? I would rather run something more dependable. To me the “ risk” vs reward isn’t worth it.

[@graememackenzie8795]

In a field like this, you simply can’t run heavy casings and expect to be competitive. These climbs are brutal (particularly at this altitude)

[@Team81MTB]

Way to hang in there on a shitty day you two. Syd, I got sick in a race last year. I stayed on the bike and hurled.🤮 Just remember to turn your head when you do.😂 Best of luck on the next stage. Special shout-out to Knoxville TN'S Kaysee Armstrong for leading the pro women's division. Way to represent all of us racers here in Knoxville. 👍💪👊

[@wiredrabbit5732]

It does take a certain amount of athleticism and professionalism to puke and respond as if it's just another challenge. Ok, big climb, puke, now descend, next! Great job!

[@funiguy8779]

Do you think the choice of rear tyre needs looking at for those gnarly down hill sections? I take it you can change tyre types for different stages if you want to ?

[@sydandmacky]

You can. But unfortunately it was simply poor line choice on my part. Syd rode the same tires and made it down no problem and it was fine for the other days, some of which (like you'll see on day 5) had more rocks.

[@Cycle9568]

@@sydandmackywhat is your max speed and average speed compared to Syd’s? Don’t know if that needs to be a factor or not when selecting a tire I’m always amazed at how fast you both go on the tires you choose. The rest of us must over tire our bikes! Good luck! As always thanks for bringing us along for another amazing video!

[@TurboWolf5000]

Colorado's different. More psi & more rubber required.

[@sapinva]

@@sydandmacky Would be tempted to get DH tires and trim the knobs down in the center. I'd never get away with only 35 psi in that stuff, even with DH casings and Rimpact.

[@georgek1518]

What kind of Sunscreen do you use that you can apply it around your eyes and not have it burn? I really enjoy your videos. Thanks.

[@sydandmacky]

Just cheap Kroger's 30spf sport sunscreen 🤷‍♂️

[@SergejGrabun]

if im honest, i am super surprised that that expensive rim broke after flat impact with the rock. I though they are built stronger... or... maybe they are made less strong because it's not enduro rim Fair play for pushing through this. I cannot imagine pedaling these distances and climbing with such elevation. I literally could not pedal up when I went to Alps first time. My Heart rate just goes through the roof in like 30meters and does not come down. The lack of oxygen is mind blowing

[@sydandmacky]

In our experience the rims are quite strong, but any rim will crack given a hard enough hit and I hit it in just the wrong way (sharp rock directly into one of the rim lips). And yes, not as thick as the Enduro rims to save weight, but still pretty darn strong.

[@timcamden9705]

Hey Macky, honest question. When you flatted and put in a TPU tube, did you inflate with CO2? I carry a butyl tube because I heard the cold will cause TPU to fail

[@sydandmacky]

I haven't had issues with co2 and tubolitos in the past and I think the issue was using part of my second co2 trying to plug the tire before I realized the rim was cracked so by the time I put in the tube I didn't have enough air left to inflate it fully. More user error than tubolito failure.

[@marick791]

@@sydandmacky what happened to your mini usb tyre inflator? Would have enough for 4 flats? I have stopped using CO2 since I got mine, used it to help friends on many occasions

[@sydandmacky]

We use the Fanttik regularly, but not for racing as it's heavier than carrying CO2s and that's a situation where weight matters quite a bit. We've never tested to see how many tires it could inflate completely. Not sure it could do 4 from empty, but I bet at least 2...

[@benjaming.2218]

Way to hustle. I had punctures within the first 30 minutes a couples races ago.

[@AYNZ197]

Nice video

[@mtblover]

Sorry about you bad luck. I don't want to sound "know it alsy" but I don't get the tyre choice for such rocky trails. Tyre choice would be my first focus. Heavier and more durable would have saved you tons of time. We'll done on the persistence and attitude though.

[@OGDMaco]

What's the green "underrim" thing macky is using?

[@sydandmacky]

It's the Vittoria Air-Liner light xc tire insert. Helps prevent pinch flats (although not if you hit hard enough like I did) and provides some run flat capabilities for short distances.

[@OGDMaco]

@@sydandmacky ah okay I will take a look at them cheers for the reply. 👍

[@BoxCarBoy12]

Macky, how has the Galaxy Flip been treating you? I’ve been intrigued by folding phones, but I’ve been weary about how well that soft foldable screen will hold up durability wise to the lifestyle of people who spend a lot of time outdoors such as us mountain bikers

[@sydandmacky]

I've had it just over a year and it's been awesome. In certain light I can see some slight scratches on the screen where it folds (due to grit getting caught in there) but I don't notice them when using it.

[@timtaylor9590]

what sun block do you use? im having trouble finding one without the chemicals and metals

[@sapinva]

Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are the safest sunscreens. It's the ones without that use toxic chemicals.

[@louis-philippecorriveau4725]

I wonder if the small weight saving for a Tubolito vs a standard heavier tube is worth it… they look a bit flimsy

[@sydandmacky]

I think the issue here was more that he used too much of his co2 trying to plug the tire so the tube was under inflated. In the past we have had pretty good luck with the tubolitos (or at least just as bad of luck as we have with any tubes lol 😂)

[@TM-ev2tc]

🎶 if it weren't for a bad luck I'd have no luck at all 🎶.

[@redlegds_adventures]

Hve you guys thought about endurance racing?

[@slothsquatch5023]

It's a tubalito type of day!

[@rottieshepcalibre9156]

I don’t know what your tpi is Macky but why don’t you use enduro tires?That extra weight could save you in puncture stops

[@tonyhruzek4250]

Did you guys change computers for the race?

[@sydandmacky]

We've been trying out the iGS800. Been pretty pleased with it so far and the battery life is incredible! (If you're in the market, there's a discount code in the video description)

[@blue-wanderer4392]

I thought that air liners are for preventing cracked rims. :d

[@sydandmacky]

They help, but nothing is a guarantee (and I took a bad line/got unlucky)

those boys in pink did a great job coordinating that pass. good job all around

[@sydandmacky]

I was around them all week and they were awesome humans!

[@trentvlak]

How did you get such rim and tire damage with Vittoria airliner?

[@pandatactical4530]

He smashed it on a rock!

[@trentvlak]

@@pandatactical4530 impossibru

[@pandatactical4530]

@@trentvlak Expert!

[@Matt-i5u]

Better luck nextym😂

[@mysho6317]

Women should have their own start like the big Gravel races

[@sydandmacky]

People asked about that and the promoter explained that since pretty much every day starts in downtown Breckenridge they can't close the streets for that long in the mornings to do two different starts.

[@mysho6317]

5 to 10 minutes would be all that is needed to add safety, reduce chaos & elevate the Women's field. Maybe next next year. Good Luck on the course everyday & stay safe. Impressed by how consistent Your Race videos are produced & edited. Telling 2 stories in the same video is not easy yet it's so seamless watching Syd & Macky. Well done😎

[@awesometuscaloosa7203]

Sounded like you said seven thousand feet of climbing…

[@johnfilicicchia1651]

You said you cracked the rim?

[@jayswavely6371]

Try working in a cube. That is a disaster.

[@benc.8103]

Wow😢

[@marysullivan1588]

Sounds like the altitude was not agreeing with you Syd .

[@davros666]

🤘

[@GHinWI]

I really wonder how much the elevation played into the nausea…? I’d bet the people at the front of this race spend a lot of time at high elevation.

[@tonyrobinson1623]

I know you like light tires, but if I remember correctly, you seem to have an unusually high rate of flats in races.

[@peterj.6224]

What is up with people asking “you good” with no intention of stopping?

[@sydandmacky]

If I said "I need help" I suspect they would have stopped but in general it's expected that people will take care of their own mechanicals (at least at the front of the race).

[@crtgamer2355]

What is the point of such a thick tire liner if the tire punctures so easily? I think tire manufacturers could make tires thicker and stronger but then they wouldn't sell any tires, so they make it just thick enough to keep you coming back for more.

[@stocktonslack]

There are plenty of thicker and stronger tires available on the market. The tire choice is key, however. When you choose a thicker/stronger tire you are choosing to have a heavier tire as well. By choosing a thinner/light-duty tire you take the strength compromise, but get the advantage of lighter weight and less rolling resistance.

[@crtgamer2355]

@@stocktonslack Point taken, though I have a pretty thin plastic liner in my 26er tires with tubes, and I never get punctures. I think just a thin extra layer where it's needed most will make a world of difference. Yes if you're using fat tires you are going to have a bad day at the races, but just slightly thicker than they are using won't affect them that much, plus you can ride harder without worrying about punctures, meaning faster times.

[@richb8709]

Couldn’t you have stopped and let some air out if the 35 psi was too much? Considering you had already lost 10-15 minutes, what’s another 30 seconds?

[@sydandmacky]

I had to run that high of pressure to avoid flatting the tube.

[@davidodell4687]

You knew the job was dangerous when you took it

[@Chris-pw7ov]

Real questions: How many times have you heard Thunderstruck at the start of a race?

[@BEARWITNESS2907]

🤔 IDK throwing up and your partner having headaches sounds familiar to when me and my wife had our first child. If you guys are expecting it would be great for the channel both of you are still in your racing prime would be crazy if you had twins boy and a girl and with the support group you seem to have both could continue racing. Your channel would be a unique and entertaining and educational how to for married sports couples😂

[@sydandmacky]

No babies at this time. Maybe someday 🤷‍♂️

[@edt5276]

Is he putting sunscreen on his head & face? I feel like no one ever addresses the topic of extended, profuse, 'shower-sweating' where every square inch of your skin essentially becomes a shower head for hours. And, doesn't that render any lotions useful for only 15 minutes or so? I never put anything on my face or head that sweat will wash away & into my eyes. I'll put sunscreen and bug spray on arms etc. (and deodorant on my pitts) even though it will be gone(?) in a half hour. But nothing upstream of my eyes. So, is he having meaningful, non-torturous sucess? Is it NOT eventually equivalent to applying suscreen directly to his eyeballs? Has he ever missed a spot and gotten a sunburn on a small patch of his head but not on his entire head?

[@sydandmacky]

Definitely need to sunscreen my head and face or they would absolutely get burned (and it would look ridiculous because of the holes in the helmet). I use a "sport" sunscreen which is theoretically water resistant and seems to resist coming off with sweat fairly well. I would say I'm an average sweater and sometimes experience sunscreen in my eyes from my forehead but usually it seems to go around my eyes more than into them 🤷‍♂️

[@brianmagee5847]

Eating wins races....if you can keep it down???

[@sydandmacky]

Very important caveat 😂

[@ttengineer404]

This is what I don’t understand. At y’all’s level a few oz of weight can’t really make a meaningful difference, so why risk, in a giant stage race like this, the chance of blowing a tire by running a lightweight casing? I mean why not play it safe and run at least an exo casing or even an exo +? I understand that you might be a few seconds slower on a climb, but when minutes separates the field over 6 days, why risk the flat? This is exclusively on these big all mountain stage races. On a single day race, sure risk it.

[@gap250]

He cracked the wheel. Tire casing wasn’t the issue

[@sydandmacky]

These were EXO casings, but if the Aspen was available in a 60 TPI casing, we'd likely run it. Unfortunately it's not and since that's our favorite XC tread pattern 120 TPI it is. And as mentioned, cracking the rim was the bigger issue and given that that happened I'm confident I would have flatted an EXO+ as well. Just poor line choice on my part.