Phil Thomas
The Plains, VA
Work: Bicycle Shop Manager
Athletic Background: BMX and MTB
Baggies or Lycra: Lycra
Race or Ride: Ride
Shaved or au natural: Hairy
Post Ride Treat: Beer! Or Chips Ahoy cookies and a jar of peanut butter
Local Gravel: The historic roads of Northern Virginia are mainly hard-pack with occasionally loose, chunky rocks. They wind through the ridges and valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains with old stone walls and dense forest. It’s easy to string these trails together for 70+ mile routes that only very briefly touch any pavement.
Dream Ride Location: I’d love to explore Scotland, riding between little overnight shelters called Bothies.
Shimano Gravel Dream Build:
Trek Domane SL
50/34 chainrings with an11-34 cassette
33-35mm tires
“The gravel community has literally changed my life. I moved away from the city to a tiny cabin out in the woods just so I could be at the heart of what I love. Gravel rides always have a unique feel to them. The sense of exploring, discovery and enjoyment is always there. Sure, sometimes it’s trying to race up a climb or see who can go down a loose rocky decent the fastest but it’s all about friends going for a pedal. Ego's are put aside when your tires hit the crunchy stuff and it happens naturally.”
