Interview: Matt Erbentraut
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 | It was the first thing in as long as I could remember that brought me genuine happiness. And I know I'm not alone, I think a lot of people get the same relief through riding a bike. |
Matt's first experiences mountain biking were through annual week-long visits to Mammoth, so when in middle school he met his friend, photographer Sebastian Bauer, he was still a very novice rider. “Sebastian was a much better rider than I was and we would go to the local dirt jumps and pump track together after school.” A self described "chubby kid", Matt struggled with his weight for most of his young life, and experienced depression. “Nothing, no matter what it was or what happened in my life, gave me a long lasting feeling of happiness. I felt no sense of importance or reason for being here.” In 8th grade he dusted off his Dad’s old XC bike and took it for a pedal in an attempt to improve his health. "I quickly found that as great as it was for me physically, it was even better for me mentally.” This discovery eventually led to Matt joining the Nor Cal High School Cycling League as a freshman. “The league does a phenomenal job of giving kids the opportunity to have a great time racing their bike alongside others their age. Setting goals and achieving them gave me a sense of accomplishment, and I became obsessed with riding and everything that came with it.”
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| I am extremely competitive, but in the end it is not always about racing and getting free products as much as it is about being in the outdoors, going on adventures, making life-long friends through the sport, and doing what makes you happy. |
The trails near Matt’s childhood house were very steep with fire road climbs to access them. That and, a proximity to some ‘fast guys’ like Ben Cruz, provided a great opportunity for mentorship and the inspiration to race Enduro. Matt credits having the opportunity throughout high school to ride with Ben for his quick progression. During this past race season Matt also spent some time travelling with Kyle Warner where he learned much about how to prepare correctly for a race and to “relax and just enjoy every event, because in the end that is what it's all about!” With this newly learned approach to racing Matt has found that it's not just the format of enduro that appeals to him but also the atmosphere surrounding the events. “It is a low stress day full of riding fun trails with a ton of really cool people.”
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| Travelling with other racers is a great way to have a lot of fun with each event while also cutting the cost of travel expenses. |
At age 17, the 2013 season was Matt’s first full season of racing. He traveled around California racing anything he could get into, including many of the California Enduro Series races, and venturing out of state for some of the Oregon Enduro Series as well. Feeling pretty confident about his results from the season Matt says, “I always liked to compare my times to those of the pros, just to see where I would stack up against them.”
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| I do not think Enduro is a fad, it is different from downhill and different from XC, and everyone at the races always seems to be stoked and having a total blast out riding and racing on fun descents with their friends. |
This past season started off a little rough when he was sidelined from January to March with an injury. It would seem that he had nowhere to go but up. And with a more structured approach than his previous season he had planned ahead and budgeted for which races he would attend. “I was fortunate enough to compete in most of the North American Enduro Tour races and ride some very fun trails alongside so many talented riders from other states.” Stepping up to race pro for the first time, Matt’s only goal was to be “one of the guys people recognized as a fast rider.” After investing hours of training and riding weekly he hoped to finish in the top ten at a NAET race, and it was a great boost to his confidence when he accomplished this early in the season.
| I really wanted to prove that I have what it takes to be up with the fast guys and that in the next few years I will be a contender for a top spot. |
Unfortunately, in Colorado last year during the Enduro World Series, Matt broke his finger in two places. “It was disappointing because I was finally starting to get some flow to the trails and then I was unable to finish.” It was four weeks before he was able to ride again and the missed races took him out of the NAET overall for the 2014 season. Finishing off his season racing with a taped finger was a little on the disappointing side for Matt, but he had a good experience racing in Fontana, “as my last race of the year I was happy with my placement. I’m excited for what this year holds.”
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With a new training routine in place, Matt is looking forward to focusing on the North American Enduro Tour (NAET), along with some California and Oregon Enduro races, for 2015. “I am also very excited to race the Fontana Winter series, something I missed in early 2014 due to my injury.“
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| I am excited to put in the hours this off-season and come back in 2015 riding fast and getting results! There is nothing more fun than seeing all of your friends at each race and having a good time. |
Matt is riding for Marin Bikes, SR Suntour, Shimano, Pearl Izumi, Kali Protectives, WTB, Smith Optics, MRP, Gu Energy, Incrediwear, and Odin Digital Media. “I am stoked to be working with so many great companies and have such a good relationship with each. Everyone is motivating and supportive as well as being extremely easy and fun to work with!”
Photos: Sebastian Bauer and Chris Heyman II Instagram @odin_digital_media
Mentions: @MarinBikes @SRSuntour @shimano @WTB-Bikes
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So true!
There is something extremely special about the freedom of movement and handling, the connection to nature and the mechanical advantage provided by the, in my mind, 'hardest to beat over time' innovation ever.
Sod it, I'll just come right out and say it.. has mankind come up with anything better than the bike?
Thanks for coming, feel free to take a pinch of salt on your way out.
Michael "Mike" Ehrmantraut
Oh yeah, and take some Metamucil. I think it would help.
Also please stop calling them kids like it's a bad thing. If you want to make a good impression and not be seen like a stuffy old fart maybe try being less of an a*shole and more of a helpful teacher. You catch more flies with honey after all.
Every ride I do now is basically DH but I pedal to the top...All uphill and then all downhill...and yea when I ride with my buddies we are pinning it as hard as possible all the time...All my buddies are actually really fast..
Don't really dig the look but I'm assuming a lot of peeps do which is cool wih me. What's the problem?
The part of you that reminds me of myself is the self-centered arrogant prick that you're acting like here in the comments. You point out the fact that you're older than those with whom you argue on several occasions. You appear to claim that there's no way that anyone who is younger than you could know anything about the sub-genre of cycling known as "enduro". @littlejoker is an accomplished pro-level cyclist who has raced both XC and enduro; I think he's more than qualified to speak on the subject. The fact that you've been riding for 20 years does not make you the end-all messiah of cycling knowledge.