Riff Stills Photo Epic: Dylan Sherrard - A General Cycling Enthusiast

When I first moved to Kamloops I didn’t have much of a goal in mind career wise. Just an overwhelming desire to take a crack at creating a life completely absorbed by biking. And my biggest hope was to find a way to support that lifestyle. I guess I’ve done pretty well for myself on that project, and now my big hope is that maybe I can help people to realize it’s not that crazy to spend their lives doing what they love, if they really love it.




I’ve definitely been feeling a positive momentum shift in my riding in recent times. I’ve spent a lot of years really focused on progression, and it's been a riot. But riding that way - always pushing so hard - it takes an enormous amount of energy. And honestly, it feels kind of self-absorbed.




I feel like I’ve learned lots of cool tricks on my bike, but I’ve also learned a lot of cool things about healthy and happy living too. And I’m starting to feel its a lot more rewarding to place all that energy into making biking better for other riders. I really want to use my voice and the skills I’ve developed to share those tricks and ideas with others. I just want to make riding more enjoyable for everyone.





Shred Hard Summer Camps is a nice step in that direction. It’s so much fun, I almost can’t believe it’s possible. I have the chance to host bike camps in my favourite riding destinations with my friends - who happen to be some of my favourite riders - as coaches. And then we create this rad atmosphere where riders really kick back and enjoy their ride, which is the perfect environment to make a ton of progress in a short time. It’s totally bonkers.




I’ve noticed myself watching a lot more surf content than mountain bike content this year. I think it’s because surf characters and their content generally seem to be a little more calm and collected. And they all seem really connected to the natural world. In biking, with so much high tech gear around us, I’m worried that connection is too easily overlooked.




Maybe we make biking a little more complicated than it needs to be, and maybe that’s taking away from our enjoyment.



I refuse to subscribe my riding to any particular label. A definition is simply a limitation, and I love biking far too much to limit what I can do by labelling it as anything specific. When people ask me what I do for a living, I just tell them, “I’m a general cycling enthusiast.”


I’m not so sure about this whole being constantly busy situation that’s gained so much popularity. I honestly feel that in order to do what I love as a career, to do well at it, and to keep loving it… I need to remember the chillin' is equally as important as the killin’.



I also feel it's really necessary to keep things on my own terms. I think I turn down a lot more job offers and travel opportunities than I accept. I guess I just love what I do far too much to allow for any changes that don’t feel like natural, organic growth. That's a hard gun to stick to, but I feel really good about it.





It’s crazy to think that I’ve been biking for 17 years already. And even crazier to think about all the growth and knowledge, or the incredible lifestyle that bicycles have allowed for me. I’m incredibly grateful and eternally indebted. And I’m really excited about whatever I’m rolling toward next.

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MENTIONS: @dylansherrard / @riffstills

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Stories Dylan Sherrard