Travis Hauck on What it Means to #RidetheWest — SingleTrack 6: Ride the West

From its inception in 2014, few riders have embodied Singletrack 6’s spirit of adventure, camaraderie and determination more completely than Travis Hauck. As an ST6 ambassador, Travis is well known at the TransRockies Race Series mountain bike stage races, and is one of the people that make these events a truly special experience.

Whether it was growing up on the Saskatchewan prairies, or now, living with his family in Nelson, British Columbia, cycling is, and always has been, a big part of Travis’s life. And from two wheels, he’s made it his mission to seek out adventure, meet new people, and help other riders break through barriers and achieve their full potential. He’s often one the first riders to finish a race, but he’s also one of the last left congratulating finishers at the end of a stage.

Over the course of his racing career, Travis has competed in stage races across the Americas, including La Ruta, Quebec Singletrack Experience, BC Bike Race and Moab Rocks, but he keeps returning home to Singletrack 6. So, we thought he would be the perfect person to offer some advice, and to give us his candid take on what it really means to #RidetheWest!

In his own words…

What does mountain biking mean to you?

Being outside, the fitness and the adrenaline. When I was younger, it was more of the adrenaline side of it and the excitement of trying new things. When I first moved out here [to Nelson], we were riding twenty feet up in the air on skinny logs the width of 2x4’s. Now, as a father in my 40s, it’s all about the fitness, health and the people I've been able to meet through it. Mountain biking gives me a chance to clear my mind. I like to push myself and turn off the brain for a bit. Focusing so hard on the trail, the climb or the descent helps clear the mind. I also have a couple of really great riding buddies, and when we get to go out on rides together it's just a super fun day—I love the camaraderie of it.

How would you describe yourself as a rider?

I always wanted to make myself a business card that just says, 'Bike Handler', because I'm really proud of my well-rounded cycling skills. I road ride, I do epic rides, I’ve completed a couple of 24-hour races, and I’ve done some of the world’s hardest stage races. I can also downhill, hit jumps at a jump park, and even ride BMX. Just being on two wheels is a part of me. I thought road riding was super crazy and lame until I started working at a bike shop, and the owner let me ride his road bike for a 130km event. That opened my eyes to the sport. Drafting behind guys at 90km/hr down a big mountain pass got me hooked, and I bought a road bike that year. When I'm racing in a race like Singletrack 6, I would say it's my determination to finish and my technical ability that shine.

What does your perfect trail look like?

I like it all. I'm a good climber. I don't like long, flat logging roads so much, unless they are scenic. But, if I had to pick, I would say some good technical climbing, some good technical descents, and obviously, lots of singletrack.

Is there any particular aspect of stage racing you struggle with?

Leaving the family or bringing them! And I socialize too much. After stages I might stay up late, I might not get my sleep. I might have one or two more beer than I should... but somehow, I pull it off!

Can you give some advice to those who might be on the fence about doing Singletrack 6 for the first time?

If you don't try it, you'll never know! I teach mountain biking to all ages and love getting people comfortable with the technique and skills. Seeing the light bulb go on for someone is the best feeling ever. Sometimes it's hard for people to trust in themselves and do something that intimidates them for the first time. But once they get the confidence and just do it, it's not usually as difficult as they expected it to be. So, if it's your first time, I would say just go in with no expectations. Go ride the best trails in each wonderful community, go for dinner and a beer at a really cool pub or restaurant, in a new place, for a new experience! A stage race is a journey, you just have to open your mind to it and be stoked.

The Singletrack 6 route changes every year. How do you feel this affects the race?

For most people, you'll go on a bike trip or vacation and visit a couple of communities...well that's Singletrack 6! You get to visit these places, and the cool thing is that it's all mapped out for you, with top-notch aid stations! You can just follow the course. You don't have to pull out Trailforks, you don't have to look at a map. They lay out a cool circuit that's got it all. That's what makes it unique and exciting. If you're only going to do one stage race a year, do Singletrack 6 because every year you're going to get a new race. It's like a never-ending bucket list event!

Singletrack 6 makes no apologies for its level of difficulty. What would you tell someone who is unsure about the technical aspects of the race?

The trails used in Singletrack 6 are built by professional trail builders. Nobody should be worried about the difficulty. The builders do such a good job that the trails shouldn't feel difficult if you trust the builders' vision for that trail. There might be things people aren't familiar with, but there are around lines as well. I would also say people need to find their rhythm. Our local festival saying is "Roots, Rock, Rhythm". When you find your rhythm, you flow like water through the roots and rocks. Then you're good. And it's only about 20% difficult, it's not constant. On each trail, you might run into one section that's new to you or gets you out of your comfort zone. You’ll be riding with a similar skill level in your pack and nobody’s gonna run you over, you should all be looking out for each other and improving your skills over the 6 days.

Travis with Geoff Kabush - 2019 Moab Rocks

You live in Nelson, BC, a past Singletrack 6 community. What do you think makes it, and the other communities ST6 partners with, special?

That's one of the coolest things about the interior of BC. They're all tourism-driven mountain bike and ski communities. In the winter they're a ski town, and in summer they're a bike town. They all have awesome trails, cool stuff to do and great restaurants. So, you're in the prime of BC tourism no matter what towns the race stops at. In the winter, some of the Singletrack 6 communities are stops along what's called the 'Powder Highway'. I think we should call it the 'Dirt Highway' or the 'Brown Pow Highway'! The variety really makes the race amazing and all the communities have something special. Singletrack 6 really spoils their participants by showcasing the best trails in these communities.

Can you describe the diversity you see in a Singletrack 6 start line on any given day?

There's a lot of diversity there, from the fast pros to the new riders. I can't meet everybody, but I try to say hi to as many people as possible. I've stayed right until the last person comes in across the stages over the years. Just to congratulate them and see where they're from and what they're about. It's amazing, I'm really proud of the people who spend a lot of time on-course and still cross the finish line. The cool thing about stage racing and Singletrack 6 is that it's not about prize money, it's just a personal challenge for people to grow in the sport.

What keeps you coming back to Singletrack 6?

The love of stage racing, the camaraderie, and what I like to call the TransRockies family. I've met so many people there, and I've had amazing experiences during the race that I can share with people. It's also very well organized. From every volunteer to the organizers and the trails—we get the best trail networks connected to make the course in a lot of great mountain bike towns. For 2021, for example, we get the best of Kimberley, Rossland, and Fernie. We also get two days in each community and can take in the culture. 2018 was my all-time Singletrack 6, being in Golden, ending at Silverstar (Vernon). That was a really cool week, with a lot of good people, and we had a really good party at the end!

Is there anything you would like to add?

I look forward to meeting anyone that's new to the race. People are more than welcome to come up to me at the events and ask questions and say hi. If you need help, I can try to help out. I'm always hanging around at the awards banquets and anywhere people are—before the race or after. Also, you don't need to be the top racer. You're going to meet 5 or 6 racers that are in your bubble and around your ability level that you’ll end up riding most of the race with. Make it a fun competition with those people. You're there to do your best and race other riders at your level, and there’s 6 days of that.

We want to hear from you!

Have you run into Travis at Singletrack 6 or Moab Rocks? We’d love to hear about your experience (but please keep it rated G!).

What would you ask Travis if you met him at Singletrack 6 for the first time?

Tell us in the comments area below!