My riding experience has been very limited compared to most. I got into this crazy world during the pandemic. April 2020 was my first ride. (Can’t believe I am entering my 4th year) With no miles under my belt, I told my wife that I was going to go for a “Spin” around Sanford Lake. It’s roughly 21 miles all the way around 😲. My wife thought I was nuts, but she was used to my randomness and she wanted me out of her way. My rear was very sore after that first ride. Not to mention, I was weighing in at about 330-340lbs.(My largest was 395lbs) Poor little road bike. I immediately fell in love with the challenge. Right when I started to fall in love with my route, something happened that no one saw coming.
Some of you may not know, Sanford Lake is based in the little town of Sanford. “Best Little Town By A Dam Site” Well, in May 2020 we got hit with a ton of rain which resulted in a “500 year Flood”. We had multiple Dam Failures, which caused our little town to become a huge disaster. Everything I had known, was gone. My time on a bike came to a halt. My time and energy was focused on helping those in need in downtown Sanford. This was a very stressful time for my Sanford Family. I usually handled stress by eating my way through a bag of Cool Ranch Chips. I made the choice to take my stress to the woods. BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE! I fell in love in Mountain Biking! This little hobby started becoming a lifestyle. Ended up getting myself a Fatbike and it was game on!
My wife and daughter had no idea, they were going to become the BEST support crew I could ever ask for. We started going to group rides and even got involved with CMMBA, which I currently sit on the board for. Got involved with Adventure Team, which gets kids involved in the outdoors. I have met some amazing people through this sport, but the one that has been the biggest impact is my good riding buddy Doug! He told me about Iceman and told me I should check it out. ICEMAN 2021 was my first race and it was VERY energetic to say this least. I fell in love with the energy and all the support people give on the sidelines. It is truly a great picture to what this sport is all about. 2022 Iceman I blew apart my rear hub which was not ideal to say the least. Thanks to the Bell’s support team back at Timber Ridge, it helped ease the pain. Double 2 hearted for the win. 2023 Iceman, I set a new record for myself and was blessed to have my whole family by my side while doing it. The mountain bike scene has changed my life and I feel like my story might be able to help those that might be struggling. I am here to help. I am always sharing my own unique motivational posts on Instagram @Casey_theautoguy and Facebook. Please be sure to follow along this year and I am excited to share my journey for ICEMAN 2024.
Thank you to our 2024 Iceman Ambassador Casey Smith @casey_theautoguy