Coach Bios

Carl “Deckerator” Decker’s family moved to Bend in 1982 and he has since endeavored to explore every nook and cranny of Central Oregon. A life spent on two wheels (and four) has given him maybe the deepest knowledge of this area’s hills and dales of anyone. Ever. Carl gets some satisfaction from taking local friends on fun, new-to-them routes that they could probably never replicate without GPS. Sometimes, they get some satisfaction too. As an upstart pro in the late 90’s, he raced for Bend’s nascent Deschutes Brewery, while moonlighting as a pizza delivery driver for many years. Free pizza and beer aren’t always a recipe for athletic success, but Carl overcame these great obstacles to become today, what some consider to be “The World’s Oldest Pro." A Singlespeed World Champ, a 5x Downieville All-Mountain "Worlds" Champ, X-Games athlete, and winner of Grinduro, Lost and Found, and the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder--all thanks in some part to a lifetime of training in and around Bend, Oregon. Instagram: @deckerator

"Big" Matt Lieto joins us from the far reaches (and sunny beaches) of the elite triathlon world, but we don't hold that against him. Matt cut his Gravel Grinding teeth trying to keep up with Bend's Pros on gravel--with his Time Trial bike--back when gravel riding was just road riding with mountain bikers. The Lead Commentator for many televised Ironman events, when Matt isn't in the sound booth, he can usually be found on his bike, always keeping the group laughing, while also daydreaming about snacks. And, well, eating snacks. "Big Matt" isn't very big anymore, and he might be the World's fastest "Recovering Triathlete" on gravel. Here his preparation and tactics centered approach keeps him in the front group at the US's biggest gravel events. As the founder and head coach of the The Endurance Collaborative, he applies smart training and racing stratagems not only to his clients' riding, but also to his own . Many a Pro cyclist has made the mistake of underestimating him, to their own eventual detriment. Matt Lieto crushes snacks, and souls. Instagram: @mattlieto

Barry "Wicknasty" Wicks, a native Oregonian, is the Chief Wizardry consultant and 6th Dimensional Adviser at Hella Sweet inc. He also happens to be a pretty excellent bike rider, with multiple Elite National Titles on Cyclocross and Mountain Bikes. Barry is the only repeat winner of Grinduro, claiming victory at the inaugural editions of both the California and Japanese Grinduro events. In addition to winning races and starring in Swedish shampoo commercials, Barry is the founder and manager of the Kona Adventure team, and can usually be found doing things he refers to as "type 2.4 fun", which he defines as things he finds fun--but most normal people do not. Like skiing in the rain and waking up at 3 am to ride his bike to go skiing in the rain. Belying his intimidating quadriceps and impossibly silky mane, Wicks is known in the cycling community as the "Nice Guy" of any group. His unwavering stoke and positive attitude, even when things are truly unpleasant, makes him an MVP on any big adventure, be it on gravel, snow, or water. Instagram: @wicknasty