We’re thrilled to highlight local riders in our Leucadia, CA community who inspire us with their stories and love for cycling. This month, we’re featuring Todd McFarland a passionate mountain bike rider, surfer, and shaper. Let’s dive into his story!
Q&A with Todd McFarland, Local Cyclist
How did you get into mountain bike riding, and what keeps you motivated to ride? What do you love the most about it?
I started riding shortly after mountain bikes became available towards the late 1980s. My dad bought a pair of Bianchi steel framed mountain bikes for himself and my mom from Fred at Leucadia Cyclery. I became obsessed with the idea of getting one myself so I spent a summer pulling nails out of studs that were to be used to rebuild a home for my great grandmother.
I would get much more into mountain bikes when I moved to Santa Barbara, CA to attend UCSB. A friend of mine had just gotten into them, and I brought a Bianchi hardtail that I purchased from Leucadia Cyclery in high school. I found out how good the trails were in Santa Barbara, CA and I discovered the limitations of minimal front travel on a cross country bike on some pretty sketchy terrain.
What’s your favorite local trail or road to ride, and why? Are there any hidden gems you can tell us about?
I have a number of different loops that I really like but my most common route is to ride to Denk mountain from my house. My favorite thing to do is to climb any of the three single track routes to the top. I can get to the trailhead in under 15 minutes and back to my house in under an hour so it’s ideal for someone with young kids and small windows of time.
I like challenging myself to clear the nastiest obstacles on the way up while constantly trying to improve my times. It's been about two years since I achieved any climbing personal records (PRs) up there but I am currently training to give it another attempt while the weather is cool for the next few months. I love having something to train for to be honest.
Can you tell us about your bike setup? What’s so special about your bike?
I have three bikes. My first really good 29” mountain bike was a used Canyon Strive (2019). I absolutely love that model and I still can’t believe how great of a design it is. It was the first time I had gone back to longer travel since about 2006, and I quickly found out that it climbed obstacles much better than my 2014 Marin XC rig.
I monitored the Gravel Bike scene for a few years until I finally saw a deal on a Marin Headlands 2 and had to have it. I absolutely love the bike, and it opened doors for all sorts of loops that have longer road sections and smoother trails that feel a little silly on an enduro machine.
After close to 300 descents on Denk Mountain, the Canyon finally had enough and my chainstay buckled. I was able to get it fixed, broken, and re-fixed but I knew I was going to need a whole new set up if I wanted to do long rides without issues. I ended up going for a Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Pro. The Stumpy has been amazing from day one and I can’t get enough of it.
All three of my bikes are pretty much bone stock. I haven’t had much need to tweak anything other than the fact that I’ll need a better wheel set for the gravel bike. With a number of chunky trails close by I always end up putting the stock wheels to their absolute limit and the spokes are not happy about it.
Do you have a memorable cycling experience or accomplishment you’re especially proud of?
I have a number of memorable experiences to the point that there are almost too many to choose from at this point. What I love most is that we have so many steep and chunky trails in North County San Diego, CA that one can bite off as much as they want to chew any time they want to ride.
Recently I’ve been testing myself at a different trail system that is narrower, more off camber, and more technical than what I’m used to. I end up more out of breath while struggling to keep my balance through some pretty dicey rock obstacles. There are sections where I feel like a total beginner from the constantly changing conditions.
BWR was the first race that I have attempted in 20 years, so I guess if I had to pick one ride it would be that experience.
A friend and I trained on the steepest parts of Double Peak in San Marcos, CA for a few months and we never did more than a third of the actual mileage of the race. We attempted the 75 mile Wafer and we really didn’t know if we would be able to complete it (I don’t know if I’d ever exceeded 25 miles on a bike).
As it turned out, our training worked perfectly and we had a great ride. We stuck together and managed to have enough in the tank to make it back up Double Peak and down the other side to the finish line. I’m all for collecting the participation prize when it comes to cycling.
What’s your favorite post-ride snack/activity?
I don’t think I do anything very consistently after a ride. I probably go straight into dad duty after most rides and quickly hand over my attention to my kids.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in cycling? What kind of bike would you suggest people start out with?
Get a gravel bike or a mountain bike. There are way too many bad drivers to share the roads with, get something that’ll give you access to the many beautiful trails.
After that, get a heart rate monitor and get your power zones dialed in.
The best thing you can do is prevent yourself from completely gassing out on every ride. I’ve already made this mistake and it took me months of very little progression because my body couldn’t recover from many of my rides.
Once I slowed down and found a Zone 2 cadence, I progressed much more quickly and instead of gasping for air I was able to recover through the easier sections with more in the tank for the nasty sections. Those are the sections where you pretty much have to sprint up the steepest parts to stay on the bike. It’s a lot more fun when you don’t feel like you’re dying for the entire ride.
If you mountain bike, practice track stands.
On technical climbs, you’ll encounter multiple sections where you’re climbing really slowly and sometimes you’ll even stop and have to re-balance to continue upwards.
Being able to balance the bike while it’s not rolling forward will save you from having to put a foot down. This is particularly great if you’re in clipless pedals, but don’t go clipless until you’ve been riding for a while. Once you're ready, they’re a game changer!
How has cycling impacted your life beyond the bike?
Cycling keeps me really motivated to eat well and get as much sleep as possible. I like to be up really early, and I love having the option to do a long and difficult ride as often as possible.
I taught both of my kids how to ride when they were 3 years old, being able to see them progress has been the greatest gift. My son made it to the top of Denk at age 8, and it has been a huge confidence booster for him.
I love that he wants to ride with me and I can’t wait to see how he and his younger sister embrace riding as they get older.
I’m very fortunate to have a lot of great friends to ride with, and many of them have kids in the same school as mine too. It’s really fun getting to know people over the course of long and challenging bike rides. I can’t think of too many things I’d rather do with a group of friends.
What do you like about us here at Leucadia Cyclery and how have we supported you?
I love the nostalgia factor with Leucadia Cyclery, but I also love knowing that I can bring any of my bikes and get them back quickly. I’ve been recommending Leucadia Cyclery to friends for decades now.
Can you give some advice to people wanting to get more involved with cycling? Are there any community groups you’d suggest joining?
I would say to ask people at bike shops which trails they recommend so that you don’t end up over your head. I haven’t sought out any groups myself. I used to be pretty much a lone rider, but I’m really lucky to have met a lot of great friends to ride with in the last few years.
Lastly, what’s one thing you always bring on your rides?
I travel way too heavy but somehow I make it work. I wear a pretty good sized Camel Bak with tools, a tube, a pump, and a lot of water.
