Kyle Murphy's new deal with Rally Cycling, the US team that will move to the Pro Continental level next year, is just the latest cycling leap for the 26-year-old American who started competing in unsanctioned “alley cat” races in high school on the fixed-gear bike he used for commuting.
While grassroots cycling in 2017 is more focused on gravel grinders and grand fondos, Murphy's entry into racing took root in high school on a simple bike he used for transportation and recreation in Portland, Oregon. Not one to wait around for the school bus or rides from parents, Murphy relied on his minimalist machine for commuting at first, eventually discovering opportunities to compete in weekly events that he could ride to in the evenings.
“I didn't know anything about cycling, but [Oregon Bicycle Racing Association] is just so relaxed,” Murphy told Cyclingnews. “When you're a junior you don't need to be on a team or even know anyone. You just show up and pay five dollars for the race and you're in. All you needed was a bike and a helmet. In Portland, especially, all you needed was a fixed gear, which had extra appeal for me because it was affordable and cool at the time.”
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Racing in Portland attracted Murphy because it was accessible and fun – something he could do of his own accord. Track racing at the Alpenrose velodrome and a healthy dose of urban races supplemented the weekly events, but Murphy was always outside the mainstream of cycling's usual development pathways.
“I didn't even know what Bontrager-Livestrong was or what talent ID camps were,” he said. “These are all things I learned about in the last few years – like these are options. I had the more informal support of OBRA and my parents. It was a lot more casual.”
Murphy continued his fixed-gear exploits when he moved after high school to San Francisco, where he went to school for furniture design and joined up with MASH, a fixed-gear-centric shop and team. More alley cats followed, along with the Redhook Criteriums in which riders on fixed gears compete on a traditional US criterium road course. Murphy rediscovered sanctioned racing during extended summer trips to New York City to visit his older brother, Evan.
Getting an assist from his older brother
Coming close in Utah
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