Veteran Carl Decker has seen it all in his long career as a professional racer. From road racing to cyclocross, enduro to gravel racing, the Oregon native is living proof that bike racing can be a lifetime pursuit. Career highlights include a U.S. elite national title on the road, multiple Super D national series titles, a singlespeed world champion’s tatoo, racing a rally car at the X-Games, and representing his country at seven UCI World Championships. Carl is perhaps best known as a five-time winner of the legendary Downieville All-Mountain World Championships in California, which speaks to his talents as a well-rounded competitor. His latest role as manager/racer for Giant’s gravel collective allows him to use his vast experience to help these privateers tackle the biggest gravel races in the world.
Team | Gravel |
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Nationality | USA |
Birth date | June 3, 1975 |
Resides | Bend, Oregon |
Disciplines | XC, Cyclocross, Gravel |
Top results |
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Favorite bike | The new Giant Revolt. It's everything I hoped it would be. |
Favorite race | Revenge of the Siskiyous, circa 1990. The first time I beat my Old Man, one of my best performances to date. |
Favorite place to ride | A return to Mallorca for some long rides in the Mediterranean sun sounds amazing. |
Dream destination | Since I was a Steeplechaser once, it would be neat to explore Kenya. Probably on a gravel bike. |
Great memories | Wins at the Downieville Classic always meant a lot to me. Racing rally cars in the LA Coliseum during the X-Games would also make the highlight reel. |
What do you carry on a long ride? | While others go for a gel packet or an energy bar, I prefer a ziplock back with a grilled pork chop on occasion. Otherwise, I tend to underpack, and then ride faster as I run out of supplies and become desperate. |
If you could ride with one person | I've been fortunate to spend countless hours on bikes with Adam Craig over the last 22 years. He's still my favorite person to follow down a ribbon of singletrack. |
Favorite quote | "Racing is life. Everything that happens before or after is just waiting." - Steve McQueen |
Tips for new riders | Lower your air pressure. Seriously. Less really is more. |
Words to live by | "Simplify, then add lightness." - Colin Chapman |