A New American Town - Bentonville, Arkansas
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A New American Town - Bentonville, Arkansas
From the Ground Up: Transforming Lives Through Cycling
What happens when two passionate cyclists with backgrounds in racing come together to create a life-changing camp and initiative? Ryan Petry and Alexey Vermeulen, founders of From the Ground Up, share their inspiring journey that began during the pandemic. Their unique program started with a massive bike tour in Colorado, focusing initially on the Leadville 100 mountain bike race, and has since expanded to Bentonville and beyond. Discover how their story is not just about races but about enriching lives and building a community from Colorado to Bentonville. Stay tuned for the possibility of another season, and all that's in store for From the Ground Up in 2025.
Learn more at www.fromthegroundup.bike
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Welcome to A New American Town presented by Visit Bentonville. I'm your host, Beth Bobbitt, broadcasting from Haxton Road Studio, and today I have the privilege of talking to Ryan and Alexey with From the Ground Up. Thank you both for being here.
Alexey Vermeulen :Thanks for having us. Thanks, Beth.
Beth Bobbitt:Yes, of course, and so we want to start with telling folks what From the Ground Up is. It's a bike camp, but it's also a series, so can you give us a little bit of a primer background on how this all came about?
Ryan Petry:of a a primer background on how this all came about. Yeah, um, from the moment I started, I had just moved to Colorado actually um mid pandemic 2020 and didn't know anybody. Um, I had met Ryan once on a bike ride and, uh, he reached out and said hey, I'm going to do this massive, crazy bike tour from Boulder to Crested Butte. It'd be about 300 miles, 30,000 feet of climbing. And, being from Michigan and being a road bike racer, I was like no, thank you. That sounds like all the things are too much for me. And Ryan kind of took me under his wing and it was just this, really epic. I always say it's like the best way to get your Colorado license is by actually doing some kind of tour.
Ryan Petry:So, um, over three days, we had a lot of time to talk. I was sent 10 hours a day riding and, um, during the pandemic, we talked a lot about what was an issue or what was a struggle in the cycling industry. Um, ryan had come from a triathlon background and I come from a road racing background, so we had, um different viewpoints, but I think we really believe in the same things. Um, and, from the ground up, was born as a way to help people coming to the sport who had never, ever thought about racing or riding a bike, uh, people who came in because of their gym closing or needing mental sanity from their families. Uh, and it kind of just blossomed from there and uh has slowly become more and more of a community in the bike uh industry and something that we, uh, I think every year are kind of like wow, this, this got even bigger. Um, it cause the first year just kind of was supposed to be something really small and it's grown.
Beth Bobbitt:Amazing and you touched on this, alexi your world tour cyclist Ryan, six time Leadville finisher. What were you both doing? So cycling biking is your passion. What were you?
Alexey Vermeulen :both doing professionally during that time around the pandemic. I think this was both of our careers at the time riding bikes and kind of small tangents off of racing for podiums, working with brands in different capacities. You see, a lot of kind of the definition of being a professional cyclist is sort of adapted to be sort of like an extension of the marketing arm of their brands they work with. So that's kind of what both of us were doing and I think at the time, Alexey, and I just we really saw eye to eye on kind of what that sort of extracurricular of what an athlete can and maybe should be was, and that's what started. You know, we started bouncing ideas off each other and it just was really exciting to, you know, have somebody who saw things the way that I did, Uh, and yeah, that bike ride was a good, good time to sort of just try to hash out all the ideas.
Beth Bobbitt:Right, and so fast forward. Now you've finished the fourth season. How, how has the vision grown or changed, and what can we expect for the future?
Alexey Vermeulen :Yeah. So we just finished our fourth season. So this year we switched the first three seasons. The kind of final race was the Leadville 100. This year we switched it up with seasons. The kind of final race was the Leadville 100. This year we switched it up with kind of the rise of gravel and we ended up going and having the race be the Steamboat Gravel, which is like their 125-mile gravel race in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. So that was an exciting shift. It took some adjustment on our end, but I think it reached a few new people, people that aren't really maybe into mountain biking as much, but gravel biking seems kind of right up their alley.
Alexey Vermeulen :The project has evolved um quite a bit from this. Hey, let's just get a friend who's a videographer and we'll just throw this little thing together and take three people from colorado and just sort of see if we can help them get a bike, and in that first year it really just it had legs. I think during the pandemic a lot of brands were just trying to figure out how they could speak to these entry-level riders who were getting into the sport, and so we got a lot more support than we anticipated and it was one of the more exciting things of my life at that point. And then now we've also just been riding the waves of post-pandemic.
Alexey Vermeulen :You know the bike industry has kind of had some ups and downs pandemic. You know the bike industry has kind of had some ups and downs, um, but our mission stays the same. As we like to challenge people and show that you know it when you try and line up to try to do something seemingly impossible, you know it's. It's not about. It's not about necessarily getting to that finish line, but um, sort of just all that can happen along the way to finish line, but sort of just all that can happen along the way to improve lives. So, and I feel really proud of that, I really do feel like we've improved dramatically all of the lives that we've directly touched and tons of others who kind of have been watching and following along.
Beth Bobbitt:Yeah, and the whole philosophy is to, you know, get people motivated and break down barriers. It's just amazing. So kudos to how much it's grown. And I'm curious, so you are both based in Colorado. This started in Colorado and expanded to Bentonville. Can you talk about when Bentonville kind of entered the scene and why?
Ryan Petry:Yeah, when Bittenville kind of entered the scene and why, yeah, that was probably the biggest growth of this project was realizing that we started as kind of trying to just make an impact on three people and show how hard it was but how capable people are when they put their mind to something, but quickly realized in year two that the community was the most important part of this.
Ryan Petry:And if you look for community in bike racing, bentonville has put itself head and above the rest and it's in year two. We kind of reached out and we were talking with Visit Bentonville and said, hey, we would love to host a camp, not only for the three athletes that we pick every year to go to the events, but we would like to bring in people who applied and we didn't choose and kind of have a get together around the table, learn some bike skills, um, and open this up a little bigger um, that kind of Grew um from something that was just a little bit more Colorado based straight into something that, um, I think has become ethos to the project, a lot of the community focus.
Beth Bobbitt:And what was that experience like for you two being in Bentonville? Had you been to the area before?
Ryan Petry:Tell us a little bit about that. What did you say, Alexey? You got us to go early on the year before.
Alexey Vermeulen :Yeah, I mean, this is back in 2020, 21. Yeah, that was like the influencer trip. Yeah, I uh. This is when alexi and I had just become friends, he had just moved out here and, uh, benville was really starting to try to attract more mountain bikers to the area and one of the ways that you guys were doing it at the time was bringing out pro riders. And somebody randomly reached out to me. I mean, yeah, and this is kind of how it all started. I feel like I think we would have ended up there eventually, but this is how it started.
Alexey Vermeulen :Somebody reached out to me saying, hey, you want to? You know, come to Bentonville and just show through, you know, photos and just kind of a you know sort of like an influencer weekend of just all the great things to do here. And I was like that sounds amazing, but coming by myself doesn't sound that fun. Can I bring my new buddy, alexi he's also a pro along and he can take photos of me and I'll take photos of him and we'll show what it's like. And they were like absolutely, and so that we were just kind of blown away and I mean, things have changed already so much in the last four years from then. But after that we had that relationship and we were started.
Alexey Vermeulen :That was year one of the project and it was just super natural to be like hey, like we had a great time and we're trying to figure out like a camp or something way to change this for season two. Could we do maybe a camp and it was. It was kind of like a home run opportunity for both sides yeah, how exciting, but tell us about the, the application process.
Beth Bobbitt:So when and how? What characteristics are you looking for? How do you cast this group of writers?
Ryan Petry:The minute we launched this we didn't know. We were so underwater, it was almost overwhelming, but also really exciting because it was something that we both believed in. But until you throw it out in the world, you never know who's excited. And that first year we had the application series open for just over two weeks and it was over 1200 applications.
Ryan Petry:These are anything from 30 seconds to 17, 18, 20 minutes. Then it was at that time it was my girlfriend and myself and Ryan and his wife and we would sit down and go through videos at night and try to slowly narrow it down. And I'd love Ryan to touch on this also because I think it's a feeling from both of us, but it's really just a feeling. You try to find someone that you think can be the head of your ship and then you build a team and a family around that, because it's a very long and tough year when you're taking on something as crazy or as hard as leadville or steamboat. Um, so I think when you're looking for people, you know it's making sure they have enough time in their daily schedule, but also making sure they can, you know, take 14 days off of work and come right a skills camp in bentonville and go to leadville and race and train. So, um, yeah, what do you think that feeling is, ryan, just a gut?
Alexey Vermeulen :yeah, I mean like say it can't just be gut, uh, because it has to be like a gut feeling and then it has to, yeah, be put through a couple filters of do you have the time? Um, you know the some, somebody who is willing to the magic I feel like happens when somebody is truly willing to commit wholly to the process and to the magic I feel like happens when somebody is truly willing to commit wholly to the process and to the hard moments that will come. And yeah, and then you know once you know ideally not all the three people are like the same type of person. It's hard to like. We try to get as much variety as we can, um, just so the maximum amount of people can be sort of spoken to um throughout the projects and sort of related to yeah, and I can imagine, with a project like this and an undertaking so big, you're in for some surprises.
Beth Bobbitt:I'm curious if you have any, you know, kind of nuggets or stories to share of people or seasons that have really surprised you no, it's just, it's people's lives they get so excited about, kind of.
Ryan Petry:I think what we've learned about this project is someone who's you know getting they've settled into what their career is, they've had kids and they're settling into what life is like, very typically, like sets big, massive goals that seem impossible, and that's what this project has become, and so throughout that, people get very excited about it and apply without really thinking through what it takes, um, or what happens. So we've had a couple people. We had a, a guy early on who applied and we got all the way through. We loved him, um, and he's an orthodox jew and he couldn't race on saturdays and we said, well, let those on saturday I don't know what I don't know how else to put this out, um, but it's just little funny things like that where everything fits.
Ryan Petry:But you know everyone didn't think through all the little nuggets. But you know it's, it's all in good and good fun, um, and it's it's always. I think the most fun part for us is the creativity. People come up with their videos. You know, some people are, they're going through something and it's very emotional and it's you know you can, you can, you can feel with them, uh, what they've been through, what they're going through, why they need this, and other people it's, you know, it's comedic relief in a sense. You know it's them creating something.
Ryan Petry:Um, we've had people interview people on the streets asking why this should be a part of from the ground up, and you know people on the streets are like what is from the ground up? We've had people, um, you know, we had one, one kid who was in it like working at a steakhouse and like made this whole thing about like while working, explaining what the Argentinian steakhouse was and what his job was, but then also why he wanted to do from the ground up. And it's, the creativity of videos makes it a lot of fun.
Beth Bobbitt:Yeah, I bet yeah, amazing. Well, where are you in the process now?
Alexey Vermeulen :You're in between seasons we have a million ideas, ways that we want to grow the project, change the project. We learn every year. We work with you know the partners, and they give us feedback and, um, and then Alexi and I, like our lives shift and change. I mean, the place that I'm at now, compared to four years ago, is so different. Like, as a person, I have two kids and I'm not really racing anymore.
Alexey Vermeulen :Um, professionally, I wouldn't say in that capacity at all. Uh, so it's do we have the time to do it? You know alexis fully committed to racing when he first. Yeah, I mean when he first, when alexis first came over, that's like when he really started racing in gravel and now he's one of the been one of the main players in the scene for a few few years now. Um, so, yeah, we're, we're we're in a place where we're trying to figure out what next year really looks like, and it can happen quick.
Alexey Vermeulen :You know we're we're having conversations now and then we always aim to try to launch the next season in early 2025 or whatever that year is. So there's a lot of unknowns still right now, but we're really pushing to make a season five happen, I think, lexi and I this is one of the most fulfilling parts of our lives and it's something that just brings us great joy. Right? How often do we get to do something that is just truly like from the heart and it's not about anything, but just we love it, so we want to keep doing it, but it is. It's a lot of work and there's a lot of things to consider. So we love it, so we want to keep doing it, but it is. It's a lot of work and there's a lot of things to consider.
Alexey Vermeulen :So yeah we'll, we'll see. Not all the people will put out the details as soon as we can. Might be a few weeks after this podcast comes out, though.
Beth Bobbitt:We'll stay tuned, for sure, and congrats on all the success. And there is a lot of heart and so inspiring to go back and watch these. So let's wrap up with a question. We ask all our guests you know, you've been in Bentonville, you've spent some time here what does a dream day look like for you? And I assume it would involve some form of cycling or getting out on the trails. But what would you do if you had a whole day?
Alexey Vermeulen :I don't know, Lexi. I feel like you've probably already lived out that day Multiple times.
Ryan Petry:Battenville is a little bit of a place you can you can kind of dream a little bit as a cyclist. Um, there's so much to ride, it's almost overwhelming. Uh, I have this sounds very spoiled, but I have now done a couple of the helibike tours, so I think that's the dream day is start at Meteor, eat tacos till I'm sick, helicopter, ride out and lay in the middle of a field for a couple hours and then ride my way back home.
Beth Bobbitt:I love it, perfect. What about you, ryan?
Alexey Vermeulen :That sounds pretty fun because I've never been in a helicopter. Pretty fun because I've never been in a helicopter. Yeah, I mean, the dream day for me is kind of what we do with the camp. We wake up, we rent really cool Airbnbs there's 15, like last year, for example, there's 15 additional people who come to our camp alongside our four. We've got all our film team, which is just such a tight-knit community or little family at this point, and we execute the day.
Alexey Vermeulen :We have, like you know, rich and sarah and all those guys from the ride series they're our coaches and for everybody, the skills coaches, and we get to just sit back and watch everybody learn to ride bikes and learn and progress quickly, and those smiles and the high fives. And then, you know, we had bijou thomas. He's bringing out lunch to the, to the parks and and at night we're either going somewhere really nice for dinner or we're cooking at the house. Like there's so much work for alexi and I when we're there because it's just, it's a lot to manage a group of, you know, 25 people, but it is so fun. You know we're, we're creating what we think is the perfect day If you're trying to learn the sport of mountain biking and we just get to watch, and sometimes watching somebody else live that out is feels even better than us doing it necessarily, yeah.
Beth Bobbitt:So rewarding that totally is.
Alexey Vermeulen :Yeah, that's totally my dream day, but I would like to go on the helicopter sometime Fair enough.
Beth Bobbitt:Okay, we'll see if we can make that happen for you. Well, thank you both. We will stay tuned for what's next for you and appreciate you spending some time with us in such a busy season of life yeah thanks for having us on, of course yeah always, always, appreciate you, uh, bringing light to the project and, uh, if you're watching this, yeah, stay tuned.
Alexey Vermeulen :Our instagram is probably the best place to watch for announcements regarding next year um season five, and it's just at From the Ground Up Project, so we'll try to keep you posted there on when applications open and things like that.
Beth Bobbitt:Amazing, Amazing and well. Thank you both. Happy holidays and hopefully we'll talk soon.
Ryan Petry:Awesome Thanks.
Beth Bobbitt:Bye-bye.
Ryan Petry:Thank you. See ya.
Beth Bobbitt:And don't forget, visit Bentonville is here to help you navigate things to do, where to eat and stay and what's going on in our new American town. Give us a follow on social media, sign up for the newsletter and check out the website at visitbittenvillecom. Thanks for listening.