“Il Faut Toujours Souffrir.”

That’s what’s painted on the top tube of Barry’s Stinner disc all-road frame. Roughly translating to “we must always suffer,” this saying acts as not only a motivation for Barry on rides, but as a reminder as to what cycling means to him in relation to life. Nothing good comes easy.

Barry‘s an illustrator, a typographer, a graphic designer and in Los Angeles, that means freelance. It takes a certain soul to be a freelancer in LA. You’ve got to hustle, be on your game at all times and yes, sometimes suffer the ups and downs of the creative economy. That means some weeks, months, years, you’re on your game and others you’re not. It all takes sacrifice.

Such sacrifice brings reward.

When he decided it was time to include a second cycle archetype to his stable to pair his road bike, Barry contacted Santa Barbara’s Stinner Frameworks. He wanted a cross bike, designed to take on the long gravel and off-road riding LA has to offer, while still being able to tackle a ‘cross race once and a while.

Ultegra Di2 became the framework and discs, the enablers. Enabling Barry to gain confidence in the world of off-road riding. Something I definitely exacerbated a tad bit on our ride Monday afternoon.

“Let’s do X ride,” “actually, let’s check that trail out but I don’t know where it goes.”

“Whoops!”

“You ok dude?”

Admittedly so, the rides I tend to do by myself involve a bit of pushbiking, bikewacking, etc.

We ended the day with around 35 miles, one busted iPhone, a dirty white jersey and a sated steed, worthy of a hilltop photoshoot.