UPDATE: SKYLER WINS! SKYLER WINS! Marin's very own Skyler Taylor takes the top step of the podium at the 2025 UCI Highland Gravel Classic in Fayeteville, Arkansas. The very same race Brennan Wertz won last year. From the results it appears he won it in a two-up sprint, but we will get the full scoop and update you in a future Journal post. Taylor has had his new Sarto Raso Gravel for less than a week and he's already racking up the wins aboard the beast. Congrats Skyler.
So it's new bike day for you, Skyler. That must be pretty exciting?
Indeed, very exciting.
If we understand correctly you worked directly with Sarto to build your dream bike. What was that like and what does a "custom" gravel race bike look like for you?
Working with the Sarto team has been pretty eye opening. They are obsessed with building the bike you want and truly go above and beyond. I told them I wanted an aero gravel bike that cleared 57mm tires and a 52t single ring. They not only accomplished this, but literally built the bike around those components. Instead of taking their Raso gravel frame and seeing if the tire would fit, they built me a bike that was designed around those tires. From the fork, to the BB height, to the handling characteristics, the whole bike was designed to perform optimally with the setup I wanted to race. This even meant redoing their rear triangle. The fact that they went to those extremes is super cool to me. In addition to this they were genuinely interested in the "why" of the whole thing and asked in depth questions on what made this setup more competitive than many of the standard gravel race bikes we see.
You got some pretty big races coming up, can you tell us a little bit about what your summer looks like?
My main two focuses this year are on the LTGP and Gravel Earth races. The next 5+ races after this weekend will be in one of those two series. I'll be starting with a big build to Unbound, followed by the 5 day Oregon Trail stage race, Lost and Found, Leadville, and then Gravel Worlds.
After checking out this new whip it seems like it will be a little hard to blame the bike. How is the engine running at this point in the season? Any hot tips you can share with us to eek out a few watts from our own engines?
I've been going really good so far this year. I've crushed power PR's and more importantly moved a good bit up the results sheet in every race I've done this year. The field made another big jump from last year with many of the top racers from New Zealand, Australia and Europe coming over, so I've still got some work to do to crack that top 10, but we are getting noticeably closer. Honestly quitting my job was the best thing I could have done for my racing. I felt like I had pretty much tapped out my potential on 12 hours a week of riding. Not working the 9-5 has allowed me to train more obviously but also recover better, sleep more, reduce overall life stress, and focus on eating healthier. I also got a nutritionist this year which has helped a ton. I've learned a lot more about eating on and off the bike and really believe eating well is as important as training. 
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