Russell ‘Finsty’ Finsterwald doesn’t quit easy. When we introduced him as a new MAAP Privateer earlier this year, Finsty was in the thick of a full-on race season combining gravel and mountain biking races around North America. But as we reach the end of the season, his thoughts switched from racing against a peloton, to racing against ghosts.

With origins in through-hiking, the ‘fastest known time’ concept – more often abbreviated to FKT – has grown in visibility in cycling in recent years. It’s self-explanatory… you set out to establish the fastest time for a given route, or beat the current best mark. Some routes take a day, some a week. There’s an expectation that at least some of the chosen route is off-road, but this isn’t some UCI-regulated race format. The ‘rules’ are freeform.

Within that context, the White Rim Trail FKT is hotly contested, having been held by WorldTour-roadie-turned-gravelista, Pete Stetina, and current holder, Keegan Swenson, who has actually held the record twice. It’s a nearly-100 mile loop in Canyonlands National Park, Moab, and the record is 5 hours, 28 minutes, and 17 seconds. The terrain is stark, martian-like. Sand is everywhere, with drifts of the stuff accumulating in the turns, and long sections where it’s hub-deep. 

To ‘win’, Finsty would have to beat the vestigial remnants of past record-setters, rather than outpace a pack of competitors. Like racing ghosts in MarioKart.

As Finsty explains, those markers set by past riders provided both a target and a source of useful intel.

“The days leading up to the FKT were great. I felt very present in the moment and was just excited to be camping in the desert. The attempt didn't feel like it was looming… I was just excited to get out there. I was confident it was possible, but I also knew it was going to be a tall order. Taking an FKT from Keegan is a daunting task… but I did a lot of homework and research into both his and Pete's FKT runs to gain as much knowledge as possible.”

Finsty had a clear idea of what he needed to do to dethrone his rivals.

“I knew exactly what power I needed to average, 300 to 305 watts, and had time splits every 20 miles showing both Keegan and Pete's time as a means to gauge the effort out there and see how the pace was looking.”

Naturally, it’s one thing to understand the task, and entirely another thing to execute. Finsty’s first target date for the ride was disrupted by unfavourable weather conditions – something that plays a big part in the FKT scene. In many ways setting these times is an optimisation contest, as much as a physical one – and so it made sense to delay the attempt.

When he did finally kick things off, he set out in the dark.

“The first 20 miles were a highlight of the day. The morning was incredibly pleasant and starting in the dark meant I got to witness the sunrise out on the bike, which is something I really enjoy, but considering I'm not a morning person, it's something I don't get to see very often. I felt surprisingly good as I headed out towards the White Rim. I settled into the effort and felt like my pacing was manageable.”

It was after mile 20 that things began to go awry.

“The major obstacle of the day was sand. Moab hasn't received much rain in recent months which meant hub-deep sand throughout miles 20-50. White Rim season is just beginning as the desert cools down as we head into autumn, so there weren't many reports from other riders on current conditions out there. I can confirm, it's very sandy!”

Finsty knew he would have to increase his effort to maintain parity with his race plan.

“320 watts became the new goal, which I knew was going to be risky, but in an FKT attempt it’s ride or die. This still was not enough and I continued to lose time until the sand subsided a bit around mile 50. From mile 50-70 I pulled back a bit of time.... but I paid for it later and just riding 280w felt like a full gas effort.”

Even when the target time began to slip away, Finsty says he tried to stay in the moment.

“Throughout the effort, I tried to be very present and enjoy the environment I was in. For an effort like this, anything can happen. I just focused on staying on pace and controlling what I could.”

Conscious of the natural wonder all around him, Finsty used the sights and sounds of Moab to spur him on.

“Looking over my shoulder a few times to see the sunrise, catching the morning alpenglow on the cliff bands of the canyon, seeing reflections on the tranquil Green River, cresting a hill and getting my first glimpses of the La Sal Mountains and turning the corner to see the Shafer trail carved into the hillside. These were a few highlights that gave me stoke and kept me going. I like to feel connected to where I'm riding, and making a point to appreciate these views kept me in a good place mentally.”

Ultimately, the sand-blighted miles in the first half of the course slowed Finsty down so much as to put the record out of reach. This time.

“I knew getting the FKT was going to be a tall order. I believe it was a realistic goal and I still believe I am able to get it with all the stars in alignment. I'm proud of the way I set out with the singular aim of trying to get it, even if it meant I blew up... which I certainly did the last 20 miles. Those were some of the most agonising miles I’ve ridden! But I thoroughly enjoyed taking on this project and am hungry to give it another crack.”

He finished his effort just 14 minutes slower than Swenson’s time. Always positive, Finsty summed up his feelings on the attempt.

“I had so many experiences out there you can't get on a race course. Racing is a group experience and I found a solo endeavour like this to be really empowering – in terms of what you put yourself through mentally, physically and emotionally. I went in thinking the only measure of the achievement was getting the FKT. In the end, I came out of it with a really memorable experience and to me, that feels like a success!”.

With the dust now settled, watch Fintsy's attempt unfold here.

Finsty shared his White Rim Trail playlist and suggests you throw it on shuffle.

Russell @finsty Finsterwald was shot on location in Moab, Utah by Andric Booker wearing the new Alt_Road™ collection available now.