The Cardio Cowboy returns with a fresh drop of the Woods Cardio Club, a fun loving collaboration between Mike Woods and The Service Course.
Following the sell out success of the first Woods Cardio Club capsule collection in the summer of 2021, we return with a second limited edition range inspired by Mike’s love of the great outdoors, adventure sports of all shapes and sizes, and a nostalgic appreciation of a retro sportswear design aesthetic.
As with the original collection, all products are priced to allow for a charitable contribution to two of the organisations that Mike passionately supports, so that collectively we can make a positive difference: HopOn Canada, who exist to get more kids on bikes, and Gold Standard, who exist to fight climate change.
The Woods Cardio Club is all about getting out there and getting the cardio in. I love riding my bike, I love being active, it’s super important to the health and wellness of everybody. It’s not about being elitist, it's about having fun, that’s why it's a bit tongue in cheek. We are supporting two great causes that I’m super passionate about and reflect what the Woods Cardio Club is all about: HopOn Canada, who exist to get more kids on bikes, and Gold Standard, who exist to fight climate change.
Life in Andorra is great, I’ve just settled into the off season here. I’m just loving life in the mountains, I feel like I was made for it. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to call this version of the Woods Cardio Club the Mountain Sports edition. With the trail running, the skimo, all of the amazing riding, right out the door, it’s hard to beat. The kids are loving it, and Elly loves her trail running and skimo too, so we’re as happy as a clam living here.
There are a lot of parallels to Canada, with four proper seasons, although the Canadian winters are way harder. If we end up back in Canada, it would be an easy transition for the kids - speaking French, there’s an ice rink right down the street, and skiing on the doorstep.
My 2022 season was a challenging one. When I was on form and healthy, I was flying, and had the results to show it. The highlights were taking my first stage race victory at Route d'Occitanie and helping Hugo [Houle] take such an emotional stage win at the Tour, it was a special moment for Canadian cycling. There were some real highs but there were also a lot of lows, I struggled with illness, my health was just never truly under control.
My big goals for 2023 are the Ardennes classics. I want to get a big win at one of these races. There are some challenging stages that suit me at the Tour de France, so I’m looking forward to tackling those. I’m so fortunate to have such a great life and family, that’s my biggest motivation, I absolutely love my job so it’s quite easy to get out there and push myself for 5, 6, 7 hours a day.
Music plays a huge role in cycling and my life in general. I’m a heavy listener on Spotify but also love my record player, and Soundcloud too. I constantly have music on in the background but sometimes I like to sit down and properly listen to a record when I have time and feel the need to unwind. When I’m riding I listen to music all the time, I really need it to get through big days outside or a hard session on the trainer, having some pump up tunes really helps me to stay motivated and focused.
The theme for the second Woods Cardio Club playlist is all about paying homage to the mountains. I grew up watching Warren Miller ski movies, and have always loved how ski and snowboard movies have incorporated music. This playlist tries to tap into that vibe; to give you something to enjoy when sending on a descent, or trying to find your rhythm on a climb.
Radio Woods - a Spotify playlist curated by the Cardio Cowboy
