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A B I CYC L E M A D E FO R T WO Two driven cyclists, one happy marriage
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auren Stephens’ bicycle tire was flat, and she didn’t know how to change it. She took the hand-me-down vehicle to a bike shop, where Mat Stephens pawned the repair off on another employee so he could chat with the cute new customer. “I had no idea he was flirting with me, but that’s what was happening,” Lauren says. The two started going on group rides and have been training buddies — and life partners — ever since. After 10 years of marriage, their commitment to cycling is as strong as ever. Mat ran cross country and swam in high school. He added
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cycling to his training schedule to compete in triathlons. When he went to college, Texas A&M didn’t have a triathlon team, but it did have a cycling club. He started riding on an amateur team that competed in races across the country. After college, Mat got a job fitting bikes at Bicycles Plus. The job allowed him to stay connected to the industry while traveling on the weekends for a variety of road, gravel and mountain bike races. When he met Lauren, he introduced her to the world of bike racing and became her coach. Lauren started racing on the weekends while teaching math full time at Bryan Adams High School. She cycled to work most days from their home in Old Lake Highlands,
Story by JAIME DUNAWAY-SEALE | Photography by JESSICA TURNER
14 lakehighlands.advocatemag.com JULY 2021
