Peter McKenzie and his son Noah's cycling journey took them halfway around the world to discover everything they needed was at home.
Some people’s idea of accountability is different than others. Being responsible for your actions is a life skill that, if mastered, sets you apart. For Peter McKenzie, it means leading by example. The standard he set for his family, especially his son Noah while sharing a passion for the lifelong sport of cycling, is an unexpected reward.
Peter’s work takes him all over the world. When it took his large family—now seven children—to live in Tokyo, Japan, in 2014, he didn’t imagine that’s where his cycling journey would begin. At 6’1″, 300 pounds, and not physically active, Peter wasn’t the picture of health or an exemplar for his growing family.
They didn’t have a car, forcing them to get around with public transportation, walking, and biking. He purchased “Mamachari’s” for the family, Japan’s ubiquitous city bikes that held a rider and up to two children.
Cycling By Surprise
“Surprisingly, I enjoyed getting around on a bike,” Peter admits. He rode his mamachari everywhere to pick up groceries and food and to get around town.
His love of cycling grew, and he went from running errands to century rides on a carbon-frame BMC road bike with a large group of international members of the “Half Fast Cycling Club.” He wasn’t nearly as fast, and they frequently dropped him until he improved his endurance and dropped 100 pounds.
Zwift Fit in Well
When he returned to the States three years later, he found Zwift and fell in love with the platform. Zwift fit in well with the itinerancy of his life. The social and motivating nature of group rides appealed to Peter, who fell into a six-day-a-week schedule, and that’s when he identified a need for more committed ride leaders.
“As I moved to Alaska, Colorado, and then back to North Carolina (my home state), I created group rides six days a week at 5:05 in the morning,” he shares. Peter created 505 Zwift group rides in the time zone where he lived, established a core of riders, trained up new ride leaders, and passed off the leadership duties.
Peter thrived on being accountable to other riders and also to himself. “My thinking was if I lead rides, I will not come up with excuses to miss a ride, such as sleeping in or needing to do other things,” he admits.
The DIRT Philosophy Was a Fit
After witnessing several friends injured by cars, he decided the risk was too significant and resolved to ride exclusively indoors—the family-focused philosophy of the DIRT Zwift team aligned with his belief system. Peter settled with his family in North Carolina and now leads five weekly 505 DIRT group rides with a loyal and tight-knit following.
One of those riders who frequently follow the group compassionately refers to Peter as “Daddy” when conversing during the ride. It’s Peter’s oldest son Noah. Noah tried Zwift for the first time a few years ago on a 24″ road bike Peter hooked up to a spare trainer.
“I think the thing that got his attention about Zwift was the opportunity to spend time with his dad in the mornings,” Peter quips sarcastically.
[Editor’s note: I think he is being sarcastic!] – Peter replied: Actually this was one of the main reasons Noah got on was to hang out with me as I was very busy with my job this was one of the ways we could spend quality time together.
Noah was twelve.
Son Finds More Than He Expected
In four months, Noah was riding two hours and over fifty miles with the Saturday 505 group, earning him a Stages SB20 smart bike of his own. He is now a full-time Zwifter, has forged relationships with his fellow 505 rider family, and gained the admiration of his father.
“Zwift has helped him become even more responsible,” professes Peter. “Waking up at 4:30 in the morning takes amazing discipline and makes him ready to tackle the challenges we as adults face in the day-to-day. Zwift, in many ways, has changed his life physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
This was one of Noah’s first Zwift rides while living in Alaska. Pictured here he is riding his mom’s road bike which was a bit too small for him but he was soon hooked on riding on the Zwift platform.
Noah has been accepted and embraced as part of the 505. Peter is thankful to the support group of people worldwide who love and care for Noah on Zwift. He also appreciates the significance of instilling a passion for pursuing a healthy lifestyle in his children physically and intellectually.
“My only vision for Noah is that cycling will always be a part of his life ONLY if he chooses it,” Peter affirms. He encourages his family to try new things, explore their interests, and see the world differently—not only from an American-centric perspective. Exposure to unique languages and cultural exchange was a priority for Peter and his wife, and they were willing to sacrifice.
“We have had to sell our possessions (homes, cars, toys, furniture, etc.) multiple times for the more long-distance moves, so it has kept us relatively simple and minimalistic in how we live. We only have what we need,” he explains.
They Found All They Need
The unity of a well-rounded and adoring family is at the heart of all they require. The McKenzies homeschool their seven children.
Like Peter, any DIRT Dad would find it hard to deny that “I would love for him to continue to cycle with me, and it is an incredible gift to have him on the bike with me most mornings. Noah is one of the most amazing kids I have ever seen, and it is truly a privilege and honor to be his dad.”
The DIRT 505s feel the same! I’m sure they will cheer on Noah as he sets his sights on the Zwift Academy next year. Noah will be fifteen and in the tenth grade. The McKenzies will need a more extensive gym with another little boy on the way. They don’t need much more!
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
