Bikes or Death

Ep. 194 ~ Annabelle Bitterman, Central Texas Showdown 3rd Overall Nov 14, 2024

Annabelle Bitterman was our 2024 Central Texas Showdown (472 miles) 1st place female, which was also good enough to secure 3rd overall. This was her third time participating in a Texas Showdown Series event. Her first bikepacking race was the 2023 Central Texas Slowdown (297 miles) and was our 1st place female finisher. Next she signed up for the 2024 East Texas Slowdown (280 miles) where she was our 3rd place female finisher.

She only started riding bikes seriously a few years ago and was quickly bit by the cycling bug and was further hooked by the cycling community. Hailing out of Austin, TX she's found a robust community of other rad cyclists that continue to ignite her passion for throwing a leg over the top tube and go for long rides.

Those long rides led her to find ways to continually challenge herself which is when she discovered the Texas Showdown Series. Since then, she's become a staple at the events and a staple on our podiums. On today's episode we take a deep dive into CTS, ETS, and Annabelle's experience as a relatively new cyclist who's looking to challenge herself on her bike.

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Ep. 193 ~ Tim Krueger, Esker Cycles CEO Oct 23, 2024

Tim Krueger has been in the cycling industry for almost three decades. He got his start at a local bike shop breaking down boxes as a teenager. After college he landed a job at Salsa Cycles as the Product Manager during the birth of the "Adventure by Bike" category. A pivotal time in the bike industry that ultimately led to an entirely new market and category of Adventure Bikes. After his time at Salsa he went on to start his own company, Advocate Cycles. Advocate featured a rad lineup of steel adventure bikes with a unique business model that donated all of its profits to philanthropic institutions.

After attempting that business model for a couple of years it became clear to Tim that businesses needed their profits to sustain their employees and grow their company. It was at that time that the decision was made to transition the brand into Esker Cycles that we know today.

Tim's contributions and commitment to the cycling community and influence in the cycling market at large has been nothing short of impressive. I've been following his career, and awing over the cool bikes he's helped bring to market, for years. It was a true honor to get to pick his brain about longstanding questions and curiosities I've had about him and some of the bikes he's brought to market.

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Ep. 192 ~ Hannah Simon, Answers Listener Questions Oct 08, 2024

Hannah Simon is quickly becoming a dominant force on the ultra bikepack racing stage. She recently added another feather in her cap of accomplishments with a win at this year's Silk Road Mountain Race, with a time of 8d 20h 16m. At this point, Hannah probably needs little introduction, especially to the Bikes or Death audience. This is her 7th appearance on the show and this time we turned to you, the listener, to come up with the questions for Hannah!

It's been so inspiring to watch Hannah's progression in the sport of bikepack racing. I had the privilege of being at the finish line when she won her first ever bikepacking race, the inaugural East Texas Showdown. Since then, she's been on an absolute tear, winning many of the biggest races bikepacking has to offer. Along the way, she's been kind enough to share her experiences with me and my audience. Some of you have been following along on her journey from the start, so it was only fitting to give you guys the opportunity to provide the questions this time around!

I caught up with Hannah at CHUMBA headquarters in Austin, TX, where she is currently employed. A big thanks goes out to Vince Colvin, CHUMBA CEO, for letting us commandeer his office for our conversation!

Thanks to the listeners for all of the great questions. We had a blast using them as fodder for our chat!

EPISODE SPONSORS

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Ep. 191 ~ Jen Kelly, professional poker player and winner of 3 bikepacking races this summer Sep 25, 2024

In her first year as a bikepack racer Jen Kelly has already racked up an impressive resume. She entered into 3 bikepacking races this summer and won them all! She's also a professional poker player who picked up cycling 4 years ago when she moved into a condo next to a rails to trails. She quickly fell in love with it and just wanted to ride further and further. Last year she put her career, as a professional poker player, on hold to focus on riding her bike.

Her first bikepacking race was the inaugural Great American Wheel Race, a 3,600 mixed surface race across America which she placed 4th overall and 1st Female. Just 6 weeks later she entered the 900 mile Big Sky Spactacularie in Montana where she took 1st overall. Then only 5 days after finishing Big Sky she entered the 1,750 mile Montana Bike Odyssey and took the overall win again! Needless to say her gamble to focus on bikepacking is paying off!

We had a great chat and it was great to talk to someone who is new to the sport and already having so much success.

EPISODE SPONSORS

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Ep. 190 ~ Nicolette Jones, 2024 Colorado Trail Race Female Winner Aug 29, 2024

Nicolette Jones just won the 2024 Colorado Trail Race on her first attempt. Not only was this her first time racing the Colorado Trail, it was her first bikepacking race ever! Which makes her finish time of 5d 12h 21m even more impressive.

Although this was her first bikepacking race, she is no stranger to adventurous pursuits or the Colorado Trail. She is the only person in the world to have thru-hiked, skied, and biked the Colorado Trail. So she is no stranger to this trail and, in fact, probably has a higher familiarity with it than most people. In 2023 she toured the trail in 11 days with thoughts of racing it one day on her mind. This year, those thoughts turned to reality and she rolled out at 4am with about 75 other racer at this years CTR. She was able to get a lead on her competitors early on and then maintain it for the entirety of the race.

On today's episode we talk about a host of interesting topics. From her jobs as an adventure guide and coach, to making your own bikepacking bags, her love for tandems, and a 7.5 month bike tour she did with her Husband, Mark, from Arizona to Argentina. And, of course, we talk about her impressive win at the Colorado Trail Race. At only 25 Nicolette has a huge adventure resume and it was a lot of fun getting to know her and hear about some of her adventures. If you'd like to learn more about Nicolette after you listen to today's episode you can take a deeper dive on her blog, WalkSkiCycle.com.

EPISODE SPONSORS

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Ep. 189 ~ Justinas Leveika, Colorado Trail Race 2024 Aug 23, 2024

Justinas Leveika is fresh off an impressive Colorado Trail Race finish. This was his first time at CTR and he finished in 4d 7h 17m, which was over 8 hours faster than the next rider. However, due to a rule violation, which was unknown to him at the time, he was not the official first place finisher. That honor goes to Xavier Chiriboga with a time of 4d 15h 55m.

Going into Leadville Justinas destroyed his rear wheel on a gnarly decent which shattered the wheel, rendering it unrideable. To get it fixed he hiked to a trailhead, hitched a ride into town, replaced the rear wheel, and hitched a ride back to where we left the trail and continued on. Unlike other solo self supported bikepacking races like the Tour Divide, you are not allowed to get in a vehicle at anytime during the Colorado Trail Race. Justinas was unaware of this rule at the time, but it didn't stop him from putting on an impressive performance.

After returning to the trail with his shiny new wheel he quickly started packmaning his way through the field and finished ahead all the other riders. The broken wheel wasn't the only challenge he had to overcome on the race this year, but you'll have to listen to the episode to hear the whole story.

Regardless of an unfortunate rules oversight, what Justinas did was undeniably impressive. Even more so considering that he broke the long standing FKT on Tour Divide less than 2 months ago. Now, he sets his sights on the Arizona Trail Race in an attempt to complete the Bikepacking Triple Crown.

EPISODE SPONSORS

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Ep. 188 ~ Chris Smith, Racing the Tour Divide Legally Blind Aug 14, 2024

In 2000 Chris Smith was diagnosed with Stargardt's Disease, by 2009 he was declared legally blind. No longer able to drive he turned to the bike as a way to get to work 3 miles from his house. At the time he tipped the scales at over 300 lbs and the 3 mile ride to work was a real challenge, but Chris wasn't discouraged. He kept at it, joined friends for group rides, and eventually went on to earn a buckle at Leadville in 2019, to mark his 10th year of blindness. He went back the following 3 years, each time earning a buckle.

For his 15th anniversary of being declared legally blind he set his sites higher, much higher. After watching Ride The Divide he decided to take on the holy grail of bikepacking, the Tour Divide. An ambitious goal for anyone, but particularly so for Chris since he hadn't done a multi-day bikepacking trip, and he's blind. Undeterred, he hired a coach, and started training for the Grand Depart, only 8 months away.

It took him 47 days and 10 hours, he was the 2nd to last finisher, but nothing stopped Chris from accomplishing his goal, and after riding the Tour Divide, I doubt anything ever will.

Chris was riding to bring awareness to blindness and raising money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Through his efforts he was able to raise $28,000 which will go to help finding cures for blindness diseases like his. You can find out more about Chris, and donate, on his website.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Red Granite Grinder - Epic gravel race in Wisconsin on Oct. 12th, 2024. Smash the link for more information and registration.

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Ep. 187 ~ Edyn Teitge, Youngest Tour Divide Solo Finisher at 15 Jul 31, 2024

Edyn Teitge, at 15 years old, just became the youngest person to complete the Tour Divide solo. He set out with a goal of finishing in 20 days and was able to complete the race in 19d 13h 14m. An accomplishment that may be shocking to outsiders, but for Edyn, this just feels like the next step in his progression as a cyclist.

Edyn first joined me on the podcast in September of 2022 after he finished his first ultra bikepacking race, the Smoke and Fire 400. He didn't just finish, though, he came in 6th place, 8 hours after legendary Jay Petervary. At that time he was only 13! Since then he's been busy entering, and gaining experience, in many other ultra events, including, Fat Pursuit, Stagecoach 400, and Drift 100. All of which gave him the confidence and experience to tackle the Tour Divide.

When we recorded today's episode Edyn showed up on Zoom with his hands completely covered in car grease. He had been working on replacing the radiator on a Ford Astro Van that someone gave him as his first car. So while he may be doing things that are very uncommon for a 15 year old boy, he's also a kid who's excited about cars, going to school, and riding bikes with his friends.

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Ep. 186 ~ Spencer McCullough, First to visit all 51 National Parks by Bike Jul 25, 2024

Spencer McCullough just did something that's never been done before! He visited all 51 National Parks in the lower 48 by bicycle. This epic trip around the U.S. involved 411 days of riding, 18,000 miles covered by bike, and a total of 28 flat tires.

Spencer was inspired to do this trip after reading an article in the New York Times, titled "What to Save? Climate Change Forces Brutal Choices at National Parks". His goal? To visit all the National Parks in the lower 48 to experience them before climate change impacts them even further. Along the way, he educated himself about cycling safety and infrastructure and compiled invaluable data on dedicated hiker-biker campsites in our National Parks. Through his ride, he's been able to bring awareness to some of the issues facing cyclists who dream of visiting our National Parks by bike.

One of his initiatives to promote bike touring in America is a website that lists all the hiker/biker campsites in one place. This site is a combination of his own research and efforts, but community members are encouraged to submit campsites to the map as well. This is an ongoing project, but he's already mapped 508 campsites (at the time of this writing) and more are being added by the day. To check out this resource and/or to add more campsites, please visit GoBikecamping.com.

On today's episode, Spencer and I dive into his motivations and goals for this trip, what it's like to live off your bike for 411 days, some of the best (and worst) Parks and places to ride in America, and what to do if you find a gun on the side of the road! Those topics, and more, can be found in today's chat with Spencer McCullough.

EPISODE SPONSORS

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Ep. 185 ~ Justinas Leveika, New Tour Divide FKT! Jul 13, 2024

Eight years ago Mike Hall made history and etched his name in the record books, and in the hearts of an entire community, with his record setting Tour Divide time of 13d 22h 51m. Since then, hundreds of others have lined up for the Tour Divide grand depart to chase his dot to the US/Mexico border. This year, on his second attempt, Jusinas Leveika became the first person to best Mike Hall's record with an official time of 13d 2h 16.

Justinas entered the world of ultra bikepack racing in 2021with a 4th place finish at Transpyrenees. Since then, he's racked up too many podium finishes to list, in the hardest bikepack races our sport has to offer. Last year, at Tour Divide, Justinas came in 2nd to Uba Bartholmoes and was plagued with mechanicals and bad weather. This year he came back with one goal, fix his mistakes.

While weather played a major role in this year's Tour Divide, nothing was going to stop Justinas. He got an early lead over his competitors and Uba, in particular, put on a hell of a chase, but in the end Justinas wouldn't be caught. On today's episode we get to know the man behind the dot, the man who has the honor of besting Mike Hall's time, Justinas Leveika.

EPISODE SPONSORS

7mesh - Get 20% off your next order with code "7MESHXBOD20"

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Ep. 184 ~ Ulrich "Uba" Bartholmoes, Tour Divide 2024 Jul 10, 2024

Last year Ulrich Bartholmoes, aka Uba, won the Tour Divide on his first attempt. This year he came back to do it again, but with a larger goal of completing the Bikepacking Triple Crown. We will be following Uba's Triple Crown attempt at each stage along the way. This is the second episode in the series, you can listen to our first chat we recorded just days before the Tour Divide Grand Depart on episode 182 of this podcast.

This was a record setting year on the Tour Divide and one that will go down in the history books. For the past 8 years the late Mike Hall's record has stood up against hundreds of others who have tried to beat his dot to the border of Mexico in Antelope Wells. This year Justinas Leveika set a new FKT (fastest known time) besting Mike Hall's time by over 20 hours! I'll be releasing an episode with Justinas about his recorded breaking ride in the coming days, but today we turn our attention to Uba who put on brilliant ride and also came in ahead of Mike Hall's time.

The friendly competition between Uba and Justinas is a fun one for fans of the sport. Last year Uba won the Tour Divide with Justinas coming in second and they've had other similar epic battles in races like Atlas Mountain Race.

This year on Tour Divide Justinas got a small gap early in the race and Uba was hot on his heals with sometimes only a few miles between them. Weather played a big factor in the ultimate outcome, but you have to admire and appreciate the epic battle to the finish line from both of these amazing competitors. On today's episode we hear about the race from Uba's perspective and next up we get to hear from Justinas.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Arkansas, The Natural State ~ Check out Episode 183 of this podcast to learn all about the inaugural Arkansas Graveler, a 6 day bike tour across the state.

New Patrons None this week, but you can change that :)

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Ep. 183 ~ Tales from the Arkansas Graveler Jul 03, 2024

The Arkansas Graveler is a supported bike tour across the state of Arkansas. It boast 366 miles and 26,700 feet of climbing over 6 days. The route takes you into parts unknown, showcasing some of the most remote rural roads that I’ve had the pleasure of riding. This inaugural year attracted 300+ riders from 35 states. It’s clear that the word about Arkansas is spreading and cyclists are traveling far and wide to get a taste of the seemingly unlimited gravel roads that showcase why Arkansas is called “The Natural State”.

The Arkansas Graveler, not content to offer riders a beautiful route and scenery, offered a host of off bike activities each afternoon, like archery, zip-lining, fly fishing, skeet shooting, cave tours, and the list goes on. Riders were well fed each morning and evening by Chef Biju Thomas and his team. Our bikes were maintained by Phat Tire bike shop. There were medics on site each day to attend to boo-boos and heat related illness. And we were treated to local musicians each evening with curated music that highlighted the region we were in. In other words, this isn’t your average bike tour. The Arkansas Graveler created a traveling bike festival that followed, supported, healed, and entertained, 300+ riders as we traversed the great state.

After riding across the state I assembled a small panel of participants to share their experience on the Arkansas Graveler. Our esteemed panel features: Philip Alderfer, Bobby Finster, Hilary Lex, and Scotti Moody (race director). Please join us on this weeks episode as we relive the highs and lows of this inaugural event.

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Ep. 182 ~ Ulrich "Uba" Bartholmoes, Triple Crown 2024 Begins Jun 14, 2024

Last year Ulrich Bartholmoes, who goes by Uba, won the Tour Divide in his first attempt with a time of 14d 2h 23m. This year he's back to defend his title at the Tour Divide, but he's got bigger goals than that. This year he will be attempting to complete the Triple Crown of Bikepacking (Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race, and Arizona Trail race) and he's gunning to beat the current record time of 27d 18h 33m set by Jay Petervary in 2015.

Uba's approach to ultra bikepack racing is different from most. He's incorporated advanced training methods inspired by pro tour riders and driven by his passion for optimization of himself, his equipment, and his training. And he seemingly attacks his training and preparation with the same detail and veracity that he applies to his racing.

I caught up with him days before the start of the race at his hotel in Calgary. We dived into his plans for this year, his goals, and his unique training protocols. It seems that he's left no stone unturned, no bolt un-torqued, and no bearing un-greased. But as he says in the episode, it's a long race, and training and preparation can only take you so far.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Old Man Mountain ~ You will see OMM racks and axle packs adorning many of the bikes on the Tour Divide this year. Check out what all the hype is about at OldManMountain.com and use code "mountainsordeath" at checkout to get 10% off your order. Use our BoD Affiliate link and we get a little commission :)

Arkansas Graveler ~ A 6 day bike festival in the Ozark Mountains that offers not only amazing riding, but also activities, live music, food, and so much more. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone out there. Don't be shy come up and say hi if you see me!

New Patrons Chase Bauduin Garret Hall

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Ep. 181 ~ Daniel Connell, aka "Dirty Dan" Jun 04, 2024

Daniel Connell has become a regular on the bikepacking race scene and in the cycling community. You will often see him on Trackleaders under his trail name, Dirty Dan. It was under this pseudonym that he recently set a new FKT on the Race Across Arizona and will be lining up in a couple of weeks to race the Tour Divide for the 4th consecutive year. Each year he's done it he's been able to shave a day off his finish time. This year he's on a new bike and gunning for a 15 day finish.

His entry point into cycling was a 4,000+ mile bike tour with a buddy from California to Columbia in 2017 after graduating college. Armed only with a bike, some gear, and very little planning of what was to come. It was on that trip that he found the bike to be the "perfect form of travel". Since then he's only progressed as a traveler and cyclist racking up credentials too numerous to list, but to give you a taste, here's what he's done so far in 2024:

Baja Divide Transcordilleras race (Colombia) Bikepacking trip all over Colombia Double Everest Stagecoach 400 Tour de Los Padres Race Across Arizona

He's packed more into the first 6 months of this year than many will experience in a lifetime. It feels like every time I log into social media he's on another trip or lining up in another race. I've grown fond of following him on all of his adventures. He brings with him a big smile and a big appetite for adventure, fruit, and white milk. All of which we discuss on today's episode.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Central Texas Showdown - Four distances to choose from, 28 spots left, 100% Texas. Come find out why the call this part of Texas the Hill Country on Oct. 25th, 2024. Register here!

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Ep. 180 ~ 20,000 Miles by Bike, Exploring Wild w/ Alissa Bell May 29, 2024

Alissa Bell is the creator and owner of ExploringWild.com and BikeSleepBike.com. Both projects are inspired by her 20,000+ miles traveling by foot and bike all over the world and her passion for helping others find their own adventure. In 2018 she quit her job to travel the world – a move that many of us dream about making, but that few of us ultimately find the bravery to take the plunge on.

When she left for Africa in 2018, she wasn’t just walking away from her career. She was also leaving behind a supportive husband, her home, her friends, and all of the comfort and familiarity that comes with a happy, whole, and rich home life.The urge to discover the world and herself in it is a primary motivator for Alissa, but it’s not one that comes easy or without cost. It requires constant juggling and negotiating between a home life she loves and an adventurous life that fills her soul.

From ExploringWild.com, “I won’t pretend all this is easy. I’m introverted, nerdy, and more risk-averse than you might think. I have cranky knees and hate being cold. I used to think all this stuff was only for people braver and tougher than I am. If I can do it, you definitely can too.“

In other words, she’s a lot like me and you. Luckily for us, Alissa has dedicated her life – through her example, her writing, websites, and adventure kits – to helping others chase their own version of the life they want for themselves.

On a personal note, I met Alissa digitally in 2019 when she extended an offer to help with BikesorDeath.com. Over the past 5 years she’s been an unsung hero for BoD behind the scenes. What started as a kind offer to help led to her building an entirely new website from scratch. She’s also been invaluable in her help every time the website crashes (which is more than you’d think haha). It’s through these interactions that I became aware of, and impressed by, her boldness and unfettering determination to pursue a life that is more meaningful and representative of the version of herself she identifies with the most. After years of coaxing, it was a pleasure to have her join me on the podcast.

A great way to keep up with Alissa and get notified about her projects is through her newsletter.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Old Man Mountain ~ Did you know that OMM makes panniers specifcally for bikepacking that pair perfectly with their legendary racks? Learn more on today's episode and use discount code “mountainsordeath” for 10% off site-wide and use this affiliate link so BoD gets a "Thank You" check in the mail :)

Exploring Wild ~ Alissa is offering BoD listeners 15% of her Adventure Kits, just use coupon code "kitsordeath" at checkout!

Patreon Geoffrey Meredith - increased pledge 🎉

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Ep. 179 ~ The Midsouth Experience, w/ Patrick & Natalie May 14, 2024

It's Midsouth Week! At least here at Bikes or Death headquarters ;). This week, we are going back in time and reliving Midsouth through the lens of Patrick and Natalie's experience. Whether you’re Midsouth curious or you got hit with those post-race blues and are feeling like a little Midsouth 2024 nostalgia, this episode is for you! So charge your headlights and grab your chamois butter because you’re invited along for the journey as Natalie and I experience our first ever Midsouth. From the Midsouth beer release party at The Iron Monk, to the expo show, and all the way through 100 miles of Oklahoma dirt roads, we're mic'd up and taking you along for the ride!

For me, Midsouth has been a bucket list item for many years. Unfortunately, I'm usually busy preparing for the East Texas Showdown as it traditionally takes place the week after Midsouth. However, this year, I made sure to get my ETS prep done early so I could enjoy a weekend on the famed red dirt gravel roads that have catapulted Midsouth into the upper echelon of the gravel racing circuit. As an event director myself, I was both personally and professionally interested in taking part in this event. Not only was I excited to spend the day riding bikes, but I was also counting port-a-potties, taking notes at the pre-race meeting, and marveling at the well-orchestrated machine that is Midsouth. In their 14th consecutive year, Midsouth puts on one hell of an event, and I was eager to learn from their expertise.

Natalie had her own goals. This would be her first proper century, but it wasn't her first time riding 100 miles. In September of last year she and I participated in the Ozark Rando, a 120 mile randonneur in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas. We recorded that experience as well and you can go back and listen if you haven't already. We spent 22 hours making our way through the Arkansas backcountry, rolled in DFL a solid 7 hours after the official cutoff time, and learned so much from that experience. One thing we learned is that it may have been a little ambitious for Natalie’s first century +20 miles. The Midsouth was an opportunity for her to take on her second ever 100 mile ride on a more approachable course. Midsouth still boasts a lot of climbing, but it's only half the elevation gain of the Ozark Rando. So for Natalie, this was a chance to reclaim some of the confidence that was lost in the hills of Arkansas and find the joy in long distance cycling efforts. Her goal for Midsouth was just to finish it, and ideally not as DFL this time. For Midsouth our plan was to prioritize time on the bike and focus on maintaining momentum throughout the day.

Listen to today's episode for a peek into the Midsouth experience and follow along with us as we race to not be DFL. For the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong with DFL. We are very proud to hold that title in the 2023 Ozark Rando but for Midsouth, we wanted to let someone else enjoy the honor.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Bikepacking Roots ~ Is taking applications and donations for their Bipoc Adventure Grant Program. Click the link or email devin@bikepackingroots.org for more info!

New Patrons Evan Zipperer Kirk Everett Janis Brunner Chris Marshall

Ep. 178 ~ Patrick's AZT 300 Attempt Apr 22, 2024

Since my youth I've had a passion and love for the outdoors. While all wilderness landscapes appeal to me in their own unique way, desert landscapes have always been my favorite. So it's no surprise that when I got into bikepacking and found out about the AZT it quickly ascended to the top of my bucket list. After 5 years of hoping, dreaming, and planning, I finally made the leap and signed up for a Spring ITT. On April 11th at 7:12am myself and 3 others (Gregg Dunham, Alan Jacoby, and Ian Quigley) set out on the AZT, each of us doing ITT's.

The AZT (Arizona Trail) is a hiking trail that runs North/South across the length of Arizona. It is one of the routes that make up the Bikepacking Triple Crown and considered to be the most difficult route by many who have done all three. There are two route options, the 300, which ends at the Picket Post Trailhead, and the 800 that ends at the Utah border and requires riders to disassemble their bike and carry through the Grand Canyon.

My AZT challenges started months before the start and just getting to the start line would prove to be one of the biggest challenges. Life was throwing everything at me all at once and, at times, I seriously considered postponing my AZT attempt. Ultimately, I put my head down and worked my way through, over, and around, all of the barriers that threatened to end my attempt before it even started. I lined up on the morning of April 11th feeling unprepared, undertrained, and down right afraid of what I was about to do. In moments like that all you can do is push aside any lingering doubts and just ride your damn bike, so that's what I did.

Ultimately, my ride was cut short in Tucson due to heat related illnesses. But my time on the trail was everything I could have hoped for and a lot more. The trail lives up to its reputation as being difficult, but it also exceeded my expectations of beauty. No amount of hike a bike, heat, or ruggedness diminished my enjoyment during my time out there. I truly had the time of my life and am only left with overwhelming sense of love for this world that we live in and a body that took me as far as it could. The trail isn't going anywhere and I'm already looking forward to attempting it again one day.

On this episode I mic myself up during my attempt and share my experience on the Arizona Trail. I hope this episode helps other people who are wanting to ride their damn bike on the ATZ.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Old Man Mountain ~ I used their Axle Pack and Elkhorn rack on the AZT, both of which performed flawlessly and allowed me to take full advantage of the full suspension bike I rode. Use discount code “mountainsordeath” for 10% off site-wide and use this affiliate link so BoD gets a Thank You check in the mail

New Patrons Cary Holt Fabian Schwaerzler

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Ep. 177 ~ Meaghan Hackinen, DOOM 3rd Overall Apr 08, 2024

Meaghan Hackinen is your 2024 DOOM female winner and 3rd place overall. On day one she skipped a critical resupply point and found herself leading the field for a good part of the day. Dexter Kopas would eventually catch her and go on to take the win. Overall, it made for some exciting dot watching and resulted in an impressive finish for Meaghan.

Meaghan got into competitive ultra cycling events back in 2016 and she has a long list of good results that include wins and FKT on several courses. Notably, she was the overall winner at the BC Epic 1000 in 2021 and she is the 24 hour World Time Trial Champion where she set a new course record.

Next up, Meaghan is taking on the Tour Divide. She's on my dot-watching list, she should probably be on yours too!

EPISODE SPONSORS

Old Man Mountain ~ Use discount code “mountainsordeath” for 10% off site-wide and use this affiliate link so BoD gets a Thank You check in the mail

New Patrons None this week. Nows a great time to support the show :)

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 176 ~ John Schilling, AZT Race Director Mar 07, 2024

On today's episode John Schilling, AZT Race Director, is here to talk all things AZT. He became the race director in 2019 when Scott Morris passed the torch after 14 years of creating and overseeing the race. John is no stranger to the AZT. He first attempted it in 2012 and completed it in 2013. He's a local to the Pheniox area and is well known for his hard work developing routes, leading rides, and for his great work on the AZT.

Quickly after becoming the AZT race director he made changes to both the 300 and 800 routes. In fact, the long version used to be 750, but thanks to John there are an extra 50 miles of AZT goodness for you to enjoy. On today's episode we are going to be learning more about those changes and what prompted them.

We're also going to be getting to know John a little better and learning about his personal history with the AZT. Among other things we touch on the history of the AZT for bikepacking, the Arizona Trail Association, and discuss tips and insights to help prepare you to take on either of these epic routes.

The AZT is one of the jewels that make up the Bikepacking Triple Crown and has been an important part in the history of our sport. It was a true pleasure to take a deeper dive into this iconic trail and get to know the man currently at the helm a little better.

⚡️EPISODE SPONSOR⚡️ Campfire Cycling - Is your premier destination for AZT preparation. Whether you needs gear, supplies, or a pat on the back, they've got you covered. The also host 7 rides for riders at all levels that are great for AZT training. If you can't make it into their amazing shop they have you covered with an e-commerce store featuring their new Make-It-Mine Bicycle Configurator!

🎉New Patrons🎉 Seth Gerring Rob Lorenz Derek Bowers

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Shop our affiliate links to help support the show!

Ep. 175 ~ Jenny Tough, Adventure Athlete & Writer Feb 29, 2024

Jenny Tough is one of the most impressive adventure athletes I've had the pleasure of chatting with. Her accomplishments in sports and writing are truly inspirational and mesmerizing. She is an ultra runner and bikepacker with numerous accomplishments to her name. Among her accomplishments, in the running world she was the first person to run across Kyrgyzstan solo and unsupported. Following that trip she set out to run across 5 other equally challenging terrains in different parts of the world. In total she complete 6 runs in 6 continents over a 6 year period which she chronicled in her latest book SOLO.

If that isn't impressive enough, during that time she was also introducing herself to the bikepacking world by entering, and winning, some of the most challenging bikepacking races in the world. In 2018 she won the Silk Road Mountain Race (SRMR) and followed that up with a win at the Atlas Mountain race in 2020, before going back to SRMR in 2021 and winning again. By any measure Jenny lives up to the name "Tough" and in doing so she is finding was to inspire and motivate others. She has made it her mission to not only do tough things, but to encourage others, especially women, along the way through her writing and creative outlets.

It was an honor to have her on the show and I hope your enjoy this chat as much as I did!

⚡️EPISODE SPONSOR⚡️ Old Man Mountain - The Axle Pack is here to solve your fork mounting needs. Gone are the days of ducktaping water bottle cages to your forks. Check out the Axle Pack here and use code "mountainsordeath" at check for 10% off your order!

Bikepacking Roots - BPR is a non-profit organization built on the three pillars of Ride, Connect, and Protect. Please visit their page and find ways to help support the important work they do for the bikepacking community.

Shop our affiliate links to help support the show!

🎉New Patrons🎉 Rob Mccarty Esker Cycles

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Ep. 174 ~ East Texas Showdown Preview for 2024 Feb 23, 2024

The East Texas Showdown is in its fourth year and it's our biggest one yet. With 250+ riders from all over the world decending on East Texas we wanted to produce an episode to help you have a successful weekend in the woods.

We surveyed all the riders participating in ETS 2024 and I brought in a panel to help me answer your questions. The panel consist of one person from each of the three categories from last year.

From the Showdown we have Harrison Kroos, the Slowdown is represented by Vince Colvin, and our Lowdown representatvie is Aja Roberts.

I appreciate each of them for helping me answer your questions and producing a fun and informative episode to help other riders have a successful weekend!

Even if you aren't participaiting in the offical ETS, the route files are available for free at TexasShowdownSeries.com and anyone is welcome to ride the routes anytime.

We'd like to thank our ETS sponsors for this year:

Chumba Handup Gloves Kuat Racks Mulberry Gap Ombraz Old Man Mountain The Radavist Ruby Coffee Stans Thomson Bikes Woom Bikes The Bullet Grill

Ep. 173 ~ Lewis Ciddor, 3rd Place at Tour Te Waipounamu Feb 08, 2024

Today we are catching up with Lewis Ciddor after his impressive 3rd place finish at Tour Te Waipounamu. Many of you will be familiar with Lewis. He won the Tour Divide in 2018 and was the host of the Overland Archive Podcast for many years. Lewis was on the show in Aug. of 2020 for Ep. 51. Since then I've noticed he's been keeping a lower profile. Not entering races, not releasing episodes of his own podcast, not posting on social media as much, so when I saw him back in the race lineup I was eager to catch up with him. I was also eager to hear more about the Tour Te Waipounamu. It takes place on the south island of New Zealand and looks to be equal parts challenging and beautiful. The route is known for a variety of terrain, river crossings, hike a bikes, and off trail navigating. In other words, it’s a real challenge. In the world of ultra endurance mountain biking, this race stands out as being particularly hard, and that’s saying something. It had been four years since Lewis had raced before lining up at TTW. Any doubts he had going into that race about being the racer he once was were going to be faced on the beautifully rugged terrain that is Tour Te Waipounamu. Not all victories come in the form of winning. For Lewis, his victory came by facing and overcoming challenges during the race that at one point had him in 12th place with only 300 miles to the finish. On today’s episode Lewis takes us through his journey as he made his way through the field and onto the podium in his first race in 4 years.

⚡️EPISODE SPONSOR⚡️ Panorama - Today we highlighted the Katahdin which is Panoramas carbon gravel bike and the bike that Patrick has been personally riding for over a year.

Shop our affiliate links to help support the show!

🎉New Patrons🎉 Noelle Battle

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 172 ~ Dogpacking with John & Mira Jan 25, 2024

John and Mira are a bikepacking duo who were the first to complete the Tour Divide Race as a human and dog team in 2023. They also emBARKed on a world tour in 2023 with the goal of dogpacking all 7 continents of the world. A feat that is so big that if you think about it too much it seems almost unattainable. But, John and Mira have over six years experience traveling the world together by bike and that experience, I believe, will lead to their success.

Today's episode starts with an introduction to John and Mira and how they got started dogpacking. We also go into some of the how-tos of dogpacking and John shares with us some of the tips, tricks, equipment, and best practices to help you get out on epic adventures with your furry friends. Then we learn all about their world tour, what their plan is, how they approach route building, and their overall approach to dogpacking and cycling the world. And, of course, we discuss their record setting run at the Tour Divide Race and their plans to go back and try again, this time using everything they learned in an attempt to set an even faster time.

John and Mira have an excellent YouTube channel with tons of adorable and inspirational videos. So when you're done listening to this episode, make sure to go watch some of those. It's worth it just to see Mira comfortably sitting in her basket with her goggles on as they bomb down hills.

⚡️EPISODE SPONSOR⚡️

Bikepacking Basics: East Texas Edition April 26th - 28th Information + Registration: https://www.bikereg.com/bikepacking-basics-east-texas-edition

Support the Show: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bikesordeath Affiliate Links: https://bikesordeath.com/affiliate-links/

Ep. 171 ~ Angus Morton, filming "The Divide" Jan 17, 2024

On today's episode, I sit down with Angus Morton to chat about his latest film: The Divide. This masterpiece follows Angus's brother, Lachlan Morton, on his 2023 ITT of the Tour Divide.

The Divide masterfully captures Lochlan's Journey, the landscape, and the beauty and challenges along the way. Lochlan traversed 2,700 miles, 2 countries, and 5 states over a period of 12.5 days. Showcasing a route that covers so much distance, so many different terrains, and carries with it so many unknowns is a daunting endeavor, but Angus pulled it off brilliantly. As a content creator and storyteller myself, I was eager to talk to him about it.

In today's episode, we discuss the power of media to inspire as well as its controversial nature in today's bikepack racing climate. We also get a peak behind the scenes into what it's like to film an elite athlete's tremendous effort on the Tour Divide, including some of the technical, logistical, and emotional challenges for Angus as he bears witness to his brother's trials, triumphs, and occasionally questionable decisions.

EPISODE SPONSORS️

Panorama Cycles ~ Purpose built backcountry bicycles with versatility and sustainability in mind. Use our affiliate link when ordering and BoD gets a small commission :)

Shop our affiliate links to help support the show!

New Patrons Mathew Crouch Whitney Houck Katherine M. Grosz

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Ep. 170 ~ Sofiane Sehili, "Where Do I Go From Here?" Jan 10, 2024

At the end of the year Sofiane made a post on social media that caught my eye. The first line read, “So where do I go from here?”. Sofiane is arguably the best ultra bikepack racer in the world. A position that he earned by winning some of the most grueling races in bikepacking, in some cases multiple times. Having accomplished so much, he now finds himself in a unique position and wondering what’s next.

Today we dig a little deeper into Sofiane’s thoughts about his career, his accomplishments, and what, in fact, is next for him.

EPISODE SPONSORS️

Old Man Mountain - Exclusive offer for Bikes or Death listeners: OMM is launching a new product called the Axle Pack and BoD listeners are getting early access to be the first to own one! Just visit OldManMountain.com/BoD and to get 10% off your order use the code "mountainsordeath" at checkout!

Shop our affiliate links to help support the show!

New Patrons Samuel Graham Dennis Vandegrift

Patrons who increased their pledgeChris Clodfelter Crispin Hoult

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 169 ~ Part 3: Ask Me Anything, with Patrick & Natalie Dec 29, 2023

In the final installment Patrick answers listener questions and he gets his girlfriend, Natalie, to ask your questions. We got a ton of questions, so this episode will be sure to make the "long live long-form" listeners very happy.

Thanks for riding bikes with us in 2023. After five years of podcasting I'm never not grateful to the listeners who support our work. As always, I've got big plans for next year and I look forward to riding with y'all again in 2024.

Ep. 169 ~ Part 2: Meet the Team Dec 28, 2023

Bikes or Death is growing and I’ve hired some people to help. In this episode I sit down with Mckensie Barney, Ariel Marlowe, and Ben Crannell, to introduce you to the people that help make what Bikes or Death does a reality.

Ep. 169 ~ Part 1: BoD Awards + 2024 Goals Dec 27, 2023

It's that time again. Time to look back at a year of podcasting, give some awards, and make some promises for next year that I'm sure to break a few :)

This is the last episode of the year, and it's a doozie. Originally intended to be one episode, I've broken into 3 parts due to its length. So here's what we've got for ya with this one:

Part 1: Bikes or Death Awards - Today We asked our listeners to help us vote on the best episodes from 2023. In this episode we look back on a great year of podcasting and give awards in the following categories: Best Episode of the Year, Most Informative, Most Entertaining, Most Inspirational, and Most Downloads. I also share some stats from 5 years of Bikes or Death and a look forward with some goals for 2024.

Part 2: Meet the Team - Dec. 28thBikes or Death is growing and I've hired some people to help. In this episode I sit down with Mckensie Barney, Ariel Marlowe, and Ben Crannell, to introduce you to the people that help make what Bikes or Death does a reality.

Part 3: AMA with Patrick - Dec. 29thIn the final installment Patrick answers listener questions, and he gets his girlfriend, Natalie, to ask your questions. We got a ton of questions, so this episode will be sure to make the "long live long-form" listeners very happy.

Thanks for riding bikes with us in 2023. After five years of podcasting I'm never not grateful to the listeners who support our work. As always, I've got big plans for next year and I look forward to riding with y'all again in 2024.

️EPISODE SPONSORS️

Lectric eBikes – Get hundreds of dollars in free accessories with any Lectric eBike purchase this holiday, including America’s best-selling eBike, the XP 3.0

AG1 – Go to www.drinkag1.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Shop our affiliate links to help support the show!

New Patrons Levi Walls Thomas Seymour Patrons who increased their pledgeDiane Prekup Alsksandar Radan

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 168 ~ Hannah Simon, Bikepacking Triple Crown Completed! Nov 28, 2023

For the final episode in this series, we catch up with Hannah Simon after finishing 3rd at the Arizona Trail Race last month. The AZT was the last race in a three race series dubbed the Bikepacking Triple Crown. Prior to that she tied for 3rd at Tour Divide in June, followed by a 6th place finish at the Colorado Trail Race in August.

The Triple Crown is the hardest and most prestigious accomplishment that our sport has to offer. By completing the Triple Crown, Hannah became one of only 6 women to have ever completed this challenge. Not only that, but her time was good enough to have the record for the 3rd fastest female, and she beat the previous FKT by 28 minutes, a record that stood since 2015.

Hannah's Triple Crown, by the numbers:

Tour Divide 3rd Place (tied) 2,745 miles 18d 11h

Colorado Trail Race 6th Place 530 miles 6d 8h

Arizona Trail Race 3rd Place 800 miles 11d 11h

In total Hannah would ride 4,075 miles in 36d 6h, making her the 3rd fastest female to every complete the Bikepacking Triple Crown.

️EPISODE SPONSORS️

Lectric eBikes – Get hundreds of dollars in free accessories with any Lectric eBike purchase this holiday, including America’s best-selling eBike, the XP 3.0

AG1 – Go to www.drinkag1.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

New Patrons Ed Pinskey Bryan Thelen Preston Williams

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 167 ~ Kurt Refsnider, Continental Divide Trail by Bike Nov 08, 2023

Kurt Refsnider just became one of only a handful of people to have ever successfully traversed the Continental Divide Trail by bike. The trail is 3,300 miles long and spans the length of the United States along the Continental Divide. In many ways it's similar to the popular Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. However, there is one big distinction, the CTS is primarily singletrack. And much of it is unmaintained, overgrown, and sometimes nonexistent trails.

It's not surprising that Kurt would be included in the elite group to have completed this trail. He's been a cyclist and athlete from a very young age. In fact, we hear about his first century on today's episode. He's gone on to set so many records in cycling it's easier to point you to his website for a full list.

Kurt also holds many hats in the cycling industry. He is a profissional adventure cyclist, the co-founder and Route Developer for Bikepack Roots, and he is an endurance coach, among other things. Today's episode touches on all of these topics and more.

⚡️️EPISODE SPONSORS⚡️️

Old Man Mountain - Use our affiliate link to get 15% off your order!

BoD Affiliate Links - We've made it easier to find the links that support this show and provide deals for our listeners. You can find them on our website! When you use our links you support this show and the partners who support us.

🎉New Patrons🎉 Andrew Dordal

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 166 ~ Alex Schultz, Arizona Trail Race Winner & New FKT Nov 02, 2023

My guest today is the winner of this years Arizona Trail Race 800, Alex Schultz. Alex is no stranger to bikepack racing or the AZT. In 2019 he entered his first bikepacking race, the Colorado Trail Race, and was hooked! In 2022 he entered the AZT 300 and won it. This year he came back to take on the 800 with only the goal to finish and do his best. It turns out his best was good enough to win and set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time). His time of 9d 5h 43m was five hours faster than the previous FKT set by Nate Ginzton in 2022.

By the sound of it Alex is just getting started with his bikepack racing career. With a lot of adventure sports experience and some good results under his belt, I have a feeling we'll be seeing his name at the top of other big races soon!

EPISODE SPONSORS

Lectric eBikes - Get hundreds of dollars in free accessories with any Lectric eBike purchase this holiday, including America’s best-selling eBike, the XP 3.0

AG1 - Go to www.drinkag1.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 None, this week, but thank you to the 316 patrons that support this show!

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 165 ~ Patrick & Natalie, Ozark Rando 120 Oct 25, 2023

Last month Natalie and I took on the Ozark Rando 120. This is a new event by Ozark Gravel Cyclist and hosted by Experience Fayetteville. As the name suggests, the format of this ride is a Randonneur -a non-competitive long-distance unsupported endurance cycling event.

I used this ride as part of my training for an attempt at the 475 mile Central Texas Showdown Route. I’ve also been really interested in doing a Randonneur ever since Cheech with Crust Bikes came on the podcast. And, I never turn down an opportunity to ride my damn bike in Arkansas!

Natalie on the other hand would be taking on her biggest ride, by a long shot! Previously, her longest ride was 60 miles in Texas with only 1,200’ of climbing. The Ozark Rando boasts over 12,000’ of climbing over 122 miles. For her, this would be a huge physical and mental undertaking. By signing up, she committed to the unknown, and that’s scary.

Spoiler alert: We finished Dead Fucking Last, and I couldn't be more proud of her and us. As the day unfolded, the miles passed slower and slower, and the finish time goal post kept moving, but we kept riding our damn bikes.

On today’s episode, join Natalie and I as we embark on an epic day (and night) in the Ozarks on our bikes.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Experience Fayetteville ~ To start planning your next cycling vacation just visit experiencefayetteville.com where you’ll find a large selection of curated routes for every riding style including road, gravel, mountain bike, and urban adventures.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Buck Crockett Borden Mann Blake Marquis James Brodhurst Katherine Helbig

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 164 ~ Patrick & Ariel, Central Texas Brokedown Oct 10, 2023

After I scouted the Central Texas Showdown route by car it was time to ride the damn thing. Last time I did an ITT of the ETS route my editor, Ben Crannel, joined me, but aside from the start and finish, we never saw each other. That experience taught me how much different an ITT is vs a group start.

I still wanted to do an ITT of the CTS, but this time I wanted to invite some people. Invitations went out, but my friend Ariel was the only person to accept. I’m not surprised, texas, like much of the country, has been under a heat wave, with much of the state experiencing 100 x 100º days of heat.

For a full writeup on todays episode, and a gallery of images from the ride, please visit www.BikesorDeath.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

Lectric eBikes ~ Fun, Functional, and Affordable eBikes!

AG1 ~ Go to www.drinkag1.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Rose Shivers Anonymous

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 163 ~ Jay Petervary, Unearthed Interrupted Sep 27, 2023

Ultra-endurance and bikepacking legend, Jay Petervary set out on his solo and unsupported FKT attempt of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route which he called “Great Divide Ride Unearthed”. Over 2,000 miles into his ride he was struck by a motorist. Suffering multiple series injuries, Jay’s resilience is unwavering. He may be battered, but he is not broken. He continues to inspire with his mantra “ride forward” and reminds us that he’s not done with this ride yet. Watch or listen to this episode, link in bio!

️⚡️Episode Sponsors ⚡️

️ Fred Bars - Used on the inaugural run of the Tour Divide in 2008, read the article here.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉

None this week, but you can change that!

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 162 ~ Hannah Simon, Bikepacking the Triple Crown, Part 3 Sep 22, 2023

By now I'm sure you are familiar with Hannah and her quest to take on the Bikepacking Triple Crown. She's agreed to share her journey with us at each stage along the way. So far she's been able to complete the first two races, the Tour Divide and Colorado Trail Race. In this episode we follow up with her after finishing 6th on the CTR and only a month before taking on the 800 miles of the Arizona Trail Race. It's been amazing to follow along as she takes on the biggest challenge our sport has to offer.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Lectric eBikes ~ Fun, Functional, and Affordable eBikes!

AG1 ~ Go to www.drinkag1.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Andy Fields

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 161 ~ Phillip Crosby, aka "Weston" from To Shake the Sleeping Self Sep 13, 2023

Ten years ago Phillip Crosby and Jedidiah Jenkins set out on a bike trip that started in Oregon and traversed Central and South America and ended in Patagonia. Jedidiah, was an aspiring author at the time and was on the trip to have an experience worth writing about as he grappled with his sexuality and Christian faith. He wrote that book, and it's titled, "To Shake the Sleeping Self".

For a full write up and and photo gallery from their trip, please visit www.BikesorDeath.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

Old Man Mountain ~ Check out their new line of bikepacking bags and panniers. Use this link and get 15% off your order! **Must use https://oldmanmountain.com/bikesordeath to get 15% off order. It's the only way to beat the robots!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Paul Mendricks Matthew Trinneer

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Ep. 160 ~ Katya Rakhmatulina, Colorado Trail Race Winner & FKT Sep 07, 2023

Katya Rakhmatulina just won the 2023 Colorado Trail Race and set a new FKT in the process. With a time of 5d 1h 53m she beat the previous time of 6d 1h 34m set by Alexandera Houchin in 2019. Prior to this she placed Second at this years Tour Divide behind Lael Wilcox.

For a full writeup please visit BikesorDeath.com, this episode is available to watch on our website as well.

New Patrons

Spencer Snider Dan Perez Alexander Getty

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 159 ~ Miron Golfman, 2023 Colorado Trail Winner Aug 30, 2023

In 2022 Miron Golfman set a new FKT on the Baja Divide. Then he set his sites on an even bigger challenge in 2023 by attempting to race the Iditarod Invitational, the Tour Divide, Colorado Trail, and the Arizona Trail Race, all in a calendar year. A feat that I've never heard of anyone attempting before.

For a full write up on todays episode along with photos and links from todays episode please visit www.BikesorDeath.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

None this week, but you can help sponsor next weeks episode! Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 158 ~ Payson McElveen Aug 24, 2023

Payson McElveen probably needs no introduction. Among many of his achievements he is a Red Bull Athlete, 2x Marathon National Champion, 2x MidSouth Campion, and he is the host of the popular Adventure Stache Podcast. He’s also a wizard at production and social media which has added to his visibility.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup, show links, and photo galley from todays episode!

EPISODE SPONSORS

Ombraz ~ Get $20 off any pair of Ombraz, just use code “bikesordeath20” at checkout. As a bonus, Ombraz will send $20 to BoD as a thank you 🙂

OZARK Randonneur - A new event by Ozark Gravel Cyclist and Andrew Onermaa. Two route options, 120 or 200 miles. I'm signed up for the 120 and would love to say how to as many of you as possible!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Peter Mergaerts Jaque Parisien *increased monthly pledge

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 157 ~ McKenzie Barney, Cycling the World Solo Aug 16, 2023

Last month McKenzie Barney peddled her bike into Colombia, the last country in her Cycle the World project that started years before. In total McKenzie cycled 18,000 miles, through 28 countries and 5 continents, and most of it was solo. Her travels would take her through Africa, South America, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and South East Asia.

For a full writeup on McKenzie's episode and for photos of her journey, please visit BikesorDeath.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

Ombraz ~ Get $20 off any pair of Ombraz, just use code "bikesordeath20" at checkout. As a bonus, Ombraz will send $20 to BoD as a thank you :)

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 McGraw Coaching

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 156 ~ James Collins, Central Texas Showdown ITT Aug 09, 2023

This June James Collins became the first person to attempt the new Central Texas Showdown route as an ITT. James is a 3 time veteran of the East Texas Showdown and will be leaving Texas before the CTS group start this October. Not wanting to miss out on this new route in his backyard, he decided to tackle it as an ITT (individual time trial).

This episode is a great introduction to that route and to James, who's been such a large part of the Texas Showdown Series. After you listen to this episode if you want to take a deeper dive, I recommend you check out Jame's Ride Report about his ITT. He goes into great detail and is an excellent resource for anyone looking to ride or race that route!

⚡️EPISODE SPONSORS⚡️

AG1 ~ Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Wren Sports ~ A special offer ONLY for BoD listeners... get their Beefcake Carbon Plus Gravel Fork at a MASSIVE 50% off just use code "HaveCakeEatItToo" at checkout!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Scott Folland Andreas Hagbarth

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 155 ~ Hannah Simon checks the first box in her Triple Crown attempt with a 3rd place finish at Tour Divide Jul 27, 2023

In todays episode we catch up with Hannah Simon two weeks after finishing tied for 3rd on the Tour Divide Race. If you've been following along you'll know that Hannah has committed to attempting the bikepacking Triple Crown, which is the Tour Divide, Colorado Trail, and Arizona Trail, all in a calendar year. With only four weeks left to prepare for the Colorado Trail I caught up with her on a park bench in Austin, TX to hear about her Tour Divide experience and how she is preparing for the next leg of the Triple Crown.

If you didn't listen to my first episode in this series, I recommend you listen to that one first. This conversation will pick up where we left off before Hannah left for the Tour Divide.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Jefe.bike ~ Your source for reliable and hard to find gear for bikepackers and adventure cyclist. Including a full line of kLite dynamo products!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Jacob T. Rex Robert Watson - Increased pledge!

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 154 ~ GRUSK w/ Maggie Livelsberger & Chris Joice Jul 20, 2023

GRUSK or Grave Ride up Spruce Knob is a bike race that has been taking place in West Virgina since 2016. It’s evolved over the years and now offers distances from 25 miles up to 260 miles. Each route features a long out and back up Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virgina at 4,863’.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full write and a large gallery of images from my weekend in West Virginia!

EPISODE SPONSORS

Ombraz ~ Use code BOD20 for $20 off ANY pair of sunglasses, plus Ombraz will send BoD $20 as a thank you!

Stans No Tubes ~ On todays episode I unbox a new MK4 wheelset from Stans. Spoiler alert, I'm in love 😍

🎉 New Patrons 🎉

None this week, help change that, won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

153 ~ Chris Burkard, Tour Divide 2023 Jul 12, 2023

Chris Burkard is a well known photographer and storyteller who has brought his passion for life and his dedication to be successful to the endurance cycling world. The results are hard to argue with. In 2019 he set a world record of the WOW Cyclothon in Iceland traveling 844 miles in 52h 36m 19s. He then put together a team and did the first ever interior travers of Iceland on the bike. This time Chris entered arguably the hardest cycling race in the world, the Tour Divide.

For a full write up and a Gallery of images Patrick took of Chris' Tour Divide finish please visit www.BikesorDeath.com.

If you've enjoy this episode I've recorded two others with Chris that you may enjoy.

Ep. 17 - Chris sets a new WOW Cyclothon world record Ep. 58 - Chris assembles a team to do the first ever interior traverse of Iceland by bike

EPISODE SPONSORS

Jefe.bike ~ Your source for reliable and hard to find gear for bikepackers and adventure cyclist. Including a full line of kLite dynamo products!

AG1 ~ Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Jason Willis Patric Brown Kevin Lang Amanda Shih Quig

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 152 ~ Ulrich Bartholmoes "Uba" the 2023 Tour Divide Winner Jun 24, 2023

Yesterday Ulrich Bartholmoes aka "Uba" finished the 2023 Tour Divide in first place with a time of 14d 2h 23m. For much of the race he was head of the record setting pace of Mike Hall. In the end he would finish only 4.5 hours behind that record setting run. Considering the rain, mud, and wind on this years Divide his time is beyond impressive.

I sat down with him the morning after his win at the Bike Ranch in Hachita, NM to capture this interview.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com to view a full gallery of images I captured of him during his ride and at the finish line.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Old Man Mountain ~ Bikes are tools to help facilitate your next adventure. OMM wants you to get creative and they have the gear to help. Use code "racksordeath" at checkout to recieve 15% off your order and use this fancy afiliate link and they will send BoD a little something as a thank you :)

Jefe.bike ~ Your source for reliable and hard to find gear for bikepackers and adventure cyclist. Including a full line of kLite dynamo products!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Therros Western

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 151 ~ Jesse Turner with Slow Southern Steel bikes Jun 15, 2023

This week we are talking with Jesse Turner who is the custom bike maker and artist behind Slow Southern Steel based out of Fayetteville, AR.

Jesse started this new company less than a year ago and I've been following with interest since the beginning. I love to showcase and support people who are following their passion and doing things to make the cycling world a better place. I'd certainly include Jesse in this category. His first job was in a bike shop as a mechanic, he would go on to get an Art degree, and then become a welder. If you mix all that with a person who is passionate about bikes and an Arkansas native you get Slow Southern Steel.

For a full writeup and photo gallery of Jesse's original shop, plus lots of bike photos, check out www.BikesorDeath.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

Ombraz ~ Use code "BOD20" at checkout to get $20 off any pair of Ombraz armless sunglasses and Ombraz will send BoD a $20 as a thank you :)

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Jesper Thunstedt

The following Patrons increased their pledge 🙏

Robert Rupp Manuel Busse

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 150 ~ Hannah Simon, Triple Crown, Part 1 Jun 07, 2023

In less than 2 years Hannah has established herself as a real contender in endurance bike racing. Somewhere along the way she decided it was time to take it to the next level, or maybe the next next next level! This year she will be taking on the biggest challenge that Bikepacking has to offer, The Triple Crown.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup on today's episode and photo grallery from Hannah's three East Texas Showdowns.

***** ******

EPISODE SPONSORS

AG1 - If a comprehensive solution is what you need from your supplement routine, then try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase. Go to www.drinkAG1.com/BIKESORDEATH

GRUSK - Join me in West Virgina this July 6-9th for the 7th edition of Gravel Ride Up Spruce Knob! Check out the details here and come hang out with me in West Virginia!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 None this week, but you can change that!

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 149 ~ BoD goes to Costa Rica, with Falcon Murty Jun 01, 2023

At the end of last year I was encouraged and inspired to get my passport by my girlfriend, Natalie. It's something I always thought I would do one day, but had never made it a priority. I've been so enamored and satiated by the wild and natural beauty of North America that I hadn't even really started to think seriously about international travel. Natalie is a very well seasoned and experienced traveler with many international stamps in her passport. Her passion for international travel is only equalled by her love for Latin America. It wasn't long before she had sufficiently wet my appetite to experience it for myself and we were booking tickets to Oaxaca, Mexico.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup on todays episode and how that trip to Oaxaca lead to a trip to Jaco, Costa Rica!

EPISODE SPONSORS

Wren Sports - They've been hard at work on their new Perseverance Bars, which now come in Flat bar, Drop bar, AND aero pads are available as well. Check them out at Wren Sports and save 15% when you use the code "BOD15".

Stans No Tubes - Stans has been protecting tires for 20+ years. For the past 15 years they've been perfecting their Race Sealant and it's now available to the public! Top of your tires with their Race Formula if you want extra protection on a bike trip or a race.

School of the World - Located in Jaco, Costa Rica they offer Surf, Spanish, Photography, and Yoga classes. The owner is a bikepacker and he'd be happy to put a route or two together for you as well. Just tell'em Bikes or Death sent you :)

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 None this week, but you can change that!

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 148 ~ Maria Osowski, How to stay out of Physical Therapy May 22, 2023

I don't know about you, but dealing with injury and being sidelined while I watch all my friends go play bikes is not my idea of a good time. As I've started to get a little older I'm starting to notice that injuries are happening with greater frequency and staying longer than I'm used to. The real motivation for me is to have a healthy body and prevent injuries when possible and deal with them appropriately when they do occur.

Enter Maria Osowski, PT, DPT, who is a licensed Physical Therapist and lifelong Athlete. She has been on the podcast before on Ep. 133 ~ Red Granite Grinder Recap when she won the 144 mile version of that race. This time she's back to help keep us injury free so we can enjoy the sport we love and the bodies that move us!

Today's episode is also available in Video Format at www.BikesorDeath.com.

To contact Maria directly with questions regards physical therapy you can email her at mosowski@wroinstitute.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

Today's Episode is brought to you by the Patrons that support this work!

Jon Rice Christopher Throop Ryan Odell

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 147 ~ Lindsay Shepard, an Adventurous Life May 03, 2023

I started following Lindsay Shepard's journey when I saw on social media that she had built her own bike frame and was planning to race on it. To my surprise the first race she signed up for was my East Texas Showdown! Right after that, she turned her van North East and did the Gravel Doom race, in Arkansas. When she finished that race, she wasn't done. She turned her bike around to ride the course in reverse. Thus becoming the first person to complete the DOOM Yo-Yo! For style points, she did it on a SS bike, that she built!!

For a full writeup and photo gallery please visit www.BikesorDeath.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens – An important part of my health and wellness routine and a great way to provide the nutrients your body needs on the go and on bikepacking trips. Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Lance Putnam

Patron's that increased their pledge...

Kevin Lee

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 146 ~ Eric House talking ETS & DOOM Apr 21, 2023

Eric House joined our community during the pandemic, like many others. However, two and a half years later, I don't think this pandemic-born-bike-baby is going anywhere, but up!

His first bikepacking race was the 2022 East Texas Showdown. He packed light, read "nothing", went fast, placed 9th, and learned a lot, but most importantly, he got hooked. This year he leveled up. He completed the MidSouth 50k run and the 100 mile gravel race. The next weekend he lined up at ETS and took 10th place, then a couple weeks later he went to Arkansas for the DOOM race and placed 9th there. For Eric, the year will culminate with an attempt at the infamous Leadville 100 in August.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup on today's episode and photo gallery.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Stan's NoTubes - Stan's has been keeping my tires inflated since 2001. Now they are keeping the podcast inflated by becoming a sponsor! Do yourself a favor and trust your tire sealing needs to the sealant I use, Stan's!

Athletic Greens – An important part of my health and wellness routine and a great way to provide the nutrients your body needs on the go and on bikepacking trips. Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Skyler Martyn

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 145 ~ ETS Recap with Hannah Simon, Stephanie Hall, Ariel Marlowe, & Russell Pickavance recorded Live at Cycleast Apr 07, 2023

Ever since I started the podcast I dreamed of one day recording an episode in front of a live audience. Fear kept me from pursuing it. Fear that no one would show up. Fear of having an audience that amplifies the pressure and anxiety. At one point that dream progressed into a goal. And a goal needs a plan. And a live event needs a venue. Austin, TX seems like the obvious choose as a Texan. It's two hours east of me and has a rich cycling culture and community. Nestled on the east side of Austin is Cycleast, a bike shop that I've been a friend/fan of. They do so many great community events, including bikepacking group trips. A couple months ago a met with Russell Pickavance, the owner of Cycleast, and told him my idea about BoD Live. He was immediately receptive to the idea and offered to allow me to host them at his facility after store hours!

The timing worked out to make doing an East Texas Showdown episode a no-brainer. Three of our guest this week are employees of Cycleast and One is a friend of the shop. My guest this week are Hannah Simon and Stephanie Hall who are veterans to the ETS and this year shared a first place finish. Also joining me are Russell Pickavance and Ariel Marlowe who both completed the LOWdown, which is a new 160 mile bikepacking group ride and not a race.

We had about 30 people join us for the first BoD Live and it really made for a great atmosphere. I want to thank the Austin community for showing up and supporting the guest and this event. Its so great to see bikepacking thriving here in Texas.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Old Man Mountain ~ Use discount code "bikesordeath" for 15% off site-wide and use this affiliate link so BoD gets a Thank You check in the mail :)

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 CycleNuts USA

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 144 ~ Patrick's East Texas Showdown ITT Mar 25, 2023

During the pre-race meeting for the 2022 East Texas Showdown Hannah Simon asked me, "have you ridden the entire course?". Even though I'd ridden many of the roads over the years and was very familiar with the area and the route, I had to say "no". I hadn't ridden this particular route. The fact that I couldn't answer that question in the affirmative stuck with me. It ate at me. So I decided to do something about it.

Two weeks before 200 riders descended upon East Texas, I set out to pre-ride the course as an ITT. For me, ITT stands for Individual Timed Tour. While I wanted to push my own personal limits, I knew that it wouldn't be anywhere near what most people would consider "race pace".

On this episode I take you along for my journey.

_________________

Support our work at www.patreon.com/bikesordeath

Ep. 143 ~ Winter Riding with Rebecca Rusch Mar 10, 2023

Rebecca Rusch is an accomplished endurance athlete with 40 years of experience. Her list of accomplishments over that time period has been impressive. Among other things, she is a 7x World Champion Adventure Athelete, 2x Iditarod Trail Invitational winner, MTB hall of fame inductee, and a Red Bull Athlete.

On today’s episode we tackle the topic of Winter Riding. Some of the topics discussed are layering, eating, keeping water from freezing, managing electronics, and going potty. The information is this episode is invaluable and it’s a result of Rebecca’s extensive personal experiences.

We are honored to have Rebecca back on the podcast and grateful for her willingness to share some tips she’s learned over the years.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Red Granite Grinder – It’s time to register for the RGG that takes place on October 14th in Wausau, Wi. I did an episode about last years event that you can check out here.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Johnny Napoli Ales Zavoral

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 142 ~ Jerry Kopack, 5 continents, 26 countries by Bike Mar 01, 2023

Jerry Kopack followed the “laminated playbook” that many Americans are familiar with; go to college, get a job, buy the house, save for retirement, have the family, etc. etc. While he was on the path to a traditional standard of success, he wasn’t fulfilled. In 2016 he set out on a 4 week bike tour in Zimbabwe with the goal of resetting himself in search of what’s next. That 4 week trip turned into 2 years through a chance encounter with a mindset of “alway saying yes”.

Visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and gallery of images from Jerry's travels.

Jerry's Book: The World Spins By

EPISODE SPONSORS

Ombraz – Use code “BOD20” for $20 off your order AND BoD will get $20 from Ombraz as a thank you!

Athletic Greens – An important part of my health and wellness routine and a great way to provide the nutrients your body needs on the go and on bikepacking trips. Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Kevin Lee ~ Spinistry Zac Ramsey

The following Patrons increased their pledges!

Mathew Wells

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 141 ~ Ronnie Romance aka Ultraromance Feb 24, 2023

Ronnie is roaming around the states on a much deserved vacation. He was in Austin for a few days and we were able to meetup at Cycleast for a little chat. A lot has happened since the the last time we spoke back in the Fall of 2019. During the pandemic he moved back to Connecticut and ended up staying there and ramping up on his entrepreneurial efforts. What he's been able to accomplish in the cycling industry is truly inspirational. One may be tempted to say he got there by being counter culture, but I'd argue that he has created a cycle culture that is unique to himself.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Old Man Mountain ~ Since 1996, Old Man Mountain has made durable, functional cargo racks for all types of bikes. We’re excited to continue the legacy!

Ombraz ~ Use code “BOD20” for $20 off your order AND BoD will get $20 from Ombraz as a thank you!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Andy Stockman

The following Patrons increased their pledges!

Mike Christensen

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 140 ~ East Texas Showdown 2023 Preview Feb 15, 2023

As the East Texas Showdown heads into it’s third year the excitement is growing and so are the questions. To help answer the questions we brought in a few past participants who are also competing again this year. Our guest are Kuya Takami who won the Showdown last year, Emily Miller who is hoping to ride the Slowdown without sleeping, and Brendan Hare who was our Pro Slow winner last year and is stepping up to the Showdown this year.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Gravel Ride up Spruce Knob aka GRUSK - Join me in West Virginia on July 6-9th for one of 6 gravel rides they have to choose from. Find out more at www.MountainRides.net or Register Here

Athletic Greens – An important part of my health and wellness routine and a great way to provide the nutrients your body needs on the go and on bikepacking trips. Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Mindaugas Urbontaitis Julien Millan

The following Patrons increased their pledges!

Corey Eichelberger

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 139 ~ Holden Marrs, Tall Bikes, Hot Rods, Fixed Gear, and the RAT 1000 Feb 01, 2023

On today's episode Holden and I chat about a little bit of everything. His day job is at a hot rod shop in Ft. Worth and he's owned a few pretty rad cars over the years. He put his mechanical abilities to use and built hims a rad Tall Bike, which is the fodder for many of my questions on this episode. When he's not tooling around on his tall bike you may see him on his fixie cruising the streets of Ft. Worth with a cycling syndicate that goes by the name of "Smash Bros Plus One".

Visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup, plus pictures of Holden's Tall Bike, Cars, and more.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Panorama Cycles - Patrick is stoked to be riding and representing this forward thinking Canada based company. They build Backcountry Bicycles for the adventure cyclist and they are the only Certified Climate Neutral Bike Company on the market. Patrick is the new U.S. Sales Rep, so if you're interest in learning more please reach out at bikes@bikesordeath.com

Athletic Greens – An important part of my health and welness routine and a great way to provide the nutriens your body needs on the go and on bikepacking trips. Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Christopher Rahilly Michelle Jensen

The following Patrons increased their pledges!

Ash Werner

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 138 ~ Scarlet at 13 rides the Tour Divide with her Father Jan 25, 2023

Scarlet & Flint Ziegler just made waves in the bikepacking community when word got out that they had completed the Tour Divide Route in 42 days. The Tour Divide is a well established route that many have done, but what sets this father daughter duo apart is that Scarlet was only 13 years old when she completed it.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup on todays episode and a photo gallery of Scarlet and Flint!

EPISODE SPONSORS

Old Man Mountain - Since 1996, Old Man Mountain has made durable, functional cargo racks for all types of bikes. We’re excited to continue the legacy!

Athletic Greens – An important part of my health and welness routine and a great way to provide the nutriens your body needs on the go and on bikepacking trips. Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 MTB Shenanigans Ville Haataja Patty Short Steve Lindemann Steve Thompson Keith Buchanan Gary Cors

The following Patrons increased their pledges!

Alfred Lau Chris Hodgkins

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 137 ~ Patrick rides the East Texas Lowdown Jan 18, 2023

In October my friend Connor (Natalie joined us on day one) and I were the first ones to ride a new route I created as part of the East Texas Showdown. This one is called the Lowdown and is for participants who want to ride (not race) and enjoy the East Texas Piney Woods with a group of other riders. It's 160 miles with a little over 5,000 ft of elevation, with four camping options, and plenty of resupply points. Of course, you don't have to wait to ride it, the route has been vetted and you can find it on BikesorDeath.com.

For a full writeup on today's episode, a gallery of images from this trip, and the finialized Lowdown Route, please visit www.BikesorDeath.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens – An important part of my health and welness routine and a great way to provide the nutriens your body needs on the go and on bikepacking trips. Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Ombraz – Use code “BOD20” for $20 off your order AND BoD will get $20 from Ombraz as a thank you!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Zachary Loudon Holly The Dog Grant Beauprez Travis Olson Jared Proegler

Patrons who increased their pledges!

John Hickman Allen Boardman Johnny De Martin Shane Hitz Nick Marzano

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 136 ~ BoD Awards + Year in Review + AMA Jan 09, 2023

Today's episode is a hodgepodge of topics as we look at the year in review, reveal the winners of the BoD Awards, and I answers questions from the listeners. 2022 was a year of first, of growth, both personally and for the podcast, and I can't wait to do it again in 2023.

As I reflect on the previous year, and over the past four years, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to share these stories and podcasts with a community that I love. While we had a ton of success, it wasn't without it's challenges. For long time listeners, supporters, and fans of BoD I have a special request at the end of todays episode, please listen to the end if you can.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens - An important part of my health and welness routine and a great way to provide the nutriens your body needs on the go and on bikepacking trips. Go to www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Ombraz – Use code “BOD20” for $20 off your order AND BoD will get $20 from Ombraz as a thank you!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Joó Árpád Amelia Waves

Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Ep. 135 ~ Abdullah Zeinab, Rhino Run Winner Dec 05, 2022

In Oct. the first iteration of the Rhino Run took place in South Africa. After being delayed by covid for 2 years the first 32 adventurous souls lined up at the starting line. Among them was Abdullah Zeinab and Kevin Benkenstein who would establish and early lead in the race that they were able to keep until the end. Their battle for first place is the stuff of Hollywood movies, caulk full of drama, despair, hope, and, of course, an epic battle at the very end that would result in Abdullah pulling ahead by a mere 17 minutes.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full write and picture gallery from today's episode.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Embark Maple has teamed up with MidSouth to offer a FREE entry into the 2023 MidSouth Race! They are requesting application for entry by December 19th and a winner will be selected by December 24th. Find out all the details and apply here.

Kuat doesn't just make amazing racks, they also make a difference! In 2015 they partnered with the National Forest Foundation as well as other tree planting organizations like One Tree Planted and Trees For The Future to plant over 592,875 trees to date, most of which have been planted in fire-damaged national forests within the US. So when you buy a Kuat Rack you get a great rack and Kuat makes an investment in the future of our forest!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Rob Adams jake ramos Jo Raber Paul Vidovich Katrina Hase Denver Luttrell Monica Baumgartner

Join them won’t you? You can find details at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 134 ~ Eddie O'dea, Live from the BoD Takeover Nov 21, 2022

Eddie O'dea recently became the first person to complete the Eastern Divide Trail which runs through Mulberry Gap in Georgia, which was also the location for the first BoD Takeover. This made him the ideal candidate to be my first guest with a live audience. This conversation took place on Saturday morning at the Mulberry Gap Barn with about 40 bikepacking enthusiast in attendance.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full write up and gallery of images.

Eddie did this ride as a way to also raise money for the Georgia Cycling Association.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens – Great for bikepackers on the go! Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Gilmer Chamber of Commerce – One of our title sponsors for the BoD Takeover at Mulberry Gap.

Help support this podcast by becoming a Patron!

Ep. 133 ~ Katie Scott, AZT 300 2nd Place Nov 09, 2022

On Sunday before the group start of the Arizona Trail Race Katie Scott was texting her friend who was doing the race with the typical well wishes. That short interaction sparked something in Katie that had been brewing for years. After thinking about doing the AZT for years she decided in that moment that this would be her year. So she threw fears and doubts to the wind and moved forward with her last minute decision and started to gather everything she need. A process that would continue up till the morning of the race.

For a full writeup and gallery of images please visit www.BikesorDeath.com.

Meditation Institue Katie mentioned in the episode.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens – Great for bikepackers on the go! Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Gilmer Chamber of Commerce - One of our title sponsors for the BoD Takeover at Mulberry Gap.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Miles Brown Jake Thurston

Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up on Patreon. For a limited time Jefe Velo will be matching all new pledges made at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 132 ~ Ernie Lechuga, finding God and an FKT on the Arkansas High Country Nov 01, 2022

Ernie Lechuga is no stranger to cycling success at a high level. He began his road cycling career in the 90's and earned a spot on the coveted Team Jelly Belly. After retiring he moved to NW Arkansas where he now helps other cyclist unlock their potential through his coaching business, Leborne Coaching. In recent years he's been signing up for more endurance cycling events. He's done Silk Road twice and this was his fourth attempt a the Arkansas High Country Race. Last year he had to pull out of the ARHCR due to liver problems that almost cost him his life.

This year, he came back with a plan to set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time) with a goal of 4 days, 8 hours. The previous FKT was set by Ted King in 2020 with a time of 4d 20h 51m, Ernies goal would put him well again of King if he was able to pull it off.

Visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup with a gallery of images.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens – Great for bikepackers on the go! Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Ombraz - Use code "BOD20" for $20 off your order AND BoD will get $20 from Ombraz as a thank you

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 No new Patrons this month 😔 Sign up to help me produce these episodes 😊

Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up on Patreon. For a limited time Jefe Velo will be matching all new pledges made at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 131 ~ Red Granite Grinder Recap Oct 24, 2022

This week we are taking a peak over the preverbial cycling fence to see what's going on in the world of gravel racing. We've seen Ted King, Payson McElveen, Lachlan Morton, and many other gravel racers dip their toes into the bikepacking waters. Now it's our turn to take a peak into their world.

After coming on the podcast to tell us all about Wisconsin Bikepacking & Gravel, Shane Hitz invited me out to experience the Red Granite Grinder for myself. The RGG is a mixed terrain gravel race that starts/finishes in Wausau, WI. One very unique feature about this route is the 20+ special land access options that are available only during this race. Shane has been busy chasing down land owners and managers to make this route a reality and by all accounts his efforts have paid off.

Visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and a gallery of images from my trip to the RGG.

EPISODE SPONSORS

BoD Takeover - We are a little over two weeks away from the first ever Takeover happening at Mulberry Gap Nov. 10-13th. We'd love to have you join us! Check out the registration info and if you have questions we'd love to hear from you!

Kuat - Not just great bike rack, check out their lineup of racks to transport your snow equipment too! And with their No Worries warranty you don't need to worry, because Kuat has your Rack and your Back!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Tim Rowand Steven Bishop

Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up on Patreon. For a limited time Jefe Velo will be matching all new pledges made at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 130 ~ RJ Sauer, Along for the Ride film Oct 07, 2022

RJ Sauer is no stranger to big trips, big challenges, and big adventures. I've been following him and his work for years with great interest and a tinge of jealousy. Last year he set out to take on a new challenge, this time with his 3 year old son, Ollie, in tow. They settled on the Rexy Gravel Race, a 200 mile mixed terrain race starting in Fruita, CO and ending in Moab, UT. The catch? You've got 24 hours to complete it! Before you dive into today's episode you may want to watch his film first.

Along For The Ride - Film

For a full writeup and gallery of images from today's episode please visit www.BikesorDeath.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

Kuat - Have you seen Kuat's Piston SR? It's essentially the single rail version of the Piston Pro X.Same great features like all metal construction, Tiger Drylac (dry-lack) automotive powder coat, Genuine Kashima (kash-ee-ma) Coat, hydro-pneumatic ratchet arms that hug the tires and don't touch your bike frame. Kuat took the Piston Pro X and elevated it, literally.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Alsksandar Radan

Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up on Patreon. For a limited time Jefe Velo will be matching all new pledges made at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 129 ~ Edyn Teitge, Smoke n' Fire 400 at 13 years old Sep 28, 2022

Edyn Teitge just completed the Smoke n’ Fire 400 at the age of 13. He didn’t just complete it though, he came in 6th place only 8 hours behind Jay Petervery with a time of 2d 15h 31m. When I asked him how he felt after he finished, he didn’t think he could go any faster, but he thought he could go for another couple of days at that same pace!

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and picture gallery from todays episode!

Quote of the Week - "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." ~ Mark Twain

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens - Great for bikepackers on the go! Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Grepp - Home of the reusable bar tape! Grepp just stepped up to be a sponsor of the BoD Takeover and we couldn't be more stoked to have their support and their grepp ;)

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Sky Tettero-Crosby Ian Rhoat Taylor Evans

Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up on Patreon. For a limited time Jefe Velo will be matching all new pledges made at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 128 ~ Gemma Baird, Highland Trail 550 SS FKT Sep 22, 2022

My guest today is Gemma Baird who recently set a new Singlespeed FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the Highland Trial 550 in Scotland. After battling breast cancer, surviving homeschooling her three kids through the pandemic, and turning 40, Gemma needed a big goal. That's when she set her sights on the 2022 HT550 group start. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to make the group start, but that' didn't stop her. In August she lined up at the start line solo for an ITT (Individual Time Trial). She finished with a time of 5d 9h 48m which was good enough to best the previous SS FKT by Isla Rowntree.

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup on this episode with an amazing gallery of photos from the HT550.

Quote of the Week: "Until you make the unconcious consious, it will rule your life and you will call it fate" ~ Carl Yung

Gemma pinned an article about her ITT for Bikepacking.com that is refrenced in today's episode.

EPISODE SPONSORS

BoD Takeover – Join us for the first ever Takeover happening at Mulberry Gap in Ellija, GA from Nov. 10th – 13th. Visit MulberryGap.com for all the details and to register! Have questions? Don’t hesitate to ask!

Ruby Coffee - Ruby is our official coffee sponsor for the BoD Takeover! If you can't make the Takeover you can try any of their coffee and get 20% off when you use the code "BIKESORDEATH".

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Doug Armfield Kenny Young

Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up on Patreon. For a limited time Jefe Velo will be matching all new pledges made at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 127 ~ Seth DuBois, Silk Road Mountain Race Sep 08, 2022

Seth DuBois just completed his biggest bikepacking challenge yet at the 2022 Silk Road Mountain Race. SRMR has quickly captured the attention of racers and fans from around the world. The stunning imagery and landscape that is Kyrgyzstan seems to lure people in. Seth felt that pull and he answered the call. This year, he joined 154 other brave souls from around the word to challenge themselves on the 1,120 mile course that scales over 100,000 ft. While the landscape may be breathtaking it is also relentless. This race has an attrition rate of 50% or more (depending on the year).

Visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and gallery of todays episode.

Quote of the week ~ “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” ~ Jack Kerouac

EPISODE SPONSORS

BoD Takeover – Join us for the first ever Takeover happening at Mulberry Gap in Ellija, GA from Nov. 10th – 13th. Visit MulberryGap.com for all the details and to register! Have questions? Don’t hesitate to ask!

Red Granite Grinder - Oct. 15th in Wausau, WI. Listen to my chat with Shane Hitz all about this event and bikepacking in Wisconsin, then register to race. I'll be there on the media team, so come out and say hi!

Ombraz ~ Get the shades all the cool kids are wearing! Ombraz is offering a special deal to BoD listeners, use the code “BOD20” to get $20 off your order, PLUS Ombraz will send BoD $20 too!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Matthew L Annabel Cedar Blanchard Christopher Bartling Jeff Hehn Christian Meinke

Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up on patreon. For a limited time Jefe Velo will be matching all new pledges made at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 126 ~ PJ Terry, Winning TNGA at 17 Aug 27, 2022

What were you doing at 17? Whatever it was, it's probably not as cool as my guest today. PJ Terry just shared first place at TNGA with a time of 2d 12h 30m. He crossed the finish line with Andrew Weidrich who shared the win with PJ.

Visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup!

This weeks quote ~ "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." ~Albert Einstein

EPISODE SPONSORS

BoD Takeover – Join us for the first ever Takeover happening at Mulberry Gap in Ellija, GA from Nov. 10th – 13th. Visit MulberryGap.com for all the details and to register! Have questions? Don’t hesitate to ask!

Ruby Coffee ~ The best damn coffee can be yours at a 15% discount, just use code "BIKESORDEATH" at checkout!

Ombraz ~ Get the shades all the cool kids are wearing! Ombraz is offering a special deal to BoD listeners, use the code "BOD20" to get $20 off your order, PLUS Ombraz will send BoD $20 too!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Schwan Hardi Travis Krzyminski

Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up on patreon. For a limited time Jefe Velo will be matching all new pledges made at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 125 ~ Shane Hitz, Wisconsin Gravel & Bikepacking Aug 18, 2022

Shane Hitz has been busy building routes and putting on gravel races in Wisconsin for many years. This week he's here to tell us all about his routes, the Red Granite Grinder, and Wisconsin gravel riding and bikepacking. After this conversation I'm even more excited about at the Red Granite Grinder on Oct. 15th! The Red Granite Grinder is quickly making a name for itself in the gravel world. What makes this route really special is the hard work that Shane and his counter parters at Ironbull to get access to private land that you can only ride if you enter this race! Listen to today's episodes for all the details and when you're ready to sign up head over to Ironbull.org. I'll be there this year covering the event from a media perspective and riding the 25 mile group ride on Friday. So make sure to ride over and say hi!

Ready to sign up for the Red Granite Grinder - Sign up here and I'll see you there in Oct!

This weeks quote ~ "Pay attention! This is your life. You're going to want to know what it feels like."

EPISODE SPONSORS

BoD Takeover – Join us for the first ever Takeover happening at Mulberry Gap in Ellija, GA from Nov. 10th – 13th. Visit MulberryGap.com for all the details and to register! Have questions? Don’t hesitate to ask!

Passchier ~ These handcrafted, bamboo laminated beauties give the rider a comfortable experience never felt before. With a slight amount of flex the rider has reduced jarring and a more relaxed ride, allowing you to ride on and on… Use Code "passchierordeath" at checkout for 10% off your order!

Kuat ~ Best racks on earth with the best No Worries Warranty. Kuat has your Rack and your Back!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Veiko Vettik Kevin Shaffer

Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up on patreon. For a limited time Jefe Velo will be matching all new pledges made at Patreon.com/bikesordeath.com

Ep. 124 ~ Ana Jager, 2022 Tour Divide Winner Aug 12, 2022

This week I'm joined by Ana Jager who just became the 2022 Tour Divide winner on her Rookie attempt! Most of the questions for todays episode came from women who answered the call on social media! Hillary, Laura, Tatiana, and Katheryn all called in with their questions and many more women sent me questions to ask!

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup on todays episode!

EPISODE SPONSORS

BoD Takeover - Join us for the first ever Takeover happening at Mulberry Gap in Ellija, GA from Nov. 10th - 13th. Visit MulberryGap.com for all the details and to register! Have questions? Don't hesitate to ask!

Ombraz - You get $20 off your purchase, BoD get's $20, everybody wins! Use code "BOD20" at checkout and watch the magic happen.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Manu Cattrysse Richard miller will gouty Colin Schindler Andy Field Joar Adrien Garnier Nico Olmedo Fabio Guarrasi

Join them won’t you? These episodes aren’t possible without support from our listeners.

Ep. 123 ~ Aleś Zavoral, Bike Nonstop US Winner Jul 28, 2022

Aleś Zavoral from the Czech Republic just won the 2022 Bike Nonstop US Race with a time of 18d 11h 51m. Aleś is no stranger to racing, he's logged 136 races in the past 13 years. I did the math, that's 10.4 races a year!

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full write up and photos from Aleś' race!

EPISODE SPONSORS

Embark Maple - Maple syrup tapped right from their farm made by, and for, bikepackers, adventurers, and outdoors people. For 30% OFF use code "bikesordeath30" at checkout Mulberry Gap - Tired of the heat and ready for fall? Me too! Start planning now for your fall get away to Mulberry Gap!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Thomas Subritzky Michael Young

Join them won’t you? These episodes aren’t possible without support from our listeners.

Ep. 122 ~ Nick Marzano, 22nd place Tour Divide Finisher Jul 20, 2022

Nick Marzano is back! And this time he has joined the ranks as an official Tour Divide Finisher with a time of 20d, 9h, 1m, which was good enough to secure 22nd place. Nick first appeared on the podcast while he was still racing the Tour Divide. We chatted when he was at mile 1,250 in Pinedale, WY at about the halfway point for the race. If you haven't already, you may want to give that episode a listen first.

Read the full writeup at BikesorDeath.com

Local Nation Podcast - Nick's passion podcast from 2018

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens ~ Good for bikepackers on the go! Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Abe Kaufman Darryl Carpenter

Join them won’t you? These episodes aren't possible without support from our listeners.

Ep. 121 - Manu Cattrysse & Adrien Liechti, Tour Divide 2nd & 3rd place Jul 13, 2022

We continue our Tour Divide coverage with an interview from this years 2nd and 3rd place finishers, Manu Cattrysse and Adrien Liechti. This year I drove to the finish line of the Tour Divide to meet with finishers and record some podcast with anyone who was willing. On last weeks episode I chatted with First Place finisher Sofiane Sehili. This weeks episode takes place at Jeff Sharps kitchen table in Hachita, NM the day after Manu and Adrien finished their Tour Divide.

Visit BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and pictures from the end of this years Tour Divide.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Ruby Coffee - Ruby is a big supporter of coffee outside for hikers, campers, cyclist, and bikepackers. Check out their amazing selection of instant and steeped coffees. Use promo code "bikesordeath" for 15% of your first order or the first order of your subscription!

Kuat - The Pivot V2 is the perfect accessory to your rack that allows you to swing the rack and your bike away from the back of your vehicle making it easier to access. Learn more about this great accessory on their website.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Mark d knight Tom Kom Boni from Hungary Alan Hanley Dave Crumpton Hal Arbor Eric Graham Josh Stair Yasmin Boakye Dexter Kopas Chelsea Gay

Join him won’t you? This weeks episode was a result of 28 hours of driving, 5 days away from home, and over 2,000 miles driven. Your support makes these episodes possible!

Ep. 120 ~ Sofiane Sehili, A Promise to Keep Jun 29, 2022

This past weekend Sofiane Sehili became the 2022 Tour Divide winner with a time of 14d 16h 36. This concluded a journey that started 8 years ago when Sofiane toured the Tour Divide for the first time. He would return in 2016 to race it for the first time and claim a very respectable 3rd place, while Mike Hall would go on to win and set a new course record in the process. A record that stands to this day. In 2019 Sofiane came back to try again. Everything was looking promising as he was leading the race and contending with Mike Hall's record until a massive snow storm stopped him in his track, forcing his return to Brush Mountain Lodge and taking him out of the race.

Please visit BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and gallery of images from patricks time at the end of the Tour Divide.

Episode Sponsors

Quad Lock ~ The best phone case and bike mount combo in the known universe!

Athletic Greens ~ Good for bikepackers on the go! Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Jeremy Chesler Huckansawyer (Kevin)

Join him won’t you? This weeks episode includes over an hour of raw conversations between Sofiane and I, available only to Patrons!

Ep. 119 ~ Nick Marzano, Live from Tour Divide Jun 22, 2022

Last week I put a call out to anyone currently racing the Tour Divide to come on the podcast. I knew it would be a bit of a challenge, but I thought it would be really neat to hear from someone who is currently racing to give us a live account of this years Tour Divide. Nick Marzano answered the call via instagram and after a few days trying to make our schedules align we were able to chat while he was posted up in a hotel room in Pinedale, WY.

Nick Marzano - Trackleaders / Instagram

EPISODE SPONSORS

Embark Maple - Maple Energy Adventure Packs for the Modern Explorer. Use code "bikesordeath" to receive 3 free samples!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Daniel Heaton

Join him won’t you?

Ep. 118 ~ John Stamstad, Tour Divide History, Rules, & Ethos Jun 15, 2022

In 1997 the Adventure Cycling Association released the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. What was billed as a touring route, caught the attention of ultra distance mountain biker John Stamstad. In 1999 John set out on the first ITT (individual Time Trial) of the GDMBR and set a the first FKT (fastest known time) of 18 days and 5 hours. His record stood until the 2007 edition of the Tour Divide Race.

Visit www.bikesordeath.com for a full writeup on todays episode

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Quad Lock ~ The toughest phone case and mounting system on the market 💪

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Andrew Holt

Join him won’t you?

Ep. 117 ~ Kuya Takami & Dennis Lastochkin, from road to bikepack racing Jun 01, 2022

This year the East Texas Showdown welcomed 100 riders from all over the US, but it was two road cyclist from nearby Austin that would push the pointy end of the race. Kuya Takami was our 2022 East Texas Showdown winner with a time of 23h 56m, setting a new Fastest Known Time (FKT) and Dennis Lastochkin was the second person to cross the finish line, but his time did not officially count after he accepted assistance on course. Read the full report with a full gallery of pictures at www.bikesordeath.com

Community Spotlight

Velo Cruces, ‘Every Body Rides with Grace’ is hosting adaptive cycle parade in Las Cruces, NM on Saturday June 4th. Please click the link for more info on how you can attend and be part of the important work Grace and her family are doing.

Episode Sponsor

Kuat doesn't also make great racks, they give back too. One way that do this is through their Future Forest Initiative through which they have planted 592,875 trees today. Visit Kuat.com today to learn more about what they are doing for our forrest and check out their racks while you're there...wink...wink...

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Todd Crafter Thomas Sumter

Join them won’t you?

Ep. 116 ~ Jacob Loos, DOOM SS FKT May 25, 2022

On Friday the 13th of May, 25 racers gathered at the Oark General Store early on a foggy morning to take on the first ever DOOM race. By the end there would be only 10 finishers and Jacob Loos would take 2nd place overall and set a new Single Speed FKT (fastest known time) with a time of 2d 11h 18m.

Read the full writeup at bikesordeath.com

EPISODE SPONSORS

Ruby Coffee - Today we want to focus on their certified organic year-round coffee options. You can check out Organic August Seasonal Blend, which is designed to be a bright, easy-drinking all-day coffee blend, or Organic Tomorrow Seasonal Project, which highlights coffee from a single farm that’s transitioning to quality focused coffee farming.

Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Ashely Manuel Busse Joel Freudenberg Nic Fox

Join them won’t you? This episode includes 30 minutes of bonus audio available only to Patrons!

Ep. 115 ~ Jerri Sterling, Riding the Tour Divide, Spreading her Husbands ashes May 19, 2022

We all have our own path to cycling and bikepacking and each is special and unique. However, Jerri's introduction to bikepacking was much different than any I have heard before. Her story is tragic, sad, romantic, inspiring, and real, and it all started when she fell in love with a cyclist named Kyle.

When she met Kyle she wasn't a cyclist, when she married Kyle she wasn't a cyclist, and when Kyle passed away, she wasn't a cyclist. So what lead her to take on the Tour Divide only seven months after laying her late husband to rest? The answer to that question can only be told in Jerri's words, and they are powerful and inspiring.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Quad Lock ~ The best system for keeping your phone safe and c in almost any environment or situation.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Tatiana Rogowsky Scott Walker Kyle VanPelt Morgan Bogdanski Alison Carrizales Drew Carlson

Join them won’t you? This episode includes 15 minutes of bonus audio available only to Patrons!

Ep. 114 ~ Hailey Moore, New DOOM FKT! May 11, 2022

Just last week Hailey Moore became the fourth person to ever complete the Doom Route, created by Andrew Onermaa. She didn't just finish though, she set a new FKT (fastest known time) with a time of 2d 15h 30m, setting a new benchmark for racers this weekend. Hailey drove herself from Boulder, CO to Oark, AR so she could do an ITT (individual time trial) on a seriously tough route. This is bikepack racing in one of its most pure forms, just you, your bike, and territory unknown, finishing only to an empty parking lot late at night.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Kuat ~ The Sherpa 2.0 is the lightest, sexiest bike rack available suitable for carrying most bikes out there. When I say light, let me break it down for you. You have a beer, you drink it Boom. Empty aluminum can. It’s light. Right? Because it’s aluminum. The Sherpa 2.0 is 98% aluminum! That means IT’S light! I’ll drink to that! Beer sold separately.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Rocky Robert H Logan Mumma Bob Vaile Chris V

Join them won’t you?

Ep. 113 ~ Sofiane Sehili weighs in May 04, 2022

Recently Sofiane sent me an DM that said, "Hey Patrick, what's your take on Lael's Arizona fkt? I'd be happy to discuss it on the Podcast". Instead of answering his question, I just scheduled an interview and answered his question on the podcast. Going into this conversation I had no idea what his thoughts were, but he was already on my list of people I wanted to talk to and I know him to be a thoughtful person who cares deeply for this sport and community.

Not surprisingly Sofiane had an important message and some valuable insights as a top athlete in our sport who has dealt personally with media as well. There are very few people who have been doing this long enough to be exposed to every manor of race environment as Sofiane, because of that he is in a unique position to share thoughts from a personal perspective. Maybe most important is the love and passion he has for this sport as evidenced by his thoughtful and honest approach to our conversation.

I'm a big fan of listening to as many perspectives as possible on issues like this. There is a lot to consider as we evolve as a sport and it's important to be able to have these discussions. I appreciate Sofiane for taking the time to chat and I hope it adds value to the larger conversation surrounding self supported events.

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

If you'd like to support these episodes our Tip Jar is open!

Ep. 112 ~ Lael & Rue, Asterisk* Apr 25, 2022

On Thursday Lael Wilcox set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the famous Arizona Trail Route. Now the AZT boast 827 miles thanks to new sections that race director John Schilling added. Lael completed her ITT of the route in 9 days, 8 hours, and 23 minutes, besting the previous FKT set by Nate Ginzton who came in at 9d, 10h, 23m. But almost immediately after drama insued online. Read the full story at www.bikesordeath.com EPISODE SPONSORS Mulberry Gap ~ Looking for something to do this summer? Mulberry Gap has you covered, check out their events page on their website for a full list! Use code “BOD10” at checkout for 10% off!

Wren Sports ~ Has a sale going on for some of their forks, check them out here and use “BOD10” for 10% off your purchase!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Stevan Beer Zach Allen Caleb Eichelberger Matt Dixon Benjamin Wainhouse Matt Seehusen

Join them won’t you? Gas prices are high, inflation and cost of living is high, and we are feeling the pinch. Please pitch in if you can!

Ep. 111 - Cheech, Crust Bikes Co-owner Apr 14, 2022

Recently, I was scrolling instagram and came across a post by Cheech, co-owner of Crust Bikes, that really struck a cord for me. I immediately reached out to see if she'd be down to chat!

Visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup on todays episode!

EPISODE SPONSORS

Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Kuat Racks ~ Kuat has a wide range of bike racks to suit every need and budget. The Transfer v2 is their price point rack, but as light as the price can be, it's heavy on features.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Daniel Searson Corey Eichelberger Broken Spoke, Santa Fe

Join them won’t you? Gas prices are high, inflation and cost of living is high, and we are feeling the pinch. Please pitch in if you can!

Ep. 110 ~ Indy Schulz, Showdown Yo-Yo Apr 07, 2022

When Indy showed up at the East Texas Showdown he told me that he's doing a Yo-Yo and if he doesn't complete it to DNF him. Fortunately, I didn't have to because after 760 miles he became the first person to attempt and complete the Showdown Yo-Yo with an offical time of 3d 12h 20m!

Check out BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup with pictures and links to the first 2 episodes I did with Indy.

Episode Sponsors

Atheletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

Ruby Coffee ~ Use code "BIKESORDEATH" at checkout to get 15% of any coffee purchase or 20% off your first shipment of any subscription."

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Larry Wagner

Join them won’t you?

Ep. 109 ~ Emma Flukes, Round 2 Mar 30, 2022

Almost two years ago to the day Emma Flukes came on the podcast for the first time. You may remember that we were at the very beginning of a global pandemic that you change our lives more than we could have imagined at the time. She is a Tasmanian native and the founder of Tassie's Gift. When she's not pedaling her bikes or petting wombats she's busy monitoring the decline of our habitable world as a Marine Scientist. I took this opportunity to ask her "How fucked are we?". After detailing the decline of our species we cheerfully switch gears to bikes, bikepacking, murder shanties, and wombats.

Visit www.bikesordeath.com for a gallery of images from Emma's rides in Tasmania!

Episode Sponsors

Kuat – On today's episode Patrick shares why you should always use the integrated cable lock included in your Kuat rack!

Mulberry Gap – Not only a great Adventure Base Camp, they can also host your Wedding, Birthday, Reunion, Corporate Retreat, or just about any gathering! Learn more at MulberryGap.com 👰

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Eric Weninger Justin Keene Korey Deese

Join them won’t you?

Ep. 108 ~ Mental Health and the Outdoors Mar 24, 2022

This week's episode tackles the important topic of mental health and the outdoors told by this years Adventure Media Course. Long time listeners will be very familiar with Adventure Media by now, but for the uninitiated it is a course at Texas Tech University. Each year as part of their class project the professors scheme up a bikepacking trip and a media objective for the students to complete. This year the students did the Billy the Kid and Smokey Bear Route and their assignment was to vlog about their personal experience, with a focus on mental health and the outdoors.

Read the full article and check out a gallery of images from the trip at www.BikesorDeath.com

Episode Sponsors

Kuat – We all know that Kuat makes bomb-ass bike racks, but they've got a lot more options for other sports like snow, ski, and water! Check out their whole lineup of awesome adventure products at www.kuat.com

Ruby Coffee - Now offering certified Organic coffee with 4 options to choose from! Use code BIKESORDEATH during checkout for 15% off any one time purchase or 20% off the first shipment of any subscription.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Kurt Pitts Eddie O’Dea Martin Saur David Lieble

Join them won’t you?

Ep. 107 ~ Bikerafting Big Bend Mar 09, 2022

For our birthdays the past couple of years Connor Thomas and I have gone to Big Bend to celebrate the only way we know how. This year Connor put together a bikerafting trip that would be the inverse to the Big Bend ~ Rio Revival that we did the year before. Last year we did a bikepacking trip that included a 6 mile hike up to the top of Mariscal Canyon with views of the Rio Grande 1800' below. This year we brought our new packrafts and floated through Mariscal Canyon with our bikes in tow.

A lot more information is available at www.BikesorDeath.com. You'll find this years bikerafting route, last years bikepacking route, tons of pictures, and a historical companion that Connor produced to compliment these trips.

Episode Sponsors

Rockgeist – This week Greg Hardy joins me to talk about my new favorite piece of gear, the Mr. Fusion seat pack. *Patrons of this podcast get free shipping and a free patch with their order!

Quad Lock ~ Bikepacking and exploring on your bike isn't new, but smartphones are and it's important to protect these expensive devices. The Quad Lock Bike Kit is the best way to secure your phone and keep it safe on your rides!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 David Valle Andrew Pledger Alfred Lau Harrison Shotzbarger

Join them won’t you?

Ep. 106 ~ East Texas Showdown Mar 02, 2022

This week we are talking all things East Texas Showdown & Slowdown. We asked this years participants to send in their questions and we brought in 5 previous racers to answer them!

Even if you aren't doing the race this year, this episode is chalk full of bikepack racing goodness!

Our panelist are:

Alex Maldonado Katya Morzhueva Davis Sims Lisa Cervantes Dave Easley

Thanks to support from our race sponsors:

Wren Sports Ruby Coffee Kuat Quad Lock Bullet Grill Rockgeist

Ep. 105 - AMA with Patrick Feb 24, 2022

Recently the Bikes or Death instagram account hit 10k followers. I figured that's as good of a reason as any to do my first AMA (Ask Me Anything). We put out the call to listeners, instagram followers, and Patrons to submit your questions and we got a Bunch!

Today's episode is hosted by Bronco Tryhard (previously known as Matt Mason). He did a great job hosting the episode, asking your questions, and throwing in a few of his own. This episode is a nice mix of serious and silly, which we hope is a nice balance.

Episode Sponsors

Ruby Coffee – We know Ruby makes great coffee, but what makes Ruby a great company? Jesse comes on to share his thoughts. Use Code BIKESORDEATH during checkout for 15% off any one time purchase or 20% off the first shipment of any subscription.

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Ep. 104 ~ Ben, Ezra, Stephanie, 2 episodes in 1 Feb 16, 2022

Ben Playter and Ezra Ward-Packard are currently on their bikes riding across American. Today is actually the final day of their trip which ends in Florida. I caught up with them in Austin thanks to Stephanie Hall who turned me onto them and gave us a spot to record. So today's episode is kind of a two for one.

First I chat with Ben and Ezra about their trip which was highly entertaining. These two friends have much different approaches and it resulted in an interesting dynamic they had to work through. Hint, one of them is touring and the other is training for a run at Tour Divide this year.

Then Stephanie joins Ezra to discuss riding with Type 1 Diabetes. Both of them have accomplished some cool things on the bike and learning to manage their diabetes is a critical part. They share some of their experiences and tips to help other people with diabetes get out on their damn bikes. Ezra was actually on Team Nova Nordisk, a professional road cycling team made up entirely of racers with Type 1 diabetes. How cool is that?

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Mulberry Gap – This week we chat about the Cohutta Cat bikepacking route that is right out the front door of Mulberry Gap!

Wren Sports ~ Cameron shares about a new pilot program they are rolling out to help support women owned bike shops, email cameron@wrensports.com to start a conversation!

🎉 New Patrons 🎉

Bradley Cordaro Nick Marzano Gavin Bailey Nemo Sandoval

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EP. 103 ~ Nickel Potter and the Dodge Ram Truck Lady picture Feb 09, 2022

A couple weeks ago Nickel Potter and a 100 or so other cyclists were participating in the Rule of Three in NW Arkansas. They had just turned onto a remote gravel road in the Ozarks when a lady in a Dodge Ram came up behind them and when the cyclist got over to the side of the road she gunned it around them, losing control, and ultimately rolling her truck. After checking to make sure she was okay Nickel did the next logical thing which was to take a picture and post it on instagram.

When I saw the image originally I laughed and shared it to my stories and spent the next couple of days seeing it re-shared within the cycling community. Then I was on Reddit and his image was posted on several different subs with thousands of likes and comments and there were link to news articles as well. Thats when I realized the true impact of this picture. It broke out of the cycling community and found itself floating all over the internet which stirred up a long of conversations, most that I read were mostly positive towards the cyclist which was a nice surprise.

So today, we talk to the guy who took that iconic picture, hear his side, and chat about our rolls as cyclist when we are out on the roads and representing the community as a whole.

Visit www.bikesordeath.com for a full writeup and links to Reddit and News articles related to this event.

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Rockgiest – This week Greg Hardy comes on to tell me all about their new 52Hz Welded Waterproof Framebags available now! Remember Patrons of this show get a code for Free Shipping and a Patch with your order.

Quad Lock ~ Everyone knows that Quad Lock make the best bike mount + phone case system, but did you know they make all kinds of mounts? Patrick shares some of his experiences with Quad Lock over his 10 years of use.

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Bikepacking the Queen's Ransom Route Feb 02, 2022

In mid December Miles Arbour, with Bikepacking.com, and I headed to Phoenix Arizona to check out the Queen's Ransom Route developed by John Schilling. Miles flew down from Canada and I drove up from Texas, each of us coming from completely different riding environments and levels of fitness. To be honest, this trip was planned last minute and neither of us did much homework before setting out on the 230 miles Queen's Ransom Route that features a lot of singletrack, some of which is rated Black.

Miles was there to ride the route with the goal of publishing it on Bikepacking.com. I was there because he invited me, and I invited my recording equipment. So, what happens when a Canadian and Texan ride off into the Arizona Desert? Only one way to find out! Check out this episode and then go ride your damn bike, maybe even on the Queen's Ransom.

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Mulberry Gap - This week Kate comes on to talk to us about the Trans North Georgia Route that is almost right outside their from door and how it's become known as "Mulberry Trap".

Wren Sports ~ The new Perseverance Bars from Wren Sports are shipping soon and Cameron came on to give us the deetz. Use code “BOD10” for 10% off your entire order

New Patrons 🎉

Jessica Alexander Chris Hodgkins Andrew Drury Dennis Feeney James Collins Mark Norford Marty Johnson Jorge Callado Tim Colebrooke Scott Grossman David Gaus

Hal Russell "Smilin' Hal" Tribute Jan 26, 2022

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Hal Russell. The bikepacking community and the world lost a true legend on January the 19th when he passed away in his home surrounded by family. Hal lived a full and adventurous life that touched almost everyone that he met, you could say he Touched Both Lines. Today we pay tribute and celebrate the life of Hal so that his story and example can continue to have a meaningful impact.

Todays episode features stories and tributes from the bikepacking community and clips from my first interview with Hal back in June of 2019 right before he completed the Tour Divide for the 6th time.

On this episode we hear stories about Hal from:

Sofiane Sehili Marty Johnson Bonnie Gagnon Josh Kato Shelia Reiter Billy Rice

Followed by some of my favorte segments from my interview with Hal back in June 2019.

Visit Bikesordeath.com for funeral and visitation information and for information about how to buy Hal's book, "Touch Both Lines".

Dylan Morton, Utah Mixed Epic Winner Jan 19, 2022

Dylan's name has come up on the podcast many times and many of you have sent in request to have him on the show. Is it because he is heir to a salt empire? Maybe it's his epic mustache? Or his high level mechanic skills? Seeking answers to some of these tough questions I pointed my van in the direction of Arkansas to meet up with this international man of mystery at the Meteor Cafe in Bentonville, AR.

When I interviewed Lael in Bentonville for Episode 10 she talked about a local that made a route from Colorado to the start of Unbound XL in Emporia, KS. That "local" was Dylan Morton who would go on to ride to Emporia with Lael and compete as well, completing the course in 25h 16m. During the pandemic he found himself living with Lael and Rue in Alaska and working with Pepper Cook at the Anchorage bike shop. Dylan is a guy who says "yes" and this podcast is a reflection of that.

He is also no stranger to big efforts on the bike. Most recently he won the Utah Mixed Epic with a time of 7d, 16h, 38m which is well known to be a challenging course. He has also done an ITT of Arkansas High Country, completed the Atlas Mtn Race, among others! He is no slouch on the bike and he's a pretty darn good mechanic too.

On this episode Dylan shares his passion for cycling, the bikepacking community, and a well dialed bike to adventure on.

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These episodes aren’t possible without support!

Kuat ~ Besides making great bike racks, Kuat is also making a difference with the Future Forest Initiative. Every time you buy a rack from them, they plant a tree for your future.

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Huge Thanks to our Newest Patrons:

🗝 Keith E Smith 🗝 Brian K Davidson 🗝 Jocelyn De La Rosa 🗝 Terry Woods 🗝 Diane Prekup

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Ep. 99 ~ Brett Stepanik, Ozark Gravel Doom FKT Jan 10, 2022

Four days ago Brett Stepanik became the first person to complete the Doom Loop with a time of 3d 12h 9m. Doom is the brainchild of Andrew Onermaa, it's located in the Ozark National Forest it's 376 miles with 41,375 ft of climbing and almost all gravel. Andrew joins us at the top of this episode to share his thoughts on Doom before Brett hops on the mic.

Brett is no stranger to bikepacking and ultra endurance efforts. He first got into bikepacking in 2012 and his most notable accomplishment is becoming the Single Speed Triple Crown Champion (TDR, CTR, AZT). At this past Arkansas High Country he set a new SS FKT and finished 4th overall. Something about Arkansas got under his skin and Ozark Gravel Doom was a perfect excuse to come back to Arkansas.

It's by happenstance that Brett and I were able to meet up. I had coincidentally reached out to him about being a guest on the podcast at the same time he was scheming up this FKT, the stars aligned and we were able to meet up after he finished his race. Brett faced challenging conditions, namely freezing cold temps and lots of water crossings, making his effort even more impressive. Brett wanted to start the year off right and I'd say he accomplished that! Now what will he do the rest of the year? I'll be watching.

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Quad Lock ~ Professional downhill mountain biker Ben Moore has been riding with QL for 4 years and he came on to share some of his experiences!

Huge Thanks to our Newest Patrons:

🗝 Drew Raney 🗝 Jim Sevaly 🗝 Eric Warren 🗝 Jessica Swanson 🗝 Kyle Gilbert 🗝 Ryan Bozzell 🗝 Andrew Young 🗝 Howard Chapman 🗝 John Gibson 🗝 Kayce Peters 🗝 john campbell

Join them on Patreon to support your favorite podcast, plus get access to bonus content, the BoD After Party, Patron Perks, and more!

Ep. 98 ~ Ally Johnson, Bikepacking Roots New Executive Director Dec 02, 2021

On today’s episode I get to meet Ally Johnson who is taking the reins over at Bikepacking Roots. She was hired in October, but we wanted to give her a little time to get acquainted with her new role before having her on. Ally brings with her an impressive academic resume. From Bikepacking Roots, “Ally has a master’s degree in Policy, Organization, and Leadership from Stanford University, undergraduate work in nonprofit leadership, and last taught US history and civics at the high school level. Ally was chosen from a large candidate pool of highly qualified individuals, a testament to the passion and diversity of experiences in the bikepacking community.”

Please visit www.BikesorDeath.com for the full article along with how you can support and get involved with Bikepacking Roots.

Episode Sponsors

These episodes aren’t possible without support!

Kuat ~ Check out the new Piston Pro X coming March 2022! Did you know they salt spray tested this racks coating for 750 hours and had NO corrosion?

Competitive Cyclist ~ This time of year got you feeling like doing some shopping? Check out the offerings over at CompetitiveCyclist.com/BikesorDeath and use code "BIKESORDEATH" to get 15% OFF & FREE SHIPPING!

Huge Thanks to our Newest Patrons:

🗝 Stew Sowers 🗝 Ethan Croft

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Ep. 97. ~ Ryan Van Duzer & Matt Mason Nov 25, 2021

On this episode Ryan Van Duzer joins me for the first time and Matt Mason is back on the podcast for a chat about the New Mexico Bikepacking Summit and Dangerbird that took place in Las Cruces in Nov. Ryan did the whole course and filmed a four part series for his YouTube Channel, which is worth subscribing to, if you don't already.

Full write up with picture and video gallery available on www.bikesordeath.com.

Episode Sponsors

These episodes aren’t possible without support!

Wren ~ Use code “BOD10” for 10% off your entire order. This week Ryan Van Duzer shares his thoughts on the Wren Inverted Fork. Check out his interview about the fork with Cameron!

https://youtu.be/QX9lQKzDKvc Huge Thanks to our Newest Patrons:

🗝 Cory Ostertag 🗝 Chris Stewart 🗝 Kyle Russell 🗝 Ethan Croft

Join them on Patreon to support your favorite podcast, plus get access to bonus content, the BoD After Party, Patron Perks, and more!

Ep. 96 ~ Tales of the High Country Nov 23, 2021

Y'all probably know by now that I love Arkansas.

Last Tuesday evening I was sitting on my couch getting caught up on all the instagram-goings-ons when I came across a post i had forgotten about. Natural State Rock & Republic was going to be hosting "Tales of the High Country" the very next evening, and I knew I had to be there. The next morning I woke up early, threw some stuff in the van and pointed it in a northeastern direction for a 9 hour drive. When I got there I found out that they wanted me to co-moderate the evenings events. I had a solid 30 minutes to prepare questions for a live audience, so of course I agreed. Just two weeks ago I leant Lilly my bullhorn at Truffle Shuffle and now she leant me her microphone. I'd like to thank her personally for not only moderating one helluva event, but for allowing me to share in the experience.

For a full write up and picture gallery from the event please visit www.BikesorDeath.com

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Episode Sponsors

I always say that these episodes aren't possible without support and this trip was the perfect example. Being able to take 24 hours out of my "normal" life to drive to Arkansas and capture this event is only possible with support. As I creep closer to making this my full time job I hope to make more impromptu trips just like this!

Ruby Coffee ~ Ruby is currently offering a promotion through the 28th that any orders over $150 will get a $10 gift certificate sent to the purchaser as thank you, and as always, you can use the code BIKESORDEATH during checkout for 15% off any one time purchase or 20% off the first shipment of any subscription.

Mulberry Gap ~ Visit Mulberry Gap during Winter Weekends and SAVE! Use codes: WINTER20 - Stay 2 night and save 20% WINTER30 - Stay 3 nights and save 30% WINTER40 - Stay 4 night and save 40%

Huge Thanks to our Newest Patrons:

🗝 Tom Surly 🗝 Aaron McLuckie 🗝 Andreas Löfgren 🗝 Maggie Ross 🗝 Brian Young 🗝 Melissa Patrick 🗝 Jacob

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Ep. 95 ~ Scotti Lechuga, ARHCR Winner and New FKT Nov 10, 2021

I'm honored to have this years Arkansas High Country Winner, and new Women's FKT holder, back on the podcast. Scotti Lechuga completed this years race in 5d, 10h, 49m, besting everyone in the field. For the uninitiated, the Arkansas High Country Race is quickly earning a reputation for being extremely challenging 1,000+ miles course that covers much of the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains. The conditions this year were challenging due thanks most to heavy rainfall that reached havoc on gear and racers. Scotti overcame a lot on her journey to this years big win.

Visit www.bikesordeath.com for a full writeup with pictures!

Here is a link to my episode with Scotti and Ernie Lechuga

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EPISODE SPONSORS

These episodes aren’t possible without support! Competitive Cyclist – Use this link with promo code BIKESORDEATH at checkout to receive 15% off your first full priced order and FREE Shipping on orders $50 or more. Some exclusions apply.

Kuat – Did you know the new Piston Pro X is 99% metal, just like Bikes or Death! This thing is built to last and look good doing it. Visit your LBS or favorite online retailer to order yours now for Spring 2022 delivery.

Huge Thanks to our Newest Patrons: 🗝 Charles Matthew Hudson 🗝 Kyle Day 🗝 Kevin Spicher 🗝 Jill Holloway 🗝 Ranse Stanley 🗝 Cynthia Sayre 🗝 Kyle Beckel 🗝 Noah Baker 🗝 David Beattie 🗝 Taryn Davis 🗝 Nate Branch

Join them on Patreon to support your favorite podcast, plus get access to bonus content, the BoD After Party, Patron Perks, and more!

Ep. 94 - Cjell Monē Nov 03, 2021

For day 3 of Monumental Loop Week, we are featuring a podcast with Cjell Mone', owner of Mone' Bikes based out of Silver City, NM. He is know for producing functional steel bikes with an aesthetic flare out of the back of a 1990 Wonderbread Truck (Seriously!). Words won't do his bikes justice, so let's take a look at a few of my favorites at www.bikesordeath.com.

Link to Monumental Loop Fund that I mentioned on the podcast. _______________________

EPISODE SPONSORS

These episodes aren’t possible without support! Ruby Coffee - Cjell Mone' approved ✔️

Quad Lock - The best damn smartphone holder for bikes. Patrick Farnsworth approved ✔️

Huge thanks to our newest Patrons: 🗝 Brendan Haren 🗝 Michael Reardon

Buy me a cup of coffee or a glass of whiskey as a thank you for this episode on Patreon

Ep. 93 - ETS Winner & Winner, Alicia & Hannah Oct 28, 2021

This is the third episode to come out of a podcasting trip I made two Austin right after the East Texas Showdown. I interviewed five participants of the ETS in less than 20 hours just days after the their ride ended. It was really cool as a first time event director to get all of their feedback shortly after finishing the event.

Alicia Danze and Hannah Simmons shared first place this year on the East Texas Showdown route with a time of 2d, 1h, 21m. It was both of their first times to do a bikepacking race, but they each came in with experiences that gave them confidence. Alicia is a well rounded cyclist with bikepacking experience and as a member of Ultra Violet Racing. Hannah is the shop manager at CycleEast in Austin and the first bike tour she did was the Texas 4000 that starts in Austin, TX and ends in Anchorage, AK, she did it almost on a whim because a friend asked. This time she was sucked into the ETS by her Austin friends, Alicia included, but I don't think she needed much convincing.

Full writeup along with a nice gallery of images of Alicia and Hannah from the race on www.bikesordeath.com.

EPISODE SPONSORS

These episodes aren’t possible without support! Rockgiest is a cottage gear company specializing in custom framebags and welded, waterproof gear. If you're looking to improve your bikepacking set up, looking for tailored gear, or searching for waterproof solutions definitely reach out to them by visiting rockgeist.com. In addition to their custom work, they have a wide selection of universal gear that prioritizes stability for singletrack use. Most recently they have re-release their super stable Barjam harness, which now uses locally machined brackets made in Asheville, NC. Visit rockgeist.com or email bikepack@rockgeist.com to see all their gear options and to get in touch with their team.

East Texas Showdown - April 1-3rd, save the dates!

Huge thanks to our newest Patrons: 🖤 Hank Doupe 🖤 Dave Brink 🖤 Matt Heckler

Buy me a cup of coffee or a glass of whiskey as a thank you for this episode on Patreon

Ep. 92. - Katy McGuire, our 2021 ETS Lantern Rouge Oct 20, 2021

From Wikipedia, "The lanterne rouge is the competitor in last place in a cycling race, the phrase comes from the French for "Red Lantern" and refers to the red lantern hung on the rear vehicle of a passenger railway train or the brake van of a freight train, which signalmen would look for in order to make sure none of the couplings had become disconnected."

I first met Katy at a 6 hour MTB race in 2016, she had just moved to town and we became fast friends. Since then we've both found our way into the bikepacking world. She spent the past 5 months riding 5 routes and accumulating over 4,000 miles of bikepacking, most of it solo. Somewhere in there I announced the East Texas Showdown and I sent her a personal invitation to participate. She accepted and lined up with high expectations for the race. She had just spent 5 months riding some impressive routes and she was ready to put it to the test. Also seeing old friends again after months of solo riding was a big draw for her as well.

Unfortunately, illness prevented her from achieving her race goals, which turned to more survival than bike race. That is what makes the Lantern Rouge a honored position, it usually indicates some that had a tough go of it, wanted to quit, but didn't. That is worth celebrating, as is ever single person who lined up and started regardless of how far they made it. Many people are too scared or are unable to even try something like that, so I applauded them all.

Katy and I met up at a park in Austin, TX four days after the race. We had a enjoyable chat thanks to her open and honest approach to live and bikepacking. We wish her luck on her job hunt, and if an interviewer is seeing this....you should definitely hire her!!

Here are the routes Katy did that we mentioned in the episode. Has anyone else ridden any of these? The comment section is open at www.bikesordeath.com.

C&O Canal Great Allegheny Passage Western wildlands Route Baldy Bruiser, CA SoCal Desert Ramble Episode Sponsors

These episodes aren't possible without support! Mulberry Gap - Is a new advertising partner, but Kate Gates and Mulberry Gap are no stranger to the podcast. I conducted 5 podcast interviews at the 2019 Bikepacking Summit which was hosted at Mulberry Gap. Of the 5 guest, Kate was one of them. The story about how Mulberry Gap came to be and how it is run is quite fascinating. If you'd like to learn more about Mulberry Gap, check out my episode with Kate Gates and a write up I did on my experience riding and eating there!

Huge thanks to our newest Patrons: 🖤 Drew Pittman 🖤 Mark Smith 🖤 Matt Christensen 🖤 Caleb Schnatz

Buy me a cup of coffee or a glass of whiskey as a thank you for this episode on Patreon 🙏

Ep. 91 - Kyle Gilbert & Nick Ybarra on their ETS Experience Oct 13, 2021

The inaugural East Texas Showdown is over and now comes the podcasts! Hearing everyones stories after their rides as we shared food and beverages was a true pleasure, enjoyed by all. It was really probably the magic sauce that made this event special. I went to Austin shortly after the race and recorded 3 episodes with five guests and I look forward to sharing some of that post race fodder with you over the next couple of weeks. First up are Nick Ybarra (Showdown, 4th) and Kyle Gilbert (Showdown,. 6th). We meet the Wednesday after the race at Kyles workshop in Austin, which made for a cool backdrop to our conversation.

On this episode Nick and Kyle share their experience on this years ETS. It was both of their first bikepacking race and they had different approaches. For example, Nick wore sandals for, had rim brakes, carried very minimal gear, and no aero bars. Whereas, Kyle was clipless, with disc brakes, ran aerobars, and lived on crackers. It created some good conversation about different approaches to the same course.

It was a lot of fun for me to get to hear about my event from their perspectives. I had all kinds of concerns as a first time racer director with a brand new route, but as I heard more and more stories like these all of my concerns have been squashed. The feedback I got from participants was overwhelmingly positive. In fact, a Spring date was highly requested and we are happy to make that happen. Dates coming soon!

These episodes aren't possible without support. Thanks to this weeks supporting partners:

Kuat - They just released the Piston Pro X, and it's badass. How do you tell your bike you love it without saying I love you? Answer, you get it a Piston Pro X.

NM Bikepacking Summit - Part Summit, Part Bikepacking Party, 100% good times, good rides, and good tacos. Schedule Oct. 21st at 6:00pm - 12-15 mile mellow gravel ride Oct. 22nd 8:20-11:00am & 2-5pm - Bikepacking Summit - @7:30pm I'll be interview Cjell Mone' with a live audience Oct. 23rd at 9:00am - Dangerbird Group Start Contact Matt Mason for more info!

Huge thanks to our newest Patrons: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 Ryan Can Mikaela Koch Paul Lichtenauer Edward Anderson Nicholas Campbell Andy Simmons Anderson Simmons 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Ep. 90 - Matt Fitzgerald, How Bad Do You Want It Sep 29, 2021

In 2018 I took on the biggest challenge in my life, a 500 miles bikepacking race. To prepare mentally I relied heavily on the book "How Bad do You Want it" by Matt Fitzgerald. Matt is an endurance athlete himself and has made a career out of the study of endurance. He's written over 20 books on the subject, coaches endurance athletes, host his own podcast, and is a wealth of knowledge on the topic of endurance sports and athletes.

In this episode we focus on his book "How Bad Do You Want It?: Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle" which as you can infer by the title is all about how our mind is the thing that limits us, not our physical ability. Matt uses real examples of athletes overcoming obstacles to showcase the scientific principles outlined in his book. I found this format to way more digestible and relatable than a scholarly paper. Thankfully, Matt has done the hard work of reviewing and collecting the science and stories of athletes to add context to the science while making more relatable.

Visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full write up and pictures of Matt.

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This weeks episode is brought to us by the Sponsors of The East Texas Showdown

Rockgeist Wren Sports Kuat Ruby Coffee Quad Lock Avani Salon

Big thanks also to our newest Patrons! 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 Thomas Buttery Shane Hitz 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Ep. 89 - Miles Arbour and the Tree to Sea Loop Sep 22, 2021

On this episode my buddy Miles Arbour is back on the podcast for a 3rd time to talk about his newly published route called the Tree to Sea Loop. This was a great excuse to catch up with Miles and also hear all about this epic new 1,000 km route in British Columbia.

Because Miles works at Bikepacking.com he is exposed to a lot of different facets of the industry. I took this opportunity to ask him about his favorite bikepacking tire, favorite cycling shorts “that don’t look like cycling shorts”, we also talk poop stories, and much more.

We always have a great time, and I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. You can find our episode link below and find all the route info over at Bikepacking.com _________________________________________ Episode Sponsors: tell them thanks for making this episode possible! Wren Sports: Cameron is back on to talk about the new bikepacking specific gravel fork they call the Beefcake. Use code “BOD10” for 10% off your entire order.

Ruby Coffee: Jesse comes on to tell us about coffee from different regions and what makes them different. Use code “BIKESORDEATH” for 15% off your first order or 20% off your first order of a subscription.

This week’s newest sustaining Patrons! Welcome to The After Party 🎉 David George – Newest patron Paul Drees – 2nd longest patron Miles Arbour – 3rd longest patron

Ep. 88 - Quinn Brett, First to complete the Tour Divide on a Adaptive Handcycle Sep 15, 2021

This year the Tour Divide produced a new record, but one that wasn't set to be beaten. Quinn Brett just became the first person to complete the Tour Divide on an adaptive handcycle, with a time of 25 days. For her, this was more about showing the world what is possible for disabled people and that adventures like this are not only for the abled bodied. Thanks to advancements in bike technology, there are now some very capable options available, and Quinn's accomplishment are proof of what these machines are capable of.

For a full write up with lots of pretty pictures visit BikesorDeath.com.

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Episode Sponsors: tell them thanks for making this episode possible! Quad Lock: Professional downhill mountain biker Ben Moore has been riding with QL for 4 years and he came on to share some of his experiences!

This week’s newest sustaining Patrons! Welcome to The After Party 🎉 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 Joshua Perry Dewitt Lunsford Kyle Koch Daniel Osman Ryan Mcnabb - Longest Patron 🥇 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Ep. 87 - East Texas Showdown Sep 09, 2021

Join me in the van as I scout a re-reoute for this years East Texas Showdown and Slowdown. Back in July on a scouting mission we discovered a 25 mile section of road that looked good on the maps, but once we saw it in person it was an obvious "no go" for safety reasons. This left a huge hole in the route and with only 4 months until race day I had to scramble for a solution.

On this episode I take you along the journey as I scout a new section for the route. Along the way I share what to expect for people who are signed up for the race or may want to ride it at some point in the future. I speak directly to folks from all over the world who have never been to Texas and have know idea what to expect, but I hope locals will find it helpful as well.

As we go along I share updates on the progress and also important details about surface type, tire choice, weather, a little Texas history, and anything else that pops in my head. If you are considering creating a route/race like this you may also find this episode helpful as I share some of my reasons for this event, what I hope to accomplish, challenges I faced, and how I am tackling things that come up.

At the end of this episode I answer questions that have come up since releasing the route and I also announce the live Facebook event for race participants. This will be part route overview and part Q&A to tie up any loose ends that may still be dangling in the wind.

Showdown Route Stats

373 miles
15,800 ft. elevation
60% gravel
The hardest part of this route may be the last 40 miles. At mile 329 you will pass the Bullet Grill and you may be tempted to stop for a burger and beer, but will you get back out on route?? Time will tell! If it helps, the last 20 miles on the route are some of my personal favorites.

Slowdown Route Stats

273 miles
11,300 ft. elevation
64% gravel

There are 2 days left to register and 3 spots left.

Episode Sponsors: tell them thanks for making this episode possible! Ruby Coffee: This week Jesse shares some tips on brewing the perfect cup of coffee at home. Use code “BIKESORDEATH” for 15% off your first order or 20% off your first order of a subscription NM Bikepacking Summit: Matt Mason tells us a little about what they've got brewing for the first ever NM bikepacking summit on Oct. 22nd in Las Cruces, NM.

Thanks to this week’s newest sustaining Patrons and welcome to The After Party 🎉 Jonas Schaller Christy & Ross Jones Jim Barrow Brandon Masters

Ep. 86 - Jeff Kerkove, Determined to Finish Sep 01, 2021

This episode is all about determination and perseverance. In 2007 Jeff Kerkove took on the Colorado Trail Race (CTR) as his first bikepacking race. He came into the bikepacking world with an accomplished racing career in 12 and 24 hour events. That year he DNF'd due to trench foot, a mistake he never made again. He would go on to attempt the CTR 5 more times, each with the same result, a DNF on the CTR. This year would be different for Jeff. He lined up to the start line for his seventh time, armed with all the knowledge of his previous attempts, and just as determined to finish. This year his perseverance and determination paid off with his first finish on the CTR. He finished in a very respectable 7th place with a time of 5 day, 1 hour. I love this story and I'm so glad Jeff got that "monkey off his back" and he came on the show to share it with us.

Jeff is also one of the main folks behind Ergon USA, so I took the opportunity to talk about their grips and saddles particularly as they relate to bikepackers and ultra endurance cyclist. Hand pain, wrist pressure, saddle sores, are common issues that come up and they make some good products that help address these issues. *This is not an advertisement for Ergon, he happens to work there, and I was curious.

Visit www.bikesordeath.com for the full writeup, pictures of Jeff's CTR, and picture from a 2018 bikepacking trip Jeff helped me plan in Colorado.

Episode Sponsors: tell them thanks for making this episode possible! Kuat: This week Tom Lampe came on to tells us a little about the Piston Pro X Quad Lock: Ben Moore has been riding with QL for 4 years and he came on to share some of his experiences!

Thanks to this week’s newest sustaining Patrons and welcome to The After Party 🎉 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 Anders Hedegaard Annie Bilotta Angela Kremers Reese Stanley Reid mikalsen Bill Dietrich Adam Murphy Hans Noodleman Indiana Schulz Minnie Irizarri 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Ep. 85 - Chris and Marni Plesko, "The Parent Trap" Aug 26, 2021

Chris and Marni Plesko, aka The Parent Trap, just became the first couple to complete the Colorado Trail Race on a Tandem. And I had a lot of questions. How is there relationship doing? How did they train while working and being parents of two boys? Who's idea was it and how did it go? We talked about the bike and their attention to detail with the build, and about their transition back to the real world after 10 days on the CT.

My partner Sarah and I just purchased our first tandem, which will be introduced to the world soon, and so I've had an increased interest in all things tandem. Which is how I found Chris on instagram. It just so happens he and his wife Marni were preparing to tackle the CTR on their tandem. During the race, I was glued to their dot, I would try to image what they were going through, and I couldn't to chat after their record setting race!

While researching this podcast I learned that Chris holds the current Single Speed Record on the Tour Divide. He set the record in 2009 and then he broke his record again in 2016 while chasing Mike Hall on his record setting run. His record still stands, so I took this opportunity to dig into his personal history. I equally enjoyed Marni's introduction to bikepacking and ultra endurance cycling, first as an observer and supporter of Chris, and then as his tandem partner in crime.

I walked away from this conversation with a smile on my face, my heart, and wishing we lived closer so we could trade babysitting and go on tandem rides. I hope you take away something from this conversation as well. I sure did!

Episode Sponsors: tell them thanks for making this episode possible! Wren Sports: This week Cameron comes on the show for a quick chat about their Inverted Fork Tech. Check out their website, if you see something you like, put it in your cart, use code BOD10 for 10% off your order. To learn more about their Inverted Tech check out Cameron's chat with Ryan Duzer on Youtube.

Thanks also to this week’s newest sustaining Patrons and welcome to The After Party 🎉 🖤 🖤🖤 🖤🖤 Iain Truesdale Amir Hill Nicholas Erdos-Thayer 🖤 🖤🖤 🖤🖤

Ep. 84 - Ned Bachanko, 2021 CTR Winner Aug 18, 2021

This week I had an opportunity to catch up with Neil Beltchenko, who raced the 2021 CTR under the pseudonym Ned Bachanko. Neil is no stranger to ultra endurance racing, he's been pushing his limits on the most demanding routes since 2013. In 2014 he and his wife Lindsay started Bikepacker Mag which was an online publication about bikepacking, routes, and gear. In 2017 Bikepacking.com absorbed Bikepacker Mag and Neil. You will now find Neil creating some amazing content for Bikepacking.com's YouTube channel, which I highly recommend. Whether on the bike or behind the camera Neil is always moving the sport of bikepacking forward and we are lucky to have him in our community.

Neil and Lindsay, also put on the Bikepacking Summit, which is where I met them in 2019. I can tell you, they know how to throw one helluva bikepacking party. We talked about the future of the Summit on the podcast, but you'll have to listen to find out 😊

We were able to cover a lot on this episode, we chatted about content creation, his introduction to bikepacking and ultra endurance racing, his 2015 Tour Divide race, pre-race anxiety and pressure, his soon to be fatherhood, his bike setup, this years CTR 1st place finish, and of course we talk White Sox.

After almost 10 years we had a lot to talk about and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I mostly enjoy Neil's seemingly unlimited positivity, it's contagious and I like it.

Follow Neil on Bikepacking.com's YouTube Channel or on his instagram @neil_beltchenko, he takes a nice picture, check'em out!

Episode Sponsors: tell them thanks for making this episode possible!

Rockgeist - This week we had Jessica on to tell us about some new fabric offerings! If you haven't checked out their Fabric Page, you should! They have collected an impressive about of data and information about fabric types, how they wear, and suggestions on what may be best for you.

Quad Lock - Personally, I dumped my bike computer years ago and have been using Quad Lock on all my bikes ever since. For me it was about simplicity. One less thing to charge, upload, download, update, etc. It's been a great solution for me whether I'm going on a mtb ride or a 5 day bikepacking trip.

Thanks also to this week’s newest sustaining Patrons and welcome to The After Party 🎉 🖤 🖤🖤 🖤🖤 Terence Bonsey Joseph Knight Keaton Haney James Turner Bob Brill Chris Clodfelter Vincent Schumaker 🖤 🖤🖤 🖤🖤

Ep. 83 - Cameron Sanders, a Man of Many Hats Aug 11, 2021

Cameron Sanders is a man of many hats. He's worn a spelunking helmet, a bicycle helmet, a race directors cap, and a work hat as the VP of Product Development and Marketing for Wren Sports. On this episode we focus on the Stetson hat he donned as a Park Ranger shortly after a armed group of far-right extremists seized and occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon. Cameron went into a very difficult situation where tensions were high and a community was divide and, as a good outdoorsman, he left it better than he found it. Cameron used his love for public lands, the people who use them, and his love for exploring the world on his bike to help a community heal. That healing came by way of a gravel bike race that showcases the this region of Eastern Oregon in a whole new light.

This armed takeover of a government building is complicated with a history that goes deep. To have a better understanding of the issues in this episode, that we only touch, we recommend that you check out the Bundyville Podcast. They do an excellent job of detailing this event, it's well done, and I binge-listened to the whole thing! Or you can read the cliff notes on Wikipedia.

For a full write-up on this episode with pictures please visit www.BikesorDeath.com.

Support for this episode is thanks to...

Ruby Coffee - Use code "BIKESORDEATH" for 15% off your first order or 20% off your first order of a subscription ☕️ 🎉 Wren Sports - Use code "BOD10" for 10% off your entire order 🚲 🎉 Patreon - Sign up to help support future episodes. This weeks NEW Patrons 🖤 🖤 🖤🖤🖤 Thomas Sutton, Derek Atkins, Mike Wallace, Joe Vunchetich, John Hickman, Kyle Forshaw, Randy Windle, Kyle Anstine, Butt Cheeks 😂 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Ep. 82 - Jefe Branham, Colorado Trail el Jefe Aug 04, 2021

Jefe Branham's just completed the Colorado Trail Race for the 9th time, and he's won 4 of them! He lives in Gunnison, CO which puts the Colorado Trail in his "backyard", his relationship with the trails goes back almost 30 years. He is also the race director, so you can see why he's earned the title Mr. Colorado Trail.

This year he completed the race in 4 days, 16 hours, and 8 minutes on his Why Cycles El Jefe, setup single speed. After setting a new AZT 300 ss record earlier this year some were looking at Jefe to potentially take down the Colorado Trail Race ss record this year as well, but weather wasn't on his side. And as we learn in this episode, the record time of 4d, 6h, 39m held by Timon's Fish, may be a tough one to beat.

Jefe's accomplishments are greater than my knowledge of them. Mostly because he isn't one to tout them. Instead he focuses his time and attention on the doing, and he's damn good at it.

To follow Jefe you can find him on Instagram or his Blog.

* * * * * * * *

Today's episode was made possible with support from Kuat and Quadlock

Thanks also to this week’s newest sustaining Patrons. This show is made possible by the community. If you’re enjoying the show please consider signing to help keep the lights on and the podcast flowing.

Mike Munroe Lee Johnson Matt Winsor Mark Bryson Pierre-Mi Jauvin Steve Capps Bas Bertrand Brieann O'Neill Eric Elbert

Ep. 81 - Tyler Wacker, Quit his job to cycle around USA! Jul 28, 2021

At the beginning of 2020 Tyler Wacker quit his engineering job to cycle the circumference of USA on his Surly Long Haul Trucker. His plans were derailed when COVID shut down reliable camping and provisions along the way. When he did continue his tour, it wasn't to complete his tour around USA, instead he pointed his bike NE towards Boston. Where he would hop on a plane to Iceland where he is now a grad student in Isafjordur, Iceland, studying Coastal Communities and Regional Development. His bike exploits don't stop in Iceland!

Listen to this episode and learn about what motivates Tyler to pursue a life a little different than the norm.

I got to meet Tyler in Austin, TX while he was home during a break from school. I really appreciated the way he meaningfully approaches life by making choices that enhance his own life as well as the ones around him. He is also a wealth of information when it comes to Active Transportation, which is a subject we both enjoyed.

Tyler is heading back to Iceland, follow him on instagram @tyler_vision

Today's episode was supported by the new Wishbone from Rockgeist! It's a U shaped metal bracket that bolts to one of the seat tube bottle bolts and supports the side of the framebag from the outside. So basically an exoskeleton for the framebag, positioned low where the crank arm rotates around. It prevents the bag from ballooning out and getting a hole where it rubs the crank arm.

Thanks also to this week’s newest sustaining Patrons. This show is made possible by the community. If you’re enjoying the show please consider signing to help keep the lights on and the podcast flowing.

Angela Freeman Christopher Grady Brad Lankford David Boswell Derek Bowers Jerod Foster Sally Turner Bryan Anderson Larin Davis Erin Wood Joshua SpiersKyle JohnsonPat SmithBrian ArfmannPeter StewartLuke GallowayNic DoyleBobby EllisKasey Hochmuht (Hawk-moot)

Ep. 80 - Sarah Swallow, professional Adventure Cyclist Jul 21, 2021

Sarah Swallow was introduced to bicycles, and the cycling community, at the young age of 12 when she started working for a bike rental company in Ohio. She wasn't a cyclist at the time and had no idea that one day she'd be a sponsored Adventure Cyclist. Today Sarah has carved out a cool career for herself that allows her to pursue the things in life that brings her joy and share them in a way that is authentic to herself.

She’s worn many hats over the years. From bike rental to, bike shop owner, route creator, race director, and spreader of stoke and adventure on 2 wheels. Her most recent exploit was on this years Tour Divide Classic where she earned a 2nd place finish.

Her Tour Divide attempt almost didn’t happen. As she was driving to the start her bike flew off the back of their truck and the impact cracked the carbon frame. With only days before the race she scrambled to piece her bike and gear back together and thanks to efforts from many members of this community she made it to the start! The stoke she received from the outpouring of the community set her up for a successful ride.

Today's episode was supported by Ruby Coffee. Listeners of this show receive 15% off their first order or 20% off the first order of a subscription, just use "BIKESORDEATH" at checkout!

Thank you also to this week's newest sustaining Patrons. This show is made possible by you. If you're enjoying the show please consider signing to help keep the lights on and the podcast flowing.

Christopher Buratta Carrier Denis Miles Camp Brian Farren Mike Zande Timothy Dufault Ryan Gilmore Ryan Zimmer Katy MaGuire Bradley Ortego Lars SmithMartin HoldregeJohnny De MartinBrent YoungGenevieve BirchKevin EmeryBlake KingfischerKristen WileyAndrew CullenKevin Keilitz

Ep. 79 - Brendan Heinig, when a Tour Divide 2nd feels like winning Jul 08, 2021

When Brendan Heinig lined up to the start of this years Tour Divide "Classic" he didn't have any idea he'd be at the pointy end of the race with TD veteran Jay Petervary. If you didn't watch the dots as this race unfolded you missed a 1,500 mile "nail-biter"!!! That's because Brendan and Jay were able to put a lot of distance between them and their competitors, but not each other. In fact for the last 1,500 miles of the race they were rarely more than just a few miles apart and they often yo-yo'd back and forth for first place.

They were so close towards in end that they both found themselves in Pietown, NM at the same time and shared a pie for Jay's birthday. After that.....well, you'll just have to listen and find it!

I love an "underdog" story and this one hit all the right cords for me. I learned that Brendan began his Tour Divide journey in 2015 and only managed to break his bike and body. This is a story about his 6 year journey to get back on the Tour Divide and this time finishing was the only option. Being in contention for the lead, that's just a bonus.

This episode was made possible by support from these amazing Companies and Patrons.

Rockgeist - A cottage gear company specializing in custom framebags, accessory bags, and welded, waterproof gear from their Porcelain Rocket acquisition.

Ruby Coffee - A small coffee roasting company that sources their coffee from local farms and all of their coffee is roasted to order so it's always fresh.

Thanks to this week's newest supporting Patrons.

Jim Dunne Gil Mireles Jessica Auell Matt Burris Chris Ross Gil Montague isaac ramos Dave Milam Bryan Couchman LL Rae Falon Fontenot Andrew Schneider Leo Ronan David Graham Bradley Craig Kyle Aldridge Bobby Wintle Matt hickey Rick glenn Simon Bradley Benavides Timm Kennedy David Tuttle Elysa Naranjo Kyle Peterson Cody RichrathCarrie Bax

Christopher Moore Chris Wallner Seth Newsome Hailey Reeves Abby ShalekBriski Matt Hopkins Ryan Pliley Casey Bredeson Kemal Hadimli Brian Haugh Brady Carman Alex Trimble Thomas Lane Anthony J Patterson Lewis Clark Jonathan Robert Amos Mayberry Brad Cook Aaron Chamberlain Robert Vanderbloemen Ryan Williams Barry Spies Paul V Ress

Ep. 78 - Jessica Alexander, Bikepacking from Arkansas to Austin during a Pandemic Jun 30, 2021

I've been familiar with Jessica peripherally as a member of the Austin cycling scene and also from her published work in Bikepacking.com. She's penned two works for them, Discovering Aloneness on the Arkansas High Country can be found online. Her other piece, River Road Rendezvous, is featured the in the 2021 edition of the Bikepacking Journal. So when I received my July '22 issue of TPWD Magazine I was surprised, but not shocked, to see an article she wrote for them about bikepacking during the pandemic.

It's about a 700 mile trip that her and a riding companion created and road during the later stages of the pandemic. The began their journey in Little Rock, AR and used a train to get them to their starting point. From there it was 700 miles of mixed terrain riding back to their hometown of Austin, TX. Like any trip they have their highs and lows, but they are always jam packed with lessons and knowledge you didn't have before. Jessica is an accomplished bikepacker and photojournalist and her two passions intersect to inspire people to get out and ride their damn bike, and that's something we can dig over here at BoD. On this episode we learn a little about Jessica and then we learn from her about bikepacking, route planning, and how to share them to inspire others!

After we parted ways she was off to teach a women's clinic on crit racing. Jessica's desire to grow the bike community is seemingly endless and I appreciate her coming on the show to share some of that with us.

There is a special message to the listeners at the beginning of this episode. I hope you will take the time to listen. These episodes aren't possible without your support, literally. To find out how you can help keep the lights on please visit Patreon.

A big thanks to this week's newest Patrons!! Jeremy Gleason Michael Gerwig Tom Boss Dave Lewis Valerie Ruiz Dave Easley Bill Gercken Matthew Wells David Criswell Stephen Outten Neal Sivula Jesse Orman Charley Lingerfelt Katy Cummings Ashley Nicole Ferris

Ep. 77 - Bobby Wintle, We Trained all Pandemic for This Jun 23, 2021

Many of you will know Bobby Wintle as the larger than life figurehead of District Bikes and MidSouth Gravel (formerly Land Run 100). That's how I knew him too until my interview with Dr. Seth Wood, when I learned how he had donated a portion of the proceeds from the very first Land Run to help with Seth's medical bills, and then continued to foster than relationship to this day. Hearing that story told me there was a lot more to Bobby than just great hair, a perfect smile, a great hugger, and I was eager to hear his side of the story.

Just a month after my interview with Seth I found myself back in Stillwater, OK across a picnic table at Lake McMurtry from Bobby Wintle with a bottle of fine bourbon for us to share. And share we did! After fours hours, and almost a full bottle of bourbon later, we pushed stop on the recorder. What we captured that evening is a side of Bobby that I think few get to see because he is so busy and has so much demand on his time. It's a rare thing these days to be locked into a conversation with someone in this manner. It's why I love long form conversations, you can't fake it for 4 hours (especially not when borbon is involved), so what you get is a truly authentic window into who a person is.

I appreciate Bobby so much for his willingness to honestly and authentically share so much of himself on this episode. It was an absolute pleasure getting to know him and I'm so stoked he's on Team Bike. For this episode I recommend you schedule a long bike ride, or pull up a chair and pour a glass of your favorite drink, and join Bobby and I for our conversation at Lake McMurtry....

I'll see you there!

These shows aren’t possible without your support! This episode was captured on a recent podcasting trip to Oklahoma.

Thank you to our newest sustaining Patrons! 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 Bryce Webster David Bell Chris Lankford Allen Boardman Russell Harris Johnny Brazil 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Ep. 76 - Texas Hill Country Route w/ Maxwell Johnston Jun 16, 2021

On this episode I get a private tour of the new Texas Hill Country Overnighter with it's creator Maxwell Johnston. This is one of only four routes listed on Bikepacking.com in Texas and two of those are in Big Bend, which is beautiful, but also very remote, requiring a 10+ hour drive from Central Texas.

When I got into bikepacking I quickly learned that the lack of Public Lands in Texas creates a barrier to accessing the outdoors via bike, because 97% of Texas is privately held land. The genius of Maxwell's route is that he used Private Campgrounds as a way to string together some of the best gravel roads in the Hill Country.

This route was originally submitted to Bikepacking.com and you can find all the route info with gps file by searching in their route library. I can't tell you how many messages I've received over the years asking if I knew of a bikepacking route in the Hill Country, and I'm happy to have an excellent route I can share next time I get a message! This route quickly became my favorite route in Texas. The roads are idyllic and lightly travelled that will treat you to a wide diversity of flora and fauna. We road it in the late spring and the wildflowers made for an extra special trip, but Maxwell is quick to point out that this route is also beautiful in the winter; and a little cooler!

Today's episode takes a deeper look into this new route. What really sells this route is the pictures!

~~~~~~~~ These shows aren’t possible without your support!

Thank you to our newest sustaining Patrons! 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 Jon Fernandes Adam Kowis Claire Richard Arturo Lopez Austin Shaw Tõnu Tunnel David Nichols Clare Paniccia The Eggman Cometh!! Daniel Linck Avinash Ignatius Steven Rickards Rachel Clayton Nate Layman Anthony Roach Jeff Sapp Eric Brunn Adam Z Corey Cullen 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

EP. 75 - Liam Glen, Winner of the HT550 on a Rigid SS Jun 09, 2021

On May 22nd Liam Glen lined up at the start of the Highland Trail 550 on his fully rigid single speed Stooge Cycles Scrambler against the likes of James Hayden, Josh Isbett, and others. He would go on to win with a time of 3d, 10h, 55m which was good enough to get the SS Course Record and almost enough to best the Course Record set by Neil Beltchenko in 2017 (3d, 10h, 20m). Liam is no stranger to this event, he also won it in 2016 with a time of 4d, 2h, 48m. After a 2019 DNF on this route he switched up his bike and his mindset which proved to be the winning receipt.

No doubt about it, this was an impressive run at this course, but when you factor in that he was riding a steel, rigid, ss (34x20) it's kinda mind blowing.

The Highland Trail 550 is a route created by Alan Goldsmith in the northern region of Scotland, covering 550 miles with 52,500 ft of climbing through Scotland's rugged terrain and unpredictable weather.

It was great to catch up with Liam for a chat. I wasn't familiar with him prior to this event, but that's what's exciting about being a podcaster in this space right now. It's so much fun to talk to someone who accomplished something absolutely remarkable, but yet we know so little about them. I hope you'll enjoy hearing about this amazing accomplishment, but also what it took, and his path to get there.

These shows aren’t possible without your support!

Thank you to our newest sustaining Patrons! 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 Jim Phillips Zachary McCool Aaron Dibben Andrew Kepler Ronald Alisch Jukka-Pekka Ronkainen Dan Green Mike Christensen Russell Nethercott michael battjes Huw Williams Jeremiah Shepherd Brad Jaide Doug Carroll Bobby Finster Jake Thornton Selene Schumacher Stephen Fuller Warwick Poole Geoff Akins Joel Meddings L.B. Morse Kevin L Fath Garrett Fardon Ben Jackson Andrei Turró jay murphy Travis Bell Steve Apostal 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Ep. 74 - Andrew Onermaa, 2020 ARHCR Digging Deep May 26, 2021

Like many of you I didn't know who Andrew Onermaa was before he signed up for the 2020 Arkansas High Country Race. And if you still don't recognize his name, maybe you'll know him as the guy who was going toe to toe with Ted King before he ultimately went on to set an FKT. Andrew withdrew from the race around mile 700 after pushing himself further than ever before. Literally pushing his mind and body to it's limit. Sitting there on the side of the road, eating McDonalds pancakes, Andrew turned on his cell phone and captured those raw emotions he was feeling in that moment. After watching that video I knew I had to talk to this guy, he is all heart and I wanted to hear his story.

Six months later I was able to meet Andrew in person and hear his story from the banks of the Mulberry River, there in the Ozark National forest where the race took place. His story is truly incredible, but it became a little more so for me when I learned that he didn't even get his first gravel bike until May of 2020, which means he only had 5 months of experience before signing up for the ARHCR!! Think about that for a second. Think about how hard he must have pushed himself leading up to and then during the race. He lined up at the start line on an entry level Salsa Warbird with 5 months of experience against a former world tour pro who has transitioned over to gravel earning the title King of Gravel. At some points of the race he was leading, but it was always close, as Andrew pushed his limits and probably pushed Ted King to dig a little deeper.

This story typifies one of the best aspects of this sport, it is an equalizer. It shows that anybody can do this, anybody who is willing to train hard, ride hard, push hard, and dig deeper than ever before can do this if they choose. It's not easy, in fact it is very hard, but it is possible and I love that about this sport. For this event Ted King's decades of experience paid off earning him a well deserved FKT and I couldn't be more happy for him. I'm equally happy for Andrew Onermaa for the courage it took to push himself that hard, to find his limit, and for his willingness to share so openly his story.

I think it can be easy as a dot watcher to be numb to how hard these efforts really are and how hard the athletes dig to find the courage to keep pushing when their mind and body are rebelling. As I've interviewed many of the top athletes in endurance cycling I am guilty of this myself, which is why I'm grateful to Andrew. His story really resonated with me as a reminder of how personal these efforts are and the heart it takes to push yourself to the limit. Easy words to type, but they come to life through Andrews telling.

GPS Coordinates to where this episode was recorded: 35°39'32.2"N 93°51'28.9"W

When he's not working or training Andrew is busy developing routes and the gravel community in NWA through the Ozark Gravel Cyclist. They are doing great things in that area, so definitely check them out if you are in or visiting that area.

These shows aren’t possible without your support! This episode was from my recent trip to Oklahoma and Arkansas to capture interviews for the podcast.

Thank you to our newest sustaining Patrons! 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 Michele Aguilera Mat Long Joseph Harrington Shanelle Hayes Ben Holbrook Randy S Braley Jeff Caroll Joanne Maurice (June 2019) 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🚨 ADnouncement 🚨

This episode is supported by Experience Fayetteville and the Fayetteville, Arkansas community.

Fayetteville is excited to once again be the host community for the 2021 Arkansaw High Country Race.

Quickly becoming known as one of the most challenging bikepacking races in the country, the 1000+ mile Arkansaw High Country Race departs from Downtown Fayetteville on Saturday morning, October 9!

The race follows the perimeter of the Arkansas High Country Route – a series of three mixed surface loops that connect several of the state’s stunning natural regions including the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains and the Arkansas River Valley.

New for 2021, race officials have announced the creation of the Short Circuit Race – an opportunity to experience just the Northwest Loop of the route. The shorter 240-mile distance is perfect for the weekend warrior looking for a limit-pushing course.

Registration for the 2021 Arkansaw High Country Race and the Short Circuit Race opens June 1, 2021. Each race distance is limited to a field of 50 competitors and expected to fill up fast. Additional race information including links to register can easily be found by searching High Country at ExperienceFayetteville.com

Ep. 73 - Dr. Seth Wood, from ICU to FKT May 19, 2021

I met Dr. Seth Wood at a wedding in Oklahoma back in 2019. I was early in my podcasting journey and I was shocked when I learned that he was using the Bikes or Death Podcast as part of his circulam at OSU, where he still teaches today. So shocked, that I completely blanked when he told me about it! I took this opportunity to indulge myself and find out what he could possibly be using my podcast for in a college course?!

More importantly, I wanted to hear Seth's story about his journey from almost losing his life in Feb. of 2013 after being ran over by a car while commuting on his bike. To then go on to set a Singlespeed FKT on the Arkansas High Country Race. The collision nearly cost him his life, but a year later he competed in the 2nd ever LandRun 100 (Now Midsouth) and he finished! All while wearing an eye patch as a visible reminder that he was still recovering from the injuries he sustained.

He would go on to race the Tour Divide in 2016 and 2018 completing it both times and taking home 8th place in 2018. Then in 2020 he set the ARHCR FKT on a Singlespeed.

I learned from our discussion that this is a story much larger than himself. It's one about this community and how much impact it can have on the lives of those it touches. I learned that the cycling community in Stillwater, OK, that is spearheaded by Bobby Wintle and the District Bicycle crew, is a special one. When a local cyclist, who they didn't know, was hit and nearly killed by a college man driving a car they stepped up and not only provided financial support, but they also poured out love and gave Dr. Seth Wood a new family and community.

This probably the most moving episode I've had the privilege to be part of. I hope that it will serve as a reminder of how special this community is, the power that it has, and that we should remember to embrace ALL cyclist, regardless if you know them or not.

Thank you Seth for sharing your challenging journey with us. Thank you to Bobby Wintle and the District Bike Family for being examples in our community. I truly believe this community is made up of some of the best humans on earth and you are all examples of that.

These shows aren't possible without your support! This episode was from my recent trip to Oklahoma and Arkansas to capture interviews for the podcast.

Thank you to our newest sustaining Patrons! 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 Kelly Woolverton Seth Wood Hyacinthe Gauthier Antti Leskinen Andrew Onermaa 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🚨 ADnouncement 🚨

This episode is supported by Experience Fayetteville and the Fayetteville, Arkansas community.

Fayetteville is excited to once again be the host community for the 2021 Arkansaw High Country Race.

Quickly becoming known as one of the most challenging bikepacking races in the country, the 1000+ mile Arkansaw High Country Race departs from Downtown Fayetteville on Saturday morning, October 9!

The race follows the perimeter of the Arkansas High Country Route – a series of three mixed surface loops that connect several of the state's stunning natural regions including the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains and the Arkansas River Valley.

New for 2021, race officials have announced the creation of the Short Circuit Race - an opportunity to experience just the Northwest Loop of the route. The shorter 240-mile distance is perfect for the weekend warrior looking for a limit-pushing course.

Registration for the 2021 Arkansaw High Country Race and the Short Circuit Race opens June 1, 2021. Each race distance is limited to a field of 50 competitors and expected to fill up fast. Additional race information including links to register can easily be found by searching High Country at ExperienceFayetteville.com

Ep. 72 - Route Building, with Kevin from RWGPS May 13, 2021

When we did our Bikepacking Basics episode earlier this year we got a lot of questions, but the most asked questions where about route building. So I reached out to Kevin Prentice with RideWithGPS to see if they would be interested coming to do a episode on route building and (spoiler alert) they said yes!

On this episode we get to know Kevin and some history on RWGPS and then we get into the maps! And we go deep. But, we also cover very basic topics. This episode was designed with the hope that it will be a resource for you to build your own routes, modify existing ones, or fly by the seat of your pants using heatmaps. Even if you think you're a RWGPS expert I can guarantee you'll learn something on this show, I sure did!

For me Route Building is one of my favorite parts about bikepacking. With the tools and information available to us now it's truly remarkable what you're able to do from your laptop in the comfort of your home. This is where you can hone in and find the perfect camp spot or best gravel roads. Regardless of how well you plan, we all know that even the best plan can go wrong. So it's also important to know how to navigate when things don't go according to plan. After listening to (or watching) this episode you will be able to know more about doing both!

This episode is available where ever you get your podcast and also in video format with timestamps so you can comeback to it as often as needed.

These episodes aren’t possible without your support.

Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Courtney Naquin Travis Vliem Scott McDonald Brian Benavente 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 🚨 Patron Perk 🚨 - 20% off RWGPS Subscription

Ep. 71 - Ryan Stoyer, Bikerafting on the Buffalo May 06, 2021

When I contacted Ryan Stoyer about coming on the podcast it was with the idea that we would talk about his unique lifestyle and how it allows for him to life a more fulfilled life. I still like that topic, but Ryan had other ideas. After the official BoD instagram invite was sent, his reply was an enthusiastic yes, followed by a suggestion, "how about we go bikerafting?". My response was equally enthusiastic and I gave no thought to the fact that I'd never been bikerafting, or had a raft, or new how to build a route, etc etc. But we had 5 weeks and that turned out to be the just enough to assemble the necessary gear and courage to tackle new adventure territory. The plan was to create a bikerafting route and share our experiences through a podcast.

As I learned more about Bikerafting, I learned that there is a lot of interest in this re-emerging sport. The first recorded bikeraft trip was in 1987 by Roman Dial, but it seems to be growing in popularity in recent years. So the focus of the podcast shifted from being about Ryan and our trip, we also tried to provide some information that may help you prepare for your own bikerafting or packrafting trip! We discuss where to get packrafts, what to look for, how they handle, how to pack, how to plan a route, etc. It was a huge learning experience for me and I'm excited to share what I learned. I'm a complete newb and my tips reflect that, which is why it was good to have Ryan who brings more experience. It came in handy on the river and on the podcast.

The route my friend Connor Thomas created in NW Arkansas is a real beauty. I will be publishing that route soon!! Unfortunately, you can't plan the weather and we got Cold and Wet every day we were there. So our trip had an extra element of Type 2 fun sprinkled in to keep it interesting. I will let the podcast speak for itself, but I can tell you that every person on that trip had a great time and the ones that didn't have packrafts are all now wanting some. Bikerafting was a little scary to me at first. It doesn't make sense that a 195 lb guy + 55 lbs of gear can float safely down a river on a 5 lb inflatable raft. Call me crazy! Any initial fears I first had were quickly squashed and I found bikerafting quite to my liking, and as Ryan says, "It's a great rest day after a long day on the bike". Not only that, but it opens up so many possibilities both with routes and with scenery.

I'm glad that Ryan challenged me to do this. It was barely on my radar, but I'm not one to shy away from a new adventure. I equally enjoyed getting to meet and learn from Ryan. He is a wealth of information on a variety of topics that I find fascinating and meaningful.

We cover a lot on this episode! To make it easier for you to enjoy and refer back to this episode at a later time I've included timestamps in the show notes so you can quickly find the topic/s you're interested in. Timestamp:

13:45 - Talking Tiny Home 22:15 - Maker Space - Elijah, GA 26:10 - Ryans First Bikepacking Trip 33:25 - Ryans First Bikerafting Trip38:30 - What is Bikerafting 44:15 - Rockgeist fanboy talk 47:20 - Resources for renting, buying, or building a packraft 48:33 - Renting backraftings from https://backcountrypackrafts.com/ 51:00 - What is it called? Bikepack Rafting or Bikerafting? 52:15 - What kind of features to look for in a packraft that will work for bikerafting 57:45 - Creating a Bikerafting route 62:40 - Our Bikerafting Trip 65:00 - Packing a packraft on a bike 83:00 - Continuing our Bikerafting trip Day 2 85:00 - How to pack your gear and bike on your packraft94:15 - Description of the water on route98:10 - Trip Continues - Day 3106:20 - Random tangent about Psychotropics 120:00 - Beginning of the End

Ep. 70 - Rebecca Rusch, Queen of Pain Apr 28, 2021

Today's episode is with a true living legend. Rebecca Rusch has had a long and successful career spanning many different sports, but in the past 15 years has dominated the mountain bike scene, which as spilled over into bikepacking and gravel racing as well. She's been referred to as the Queen of Pain since at least 2004 and she was inducted into the MTB Hall of Fame in 2019. Here list of accolades and victories is as long as her storied career.

On this episode we get insight into some of the wisdom that she has gained through her career. Her perspectives are deep and well thought out. You can tell they've been forged in her mind over the years and countless endurance endeavor that have pushed her to grow and challenge who she is as a person.

For the uninitiated, here is a very brief history of Rebecca Rusch. She began her career as a professional athlete in Adventure Racing, which was popularized by the Eco Challenge and the subsequent TV show produced by Mark Burnett. She competed at a high level, often on the winning team or threatening the lead, from 1997-2006. She faced a pivotal point in her life and career when one of her teammates, Nigel Aylott, died in an adventure race in front of her and her team, the same year they lost their major team sponsor. With some time left on her Red Bull contract she decided to give MTB a shot. In 2006 she signed up for, and won, the USA Cycling 24-Hours MTB National Champion in the Women's Solo category. But she didn't just win her field, she had the fastest time out of all participants, women and men! And this was in a discipline that she said in her own words was her worst sport. This win catapulted her fully into the MTB world where she continues to be a real threat any time she signs up for a race.

Her accomplishments are not limited to the mountain bike. She also won the ITI 350 in 2019 and 2021, She is the Smoke n' Fire women's record holder, Unbound Gravel XL 350 winner in 2018, and she held the FKT on the Kokopelli Trail until just recently when Kait Boyle took it away by a meer 13 minutes. Her list of accomplishments is much longer, but I hope this paints the picture that Rebecca is a lifelong endurance athlete who has been competing at a very high level for a long time. In those years she has gained a rich understanding of human powered movement in the outdoors.

For me it's daunting to put keys to pad and conjure up words to describe someone who has been a personal source of inspiration for me. Luckily, we recorded a podcast so you can hear directly from the Queen of Pain herself!

These episodes aren’t possible without your support.

Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Denise Brodigan James Vineyard Charles Gurrey Rick Stinson Joseph Lowhorn Damián García Crispin Hoult Mikey Hanrahan 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 🚨 ADnouncements 🚨

Jefe.bike – Patrons receive 10% off Arkansaw High Country Race - Registration Opens June 1st East Texas Showdown – Presented by Bikes or Death

Ep. 69 - John Watson, owner of The Radavist Apr 20, 2021

Happy 420 everyone! My guest on today's episode with John Watson is one that I've been looking forward to for a while. We had plans to record this one a while ago, but covid put it on pause. On my recent trip to AZ and NM I was able to meet John at his Santa Fe office where he runs The RADAVIST. His office is quaint and simple with merchandise bins tidily lining the walls and stacked to the ceiling. I felt a kinship immediately as I pictured him editing photos, writing articles, fulfilling orders, etc etc. Despite his obvious success, what you may not see immediately is the 15 years he's been doing, the passion that started it, and the long hours that took to fuel it. In 2006 he began capturing urban bike culture for his blog that was at that time called "Prolly is not Probably". He was debating 650b v. 700c before you even had your first bike. He's been called a "Bike Snob", "Respected Tastemaker", a "Prolific Photographer" and more over his years in the industry. John made his mark by following his passion and using his camera and keyboard to share and shape the bicycle culture. If you are high af and want to go down the rabbit hole, google (or use DuckDuckGo) "Prolly is not Probably". You can find his original blogger page and hundreds of articles he's written or than have been written about him. Now The RADAVIST is a staple in the bike industry for its tasteful photography, wide range of articles and resources, and thoughtful articles that cover a large swath of the bike industry and culture. And from my perspective we are all the benefactors of his 15 years of hard work.

It was an honor to meet John in person. Behind the scenes over emails he has always been very supportive of me and Bikes or Death. He has been a person that I look up to professionally for his work and personally because he's just a damn nice guy. So if for any reason you haven't been visiting The Radavist on a daily basis it's time for you to get your life together and start! Both his instagram accounts are equally worth a follow @johnprolly and @theradavist.

After the interview the light was getting good and John asked if he could photograph my bike, which was a dream come true for me. Find those pictures and a write up by John on The Radavist and you can read my blog reply on Bikes or Death.

Shred Lightly my friends.

These episodes aren’t possible without your support. This episode is the result of my recently podcasting trip covering 2,500 miles, 2 states, and 3 interviews in 4.5 days. If you’ve been on the fence about becoming a Patron this would be a great time to sign up and help get BoD back on the road! You can Sign Up here or leave a one time Donation on Paypal.

Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Bryan Seef Thomas Elliot Katya Morzhueva Mark Debano Ken Wallace Alex Cahill Chris Weiss Andrew Green Christopher Earnst Matt Knight Tim Nakoneczny Mike Morris Ian Goldinger 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 🚨 ADnouncements 🚨

Jefe.bike – Patrons receive 10% off 6AM WorkShirts – Patrons receive 20% off East Texas Showdown – Presented by Bikes or Death

Ep. 68 - Lael Wilcox Apr 14, 2021

It's always an extreme pleasure to sit down and chat with Lael Wilcox. Her positivity and honesty is infections as is her drive to push herself to extremes all in the name of bike racing. She's an inspiration to so many of us in this community and I am no exception. She has been a huge source of inspiration for me as I dipped my toe into the bikepacking waters. There is something about her fearless approach to bikepacking that lulls you into a false sense of achievability, but make no mistake she works hard and has been at this a long time. This sport has come a long way in a short time and Lael has been at or near the tip of the spear for the entire time.

This was the third time Lael has been on the podcast and each time I have to reign in my personal tendencies to be star struck. Luckily, Lael is a total pro and is so easy to talk to. This time we met on Mount Lemmon outside of Tucson, AZ at the Gordon Hirabayashi Campground. Interesting side note, the road up Mt. Lemmon was built by prisoners in the 1930's and to house the criminals they built prisons as they went. The campground we recorded at was a former site of a Prison Camp. They say you should "never meet your idols". I've met one of mine three times now and have never been disappointed. Lael is Lael, what you see is what you get. The person I watched in the 2016 film from REI is the same person I met on a park bench on the side of Mt. Lemmon. Success, fame, racing results, through it all she has been able to stay humble, gracias, and kind. Maybe the saying should be, "get better idols". Personally, I'm grateful to Lael for just being her and pursuing what she wants in a way that is authentic to herself. We talk about this a little in the episode, but sometimes knowing yourself and staying true can be easier said than done, especially with some of the controversy she has faced, but in even in success she continues to navigate it all in a way that seems authentic to herself. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

These episodes aren’t possible without your support. This episode is the result of my recently podcasting trip covering 2,500 miles, 2 states, and 3 interviews in 4.5 days. If you’ve been on the fence about becoming a Patron this would be a great time to sign up and help get BoD back on the road! You can Sign Up here or leave a one time Donation on Paypal.

Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Alex G. Tanya Rios Chris Schow Tim Fitzpatrick 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 🚨 ADnouncements 🚨

6AM WorkShirts – Patrons receive 20% off East Texas Showdown - Presented by Bikes or Death

Ep. 67 - Matt Mason, Co-Creator of the Monumental Loop Apr 07, 2021

This episode is the first one to come from my recent road trip to New Mexico and Arizona to interview guest for the podcast. My first stop was in Las Cruces, NM to meet up with Matt Mason to ride a portion of the Monumental Loop. We rode up to the base of the Organ Mountains and camped in perfect weather. In the morning we recorded this episode under little outcropping before descending 10 miles back to town on some epic singletrack.

You may have noticed that the route was revised and released as the Monumental Loop 2.0. These changes were made for several reason, but all in an effort to make the route more enjoyable and attractive to a wider range of riders. We get into all the specifics on this episode and it left me wanting to spend more time than I had available on this trip. I will be back! *Outdoor Adventures The place to go for route information, gear, advice, and community https://www.bikelc.com

*Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Friends are on the frontlines of protecting and providing access to the public lands around Las Cruces. https://organmountainsdesertpeaks.org

*Southern New Mexico Trail AllianceSNMTA works tirelessly on advocating for new trails, maintaining current trails, and hosting the Sierra Vista Trail Runs. https://snmta.org

*Doña Ana SheWolves A group of FTW riders providing support and community. Several of their crew are certified bike instructors and their skills clinics are highly recommended. https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthernNMDirtGirls/?ref=share

*MTB New Mexico Jose Solis has a YouTube channel and rides centered on a welcoming environment for beginner mountain bikers. MTB NM’s videos are equally informative and entertaining. https://youtube.com/c/MTBNewMexico

These episodes aren’t possible without your support. This episode is the result of my recently podcasting trip covering 2,500 miles, 2 states, and 3 interviews in 4.5 days. If you’ve been on the fence about becoming a Patron this would be a great time to sign up and help get BoD back on the road! You can Sign Up here or leave a one time Donation on Paypal.

Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Jeff Bloodworthy Barry Turner Dave Ortiz 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Ep. 66 - Aventure Media 2021, Part 1 Mar 31, 2021

On March 6th, 2021 twelve college students in the Adventure Media class at Texas Tech University set off on a bikepacking trip as part of their course curriculum. This year the classes challenge was the Caprock Canyon State Park and Trailway, which in total was 66 miles with very little climbing, but the wind made up for what the elevation profile lacked! This course is the brainchild of Dr. Jerod Foster who somehow convinced a University to allow him to take students bikepacking in remote places as part of a college course he created and teaches called Adventure Media.

To be honest, when you read the words, or hear someone tell you about this Adventure Media course it doesn't click immediately. At least, it didn't for me. When Jerod originally laid out the course in Episode 3 I kinda got it, but I didn't really get it until I went on their class trip in 2019 to Big Bend Ranch State Park. The Terrior film was produced from that 2019 trip and it's a visual introduction into what this class is all about.

When you show up in a remote destination with rugged terrain, hours away from any medical assistance, and you look around at the 16 college students assembled ready to tackle whatever comes. And their gear is a mess, and they are wrecking, and bags are falling off, but I can promise you none of that is what defines this or any of the other trips like this.

This episode is different from anything we have ever done before. It takes place in an Arroyo in the Caprock Canyon State Park at dusk. It was a beautiful setting to have a discussion about the experiences and feelings that were had and shared throughout the day.

This will be part one in a two part series from this trip. In the next one I will be following Elysa and Tom on their personal journeys during this trip, with narration and commentary by Jerod Foster and I.

These episodes aren’t possible without your support. If you haven’t heard Bikes or Death is going back on the road to do in-person interviews again! My first trip with Van or Death with be to NM and AZ covering 2,500 in 4.5 days and interviewing 4 great guest. If you’ve been on the fence about becoming a Patron this would be a great time to sign up and help get BoD back on the road! You can Sign Up here or leave a one time Donation on Paypal.

Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Jeff Cory Steven Young Robert Crawford Paul Fallon Tyrell Lewis Aaron Huey 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 🚨 ADnouncements 🚨

Bikepacking Roots 4th Annual Survey 6AM WorkShirts - Patrons receive 20% off

Ep. 65 - Miles Arbour with Bikepacking.com Mar 15, 2021

Miles is BACK! The first time we did an interview was in his van at the Bikepacking Summit in 2019. This year, thanks to COVID, we are relegated to Zoom, but that didn’t stop us from having a good ole time. We sang, we laughed, and there was some really great chats about Bikepacking.com and other super interesting bike stuff that you won’t want to miss! Including, but not limited to, the best shoes for bikepacking, thoughts on old mtb restorations, guidelines on submitted events and routes to Bikepacking.com, plus so much more.

Miles and I are friends and this conversation reflects that. We can get a little silly, but who couldn’t use a little dose of that right now? I think we were able to squeak in some good information in between the silliness. I’d go far as to say that maybe this episode is the perfect blend of silly and serious, but I guess you will have to be the judge of that.

Most importantly, if you are anticipating a 2nd verse of the Bikes or Death Theme Song you’re in luck! Just like the first episode Miles surprised me with a second verse, performed live on his guitalele. And I can tell you now, it’s hot fire, but you’ll have to wait to the very end of this episode to hear it.

If you missed my first episode with Miles Arbour you can Listen Here.

This episode listeners have a chance to Watch if that is your preference!

These episodes aren’t possible without your support. If you haven’t heard Bikes or Death is going back on the road to do in-person interviews again! My first trip with Van or Death with be to NM and AZ covering 2,500 in 4 days and interviewing 4 great guest. If you’ve been on the fence about becoming a Patron this would be a great time to sign up and help get BoD back on the road! You can Sign Up here or leave a one time Donation on Paypal.

Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Ben P. Gabriel D. Balazs B. Graham W. 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

ep. 64 - Bikepacking Basics: You ask, we answer! Feb 19, 2021

Over the last couple of years I’ve received a lot of request for episodes that address some of the “how-to’s” and “what’s what” of bikepacking. I’ve delayed for a couple of reason. One, a personal belief (or lack thereof) that I should leave that to more experienced and knowledgeable people in the community. The other problem, was figuring out a way to deliver the information in a podcast format. I kind of always thought it needed to be a YT video and maybe I would get into that one day.

I believe now, through my conversations with a variety of guest, that everyone has something to contribute, and that includes myself. I pulled in my friend Connor Thomas to shoulder some of the weight too! Connor and I met at my LBS and as we got to know each other we learned that we shared a similar interest in the outdoors and adventuring. We’ve been able to go on a number of great trips and I know him to be an a person whose passion for the outdoors is equalled by his knowledge of it. When he agreed to record a podcast on some Bikepacking Basics I was stoked, because I think a conversation about these topics is far more interesting that a monolog, and he brings his own unique experiences to the table as well.

In this episode we use a recent trip to Big Bend National Park as the backdrop to answer your questions. Ultimately, we received 41 questions, that boiled down to 18 questions and we tackle them all! The most requested topic was on Route Building, which was really perfect because our trip to BB was a route finding mission. We saved that one for last and answer your other questions as we build up to it, but you won’t want to miss “How to make cake while bikepacking” (video coming soon) or our thoughts on e-bikes!

Thanks to everyone for their questions, we hope you find this information helpful, and if you enjoyed this episode please let me know. I bet I can get Conor to do another one if we ask nice.

~~~~~~~~

BoD Theme Song by Miles Arbour

Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Alissa B. Jennifer A. Michael W. Julien L. Barry C. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

BoD Theme Song (Cover), by ian Cherry Jan 26, 2021

When Miles Arbour dropped his original BoD Theme Song Live on Episode 30 I was equally flattered and blown away. Since we've been running it at the beginning and end of each episode I've received numerous messages from people who echo my sentiments. It inspired one listener, Ian Cherry, so greatly that he wrote and recorded his own version.

The intro to his cover song was featured on Ep. 63, but you can listen to the full song below and read a note from the artist.

Bikes or Death Theme Song "Cover" by Ian Cherry

I am humbled to share this tribute to Miles Arbour's Bikes or Death theme song with fellow fans of the podcast, and I’m very grateful to Patrick and the show's many guests for hours of wonderful conversations. I enjoy riding my trusty-rusty 1980's Schwinn between traffic in New York City, and a recent-ish Rivendell Atlantis everywhere else (from dodging lapping waves at Rockaway Beach, finding the magic road in the sweet spot of the sand, to practicing pedal technique in the rooty woods near my hometown in South Jersey), but have not yet gone bikepacking. When the world becomes safe to do so, I hope to ride with friends (where there are bears) and alone (where there are not bears) on every continent, and look forward to the challenge of plant-based eating, along the many roads (and decidedly not roads), wherever they may lead.

After hearing 'this version' of the theme song in my head and singing it around the house I decided to make the song a reality. I hope to hear other listener’s jams to the opening theme as well!

Thank you again Patrick. Wishing you happy and healthy holidays. I hope you know this podcast made this year a lot better for a lot of people. You gave people a space to dream about the "great outdoors" in a time when we couldn't be.

Warmest regards,

Ian Cherry

Ep. 63 - Jacob Hora Jan 26, 2021

The first episode of 2021 is with the very inspirational Jacob Hora. At only 15 he's accomplished more than most regardless of age. I didn't know who he was before watching the Trackleader dots of Jay Petervary's Fat Pursuit. The first place finisher was Jacob, so I clicked on his profile and was immediately intrigued when I saw he was only 15!

You may remember that the first episode of 2020 was with, 15 year old, Alana Rose Parent. I thought that was such a great way to start off the new year, with a inspirational story from the younger members of our community. Hearing their enthusiasm for cycling and the outdoors truly makes me feel good about the future of this sport and community we love.

I knew very little about Jacob going into the interview; which I always enjoy. I got to be truly surprised by him, his accomplishments, goals, and perspectives. What I heard from him was nothing but positivity, excitement, and love for bikepacking. But as you'll hear, accomplishments don't just happen, Jacob has already learned the value of hard work to accomplish goals. There are no shortcuts here, he's putting in the work and making the sacrifices to do the thing he loves and to pursue his goals.

He's currently training for the ITI 350 in February, so make sure to follow his dot and send him some love.

You can follow him on instagram @jacob_hora

To listen to the FULL version of the BoD Theme Song (Cover) by Ian Cherry Click Here.

2020 BoD Awards Dec 24, 2020

Welcome to the first ever Bikes or Death Awards! It has been a challenging year for everyone, but through it all BoD has continued to share uplifting and inspirational stories from the cycling community. The truth is that every guest is a winner in our books. It is the collective commonality of bicycles that brings us together, but it is the uniqueness of each individual that makes this community so great. So while these awards aren't to diminish anyones story, it is an opportunity to reflect on some of our favorites from 2020. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who was willing to share their story with the BoD fam. So without further ado....drum roll please!!!!

By the Numbers

Top 3 episodes in 2020 that received the most downloads in the first 30 days.

First Ep. 48, Bailey Newbrey Photo by John Watson

4,792 downloads in the first 30 days

I got to meet up with Bailey Newbrey in his new-ish shop, Sincere Cycles, in Santa Fe, NM. Bailey made a some noise in 2018 when he finished the Tour Divide in second place overall on a Singlespeed! We chat a lot about his 2016 and 2018 Tour Divide runs and his reasoning behind running SS. He also makes some bold predictions towards the end of the podcast that is worth sticking around for. You can revisit this episode here.

Second Ep. 47, James Hayden Photo by Lian Van Leeuween

4,440 downloads in the first 30 days

James Mark Hayden came on the ultra endurance bike racing scene in 2015. Since then he’s been putting down some incredible performances, winning the Transcontinental Race twice, shared 1st place at the Italy divide, getting 4th at Silk Road even though he was robbed by men on horses during the race, and most recently he finished 2nd at Atlas Mountain Race to Sofiane who came in only 4 hours earlier. You can revisit this episode here.

Third Ep. 52, Chris Burkard Photo courtesy of Burkard Studios

4,149 downloads in the first 30 days

Chris Burkard has become a personal source of inspiration for me and it was an honor to have him back on the podcast. He was first on way back at Episode 17 to tell us about his WOW Cyclothon Record that he set in 2019. That episode really fired me up and motivated me to push myself in more ways than just on the bike. How can revisit this episode here.

Listeners Choice

We asked YOU to vote for your favorite podcast of the year and a runner-up, and boy was it close!! There was a total of 31 episodes, 44 hours, and 2,634 minutes of content for you to choose from, which made your job more difficult. However, after counting, recounting, and making sure there was no election fraud, the BoD Voting Committee is ready to reveal the Listeners Choice Award for 2020:

~ Winner ~ Bailey Newbrey, Ep. 48 photo by John Watson

You VOTED, we heard you! Patrick's interview with Bailey swept both categories By The Numbers and Listeners Choice.

I followed up with Bailey with some questions since our last chat. Check out that that q&a below.

Bailey Newbrey - 2020 BoD Award Winner

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Honorable Mentions

This was such a tight race, it's worth mentioning that these two episodes both were only one vote shy of sharing first with Bailey.

Ep. 54, Katie & Andrew Strempke

Katie and Andrew became the first people to Yo-Yo the Colorado Trail, they did it on Singlespeed's!!!

You can revisit this episode here.

Ep. 43, Jerod Foster

Jerod has a stacked resume in the outdoor industry, but he's also a Husband and Father. It was awesome to hear from him about balancing an adventurous career and lifestyle with his home life.

You can revisit this episode here.

~ Runner Up ~ Ted king, ep. 61

Ted King is no stranger to cycling. He started his pro road cycling tour in 2006 and had a 10 year career before entering the gravel world where he won the DK200 in 2016 and 17. However, he had never even attempted a bikepacking race before this past Oct. when he lined up at the start of the Arkansas High Country Race. No one could know how his experience and successes in other disciplines would transition to ultra endurance bike racing. Like many of you I was glued to the dots as they charged the course. A local, Andrew Onermaa, kept the race very close for the first 700 miles, but ultimately Ted was able to finish in first and get a new FKT at the same time. In a year with limited racing, this has got to be one of the greatest storylines of the year. It was an honor to have Ted on the podcast and will be looking forward to seeing what he does going forward. Listen again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Honorable Mentions

Again, this was another very close one! We had two episodes that were one vote away from sharing first with Mr. King and we wanted to give them their

Ep. 44, Pepper Cook

Pepper Cook is a legend in the bikepacking and touring community. She’s known for her witty puns, quirky humour, and almost a decade of epic solo bike trips. It was an honor to have her on the show and like you, I really enjoyed this episode. Listen again!

Ep. 52, Cinthia Pedraza

Cinthia Pedraza calls Austin, Texas home. Some recent experiences in her hometown led her to write an article titled “Bike Racing, White Privilege, and the Coronavirus” that was published on The Radavist. Her story obviously resonated with many of you and I appreciate her coming on the podcast. Listen again!

BoD Product of the year

This year we released some new items in the webstore. BoD merch is a fun way to make a little cheddar to support the show and give you rad ways to show your support.

Winner Titanium Drinkware

These were a very late edition to the lineup, but they came on the scene with a big splash. The Ti G'mornin Cup sold out in the first few hours, but there are a still a few of the Ti G'night Flask left if you need to upgrade your #whiskeyoutside experience. If you missed the first round of cups, don't fear, we'll be restocking soon-ish, and we may even have a couple more surprises up our sleeves.

Second Place Sweat Tech Tee Technolgy

Remember the 90's? They were rad and so is this shirt. The message on the back isn't revealed until you SWEAT for it! We've been having fun with this design concept. Expect to see more of these in the future. For now they come in Olive and Blue.

Third place BoD + Voile Straps

Voile Straps are the quintessential bikepacking "must-have" piece of gear. Their almost limitless in their usefulness. You could make an argument that all you need to be a bikepacker is a bike and a nice supply of BoD Voile Straps to attached you gear to your bike. You can order One, but you should probably get at least TWO.

Ep. 62 - Kait boyle, FKT on the kokopelli Dec 10, 2020

On the morning of Christmas Eve 2018 Kait Boyle was at the height of her ultra endurance racing career, having won the 24 hour World Championship in 2018 and set a new record on the AZT 300. Her life would take an unexpected turn later that day when she was involved in a horrific vehicular accident that left her with a long list of injuries and a long path to recovery. Like many of you, I watch her social media feed for months as she dedicated herself to rehabilitation and ultimately back to fitness.

Almost a 2 years, and a pandemic later, she finally found herself at the top podium again. This time in the form of an FKT on the Kokopelli Trail. On Nov. 6th, 2020 Lael Wilcox, Kurt Refsnider, and Kait all met in Moab at the start line of the Kokopelli, each of them on ITT's with FKT's on the mind. Kait was able to finish with a time of 13 hrs, 7 mins, which was good enough to beat the long standing time set by Rebecca Rush by 25 minutes. In doing so, she answered 2 years of questions and uncertainty. She was equally rewarded for her hard work, perseverance, and PATIENCE. As a personal fan, I remember cringing seeing the gruesome pics from her crash and injuries. It was hard to watch, I can't imagine how hard it was to live.

Pictures courtesy of Rugile Kaladyte

In addition to her accomplishments on the bike she is also the Co-Founder of Bikepacking Roots, which supports and advances bikepacking, the growth of a diverse bikepacking community, and access to and the conservation of the landscapes and public lands through which we ride.

Her contributions on and off the bike are both impressive and valuable to this community that we all love. It was great to share in this milestone with her and hear about her journey over the past couple of years. Kait, congrats on the FKT, and we look forward to rooting for you in future races.

You can learn more about Kait on her website or follow her on social media.

Episode Sponsors (check them out as a way to thank them for supporting this podcast) ~ GOODR Sunglasses ~ KUAT Racks

Did you know? 1% of all store sales go to the Bikepacking Roots BIPOC Adventure Grant Program

Ep. 61 - Ted King, FKT on the ARHCR Nov 25, 2020

From 2006 to 2016 Ted King was a professional road cycling before switching to gravel where he took 1st at the DK200 in 2016 and 2017. Earlier this month he completed the 1,000+ mile Arkansas High Country Race in first with a time of 4 days, 20 hours, which was good enough to snag the FKT set by Jay Petervary in June of this year.

The ARHCR is no walk in the park either. It may be easy to have your guard down when you see that the highest point on the route is only 2,745 ft. elevation, but in the words of friend and route creator Chuck Campbell "The valleys are low and the grade is steep". I got to preview a portion of the route in February and I got a first hand taste of the steepness. The route is littered with sharp grades going both up or down. There is very little flat sections, in most cases you're either going up or down.

On Oct. 31st 2020 twenty ultra-endurance cyclist started from Fayetteville, AR. Racers can choose to go either CW or CCW, but regardless of which direction you go there is still 1,037 miles and over 80,000 ft of climbing through the Ozarks and Ouachitas in NW Arkansas. Of the 20 that started only 7 finished, which in itself is a testament to the toughness of this route.

This was Ted's first attempt at an ultra endurance bikepacking event. He didn't have much experience bikepacking either, but that didn't stop him from signing up to tackle a very challenging course. Like many of you, I followed his dot closely to see if his wealth of experience in other disciplines of the sport would transfer over, or if the local Andrew Onermaa would be able to keep the crown away from King. In the end Ted would ultimately grit it out to win by beating out all previous FKT's, but for much of the race Andrew was on his heels never taking the pressure off. He recorded a video shortly after scratching that's worth watching. If you want to know how hard it is, this video scratches the surface of what it takes to compete at a high level against one of hell of a professional cyclist.

Ted, congrats on your FKT, welcome to bikepacking! I can't wait to see what you set your sites on in the future.

Ep. 60 - Aaron Chamberlain, Tour de Texas Nov 18, 2020

I caught up with Aaron 4 days after he finished becoming the *first person to circumnavigate Texas on a bike! In total he rode 3,014 miles in 58 days and he wrote weekly articles about his journey that you can read on Texas Monthly. In 2019 he rode every street in his hometown of Austin, TX, but towards the end of that project he started thinking bigger. Like the whole state of Texas bigger! In the fall he started planning a route, starting first by connecting towns that were about 60 miles away. By January he had a completed route and all he had to do now was convince his employer to allow him to do it!

Aaron's laid back approach to these endeavours is refreshing. No KOM chasing or FKT attempts here, just fun, maybe silly, reasons to go ride your damn bike!

*Maybe the second, but who's counting?

Ep. 59 - Erik Binggeser aka Truemarmalade Nov 13, 2020

Erik and I met at a Bikes or Death group bikepacking trip right before the world shut down thanks to a coronavirus. Since then he's been wholed up in his Austin apartment in lockdown. With some extra time stuck indoors he's been finding ways to stay active and engaged with the cycling community. Early on he rode 1,000 miles on his training in a month, then he gave himself a stick and poke tattoo, but his latest project really caught my attention, along with many of you I'm sure. You may have seen his animated film "Studio Ghibli Campout" featuring a bearded wizardy looking character riding through a Studio Ghibli Film. Erik is the creator and stars in the film that was made with the assistance of Alison Mae Bonham. It is a uniquely beautiful film that fills you with emotion. For me I watched with a tinge of somberness as it felt like Erik was reaching out to the cycling community and saying "I really wish I could be out riding with my friends, but here's a beautiful gift that I made from my apartment instead". I found myself longing for simpler times and looking forward to group rides again.

Like his film, Erik is a beautifully unique person and our conversation is a reflection of that. We talk robots, hacking, pokemon go, bikes, padded vs non-padded, riding with diabetes, and lots more good stuff.

Erik, it was great to catch up again, stay well my friend, and we'll ride again some day soon!

Ep. 58 - Chris Burkard Nov 03, 2020

Chris Burkard has become a personal source of inspiration for me and it was an honor to have him back on the podcast. He was first on way back at Episode 17 to tell us about his WOW Cyclothon Record that he set in 2019. That episode really fired me up and motivated me to push myself in more ways than just on the bike. Chris' passion for life is contagious and I highly recommend you go back and listen to ep. 17, although you don't need to listen in order to enjoy.

After setting an Icelandic record in 2019 he started on his next project, the first ever traverse through the interior of Iceland via bike! First means, he had to hire a cartographer to sketch out a route, then take some super jeeps out to test parts of it, and then convince a few friends to try it! Those friends were Pro XC racer Emily Batty, Eric Batty, and Adam Morka. You'll have to listen to hear how it went, but check out these pics to see the diversity of terrain they covered!

Shortly after he was back at it on a bikepacking trip in the Sierras with Lael Wilcox, Rue Kaladyte, and Erik Nohlin. This adventure included a 30ish mile pack-a-bike using custom made transformer packs that Erik designed specifically for this trip.

Routes and films are going to be published from these trips, but get a sneak "listen" now!

In this episode I also took the opportunity to talk to him about his successful photography career and work/life balance before we got into his two most recent bikepacking adventures. It's his ability to manage successful career, be an involved father/husband, and still go on these epic adventures that I'm really inspired by. It's not an easy path, so I was eager to find out some of his thoughts and perspectives. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

Ep. 57 - Talib Abdullahi, Black History Ride Oct 09, 2020

In July Talib Abdullahi created and organized a Black History Ride in Austin, TX. Motivated by the BLM movement he wanted to create a positive event that would both be education and fun. Originally, he was thinking it would be him and maybe 20 of his friends, but word quickly got out, and within a week he was leading his Black History Ride with 400ish cyclist in tow.

In August I met up with Talib and a few of our friends to ride the route and record a podcast. The format for this show is much different from past episodes. We met on his route at The Quickie Pickie and recorded an intro and then we stopped at various locations along the route and recorded segments at each one. This is just a preview of the route, you'll have to get on your own damn bike if you want to give yourself the full tour!

I believe it was in Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers" that he says, "The world is starved for leaders". Talib's actions shows what happens when you turn your passion into action. He lead a ride that he created and 400 cyclist showed up in support. Hopefully, many more people will do his route in the days and years to come. Follow THIS LINK for all the ride/route info, go Ride Your Damn Bike and learn something!

Talib, thank you for leading and being a positive example and helping to educate me and many others.

Ep. 56 - Patrick Farnsworth, host of BoD Sep 22, 2020

This week I'm in the hot seat as my friend Ryan ask me YOUR questions! He interviewed me once before on Ep. 8, but a lot has changed in 48 episodes and thanks to your questions we had plenty to talk about.

If you've been listening for a while you've probably heard me talk about my lack of expectations for the podcast. Not in a self-deprecating way, but in the way that you do something that you're passionate about for a community you love without expectations. I didn't tell anyone about the podcast or promote it outside of an obscure post on a small instagram account, but that didn't stop me from quickly realizing not only the popularity of Bikepacking, but the desire for these types of interviews and stories. Admittedly, there is a part of me that wanted this podcast to remain small and obscure. That part of me is insecure, self-conscious, and it can be riddled with anxiety and doubt, but I've tried my best to produce the show authentically and to the best of my abilities with the time and talent I have. In the process I've grown considerably as a person, and while I'm still not 100% comfortable in this roll and feel like I have so much to learn, I am ready to fully embrace this opportunity and take it to the next level.

In the past few months I have been working in the background to shift my focus on Bikes or Death from a hobby to a career. I will be announcing many new and exciting changes in the coming months, but for now I'm excited to share that for the first time ever I'm partnering with companies that believe in BoD and are equally committed to its success. I'm only partnering with brands that I dig and believe my listeners will benefit from, and most importantly aren't going to silence or censor the show in any way shape or form. We discuss this topic more in-depth on this week's episode, so give it a listen won't ya?!

This week's episode was supported by Rockgeist, who wants you to know about their monthly raffle benefiting organizations committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity in bikepacking and the outdoors. Learn more, and enter for your chance to win a CUSTOM Mudlust Framebag, at Rockgeist.com.

I'm also stoked to share with you my new favorite sunglasses from Goodr. When I lost my expensive ass sunglasses a month ago I sought out to find an affordable alternative that didn't sacrifice on quality or style, blah blah blah....sunglasses. Check out some of my favs at Goodr.com/BikesorDeath.

Ep. 55 - Dave Nice, aka Fixie Dave Sep 16, 2020

This weeks episode I chat with Dave Nice who is known on the interwebs as @fixiedave. His username gives away the fact that he rides fixie, but it says nothing about his completion of the Tour Divide in 2012 after attempting it 5 times before. I have to assume it takes a determined person to ride a fixie, but what adjective should I use to describe the determination of someone who takes on such massive route, fails 5 times, before ultimately accomplishing said goal?

Dave was originally inspired by John Stamstads 1999 ITT run on The Tour Divide. By the time that Ride the Divide was being filmed in 2008 Dave was there lining up for his 3rd attempt as many of us were just hearing about this race/route for the first time. He's been at this far longer than most of us. He went on to attempt the divide 5 times before finally completing the entire route in 2012 in 33d, 14h, 4m. Since then he attempted Route 66 fixed, but had to scratch after 1,863.

These days you'll find Dave working at Kids on Bikes in Colorado Springs where he is passionately working with kids to inspire the next generation of cyclist.

Dave doesn't own a car, he uses a flip phone, and rides fixed. Simple. I can dig it.

Ep. 54 - The SStrempkes, YoYo on The Colorado Trail Aug 26, 2020

Two things that intimidate me are the Colorado Trail and YoYo'ing the CT, but nothing kept Katie and Andrew Strempke from being the first people to Yo-Yo it. By the numbers they did a total of 1,080 miles, 140,000 ft of elevation gain, with maybe 200 miles or more of hike-a-bike, and one slumber party in a vaulted camp toilet. They completed it in 16d, 14h, 20m which is made more epic by the fact that they were both on Singlespeed!! Katie wrote an article for her blog that was published on Bikepacking.com that is well worth the read. In this episode we dive into important topics like "what is it with bikepackers and sleeping in toilets?". Have a listen for this inspiring story and many more.

One of my favorite takeaways was Katie's mantra "Growth>Comfort". Stay uncomfortable my friends, nothing great was ever accomplished in an abundance of comfort.

Ep. 53 - Sofiane Sehili Aug 20, 2020

At this point Sofiane Sehili needs no introduction. Three days ago Sofiane finished the French Divide in 1st place and with a New Course Record to boot. After his impressive 1st place at the Atlas Mtn Race earlier this year he was looking forward to a busy and successful race year, but then Covid happened. When some restrictions were lifted he wasted no time signing up. In June he raced the Hope 1,000 and took 2nd, the following month he lined up at the Three Peaks Race and was able to take 2nd again. He went into the French Divide 10 days after coming off Three Peaks. In case you aren't counting, that's THREE ultra events in the same number of months. The fact the he even completed all three events is impressive enough alone. When you take into account his results, it is truly a remarkable achievement. I think it's worth noting that he is also just a damn nice guy who (as you will hear) isn't shy to bring attention to his competitors and highlight their achievements as well. Class act all the way around and I'm so stoked he's on team bike.

Ep. 52 - Cinthia Pedraza Aug 13, 2020

Cinthia Pedraza calls Austin, Texas home. Some recent experiences in her hometown led her to write an article titled "Bike Racing, White Privilege, and the Coronavirus" that was published on The Radavist. As you can imagine she was praised by some and targeted by others. Personally, I'm grateful for her willingness to share her perspective on a touchy subject when the world feels poised to cancel anyone who expresses opinions that don't align with their own. My platform seeks to be an antidote to this and instead wants to be a safe place for people to share their stories and perspectives. It is through these conversations that we can learn, grow, and help to inform our own opinions. I applaud Cinthia for taking the initiative to share a hard thing, on a sensitive topic, that is directed to HER cycling community.

A nod to John Watson, of The Radavist, is in order as well. As you'll hear, when Cinthia wasn't able to get her article published, she put it on her instagram account. John got wind of it and asked if he could publish it on his site, and the rest is history....

Ep. 52 - Cinthia Pedraza Aug 11, 2020

Cinthia Pedraza calls Austin, Texas home. Some recent experiences in her hometown led her to write an article titled "Bike Racing, White Privilege, and the Coronavirus" that was published on The Radavist. As you can imagine she was praised by some and targeted by others. Personally, I'm grateful for her willingness to share her perspective on a touchy subject when the world feels poised to cancel anyone who expresses opinions that don't align with their own. My platform seeks to be an antidote to this and instead wants to be a safe place for people to share their stories and perspectives. It is through these conversations that we can learn, grow, and help to inform our own opinions. I applaud Cinthia for taking the initiative to share a hard thing, on a sensitive topic, that is directed to HER cycling community.

A nod to John Watson, of The Radavist, is in order as well. As you'll hear, when Cinthia wasn't able to get her article published, she put it on her instagram account. John got wind of it and asked if he could publish it on his site, and the rest is history....

Ep. 51 - Lewis Ciddor Aug 03, 2020

In this week's episode I do my first "colab" podcast with Lewis Ciddor who not only won Tour Divide in 2017, but is also the host of the Overland Archive Podcast. We come to the podcasting world with different experiences and perspectives which I think are both valuable. I was excited to chat with him about his personal history with cycling and of course his 2018 TD win. It was made particularly interesting because I had just interviewed Bailey Newbrey who was the 2018 TD Second Place finisher and he was on a SingleSpeed.

Admittedly when you get two people who are relatively new to the podcasting world, and still trying to figure it out, there will be a fare amount of nerdery being discuss.

Honestly, Lewis offered to edit this episode, so I haven't even heard it yet. Coupled with a bad memory, I don't remember everything we discuss. I do remember having a great time and felt like it was one of the more conversational podcast that I've recorded. That's probably due to the nature of us both being host and taking turns asking questions.

Thank you Lewis for the chat, and I hope everyone enjoys listening as much as we enjoyed recording!

Ep. 50 - Leo Rodgers, One Leg :: Zero Excuses Jul 28, 2020

Episode 50 is coming in hot! Today's episode is with the charismatic, inspirational, and rowdy Leo Rodgers! He's made a splash in the cycling world recently with features in Bicycle Magazine, a Lucas Brunelle Film, and most recently signed with Crust/Ronsbikes/Ultradynamico factory PRO recreation TEAM. The attention is well deserved. When a motorcycle accident left him without a leg he reconnected with his childhood passion, bikes. The missing limb hasn't slowed him down and if you go ride with him he'll tell ya "don't worry I'll wait for you". As the Para Track 200m TT world record holder he can back it up! But he's not just at home on the track, he transcends all cycling cultural boundaries. Is he a roadie, track racer, gravel racer, tall bike FIXIE enthusiast, commuter? He's all of that, but mostly he's a man with a passion for the bike lifestyle that he promulgates with enthusiasm at every opportunity.

His story is a reminder that there are people who do more with less and they don't make excuses. Everyone will face challenges in life, no one is exempt, and those challenges will define the person that we become.

This was a really fun interview and I was stoked to get a little bit of Leo's time and bring a bit of his story to you. Happy listening, now go ride your damn bike!

Ep. 49 - Mike Dion, Ride the Divide turns 10! Jul 22, 2020

He didn't invent the Great Divide Route or the Tour Divide Race, but Mike Dion quite literally brought awareness to both with his 2010 film Ride the Divide. Many bikepackers I've met, including myself, credit it with their own journey into this new way of exploration. 10 years later, his film is still relevant as people are finding it for the first time and getting inspired with their own sense of wanderlust.

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary Mike is throwing a party and we are all invited. Most of the cast, crew, and athletes from the film will be online and taking your questions. There will be a live screening of the film with the option to listen in to the behind the scenes chatter amongst the cast and crew. If that wasn't enough, I will be hosting the live Q&A and moderating the conversation. To find out more and buy tickets click here (if you're seeing this on social media go to bikesordeath.com and click the RTD10 Party hyperlink at the top of the page).

Tune in to the podcast, get stoked, and join us online on August 2nd!

Ep. 48 - Bailey Newbrey, owner of Sincere Cycles Jul 01, 2020

I got to meet up with Bailey Newbrey in his new-ish shop, Sincere Cycles, on a recent trip to Santa Fe, NM. Bailey made a some noise in 2018 when he finished the Tour Divide in second place overall on a Singlespeed! We chat a lot about his 2016 and 2018 Tour Divide runs and his reasoning behind running SS. He also makes some bold predictions towards the end of the podcast that is worth sticking around for.

Sincere Cycles calls an old bar home which gives it a cool vibe right off the bat. His workstation is behind the bar where he serves up some of the finest bike knowledge and experience that money CAN'T buy. We talk about how is business fits into the Santa Fe scene and what some of this plans are for the shop. Of course, we talk covid-craziness as well.

It was a true pleasure getting to meet up with Bailey in his shop. It gave me a chance to see him interact with customers and use his experiences to inform suggestions. He clearly has a passion for what he is doing which is made easier by creating a bike shop that is tailored to his interest and expertise. I love it when people take their passions and figure out a way to make them a "job" too. I wish him all the success both in his new shop and in upcoming races.

Ep. 47 - James Mark Hayden Jun 12, 2020

James Mark Hayden came on the ultra endurance bike racing scene in 2015. Since then he's been putting down some incredible performances, winning the Transcontinental Race twice, shared 1st place at the Italy divide, getting 4th at Silk Road even though he was robbed by men on horses during the race, and most recently he finished 2nd at Atlas Mountain Race to Sofiane who came in only 4 hours earlier.

All of this he accomplished while finishing up his degree at university. Guess what? School is over, no more distractions, and James is on a mission to be a professional ultra endurance bike racer. What does that look like? We talk about it on the show.

When racing starts again James is going to be one of the guys to watch. Check out his instagram @jamesmarkhayden where he post tons of great knowledge about his training and related topics.

BLACK LIVES MATTER Jun 12, 2020

Friends, we can no longer be silent. Being a non-racist is not enough, we need to be anti-racist and create the change that is so desperately needed. Please listen to this message about what Bikes or Death, and I, are doing and how you can help.

Ep. 45 - The First Timers May 13, 2020

This weeks episode features four first time bikepackers and students of Jerod Fosters Adventure Media class at Texas Tech University. Many of you will probably be familiar with this course from past interviews, but for the uninitiated it is a college course that teaches students how to capture more adventurous type media. As an example of the type of media they produce check out a couple of videos that students produced from last years trip to Big Bend Ranch SP: Video 1 | Video 2 (if you're reading this on social media visit bikesordeath.com).

Unfortunately for this years class their BBRSP trip was cancelled 3 days before due to Covid-19. However, they did get to train for, prepare for, and participate in a bikepacking trip to Caprock Canyon SP. So on this episode we talk to four "First Timers" on preparations, fears, experiences, and lessons learned. I'm excited to release this episode because as this sport continues to grow more and more people are being inspired to get out there. Hopefully hearing experiences from other beginners will help to inspire and encourage others that I read to go out and explore the world on a bike.

My guest today are Taylor Plate, Nejahla Hopkins, Colton Rohrbach, and Kolby Donnell. Their experience going into this course ranged from None to Some and their stories range from inspirational to humorous. I've seen first hand the transformation bikepacking can have on someone when they are introduced to it for the first time. I hope this episode will inspires others to go outside and get a little lost on their bike.

Ep. 44 - Pepper Cook, Your Pal Behind the Puns Apr 22, 2020

Pepper Cook is a legend in the bikepacking and touring community. She's known for her witty puns, quirky humour, and almost a decade of epic solo bike trips. I got to meet her at last years Bikepacking Summit where she was a presenter. I've been a fan of her for a long time and listening to her masterfully tell stories around a campfire goes down as a highlight of my life. She is as engaging and funny in person as you may imagine.

The day before we recorded this episode she made a heartfelt post on instagram about some of her personal struggles with happiness and mental health. On this episode we unpack some of what precipitated that post and really shed light on the dichotomy between social media and what's going on in a person's real life. We also discuss the value bike travel has had on personal journey with mental health. These are important topics and I appreciate Peppers willingness to openly discuss some hard topics.

We also discuss her recent sponsorship with Salsa Cycles, her nomadic lifestyle and recent move to alaska, as well as her most recent solo trip on the Baja Divide. Enjoy!

Ep. 43 - Jerod Foster, adventurous Husband and Father Apr 15, 2020

I’m excited to have Jerod Foster back on the podcast, he was first on as my 3rd guest. On that episode we discuss his career as a Professor at Texas Tech University, where he teaches a class called Adventure Media. In this class he takes 16 student bikepacking and gives this real world experience capturing content in wild places. I was fortunate to go on one of these trips and see first hand the impact that this course has on the students who chose to tackle it. If you’d like to hear more about that I suggest you go back and listen to episode 3 where we discuss this and much more.

As I got to know Jerod better I started to admire him for another reason, his ability to have an adventurous life and career, while still playing an active role in his family. As a father I know the challenges of taking young kids outside and immersing them in nature, I also know the benefit. I believe it is an important role as a parent, but it’s not always easy. I hope you’ll enjoy this episode on being an adventurous spouse and parent as much as I did. Jerod shares some real heartwarming stories and already has me planning my first bikepacking adventure with my girls.

Ep. 42 - Mark McGraw, GranGravel 500 (unofficial) Winner Apr 07, 2020

On March 19th at 5:00am Mark McGraw lined up at the start line of the "unofficial" GranGravel 500 Race along with two others. The official race was cancelled due to COVID-19, but that didn't stop these guys from lining up to take on the course, the elements, and potential resupply closures at key points. The forecast called for lots of rain that would make many of the roads unrideable. Despite that Mark still was able to finish in 66 hours (2 days, 18 hours).

When he was only 80 miles from the finish I drove out to snap some pictures and cheer him on, by this time he was the last man standing and it was raining. However, I was happy to see that his spirits were high and his legs still pushing strong.

I'm bummed that I wasn't able to participate this year, but it was a joy to get to chat with Mark about his race. I learned some things that I hope I get to put into action next year.

The GranGravel 500 was created by Billy Rice. It starts and finishes in Bryan, TX (my hometown) and takes you through 500 miles of East Texas gravel, through two National Forest, and by countless country churches and cemeteries. Maybe next year I'll see you at the start line?!

Ep. 41 - Emma Flukes, a scenic trip to Hell Mar 31, 2020

Emma Flukes doesn't shy away from a challenge. In fact, she seeks them out and seems to thrive there. She is the brainchild behind the twisted, grueling, unsanctioned, unsupported, route described as "a scenic trip to Hell", and known as Tassie Gift. In Nov. of 2019 she and a handful of other lunatics set out to test themselves in some truly unprecedented weather making the 1,100 miles and 125,000 ft. of climbing even more challenging. As I followed along as a dot watcher and instagram stalker I was surprised and impressed by Emma's attitude, she seemed completely unphased by any of it, and at some times seemed to thrive. After the race we started chatting about recording a podcast, but it took several months (my fault) before I was able to peel back what was really going on behind the veil of instagram.

A month ago she participated in and took second at the Vic Divide. She chatted with the creator of the race Lewis Cidor on his new podcast Overland Archive. Her telling of the race was much less dramatic that one may expect, but I won't ruin the surprise here. You gotta listen.

I'd recommend that you check out her instagram profile @oneflukeshot before you listen to this one. It's actually pretty insane and will add context as you listen.

Ep. 40 - Jenny Schmidt, bikepacking along the Border Mar 23, 2020

In this episode I meet up with Jenny Schmidt at Rocky Hill Ranch to ride bikes and record a podcast. She had just completed a solo bikepacking trip along the US/Mexico border from California to Texas. For her this trip was about grappling with her own mental health and an opportunity to learn first hand about the issues surrounding the border and the wall.

When we recorded this episode on Feb. 25th we had no idea that when she flew back to her home state of Washington that she would soon find herself in the epicenter of America's battle with the Coronavirus. As I listened to this episode it was eye opening to realize what a different world we were living in only a month ago. It was actually refreshing to remember back to that day and relive the simplicity of going for a mountain bike ride with new friends, recording an episode in @vanordeath, and then going out to a restaurant for tacos. All of those things are on hold now as we hunker down and wait.

I've been reflecting on how connected we ALL are. This virus has shown that the actions of one man in Wuhan, China can have a huge impact on the entire planet. In this case, it is a negative impact, but it's opened my eyes to the realization that we really are in this together, that our actions do matter, that one person can make a difference. There is so much we can't do right now you may feel helpless, but I'm encouraging everyone to realize how impactful their actions are and to be mindful of what you do and how you treat people and our environment.

I am going to take advantage of this "down-time" by recording and releasing as many episodes as I can. The Bikes or Death Podcast: NOT CANCELLED.

Ep. 39 - Drew Echelberger, I rode here from Kentucky Mar 10, 2020

Drew Echelberger is a 29 year old adventure cyclist, writer, glassblower & rapper from Louisville Kentucky. The eccentric aspiring novelist, & travel show host has been making & hiding marbles all across the country throughout the course of the 37,000+ Miles (over 1.5 x around the planet earth) 30 states & 3 countries he has pedaled though solo & self supported over the past 5 years.

Two weeks ago he celebrated 1,000 days on the road since last leaving home. Last month I had the pleasure of sitting down with him on a camping trip to hear him read some poetry, do his best Johnny Cash impression, ramble on about bicycle advocacy politics, “Leaving Monday”, sensory deprivation tanks, secret beaches, sky islands, & many other obscure rabbit hole bike related tangents. He describes his trip as “If Anthony Bourdain & Hunter S Thompson went on a bike tour, this would be it”.

Later today he will release the clues to a newly hidden marble in honor of his 1,000 days on the road, & in a few weeks he will host a “How To Do A Bike Overnight” presentation on behalf of the Adventure Cycling Association. Follow along on his profile @NightmareTheRustyRobot to stay up to date on all latest & most recent adventures he’s got cookin up in the Austin area for now & in anticipation for that faithful Monday when he finally does get back out there on that long open road. Rumor has it this time he’s heading for the Caribbean.

•My Website: IRodeHereFromKentucky.Com •Instagram: @NightmareTheRustyRobot#IRodeHereFromKentucky https://www.instagram.com/nightmaretherustyrobot/? •Facebook- Bike Travel: “I Rode Here From Kentucky” https://www.facebook.com/IRodeHereFromKentucky/ •Facebook- My Glass Art: “Echelberger Glass Art” https://www.facebook.com/Echelberger-Glass-Art-1856929101187778/ •Facebook- Marble Hunt: “Worlds Biggest Marble Hunt” https://www.facebook.com/groups/1701482663452819/?ref=share •YouTube: Rap Song Music Video “Dr. Dundiff & Friends - State Of The Art Remix feat. Jim James” https://youtu.be/ggOtCFZ4zoc •Strava Interactive Heat Map (to see every wrong tune I’ve ever made all 37,000+ miles of them): https://www.strava.com/athletes/645781/heatmaps/15f1f818#3/27.35231/-94.68742 •Strava Athlete Profile: “Drew Echelberger” https://www.strava.com/athletes/645781 •Warmshowers/Couchsurfing: “Drew Echelberger” •Article I mentioned about flotation therapy: https://www.irodeherefromkentucky.com/blog/2018/10/26/sensory-deprivation-flotation-therapy •Full Gear Breakdown: https://www.irodeherefromkentucky.com/bike

• Other Featured Articles (not written by me): http://louisvilledistilled.com/2018/01/09/cyclist-drew-echelberger-journeys-hip-hop-u-s-sightseeing-mission/ https://www.adventurecycling.org/sites/default/assets/resources/20181201_OpenRoad_CaplanidesPoore.pdf

Ep. 38 - Kerry Staite is kLite Mar 04, 2020

I'm excited to release my second interview with Kerry Staite, Chief "Mad Scientist" at kLite. Kerry is a forward thinking guy with perspectives that will make you go mmmmmhhhhh. If we are starved of anything in today's world its authenticity, but not today, not this episode, and especially not Kerry Staite. Hold onto your headphones, this one's coming in hot.

Ep. 37 - Katie & Henley Phillips, alone across Australia Feb 25, 2020

Katie Visco is fresh off a 2,200 mile, 119 day run across the Australian outback, but she didn't do it alone. Her support vehicle was a Surly Troll loaded down with all the food, water, and provisions they would need to make the traverse. This "Monster Bike" was powered by her husband, Henley Philips, making this the first anyone has ever ran across Australia complete supported by 100% human power.

You can find out more here:

Www.katievisco.com @katievisco @henley.phillips

Ep. 36 - Scotti & Ernie Lechuga, ARHCR FKT holders Feb 19, 2020

I had the pleasure of interviewing Scotti and Ernie Lechuga in Little Rock, AR on my way to ride a portion of the AR High Country Route. Brannon Pack who works for Fayetteville recommended them as a great interview to get a feel for what I had to look forward to. I went into this interview completely blind to their background as professional road cyclist. I was planning to talk to them about their FKT they set on the High Country Route and get some pointers, but as their story unfolded I found myself with an endless list of questions and an increasing interest in knowing all about what lead them to bikepacking. What unfolds is one of my personal favorite episodes. They are equally impressive on and off the bikes and I truly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know them better. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

You can learn more about them and their coaching business at LeborneCoaching.com. Also, check out the video documenting their ARHCR FKT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jyWi7lpyRs

This years Arkansas High Country Race takes place in Fayetteville on June 6th. Registration opened on Feb. 15th and there are only 24 spots left (at the time this was published). I hope to see you there! Bikes or Death will be there for a couple of days before the start conducting interviews, hanging out with you fine folks, and rolling out on the start with you. If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast and are competing in the race please send me an email at bikes@bikesordeath.com.

To register CLICK ME

Ep. 35 - A Visit to the High Country, Previewing this year's High Country Race Feb 11, 2020

Y'all know I love me some Arkansas, so when Brannon Pack called me with an "idea" to give me a guided tour on a part of the High Country Route I started packing my bike bags.

This is the second year for the Arkansaw High Country Race which will start and finishes in Fayetteville, AR for the first time. The race is based on a route that was created by Chuck Campbell in partnership with the Adventure Cycling Association and covers 1,035 miles through the northwestern portion of Arkansas, including the Ouachitas and Ozarks. Last year 20 people registered for the inaugural race, but this year I'd like to see all 50 spots sold out when registration opens! Listen to this episode, get stoked, and set your alarms for 8am CST on Feb. 15th when registration for this years race goes live!

The race kicks of on June 6th and Bikes or Death will be there to cover the event, meet the racers, and ride out with you on the official start. We will also be selecting two participants (male and female) to interview prior to and after the race. If you'd like to through your name in the hat, first register, then send me an email at bikes@bikesordeath.com.

Ep. 34 - Jolene Holland on womens racing Jan 28, 2020

As a follow up to the last episode with Roger Gilles, where we discussed his book Women on the Move about women's racing at the turn of the century, I asked Jolene Holland if she would be willing to come on the show to discuss women's racing now.

Jolene has been cycling for the past 10 years and now rides for Colavita as a Cat 1 racer. She is also the creator of Ultra Violet Racing Team, which focuses on helping bridge the gap for women in bike racing. Her enthusiasm for competitive bike racing and getting other women involved really shines through as you listen to her. Another focus is FUN, she says if you ride with her there is a good chance a bike ride will be followed by a beer (or three) which has led to your friendly neighborhood strip club in the past.

There is no one right way to ride a bike or be a member of this community. Jolene is a great example of someone who finds joy in all types of cycling and is working to make the sport more inclusive and FUN for everyone.

The topic of women in sports is larger and more complex than than can be adequately covered in an hour long podcast. I appreciate Jolene's willingness to discuss this topic and share some of her own perspectives and experiences as a female bike racer in 2020.

Now, go ride your damn bike!

Ep. 33 - Roger Gilles author of Women on the Move Jan 14, 2020

In this episode I interview Roger Gilles, author of Women on the Move: The Forgotten Era of Women's Bicycle Racing. I originally became interested in this book when a documentary I was watching (called Bicycle) mentioned a bike racer by the name of Dottie Farnsworth. As a Farnsworth myself, and knowing that it is an uncommon name, I knew there was a good chance I was related to her.

My mom happens to be a genealogist, so I put her to work on the lineage while I started my search to track down everything I could find out about Dottie Farnsworth. As it turns out there was very little out there, but I did find some pictures and other bits of information floating around on the internet.

Dottie Farnsworth

Shortly after I started my search, Roger released his new book Women on the Move featuring Dottie as one of the main characters, along with many other equally fascinating women. What started as a search to find out more about a distant relative turned into a eye opening journey that paints a picture of a time period in our sport that I was completely unaware of.

The book covers a 7 year period from 1985-1902 when women's endurance cycling races were at an all time high in America. The women who dared to race were truly pioneers, pushing the boundaries of not only what everyone thought was physically possible, but also the clothing and social norms of the time. They truly had to fight on and off the track to pursue their goals, and what they accomplished is truly astonishing.

We all owe these women so much, but I hope women in particular will find inspiration in these stories of courage and athletic accomplishments that took place only 120 years ago.

Ep. 32 - Alana Rose Parent, 16 year old bikepacker - Be Inspired Jan 06, 2020

At the age of 14 Alana was introduced to bikepacking through The Anchorage GRIT Program put on by Lael Wilcox and Cait Rodriguez. If you've been following along you have probably heard Lael's version of meeting and getting to know Alana, and now you get to hear from the young lady herself.

As a seasoned bikepacker at the age of 16 she has already completed a 1,000+ mile trip in Alaska and a tour of the Pacific Coast and she's done both SOLO. Check out this episode to learn more about those trips, what she loves about bikepacking, and her plans for the future!

If you'd like to support her in her adventures, Alana has an Etsy Shop were she sells bike art jewelry she made herself.

Ep. 30 - Bikepacking Summit Series - Ultraromance Dec 04, 2019

You don't schedule an interview with Ultraromance. The universe must align in such a way that your paths cross and you may find yourself sitting down with the most mythical personality our sport has ever seen. In this exclusive interview I ask the questions you've been dying to know like, "What's your name?" and "Do you take showers?". Find out his answer to these and many more in this ultra episode of the Bikes or Death Podcast.

Follow him on Instagram (ummm just in case you don't already)

You can find the products we discussed on the show on his website www.ronsbikes.com and his new tire corporation www.ultradynamico.com

Ep. 29 - Bikepacking Summit Series - Lael & Rue Nov 21, 2019

At the Bikepacking Summit I had the honor of sitting down with Lael Wilcox and Rugile Kaladyte (Rue) in their first interview together. After they found themselves in the middle of drama on the Tour Divide this year it was nice to chat with both of them to hear their thoughts on riding and documents bikepacking events. Personally, I'm grateful for what they are trying to do through documenting this great sport that we love. Inspired to Ride spurred a new generation of bikepackers and Tour Divide participants, myself included. I am grateful for the efforts they have been making to tell the stories of events like the Tour Divide or the Navidad 1000. Those stories inspire and inspiration leads to more people on bikes and that's something we should all be rallied around.

Having been fortunate enough to spend time riding, socializing, and interviewing both Lael and Rue I have seen first hand their love for this sport, the community, and their desire to share these stories in the most respectful way possible.

Yesterday Pearl Izumi launch Rue's new film I Just Want to Ride documenting Tour Divide 2019. It is worth a watch and then a rewatch. How cool is it to be able to watch the dots, see some social media post from time to time, and then watch a film about the event and see first hand some of the conditions and challenges that the riders were facing only five months ago!? Thank you Lael and Rue for keeping the course in the face of adversary. As you will hear on this episode there is nothing easy about documenting an event like this and to do it under such scrutiny from the community you love added a whole new level of difficulty. The new film is a beautiful look into the lives of the ultra endurance riders we love and the routes we aspire to ride. I look forward to future projects and more content like this. Maybe in the future people will put down their keyboards and go ride their damn bikes!

Ep. 28 - Bikepacking Summit Series - Kate Gates Nov 12, 2019

Kate Gates is one of the owners of Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Getaway in Ellijay, GA, the venue for this year's Bikepacking Summit. Their property is located in the southern Appalachian Mountains of northwest Georgia and is surrounded by National Forest, gravel roads, and cycling friendly trails. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that their facility is an oasis for cyclists and outdoors people.

The proprietors of this family owned and operated business are a large part of what makes Mulberry Gap so special. This is very much a family business. Grandmas are LITERALLY in the kitchen whipping up some of the best homemade southern comfort food your hungry little heart desires. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the coffee and cold beer as both are a necessity to most.

Their hospitality neither starts nor ends with the food, but it's a good place to get your attention. The true magic of the place comes from the top down. Everyone who runs this facility loves what they do, the community they do it for, and the people involved on an individual level. Just add awesome cyclists and hot damn you've got yourself a party!

Thank you Kate and Andrew Gates (and their families) for hosting such a great event and making each of us feel welcome in your home.

Ep. 27 - Bikepacking Summit Series - Joe Cruz Nov 03, 2019

Joe Cruz is a powerful and incredibly insightful person, which surely stems from his background as a professor of philosophy at Williams College and his decades of bikepacking and bike traveling all over the world. Additionally, he is an editor at large for Bikepacking.com.

Joe was the opening presenter on Friday morning at the Bikepacking Summit this year. What we as the audience experienced was a powerful lesson in fear, our understanding of it, and our relationship to it. Joe's understanding and relationship with fear is probably deeper than most of our own. It's the kind of relationship you have after spending three decades traveling the world via bicycle. He would tell you, any moments of fear he experienced are greatly outnumbered by the good, positive, and wonderful experiences. So how do we look at fear in contrast to these amazing experiences? I'll let Joe tell you in his own words.

This interview was very impromptu. I had just finished recording with Greg Hardy and had a small window before my next interview. Joe's stellar presentation had put him on my radar for a possible interview. So when I looked around and saw him chatting with some fellow attendees I took the opportunity to have him share some of this presentation with you.

I wish you could have been there on Friday morning to hear his presentation, to see the emotion in his eyes, and to feel that emotion reverberate through the room. If you weren't able to be there I hope you will get a taste of what we all experienced through this podcast.

Ep. 26 - Bikepacking Summit Series - Greg Hardy Oct 29, 2019

On Oct. 27th 2018 I sat down with Greg Hardy of Rockgeist in his shop in Asheville, NC to record the first ever Bikes or Death podcast. What has transpired since that day can only be described as a whirlwind. On that day I started a journey that has taken me further than I realized possible or likely. However, here we are a year later and I'm sitting down with my friend Greg again.

On this new episode we share some thoughts about the Bikepacking Summit, catch up, I ask some follow up questions to our first episode, and of course we talk shop! And he's got some juicy stuff to share!!

Greg is offering a 10% DISCOUNT CODE to all BoD listeners. Use the promo code BIKESORDEATH at check out on Rockgeist.com and watch those dollars just fade away.

Ep. 25 - Bikepacking Summit Series - Miles Arbour Oct 22, 2019

Like most modern friendships, I linked up with Miles Arbour through Instagram. Miles is the one responsible for putting together a Q&A article that appeared on BIKEPACKING.com after my first six episodes here at Bikes or Death, sending a surge of new listeners my way… an article I’m still stoked about.

Miles is a writer and editor at BIKEPACKING.com, reviewing products and bikes, managing the events calendar, and working directly with the small team that handles the site’s daily tasks. He’s also a funny dude who is just as goofy in person as he is on Instagram.

On this episode, we sit down at the 2019 Bikepacking Summit to learn more about him, van life, and his work with BIKEPACKING.com. As an added bonus, shortly after the summit Miles came to visit me in College Station, Texas to record the intro and outro for this episode, and we debrief the Summit a little further.

We both hope you’ll get a good laugh during this episode. We sure did.

Ep. 24 - Kurt Refsnider Sep 13, 2019

Getting to talk to Kurt Refsnider was a true pleasure. His achievements on and off the bike are quite impressive and my conversation with him left me feeling inspired, hopeful for the future of our public lands, and also a little like I could be doing more!

I caught up with Kurt after his win at the Colorado Trail Race. This is a race that he hasn't had good luck with in the past, but this year everything came together for him to claim first place. In doing so, he became the first person to achieve the Triple Crown of Bikepacking, which means that he is the first person to win the Tour Divide, AZT, and CTR. Let that sink in for a second.

In addition to his accomplishments on the bike he is also running Bikepacking Roots, a non-profit focusing on important issues that can and will impact land use and access among other things. The work he and his team are doing is invaluable to us as a community and I encourage you to listen to the podcast and then go to BikepackingRoots.org to become a member and take action on the items they present to the members.

Kurt is a leader on and off the bike and I truly enjoyed his time and what he was able to share.

Ep. 23 - Rebecca Vader, The Freedom Tour Sep 03, 2019

Rebecca Vader set off on her bike a little over two months ago on what she called The Freedom Tour. She didn't have a destination in mind, just a bike and her adventurous spirit. On this episode we learn where that combination leads. She has a unique approach to life that is refreshing on some level and intimidating on the other. Our conversation had me looking inward to check in with myself at different times during the chat.

I didn't know anything about her (except what I saw on instagram) before our interview. However, I quickly realized I was talking to a different type of human, one that finds her own path in her own way. As you'll hear that doesn't mean life is perfect or easy, but you already knew that. You will hear some great quotes like, "Wait! You are telling me there is a bike I can ride anywhere I want?!?!" and "I just went to fucking life school"!

After our talk Rebecca sent some great pictures that really give a sense of what her tour was like. If you want to put visuals to the words in this interview, check out some of Rebecca's pictures here.

I love talking to all the different personalities that make up this great sport. There are so many ways to recreate and participate and they are all good. It's up to you to find our own path....maybe you can steal some ideas from Rebecca....

Ep. 22 - Kerry Staite, the "Mad Scientist" at kLite Aug 22, 2019

Kerry Staite is the owner and founder of kLite. I've been a customer of his for a couple of years and have followed him on social media (@klite_dynamo_power on Instagram) with growing curiosity. It was this post that made me reach out to him immediately:

"This is ME, I am kLite I wear no shirt of social conformity. I wear no hat to hide my hairless shame I am flesh and blood, I am free to be me. I am kLite" ~ Kerry Staite

I pictured him as a mad scientist inventing cool electronic gadgets that are beyond my ability to comprehend. While I do still see him as a mad scientist type, he does an excellent job of explaining his products and how they work.

After interviewing him for two hours I can confirm the statement he made in that Instagram post, "I am free to be me." He shared his ideas and perspectives without hesitation or fear of any backlash. It was refreshing.

It was also informative. He is a wealth of bike and life knowledge that has come through a lifetime of experiences. I learned a lot and truly enjoyed our conversation.

My favorite quote from the podcast was, "I don't give a shit if all I have is a bag of rice. As long as I get to do something I love that makes me happy."

We will be recording another episode in the near future. If you have some questions for Kerry drop them in the comment section below and I'll get you answers!

Ep. 21 - The Girls of GRIT Aug 15, 2019

On this episode I chat with Anna Claire Beasley and Beckie Irvin, creators of Grit Fest: a women’s mountain bike festival going down this November in Arkansas. The three day festival is open to womxn (cis, trans, and non-binary) riders of ALL levels and will focus on skill development, community building, outdoor advocacy and education. The schedule is packed with workshops and clinics, speakers, social events, a gear swap, camping, beer, and more.

Bikes or Death is proud to support Grit Fest as a sponsor, and I’m excited to have these two awesome women on the show to tell us what it’s all about.

Beckie and Anna Claire share a passion for mountain biking and a commitment to inclusivity that really shine through in this interview. I couldn’t agree more with their philosophy that it doesn’t matter what bike you have, what you wear when you ride, or whether your gear is basic or fancy. As their website says: “It’s not about the gear, the kit, or the bike. It’s about the ride + where it takes you.”

In addition to Grit Fest, we also touch on plenty of other interesting topics: the psychology of how different genders learn in sports, the importance of inclusivity in the world of cycling (“If you have a bike, and you ride it, you’re a cyclist”), and the unexpected popularity of women’s ultra-endurance cycling races back in the early 1900’s. If that caught your interest, here's a link to the book we talked about: Women on the Move, the Forgotten Era of Women’s Bicycle Racing.

Grit MTB Festival details: Nov. 15-17th, 2019 Tickets go on sale Aug. 19th at 9am CST Spots are still available for sponsors, vendors, and presenters.

To learn more, visit www.gritfestival.com or check out gritmtbfestival on Instagram.

“Grit Fest is a 3-day grassroots festival designed to bring womxn (cis, trans, and non-binary) together around the sport of mountain biking. Regardless of skill level, every woman is welcome. In addition to helping you develop your skill set, Grit Fest will focus on building community, outdoor advocacy, and education.”

Ep. 20 - Vince Colvin, CHUMBA USA Aug 07, 2019

On this episode I meet up with Vince Colvin, co-owner of Chumba USA, at his home in Austin, TX. Before recording the podcast he built up a couple of his bikes SS and we went out to shred some trails and eat tacos. We had a great convo and it was cool to ride bikes and talk bikes with the owner of this rad company.

www.chumbausa.com

Photo by Cass Gilbert @whileoutriding in Ecuador

Ep. 19 - Tomas Quinones, life and death in the Oregon Outback Aug 02, 2019

Imagine you are on an extended bikepacking trip in the high desert. It's the middle of the summer and the middle of nowhere when you see an elderly man lying across the road. You don't know how long he's been there, where he came from, or how long he has left to live.

This is the situation Tomas Quinones found himself in on July 18th when he found Gregory Randolph lying on the road in The Oregon Outback.

@adventuring.bike

www.adventuring.bike

Ep. 18 - Billy Rice, Talkin Tour Divide 2019 Jul 24, 2019

Even before the Tour Divide started this year there was drama on social media. On this episode Billy Rice and I discuss some of the topics. Billy was actually at the Brush Mountain Lodge during some of the speculation, he is also a 6 time vet of the Tour Divide, and has been filmed for Inspired to Ride. Who better to add some dialogue to what I'm calling The Drama Divide.

Ep. 17 - Chris Burkard Jul 08, 2019

With 3.4 million Instagram followers you likely know Chris Burkard. He is one of the world's most prolific adventure photographers, known for going to extremes to get "the shot". However, what is less well known is his passion for Cycling. This past year Chris started training for a 844 mile race that circumnavigates Iceland called WOW Cyclothon. He had an incredible race managing to set a new course record by 3.5 hours! And remember, he's just doing this in his spare time for fun! In this episode I catch up with Chris after his historic race in Iceland and before he set off to Russia for a few weeks. We mostly talk about his race and his passion for cycling. It was a great chat and I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did.

WOW Cyclothon Article about Chris Burkard Strava Stats from the race

1719 was a job with CLIFF bar in Nicaragua, specifically at Magnific Rock. The trip was done in collaboration with Surfing For Life do build a school here in Nica. Our job was to document it to support a social media push in January.

ATHLETES: FOREST SHEER, PETE DEVRIES, ABBY BROWN

Ep. 16 - Alexandera Houchin Jul 03, 2019

Hours ago Alexandera finished the Tour Divide as the first place female finisher. In doing so she became the first woman to win the TD in back to back years and she did it on a SINGLE SPEED! She also beat the previous SS record by over a day! Beyond her athletic achievements she is a superb human with a remarkable story.

I got to chat with her at CHUMBA headquarters days after she finished the DKXL and right before she embarked on this years Tour Divide. We talk about her 2018 win, the DKXL, and we shed light on her personal struggle with an eating disorder and how she overcame those obstacles to become one of the best endurance cyclist and a two time Tour Divide winner!

Alexandera is not on social media...like AT ALL, but she has a wonderful blog that I encourage you to check out: Alexandera's Blog

A big thanks to Vince Colvin at CHUMBA for making this happen!

Ep. 15 ~ Sofiane Sehili, Tour Divide 2019 Jun 27, 2019

I chatted with Sofiane Sehili via skype 4 days after he scratched from the Tour Divide after being in the lead. I give him an opportunity to tell his story and address some of the comments and accusations that were made about him. I enjoyed chatting with him as much as I enjoyed watching him race.

Ep. 14 - Hal Russell, "Living Legend" Jun 25, 2019

It was a true honor to sit down with Hal Russell on the back porch of his Missouri home. At the age of 70 Hal is continuing to push the limits of what we believe humans are capable of. As I type this he is on the Great Divide route for the 6th time! Equally impressive is that he didn't even start cycling until he was 57. His athletic accomplishments are accompanied by a big smile and humility that he has become well known for.

Ep. 13 - Jan Bennett, creator of the Pony Express Route Jun 18, 2019

In this episode I sit down with bikepacker Jan Bennett in the dining room of my home. Among other achievements, Jan recently finished scouting and developing the Pony Express Trail, an epic 2200+ mile bikepacking route from Missouri to California. Jan has a vast a wealth of knowledge and experience in regards to bikepacking and she is always happy to share!

Find her on instagram @wunderlustbybike

Ep. 12 - Benjamin Johnson, "Admissions of an Amateur Bikepacker" Jun 10, 2019

Meet the man behind, and in front of, the lense of his new film Admissions of an Amateur Bikepacker. First watch his film (link below) then take a listen as we talk about his trip, his why, and what he hopes people will take away from this film.

ig: @outsideandseek website: www.johnsonstudios.cofilm: https://vimeo.com/groups/outdooradventures/videos/322932114

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ig: @bikesordeath fb: facebook.com/bikesordeath patreon: patreon.com/bikesordeath email: bikes@bikesordeath.com

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intro/outro music Eric B. Is President by Eric B. & Rakim

Ep. 11 - Thomas Adams, The Dirty Kanza Edition Jun 04, 2019

This is the story of a man who dedicated himself to one thing and put everything he had into it. His story is not without trials, nor is it without victories. Without giving anything away, I'll leave it there and Let Thomas tell his story. Some of the things we talked about were Singlespeed gravel racing, Fixed gear gravel racing, LandRun100, and Dirty Kanza, and his new woodworking business, Maker and Racer.

ig: @thechacobandit and @makerandracer website: www.makerandracer.com

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ig: @bikesordeath fb: www.facebook.com/bikesordeath patreon: www.patreon.com/bikesordeath email: bikes@bikesordeath.com

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intro/outro music "Eric B. is President" by Eric B. & Rakim

Ep. 10 - Lael Wilcox May 28, 2019

On this episode I sit down with Lael Wilcox in Bentonville, AR. Lael is one of the most accomplished ultra endurance bikepackers on the planet today. Her accomplishments are beyond impressive as is her humble and down to earth personality. She is currently riding her bike to Emporia, KS for the start of the DKXL. You can keep up with her @laelwilcox on instagram.

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ig: @bikesordeath fb: facebook.com/bikesordeath patreon: patreon.com/bikesordeath

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intro/outro music - Eric B Featuring Rakim - Eric B For President

Ep. 9 - Chuck Campbell, creator of the AR High Country Route May 20, 2019

In this episode we find out what happens when you mix a good-ol-boy from Arkansas, $100,000, and a passion for cycling and the outdoors.

Chuck on Facebook Adventure Cycling Association Route Bikepacking.com Article/Route AR High Country Race

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ig: @bikesordeath fb: https://www.facebook.com/bikesordeath/ patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bikesordeath

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intro/outro music Eric B. is President by Eric B. & Rakim

Ep. 8 - Patrick Farnsworth, host of Bikes or Death Podcast Apr 30, 2019

In this episode the tables are turned as my friend Ryan interviews me for my own show.

ig: @bikesordeath fb: facebook.com/bikesordeath patreon: patreon.com/bikesordeath

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music: by Eric B. & Rakim, Eric B. is President

Ep. 7 - Chris Stevenson - Touring Across America Apr 17, 2019

Ever since I learned that the Southern Tier route passed through a small town in Texas only 18 miles from my house I've had my eyes open for an opportunity to host a tourer at my home. That opportunity came about a month ago when I noticed someone on Instagram was on the route and headed my way. That someone is Chris Stevenson. I picked him up in Navasota, TX, we ate bbq, told stories, fixed his bike, recorded a podcast, and sent him on his way with the best of intentions.

You can follow Chris on instagram @chriss1974

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ig - @bikesordeath fb - facebook.com/bikesordeath patreon - patreon.com/bikesordeath

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intro/outro music - Eric B. Is President by Eric B. & Rakim

Ep. 6 - Anna Claire Beasley - Bikepacker Apr 10, 2019

Anna Claire, or AC as she may be more well known by, is a one of a kind human with wisdom and experience beyond her years. She is a bikepacker, traveler, adventurer, wilderness first aid certified, community activist, and photographer. Her latest endeavor is a women specific mountain bike festival in Fayetteville, AR.

email: annaclairebphotography@gmail.com

ig: annaclairebeasley

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ig: @bikesordeath fb: www.facebook.com/bikesordeath/ patreon: www.patreon.com/bikesordeath email: bikes@bikesordeath.com

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intro/outro music Eric B. is President by Eric B. & Rakim

Ep. 5 - Tom Hughes and Indiana Schulz, Ultra Endurance Cyclist Apr 03, 2019

A day after Indiana Schulz (1st place) and Tom Hughes (3rd place) finished the GranGravel 500 I got to sit down with them and talk about the race, their equipment, and endurance bike racing. Both of these guys are incredible athletes and humans and we had a great conversation chalk full of bikepacking goodness.

Indiana Shulz doesn't do social media

Tom Hughes is on ig as @onetontom and fb as Tom Hughes

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ig: @bikesordeath

fb: www.facebook.com/bikesordeath/

patreon: www.patreon.com/bikesordeath

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intro/outro music: Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B is President

Ep. 4 - Indiana Schulz, Ultra Distance Cyclist Mar 05, 2019

Indiana started his Ultra Distance Cycling "career" in 2017 and he quickly started making waves.

2017 American Trail Race (ATR) - 2nd place 2018 GranGravel 500 - 1st place *Course Record 2018 Trans Am - 2nd place 2019 GranGravel 500 - 1st place

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ig: @bikesordeath

blog: www.bikesordeath.com

patreon: www.patreon.com/bikesordeath

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intro/outro music: Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President

Ep. 3 - Jerod Foster, Travel and Conservation Photographer Jan 04, 2019

Jerod Foster is a Travel and Conservation Photographer, Professor of practice at TTU, and he takes his students bikepacking! He is also developing two bikepacking routes that we discuss and you'll want to hear more about!

www.jerodfoster.com

ig: @jerodfoster

YT video his students made of their trip to Big Bend Ranch State Park - https://youtu.be/I2astb4hr1Y

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ig: @bikesordeath

blog: www.bikesordeath.com

patreon: www.patreon.com/bikesordeath

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intro/outro music: Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President

Ep. 2 - Billy Rice with Invictus Dec 11, 2018

In this episode we talk about everything from bikepacking the Tour Divide to health and wellness. Billy pulls back the curtains and tells us about his person journey in bikepacking and some insights into his coaching methods.

www.invictuscycling.com

billy@invictuscycling.com

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ig: @bikesordeath

blog: www.bikesordeath.com

patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bikesordeath

Ep. 1 - Greg Hardy with Rockgeist Nov 06, 2018

In this episode I sit down with Greg Hardy, owner of Rockgeist. I interviewed Greg in his shop and we had a great conversation ranging from owning a business to finding time to get away and ride.

Rockgiest - https://rockgeist.com/

Coupon Code "bikesordeath" at checkout for a 10% discount on your order!

s24o Route we discussed on the show - https://rockgeist.com/roll-call/

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ig: @bikesordeath

blog: www.bikesordeath.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bikesordeath