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The 2025 Gravel Ride Holiday Gift Guide: Tools, Gear & Wellness Every Rider Will Love Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

This week on the show, Craig rolls solo for a special 2025 Gravel Ride Holiday Gift Guide — a curated list of the gear, tools, apparel, and wellness upgrades that have genuinely made a difference in his riding this year.

From multi-tools that saved a ride on Mt. Tam, to suspension stems that smooth out rough descents, to merino layers that work year-round, and even at-home blood testing that helps older athletes stay healthy — this list is built from real-world use, real stories, and real benefit.

Whether you're buying for a cyclist in your life, or you are the cyclist in your life, this guide captures a range of thoughtful gifts across all budgets.

Products featured:

Wolf Tooth — 8-Bit Pack Pliers, Color Shop accents
Redshift Sports — ShockStop Pro Stem, Arclight Pro Clipless Pedals
Pinebury — Merino Wool Tee
Topeak — JoeBlow Floor Pump, Digital Mini Pump, Torque Ratchet Set
Dynamic Cyclist — Stretching & Strength Program (THEGRAVELRIDE - 10% off)
MTB Hopper — Core Balance Board
Rhythm Health — At-home blood testing (Use my code VGVSY1GY for $20 off)

Affiliate links may be used at no additional cost to you — they help keep the podcast rolling. Thanks for supporting the show!

Rallying Across Europe: Inside the Aurora Gravel Adventure Series Oct 24, 2025

Show notes

Exploring Aurora's unique multi-day rally format and the people bringing gravel culture to Cyprus, Switzerland, and Portugal. This week, we're heading overseas for a new kind of gravel adventure. The Aurora Gravel Rally Series blends the spirit of exploration with the thrill of competition — taking riders across stunning landscapes in Cyprus, Switzerland, and Portugal. Craig sits down with Fiona, Race Director for the Portugal event, to unpack what makes the Aurora Gravel format so special. From timed rally segments to all-inclusive multi-day experiences, Fiona shares how Aurora is redefining what it means to race and travel on gravel. Expect insights on: How rally-style racing works and why it opens gravel to more riders The cultural flavor of each European stop — from the Mediterranean to the Alps Aurora's vision for balancing community, challenge, and discovery What makes Portugal a hidden gem for gravel cyclists If you've ever dreamed of combining racing with real adventure, this one's for you. Links Mentioned: 🌍 Aurora Gravel Website 🔧 Logos Components – Fall Super Sale (Sponsor) Credits: Hosted by Craig Dalton Produced by The Gravel Ride Podcast Transcript: Craig Dalton (00:29) Today's episode is brought to you by our longtime friends at Logos Components, who are making their award-winning wheels more accessible than ever, with discounts up to 40 % in their entire lineup during the fall super sale, now through November 2nd. If you're a regular listener, you may recall an episode I did with Logos co-founder and longtime podcast contributor, Randall Jacobs, talking about what makes a great wheel set. If you haven't heard it, it's definitely worth a listen, especially if you're in the market for new wheels. In that episode, Randall laid out Logos' core philosophy. Start with proven open standards and non-proprietary parts for unmatched durability and serviceability. Then push the boundaries with advanced materials, precision manufacturing to achieve high strength at impressively low weights. Logos wheels feature famously reliable dual spring star ratchet, engagement mechanism, mixed modulus layups for superior strength to weight ratio, tough molded in bead hooks on road and gravel rims for tire security, and brass nipples that won't corrode, seize, or fail like their aluminum alloy counterparts. Every detail is meticulously engineered for performance, versatility, and longevity. Logos wheels are so good that BikePacking.com named them gear of the year. and Pink Bike's Dario DiGuglio liked his review wheels so much he purchased them. These wheels are seriously reliable too. Logos backs every wheel with a lifetime warranty and a lifetime no fault incident protection program that even transfers to future owners. So yeah, they've got you covered for life. And if you don't believe those professional reviewers accolades, maybe you'll believe my story. I've been riding Logos wheels for years now. In fact, my daily 650 wheel set that I absolutely hammer on Mount Tam on my gravel bike is of course manufactured by my friends at Logos. Head on over to LogosComponents.com to explore the full lineup, including recent additions like their next generation EPOCHE G2 and G2SL gravel wheels and the JIDA G2SL XC race wheel. Remember the logo Super Sale wraps up on November 2nd. So head on over there now and make sure to tell Randall and the team that Craig sent you. Now onto the show. Craig Dalton (02:51) This week we're heading overseas to talk about a new kind of gravel adventure, the Aurora Gravel Rally Series. Born out of the idea that gravel racing should be equal parts challenge and exploration, Aurora takes riders to stunning destinations around Europe, including Cyprus, Switzerland, and Portugal. Today I'm joined by the race director for the Portugal event, who will share how the series came together what makes their rally format unique and stand out, and why these races are much more than about watts. They're about community, culture, and the ride of a lifetime. So grab your bottles and settle in. This one's gonna be a fun one. With that said, let's welcome Fiona to the show. Craig Dalton (03:31) Fiona, welcome to the show. Fiona (03:32) Hi, thanks so much for having me. Craig Dalton (03:34) Good to see you. What time is it in Portugal? Fiona (03:36) It is currently 4.40 in the afternoon. Craig Dalton (03:39) Okay, well I appreciate you spending a little bit of your late afternoon with us today. Fiona (03:43) I appreciate you getting up early to speak with me, but we've made it work. Craig Dalton (03:46) Yeah, we sure have. I'm excited to talk about the Aurora Gravel Rally Series. I knew it was going to be a tongue twister for me, but it's such a cool event. Events, I should say, three events in one. So why don't you give us just a high-level overview of the series, and then we can talk maybe about the founder and his vision, and we'll get into obviously each of the three events in some detail. Fiona (03:54) Hahaha Sure, yes. So this is a brand new series. Next year, we're going to have three events. The first one's going to be Cyprus, the second one ⁓ Switzerland, and the third one Portugal. And it is a gravel rally series. So it has a rally format ⁓ to the races. They're not all the same length. They're all multi-stage. So for example, Cyprus and Portugal are both five days stages, ⁓ Switzerland's two days. ⁓ But in amongst all those stages, there's timed sectors. So the difference between, I guess, quite a lot of other ⁓ gravel races and ours is that we're all about having that mixture between kind of fun riding and Craig Dalton (04:44) Okay. Fiona (05:02) really fast riding and it's kind of the competitive element as well. So yeah. Craig Dalton (05:07) Okay. So that might, in the U S we might think of that as segment based racing, probably most well known in the grind, Doro series around the world. So just to kind of put a fine point on it for those who don't necessarily haven't participated in any of those events, only certain segments of the course are timed, which means you can do whatever you want during the other segments. If you want to. Fiona (05:12) Sure. Mm-hmm. Craig Dalton (05:33) Wait up for friends, you want to stop and have snacks, you want to ride with a group. You can go as fast or slow as you want in those intermediary parts of the race. And then when you get to a time segment, if you're motivated in that way, you can just go after those bits. Fiona (05:48) Exactly. Yeah, you've described that perfectly. That's exactly how it is. And it's such a cool way to organise an event because like you said, you could be there with your friends who might not be the same standard as you. You can still race your race and get to the beginning of a segment and be like, okay, let's go. I'll see you at the end. And you do your thing. They do theirs. And then you carry on together. ⁓ as well as giving everyone opportunity just to see the landscape, see what the culture is. You could even stop for a coffee. We've got some cool ⁓ feed station ideas that are a little bit different that are gonna be coming out soon as well. And yeah, I just think it'll be a little bit more than your normal average race that we've seen. Craig Dalton (06:36) And can you talk a little bit about why you chose that format? there a reason like logistically or was there other reasons why you wanted to do a rally based event? Fiona (06:46) Great question. It was the founders ⁓ idea, so Julien, ⁓ he came up with this idea and we've run with it because we completely agreed. There's a number of good reasons why it works well. First of all, I think it naturally attracts a wider range of participants and we didn't want to immediately go straight into just ⁓ being a very competitive elite race. So we really did want to attract ⁓ maybe newcomers to the sport, people that would maybe find it quite a challenge to ride, you know, up to a hundred K and maybe a little bit more on some stages on gravel. So to make it seem achievable for them, ⁓ logistically, it is a lot easier to manage a segmented race because as you can imagine, when you've got a not river crossings, road crossings, or you're going through a village, you're not having to try and police that in the same way as you would with people coming through full gas. ⁓ So in terms of the health and safety, it makes it generally a little safer. The segmented sections we've organized so that they have no road crossings. They're very safe even in terms of the gravel. So they're not too technical on those sections too. So people can really go hard without it feeling like it could be dangerous. And then, yeah, you have the chance to put the course to places you wouldn't put a race actually. So through the most interesting little villages and tiny streets where you'd wanna go slow and take your time and just look around. So yeah, those are the multiple reasons and I think it's gonna be really popular. Craig Dalton (08:19) Okay. Got it. The other thing that might be slightly different than other events that we've had on the show before is that each of these, as you mentioned, is a multi-day event. So can you talk why that was important? And then we'll take a little bit of a detour and go back to Julianne and his background in the original vision. Fiona (08:50) Sure, yeah, definitely. ⁓ multi-stages, it just seemed to make sense because if you're already flying to a different country and in the case of Cyprus, you're flying to an island, which takes some logistics to get to anyway, it just made sense to have it as a multi-tay event to make the most of having made that effort to get there and really showcase the best of that country. ⁓ And Julien really wanted to put in this all-inclusive style of racing where, you know, the airport transfers are there, the hotels and the accommodation, the food are all there. So it really feels like a proper holiday as well as a race. And you're looked after for multiple days. You don't really have to think too much. Craig Dalton (09:40) Yeah, yeah, I think that was the most interesting thing to me as I started thinking about it after Julianne reached out to me was, you know, I've professed many, on many occasions that I really love the idea of gravel travel. And certainly if you're fortunate enough to get on a plane or drive to an event in somewhere you're not calling home, you want to experience all there is to offer. And quite often when you go to a one day event, maybe you do a Fiona (09:52) Mm-hmm. Craig Dalton (10:06) a shakeout ride one day, but it's quite brief. And then you do the event and you're completely knackered and you don't get to experience it. Whereas this is a really neat hybrid between, you know, gravel cycling holiday where you're just on a tour. You get a little bit of racing, but you still, as you described in the rally series, get sort of a tourist opportunity as you're riding through those villages because there's not, there's not. Fiona (10:19) Mm-hmm. Craig Dalton (10:31) a ton of pressure to be first to the line. It's really about those rally stages. Fiona (10:34) Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. You've hit the nail on the head. It's precisely why I think it's a great format. And I also think as well, for those that are competitive and want to really push themselves, the rally style and the segment style lend for quite an interesting race because you've got... you know, maybe certain segments you might think of that segment I'm going to do great on because it's a hill, you know, or this segment's a little bit more technical. I'm going to be good on this one. And you'll be able to rank and then re-rank yourself as you go through the race. You've got multiple opportunities to kind of like win because you might even take a segment win. You might take a stage win. You might get the overall win or, you know, any combination of those. So it just, it allows for... Craig Dalton (11:19) Yeah. ⁓ Fiona (11:24) real interest every day and looking at the leaderboard and I don't know it will be fun to follow I think as well. Craig Dalton (11:31) Yeah, yeah, absolutely. There's gonna be riders who are good on one day and not good on the next and recover. I think that's some of the fun parts about stage racing in general. Fiona (11:37) Totally. Yeah, 100%. 100%. Craig Dalton (11:43) Let's take a step back and talk about Julianne, your colleague, and he was the founder of the series and the original visionary. So why don't you talk a little bit about him and maybe what he's bringing to the table to make this first year series a success. Fiona (11:47) Mm-hmm. Yeah, definitely. So Julien reached out to me at the beginning of this year. He's Swiss based in Switzerland. ⁓ And he has been running events of all kinds since he was very young, ⁓ including an ultra distance race in Switzerland over a couple of days. ⁓ He He owns a bike shop too. ⁓ I believe really that event organization is his real forte. It's evidently his passion now since working with him for the last few months. He is incredibly organized. He's very, very nice. He's a very strong rider himself too. He's actually also come from motorsports, which is really cool. But he's just a great guy, full of energy. Yeah, like I said, easy to work with. very organized and he has put so much effort in already to get the website up and running, which is looking amazing. That was launched a couple of weeks ago. ⁓ an eye for detail. And I think that will be really shown in the events that are coming through next year. Craig Dalton (13:07) And do you have an understanding on why he chose to do three events this year? Obviously the Swiss one makes sense being in his backyard, adding Cyprus and Portugal to the mix. Fiona (13:13) Yeah. Yeah, I asked him about this at the beginning and I think he felt like if you're to do something, let's do it properly. The idea of a series was a lot more interesting to him than just doing one standalone event. There's more reach in terms of the sponsors, the partners, the people involved. It can just end up as a bigger operation, which I think is his vision. We could end up with more events also in 2027. I know he's got ideas, which he hasn't shared with me, but he said there's some secret, exciting ideas for 2027. So I think we can expect some cool news on that front as well. But he's got big vision. He doesn't want to do just one race. I think he wants a great series that is going to leave its mark on the gravel community. And in terms of the locations, I also asked why Portugal and why Cyprus? And I think he felt like ⁓ with the way that the market was going and where people wanted to explore naturally, ⁓ there was no one doing these races in either country. Whereas we already have quite a few races in Spain, for example, there's quite a few in France, ⁓ and he just wanted to be the first mover. So. when he realized that there was no one here specifically in Portugal, he just wanted to be the first one here. So he just thought, go hard or go home, I guess. Craig Dalton (14:51) Now, when we use the word series, is it a requirement that riders participate across the series? ⁓ Fiona (14:58) No, no, no. I think, I believe there's benefits to if you do enter more than one, there's discounts, ⁓ but no, it's a standalone, you can enter one or enter all. Craig Dalton (15:13) Yeah, it sounds like the idea of the series is that this is a vis…

Full show notes at the publisher

Crafting Adventure: The Outer Shell Bag Company Story Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

In this conversation, Craig Dalton and Jim Santos delve into the origins and evolution of Outer Shell, a cycling bag company based in San Francisco. They discuss the Bay Area's coffee culture, the shift in cycling trends towards comfort and convenience, and the thoughtful design and material choices that set Outer Shell apart. Jim shares insights into their product line, warranty policies, and the challenges of scaling production while maintaining quality. The discussion also touches on unique products like the Magic Musette and Pico Pannier, highlighting the brand's commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction.

Takeaways:

Outer Shell started as a response to a local coffee culture in San Francisco.
The company was founded by Kyle, who has a background in mechanical engineering and a passion for cycling.
Sewing allows for creative freedom in product design compared to other manufacturing methods.
Cycling trends have shifted towards comfort and carrying more gear for enjoyment.
Outer Shell aims to be the second or third bag purchase for customers, focusing on quality and design.
The materials used are rugged and designed for durability, with a focus on repairability.
The company offers a lifetime warranty, emphasizing customer service and product confidence.
Production is done in-house, allowing for quick adjustments based on customer feedback.
The brand explores unique colors and patterns, often inspired by current trends.

Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Bay Area Coffee Culture

05:03 The Birth of Outer Shell Bags

09:56 Shifting Trends in Cycling Gear

13:53 Product Line Overview and Design Philosophy

20:19 Material Choices and Warranty Insights

27:45 Scaling Production and Future Plans

32:41 Unique Products: Magic Musette and Pico Pannier

Lost & Found: The Singular Cycles Story with Sam Alison Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

In this special "lost episode," I sit down with Sam Alison, the founder of Singular Cycles — a UK-based brand that's been quietly ahead of the curve since 2006.

Sam shares how his journey from Australian shop rat to UK-based frame designer was shaped by a lifelong love of bikes, and how his early experiments with 29ers and drop bars paved the way for what we now call gravel bikes. We talk about his iconic models like the Swift, Peregrine, and Griffin, the rebirth of Singular with titanium offerings, and his philosophy on timeless design, frame material, and rider-first geometry. Whether you've seen a Singular bike roll by and thought "what is that," or you're just curious about the origins of modern gravel geometry, this conversation is well worth the listen.

🔧 Topics we cover:

Sam's early days in Australia and the 90s MTB boom
What inspired the first Singular frame Drop bars on MTBs and the road to 29ers
Why steel (and now titanium) still matters
Designing for versatility without compromise
Thoughts on "gravel" as a category — and where we go from here

🚲 Learn more about Singular: https://singularcycles.com

📸 Follow on Instagram: @singularcycles

Beyond Aero: How KAV is Reinventing the Bike Helmet from the Inside Out Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

Craig welcomes back Whitman Kwok, founder of KAV Helmets, to talk about the launch of their latest high-performance helmet, the Rhoan. They dive into the evolution of 3D-printed custom helmet technology, the bold move to open a new U.S.-based manufacturing facility in Buffalo, and how pro rider feedback helped shape the future of bike safety and performance. From tech talk to trail stories, this episode is a must-listen for gearheads and gravel cyclists alike.

keywordsKAV Helmets, 3D printing, custom helmets, helmet technology, cycling safety, helmet design, manufacturing, aerodynamics, crash replacement, cycling gear summaryIn this conversation, Craig Dalton speaks with Whitman Kwok, founder and CEO of KAV Helmets, about the evolution of the KAV brand, the innovative technology behind their custom 3D-printed helmets, and the recent launch of the Rhoan helmet. They discuss the challenges and successes of expanding manufacturing operations to Buffalo, the importance of aerodynamics and ventilation in helmet design, and the rigorous testing and safety standards that KAV Helmets adheres to. Whitman shares insights into the company's mission to provide confidence and safety for cyclists, as well as their unique crash replacement policy. takeaways

KAV Helmets custom makes helmets using 3D printing technology.
The process involves taking a single photo to create a custom fit.
3D printing allows for innovative designs not possible with traditional methods.
KAV expanded its manufacturing to Buffalo for better efficiency.
The Rhoan helmet was designed for both aerodynamics and ventilation.
Testing involved extensive wind tunnel analysis for validation.
KAV Helmets has a one-time crash replacement policy for safety.
The company adheres to high safety standards beyond regulatory requirements.
KAV Helmets aims to provide confidence in cycling activities.
The customization options allow users to express their creativity.

titles

Revolutionizing Cycling Safety with KAV Helmets
The Future of Custom Helmets: KAV's Journey

Chapters 00:00Introduction and Background of Kav Helmets 02:00Custom 3D Printing Technology 04:19Advantages of 3D Printing in Helmet Design 08:17Expansion and Manufacturing Journey 13:22New Manufacturing Facility in Buffalo 16:40Launch of the New Rhoan Helmet 18:22Innovative Design Features of the Rhone Helmet 22:32Innovative Helmet Design and Air Fit Suspension 24:58Aerodynamics and Wind Tunnel Testing 26:59Balancing Aesthetics and Performance 30:45Customization and User Experience 33:00Collaboration with Professional Athletes 34:38Crash Replacement Policy and Safety Standards 36:05Testing Standards and Internal Validation 40:10In-House Testing and Product Development 42:18The Evolution of Helmet Design and Safety Features 42:38New Chapter

Conquering the White Roads with Trek Travel: A Thrilling Gravel Experience at Strade Bianche Gran Fondo Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

Join host Craig Dalton and Trek Travel's Rich Snodsmith as they take you on an exhilarating journey through the heart of gravel cycling in Italy. In this episode of The Gravel Ride podcast, they share their recent experience at the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo trip organized by Trek Travel. With over three decades of friendship, these two avid cyclists reminisce about their chance meeting at the Lugano Cycling World Championships in 1996 and their shared passion for the sport. Throughout the episode, Rich and Craig discuss their incredible adventures, from vintage bikes at L'Eroica and witnessing the Strade Bianche professional bike race, to participating in the challenging 140-kilometer Gran Fondo alongside 7,000 other riders. They also share their encounters with pro cyclists and the camaraderie of the Trek Travel group. If you're looking for an immersive and unforgettable gravel cycling experience, this episode will inspire you to find dirt under your wheels and explore the breathtaking landscapes of Italy. Topics discussed: Introducing the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo trip with Trek Travel Riding an international Gran Fondo Experiencing the energy and spectacle of professional bike races Meeting pro cyclists and gaining insights into the sport Challenges and rewards of gravel riding in Italy Stunning scenery, castles, and brick towns on the route The supportive and well-organized nature of Trek Travel trips Exciting plans for future cycling adventures Full Transcript: Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:00:03 to 00:00:33 Hello and welcome to the Gravelride podcast, where we go deep on the sport of gravel cycling through in depth interviews with product designers, event organizers and athletes who are pioneering the sport. I'm your host, Craig Dalton, a lifelong cyclist who discovered gravel cycling back in 2016 and made all the mistakes you don't need to make. I approach each episode as a beginner to unlock all the knowledge you need to become a great gravel cyclist. This week on the show, we welcome Rich Snodsmith from Trek Travel. Rich is one of my oldest cycling friends. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:00:33 to 00:01:00 We met over 30 years ago, actually, in Italy. As you'll hear from our story, Rich and I were recently in Siena in Italy for the Strada Bianchi Gran Fondo trip. With track travel, we were able to watch both the professional bike race as well as participate in a 140 kilometer mass start. Gran Fondo across the white roads, the white gravel roads of Siena. Fantastic trip. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:00 to 00:01:10 I can't wait for you to hear more of the details. With that said, let's jump right into the show. Hey, Rich, welcome to the show. Hey, Craig, good to see you. Thanks for having me on. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:10 to 00:01:36 Yeah, absolutely. You and I just shared a magical experience on the roads and trails of Italy, which is the purpose of you joining this call. But you, you and I have a rich history, no pun intended, of cycling experiences in Italy. That's right. We met randomly in 1996 at the Lugano Cycling World Championships and have stayed friends ever since. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:36 to 00:01:51 Yeah, fortunately I. I eventually moved to San Francisco a few years later. So we were able to ride together, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, we were able to ride together for. Gosh, it's hard to believe it's three decades at this point, which is crazy to think about. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:01:51 to 00:02:14 My end of our Lugano story was I was working in Italy and my colleague, who we both know, Jeff Sanchez, said to me, going to go to the World Championships and oh, by the way, we have to go pick up Rich. He's going to be at the Duomo in Milan on the way. Pre cell phones, be there at 5:00. Don't be late. Yeah, exactly. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:02:14 to 00:02:34 So super fun to finally go back to Italy together. Obviously, we've been riding on the roads and trails of Marin county for a long time, but to finally have the stars align on this trip was fantastic. Yeah, it was great to get out there and do that again. We also saw another World Championships together in Richmond, Virginia. That's right, yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:02:34 to 00:02:40 The thing for the World Championships, you've. Seen a few and we've got a future one. I Think in our plans, right? Oh, yeah. Montreal 2026. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:02:40 to 00:02:55 Let's go. There we go. See you there. So this, you put the idea of this trip in my mind probably December of last year. And the trip, to be specific, because I don't think we've mentioned it, although I probably mentioned it in the intro. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:02:55 to 00:03:09 Is the Strada Bianchi professional bike race trip with Trek Travel. Was it me that put it in your mind? I was asking you where you were going to go. I thought you. I thought you convinced me, but I was down as soon as you suggested it. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:03:11 to 00:03:52 It's interesting. Obviously, we're on a gravel cycling podcast and this is sort of a. A hybrid trip almost because we're road riding, but we're riding on the Strada Bianca, the white roads of Tuscany outside Siena. And for those listeners who are fans of both professional road racing and gravel cycling, I think Strada Bianchi is the race that gets us most excited because we see the coverage, we see the professional road riders riding on gravel, and the visuals are just awesome. And they're kind of like what we experience as gravel racers and riders routinely. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:03:52 to 00:04:19 But so cool to see all the pro bike teams go through and participate in the event. So I was super stoked, obviously. I'd been on a Trek Travel gravel tour in Girona a couple years prior, so I'd had that experience with Trek, but this is the first kind of pro bike race enabled tour that I'd ever been on. Yeah, I mean, it's really interesting to blend those things together. I mean, you being more of a gravel rider, me being more of a road rider. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:04:20 to 00:04:59 But the last few trips I've taken with Trek Travel have been gravel trips. You know, getting out there and trying new things, trying the Vermont trip, trying the Dolomites last year, this was just a really cool experience to put like my fandom of the road cycling and racing world along with this, like, almost instant classic. The race has only been around for 20 years and it's like, become a real fan favorite. Yeah, I was, I was looking up some of the history of the race and I didn't realize that it started out with Laroica, which is a. An event that many people have heard about where you ride vintage bikes on this course. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:04:59 to 00:05:18 And the professional bike race emerged. So the loraca started in 1997. In 2007 is when the professional bike race emerged. So it's interesting. And obviously being in that region and riding in that region, we saw signs of Loraka all over the place, right? Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:05:18 to 00:05:38 Yeah, we Even ate at the Laroica Cafe. That was incredible. Yeah, exactly. And I came home with a Loracha sweatshirt as well. And then the, the, the cool thing, and we probably failed to mention it at this point is there's the Gran Fondo the day after, after Strada Bianchi, which was awesome. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:05:38 to 00:05:59 So we actually get to go on a 140 kilometer rides. A ride on the similar roads as the professionals. Yeah, it's not the full men's road course, but it's pretty close to the women's road course and we cover all the last, you know, climbs, you know, that the. Both the men's and the women's race covered. That was really cool. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:05:59 to 00:06:21 Especially after seeing them finish the day before and then going out and riding those roads, seeing where Poga crashed and then, you know, doing that last 20k of climbs is just bananas, beautiful and hard. It was pretty rewarding that ride. I can't wait to get into that details a little bit more of the event later. I did. I'm. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:06:21 to 00:06:46 As I'm speaking, I misspoke because I have been to Europe once before around the Tour of Flanders and did the Tour of Flanders grandson do, which I noted. And in speaking to the Trek travel guides, you've got a series of awesome trips that month in Flanders of a similar vein. Right. You do have Perry Roubaix and. Or a Flanders trip. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:06:46 to 00:06:57 Yeah. You can choose the whole Holy Week, you could do both Flanders and Roubaix or you can break it into chunks and do one or the other. So it's. Yeah. If you're a pro race fan, that's a nice companion to Strat Bianca. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:06:57 to 00:07:10 The. The Flanders Roubaix ultimate weekend or ultimate week there. And then one of the highlights of the year, presumably for Trek travel is your Tour de France tours. For sure. We take over a couple hundred people there every year. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:07:11 to 00:07:19 We do usually do five or six trips through the Alps and the Pyrenees. It's. That's a pretty exciting one too, if you've never been to the Tour. For sure. Yeah. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:07:19 to 00:07:45 Well, let's talk through the trip a little bit that we participated in because I think it'll give people a flavor. I've talked about my, my experience with track in Girona and my general love of gravel travel. But more extensively, I love traveling by bike and having these experiences because it's just, it's just so much fun. So we start off the trip, it's a pretty quick trip relative to some others because in a five day timeline. Right. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:07:45 to 00:08:01 So we flew over. You'd Already been in Europe, but I flew over to Florence and met you the night before. And day one, we basically just get picked up by our guides and head on over to Siena, which is about an hour and a half away. Yep. And then the bikes. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:08:01 to 00:08:21 Yeah, straight onto the bikes. And the beauty of. The beauty of this trip and all the truck travel trips is they've got bikes already set up for you, so you send your measurements and if you want to ride your own saddles or pedals, you can, you're welcome to bring those, but they'll basically get it dialed. And that. That first day, I think we went for maybe an hour and a half shakeout ride just to see how the bike. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:08:21 to 00:08:31 30 miles. Yeah, yeah. And how many people were in our group. We had 19 with us and then three guides. Okay, so is that pretty typical on these pro bike? Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:08:31 to 00:08:46 Sort of. They tend to sell out. They're pretty popular. And guests will go back and forth between the Strada Bianca or. I think quite a few of the guests or folks that were on our trip had done the ultimate Holy Week trip before with Flanders and Roubaix and some had done the tour as well. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:08:46 to 00:09:03 Yeah. It was pretty fascinating talking to some of the men and women on our trip to learn just how many trips they had done with you guys. Yeah, it was neat to like show up and kind of already have the camaraderie of. A lot of the guests on that trip had been with Nick or Viba or Gio on previous trips. So they were. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:09:03 to 00:09:21 There was already sort of a built in fan base there. Yeah. And I suppose it's. I suppose it's the nature of this type of trip, but I felt like everybody in the crew was quite competent on the bike and there were some people who were faster than us, some people slower than us, but everybody was mostly faster. Yeah. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:09:21 to 00:09:25 There's an impressive riders on this trip. It was pretty, pretty great. Yeah. Yeah. And the. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:09:26 to 00:09:45 And the guides were equally impressive both, you know, across the week. Just getting to know them personally, seeing their fitness. A, but B. And more importantly, they're just understanding of all the sectors and the roads that we'd be riding and their, their love of Strada Bianchi. Yeah, the knowledge and passion for the race was definitely evident. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:09:45 to 00:09:57 It was pretty cool. Yeah. So we got a shakeout ride on the Monday or, sorry, on the first day of the trip. Yeah. And then the second day we went a bit longer and kind of got our first real look at some of the. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:09:57 to 00:10:19 The white roads. Yeah, we think it was a 50. It was a nice lead up to the Fondo because it was like a 30 mile day one, a 50 mile on day two, which was pretty challenging. It was, but not like back breaking. And then we went to the race to view the race viewing day, which was like a gentle 30 miles before the Fonda, which was kind of a nice way to structure the week. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:10:19 to 00:10:42 Yeah. When I think when I first looked at that mileage, I'm like, gosh, I'm going all the way to Italy. I just want to ride my ass off. But as, as it came down to it between like travel fatigue, it being earlier in the year, and the punchiness of those climbs we were experiencing on day two, like that was enough in sort of those first couple days. And I felt totally satisfied. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:10:42 to 00:10:56 Yeah, you can put in if you're doing the big options every day. You get 200 miles in, in four days, plus the race viewing. So it's, it's, I think it's a really well designed trip. It's, it is compact. But it's surprising how tired you can be after doing those four days. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:10:56 to 00:11:10 Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent. The elevation is pretty. Every day has a nice chunk of elevation gain. Yeah. And I think for, for us, like we don't have a ton of rolling hills around where we live, they said they tend to be more sustained. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:11:10 to 00:11:28 So it definitely felt different to me. I was feeling a little underprepared that, that 50 mile day, thinking, Gosh, we've got to do 90 plus in the Gran Fondo. It's going to be a long day out there. I'm not gonna lie. I don't think I said it during the trip, but I was a little worried after the first two days. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:11:28 to 00:11:39 I was grateful for the race watching like cool down day before the Fondo. It all worked out. But yeah, yeah, yeah. So we should, I mean, we should talk through a little bit. We'll get into race day next. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:11:39 to 00:12:05 But you know, basically every day after the ride, you just leave your bike and the team cleans it, takes care of it, puts it away. You've got really nothing to do but show up and eat and enjoy yourself in Siena. Yeah, take a nap, whatever you need. We, we stayed at a great hotel, the Hotel Athena, just right outside, like in Siena, but just outside the wall. So it was easy to walk like 10 minutes into town. Rich Snodsmith (Guest) | 00:12:06 to 00:12:24 Really, really great location. I mean, one of the best things about the Fondo day was waking up to a completely clean, like just power wash, power dried, chain lubed. It was like a brand new bike getting Ready to ride out to the start. It was pretty great. Clean bike is a fast bike, so I appreciate that. Craig Dalton (Host) | 00:12:24 to 00:12:40 And shammy time's training time. That's right. But yeah, those guys work their butts off to keep those bikes in great shape every morning when you show up. Yeah, no doubt about…

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Tackling the 2024 UNBOUND 200 with Coach Justin Bowes Jun 19, 2024

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In this episode, Craig Dalton and Justin Bowes reflect on the lead-up to the Unbound Gravel 200 race, sharing insights into the unique training approach adopted to prepare for the challenging event. They discuss the strategic training block, the importance of quality over quantity, utilizing power meters for training effectiveness, and the significance of recovery in a compressed time frame. The conversation dives into the pivotal four-day mini camp, highlighting the benefits of stacking workload and the nuances of balancing intervals and endurance rides. Support the Podcast Join The Ridership Key themes include strategically structuring training around time constraints, leveraging prior endurance experience, the impact of power meter training, optimizing recovery for peak performance, and the mental challenges faced leading up to a formidable gravel race like Unbound. Key Takeaways: Strategic training plans can be tailored effectively to accommodate time constraints and previous endurance experience. Balancing interval workouts with endurance rides is crucial for building strength and endurance for challenging events. Utilizing power meters can provide valuable insights into training progress and help optimize performance. Adequate recovery periods are essential for the body to absorb training load effectively, leading to improved performance. Mental preparation and breaking down the race into manageable segments can help athletes. Transcript: [00:00:00] - (): Craig Dalton: Justin, welcome back to the show, [00:00:02] - (): Justin Bowes: Craig. Thank you for having me. It's good to see you again. [00:00:05] - (): Craig Dalton: Post Unbound. We did it. [00:00:07] - (): Justin Bowes: That's right. You did it. Yeah, you did it a big way. [00:00:12] - (): Craig Dalton: I appreciate you coming on board and being my muse to help me tell my story. I feel like you were an integral part of my life for a while this year. **** - (): In our last episode, we talked about kind of what the run up to my non cycling related vacation looked like. And maybe we pick up the story post that vacation. [00:00:33] - (): Justin Bowes: Sure. Yeah, it was, we discussed on the, on the first pod that, we, we were having a little bit uncharacteristic buildup, um, not only because you had some, prior work, obligations with, as far as travel, but we were starting quite late, um, as well. **** - (): So we had to, be a little creative in how we wanted to, to approach your training. So, right when you were, uh, leaving, we had really built up your training load, um, because obviously we knew that you were going to be leaving and you're gonna have time off the bike. You weren't gonna be. **** - (): Completely immobile. I mean, you were, we're going to be able to, do some running and walking and some lifting and, and, um, a few stationary bike sessions in there and things like that, but it's not the most ideal unbound training, especially when you're training for the 200 and. We're only a couple months into it or, a couple of months out from it, I should say. **** - (): And so, uh, the thought behind, how I wanted to structure your training was to take advantage of the, the, the amount of time that you did not have to train. And so where a traditional buildup would have multiple big ride days on the weekends, um, not only that, but then also, during the week, You would have your meat and potato interval session, but also bookend it with some big endurance rides on the front and the back end of it, but you just didn't have that available to you. **** - (): So, um, I needed to make sure that we were going to take advantage of not only the lack of time that you had available to you, but also you're, you're no stranger to endurance, um, athletics. So you had a background that I could work with. And that makes all the difference. If you were just coming to me off the street and say, Hey, can you get me ready? **** - (): And less than four months, for a 200 mile gravel race, the hardest 200 mile gravel race in the world. It would, that would be a different story, but thankfully you, you had some background in endurance, so it wasn't. A foreign concept to your body. [00:02:48] - (): Craig Dalton: It was interesting in my training block leading up to Cuba because we really didn't do a lot of meaningfully long rides, but I also understood like, I'd never really done meaningful intervals before. **** - (): And clearly like the workouts you were prescribing to me that were one hour in duration. Pretty tired afterwards. Like I felt like I really gassed myself because now that we're looking at a power meter and we're really saying it's not like perceived level of exertion. It's like, here's the exertion you need to achieve. **** - (): Um, and it was really, I mean, frankly, it was like, I was burying myself on a lot of those workouts, which was very different than anything I'd been done doing in the, the decade before, to be honest. [00:03:32] - (): Justin Bowes: Right. Right. And I mean, it's, it's the old adage, quality over quantity. And again, I, I keep coming back to, the time crunch. **** - (): I mean, that's what we were up against. And so I really wanted to make sure that, the lead up to your trip to Cuba, but then also once you get back, we added enough low to you. to your training so that, um, the break was needed. And so your body would be able to absorb all of that load while you're gone because, yes, you would still be active, but you weren't training. **** - (): And so it allowed your body to recover from all that. And by the way, Um, Craig did an amazing job, um, of hitting all of his workouts. Like, I want to say there's less than a handful that were just kind of like, didn't nail them perfectly, but it wasn't for the lack of trying by any means. Um, and so, um, with that, and you brought up the point too, it's just like, you've never trained with power before, and so there was just, that was just another element to the training that we had to kind Yeah. implement. It wasn't like, Oh yeah, I've been training for years with power. So I know what my zones are and why and all of that. So kind of helping coach you through, the use of the power meters and, and the importance of that. **** - (): I think it gave us a really good detailed picture of where the training was going and you could see. Yeah. and ultimately feel, yourself getting stronger, after each week, things just got better and better and better. So once you got back into the country, then it was time to start, we'll continue on the interval workouts, but we're going to start introducing, the longer sessions as well. [00:05:21] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, yeah. And I remember like I definitely felt tired when I left for that week off, um, and unfortunately not incredibly refreshed after my quote unquote vacation, because there's a lot of running around with the family, but coming back and looking at the training calendar, we had a couple of things up in the air, but we knew like that next six weeks was going to be a big build of long rides, endurance rides, and continuing on some of the interval work. [00:05:47] - (): Justin Bowes: Right, right. And so, had, had things been different as far as scheduling of the trip and things like that, we may have flipped the script a little bit and did all of your big rides be, on the front end, and then do all the more structured training, the higher, shorter, sharper stuff on the back end. **** - (): But I just felt like with your background and what we wanted to accomplish with Unbound, um, it was better for us to, to stack those. shorter, sharper workouts on the front end and then give yourself time to relax or, absorb. And then once you came back and we figured out, some pieces as far as like, Hey, when can we get out and do back to back big rides? **** - (): And I want to talk about that too, because I think it was really important, um, in the buildup, um, for the race, um, those, those four days of just, some really good rides, but it, it, it, It was working and from my standpoint, I could see, the fatigue building, but your recovery was also taking, it was, it was working as well, and so it was like, we'd stack the work on you. **** - (): But then the recovery days were structured so that, those. again, your body absorbs that work. And the cool thing with watching you is he can, you, Craig, he can handle a lot of work, so I'd be looking at your workouts, every day. And I'm like, he's, he's doing this, like he's actually absorbing all this workload. **** - (): And that's where it was really starting to fuel my confidence. And what you were going to be able to, um, accomplish at Unbound was, not only is he nailing all these workouts, but he's also recovering on the backside of it too. And that was just, again, it was fueling my confidence for you to egg you on to say, Craig, you can do this. **** - (): Like we're in a really good position. And I didn't want to get down into all the weeds with you as far as like what I was seeing, right? Right. Because ultimately it's just like, I just want Craig, you to understand you can do this. So it was really cool from my standpoint to see. [00:08:03] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. It's interesting. As you talk about, like, if, if we had given more time that you might've done the longer rides earlier and then that kind of high performance stuff later, right. **** - (): I kind of feel like I might've struggled with confidence With that approach, even though like, obviously I would've had massive workouts six weeks back. [00:08:24] - (): Justin Bowes: Yeah, yeah. . But I [00:08:25] - (): Craig Dalton: kind of, I kind of like the, the idea that we were progressively testing me Yes. On these harder and harder weekends towards the end. **** - (): Right? [00:08:34] - (): Justin Bowes: Yeah. And I, and definitely by design , but at the same time it, it, it worked out, I think, better than I even. had hoped for because, again, in theory and on paper, I'm looking at what I want you to do, but ultimately it's what can your body and, now that we're getting deeper into it, what can your mind and your body do? **** - (): Handle. And so that's where, that's where, the coaching science and the coaching art kind of, blur the lines together of like, okay, this is what I expect him to be able to do, but this is what I'm seeing him, doing. And it's just, it's a really cool kind of blend of, the science and the art coming together. **** - (): And again, it just stokes my confidence. And hopefully that comes across in my communication with you is like, I'm really excited. I can see this happening. And this is why I believe that you're going to be able to, perform this, um, crazy, crazy event. So [00:09:39] - (): Craig Dalton: yeah, I think what was good for both of us was knowing that, and I'd said to you early on, knowing that I kind of put myself and you behind the eight ball starting late. **** - (): Yes. But that, I had this, I could make a four day. Kind of mini camp whenever we needed it in May as like this option to really kind of do some big volume. [00:10:01] - (): Justin Bowes: Right, right. And that was, that kind of gave me, that was kind of one of those moments of like, okay, good, at least. We, we, we've got it to where, it's in our back pocket. **** - (): I've got that card to play. Um, it's going to lend itself really well. And, fortunately it was, you were really flexible on, when that could actually happen. And that, that definitely makes a, a big impact because, within the month of an event like, the 200. **** - (): Like, we can't miss days. We can't, there's like no makeup days or anything. And each day is just that much more important for the next and the next and the next, and. Um, yeah, having you be able to go out and just knock out these four days of, big rides and, when we were talking about how we were going to do that, when a lot of, I don't want to say a lot, when, when most people have that kind of that opening of like, Hey, I'm going to do a, a mini camp, whether it's a long, four day weekend or in the middle of the week, however it works out, they're so excited to go and put in the big miles, they're, they've got free time. **** - (): They've got the, the hall pass to go and just train. That's awesome. That's great. But the biggest mistake made by most people that do that is. They go out and do a seven or eight hour ride, on day one, and they're not used to that. And on day two, day three, they're just like, yeah, two hours here, three hours there, whatever. **** - (): And if that, because they just completely blew themselves to the moon on day one and weren't ready for that. And so, so I prescribed to you that we'll just stair step ourself into the, into that block so that. We get the most bang for our buck out of that, that mini block of training. And. It worked. **** - (): It worked well. [00:12:03] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, I think that was definitely a critical weekend for me. I think I rode four hours kind of mixed terrain with a buddy of mine on Thursday, four, maybe five hours on Friday and then eight and a half or nine on Saturday and followed up by two or three on Sunday. [00:12:21] - (): Justin Bowes: Yeah, that was, again, it was, it was a big, um, big chunk of time in the saddle. **** - (): Um, and it was a big, um, bite on your end. I mean, to take, to, to put in that much time, but again, it just, it, it just speaks to the training that we did leading into it helped. your body absorb those big days. And once you, once you came out of that, to me, like I didn't want to, I didn't want to like pile on just like the raw, raw cheerleader, like, Oh my God, he's going to do this sort of thing. **** - (): I, I was, I was, I internally, like on this side of the screen, I was like, hell yeah. Like this is, this is going to work. Like he, he's going to He's going to do okay at this. [00:13:12] - (): Craig Dalton: I think I got a hell yeah. In the comments and training peaks, [00:13:15] - (): Justin Bowes: you probably did. Yeah, [00:13:17] - (): Craig Dalton: that's sad. I think that for me, that Saturday ride was the one that I reflected on, on game day, because it was 10, 000 feet plus of climbing in. **** - (): Very, very challenging terrain. Like in fact, like I forgot, cause I don't go so far north as much like coming across pine mountain and up San Geronimo Ridge, things that the locals around here might understand, like it was just super rocky and this was like six, seven hours into the day that I hit just these trails that I just forgot how steep they are and how rocky they are. **** - (): So when I came home from that. And was able to get on the bike the next day. I was like, okay, like it was only 77 miles and I'm doing a 200 mile race, but I did the elevation and I can guarantee some of those miles were a lot harder to come by than what I'd experienced in Kansas. [00:14:13] - (): Justin Bowes: Yeah. Um, I mean, just quickly for the listeners, just kind of given, give them some numbers behind the, uh, that particular ride. **** - (): I'll, I'll preface this by saying, even the professionals in the 200, they're not going to be able to go out and mimic. an exact 200 mile, day. And so it's just, it's just, that's a big day for anybody. And so if you can get in, for you, we're, we're targeting, like, we had the kind of the, um, beat the sun, uh, goal. **** - (): Hey, I'd like to get in, u…

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Exploring the Gravel Roads of Colombia with Arriba Travel Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

This week we welcome Tomas Castrillon, the founder of Arriba Travel, to talk about the joys of gravel cycling in Colombia. We discuss the allure of traveling by bike, the unique cultural experiences that can be found off the beaten path, and the incredible diversity of Colombia's landscapes. Tomas shares his personal journey into the world of cycling and how it led him to create a bicycle travel company. He also provides insights into the specific route of Arriba Travel's Bogota to Medellin gravel trip, highlighting the challenging climbs, beautiful scenery, and rural communities that participants will encounter along the way. Arriba Gravel Colombia Website Support the Podcast Join The Ridership About the Guest(s): Tomas Castrillon is the founder of Arriba Travel, a bicycle travel company based in Colombia. With a passion for cycling and a desire to share the beauty of his country with others, Tomas started Arriba Travel in 2011. He has been organizing and leading road bike tours in Colombia for over a decade, and more recently, he has expanded into gravel bike tours. Tomas is dedicated to providing a premium experience for his clients, combining challenging rides with comfortable accommodations and delicious cuisine. He believes that cycling is a way to explore and connect with the diverse landscapes and communities of Colombia. Key Takeaways: Gravel cycling in Colombia offers a unique opportunity to explore the country's diverse landscapes and connect with local communities. Colombia has a strong cycling culture, with cyclists of all skill levels and backgrounds enjoying the sport. Arriba Travel's Bogota to Medellin gravel trip is a challenging and beautiful adventure, featuring steep climbs, stunning views, and comfortable accommodations. The trip takes riders through rural communities where they can experience the agricultural traditions and warm hospitality of the Colombian people. Safety is a top priority for Arriba Travel, and the support team ensures that all participants have a positive and enjoyable experience. Automated Transcription, please excuse the typos: [00:00:00] - (): Craig Dalton: Tomas, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me, Craig. How are you? I'm doing great. And, um, yeah, good evening to you. I'm super excited to have this conversation. We've been chatting a few minutes offline and I was just sharing, and the listener knows this well, I love gravel travel. I just love the idea of a exploration in foreign lands by bike. **** - (): And in particular, the. Kind of versatility, a drop bar gravel bike gives you in your exploration. Of course, [00:00:32] - (): Tomas Castrillon: it's great. What, what is it that attracts you about traveling with your bicycle? I mean, you're, you're, you mentioned it a little bit, but what's like, let's put it this way. What has been like the greatest adventure that you have been, uh, that you have had while, uh, traveling with a gravel bicycle so far? **** - (): I think it's just, [00:00:51] - (): Craig Dalton: you know, it's the idea that culture can unfold slowly. So as a tourist, you might go to a city and you might read a tourist map and go do this, that, and the other things, but there's so many things in between that a bike enables you to see along the way. And obviously as, as gravel cyclists, we're looking to get out into the wilderness and out into destinations unknown. **** - (): And surely if the route is well designed. , you're, you're going well off the beaten path. Correct. So you're, you're interacting with a part of the culture that may not see so many foreign travelers. Mm-Hmm. . So you're gonna get a really authentic experience versus sort of a whitewash tourist experience you might get in a major city. [00:01:34] - (): Tomas Castrillon: Correct? Correct. And, and what has been like the place that you said like, oh, I want to come back to this place? Or is there a place that you said like, oh, I would love to, uh, go and see that place on my, on my gravel bicycle. [00:01:45] - (): Craig Dalton: Well, I'm going to give you two answers. One self serving in this conversation is Columbia, which is where I'm talking to you. **** - (): And we'll get to that and why I have that in my head. Second is, is Girona. I went to Girona last year in Spain, and I think, just think there's miles and miles of gravel to explore there. And Girona itself is a great, City hub for these kinds of adventures. So as someone who, you know, I enjoy being in European cities, so you can have enough of that in the evenings, but still go spend your entire day riding your, riding your head off into the Spanish countryside. [00:02:24] - (): Tomas Castrillon: Of course. Of course. Of course. Yes. Yes. I, I think that, uh, like coming a little bit back to me, I, I fell in love with cycling like from a very early age. Uh, maybe you're aware of these, like you were telling me, they told me before we started this conversation that your father used to be a racer, but there was this wave of Colombian cyclists back in the eighties and they were like, I was, uh, uh, I'm 42. **** - (): Now I was five when these guys were storming the, the, they were doing so well in the, in the pro tour. And for me it was like, Oh my God, I really want to do that. I really want to ride my bicycle. My family on my father's side lives in Medellin, on my mother's side lives in Manizales, so they are far apart in terms of particularly time, because moving around these mountains can take a lot of time. **** - (): And so for me it was like, My mind was absolutely captured by, my imagination was captured by like these mountains and how they were ever since it was like for me, a constant sense of exploration that bicycles bring brings into my life. It's still going on. As I told you, it was like from the, from a very early age that I caught the bug for cycling. **** - (): So, yeah. [00:03:41] - (): Craig Dalton: At this point in 2024, that sort of history of Colombian cycling is certainly in the pro tour as well known. There've been some grand champions and some phenomenal riders from Colombia. Is there a part of Colombia for those of us whose geography might be struggling to understand the country? **** - (): Talk a little bit about the country and maybe are there hubs of cycling in Colombia that, that, that generally speaking we're graduating these phenomenal cyclists? [00:04:08] - (): Tomas Castrillon: Well, yes, like just to give you a broad idea, like, eh, Columbia or better the Andes, the Andes mountains, once they arrive into Columbia, they split into three branches. **** - (): The East branch, that is the one that in Bogota is located. The central branch. And as I got, I mean, as a reference point, Medellin might be the best, uh, reference point for that one. And then there is the West branch of the country. You have like pockets of, uh, cycling development all across the country. **** - (): Okay. So there is people from Bogota that are super strong people. People from Boyacá, so to give the audience a little bit of an idea, Nairo Quintana, these guys are all from Boyacá, well, Nairo Quintana particularly from Boyacá. And then you have people from the other branches of the Cordillera, so you have people like from Medellín, like Reygo. **** - (): So, but in general, like cycling is so, so, so big in Columbia that you get cycling from all across the country. So even places that are relatively flat, and we do have a lot of flats in Columbia, particularly closer to a north side of the, of the country, close to cities like Cartagena. So it's more like Caribbean on all these kind of atmosphere. **** - (): There are cyclists over there as well. So actually cycling in Columbia, it's so big that it's really. Actually, hard to grasp. I'm, I'm local. I ride my bicycle almost every day. I'm still, I'm surprised sometimes by the sheer number of cyclists that you can see on the road. It's might be, uh, in the, in the team we have like this joke that there are so many. **** - (): Uh, uh, I forget the one in English, so many hobos cycling their, their bicycle or across Columbia because you see somebody riding their bicycle full kit on in the middle of nowhere at a time that you were supposed to be doing some work and you will find always somebody riding their bicycle. And that's even more so on places like, I'm coming back to your question, like big cities, Bogota, Medellin, Manizales, coffee hub region. **** - (): All of those places have a really, really strong cycling culture regardless. So I think that, uh, when it, when you think of a country that has like these super strong background in cycling, I would say that Columbia, uh, it's, it's like in my experience, I'm having trouble a little bit in Europe, in other places of the world. **** - (): I would say like Columbia is still like, it's the best place for riding a bicycle, and it's amazing the number of people and people that get. Like how, not only the cyclist person, but actually the whole society. So one thing that we have in our tours and I mean, still surprising is how encouraging and how, uh, how our relations, our relationships with cycling or between cyclists and drivers is so positive. **** - (): Compared to other places in the world, because we, I mean, I'm not saying that it's 100 percent perfect, but the number of cases of road rage that we face, it's very limited compared to, I mean, the number of cases that you would see are very limited compared to the number of cyclists that you will see on the streets, right? **** - (): So, so that's, that's one very, very important thing about Colombia as a whole. [00:07:19] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, that's really great to hear. Going back to you personally, you know, you mentioned sort of becoming aware of these great Colombian cycling stars and wanting to do it yourself. Yeah. As a child, what was your pathway into the sport? **** - (): Were there clubs and different local organizations that helped foster your interest? Or was it a, was it a a solo endeavor that you pursued. [00:07:41] - (): Tomas Castrillon: I think that for all cyclists in Colombia, it has, it's changing a little bit, but for many of us, particularly for my generation, it was basically a solo path. I would say, uh, I joke around this one as well, is that, uh, cycling used to be a nerd sport and I love it when he was, I was very nerdy at school. **** - (): And I, and I, and I really love that about cycling. And I mean, I, and I loved like the people that are my friends from bicycles. All of them are freaks. So, so the point of that one is that, uh, uh, there was really not an established path. I did race a little bit, but it was basically on my own without a coach, without anything. **** - (): It was. And it was never really an established pursuit, like what I was really, really attracted to about the, the bicycle was basically the state of mind that it created for me, like the, uh, searching for that, that experience that is completely ungraspable, but, but you really know that that is there. Like the beauty of the terrain, the beauty of the physical effort, the conquering the mountain, stuff that we all cyclists can relate to. **** - (): It was never really a comp, there was really not a competitive edge on my behalf about cycling. It was more like a, uh, sort of a meditation kind of activity and, and a personal search for a way to, to, to exert myself, to really get tired and like, Like put my demons to rest sort of speaking. [00:09:13] - (): Craig Dalton: Got it. And how did you arrive at the idea to create a bicycle travel company? **** - (): Areva travel? [00:09:20] - (): Tomas Castrillon: And well, we, it was basically a little bit by chance, like those are like the random paths that life takes you on. And it was, there was definitely a side of me that always wanted to be related to bicycles. I, I never really wanted to be a part of a. Like the corporate world per se, I really wanted to instead be part of something that I would find beautiful in, in the broad sense of the word. **** - (): Uh, so for me that was cycling. So like 14, 15 years ago, uh, I was helping some friends develop an international, like the first proper international race here in Columbia. And that led into some more connections with, uh, the tourism side of, uh, of, of that kind of events, and that created some opportunities. **** - (): So, I mean, it's completely, like, I would say that, like, all those steps are, uh, Sort of random, but there were like, it was, uh, at the same time, there were also the work that I put into like making those random events come into like the fruition of like, what is now Arriba travel. So, so basically that's where we are now. **** - (): And, and you know, in a way that's, that's still the philosophy that I still bring into a company that it's like a place for, uh, for people to to foster the sense of exploration that we all have in within. So, uh, gravel, as you said, that has just enhanced that part of, of my personal desire to take my, uh, that desire for a new adventure a little bit further. **** - (): Right. So, uh, so that's, that's how I come in. That's how I came into it sort of tourism side of, of it, but really in the end, it's basically Thinking about like, okay, what are the places that I want to go for myself? And if I would take a friend of mine, would I take them that way? Or is that the most beautiful road that I can make it is basically that the question that I'm answering all the time when I'm, when I'm thinking about a trip. [00:11:32] - (): Craig Dalton: I love it. What year did the travel business start for you? [00:11:36] - (): Tomas Castrillon: It started a, as a travel business, we did our first, a big road bike tour in 2011. So to give the audience a little bit of perspective, we were like basically the first. Company that, uh, did something as big as this one. It was a two week trip from Bogotá to Cartagena. **** - (): So by the Pacific, by the Pacific, by the Caribbean coast. And it was two weeks long. And, uh, that was with, uh, a, we, we, with a UK based agency that we work and we are still working with them. So, uh, so, so yeah, so that, that's how it started. It started basically as many of us in the industry, like something on the side. **** - (): Yeah. And all of a sudden it started to it started to grow and to becoming what is it now. [00:12:29] - (): Craig Dalton: Amazing, a two week long trip, that's quite a quite an adventure. [00:12:33] - (): Tomas Castrillon: Yes, it is. Yes, I mean I see it still is, it still is. Like, one of the things that I was telling you about Colombia is that, I mean, people don't really understand, and it's very, very hard for people to understand how big really Colombia is. **** - (): So Colombia, when you put it together, or when you compare it, is the size of Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, and Netherlands all together. So when you, so when you put all of that together, you realize that you really can have a 1000 kilometer touring on the spot. It's basically, it's basically that big that, that Columbia can get. [00:13:10] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. Three big mountain ranges. Exactly. To choose from as well. You've got some tough days in there, I imagine. Yes, exactly. Exactly. [00:13:17] - (): Tomas Castrillon: I mean, and yes, tough, beautiful, everything all at once. It's incredible. [00:13:22] - (): Craig Dalton: You mentioned. That first tour, those first tours were on the road. When did you start thinking about getting off road with clients? [00:13:30] - (): Tom…

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I'm doing the UNBOUND 200 with FasCat Coach Justin Bowes Apr 16, 2024

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This week on the podcast we welcome Justin Bowes, a coach at FasCat Coaching. We discuss the evolution of Fastcat Coaching and the development of their training app, Optimize. Craig shares he'll be lining up for the UNBOUND 200 in June and Justin has the tough job of getting him ready. Justin shares his background in racing and coaching and his love for gravel racing. They also dive into the specific challenges and strategies for training for the Unbound Gravel 200, including nutrition, hydration, and pacing. Justin provides valuable insights and tips for preparing for a long-distance gravel race. FasCat Coaching Optiimize App Support the Podcast Join The Ridership About the Guest(s): Justin Bowes is FasCat cycling coach with over 20 years of experience in the sport. He started racing at the age of 15 and has competed in road cycling, triathlon, mountain biking, and gravel racing. Justin has raced professionally and has coached numerous athletes, including national champions in road cycling, mountain biking, and cyclocross. He is passionate about gravel racing and has an active 2024 gravel race calendar. Episode Summary: This week on the podcast we welcome Justin Bowes, a coach at FasCat Coaching. We discuss the evolution of Fastcat Coaching and the development of their training app, Optimize. Craig shares he'll be lining up for the UNBOUND 200 in June and Justin has the tough job of getting him ready. Justin shares his background in racing and coaching and his love for gravel racing. They also dive into the specific challenges and strategies for training for the Unbound Gravel 200, including nutrition, hydration, and pacing. Justin provides valuable insights and tips for preparing for a long-distance gravel race. Key Takeaways: Fastcat Coaching has evolved over the years and now offers personalized coaching as well as an app called Optimize, which provides real-time analysis and feedback for athletes. Training for a long-distance gravel race like Unbound Gravel 200 requires a strategic approach, including proper nutrition, hydration, and pacing. It is important to listen to your body and adjust your training based on factors like recovery, sleep, and overall fatigue. Simulating race conditions and practicing your nutrition and hydration strategy during training rides is crucial for success on race day. Having a support crew and a well-thought-out plan for aid stations and resupply points can make a big difference in your race experience. Notable Quotes: "Unbound Gravel is a challenging event, but with proper training and preparation, you can enjoy the ride and achieve your goals." - Justin Bowes "Training for a long-distance gravel race requires a balance of endurance, strength, and mental fortitude Transcription: [TRANSCRIPT] [00:00:00] - (): Craig Dalton: Justin, welcome to the show. [00:00:04] - (): Justin Bowes: Hey, Craig, how are you doing? [00:00:05] - (): Craig Dalton: Um, excellent. I'm excited to have another fast cat on the podcast. Frank on his gosh, it must've been like a year plus ago that we had Frank on board. [00:00:14] - (): Justin Bowes: Yeah. That's what he mentioned that, uh, when we first started talking about, uh, bringing you on is I hope you don't mind a project. **** - (): Um, he said, yeah, it was almost two years ago, I think that he was on. So yeah, this is cool to be on with you. [00:00:28] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. It's been awesome. I mean, I've been a big fan of the fast cat podcast over the years and I've picked up a bunch. I've never really in the last couple of years had anything super substantive to train for something that terrified me. **** - (): So we'll get to what that is and why I came back to you guys. But the evolution of fast cat over that time, obviously. That brought on additional coaches, but also built out a pretty amazing application, uh, iPhone app and Android app, I assume. [00:00:59] - (): Justin Bowes: Yeah, it's as, as Frank says, you can actually feel us getting faster and it's like you can feel us growing as well. **** - (): Um, yeah, with, you know, not only the, the success that Frank and the other coaches have had previous to me coming on, uh, which is the one on one coaching, but implementing. new AI, uh, scripts to, you know, a coaching app that can give you this amazing analysis, just as if you're communicating with a human. **** - (): Cause it takes all of Frank's 20 years of training peak comments and puts them into this app. And so when you get done with the ride, you get that instant feedback as if, Coach Kat, who is coach Frank, you know, is giving you, you know, that real time analysis just as you've uploaded that ride. Whereas me as a coach, you know, I may see that you've uploaded a ride, but I probably won't make a comment or analyze that ride until like the next day. **** - (): But with fast cat. It's there and it's right there for you. And, you know, as a coach, it's just like having a, uh, you know, a 24 seven virtual assistant. So it's, it's really cool. [00:02:09] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. It's been super interesting that the app is called optimize. And basically you can choose from Any number of the fast cat training programs. **** - (): So if you're training for a gravel race, or you're just trying to get faster in your group ride, you can just pick a plan and then it'll give you a program every single day of the week with built in rest. And to your point, a couple of months ago, I think they introduced coach cat. This AI, and it is pretty amazing. **** - (): The unlock I think originally for the app was this intersection of. Taking your HR RV, your recovery score and looking at that in the context of what's your workload proposed for the day and making sure if you're in the red in terms of recovery, they're not sending you out on a six hour ride. So I noticed as I was using it, you know, coach Kat would say, You know, you're in the red, do you want me to modify this workout? **** - (): And then you can just type in, Hey, yeah, I'm feeling crushed. What should I do? And you'll get back a workout. That's kind of slots into the overall plan or vision for where you're trying to get to. [00:03:12] - (): Justin Bowes: Absolutely. And I think, you know, So with the sleep metrics, more and more people are getting into and really understanding that importance of, you know, we've always been told, get that eight hours of sleep, you know, get, you know, get the bed and keep a consistent, uh, schedule, you know, the sleep hygiene aspect of your training. **** - (): And it's just more and more as the wearables, uh, whether it's the aura ring or a whoop or your Apple watch or. Uh, garment device or any of those other, um, devices, the metrics that they are kicking out are just getting smarter and smarter and fast cat, the app can collect all that just like you did a ride. **** - (): And so, like, as soon as you wake up and whatever device you're using uploads it to fast cat. He's already, you know, reading that and gives you that thumbs up or thumbs down on, you know, to go for it or, you know, Hey, let's hold back. And to your point, it's really nice to be able to, you know, have that chat with fast cat coach, um, to say, yeah, yeah, you know, I do feel great. **** - (): Let's, You know, keep the schedule program or yeah, I do feel kind of worn down. So maybe an active recovery day is, is better or a day off. And so fast KAC coach, you know, can adjust that immediately for you. And so you're on your way and not have to think about, should I, should I not? And it's actually a coach telling you that it's not just you putting a guilt trip on yourself to say, Oh, I know I should, but I've got a planned workout, so I should stick to it. **** - (): Great. Great. Yeah. I'm getting that feedback just as if I'm your coach or Frank or any of the other Fastcat coaches or your coach telling you, Hey, you know, let's take a day off. [00:04:57] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. It took me a minute in January to kind of get everything set up like the, the head unit integrations are, are totally seamless for Wahoo and Hammerhead and other computers. **** - (): into the system for me, since I didn't have power at that point. And I was doing indoor training on a Peloton. There was a bit of a head scratcher because there wasn't a Peloton integration at the time. And it took a minute and going back and forth with the team over there to figure out, Oh, if I just at least record my Peloton ride with my Wahoo head unit and a heart rate monitor. **** - (): At least the data is coming in at that point. Right. So while it wasn't perfect, it kind of got me one step further. And then ultimately, uh, with the thanks to SRM, I did get some of their SRM X power pedals to put power on the bike, which has been a godsend, obviously in terms of our communication and just my ability to kind of really work within the app. **** - (): I mentioned that all to say. Like I was super jazzed with the optimized app and what it was delivering to me, but what I started to get a sense when some personal travel kicked up for April, this big chunk of time before my target event in June, like I was going to have a problem. I didn't trust that the AI could figure out this complicated equation of. **** - (): You could training for this big event training for the unbound 200 got a limited amount of time. How are we going to get the volume? How are we going to get all the different things that we need into a program? And that's why I went back to fast cat. And that's where I got introduced to you, Justin. So Yeah. **** - (): Long, very long intro talking a lot about the Optimize app, but Justin, welcome again to the show. Thank you. Let's just learn a little bit more about your background and then I have lots of questions about what's coming up for me. [00:06:45] - (): Justin Bowes: Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's crazy. Um, yeah, again, thank you for having me on the show. **** - (): Um, long time listener, first time caller. Um. Really appreciate, uh, the opportunity to, uh, to speak with you and obviously, work with you now, uh, with getting you on board and, um, get you ready for Unbound. Uh, so my background, um, the quick and dirty is I started racing when I was 15. I watched the 1984 Olympic Games, uh, in Los Angeles, watched Alexei Grewal, from the United States, win the gold medal in the road race. **** - (): And it was just like, my mind exploded. I was like, what is this? Like, I want to do that. And it wasn't like I was a stranger to endurance sports, um, between my oldest brother and my two younger brothers, all four of us, were involved either with swim team or, uh, cross country and track. Um, and we slowly kind of got into just, you know, riding at that time, 10 speeds as just, you know, part of training for running and swimming and everything else. **** - (): But it was, it was watching the Olympics and watching Alexi win the gold medal. I was just like, I want to do that. And so that next summer, um, I started road racing, but I also, um, got into triathlon as well. So I grew up in Kansas city. And at that time, there wasn't a huge racing scene in Kansas City. Um, there was in the Midwest. **** - (): So you had, you know, St. Louis was a hotbed. Oklahoma actually had a really cool old time, uh, stage race called the 89er. Um, Wisconsin, Chicago, obviously with, um, Uh, super weak and, and those crits out there, uh, back in the day. So we would have to travel to do, you know, the bigger bike races, but there was a booming triathlon scene in and around Kansas city. **** - (): And so, uh, raced in that, uh, worked my way up, um, got my pro card early, got my cat one, you know, about the same time as 17 years old. Um, Yeah, it was just, it was a good time of, of racing and training and everything. We had a really good, um, group of people to train with. Um, then, you know, raced professionally for a few years, um, decided I got, I wasn't making a career out of it. **** - (): Um, and so it was more like there was probably more to life than just living out of your car and traveling to races to try to get pre money to get to the next race and, and so on and so forth. And so. Um, I did transition to mountain bike racing in the early nineties, um, as I kind of aged out of the juniors and triathlon and road cycling mountain biking was taking off there in the late eighties, early nineties, and so race the nervous circuit. **** - (): And, you know, was good enough, but wasn't a great, you know, elite pro rider. And so that was when the light kind of turned on. It's like, you know, there's probably more to life than, like I said, living out of your car and going to bike races all the time. And so, um, yeah, I decided to start a family, settle down, have kids, um, and then literally did not touch a bike for, uh, six plus years. **** - (): Um, you know, I tell people they don't believe me. I don't share pictures, but there's evidence that I did blow up to like 250 pounds at, you know, one point while I was taking a sabbatical. Um, but it was about that time that, uh, my daughter was entering junior high and she wanted to, you know, run track and she wanted to do distance. **** - (): And so, and it was about the time where I was starting to get an itch to get back into it. The kids were getting old enough. I didn't feel as bad or as guilty trying to like get back into, to cycling. And so, um, Yeah, bought a bike off of eBay, bought some extra large bib shorts from the local bike shop, um, started riding, and then also running with her in the morning before school and work, and yeah, pounds fell off, the training itch came back, the racing itch came back, um, Started racing again in Kansas City, um, helped with some local clubs there, helped with race direction with the tour of Kansas City and some other cyclocross races there. **** - (): Um, yeah, and it just kind of blossomed, you know, from there. And then, uh, My wife and I, we moved up to Chicago. We lived there for five years, raced in the great crit and cyclocross scene up there, had an amazing time. We were up there for five years, and then now we are based out of central Virginia, uh, just outside of Charlottesville at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Crozet, Virginia, and, uh, now taking advantage of the amazing riding that's here and just, Head over heels, uh, into gravel racing in the last, you know, five years big time. **** - (): And yeah, just haven't looked back since. So, um, all along the way, um, you know, coaching was a big part of that. And it was kind of a casual thing as far as coaching was concerned. When I first kind of started into it is when I got back into racing. The second time I had, you know, some friends that were running a team, a local club there for You know, new riders to get into, and they asked if I would help, you know, kind of mentor and bring those new riders into the racing fold and kind of introduce them to, you know, the ins and outs and kind of the protocols of training and group rides and, and things like that. **** - (): And one thing just led to another. It's just like, Hey, what did you used to do for training? And that kind of spiraled into here. Let me help you. And then more and more people are like, Hey, can you help me? And so, um, after we left Kansas city and went up to Chicago, the same thing kind of happened. And I was just like, maybe I should do this. **** - (): And then, um, I still, you know, I was working full time in the corporate world. I was in it. And, um, still racing and everythin…

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Have a Good Ride Gravel: Building a Vibrant Community of Gravel Cyclists Apr 02, 2024

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In this episode, host Craig Dalton interviews Dean Dahl, the founder of Good Ride Gravel, about his journey into gravel cycling and the upcoming gravel event he is organizing in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Dean shares his background in skateboarding and mountain biking and how he found a similar sense of adventure and exploration in gravel cycling. He discusses the unique characteristics of the Chilliwack area, including its diverse terrain and the growing gravel cycling community. Dean also explains his vision for the Good Ride Gravel event, which focuses on creating a community-oriented experience that celebrates both the sport of gravel cycling and the natural beauty of the region. He highlights the different routes available for participants, ranging from a beginner-friendly 50-kilometer ride to a challenging 150-kilometer route with significant elevation gain. Dean emphasizes the importance of sustainability and community engagement in organizing the event and shares his plans for a lively post-event atmosphere with local sponsors providing ice cream, craft beer, coffee, and food. Good Ride Gravel Support the Podcast Join The Ridership About the Guest(s): Dean Dahl is an event organizer and gravel cyclist based outside Vancouver, British Columbia. He grew up in the Vancouver area and has always had a passion for outdoor activities. Dean has a background in skateboarding and mountain biking, which eventually led him to discover gravel cycling. He currently resides in Yarrow, British Columbia, a small town just outside of Vancouver, where he enjoys the quiet and scenic surroundings. Dean has experience organizing events in the nonprofit sector and has a deep understanding of the cycling community. He is the founder of Good Ride Gravel, an event that aims to bring together gravel cyclists of all levels and create a vibrant and inclusive community. Episode Summary: In this episode, host Craig Dalton interviews Dean Dahl, the founder of Good Ride Gravel, about his journey into gravel cycling and the upcoming gravel event he is organizing in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Dean shares his background in skateboarding and mountain biking and how he found a similar sense of adventure and exploration in gravel cycling. He discusses the unique characteristics of the Chilliwack area, including its diverse terrain and the growing gravel cycling community. Dean also explains his vision for the Good Ride Gravel event, which focuses on creating a community-oriented experience that celebrates both the sport of gravel cycling and the natural beauty of the region. He highlights the different routes available for participants, ranging from a beginner-friendly 50-kilometer ride to a challenging 150-kilometer route with significant elevation gain. Dean emphasizes the importance of sustainability and community engagement in organizing the event and shares his plans for a lively post-event atmosphere with local sponsors providing ice cream, craft beer, coffee, and food. Key Takeaways: Dean Dahl's passion for outdoor activities, including skateboarding and mountain biking, eventually led him to discover gravel cycling. Chilliwack, British Columbia, offers a unique mix of flat, smooth trails and challenging mountainous terrain, making it an ideal location for gravel cycling. The Good Ride Gravel event aims to bring together gravel cyclists of all levels and create a vibrant and inclusive community. Participants can choose from three different routes, ranging from a beginner-friendly 50-kilometer ride to a challenging 150-kilometer route with significant elevation gain. The event will feature a lively post-event atmosphere with local sponsors providing ice cream, craft beer, coffee, and food. Notable Quotes: "I realized this is actually a lot like the feeling I used to have as a skater... discovering strange little places and hitting obstacles. I get that same feeling when I'm gravel riding." - Dean Dahl "We want to be able to provide something that is an amazing opportunity, a gravel adventure that has a high-end component to it." - Dean Dahl "We're celebrating gravel, but we're celebrating you as an individual. And we're celebrating the fact that you want to be a part of something good." - Dean Dahl Resources: Good Ride Gravel - Official website of the Good Transcript: [TRANSCRIPT] [00:00:00] - (): Craig Dalton: Hey Dean, welcome to the show. [00:00:05] - (): Dean Dahl: Hi there Craig, it's good to be here. [00:00:08] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, good to finally connect. I'm glad to see you got a sip of water right in before we started recording. I thought I had a sneeze teed up, but it seems to be holding itself. Well, you're welcome [00:00:17] - (): Dean Dahl: to go for it. We can edit that out, right? [00:00:20] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, exactly. Although the listener knows that I'm not much of an editor, so it is what it is. [00:00:27] - (): Dean Dahl: Getting live and real. On the podcast. [00:00:30] - (): Craig Dalton: Let's set the stage a little bit. Where are you, where are you talking to me from? [00:00:33] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, I'm from, uh, I live in Vancouver or just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, and, um, yeah, my name is Dean Dahl and been out here in a little town called Yarrow, British Columbia. **** - (): And, uh, it's about an hour, if there's good traffic, east of Vancouver in, uh, the Fraser Valley. [00:00:54] - (): Craig Dalton: And did you grow up in Canada? [00:00:56] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, I did. So, I grew up in the Vancouver area, uh, recently moved actually out of the city, um, about five years ago. Um, me and my wife and our kids moved out here and it's quite a different, uh, change. **** - (): It's quiet out here, uh, kind of like, uh, sort of semi rural farming kind of community. With lots of great outdoors, but nothing happens after 9 a. m. or 9 p. m. Sorry. And, uh, being in the city, like I was right in East Van in the thick of it. And, uh, I was used to living life after 10. P. m. So it's a change, but you know, the scenery is great. **** - (): So that's awesome. And lots of good biking, which I'm sure we'll talk about [00:01:35] - (): Craig Dalton: for sure. Yeah. I'm always interested to explore like how people found the bike. Obviously, you know, many of us had bikes introduced to us very early on in our lives, and it would give us a sense of exploration and freedom from a population perspective, there's very few of us who take that through line into our mid lives and are still riding a bike. **** - (): So what was your journey to the bike? Like, and, you know, we can ultimately get to how you found gravel cycling. [00:02:02] - (): Dean Dahl: Oh yeah, sure. Um, off and on, like probably everybody listening to this, uh, had the classic BMX bike or whatever little cruiser thing and made jumps with it and got my nose banged up a bunch when I was a little kid, which is all kinds of fun stories in themselves, but whatever. **** - (): Um, My, I was just actually thinking about this the other day. My uncle was a really interesting character in that he had a real passion for serving young people. And, uh, he lived in the same town I did, and he actually started up a small group for, for teenagers and young kids. And he would take us on camping trips and hiking trips and, uh, overnighters and things like that. **** - (): And, um, kind of set up his own organization with it. And I remember going on, um, You know, in the Pacific Northwest, we have a whole bunch of what we call the Gulf Islands here, all up from Seattle, up the coast, all the way to Alaska. They're beautiful. And around Vancouver, uh, he had arranged this, uh, this bike tour for us to go when I was in grade 11, around one of the local Gulf Islands. **** - (): And, uh, I got a road bike for it and. Put panniers on it. And it was kind of my first expression of being able to be on the road, packing, gearing up stuff. And I thought, this is amazing. So from that point on, I got really interested in bike riding, but that was, you know, fun. But then, um, I kind of got distracted by skateboarding and turned into like a course skater for years and years. **** - (): Um, and, uh, did a little bit. Uh, on the side of that, I discovered mountain biking in kind of the mid nineties, I guess, and bought, uh, you know, an old Kona hard tail thing and lived on the North shore at the time and was doing mountain bike racing a couple of seasons there and got just really exhausted from. **** - (): pushing my bike up the hill and then slamming as I was riding down it. So that was a short lived season. Uh, but it was still really fun. Like I was talking to you, Craig, before, um, I realized now that a lot of the mountain biking I did in the past was actually gravel riding without drop bars. I remember having a picture of John Tomac Um, on my wall at some point and him, I thought he was so cool because he was mountain biking and yet he was, he had drop bars on his mountain bike and I was like, those are dark bars. **** - (): Like I had when I was touring around salt spring Island and he's riding a mountain bike. Like I'm right, like I want to ride a mountain bike and myself. He brought those worlds together and I didn't click at the time what was going on, but now that I'm gravel riding a lot, I think, yeah, yeah, that's cool. **** - (): That that's, that's the deal. [00:04:46] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. It's funny when you think back to that period, it's like, why didn't it click then? And I think there's so many like little reasons why it wasn't right until sort of your, your 2014 era for the bikes to actually come together and form the basis of what is gravel riding today. **** - (): Uh, it's super interesting. And I love those old Tomac photos for sure. [00:05:10] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Well, you know, I w I wonder if, uh, mountain biking had to find itself or discover itself and had to really move away from all things road bike so it could find its own identity and now maybe it's mature enough that people can dip in and out of that road style, the gravel style without a feeling, I guess. **** - (): Threat to mountain biking? I don't know. [00:05:30] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, who knows? Who knows? I'm interested, you know, you mentioned your, your passion for skating for many years. Do you see there, like, any similarities between skating and cycling in terms of what it delivers to you? Or are they two just distinct areas of your brain and body? [00:05:48] - (): Dean Dahl: No, uh, well, I think that, um, for gravel cycling and skateboarding, there's actually a lot of similarities and I'll talk to them about them in a second. But in terms of my experience going from skateboarding into cycling, not that I've stopped skating, but I do it a lot less, that ground is not getting any softer as I get old. **** - (): Um, I just got into road biking because I realized that I'm not skating as much as I needed to, to keep fit. And I needed something that was low impact. So I got a road bike and just started racing and that was amazing, but it was a totally different rush except from hill bombing, which felt the same. Uh, but then gravel biking came along and I realized this is actually a lot like the feeling I used to have as a skater. **** - (): Like, Going to the city with my crew, uh, going on a road trip and looking around the dark corners and alleys of a city and out in these strange little places where you can find these cool skate spots and you're right, you're rolling to them and from them and you're hitting. You know, whatever obstacle and thinking, Oh, this is amazing. **** - (): I get that same feeling when I'm gravel riding, like I'll ride for my house. And I'll be like, Hey, I've never seen that part of the hill before. I should go check it out and see if there's any trails there and riding with my friends. And we're discovering, Oh, let's try this. Oh, it's a dead end. Let's turn around. **** - (): Let's go do this. And it just felt like, you know, when I was 10 years younger, skating cities and. That kind of thing. So I would say that there's a not really, really, really a practical line, but really an emotional feel that I get from gravel riding that connects to skateboarding. [00:07:29] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, that lands with me. **** - (): I mean, I think as I think about designing routes for my own personal use in any given week, there's some creativity in looping together the trails, the roads, the mountain bike, single track sections, and. A given route in a given area of our little mountains here can feel radically different depending on how you approach it and what you tie together with it. **** - (): And I think much like skating where bringing your crew on an adventure, like you're taking the lead and you're like, Hey, I found this spot and then let's skate over to this spot. Gravel ride route planning and bringing a group out there. I think it's quite similar in that you just want to show them a new way to experience the, you know, the terrain around your house. [00:08:17] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Yeah, totally. And it's really fun actually. Um, as I've gotten into gravel riding, I'm, uh, connecting, uh, through Instagram, but a whole bunch of different ways with skaters that I used to skate with back in the day that also bought gravel bikes and, uh, that are cruising around and they're hitting trails in the city and doing things. **** - (): Actually, you want my one friend just posted on Instagram, uh, on his gravel bike. He's got a really nice titanium gravel bike, but he's like riding downstairs and like, um, doing little ollies on banks and stuff. And I'm like, dude, you're skating on your bike. That's hilarious. It's hilarious. that escape deal, but he's doing it on a gravel bike. **** - (): Right. So he's got the same adventure. [00:08:59] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. I love it. I love it. We're going to get into a great gravel event that you're organizing for this may, but I wanted to tease out earlier in your life, You know, Had you been producing events and had you had any experience doing events before kicking this one off? [00:09:16] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Um, I've, uh, I'm kind of an event planner. Um, a lot of my career has been spent in the nonprofit world. And, uh, so I actually kind of helped found a skateboarding nonprofit within a larger nonprofit organization. Um, so I was doing a lot of skateboarding events and doing a lot of fundraising events for the larger umbrella organization as well. **** - (): And, uh, as I got more into my career, I became better at it. So I kind of moved up into more senior circles in those nonprofits that I was working for. So a lot of the events that I was running, um, especially towards the end of my nonprofit career, uh, were, um, fundraisers and, uh, they were the classic peer to peer, you know, I'm going to do this a hundred kilometer, uh, cycling event and I'm going to raise money for this cause it's going to be great. **** - (): And so I did, uh, a lot of those. And over the years, I kind of honed that to doing a lot more kind of bespoke tours where we'd get a small group of people. They'd raise a lot of money each and it wasn't a huge amount of people because we thought we could provide a better experience by doing something smaller, uh, really intentional with our, uh, with our friends that would want to ride with us and we'd still raise a lot of money and it was great for the organization. **** - (): So I have a history in…

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