With Pace

Latest Episodes:

Chequamegon recap, with winners Savilia Blunk and Bradyn Lange, rider experiences, and a Q&A Sep 25, 2022

Show notes

Payson sits down with the winners of Chequamegon, Savilia Blunk and Bradyn Lange. Savilia talks about her breakout World Cup season and navigating the unexpectedly muddy conditions of last weekend's race. Bradyn talks about his childhood motocross career, van life, and being caught off guard when he found himself in the lead at Chequamegon.
Payson also answers listener questions about the race, including power numbers, the surprise rain storm, and how he feels about the race culture in the Midwest.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Meg Fisher, Paralympic Gold medalist and professional cyclist Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

When Meg Fisher went to college, she was a walk-on for the University of Montana's Division 1 tennis team, but was taken out of the sport and the life she knew when a catastrophic car accident left her in a coma. When her leg was amputated, it was the least of her doctors' worries. Most of them assumed that she would never be able to live independently, let alone walk, but Meg proved them (and herself) wrong, earning a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and becoming a 3x triathlon world champion and a multi-medal winning Paralympian at the 2012 and 2016 Games. More recently, she's been focused on bringing paracycling categories to gravel races and expanding resources for physically impaired people in under-served countries.
In this conversation, Meg tells Payson about marking the 20th anniversary of the crash, accidentally melting one of her prosthetic legs at Rebecca's Private Idaho, and why she attributes "everything in her life" to a cattle dog named Betsy. She also talks about how meaningful it has been to be recognized within the cycling community, and being overcome with emotion when her teammates from the 2012 Paralympic Games came to cheer her on at Steamboat this year.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Kiel Reijnen and his 5-year-old daughter EmmyLou on winning the tandem category of Rebecca's Private Idaho Sep 10, 2022

Show notes

When Kiel Reijnen’s five-year-old daughter EmmyLou told him that she wanted to ride to Idaho (a 700+ mile trip), he suggested they compete in the 102-mile gravel stage of Rebecca’s Private Idaho instead. Kiel joins Payson to talk about how he brought this idea to fruition and got to witness Emmy’s grit, endurance, and competitiveness. With only one low point around mile 85, they won the tandem category on a 240-pound rig and raised thousands of dollars for World Bicycle Relief in the process. Kiel talks about the unique stresses of ensuring a five-year-old’s safety throughout a 102-mile gravel ride at elevation and how surprised he was that they completed the whole course. He also talks about raising a child who shares his hunger for adventure, and how seeing himself in his daughter is both a blessing and a curse. EmmyLou joins the conversation as well to answer a few questions about snacks, sailing, and why she likes riding bikes with her dad.
Kiel and EmmyLou's World Bicycle Relief fundraising page

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Bjorn Riley, mountain biking U23 National Champion Sep 04, 2022

Show notes

Bjorn Riley is part of the wave of young US cross country mountain bike racers that’s been making a splash on the World Cup circuit over the past few years. Placing 5th at Worlds this year, 2nd at the Snowshoe World Cup in West Virginia, and landing at the top of the podium at Nationals, Bjorn is already making a name for himself on the international stage. After spending three years on the Bear Development Team, he recently joined European-based Trek Vaude and moved to Austria full-time.
In this conversation, Bjorn explains why this big life change has made him more relaxed about racing than ever and has so far come with only minor growing pains. They discuss his off-the-bike hobbies which include sewing, drawing, and writing poetry, and why his team has helped him maintain these pursuits alongside training. They also talk about the style that Bjorn brings to XC (he’s been known to throw no-handers in the middle of World Cups), and which trick he’s hoping he’ll get to throw down on course someday. On top of cycling and art, Bjorn also has some pretty big plans for the off-season. He talks to Payson about why he’s so interested in finding his limits, and the goals he's planning to tackle this winter.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Matt Beers, professional mountain bike racer Aug 27, 2022

Show notes

South African cyclist Matt Beers has done a little bit of everything when it comes to racing on two wheels. Starting out in motocross, he turned to mountain biking after he was sidelined by an injury, going on to win the South African Marathon National Championships and the Cape Epic stage race in 2021. After an impressive but unlucky showing at Cape Epic in 2019, he was invited to guest ride on the WorldTour road team UAE Emirates. These days, he's spending more time state-side on the gravel circuit. At the beginning of the year, he placed second at Belgian Waffle Ride and elected to do the double-header, Leadboat, earlier this month.
Matt joins Payson a few days after completing Leadboat to talk about why he's chosen to spend so much time in the US this year racing gravel and how his first Leadville went He reflects on his time as a stagiere with UAE, why it made him doubt his choice of career, and how it transformed the way he approaches training. He also talks about how winning Cape Epic changed his life, why he was out riding the day after Leadboat, and the impressive power numbers that caught the eye of the WorldTour.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Leadboat recap, with Leadville winners Keegan Swenson and Hannah Otto, rider experiences, and a listener Q&A Aug 21, 2022

Show notes

Today on the show, we feature some of the experiences that riders in all categories had at Leadville and SBT GRVL last weekend. Payson answers listener questions about the races, including his training in the weeks leading up, using hydration packs instead of stopping at neutral aid stations, and his bike setup. He also chats with Keegan Swenson, the winner of Leadville, SBT, and the combination race ‘Leadboat’ about his dominance on the gravel circuit this season and a potential move to the road. Hannah Otto, the winner of Leadville, joins Payson as well to talk about how unexpected her win was after crashing and injuring her shoulder at Mont-Sainte-Anne the weekend before. Having not ridden her bike until the day before Leadville, she had low expectations about her chance of snagging a podium let alone the win and was nervous about how the forecasted rain might affect her ability to avoid crashing. When she found herself riding solo off the front, the fact that she might come away with the win began to sink in.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Rose Grant, professional mountain bike and gravel racer Aug 13, 2022

Show notes

5x mountain bike Marathon National Champion Rose Grant joins Payson to talk about her recently announced retirement, how she hopes to finish out the season, and what she’s looking forward to post-professional cycling. Rose started racing later than many riders, only getting into the sport when she was nearing 30. During her first season, she became pregnant with her daughter, and has spent the height of her career juggling training, racing, and motherhood. She talks about some of her professional highlights, including winning her first Leadville, and some low points, including breaking her leg in Colombia and the mental battle of Unbound.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Sarah Sturm on persistence, grief, and imagining life after professional racing Aug 06, 2022

Show notes

Sarah Sturm returns to the show for a wide-ranging conversation about the struggle to stay hungry in a profession full of uncontrollable inconsistency, Tour de France Femme, and the anxieties about what life might look like after retiring from professional cycling. They also discuss the many ways that grief is shaping the gravel community this season and how their mental and emotional connection to racing has permanently changed. Sarah also talks about her work with Protect Our Winters, and the athlete who she thinks is the gold standard for maintaining their integrity.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Barry Wicks, Protect Our Winters bike team captain on curbing climate change Jul 31, 2022

Show notes

Barry Wicks started racing professionally in 2002, competing on both the mountain bike and cyclocross world circuits. These days, he continues to race off road, but focuses much of his attention on managing Kona Factory Racing, the team he's been with since he signed his first pro contract. Last week, it was announced that he would be leading the new Bike Alliance with Protect Our Winters, a nonprofit that advocates for better climate legislation and large-scale measures for safeguarding the environment.
Barry catches up with Payson to talk about how he confronted his own apathy towards the climate crisis and decided to step up. He recounts his experience going to Washington with Protect Our Winters earlier this year to talk to politicians about climate legislation, and why he decided to use his voice as a professional athlete to promote the environment.
Usufruct: A Biking Story About Beetles and the Future of Our Forests

Protect Our Winters: protectourwinters.org

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Sam Pickman, Director of Product and Engineering at Allied on their first mountain bike Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

Sam Pickman returns to the show to talk about Allied's first ever mountain bike, the BC40. He and Payson discuss how long it's been in the works, collaborating with Barcelona-based Cero Design to get the look just right, and why they changed the name of the bike just before the launch. They also get into the technical side of things, including bike geometry and the carbon manufacturing process.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected