Bikes or Death

It's always an extreme pleasure to sit down and chat with Lael Wilcox. Her positivity and honesty is infections as is her drive to push herself to extremes all in the name of bike racing. She's an inspiration to so many of us in this community and I am no exception. She has been a huge source of inspiration for me as I dipped my toe into the bikepacking waters. There is something about her fearless approach to bikepacking that lulls you into a false sense of achievability, but make no mistake she works hard and has been at this a long time.  This sport has come a long way in a short time and Lael has been at or near the tip of the spear for the entire time. This was the third time Lael has been on the podcast and each time I have to reign in my personal tendencies to be star struck. Luckily, Lael is a total pro and is so easy to talk to. This time we met on Mount Lemmon outside of Tucson, AZ at the Gordon Hirabayashi Campground. Interesting side note, the road up Mt. Lemmon was built by prisoners in the 1930's and to house the criminals they built prisons as they went. The campground we recorded at was a former site of a Prison Camp. They say you should "never meet your idols". I've met one of mine three times now and have never been disappointed. Lael is Lael, what you see is what you get. The person I watched in the 2016 film from REI is the same person I met on a park bench on the side of Mt. Lemmon. Success, fame, racing results, through it all she has been able to stay humble, gracias, and kind. Maybe the saying should be, "get better idols". Personally, I'm grateful to Lael for just being her and pursuing what she wants in a way that is authentic to herself. We talk about this a little in the episode, but sometimes knowing yourself and staying true can be easier said than done, especially with some of the controversy she has faced, but in even in success she continues to navigate it all in a way that seems authentic to herself. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ These episodes aren’t possible without your support. This episode is the result of my recently podcasting trip covering 2,500 miles, 2 states, and 3 interviews in 4.5 days. If you’ve been on the fence about becoming a Patron this would be a great time to sign up and help get BoD back on the road! You can Sign Up here or leave a one time Donation on Paypal. Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Alex G. Tanya Rios Chris Schow Tim Fitzpatrick 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 🚨 ADnouncements 🚨 6AM WorkShirts – Patrons receive 20% off East Texas Showdown - Presented by Bikes or Death

This episode is the first one to come from my recent road trip to New Mexico and Arizona to interview guest for the podcast. My first stop was in Las Cruces, NM to meet up with Matt Mason to ride a portion of the Monumental Loop. We rode up to the base of the Organ Mountains and camped in perfect weather. In the morning we recorded this episode under little outcropping before descending 10 miles back to town on some epic singletrack. You may have noticed that the route was revised and released as the Monumental Loop 2.0. These changes were made for several reason, but all in an effort to make the route more enjoyable and attractive to a wider range of riders. We get into all the specifics on this episode and it left me wanting to spend more time than I had available on this trip. I will be back! *Outdoor Adventures The place to go for route information, gear, advice, and community  https://www.bikelc.com *Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Friends are on the frontlines of protecting and providing access to the public lands around Las Cruces.  https://organmountainsdesertpeaks.org *Southern New Mexico Trail AllianceSNMTA works tirelessly on advocating for new trails, maintaining current trails, and hosting the Sierra Vista Trail Runs.  https://snmta.org *Doña Ana SheWolves A group of FTW riders providing support and community.  Several of their crew are certified bike instructors and their skills clinics are highly recommended. https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthernNMDirtGirls/?ref=share *MTB New Mexico Jose Solis has a YouTube channel and rides centered on a welcoming environment for beginner mountain bikers.  MTB NM’s videos are equally informative and entertaining.  https://youtube.com/c/MTBNewMexico These episodes aren’t possible without your support. This episode is the result of my recently podcasting trip covering 2,500 miles, 2 states, and 3 interviews in 4.5 days. If you’ve been on the fence about becoming a Patron this would be a great time to sign up and help get BoD back on the road! You can Sign Up here or leave a one time Donation on Paypal. Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Jeff Bloodworthy Barry Turner Dave Ortiz 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

On March 6th, 2021 twelve college students in the Adventure Media class at Texas Tech University set off on a bikepacking trip as part of their course curriculum. This year the classes challenge was the Caprock Canyon State Park and Trailway, which in total was 66 miles with very little climbing, but the wind made up for what the elevation profile lacked! This course is the brainchild of Dr. Jerod Foster who somehow convinced a University to allow him to take students bikepacking in remote places as part of a college course he created and teaches called Adventure Media. To be honest, when you read the words, or hear someone tell you about this Adventure Media course it doesn't click immediately. At least, it didn't for me. When Jerod originally laid out the course in Episode 3 I kinda got it, but I didn't really get it until I went on their class trip in 2019 to Big Bend Ranch State Park. The Terrior film was produced from that 2019 trip and it's a visual introduction into what this class is all about. When you show up in a remote destination with rugged terrain, hours away from any medical assistance, and you look around at the 16 college students assembled ready to tackle whatever comes. And their gear is a mess, and they are wrecking, and bags are falling off, but I can promise you none of that is what defines this or any of the other trips like this. This episode is different from anything we have ever done before. It takes place in an Arroyo in the Caprock Canyon State Park at dusk. It was a beautiful setting to have a discussion about the experiences and feelings that were had and shared throughout the day. This will be part one in a two part series from this trip. In the next one I will be following Elysa and Tom on their personal journeys during this trip, with narration and commentary by Jerod Foster and I. These episodes aren’t possible without your support. If you haven’t heard Bikes or Death is going back on the road to do in-person interviews again! My first trip with Van or Death with be to NM and AZ covering 2,500 in 4.5 days and interviewing 4 great guest. If you’ve been on the fence about becoming a Patron this would be a great time to sign up and help get BoD back on the road! You can Sign Up here or leave a one time Donation on Paypal. Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Jeff Cory Steven Young Robert Crawford Paul Fallon Tyrell Lewis Aaron Huey 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 🚨 ADnouncements 🚨 Bikepacking Roots 4th Annual Survey 6AM WorkShirts - Patrons receive 20% off

Miles is BACK! The first time we did an interview was in his van at the Bikepacking Summit in 2019. This year, thanks to COVID, we are relegated to Zoom, but that didn’t stop us from having a good ole time. We sang, we laughed, and there was some really great chats about Bikepacking.com and other super interesting bike stuff that you won’t want to miss! Including, but not limited to, the best shoes for bikepacking, thoughts on old mtb restorations, guidelines on submitted events and routes to Bikepacking.com, plus so much more. Miles and I are friends and this conversation reflects that. We can get a little silly, but who couldn’t use a little dose of that right now? I think we were able to squeak in some good information in between the silliness. I’d go far as to say that maybe this episode is the perfect blend of silly and serious, but I guess you will have to be the judge of that. Most importantly, if you are anticipating a 2nd verse of the Bikes or Death Theme Song you’re in luck! Just like the first episode Miles surprised me with a second verse, performed live on his guitalele. And I can tell you now, it’s hot fire, but you’ll have to wait to the very end of this episode to hear it. If you missed my first episode with Miles Arbour you can Listen Here. This episode listeners have a chance to Watch if that is your preference! These episodes aren’t possible without your support. If you haven’t heard Bikes or Death is going back on the road to do in-person interviews again! My first trip with Van or Death with be to NM and AZ covering 2,500 in 4 days and interviewing 4 great guest. If you’ve been on the fence about becoming a Patron this would be a great time to sign up and help get BoD back on the road! You can Sign Up here or leave a one time Donation on Paypal. Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! 🖤 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Ben P. Gabriel D. Balazs B. Graham W. 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Over the last couple of years I’ve received a lot of request for episodes that address some of the “how-to’s” and “what’s what” of bikepacking. I’ve delayed for a couple of reason. One, a personal belief (or lack thereof) that I should leave that to more experienced and knowledgeable people in the community. The other problem, was figuring out a way to deliver the information in a podcast format. I kind of always thought it needed to be a YT video and maybe I would get into that one day.  I believe now, through my conversations with a variety of guest, that everyone has something to contribute, and that includes myself. I pulled in my friend Connor Thomas to shoulder some of the weight too! Connor and I met at my LBS and as we got to know each other we learned that we shared a similar interest in the outdoors and adventuring. We’ve been able to go on a number of great trips and I know him to be an a person whose passion for the outdoors is equalled by his knowledge of it. When he agreed to record a podcast on some Bikepacking Basics I was stoked, because I think a conversation about these topics is far more interesting that a monolog, and he brings his own unique experiences to the table as well.  In this episode we use a recent trip to Big Bend National Park as the backdrop to answer your questions. Ultimately, we received 41 questions, that boiled down to 18 questions and we tackle them all! The most requested topic was on Route Building, which was really perfect because our trip to BB was a route finding mission. We saved that one for last and answer your other questions as we build up to it, but you won’t want to miss “How to make cake while bikepacking” (video coming soon) or our thoughts on e-bikes! Thanks to everyone for their questions, we hope you find this information helpful, and if you enjoyed this episode please let me know. I bet I can get Conor to do another one if we ask nice. ~~~~~~~~ BoD Theme Song by Miles Arbour Thank you to our newest supporting Patrons! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Alissa B. Jennifer A. Michael W. Julien L. Barry C. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The first episode of 2021 is with the very inspirational Jacob Hora. At only 15 he's accomplished more than most regardless of age. I didn't know who he was before watching the Trackleader dots of Jay Petervary's Fat Pursuit. The first place finisher was Jacob, so I clicked on his profile and was immediately intrigued when I saw he was only 15! You may remember that the first episode of 2020 was with, 15 year old, Alana Rose Parent. I thought that was such a great way to start off the new year, with a inspirational story from the younger members of our community. Hearing their enthusiasm for cycling and the outdoors truly makes me feel good about the future of this sport and community we love. I knew very little about Jacob going into the interview; which I always enjoy. I got to be truly surprised by him, his accomplishments, goals, and perspectives. What I heard from him was nothing but positivity, excitement, and love for bikepacking. But as you'll hear, accomplishments don't just happen, Jacob has already learned the value of hard work to accomplish goals. There are no shortcuts here, he's putting in the work and making the sacrifices to do the thing he loves and to pursue his goals. He's currently training for the ITI 350 in February, so make sure to follow his dot and send him some love. You can follow him on instagram @jacob_hora To listen to the FULL version of the BoD Theme Song (Cover) by Ian Cherry Click Here.

On the morning of Christmas Eve 2018 Kait Boyle was at the height of her ultra endurance racing career, having won the 24 hour World Championship in 2018 and set a new record on the AZT 300. Her life would take an unexpected turn later that day when she was involved in a horrific vehicular accident that left her with a long list of injuries and a long path to recovery. Like many of you, I watch her social media feed for months as she dedicated herself to rehabilitation and ultimately back to fitness. Almost a 2 years, and a pandemic later, she finally found herself at the top podium again. This time in the form of an FKT on the Kokopelli Trail. On Nov. 6th, 2020 Lael Wilcox, Kurt Refsnider, and Kait all met in Moab at the start line of the Kokopelli, each of them on ITT's with FKT's on the mind. Kait was able to finish with a time of 13 hrs, 7 mins, which was good enough to beat the long standing time set by Rebecca Rush by 25 minutes. In doing so, she answered 2 years of questions and uncertainty. She was equally rewarded for her hard work, perseverance, and PATIENCE. As a personal fan, I remember cringing seeing the gruesome pics from her crash and injuries. It was hard to watch, I can't imagine how hard it was to live. Pictures courtesy of Rugile Kaladyte In addition to her accomplishments on the bike she is also the Co-Founder of Bikepacking Roots, which supports and advances bikepacking, the growth of a diverse bikepacking community, and access to and the conservation of the landscapes and public lands through which we ride. Her contributions on and off the bike are both impressive and valuable to this community that we all love. It was great to share in this milestone with her and hear about her journey over the past couple of years. Kait, congrats on the FKT, and we look forward to rooting for you in future races. You can learn more about Kait on her website or follow her on social media. Episode Sponsors (check them out as a way to thank them for supporting this podcast) ~ GOODR Sunglasses ~ KUAT Racks Did you know? 1% of all store sales go to the Bikepacking Roots BIPOC Adventure Grant Program

From 2006 to 2016 Ted King was a professional road cycling before switching to gravel where he took 1st at the DK200 in 2016 and 2017. Earlier this month he completed the 1,000+ mile Arkansas High Country Race in first with a time of 4 days, 20 hours, which was good enough to snag the FKT set by Jay Petervary in June of this year. The ARHCR is no walk in the park either. It may be easy to have your guard down when you see that the highest point on the route is only 2,745 ft. elevation, but in the words of friend and route creator Chuck Campbell "The valleys are low and the grade is steep". I got to preview a portion of the route in February and I got a first hand taste of the steepness. The route is littered with sharp grades going both up or down. There is very little flat sections, in most cases you're either going up or down. On Oct. 31st 2020 twenty ultra-endurance cyclist started from Fayetteville, AR. Racers can choose to go either CW or CCW, but regardless of which direction you go there is still 1,037 miles and over 80,000 ft of climbing through the Ozarks and Ouachitas in NW Arkansas. Of the 20 that started only 7 finished, which in itself is a testament to the toughness of this route. This was Ted's first attempt at an ultra endurance bikepacking event. He didn't have much experience bikepacking either, but that didn't stop him from signing up to tackle a very challenging course. Like many of you, I followed his dot closely to see if his wealth of experience in other disciplines of the sport would transfer over, or if the local Andrew Onermaa would be able to keep the crown away from King. In the end Ted would ultimately grit it out to win by beating out all previous FKT's, but for much of the race Andrew was on his heels never taking the pressure off. He recorded a video shortly after scratching that's worth watching. If you want to know how hard it is, this video scratches the surface of what it takes to compete at a high level against one of hell of a professional cyclist. Ted, congrats on your FKT, welcome to bikepacking! I can't wait to see what you set your sites on in the future.

I caught up with Aaron 4 days after he finished becoming the *first person to circumnavigate Texas on a bike! In total he rode 3,014 miles in 58 days and he wrote weekly articles about his journey that you can read on Texas Monthly. In 2019 he rode every street in his hometown of Austin, TX, but towards the end of that project he started thinking bigger. Like the whole state of Texas bigger! In the fall he started planning a route, starting first by connecting towns that were about 60 miles away. By January he had a completed route and all he had to do now was convince his employer to allow him to do it! Aaron's laid back approach to these endeavours is refreshing. No KOM chasing or FKT attempts here, just fun, maybe silly, reasons to go ride your damn bike! *Maybe the second, but who's counting?

Erik and I met at a Bikes or Death group bikepacking trip right before the world shut down thanks to a coronavirus. Since then he's been wholed up in his Austin apartment in lockdown. With some extra time stuck indoors he's been finding ways to stay active and engaged with the cycling community. Early on he rode 1,000 miles on his training in a month, then he gave himself a stick and poke tattoo, but his latest project really caught my attention, along with many of you I'm sure. You may have seen his animated film "Studio Ghibli Campout" featuring a bearded wizardy looking character riding through a Studio Ghibli Film. Erik is the creator and stars in the film that was made with the assistance of Alison Mae Bonham. It is a uniquely beautiful film that fills you with emotion. For me I watched with a tinge of somberness as it felt like Erik was reaching out to the cycling community and saying "I really wish I could be out riding with my friends, but here's a beautiful gift that I made from my apartment instead". I found myself longing for simpler times and looking forward to group rides again. Like his film, Erik is a beautifully unique person and our conversation is a reflection of that. We talk robots, hacking, pokemon go, bikes, padded vs non-padded, riding with diabetes, and lots more good stuff. Erik, it was great to catch up again, stay well my friend, and we'll ride again some day soon!