Bikes or Death

  Like most modern friendships, I linked up with Miles Arbour through Instagram. Miles is the one responsible for putting together a Q&A article that appeared on BIKEPACKING.com after my first six episodes here at Bikes or Death, sending a surge of new listeners my way… an article I’m still stoked about.  Miles is a writer and editor at BIKEPACKING.com, reviewing products and bikes, managing the events calendar, and working directly with the small team that handles the site’s daily tasks. He’s also a funny dude who is just as goofy in person as he is on Instagram.  On this episode, we sit down at the 2019 Bikepacking Summit to learn more about him, van life, and his work with BIKEPACKING.com. As an added bonus, shortly after the summit Miles came to visit me in College Station, Texas to record the intro and outro for this episode, and we debrief the Summit a little further.  We both hope you’ll get a good laugh during this episode. We sure did.

Getting to talk to Kurt Refsnider was a true pleasure. His achievements on and off the bike are quite impressive and my conversation with him left me feeling inspired, hopeful for the future of our public lands, and also a little like I could be doing more! I caught up with Kurt after his win at the Colorado Trail Race. This is a race that he hasn't had good luck with in the past, but this year everything came together for him to claim first place. In doing so, he became the first person to achieve the Triple Crown of Bikepacking, which means that he is the first person to win the Tour Divide, AZT, and CTR. Let that sink in for a second. In addition to his accomplishments on the bike he is also running Bikepacking Roots, a non-profit focusing on important issues that can and will impact land use and access among other things. The work he and his team are doing is invaluable to us as a community and I encourage you to listen to the podcast and then go to BikepackingRoots.org to become a member and take action on the items they present to the members. Kurt is a leader on and off the bike and I truly enjoyed his time and what he was able to share.

Rebecca Vader set off on her bike a little over two months ago on what she called The Freedom Tour. She didn't have a destination in mind, just a bike and her adventurous spirit. On this episode we learn where that combination leads. She has a unique approach to life that is refreshing on some level and intimidating on the other. Our conversation had me looking inward to check in with myself at different times during the chat. I didn't know anything about her (except what I saw on instagram) before our interview. However, I quickly realized I was talking to a different type of human, one that finds her own path in her own way. As you'll hear that doesn't mean life is perfect or easy, but you already knew that. You will hear some great quotes like, "Wait! You are telling me there is a bike I can ride anywhere I want?!?!" and "I just went to fucking life school"! After our talk Rebecca sent some great pictures that really give a sense of what her tour was like. If you want to put visuals to the words in this interview, check out some of Rebecca's pictures here. I love talking to all the different personalities that make up this great sport. There are so many ways to recreate and participate and they are all good. It's up to you to find our own path....maybe you can steal some ideas from Rebecca....

Kerry Staite is the owner and founder of kLite. I've been a customer of his for a couple of years and have followed him on social media (@klite_dynamo_power on Instagram) with growing curiosity. It was this post that made me reach out to him immediately: "This is ME, I am kLite I wear no shirt of social conformity. I wear no hat to hide my hairless shame I am flesh and blood, I am free to be me. I am kLite" ~ Kerry Staite I pictured him as a mad scientist inventing cool electronic gadgets that are beyond my ability to comprehend. While I do still see him as a mad scientist type, he does an excellent job of explaining his products and how they work. After interviewing him for two hours I can confirm the statement he made in that Instagram post, "I am free to be me." He shared his ideas and perspectives without hesitation or fear of any backlash. It was refreshing. It was also informative. He is a wealth of bike and life knowledge that has come through a lifetime of experiences. I learned a lot and truly enjoyed our conversation. My favorite quote from the podcast was, "I don't give a shit if all I have is a bag of rice. As long as I get to do something I love that makes me happy." We will be recording another episode in the near future. If you have some questions for Kerry drop them in the comment section below and I'll get you answers!

On this episode I chat with Anna Claire Beasley and Beckie Irvin, creators of Grit Fest: a women’s mountain bike festival going down this November in Arkansas. The three day festival is open to womxn (cis, trans, and non-binary) riders of ALL levels and will focus on skill development, community building, outdoor advocacy and education. The schedule is packed with workshops and clinics, speakers, social events, a gear swap, camping, beer, and more.  Bikes or Death is proud to support Grit Fest as a sponsor, and I’m excited to have these two awesome women on the show to tell us what it’s all about. Beckie and Anna Claire share a passion for mountain biking and a commitment to inclusivity that really shine through in this interview. I couldn’t agree more with their philosophy that it doesn’t matter what bike you have, what you wear when you ride, or whether your gear is basic or fancy. As their website says: “It’s not about the gear, the kit, or the bike. It’s about the ride + where it takes you.” In addition to Grit Fest, we also touch on plenty of other interesting topics: the psychology of how different genders learn in sports, the importance of inclusivity in the world of cycling (“If you have a bike, and you ride it, you’re a cyclist”), and the unexpected popularity of women’s ultra-endurance cycling races back in the early 1900’s. If that caught your interest, here's a link to the book we talked about: Women on the Move, the Forgotten Era of Women’s Bicycle Racing. Grit MTB Festival details: Nov. 15-17th, 2019 Tickets go on sale Aug. 19th at 9am CST Spots are still available for sponsors, vendors, and presenters. To learn more, visit www.gritfestival.com or check out gritmtbfestival on Instagram. “Grit Fest is a 3-day grassroots festival designed to bring womxn (cis, trans, and non-binary) together around the sport of mountain biking. Regardless of skill level, every woman is welcome. In addition to helping you develop your skill set, Grit Fest will focus on building community, outdoor advocacy, and education.”

On this episode I meet up with Vince Colvin, co-owner of Chumba USA, at his home in Austin, TX.  Before recording the podcast he built up a couple of his bikes SS and we went out to shred some trails and eat tacos.  We had a great convo and it was cool to ride bikes and talk bikes with the owner of this rad company. www.chumbausa.com Photo by Cass Gilbert @whileoutriding in Ecuador

Imagine you are on an extended bikepacking trip in the high desert. It's the middle of the summer and the middle of nowhere when you see an elderly man lying across the road. You don't know how long he's been there, where he came from, or how long he has left to live. This is the situation Tomas Quinones found himself in on July 18th when he found Gregory Randolph lying on the road in The Oregon Outback. @adventuring.bike www.adventuring.bike

Even before the Tour Divide started this year there was drama on social media. On this episode Billy Rice and I discuss some of the topics. Billy was actually at the Brush Mountain Lodge during some of the speculation, he is also a 6 time vet of the Tour Divide, and has been filmed for Inspired to Ride. Who better to add some dialogue to what I'm calling The Drama Divide.

With 3.4 million Instagram followers you likely know Chris Burkard. He is one of the world's most prolific adventure photographers, known for going to extremes to get "the shot". However, what is less well known is his passion for Cycling. This past year Chris started training for a 844 mile race that circumnavigates Iceland called WOW Cyclothon. He had an incredible race managing to set a new course record by 3.5 hours! And remember, he's just doing this in his spare time for fun! In this episode I catch up with Chris after his historic race in Iceland and before he set off to Russia for a few weeks. We mostly talk about his race and his passion for cycling. It was a great chat and I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did. WOW Cyclothon Article about Chris Burkard Strava Stats from the race 1719 was a job with CLIFF bar in Nicaragua, specifically at Magnific Rock. The trip was done in collaboration with Surfing For Life do build a school here in Nica. Our job was to document it to support a social media push in January. ATHLETES: FOREST SHEER, PETE DEVRIES, ABBY BROWN

Hours ago Alexandera finished the Tour Divide as the first place female finisher. In doing so she became the first woman to win the TD in back to back years and she did it on a SINGLE SPEED! She also beat the previous SS record by over a day! Beyond her athletic achievements she is a superb human with a remarkable story. I got to chat with her at CHUMBA headquarters days after she finished the DKXL and right before she embarked on this years Tour Divide. We talk about her 2018 win, the DKXL, and we shed light on her personal struggle with an eating disorder and how she overcame those obstacles to become one of the best endurance cyclist and a two time Tour Divide winner! Alexandera is not on social media...like AT ALL, but she has a wonderful blog that I encourage you to check out: Alexandera's Blog A big thanks to Vince Colvin at CHUMBA for making this happen!