Bikes or Death

On Friday the 13th of May, 25 racers gathered at the Oark General Store early on a foggy morning to take on the first ever DOOM race. By the end there would be only 10 finishers and Jacob Loos would take 2nd place overall and set a new Single Speed FKT (fastest known time) with a time of 2d 11h 18m. Read the full writeup at bikesordeath.com EPISODE SPONSORS Ruby Coffee - Today we want to focus on their certified organic year-round coffee options. You can check out Organic August Seasonal Blend, which is designed to be a bright, easy-drinking all-day coffee blend, or Organic Tomorrow Seasonal Project, which highlights coffee from a single farm that’s transitioning to quality focused coffee farming.  Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Ashely Manuel Busse Joel Freudenberg Nic Fox Join them won’t you? This episode includes 30 minutes of bonus audio available only to Patrons!

We all have our own path to cycling and bikepacking and each is special and unique. However, Jerri's introduction to bikepacking was much different than any I have heard before. Her story is tragic, sad, romantic, inspiring, and real, and it all started when she fell in love with a cyclist named Kyle. When she met Kyle she wasn't a cyclist, when she married Kyle she wasn't a cyclist, and when Kyle passed away, she wasn't a cyclist. So what lead her to take on the Tour Divide only seven months after laying her late husband to rest? The answer to that question can only be told in Jerri's words, and they are powerful and inspiring. EPISODE SPONSORS Quad Lock ~ The best system for keeping your phone safe and c in almost any environment or situation. 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Tatiana Rogowsky Scott Walker Kyle VanPelt Morgan Bogdanski Alison Carrizales Drew Carlson Join them won’t you? This episode includes 15 minutes of bonus audio available only to Patrons!

Just last week Hailey Moore became the fourth person to ever complete the Doom Route, created by Andrew Onermaa. She didn't just finish though, she set a new FKT (fastest known time) with a time of 2d 15h 30m, setting a new benchmark for racers this weekend. Hailey drove herself from Boulder, CO to Oark, AR so she could do an ITT (individual time trial) on a seriously tough route. This is bikepack racing in one of its most pure forms, just you, your bike, and territory unknown, finishing only to an empty parking lot late at night. EPISODE SPONSORS Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. Kuat ~ The Sherpa 2.0 is the lightest, sexiest bike rack available suitable for carrying most bikes out there.  When I say light, let me break it down for you. You have a beer, you drink it Boom. Empty aluminum can.  It’s light. Right? Because it’s aluminum. The Sherpa 2.0 is 98% aluminum!  That means IT’S light!  I’ll drink to that!  Beer sold separately.  🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Rocky Robert H Logan Mumma Bob Vaile Chris V Join them won’t you? 

Recently Sofiane sent me an DM that said, "Hey Patrick, what's your take on Lael's Arizona fkt? I'd be happy to discuss it on the Podcast". Instead of answering his question, I just scheduled an interview and answered his question on the podcast. Going into this conversation I had no idea what his thoughts were, but he was already on my list of people I wanted to talk to and I know him to be a thoughtful person who cares deeply for this sport and community. Not surprisingly Sofiane had an important message and some valuable insights as a top athlete in our sport who has dealt personally with media as well. There are very few people who have been doing this long enough to be exposed to every manor of race environment as Sofiane, because of that he is in a unique position to share thoughts from a personal perspective. Maybe most important is the love and passion he has for this sport as evidenced by his thoughtful and honest approach to our conversation. I'm a big fan of listening to as many perspectives as possible on issues like this. There is a lot to consider as we evolve as a sport and it's important to be able to have these discussions. I appreciate Sofiane for taking the time to chat and I hope it adds value to the larger conversation surrounding self supported events. EPISODE SPONSORS Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. If you'd like to support these episodes our Tip Jar is open!

On Thursday Lael Wilcox set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the famous Arizona Trail Route. Now the AZT boast 827 miles thanks to new sections that race director John Schilling added. Lael completed her ITT of the route in 9 days, 8 hours, and 23 minutes, besting the previous FKT set by Nate Ginzton who came in at 9d, 10h, 23m.  But almost immediately after drama insued online. Read the full story at www.bikesordeath.com EPISODE SPONSORS Mulberry Gap ~ Looking for something to do this summer? Mulberry Gap has you covered, check out their events page on their website for a full list! Use code “BOD10” at checkout for 10% off! Wren Sports ~ Has a sale going on for some of their forks, check them out here and use “BOD10” for 10% off your purchase! 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Stevan Beer Zach Allen Caleb Eichelberger Matt Dixon Benjamin Wainhouse Matt Seehusen Join them won’t you? Gas prices are high, inflation and cost of living is high, and we are feeling the pinch. Please pitch in if you can!

Recently, I was scrolling instagram and came across a post by Cheech, co-owner of Crust Bikes, that really struck a cord for me. I immediately reached out to see if she'd be down to chat! Visit www.BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup on todays episode! EPISODE SPONSORS Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. Kuat Racks ~ Kuat has a wide range of bike racks to suit every need and budget. The Transfer v2 is their price point rack, but as light as the price can be, it's heavy on features. 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Daniel Searson Corey Eichelberger Broken Spoke, Santa Fe Join them won’t you? Gas prices are high, inflation and cost of living is high, and we are feeling the pinch. Please pitch in if you can!

When Indy showed up at the East Texas Showdown he told me that he's doing a Yo-Yo and if he doesn't complete it to DNF him. Fortunately, I didn't have to because after 760 miles he became the first person to attempt and complete the Showdown Yo-Yo with an offical time of 3d 12h 20m! Check out BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup with pictures and links to the first 2 episodes I did with Indy. Episode Sponsors Atheletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. Ruby Coffee ~ Use code "BIKESORDEATH" at checkout to get 15% of any coffee purchase or 20% off your first shipment of any subscription." 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Larry Wagner Join them won’t you?

Almost two years ago to the day Emma Flukes came on the podcast for the first time. You may remember that we were at the very beginning of a global pandemic that you change our lives more than we could have imagined at the time. She is a Tasmanian native and the founder of Tassie's Gift. When she's not pedaling her bikes or petting wombats she's busy monitoring the decline of our habitable world as a Marine Scientist. I took this opportunity to ask her "How fucked are we?". After detailing the decline of our species we cheerfully switch gears to bikes, bikepacking, murder shanties, and wombats. Visit www.bikesordeath.com for a gallery of images from Emma's rides in Tasmania! Episode Sponsors Kuat – On today's episode Patrick shares why you should always use the integrated cable lock included in your Kuat rack! Mulberry Gap – Not only a great Adventure Base Camp, they can also host your Wedding, Birthday, Reunion, Corporate Retreat, or just about any gathering! Learn more at MulberryGap.com 👰 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Eric Weninger Justin Keene Korey Deese Join them won’t you?

This week's episode tackles the important topic of mental health and the outdoors told by this years Adventure Media Course. Long time listeners will be very familiar with Adventure Media by now, but for the uninitiated it is a course at Texas Tech University. Each year as part of their class project the professors scheme up a bikepacking trip and a media objective for the students to complete. This year the students did the Billy the Kid and Smokey Bear Route and their assignment was to vlog about their personal experience, with a focus on mental health and the outdoors. Read the full article and check out a gallery of images from the trip at www.BikesorDeath.com Episode Sponsors Kuat – We all know that Kuat makes bomb-ass bike racks, but they've got a lot more options for other sports like snow, ski, and water! Check out their whole lineup of awesome adventure products at www.kuat.com Ruby Coffee - Now offering certified Organic coffee with 4 options to choose from! Use code BIKESORDEATH during checkout for 15% off any one time purchase or 20% off the first shipment of any subscription. 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Kurt Pitts Eddie O’Dea Martin Saur David Lieble Join them won’t you?

For our birthdays the past couple of years Connor Thomas and I have gone to Big Bend to celebrate the only way we know how. This year Connor put together a bikerafting trip that would be the inverse to the Big Bend ~ Rio Revival that we did the year before. Last year we did a bikepacking trip that included a 6 mile hike up to the top of Mariscal Canyon with views of the Rio Grande 1800' below. This year we brought our new packrafts and floated through Mariscal Canyon with our bikes in tow. A lot more information is available at www.BikesorDeath.com.  You'll find this years bikerafting route, last years bikepacking route, tons of pictures, and a historical companion that Connor produced to compliment these trips.   Episode Sponsors Rockgeist – This week Greg Hardy joins me to talk about my new favorite piece of gear, the Mr. Fusion seat pack. *Patrons of this podcast get free shipping and a free patch with their order! Quad Lock ~ Bikepacking and exploring on your bike isn't new, but smartphones are and it's important to protect these expensive devices. The Quad Lock Bike Kit is the best way to secure your phone and keep it safe on your rides! 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 David Valle Andrew Pledger Alfred Lau Harrison Shotzbarger Join them won’t you?