Ep. 179 ~ The Midsouth Experience, w/ Patrick & Natalie
Bikes or Death
It's Midsouth Week! At least here at Bikes or Death headquarters ;). This week, we are going back in time and reliving Midsouth through the lens of Patrick and Natalie's experience. Whether you’re Midsouth curious or you got hit with those post-race blues and are feeling like a little Midsouth 2024 nostalgia, this episode is for you! So charge your headlights and grab your chamois butter because you’re invited along for the journey as Natalie and I experience our first ever Midsouth. From the Midsouth beer release party at The Iron Monk, to the expo show, and all the way through 100 miles...
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Ep. 178 ~ Patrick's AZT 300 Attempt
Bikes or Death
Since my youth I've had a passion and love for the outdoors. While all wilderness landscapes appeal to me in their own unique way, desert landscapes have always been my favorite. So it's no surprise that when I got into bikepacking and found out about the AZT it quickly ascended to the top of my bucket list. After 5 years of hoping, dreaming, and planning, I finally made the leap and signed up for a Spring ITT. On April 11th at 7:12am myself and 3 others (Gregg Dunham, Alan Jacoby, and Ian Quigley) set out on the AZT, each of us doing ITT's. The AZT (Arizona Trail) is a...
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Ep. 177 ~ Meaghan Hackinen, DOOM 3rd Overall
Bikes or Death
Meaghan Hackinen is your 2024 DOOM female winner and 3rd place overall. On day one she skipped a critical resupply point and found herself leading the field for a good part of the day. Dexter Kopas would eventually catch her and go on to take the win. Overall, it made for some exciting dot watching and resulted in an impressive finish for Meaghan. Meaghan got into competitive ultra cycling events back in 2016 and she has a that include wins and FKT on several courses. Notably, she was the overall winner at the BC Epic 1000 in 2021 and she is the 24 hour World Time Trial Champion where she...
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Ep. 176 ~ John Schilling, AZT Race Director
Bikes or Death
On today's episode John Schilling, AZT Race Director, is here to talk all things AZT. He became the race director in 2019 when Scott Morris passed the torch after 14 years of creating and overseeing the race. John is no stranger to the AZT. He first attempted it in 2012 and completed it in 2013. He's a local to the Pheniox area and is well known for his hard work developing routes, leading rides, and for his great work on the AZT. Quickly after becoming the AZT race director he made changes to both the 300 and 800 routes. In fact, the long version used to be 750, but thanks to John...
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Ep. 175 ~ Jenny Tough, Adventure Athlete & Writer
Bikes or Death
Jenny Tough is one of the most impressive adventure athletes I've had the pleasure of chatting with. Her accomplishments in sports and writing are truly inspirational and mesmerizing. She is an ultra runner and bikepacker with numerous accomplishments to her name. Among her accomplishments, in the running world she was the first person to run across Kyrgyzstan solo and unsupported. Following that trip she set out to run across 5 other equally challenging terrains in different parts of the world. In total she complete 6 runs in 6 continents over a 6 year period which she chronicled in her...
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Ep. 174 ~ East Texas Showdown Preview for 2024
Bikes or Death
The East Texas Showdown is in its fourth year and it's our biggest one yet. With 250+ riders from all over the world decending on East Texas we wanted to produce an episode to help you have a successful weekend in the woods. We surveyed all the riders participating in ETS 2024 and I brought in a panel to help me answer your questions. The panel consist of one person from each of the three categories from last year. From the Showdown we have Harrison Kroos, the Slowdown is represented by Vince Colvin, and our Lowdown representatvie is Aja Roberts. ...
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Ep. 173 ~ Lewis Ciddor, 3rd Place at Tour Te Waipounamu
Bikes or Death
Today we are catching up with Lewis Ciddor after his impressive 3rd place finish at Tour Te Waipounamu. Many of you will be familiar with Lewis. He won the Tour Divide in 2018 and was the host of the Overland Archive Podcast for many years. Lewis was on the show in Aug. of 2020 for Ep. 51. Since then I've noticed he's been keeping a lower profile. Not entering races, not releasing episodes of his own podcast, not posting on social media as much, so when I saw him back in the race lineup I was eager to catch up with him. I was also eager to hear more about the Tour Te...
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Ep. 172 ~ Dogpacking with John & Mira
Bikes or Death
John and Mira are a bikepacking duo who were the first to complete the Tour Divide Race as a human and dog team in 2023. They also emBARKed on a world tour in 2023 with the goal of dogpacking all 7 continents of the world. A feat that is so big that if you think about it too much it seems almost unattainable. But, John and Mira have over six years experience traveling the world together by bike and that experience, I believe, will lead to their success. Today's episode starts with an introduction to John and Mira and how they got started dogpacking. We also go into some of the how-tos of...
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Ep. 171 ~ Angus Morton, filming "The Divide"
Bikes or Death
On today's episode, I sit down with Angus Morton to chat about his latest film: The Divide. This masterpiece follows Angus's brother, Lachlan Morton, on his 2023 ITT of the Tour Divide. The Divide masterfully captures Lochlan's Journey, the landscape, and the beauty and challenges along the way. Lochlan traversed 2,700 miles, 2 countries, and 5 states over a period of 12.5 days. Showcasing a route that covers so much distance, so many different terrains, and carries with it so many unknowns is a daunting endeavor, but Angus pulled it off brilliantly. As a content creator and...
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Ep. 170 ~ Sofiane Sehili, "Where Do I Go From Here?"
Bikes or Death
At the end of the year Sofiane made a post on social media that caught my eye. The first line read, “So where do I go from here?”. Sofiane is arguably the best ultra bikepack racer in the world. A position that he earned by winning some of the most grueling races in bikepacking, in some cases multiple times. Having accomplished so much, he now finds himself in a unique position and wondering what’s next. Today we dig a little deeper into Sofiane’s thoughts about his career, his accomplishments, and what, in fact, is next for him. EPISODE SPONSORS️ - Exclusive offer for Bikes or...
info_outlineThis week we are talking with Jesse Turner who is the custom bike maker and artist behind Slow Southern Steel based out of Fayetteville, AR.
Jesse started this new company less than a year ago and I've been following with interest since the beginning. I love to showcase and support people who are following their passion and doing things to make the cycling world a better place. I'd certainly include Jesse in this category. His first job was in a bike shop as a mechanic, he would go on to get an Art degree, and then become a welder. If you mix all that with a person who is passionate about bikes and an Arkansas native you get Slow Southern Steel.
For a full writeup and photo gallery of Jesse's original shop, plus lots of bike photos, check out www.BikesorDeath.com
EPISODE SPONSORS
Ombraz ~ Use code "BOD20" at checkout to get $20 off any pair of Ombraz armless sunglasses and Ombraz will send BoD a $20 as a thank you :)
🎉 New Patrons 🎉
Jesper Thunstedt
The following Patrons increased their pledge 🙏
Robert Rupp
Manuel Busse
Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath