Ep. 217 ~ Cruz Blue, Youngest Ever Triple Crown Finisher at 17
Release Date: 08/21/2026
Ep. 217 ~ Cruz Blue, Youngest Ever Triple Crown Finisher at 17
Bikes or Death
What had you accomplished by 17? Not what dreams did you have, but what dreams had you already made come true? One thing I know for sure: You weren’t the youngest person ever to complete the Bikepacking Triple Crown…unless your name is Cruz Blue. When I was 17, I spent most of my time skateboarding, avoiding homework, and chasing girls. Not exactly my finest years, but I’d argue my experience was probably more closely aligned with that of the average teenage boy than Cruz’s was. Over the past year, Cruz has quietly been making a lot of noise in the bikepacking world. He has no social...
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Ep. 216 ~ Anna Claire Beasley, No Big Bend Wall
Bikes or Death
In 2019, I joined a group of students from Texas Tech on a five-day bikepacking trip through Big Bend Ranch State Park. That trip is where I met Anna Claire. On the morning of day two, she and I sat down to record Episode 6 of the Bikes or Death Podcast. That conversation provides important context for today’s episode, as it showcases AC’s longstanding love for Big Bend. We play a clip from it in today’s show, but the is worth a listen if you want to join us on a journey through Big Bend in a pre-COVID world. Fast-forward seven years. Anna Claire is now a resident of Terlingua, Texas,...
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Ep. 215 ~ Meaghan Hackinen, New Tour Divide FKT
Bikes or Death
Meaghan Hackinen just made history on the Tour Divide, completing the 2026 Grand Depart in 14 days, 10 hours, and 2 minutes. In the process, she lowered the previous fastest women’s time, set by Austin Killips during a 2024 ITT, by more than 13 hours. She also improved her own Grand Depart record by nearly 37 hours, one of the largest leaps we’ve ever seen at the front of the sport. For a full write-up and photo galley of today's episode, please visit BikesorDeath.com EPISODE SPONSORS – Today we highlight the new . Use code OMMORDEATH at checkout for 15%...
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Ep. 214 ~ Daniel "Dirty Dan" Connell, Pacific Coast FKT
Bikes or Death
Daniel Connell, aka “Dirty Dan” is fresh off setting a new FKT on the Pacific Coast route from Alaska to the Mexican border. Dan ripped down the coast on his new, yet-to-be-released Trek Domane, setting a new time to beat: 6 days, 15 hours, 53 minutes. What some people may not know is that Dan is also preparing for a Guinness Book of World Records attempt on the Pan-American Route from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina this July. He initially approached the Pacific Coast ride as part of his training for Pan-Am, but it became much more than a tune-up. For Dan, this was a...
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Ep. 213 ~ Maddy Nutt, Traka 560 FKT
Bikes or Death
Maddy Nutt just made her mark on ultra-cycling in her very first attempt at this year’s Traka 560. She is no stranger to big efforts on the bike — or The Traka itself. Over the previous three years she competed in the 360km event, notably finishing 7th last year despite tearing her AC ligament only 100km into the race. She’s also raced some of the biggest gravel events in the world including Unbound Gravel, Migration Gravel Race, and The Rift (among others). Coming into this year’s Traka, Maddy believed the previous women’s record of 28h 52m was within reach, but respected the field...
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BONUS: RYDB Fest Preview
Bikes or Death
We’re gearing up for the second edition of RYDB Fest in Fayetteville, AR. In today’s episode, we’re breaking down everything you can expect this year. So what is RYDB Fest? A bike festival? An ultra-cycling race? A friendly bikepacking overnighter? The answer is: yes. RYDB Fest is an open invitation to ride your damn bike, any damn way you want. Built by the bikepacking community, for bikepackers of all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Everyone is welcome to play bikes with us in NW Arkansas! In today’s episode, you’ll hear from the team and supporters behind RYDB Fest as we get...
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Ep. 212 ~ Live From the Bikepacking Campout at Sea Otter
Bikes or Death
Something new came to Sea Otter this year, and I went to get the scoop. Sea Otter is widely regarded as the largest bike expo in the world, but calling it a “bike expo” doesn’t quite cover it. With over 70,000 attendees, 1,000+ brands and exhibitors, and 10,000+ athletes competing across a huge variety of races, it’s… a lot. And with all of that, it’s hard to imagine anything was missing. Enter Old Man Mountain. Five years ago, Erik Fenner, OMM’s Marketing Manager, attended Sea Otter for the first time. That night, he organically invited a few folks to join his campsite...
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Ep. 211 ~ Jacob Ashton, World Tour | DOOM | ETS
Bikes or Death
Can you imagine packing up everything you own on a bicycle, riding away from your home with plans to cycle the world over the next four years? Now imagine it’s your first bike tour. That’s exactly what Jacob Ashton did in 2016 when he rolled away from his home in Idaho. Over the next four years, he would cover roughly 77,000 miles, visit 100 countries, and ride across six continents. His travels were not without challenges. He was confronted by machete-wielding villagers in Mozambique, lost a finger to frostbite while climbing Ojos del Salado in Chile, and experienced a bowel...
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Ep. 210 ~ Tyler "Freakin" Reynolds, Texas Slowdown SS Triple Star
Bikes or Death
Tyler “Freakin” Reynolds and the First Texas Triple Star In 2025 the Texas Triple Star was born. Complete all three events in the Texas Showdown Series, in the same category, within a calendar year, and you’ll earn a handmade belt buckle crafted by Texas builder Kyle Gilbert. Last year the series became official with the addition of West Texas Showdown, and seven riders stepped up to attempt the full trilogy. By the end of the year only one rider was left standing. Tyler “Freakin” Reynolds. Racing in the Slowdown Singlespeed category, Tyler...
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Ep. 209 ~ Kurt Refsnider, First to ride the 5,000 mile Orogenesis Route
Bikes or Death
My guest today is someone who is no stranger to the front of the field. A perennial podium finisher as a professional mountain biker, and over the past decade-plus one of the most accomplished ultra-endurance cyclists on the planet, he has first-place finishes at the Tour Divide, AZT, CTR, and many many more. The truth is, I’d need to create an entirely new podcast series to fully unpack the range, depth, and longevity of his career as a lifelong cyclist. For that reason, he’s a man who truly needs no introduction: Kurt Refsnider. Most recently, Kurt became the first person to ride the...
info_outlineWhat had you accomplished by 17? Not what dreams did you have, but what dreams had you already made come true?
One thing I know for sure: You weren’t the youngest person ever to complete the Bikepacking Triple Crown…unless your name is Cruz Blue.
When I was 17, I spent most of my time skateboarding, avoiding homework, and chasing girls. Not exactly my finest years, but I’d argue my experience was probably more closely aligned with that of the average teenage boy than Cruz’s was.
Over the past year, Cruz has quietly been making a lot of noise in the bikepacking world. He has no social media, no blog, and no YouTube channel. He seems motivated almost entirely by a sense of adventure and what he calls youthful ignorance. So, unless you’ve been paying close attention, you may not have realized that a star was rising in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Cruz comes from an adventurous family and grew up inspired to seek out adventures of his own. For him, racing is simply another form of adventure. He isn’t particularly concerned with times, watts, records, or results—but he does place a premium on finishing.
His only DNF came in 2025, when he attempted the Arizona Trail Race 800 as an individual time trial at just 16 years old. But let’s back up a little.
Cruz entered his first bikepacking race in 2024 at age 15. Just two short years later, he finds himself among an elite group of athletes credited with completing the Bikepacking Triple Crown.
A brief history of his racing career:
Age 15
Pinyons and Pines — 2d 15h 53m — 14th overall
Age 16
AZTR 800 ITT — DNF
Pinyons and Pines — 2d 7h 23m — 10th overall
AZTR 800 ITT — 17d 7h 42m — Youngest solo AZTR 800 finisher
Age 17
Pinyons and Pines — 3d 5h 19m — 17th overall
Tour Divide — 19d 11h 6m
Colorado Trail Race — 6d 17h 49m — Youngest-ever CTR finisher
In less than 10 months, Cruz completed the Arizona Trail Race 800, Tour Divide, and Colorado Trail Race, becoming the youngest person ever credited with completing what we call the Bikepacking Triple Crown.
Technically, the formal Triple Crown Challenge requires completing all three races within the same calendar year. Cruz completed his within a rolling one-year period. But the keepers of the records at Bikepacking.net officially list him as the youngest Triple Crown finisher, and who am I to argue!
The results, however, are only a small part of Cruz’s story.
The real story is Cruz himself – and it’s his to tell.
On today’s episode, I have the privilege of getting to know one of our sport’s youngest athletes, who has quietly been making a whole lot of noise.
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