Bikes or Death

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!

I chatted with Sofiane Sehili via skype 4 days after he scratched from the Tour Divide after being in the lead. I give him an opportunity to tell his story and address some of the comments and accusations that were made about him. I enjoyed chatting with him as much as I enjoyed watching him race.

It was a true honor to sit down with Hal Russell on the back porch of his Missouri home. At the age of 70 Hal is continuing to push the limits of what we believe humans are capable of. As I type this he is on the Great Divide route for the 6th time! Equally impressive is that he didn't even start cycling until he was 57. His athletic accomplishments are accompanied by a big smile and humility that he has become well known for.