Bikes or Death

Nick Marzano is back! And this time he has joined the ranks as an official Tour Divide Finisher with a time of 20d, 9h, 1m, which was good enough to secure 22nd place. Nick first appeared on the podcast while he was still racing the Tour Divide. We chatted when he was at mile 1,250 in Pinedale, WY at about the halfway point for the race. If you haven't already, you may want to give that episode a listen first. Read the full writeup at BikesorDeath.com Local Nation Podcast - Nick's passion podcast from 2018 EPISODE SPONSORS Athletic Greens ~ Good for bikepackers on the go! 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 🎉 Abe Kaufman Darryl Carpenter Join them won't you? These episodes aren't possible without support from our listeners.

We continue our Tour Divide coverage with an interview from this years 2nd and 3rd place finishers, Manu Cattrysse and Adrien Liechti. This year I drove to the finish line of the Tour Divide to meet with finishers and record some podcast with anyone who was willing. On last weeks episode I chatted with First Place finisher Sofiane Sehili. This weeks episode takes place at Jeff Sharps kitchen table in Hachita, NM the day after Manu and Adrien finished their Tour Divide. Visit BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and pictures from the end of this years Tour Divide. EPISODE SPONSORS Ruby Coffee - Ruby is a big supporter of coffee outside for hikers, campers, cyclist, and bikepackers. Check out their amazing selection of instant and steeped coffees. Use promo code "bikesordeath" for 15% of your first order or the first order of your subscription! Kuat - The Pivot V2 is the perfect accessory to your rack that allows you to swing the rack and your bike away from the back of your vehicle making it easier to access. Learn more about this great accessory on their website. 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Mark d knight Tom Kom Boni from Hungary Alan Hanley Dave Crumpton Hal Arbor Eric Graham Josh Stair Yasmin Boakye Dexter Kopas Chelsea Gay Join him won't you? This weeks episode was a result of 28 hours of driving, 5 days away from home, and over 2,000 miles driven. Your support makes these episodes possible!

This past weekend Sofiane Sehili became the 2022 Tour Divide winner with a time of 14d 16h 36. This concluded a journey that started 8 years ago when Sofiane toured the Tour Divide for the first time. He would return in 2016 to race it for the first time and claim a very respectable 3rd place, while Mike Hall would go on to win and set a new course record in the process. A record that stands to this day. In 2019 Sofiane came back to try again. Everything was looking promising as he was leading the race and contending with Mike Hall's record until a massive snow storm stopped him in his track, forcing his return to Brush Mountain Lodge and taking him out of the race. Please visit BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and gallery of images from patricks time at the end of the Tour Divide. Episode Sponsors Quad Lock ~ The best phone case and bike mount combo in the known universe! Athletic Greens ~ Good for bikepackers on the go! 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 🎉 Jeremy Chesler Huckansawyer (Kevin) Join him won't you? This weeks episode includes over an hour of raw conversations between Sofiane and I, available only to Patrons!

Last week I put a call out to anyone currently racing the Tour Divide to come on the podcast. I knew it would be a bit of a challenge, but I thought it would be really neat to hear from someone who is currently racing to give us a live account of this years Tour Divide. Nick Marzano answered the call via instagram and after a few days trying to make our schedules align we were able to chat while he was posted up in a hotel room in Pinedale, WY. Nick Marzano - Trackleaders / Instagram EPISODE SPONSORS Embark Maple - Maple Energy Adventure Packs for the Modern Explorer. Use code "bikesordeath" to receive 3 free samples! 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Daniel Heaton Join him won't you?

In 1997 the Adventure Cycling Association released the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. What was billed as a touring route, caught the attention of ultra distance mountain biker John Stamstad. In 1999 John set out on the first ITT (individual Time Trial) of the GDMBR and set a the first FKT (fastest known time) of 18 days and 5 hours. His record stood until the 2007 edition of the Tour Divide Race. 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. Quad Lock ~ The toughest phone case and mounting system on the market 💪 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Andrew Holt Join him won't you?

This year the East Texas Showdown welcomed 100 riders from all over the US, but it was two road cyclist from nearby Austin that would push the pointy end of the race. Kuya Takami was our 2022 East Texas Showdown winner with a time of 23h 56m, setting a new Fastest Known Time (FKT) and Dennis Lastochkin was the second person to cross the finish line, but his time did not officially count after he accepted assistance on course. Read the full report with a full gallery of pictures at www.bikesordeath.com Community Spotlight Velo Cruces, 'Every Body Rides with Grace' is hosting adaptive cycle parade in Las Cruces, NM on Saturday June 4th. Please click the link for more info on how you can attend and be part of the important work Grace and her family are doing. Episode Sponsor Kuat doesn't also make great racks, they give back too. One way that do this is through their Future Forest Initiative through which they have planted 592,875 trees today. Visit Kuat.com today to learn more about what they are doing for our forrest and check out their racks while you're there...wink...wink... 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Todd Crafter Thomas Sumter Join them won't you?

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!