OffRoad InRoads X MFR

Welcome back to another episode of OffRoad InRoads. Today's episode is a little different as we shift from our typical guests, to bring on photographer/filmmaker and budding recreational gravel racer Nicole McFadden. Nicole filmed and produced the recently released Fast and Slow Presented by Stan's. Here's the brief, go have a watch.  Travel alongside pro off-road bike racers, Haley Smith and Andrew L'Esperance, to Canada's rugged north as they chase twin titles for men and women's National XC Marathon MTB Championships and get to the heart of what makes the Yukon a special place to ride.We off course wanted to record this episode to share the film, but also to get to know Nicole. Nicole is new to cycling and works in film for her full-time job with Parks Canada. She has an interesting set of intersecting skills and interests that led her to this project and we dive into them on the show. We get to recall our experiencing making this film together, along with Drew and Haley, on our trip to Whitehorse, Yukon.Thanks to everyone that helped make this film happen, particularly Stan's No Tubes and Maxxis Factory Racing.  Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespyJoined by:  Nicole @nicolemcfaddsProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

Welcome back to OffRoad InRoads and to the episode following The RAD in Trinidad, Colorado. This was the 6th and penultimate stop on the LTGP tour and a new-to-the-series event. Maxxis Factory Racing was split this weekend with Haley competing in the MTB Marathon World Cup in Snowshoe, West Virgina and myself in Southern Colorado on the gravel bike. I did this trip with Kerry Werner who races for Bike Flights and Kona. We both share many sponsors, including Bike Flights and Maxxis and he's a cool guy, so we did the trip together. We recorded a conversation afterwards.Kerry is coming at this off-road racing scene via XC and endurance MTB along with CX. The biggest rides of his career have been in cyclocross and I think its fair to say he has the eastern-US MTB stage racing scene pretty locked down. Kerry is also a YT guy, check out his VLOG The Rad LifeTime Grand Prix | Race 6 | Vlog following this round of the LTGP.  Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespyJoined by: Kerry Werner @kerryw24Produced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

Welcome back to OffRoad InRoads and to the episode following Canadian XCM National Championships. We are back from an impromptu summer break for the podcast and we have a busy fall of racing ahead. To kick September off Haley and Lespy traveled to Whitehorse, Yukon to race at the Canadian XCM National Championships. It was an incredible opportunity to visit the Canadian North and to compete for a maple leaf jersey. It was a great weekend for the team with both Haley and Lespy earning their first Elite National titles.Today's guests also made the trip up to Whitehorse and the both share a similar story, it was an incredible experience and I need to go back! First up on the show we have Ruby West who is an athlete that takes multi-discipline to the next level. XCM Nationals was Ruby's 4th National Championship event of the season, having competed in Road, Track, and Gravel Nationals already this season. Ruby finished up 2nd on the day to go with several other National Champs podiums this season. Ruby grew up racing off-road, with the early part of her career spent on the mountain bike and ‘cross bike. She returns to off-road racing to create the balance that she needs to perform her best on the track. We chat about her experience in the Yukon, how she balances pursuing Olympic dreams on the track with her love of many different kinds of bike racing and what the future may hold for her. Next up, we have Carter Nieuwesteeg on the show, a professional off-road and founder of Anything Goes Event Series (AGES), the company that produces the Fernie Gravel Grind. Carter had this event on his radar for a while and although the day didn't play out as he had hoped, he really enjoyed the experience in the Yukon and is counting the days until he gets back there. We hear about what happened in the race and how he turned it around the next week to finish the season up on a high note at the Revy Fifty. Carter essentially holds two full-time jobs, one being an athlete and the other running events for AGES. Between BWRs, MTB Stage Race double-headers and everything that goes into running AGES, it was a full-on summer for Carter but he wouldn't have it any other way. We chat about that and his thoughts on the off-road scene from the dual-perspective of an athlete and an event organizer. Hardtail's are the next big thing, you heard it here first. Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespyJoined by:  Ruby @ruby__west and Carter @carternieuwesteegProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairsNote: Due to technical challenges, this episodes audio quality is not at our typical level, we apologize and will ensure it is improved for upcoming episode. Thanks!

We are here on Vancouver Island for BC Bike Race and going to bring you inside the Ultimate Singletrack experience.This is the final episode of our BCBR series. Lespy is joined by producer Bill Schieken to break down the final days of racing and the whole experience at BC Bike Race. Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespyJoined by:  Bill Schieken @cxhairsProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

We are here on Vancouver Island for BC Bike Race and going to bring you inside the Ultimate Singletrack experience.Today's guest is someone you may not be familiar with, but you should keep an eye out. Eva Poidevin is a XCO racer from Canada that has been throwing her hand in the off-road endurance space this season. She has had a strong run at BCBR this year with several days on the podium, holding steady in 3rd overall with one-to-go and a stage win on Stage 6 in Campbell River. We chat about her season this year,  what it's like racing at BCBR with a deep field of women and how she got her start in the sport. Enjoy the conversation.  Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespyJoined by:  @e_poidevProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

We are here on Vancouver Island for BC Bike Race and going to bring you inside the Ultimate Singletrack experience.Today's guest is Maxxis Factory Racing OG and Canadian MTB legend Geoff Kabush. Geoff is bringing his experience and skill to one of the deepest BCBR Pro Men's fields in recent history. We chat about his background at this event, his bike setup that is maximized for the downs and his strategy for managing these heavy racing efforts. Enjoy the conversation. Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespyJoined by:  @geoffkabushProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

We are here on Vancouver Island for BC Bike Race and going to bring you inside the Ultimate Singletrack experience.What does a guy that started a bike company 42 years ago do for fun? Ride bikes of course! Lucky to have the founder of Ibis Bicycles, Scot Nicol on the show for a chat. Scot is mixing it up in the 60+ category at BCBR and enjoying the sweet singletrack that the island offers. Enjoy the conversation.Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespyJoined by:  @scotnicolProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

We are here on Vancouver Island for BC Bike Race and going to bring you inside the Ultimate Singletrack experience.Enjoy the conversation with Katerina  Nash chatting about the good times racing at BCBR, 20 years on Maxxis Tires and gravel bikes vs. MTBs on singletrack. Lets go!Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespyJoined by:  @katkanashProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

We are here on Vancouver Island for BC Bike Race and going to bring you inside the Ultimate Singletrack experience. Enjoy the conversation with Andreas 'Dre' Hestler chatting about the history of this event, the challenges the past few years and what this event is all about. Lets go!Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespyJoined by:  @ahestlerProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

We are back for part 2 of the Unbound show for OffRoad InRoads. The mud is most certainly cleaned up by now and athletes are coming out of the hole that they dug for themselves at Unbound. We are very lucky to be joined by Sarah Sturm, the thoughtful, energetic and fierce competitor in the North American off-road scene Unbound is THE gravel race in the North America, a 200 mile beast on the rough and rugged roads of Kansas. The 2023 edition was one to remember with rain, mud, heat and mechanicals along with notable changes to the racing rules. These changes include aerobars not being allowed in the pro race, and separated, amateur, pro women's and pro men's starts.In the episode, Haley and Lespy chat about the challenges they experienced in the race including the endless mechanical fixes that Lespy pursued to attempt to keep moving forward. They chat about the first mud section and weigh-in on both sides of the conversation. Lespy and Sarah chat about a broad range of topics including her impressive start to the season and the consistency she is demonstrating across many different types of off-road racing. Sarah finished 3rd at Unbound this year and she shares her experience on the day, her opinion on the first mud section and insights into her mental approach to the racing. We had a great conversation, enjoy.  Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America. Enjoy the show.Hosted by: @andrewlespy and @haleyhuntersmithJoined by:  @sarahsturmyProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

Everything is finally cleaned up from the muddy weekend at Unbound Gravel in Emporia, Kansas just in time to relive the experience on this episode of OffRoad InRoads. Unbound is THE gravel race in the North America, a 200 mile beast on the rough and rugged roads of Kansas. The 2023 edition was one to remember with rain, mud, heat and mechanicals along with notable changes to the racing rules. These changes include aerobars not being allowed in the pro race, and separated, amateur, pro women's and pro men's starts. In the episode Haley and Lespy chat about Haley's 12 plus hour journey on the gravel roads from Emporia. Haley placed 7th overall and earned solid points for the LTGP.  Also on the show, friend and fellow athlete/podcast host Ian Boswell (Breakfast with Boz p/b Wahoo podcast). Lespy and Ian chat about the recent "growing pains of gravel racing"  (term coined by Payson Mckelveen) and his day at Unbound. Ian, a retired World Tour Road pro, has landed in the top 5 at this race for the past 3 years and managed to win the race in 2021. Ian shares his day at Unbound; how he navigated the mud, the experience inside the lead group of men and what he has visible on his Wahoo screen.  Thank-you to Maxxis Tires for the support of this podcast and shout out to the Maxxis Rambler for helping Keegan take the pro men's win at this years edition. Enjoy the show. Hosted by: @andrewlespy and @haleyhuntersmithJoined by:  @ian_boswellProduced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

We are super excited to bring you an episode from the 18th annual Whiskey Off-Road. The Whiskey Off-Road is an iconic MTB event by Epic Rides in Prescott (pronounced PRES-KITT), AZ. It is a three day affair with kids races, 15, 30 and 50 Proof (those are the race distances in miles) amateur races, the pro-only downtown fat-tire crit and the Pro Backcountry race. Not to mention a live concert! This is one of the best MTB race weekends of the year.  Thanks to Maxxis Tires for not only supporting this podcast, but also being one of the sponsors of this event!In this episode, we catch up with Bradyn Lange and hear his stories from the days at the Whiskey. He smashed it in the fat-tire crit, finishing second behind Keegan, and he has some stories to tell from a tough day in the backcountry. We also chat off-road racing, this van/tent life, the LTGP and his resurgence on the XCO scene.Next, Haley and I do a little back and forth on our experiences of the weekend. We both landed on the podium, Haley in the fat-tire crit and myself in the backcountry. We dive into our equipment setups and of course the different Maxxis Tires we ran over the weekend. Finally, we are lucky to have Evelyn Dong join us to share some wisdom from her past 9 years of competing in this race. Evelyn has finished on the podium here several times before and is always a contender. The big climbs and copious amounts of singletrack suit her riding style. We also get a chance to chat about tires, her decision not to put her name in for the LTGP in 2023, the SingleTrack Series and all the sweet off-road events coming up in her schedule.  Get ready, let's go to that finish line. We hope you enjoy the show!Hosted by: @andrewlespy and @haleyhuntersmithJoined by:  @bradyn.lange and @evelynd11Produced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

We are back for season 2 of OffRoad InRoads! The podcast where we bring you into the fold of the North American Off-Road racing scene. Winter is over, it's spring time and we are back at the biggest off-road races of the season. With the continued support of Maxxis Tires, we are expanding the podcast series this season. We are aiming to bring you behind the scenes of more events and bring the level up. Thank-you Maxxis!The first episode follows the season opener of the LifeTime GrandPrix, the Fuego XL at the Sea Otter Classic. This race was a doozy! It started on the Laguna Seca racetrack in the thick of the action at the Sea Otter Classic expo. The race began with a savage start on the racetrack before turning right and heading out onto a long MTB loop in Fort Ord. In typical fashion of these endurance events, the race was longer than the promoted 100 km of the Fuego XL. They never undershoot the distance! The race was 2 laps of the course and covered 111 km (69 miles) and the elevation gained was 2650 m (8700 feet).On today's show, we are fortunate to have Sofia Gomez Villafane and Tobin Ortenblad to share their stories from the day. These guests give us two differing perspectives from the racing. Sofia, winner on the day and 2nd place overall in the 2022 LTGP series, is certainly no stranger to the pointy end of a bike race. And Tobin, top 10 in the points, a new athlete in the LTGP series, is looking to put in the work all season long to finish as high up the leaderboard as possible. From the finish-line chats and in-depth interviews we gain interesting insights from these athletes. Further, we share insights from Haley and Lespy's day on the bike along with equipment choices that helped them achieve success at the race.Get ready, let's go to that finish line. We hope you enjoy the show!Hosted by: @andrewlespy and @haleyhuntersmithJoined by: @sofithevilla and @mctubbbin Produced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

We made it! The final episode of OffRoad InRoads is here. Thank you so much for all of you for listening and supporting the podcast all season long. It gave us an incredible opportunity to connect with the off-road community and share  stories from the inaugural LifeTime GrandPrix with you. Thank-you to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and Maxxis Factory Racing for making a run at the overall in the GP possible. In this episode we share the experience at Big Sugar and answer a few great questions from listeners. Next, a conversation with Drew Esherick, team owner and manager of Maxxis Factory Racing, to provide a look at the racing from a different perspective. From the logistics center, the MFR team van, the feedzone, the work stand and everywhere in between, Drew shares his path in the industry and perspectives from the 2022 season. Finally, we reflect on the season, race by race, sharing stories, highlights, challenges and reminiscing about the last six and a half month journey. We hope you enjoy and looking forward to being back next year with something new. Much love, Haley and Lespy. 

We're back for Episode 5 of OffRoad InRoads p/b Maxxis Factory Racing. In this episode we chat Chequamegon 40; the iconic 40 mile MTB race in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and the fourth stop of the Life Time Grand Prix. First up on the podcast is Kelsey Urban, World Cup XC racer and van lifer. Kelsey races for Team 31 - Ibis and following an intense WC season, decided to join the fun on the US off-road scene and finish off her season with a muddy Chequamegon 40. We chat about the challenges of coming home to van life between travel in Europe, her WC season, her impressions of the weekend in Wisconsin and blending domestic racing with international WCs. I really enjoyed catching up with Kelsey after spending two weeks with her in Puerto Rico at the start of the season as she joined MFR for an early season race trip.  Bradyn Lange, men's winner of the Cheq 40, joins us for his first ever podcast interview. Bradyn is the youngest athlete in the LTGP and is now one of only two athletes that has won a race in the GP. We chat about how the race unfolded, his background in the sport and why he has been living that van life for the past few years but doesn't really 'gram about it. We hope you enjoy the show! As always, thanks to Maxxis for the resources to produce this podcast, and to all of you for listening!

Better late than never... we're back for Episode 4 of OffRoad InRoads p/b Maxxis Factory Racing. In this episode we revisit the "Race Across the Sky"; the iconic Leadville 100 MTB race and the fourth stop of the Life Time Grand Prix. Keegan Swensen, men's winner (and also winner of the next day's Steamboat Gravel), returns to the podcast - this time interviewed by Haley - to discuss his race approach, what makes him so consistent, and the season in general. Hannah Otto, winner of the professional women's race, sits down with Lespy to chat her wildly diverse season, racing Leadville through injury, and the emotions of winning what is often a career-defining race. Of course, Haley and Lespy will also take you through their own rides; Haley's, good, and Lespy's, not so good... but both rewarding in their own ways. As always, thanks to Maxxis for the resources to produce this podcast, and to all of you for listening! 

Welcome to Episode 3 of OffRoad InRoads presented by Maxxis Factory Racing. In this episode we climb into the stories from the "Toughest 69 miles on the Planet", Crusher in the Tusher. Crusher is a point to point gravel race that starts in the small town of Beaver, Utah and climbs up, down, through and back up to ultimately finish at Eagle Point Resort after more than 3000 meters (10000 feet) of elevation gain over the day. The race is contested by pros and amateurs alike, inspiring more than a little fear in all those who toe the line. With the best off-road cyclists on the continent contesting the event as part of the LifeTime Grand Prix, the competition was next-level and the stories from the day, priceless. The episode kicks off with a chat with our co-host Haley Smith on her day at Tusher, which was one of those "extra good" days on the bike that culminated in a win. Next, Lespy chatted with Sarah Sturm on her take on the GP, the community and comaraderie surrounding this series, and the evolution of gravel. Then Haley and Peter Stetina dove into his race at Tushar, coming in as the defending champ, and what has changed on the scene with the advent of the GP.  Next, Lespy and fellow mountain biker Stephan Davoust chat about his background, the day at Tushar and all the learnings that come with taking on the unique set of challenges the LTGP offers. Finally, Haley chats with Rose Grant about the meaning of competition, how to identify and value personal wins, and the challenges of long-term athletic goal pursuit. Enjoy the show!Time Stamps:Sarah Sturm - 11:02Peter Stetina - 38:02Stephan Davoust - 59:06Rose Grant: 1:18:59

And here we are for Episode 2, Pt 2 of OffRoad Inroads. This episode is a continuation of our discussion on Unbound Gravel, the second stop of the LTGP. Featuring interviews with Rob Britton and women's champion Sofia Gomez Villafane, this is a don't-miss episode! We get Sofia's take on the validity of starting the men and women together and hear all about her commanding victory, and get former road pro Rob Britton's take on the whole gravel scene, whether flat tires are luck or lack-of-skill-induced errors, and his upcoming challenge to set the FKT on the BC Epic 1000 route.  We'll begin the episode with a rundown of Haley and Lespy's equipment choices, who were proud members of the No Mechanical Club at this iconic race. Sit back, turn up your speakers, and enjoy this dynamic episode. Timestamps:Haley and Lespy : 1:44Sofia Gomez Villafane : 14:40Rob Britton : 47:40

Welcome to Episode 2, Pt 1 of OffRoad Inroads presented by Maxxis Factory Racing. In this episode we're diving into the racing at Unbound Gravel, the second instalment of the LTGP and world-famous 200 mile race in Emporia, Kansas. The race lived up to it's name with epic conditions and grueling racing for every athlete out there. Based on the sheer amount of insanity that occurred, we elected to split this episode into two parts to give our interviewees the chance to adequately colour our discussions. Based on a common thread among the feedback from episode 1, Lespy and Haley give you a rundown of their own races out there before diving into conversations with pros Payson McElveen and Alexis Skarda. We talk potatoes, crashes, jabronis, and a few tips on how to join the "No Mechanicals Club". No holds barred, folks. It's a good one!Timestamps:Haley and Lespy : 1:56Payson McElveen : 16:22Alexis Skarda : 58:50

Welcome to the very first episode of OffRoad InRoads! We are excited to get this going and share some great conversations following the Sea Otter Classic Fuego 80 MTB race. First we hear from Kaysee Armstrong of Liv Factory Team, learning about her approach to the racing, "going where the party goes" and racing tips from this Unbound 200 veteran. Next up, the one and only Cory Wallace, Canadian Endurance MTB legend and bike explorer. We learn about his path into the sport, his most recent adventures in South Africa, Zanzibar and Tanzania and his last-minute call up to the LTGP. Next, Evelyne Dong, who is going all-in on racing this season, has "dabbled" in gravel (fairly low-key assessment - she has won Crusher in the Tushar), finished 5th at the opening round of the LT series and shares the love of Peanut Butter Puffins with one Haley Smith. Finally, the winner of the men's race at the Fuego 80, Keegan Swenson, shares his sound logic behind racing durations, his thoughts on the MTBers and Unbound and some tips on how to manage a big ol' bottle of beer on the podium. We hope you enjoy these conversations and we are looking forward to sharing the journey of the LifeTime Grandprix throughout the season.Thank-you to our guests in our first episode and thank-you to Maxxis Tires and Maxxis Factory Racing for the support to produce this podcast.