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We've brought back Mike McCormack, founder of one of the most celebrated (and kickass) mountain bike stage races in North America. The Breck Epic remains true to its roots, filled big, long backcountry rides at high elevation in Breckenridge, Colorado. In our last episode with Mike, we riffed on his diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to welcome all riders, regardless of age, race, creed, ethnicity or gender. In this conversation, we dive into what makes the Breck Epic the iconic race that it's become. Tipping off on Sunday, August 10th, 2025, the Breck will be celebrating its 17th year and it just keeps getting bigger and better—while keeping the rider numbers and thus the rider experience, stable. In this fireside chat, we explore Mike's concerted effort to promote women's cycling through the Breck Epic Women's Tour (they hosted 60 women in the pro field in 2024), along with his ecosystem approach to event organizing including 3-nights of sustainable fireworks (yep, fireworks at the Breck in '25), the Women's Cycling Summit and year two of Breck Bike Week. Quintessential Mike McCormack, his style is very much his own and he shows up raw, real, and willing to bare all. Affable, eccentric and honest, listening to Mike Mac flow on all things event organizing and bike racing is a trip worth taking.WNbL, Breck Epic Website : https://breckepic.com/Breck Epic Instagram: @breckepic Website: beaudacious.comMichael's Instagram: @michaelleachbaShow's Instagram: @thebounceforwardMichael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: https://beaudacious.com/coaching/
Adam was born in 1973 and grew up in a modest home in Sandy Utah. He is the second child of 5 children and the first son. He grew up playing baseball until high school when he switched over to playing golf. He attended Alta High School in Sandy and then BYU where he received his BA, Masters of Accountancy and Law degree combining all three programs in order to graduate in 7 years. After his first year at BYU he served a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Seoul Korea. Adam met his wife Tracy while serving in the same mission and married around a year after returning home. They have 3 girls and twin boys. He had his first daughter his first year in law school and his second his last year of law school. He graduated second in his class. They moved to San Diego where he started his career at Latham and Watkins. He worked in Big Law for 12 years doing real estate private equity. He and his family moved back to Salt Lake in 2012 when Adam joined Bridge Investment Group, an alternative investment management firm with headquarters in Sandy. In Episode 115 of the Mi Duole podcast, hosts Stuart and Andy Compas interview Adam O'Farrell. Adam, a seasoned cyclist, shares his journey from a demanding career in big law to becoming an avid cyclist post-retirement. He discusses his participation in various races, including the Breck Epic, Swiss Epic, and Cape Epic, and his experiences with nutrition and recovery. Adam emphasizes the importance of mental and physical recovery, the camaraderie within the cycling community, and the joy of riding with his family. He also highlights his favorite gear, such as a 10-battery charger, and his mantra for endurance: "pain is temporary."
OVERVIEW: The Breck Epic is the premier mountain bike stage race in the United States, and Race Founder and Director Mike McCormack is a legendary for the ethos and environment he's cultivated around the race. He and Adam Pulford go beyond Breck Epic to talk about what riders get out of doing truly epic endurance events, how to prepare for them, how to have fun during them. Don't miss this inspiring and motivating conversation, and then go sign up for your next big adventure! Key topics in this episode:How Breck Epic worksThe value of creating a great racing experience for ridersBalancing MTB skills and fitness trainingThe effect of Breckenridge's altitude (9400 ft) on performance, nutrition, and recoveryPreparing for racing at altitude when you live at sea levelManaging race week efforts to maximize fun and successGuestMike McCormack founded the Breck Epic MTB Stage Race in 2009, treating its field to a high-alpine tour of Colorado's secret stashes, hidden gems and historical ghost towns. Committed to big routes with good friends, Epic's 220-plus miles and 40k of vertical establish its 6 stages as the gold standard of endurance backcountry riding. With a unique cloverleaf format allowing riders from 25 countries and 40+ states to start and finish each day within a mile of the the historical Victorian mining town of Breckenridge, Colorado, Epic is the mountain bike experience of a lifetime.LinksIG: https://www.instagram.com/breckepic/X: https://x.com/BreckEpichttps://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=breck%20epichttps://breckepic.com/HostAdam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platformGET FREE TRAINING CONTENTJoin our weekly newsletterCONNECT WITH CTSWebsite: trainright.comInstagram: @cts_trainrightTwitter: @trainrightFacebook: @CTSAthlete
4th Place finish in the mens 80+ Duo Category? We'll take it
I'm thrilled to be back on the airwaves after a two-month rejuvenation break! In today's episode, I'm excited to share some personal updates including: completing my master's in applied positive psychology, winning the downhill category at Singletrack Six, and my top-ten finish at Breck Epic. Plus, I'll share more about my transition to part-time racing and my move toward focusing on coaching, speaking, and writing. Whether you're chasing your own starting line or seeking a meaningful pivot in life, join me as we explore the power of authenticity and the impact of redefining success. Here's what you'll learn: - The importance of taking real breaks - Redefining success, accomplishment, and fulfillment - The power of savoring and reflecting - Challenges (and rewards) of balancing racing and parenthood - Embracing uncertainty and novelty LINKS - Turning in to Savoring - Finding Fulfillment Beyond Growth with Mario Fraioli- Mastery is a Practice, Not a Destination - The Science of Rest and Changing How We Work with Alex Pang
In today's episode I have the pleasure of sitting down with Brianne Kwasny. Brianne is a former collegiate soccer player and current endurance athlete. After winning her age group at the Breck Epic in 2023, she competed in the pro division at the Breck in 2024, holding her own, and racing her race. In this conversation we'll explore how Brianne balances her demanding professional work life while staying consistent in her training, why sleep is her superpower, the mindset she embraces when the going gets tough, and how loss has inspired her to be the best version of herself on and off the bike. You're going to find Brianne to be humble, thoughtful, articulate and highly intelligent. I'm confident that Brianne's approach to life, training and work will be both inspiring and uplifting. WNbL, Brianne's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkwasny Website: beaudacious.com Michael's Instagram: @michaelleachba Show's Instagram: @thebounceforward Michael's Mindset and Mental Endurance Coaching: https://beaudacious.com/coaching/ This episode was powered by The Bicycle Station
Episode 113 - TdFF, MTB Tire Showdown at SBTGRVL, Healing4Howie, and AMA What up party people. We've got the full crew back in the studio again and Tyler even got himself a new mic so you can hopefully hear him better even when Dizzle is talking over everyone. We're talking Tour de France Femmes, the emergence of mountain bike tires on the gravel scene with Keegan dominating SBTGRVL, we send all of our get well wishes to crowd favorite Howard Grotts who suffered some severe injuries after a wicked crash during the final stage of Breck Epic over the weekend, and then get into some rapid fire “ask me anything” listener questions. If you have any questions or feedback for the show you can drop us a note at bonkbrospodcast@gmail.com or slide your way into those Bonk Bros instagram DMs (@bonkbros @dylanjawnson @adamsaban6 @tylerclouti @raddaddizzle @scottmcgilljr). Big shout to all of our supporting partners of the show, including Silca and their latest produce release with the new chain wax additives coming in both the Speed Chip and Endurance Chip form (code: bonkbrosbikewash), Bolt Skin & Shave for providing the best shaving experience for men (or women) who include leg shaving as part of their grooming routine (code: BONKBROS15), and of course our friends over at Dynamic Cyclist who are dedicated to keeping athletes healthy and strong on and off the bike with their strength and mobility plans offered on the Dynamic Cyclist platform (code: BONKBROS). Alright let's get this episode started. Patreon: http://patreon.com/patreon_bonkbros Silca (15% discount code: bonkbrosbikewash): https://silca.cc/?utm_source=Bonk+Bros&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=stripchip&utm_id=Bonk+Bros+Podcast Dynamic Cyclist (10% discount code: BONKBROS): https://new.dynamiccyclist.com/a/43703/xkYViFV8 BOLT Skin and Shave (15% discount code: BONKBROS15): BOLT Skin + Shaveboltshave.com For more Dylan Johnson content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIf1xvRN8pzyd_VfLgj_dow Intro/ Outro music by AlexGrohl on Pixabay.com: https://pixabay.com/music/id-111445/ Listener Question Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1T37wGRLk6iYTCF6X_DQ9yfcaYtfAQceKpBJYR5W7DVA/edit?ts=642eb6d6 The Following Was Generated Using AI And Should Not Be Held To The Higher Standards Of Sentient Beings - Riverside.fm Summary In this conversation, the hosts discuss the Tour de France Femmes and the performance of the SD Works team. They also talk about the Steamboat gravel race and Keegan Swenson's victory on mountain bike tires. The conversation takes a somber turn as they discuss Howie Grotts' serious crash at the Breck Epic. The conversation revolves around the recent Dust Bowl race in Iowa and the experiences of the participants. The main themes include the race itself, the competition, the course, and the enjoyment of racing. The conversation also touches on topics like Christian Blumenfeld, tires, and Project Echelon. The participants discuss their own experiences, share anecdotes, and express their opinions. In this part of the conversation, the hosts discuss various topics including the lack of mountains in Iowa, Dylan's potential participation in Gravel Worlds, the best training tires for road riding, the idea of having a training bike and a race bike, and the confusion between Gravel Worlds and UCI Worlds. They also touch on the possibility of Scott riding Alpe d'Huez in under an hour, drug testing in cycling, and the future of their cycling careers. In this part of the conversation, the hosts discuss various topics including getting sick at a birthday party, racing cyclocross, retiring from road racing, and estimating the income of top lifetime Grand Prix riders. They also touch on the importance of tire selection and the possibility of doing backflips. The conversation is light-hearted and filled with banter. In this final part of the conversation, the hosts discuss the financial aspects of professional cycling, overcoming fear after a crash, and Dylan's love for his Conti Race King tires. They also mention the new Silca products, including the speed chip and endurance chip. The conversation ends with a humorous discussion about using the crockpotinator for cooking and the potential for a mega product that combines all the different wax blends. Keywords Tour de France Femmes, SD Works, Steamboat gravel race, Keegan Swenson, mountain bike tires, Howie Grotts, crash, Breck Epic, Dust Bowl, race, competition, course, Christian Blumenfeld, tires, Project Echelon, mountains, Iowa, Gravel Worlds, training tires, road riding, training bike, race bike, Alpe d'Huez, drug testing, cycling careers, sickness, birthday party, cyclocross, retirement, income estimation, tire selection, backflips, professional cycling, finances, fear after a crash, Conti Race King tires, Silca products, speed chip, endurance chip, crockpotinator, wax blends Takeaways The SD Works team faced drama and controversy during the Tour de France Femmes. Keegan Swenson's victory at the Steamboat gravel race on mountain bike tires highlights the potential shift in tire choice for gravel racing. Howie Grotts' serious crash at the Breck Epic is a reminder of the risks involved in competitive cycling. The Dust Bowl race in Iowa was a recent topic of discussion The participants share their experiences and anecdotes from the race The conversation touches on the importance of tires in racing Project Echelon and Christian Blumenfeld are mentioned in the conversation Iowa does not have mountains, just hills. The hosts discuss the best training tires for road riding, with Dylan recommending GP 5000 and Scott preferring Gator Skin. Having a separate training bike and race bike can be beneficial to preserve expensive parts on the race bike. There is confusion between Gravel Worlds and UCI Worlds, and the hosts suggest changing the name of one of them to avoid confusion. Scott is unsure if he could ride Alpe d'Huez in under an hour. The hosts discuss the possibility of drug testing in cycling and the need for fair competition. Dylan and Scott joke about their future in cycling and the potential for taking up other hobbies. The hosts reflect on their recent experiences watching race recaps and attending a birthday party. Getting sick at social gatherings is a common occurrence, especially during flu seasons. Retirement from professional racing often leads to a transition into other aspects of the sport, such as coaching or spectating. The income of top lifetime Grand Prix riders can vary greatly, with the top earners making significantly more than the rest. Tire selection is an important consideration for gravel riders, and the Vittoria Corsa and Peyote are mentioned as potential options. Backflips on a bike require skill and practice, and trampolines can be a good training tool. Professional cyclists face financial challenges, including expenses for training, travel, and equipment. Overcoming fear after a crash requires gradually getting back into the activity and accepting that fear is normal. Dylan has a strong attachment to his Conti Race King tires and finds them soothing. The hosts discuss the new Silca speed chip and endurance chip, as well as the potential for a mega product that combines all the different wax blends. They joke about using the crockpotinator for cooking and the potential for high prices if the Conti Race King tires were to be discontinued. Titles The Serious Consequences of Cycling Crashes The Rise of Mountain Bike Tires in Gravel Racing Enjoying the Thrill of Racing The Significance of Tires in Racing No Mountains in Iowa Drug Testing in Cycling Attempting Backflips on a Bike Getting Sick at Social Gatherings Overcoming Fear After a Crash Dylan's Love for Conti Race King Tires Sound Bites "The most exciting finish to a grand tour I've ever seen." "Gravel tires are officially on the decline." "It sounds like it's, I don't know. I heard people talking about how like, how he might not even come back to mountain biking, like that might be it for him." "What'd you win?" "We were the only two that had arrow bars" "He yelled, 'Hail Mary'" "Oh my gosh, like there it is, it's right there." "Tusted by Drew, wow." "Because I sell training plans on there. This is how we transition into an advertisement about my training plans." "I might've gotten sick at Deanna's birthday party." "Is masters really an age category or is it like a lifestyle category?" "I don't think that I'll ever race a master's race." "Yeah, you're making more money than half the guys in the top 10." "How do you overcome fear after a crash?" "In Portugal, yeah, the first day I like flew into a ditch." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Tour de France Femmes 05:38 Exciting Finish at the Steamboat Gravel Race 13:09 The Shift to Mountain Bike Tires in Gravel Racing 19:13 The Serious Consequences of Cycling Crashes 22:33 The Dust Bowl Race: Experiences and Anecdotes 23:05 The Significance of Tires in Racing 25:30 Project Echelon and Christian Blumenfeld 29:34 Enjoying the Thrill of Racing 39:37 No Mountains in Iowa 42:11 Training Plans and Sponsorship 43:15 The Best Training Tires for Road Riding 44:23 Training Bike vs. Race Bike 50:18 The Confusion Between Gravel Worlds and UCI Worlds 51:19 Scott's Alpe d'Huez Challenge 53:19 Drug Testing in Cycling 55:02 The Future of Cycling Careers 55:32 Race Recaps and Birthday Parties 55:56 Getting Sick and Social Gatherings 57:14 Transitioning from Racing to Retirement 58:31 The Age Category of Masters Racing 01:01:06 The Challenge of Racing at an Older Age 01:05:27 Attempting Backflips on a Bike 01:10:01 The Financial Realities of Professional Cycling 01:11:18 Overcoming Fear After a Crash 01:17:35 Dylan's Love for Conti Race King Tires 01:19:28 Introducing the Silca Speed Chip and Endurance Chip 01:23:02 The Potential for a Mega Product and High Prices
In Episode 44, the second and final installment of coverage from the Breck Epic six-day mountain bike stage race in Breckenridge, Colorado, Trail Whisperer and Adam Mahomed document a week of suffering, random shenanigans and high elevation hypoxia. They also document the trajectory of their good friend James Adamson, who ended up finishing second overall in the Men's 40+ category as well as second in the Enduro category. James' big day was Stage 5 on Wheeler, the most feared day because of its grueling hike-a-bike up to 12,500 feet, then a technical and treacherous descent all the way back to Breckenridge. James was down 20 minutes on the leader, and in that one stage, he reeled back 17 minutes, going out of his own body, unleashing a performance that astonished everyone. Everyone seemingly, except himself. This episode is randomness mixed with purpose, insight and inspiration. And suffering. A lot of suffering.
In Episode 43, Trail Whisperer is on assignment in Breckenridge, Colorado with a special edition of Mind the Track covering the Breck Epic, a six-day mountain bike stage race featuring some of the most amazing high alpine singletrack in North America. But unfortunately, for the first time, the pod is without Pow Bot this week. Avid listener and an old friend of Kurt's who's been coming to Breckenridge for 25 years, Adam Mahomed co-hosts this Breck Epic course preview episode where they chat about what to expect over the six days, suffering at high elevation, preparing for unpredictable weather, and getting some inside knowledge on the six stages from local resident James Adamson, who used to be a Tahoe core lord back in the day before moving to Breck in 2018.
In the midst of record-breaking heat, out of control wildfires, brazen bears and dry, dusty blown-out trails, the boys catch up on a grab bag of topics including Pow Bot's harrowing adventure sailboat racing on Lake Tahoe, Trail Whisperer's week of trail work spent in the Toiyabe Range with no cell service, a recap of the Downieville Classic, whether you should buy an SL-style ebike or a “full power” ebike, Trail Whisperer's new bike day and whether or not he likes “mullet” style mountain bikes, the modern world of social media and how to break away from the stranglehold of Meta, the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris with lame mountain bike courses and the greatest surfing wave ever, Pow Bot's recent rediscovery of hiking and his relationship with the same mountain from summer to winter and Trail Whisperer's struggle to stay amped on riding his mountain bike through the hottest and dustiest part of the summer. The boys also do some listener shout-outs and play the first 888 COR LORD call-in voicemails from listeners. 2:50 – Pow Bot enthralled with the Golden Hour and sunsets, enjoying the cooler weather after a record breaking heatwave.4:45 – Trail Whisperer is not motivated to ride his mountain bike because of hot and dry and blown out the trails have been.7:30 – Pow Bot thumbs a ride at Emerald Bay and got picked up by a county sheriff, and Trail Whisperer shares his story of being interrogated in the back of a police car.10:30 – Bears in Lake Tahoe and Sierra County are out of control, breaking into homes, schools and peoples' cars, leading Sierra County Sheriff's Department to euthanize several bears.13:40 – 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris kicks off – the mountain bike course is lame, Teahupo'o is the surf venue, one of the greatest and most dangerous places on the planet to surf.18:45 – Fire season is in full swing in the Sierra Nevada – Gold Complex Fire in Portola and Park Fire in Chico are two big ones.24:45 – Shout out to Zeke Lunder of The-Lookout.com – a great fire info resource.28:15 – Climbers, mountaineers, skiers bodies are being found in melting glaciers after being missing for decades.31:00 – Two horses die during the Tevis Cup event on Western States Trail.34:20 – Ebike banter. Buying an SL eMTB versus full power eMTB. The long-term health of riding an ebike versus the peaks and valleys of spiking your heartrate on a mountain bike.42:10 – Type 1-3 Fun comes from the Dirtbag Diaries.44:45 – COR LORD Call-in Hotline – Superfan #1 - Scott Kessler and Gordo48:15 – Trail Whisperer watching a documentary on the history of the Grateful Dead, and how they have always controlled their content and media.51:00 – Modern social media, Meta controls everything. Trying to make a direct line of communication with your followers and cut out the third party like Meta.55:00 – Chas Smith – Welcome to Paradise Now go to Hell – Cocaine and Surfing – getting shut down by Meta after a satirical story about a cocaine shark.59:00 – Trail Whisperer was in the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada for an entire week with no cell service working on the Toiyabe Crest Trail.1:08:00 – Pow Bot's crazy sailing adventure on Lake Tahoe with John Morrison.1:20:30 – NEW BIKE DAY for Trail Whisperer – Santa Cruz Bronson1:27:00 – Pow Bot made a heartwarming Instagram reel tribute to Carson, his dog.1:31:50 – Downieville Classic Recap and riding moto in Downieville. Lost Sierra Endurance Race – a running race in Downieville on a Saturday.1:50:00 – Pow Bot has been getting into hiking, Hike Bot. Seeing terrain he skis in the winter in the summer and how different it looks.1:59:00 – What's coming up the next couple weeks? Trail Whisperer goes to Breck Epic and ebiking the Rubicon Trail.
The roots of No Ride Around are inextricably tied to Breck Epic. When we started this journey it was to document our road to our very time at Breck Epic. Here we are a handful of years later, putting the polish on our fitness to line up for number 4. Join as we have a great conversation with the mad scientist that came up with the idea to race 6 days in the stunning Colorado back country.
With our upcoming duo race at this years Breck Epic, we discuss the do's and don't's of partner racing.
If you're looking to take your cycling to the next level in 2024 – whether you're an amateur or pro, training for fitness or to reach a performance goal – getting a personal coach can help get you there. Daniel Matheny has been coaching athletes of all ages and abilities in a variety of sports (primarily cycling) for over two decades, from Juniors at USA Cycling to pros at CTS. Now through his Matheny Endurance, he offers athletes a range of services – from mapping out personalized custom plans to providing on-site race day support. Matheny is a top athlete himself and also the local go-to in Colorado Springs for setting up courses for some of our top area races – like the Pikes Peak APEX and Rampart Rager Gravel. We talk about his background, services, trainer tips and where he goes for inspiration, in this edition of Pedal the Springs. Host: Torie Giffin, Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort Owner Guest: Daniel Matheny, Matheny Endurance Links to show topics: Breck Epic https://breckepic.com/ Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort https://www.bicycleresort.com/ CTS & Chris Carmichael https://trainright.com/ CTS Trainright Podcast https://trainright.com/podcast/ Colorado Trail Race https://bikepacking.com/event/2023-colorado-trail-race/ EVOQ Cycling Podcast https://www.youtube.com/c/EVOQBIKE Leadville 100 MTB https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/mtb/leadvilletrail100mtb/ MTB Marathon World Championships https://ridesnowshoehighlands.com/event/uci-2024/ Matheny Endurance icoachbadasses.com https://mathenyendurance.com/ Pikes Peak Apex by RockShox https://www.coloradospringssports.org/events/pikes-peak-apex/ Primal Wear https://www.primalwear.com/ Rampart Rager https://www.rampartrager.com/ National Strength and Conditioning Association NSEA https://www.nsca.com/ Professional Mountain Bike Instructors Association PMBIA https://pmbia.org/ Fast Talk Laboratories https://www.fasttalklabs.com/ SUPA Podcast Stand Up Pedal Action https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/supa-stand-up-pedal-action/id1578907633 Steamboat Gravel https://www.sbtgrvl.com/ Strava https://www.strava.com/ USA Cycling https://usacycling.org/about-us/ Pedal the Springs is produced by Studio809 Podcasts from our community podcast studio at the NextUs in Downtown Colorado Springs and presented by the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, the only bicycle-themed lodging and must-stay for cyclists coming to Colorado. Check us out at https://bicycleresort.com for more information. Explore all the community podcasts at https://studio809podcasts.com
“I just can't believe how grateful I am. I just love being a mom, and I am an Olympian.” This episode features a special conversation with Erin Huck, recorded during the Women's Cycling Summit at Breck Epic. Erin is a mountain biker who competed in the women's cross-country event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, and the 2015 Pan American Games. She's also a mom, like me. We explore the remarkable journey of balancing motherhood with a flourishing athletic career. Our candid discussion covers postpartum physical rehab, shifts in racing perspectives, and the art of balancing multiple roles. Plus, we share our experiences with unexpected challenges, like infertility, uncertainties and fears we grappled with in continuing our athletic careers, and the complexities of sponsorship and identity in the world of competitive sports. So, how do athlete parents find a balance between racing and parenting? Tune in to hear about how vital systems like childcare and meal prep are for training and maintaining flexibility in the face of change. This conversation is raw, honest, and essential for anyone leaning into the spectrum of parenthood experience. KEY TAKEAWAYS: The Ultimate Recovery: Learn tips for utilizing tools like rehab, fitness, and fueling after pregnancy Managing Expectations: How does motherhood change performance? Appreciating Our Bodies: Reflections on the power of motherhood and developing empathy for changes in their bodies and appearances. Cycling and Identity: Hear about challenges navigating the sponsorship and training in the professional cycling world as moms Personal Experiences: Plus, we share anecdotes from our own motherhood journeys, miscarriages, and infertility LINKS: Want to hear more from inspiring athlete moms? Check out this interview with Olympian Kara Goucher Work, Parent, Thrive with Yael Schonbrun Tune into my series about being an athlete mother Learn tips on training the pelvic floor with Corrine Wade Explore exercise guidelines for pregnancy and postpartum with Catherine Cram
This week we dive into the world of titanium frame building with Brad Bingham. Based in the Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Brad has been crafting custom frames for an impressive 27 years. Starting his journey as a welding enthusiast in high school, Brad's passion for making things led him to the art of bike building. But his skills go beyond frames – he even built his own home with the help of his retired custom home builder father. In this episode, Brad reveals the importance of learning how to do things for oneself and consulting experts. He shares his experience working for a dental equipment manufacturer before diving headfirst into the world of bikes. From working at renowned bike manufacturer Moots to eventually taking over Kent Erickson Cycles, Brad's journey is a testament to his dedication and expertise. Brad and our host, Randall Jacobs, delve into the nitty-gritty details of bike design. They discuss everything from tube selection and mitering to the impact of weight bias and alignment. Brad's deep knowledge of geometry, materials, and manufacturing processes makes this episode a must-listen for any bike enthusiast or aspiring frame builder. But what sets Brad apart from the rest? Well, his attention to detail and commitment to customer satisfaction are second to none. As the owner of Bingham Built Bikes, he prioritizes open communication and mutual respect. With his wife, Hannah, by his side, they handle everything from bike design and production to backend operations. Their tiny operation may be limited in size, but it's big on passion and craftsmanship. Binghm Built Bicycles Website Support the Podcast Join The Ridership Automated Transcription, please excuse the typos: [00:00:00]Brad Bingham: Yeah. So I'm, I'm Brad Bingham. I'm, uh, based out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and I'm a custom titanium frame builder. Uh, been doing that here in Colorado for, gosh, going on what, 27 years? [00:00:17]Randall Jacobs (host): Wow. 20, 27 years, [00:00:20]Brad Bingham: Correct. Yep. [00:00:21]Randall Jacobs (host): you don't look, you started welding when you were like eight. [00:00:27]Brad Bingham: Uh, no. I, I really started welding in earnest, um, senior in high school. I. [00:00:35]Randall Jacobs (host): No kidding. [00:00:36]Brad Bingham: And then, yeah, I moved here to, to Steamboat right after I turned 20. And [00:00:41]Randall Jacobs (host): so me about those first welding experiences. How'd you get into it? Was it starting with bikes or was it, uh, a general, was it a vocational program? What was the nature of [00:00:51]Brad Bingham: it, it was very bike centric, so I, I knew that I wanted to construct bike frames, uh, mountain bikes specifically. And to do that, I needed to know how to, you know, join two tubes together. And at the time, I mean, I was 18 years old and didn't have any welding experience whatsoever. So I went and took a, uh, evening like, uh, community college TIG welding course. It was like a 75 hour course and took that in the, in the evenings after work. Um, And I walked in there with a couple of parted off pieces of Reynolds bike tubing and I said, I just need to know how to put these two things together. [00:01:40]Randall Jacobs (host): And so this is really, I mean, this has been your path in life since [00:01:45]Brad Bingham: Mm-hmm. [00:01:45]Randall Jacobs (host): beginning. [00:01:46]Brad Bingham: Mm-hmm. [00:01:46]Randall Jacobs (host): Um, that's, uh, it seems like an increasingly rare phenomenon to have such clarity at a young age at what you wanna do and then to go out and do it. So, uh, good on you. Some of us, some of us, it takes a lot longer. [00:01:58]Brad Bingham: Oh, sure. Yeah. I mean, I was, I was always really passionate about making things. I, I just always needed to be making something or working on something. And luckily the bikes found me, you know, 'cause I was a rider and, um, the idea of building bikes was, you know, not, not anything that crossed my mind until a good friend of mine said, well, why don't you just build your own. And that was, that was the genesis. [00:02:31]Randall Jacobs (host): So, and we were just talking a moment ago, I, I, I was apologizing for the, the state of affairs in my house. 'cause I'm in the process of building a new house around the husk of a, of a old derelict, but, but lovely, uh, home that I just purchased. And you mentioned you built your home as well. So tell me a little bit about that. I'm kind of curious about this builder mentality, [00:02:53]Brad Bingham: yeah. So yeah, I did not, you know, obviously I did not build the entire home myself. Um, my dad was a, um, was a custom home builder for 25 years, and so he was retired at the time, and this was 2000, like 2002 to 2004. Um, he had just recently finished a home helping out my sister build, build a home in Bend, Oregon. And so about a, uh, about a year, year and a half after that, Um, I talked him into coming out here and, and helping me build a home. So it was a big, big project, but really, he, I have to say he did at least 80, 85% of the heavy lifting. Like, yeah, I mean, he was, he was amazing. He's, he passed away in 2008. Um, but he was just a super smart guy and really good at building homes and being efficient, not wasting materials. Um, you know, I was a, I was working for Moots at the time. Didn't have a huge salary or anything. It's not like I was a rich guy. We were really trying to build it as inexpensively as possible. [00:04:11]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. Well, and I think, um, granted, sounds like your father was far more expert than mine, but we share that. Um, my, my father passed in oh seven and I didn't get to build a home with him, but I did get to work on, um, a couple of properties that, um, uh, he had, uh, my parents had purchased with, um, a aunt and uncle. And these properties were always underwater and always, you know, falling apart. And they'd never had the budget to do, you know, to hire out. And so it's just like, all right, we need to figure this out. And that's how I learned. You know, one of the key ways that I learned how to use tools, how to do things for myself, and there's a certain, um, there's a certain sense of, um, one personal responsibility and also with that personal, um, uh, competence and confidence that goes with learning from a young age to do things like, you don't need to hire an expert. You can consult experts. Maybe sometimes you do, but you can learn this. So that's, uh, that would seem to have carried into, uh, a lot of things in, in, uh, in what you've done starting at age 20 welding frames [00:05:21]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. And prior to that I was, you know, I was always on my dad's job sites, um, mostly cleaning up, you know? Um, [00:05:31]Randall Jacobs (host): as, as one does, and at when you're a grunt. [00:05:34]Brad Bingham: yep, yep. But, but yeah, you do learn a lot and yeah. Good stuff. Mm-hmm. [00:05:41]Randall Jacobs (host): Um, so tell me, so you mentioned you, you take this course, right? You're, you're in high school or just outta high school, and you go to work for Moots right after. How'd that come about? [00:05:51]Brad Bingham: No, I was, uh, I had the opportunity in high school to be part of a cooperative work experience, uh, with the world's largest dental equipment manufacturer. So I worked, I worked in their engineering department, um, really as a drafts person, uh, um, junior, senior year in high school. And then that carried over into, after high school. Um, I was not a, you know, there was a lot of, a lot of life things that, that kind of slowed me down from going to college. Um, my mom was recovering from some pretty harsh cancer and I wasn't really excited to, to leave her. My parents were recently divorced, like, you know, all these things kind of piled up to me staying, staying in my hometown for a year after high school. And I continued to work, uh, in that engineering department. Kind of the, the, uh, path would've been to go into mechanical engineering from there. But I, I kind of looked around and I was like, I don't think this is, for me, I just, you know, I don't wanna just be kind of a cog and cog in the wheel, you know, cog in the machine. Um, I wanted to have a, you know, more greater grasp, more of the whole scope of projects. Um, and that's, you know, bike, bike building allows you to do that. [00:07:18]Randall Jacobs (host): Well, for, for better or for worse, in a lot of regards, especially in the beginning when you're trying to get off the ground, [00:07:24]Brad Bingham: Mm-hmm. [00:07:25]Randall Jacobs (host): it's the product, it's the business, it's the marketing. And which is really just another way of saying how do you communicate, how do you build awareness? How do you connect with people? Um, So, so then, you know, walk us through kind of what, what that journey looks like. [00:07:40]Brad Bingham: So, you know, it's, it's funny, I, uh, I, like I said, you know, A gentleman that I worked with, uh, who was a really good friend, uh, at the dental, Manu dental equipment manufacturer. Um, he ended up becoming, you know, years later he was director of engineering. Uh, this is a big major company, like 1200 employees on site, um, major manufacturing capabilities right there in my hometown, which is just outside of Portland, Oregon. [00:08:12]Randall Jacobs (host): and what, um, what types of products [00:08:15]Brad Bingham: oh, uh, [00:08:16]Randall Jacobs (host): ha have I had your products in my mouth at some point? [00:08:19]Brad Bingham: uh, maybe not in your, maybe not literally in your mouth, but, but potentially actually, yeah, you probably have like the, uh, you know, the little suction wand that, uh, goes in your mouth while you're at the dentist. Yeah. I mean, they [00:08:32]Randall Jacobs (host): yeah. [00:08:33]Brad Bingham: they even produced that. So the company was a. [00:08:36]Randall Jacobs (host): Okay. [00:08:37]Brad Bingham: You walk into, you walk, walk into certain dental offices, and you'll see that every single piece in that office, it's me, sorry, is uh, every single piece has adec on it. Literally from the chair that you're sitting on to the cabinets, literally everything. [00:09:00]Randall Jacobs (host): So what I'm hearing is here you are, this, this young kid in, in, in high school, just outta high school. You get this, this opportunity to work in a very large, uh, organization in with, you know, seasoned professionals doing, you know, medical products at a whole nother layer, um, of complexity in terms of design and development and supply chain and things like that. And so you're dealing with that sort of thing. Um, and that was kind of your jumping off point. [00:09:30]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. And I, um, I got into the bike building thing because my buddy that I, I rode with, I broke a couple of cannondale and he said, why don't you just make, why don't you just make your own? [00:09:43]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:09:44]Brad Bingham: so of course I did. And it kind of spiraled, you know, I was in his garage late every single night machining something. And, uh, you know, kind of once I built that first bike, it was a really great experience, but I was kind of like, well, what's, what's next in this? And then he said, why don't make one outta titanium? And, uh, so I went and took the United Bicycle Institute Titanium Frame Building course in 1996. Um, and it was taught by Gary Helfrich, uh, who is one of the, one of the founders of Merlin. [00:10:21]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:10:22]Brad Bingham: So, uh, yeah, through that process, moots got ahold of my name and. I got asked to come out to Colorado to interview for a welding position, and you know, as soon as they offered it to me, I took it. And kind of the, you know, the rest is, is history. And, you know, I did feel like that was a wonderful opportunity I got out here and I kind of initially thought to myself like, okay, I'll, I'll do a year out here, figure it out, and then I'll get back to Oregon and I'll start my own brand. [00:10:59]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:10:59]Brad Bingham: But I got out to Colorado and it's like, wow, I'm, I'm not gonna go home and build better bikes than this. And, you know, I'm, I'm not gonna go step, step away and just immediately be building better bikes. That's not gonna happen. Um, and I fell in love with, with Colorado and the, the stoke that people have here. [00:11:24]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:11:24]Brad Bingham: So, [00:11:25]Randall Jacobs (host): And what, what is it about, you know, what was it about working at Moots that was particularly special for you, and like, who were some of your mentors? You know, what, what'd you learn there? [00:11:35]Brad Bingham: Well, it, it was a opportunity to work from the, the very bottom, you know, the very bottom to the very top kind of. And so I was able to experience, you know, every, every part of manufacturing while I was there, every, every part of manufacturing, a bicycle frame from titanium. Uh, so I started out welding, but pretty, I did that pretty solid for, uh, five years, five, six years, you know, tons and tons of welding. But while at that time, Kent Erickson was still, um, employed by Moots, and so even in those first few years I was helping, you know, Kent never used a computer. I brought some CAD skills with me, and so pretty quickly I was involved in design work and any little part he wanted to get machined, you know, we needed to do a drawing and I was a drafts person so I could create an engineering, you know, a print, uh, that somebody could read and manufacture it really easily. So, um, with a, with a lot of those skills that I brought, I was able to evolve at moots. You know, I, I look back on it and I think, oh, it, you know, happened pretty quick, but, but really it took a, took a number of years and by 2004, um, I was the production manager at Moots and managing, you know, the flow of the flow of products through the, through the factory. And, um, at the time it was about, I think it was about 14 or 16 guys and gals that were making the bikes. So, um, You know, and then designing all the bikes after Kent left. Um, and I was, uh, designing tooling and, you know, as new specifications came out, we would incorporate those into the bikes and yeah, just making it all happen. And then, uh, yeah, I finally, finally got tired of the, the high volume, you know, it just got, it got really, really big and I was, no, I was then just, like I said, kind of a cog in the machine. And, um, and then not long after my dad passed away, I kind of felt like it was time to make a change. [00:14:09]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, that'll, that'll definitely catalyze some, some serious self-reflection for sure. Um, uh, I think in my case as well, when my, when my dad got sick, um, you know, he, he had a, in my dad's case, it was a, a brain tumor. So as a type that you usually don't, uh, get more than like 6, 8, 10 months from, um, and from then it was like, okay, I moved back, moved back home, um, and resolve like, okay, what are the things that I would like to have done if I were on my deathbed and that I would like to do and share with my father while he's still around and like, you know, shifted my whole life trajectory. [00:14:51]Brad Bingham: Sure. [00:14:52]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:14:52]Brad Bingham: Yeah. [00:14:53]Randall Jacobs (host): So, [00:14:54]Brad Bingham: I, yeah, I hope, did you get the, did you get the six or eight, 10 months with 'em? [00:14:59]Randall Jacobs (host): uh, yeah, he, he lasted about eight months or so. He passed, uh, about 10, 10 days before his 50th and my 25th birthdays. We shared the same birthday. And, um, it was, I wanted to, I wanted to land a big account in the company I was working with. I wanted to, um, get into a good grad school, and I wanted to get my pro upgrade as a racer. And I got two, two of the three before he passed. And then, uh, I had a, a good season, uh, later on, uh, the, the, the following year and, uh, was a, a Pac fodder pro for a hot minute. [00:15:39]Brad Bingham: Gotcha. [00:15:40]Randall Jacobs (host): again, like that, that reckoning of seeing, seeing a, you know, a parental figure and someone that I admired and learned a lot from, you know, I. Towards the end of life, it maybe reflect a lot on, on what I wanna do with my own. [00:15:52]Brad Bingham: Yeah. [00:15:54]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, [00:15:54]Brad Bingham: Yeah. 50 is, 50 is way too young. [00:15:58]Randall Jacobs (host): yeah. [00:15:59]Brad Bingham: Way too young. I, my dad was 63 when he passed away, [00:16:02]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:16:03]Brad Bingham: felt way too young. [00:16:06]Randall Jacobs (host): I think it is never a good age to lose a parent. Like it, it just brings with it different challenges. Like when, when you're a child, it, it's like you, you need that parental figure to help guide you through life when you're going through your, your twenties or so, you try to discover yourself and that guidance can be helpful if you're in your forties or fifties. I haven't had that experience though. I will. Uh, my mother's still around and still healthy, but, you know, then it's like you're confronting your own mortality. Uh, so part, part of the cycle of life. [00:16:36]Brad Bingham: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. [00:16:40]Randall Jacobs (host): So, so your dad, your dad passes, you decide it's time. So what'd that process look like? [00:16:48]Brad Bingham: Yeah. So, um, I chose to, yeah, I chose to leave the job I'd been in for 15 years and, um, you know, they were, moots was a, they were a little surprised by it because I had been there for so long and, um, you know, at the time I was, I was playing a pretty integral. Um, so I, I went to part-time for, you know, I gave them a healthy notice and went to part-time and then, you know, finally trailed off. Um, and that was spring-ish of 2012, and I had no, I had no plans. I had bought a airstream, uh, to renovate, so I did a, like a shell off restoration on a 1973 Airstream and, [00:17:44]Randall Jacobs (host): off renovation. So like you pulled the shell off the chassis. Sandblasted the chassis. [00:17:51]Brad Bingham: exactly. [00:17:52]Randall Jacobs (host): All right. This, this, we need, we need to do a tangent on this 'cause I, I also did a, um, uh, a camper build at one point. So tell me about this Airstream. I'm super curious. [00:18:00]Brad Bingham: what, what was the camper you did? [00:18:03]Randall Jacobs (host): Um, mine, mine, I built out of a 15 foot vno motorcycle trailer. 'cause I had a, I had a Honda Element, which is a four cylinder, um, boxy, little, little adventure mobile that I wanted to, you know, use as a, you know, I wanted to be able to tow around the country. So I built this ultra light, um, largely self-sustaining kind of off-grid trailer, you know, solar thin film, solar on the roof and water recycling for the toilet and all the other stuff. And yeah, it was, it was an experience. [00:18:34]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, mine was, uh, it was my brother-in-law's folks up in Montana. I was up in Montana in 2011 for, uh, like a, a US Cup mountain bike race, [00:18:51]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:18:52]Brad Bingham: in, up in Missoula and, [00:18:54]Randall Jacobs (host): What, what year is this? [00:18:56]Brad Bingham: 2011. [00:18:57]Randall Jacobs (host): 2011. Okay. So this is towards the tail end. I, I did the, the, um, when it was the Kenda Cup. I don't know if they were still sponsoring. It's like Show Air was a shipping logistics company that was sponsoring, this is like oh 8, 0 9, maybe 2010. So I think maybe the tail end. [00:19:14]Brad Bingham: Yeah, that sounds right. I don't even know if Kenda and Sho were still involved. Like, I, I raced like the, um, like 2010 I think I was doing like the, like Sand Dimas and Fontana. [00:19:28]Randall Jacobs (host): Yep. I did those races. [00:19:30]Brad Bingham: Yep. Did you do [00:19:31]Randall Jacobs (host): Okay. So, so, so you were a, uh, you were a private tier pro as well, or are we on a team or, [00:19:36]Brad Bingham: Yeah, I was, you know, it was moots. [00:19:39]Randall Jacobs (host): yeah. [00:19:39]Brad Bingham: I was riding to Moots and just having, just having fun with it. [00:19:44]Randall Jacobs (host): What, what years did you race? I wonder if we actually lined up next to each other [00:19:48]Brad Bingham: well I raced, I raced pretty hard like nine, 10. [00:19:56]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, same you do. Sea otter. [00:19:59]Brad Bingham: Uh, oh gosh. I don't think I did sea otter until like 2016. [00:20:06]Randall Jacobs (host): Okay. [00:20:07]Brad Bingham: My, um, yeah, my, my pro mountain bike racing, it got, got sidetracked by two hip surgeries. [00:20:19]Randall Jacobs (host): Oof. [00:20:20]Brad Bingham: So I'm trying to remember how hard I went in 2011. I feel like. Oh, yeah, yeah, [00:20:28]Randall Jacobs (host): I had, I had already retired by that [00:20:30]Brad Bingham: yeah, yeah, [00:20:30]Randall Jacobs (host): I was like, okay, I've got way too much student loan debt to be living outta my car, you know, spending money to be a professional athlete. [00:20:40]Brad Bingham: yeah. So I had, um, my, my major injury, um, I tore the labrum, tore the labrum in my hip, um, which turns out was a, it was a genetic issue. Um, [00:20:56]Randall Jacobs (host): Interesting. It's just weak in some way, or there's some sort of, [00:20:59]Brad Bingham: of, shape of the femur. [00:21:01]Randall Jacobs (host): okay. My sister did the same thing and she had had to have her shaved. Did you have the, the shaving surgery or did you tear it right through? [00:21:08]Brad Bingham: The shaving. Yep. Same. Yep. So [00:21:14]Randall Jacobs (host): same thing on the other side. [00:21:15]Brad Bingham: correct both sides. Yep. I identical. So that ended up, um, the pain was pretty bad and kind of set me back in 2012. Um, and I prepped myself for surgery at the Steadman Clinic down in Vail, um, and had surgery in on the right leg or the right hip, uh, like February of 2013. And then I had my left one done July of 2013. So 2013 was kind of a throwaway year and, you know, I don't mean that entirely. It was, it was a great year. But, um, [00:21:58]Randall Jacobs (host): In in terms of competing at the highest level in athletics of any sort. Yeah. That, that makes sense. [00:22:06]Brad Bingham: But then I came back, I came back really hard 2014 and like just once I had the go ahead and I was, I had a wonderful physical therapist and I was just getting after it hard. And so at that time also I was working for Kent Erickson and he was like, you know, all about it. Like, yeah, go, go do it. Go go get it while you can, kind of. And uh, [00:22:33]Randall Jacobs (host): not something you do in your forties unless you're, uh, or fifties. Unless you're what? Tinker or, um, uh, Ned. Ned [00:22:42]Brad Bingham: I went like, so 2014 I kind of got myself back in, back in race shape and did things like Breck Epic, um, if you're familiar with that. [00:22:54]Randall Jacobs (host): I am, I got some friends who are doing it this year. I hear it's phenomenal. [00:22:57]Brad Bingham: And uh, yeah, did about a bunch of mountain biking and then I kept ramping it up until about, uh, 2017. So, yeah, it went pretty hard. 'cause my wife was, was racing cross country as well. And so it was something we did together, you know, and I would throw in road races and then, and, and whatever. [00:23:20]Randall Jacobs (host): I was gonna say that that makes a lot of sense that, uh, it was something you shared because otherwise, I mean, you're, you're on the road all the time and it's really hard to be on the road with like, as a, as a partner, be on the road with your partner who's out racing all the time and, you know, [00:23:39]Brad Bingham: yeah, [00:23:40]Randall Jacobs (host): camping at different places or, you know, subletting or, or doing whatever it takes, you know, sleeping on sofas, wherever. [00:23:47]Brad Bingham: yeah, yeah. And, uh, like, so 2016, I turned 40 in the fall, so my goal was to do 40 races before I turned 40 that year. [00:24:01]Randall Jacobs (host): Geez, [00:24:03]Brad Bingham: So [00:24:03]Randall Jacobs (host): that's, uh, that's impressive. I just turned 40 and I, I don't have a, I don't think I have a single race in me right now. [00:24:10]Brad Bingham: Yeah, that's alright. That's alright. [00:24:13]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:24:15]Brad Bingham: So, yeah. Anyways. Um, but all the way back to the Airstream. Yeah. [00:24:20]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:24:21]Brad Bingham: Fun project, you know, kind of kept me occupied. Um, as I le after I had left Moots. It, uh, definitely kept me occupied for a good few months [00:24:33]Randall Jacobs (host): And did you tow that around, um, with your wife, train, you know, training and racing everywhere, or, or were we, you just living in it? [00:24:40]Brad Bingham: it was a project. Like it took a, took a long time to get it even to where it is today, which is, I'd call it, I'd call it 90% done. I mean, it's, it's one of those things [00:24:52]Randall Jacobs (host): Okay, good. Good enough where your motivation is, uh, less than. [00:24:58]Brad Bingham: Yes, it's [00:24:59]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. Yeah. [00:25:00]Brad Bingham: Yes. And, but I. [00:25:03]Randall Jacobs (host): I think, I think that's part of the danger, the dangerous spot that I'm in. 'cause I, I also am like comfortable enough and I got other priorities, but gotta keep things moving along. [00:25:12]Brad Bingham: yeah. [00:25:13]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:25:15]Brad Bingham: So, yeah. But, uh, anyway, I didn't have any, I didn't have any plans to start, you know, to, I had no plans to be building bikes after I left Moots. I just wasn't, I just was like, I'm okay with taking some time and figuring out whatever the heck happens. And, uh, and then Ken Erickson, who had left Moots, uh, in 2005, he, he had been doing his thing for a while and he reached out and said, Hey, how about, how about you come back to me? And, uh, with the intention that you take over the business? So, [00:25:53]Randall Jacobs (host): All right. [00:25:55]Brad Bingham: so [00:25:55]Randall Jacobs (host): Wait, so this is, this is his independent business? [00:25:59]Brad Bingham: Correct. Yeah, he started Kent Erickson cycles about a year, a about a year, year and a half after he left Moots, so 2006. So, um, he'd been going for about yeah. Six, seven years. [00:26:16]Randall Jacobs (host): And is he a few years your senior? [00:26:19]Brad Bingham: Uh, yeah. [00:26:20]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. So, so he is, he's been at it, he's been at a long time. [00:26:26]Brad Bingham: Oh, [00:26:26]Randall Jacobs (host): And when did the, how long did you work together before he started to kind of transition outta the business? [00:26:33]Brad Bingham: Uh, so from, it would've been late, late 2012, um, until the late 2016. So four years that, uh, till we bought the business. And then, and then he was on board working for about 18 months afterwards. [00:26:53]Randall Jacobs (host): wow. [00:26:54]Brad Bingham: five and a half years. Yeah. [00:26:55]Randall Jacobs (host): That's really cool. That's like quite, quite narc to have worked together in a different business. Have him leave and then have you kind of take on his thing and have him supporting you in that role. Uh, that sounds really beautiful. [00:27:07]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. He and I, we have a, like, we have a good relationship. I don't spend very much time with him because he does tend to kind of hermit himself up on, on his property and he just, you know, he's, he has a beautiful piece of property up in the mountains and it's like, you know, his slice of heaven, like he doesn't need to go anywhere. Um, but to see him some pretty much gotta go up there. [00:27:33]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. [00:27:35]Brad Bingham: um, but yeah, but our working relationship is super good. Like really loved. The time we worked together is very much a lot of back and forth and a lot of mutual respect. And, um, neither of us really got upset with like, criticisms, you know? I mean, we were just really open. So it was nice. [00:28:00]Randall Jacobs (host): And you, you said, um, we bought the business and I, I know that I, I spoke together with my colleague, Sam, with your wife, um, initially before chatting with you. So, uh, you know, share a bit about, about her and, and how the two of you work together and so on. [00:28:17]Brad Bingham: sure. And actually, I mean, I, I, I kind of misspoke because technically it's only myself that owns the business, [00:28:26]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:28:26]Brad Bingham: but we were together are together, um, in everything that we do there. So, um, it feels like, you know, it feels like we bought it. [00:28:38]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:28:39]Brad Bingham: but yeah, so, um, so yeah, Hannah and I have been, uh, been together since 2010, like late 2010. And, um, you know, just a, just a fun like athletic. You know, athletic based relationship because we, you know, she was a runner at the time we met, and I was kind of ki I was kind of like still enjoying some running, like I did my first mar marathon with her and, um, my first and only wait, I should, I should had that, um, [00:29:17]Randall Jacobs (host): that's more, that's more than many cyclists. Many cyclists will do. Most cyclists, I don't even know. Uh, a lot of cyclists I know will joke that they don't know how to run. So doing a single marathon is, is not bad. [00:29:30]Brad Bingham: So, so yeah, we had never, we had actually, you know, we'd never worked together. But with this idea of me taking over the business, um, I really wanted somebody there that I, that I could trust to run the books. I knew that that would take such a burden off of me. [00:29:51]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:29:52]Brad Bingham: um, so we, we agreed that, um, that that's how we would do it, and it's worked out really well. Um, and yeah, yeah, she, she has a, she had been working in some other outdoor, um, some other outdoor companies that are located in Steamboat Springs. Um, she'd been doing bookkeeping and accounting for those companies, so she was, well, well versed and ready to take it on. Um, and [00:30:23]Randall Jacobs (host): And, uh, [00:30:24]Brad Bingham: mm-hmm. [00:30:25]Randall Jacobs (host): oh, go ahead. [00:30:26]Brad Bingham: Oh, and she also, like, she, you know, makes the website happen, makes the web store happen, keeps all the backend stuff going. So [00:30:35]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:30:36]Brad Bingham: you know, it's a, it's a huge component to the business. Um, I'm sure [00:30:41]Randall Jacobs (host): Oh yeah. [00:30:41]Brad Bingham: as you know, um, it really allows me to draw some, to draw some lines of things that I work on and things that I don't work on. [00:30:51]Randall Jacobs (host): I mean, it's, it's exhausting Otherwise, uh, you know, especially like early days when, when, if it's, if it's just one person or just two people and everyone's doing everything, uh, I mean, I, it works for some people, but it definitely constrained scale. And it also means that there's a lot of context switching from, you know, now I wanna focus on products, but you know, now I have to do a whole bunch of customer service emails and then, you know, I need to do some, some marketing outreach and, oh, you know, uh, have we paid that bill yet? [00:31:24]Brad Bingham: Yep. Yep. [00:31:25]Randall Jacobs (host): Uh, [00:31:26]Brad Bingham: But, but, but we're tiny, you know, we're a tiny little operation, so [00:31:31]Randall Jacobs (host): it, it's the two of you. [00:31:33]Brad Bingham: it's the two of us and one employee. [00:31:35]Randall Jacobs (host): Okay. [00:31:37]Brad Bingham: Yep. [00:31:37]Randall Jacobs (host): And, and what is your, uh, what's your other team member doing? [00:31:41]Brad Bingham: So Ed, ed is our, our third man, and, uh, he's like, does all of the final, final assemblies. So, uh, you know, complete, complete build outs. Um, he is, uh, he's a veteran of the bike world. Uh, he used to own one of the bike shops here in downtown Steamboat. Uh, he's a certified motorcycle mechanic. Uh, um, so he's just, he's just awesome, super, super diverse. So he builds, he builds all of my wheels, like I said, does the final assemblies. He kind of manages the, the web orders and ships product based on those incoming web orders. Um, and then, and then he's also in production. So he's, uh, does all the finish work on the frames. Uh, that's like bead blasting and polishing, you know, brushing what everything that kind of takes place after I weld it, [00:32:46]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:32:47]Brad Bingham: you will. Um, and then [00:32:49]Randall Jacobs (host): so you're doing the tube selection, mitering and all the upstream up there, is that right? [00:32:55]Brad Bingham: correct. Yeah. [00:32:56]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:32:57]Brad Bingham: Yep. And then he has, oh yeah, yeah, exactly. So he has some, uh, you know, some machining, some other machining roles as well. But those are like, it's, it's really funny just how they fall into the production process. 'cause like he, like I, it's like we always need something. There's always something to be done, [00:33:24]Randall Jacobs (host): So what's the, what's the process like? Like say, you know, one of our listeners, um, was looking to get a custom bike, uh, built with you. How does that, how does the communication work? How's, what's the, the process you take them through? [00:33:37]Brad Bingham: Yeah. So typically they reach out, excuse me. Typically they reach out through the, the website and then the conversation starts. Um, we have a pretty basic. Kind of intake form, if you will, uh, fit form. And we start with that. Uh, that does have a lot of, uh, a lot of measurements that they can provide, uh, if I were to be creating the fit based on those measurements. But what I am seeing more and more is that clients are coming with a fit, you know, most often a retool fit, [00:34:14]Randall Jacobs (host): Yep. Same. [00:34:15]Brad Bingham: totally dialed. Yep. And so then the, depending on our workload, uh, you know, sometimes we have to delay, um, the conversation because I've just got too many clients currently that I'm working with, [00:34:33]Randall Jacobs (host): It's a good, good problem to have. [00:34:35]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. Generally it's a good problem. Yeah. So, um, but we start the conversation, you know, again, every, every client is a little bit different. Nothing. No scenario is exactly the same, but, um, most often we create a, create an estimate for the build out that they're looking for. Um, you know, if, if it's a complete build, of course they wanna see what that's gonna look like. Um, so we provide, we provide estimates, uh, with no, um, you know, with no deposit, no, no obligation to purchase. Um, we want them to see, you know, where, how they're spending their money. Um, once they're satisfied that like the pro that things look good, um, then we take a deposit and then we really dive into the design work. Um, try to avoid putting in a lot of front end design work with no, um, you know, with no obligation. I. [00:35:41]Randall Jacobs (host): Sure. And I mean, you can get, you can go pretty far in kind of teasing out high level, a high level understanding of what the rider needs. And also I. They can get a real sense of whether, you know, whether it's going to be the right match for them, you know, with those initial conversations. So that totally makes sense. And then when you are, when you are looking at like, okay, so what are the different, walk us through like the different parameters of frame design for a particular rider. What, what are the, the different levers that you can pull? And then what information are you teasing out from the rider, either through that fit info or those conversations to, to determine, you know, how that bike gets created? [00:36:20]Brad Bingham: Yeah. So I mean, you wanna, you wanna get kind of deep [00:36:24]Randall Jacobs (host): Oh yeah. Let's go, let's go. Full nerd. Uh, so I, I think I shared with you previously, like I had, you know, did a two episode, uh, conversation with Craig Calie that was got into boron infused resin and like, you know, I think Josh Porter and I were talking about. The creation of CAD tools for modeling a spinning wheel. Uh, so we, we can go as, we can go as nerdy as we like. So yeah, give give us, give us the full nerd version. [00:36:52]Brad Bingham: Well, since we're on the gravel ride, um, you know, let's talk or let's talk a little bit around a gravel bike. Um, but when there's, you know, so for example, a lot of my clients do tend to be like, you know, their, their experience riders of a certain age, let's say. So a lot of those fits, you know, they, they are changing. Um, so, you know, you really want to look at all of the parameters and, you know, weight bias, rear wheel, front wheel is a biggie. Uh, so you kinda identify that pretty, pretty quickly. You know, you can adjust that of course, by front center and stem length. I. Um, to achieve a weight bias that you're, that you're happy with. But, you know, generally speaking, um, you want to, um, with those more upright positions, you know, you want to have increased trail, you want to have a longer front center. Um, you want, you know, if you're, because if you're gonna, if you're gonna have a short stem, you want higher trail. [00:38:10]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, because you're effectively without all else equal on the trail side, you're speeding up the, the ratio of, of, uh, you know, less input for the same amount of output when you go with a shorter stem. Less stability. Yeah. [00:38:26]Brad Bingham: Yeah. And, and then depending on, you know, what, what you've done with the, like chainstay length and the rear wheel weight bias, you know, that. Quickly lightens the front end. Um, so you got, you need to be, yeah, you need to be careful there. Um, so yeah, and it's like every rider is different. If you're more aggressive and, you know, racy on the gravel bike, then yeah, you might be looking for a, um, you know, for a longer stem, more weight on the front contact, front contact patch, um, [00:39:08]Randall Jacobs (host): Potentially less, less frontal area in a, in a more kind of, you know, locomotive type position for long flats and things like that as well. [00:39:18]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. [00:39:19]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:39:20]Brad Bingham: Absolutely. Um, you know, a lot of those things, a lot of those changes do end up being perception and not, not all that much reality. The, the frontal area. Yeah, it's huge, [00:39:37]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:39:38]Brad Bingham: But wheel base doesn't, you know, if a shorter wheel base is gonna be perceived as quick, oh, this is fast, right? But no, it's not, you're not going any faster because [00:39:55]Randall Jacobs (host): Sure. Yeah. It's the, the sensation of speed and, and responsiveness, which, you know, another, the flip side of the same coin is twitchiness, right? Whether it's responsive or twitchy is depends on who you are and whether you've crossed the line from one to the other. [00:40:11]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. So, but in the custom world, you know, in the custom world it's nice 'cause you have all of the levers to pull. You can do, you can do anything with it, which is, which is wonderful. Um, because I do see a lot of pretty odd or out of the norm cockpits and, and you really want to give them an experience. You wanna create a bike underneath them that just feels right. Like, wow, this, this is comfortable. I mean, it's, you know, a longer wheel base on a gravel bike is really much more comfortable, uh, for the long haul. If you, you know, especially if you're an older rider, um, those, you know, the frequency of, of bumps, you know, washboards, you can, you can change that drastically, uh, with a slightly longer wheel base. [00:41:05]Randall Jacobs (host): Tell me more about that. How does that actually work? [00:41:07]Brad Bingham: Well, because you have the slacker head angle, which [00:41:11]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:41:12]Brad Bingham: inherently allows the fork to flex a little more. [00:41:18]Randall Jacobs (host): Okay. [00:41:18]Brad Bingham: Right? And then, and then the, the longer wheel base, you know, um, just geometrically it, it doesn't have to, the, the angle of change. Is lessened [00:41:33]Randall Jacobs (host): Okay, [00:41:34]Brad Bingham: as you go over, as you go over a rise or through a pothole, that that angle of change is, is lessened on a longer wheel base. [00:41:43]Randall Jacobs (host): It hadn't occurred to me that, so you're saying like a degree of head tube angle change, all else equal, same fork, same tubes, and everything else will actually [00:41:53]Brad Bingham: you'll feel that. Yeah. You'll feel that flex. Uh, that definitely. [00:42:01]Randall Jacobs (host): Got it. 'cause I, I was thinking of it purely in terms of its effect on trail or like the caster effect to, to simplify it for those who don't know trail and um, uh, and you know, potentially the introduction of tire flop, which usually is in an issue on, you know, gravel bikes. 'cause the head tubes aren't slack enough. Yeah. Huh? [00:42:22]Brad Bingham: yeah, there, there's that. There's also, you know, again, back to like slightly longer wheel base. Shorter stem. Shorter. I think there is some, some also, um, comfort gained by, um, how much weight is on the hands, what you feel through the, what you feel through the front. But that's really driven by the overall cockpit and the, the fit parameters, you know, [00:42:49]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:42:50]Brad Bingham: so, but [00:42:52]Randall Jacobs (host): Basically where that, those three points in space where the, uh, the angle of the hypotenuse between them. [00:42:58]Brad Bingham: Yep. Yep. [00:43:00]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:43:00]Brad Bingham: So, so, yeah. You know, they, it's pretty quick, uh, pretty quick to tell the difference in how, how smooth bikes are, um, with those pretty, pretty small dimensional changes. Um, but it's even, it's been difficult for me even in design where I go, oh wow. I don't, wow. I don't wanna change the front center by, by that much. Like, oh, that's, That's 20 millimeters and then you have to remember, wait, it's 20 millimeters. It's nothing like, [00:43:35]Randall Jacobs (host): Well, as a, as a percentage, if you're dealing with a bike that has a wheel base, use a round number of like a thousand, usually a large gravel bike could be a bit longer than that. [00:43:44]Brad Bingham: Yeah. [00:43:44]Randall Jacobs (host): You know, 20 millimeters, so 2%. [00:43:48]Brad Bingham: Right. [00:43:49]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:43:50]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. But it's [00:43:52]Randall Jacobs (host): Though, in terms of, in terms of mass distribution over the two axles, it's gonna be bigger than that because it's relative to its distance to the the bottom bracket. So the rear end is staying unless you change the rear end with it as well. [00:44:04]Brad Bingham: sure, sure. And I, I think, I think oftentimes it is smart to adjust that rear center in a accordingly, um, because otherwise you will end up with, um, too much rear weight bias, you know, [00:44:19]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:44:20]Brad Bingham: so. [00:44:20]Randall Jacobs (host): Which, which can be, which can be fun if you like wheelies and for a certain type of riding, [00:44:25]Brad Bingham: Exactly. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, like, you know, the bike, I'm like, the bike I'm riding right now is, uh, I think it's about a four, I think it's like a 4 27, uh, chain state. That's center to center. Not effect, not uh, horizontal, but [00:44:44]Randall Jacobs (host): Yep. [00:44:45]Brad Bingham: center to center. It's like a, like a 4 [00:44:48]Randall Jacobs (host): So horizontal, it's gonna be, you know, for 23 it's a pretty tight, [00:44:53]Brad Bingham: Yeah, it's pretty. [00:44:53]Randall Jacobs (host): uh, actually, no, not that much, but yeah, 4 24 or something like that. [00:44:57]Brad Bingham: Yeah, actually I think it is less, um, because the drop is probably, I think the drop on my rig is like at least 73, 75 maybe I forget now. Um, but that's a pretty tight, tight rear. And then the front is like a, I think the, my current ride is like a 71.7 head angle with a 47 fork, you know, [00:45:20]Randall Jacobs (host): How tall are you? [00:45:21]Brad Bingham: uh, probably five, 10, maybe a sh [00:45:25]Randall Jacobs (host): 10. [00:45:26]Brad Bingham: yeah. [00:45:26]Randall Jacobs (host): Okay. So on a larger, medium, smaller, large, sort of, if you were to fall into a, a conventional bike? [00:45:34]Brad Bingham: Yeah, [00:45:36]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:45:37]Brad Bingham: And uh, [00:45:37]Randall Jacobs (host): Just, just for context. 'cause then, 'cause then, you know, understanding like a, you know, an extra large rider is gonna be riding, uh, even if you scale that bike up, well you, you can't really, because the wheels don't scale. [00:45:49]Brad Bingham: right, [00:45:49]Randall Jacobs (host): so you have to adjust those, those angles and those lengths and stuff like that. Not just proportional, but also to account for the fact that the wheels are staying, uh, which, which I always thought was an interesting opportunity. Uh, you do see some brands that, um, uh, will, you know, restrict to like a six 50 B on their smallest sizes, for example. Uh, [00:46:09]Brad Bingham: You do see that a lot. Yeah. [00:46:12]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. I, I, I think we should bring back 26 for those really small riders who wanna run two point fours, but I guess there's not enough of a market or a marketing, uh, uh, you know, edge to be gained from it, so. [00:46:25]Brad Bingham: Yeah. I, I, I find that, uh, my more like, my more experienced clients that are, that are very small, they're, they're really looking for 700. [00:46:37]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:46:38]Brad Bingham: they're, they, they [00:46:39]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, it's interesting. Same. And how much of that is, what do you think are the drivers of that? Is that, do you think it's actually better for the vast majority of those riders, or, [00:46:52]Brad Bingham: I think that the, the, again, kind of back to that going, you know, actually going fast comfortably, like comfortably going fast, you're going to do that better on a 700 than on a six [00:47:07]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, just rolling resistance attack angle, things like [00:47:11]Brad Bingham: Yes. Yes, exactly. [00:47:13]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. So, [00:47:15]Brad Bingham: and we. [00:47:16]Randall Jacobs (host): so worth the com worth the compromises on, maybe responsiveness or, or what have you. 'cause you're definitely giving up something there, even if you do proportional cranks. [00:47:24]Brad Bingham: for sure. Yeah. But I, I think like there's, you know, you know how it is, there's a, the, the sharp end of a peloton they want, or, or the entire Peloton, they want responsiveness. [00:47:37]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. Yeah. [00:47:38]Brad Bingham: but you know, for [00:47:40]Randall Jacobs (host): how do you do it on those really small frames? Like, you know, you have a, a five foot ri, five foot tall rider come in and they want to do gravel racing. Four foot 10. Yeah. Four foot 10. I mean, there's, it's unfortunate, um, there's almost nothing out there off the shelf for a rider who's four foot 10 and they end up on these bikes with no standover and a 40 mil stem, and they're still not fit properly. [00:48:03]Brad Bingham: yeah. So I, I take advantage of, so seven cycles, [00:48:09]Randall Jacobs (host): Yep. [00:48:09]Brad Bingham: been producing, producing a fork called the the matador. [00:48:14]Randall Jacobs (host): yeah. [00:48:14]Brad Bingham: for quite a while. It has a 55 millimeter offset. [00:48:18]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:48:19]Brad Bingham: So you can get, you can get pretty slack with the front end and still keep it, um, you know, on the low, low lowish side of trail. Um, [00:48:31]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. And for, for those who don't know, um, when you increase the offset, you decrease the trail all l sql. And when you de, when you increase the head angle, you um, decrease the trail as well. You essentially less trail, less castor effect all else equal, more, more responsive or more twitchy, depending on whether you've crossed over into, you know, if you went too far, it wouldn't, you wouldn't be able to handle the bike over much. [00:48:58]Brad Bingham: Right. [00:48:59]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:49:00]Brad Bingham: Yeah. So those, you know, and tow overlap is a real, is a real thing. And when you start talking about a bike that's gonna clear a 45 millimeter tire, um, so. [00:49:12]Randall Jacobs (host): a four 10 rider. Yeah. That's, that's hard to pull out. Are you doing, really, are you finding proportional cranks too? Are you running one fifties or one 40 fives or, or this sort of thing? [00:49:22]Brad Bingham: Yeah. I think to date, one 50 is the smallest I've gone. [00:49:27]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, [00:49:28]Brad Bingham: so, um, but those bikes, you know, they're, yeah, they're not, they're not racing at a high level, you know, they're, they're out enjoying gravel rides. [00:49:43]Randall Jacobs (host): yeah, [00:49:44]Brad Bingham: Yeah. [00:49:45]Randall Jacobs (host): yeah. Those, I'll just comment, just, uh, anecdotally the conversations I've had, particularly with some of our smallest riders is proportional crack lengths makes such a big difference. And like people are, people are just used to riding the same cranks that you and I. You know, ride their whole lives and they never knew anything different or like their bike. You know, I've, I've had riders that are five foot tall and their bikes came with one 70 fives. You know, they had a, they had a hybrid or something like that, or, or they're coming off of something, or like an older road bike and I put 'em on one 50 fives and it's just like, I can spin, [00:50:20]Brad Bingham: Yeah. [00:50:21]Randall Jacobs (host): spin it. High cadences. My, my pedal stroke doesn't fall apart when I'm tired. [00:50:25]Brad Bingham: Well also, you know, you look at bike, bike frame design and bike frame design has been dictated by what is a common crank arm length, you know, one 70 to 1 [00:50:34]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. Exactly. Together, together with, uh, uh, you know, the outer attire radius, which is in turn driven by the, the rim dimensions. So like six 50 B or, or 26 versus 700 and so on, uh, puts different constraints. And then you have BB drop. If you have smaller wheels, you can't have as much BB drop, which means you're kind of more on top of the bike. And so you have all these different factors that impact each other that you're balancing. [00:51:03]Brad Bingham: yeah. And I'm, I'd say overall, my, my design philosophy is you have, uh, the, kind of the lowest. Possible center of gravity. Um, so maintaining, uh, you know, a low, low bottom bracket, um, whatever is acceptable for like, you know, wheel base crank, arm length, intended pedal, all those things. [00:51:28]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, essentially is, is, I mean, there's really not much reason not to go as low as you can go without risking pedal strikes [00:51:36]Brad Bingham: Yeah. [00:51:37]Randall Jacobs (host): more or less any application. And it's just a matter of what the application demands. Like a road bike that's doing crit racing, it's gonna need to hire bb 'cause you wanna be able to pedal out of the corner as soon as possible. Um, dual suspension, mountain bike, you know, same deal. But it's, it's, uh, you need to hire BB because you have all that squish. [00:51:56]Brad Bingham: yeah, yeah. Cycl, lacrosse, bikes, you know, side hill, side hilling, and [00:52:01]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. So it's interesting, you know, as gravel has, has taken over, um, cross and road. Arguably you ha like a lot of people who previously might have had a road bike now might only have a gravel bike that they use for road two. Uh, but like cross cross bikes have seemed to kind of converge with gravel bikes. You don't see a lot of high BB cross bikes, at least to my knowledge, on the production side anymore. [00:52:26]Brad Bingham: Correct. I think that's been a, I think that's been driven by how people are actually using the bikes. [00:52:33]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. Yeah. [00:52:34]Brad Bingham: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. [00:52:36]Randall Jacobs (host): right. So we've, we've, we've gone pretty deep on geometry. How about, uh, tubes? [00:52:41]Brad Bingham: Mm-hmm. So in, in my [00:52:44]Randall Jacobs (host): the levers you can pull? [00:52:45]Brad Bingham: in my world, you know, I work with titanium exclusively, and everything that I have in-house is straight gauge tubing. Um, the [00:52:58]Randall Jacobs (host): Is this all pre preformed as tubes or are you buying any flat sheets and rolling and, and welding them? [00:53:04]Brad Bingham: no, no, the, uh, no, nothing like, [00:53:07]Randall Jacobs (host): like the six four stuff. [00:53:09]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. Like, uh, I have visited some of those factories that, that perform that function. Um, but it's just not, yeah, in my opinion, it's, it's barking up the wrong tree. Um, the tubing that I get, the vast majority of it is from Washington State, from Sandvik, which is actually, they just recently were kind of rebranded to their Swedish parent company name, which is Aima. So it's, [00:53:42]Randall Jacobs (host): Interesting. Sandik makes, um, the wire that's used in spokes as well. [00:53:46]Brad Bingham: uh, I believe it. [00:53:49]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, so like we, we use Pillar Spokes and they use Sandvik. I think SENE does as well, and it makes sense, right? These are high grade, um, high performance, uh, alloys. [00:53:59]Brad Bingham: Yeah. [00:54:00]Randall Jacobs (host): Huh, I didn't know that. [00:54:01]Brad Bingham: there's, there's only two, two places in the United States that produces titanium tubing. And that's, uh, Alma in Washington State and Hayes in Louisiana, [00:54:13]Randall Jacobs (host): And that's actually produced. So they're, they're getting the raw material from somewhere and they're forming it into tubes here, forming it into alloys here, or alloying it, and then forming it here. [00:54:25]Brad Bingham: Yeah. The, the, what they refer to as Tube Hollow, that is kind of the last step of the process before it actually becomes a tube that, that Tube Hollow is all sorted out. Like the alloy is correct, the condition is correct, and then they manufacture the tube from that. Um, and then at that, from that point forward, you know, all they can, all they can do to it is, uh, alter the condition through a kneeling and, and working [00:54:58]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. Okay. [00:54:59]Brad Bingham: So I get most, the vast majority of my tubes come from Washington State. And those come in, uh, typically in like 17 foot lengths. Um, yeah. [00:55:13]Randall Jacobs (host): So you have a dedicated truck coming to you, you're buying [00:55:16]Brad Bingham: Oh yeah. [00:55:17]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. To move that sort of thing. You're not, you're not doing less than, less than container load. You're doing like a a box trucker or something? [00:55:24]Brad Bingham: yeah. I mean, it usually comes by freight. It's, uh, and then you have, you know, minimum footage requirements, um, per purchase. So, and, and that's minimum footage, requirement per diameter, per wall thickness. [00:55:40]Randall Jacobs (host): Mm-hmm. [00:55:40]Brad Bingham: So you have to buy, you know, um, it ends up being thousands of feet of material to have enough material selection on hand that you feel good about the, the tubing you can offer. [00:55:56]Randall Jacobs (host): So you're buying, and this is just, you're sourcing just for yourself. You're not consolidating with other builders. [00:56:01]Brad Bingham: Correct. Yeah. Nobody else. [00:56:04]Randall Jacobs (host): That's a, yeah, that's a big commitment of, uh, of capital. [00:56:08]Brad Bingham: It is, it's very, very large. Um, [00:56:11]Randall Jacobs (host): So I would imagine like you basically spend a whole bunch of money early in the season and, well, I, no, I guess you're, you're probably able to kind of keep your demand consistent over the years. So you probably do a couple buys a year or something like [00:56:23]Brad Bingham: yeah. You end up buying enough material that you're gonna be, you, you'll have that material for literally years, you know, all, so, [00:56:33]Randall Jacobs (host): I would think especially some of the more esoteric SKUs with high, high, um, uh, minimum order quantities. [00:56:39]Brad Bingham: correct. [00:56:40]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:56:41]Brad Bingham: Yeah. But it's okay. Like, yeah. That's, that's the, that is the titanium world, because if, if you want the highest quality American made tubing, then that's, that's what it takes, period. [00:56:54]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, [00:56:54]Brad Bingham: There's other way to get it. [00:56:56]Randall Jacobs (host): And then what is, what are other people doing? Are they working through distributors and just hot paying? I'm, I'm curious about the, the business side of it as well. Like, are there, so, so here in the Hudson Valley where I am, we have, uh, vicious cycles and, uh, Um, Carl. Yeah, so Kyle's, I was out on a ride with him the other day. He'll, he'll be at Made as well. I know you'll be at Made too. Um, but he's, he, his other, the other side of his business, I forget the name of it, is the, I think the biggest distributor of steel tubes or one of the biggest distributors of steel tubes. And so you can do small batch, you can order as you go, but presumably pay, pay a premium. But does that sort of thing exist in Ty? Must exist in titanium as well? [00:57:37]Brad Bingham: It [00:57:38]Randall Jacobs (host): Not as much, [00:57:39]Brad Bingham: not, not in the, not in the same way. Um, you can certainly purchase, uh, tube sets like from, uh, data chi, uh, Columbus. Uh, but those are all, you know, Reynolds, um, aura Titanium, but those are all overseas. Third [00:58:02]Randall Jacobs (host): Or is Taiwan right? [00:58:04]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Aus, Taiwan. [00:58:05]Randall Jacobs (host): to their, yeah, I've been to their factory. [00:58:08]Brad Bingham: Yeah. Yeah. I've got some, I have some dropouts coming from them to, to check out. Um, hopefully they're here like today or tomorrow. Um, but, uh, but titanium is, uh, titanium is just such a difficult material to create. There's, there's, you know, not a lot of players, um, in that world. And it's expensive, you [00:58:36]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. [00:58:36]Brad Bingham: so that, yeah, to put that outlay of capital to create tube sets for distribution, like that's being taken on by those larger companies like Columbus, data Chi and such. [00:58:52]Randall Jacobs (host): It reminds me, uh, I'm gonna go off on a, a tangent here. Um, you ever hear about the, the Black Hawk, um, uh, spy plane? Think could do like mock 3.4 [00:59:04]Brad Bingham: yeah, they [00:59:05]Randall Jacobs (host): it was, [00:59:05]Brad Bingham: kerosene coffin. [00:59:08]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah, it used to leak it. The, the temperatures when you're going Mach three plus are so high because you're essentially compressing the air ahead of you and creating that massive shock wave. But also you just, you know, compressing all that heat energy and then there's, it's impossible to dissipate it faster that they, and the expansion in the titanium would be such that they built it so that it was leaking when it took off, and then all the gaps would seal up when you're actually up in the air. And then they'd have to do air to air refueling, [00:59:38]Brad Bingham: I'm kind of a, I'm kind of an SSR 71 Blackbird, um, nerd. [00:59:43]Randall Jacobs (host): Nerd. All right. So then, so then you know about how, um, uh, the, the titanium was sourced [00:59:51]Brad Bingham: Oh, well, no, I, maybe [00:59:54]Randall Jacobs (host): from, from the U S S R through, through like intermediaries. So a us, uh, us you know, Soviet Union. So a US spy plane built to spy on the Soviet Union in, I think, you know, that plane was, uh, launched what in the, in the seventies? [01:00:12]Brad Bingham: The, the Blackbird, [01:00:13]Randall Jacobs (host): was it? Yeah. Was it even earlier? [01:00:15]Brad Bingham: it was earlier. It was developed in the fifties and into the si and into [01:00:19]Randall Jacobs (host): then decommit maybe, then maybe decommissioned in the seventies [01:00:23]Brad Bingham: Well, it was top secret until I forget. I don't know. I forget the date, but, yeah. [01:00:29]Randall Jacobs (host): until, uh, yeah, that I, I always found that interesting that, uh, it's like buy, buying this material that it, but it, it does speak to the fact, not just of Cold War tensions, but also of, you know, even a, a power as seemingly mighty as the US had to source this particular material from an adversary, um, because of what you're speaking to, the difficulty of producing it. Um, Then you get into like the, the properties of this material, which, you know, were essential to being able to create that craft at the time in the first place. But, you know, that craft required major compromises and usability that made it, you know, dangerous and expensive to, to build and operate. Uh, you know, sitting in a pool of kerosene on a runway is, uh, I guess does it light easily? I don't think it lights all that easily, but, um, [01:01:24]Brad Bingham: No, no. They just, [01:01:25]Randall Jacobs (host): still not a good thing. [01:01:26]Brad Bingham: they just said that it, that's what they called it. Um, just because you could smell the, the fuel, you know. Um, but yeah, but the, the SR 71 is a, uh, was a development project, you know, uh, that we can thank for so much of the, the titanium that we use today and, and a lot of the manufacturing, you know, the manufacturing processes that were used in the nineties, you know, to make, um, to, you know, Merlin Lights, lights, speed, all those brands. Um, yeah. Have you ever been up close to an sr? [01:02:07]Randall Jacobs (host): No. Where can you, where can you do it? [01:02:10]Brad Bingham: um, I think, well they, they tend to travel around to the different air, you know, aerospace, air and space museums. Um, I was up close with one in, uh, McMinnville, Oregon at the Evergreen Aviation Museum, [01:02:27]Randall Jacobs (host): Huh? [01:02:28]Brad Bingham: that was super cool. They, um, they were allowing. You just sit in it as well. And, but then I believe there was one at the, the Pima Air Space Museum in, uh, uh, Tucson. [01:02:45]Randall Jacobs (host): Yep. [01:02:45]Brad Bingham: So, um, yeah, [01:02:46]Randall Jacobs (host): Right by the boneyard, [01:02:48]Brad Bingham: correct. Yeah, [01:02:49]Randall Jacobs (host): which is, uh, the decommissioning location. You just have, if you've ever those listening, if you've ever seen pictures of thousands of aircraft sitting in a desert, that's the boneyard outside of Tucson. It's an insane place. Um, [01:03:03]Brad Bingham: But, but at that, the one I was looking at there, when you went up to the, like the jet engine cowling, you, and you look closely, uh, you, you're looking at these massive pieces of titanium and if you look closely, you can see the end mill machining marks, you can see how that was machined and it was probably done manually. [01:03:31]Randall Jacobs (host): Oh yeah. Especially at that age, uh, at that, uh, that vintage. [01:03:36]Brad Bingham: hours and hours that probably went into that. So pretty, pretty cool. Yeah. Cool stuff. [01:03:42]Randall Jacobs (host): There's, um, y you've probably come across the, there's videos on YouTube with, uh, interviewing the engineers who worked on that project in particular, some of the, oh, um, okay. Welcome to your next rabbit hole. [01:03:54]Brad Bingham: I rarely go down the YouTube rabbit [01:03:56]Randall Jacobs (host): This, this is a worthy one. I would say. There was, there was one, uh, there was a couple interviews I, I watched with, uh, someone who worked on the engines, uh, for that craft. So an engine that's pushing, you know, 3.2, 3.4 m at, you know, again, fifties, sixties technology. Um, and one, it's cool stuff, but two, um, just the delight that, that you see in, in, you know, he's, he's still, you know, in 2023 giving tours and talking about that experience of working on these [01:04:31]Brad Bingham: Mm-hmm. Super cool. [01:04:34]Randall Jacobs (host): Yeah. Um, cool. All right, so we've, we've, thank you for indulging my rabbit hole. Seems like we have another thing in common. Uh, uh, so, so, okay. So you have your tubes. Um, [01:04:49]Brad Bingham: Oh
Spoiler alert, Breck Epic is amazing and you should definitely go do it.
Yeah, yeah. Breck Epic has come and gone, but there's always another one coming up. We dig into 3 equipment choices that we absolutely can't imagine hitting the BE start line without. Additionally, we get some pre-Breck Epic bike fits and share what our experiences where.
From starting as a bike messenger to becoming a road racing champion, pro gravel/MTB privateer Starla Teddergreen faced the all too common experience of doubt - from self and others. So she did something about it. She created Distance to Empty, an award-based cycling program that empowers Colorado women to achieve their cycling goals. As we explore her transition to a new type of athlete, her story becomes a powerful lesson in resilience and the importance of prioritizing oneself within a community. After claiming the title of overall USA Crits 2019 champion, Starla made a switch to gravel and mountain bike racing in 2021. Despite facing setbacks along the way, she won her first race back in 2022, conquered Leadville, and is now gearing up for a massive 2023 season after being selected for the prestigious LifeTime Grand Prix. Starla's triumphs defy limitations and embrace uncertainty with unwavering determination. We delve into topics like breaking free from labels and comparisons, finding personal growth through adversity, and the incredible strength that arises when women support and empower each other. Here are a few key takeaways: Ending limiting comparisons: Why labels hold us back from reaching our goals Pursuing challenging goals: Why you should approach the chance to be disappointed Supporting women in sport: Creating opportunities for all to succeed lessens competition against each other Showing up for yourself: How to build confidence that can empower you in all areas of life Living in fear limits life: Why taking risks pushes us toward innate self-belief Autoimmune challenges: How Starla's life changed after the pandemic 20 years of learning: Embracing lessons on what it means to be an athlete Links: Learn more about Distance to Empty Sign up for my weekly newsletter! Want more? Listen to this episode about the first Women's Cycling Summit at Breck Epic
Breck Epic is one of my favorite races in the world. And this year a week in Breckenridge, Colorado was made even more exceptional with the kick off of the Women's Cycling Summit. I'm excited to recap this awesome week with you! From the thrill of setting process-based goals to the power of community at the WCS, I'll share insights gained from racing and hosting. Get ready to be inspired by the incredible speakers, like Rachel Scott and Kate Boyle, who graced the summit, and find out how we took Breck Epic from a 7% female field, to 25% this year. Plus, I'll share my plans for the upcoming Grand Traverse race and upcoming graduate program in applied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. LINKS: Become one of my clients! Health Coaching | Mental Performance Coaching Enroll in my Moxy & Grit Mindset Academy Check out my newsletter for productivity, mindset, and mental skills
Mike McCormack is a legend in the world of mountain bike race promoting, a profession that requires both endurance and perseverance. He's an endurance mountain bike race founder, promoter, organizer and entrepreneur. But Mike is far more than an event organizer. He's a deep thinker with a tremendous sense of humor and a fiery passion to get it right—on behalf of the riders and community he serves. He's the founder and lead organizer of one of North America's toughest, most celebrated and daunting stage races, the Breck Epic. In this episode we discuss all things Breck, diving deep into the UCI's recent ruling on transgender women and the Breck Epic's philosophy regarding inclusivity—creating a safe space for all riders. We'll discuss the art of leading with compassion and kindness, judgment and how he put on a world class six-day backcountry stage race—at elevation—that has become a pilgrimage for mountain bikers from across the globe. We'll also explore the most generous race deferral policy on the planet.
Mike McCormack's leadership and visionary ideas have turned Breck Epic into a global sensation: from its humble beginnings with 87 riders, this event has grown to be a global event with over 650 riders from 42 countries taking part in the challenge. After 11 years, this six-day, grueling mountain bike race now attracts the biggest names in mountain biking and has left its mark on the sport's history. In this episode, I sit down with Mike Mac to talk about the arc of Breck Epic. He shares how he uses humor as a superpower to fuel his race event's success, the importance of putting people first, and how he ventured into the world of event and race production. Plus, we will uncover the founding principles that guide Breck Epic's growth, development, and its impact on the sport. Key Takeaways - How Mike uses humor as a superpower how it fuels his race event success - The mountain biking microcosm and the importance of putting people first - How Mike ventured into the world of event and race production - From humble beginnings to a legendary race, discover the inception of Breck Epic - The founding principles that guide Breck Epic's growth and development - Uncovering the origins of mountain bike stage races and their evolution - How Mike's commitment to integrity has steered Breck Epic's direction and why he didn't sell - Advice for starting your own race - Striking the balance between challenging and fun in race planning - The Women's Cycling Summit and its impact on the sport Links Learn more about Breck Epic Attend the Women's Cycling SummitIn Breck Sign up for my weekly newsletter!
At age 42, off-road triathlete Deanna McCurdy was crushing it, including clocking the fastest female amateur time at XTERRA National Championships, and was ready to turn pro when—perimenopause. Out of the blue, her performance tanked and she found herself in tears through a key race. Deanna, who's also a mom of a special needs daughter, was forced to rest, research, reset, and make some training and lifestyle changes. It worked and she roared back to racing as a pro by age 45, winning XTERRA Fruita and getting second at XTERRA Quebec. But those ups were followed by more hormonally-driven downs, as she became plagued by symptoms including aches and injuries, sleepless nights, and headaches earlier this year as she was preparing for Breck Epic, a six-day mountain bike stage race. With the help of hormone therapy, she got back on track and crushed the race. This week she shares that journey and how, though the path is still rocky, and training isn't perfect, she has found the tools she needs to navigate this challenging time. Deanna McCurdy is a USAT Level I and USAC Level II certified coach. She is also the founder and head coach of Team Miles for Smiles-Wings to Fly Racing. Miles for Smiles is a training team created to help raise funds for the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (F.A.S.T.), a not-for-profit whose sole purpose is to fund research, and ultimately a cure for, Angelman Syndrome (AS). USA Triathlon awarded Deanna Off-road Triathlete of the Year honors in 2017, 2018, and 2021. You can learn more about her and F.A.S.T. at cureangelman.org/fast-athletes and her USA Triathlon blog.Join us for our first-ever Feisty Menopause Performance Retreat at Lake Nona atFeistymenopause.com/retreat**Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 20% off at insidetracker.com/feistyPrevinex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at hellobonafide.com/hitplayNutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay for $30 off any subscription to the CGM programThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacyChartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
It's listener question extravaganza time! This week, the crew starts with a little talk of snowy elk scouting, iPhones, and learning new phrases. New Shit: Perry Ti "Trail Bike" ENVE Primaloft poncho Canyon K.I.S. Air Tag Holders (again) Listener Questions: More FSSS commentary Stumpjumper Durability Gas-Powered Green Machines Bosch ABS What's "Clapped Out"? How to hold a phone on short rides Should I race Breck Epic singlespeed?
Broken shoulders, dislocated fingers, and rain cancellations made this years Breck Epic one for the books. Forgive us, we experiences some minor technical difficulties early in the episode, but our sound engineer is a magician and made it mostly better and it doesn't last for long. If you're looking for a stage by stage breakdown, look back in our catalog to season 1 and there are 2 episodes covering every stage, day by day.
Here are just a few athletic accomplishments from today's guest Deanna McCurdy: Six national championships, Four Pan-Am championships, 5th overall at ITU Cross Worlds, she's finished as the top American female and 4th overall twice at the XTERRA World Championships. USA Triathlon awarded her Off-road Triathlete of the Year honors in 2017, 2018, and 2021. In 2019, she competed as a Pro (at age 45), placing 2nd at XTERRA Quebec and winning XTERRA Fruita. WHEW...Even if you don't know what any of those races are, you certainly recognize a powerhouse when you see and hear those results. BUT, what makes Deanna's success story so incredible is that she didn't start doing triathlons until 2009 after she had her second daughter. Yes, Deanna is also currently raising two teenage daughters (which is an “I Could Never Do That” unto itself) — one of which was diagnosed with Angelman's Syndrome at just 16 months. Life can change in an instant. Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurogenetic disorder that affects approximately one in 15,000 people – about 500,000 individuals worldwide. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: delayed developmental milestones; gross and fine motor impairment; difficulty with feeding and swallowing; issues; loss of functional speech and epilepsy. As you'll hear today, her daughter Hayden is one of the main reasons she races and trains —all in an effort to raise awareness and funds for a cure for this rare disorder. In fact, her most recent endeavor was truly epic — It was the Breck Epic, a six-day mountain bike race in the Breckenridge mountains. She and her partner crushed the race, but her fundraising goals continue and today, we talk about her athletic journey, and also the joy, difficulty, reality, and gift of raising a child with Angelman's Syndrome. She speaks beautifully and candidly about this privilege of giving her baby angel the wings to fly. Episode Resources: Deanna's "Epic Climb for an Epic Cure" Fundraising Page - https://cureangelman.org/deanna-mccurdys-epic-climb-for-an-epic-cure To learn more about FAST Athletes, their mission and inspiring stories, check out our FAST Athletes page - https://cureangelman.org/fast-athletes Deanna's Team USA Blog Support the Podcast through BuyMeACoffee.com - "I Could Never Do That" Website - https://www.podpage.com/icouldneverdothat/ "I Could Never Do That" Instagram - @icouldneverdothat https://www.buymeacoffee.com/CarrieBarrett Theme Music: Your Love by Atch -License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
Today on the MTB Podcast, we recap our fun-filled trip to Breckenridge, Colorado for the Breck Epic MTB Race before discussing some of the finer details of Jeff's latest MTB. We then jump into an engaging array of listener questions ranging from common mountain bike myths to how to tune your bike for your area & everything in between. Tune in!
My return to mountain bike racing after having kids has been so much fun! It's also had its fair share of challenges. I sat down with my husband, Matt to talk about what it's been like going from 1 to 2 children, traveling and racing with 2 small children, and the lessons we have learned along the way. We talked about expectations, how pre-race routines and rituals are now different (and messy), and what we are learning to make traveling with kids a little bit easier. We also recapped my High Cascades 100 race (my first race back after kids) as well as the Emerald Mountain Epic. And now? I'm prepping for Breck Epic. It'll be my third time racing it although it's been 9 years since my last Breck Epic experience (and win!).
Breck Epic, Quebec Singletrack Experience, Leadville 100, Swiss Epic and our local favorite the 'Eager Beaver' are among the big August endurance races happening this coming weekend (usually the second weekend in August). We talk about this last week before the big races, enjoying the work you have done and the journey you are on and specific items from the technical guides we noted for each race. Download or find links in your favorite Podcast App (remember to rate and review!) https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/consummateathlete This episode is brought to you by 3 Month 100% Made for You Training Plans by Consummate athlete - These popular plans are made from scratch for you, your goals, your schedule, your gear, and your goals. https://consummateathlete.com/training-plans/ Show Notes Post - How to Pack for a Cycling Stage Race All posts on Consummate Athlete about Bags and Packing! Learn about Coaching with Consummate Athlete - Join the waitlist for Fall 2022 Start-dates Saddle, Sore Book QSE Tech guide https://drive.google.com/file/d/1alaxH8pgNI3C-EbYF1vrNoFYGpy6zho8/view https://breckepic.com/the-course/ Leadville Tech Guide https://l283s3pxq2ktw6gs37ski16ee-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/EVCO-LRS_100MTB_AthleteGuide_Rd7.pdf Links to Our Article Archive & Services: ConsummateAthlete.com SUPPORT THE SHOW WHILE YOU SHOP: https://amzn.to/3Aej4jl to shop amazon Subscribe to our Newsletter -> It's free and brings the latest podcast, post and clinic/event information to you each Monday Book a Call to Discuss Your Training - https://calendly.com/smartathlete Books By Molly Hurford https://amzn.to/3bOztkN Get The Consummate Athlete Book - LINK Follow The Consummate Athlete on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Hurford on Twitter and on Instagram Follow Peter Glassford Follow @PeterGlassford on Instagram and Twitter Past guests Include: Stacy Sims, Stephen Seiler, Simon Marshall, Frank Overton, Dean Golich, Joe Friel, Marco Altini Katerina Nash, Geoff Kabush, Ellen Noble, Phil Gaimon, David Roche, Matt Fitzgerald, Dr. Marc Bubbs, Christopher McDougall, Rebecca Rusch, Kate Courtney, David Epstein and many more
Leadville: The 100 Mile Mountain Bike Race Podcast, p/b Floyd's of Leadville
Fatty has said, many times, that the two best weeks of cycling vacation he's ever had were riding with Andy Hampsten in France...and racing the Breck Epic the week after the Leadville 100. So what makes for a fantastic MTB stage race, and should you consider racing it (spoiler: yes). We get together with Breck Epic founder Mike McCormack to talk about what to do with all that fitness you've earned...whether it be the Breck Epic, or Mike's newest race...The Vail 100.
This week Clint and Dawson sit down with Ali Whittier. We had such a good time during her recording, Ali has an infectious personality and gets so excited talking about cycling, racing, family, friends and life. Ali was born and raised in Iowa. She grew up a dancer (traveling to Europe for a tour at age 8) and still loves to dance to this day. She was also a team sport person through school. She married her husband, Spencer, in 2012 and the pair moved to Chattanooga in 2014. That same year she joined the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee corporate communications team and still works on that team today in public affairs, managing the company's social media presence, employee ambassador program and its WellTuned wellness content site. After meeting her future husband in 2010, she got her first road bike. Ali soon competed in a couple sprint triathlons and then focused solely on racing bikes. In 2012, Ali began her bike racing career in cyclocross on the Hub Endurance Cycling Team, also taking a leadership role on the team helping to put on races and practices each year as well as design the team's kits. She and Spencer traveled to UCI races across the country as well as races around the southeast – that included approximately 20 races between September and December. They raced CX nats in Asheville in 2016 where Spencer won his division and became National Champion. Later that year, Ali won the Tennessee State Mountain Bike Championships in a rainy, muddy race that mirrored her favorite cyclocross conditions. Ali then learned the ropes of road racing, joining the Scenic City Velo women's race team. It was then she began working with Coach Steve Carpenter who still coaches her today as an endurance gravel and mountain bike racer. Ali and her Motor Mile Racing teammate, Stephen Lebovitz, will compete as a coed duo in Breck Epic in August 2022. She trains with a group of Chattanooga female cyclists who also race and have mentored her throughout her cycling career.
Keegan Swenson joins us to talk about his Leadville and Breck Epic wins and to help us answer your questions on training with bad air quality, finding your strengths and weaknesses and much more. Tune in now and get faster! ---------------------------------------------- TOPICS COVERED IN TODAY'S EPISODE Keegan's experience at Leadville and the Breck Epic (00:28) How to prepare for long and short events at the same time (26:49) How air quality affects performance and health (41:08) Suspension for gravel bikes (1:02:13) What to carry in a saddlebag (1:04:24) Finding your strengths and weaknesses (1:39:35) Tips for increasing carbs without GI distress (1:47:14) Live questions and answers (1:58:51) ---------------------------------------------- LEARN MORE ABOUT ADAPTIVE TRAINING Adaptive Training Video: https://youtu.be/gE2yPYZ15ew Adaptive Training: What it is, how to use it: https://bit.ly/3dIRClW How Adaptive Training Makes You Faster: https://bit.ly/2ZNfWLq Request priority access for here: https://bit.ly/3oR8Els ---------------------------------------------- ABOUT TRAINERROAD — CYCLING'S MOST EFFECTIVE TRAINING SYSTEM TrainerRoad makes cyclists faster. Athletes get structured indoor workouts, science-backed training plans, and easy-to-use performance analysis tools to reach their goals. Build Your Custom Plan: https://bit.ly/3oR8sme Train Together with Group Workouts: https://bit.ly/3fkaYyd Get Started: https://bit.ly/3unoSnx ---------------------------------------------- SUCCESSFUL ATHLETES PODCAST Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast now!: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/SAP ---------------------------------------------- SCIENCE OF GETTING FASTER PODCAST Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast now!: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/SOGF ---------------------------------------------- STAY IN TOUCH Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrainerRoad Strava Club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad
Coach Trevor Connor and Chris Case, as well as Coach Ryan Kohler and Fast Talk producer Jana Martin, all chose an N1 Challenge in the fall of 2020. Now, part way through the training and preparation for their big events, they discuss what they've learned and the adjustments they've made to keep themselves on track. The premise of the N1 Challenge is that each of the four riders is an experiment of one (n = 1); however, each rider's training experience can offer lessons for everyone. For Jana, who is new to cycling and is preparing for a gravel race in the Colorado mountains, that has meant incorporating more structured riding into her program and being mindful of the intensity at which she rides. For Ryan, a time-crunched husband and father of two who is preparing for Breck Epic, a six-stage mountain bike race, he has found new ways to be creative when planning his weeks. Trevor, who at the age of 50 is hoping to remain competitive in the pro field at the Joe Martin Stage Race, has been reminded just how hard he needs to train to find that last 10 percent of his form. Finally, Chris reveals his struggles to determine just how much recovery he needs after big training blocks and camps as he prepares for his first ultra-cycling, bikepacking race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We can learn a lot by looking back. And one of the best parts of being an athlete is planning ahead, setting goals, and choosing your next adventure. [For more on this, check out episode 140: How to Set Training and Performance Goals.] In this episode, the Fast Talk team, plus frequent guests, share the lessons they learned from a challenging 2020, and then declare their big, scary goals, races, and rides for 2021. First, looking back. We ask ourselves this question: Despite 2020 being an "off" year in terms of most racing and riding plans, were you still able to set goals and hit personal achievements in 2020 that you can look back on with satisfaction? What did you learn from these experiments? Then, looking back. Chris Case aims for the TransAtlantic Way bikepacking race. Trevor Connor aims for the Joe Martin stage race. Our Head Coach Ryan Kohler heads for the hills of the Breck Epic. Producer Jana Martin is gunning for Crooked Gravel. We also hear declarations of adventure from Dr. Stephen Seiler, Hannah Rae Finchamp, Julie Young, Dr. Stephen Cheung, Jen Sharp, Grant Holicky, and Colby Pearce. What did you learn in 2020? How did you make the most of a challenging year? And what are your adventure or race plans/goals in 2021? Join the conversation in the forum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris Castilian is the Executive Director of Great Outdoors Colorado (also known as GOCO), an organization that has committed more than $1.2 billion toward preserving and enhancing Colorado’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces. Founded in 1992, GOCO is truly a one-of-a-kind conservation funder—the organization invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds into a wide variety of critical projects, with a current emphasis on issues including equitable access and community vitality. GOCO’s impact around Colorado is staggering—its funding has conserved more than 1.2 million acres, added over 47,000 acres to the state park system, protected over 1,000 miles of rivers, and much more. - Chris is a native Coloradan, and all aspects of his professional success and personal passions speak to his deep love of his home state and its wide-open spaces. Chris was formally trained as an attorney, but early is his career, he chose to focus on service rather than billing hours at a fancy law firm. He served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Bill Owens and as Director of the Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners. He also had a successful stint in the private sector, honing his business skills which have served him well at GOCO. And, as you’ll hear, his focus manifests itself in his personal life through his commitment to the outdoors and mountain biking—he’s completed the Leadville 100 mountain bike race multiple times. - Since we’re all sticking close to home these days, Chris and I connected via Skype to talk about GOCO, his career, and his thoughts on conservation in Colorado and beyond. We started with a deep dive into the history of GOCO, discussed how the organization has evolved, and talked about its goals and plans for the coming years. We also discussed how GOCO is working to address some of the current public health and social challenges here in Colorado, including equitable access to the outdoors. Chris and I spent a lot of time discussing his personal background—why he chose to pursue a service-based career, his thoughts on leadership, lessons learned from his time in the business world, and what characteristics he looks for in employees. We also discussed his love of mountain biking, the Leadville 100, our shared interest in books and history, and he offered some wise parting words to listeners. - If you care about protecting the West’s open spaces and communities, then this episode is a must-listen. Enjoy! --- Great Outdoors Colorado Partners in the Outdoors --- This episode is brought to you by Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Partners in the Outdoors program. The Partners in the Outdoors program brings together diverse interests from across the entire spectrum of the outdoors to advance and balance both outdoor recreation and conservation in Colorado. The program seeks to foster alignment and trust through three cornerstone initiatives: the Partners in the Outdoors Conference, the Colorado Outdoor Partnership, and the Colorado Outdoor Principles, as well as extensive resource sharing and network building. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 5:00 - The history of GOCO 7:30 - Similar programs in other states 8:30 - Why conservation matters during these crazy times 11:15 - GOCO’s new strategic plan 15:30 - A new holistic approach to community and conservation 18:45 - The evolution of GOCO 21:30 - Core values of GOCO 24:45 - Equitable access to the outdoors 28:30 - GOCO’s Equity Principles 34:00 - Inspiring work in Leadville, Colorado 37:45 - Growing up in Denver 38:30 - Life after law school 40:30 - Why pursue mission-based work? 45:00 - Transition into the private sector 47:30 - Changing mindset of the oil and gas industry 50:00 - Benefits of having business experience 56:00 - What Chris looks for when hiring people 58:00 - Favorite books 1:00:45 - Mountain biking, Leadville 100, Breck Epic, and other outdoor activities 1:07:00 - Favorite places in Colorado 1:08:45 - Parting words of wisdom ----- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie Podcast Mountain & Prairie SHOP Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie
In E16, I chat with, Elliott Baring, of Baring Endurance Management. Elliott is a cycling coach as well as an ultra endurance mountain bike and stage racer, who hails from Dahlonega, Georgia. This conversation was really fun and we recorded it while Elliott and I were on opposite ends of the US doing training camps. Elliot was in Colorado, while I was in New Hampshire. Elliot is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to coaching and racing and I learned a lot during our conversation, including why he feels that the Pop Tart are by far the best ride and race fuel. During our conversation Elliot also talked about his recent attempt at the FKT of the "Rockstar 265" which he completed with Gordon Wadsworth. Some of Elliot's achievements include:Two time winner of Pisgah Stage Race (Duo w/Gordon- 2016 & 2017)2018 BreckEpic Pro Duo winners 2018 Southeast Gravel Cup Champion2018 Southeast Endurance Cup Champion 2020 24HOP 5-person team winner Two time winner Snake Creek Gap TT (2018 & 2020) Rockstar Gravel FKT 2020 (Duo) Elliott's sponsors include:PivotCycles, Maxxis Tires, Starlight Apparel, The Black Bibs andBaring Performance Management Average Watts Podcast supporters and sponsors:As ALWAYS the AWP is powered by 4iiii Power MetersTifosi Optics, discount code for 15% off: averagewattsAWP kits are provided by Jakroo Custom Apparel
January 28, 2019 Just Riding Along Show Page ABOUT THE EPISODE *WARNING* If you are offended easily, you may want to find another podcast. Also, all companies who are mentioned and offended as a result may or may not be real or named as such. We find out that Mr. Stroker is a show supporter. Kenny has been riding the trainer, Andrea is itching to get out skiing, and it's possible that Matt is just itching. They dive into questions pretty quickly. It's all downhill from there.... --------- LISTENER QUESTIONS - John has some thoughts on trainer and is wondering about a new bike and is eyeing the Trek Supercaliber 9.8. - Dennis wants to know thoughts on the Archer Components shipping - Mr. Prince is wondering about Specialized tires for Breck Epic and is wondering about a Fox Step Cast 32 - Bikepacking - Joe is wondering about riding from Durango to Moab If you would like to ask a question, please send an email title JRA Question to jra@mountainbikeradio.com. --------- LISTENER CONTRIBUTIONS - Superfan Jake from Colorado gave $10 - Mark from California gave $50 - Gino is a Tommy Boy fan and is offering up a job - Willy Stroker sent $5 If you would like to support the show, CLICK HERE. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at jra@mountainbikeradio.com. --------- RELATED SHOW LINKS Dude I Want That - http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/ Revel Bikes - https://www.revelbikes.com/ Andrea's YouTube Page - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT83Co7OCSyZqX_o4GerCRQ Just Riding Along on Twitter – https://twitter.com/TheJRAShow Brickhouse Racing Website – https://www.facebook.com/BrickhouseRacing Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/BrickhouseRacing Brickhouse Racing Instagram – https://instagram.com/brickhouseracing/ Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/MountainBikeRadio Andrea’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/BrickhouseMTB Matt’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/Beanpolematt Kenny’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/NoFullFaceKenny
Todd Wells is one of the most decorated mountain bikers in U.S. history. Across his more than 25 year career, he's won three Cyclocross National Championships, three consecutive Mountain Bike National Championships, and represented the USA at three Olympic games. In addition to UCI racing, he's won multiple stage races, including La Ruta de los Conquistadores, Breck Epic, and the Leadville 100 three times. Although he retired in 2017, he continues to race occasionally, and has won the Telluride 100 the last two years. In this conversation, Payson and Todd discuss his prolific career, why he continues to race after retirement, why his 25-year relationship with his wife has been crucial to his success, and his least favorite part of racing.
What I learned from this crazy adventure and how it can help you be a better endurance athlete. I go over what Breck Epic is, race recap, training, recovery and everything in between. www.breckepic.com
It's a special 2 episode upload week with the conclusion of our week at Breck Epic. It's been one hell of a season and we hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as we have. Part 2 of the the Breck Epic season finale covers stages 4 - 6 which includes the infamous Wheeler Pass stage. Tune in for our final thoughts on the race.
Here we are, the culmination of an entire season of riding and training, the big event, the 2019 Breck Epic. In this episode, bring you on the final leg of this journey, we recap the first 3 stages and what it took to just get up to Breck and get settled. Please visit our sponsors: Orbea Sram Continental Crank Brothers Junk Headbands - 10% off your order, use coupon code noridearound ColorUp Therapeutics - 15% off your order, use coupon code noridearound Nixon's Coffee House
-Scott Stoll, a Community Professor who travelled around the world on his bicycle Oddly applicable to us being one week out from the 2019 edition of The Breck Epic, a 6 day mountain bike stage race in Breckenridge, CO covering approximately 240 miles of singletrack and 40,000' of vert. The same might be said of us taking on this race, it's been an 8 month long journey, time for those final gut checks and to put tires to dirt. We take a minute and give some much deserved recognition to the No Ride Around community and all the cool things you all are doing, and Harley has a brush with the law.
Thank you for joining this episode of Too Stupid to Know I Can’t where Dalton and I discuss whether to port or not to port the resonant kick drumhead as well as the upcoming Breck Epic Mountain Bike Race I am participating in along with the new Orbea OiZ Team Bike in conjunction with BaseCamp Cyclery in Denver, CO. We open this episode with a quick discussion on etiquette and having respect for others in public places. I am unsure what prompted opening the podcast this way – but it seemed to work. Moving into Porting or Not Porting the resonant kick drumhead arbitrarily we talk about some pending issues with doing so. The catch is drum technology is advancing at a fairly good pace where we are learning more and more daily. However, drummers today will arbitrarily cut a hole in their kick drum without even listening to it in a variety of settings…all because a soundman in the late 60’s or early 70’s convinced a drummer to do so making it more convenient for him to put a microphone inside of the kick drum versus removing the head entirely as they had in the past. Either way you slice it, boxers or briefs…the choice is yours, but do yourself a favor and listen to your kick drum in a variety of settings and situations PRIOR to arbitrarily putting a hole in the resonant drumhead. You might be surprised by what you hear. Moving away from drums, Dalton and I begin to discuss some “history” of off-road tire technology, the adoption of belt -buckles for prizes in mountain bike races, the Breck Epic and the new Orbea OiZ rolling on Crank Brothers NEW Synthesis Wheels and Continental Tires. In a few words – HOLY %&#T!! This bike is fast and the tires are completely backwards from my original thinking and have completely proven me wrong. Along the way, we discuss a little bit about rear-suspension technology (from my recollection and probably NOT current understanding) and the evolution of tire tech starting way back with the Tioga Tires Farmer John. This in my opinion was a tire that started the revolution in tire technology and birthed the Panaracer Smoke and subsequent myriad of tires from ALL of the tire companies. As progress and technology increases, front and rear specific tires become the norm and a better understanding of wheel technology comes to life. The Orbea OiZ is one of the best bikes I have ever ridden and thankfully didn’t take too long to get used to (although running the Continental Trail and Cross King opposite to what I’m used to was odd at first) because that bike rides like a cat on a hot tin roof. Fast, smooth and predictable as if it is on rails. With a special shout out to Harley of BaseCamp Cyclery and Justin Holie of E3 Fitness for their fantastic podcast called, No Ride Around being the inspiration for this podcast and founding members of The Breck Epic Race Team. If you haven’t checked out their podcast, you should and here’s the link: https://anchor.fm/s/857e380/podcast/rss I would like to give special thanks to the sponsors who are personally helping me with The Breck Epic along with those helping “the team” as a whole…the hashtags are below. If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please do me a favor to like, follow, share, comment and review this podcast on whatever platform you are listening. It means a great deal to us that we get to have the luxury to talk about things we love and share it with others. Thank you so much and have a great day. #OrbeaBicycles, #SRAMRacing, #CrankBrothers, #ContinentalTires, #BaseCampCyclery, #BicycylesofTulsa, #E3Fitness, #drumshoptulsa, #noridearound, #ColorUpTherapeutics, #JakrooClothing, #TeRukiTraining, #RRFF, #NixonCoffee, #SimbolPR, #SimbolMarketing, #HammerNutrition, #DigitSole, #LazerHelmets, #LakeShoes, #TimePedals, #CaféBustelo, #OldSchoolBagel and #DynamicAudio
6 months into an intense training schedule, how do we keep things fun, fresh, and exciting? We cover some of our favorite strategies for staying consistent leading up to an event. We're just 4 weeks out from the 2019 Breck Epic, it's crunch time!!
June 2, 2019 She Shreds Podcast Show Page ABOUT THIS EPISODE Leslie Williams and Brooke McFerren are Path Bike Shop Racers, fast ladies, and friends with Val. The ladies discuss a full list of topics, including getting in to mountain biking, racing, and parenting. They share stories of memorable races, places to ride and race, and many experiences. Listen in to get some fun perspectives from some fun, hardworking, and competitive She Shredders. ---------- THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY: MOUNTAIN BIKING PARK CITY ----------- RELATED SHOW LINKS Non Dot Adventures – https://nondotadventures.com/ Breck Epic – https://breckepic.com/ Whiskey Off Road – https://epicrides.com/events/whiskey-off-road/event-guide/ Carson City Off Road – https://epicrides.com/events/carson-city-off-road/event-guide/ Sagebrush Safari – http://quickndirtymtb.com/race-info/sagebrush-safari/Tyax Adventures – https://tyaxadventures.com/ Follow Leslie on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/heylesliew/ Follow Brooke on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/bochote74/ Follow Val on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sheshredsbikes/ ------------- ABOUT SHE SHREDS PODCAST The She Shreds Podcast celebrates women who are doing amazing things, on bikes and in life, while inspiring countless others to try something new, step outside of their comfort zone, and to love themselves while doing it. The women you’ll meet on She Shreds Podcast are athletes, mothers, ambassadors, bike industry leaders, product designers and engineers, pillars of their communities, adventurers and travelers from all corners of the country. They’ve started businesses, raised families, won races, lost races, healed from injury, seen success in their careers, failed at times and have followed their hearts. We’ll hear about their experiences, learn from their hard earned wisdom and get a glimpse into the hearts and minds of some truly amazing women.
10 weeks into 2019 and its time to check in on race training, what's working, what's not, and how we can adjust. We have team member Roger Nottestad, owner of The Drum Shop in Tulsa, OK, on to chat. Justin Gives us a recap on his experience at the True Grit 100, we finally talk about some of our sponsors for the upcoming season. Good times had by all!
Leadville: The 100 Mile Mountain Bike Race Podcast, p/b Floyd's of Leadville
We’ve got a remarkable guest this episode — Jeremiah Bishop, who last year took fifth overall in the 2018 Leadville 100. Which is no small achievement on its own merits, but is seven times more incredible when you consider that he did this the day after WINNING the six-day-long 2018 Breck Epic. Fatty also talks about his off-season weight gain, and we bring in two experts —coach Jonathan Lee of TrainerRoad, and Roxanne Vogel of GU Energy Labs — to help him (and you) start reversing the damage done over the holidays.
Justin and Harley cover the beginning of training for the 2019 Breck Epic, motivation vs. commitment, and the battle to take ourselves seriously. Bonus material, Justin shares his story of summiting his 54th and last 14er in CO.
The 2018 grand tour season was a British invasion! Simon Yates made it a clean sweep by winning the Vuelta a España. Was it a good edition of the Vuelta? What does it mean for Yates? How do we rank this year's grand tours? We unpack the action from Spain. Then, Fred talks to Gregor Brown who followed the race on the ground and he speaks to Mitchelton-Scott team director Matt White via Skype after the team's first grand tour victory. Plus, Spencer talks about the story behind Breck Epic mountain bike race's decision not to sell to Ironman. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Health IQ. To get a free quote and save money on life insurance, go to www.HealthIQ.com/velonews
The 2018 grand tour season was a British invasion! Simon Yates made it a clean sweep by winning the Vuelta a España. Was it a good edition of the Vuelta? What does it mean for Yates? How do we rank this year's grand tours? We unpack the action from Spain. Then, Fred talks to Gregor Brown who followed the race on the ground and he speaks to Mitchelton-Scott team director Matt White via Skype after the team's first grand tour victory. Plus, Spencer talks about the story behind Breck Epic mountain bike race's decision not to sell to Ironman. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Health IQ. To get a free quote and save money on life insurance, go to www.HealthIQ.com/velonews
September 8, 2018 The Path Podcast Show Page ABOUT THIS EPISODE The Path crew is joined by a semi-regular host, Megan, and special guest and The Path team rider, Dan Blurton. Dan shares his experience at the 2018 Leadville 100. The Path guys welcome all of your questions and encourage you to send them an email with the subject “Podcast Question” to podcast@thepathbikeshop.com. --------- RELATED SHOW LINKS Shop via our Amazon Affiliate Link: http://amzn.to/1SC3svC Shop the Mountain Bike Radio Store: https://shopmbr.com/ Get on The Path Newsletter Email List: http://eepurl.com/tzr2b Epic Rides – https://epicrides.com/ Scott Spark RC 900 – https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/product/scott-spark-rc-900-pro-bike?article=269747006 Leadville 100 – http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/mtb/leadvilletrail100mtb/ Breck Epic – https://breckepic.com/ Park City Point to Point – https://thepcpp.com/ Follow Dan on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ltdanblurton/ #ThePathPodcast Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_meegs_/ Follow Auk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e_auk/ The Path Bike Shop Website: http://www.thepathbikeshop.com/ The Path Bike Shop Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thepathbikeshop The Path Bike Shop on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepathbikeshop/ The Path Bike Shop on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepathbikeshop The Path Bike Shop on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+ThePathBikeShopTustin/posts The Path Bike Shop on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thepathbikeshop/ The Path Bike Shop on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/thepathbikeshop Like what you are getting from Mountain Bike Radio? Support it and get something in exchange.
In this episode we talked to Hart Robinson. Husband, Dad, business owner, part time sheriff, grower of epic staches. Oh and he’s fast on a bike. He was 2nd overall in the single speed division at Breck Epic this year, among other great results. Hart talks about how he balances training, work, and family, as well as how he prepared for such a grueling event...at sea level, and without any major climbs nearby. As Hart's coach, Coach Bryant also gives his input into Hart's training and what they decided to focus on this season with such a big goal on the calendar. You might be surprised at what they spent Hart's training time on.
Leadville: The 100 Mile Mountain Bike Race Podcast, p/b Floyd's of Leadville
The training, the logistics, the stress, the excitement, and the actual racing are now all behind us...at least for this year. Now it's time for some storytelling. In this episode, Fatty tells Hottie a little bit about his Breck Epic experience (it matters, because it determined what bike Fatty rode in Leadville), as well as gives a full-on blow-by-blow of his 21st Leadville 100. We do away with our normal show structure for this episode -- it's a lot more like one of our bonus episodes, with a couple of friends talking about a race both of us love. This is the last "regular" show of the season. Hottie and Fatty want to thank our listeners for your kind feedback, and we definitely want to thank the dozens (really!) of you who — before, during, or after the race — mentioned enjoying the show. We're really proud of what we created, and it's awesome to have that work acknowledged. We also want to thank Rebecca Rusch and Jonathan Lee for their generosity with their time and insight. If you have an amazing story that would make a great bonus episode, leave a comment with with the short version of it here. Finally, a big thank-you to our sponsors, each of which took a big gamble on an experiment, and stuck with us through every episode: The Feed, which fueled Fatty to and through this race, including getting me through a very tough spot at a critical moment. Shimano, which gave both Fatty and his wife an utterly flawless, no-maintenance-needed, trouble-free shifting and braking for seven straight days of mountain bike racing. XT Di2 is so good it makes Fatty mist up. ENVE Composites, for bombproof wheels, bars, and stems. Seven days of mountain bike racing on the M525 for both Fatty and his wife, with not a single pinch flat. Perfect, confident riding for the whole week for both of them. Banjo Brothers, for sturdy, affordable, great-looking bags that do exactly what they should. Somewhere out there, there's a rider who DIDN'T have a Banjo Brothers seat bag whose race didn't end because Fatty does.
No sabemos si este episodio es "Jorge no esta aquí y El Sofa", como dijo el invitado, o "Luima y El Sofa 001". Lo importante es que conversamos con Luis Manuel Gonzalez (Luima). Este atleta empezó su vida deportiva haciendo carreras de aventura, con Luima conversamos sobre: - Haciendo carreras de aventura - El Eco-Challenge de Discovery - La transición de ciclista a triatleta. - Yoga como fortalecimiento. - NO al potenciometro. Instagram – www.instagram.com/laesquinadelsofa Facebook – www.facebook.com/laesquinadelsofa Web – www.laesquinadelsofa.com iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/l... Anchor – https://anchor.fm/laesquinadelsofa Stitcher – https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anch...
The Carson City Off-Road reminded how great MTB races can be, but it seems other big races like the Breck Epic and EWS are headed down a different path. Is mountain biking selling out? In other news, Pivot released a new bike, that we're sure is good, but we really have no idea, a lot of Crankworx is going on but it isn't Whistler, and we had a TON of your questions to answer! Tune in, send those questions to us at www.MTBpodcast.com, and get all your gear and parts in our store. Happy trails! –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The MTB Podcast is presented by Worldwide Cyclery, the online retailer for serious mountain bikers. Head over to www.MTBpodcast.com/store/ to get your parts, accessories and MTB Podcast swag.
Down is up and up is underground. Our man Hottie, formerly the leanest man in masters bike racing has portlied himself up to a whopping 165 lbs! What to do! He confesses that without all the group rides and races, plus a bit more beer than he used to allow...
Sonya Looney is on the show today and we talk about endurance training, stage racing, plant based nutrition, and more. Sonya has wins in some of the most competitive multi-day mountain bike stage races in the world, including the Breck Epic and Trans Andes. Find out more about Sonya at her website Or on her podcast here! Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe on Google Play
Now that it's the off season the boys are dreaming of bike purchases. Fatty wants a full-suspension cross-country bike for when he does Breck Epic next year. Hottie finally purchased a gravel-oriented frameset and even Patrick admits that he's considering trimming one from his arsenal to add something else. This...
Special guest Dustin Cardoza joins us for a deep dive on trailside hacks, fixes, and overall MacGuyver tactics. This is a fun one! Topics covered in this episode: • Fox Rhythm Fork: https://dirtmountainbike.com/bike-reviews/forks-suspension/fox-releases-new-rhythm-budget-trail-fork.html • Red Bull Rampage: Is it still a good thing? • How do 120mm forks affect XC geometry? • How warranties work • Should you race Breck Epic in your first year of racing? • How elevation actually affects performance • What you need to carry with you on a ride • Extra items to deal with a trailside emergency • Trailside hacks you need to know • How to fix a mechanical on the trail • How to fix a broken derailleur cable • How to fix a flat with a shoelace • How to fix a broken shifter with tape • How to fix a leaking hydration pack • How to use superglue to stitch a head wound (not medical advice!!!) • How to make an emergency chain guide • Light & Motion Lights • Wiral Lite Cable Cam: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1332617026/wiral-lite-the-easy-cable-cam-for-impossible-film • 140mm Trail Craft Cycles cranks
October 9, 2017 The Last Aid Station Show Page ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Howard Grotts has been one of the best US mountain bike racers for years and this year is no exception. In addition to competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, he’s been piling up some impressive results in 2017, including a 13th place at the World Cup at Andorra, 1st place at the Leadville 100, 2017 US XC National Championship, 1st place at the Breck Epic, 1st place at the Epic Rides Carson City Off Road and Grand Junction Off Road, and a 2nd place at the Epic Rides Whiskey Off Road. Howard joins Mark to discuss training, racing, the US scene, and some other tidbits. His future is bright and it’s great hearing from one of the young, bright stars in the mountain bike world. If you are a race director or racer who would like to hear your race report on an episode of The Last Aid Station, please contact Mark at Mark@Mountainbikeradio.com.
Struggling this week after the Breck Epic but some awesome things to reflect on moving forward. Do something that both excites and frightens you. That is where the magic happens - Lisa Leonard
The final chapter of the Breck Epic. What an absolutely phenomenal event and adventure!
Exclusive interview with Tod Wells and Charlie Granda pre and post ride
Raw recap of Day 5 from Breck Epic. Not the best day but got it done
Race recap from day 4 of Breck Epic with Jake Billings interviewing Lisa Leonard
Race Recap of DAY 3 of Breck Epic!!!
Recap of Day 2 from Breck Epic with Lisa and Jake!
Break Epic Day 1 complete! Hear a recap from the day from Jake and I
Here we are in the beautiful state of Colorado, for the Breck Epic! A 6 day stage race, in amongst the most beautiful terrain at high elevation. Join us each day this week for a recap of the day! Today is PRE race day, so we went to the pre race meeting and got so jazzed up we decided to start podcasts a day early and spread the stoke! Nice and quick one for you all :) ps tomorrow will be less grainy
August 3, 2017 The Last Aid Station Show Page ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Mike McCormack, the man of Breck Epic, comes on with Mark to give you the low down on the race. They discuss the evolution of the race as it enters it 9th year of racing, some of the mistakes and setbacks, and how the race has grown over time. Mike discusses how the first year the day he wrote his merchandise check is the day the global economy tanked, and how they have worked to overcome this in the following years. This year they mix things up by comping entry for some really amazing athletes to elevate the race to another level of competition and camaraderie, by letting the everyday Jack and Jill rub elbows with the most elite athletes of the sport of mountain biking. Mike discusses their decision to work with USAC for 2017 and what that means for the Breck Epic. Also, they talk through what amenities are offered from the race Breck Epic, and how Mike is continuously learning to make the race better. If you are a race director or racer who would like to hear your race report on an episode of The Last Aid Station, please contact Mark atMark@Mountainbikeradio.com. ------------ RELATED SHOW LINKS Shop through our Amazon Affiliate Link Go to the Mountain Bike Radio Store Mike McCormack Specific Links Breck Epic Vail Outlier Festival Firebird 40XC Beaver Creek National Ultra Endurance Series The Last Aid Station is on Twitter Support The Last Aid Station The Last Aid Station The Last Aid Station Facebook Page Mountain Bike Radio Endurance Calendar Email Mark Email Ben BECOME A MOUNTAIN BIKE RADIO MEMBER
Fair warning: Mike's a talker, in the best possible way. Our conversation meanders back and forth through his work background, and each turn reveals another piece of the puzzle that's come together to create the "Mountain Bike Stage Race World Championship" event. He's also running the Vail Outlier, a consumer mountain bike festival that's quickly established itself as a major late-season event. Oh, and he's running a PR firm that works with some of the top brands in the cycling industry. If you're looking to create and run an event, whether sporting or a business seminar or lifestyle retreat, there is a ton of hard won knowledge in here. For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
September 8, 2016 TLAS Show Page ABOUT THE EPISODE Steve and Mark keep filling your ears with mountain biking news. In this episode, they catch up on recent happenings, and then bring your reports on the Olympics, Pierre’s Hole 100, Leadville 100, Breck Epic, Hampshire 100, and the Maah Daah Hey 100. If you are a race director or racer who would like to hear your race report on an episode of The Last Aid Station, please contact Mark atMark@Mountainbikeradio.com. If you have any questions or feedback for Steve, please email him at Steve@Mountainbikeradio.com. -------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS Shop through our Amazon Affiliate Link Mountain Bike Radio race discounts Olympics Pierre’s Hole 100 Leadville 100 Breck Epic Elevated Legs Maah Daah Hey 100 Hampshire 100 Buy a Mountain Bike Radio Kit The Last Station is on Twitter Follow Steve on Twitter Support The Last Aid Station The Last Aid Station The Last Aid Station Facebook Page Mountain Bike Radio Endurance Calendar Email Mark Email Steve Email Ben BECOME A MOUNTAIN BIKE RADIO MEMBER
Matt and Andrea get along without Kenny in this episode. They cover some questions, chat about Breck Epic, and just chat a little. If you've been waiting for your latest JRA fix, here it is. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us atinfo@mountainbikeradio.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------ RELATED SHOW LINKS: Video of Ben spinning at 150rpm+ Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
The 2015 Breck Epic is in full swing in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Andrea is racing and Matt did some reporting. Listen in below for several interviews during the 6-stage race. Andrea checks in with an update after Stage 4. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Breck Epic Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
The 2015 Breck Epic is in full swing in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Andrea is racing and Matt did some reporting. Listen in below for several interviews during the 6-stage race. Andrea checks in with an update after Stage 5. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Breck Epic Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
The 2015 Breck Epic is in full swing in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Andrea is racing and Matt did some reporting. Listen in below for several interviews during the 6-stage race. Matt is joined by Andrea, as well as the Kona Bikes racers, Barry Wicks, Kris Sneddon, and Cory Wallace after Stage 2. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Breck Epic Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
The 2015 Breck Epic is in full swing in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Andrea is racing and Matt did some reporting. Listen in below for several interviews during the 6-stage race. Matt chats with Rich Dillen aka Dicky. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Breck Epic Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
The 2015 Breck Epic is in full swing in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Andrea is racing and Matt did some reporting. Listen in below for several interviews during the 6-stage race. Andrea checks in with an update after Stage 3. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Breck Epic Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
The 2015 Breck Epic is in full swing in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Andrea is racing and Matt did some reporting. Listen in below for several interviews during the 6-stage race. In this episode, Matt chats with the Breck Epic Race Director, Mike McCormack, after Stage 2. Mike shares some great insight into what the Breck Epic is all about. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Breck Epic Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
The 2015 Breck Epic is in full swing in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Andrea is racing and Matt did some reporting. Listen in below for several interviews during the 6-stage race. In this episode, Matt chats with Andrea after Stage 2. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Breck Epic Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
The 2015 Breck Epic is in full swing in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Andrea is racing and Matt did some reporting. Listen in below for several interviews during the 6-stage race. In this episode, Matt chats with Andrea after Stage 1. The stage was tough, but it's early. She is in good position. Listen in to hear how it went. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Yo Gotti - Check music video Breck Epic Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
The 2015 Breck Epic is in full swing in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Andrea is racing and Matt did some reporting. Listen in below for several interviews during the 6-stage race. In this episode, Matt chats with Ergon's Jeff Kerkove after Stage 1. He was apparently dragging a boat anchor. We're sure he'll be back at it for the rest of the week. We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Breck Epic Buy a Just Riding Along Mug Become a Mountain Bike Radio member Brickhouse Racing Website Brickhouse Racing Facebook Page Brickhouse Racing Instagram Mountain Bike Radio Facebook Page Andrea's Twitter Matt's Twitter Kenny's Twitter
Mark kicks off the 2015 endurance racing season with an interview with one of the best mountain bikers of all time, Jeremiah Bishop. Jeremiah has recently changed teams and he is looking forward to a different focus this season. In the past, he has raced everything from World Cup XC to stages races all around the world. This year he is headed back to experience some overseas team events and then will be changing it up with races like the Whiskey Off Road. Listen in to find out what Jeremiah has in store for the start of this new phase in his career. If you are a race director or racer who would like to hear your race report on an episode of The Last Aid Station, please contact Mark at Mark@Mountainbikeradio.com. We also have advertising opportunities available if you would like to promote your race. Please contact us about advertising at info@mountainbikeradio.com. --------------------------------------------------------- RELATED SHOW LINKS: Jeremiah Bishop - http://www.jeremiahbishop.com/ Topeak Ergon Racing Team - http://www.topeak-ergon-racing.com/de/en/home Topeak Ergon Strava Group - http://www.strava.com/clubs/topeak-ergon-racing-team-2054 Ergon - http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/home Topeak - http://www.topeak.com/ Canyon Bicycles - https://www.canyon.com/en/ Camp Horizon Virginia - http://www.camphorizonsva.com/mountain-bike-camp/ Alpine Loop Gran Fondo - http://alpineloopgranfondo.com/ Shenandoah Mountain Touring - http://www.mtntouring.com/mountain/htm/home/page_home.htm Cape Epic https://www.cape-epic.com/ National Ultra Endurance Series - http://nuemtb.com/ Breck Epic - http://breckepic.com/ Trans Alp - http://bike-transalp.de/news/ Jeremiah's Dirt Rag Munga Journal - http://dirtragmag.com/jeremiah-bishop-and-the-munga-diary-in-search-of-my-twin-in-toughness/ Epic Rides Epic Rides The Last Aid Station Facebook Page Mountain Bike Radio Endurance Calendar About the host, Mark Email Mark Email Ben
D2 and 40Hands do a special episode of The Drunkcyclist Podcast and have an in-house guest! Dax Massey joins the guys to chat about the stage racing he's done this summer, including the Singletrack 6 and the Breck Epic. It's a great chat with one of the good guys of mountain biking. Don't like what you hear? Turn it off. If you do, you may have some issues....and if you do have issues, email D2 at D2@Drunkcyclist.com to thank him and shower them with beer and beer ideas. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the next episode, contact us at info@mountainbikeradio.com. We also have advertising opportunities available, just contact us. ------------- Related Show Links: Breck Epic Singletrack 6 Transylvania Epic Domahidy Designs Elevated Legs Park City Point to Point Cross Vegas Dax on Twitter Drunkcyclist Website Drunkcyclist on Twitter Drunkcyclist on Facebook Drunkcyclist Tumblr Email D2 Buy an MBR Tshirt or become a Member
September 5, 2014 This is a special, shorter episode of The Last Aid Station. Host, Mark Stover, gives a full, in-depth report of this year's challenging Breck Epic. Listen in as he recaps each stage and gives listeners the inside scoop. If you are a race director or racer who would like to hear your race report on an episode of The Last Aid Station, please contact Mark at Mark@Mountainbikeradio.com. We also have advertising opportunities available if you would like to promote your race. Please contact us about advertising at info@mountainbikeradio.com. Related Show Links: Breck Epic Website Breck Epic Facebook Breck Epic Twitter The Last Aid Station Facebook Page Mountain Bike Radio Endurance Calendar About the host, Mark Email Mark Email Ben
September 2, 2013 Jeff Kerkove joins the show to discuss his recent experience at the Breck Epic in Breckenridge, Colorado. He, along with teammate, Yuki Ikeda, took the win in the 6-day Men's Duo Category. They had a great race all week, taking the win in each of the individual stages. It did not come easy though. Jeff and Yuki pushed each other hard, raced as a team to get through the painful climbing and enjoy the sweet, flowing singletrack to grab the final #1 and much coveted belt buckle. The Breck Epic is a 6-day and 3-day stage race based in the middle of one of the best mountain biking areas in the country and world. It is composed of large, backcountry loops between 35 and 50 miles run in a cloverleaf format; each loop starts and finishes within a mile from downtown Breckenridge and utilizes the sprawling network of trails in both Summit and Park Counties. The Breck Epic's first rule? It's "Don't Be a Dick." Related Show Links: Breck Epic - www.breckepic.com Breck Epic Sponsors - www.breckepic.com/sponsors/ Breck Epic Press - www.breckepic.com/press-coverage/ Ergon Bike Ergonomics - www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/home Ergon Bike Ergonomics Twitter - www.twitter.com/Ergon_Intl Ergon Bike Ergonomics Facebook - www.facebook.com/ergoninternational Ergon Bike Ergonomics Instagram - www.instagram.com/ergonbike Team Topeak Ergon - www.topeak-ergon-racing.com/de/en/home Team Topeak Ergon Facebook - www.facebook.com/TeamTopeakErgon Team Topeak Ergon Twitter - www.twitter.com/TeamTopeakErgon Jeff's Website - www.jeffkerkove.net Jeff's Twitter - www.twitter.com/jeffkerkove Jeff's Facebook - www.facebook.com/jeffkerkove Jeff's Instagram - www.instagram.com/jeffkerkove# Rincon De La Vieja Challenge - www.rincondelaviejachallenge.com Vapor Trail 125 - www.vaportrail125.com Get deals! Become a member - www.mountainbikeradio.com/buy-mountain-bike-radio/ Check out all the other shows - www.mountainbikeradio.com
Danielle Musto is joined by Team Sante Fe Brewing-Pivot Cycles rider, Karen Jarchow. Karen is in her second year as a pro and learning a ton as she goes. Listen in as they discuss racing, the struggles of making it as a pro, and a lot more. Karen shares some very personal details about why she pulled out of the Breck Epic. She shares a story that many women deal with but don't share. Great insight and a great discussion. Pivot Cycles - www.pivotcycles.com
Ben chats with Jonathan Davis and Curt Wilhelm after the second stage of the 2013 Breck Epic. Jonathan currently sits in 1st overall in the 40+ men and Curt is 2nd overall, just back of Jonathan. Related Show Links: Breck Epic - www.breckepic.com 92Fifty Cyclery - www.92fifty.com MTBCoach - www.mtbcoach.com
Andrea and Matt are joined by Ben while on location from the Breck Epic in Breckenridge, Colorado.
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