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The East Texas Showdown is in its fourth year and it's our biggest one yet.  With 250+ riders from all over the world decending on East Texas we wanted to produce an episode to help you have a successful weekend in the woods.   We surveyed all the riders participating in ETS 2024 and I brought in a panel to help me answer your questions.  The panel consist of one person from each of the three categories from last year.   From the Showdown we have Harrison Kroos, the Slowdown is represented by Vince Colvin, and our Lowdown representatvie is Aja Roberts.   I appreciate each of them for helping me answer your questions and producing a fun and informative episode to help other riders have a successful weekend!   Even if you aren't participaiting in the offical ETS, the route files are available for free at TexasShowdownSeries.com and anyone is welcome to ride the routes anytime. We'd like to thank our ETS sponsors for this year: Chumba Handup Gloves Kuat Racks Mulberry Gap Ombraz Old Man Mountain The Radavist Ruby Coffee Stans Thomson Bikes Woom Bikes The Bullet Grill

Today we are catching up with Lewis Ciddor after his impressive 3rd place finish at Tour Te Waipounamu. Many of you will be familiar with Lewis. He won the Tour Divide in 2018 and was the host of the Overland Archive Podcast for many years. Lewis was on the show in Aug. of 2020 for Ep. 51. Since then I've noticed he's been keeping a lower profile. Not entering races, not releasing episodes of his own podcast, not posting on social media as much, so when I saw him back in the race lineup I was eager to catch up with him.     I was also eager to hear more about the Tour Te Waipounamu. It takes place on the south island of New Zealand and looks to be equal parts challenging and beautiful. The route is known for a variety of terrain, river crossings, hike a bikes, and off trail navigating. In other words, it’s a real challenge. In the world of ultra endurance mountain biking, this race stands out as being particularly hard, and that’s saying something.   It had been four years since Lewis had raced before lining up at TTW. Any doubts he had going into that race about being the racer he once was were going to be faced on the beautifully rugged terrain that is Tour Te Waipounamu. Not all victories come in the form of winning. For Lewis, his victory came by facing and overcoming challenges during the race that at one point had him in 12th place with only 300 miles to the finish. On today’s episode Lewis takes us through his journey as he made his way through the field and onto the podium in his first race in 4 years.  ⚡️EPISODE SPONSOR⚡️ Panorama - Today we highlighted the Katahdin which is Panoramas carbon gravel bike and the bike that Patrick has been personally riding for over a year. Shop our affiliate links to help support the show! 🎉New Patrons🎉 Noelle Battle Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath    

John and Mira are a bikepacking duo who were the first to complete the Tour Divide Race as a human and dog team in 2023. They also emBARKed on a world tour in 2023 with the goal of dogpacking all 7 continents of the world. A feat that is so big that if you think about it too much it seems almost unattainable. But, John and Mira have over six years experience traveling the world together by bike and that experience, I believe, will lead to their success. Today's episode starts with an introduction to John and Mira and how they got started dogpacking. We also go into some of the how-tos of dogpacking and John shares with us some of the tips, tricks, equipment, and best practices to help you get out on epic adventures with your furry friends. Then we learn all about their world tour, what their plan is, how they approach route building, and their overall approach to dogpacking and cycling the world. And, of course, we discuss their record setting run at the Tour Divide Race and their plans to go back and try again, this time using everything they learned in an attempt to set an even faster time. John and Mira have an excellent YouTube channel with tons of adorable and inspirational videos. So when you're done listening to this episode, make sure to go watch some of those. It's worth it just to see Mira comfortably sitting in her basket with her goggles on as they bomb down hills. ⚡️EPISODE SPONSOR⚡️ Bikepacking Basics: East Texas Edition April 26th - 28th Information + Registration: https://www.bikereg.com/bikepacking-basics-east-texas-edition Support the Show: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bikesordeath Affiliate Links: https://bikesordeath.com/affiliate-links/  

On today's episode, I sit down with Angus Morton to chat about his latest film: The Divide. This masterpiece follows Angus's brother, Lachlan Morton, on his 2023 ITT of the Tour Divide.  The Divide masterfully captures Lochlan's Journey, the landscape, and the beauty and challenges along the way. Lochlan traversed 2,700 miles, 2 countries, and 5 states over a period of 12.5 days. Showcasing a route that covers so much distance, so many different terrains, and carries with it so many unknowns is a daunting endeavor, but Angus pulled it off brilliantly. As a content creator and storyteller myself, I was eager to talk to him about it.  In today's episode, we discuss the power of media to inspire as well as its controversial nature in today's bikepack racing climate. We also get a peak behind the scenes into what it's like to film an elite athlete's tremendous effort on the Tour Divide, including some of the technical, logistical, and emotional challenges for Angus as he bears witness to his brother's trials, triumphs, and occasionally questionable decisions.  EPISODE SPONSORS️ Panorama Cycles ~ Purpose built backcountry bicycles with versatility and sustainability in mind. Use our affiliate link when ordering and BoD gets a small commission :) Shop our affiliate links to help support the show! New Patrons Mathew Crouch Whitney Houck Katherine M. Grosz Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

At the end of the year Sofiane made a post on social media that caught my eye. The first line read, “So where do I go from here?”. Sofiane is arguably the best ultra bikepack racer in the world. A position that he earned by winning some of the most grueling races in bikepacking, in some cases multiple times. Having accomplished so much, he now finds himself in a unique position and wondering what’s next. Today we dig a little deeper into Sofiane’s thoughts about his career, his accomplishments, and what, in fact, is next for him. EPISODE SPONSORS️ Old Man Mountain - Exclusive offer for Bikes or Death listeners: OMM is launching a new product called the Axle Pack and BoD listeners are getting early access to be the first to own one! Just visit OldManMountain.com/BoD and to get 10% off your order use the code "mountainsordeath" at checkout! Shop our affiliate links to help support the show! New Patrons Samuel Graham Dennis Vandegrift Patrons who increased their pledge Chris Clodfelter Crispin Hoult  Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

In the final installment Patrick answers listener questions and he gets his girlfriend, Natalie, to ask your questions. We got a ton of questions, so this episode will be sure to make the "long live long-form" listeners very happy. Thanks for riding bikes with us in 2023. After five years of podcasting I'm never not grateful to the listeners who support our work. As always, I've got big plans for next year and I look forward to riding with y'all again in 2024.

Bikes or Death is growing and I’ve hired some people to help. In this episode I sit down with Mckensie Barney, Ariel Marlowe, and Ben Crannell, to introduce you to the people that help make what Bikes or Death does a reality.

It's that time again. Time to look back at a year of podcasting, give some awards, and make some promises for next year that I'm sure to break a few :) This is the last episode of the year, and it's a doozie. Originally intended to be one episode, I've broken into 3 parts due to its length. So here's what we've got for ya with this one: Part 1: Bikes or Death Awards - Today We asked our listeners to help us vote on the best episodes from 2023. In this episode we look back on a great year of podcasting and give awards in the following categories: Best Episode of the Year, Most Informative, Most Entertaining, Most Inspirational, and Most Downloads. I also share some stats from 5 years of Bikes or Death and a look forward with some goals for 2024. Part 2: Meet the Team - Dec. 28th Bikes or Death is growing and I've hired some people to help. In this episode I sit down with Mckensie Barney, Ariel Marlowe, and Ben Crannell, to introduce you to the people that help make what Bikes or Death does a reality. Part 3: AMA with Patrick - Dec. 29th In the final installment Patrick answers listener questions, and he gets his girlfriend, Natalie, to ask your questions. We got a ton of questions, so this episode will be sure to make the "long live long-form" listeners very happy. Thanks for riding bikes with us in 2023. After five years of podcasting I'm never not grateful to the listeners who support our work. As always, I've got big plans for next year and I look forward to riding with y'all again in 2024. ️EPISODE SPONSORS️ Lectric eBikes – Get hundreds of dollars in free accessories with any Lectric eBike purchase this holiday, including America’s best-selling eBike, the XP 3.0 AG1 – Go to www.drinkag1.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. Shop our affiliate links to help support the show! New Patrons Levi Walls Thomas Seymour Patrons who increased their pledge Diane Prekup Alsksandar Radan Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

For the final episode in this series, we catch up with Hannah Simon after finishing 3rd at the Arizona Trail Race last month. The AZT was the last race in a three race series dubbed the Bikepacking Triple Crown. Prior to that she tied for 3rd at Tour Divide in June, followed by a 6th place finish at the Colorado Trail Race in August. The Triple Crown is the hardest and most prestigious accomplishment that our sport has to offer. By completing the Triple Crown, Hannah became one of only 6 women to have ever completed this challenge. Not only that, but her time was good enough to have the record for the 3rd fastest female, and she beat the previous FKT by 28 minutes, a record that stood since 2015. Hannah's Triple Crown, by the numbers: Tour Divide 3rd Place (tied) 2,745 miles 18d 11h Colorado Trail Race 6th Place 530 miles 6d 8h Arizona Trail Race 3rd Place 800 miles 11d 11h In total Hannah would ride 4,075 miles in 36d 6h, making her the 3rd fastest female to every complete the Bikepacking Triple Crown. ️EPISODE SPONSORS️ Lectric eBikes – Get hundreds of dollars in free accessories with any Lectric eBike purchase this holiday, including America’s best-selling eBike, the XP 3.0 AG1 – Go to www.drinkag1.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. New Patrons Ed Pinskey Bryan Thelen Preston Williams Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Kurt Refsnider just became one of only a handful of people to have ever successfully traversed the Continental Divide Trail by bike.  The trail is 3,300 miles long and spans the length of the United States along the Continental Divide.  In many ways it's similar to the popular Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.  However, there is one big distinction, the CTS is primarily singletrack.  And much of it is unmaintained, overgrown, and sometimes nonexistent trails.   It's not surprising that Kurt would be included in the elite group to have completed this trail.  He's been a cyclist and athlete from a very young age.  In fact, we hear about his first century on today's episode.  He's gone on to set so many records in cycling it's easier to point you to his website for a full list.   Kurt also holds many hats in the cycling industry.  He is a profissional adventure cyclist, the co-founder and Route Developer for Bikepack Roots, and he is an endurance coach, among other things.  Today's episode touches on all of these topics and more. ⚡️️EPISODE SPONSORS⚡️️ Old Man Mountain - Use our affiliate link to get 15% off your order! BoD Affiliate Links - We've made it easier to find the links that support this show and provide deals for our listeners.  You can find them on our website!  When you use our links you support this show and the partners who support us.   🎉New Patrons🎉 Andrew Dordal Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

My guest today is the winner of this years Arizona Trail Race 800, Alex Schultz. Alex is no stranger to bikepack racing or the AZT. In 2019 he entered his first bikepacking race, the Colorado Trail Race, and was hooked! In 2022 he entered the AZT 300 and won it. This year he came back to take on the 800 with only the goal to finish and do his best. It turns out his best was good enough to win and set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time). His time of 9d 5h 43m was five hours faster than the previous FKT set by Nate Ginzton in 2022. By the sound of it Alex is just getting started with his bikepack racing career. With a lot of adventure sports experience and some good results under his belt, I have a feeling we'll be seeing his name at the top of other big races soon! EPISODE SPONSORS Lectric eBikes - Get hundreds of dollars in free accessories with any Lectric eBike purchase this holiday, including America’s best-selling eBike, the XP 3.0 AG1 - Go to www.drinkag1.com/bikesordeath to take advantage of a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 None, this week, but thank you to the 316 patrons that support this show! Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Last month Natalie and I took on the Ozark Rando 120. This is a new event by Ozark Gravel Cyclist and hosted by Experience Fayetteville.  As the name suggests, the format of this ride is a Randonneur -a non-competitive long-distance unsupported endurance cycling event.  I used this ride as part of my training for an attempt at the 475 mile Central Texas Showdown Route.  I’ve also been really interested in doing a Randonneur ever since Cheech with Crust Bikes came on the podcast.  And, I never turn down an opportunity to ride my damn bike in Arkansas!   Natalie on the other hand would be taking on her biggest ride, by a long shot!  Previously, her longest ride was 60 miles in Texas with only 1,200’ of climbing.  The Ozark Rando boasts over 12,000’ of climbing over 122 miles. For her, this would be a huge physical and mental undertaking. By signing up, she committed to the unknown, and that’s scary. Spoiler alert: We finished Dead F*****g Last, and I couldn't be more proud of her and us. As the day unfolded, the miles passed slower and slower, and the finish time goal post kept moving, but we kept riding our damn bikes. On today’s episode, join Natalie and I as we embark on an epic day (and night) in the Ozarks on our bikes. EPISODE SPONSORS Experience Fayetteville ~ To start planning your next cycling vacation just visit experiencefayetteville.com where you’ll find a large selection of curated routes for every riding style including road, gravel, mountain bike, and urban adventures. 🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Buck Crockett Borden Mann Blake Marquis James Brodhurst Katherine Helbig Join them won’t you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath