Bikes or Death

Cjell Moné just did the unthinkable by riding his custom Moné La Roca with coaster brakes on the Arizona Trail 800. The AZT 800, which is actually 840 miles, traverses the length of Arizona from the USA/Mexico border to the border of Utah. It's infamous for being one of the most challenging bikepacking routes in the world. Riders will face extreme temperatures, brutal desert terrain, long stretches without resupply, all on a trail that was designed for hikers, not cyclists. While the route is riddled with challenges it is equally beautiful and awe-inspiring, which only adds to it's mystique and it's growing popularity among those with a sense of adventure and maybe a slight penchant for abuse. For the uninitiated a Coaster Brake bike is like the one you probably road as a kid. When you pedal backwards it engages the rear brake. And that's it. No hydraulic disc brakes to control your speed to keep you from flying off the trail and into the abyss. Coaster bikes can only work on Singlespeed bikes, so on top of taking on the AZT 800 with a coaster bike, he was also only had one gear. Crazy? Maybe. Wild? Yes! But if you know Cjell Moné you wouldn't be even a little bit surprised. Cjell is known for his style, flair, and fondness for individuality. Which is represented in everything he does, from how he rides his bike to the bikes he builds at his custom bike factory (which is a truthfully a 1990 Wonderbread Truck). Learn more about Cjell and the beautiful bikes he builds over at MoneBikes.com. EPISODE SPONSORS  Farther Bag Co. – Use code “bagsordeath” at checkout to get 15% off your order! Central Texas Showdown – Registration open now! Use code “bikesordeath” to get $20 off registration. New Patrons  None this week. Join us won’t you at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath  

On today's episode I'm joined by a long time friend and cycling buddy of mine, Kerry Snow. Kerry was our 2nd place East Texas Showdown in the women's category and was 10th overall. While an impressive accomplishment on its own, Kerry's effort was even more incredible considering that she is undergoing chemotherapy for stage 2 breast cancer. Determined to not let cancer dictate her life, she has continued to maintain an active lifestyle by working out, riding her bike, and even competing in the 400 mile East Texas Showdown this last March. Along her way she raised money for a local non-profit, BCS Fights Cancer, and was able to raise over $15,000 for this organization alongside her friend and riding partner Maegan Fitzgerald. Kerry and I live in the same town and have been riding bikes together for longer than I can remember. I know her to be a physically and mentally strong rider and I credit her with being one of the people who inspired me to get into bikepacking. It was a true pleasure to have her on the podcast. I appreciate her sharing her experiences on her cancer journey and wish her well as she kicks it's ass! Kerry's favorite local gravel rides: - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49836607 - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45676352 EPISODE SPONSORS  Farther Bag Co. - Use code "bagsordeath" at checkout to get 15% off your order! Central Texas Showdown - Registration open now! Use code "bikesordeath" to get $20 off registration. New Patrons Stephen Flusche Joey Acuff Aleksander Scully Join them won’t you at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

My guest today is the one and only Dr. Eliza Sampey who brings her wealth of experience to the podcast. Eliza was a professional adventure athlete for 13 years. Her adventures and expeditions have taken her all over the world by way of all modalities of human powered travel. She is also a doctor of physical therapy, a concussion specialist, and a coach. Needless to say, we had a lot to chat about! Several years ago she sustained a concussion on a bike ride that ultimately ended her career as a professional athlete, but it spawned a new passion for helping other athletes who are managing their concussion rehabilitation. She's even written a book about it that you can download for free on her website. On today's episode we hear about some of her adventures and athletic accomplishments before diving into a robust conversation about concussions, especially for backcountry athletes. We also weave in some topics about her work as a physical therapist and coach. Eliza's vast experience in the adventure athlete sphere contribute to a highly entertaining and educational episode. EPISODE SPONSORS  Arkansas Graveler – a five-day cycling adventure winding through the moody Ouachita Mountains. Starting in Mena and ending in Russellville, this route traverses incredible backcountry. June 3-8th - Register Here Bikepacking Roots - Enter to win a custom Chumba Slackr MTB plus a lot of other cycling goodies AND support the BPR Bipoc Bike Adventure Grant Program. New Patrons  Andrew C. Join them won’t you at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

I'm stoked to bring you my latest chat with Eric House fresh off his finish at the Atlas Mountain Race in Morocco. After being laid off from his job in September he decided to go full send on bikepacking and has an epic 2025 planned. Probably most notably, he'll be doing all three of the Nelson Tree's Mountain Race series on a singlespeed. Something no ones ever done before! He's got a lot more on his plate for 2025 as he tries to pack in as many adventures on his bike as he can during this time of unemployment. We go over all his plans for this year on today's episode. We also have a healthy does of fun tangents and a brief period where we both take off our pants, a Death or Death first haha! Most importantly, we hear about his experience at AMR this year and what a successful year will look like to him. Eric and I met up in the Sam Houston National Forest which was the perfect backdrop to an awesome chat. He's one of the nicest, most down to earth humans I've met and he's pretty damn good at riding bikes too. All of which contribute to a helluva good chat. Eric's able to do all of this in part to support from his sponsors, who he'd like to personally thank: - Old Man Mountain - South City Stichworks - K-Lite - Doom Bars - Race Ready Repair EPISODE SPONSORS  Old Man Mountain – Use code “mountainordeath” at checkout to receive 10% off your order! New Patrons  Aaron Newbury Annie Bilotta Join them won’t you at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

For the past 8 years Indiana aka "Drive by Dildo" has been focused on bikepack racing. He's got a laundry list of accomplishments to his name. Including being a Triple Crown Challenge finisher. He's one of only 23 people in the world to have accomplished this feat. I met him in 2018 when we were both participating in the GranGravel 500 and he was the first (and only to-date) to Yo-Yo the East Texas Showdown in 2022. Since the age of 6 he's dreamed of traveling the world. Once he discovered bikepacking he soon decided he wanted to fulfill the dreams of his 6 y/o self by cycling around the world. Over the past 8 years he's been dreaming, scheming, planning, and selling everything he wouldn't need to take on his bike. In May of 2024 Indy's planning and preparing was done, now it was time to ride his damn bike around the world. He set out on this adventure starting in Deadhorse, Alaska on the Dalton Highway. Now, almost a year later I catch up with him in La Paz, Mexico on a rest day. Indy is living a dream of mine, to one day live on my bike and see the world. It was so great to see my old friend again and get to hear more about the journey that I've been living vicariously through him online. Tune in to today's episode to hear about how and why Indy choose to live on his bike and travel the world and how his trip has been going so far! EPISODE SPONSORS  Old Man Mountain - This week we are highlighting their Tour Divide rack. Use code "mountainsordeath" at checkout to receive 10% off your order! New Patrons  None this week, but we'd like to thank the 356 patrons that support this show monthly 🫡 Join them won’t you at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath  

While you were sipping egg nog and opening the presents that Santa Claus brought you, Matt Annabel was starting his AZT 300 Yo-Yo attempt.  And while you were watching the ball drop or lighting fireworks to ring in the New Year, Matt was still out riding the AZT 300 Yo-Yo.  I can’t think of a more epic way to close out one year and ring in a new one than riding your damn bike on one of the most beautiful and challenging routes in bikepacking, the Arizona Trail 300.  In true legend fashion, and in true Matt Annabel fashion, he did it on a singlespeed!   Matt’s ride was not an official time as he didn’t stay on the official race course and he also stayed with a friend in Tucson, but that was never Matt’s goal.  He had other goals and intentions behind this ride that are just as valid as an official ITT, at least in my opinion.   On today’s episode Matt shares with us how this trip came together at the last minute, with literally zero training or planning, his personal reasons for being out there, and some really insightful background on some of the AZT trail history.  He also reveals some big plans that he has on his bike for this year! Matt is a true wordsmith, who provided daily recaps during his ride.  I strongly recommend you checking those out on his social media page for more context and perspective to this conversation.  I also recommend you read, for a good laugh, his account of the Drive-by Dildo that impacted Indy Shultzs’ face during the 2023 AZTR.  He also has created and published a route called Rolling Horse in Colorado that sounds truly special.   EPISODE SPONSORS  Old Man Mountain - Introduced their Experimental Bikepacking Team on today's episode. To save 10% at OMM use code "mountainsordeath" at checkout East Texas Showdown – We've got 195 registered and 55 spots left, so if you'd like to see what all the hype is about we'd love to have you join us. New Patrons  Pierre Reid May Matthew Hall Christopher T - Increased monthy contribution Mike Christensen - Increased monthy contribution Join them won’t you at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

At this point Justinas needs no introduction. In 2024 he completed a total of 10 ultra cycling races, winning most of them. Among them was a win, and new FKT, at the Tour divide, where he bested the long standing record Mike Hall set 8 years ago. He then went on to finish first, but not win*, at the Colorado Trail Race. Followed by a first place finish at the Arizona Trail Race, a time that would have been an FKT if it weren't for a re-route due to fires. His total time for the Triple Crown was 25d 5h 30m, which was 2d 13h 3m faster than the previous record time set by Jay Petervary 9 years ago. What Justinas accomplished this year has left me speechless and fumbling to find the words to fully emphasize the magnitude of his accomplishments. Luckily for me, I was able to chat with the man himself and we can hear from him on his own reflections from an incredible year of bikepack racing. EPISODE SPONSORS  LIVSN - Shop their LIVDN line of products, the online marketplace to buy and sell pre-loved, repaired, and reimagined LIVSN clothing. Use code "BOD10" at checkout to get 10% off your order! East Texas Showdown – Take $20 off when you register when you use the code "blackfriday2024" at checkout. Sale ends Sunday Dec. 1st at 11:59pm New Patrons  Risto Sarvas Join them won't you at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Annabelle Bitterman was our 2024 Central Texas Showdown (472 miles) 1st place female, which was also good enough to secure 3rd overall. This was her third time participating in a Texas Showdown Series event. Her first bikepacking race was the 2023 Central Texas Slowdown (297 miles) and was our 1st place female finisher. Next she signed up for the 2024 East Texas Slowdown (280 miles) where she was our 3rd place female finisher. She only started riding bikes seriously a few years ago and was quickly bit by the cycling bug and was further hooked by the cycling community. Hailing out of Austin, TX she's found a robust community of other rad cyclists that continue to ignite her passion for throwing a leg over the top tube and go for long rides. Those long rides led her to find ways to continually challenge herself which is when she discovered the Texas Showdown Series. Since then, she's become a staple at the events and a staple on our podiums. On today's episode we take a deep dive into CTS, ETS, and Annabelle's experience as a relatively new cyclist who's looking to challenge herself on her bike.  EPISODE SPONSORS Follow My Challenge USA ~ The preferred gps tracking service for the Texas Showdown Series New Patrons  Pierre Delecto Ryan Staffen Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up at Patreon.com/bikesordeath!

Tim Krueger has been in the cycling industry for almost three decades. He got his start at a local bike shop breaking down boxes as a teenager. After college he landed a job at Salsa Cycles as the Product Manager during the birth of the "Adventure by Bike" category. A pivotal time in the bike industry that ultimately led to an entirely new market and category of Adventure Bikes. After his time at Salsa he went on to start his own company, Advocate Cycles. Advocate featured a rad lineup of steel adventure bikes with a unique business model that donated all of its profits to philanthropic institutions. After attempting that business model for a couple of years it became clear to Tim that businesses needed their profits to sustain their employees and grow their company. It was at that time that the decision was made to transition the brand into Esker Cycles that we know today. Tim's contributions and commitment to the cycling community and influence in the cycling market at large has been nothing short of impressive. I've been following his career, and awing over the cool bikes he's helped bring to market, for years. It was a true honor to get to pick his brain about longstanding questions and curiosities I've had about him and some of the bikes he's brought to market. EPISODE SPONSORS LIVSN – Use code “BOD10” at checkout to receive 10% off your order! Bikepacking Roots - Check out their new Fayetteville Bikepacking Route Network New Patrons  Daz Richard Hart Christopher T - Increased their pledge Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up at Patreon.com/bikesordeath!

Hannah Simon is quickly becoming a dominant force on the ultra bikepack racing stage. She recently added another feather in her cap of accomplishments with a win at this year's Silk Road Mountain Race, with a time of 8d 20h 16m. At this point, Hannah probably needs little introduction, especially to the Bikes or Death audience. This is her 7th appearance on the show and this time we turned to you, the listener, to come up with the questions for Hannah! It's been so inspiring to watch Hannah's progression in the sport of bikepack racing. I had the privilege of being at the finish line when she won her first ever bikepacking race, the inaugural East Texas Showdown. Since then, she's been on an absolute tear, winning many of the biggest races bikepacking has to offer. Along the way, she's been kind enough to share her experiences with me and my audience. Some of you have been following along on her journey from the start, so it was only fitting to give you guys the opportunity to provide the questions this time around! I caught up with Hannah at CHUMBA headquarters in Austin, TX, where she is currently employed. A big thanks goes out to Vince Colvin, CHUMBA CEO,  for letting us commandeer his office for our conversation! Thanks to the listeners for all of the great questions. We had a blast using them as fodder for our chat! EPISODE SPONSORS LIVSN – Use code “BOD10” at checkout to receive 10% off your order! Old Man Mountain - Use code "mountainsordeath" at checkout to receive 10% off your order! New Patrons  None this week, this is a great time to sign up to support the show 🙂 Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up at Patreon!

In her first year as a bikepack racer Jen Kelly has already racked up an impressive resume. She entered into 3 bikepacking races this summer and won them all! She's also a professional poker player who picked up cycling 4 years ago when she moved into a condo next to a rails to trails. She quickly fell in love with it and just wanted to ride further and further. Last year she put her career, as a professional poker player, on hold to focus on riding her bike. Her first bikepacking race was the inaugural Great American Wheel Race, a 3,600 mixed surface race across America which she placed 4th overall and 1st Female. Just 6 weeks later she entered the 900 mile Big Sky Spactacularie in Montana where she took 1st overall. Then only 5 days after finishing Big Sky she entered the 1,750 mile Montana Bike Odyssey and took the overall win again! Needless to say her gamble to focus on bikepacking is paying off! We had a great chat and it was great to talk to someone who is new to the sport and already having so much success. EPISODE SPONSORS LIVSN – Use code “BOD10” at checkout to receive 10% off your order for being a loyal listener! New Patrons  None this week, this is a great time to sign up to support the show 🙂 Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up at Patreon!

Nicolette Jones just won the 2024 Colorado Trail Race on her first attempt. Not only was this her first time racing the Colorado Trail, it was her first bikepacking race ever! Which makes her finish time of 5d 12h 21m even more impressive. Although this was her first bikepacking race, she is no stranger to adventurous pursuits or the Colorado Trail. She is the only person in the world to have thru-hiked, skied, and biked the Colorado Trail. So she is no stranger to this trail and, in fact, probably has a higher familiarity with it than most people. In 2023 she toured the trail in 11 days with thoughts of racing it one day on her mind. This year, those thoughts turned to reality and she rolled out at 4am with about 75 other racer at this years CTR. She was able to get a lead on her competitors early on and then maintain it for the entirety of the race. On today's episode we talk about a host of interesting topics. From her jobs as an adventure guide and coach, to making your own bikepacking bags, her love for tandems, and a 7.5 month bike tour she did with her Husband, Mark, from Arizona to Argentina. And, of course, we talk about her impressive win at the Colorado Trail Race. At only 25 Nicolette has a huge adventure resume and it was a lot of fun getting to know her and hear about some of her adventures. If you'd like to learn more about Nicolette after you listen to today's episode you can take a deeper dive on her blog, WalkSkiCycle.com. EPISODE SPONSORS LIVSN – Use code “BOD10” at checkout to receive 10% off your order for being a loyal listener! Red Granite Grinder - Epic gravel race in Wisconsin on Oct. 12th, 2024. Smash the link for more information and registration. New Patrons  None this week, this is a great time to sign up to support the show :) Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up at Patreon.com/bikesordeath!

Justinas Leveika is fresh off an impressive Colorado Trail Race finish. This was his first time at CTR and he finished in 4d 7h 17m, which was over 8 hours faster than the next rider. However, due to a rule violation, which was unknown to him at the time, he was not the official first place finisher. That honor goes to Xavier Chiriboga with a time of 4d 15h 55m. Going into Leadville Justinas destroyed his rear wheel on a gnarly decent which shattered the wheel, rendering it unrideable. To get it fixed he hiked to a trailhead, hitched a ride into town, replaced the rear wheel, and hitched a ride back to where we left the trail and continued on. Unlike other solo self supported bikepacking races like the Tour Divide, you are not allowed to get in a vehicle at anytime during the Colorado Trail Race. Justinas was unaware of this rule at the time, but it didn't stop him from putting on an impressive performance. After returning to the trail with his shiny new wheel he quickly started packmaning his way through the field and finished ahead all the other riders. The broken wheel wasn't the only challenge he had to overcome on the race this year, but you'll have to listen to the episode to hear the whole story. Regardless of an unfortunate rules oversight, what Justinas did was undeniably impressive. Even more so considering that he broke the long standing FKT on Tour Divide less than 2 months ago. Now, he sets his sights on the Arizona Trail Race in an attempt to complete the Bikepacking Triple Crown. EPISODE SPONSORS LIVSN - Use code “BOD10” at checkout to receive 10% off your order for being a loyal listener! New Patrons  Alliy G Julian Strait Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up at Patreon!

In 2000 Chris Smith was diagnosed with Stargardt's Disease, by 2009 he was declared legally blind. No longer able to drive he turned to the bike as a way to get to work 3 miles from his house. At the time he tipped the scales at over 300 lbs and the 3 mile ride to work was a real challenge, but Chris wasn't discouraged. He kept at it, joined friends for group rides, and eventually went on to earn a buckle at Leadville in 2019, to mark his 10th year of blindness. He went back the following 3 years, each time earning a buckle. For his 15th anniversary of being declared legally blind he set his sites higher, much higher. After watching Ride The Divide he decided to take on the holy grail of bikepacking, the Tour Divide. An ambitious goal for anyone, but particularly so for Chris since he hadn't done a multi-day bikepacking trip, and he's blind. Undeterred, he hired a coach, and started training for the Grand Depart, only 8 months away. It took him 47 days and 10 hours, he was the 2nd to last finisher, but nothing stopped Chris from accomplishing his goal, and after riding the Tour Divide, I doubt anything ever will. Chris was riding to bring awareness to blindness and raising money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Through his efforts he was able to raise $28,000 which will go to help finding cures for blindness diseases like his. You can find out more about Chris, and donate, on his website. EPISODE SPONSORS Red Granite Grinder - Epic gravel race in Wisconsin on Oct. 12th, 2024. Smash the link for more information and registration. Follow My Challenge - The official tracking service for Texas Showdown Series any many other premier events. New Patrons  Nathaniel Ray Join them won’t you? Now is a great time to sign up at Patreon!

Edyn Teitge, at 15 years old, just became the youngest person to complete the Tour Divide solo. He set out with a goal of finishing in 20 days and was able to complete the race in 19d 13h 14m. An accomplishment that may be shocking to outsiders, but for Edyn, this just feels like the next step in his progression as a cyclist. Edyn first joined me on the podcast in September of 2022 after he finished his first ultra bikepacking race, the Smoke and Fire 400. He didn't just finish, though, he came in 6th place, 8 hours after legendary Jay Petervary. At that time he was only 13! Since then he's been busy entering, and gaining experience, in many other ultra events, including, Fat Pursuit, Stagecoach 400, and Drift 100. All of which gave him the confidence and experience to tackle the Tour Divide. When we recorded today's episode Edyn showed up on Zoom with his hands completely covered in car grease. He had been working on replacing the radiator on a Ford Astro Van that someone gave him as his first car. So while he may be doing things that are very uncommon for a 15 year old boy, he's also a kid who's excited about cars, going to school, and riding bikes with his friends.   Episode Sponsors LIVSN - Use code "BOD10" at checkout to get 10% off your order for being a loyal listener Support the show directly: Patreon - Monthly Donation Paypal - One time Donation