The beauty of riding is that it can hold so many versions of us at once — the traveller, the dreamer, the person who loves a challenge, and the person who wants to prioritize fun.

Hélène Fromenty is a journalist and bikepacker has been bike touring for years, but Silk Road was her first ever mountain bike ultra — raced as a pair with her partner Stefan — and the experience opened up an entirely new corner of the sport for her. She doesn’t see herself as a racer, and approaches riding through a lens of curiosity, connection, and joy. But after Silk Road, she wanted to understand what she could do on her own. So she lined up solo at Trans Pyrenees Gravel Edition… and won the women’s race.

In this conversation, Hélène shares:

• how she learned to mountain bike just months before lining up at Silk Road Mountain Race
• navigating the tension between protecting the joy of riding and wanting to see her own potential
• what her life as a journalist actually looks like day-to-day (and how she squeezes training into it)
• imposter feelings after SRMR and how Trans Pyrenees helped her find her footing
• the mechanical disaster that almost derailed her race — and the calm she surprised herself with
• and how bikes are so much more than a sport

Follow Hélène on Instagram: @hfrome

Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb

Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling

Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling

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