Professional mountain biker Payson McElveen sits down with some of the biggest names in sports and adventure to get an inside look at what sets them apart. With no script, the casual conversations are as diverse as the guests, with topics ranging from harrowing tales of survival, to debates on current events, to everyday tips and tricks and everything in between. As Payson travels the world for his two-wheeled day job, listen in as he rubs shoulders with and learns from some of the most inspiring athletes, entrepreneurs, academics, and others as they chase and inspire greatness.
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Lachlan Morton on his return to the Colorado Trail
Earlier this month, WorldTour racer turned “alternative” cycling adventure seeker Lachlan Morton returned to the Colorado Trail for the second time. His first experience in 2019 was harrowing mentally and physically and left him determined to go back someday to rewrite his relationship with the infamous 530-mile route. After the death of professional cyclist Sule Kangangi this summer, Lachlan returned to the CT in memory of his friend. This time, he completed it in three days and 10 hours, smashing the official record by over nine hours. He joins Payson to talk about why the Colorado Trail is the hardest thing he’s ever done, including his commanding win at the 1,200-mile GBDuro in 2021 and the Alt Tour in which he rode every stage of the Tour De France (plus transfers) unsupported. He talks about why he won’t be going back to race the CT, the high and low points of his solitary three days on the trail, and his thoughts on not making it into the “official” record books. They also talk about his return to competitive racing, the Lifetime Grand Prix, and how the gravel series might develop in the coming years to become an alternative to World Cup and WorldTour racing. Click here to contribute to the Sule Kangangi Memorial FundInstagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Chequamegon recap, with winners Savilia Blunk and Bradyn Lange, rider experiences, and a Q&A
Payson sits down with the winners of Chequamegon, Savilia Blunk and Bradyn Lange. Savilia talks about her breakout World Cup season and navigating the unexpectedly muddy conditions of last weekend's race. Bradyn talks about his childhood motocross career, van life, and being caught off guard when he found himself in the lead at Chequamegon. Payson also answers listener questions about the race, including power numbers, the surprise rain storm, and how he feels about the race culture in the Midwest.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Meg Fisher, Paralympic Gold medalist and professional cyclist
When Meg Fisher went to college, she was a walk-on for the University of Montana's Division 1 tennis team, but was taken out of the sport and the life she knew when a catastrophic car accident left her in a coma. When her leg was amputated, it was the least of her doctors' worries. Most of them assumed that she would never be able to live independently, let alone walk, but Meg proved them (and herself) wrong, earning a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and becoming a 3x triathlon world champion and a multi-medal winning Paralympian at the 2012 and 2016 Games. More recently, she's been focused on bringing paracycling categories to gravel races and expanding resources for physically impaired people in under-served countries. In this conversation, Meg tells Payson about marking the 20th anniversary of the crash, accidentally melting one of her prosthetic legs at Rebecca's Private Idaho, and why she attributes "everything in her life" to a cattle dog named Betsy. She also talks about how meaningful it has been to be recognized within the cycling community, and being overcome with emotion when her teammates from the 2012 Paralympic Games came to cheer her on at Steamboat this year. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Kiel Reijnen and his 5-year-old daughter EmmyLou on winning the tandem category of Rebecca's Private Idaho
When Kiel Reijnen’s five-year-old daughter EmmyLou told him that she wanted to ride to Idaho (a 700+ mile trip), he suggested they compete in the 102-mile gravel stage of Rebecca’s Private Idaho instead. Kiel joins Payson to talk about how he brought this idea to fruition and got to witness Emmy’s grit, endurance, and competitiveness. With only one low point around mile 85, they won the tandem category on a 240-pound rig and raised thousands of dollars for World Bicycle Relief in the process. Kiel talks about the unique stresses of ensuring a five-year-old’s safety throughout a 102-mile gravel ride at elevation and how surprised he was that they completed the whole course. He also talks about raising a child who shares his hunger for adventure, and how seeing himself in his daughter is both a blessing and a curse. EmmyLou joins the conversation as well to answer a few questions about snacks, sailing, and why she likes riding bikes with her dad. Kiel and EmmyLou's World Bicycle Relief fundraising pageInstagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Bjorn Riley, mountain biking U23 National Champion
Bjorn Riley is part of the wave of young US cross country mountain bike racers that’s been making a splash on the World Cup circuit over the past few years. Placing 5th at Worlds this year, 2nd at the Snowshoe World Cup in West Virginia, and landing at the top of the podium at Nationals, Bjorn is already making a name for himself on the international stage. After spending three years on the Bear Development Team, he recently joined European-based Trek Vaude and moved to Austria full-time.In this conversation, Bjorn explains why this big life change has made him more relaxed about racing than ever and has so far come with only minor growing pains. They discuss his off-the-bike hobbies which include sewing, drawing, and writing poetry, and why his team has helped him maintain these pursuits alongside training. They also talk about the style that Bjorn brings to XC (he’s been known to throw no-handers in the middle of World Cups), and which trick he’s hoping he’ll get to throw down on course someday. On top of cycling and art, Bjorn also has some pretty big plans for the off-season. He talks to Payson about why he’s so interested in finding his limits, and the goals he's planning to tackle this winter. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Matt Beers, professional mountain bike racer
South African cyclist Matt Beers has done a little bit of everything when it comes to racing on two wheels. Starting out in motocross, he turned to mountain biking after he was sidelined by an injury, going on to win the South African Marathon National Championships and the Cape Epic stage race in 2021. After an impressive but unlucky showing at Cape Epic in 2019, he was invited to guest ride on the WorldTour road team UAE Emirates. These days, he's spending more time state-side on the gravel circuit. At the beginning of the year, he placed second at Belgian Waffle Ride and elected to do the double-header, Leadboat, earlier this month.Matt joins Payson a few days after completing Leadboat to talk about why he's chosen to spend so much time in the US this year racing gravel and how his first Leadville went He reflects on his time as a stagiere with UAE, why it made him doubt his choice of career, and how it transformed the way he approaches training. He also talks about how winning Cape Epic changed his life, why he was out riding the day after Leadboat, and the impressive power numbers that caught the eye of the WorldTour.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Leadboat recap, with Leadville winners Keegan Swenson and Hannah Otto, rider experiences, and a listener Q&A
Today on the show, we feature some of the experiences that riders in all categories had at Leadville and SBT GRVL last weekend. Payson answers listener questions about the races, including his training in the weeks leading up, using hydration packs instead of stopping at neutral aid stations, and his bike setup. He also chats with Keegan Swenson, the winner of Leadville, SBT, and the combination race ‘Leadboat’ about his dominance on the gravel circuit this season and a potential move to the road. Hannah Otto, the winner of Leadville, joins Payson as well to talk about how unexpected her win was after crashing and injuring her shoulder at Mont-Sainte-Anne the weekend before. Having not ridden her bike until the day before Leadville, she had low expectations about her chance of snagging a podium let alone the win and was nervous about how the forecasted rain might affect her ability to avoid crashing. When she found herself riding solo off the front, the fact that she might come away with the win began to sink in. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Rose Grant, professional mountain bike and gravel racer
5x mountain bike Marathon National Champion Rose Grant joins Payson to talk about her recently announced retirement, how she hopes to finish out the season, and what she’s looking forward to post-professional cycling. Rose started racing later than many riders, only getting into the sport when she was nearing 30. During her first season, she became pregnant with her daughter, and has spent the height of her career juggling training, racing, and motherhood. She talks about some of her professional highlights, including winning her first Leadville, and some low points, including breaking her leg in Colombia and the mental battle of Unbound. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Sarah Sturm on persistence, grief, and imagining life after professional racing
Sarah Sturm returns to the show for a wide-ranging conversation about the struggle to stay hungry in a profession full of uncontrollable inconsistency, Tour de France Femme, and the anxieties about what life might look like after retiring from professional cycling. They also discuss the many ways that grief is shaping the gravel community this season and how their mental and emotional connection to racing has permanently changed. Sarah also talks about her work with Protect Our Winters, and the athlete who she thinks is the gold standard for maintaining their integrity.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Barry Wicks, Protect Our Winters bike team captain on curbing climate change
Barry Wicks started racing professionally in 2002, competing on both the mountain bike and cyclocross world circuits. These days, he continues to race off road, but focuses much of his attention on managing Kona Factory Racing, the team he's been with since he signed his first pro contract. Last week, it was announced that he would be leading the new Bike Alliance with Protect Our Winters, a nonprofit that advocates for better climate legislation and large-scale measures for safeguarding the environment. Barry catches up with Payson to talk about how he confronted his own apathy towards the climate crisis and decided to step up. He recounts his experience going to Washington with Protect Our Winters earlier this year to talk to politicians about climate legislation, and why he decided to use his voice as a professional athlete to promote the environment. Usufruct: A Biking Story About Beetles and the Future of Our ForestsProtect Our Winters: protectourwinters.org Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Sam Pickman, Director of Product and Engineering at Allied on their first mountain bike
Sam Pickman returns to the show to talk about Allied's first ever mountain bike, the BC40. He and Payson discuss how long it's been in the works, collaborating with Barcelona-based Cero Design to get the look just right, and why they changed the name of the bike just before the launch. They also get into the technical side of things, including bike geometry and the carbon manufacturing process. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Crusher in the Tushar recap, with winner Haley Smith and a listener Q&A
Today on the show, we review the third race in the Lifetime Grand Prix, Crusher in the Tushar. Payson is joined by winner Haley Smith to discuss her emotional finish, her new position as a Grand Prix frontrunner, and the illness and self-doubt that made her path to this moment so uncertain. She also talks about how her mixed feelings about participating in the Tokyo Olympics are evolving with hindsight, and why she’s not fixating on the prospect of a Grand Prix win. Payson also answers all your questions about Crusher, from nutrition to Keegan Swenson’s dominance, and we hear from a few listeners who participated in the race.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Daniel Oss checks in from the Tour de France
Daniel Oss has raced the Tour de France ten times and has noticed many changes over the years, from equipment to rider mentality. This year, he’s racing for a new team, TotalEnergies, where he followed friend and long-time teammate, Peter Sagan. He joins Payson from the first rest day of this year’s race to talk about how the Tour has changed since he first lined up for it in 2010, being Sagan’s right-hand man, and why the mental fatigue of The Giro d’Italia led him to start his Youtube series “Just Ride.”Payson also previews Crusher in the Tushar, the next installment of the Lifetime Grand Prix, and makes some predictions about this year's Tour de France.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Annijke Wade, 11 months after her spinal cord injury
Annijke Wade joins Payson again, nearly a year after the mountain bike crash that left her paralyzed. The last time they talked on the show, she was living at Craig Hospital, a leading institute for spinal cord injuries. Now, she's home, learning the ins and outs of living with her injury. She talks about how she plans to spend the first anniversary of her crash, all the details about her new bike, and getting back on the trails with other adaptive athletes. She also talks about balancing optimism with realism. While she is technically paralyzed below the chest, she recently regained some musculature and sensation in parts of her body where she'd lost feeling. Now, she spends 40 hours per week on rehab, and talks to Payson about managing expectations while setting concrete goals for her recovery.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Anton Krupicka, mountain runner
Anton Krupicka fell in love with running at an early age. He competed in his first marathon when he was 12 and started running mountain ultras when he left college. He went on to win the Leadville 100 twice, and place second at the Western States 100 in 2010. These days, he’s added cycling and ski-mo to his competition schedule, recently completing the Unbound XL.In this interview, he tells Payson about growing up on a 600-acre farm in Nebraska and discovering mountain running when he moved to Colorado for college. After completing a few marathons, he went from running the Leadville Marathon to running and winning the Leadville 100 in just six weeks. He also talks about how injury forced him to diversify his athletic pursuits and how the mental and physical demands of ultra running differ from gravel racing. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc