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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Ride With Pace: Ellen Campbell before Chequamegon
In this bonus episode, we’re bringing you Payson’s ride-along chat with Ellen Campbell the day before Chequamegon. They talk about how her Grand Prix season is going so far, what it’s like to be sitting just outside the top 10 going into the final two rounds of the series, and her gear choices for the race. They also talk about her Ride Dirt program, a series of workshops in which she teaches women bike maintenance and handling skills.Keep up with Ellen at @ellen.m.campbellUse code PAYSON15 for 15% off Maurten products. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Bradyn Lange on winning Gravel Nationals
Just a few hours after winning Gravel Nationals, Bradyn Lange sat down with Payson at the house they were sharing in the lead-up to the race for a wide-ranging conversation about the event and all the things that had to fall into place to get him there. Bradyn has always identified more as a mountain biker than a gravel racer, but after struggling to find sponsors and snagging a rogue 4th place at Big Sugar in 2021, he managed to secure a sponsorship from Pinarello and a place in the 2022 Grand Prix. That season, he lived out of his van and worked multiple part-time jobs, and still managed to rack up some stand-out results, including the win at Chequamegon. In this conversation, Bradyn tells Payson about this phase of his life, as well as his unlikely win at Nationals, in which he crashed, got blocked by junior riders, broke his cleat, and missed the breakaway, all before launching to the front and winning solo. He also talks about his pivotal training camp with Orange Seal Academy last month, the financial gambles he took this season in the hopes of getting better results, and his lucky Blarney Stone.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Chequamegon recap with Melisa Rollins, last place finishers, and points analysis
In our latest Grand Prix recap, Payson takes a recovery spin with Melisa Rollins, who won the women’s race solo and made the competition for the top spot in this year’s standings even tighter. Then, he chats with Charlie and Steve, two friends who work for the Forest Service who were the last people to cross the finish line before the cutoff. But first, Payson crunches some numbers to see where things stand with the Grand Prix points and how he thinks the final two rounds in Bentonville might go down.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Will Gilmore, performance coach at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center
When Payson hobbled his way into the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center in May with a broken hip, he wasn’t expecting to be off crutches anytime soon, but thanks to the work of coaches like Will Gilmore, he not only managed to leave the facility without crutches, but also to jump back into racing a full month and a half before he’d planned. Will started his career in baseball, playing professionally before becoming a strength and conditioning coach for the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds. Now at Red Bull, he works with athletes across the spectrum, from snowboarders and gamers to surfers and cyclists. In this conversation, he and Payson chat about why he left professional baseball, how he and the team at the Athlete Performance Center adapt their knowledge and technology to over 800 athletes in a dizzying number of sports, and how he helped Payson return from injury long before it seemed possible. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Maude Farrell on winning the Lead Challenge after months of balancing cycling and ultrarunning
Mountain bike racing is hard. Ultrarunning is hard. So why did Maude Farrell decide to make things extra brutal for herself this season by combining them? Earlier this month, she won the Lead Challenge, a multi-month series comprised of five trail running and mountain bike races at over 10,000 feet. The final week of the series involved racing the Leadville 100 mountain bike race, running the Leadville 10k the next day, and running the Leadville Trail 100 race six days later. Maude sat down with Payson less than 36 hours after crossing that long-awaited finish line to talk about why she decided to blend these two punishing disciplines for her 2025 season after going all-in on gravel last year, how she trained for ultramarathons and cycling at the same time, and how those never-ending hundred miles of the Leadville Trail Race unfolded. Tears, a rave on Powerline, a life-giving cup of broth, and a lot of swearing were involved.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Ride With Pace: Zach Calton the morning after the Leadville 100
The day after placing top 10 at the Leadville 100, Zach Calton joined Payson on a ride to talk about returning to form after the toughest season of his career. They discuss how it all started a year ago at the Breck Epic, his disastrous experience at the Cape Epic, and how he’s slowly found his footing again this season. Use code PACE20 for 20% your first order of LTH supplements and take the quiz to get a plan tailored to your needs.Watch: Ride With Pace - Ep 4 LeadvilleWatch this episode on YouTube here: Zach Calton the morning after the Leadville 100Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Ride With Pace: Bradyn Lange after Leadville
Barely half an hour after crossing the finish line at the Leadville 100, Bradyn Lange joined Payson for a painful cooldown ride at 10,000 ft. They debrief about the race, talk about Bradyn’s last-minute set-up change, and debate whether Leadville is harder than Unbound. Use code PACE20 for 20% off your first order of LTH supplements and take the quiz to get a plan tailored to your goals and needs.Watch: Ride With Pace - Ep 4 LeadvilleWatch this episode on YouTube here: Bradyn Lange Post Race Spin - Leadville 100Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Leadville recap, with Torbjørn Røed, Cecily Decker, Emily Fagan, and key takeaways
In this packed Leadville 100 recap, Payson chats with 4th-place finisher Torbjørn Røed about his journey to the Grand Prix and their sprint finish last weekend. Then, he talks to Cecily Decker (aka Diesel Decker), who saw her months-long preparation for the race pay off when she took third place on the day and the top spot in the Grand Prix standings. Later, he chats with Emily Fagan, a middle school math and English teacher from North Carolina who took home the “Last Ass Over the Pass” trophy when she crossed the line with mere seconds to spare before the 12-hour cut-off. But first, Payson delves into the points standings and discusses some of his main takeaways from this year’s event.(00:00:00) Intro(00:03:35) Listener voice memos(00:07:27) Points analysis(00:14:50) U23 program(00:20:13) Three major takeaways(00:37:11) Torbjørn Røed(01:03:23) Cecily Decker(01:24:41) Emily Fagan(02:01:59) Sign-offInstagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Cam Jones on his U23 misadventures in Europe and growing up in New Zealand
Cam Jones has had a pretty memorable 2025 season, rocketing from Grand Prix wild card to winner of Unbound. And yet, that dramatic turn of events pales in comparison to his 2022 season. For his final year as a U23, Cam planned to race every World Cup in the hope that it might secure him a team for the start of his Elite career. After a promising start to the season, things went downhill fast. Kidney failure, Covid, and a five-day stint in a Belgian detention center followed, and somehow, that barely scratches the surface.Cam joined Payson in the studio in Durango to talk about that unforgettable 2022 season, how he ended up racing gravel in the U.S. after starting a forestry career in New Zealand, and his childhood in Nelson. They also talk about the logistics of traveling to Grand Prix races that American riders don’t have to think about, and how he’s approaching Leadville after his decisive and unexpected win at Unbound.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Robin Gemperle on winning the Tour Divide in under 12 days
Robin Gemperle defied all previous Tour Divide records earlier this year when he finished the notorious 2,700-mile race in less than 12 days, more than 300 miles ahead of second place. Formerly a junior member of the Scott-SRAM cross country team, he felt that there was untapped potential in maximising how fast the route could be ridden, not just how efficiently riders could sleep and refuel. Bringing all of his racing skills to the table, he set a blistering new standard that got people debating the future of the race. Robin sat down with Payson last week to detail his preparation for the Divide, how he eked out as much speed as possible on the bike, and the one thing he thinks he and future riders should focus on to go faster. He also reflects on his two years racing for Scott-SRAM and deciding to get an architecture degree afterward.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Kate Courtney on tackling Leadville and her first season as a privateer
Kate Courtney returns to the show the day after completing the Leadville Stage Race. Just a few months ago, it was barely on her radar, but after a broken wrist took her out of the World Cup circuit, she decided to look for a new way to challenge herself before the season starts up again at the end of August. In a couple of weeks, she’ll be lining up for her first Leadville 100. Kate sat down with Payson to talk about how the reality of the stage race diverged sharply from her expectations, what she learned, and why she isn’t viewing the 100-mile race as a mere side quest. She also talks about how her first season as a privateer is going. Spoiler alert: She and Payson go about things differently. Kate's Substack: https://themondaymantra.substack.comInstagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Cécile Lejeune on her steep gravel learning curve and medically retiring from sports in college
Cécile Lejeune started racing triathlons in her native France at 12 years old and quickly began picking up national titles. After gaining the attention of international recruiters, she moved to the US to race track in college. Soon, however, a chronic series of stress fractures took her out of competition and forced her into early retirement. Now, after just one year racing gravel, she’s become a top contender in the Grand Prix, even nabbing fifth at her first Unbound earlier this year. Cécile sat down with Payson at the studio in Durango to talk about learning the ins and outs of gravel racing at the front of the peloton, her early introduction to professional cycling racing on the road in Europe, and how she hopes gravel will evolve. She also talks about the culture shock of moving from France to Arizona for college, the eating disorder that likely contributed to her chronic stress fractures, and how she's navigated her diagnosis of RED-S, relative energy deficiency in sport. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Annika Langvad on coming out of retirement after having a baby
With six mountain bike world championships, a Leadville win, six World Cups, and six Cape Epic victories under her belt, Annika Langvad is one of the most decorated off road cyclists of all time. But shortly after yet another career triumph in 2019 when she pivoted to road racing and placed second at the Strade Bianche, she decided it was time to retire from racing. She began working as a dentist, but after the birth of her daughter 10 months ago, she realised that she was ready to jump back into competitive cycling, this time to gravel. Payson sat down with Annika a few days before she competed in her first Unbound to talk about why she decided to quit racing, why her daughter’s birth made her want to come back, and why she chose gravel. She also talks about the challenges of undergoing IVF treatment, saying that it was more difficult than anything she’s ever endured on the bike. Check out the Osprey Escapist™ Velocity 3 hydration pack and early access to Crossings: New Zealand.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Oregon Trail stage 5 co-hosted by Sarah Sturm, with Dylan Stucki and Nichole Baker
Payson and Sarah made it back to Bend. They may be a bit more haggard than they were at the beginning of the race, but that hasn’t dampened their enthusiasm. They sit down to talk about how the final stage played out, including all the tactics that went into the series overall standings. Then, they bring in Sarah’s husband Dylan to talk about his week, which involved a lot of mountain biking and car maintenance. Lastly, Nichole hops on the mic to talk about winning the women’s open category, learning about road tactics the hard way, and the fueling faux pas that left her extra dehydrated. Today’s episode is presented by SILCA. Use code: withpaceoregontrail to get 15% off. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Oregon Trail stage 4 co-hosted by Sarah Sturm
Payson and Sarah had two very different experiences on day four of the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. They recap their respective miseries and triumphs on this second-to-last day, discuss how things are shaping up in the overall standings, and talk about the literal run-in with wildlife that left the racers shaken. They also talk about Dylan’s victory at the hot dog eating contest, the greatest gift Sarah ever received (an ice skating costume), liquified shower curtains, and, just in case you thought this wasn’t an educational program, they offer their top tips on recovering during stage races. Today’s episode is presented by SILCA. Use code: withpaceoregontrail to get 15% off. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc