Bikes or Death

Aug 29 2024 971
Bikes or Death Podcast artwork

Bikes or Death is a podcast centered around the growing sport of bikepacking, adventure cycling, and the outdoors. The show features the amazing people who participate in these activities and contribute so greatly to the cycling community. The Bikes or Death Podcast is dedicated to sharing the stories and experiences of these individuals with the hopes that it inspires others to get outside, get on their bikes, and experience what our natural world has waiting for them. At its heart Bikes or Death is more than just a podcast. Bikes or Death is a lifestyle. It’s the idea that a life without bikes is a life not worth living. Now go ride your damn bike!

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Ep. 190 ~ Nicolette Jones, 2024 Colorado Trail Race Female Winner

Aug 29 2024 122 mins  
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

Ep. 189 ~ Justinas Leveika, Colorado Trail Race 2024

Aug 23 2024 128 mins  
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 Leadv

Ep. 188 ~ Chris Smith, Racing the Tour Divide Legally Blind

Aug 14 2024 128 mins  
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

Ep. 187 ~ Edyn Teitge, Youngest Tour Divide Solo Finisher at 15

Jul 31 2024 80 mins  
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

Ep. 186 ~ Spencer McCullough, First to visit all 51 National Parks by Bike

Jul 25 2024 109 mins  
Spencer McCullough just did something that's never been done before! He visited all 51 National Parks in the lower 48 by bicycle. This epic trip around the U.S. involved 411 days of riding, 18,000 miles covered by bike, and a total of 28 flat tires. Spencer was inspired to do this trip after reading an article in the New York Times, titled "What to Save? Climate Change Forces Bruta

Ep. 185 ~ Justinas Leveika, New Tour Divide FKT!

Jul 13 2024 110 mins  
Eight years ago Mike Hall made history and etched his name in the record books, and in the hearts of an entire community, with his record setting Tour Divide time of 13d 22h 51m. Since then, hundreds of others have lined up for the Tour Divide grand depart to chase his dot to the US/Mexico border. This year, on his second attempt, Jusinas Leveika became the first person to best Mi

Ep. 184 ~ Ulrich "Uba" Bartholmoes, Tour Divide 2024

Jul 10 2024 117 mins  
Last year Ulrich Bartholmoes, aka Uba, won the Tour Divide on his first attempt. This year he came back to do it again, but with a larger goal of completing the Bikepacking Triple Crown. We will be following Uba's Triple Crown attempt at each stage along the way. This is the second episode in the series, you can listen to our first chat we recorded just days before the Tour Divide

Ep. 183 ~ Tales from the Arkansas Graveler

Jul 03 2024 88 mins  
The Arkansas Graveler is a supported bike tour across the state of Arkansas. It boast 366 miles and 26,700 feet of climbing over 6 days. The route takes you into parts unknown, showcasing some of the most remote rural roads that I’ve had the pleasure of riding. This inaugural year attracted 300+ riders from 35 states. It’s clear that the word about Arkansas is spreading and cyc

Ep. 182 ~ Ulrich "Uba" Bartholmoes, Triple Crown 2024 Begins

Jun 14 2024 63 mins  
Last year Ulrich Bartholmoes, who goes by Uba, won the Tour Divide in his first attempt with a time of 14d 2h 23m. This year he's back to defend his title at the Tour Divide, but he's got bigger goals than that. This year he will be attempting to complete the Triple Crown of Bikepacking (Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race, and Arizona Trail race) and he's gunning to beat the current

Ep. 181 ~ Daniel Connell, aka "Dirty Dan"

Jun 04 2024 130 mins  
Daniel Connell has become a regular on the bikepacking race scene and in the cycling community. You will often see him on Trackleaders under his trail name, Dirty Dan. It was under this pseudonym that he recently set a new FKT on the Race Across Arizona and will be lining up in a couple of weeks to race the Tour Divide for the 4th consecutive year. Each year he's done it he's been