Detours: A Bikepacking & Ultra Cycling Podcast

Justinas is back on Detours sharing all about his wild 2024 season where he set a new record on the Triple Crown of bikepacking: The Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race and Arizona Trail Race. Justinas completed all three of these races in a cumulative time of 25 days, 5 hours, and 30 minutes (2d:13h:3m ahead of Jay Petervary’s record from 2015). We caught up while he was recovering in Arizona just a few days after winning the Arizona Trail Race. We shared so many good laughs about his season and everything it took to complete these races. From eating a double cheese burger at the bottom of the grand canyon, to sourcing a ground sheet from construction sites to managing disappointment from route closures, this conversation covers it all.

To keep up to date with Justinas' adventures be sure to give him a follow on Instagram.

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This past year Emma Missale has burst onto the bikepack racing scene, landing herself second on the podium at both the Hellenic and Silk Road Mountain Races. By day, Emma is a bike messenger in Copenhagen and is a three time bike messenger world champion! In this episode she shares all about life as a bike messenger, how she found bikepacking and everything she's learned in her first year racing ultras.

Make sure to give her a follow on Instagram to keep up with her adventures @shotti_e

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Jade Simpson-Field is an adventurer and bikepacker from Leeds who’s made a habit of squeezing in massive adventures around her "normal boring life." Jade’s love for riding her bike is infectious and she’s no stranger to tackling some of the toughest endurance races out there (all while wearing sandals!)—even when imposter syndrome tries to creep in.

We talk about her journey into bikepacking, from her early days riding in Vietnam to racing the Highland Trail 550 (twice!) and her goal of becoming the first person to complete the Lakeland 200 in all four seasons. She also talks about placing third at this year’s Silk Road Mountain Race and what motivates her to push on, even in the hardest moments.

Jade’s story is packed with relatable moments, practical tips, and plenty of inspiration. Thank you Jade and we can't wait to see what you get up to next!

You can keep up with Jade's adventures on Instagram

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Stephen Shelesky is commercial outdoors photographer who has shot for some of the biggest brands in the space and some of the world's best skiiers. He's also an ultra racer. Just one week before he was meant to race the Silk Road Mountain Race for the second time, he was asked to join the media team and photograph the race instead. This would be his first time shooting a bikepacking event.

In this conversation Stephen shares all about diving into these uncharted waters, giving us a sneak peak into life in the media car and ultimately a new perspective on how impactful these events can be on our lives.

Equal parts inspiring and entertaining, Stephen was an absolute delight to talk to.

You can check out more of his work on Instagram or on his website.

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Stoked to bring you this conversation with the winner of the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race, Joe Nation. Hailing from Christchurch, New Zealand, Joe went on to win this year's 1939km edition of the race in 6 days 18 hours and 10 minutes. The race was exceptionally tight until the final 48 hours, where Joe made a tactical move in the Arabel Valley and a strong push over the infamous Shamsi pass to solidify his lead.

In this episode Joe shares the ins and outs of his ride — from his reccy mission before the race, to his rocky first day and how he had to readjust his plans and stay patient in order to make it through.

A massive thanks to Joe for taking the time to chat and hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

Be sure to give Joe a follow on Instagram as well as subscribe to his YouTube channel.

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Hannah Simon took the women's win at this year's Silk Road Mountain Race, in a time of 8 days 20 hours and 16 minutes. She navigated the 1939km and 30,000m+ with determination, resilience and grace. Not only was she the first woman home, but also landed 9th overall in an exceptionally deep field. In this episode we talk all about her preparation and the race itself. She shares so many great nuggets about her own personal hygiene, her kit and so much more. It was an absolute joy to get to record this episode in person together and to celebrate her achievement.

Stay up to date on Hannah's adventures by following her on Instagram.

If you loved today's episode please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen.

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Stoked to catch up with my good friend Mateo Paez. 2022 was Mateo's first attempt at any ultra endurance bikepacking race and that experience quickly changed his life. Over the past two years he's gone head first into the world of ultracycling, writing his own story and tackling these rides with his unique approach, fondly referring to this niche sport as "Competitive Exploration". He raced this year's Tour Divide and finished the route from Banff to Antelope Wells in 17 days 22 hours 17 minutes.

Today we chat through his experience as a rookie on the Tour Divide and more on his approach to racing. He shares many fantastic tails from the trail, as well as some particularly vulnerable person reflections that happened along the way and just how much these rides have the power to transform your life.

To keep up with Mateo's adventures check him out on Instagram @whatswrongwithpaez_

He also does a fantastic job of sharing post race write ups on his website https://ultrapaez.com/, where he also shared his Tour Divide Kit List

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It's so much fun to have two people in an interview, so I'm stoked to share that you'll be hearing more of Quinda's voice on the show, as she'll be joining as a guest co-host on some upcoming episodes. There will still be plenty of episodes where I'm (Mel) the host, but it's such a joy to have another conversation partner and to collaborate with another woman in the space.

Today we catch up on Highland Trail 550, prepping for Silk Road and all the things in between since it's been a while the two of us chatted. Quinda puts on the hat of interviewer and asked me some questions which was super fun. Tune in for some good banter, and Quinda's hot tips on mastering the art of the resupply.

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Thrilled to bring you this conversation with your 2024 women's winner of the Tour Divide, Meaghan Hackinen. Meg won this year's women's race in a time of 15 days 23 hours, setting the fastest women's time on a grand depart and the second fastest women's time in history. If you were following this year's race you'll know that the conditions were gnarly, with snow storms in the early stages and electrical storms further south. In this episode Meg gives us the full run down on her ride and what it took to reach Antelope Wells as the first woman.

Meaghan is also the author of two books, South Away and Shifting Gears, which just came out as an audiobook. Be sure to check them out and consider purchasing as that's a great way to support Meaghan's adventures.

Follow Meaghan on Instagram

If you loved this episode please subscribe wherever you're listening, leave a rating and consider buying me a coffee to help keep producing the show.

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At 9:25AM on June 27th, Justinas' Leveika arrived at the USA/Mexico border in Antelope Wells after 13 days 2 hours and 16 minutes, winning this years edition of the Tour Divide and setting a new record in the process. In this episode we dive into his historic record breaking ride, and how he managed to "fix his mistakes from last year" and just what this ride means to him. He's fondly known as the nicest guy in bikepacking, and I think you'll understand why after listening to this episode. We had so many great laughs and there's no shortage of inspiration served up in this conversation.

Follow Justinas' on Instagram @justin.and.bikes to keep up with his racing and see what he gets up to next.

If you loved today's episode, please leave us a five star review and consider buying me a coffee to help keep the show going.

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At the end of May 2024, Austin Killips set a blisteringly rapid overall fastest known time on the Arizona Trail. She bested the previous record held by Alex Schulz of 9 days 5 hours and 43 minutes, reaching the Arizona/Utah border in a time of 8 days 23 hours 27 minutes. And while completing the route in the first place is an incredible feat, this was Austin's first ever bikepacking race. Today on the show she shares more about her foray into the world of ultra endurance bikepack racing from navigating all of the gear, to planning her effort and where she hopes to go in the sport.

If you want to support her endeavours, please consider subscribing to her Patreon and you can keep up with her adventures on Instagram.

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The Tour Divide is currently in full swing and Detours alum Meaghan Hackinen is currently leading the women's race and hovering at record pace. Be sure to check out her episode on Detours wherever you get your podcasts.

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Today on the show we have Weronika Szalas. For the last 5 years she's been living life by bike, touring solo as a woman around Europe. While Weronika is no stranger to riding her bike long distances, she rarely races, and was recently the fastest woman to complete the inaugural edition of the Accursed Race. The Accursed Race is a 1600km off-road bikepacking race in the Balkans, created by the team behind the infamous Transcontinental Race.

Weronika shares about her experience racing through the Balkans, how much of what she's learned from touring translates well into racing and more about her life on the bike. This was such a chill lovely chat and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

She's well worth a follow on instagram as she posts stunning photos of her travels and has definitely inspired me to travel solo more by bike. You can follow her at https://www.instagram.com/weronika.szalas/

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It's a bittersweet day over here at Detours as we're airing our last episode hosted by both Mel and Cynthia. As you'll hear in today's episode, Cynthia is stepping away from the podcast to focus on her budding career as a full time professional ultra racer. She shares more about what's next, bouncing back from setbacks this spring and preparing for the big target of the year, the Transcontinental Race.

We couldn't be more grateful to Cynthia for everything she's contributed to the show and can't wait to see her shine in this next chapter! The show will continue to go on hosted by Mel, with the same mission of getting more folks who identify as women on bikes.

Thank you for continuing to support the show, it truly means the world.

Keep up with Cynthia's adventures on Youtube and Instagram

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Kicking off May 25, 31 women will race the 11th edition of the Highland Trail 550, a self-supported bikepacking race through the Scottish highlands.

We were fortunate enough to hear from over half of the women who will be setting off. Each has their own unique story and shares about their journey to the start line and what they're looking forward to getting out of the experience.

As always we hope this episode inspires more women to take on their own adventures.

Watch the pink dots as they travel around the highlands on Trackleaders.

Support the show by leaving us a 5 star review or buying us a coffee

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Hannah Simon is one of those people that make you feel like anything is possible. She has a can do attitude and is a downright joy to be around. Since toeing the line of her first ultra in 2021, and snagging a joint first place to boot, she’s tackled some of the most iconic events on the bikepacking calendar. In February 2024 she rounded out the podium at the Atlas Mountain Race as the third woman to cross the finish line. Not six months prior she completed the bikepacking Triple Crown — The Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race and Arizona Trail Race. And while each of these accomplishments is impressive in it’s own right, Hannah is known for using the bicycle as a tool for good, riding to raise funds for causes that truly make the world a better place.

Hannah shares the highs and lows of her past season, her unexpected beginnings into bikes, life working at Chumba and so much more.

To keep up with Hannah’s adventures, give her a follow on Instagram @hannahmsimon_

If you loved this episode please leave us a five star review wherever you listen and consider supporting the show through our Buy Me a Coffee.

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Quinda is an artist, photographer and ultra-distance cyclist from the Netherlands. She's taken on some of the hardest bikepacking races in the world, including the Atlas Mountain Race, Silk Road Mountain Race and taking the women's win at the inaugural Hellenic Mountain Race in 2023. While on first meeting Quinda has a gentle demeanour, below the surface she is tenacious and one of the hardier ultra cyclists out there. This conversation is wide reaching, from her entry into ultra cycling, the relationship between her art practice and riding, to traumatic brain injuries and her dreams for the future. It flew by, and while we could have talked forever, we think it's a wonderful introduction to the magnificent woman that is Quinda Verheul.

To keep up with her adventures follow her on Instagram @avoidtheavoid

If you loved this episode please leave us a five star review wherever you listen.

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This week we step just outside the world of ultra, and into the world of long distance gravel racing. For folks who follow the gravel scene, you may already be familiar with Sarah Sturm. Sarah Sturm is one of the top gravel racers in the world, with podium finishes at events like Unbound 200 and Traka 360. While these events aren't ultras in their own right, they can often be gateway events for many folks, and there is so much we can learn from Sarah. Known for her bubbly personality, she shared insights into her transition away from cyclocross and mountain bike racing, to longer events, how she has built a career out of racing her bike and created a program to help pave the way for other women to become professionals in the sport.

This year Sarah will be racing both the Gravel Earth and Life Time Grand Prix series. You can follow along with her season over on Instagram.

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Jenny Tough is a woman who hardly needs an introduction. A quick Google search will pull up a laundry list of accomplishments in the outdoors — from winning the Silk Road Mountain Race (twice!), to running across a mountain range on six continents, to publishing two books. While each of these accomplishments is exceptional in its own right, Jenny remains humble, honest and dedicated to making space for other women in the outdoors.

Our conversation is wide reaching; from her first bike trip to the Yukon where she carried handwritten notes to help her fix mechanicals, to becoming one of the most prolific women in bikepack racing, to putting her career on pause for two years to heal her eating disorder. While we do spend some time on serious topics, we had so much fun in this conversation and are grateful for Jenny's humour and sharing so candidly.

Warning: We discuss disordered eating and exercise dependency from approximately 1:00:00 to 1:18:00, so please skip this section if you need.

You can stay up to date on Jenny’s adventure on Instagram and read more of her writing on her Substack.

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Show Notes

Meg Knobel is the organizer (or as you’ll come to learn, “disorganizer”) of the wildly popular bikepacking event in Southern California, Stagecoach 400. From her first experiences tackling the route, to taking the reins from Brendan Collier in 2019, Meg was an absolute joy to chat with. She talks about hosting the first Grand Depart and how her confidence grew over time, and gives us a behind the scenes look at just how much effort goes into putting on these Grand Departs. This year’s edition of Stagecoach 400 kicks off March 29th at 8AM PDT in Idyllwild California. 

Follow Stagecoach400 on Instagram

Dotwatch this year’s Stagecoach

The Stagecoach 400 route

00:00 Quick catchup w/ Mel & Cynthia

09:10 Interview with Meg

13:20 Meg's Background and Stagecoach 400

33:55 Hosting the First Grand Depart vs. Now

42:39 Advice for Folks Touring the Route

57:16 Planning and Organizing the Event

01:01:58 The “Perfect” Bike for Stagecoach 400

01:05:04 Why Keep the Event Unsanctioned

01:19:37 Fun Banter you don’t want to miss out on 

01:29:26 Giving Stagecoach Tattoos

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While she's a relative new comer to the world of off-road ultra racing, Nathalie Baillon hardly needs any introduction. She has a laundry list of accolades, including a joint first at Silk Road Mountain Race in August 2023, the fastest woman to ride across Europe, and more. It was such a treat to get to chat with her and learn more about how she found her footing in the sport and where she's hoping to go from here.

To keep up with Nathalie's adventures, follow her on Instagram.

Thanks for all your love and support as always. If you loved today's episode please leave us a five star review wherever you tune in and consider pledging $5 to support the show.

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