Experience by Bike – Details, episodes & analysis

n this episode I talk with Jenny Tough, a freelance adventurer, writer, and film-maker. Jenny has competed (and won the women's category) in two of the most notorious ultra-endurance bikepacking races: the Silk Road Mountain Race (2019), and the Atlas Mountain Race (2020).

In addition to competing in bikepacking events, Jenny is an avid expedition runner and the first person to traverse the High Atlas mountain range, and the Tien Shen mountain range, through solo and unsupported journeys. I chat with Jenny about her experiences and mindset during some of these adventures, and we also discuss some of the ways in which Jenny gives back to the adventure community through her educational, and inspirational content.

Follow Jenny on her adventures:

Instagram: @jennytough

Website: jennytough.com

YouTube: Jenny Tough

To support the Experience by Bike Podcast, please check out our support page here: www.experiencebybike.com/support

In this episode I speak with Jesse Blough, the race director of The Big Lonely. The Big Lonely is a 362 mile unsupported bikepacking adventure with 25k feet of elevation gain, which takes place in Central Oregon. Racers traverse through the iconic Mrazek trail in the Skyline Forest, ride along the Metoliusand Crooked Rivers, summit the relentless Ochoco mountains, and cross the high desert on a rarely-ridden 30-mile ribbon of smooth singletrack. All proceeds of registration for this race benefitted Bethlehem Inn, a shelter supporting the homeless community of Central Oregon.

For more information on The Big Lonely, go to nwcompetitive.com/events/biglonely

Follow Jesse on Instagram: @thegreatjesse

Follow Northwest Competitive on Instagram: @northwestcompetitive

Jesse Blough is an ultra-endurance athlete and the founder of the NW Competitive Adventure team (nwcompetitive.com). Jesse is days away from competing in the inaugural Atlas Mountain Race (atlasmountainrace.cc), which is a 1145 kilometer (711 miles) unsupported ultra-endurance cycling race that's taking place in Morocco. In this episode Jesse discusses his preparation and training for this upcoming race, along with an overview of the gear he will be utilizing.

Follow Jesse's "dot" live on February 15th at atlasmountainrace.cc, look for #59!

To learn more about Northwest Competitive Adventure, and to view the most recent blog posts, check out nwcompetitive.com

If you have an questions for Jesse, feel free to get in touch with him on Instagram @thegreatjesse.

In June of 2019 Ev embarked on a tour along the famous Pacific Coast Bike Route from Portland, OR to San Francisco, CA. In this episode Ev talks about their experience planning for the trip, and shares stories about the ride itself. Ev is clearly very knowledgeable about the route, so I highly recommend listening to this episode for anybody who's interesting in their own journey along the Pacific Coast Bike Route!

Any questions for Ev? Reach out to them on Istagram @ev.kane or via email evskane@gmail.com 

Chase Medina is an experienced backpacker, who immediately jumped in to the sport of bikepacking and ultra-endurance cycling after watching the movie "Ride the Divide" by Mike Dion. In his first year as a bikepacker Chase individually tackled every single route found on oregonbikepacking.com. Chase then followed this up with his first ultra-endurance bikepacking race being the 2,700 mile Tour Divide (which he raced with his own DIY rigid saddle bag using Cuben Fiber and Carbon Fiber poles). In this episode Chase and I discuss his background as a backpacker/bikepacker, and then we dive in to gear talk - one of the more popular topics in our sport! Chase tests his gear to the extreme, and then uses this knowledge to create his own gear (such as the cuben fiber saddle bag). We discuss resources for new bikepackers, and tips for those interested in creating their own gear, I hope you enjoy!

If you're interested in creating your own gear, this is a great resource to check out: https://backcountrybanter.com/diy-myog-supplier-master-list

Follow Chase on Instagram @live_ride_repeat

Meaghan Hackinen is a writer, traveler, and ultra-endurance cyclist. Meaghan recently competed in the 24 Hour World Time Trial Championships where she not only won, but also set a course record in the women's division with a total distance of 460.8 miles! This year Meaghan also competed in the NorthCape4000, a 4550km (for the 2019 route) self-supported ultra-endurance cycling event where she rode from Italy and finished in the Arctic Circle in North Cape, Norway. In this episode I talk with Meaghan about her NorthCape4000 experience, where she placed fifth overall in 13 days, 13 hours, and 7 minutes.

Meaghan also recently published her travel memoir "South Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels". You can purchase her book directly through Amazon.

To follow Meaghan on her adventures, keep an eye on her blog: meaghanhackinen.com

The Steens Mazama 1000 (steensmazama1000.com) was my first experience competing in a self-supported ultra-endurance cycling race. In part two of this episode I discuss my experiences during the race, ranging from the brutal sleep deprivation to an unexpected bear encounter!

The Steens Mazama 1000 (steensmazama1000.com) was my first experience competing in a self-supported ultra-endurance cycling race. In part one of this episode I discuss how I physically, mentally, and logistically prepared for the 1000 mile race through the Cascade Range, the high desert, and the remote landscapes found within Oregon.

Ben Handrich is an ultra-endurance athlete for Northwest Competitive Adventure. This year Ben Handrich participated in his first self-support ultra-endurance mountain bike race, the BC Epic 1000 (bcepic1000.com), where he tied for fourth! In this episode Ben discusses his preparation for this race and his experiences during it. To follow any of Ben's future adventures visit his blog at pedalspacksandpinots.com. On his blog, you can also find a blog recap about the BC Epic 1000, and another post about his pack list if you're interested in the specific gear that he used.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest and are looking for a good bikepacking route, Ben's bikepacking.com contribution "Goat Mountain Gusto Overnighter" can be found here: https://bikepacking.com/routes/goat-mountain-overnighter

Welcome to the Experience by Bike podcast! This podcast is dedicated to sharing the stories of cyclists who use their bikes as a means to explore new places, push their limits, or meet new people. Whether you're an avid ultra-endurance cyclist or you've just heard of the term bikepacking, we hope to provide you with entertainment, inspiration, and tips for your next experience by bike. Listen in to hear about the upcoming first episode with Ben Handrich!