June 10, 2025

Badlands Gravel Battle - Where One Conversation Changed My Life | The Bootleg Miles | Episode 7

9 minutes

Mental Health Project : https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-stable-cyclist-maah-daah-hey-film-3/x/33398252#/

Chase Wark Docu-Series : https://youtu.be/lxHdcdeQ7Bk?si=Rue4xkplPKh7psJQ

In this episode, I return to the Badlands Gravel Battle—the race that unknowingly changed the trajectory of my life back in 2018. That year, I arrived unknowingly battling Bipolar Disorder, and yet I found myself in a rare stretch of natural stability. I was fit, focused, and I won. But what came after the finish line would shape everything: Nick and Lindsay Ybarra encouraged me to take on the Maah Daah Hey 100. That one conversation became the spark that carried me through a storm I didn’t yet know was coming.

This vlog is about racing, yes—but it’s also about mental health, resilience, and the power of encouragement. As I race the 2025 edition of the Badlands Gravel Battle, I reflect on how that first race gave me a purpose when my life was falling apart. That memory became a lifeline through my diagnosis in 2020 and fueled the story I’m now telling through the film Back to the Start. Watch as I return to where it all began, chasing finish lines and healing in the North Dakota Badlands.

If you’d like to ask JP a question for an upcoming Ask JP Anything episode, send him a DM on instagram @thestablecyclist or send an email to [email protected]

The companies supporting JP and this channel:

Maplelag Resort - https://www.maplelag.com/

Wark's Cycling Services - https://www.warkscyclingservices.com/

Flow Formulas - https://flowformulas.com/discount/JOHNPETER15

Wahoo Fitness - https://www.wahoofitness.com

Dawn to Dusk - https://www.https://dawntodusk.bike/

Owl City Cycles - https://www.owlcitycycles.com

The Black Bibs - https://www.theblackbibs.com

Ignition Coach Co. - https://www.ignitioncoachco.com/

Mental Health Advocacy -

Go4Graham - https://www.go4graham.org/

Resources: 988 Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/

International Bipolar Foundation: https://ibpf.org/

National Association for Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org/

#GravelCycling #BadlandsGravelBattle #MaahDaahHey #MentalHealthAwareness #BipolarDisorder #CyclingDocumentary #BikeLife #GravelRace #BackToTheStart #NorthDakotaBadlands #thestablecyclist

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By John Peter

1616 ratings