Better with Bikes

Ellen Van Dijk always had a need for speed. Becoming a speed skater at eight and cycling since the age of ten, Ellen has been competing for most of her life. Ultimately Ellen found more success as a cyclist, having become a national cycling champion for the fifth time in 2007, so she quit speed skating and became a full-time cyclist.  

Racking up the world title successes, Ellen decided she would try her hand at claiming a world record. So in April 2022, Ellen announced she would try to break the hour record on May 23rd in Grenchen, Switzerland, and on May 23rd, Ellen did just that.

In today's episode, we sit down with Ellen to talk about how she went from speed skater to UCI Hour Champion world record holder. We'll cover Ellen's backstory, how she claimed the UCI Hour Champion world record, including managing the nerves leading up to the race, and she'll even give advice for younger cyclists looking to turn professional.

Ellen Van Dijk 2022 Season in Review: https://racing.trekbikes.com/stories/trek-segafredo-women/2022-season-in-review-ellen-van-dijk

Every fall, thousands come to Trek’s global headquarters in Waterloo, WI, for one weekend to witness riders from all over the world race at the Trek CX Cup. From juniors, to weekend warriors, to the top riders, everyone is welcome at Trek’s CX Cup. And all certainly feel welcomed when greeted with cowbells, people in costumes, a world-class course, food, beer, and one hell of a good time. 

But the Trek CX Cup that started in 2017 is more than just a good time; it has been instrumental in getting more people on bikes, the standard of equal pay between men and women professional riders, and exposing more people in the US to a very European-dominated aspect of cycling. In today’s episode, we sit down with Chad Brown, CFO of Trek Bikes, to break down what cyclocross is, how cyclocross began, the significance of Trek’s CX Cup, and even what the secret bar is.

Valentina Höll has been cycling for the better part of her life. Growing up in a rural town in Austria with parents who were avid cyclists, she soon found her way into the sport. Vali's journey began at just the age of three, but it wasn't until she won her first race against a bunch of boys at thirteen that she knew she had found her calling.

By age twenty, Valentina Höll captured three World Championship titles, one of which was in 2022, just a few weeks before recording this episode. Fortunately for us, Vali was able to find time in her busy schedule to discuss the cycling journey that led her to such success and where she hopes to see her career go in the future.

Read more here: https://racing.trekbikes.com/stories/rockshox-trek/interview-how-vali-holl-learned-to-let-loose

Each year one hundred and fifty thousand cyclists ride on Mount Diablo. Unfortunately, the risk they take is too familiar to cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians alike; the threat of motor vehicle collisions. Since 2000, Mount Diablo has claimed over 21 fatalities and counting. According to Alan Kalin, President of Mount Diablo Cyclists, California State Parks is not doing enough to prevent the resulting injuries to Park visitors who ride bicycles, so he’s decided to take matters into his own hands. It’s been a long journey, but Alan and the Mount Diablo Cyclists recently had a huge breakthrough! 

In this episode, Alan discusses his efforts to save lives on Mount Diablo. Since 2010, Alan’s organization, Mount Diablo Cyclists, has funded the installation of 45 bike turnouts, funded a signage and stripping plan, and implemented several safety improvements for Mount Diablo. They also recently raised $1.5M to support safety measures. 

Join Us: Oct 15, 2022, to Celebrate 45 Bike Turnouts on Mount Diablo

Learn more: https://mountdiablocyclists.org/ 

You may not know, but last year, former Trek-Segafredo stand-out turned gravel racer Kiel Reijnen had one of the craziest weeks in sports. Not only did it include running 18 miles (on gravel) after his bike broke down, but he also embarked on a 5-day boat race with his daughter the day after. 

So what exactly happened? Who is Kiel Reijnen? And why is gravel racing cycling's fastest-growing discipline? In this episode, we kick back with professional gravel athlete, Kiel Reijnen, to answer that and more.

Kiel Reijnen’s DNF at 2021 UNBOUND Gravel: https://racing.trekbikes.com/stories/trek-segafredo-men/kiel-reijnens-dnf-at-unbound-gravel-embodied-the-spirit-of-gravel-racing

Kiel Reijnen’s 2022 Unbound Gravel: https://racing.trekbikes.com/stories/driftless/inside-kiel-reijnens-storm-swamped-unbound-gravel 

Imagine this—your job is to feed an entire team of athletes tackling some of sport’s most brutally taxing events on the road more than 200 days a year, you’ll be in a new kitchen every night, and you have to make sure that what you create satisfies their body’s needs as well as their tastebuds. Sound good?

In this episode, we sit down with Trek-Segafredo’s team chef Bram Lippens to talk about one of the most important yet less visible jobs in all of pro cycling. Along with behind-the-scenes stories, Bram shares the process he goes through at each location, what the cyclists usually eat, who the pickiest eater on the team is, and what the highlight of his career has been thus far.

Mads Pedersen Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mads-pedersen-why-pro-cyclings-biggest-shock-of-the/id1470460507?i=1000461991796 

Jolanda Neff is known for many things, including winning gold in the 2021 Olympics, being a 14x World Cup Champion, being a 16x Elite World, European or Swiss National Champion, and being awarded Pink Bikes' 2021 Comeback Athlete of the Year. Jolanda has such an impressive resume that we had to split our conversation with her into two parts! If you haven't heard part one, be sure to check it out below.

In part two of our conversation with Jolanda Neff, we fire Jolanda with questions about her life, her habits, and even where she keeps her gold medal (it's definitely not where you'd think!). In this episode, you'll get a sneak peek into the life of an elite athlete and get to know Jolanda on several different levels.

Episode 20 - Jolanda Neff Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jolanda-neff-on-her-crazy-journey-to-the-2021-olympic/id1470460507?i=1000571259584

Episode 9 - Jolanda Neff: Cycling’s Triple Threat: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jolanda-neff-cyclings-triple-threat/id1470460507?i=1000457252646

Back in 2019, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jolanda Neff. A cyclist known for her diversity in three different disciplines: road, mountain, and cyclocross. But as we welcome her back in 2022, she's now known for winning Gold for Women's Mountain Biking at the 2021 Olympics. Along with being an Olympic Gold Medalist, Jolanda is a 14x World Cup Champion, 16x Elite World, European or Swiss National Champion, and Pink Bikes' 2021 Comeback Athlete of the Year. 

We had so much to catch up with Jolanda on that we had to split this episode into two parts. In part one, we discuss what she overcame to win Gold last year, how her life has changed since, and what is to come for her and her team this season.

Episode 20 - Jolanda Neff Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jolanda-neff-bonus-the-secrets-of-peak-athletic/id1470460507?i=1000571367428

Episode 9 - Jolanda Neff: Cycling’s Triple Threat: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jolanda-neff-cyclings-triple-threat/id1470460507?i=1000457252646

Eric Bjorling is back for the revival of Better with Bikes with his new co-host, Richie Burke. The two discuss Richie’s rich history with Trek–considering he’s the son of Trek’s President, John Burke, there’s a lot to unpack here–what’s to come in future episodes, and our Better with Bikes giveaway! So join us as we explore diverse, unknown, and behind-the-scenes stories of people making the world a better place through cycling.

To enter giveaway:  https://kingsumo.com/g/aoylow/treks-better-with-bikes-podcast-giveaway 

Giveaway: To celebrate the revival of our podcast, we’re giving away a Trek Verve Hybrid bicycle to one first-place winner, a Bontrager Starvos WaveCel Helmet to three second-place winners, and a Trek Circuit Jersey to three third-place winners.

To enter, visit https://kingsumo.com/g/aoylow/treks-better-with-bikes-podcast-giveaway 

*Giveaway ends 8/03 @ 11:59 PM CDT. Winner will be notified via email & announced on Trek’s Instagram story on 8/4. No payment or purchase necessary to enter. Must be 18+. Must reside in the US. This giveaway is by no means sponsored, administered, or associated with Apple or Spotify. Exclusions apply.

What started as a fun way to get out of the house during lockdown soon evolved into a community of over sixty people looking to make a difference. In 2020, Chad Bennett, Aquil Jannah, and Chris Harvell put together a Fathers Day ride consisting of just fourteen people riding eighteen miles. What they found was something far greater. With the spark of an idea and a passion for the camaraderie that cycling creates, they founded Black Watts—a group of cyclists that would work to help make cycling accessible to as many people as possible. 

From the start, Black Watts would be more than just a cycling club. It would be a group of dedicated husbands and fathers that would work to subvert stereotypes and improve mental health and wellbeing for black fathers and families through cycling. 

In this episode, Chad, Aquil, and Chris join us to discuss the mission of Black Watts and the difference they’re making in their community. Though it started as a club for husbands and fathers, they’re determined to make Black Watts an “everybody” group. They discuss the challenges people of color face when they get into cycling, how we can work to make cycling a more inclusive experience, and what their hopes are for the future of cycling.

Check out Black Watts’ podcast, More Watts, here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Kh2zr1dXjCHn6UK6yxYc5?si=6b3b12f0f6fd4426