Miguel Crawford started hosting friends and then friends of friends on gravel rides throughout Sonoma County in the mid-1990s. Now he's just wrapped up his 28th year of hosting the Grasshopper Adventure Series, and best yet, he just wrapped up his first Megahopper. The Megahoppier is a route I first rode in 2021 and I was back this year for the first Grand Depart, the first mass start of this event. 414 miles across Sonoma County with trips in Lake, Marin, and Napa Counties as well. What an adventure.

I don’t know whether to say thank you to Michael... or to say congratulations... or to apologize, because Michael, at 24 years old I think brings home the title as youngest guest ever on King or the Ride podcast. He’s packed plenty of life into those 24 years, as you’re going to hear about today. He’s had an illustrious road career including national championship titles won. More to the point, he represents the new breed of what it means to be an American bike racer. He’s very handy in a gravel race having just taken 2nd at the US national championships, he’s crafty on a mountain bike, and he’s a force in the US crit scene. 

Sit back and enjoy this one with Michael Garrison.

There's a lot more to the Zwift story than "riding a bike in a virtual world". From the very beginning they're revolutionized cycling. Think of it, they're the single biggest entity to why we enjoy the women's Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift the week after the traditional Tour.

More to the point, Eric Min co-founded Zwift thanks to a lifelong love affair with cycling. His life story has taken him all over the map from South Korea to New York City to calling various parts of Europe home to setting up Zwift's HQ in southern California. 

Eric and Ted share connections and stories... like when Eric reminds our host that he was Zwift's first ambassador!

John Day is the creator of Race Day XC, a new mountain bike race series in New England. And while everyone who likes bike racing thinks they can start a bike race or better yet, a bike racing series, John has the experience and chops to make it happen. See, in his previous line of work, John created one of the biggest, most successful motocross race series in the United States. It started with a passion for racing motorcycles and a similar passion for mountain bike racing has lead him to the world of MTB race development.

And cycling isn't even the most interesting bit. John is a professional skier with aspirations to make his debut in the Olympics the same time as his sport makes its debut. That's right, skimo is on the verge of becoming an Olympic sport in 2026 and John is one of America's very best. But he didn't grow up on skis, nor on bike (at least on bicycles). Nor was it in his plans to start and run an outdoor apparel company. Nor was it his plan to be a perennial presence on the Leadville podium. And yet, there John is!

The bike racing action across France doesn't end when the men hit the Champs-Élysées. Heck, it's just getting warmed up for the fourth edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift!

It's long overdue that women's cycling is hitting its stride right now and the fact that it's earning its due is thanks in part through the work of Kate Veronneau, the Director of Women's Strategy at Zwift. This former NCAA Division 1 college basketball player and professional cyclist has helped the TdFFaZ earn such a high place in global recognition.

Kate was kind enough to check in during a very busy week in France to help spread the word about what all she's doing right now, this week, and year round to elevate not just women's cycling, but women in general. 

Former Pro Tour professional cyclist, recent UCI gravel worlds qualifier, Global Cycling Network host, former team director, infrequent -- and perhaps former -- race commentator, Dan Lloyd has worn many hats in cycling. And now he has King of the Ride guest on his resume!

Florian Vermeersch is a Belgian cyclist with some very impressive palmares to his name. 2nd place in Paris-Roubaix as a 22 year old, a pair of silver medals at the UCI gravel world championships, a handful of wins, a whole bunch of podiums, not to mention he's often the right hand man to Tadej Pogacar in plenty of races on the UAE Emirates squad.

This was a really fun conversation to learn more behind the scenes with Florian on his ride through the World Tour ranks.

Our most frequent guest is back! Roger Brown brought a new training technique to UNBOUND XL and that was a mix of training, not training, waffling on whether he would do the event or not, a trip to Europe, and ultimately a successful go at the 359 mile UNBOUND XL! 

We'll talk all the usual song and dance about his preparation, how it all shook out, how he bought a shirt (for free!) in the town of Alma, seeing things deep into sleep deprivation, GLP-1, and why we weren't at the Formula 1 race in Montreal this weekend.

Rob Britton stole the show Saturday morning at UNBOUND. He not only passed Lachlan Morton after a 200km chase, but he forced the UNBOUND organizers to rethink their morning strategy because he crossed the line just before 9am, when there's traditionally a 50 mile roll out. He rode the nearly 360 mile in smoking fast pace!

Rob is not new to racing, as he's won some of North America's biggest road races. With the switch to gravel in 2022, he's has big results in the LTGP and plenty of other big events. With success at Badlands, the BC Epic, and others, the ultra distance is nothing new to Rob either. Sit back and enjoy this fun conversation picking apart the very long day (and overnight, and the next day too).