Mi Duole Cycling Podcast

Born and raised in Olympus Cove, Jon studied psychology at the University of Utah. He is an incredible athlete with a diverse background—from cross-country running in high school to playing rugby into his late 30’s. His  journey into cycling began thanks to the encouragement of his friend (and teammate); Eric Lavin whose support gave Jon the confidence to get back on the bike.

Jon’s passion for cycling is matched by his big heart, which he takes to a literal level—his resting heart rate of 44 often sets off alarms in the ER. And Jon is no stranger to the ER…some may say he is a little accident prone, others would say he’s adventurous. Either way, Jon is a tough guy who is constantly looking to push his limits of both mind and body.   

He’s a devoted father to three kids, two dogs, and husband to one lucky wife. Beyond his athleticism, Jon is passionate about mindset, consciousness, and the power of rewriting the limiting stories we tell ourselves. Jon is a deep thinker and loves to philosophize about, well, mostly everything.

Welcome to the Mi Duole podcast! Today, we’re thrilled to have Barrett Brandon, the CFO of Ventum, joining us. Barrett is not just a numbers guy; he’s a former professional triathlete who’s raced at the highest levels, bringing that competitive spirit and passion into his role at Ventum. His journey from the finish line to the boardroom is truly inspiring, and we’re excited to hear his insights on both racing and business. We’re incredibly grateful for the support Ventum provides to our team, and having Barrett here today is an honor. Let’s dive in and learn more about the man behind the brand!

Barrett Brandon, CFO of Ventum, discussed his transition from professional triathlete to business leader, emphasizing the importance of community and authenticity. He highlighted Ventum's new TT bike, The Tempest, and its marketing efforts at the Ironman in Kona. Brandon shared his journey from swimming to triathlon, his 11-year professional career, and his shift to gravel racing. He stressed the value of consistent effort and community engagement, noting Ventum's integration into Utah's cycling scene and its partnership with Lance Armstrong. Brandon also advised young athletes to enjoy the process and build lasting relationships.

Zach Calton is a professional bike racer who recently transitioned to racing and coaching full-time after previously working at Specialized. He discussed his victory at the 2024 Point to Point race, where he set a new course record. Zach shared his strategic approach and how he was able to pull away for the win.

Zach was recently invited to represent the United States at the Marathon World Championships, but was disappointed by the lack of support and funding provided by USA Cycling for the event. He feels this is an ongoing issue beyond just Olympic years. The hosts and Zach compared the difficulty of major endurance races like Leadville, Crusher, and Point to Point, with Zach considering Leadville to be the most challenging due to the extreme altitude.

As a participant in the Lifetime Grand Prix race series, Zach shared his thoughts on the recent changes to the format, including the reduction in the number of participants. He would prefer to see the series expand rather than contract. Zach detailed his current sponsors and equipment, riding Ventum and Yeti bikes with Shimano components. He emphasized the importance of consistency and enjoyment in cycling as advice for the team members. Overall, this was an insightful conversation providing a glimpse into the life of a top professional cyclist.

In Episode 111 of the Mi Duole Podcast, Stuart Anderson interviews Greg Lowe, a dedicated cyclist and team member. Greg shares his cycling journey, including his first major ride, the MS 150, and his experiences in the Loaded Gran Fondo, where he has placed first three times. He discusses his role as a VDC subject matter expert at Autodesk and his teaching position at BYU. Greg also reflects on the importance of mentors, particularly his late mother, and his passion for cycling with his family. He expresses his admiration for the team's camaraderie and his aspirations, including participating in the Tour Divide.

Greg Low is the VDC Subject Matter Expert at Autodeck, a design and construction company. Having gotten his Bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, it is only fitting that he currently teaches in the Construction Management program there as an adjunct professor. 

Greg was born and raised in Riverton, UT. With dedicated parents, Greg and the late Jan Low, they made sure his needs were well met, which included a tiny red bicycle made available for him and his 3 other siblings. He first sat on that tiny red bicycle at age 3, and hasn’t stopped peddling since! Unlike so many kids then and now, Greg never made time to watch tv after school; he was too busy zooming around the neighborhood either by himself or with friends. 

Recreational biking led into the discovery of mountain biking then to the swift smooth world of road biking. He accomplished his first major bike ride, the MS 100, in Logan, UT on a rental bike. That experience guaranteed he would never do that again! He purchased his first bike soon after. With his own set of wheels, he’s ridden most, if not all of the local bike races. Some of which include: The Ultimate Challenge, Iron Lung, Salt to Saint, Rockwell Relay, and Tour de St. George. Over the span of eighteen years, he’s completed eleven full Lotoja races; taking second once, and first place three times. 

Greg spends some of his free time helping coach the local youth mountain bike team, which he loves, especially since two of his kids ride. When he’s not at home in the hustle and bustle of managing various schedules and activities for five amazing kids, you can also find him either watching Survivor with his fabulous wife or taking his two doodle dogs to the park. You’ll know he had a good ride when he says, “it was magical!”

Scott is one of a kind , hard working, adventure seeking super human. 

There’s nothing he won’t attempt and no Mountain he won’t climb. If there is an adventure to be had, Scott will figure out a way for it to happen. I joke that on his tombstone it will read “it’s going to be fine”. 

When we were first dating, we were hiking in lake Powell. We ended up on a ledge looking down at the houseboat below. Scott said it would be quicker to just work our way down from there than hike all the way back. Placing my trust in Scott I went along with it. The route ended with a bit of a drop we had to negotiate. Little did I know that was the beginning of our adventures in life. While I tend to lean towards the safe side of our adventures together, Scott is always telling me “it will be fine”. It always is. 

Scott likes to dream up and participate in long endurance mountain bike and gravel adventures. He has participated in P2P, Crusher, Lotoja, True Grit, and Dirty Dino. He likes to come up with his own choose your own adventure courses. I’m grateful to all the other crazy Mi Duole riders who are willing to indulge Scott in his antics on the bike. 

There’s some crazy wiring going on his head, but I truly love the passion, dedication and grit Scott puts into everything he commits to in his life. The way he approaches his training is the same dedication he gives to his work and family. You would think there were 36 hours in a day the way Scott operates. I don’t know how but he gets it done. When our 10 year old wants to go on a bike ride he is there even though he’s been up since 5am and has already ridden a 30+ mile ride that day. Our son is also on the Skyline and Maybird Team. Scott is a proud dad to see 2 of our kids loving mountain biking. Our older adult daughters are also into running. I guess you could say we have grown into an adventure family. 

Scott is a true athlete who dedicates his energy and time into his passion for adventure. We all love Scott at the Miles household and are So proud of him.

Kogel Bearings was established in 2013 in a 5x10 foot storage unit in Ard Kessels' adopted hometown of El Paso, TX. 

The goals were clear from the beginning:

Make the high end bearings that fit a premium bike.

We all understand that ball bearings are at the bottom of every spec sheet when product managers assemble bikes for the catalog and new model year, so it's almost a given that they are the cheapest available.

These Low-quality steel products tend to not gel well with the Belgian climate, where riding on wet roads is a given.

Following the motto "Just because it fits, doesn't make it right" has sent Kogel on a mission to develop a native solution for (almost) every combination of crank and frame.

Today, we are still fighting that battle. It seems that frame manufacturers have not grown tired of reinventing a hole in a frame.

In episode 108 of the Mi Duole cycling podcast, we're thrilled to welcome professional bike racer John Borstelmann. Hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, John is a three-time Gravel Worlds Champion, having claimed the title in 2019, 2021, and 2023. His impressive resume includes podium finishes at some of the most grueling gravel races in the United States, such as the Dirty Kanza 200-mile (Unbound) and the Mid-South Gravel 100-mile. Off the bike, John is a multifaceted individual being an avid saxophonist and amateur bike mechanic. Join us as we delve into John's journey, his training strategies, recent Unbound performance and his passion for cycling on this exciting episode​…

Meet the most interesting man in the Peloton, Ryan Wells.   Ryan is one of the most outgoing, friendly, and genuine guys you’ll meet.  Ryan grew up in the Olympus Cove neighborhood skating, playing the guitar, and working on his tan at his parent’s swimming pool.  He went to high school at Skyline and later got both a degree and postgraduate degree from the University of Utah.

Ryan is living the life that many of us think about living when we are daydreaming on the bike.  Ryan teaches during the school year and travels around the world cycling during the summer.  As an example, in the past year, Ryan has biked in Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, France, Spain, Mallorca, and the Canary Islands.  Additionally, he has biked and attended several stages of the Giro, Tour de France, and Vuelta all within the last year.  Ryan has been living in Spain during the 23/24 school year teaching English.  

Ryan has followed his passions to the extreme. Ryan is passionate about learning, teaching, cycling, oh and the grateful dead.  Ryan has leveraged his passion for learning and teaching to become one of the state of Utah’s best teachers.  Ryan teaches Spanish at Taylorsville High School.  He was awarded Teacher of the Year in Granite School District and nominated as Teacher of the Year by the State of Utah Board of Education.  He’s followed his passion for cycling to become one of the most consistent and strongest cyclists on the team.  Don’t let his 27-minute Emigration time fool you.  Ryan is a freight train that will get his power to about 280 watts and just park it there for hours. He finished on the podium for Lotoja last year and he’s charging for the top spot this year.  

If you are lucky enough to ride next to Ryan, be sure to chat with him about his favorite dead show or his favorite podcast.  He’ll chat your ear off.  He’s a great dude and I’m stoked he is part of the team. 

In episode 106 of the Mi Duole Cycling Podcast, we are thrilled to introduce team member Jesse Loper. Jesse is an experienced adventurer with an impressive resume, having completed the grueling Leadville Mountain Bike Race three times. His passion for cycling extends across gravel, road, and mountain biking. Beyond his biking prowess, Jesse is also an accomplished outdoor photographer and a dedicated triathlete. Since joining the Mi Duole team in 2019, he has become an invaluable part of our cycling community. Tune in to hear Jesse's inspiring stories and insights from his diverse and adventurous life on two wheels.

Zac will be the first to deflect any attention or focus on him; however, we’re going to ignore his advice and let the team learn more about a man who I consider one of my best friends and an amazing human being.

Zac will introduce himself more in the podcast, but there are six things I really want the audience to know about him. 

1. Anyone who interacts with Zac comes to love him. He has had an extremely successful career because he can relate and build relationships with such a diverse group of people. Doesn’t matter if it’s a bunch of dudes who like to wear lycra or camo, they all love him. 

I won’t embarrass Zac any further out of concern that he will literally end this podcast prematurely; however, I’ve spent literally thousands of miles with Zac in Glacier, Whistler, the Grand Canyon Kauai, Carmel, Leadville, Moab, Jackson, St George and more. Those are some of my most cherished memories. He’s a tremendous example for me and somebody I consider a dear friend. (Taylor Cannon)