My Back 40

One of the beautiful things about social networking is the ability to engage with people with similar interests from all over the globe. It means a lot to me when people reach out to send a voice intro to add to the podcast or DM me in response to a post. Enter, Michael Roman.

For those of you who routinely listen to the podcast, you’re likely familiar with the random rumblings and grumblings I put out there from time to time. One in particular, was my rant about the amount of packaging that bike companies are using to package and display their products. Michael commented on the post and shared similar frustrations. He seemed like a great conversationalist, so we connected to chat.

Michael works at KLM Bikes and Fitness and is an avid cyclist who, after the birth of his son, found that his riding had changed and started to align more with riding distances as opposed to pushing the limits of speed and technical terrain. We chat about fatherhood, riding bikes and rant a little about the environmental impacts of over packaging merchandise. Michael also talks about his goal of living off grid by generating his own power via solar.

I really enjoyed connecting with someone from the My Back 40 community. My goal for the podcast has always been to simply have long format, authentic, meaningful conversations with people from all sorts of backgrounds. I really dug this conversation and I hope you do too.

Enjoy!

John Stamstad was the first person to time trial the Great Divide Mountain Bike route in 1999. He completed the route in just over 18 days! Navigational technology like we have today just didn’t exist then, so considering he only had paper maps available, his time truly is astounding.

It seems like only yesterday that I spoke with John but I wanted to reconnect with him after his battle with the The Cross Washington Mountain Bike Route (XWA). The XWA was a route put together by Troy Hopwood and is a 680 mile (1,094KM) track with 50,000’ (15,240M) of climbing. The route, that starts on the coast of Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula and ends at the Idaho border by Spokane, takes riders through Washington’s diverse ecosystems via a mix of dirt roads, single track and some pavement..

John had been off the bike for quite some time and hadn’t done an event for a while but the trail was calling to him. John started training in preparation for the Dirty Kanza XL but, like with a lot of events this past summer, Covid-19 put those plans on the back burner. The XWA was logistically easy to pull off for this Seattle resident and since it was just him and the trail, physical distancing wasn’t an issue.

In this episode we discuss his preparation for the event, the challenges he faced along the way, his fueling strategy as well as his future plans. John is always a wealth of information and I really enjoyed speaking with him again.

Enjoy!

Renaissance man, Robert Biron, aka Salty Beard Bikepacking, has spent his life going where the wind takes him. From a career standpoint, he’s the kind of guy who is a mile wide. He’s worked as a trucker, oceanographer, photographer, videographer, artificial reef builder, oil rig diver, climbing gym builder, seamster; the list goes on.

Rob was born in St. Albert, Alberta but grew up in Kamloops in a very active family. He spent his time skiing on the water in the summers and on the slopes of Mount Todd (Sun Peaks) in the winter. Although cycling has always been a part of his life, this never stopped him from other athletic pursuits like climbing, fly fishing and cross country skiing.

After some repeated injuries, he dialed back his riding to be less extreme and focused more on riding distance. Rob wants to share his experience with others and encourage people to get out there on a bike and enjoy nature.

Salty started his YouTube Channel as a creative outlet but also to share his experiences with his fans. You’ll find chill videos of some of his rides and the beautiful places a bike can take you. Whether it’s a spin around the beautiful city of Victoria, or a jaunt in the woods on Van Isle, he’s putting out some high quality videos of his adventures that make for enjoyable viewing. He’s just getting started so head over and subscribe to his channel and stay tuned for more great videos.

As always, I really enjoy having these authentic conversations. Rob was a joy to chat with and I hope you enjoy listening. There are a lot more conversations coming your way so make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. If you want to support the My Back 40 project, the easiest way is to give it a 5 star rating and a review on your favourite listening platform.

Thanks for listening!

I first spoke with Clee Roy on Bikepack Canada Podcast #51, when we connected with Kurt Refsnider of bikepackingroots.org to discuss The Wild West Route. As one of the scouts, Clee was one of the riders to help develop this alternate route to the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

What stood out to me most about Clee, was his ability to paint a picture of his experiences through his outstanding story telling ability. Clee spends a lot of time on his bike, racking up tens of thousands of kilometres every year. With that amount of trail time, you can imagine he has many stories to tell.

In this conversation, we mix Clee’s stories with brief intermissions to discuss gear choices like water filtration, bike and tire recommendations and also cover topics like the growth and monetization of the sport of Bikepacking, the uptick in pro level rider participation in bikepacking and gravel events and what this means for the sport, as well as other interesting tangents.

Clee, has now made Nelson, BC his home, for now, and plans to take advantage of all the amazing activities this small Kootenay town has to offer.

This is another long one, so pop in your buds and head out on the trail. I really enjoyed spending some time with Clee to discuss his adventures and I hope to one day meet and spend some time behind bars with this legendary adventurer.

If you haven’t already, please subscribe on your favourite podcast listening platform. The easiest way to support the podcast, is to give it a 5 star rating and a review. Also, don’t forget to email me your feedback, guest suggestions and voice intros.

Enjoy!

On this episode of the podcast I speak with my coach, Ryan Draper of Cycling 101. As a Consultant, Coach, Instructor, Guide & Bike Fitter, Ryan has built Cycling 101 to be, not only a place for him to share years of experience and wisdom of being behind bars, but to also help his athletes show up to be their best selves.

I first met Ryan @Cycling101 at the 2017 Bikepack Canada Summit. After reaching out to him for fuelling advice as I prepared for a race, and later after my conversation with Ryan on the BIkepack Canada Podcast Ep47 “Coaching Principals”, we have been in contact on a semi regular basis. Most recently, I have asked Ryan to coach me in preparation for the 2021 Tour Divide.

I’ve never had a coach before, so I wasn’t sure what the experience would be like and I wasn’t sure what kind of commitment he would demand. I feel as though Ryan’s approach to coaching is very organic, shaping his programs to fit neatly inside an individual athlete’s schedule.

Ryan’s coaching doesn’t stop there. He gets to know his athletes on a more personal level so he can help further shape the program, taking into consideration the athlete’s individual levels of stress.

We talk a lot about the Whoop platform on this podcast. There are many ways to coach athletes without the use of a wearable but Ryan insists that Whoop gives the best insights into an athlete so he can truly individualize the program. I agree whole heartedly (pun intended). Unfortunately Whoop doesn’t support the podcast, so consider this reverse sponsorship. I would recommend Whoop to anyone who would like to get a much deeper look into their physiology.

I have really been enjoying working with Ryan and I hope you enjoy the conversation. As a supporter of the podcast, Cycling 101 would like to offer a promo code. I’m sure you already know it but in case you don’t; Use the promo code 101VIP20 to save 20% off a consultation or a bike fit!

Enjoy the conversation.

As the host of The Hidden Athlete Podcast, Ross Burrage (@rossburrage) speaks with people from all over the globe about their accomplishments and what drives them as athletes.

Ross is a hidden athlete in his own right. After raising three kids, an endurance sport in and of itself, and upon entering his 40’s, Ross was drawn to pushing his limits in endurance sports. In 2019 he finished the Tour Divide in 25 days on his single speed and plans to come back in 2021 to have another crack on gears.

As the Finance and Sustainability Manager at the Cotton On Foundation, Ross is heavily involved in philanthropic projects that “empower youth globally through the delivery of quality educational projects in Uganda, South Africa, Thailand and Australia. “

Another project that Ross is extremely proud to be involved in is the formation of the Masaka Cycling Club in Uganda. The club was formed to showcase the athletic talent in the region and to bring hope to youth in this very poor and suppressed part of the world.

Ross now also hosts the Masaka Cycling Club Podcast in which he talks about recent developments with the club and includes interesting conversations with key stakeholders of the project.

We cover a wide variety of topics in this conversation and, as usual, we take many twists and turns along the way. I really appreciated Ross taking the time to talk and it was a pleasure to connect with him. I hope you enjoy listening in.

This week on the podcast I speak with Matthew Kadey @rocketfuelfood, the mastermind behind the BT700, a 700km bikepacking race in southwestern Ontario. The event generally starts as a grand depart every July in St. Jacobs, Ontario but, due to Covid-19, the start was modified to be a grand depart weekend and was a great success.

Matthew is a James Beard Award-winning food journalist and a registered dietitian. He is a recipe developer and nutrition writer for top health and fitness magazines and has written for Bicycling, Canadian Cycling, Canadian Running, Competitor, Delicious Living, Eating Well, Experience Life, Men's Health, Men's Journal, Prevention, Runner's World, Shape, Trail Runner, Triathlete, WebMD, Women's Health, Women's Running, and Yoga Journal. Matthew won the James Beard Award in 2013 for Food Journalism. He holds a masters degree in sports nutrition and is the author of Muffin Tin Chef and The No-Cook, No-Bake Cookbook. Check out his book, Rocket Fuel on Amazon.

In this episode we chat about his new bikepacking route, Log Driver’s Waltz, an 800 kilometre, multi-day cycling route that traverses a vast variety of terrain in the Ottawa Valley and Outaouais regions of Ontario and Quebec. We chat about the success of the BT700 and how small communities along the route have stepped up to support the project. We also discuss the developing bikepacking scene and the influx of elite and professional athletes participating.

I hope you enjoy this episode. Don’t forget to please subscribe, share, rate and review the podcast.

MTB Hall of Fame inductee, John Stamstad, is an Ultramarathon cyclist living in Seattle, Washington.

For those of you unfamiliar with John, he was the first to race the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in 1999 as an individual time trial finishing in just 18 days, 5 hours. Considering the bicycle technology at the time and the fact that he navigated the route using paper maps, this time is nothing to scoff at, even by today’s standards.

While attending the 10 year Ride the Divide Anniversary event last month, where Mike Dion interviewed John, I resonated with his philosophy about participating in these ultra endurance events and leaving our comforts behind as vital for human health and well being.

Since being struck by a car, John has been off his bike but has since returned with a passion to get out there and test his limits again.

I really enjoyed this conversation. John brings a vast outdoor skill set and a positive attitude toward the growth of bikepacking and cycling in general. I know you will find lots of wisdom in this podcast.

Justin Hettinga @cuscocanuck has been riding mountain bikes since he was a teenager. Mostly DH and Enduro. After his first Everesting, he started looking for more personal challenges and found the Lost Elephant Ultra Race.

After 520km and 8900m of climbing on the roads and trails of the East Kootenays, Justin was the first to cross the line in just 2 days, 4 hours and 39 minutes setting the time to beat on this new track.

He definitely jumped in with both feet on this very challenging route, but his analytical approach set him up for success.

Justin is a Literacy Specialist, travelling the world, helping small minority language communities with their educational programs. Since Covid-19 put a stop to his travels, Justin has had more time at home to focus on his family and bump up his training. Needless to say the training paid off.

I had a great time chatting with Justin. It was fun to learn more about him and share our experiences. This is a bit of a long one as I I wanted to share some thoughts on my intentions to improve my mental health, as well as share some books that I have been listening to and a new breathing technique I think you should try.

Thanks for listening.