What if you had to choose between a pro cycling career and your love for the sport?
Australian mountain bike legend Peta Mullens made that exact choice in her early 20s — walking away from a world tour road career to rediscover her passion on the trails. Fast forward to today, she's a 15 time National Champion (across multiple disciplines), the winningest Otway Odyssey champion – with 7 Odyssey titles and 3 in the GOGG – and one of the most respected voices in gravel and MTB racing.
In this episode, Peta joins host Jeremy Baker alongside pro cyclist (top 10 in Unbound!) and well-known YouTuber, Dylan Johnson (aka Backwards Hat Dylan) to talk about comebacks, crashes, community, and why the best part of bike racing might just be the after-party.
From Dylan's truck accident just weeks before Unbound to Peta's record-breaking Odyssey wins, this conversation is packed with insights for riders at every level.
Because at the end of the day? We're just riding bikes here.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 - Intro: Recording from Bentonville during the Big Sugar double header
01:45 - Peta's hand injury from chasing Dylan downhill in Brevard
03:40 - Dylan races Little Sugar: Course breakdown and that 7-minute wrong turn
05:14 - Dylan's truck accident in May: Breaking his tibial plateau 2 weeks before Unbound
08:46 - The comeback at Leadville: Pacing strategy and exceeding expectations
10:32 - Peta's collarbone break and health challenges this season
15:00 - The mental game: Racing when you're not at 100%
20:00 - Dylan's unconventional path: Running 100-milers as a teen before discovering cycling
25:00 - YouTube, social media, and breaking into the Lifetime Grand Prix
30:00 - "Backwards Hat Dylan": Keeping ego in check in a sport full of big personalities
33:00 - Peta's athletic roots: From mountain running to track cycling to MTB
37:00 - The inflection point: Quitting the Australian Institute of Sport at 20
40:00 - "I potentially gave away a career because I was scared of failure"
43:00 - Community and trauma bonding: What makes off-road racing special
46:00 - 7 Otway Odyssey wins: Never finishing off the podium, beating Chris Jongewaard's record
50:00 - Women in cycling: "Bring a female friend and start a movement"
55:00 - The growth of women's gravel racing and creating inclusive spaces
1:00:00 - Peta's thoughts on women empowering women to find the joy in bikes
1:05:00 - Training philosophy: Consistency over perfection
1:10:00 - The social side of elite racing: Pizza, ice cream, and staying up late with competitors
1:17:00 - Party culture: Gravel raves, Tulsa Tough, and what the Odyssey could steal from US events
1:22:00 - Devil's Cardigan in Tasmania: The ultimate post-race party
1:25:00 - Bendigo's cycling scene and the evolution of training culture
1:28:00 - Looking ahead: Odyssey 2026 and Dylan's potential Aussie debut
💬 Highlight Quotes
Dylan Johnson:
"We're just riding bikes here. It's not that serious. It's not that important. Calm down a little bit. Keep the ego in check."
Peta Mullens:
"To win the Odyssey, you have to be the most well-rounded mountain biker you could possibly be. You have to climb, descend, be technical, and have the durability to get through an event that arduous."
Dylan Johnson:
"If you can manage to get through the race without a mechanical, you probably had a good day. Little Sugar's rocks will shred you if you're not careful."
Peta Mullens:
"I potentially gave away a career because maybe I was a little bit scared of failure. But it didn't take long before I realised the things I thought I was sacrificing weren't actually that much fun anyway."
Peta Mullens:
"Women are each other's biggest cheerleaders. Bring a female friend to ride with you and start a movement."
Dylan Johnson:
"Backwards Hat Dylan is my way of keeping ego in check. Cycling's full of big egos, and sometimes we just need a reminder to chill."
Peta Mullens:
"The beauty of off-road racing is the trauma bonding. Going through something really hard together creates lifelong friendships."
Peta Mullens:
"When I look back and think, 'Man, I've won the Odyssey seven times' — it seems like an amazing statistic just when I say it out loud."
🔗 Resources & Links
Races & Events
•Otway Odyssey - Australia's most respected MTB marathon (Forrest, Victoria)
•Life Time Grand Prix - Elite gravel/MTB series with $380,000 prize purse
•Little Sugar MTB - Technical mountain bike race in Bentonville, Arkansas
•Big Sugar Gravel - World-class gravel race in Northwest Arkansas
•Leadville Trail 100 MTB - Iconic 100-mile MTB race at altitude
•Unbound Gravel - The world's premier gravel race in Emporia, Kansas
•Tulsa Tough - Criterium racing with legendary party atmosphere
•Devil's Cardigan - Tasmania's premier MTB event with epic after-party
•Chequamegon MTB Festival - Wisconsin's classic fall mountain bike race
•Steamboat Stinger - High-altitude gravel challenge in Colorado
Athletes
•Peta Mullens on Instagram - @petamullens | 15x Australian National Champion
•Dylan Johnson on Instagram - @dylanjawnson | Cyclist, coach, YouTuber
•Dylan Johnson on YouTube - Training science and "Backwards Hat Dylan" content
⚡ Key Takeaways
✅ It's just riding bikes. Dylan's philosophy reminds us that even at the elite level, cycling should be fun and not taken too seriously. Keep your ego in check and enjoy the ride.
✅ Resilience is everything. Both Dylan and Peta faced major setbacks this year (truck accident, collarbone break, hand injury) but kept showing up. The comeback is part of the journey.
✅ The Otway Odyssey is legendary for a reason. Winning it requires being a complete mountain biker—climbing, descending, technical skills, and mental toughness. Peta's 7 wins cement her as one of Australia's all-time greats.
✅ Community over competition. The best part of gravel and MTB racing isn't just the podium—it's the trauma bonding, the shared suffering, and the friendships forged on the trails.
✅ Women supporting women changes the game. Peta's advocacy for female cyclists and creating inclusive spaces is helping grow the sport exponentially. Her advice: bring a female friend to your next ride.
✅ Don't lose the joy. Peta's story of walking away from a pro road career to rediscover her love for cycling is a powerful reminder that passion matters more than prestige.
✅ Party culture matters. Events like Tulsa Tough, Devil's Cardigan, and the gravel rave scene show that cycling is about more than watts and KOMs—it's a lifestyle and a community.
🚴♀️ About the Guests
Peta Mullens is a 15-time Australian National Champion in mountain biking and cyclocross. She holds the record for most Otway Odyssey wins (7) and has never finished off the podium in 12 starts. After beginning her career in road and track cycling with the Australian Institute of Sport, Peta transitioned to mountain biking where she found her true passion. She's a coach and fierce advocate for women in cycling.
Dylan Johnson is a professional gravel and ultra-endurance mountain bike racer competing in the Lifetime Grand Prix series. Known for his YouTube channel where he breaks down training science, Dylan has built a unique path in cycling. In May 2025, he was hit by a truck during training, breaking his tibial plateau just weeks before Unbound. His remarkable comeback at Leadville showcased his resilience and determination.
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Ride hard, stay humble, and don't forget to have fun out there!
