In this fourth and final Unbound recap episode, Payson talks to Jonathan Levin, the last rider to cross the finish line. Jonathan decided to race Unbound with a few friends on a whim, having trained less than intended and with less knowledge of the course than they thought. In spite of never having ridden more than a hundred miles beforehand, they all reached the finish (with less than 10 minutes to spare) before the 3am cutoff. In this conversation, Jonathan talks about why he decided to take on such a big challenge without much prior experience, the aspect of the race that they got right, and why he might be aiming for the 350 mile Unbound XL race next. He talks about some of the more memorable moments from those 200 miles, including hallucinations, a quick creek swim, and a narrowly avoided crash at the finish. And they're joined by Jonathan's friend, Chris, who crewed for Jonathan and his friends and got more than he bargained for. Jonathan also talks about his professional life, where he runs a global company that develops investigation and compliance software for cryptocurrencies, and was listed on the Fortune Magazine's "40 Under 40" list.

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In our third recap episode of Unbound Gravel, Payson sits down to talk with two racers from the Unbound XL, the 350 mile race, Will Loevner and Amanda Nauman. 

Will Loevner finished Unbound XL in second place, in spite of being younger than any of his competitors and a relative unknown at the start of the race. However, this achievement is only a fraction of the story. After crashing around mile 200 in the middle of the night, he rode the remaining 150 miles one-handed, with a broken hand and a duct taped laceration on his arm that would later require stitches. In this conversation, he explains why stopping was never an option.

Amanda Nauman had previously raced the 200 mile race five times, winning twice and coming in second twice. She talks about why she decided to make the leap to XL and how the longer race compares the 200 culturally, physically, and mentally.

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Abi Robins competed in Unbound Gravel this year as the first finisher of the non-binary category. In this interview, they talk to Payson about being the only person to compete in the category, how that knowledge fueled their ride, and how they hope other races will follow suit. They also talk about the struggles of the race itself, from helping fellow riders with spare co2, to a chance mid-race encounter with Lael Wilcox. Molly Cameron calls into the show to ask Abi an all-important Unbound question, and Abi and Payson discuss their mutual fascination with the mental aspects of long races, especially for the vast majority of riders who are not competing for a first place finish. 

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Today in the first part of our Unbound recap series, Payson talks to Lauren De Crescenzo and Ian Boswell, winners of the 200 mile race.

Lauren talks about the traumatic brain injury that she suffered in 2016 and the long, steady road back to cycling. She talks about going to Unbound with a winner's mindset, why she's already doing intervals again, and her Everesting record from last year. 

Ian joins Payson again to talk about his surprise Unbound victory, how that final sprint played out, and whether or not his life has changed since the win. He also talks about where he hopes to take his newfound gravel career, and why keeping cycling in perspective is so important.  

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Today on the show, Payson answers your questions about his first race of 2021, Rule of 3 in Bentonville, Arkansas. He talks about nutrition, race etiquette, the challenges of a packed racing schedule, and much more. He's also joined by a few special guests who each share their own experiences of Rule of 3. Andy Chasteen, co-founder of the race, talks about why he decided to create an event, how he helped foster community spirit during the race's first year, and his other event, 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, the 'Burning Man of rock climbing'. Payson is also joined by Crystal Anthony, the winner of the women's race, who talks about moving to Bentonville, the tactical decisions that led her to victory, and her plans for the rest of the season. And finally, we play an excerpt from Payson's interview last week with Ian Boswell, who talks about choosing Rule of 3 as his first ever gravel race after leaving professional road racing in 2019. 

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Ian Boswell is gravel racer who formerly raced for WorldTour teams such as Bissell, Trek-Livestrong and Team Sky. During his road career, he raced in the Vuelta a Espana, Giro d’Italia, and Tour de France. Following a series of traumatic head injuries, he stepped away from the sport in 2019 at the peak of his career. Now a year and a half later, he is back to racing, but this time on the gravel scene. Last weekend he placed second at the Rule of Three, his first race since he suffered a concussion at the end of 2019. 

In this conversation, he and Payson discuss racing each other at the Rule of Three, what he loves about gravel, and why Payson thinks Ian is a contender for winning Unbound next month. Ian also talks about his decision to leave pro road racing, why concussion awareness in sports is so important, and his new life working full-time at a ‘normal’ job and living on a farm in Vermont.

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Darian Harvey is the service manager of Mountain Bike Specialists in Durango, CO and a former downhill National Champion. The list of pro cyclists who entrust her with their bikes include Ned Overend, Sepp Kuss, Riley Amos, Ruthie Mathis, and Todd and Troy Wells. Payson has also relied on her expertise ever since he moved to Durango over ten years ago. In this conversation, she tells Payson about how the bike shop has adapted to the pandemic and the current boom in the cycling industry that has caused component shortages and months’ long delays from manufacturers and suppliers. She talks about her early career as a professional downhill racer, where she won back-to-back national championship titles in 2008 and 2009. They also talk about how she stays on top of rapidly evolving cycling technology which now requires her and her coworkers to be electricians and tech experts as well as mechanics, and she also talks about the head injuries she suffered during her racing career and the consequences she’s experiencing decades later. 

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Today on the show, Payson talks to two influential behind-the-scenes figures in gravel racing. Michelle Duffy is Associate Marketing Director for Life Time, and oversees its  off-road events such as the Leadville 100 and Unbound (formerly Dirty Kanza). She came to cycling after spending years as a marketing manager for the New York City Marathon. Amy Charity is the owner and co-founder of SBT GRVL. She raced professionally as a road cyclist and spent 15 years in the financial sector before founding SBT GRVL. In this interview, they talk about how they turned a major scheduling conflict between two of gravel’s biggest races into a collaborative opportunity. When it became clear that Leadville and SBT GRVL fell on consecutive days, they created LeadBoat, a 250 mile stage race combining the two events which is set to take place later this year. 

They also talk about expanding the gravel community, and what it’s like being women in a sport which is still dominated by men. They also share their uniquely difficult experiences during 2020, when Amy lost her business partner and Michelle suffered from a life threatening health event. 

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YouTube: Payson McElveen

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Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas are the stars of HGTV’s home renovation show, Bargain Block, which premiered last month. In it, they buy, transform, and resell properties that have fallen into disrepair in Detroit. Evan comes from a science background and carries the technical aspects of their projects, and Keith is the artistic mastermind, tailoring each home to his specific creative vision, all on a tight budget. In this conversation, they talk about how the ongoing history of redlining and bankruptcy in the city has shaped their work there, how they’ve navigated the stress of being business and life partners during the intense pressure of filming, and why they do a lot more of the actual hands-on work than audiences might think. They also talk about why they chose to move to Detroit from their previous home in Denver, DIY tricks for improving the style and value of your home with minimal time and cost, and how Keith incorporates his love of Surrealist painting into his work. 

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YouTube: Payson McElveen

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Payson and Nichole answer your questions about their recent trip to Uganda to work for her non-profit, Path of Logic. They answer questions about Nichole’s career, how she came to work with pathologists in Uganda looking to expand the country’s cancer diagnostics facilities, and how she avoids the “white savior” problem. They also talk about Payson’s epic gravel ride through the rift valley, their favorite monkey encounters, and marriage proposals. 

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YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]