With Pace

Payson, Lael, Nichole, Rue, and Chris sit down for one last Iceland recap. After eight days and 680 miles of touring the Westfjords, they talk about the most memorable moments from the trip, their favorite gear, the gear they wish they'd brought, and how they hope people might approach the route in the future. Payson and Lael also give a sneak peek of the competitive efforts they'll be undertaking in Iceland later this month. 

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YouTube: Payson McElveen

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Payson, Chris, Nichole, and Lael talk about day seven of their bikepacking tour of the Westfjords of Iceland. With perfect weather, stunning coastal views and varied terrain, they're calling it the Queen's Stage of the route. They share their highlights and preview their final day. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Payson, Lael, Rue, Nichole, and Chris discuss their sixth day of riding, which featured--as usual--a roller-coaster of weather and lots of eating. Evan the photographer returns for a second cameo to talk about his favorite moment of the day in the media van. Threinn the videographer (and former MMA fighter) makes his first podcast appearance to set the record straight on the pronunciation of his name, and to share a few highlights from the trip. And finally, Birna, the team "mom," makes her first appearance on the pod to reveal just how out of place the group looks in their cycling gear in the Westfjords. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

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Payson, Lael, Nichole, Chris, and Rue review their fifth day touring the Westfjords of Iceland. After the previous day's tailwind, today featured 90+ miles of headwind, side wind, cold, and rain. They talk about the creeping onset of fatigue halfway through their trip, the day's animal sightings, and the brutality of the environment that dictates its beauty and its harshness. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

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Payson, Lael, Rue, Nichole, and Chris discuss a very different day on the bike: 40 miles of tailwind. They talk about the impromptu piano concert they witnessed, Lael devises a nontraditional stage race for the route, and Evan the photographer makes a cameo appearance to share what goes on behind the scenes of the group's Instagram photos.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

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After a grueling 140 mile day of rain and headwinds, the group sits down to discuss Nichole's biggest day on the bike ever, Payson's favorite encounter with a local family, Rue's observations from the van, and Chris and Lael's misadventures with wind, mud, and horse poop. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

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Payson, Lael, Rue, Chris, and Nichole recap their second day of riding, including conversations with locals, the evening's hot spring, and Nichole's first peloton experience. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

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Payson, Nichole, Lael, Rue, and Chris recap their first day of riding, which encompassed 90 miles and included a glacier, an arctic fox, a feast of blueberries, headwind, tailwind, and a hot spring at the end. They share their highlights of the day and preview day 2.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Payson, Nichole Baker, Chris Burkard, Lael Wilcox, and Rue Kaladyte join us from their hostel in Ísafjörður for their first nightly dispatch from Iceland. They discuss their bikepacking route, first impressions of the Island, and highlights of the day, and preview their ride. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

In preparation for our upcoming daily series following Payson’s bikepacking trip of Iceland with Chris Burkard, Nichole Baker, Rue Kaladite, and Lael Wilcox, we’re replaying some of our favorite moments from Payson’s previous conversations with Chris about the country. He’s been to Iceland 47 times and traversed it in just about every way possible by plane, car, and bike. This episode features stories from three interviews with Chris, one from 2019 where he talks about his love of being immersed in a location and why cycling is the best way to achieve this, one from early 2020 after his completion of a record setting 850 mile ride around the perimeter of the country which he did without stopping, and one from a 2021 interview with in which Chris is joined by Rebecca Rusch and Gus Morton to discuss their fat biking winter expedition across the island.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]