Best Payson McElveen Podcasts (2024)

1
Lea Davison on putting the “tired” in retirement and being an advocate within the sport 1:10:48

4d ago1:10:48

1:10:48

Lea Davison thought long and hard about her retirement, but even when she finally decided to bring her mountain biking career to a close, she didn't have any intention of slowing down. During her racing career, she won a silver and a bronze medal at the World Championships, placed third overall in the 2015 World Cup series, and went to the Olympics…

1
Payson's 10 craziest moments from Unbound 54:10

6d ago54:10

54:10

Trains, a moto crash, the hero pull of the day, and two peeing mishaps are just some of the crazy moments from Unbound that make the cut in this episode. As the race expands every year, so does the potential for chaos within the peloton. Payson rounded up some of the most striking examples that you didn't see in any on-the-day coverage. Click to WI…

1
Unbound recap with Pete Stetina and Lauren De Crescenzo 1:47:00

11d ago1:47:00

1:47:00

This year’s Unbound was one of the most dynamic and exciting in the event’s history, featuring two new winners, separate starts for the elite men and women, and a nine-up sprint at the women's finish. Payson caught up with two of the top riders to get the lowdown from inside the men’s and women’s fields. We also hear from some of the riders across …

1
Jasper Ockeloen on Unbound, Sockeloen, and the Dutch Mafia 1:37:52

21d ago1:37:52

1:37:52

Jasper Ockeloen started racing on the road in the Netherlands when he was 8 years old and took up cyclocross not long after. The combination has come in handy now that he’s turned his focus to gravel and the increasingly popular discipline of beach racing, where he's a two-time European champion. This month, he’s back in the U.S. to tackle Unbound …

1
Kateřina Nash on 30 years of racing and her role within the UCI 1:41:32

1M ago1:41:32

1:41:32

At 46, Kateřina Nash has been racing bikes for three decades and continues to compete at the highest level. Originally from the Czech Republic, she competed in skiing throughout her early life, even competing in two Winter Olympics before discovering a love for mountain biking. She was part of the first cohort of the groundbreaking LUNA Pro Team in…

1
Kenny Belaey on 9 trials World Championships and life after competitive cycling 1:26:00

1M ago1:26:00

1:26:00

Kenny Belaey started riding professionally at age 9 when he and his brother began doing trial biking shows in their native Belgium. Since then, he’s racked up nine UCI world championship titles in the discipline, more than any other rider. But even during the peak of his racing career, Kenny kept up with the performance circuit, using the shows as …

1
Taylor Lideen on missing out on the Grand Prix and starting the season with a bang 1:38:50

2M ago1:38:50

1:38:50

After participating in the Life Time Grand Prix in its first two years, Taylor Lideen missed out on a spot this year. While that might leave some riders struggling for motivation, it’s done the opposite for him. Two weeks ago, at Sea Otter (the first Grand Prix race of the season), he snagged 6th place, just seconds off the podium. The next weekend…

1
Sea Otter recap with Hannah Otto 1:20:19

2M ago1:20:19

1:20:19

The Grand Prix is back and Hannah Otto is here to give a rundown of the first race of the season. She and Payson discuss the opposite tactics that played out in the men's and women's races, which new and returning riders caught their attention, and how the Cape Epic might have influenced the podium. They also answer a few listener questions and rev…

1
Nichole Baker on her eighth year in Uganda for Path of Logic 1:44:55

2M ago1:44:55

1:44:55

After four years of pestering, Payson has finally convinced Nichole to return to the show to talk about her most recent trip to Uganda. In 2017, she visited the country for the first time to teach pathology residents and, based on her experiences and newfound connections there, started Path of Logic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving …

1
Cynthia Carson on winning Badlands and the Atlas Mountain Race 1:17:28

3M ago1:17:28

1:17:28

It takes a particular kind of grit to win the grueling 800-mile Atlas Mountain Race, and Cynthia Carson did it on less than five hours of sleep. The rising bikepacking star has had quite a year, winning Spain’s infamous desert race Badlands in September and becoming the first woman to finish in the top 10. Cynthia joins Payson this week to talk abo…

1
Luke Lamperti on his first few months in the WorldTour 1:08:00

3M ago1:08:00

1:08:00

At 21 years old, Luke Lamperti is already riding for one of the biggest teams in the WorldTour, Soudal–Quick-Step, and he's hit the ground running. Since the season began, he’s racked up podiums at the Challenge Mallorca, the Muscat Classic, and the Tour of Oman, solidifying his place as a young rider to watch. Before signing with Quick-Step, he ra…

1
Mid South recap with DFL Beth McBride and rider experiences 53:45

3M ago53:45

53:45

At approximately 12:30 a.m. last weekend, Beth McBride crossed the finish line of Mid South to a thunderous reception. The race is known for its celebration of riders of all levels, and the final rider to cross the finish line is arguably more of a celebrity than the first rider. Payson sat down with Beth to talk about her race, including overcomin…

1
Morgan Aguirre on leaving the U.S. for European gravel 1:11:01

3M ago1:11:01

1:11:01

In 2019, Morgan Aguirre decided to step outside of her comfort zone. Having never competed in any sports, she rented a bike from her local Trek store with the goal of riding 50 miles. Things escalated quickly, and soon, fellow Seattle resident (and now WorldTour rider) Veronica Ewers saw her posts on Strava and asked her to join the Fount Cycling G…

1
Paul Voss on taking up gravel after the WorldTour 1:19:45

3M ago1:19:45

1:19:45

During his eight years in the WorldTour, Paul Voss rode for some of the most successful teams in the sport, including Milram, Endura Racing, and Bora-Argon 18. In that time, he raced in multiple Grand Tours, and even wore the polka dot jersey for a stage of Tour De France in 2016. But in that same year, he was pushed off the Bora team when Peter Sa…

1
Ulrich Bartholmoes, 2023 Tour Divide winner 1:19:53

4M ago1:19:53

1:19:53

In 2023, just four years after competing in his first bikepacking race, Ulrich Bartholmoes won the biggest race of them all, the Tour Divide. The 2,745-mile route is always at the mercy of the elements, but Ulrich and his two fellow race leaders found themselves in a particularly strange (and scary) predicament when cold temperatures and constant r…

1
Danni Shrosbree on US vs European gravel and placing 4th at Unbound 1:10:10

4M ago1:10:10

1:10:10

Danni Shrosbree knows a thing or two about multitasking. Having spent years juggling a full-time job in the footwear industry alongside professional road cycling, the British cyclist added the Life Time Grand Prix to her roster last year, traveling between races in Europe and the U.S. while holding down her in-person day job. Despite this grueling …

1
Christian Meier on leaving the WorldTour for ultrarunning 1:16:05

4M ago1:16:05

1:16:05

In 2016, Christian Meier made an unusual decision: at the age of 31, he walked away from a successful WorldTour career a year before his contract was due to end to focus on the coffee shop he and his wife had just opened in Girona, Spain. That year, they opened two more businesses. After dabbling in off-road racing for a couple of years, he made a …

1
Lawson Craddock on 10 years in the pro peloton, the 2018 Tour, and Texas 1:10:10

4M ago1:10:10

1:10:10

Lawson Craddock grew up in the flatland of Houston but fought his way onto the WorldTour feeder team Trek-Livestrong when he was still a teenager. After turning pro three years later, he raced for Giant-Shimano, Cannondale, and his current team, Jayco–AlUla. In his 10 years in the WorldTour, he's taken podiums at the Vuelta, won the Time Trial Nati…

1
Heidi Franz on surviving the Zaaf debacle and returning to the pro peloton 1:40:41

5M ago1:40:41

1:40:41

In 2022, Heidi Franz was approached with an enticing offer: B&B Hotels-KTM, a revamped team with a sky-high budget and some of the biggest WorldTour riders set to sign on, wanted her on its roster. But after months of unfulfilled promises and extensive press coverage, the team collapsed, leaving Heidi and dozens of other riders without a team right…

1
Jack Thompson on resetting the boundaries of ultra cycling and recovering from addiction 1:37:52

5M ago1:37:52

1:37:52

Known to his fans as Jack Ultra Cyclist, Jack Thompson has been smashing world records left and right for close to a decade. Growing up in Perth, Australia, he struggled with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder as a teenager and eventually entered rehab for a drug addiction. Once he was able to channel his focus into cycling, however, he f…

1
Sam Gaze on his mountain bike world titles, depression, and joining Alpecin-Deceuninck 1:29:23

5M ago1:29:23

1:29:23

In 2014, Sam Gaze was a privateering teenager from a rural farming town in New Zealand when he took the men's title in the opening round of an eliminator World Cup in Cairns, Australia. With this breakout ride, he caught the eye of Specialized Racing and relocated to Europe, where he went on to claim five world titles, including U23 World Champion …

1
Petr Vakoč, off-road racer and former WorldTour rider 1:26:05

5M ago1:26:05

1:26:05

Before migrating to off-road racing last year, Czech cyclist Petr Vakoč spent nearly 10 years racing in the WorldTour, most notably as a member of team Quick-Step. During his road career, he made the start list of multiple Grand Tours, including the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, and won the Brabantse Pijl in Belgium in 2016 after years of f…

1
Dennis van Winden, cycling coach and former WorldTour rider 1:58:54

6M ago1:58:54

1:58:54

Even by the standards of WorldTour racing, Dennis van Winden’s career has seen a lot of highs and lows. Starting out on the legendary Rabobank development team as a teenager, he landed a spot on the WorldTour team and was starting to distinguish himself as a promising new talent when a catastrophic health incident changed his trajectory. He returne…

1
End of year Q&A 50:10

6M ago50:10

50:10

In this final episode of the year, Payson answers your questions about training, the 2023 season, UCI points, mustaches, and much more. Instagram: @theadventurestache YouTube: Payson McElveenBy Payson McElveen

1
Derek Teel on activation and double Everesting 1:15:43

6M ago1:15:43

1:15:43

This week, cycling trainer Derek Teel returns to answer more questions about strength training for endurance cyclists. He goes over the importance of mobility, how to do a proper push-up, and the equipment-free exercises everyone should be incorporating into their pre-ride routine. He also talks about some of his own endurance efforts, including do…

1
Derek Teel on strength training for cyclists 1:11:17

6M ago1:11:17

1:11:17

Derek Teel began his career as a downhill mountain biker, only to pivot toward personal training when he became fascinated with his team’s trainers and nutritionists. Over time, he found a way to combine his two passions, and his company, Dialed Health, was born, a strength training program geared specifically toward cyclists. In this episode, Dere…

1
Katie Burrell on ‘Weak Layers’ and finding comedy in the outdoor industry 1:14:58

7M ago1:14:58

1:14:58

Katie Burrell has been called the “action sports cult antihero” for her wildly popular videos satirizing the outdoor industry. Through YouTube videos and Instagram reels, the comedian has poked fun at everything from know-it-all mountain bikers to couples having relationship meltdowns in the middle of hiking expeditions. Now, she’s written, directe…

1
Angus Neaves on bikepacking 9,000 miles from Mongolia to Scotland 1:22:16

7M ago1:22:16

1:22:16

After finishing high school in his native Australia, Angus Neaves devised the ultimate gap year plan: a 9,000-mile solo bikepacking trip from Mongolia to Scotland. After seven months and 16 countries, he finally completed the journey this week and joined Payson to talk about it. From the hospitality he found in Kazakstan to an impromptu trip to Gra…

1
Starla Teddergreen on racing with Multiple Sclerosis 1:13:49

7M ago1:13:49

1:13:49

Starla Teddergreen had an extensive professional cycling career behind her and a spot in the Life Time Grand Prix when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2022. Despite dropping out of the series due to the diagnosis, she reapplied in 2023 and completed the series. Starla sat down with Payson this week to discuss the confusing mix of sympt…

1
Chris Burkard on the Tour Divide and moving to Iceland 1:12:51

7M ago1:12:51

1:12:51

This week, photographer and adventurer Chris Burkard returns to the show to talk about moving to Iceland and his experience racing the Tour Divide this summer. Having spent the last decade exploring and documenting Iceland, Chris finally made the big move with his family. He tells Payson about why he decided the time was right, what it’s been like …

1
Thrainn Kolbeinsson, photographer, on the impending volcanic threat in Iceland 1:31:30

7M ago1:31:30

1:31:30

For the past couple of weeks, Iceland has been shaking with earthquakes as an underground river of magma moves toward the surface. Over the weekend, more than 800 earthquakes were detected in 14 hours in the Reykjanes Peninsula in the southwest of the country, and nearly 4,000 people were evacuated from the small town of Grindavík. One of the peopl…

1
Asa Vermette, the 16-year-old shaking up the downhill scene (with Neko Mulally) 1:16:40

8M ago1:16:40

1:16:40

If you haven’t already heard of Asa Vermette, chances are, that’s about to change in a big way this coming year. The 16-year-old Durango native has been making waves in the downhill scene since he was 14, showing up at pro races and beating some of the sport’s top riders for the podium. He won most of his races this year, including the Enduro Natio…

1
Big Sugar and Grand Prix recap, with Betsy Welch, Ellen Campbell, power file analysis, and rider experiences 2:36:16

8M ago2:36:16

2:36:16

It’s our final recap episode of the season, which means we’re not only looking back at the seventh and final round of the Grand Prix, but the 2023 Grand Prix as a whole. Payson first sits down with Velo Reporter Betsy Welch to talk about the dynamic race at Big Sugar. With podiums in both the men’s and women’s fields that looked significantly diffe…

1
Sofia Gomez Villafañe, winner of the Life Time Grand Prix 1:24:46

8M ago1:24:46

1:24:46

Sofia Gomez Villafañe has many accolades to her name. Olympian, winner of the Cape Epic, winner of Unbound, and winner of Leadville are just a few of her claims to fame, and she also happens to be this year’s winner of the Life Time Grand Prix after clinching the overall victory in just five races. Payson caught up with Sofia a few days before the …

1
Gravel Worlds recap, with Keegan Swenson, listener Q&A, and dispatches from Team USA 1:20:36

8M ago1:20:36

1:20:36

The second-ever Gravel World Championships took place in Veneto, Italy earlier this month, and we’re bringing you a full episode about it. Payson chats with Keegan Swenson about his fifth-place finish in a field dominated by Europeans who were well-versed in the kind of tight, twisty terrain that the course had to offer. They discuss road versus gr…

1
Rad Dirt Fest recap, with Betsy Welch, Ellen Campbell, and power file analysis 1:34:09

9M ago1:34:09

1:34:09

As a new addition to the Grand Prix series, the Rad Dirt Fest was an unknown quantity for many of the racers last weekend. Alexey Vermeulen and Lauren De Crescenzo came away with the wins, shaking up the standings and setting the stage for the final race in Bentonville at the end of the month. In this recap episode, Payson catches up with Velo repo…

1
Cole Paton, off-road cyclist 1:01:01

9M ago1:01:01

1:01:01

Cole Paton returns to the show after a transformative year in his career. When this conversation was recorded earlier this week, he was sitting in second place in the Life Time Grand Prix and had just won the Marathon Mountain Bike National Championship the week before. In this conversation, Cole tells Payson about the motivation and sense of commu…

1
Chequamegon recap, with Betsy Welch, Ellen Campbell, and power file analysis 1:19:23

9M ago1:19:23

1:19:23

In our latest recap of the Life Time Grand Prix series, we’re covering Chequamegon, the punchy, 40 mile mountain bike race in Northern Wisconsin. This year’s event saw new riders at the front of the pack and drama in the sprint finishes. Payson talks to Velo reporter Betsy Welch to break down the men’s race and Alexy Vermeulen’s win. They discuss t…

1
Lachlan Morton on the Tour Divide 1:09:07

9M ago1:09:07

1:09:07

Last week, Lachlan Morton finished the 2,670-mile Tour Divide in just 12 days, 12 hours, and 21 minutes, more than a day faster than the officially recognized record. He also did it in the midst of the Life Time Grand Prix, between Leadville and Chequamegon. This weekend, Payson caught up with Lachlan in Wisconsin just hours after completing Chequa…

1
Brendan Johnston, off-road cyclist 52:55

10M ago52:55

52:55

This week, Payson is joined by one of the Australian riders in this year’s Grand Prix, Brendan Johnston. Brendan dominated the marathon mountain biking scene in Australia for several years, winning the national title no fewer than four times and winning 19 consecutive races between 2015 and 2017. He’s also dabbled in road racing, finishing third at…

1
Zach Calton, off-road cyclist 54:41

10M ago54:41

54:41

This week, Payson catches up with one of the fastest racers in this year's Grand Prix, Zach Calton. So far this season, Zach has placed 6th at Leadville and 9th at Unbound, and is currently sitting 8th overall in the Grand Prix standings. He also happens to have a full-time job off the bike. In this conversation, Zach talks to Payson about what is …

1
Maude Farrell, off-road cyclist 56:37

10M ago56:37

56:37

Payson caught up with fellow Grand Prix racer Maude Farrell at Leadville a couple of weeks ago to talk about how her season is going, why she went to Leadville even though she chose to skip racing it, and how she juggles professional racing with a full-time career at the electric vehicle company Rivian. They discuss the challenges of trying to have…

1
Leadville recap, with Betsy Welch, Ellen Campbell, and power file analysis 1:34:30

10M ago1:34:30

1:34:30

There was one story that dominated Leadville this year. Keegan Swenson smashed the course record by more than 15 minutes and finished nearly 25 minutes ahead of second place. On the women's side, Sofia Gómez Villafañe won a tight battle among the top five, followed closely by Ruth Winder. In our recap, Payson chats with Velo reporter Betsy Welch ab…

1
Lael Wilcox on the Tour Divide, the Triple Crown, and riding around the world 1:34:39

11M ago1:34:39

1:34:39

The queen of ultra-endurance cycling returns to the show to talk about her punishing experience at this year’s Tour Divide, her upcoming stab at the Colorado Trail race, and her plan to race around the world, which she devised while riding several thousand miles to the start of the Tour Divide. After setting countless course records on bikepacking …

1
Women of the Grand Prix, part 3: Alexis Skarda, Bella Hyser, and Anna Yamauchi 1:31:38

11M ago1:31:38

1:31:38

Alexis Skarda - 6:24 Alexis has been climbing pro podiums for close to a decade. The multi-time collegiate national champ has won Marathon Nationals, the Whiskey 50, the Brek Epic, and holds the White Rim FKT. She’s in her second year racing the Grand Prix, and catches up with Payson to talk about coming back after a punishing experience at Unbound…

1
Women of the Grand Prix, part 2: Caroline Tory, Becca Fahringer, Caroline Mani, and Sarah Max 1:48:36

11M ago1:48:36

1:48:36

This week, we’re bringing you the next installment of our series on the women racing in this year’s Life Time Grand Prix. Caroline Tory [3:56] Caroline Tory was an accomplished skier and runner when she was introduced to gravel in 2021. She’s performed consistently well in the Grand Prix this season, standing seventh overall in the points. Outside …

1
Ellen Campbell, professional off-road cyclist 45:17

11M ago45:17

45:17

Ellen Campbell has been riding bikes since she was a kid growing up in Durango, Colorado. She raced in college and on the national circuit, but it was only last year that she decided to step into professional gravel full-time. Joining Sarah Sturm’s privateer program, she competed in the Grand Prix in 2022 with the goal of finishing every race. This…

1
Crusher in the Tushar recap, with Betsy Welch, Nathan Spratt, and power file analysis 1:47:54

11M ago1:47:54

1:47:54

The third round of the Life Time Grand Prix is an Infamous gravel race in Southwest Utah with over 10,000 feet of climbing over a punchy 69-mile course. This year’s race was defined by a distinct lack of drama, but it was still historic. Keegan Swenson became the first (and only) rider in the event’s history to finish in under four hours, while Sof…

1
Women of the Grand Prix, Part 1: Jenna Rinehart, Deanna Mayles, Iz King, and Leah Van der Linden 1:27:27

12M ago1:27:27

1:27:27

This year’s Life Time Grand Prix brought a host of new contenders to the women’s roster along with some familiar faces from last year. With such a stacked field, we thought it was high time to get to know the individuals behind the results. To kick off our series, we have four racers whose vastly different paths have led them to the Grand Prix, Jen…

1
Sepp Kuss on the Tour, finding his place in the pro peloton, and that viral mid-race battery change 57:00

12M ago57:00

57:00

Sepp Kuss is a cyclist for WorldTour team Jumbo Visma. In 2021 he won a stage of the Tour de France, and last year helped secure the victory for his teammate Jonas Vingegaard. Last month, he helped Primož Roglič win the Giro d'Italia. In this conversation, Sepp reflects on how he’s grown as a rider since his first Grand Tour in 2018. He talks about…

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