My Back 40

In this episode, I bring you a conversation with Graham Mann the new man at the helm of RollingDale Cycles . It all started with a titanium hammer. This purchase led to Graham living his dream of building thoughtfully designed, high performance titanium bicycles for the discerning cyclist. Founded in 2016, Dale Marchand wanted to bring the world of custom bikes to the people who understood the imp...

In this episode I bring you a conversation with Nick Pollard. @thepeopledispleaser. Nick focuses on setting boundaries, people pleasing, and personal growth. Nick has been in the coaching space since around 2010. In those days, he was a dating coach helping men build confidence. Now he's about helping men to show up better. This is a part 1 so if you have any feedback about this podcast and want t...

In this episode I have a chat with Svein Tuft, winner of the BC Epic 1000. Svein shattered the record riding 1,044 km with almost 12,000 m of ascent in a time of 2 days and 2 hours. Svein is a retired Canadian road cyclist who competed professionally from 2005 to 2019. He rode for several teams, including Symmetrics, Garmin–Transitions, SpiderTech–C10, Mitchelton–Scott, and Rally UHC Cycling. Tuft...

I'm so proud to bring you a conversation with Meaghan Hackinen, woman's winner of the 2024 Tour Divide. 4,400 km, 60,000m of elevation gain in just 15 days 22 hours. Between the cold temperatures, the rain, the snow, and the peanut butter mud, to say that she crushed this route would be an understatement. To witness Meaghan’s transformation into a formidable off road bikepack racing athlete from t...

In this episode, I chat with Curtis Litun of Pink Weasel Coffee Company. Curtis is an entrepreneur and has been part of 4 different small businesses. Most of you may know him from his premium clothing line, Spandex Panda, but recently Curtis has also begun roasting premium coffee. We recorded this podcast in the roastery that he has set up in his home. Coming from a roasting background myself, I c...

Exclusive content announcement. Starting with "Vibe of the Divide', I am going to start offering exclusive content to supporters starting at the $5 level. Certain episodes will be available to supporters, while truncated versions will will go out to the public. There will still be a ton of public episodes, not to worry. In this teaser, I chat with TD riders from the day before and the morning of t...

It has been a while since I put out a solo podcast and what better time than the week leading up to the 2024 Tour Divide. I’m simultaneously feeling excited for all the riders on their way to the start in Banff and at the same time huge FOMO. You folks are embarking on an adventure that is going to change you life. I’ll see you in Banff on the 14th! Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the pro...

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Drew Raney @raneydayss . Drew recently helped put on a bikepacking event in the Los Padres National Forest in California - Tour de Los Padres - which he completed on a singlespeed! Additionally, he raised $1,000 for his elementary school to give away bikes and start a comprehensive "learn to ride" program for ages 4-6 through the All Kids Bikes organiza...

In this episode, I am speaking with Bill Donahue about his book Unbound: Unforgettable True Stories from the World of Endurance Sports . Bill Donahue is an independent writer who lives in New Hampshire. He has written for Outside, The New York Times Magazine, Bicycling, and Runner's World. In reporting stories, I’ve searched for fallen meteorites in the Sahara Desert, snuck into Manuel Noriega’s a...

In this episode, I’m speaking with Jeff Woodgate, Instructor, guide and owner of Alberta 66 Mountain Biking and a key player in the Grow Kananaskis movement. They’re on a mission to protect over 900 hectares of pristine wilderness in West Bragg Creek and Moose Mountain from logging. Yep, that's the equivalent of 833 soccer fields! Can you imagine? These trails are planned to be logged removing the...

In this episode, I connect with Mike Dion, Director of Ride the Divide (2010), the movie we all know and love and, for many of us, was the catalyst for us to tackle bikepacking races and eventually, the Tour Divide itself. We chat about the films old and new. Mike discusses his process as a creator and the meaning he found creating the film and attempting the route himself. Enjoy... Oh, and for mo...

In this episode of the podcast I connect with Nathan Siemens of the Lost Elephant Ultra Race (drink). We chat about the race itself and the logistics of organizing bikepacking race such as these. We chat about how women are dominating these events as well as other topics. Nathan drove up to Invermere from Cranbrook BC so that we could chat in person. It's rare that I get the chance to sit across t...

I have been wanting to talk to Dean Anderson for some time now. Finally, we were able to connect and we had a great conversation. I have admired Dean's Ultra Endurance efforts for many years. From completing the Triple Crown of bike packing in the US on his single-speed bike to Everesting projects, Dean is always getting after it In this episode he shares how he balances his life with his enduranc...

Katrina @nutrition_with_katrina wants to change your relationship with food. Our relationship with food goes beyond mere sustenance; it's intertwined with our emotions, habits, and overall well-being. Taking the time to evaluate and potentially transform this relationship can have profound effects on our health and happiness. In this conversation, Katrina and I discuss how we go about changing thi...

Just a little self promotion for a 24 hour ride I’ll be doing next week on the Old Coach Road here in the Columbia Valley to raise awareness and donations for Heads Up Guys , a resource that provides men with information and practical tips to manage and prevent depression. I promote the idea of doing hard things and movement through nature as great ways to support mental health, so why not head ou...

Doug Dunlop @coldbike , renaissance man, is a dad, adventure cyclist, musician, and bike mechanic. He is also a sewist specializing in pogies for flat and drop bar bikes and also creates awesome frame bags, one of which packed enormous amounts of gear on my ride down to Mexico on the Divide in 2022. Check out his website to learn more. Doug and I sat down a few weeks ago to record a chat about the...

Apologies for a somewhat scattered podcast. Spinning off a voice intro, I chat about a 24 hour ride I'm planning for February, thanking folks for a great 2023 and share some lessons I learned in 2023 as a result of trying to manifest the future that I want. KTRSD in 2024. Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout. Visit Rollingdale Cycle Thanks to Ottalaus Inc . for...

Hello My Back 40 Community and Happy New Year! 2024; You know they say time flies and what I am finding is that the older I get, the faster it flies. That being said, make sure you tell the people in your life that you love them because in a snap, it could all be gone. I was struggling to come up with something to put out there sooner, but every time I sat at the mic it just seemed so forced, so w...

Apologies for taking so long to get this one out to you! It's been around around 4 years since Mike and I first chatted on the Bikepack Canada Podcast and here we are again, connecting to talk about the Japanese Odyssey. It's always good to connect with Mike who has been fabricating Bikepacking bags for several years now. We chat about the challenges of the 2700km bikepacking route across Japan, a...

In this episode, I shoot the shit with Julian Vicente from Shaka Packs. American born but now living in Canada, this entrepreneur identified a niche in the bikepacking industry. Determined to fill the gap, he took it upon himself to learn to sewing. Now, he crafts stunning custom framebags and accessories to help you cram stuff on to your bike with style. Julian's stoke for his craft shines throug...

Riding the SIlk Road Mountain Race is hard enough, but to choose to do it on a cargo bike would make most of us run the other way. For someone like Allan, who lives life behind bars, this was a challenge that was right up his alley. Allan is the founder of Gay's Okay Cycling . Gay's Okay is a small cycling apparel brand with a big, positive, empowering message: that our cycling community welcomes...

This is just a short podcast to talk about some things that have recently been on my mind. As well, we hear from my buddy Allen Green about the Danger Bird Bikepacking ride happening in New Mexico. To support my audiobook project, please visit my Patreon Page and sign up at the $10/mo level to get access. It’s a wonderful project but a shit ton of work! Thanks in advance for your support. Keep the...

LP Landry @lplandry_overcomecafe is a Psychotherapist and Leadership Coach at Overcome Café , where he helps leaders and cyclists better balance life and work.  I saw he had posted about life balance on LinkedIn, so I invited him to chat about it. I think many of us can use sport as a way to escape. Finding the balance between all aspects of our lives is vital, and it's when that imbalance oc...

I have something a little different for you this week. A friend connected me with Anne-Marie and Abby Berger who needed a place to reset and do some laundry. Both of these women have spent the last couple of years on the road exploring in their vans and working remotely. I figured it was going to be a great opportunity to do a podcast to talk about the meaning people get from this lifestyle. I tal...

Jenifer reached out to me a couple of weeks ago wanting to have a chat. Here's what she wrote in her message to me. "My name is Jennifer, I am the owner of Ignite Health Coaching and Wellness based in Canmore. I help endurance athletes to support their mental health beyond exercise. Mental health issues like depression and anxiety are all too common in endurance athletes, but it’s often not talked...