My Back 40

In this Episode of the My Back 40 podcast, I chat with Dale Marchand about the evolution of Rollingdale Cycle @rollingdalecycles, based in St. Albert, Alberta.  After taking Paul Brodie’s @brodie8191 Framebuilding 101 course and then a titanium frame welding course at UBI in Ashland, Oregon, Dale launched himself into the world of building custom titanium frames. Dale is a details oriented gu...

Heather Plewes @h.p.sauce and Paulo LaBerge @crankngrind are a dynamic bikepacking duo that I have been following on Instagram for some time now. If you’re not already familiar with these folks, you will be after this episode. It was a pleasure to finally sit down and have a chat with them. Heather and Paulo are well travelled bikepackers, passionate Esker Cycles ambassadors and fantastic story te...

As a certified whitewater rafting instructor, Cameron wants to help people get their feet wet in the world of Packrafting. Cameron @camdube grew up in the Whitewater Region in Ontario, an area famous all over the world for its excellent paddling. During his time as the director of the Beachburg Off Road Cycling Association , they have built 40km of single track and are the hosts of the BORCA Sprin...

Miiro Michael wants to promote youth cycling in Masaka, Uganda. He saw the cycling talent in his region and was inspired to try to showcase these talents by starting the Masaka Cycling Club . Miiro wants to help girls, boys and disabled youth discover the joys of cycling. He’s built a committee of dedicated individuals to help him realize his dream, but he needs help. I wanted to get this conversa...

Robert Bigelow-Rubin (@flowers_for_nearl) is a bike messenger working at a Cut Cats Courier , an independent worker-owned and operated company in Chicago, IL. I first met Robert in Merritt, B.C. at a BBQ the night before the start of the 2018 BC Epic 1000. After riding across the province, he looked fresh and ready to tackle the route. Unfortunately, he had to call it after experiencing some achil...

I first met Katrina at the Rum Runner in Coleman, Alberta the evening before the start of the 2017 Alberta Rockies 700. What stood out to me most about Katrina was her positive energy and infectious smile. Katrina has seen a lot of the world through her athletic endeavours as an adventure racer, rugby player and cyclist. When the love seemed to have fizzled from her marriage, She planned a bike tr...

Since today is Mother’s Day, I thought I would do something a little different. This week on the My Back 40 podcast I bring you… My Mom, Betty O’Shaughnessy. Betty lives life to the fullest in Arnprior, Ontario where she and my Dad, Darrel decided to retire. You’ll hear about what parenting was like in the 70’s, the importance of keeping active in the later years and you might hear me divulge some...

I became interested in chatting with Trish about her cycling adventures after the 2019 Bikepack Canada Summit in Canmore AB. last September. I knew that she would have some great stories to share to inspire others. In this episode of the My Back 40 podcast, Trish shares stories from her adventures on two wheels. From racing the BC Epic 1000 to touring in the wilds of Iceland to her experience at a...

What screams out classic, high fashion, Italian cycling clothing better than a big ol’ panda! Curtis Litun of The Spandex Panda wants you to change the way you think about cycling clothing. His line of Italian made, merino wool shorts, jerseys and accessories is technical and practical. Now you don’t have to look and smell like a dirt bag while enjoying your post ride cappuccino and pastry. In thi...

More than just a Hashtag, #RideForward is an ethos. Whether facing the adversities of ultra endurance racing or of life, Jay’s motto drives him and keeps him moving forward despite the challenges. I’ve been wanting to have a conversation with Jay for a while now and when our schedules finally aligned we connected for a chat about riding bikes, pushing physical limits and the changing landscape of...

This is the second time I’ve had the privilege of having a conversation with Matthew Bain (MEd., MA. Registered Provisional Psychologist Mental Performance Consultant). The last time we spoke was on Bikepack Canada Podcast Ep.61, in which we chatted about the psychological mechanics of motivation. Having a strategy and mindset for coping with the recent Covid-19 Pandemic is probably one of the mos...

Most of you will likely be aware of who Lennard is but for those of you don’t, he’s the mastermind behind the Buckshot and the BC Epic 1000 ultra endurance races. I was excited to ride the Epic again this year and try to knock off some time. Well, it turns out that this may not be the year after all. Lennard is a family physician, so speaking with him provided a realistic outlook as to what the su...

One of my main goals with the My Back 40 podcast is to explore my curiosities and cover topics that pique my interest. This podcast with Vince Hempsall, Managing Editor of Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine, is about a journey, not through the vast forests of British Columbia or across the deserts of Morocco, but a journey inward, deep into consciousness. After reading the story, Ayahuasca – Shoul...

Ty Domin is an Australian single speeder, bikepacker and all around good dude. I’ve wanted to have a conversation with Ty for a long time and it was a blast talking with him. Ty spent this past summer touring around western Canada looking for a place to call home in the not so distant future. Ty is a passionate cyclist having dipped his toes into many of its disciplines, from road to track to MTB....

In this episode of the My Back 40 Podcast, I chat with Marc SInclair. Marc is passionate about building the bikepacking scene in Ontario and has done so by creating a couple of great events. Cannon Ball 300 - The Cannon Ball 300 route was created as an introductory 300Km bikepacking route that allows riders to gain experience bikepacking without having to choose between weeks away from life's resp...

What better way to round out the trifecta of Atlas Mountain Race podcasts than to bring you the top women’s finisher, Jenny Tough. Jenny @jennytough is an explorer, an endurance athlete and finds meaning by pushing her limits in the mountains. Jenny is no stranger to endurance events and is on a mission to run a mountain range on every populated continent. Jenny has completed runs in Asia, Africa,...

One of the most interesting things about bikepack endurance racing is how different the experiences can be from one athlete to the next. This week on the My Back 40 Podcast, I speak with RJ Sauer. RJ finished the Atlas Mountain Race, but not without him walking over 150km with an angry drivetrain. To say that this man possesses perseverance is an understatement. While many would have scratched and...

Welcome to the first episode of the My Back 40 Podcast. What better way to begin then to have a conversation with Sofiane Sehili, the winner of the inaugural Atlas Mountain Race, which took place in Morocco on February 15 2020. The race, which starts in Marrakech, would take riders 1148km through the Atlas Mountains to the finish in Agadir. Sofiane finished this arduous track in 3 days, 21 hours a...