The Arizona Trail Race is a massive undertaking for any rider — rocky singletrack, long stretches of hike-a-bike, and a full bike portage through the Grand Canyon. It’s an especially bold choice for your first bikepacking race.

This week, Detours listener Kara Woolgar joins the show after finishing the AZT DFL, a result she’s genuinely proud of (and we are too!!). Kara describes herself as fun sized, which means she’s had to get creative with packing on an extra-small frame. She also has a long list of food allergies, making resupply on the trail uniquely challenging.

In our conversation, Kara shares how she got into bikepacking, how she built confidence through local rides and overnighters, and what it was like to spend 17 days working her way up the state of Arizona. From near race-ending blisters to a heartwarming note left for her in a hiking ledger, Kara shares all about her ride at the back of the pack.

Check out Kara's Instagram for write-ups on her experience: @karawoolgar

Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb

Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling

Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling

Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion

If you love this show please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

The Triple Crown of bikepacking is a massive undertaking: three iconic routes, thousands of kilometres, and a season that demands a hell of a lot from you.

In this episode of Detours, I sit down with my husband, Jake, to look back on his year racing across the United States, and everything that he's learned from taking on the Triple Crown Challenge.

We talk about the early momentum he built on the Divide, the altitude sickness that nearly stopped him on the Colorado Trail, the slow, steady grind of the Arizona Trail, and so much more. We also get into what it's like to watch a loved one take on these races from the sidelines.

Follow Jake on Instagram: @_jakecullen_

Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb

Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling

Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling

Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion

If you love this show please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

The beauty of riding is that it can hold so many versions of us at once — the traveller, the dreamer, the person who loves a challenge, and the person who wants to prioritize fun.

Hélène Fromenty is a journalist and bikepacker has been bike touring for years, but Silk Road was her first ever mountain bike ultra — raced as a pair with her partner Stefan — and the experience opened up an entirely new corner of the sport for her. She doesn’t see herself as a racer, and approaches riding through a lens of curiosity, connection, and joy. But after Silk Road, she wanted to understand what she could do on her own. So she lined up solo at Trans Pyrenees Gravel Edition… and won the women’s race.

In this conversation, Hélène shares:

• how she learned to mountain bike just months before lining up at Silk Road Mountain Race
• navigating the tension between protecting the joy of riding and wanting to see her own potential
• what her life as a journalist actually looks like day-to-day (and how she squeezes training into it)
• imposter feelings after SRMR and how Trans Pyrenees helped her find her footing
• the mechanical disaster that almost derailed her race — and the calm she surprised herself with
• and how bikes are so much more than a sport

Follow Hélène on Instagram: @hfrome

Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb

Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling

Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling

Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion

If you love this show please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast