Bikes or Death

@maddy_nutty just made her mark on ultra-cycling in her very first attempt. Last weekend she signed up for @thetraka 560, after completing the 360 the previous three years. This year she lined up against a stacked field for 560km of Gironia which a goal in mind — to beat the previous record. Whether that effort was good enough to win the event wouldn’t be known until she crossed the finish line. Amid a lot of conversations surrounding this years Traka, Maddy’s stands out as something worth celebrating - a new FKT! Congrats Maddy, welcome to the club 🫡 📷 @thetraka p/b @oldmanmountainracks Support Patreon.com/BikesorDeath RYDB @texasshowdownseries #bikesordeath #ultracycling #thetraka #rideyourdamnbike

We’re gearing up for the second edition of @rydbfest in Fayetteville, AR — May 22-24. In today’s episode, we’re breaking down everything you can expect this year. You’ll hear from some of the team and supporters behind RYDB Fest as we get ready to welcome you to Northwest Arkansas for a full weekend of Bikes… or Death. Podcast available wherever you pod. More info about @rydbfest in the bio ✌🏻 #rideyourdamnbike #rydbfest

“Live From the Bikepacking Campout at Sea Otter” Ep. 212 | Available wherever you pod! This was my first time attending @seaotterclassic , and yeah—it’s everything it’s hyped up to be. Bikes as far as the eye can “sea.” At times it was overwhelming just how massive this event is. I overheard someone say, “It’s impossible to see or do it all in a weekend, so you gotta have a targeted approach.” They weren’t wrong. Every discipline, niche, and category of cycling is represented, including bikepackers. But even at Sea Otter, it can be hard to find “your people” in the sea of bikes. This year @oldmanmountainracks created a space just for us. Nestled about a mile from the main event, they set up camp and, with the help of industry partners, created something truly special in the hills west of the Salinas Valley—a Campout and After Party for bikepackers, by bikepackers. In today’s episode, I speak with attendees and brands who were there. We discuss new products, industry trends, and take you inside the Bikepacking Campout. Spoiler alert: everyone loved it. Head over to BikesorDeath.com for the full write-up and photo gallery from the weekend 📷 @dontskinthefox @oldmanmountainracks would like to thank the following partners that helped make this event a major success: @ridepriority @toutterrain @ortlieb_usa @swiftindustries @outer.shell @sklarbikes @feedbacksports @revelatedesigns @salsacycles @abus_cycling

Twin Knobs 🌲 On Saturday night participants of the Community Overnighter have the option to hike or bike up Twin Knobs. Sunset soirée anyone? This video is from a @ozarkgravelcyclists trip that followed a similar route to the one we are doing. Views like this are just one of the many reasons I love riding in Arkansas. Need more info? Ready to register? Links in bio! #rideyourdamnbike #rydbfest #experiencefayetteville

Lake Wedington Trails: Our fifth trail system highlight. Just a short ride from downtown Fayetteville, Lake Wedington should be a local favorite. And if it isn’t already, it’s about to be. A mix of flowy singletrack and rocky, rowdy terrain woven together by some of the best gravel roads in the region, this is a complete outdoor playground sitting right in the backyard of one of the country’s great cycling towns. Full Circuit and Punchy Middle Child riders will pass through the Lake Wedington area near the end of the race, before making their way back to Fayetteville via fast gravel and pavement sections. The only trail systems waiting for them will be the locally beloved Centennial Park and Markham Hill trails. Those partaking in the community overnighter led by Patrick of @bikesordeath will soak up everything Lake Wedington has to offer. Trails, gravel, sunset hikes, and camp hangs with friends old and new. 📷 @mixed.soil.media

Introducing our 2026 Community Overnighter Rider Leaders 🫡 First up, hailing from our host city of Fayetteville, AR — Natalie Peat aka “The Nat Daddy” Natalie is one of the top ultra-endurance cyclists in the country. She’s gone back-to-back on the @doombikepacking podium (and stacked plenty more along the way) and knows exactly how to handle long days when things get tough. More importantly… she knows how to pace a group, solve problems, and keep the ride fun. Whether it’s your first overnighter or your fiftieth, you’re in good hands. Next up — Patrick Farnsworth Host of @bikesordeath and Race Director of the @texasshowdownseries He’s spent years riding, racing, and telling stories from across the bikepacking world. He’s not here to drop you — he’s here to make sure you finish with a story worth telling. Patrick recently demonstrated his Pro Slow capabilities at this year’s DOOM High Watch, rolling in 44th place. #proslow And rounding it out — Jared Himstedt Strong, steady, and the guy you want around when things go sideways. He’s got the miles, the know-how, and the calm “we’ll figure it out” energy that keeps a group moving when legs are tired and plans change. Jared was one of our ride leaders at West Texas LOWDOWN, where he successfully made sure no one died in the desert. We expect similar results in Arkansas. Beginner-friendly. Everyone welcome. Good people. Good miles. One night out. 📷 @yungfinnishkid / @mixed.soil.media / @kaicaddy / @bencorda #rideyourdamnbike

RYDB Fest Community Overnighter — let’s talk about it! Two route options (Gravel or Gravel + trails) 58 or 69 miles on a modified version of the Lake Wedington looped developed by @bikepackingroots . Patrick of @bikesordeath will be leading the ride, but he’s not alone! This ride is well supported thanks to generous partners and friends 🫶🏻 Nickel Potter from @phattirebikeshop will be our ride along mechanic and he’ll be ready to assist with most trail side repairs 🛠️ Brannon Pack from @fayettevillear will be our SAG and is ready to get you to camp no matter what 🫡 At camp, William Edger with @wanderoutdooradventurehub will be whipping up some hotdogs, hamburgers, and stellar camp vibes 🌭🎉 And Jared Himstead is providing some @balconesdistilling to wash it down 🥃 That’s just a taste! We’ve got much more to share about the overnighter and the rest of the weekend in the upcoming weeks. Already sold? Want more info? Links are in our bio ✌🏻 #rideyourdamnbike

RYDB Fest is one month away and the excitement here in downtown Fayetteville is really starting to boil 🔥 📍Alongside our friends @fayettevillear , we’ve got an incredibly fun week lined up to celebrate cycling, community, and craft here in the Ozarks. 👉 Swipe for a peak at the schedule, then help us share the good word far and wide with all your outdoor adventure friends & families. We’ll continue to share more on each days happenings as we get closer, but for now here’s a glimpse of the good times ahead 🤘 📸: @mixed.soil.media X @kaicaddy

This is not a test. CTS ‘26 reg is OPEN NOW! The Trees are Calling Competitive and non-competitive options ranging from 89 to 509 miles. Three @gravel.throwdown routes: 60.9, 32, & 24 miles. Get in where ya fit in and we’ll see you in the Hill Country 🫡 p/b @oldmanmountainracks

Damn… y’all were FAST this year 🫡 ETS ’26 served up perfect (by Texas standards) conditions. Riders were treated to a tailwind out AND tailwind back. Don’t know if we’ll see that again for a long time! After years of rain, mud, and suffering… the script flipped. And y’all did NOT waste it. We saw Record times in EVERY. SINGLE. CATEGORY. Showdown (393 mi)�Men — @conor.obrian // 23h 52m�Women — @meaghanhackinen // 1d 2h 22m�Men SS — @jemappelle_tomas // 1d 3h 9m Slowdown (273 mi)�Men — @amatureryan // 18h 17m�Women — @acwhite1 // 24h 26m�Men SS — @evan_rides // 23h 17m These are the marks. …for now 😈 p/b @oldmanmountainracks

Here we go again. Registration for the 4th edition of Central Texas Showdown opens April 23 at High Noon. If CTS has been on your radar, this is your sign to quit messing around and make this the year. Patrick has been cooking up new route options for 2027, which means this may be your last shot at these roads for a while. Also new for CTS ’26: @gravel.throwdown on Sunday. More details coming soon, but right now we’re looking at two options: 60.9 miles and 32 miles. And since we’re already here helping you map out your year, swipe to the second slide for West Texas Showdown dates. 🤘🏻 Set your alarms and be ready at High Noon!

Can you imagine packing up everything you own on a bicycle, riding away from your home with plans to cycle the world over the next four years? Now imagine it’s your first bike tour. That’s exactly what Jacob Ashton (@occasional_bikepacker ) did in 2016 when he rolled away from his home in Idaho. Over the next four years, he would cover roughly 77,000 miles, visit 100 countries, and ride across six continents. His travels were not without challenges. He was confronted by machete-wielding villagers in Mozambique, lost a finger to frostbite while climbing Ojos del Salado in Chile, and experienced a bowel obstruction in Khorog, Tajikistan that required major surgery and temporarily paused his tour. To date, he’s accumulated over 120,000 miles, visited 108 countries, and ridden on six continents—and he’s not done. Jacob and I also competed in @doombikepacking this year and then he rode 400 miles to the start line of East Texas Showdown - @texasshowdownseries 🫡 2nd slide is the drone shot I talked about in today’s episode that was captured by @nathan_khalsa at ETS this year. EPISODE SPONSORS @oldmanmountainracks x Sea Otter Campout – Going to Sea Otter? Make sure to swing by the OMM Bikepacking Campout & After Party. I’ll be there too, come find me :) @rydbfest Community Overnighter - May 22nd - 24th in Fayettville, AR. Use code bikesordeath_rydb_26 for 20% off reg. 🫶🏻 New Patrons 🫶🏻 David Lieble Tomas Perez Andrew Humes Robert Keller Join us won’t you at /BikesorDeath