Mateo Páez

SLEEPING IN THE MIDDAY SUN is a series of photographs by @sean__greene taken along Colorado’s Continental Divide following @whatswrongwithpaez during the Tour Divide. The work examines loss, vulnerability, resilience, and grief through the lens of ultra-endurance. Set against the vast expanse of the American West, it considers how memory lingers in both body and terrain, and how grief, like the land itself, quietly absorbs what time leaves behind. The work is accompanied by a poem written by Caitlin Lorraine Johnson, a poet and arts writer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

ride all night - paddle all day an honest effort for multi sport earth boy. spring in Oregon can’t be beat. saw a river otter and a couple humans, all in good spirits. birds and arachnids own this river valley. #toycamera

sharing in long form. @tourtewaipounamu link in bio. thanks @ospreyimagery @antonmcgeachen @samisauri for the amazing photos.

Death Valley 1999 ? * 5 days on the #dethloop probably the first time I brushed my teeth, one t shirt, dirty everything, still recovering from another huge bike ride. mind, body, spirit. high on life. Glad I got to spend it with a load of freaks in the mind melting desert, especially pictured here with the Kurt Cobain of bikepacking @evanchristenson Not sure what’s next but it’ll involve getting lost and scared hopefully. 📸 - @wheresbarra ( the future of hobomaxxing cyclist) watch out

i love my bike, i love my friends, i love being outside. inspired by all of you in so many different ways. keep going no matter what! @chrisburkard shot all of these when we rode the @monumental_loop a few months ago. Everyone here is doing really really big, scary, challenging bike rides this year and they motivate me to do the same 🩵

@nonormalco cold foam trail latte straight from the source. #nonormalcoffee #keenas #cheekycoffee

sometimes i think about this place & it makes me really happy despite all the constant horrible news.

___Happy National Slug Day___ This year is a special one for us here at Slug HQ as we’re introducing our first sponsored athlete. Meet: Mateo Paez, aka Earth Boy aka @whatswrongwithpaez Mateo is an ultra-endurance rider who calls Bend, OR, home. He spent his formative years in San Francisco, riding fixed all over the city, while commuting to and from SF State. Mateo defines his chosen discipline as ‘Competitive Exploration’, more commonly known as Ultra Endurance and Bikepack racing. Mateo is more than an endurance athlete, though. As he puts it, “I want to inspire people to take chances and apply themselves to whatever that may be, mentally, physically, and spiritually, to the natural world around us. Whether it is by bicycle or not, WE are capable of so much more than we are taught in school.” We are elated to have him on the team and look forward to sharing more soon, including his recap of DETH LOOP. Photos: fellow Bend-based Slug rider, @jakeszy Drop a comment to welcome him, and follow along @whatswrongwithpaez #slug | #slugcorp | #slugbicycles

DETH LOOP #3 on the toy camera. heaps mates in the valley of death turned life by winter storm & a super bloom. it was special. now I’m just waiting for DLTR… @notchas @alvinescajeda @john_benett @labelibula @jasonshafer @gregg_sees_the_world @adrian.andrada @wheresbarra @speedmeow @sparetimewerewolf @warmth.worm @terrybarentsen @liamyates @hugo.pinof @aly.winkler @evanchristenson @timgonewild @basrotgans @sean_eric_martin @jaredbaber @birbsprunter @whatswrongwithpaez

racetrack runway @dethloop2026 Who wore it better ??? comment for a chance to win an all expenses paid trip to Mallorca with @liamyates !!!! #bikepackingfashion

It’s been just over 2 weeks since finishing @tourtewaipounamu & I’m still reeling at the concept of getting this thing done. It truly tested every single skill that I’ve learned from the 15+ bikepacking races I’ve done. *six days straight with wet feet ✅ trench foot management * sleeping in a drenched down sleeping bag for 5 hours ✅ (no alarm since all electronics failed) I guess I needed sleep? * rough stuff in the dark ✅ dampier, stag saddle, hawkdun range, lammerlaw tops * getting disqualified ✅ managing that wasn’t easy, it’s really hard to push through these things when the “racing” aspect is the nudge that I need to be uncomfortable for days on end! * trusting my gear and going lightweight ✅ first race I’ve done without any insulated jacket. Did I want it ? Yes. Did I need it? No! *managing injury ✅ ankles departed after hope kiwi/dampier range fiasco, knowing what I could and couldn’t push through was a lesson in patience. &&& of course, thanks to @brianinpics for creating this monster and allowing me to push on despite breaking an important rule, I slept on private land, it’s a long story and confusing, just like bikepacking. #waywayharder #tourtewaipounamu @antonmcgeachen 📸 shot this while descending to the pub in Otematata for a takeaway chicken burger 🍔

it wasn’t all about the race, this is the real Waipounamu with my favorite gem of all. 1. favorite things on the island. 2. farmhouse cute 3.birdlings flat - goforit! 4. farewell 5. evening walks with fig wenlock ps. valentines day isn’t real but birthdays are - happiest of days to you @oliviabrumwell