Podcast
With Pace
Hosted by Payson McElveen · EN
Professional mountain biker Payson McElveen sits down with some of the biggest names in sports and adventure to get an inside look at what sets them apart. With no script, the casual conversations are as diverse as the guests, with topics ranging from harrowing tales of survival, to debates on current events, to everyday tips and tricks and everything in between. As Payson travels the world for his two-wheeled day job, listen in as he rubs shoulders with and learns from some of the most inspiring athletes, entrepreneurs, academics, and others as they chase and inspire greatness.
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Sam Shaw on setting a new FKT on New Zealand’s Great Tracks
2w ago00:58:06Tap to summarizeSam Shaw isn’t your average FKT setter. The Kiwi rider has raced XC, gravel, and Enduro over the years (he was on the podium at XCO nationals just this year), but since getting married and starting a family, he’s worked full-time off the bike as an ecologist and carpenter. Last year, he set the fastest known time between Auckland and Wellington, beating Lachlan Morton’s record. Earlier this month, he set the FKT on the Great Tracks Traverse, a 240-mile route that covers New Zealand’s Paparoa Track, Old Ghost Road, and Heaphy Track, which Payson tackled in 2024. Sam caught up with Payson during his lunch break from building a roof to talk about how he took on the route, including training while commuting, riding a bike he received just hours before setting off, having to plan around conservation laws that put part of the route off limits at night, and fueling. Head to NordVPN.com/WithPace for 4 months off their two-year plan. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Transcribe →Maddie Munro on battling the mud to her first World Cup podium
4w ago00:59:51Tap to summarizeThe first World Cup of the season took place in a new country (South Korea) and featured treacherously muddy conditions that forced riders to navigate large sections of the course on foot. 24-year-old Maddie Munro crossed the finish line in third, using her cyclocross background to propel herself to the best result she’s had since joining the Elite ranks last year. Payson caught up with Maddie to talk about starting the race on tires she’d never ridden, battling with the World Champion at the front of the race, and the emotional reception she received from her team at the finish. They also discuss the broader implications of her result. After signing with Trek Factory Racing at just 18, Maddie did not have her contract renewed after last season, which left her scrambling to find an alternative. Now racing with Liv Cycling, she says she felt at home almost immediately. Head to Saily.com/WithPace and use code WithPace for 15% their new eSIM. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Transcribe →Lauren Stephens and Levi Leipheimer on Levi's GranFondo
May 301:11:27Tap to summarizeThis week, we continue our recap of Levi’s GranFondo with this year’s winner, Lauren Stephens, who checked in from the Tour of the Gila to talk about running her own team, the dismal state of road racing in the US, and her controversial use of race radios during the Sea Otter Classic last month. Then, Payson talks to Levi Leipheimer about why he decided to create Levi’s GranFondo back in 2009, why putting on road races is so much more expensive in the US than it is in Europe, and what gravel events can and can’t learn about race coverage from road events. Head to NordVPN.com/WithPace for an extra four months on their two-year plan.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Transcribe →Brennan Wertz on his unexpected Levi's GranFondo podium
Apr 2901:12:35Tap to summarizeBrennan Wertz wasn’t expecting much at Levi’s GranFondo last weekend. At 6’5” and over 200 pounds, he isn’t the type of rider who usually excels at races with nearly 14,000 feet of climbing, and, to use his own description, he'd “got his doors blown off” last year. But through savvy tactics and a sense of having nothing to lose, he managed to spend most of the six-hour race in two breakaways and landed in fifth after a bunch sprint for the win. On this episode, Brennan gives a play-by-play of his race, including insights on how to pace a breakaway, how he drafts off of much smaller riders, and the moment that he truly took in the magnitude of his effort. This episode is sponsored by Saily. Head to Saily.com/WithPace for 15% off their eSIM.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Transcribe →Sea Otter recap with Sarah Sturm
Apr 1801:03:28Tap to summarizeThe 2026 Life Time Grand Prix is officially underway after an action-packed day at Sea Otter. In the injury-ridden men’s field, Bradyn Lange surged to victory in a sprint finish with Keegan Swenson. In the women’s field, Sofia Gomez-Villafañe took the win in a stacked field that battled headwinds and countless attacks throughout most of the day. Payson sat down with Sarah Sturm to recap the day’s events. Her pregnancy and deferred Grand Prix spot meant that she got to view the race from the other side of the tape, this time as a commentator for the livestream. They discuss the disproportionate number of challenges that faced many of the favorites this year, as well as the standouts, the treacherous finish, and the ascent of the U23 category. Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this episode. Head to NordVPN.com/WithPace to get four extra months on their two-year plan.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Transcribe →Morgan Aguirre on preparing for her first Grand Prix season
Apr 1200:44:24Tap to summarizeIt’s been more than two years since we last had Morgan Aguirre on the show, and since then, a lot has changed for her. After two strong seasons racing gravel mainly in Europe, she is headed for the Grand Prix this year for the first time. Payson caught up with Morgan in Northern California this week, where they are both preparing for Sea Otter. They discuss her suboptimal start to the season, how she’ll be blending European and American events this year for Pas Racing, and which Grand Prix race she’s most nervous about. Get 15% off Saily eSIM data plans with code 'withpace' at https://saily.com/withpace.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Transcribe →Mike Woods on his unlikely WorldTour career and multi-sport retirement plans
Apr 901:04:38Tap to summarizeMike Woods' career in the WorldTour was practically a fluke. After earning a full ride to college for running, he quit the sport over a series of injuries and started riding his dad's bike on the weekends. Fast forward about a decade and he had won three stages of the Vuelta a España and one stage of the Tour de France. Last year, he announced his retirement after over 10 years in the WorldTour. Payson caught up with Mike last week in Andorra to talk about his Cinderella story in cycling and his decision to race some of the toughest endurance events in a wide range of disciplines during his first season of retirement. They also talk about how road racing has changed since Mike first signed a WorldTour contract, and the one race that still haunts him.10% off Alba Optics at albaoptics.ccInstagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Transcribe →Samuele Bressan, Head of Global Marketing for Pirelli's cycling division
Apr 201:01:26Tap to summarizeDuring Payson’s trip to Italy last week to race The Hills, he stopped by the headquarters of his new tire sponsor, Pirelli, for a tour of the factory floor. Afterward, he sat down with Samuele Bressan, the company’s Head of Global Marketing for its cycling division. They discuss why Pirelli, which is primarily known for its high-performance tires for luxury sports cars and Formula 1 racing, decided to start making gravel tires back in 2018, and how their products in that area have evolved since then. They also talk about the testing process (one of their recent tires was tested in no fewer than four wind tunnels), the importance of tire compound in gravel, and Samuele’s history with freeriding and BMX. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Transcribe →George Hincapie on Modern Adventure Pro Cycling and his storied racing career
Mar 2001:01:19Tap to summarizeAfter more than three decades in the sport, George Hincapie has started a new venture this year as the founder of the UCI Pro Road Team Modern Adventure Pro Cycling. It’s already gaining steam much faster than he expected — so fast, in fact, that they’re headed to the Volta a Catalunya and Paris Roubaix this year. George sat down with Payson this week to talk about why he wanted to start a new team, what he hopes they will achieve in the coming years, and why he almost turned down that Roubaix invite. He also talks about his storied racing career, from his early days with the Postal Service to his famous lead-out for Mark Cavendish at Milan-San Remo in 2009 that sealed his dramatic victory. Plus, he reveals the one race that still gives him nightmares.Get 10% off ALBA Optics with code withpace10 at albaoptics.ccInstagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Transcribe →Alex Miller on growing up in rural Namibia and joining Swatt Club
Mar 1601:16:27Tap to summarizeAlex Miller is a two-time Olympic XC racer from Namibia with multiple road and XC marathon national titles. These days, he lives in Girona and races for Swatt Club, splitting his schedule between gravel, road, and mountain bike races. He joins Payson this week to talk about growing up on a 49,000-acre farm in Namibia, his journey to becoming an XC Olympian, the time he beat Matt Beers in a sprint, and how he might have some sneaky WorldTour aspirations. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
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