Bikes or Death

My guest today is someone who is no stranger to the front of the field. A perennial podium finisher as a professional mountain biker, and over the past decade-plus one of the most accomplished ultra-endurance cyclists on the planet, he has first-place finishes at the Tour Divide, AZT, CTR, and many many more. The truth is, I'd need to create an entirely new podcast series to fully unpack the range, depth, and longevity of his career as a lifelong cyclist. For that reason, he's a man who truly needs no introduction: Kurt Refsnider.

Most recently, Kurt became the first person to ride the 5,000-plus-mile Orogenesis Route -- a project more than a decade in the making, shaped by many contributors over the years. Like the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the Orogenesis Route traverses North America from the Canadian border to the Mexican border, but it instead features as much singletrack as they can pack in - 50% of the route is singletrack. And when it reaches the border, the route doesn't stop. It intercepts and continues down the Baja Divide, one of the most iconic bikepacking routes in the world.

This was no small undertaking. Not only was this Kurt's biggest bikepacking trip to date, but he was also the first person to put bike tires on large portions of the route—sections that had only been scouted digitally and pieced together through community knowledge. Inevitably, that meant running into real roadblocks. This wasn't just a bikepacking trip; it was a true bike adventure. I can think of no one more qualified to take on a project of this scale, both physically and mentally, than Kurt.

It was an absolute pleasure to have him back on the podcast. He's a true OG and a legend in the sport for very good reason. And beyond all the accolades, he's simply a genuinely kind and thoughtful human being.

The Bikes or Death Podcast is Presented by Old Man Mountain

To support this work: www.Patreon.com/bikesordeath

Kurt's website: https://www.ultramtb.net/

Orogenesis Collective: https://orogenesiscollective.org/

We're kicking off the year with a special guest—Eric House! We met up in the Sam Houston National Forest for a bit of a role reversal; this time, Eric took the mic to interview me. I gave him free rein to ask anything, resulting in a wide-ranging conversation that covered everything from the silly to the serious.
The heart of our chat focused on the last six years of work that culminated in 2025 with the launch of the WTS Showdown and the completion of the Texas Showdown Series. We also looked ahead to 2026, discussing my goals for Doom High Watch and my current training mindset.
Eric is a fantastic interviewer who asks truly meaningful questions, including a "gamut" of listener inquiries that kept me on my toes. Of course, it wouldn't be a proper meetup without some trail time—prior to recording, we squeezed in a mountain bike ride that turned into a total adventure involving getting lost, a minor collision, and hiking our bikes out on our shoulders. It was perfect.
Bikes or Death is presented by https://oldmanmountain.com/
www.patreon.com/bikesordeath to support the show ☠️

For the past five years, the Texas Showdown Series has been slowly, inevitably, drifting west. We started in the dense, pine-soaked forests of East Texas, moved through the rugged limestone of the Hill Country, but the destination was always clear: Big Bend.

Few landscapes in the world capture the heart and soul the way West Texas does. For those willing to push themselves to the edge, something different waits out there—something ancient, indifferent, and extraordinary. In the world of ultra-cycling, that "something" takes the shape of the West Texas Showdown.

The WTS doesn't just test riders. It strips them down. It pushes them to their limits and then, without apology or sympathy, asks for more. Out there, the desert becomes your only companion—its silence broken only by your groans, your breathing, and the steady reminder that you are very far from comfort.

And the numbers tell the story: only 32% of the field finished the course.
In the Showdown category, the desert claimed all but three riders. Fifteen started. Three rolled into Terlingua.

Despite the brutality of the route, the racing was electric and equally unrelenting. A small but mighty group battled back and forth across the miles, creating genuine, edge-of-your-seat dot-watching. It wasn't clear who would take the win until the final stretch, and by then everyone—riders, spectators, and the desert itself—had given everything they had.

When the dust settled, here's who was left standing:

1st — Kyle Gilbert — 2d 5h 44m
2nd — Hannah Simon — 2d 16h 17m
3rd (DFL) — Robert Shine — 2d 19h 33m

These three deserve every ounce of praise and recognition—not just for surviving the desert, but for putting on one hell of a race. Everyone who was out there knows how hard they had to fight, and they earned the respect of the entire field.

On today's episode, I sat down with Kyle and Hannah in the back of DogSpeed Cycling in Austin, TX to talk all things WTS. At this point, they are the leading experts on the event, and we went deep: strategy, equipment, tire choice, water management, drop bags, preparation—you name it. Whether you're thinking about tackling WTS or you just want to hear two incredible humans break down an unforgettable ride, this episode is for you.

On a personal note, hosting both Kyle and Hannah at their very first ultra-cycling race back at ETS 2021 was one of the highlights of my time in this community. Seeing them return nearly five years later—stronger, wiser, and standing atop the WTS podium—was a full-circle moment that I'll never forget. I couldn't be prouder of these two, and I have no doubt they'll keep pushing boundaries and inspiring others along the way.
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The party starts again at the 6th Edition of East Texas Showdown at the Bullet Grill in Point Blank, TX. Need to know:
- March 27th-29th, 2026
- Registration Open now
- Showdown (395 miles), Slowdown (275 miles), Lowdown (160 miles)
- NEW FOR 2026 we're introducing a Gravél option. Please say "hi" to the 69 miles Gravél Throwdown. This is a unique race format that introduces another opportunity for others to get in on the action over the weekend, but it also presents a new challenge for the ultra-cylists - anyone who finishes the Showdown or Slowdown before Sunday at 7am can enter the Throwdown for free. Should make for a really dynamic race...a battle between gravel racers and ultra-cyclists - its the Gravél Throwdown y'all!
- more info can be found at TexasShowdownSeries.com

Thanks to our newest Patrons!!!

Dustin Mareth

Indiana Shulz

Manuel Busse

Dave Milam 

Borja G

Join them won't you?! - Patreon.com/bikesordeath

We're 60 days out from the 3rd annual Central Texas Showdown grand depart, so let's talk about it!
To talk about CTS I brought in a couple experts.  Andrea Roelofs has participated in the Central Texas Lowdown the first 2 years.  And Javian Quinones has participated in the East Texas Slowdown and came in 5th place this last year at the Central Texas Showdown.
I'm stoked to have both of them in the studio to share their experiences and expertise.  It was great to get both perspectives from the competitive and non-competitive fields as both are an important component to the CTS experience. 
Listen to today's episode.  Get stoked.  And join us in 60 days for the 3rd Central Texas Showdown in the Texas Hill Country.
"The Hills are Calling" 
EPISODE LINKS
TxORA: https://www.txora.org/
TxORA Hill Country Relief Fund: https://www.txora.org/floodresponse
RYDB Fest: https://www.ozarkgravelcyclists.com/rydb-fest
Central Texas Showdown: https://texasshowdownseries.com/central-texas-showdown/
NEW PATRONS
Chuck Willox 
Join them won't you?  www.patreon.com/bikesordeath

Today on the Bikes or Death podcast it's all about the ladies!  For the first time ever I turned the microphone, and podcast, over to the talented Kayla Hall who guest hosted today's episode!
 
Her guests for today's podcast are Abi Snyder, Jenny Klecak, and Leila Husain, who among other things, participated in this year's Rockstar Challenge.  A 270ish mile, singletrack focused, backcountry bikepacking race in Virginia that boasts about 40k feet of elevation.  
 
Each of these Rockstar Women put on an impressive performance, all beating the previous Fastest Known Time.  Abi took the overall Grand Depart win and set a new FKT.  Leila was 3rd overall and 2nd place female.  And, Jenny, who had to scratch from the Grand Depart came back just 2 weeks later and set a new FKT, besting Abi's time by 2 hours.
 
Another story from today's episode that caught my ear was when Leila got a stick lodge into her leg on a descent.  I'll let Leila tell that story, but trust me, you're gonna wanna hear it (or maybe not 😬).
 
I want to send a special shout out to Kayla for doing such a fantastic job facilitating a fun and engaging conversation!  She emailed me this idea a couple of months ago and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to turn the platform over to the ladies for this conversation.  And she killed it!  Kayla is lining up for the Silk Road Mountain Race in a couple of days, so make sure to send her some good vibes.
 
Housekeeping: my computer is on the fritz and I can't post this to the Bikes or Death website yet, so in the meantime just find it wherever you pod (or in my bio links).
 
Episode Sponsors:
 
RYDB Fest: Three days of riding bikes in the Arkansas Ozarks.  We've got a little something for everyone: a Beginner Friendly Community Overnighter, the Fayetteville Ultra Circuit, and Gravel Crit, and we'll have workshops and an expo for you to enjoy on Friday.  Come ride your damn bike with us in Arkansas! 
 
Central Texas Showdown: The second in the Texas Showdown Series we visit the iconic Hill Country.  With distances from 88 to 500 miles, competitive and non-competative options, we've got a little something for everyone who loves to ride bikes in beautiful places with rad humans.  Whether you're a seasoned racer or a first timer, this is the perfect event for you to ride your damn bike in the Texas Hill Country!
 
New Patrons 🫡
Matthew Trinneer
Paul Mendricks