Detours: Bikepacking, Ultra-Cycling and Adventures by Bike

• Jake Cullen on 16 days down the Tour Divide

  The Tour Divide sits on nearly every bikepack racers’ bucket lists—a someday ride. Someday, when there’s more time, more money, more fitness. Someday when it fits neatly into life. But the reality is, there never is a perfect moment to take on a ride of this magnitude. This year, for Jake, “someday” became this year.With just four months to prepare, Jake lined up in Banff for the 2024 Tour Divide, ready to see what he was capable of. Sixteen days and 4,400 kilometers later, he arrived in Antelope Wells, in 19th overall. It was wild to sit at home and watch his dot fly down the Divide, and beyond special to surprise him at the border in Antelope Wells.In this episode, Jake reflects on the reality of chasing a big dream and what it takes to see it through. He shares how he’s learned to find his own rhythm and trust his own instincts, embrace the unknown, and so much more. Plus, we talk about the dynamic of supporting each other’s ultra racing, and what it was like to be on the other side dotwatching.Topics include:The decision to finally go for it—and what training looked like with four months to prepareLearning to race his own raceGear choices, including a bikepacking bags, camping gear and morePeanut butter mud, windstorms, and post office floorsMental lows, unexpected highs, and crossing the finish line after 16 daysWhat he learned about himself out there on the DivideUp next Colorado Trail RaceP.S. If you’re a new listener, Jake is my husband :)Follow Jake on Instagram: @_jakecullen_ Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebbFollow Detours on Instagram: @detourscyclingFollow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cyclingUse code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from AlbionIf you love this show please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

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• Five Times Unbound XL: Rachel Wills on Ritual, Resilience, and the Allure of the Flint Hills

  Every year, the Flint Hills of Kansas call Rachel Wills back to Unbound XL. At 350 miles, the race is a test of endurance: relentless heat, drivetrain-clogging mud, a horizon that stretches on forever, and a thousand sharp, punchy climbs that chip away at you one by one.Rachel has lined up in five times: finished four, scratched once. And with each ride, she's uncovered a new experience. For her, Unbound XL has become so much more than a race. It’s become a ritual. A way of grounding herself in place, community, and the kind of effort that reveals something new every time.In this episode, Rachel reflects on what’s kept her coming back and how the Flint Hills have shaped her over time. She shares about the power of all women’s spaces like Velocio // Exploro, lessons from big days in the saddle, why tandem wheels are surprisingly great to follow, and the descending advice she picked up from Rebecca Rusch.Topics include:What makes Unbound XL so challenging (and so special)The emotional weight of scratching and coming backGrowth through repetition and ritualRiding with Velocio // Exploro and the power of a women’s teamLetting go of racing for results—and finding something deeperFollow Rachel on Instagram: @rachelawills Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebbFollow Detours on Instagram: @detourscyclingFollow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cyclingUse code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from AlbionIf you love this show please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

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• Community First: Making Bikepacking More Inclusive with Bikepacking Roots

  The pathway into bikepacking isn’t always straightforward—and even with endless routes and resources online, it can still be hard to know where to begin or how to find your people.That’s where Bikepacking Roots comes in: a nonprofit working to make bikepacking more inclusive, accessible, and community-driven.In this episode, Noelle Battle and Danielle Parnes share what it takes to create a truly welcoming ride—from addressing common barriers like gear and confidence to building non-competitive spaces where people can learn, grow, and show up exactly as they are.Topics include: Noelle and Danielle’s very different entries into the sport—and how that shapes the work they do todayTheir BIPOC Bike Adventure Program and it's fuelling grassroots leadership and gear libraries across the U.S.Their Steward Network and how it connects ride leaders, organizers, and route developers across North AmericaTips for planning inclusive, beginner-friendly group ridesWhy their upcoming summits are about so much more than bikepackingResourcesBikepacking Roots WebsiteCommunity Events CalendarBIPOC Bike Adventure ProgramThe Bikepacker's GuideRocky Mountain Summit Sept. 12-15, 2025Get your Detours stickersFollow Bikepacking Roots on Instagram: @bikepackingroots Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebbFollow Detours on Instagram: @detourscyclingFollow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cyclingUse code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from AlbionIf you love this show please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

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• On The Edge: Molly Weaver’s World Record Ride

  On July 6th, after 21 days, 10 hours and 48 minutes, Molly Weaver rolled into Tower Bridge in London—becoming the first woman to set a world record for circumnavigating mainland Britain by bike, breaking a time that had stood for 40 years.A former Women’s WorldTour rider, Molly stepped away from racing after a crash and burnout in 2017. She found her way into ultra-distance events, chasing big landscapes, solo efforts, and above all, fun. But she never fully committed to going all in. Because when you don’t give it everything, failure can’t quite cut as deep.Still, the feeling lingered: maybe she hadn’t yet seen what she was truly capable of. Maybe her past didn’t have to define her future. This year she decided to go all in, chasing the World Record a World Record. Riding 7,732 kilometers around the edge of Britain would take structure, discipline, and belief. And in the process, the effort itself became a form of healing.In this episode, Molly shares the story behind the ride, how she rebuilt her relationship with trying, how her crew carried her through the hardest days, and how raising money for the RNLI gave the effort meaning beyond herself.Topics include:Circumnavigating mainland Britain by bikeSetting a world record and what it really takesHealing through structure and sustained effortLetting go of fear and redefining failureThe difference between a self-supported and supported effortFundraising for the RNLI and riding with purposeAnd yes… the dot-watching catGet your Detours stickersIf you're keen to give Albion cycling clothing a go, use DETOURS15 at checkout for 15% off your order.Follow Molly's adventures on Instagram: @mollyweaver94 Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebbFollow Detours on Instagram: @detourscyclingFollow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cyclingUse code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from AlbionIf you love this show please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

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• Washed Away: Kerry MacPhee on HT550 2025 and Finding Joy in Going Fast

  What do you do when your bike gets swept down a flooded Scottish river, you're soaked to the bone, and miles from the nearest village? Well... you'll have to listen to find out! Kerry is a blazing-fast Scottish ultra racer with deep roots in mountain biking. After racing the Highland Trail 550 for the first time in 2024, finishing just under three hours off the women’s record, she came back in 2025 with her eyes set on it. What followed was an absolutely nail-biting race between her and eventual women's winner Emma Bateup (our last guest), with both women pushing the pace through torrential rain, flash floods, and highland bog. In this conversation, Kerry breaks down what really happened out there: from stormy river crossings to the moment her bike got pulled away by the current, and the long, cold walk that followed. We talk about how she's built an off-road racing life while juggling three jobs, her past as an elite mountain biker and triathlete, and how she's navigating what it means to race fast, chase joy, and tell stories that bring others along for the ride.Topics include:Highland Trail 550Racing with joy vs. racing to win, and why it’s not either/orFueling, body image, and strength in endurance sportSharing the dots and building community through storytellingWorking three jobs while riding at the top level of bikepackingGet your Detours stickersIf you're keen to give Albion cycling clothing a go, use DETOURS15 at checkout for 15% off your order.Follow Kerry's adventures on Instagram: @kerrymacphee Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebbFollow Detours on Instagram: @detourscyclingFollow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cyclingUse code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from AlbionIf you love this show please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

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