Ellen Van Dijk always had a need for speed. Becoming a speed skater at eight and cycling since the age of ten, Ellen has been competing for most of her life. Ultimately Ellen found more success as a cyclist, having become a national cycling champion for the fifth time in 2007, so she quit speed skating and became a full-time cyclist. Racking up the world title successes, Ellen decided she would try her hand at claiming a world record. So in April 2022, Ellen announced she would try to b...

Every fall, thousands come to Trek’s global headquarters in Waterloo, WI, for one weekend to witness riders from all over the world race at the Trek CX Cup. From juniors, to weekend warriors, to the top riders, everyone is welcome at Trek’s CX Cup. And all certainly feel welcomed when greeted with cowbells, people in costumes, a world-class course, food, beer, and one hell of a good time. But the Trek CX Cup that started in 2017 is more than just a good time; it has been instrumental in ...

Valentina Höll has been cycling for the better part of her life. Growing up in a rural town in Austria with parents who were avid cyclists, she soon found her way into the sport. Vali's journey began at just the age of three, but it wasn't until she won her first race against a bunch of boys at thirteen that she knew she had found her calling.By age twenty, Valentina Höll captured three World Championship titles, one of which was in 2022, just a few weeks before recording this episode. Fortun...

Each year one hundred and fifty thousand cyclists ride on Mount Diablo. Unfortunately, the risk they take is too familiar to cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians alike; the threat of motor vehicle collisions. Since 2000, Mount Diablo has claimed over 21 fatalities and counting. According to Alan Kalin, President of Mount Diablo Cyclists, California State Parks is not doing enough to prevent the resulting injuries to Park visitors who ride bicycles, so he’s decided to take matters into his own...

You may not know, but last year, former Trek-Segafredo stand-out turned gravel racer Kiel Reijnen had one of the craziest weeks in sports. Not only did it include running 18 miles (on gravel) after his bike broke down, but he also embarked on a 5-day boat race with his daughter the day after. So what exactly happened? Who is Kiel Reijnen? And why is gravel racing cycling's fastest-growing discipline? In this episode, we kick back with professional gravel athlete, Kiel Reijnen, to answer ...

Imagine this—your job is to feed an entire team of athletes tackling some of sport’s most brutally taxing events on the road more than 200 days a year, you’ll be in a new kitchen every night, and you have to make sure that what you create satisfies their body’s needs as well as their tastebuds. Sound good?In this episode, we sit down with Trek-Segafredo’s team chef Bram Lippens to talk about one of the most important yet less visible jobs in all of pro cycling. Along with behind-the-scenes st...

Jolanda Neff is known for many things, including winning gold in the 2021 Olympics, being a 14x World Cup Champion, being a 16x Elite World, European or Swiss National Champion, and being awarded Pink Bikes' 2021 Comeback Athlete of the Year. Jolanda has such an impressive resume that we had to split our conversation with her into two parts! If you haven't heard part one, be sure to check it out below.In part two of our conversation with Jolanda Neff, we fire Jolanda with questions about her ...

Back in 2019, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jolanda Neff. A cyclist known for her diversity in three different disciplines: road, mountain, and cyclocross. But as we welcome her back in 2022, she's now known for winning Gold for Women's Mountain Biking at the 2021 Olympics. Along with being an Olympic Gold Medalist, Jolanda is a 14x World Cup Champion, 16x Elite World, European or Swiss National Champion, and Pink Bikes' 2021 Comeback Athlete of the Year. We had so much to catch up...

Eric Bjorling is back for the revival of Better with Bikes with his new co-host, Richie Burke. The two discuss Richie’s rich history with Trek–considering he’s the son of Trek’s President, John Burke, there’s a lot to unpack here–what’s to come in future episodes, and our Better with Bikes giveaway! So join us as we explore diverse, unknown, and behind-the-scenes stories of people making the world a better place through cycling.To enter giveaway: https://kingsumo.com/g/aoylow/treks-bett...

What started as a fun way to get out of the house during lockdown soon evolved into a community of over sixty people looking to make a difference. In 2020, Chad Bennett, Aquil Jannah, and Chris Harvell put together a Fathers Day ride consisting of just fourteen people riding eighteen miles. What they found was something far greater. With the spark of an idea and a passion for the camaraderie that cycling creates, they founded Black Watts—a group of cyclists that would work to help make cyclin...

Life is unpredictable and crazy, and very rarely, if ever, does it go to plan. Professional cyclist Lizzie Deignan can undoubtedly attest to this. When asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Becoming a cyclist was never in her vocabulary; however, life had other plans.In the latest episode of "Better with Bikes," hosts Eric Bjorling and Richie Burke interview World Champion, Olympic medalist, four-time British National Champion, and 2021 Paris-Roubaix Femmes winner, Lizzie Deignan....

Very rarely do we have the chance to ask the inventor of something that changes the world what they were thinking. If you could talk lightbulbs with Thomas Edison, phones with Alexander Graham Bell, what would you say?That’s the conversation we’re having today with Gary Fisher — a man widely credited with the invention and popularization of an entirely new idea that would one day grow to an olympic sport enjoyed by millions across the globe. In this expansive discussion about Gary’s new ...

On this episode of Better With Bikes, we’re happy to welcome Wall Street Journal sports columnist, author, and bike nut Jason Gay. Jason joined Mark and Eric, all from their respective living rooms, to talk about COVID-19’s impact on the cycling world, among other things.Together, they discuss the sports world as a whole during the pandemic, talk about what it’s like to be the “bike guy” in the office, and provide a few tips for other aspiring stay-at-home virtual cyclists.

Cycling has changed drastically over the last 30 years. Advances in materials science and engineering technology have propelled bike development to places folks previously couldn’t imagine. But despite this boom, a critical piece of the puzzle remained unchanged, stuck in the early 80s: helmet safety technology. Today on the Better With Bikes podcast, you’ll meet the three brilliant minds responsible for bringing WaveCel technology to the forefront of the cycling community.Our host,...

Eric Larsen is a seasoned adventurer, expedition guide, dog musher, and educator who’s spent the last fifteen years traveling to some of Earth’s most remote remaining places. That’s quite the rap sheet. But his greatest achievement has been sharing his passion for the outdoors with others, educating them on humanity’s impact on our planet. Today, we’re talking with Eric about his polar adventures and how he’s worked to bring awareness to the climate change conversation through his e...

Cycling is always better when you’re doing it with the people you enjoy most. For Trek-Segafredo professional women’s team athletes and best friends Ruth Winder and Tayler Wiles, riding for the same team was the opportunity to create a friendship that goes far beyond bikes. On this episode, we’ll dispel some myths about women’s cycling, find out how the dynamic duo spends their off-season, and talk about how these two peas in a pod grew to become the “light-hearted core of the team”.

Cycling is a sport known for its rising stars, but it’s not often one of those bright young athletes finds himself shooting straight to the top. At just 23 years old, racing in some of the worst weather the world championship series has ever seen, Mads Pedersen stood atop the podium when the smoke cleared.People were shocked by the outcome, but if you really knew Mads — well, you wouldn’t be all that surprised. Mads, along with his Trek-Segafredo Men’s and Women’s teammates, stopped into Trek...

On this episode of Better with Bikes, we sit down with country music star Luke Bryan. Luke stopped into Trek’s Waterloo, WI headquarters during his annual Farm Tour to spend some time talking bikes and sharing stories with the Trek Family. In addition to a Q&A‌ with Trek employees, you’ll hear about how one of country music’s brightest stars became a passionate cyclist, got comfortable wearing “froufrou pants”, how cycling keeps him in shape when he’s on tour, and more.

At only 26 years old, Jolanda Neff has already achieved a somewhat mythical reputation in the cycling world. Racing professionally in three — yes, three — disciplines (road, mountain, and cyclocross) brings its own set of unique challenges, but Jolanda still has plenty of fun.On this installment of Better with Bikes, we sit down with the former World Champion, European Champion, and multiple-time World Cup winner to discuss how Jolanda got her start in the sport, why she’s surprised to f...

On this installment of Better With Bikes, Mark sits down with the legendary Bo Jackson. Widely considered the greatest athlete of all time, Bo’s not just a fierce competitor — he’s a caring, passionate person with an unshakable love for his community. When Alabama was torn apart by tornadoes in 2011, Bo knew he had to pull the community back together. Thus, Bo Bikes Bama was born.Listen in to hear about the origins of Bo Bikes Bama, the ride’s impact on the community, what Bo does to escape b...