What if you had to choose between a pro cycling career and your love for the sport? Australian mountain bike legend Peta Mullens made that exact choice in her early 20s — walking away from a world tour road career to rediscover her passion on the trails. Fast forward to today, she's a 15 time National Champion (across multiple disciplines), the winningest Otway Odyssey champion – with 7 Odyssey titles and 3 in the GOGG – and one of the most respected voices in gravel and MTB racing. In this episode, Peta joins host Jeremy Baker alongside pro cyclist (top 10 in Unbound!) and well-known YouTuber, Dylan Johnson (aka Backwards Hat Dylan) to talk about comebacks, crashes, community, and why the best part of bike racing might just be the after-party. From Dylan's truck accident just weeks before Unbound to Peta's record-breaking Odyssey wins, this conversation is packed with insights for riders at every level. Because at the end of the day? We're just riding bikes here.   ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Intro: Recording from Bentonville during the Big Sugar double header   01:45 - Peta's hand injury from chasing Dylan downhill in Brevard   03:40 - Dylan races Little Sugar: Course breakdown and that 7-minute wrong turn   05:14 - Dylan's truck accident in May: Breaking his tibial plateau 2 weeks before Unbound   08:46 - The comeback at Leadville: Pacing strategy and exceeding expectations   10:32 - Peta's collarbone break and health challenges this season   15:00 - The mental game: Racing when you're not at 100%   20:00 - Dylan's unconventional path: Running 100-milers as a teen before discovering cycling   25:00 - YouTube, social media, and breaking into the Lifetime Grand Prix   30:00 - "Backwards Hat Dylan": Keeping ego in check in a sport full of big personalities   33:00 - Peta's athletic roots: From mountain running to track cycling to MTB   37:00 - The inflection point: Quitting the Australian Institute of Sport at 20   40:00 - "I potentially gave away a career because I was scared of failure"   43:00 - Community and trauma bonding: What makes off-road racing special   46:00 - 7 Otway Odyssey wins: Never finishing off the podium, beating Chris Jongewaard's record   50:00 - Women in cycling: "Bring a female friend and start a movement"   55:00 - The growth of women's gravel racing and creating inclusive spaces   1:00:00 - Peta's thoughts on women empowering women to find the joy in bikes   1:05:00 - Training philosophy: Consistency over perfection   1:10:00 - The social side of elite racing: Pizza, ice cream, and staying up late with competitors   1:17:00 - Party culture: Gravel raves, Tulsa Tough, and what the Odyssey could steal from US events   1:22:00 - Devil's Cardigan in Tasmania: The ultimate post-race party   1:25:00 - Bendigo's cycling scene and the evolution of training culture   1:28:00 - Looking ahead: Odyssey 2026 and Dylan's potential Aussie debut   💬 Highlight Quotes   Dylan Johnson:   "We're just riding bikes here. It's not that serious. It's not that important. Calm down a little bit. Keep the ego in check."   Peta Mullens:   "To win the Odyssey, you have to be the most well-rounded mountain biker you could possibly be. You have to climb, descend, be technical, and have the durability to get through an event that arduous."   Dylan Johnson:   "If you can manage to get through the race without a mechanical, you probably had a good day. Little Sugar's rocks will shred you if you're not careful."   Peta Mullens:   "I potentially gave away a career because maybe I was a little bit scared of failure. But it didn't take long before I realised the things I thought I was sacrificing weren't actually that much fun anyway."   Peta Mullens:   "Women are each other's biggest cheerleaders. Bring a female friend to ride with you and start a movement."   Dylan Johnson:   "Backwards Hat Dylan is my way of keeping ego in check. Cycling's full of big egos, and sometimes we just need a reminder to