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 break the ...
Dec 06, 2022•30 min•Ep. 27
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 getting ...
Nov 08, 2022•20 min•Ep. 26
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. Fortunat...
Oct 17, 2022•30 min•Ep. 25
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 ha...
Oct 11, 2022•21 min
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 that and...
Aug 24, 2022•26 min
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 stor...
Aug 03, 2022•19 min
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 li...
Jul 27, 2022•14 min•Ep. 21
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 with Jo...
Jul 26, 2022•29 min•Ep. 20
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-better-with-...
Jul 20, 2022•9 min
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 cycling a...
Jun 16, 2022•29 min
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. T...
Apr 13, 2022•25 min
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 biograp...
Feb 24, 2021•50 min•Ep. 16
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....
Apr 20, 2020•40 min
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, Mark, and f...
Apr 14, 2020•49 min
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 expeditions. T...
Mar 27, 2020•1 hr 12 min
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”....
Jan 21, 2020•34 min
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 H...
Jan 08, 2020•27 min
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.
Dec 16, 2019•34 min
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 find her...
Nov 18, 2019•42 min
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 bei...
Oct 29, 2019•57 min
Marine pollution is a massive issue that’s plaguing our planet. Through Trek’s partnership with the NextWave consortium, we were introduced to Bureo, a company that recycles hundreds of thousands of tons of fishing nets from the ocean. On this episode, we’ll talk to Bureo’s founder, David Stover, to discuss the massive problem of ocean pollution and learn what we can do about it. We’ll tell Bureo’s story, discuss how plastics threaten the Earth’s fragile ecosystems, and unpack ways both companie...
Oct 08, 2019•32 min
You surely know Jens Voigt from his storied career and reputation as one of cycling’s hardest workers — but once you hear his whole story, you’ll love this cycling great even more. Today, this cycling legend joins us in the studio to talk about growing up in East Germany, his cycling career, his family life, and — believe it or not — his newfound passion in the world of birds.
Sep 17, 2019•1 hr 4 min
What exactly is Cyclocross? Where did this cycling oddball come from? And what makes it such a fun sport for both spectators and athletes alike? On this episode, we chat with Scott Daubert (Trek’s Race Shop Manager) and Ellen Noble (Professional athlete) to talk all things CX. They’ll dig into Trek’s dedication to ‘cross, the relationships that shaped the sport’s first equal pay World Cup, what it means to be a professional racer, and more. Along the way, Scott provides sneak peaks at the 2019 e...
Sep 03, 2019•39 min
On this episode, we sit down with Anthill Films' Return to Earth Cinematographers Colin Jones and Matt Butterworth to talk about the filming process, what it takes to secure the perfect soundtrack, and the message behind the film. 15 year-old bike park phenom Jackson Goldstone joins the conversation to discuss growing up with bikes and offers a behind-the-scenes rider's perspective.
Jul 03, 2019•45 min•Ep. 5
Black Girls Do Bike started life as an online community, but quickly blossomed into much, much more. BGDB now proudly gives a voice to two of the most under-represented and under-served groups of the cycling community. We sat down with Monica Garrison, Founder of Black Girls Do Bike, to talk about how the organization came to life, how "Sheroes" offer support and guidance for new riders, and the program's future in cycling advocacy.
Jul 03, 2019•28 min•Ep. 4
When we heard our favorite Super Bowl Champion would be hanging around Trek HQ for the afternoon, we couldn't help but ask him to hop on the mic. On this installment of Better with Bikes, we chat with NFL gunslinger Brett Favre about how cycling became a bigger part of daily life than he'd ever imagined. From hitting jumps in Hattiesburg to racing hills with Bo Jackson, we'll discuss how bikes offer a new outlet for Brett's competitive nature, keep him (more than) fit on a daily basis, how he an...
Jul 03, 2019•21 min•Ep. 3
On this episode of Better with Bikes, we chat with General Manager Luca Guercilena and rider Toms Skujiņš of Trek–Segafredo as they hit the road, prepping for the Tour de France. You'll hear about Luca's transition from military officer to team manager and what it’s like to manage a team through one of sport’s most competitive and challenging events. Toms Skujiņš walks us through the preparations for life on tour what it is about potatoes he enjoys so much, and what it’s like to be engaged to a ...
Jul 02, 2019•19 min•Ep. 2
On this episode, you'll meet your host, Mark Joslyn and catch a glimpse into our first few episodes. Stay tuned — more content is on the way shortly. We can't wait to share the good stuff we've got in store.
Jun 27, 2019•4 min•Ep. 1
