With Pace

For the past 20 years, Chad Cheeney has been one of the most influential people in U.S. cycling, even if you’ve never heard of him. As the co-founder of Durango Devo, he’s helped foster the childhood talents of Sepp Kuss, Chris Blevins, Howard Grotts, Riley Amos, and Quinn Simmons, to name a few. More importantly, he’s instilled a lifelong love of cycling in countless Durango kids, regardless of whether they embark on racing careers.
We had Chad on the show in 2021 to talk about this portion of his life. But today, he’s here to talk about his latest cycling obsession, tracklocross, which involves riding a fixed-gear track bike on the most counterintuitive terrain possible. Chad explains why it’s the perfect discipline for older riders, how it’s reinvigorated his sense of joy on the bike, and why it all relates to the 1890s. Plus, he talks about watching Sepp Kuss’s heroic and then terrifying ride at the Queen Stage of the Tour de France last weekend and what he took away from it as a coach.
More information on tracklocross:
Dracklo Turango - local blog for updates and tracklo hype
Dracklo Turango Instagram
Chad's Instagram 
Dracklo.com for tracklocross events 
63xc.com - old-school fixed gear MTB blog
Fiefdom - answers to all tracklocross questions
Tracklocross Worlds in Zurich Instagram
The Green Video - Chad's favorite edit with legends Matt Reyes and Chas Christiansen
Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
Email: howdy@withpace.cc

If you were racing with Matt Wilson last year, it was pretty clear that he was one of the strongest in the bunch, but through mechanicals and various other extenuating circumstances, he never managed to translate his talents into a top finish. This year, the Kiwi rider is out to prove what he can do. First, he snagged third at New Zealand Road Nats and second at XC Nats. Then, he earned one of the wild card spots in the Grand Prix at Unbound. Six days later, he lined up at Tulsa Tough, the biggest crit race in the U.S., and won it on his Unbound bike. Since then, he’s been on a cross-country road trip, hitting up seemingly every race along the way.  
Payson sat down with Matt in Durango to discuss his breakout season, jam-packed schedule, and the injury that has forced him to take a much needed break. They also talk about his friendship with fellow Kiwi and training buddy Cam Jones, and his history racing U23 on the XC World Cup circuit.
Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Tom Evans is one of the best ultrarunners in the world, having won both UTMB and Western States. Now, the British runner has his sights set on the Hardrock 100, one of the most technical of the major ultradistance races that starts at 9,300 feet above sea level and covers 33,000 feet of climbing in the rugged San Juan Mountains. Tom talks to Payson about the challenge of preparing for such a remote race at altitude, the team he’s assembled, and why he prioritises enjoyment over numbers in the weeks leading up to racing. He also discusses his unlikely route to ultradistance running after a career in the military, and how Red Bull signed him right before his first major result. 
Plus, we get some insight into his mindset from cognitive specialist Dr David Spindler, who has been working on the ground with Tom in Silverton for the past few weeks. 
Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
Email: howdy@withpace.cc

This week, Payson sits down for a candid conversation with Levi Leipheimer. They discuss his long road to processing his time in the WorldTour in the early 2000s, which was marked by remarkable professional success but marred by the doping scandal that shook the cycling world in the early 2010s. Levi talks about how he went from an idealistic kid in Montana dreaming of the WorldTour to his decision to take EPO. As is always the case, it’s not a straightforward story, and it’s taken him years to fully reckon with it. They also discuss how Payson’s generation of riders did their own processing of the scandal, and how Levi views his career now. 
Check out Osprey's Campcore collection here: https://www.osprey.com/featured/collaborations/campcore
Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Nino Schurter hardly needs an introduction. Widely considered the greatest XCO mountain bike racer of all time, he's won 10 World Championships, nine World Cup overalls, and Olympic bronze, silver, and gold medals. Having retired from World Cup racing at the end of last year, he's been dipping a toe into gravel racing in 2026. 
In this conversation, Nino talks to Payson about his longevity in the sport and his undefeated 2017 season. He also dives into how his passion for product development and testing led to some of the most transformative innovations in the sport, and shares his perspective on gravel racing as a relative newcomer.
Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
Email: howdy@withpace.cc