Gravel Stage Racing & Privateer Life with Chris Mehlman
Episode 1 of the Ryan MTB Podcast
When I woke up on January 1st this year, I didn’t know that I’d be inspired to start a podcast midway through the year. The winds of change began to produce a breeze in the springtime, which then turned into a hurricane, and here we are building back brick-by-brick.
I’ve always been inspired to start my own media project. Writing for other publications (which I continue to do) is great, but I’ve always had the thought of what it would look like to have 100% control over what I decide to publish.
A couple weeks ago, the timing felt right, so I got to scheming and hit up my friend Chris Mehlman to join for the first episode of the Ryan MTB Podcast.
Chris has landed in the top-5 of Unbound XL twice, placed 2nd at Rattlesnake gravel this year, and just returned from the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder stage race. Oregon Trail was a natural jumping off point for the conversation. We talk about his experience there, stage racing in general, and how he approaches his career as a privateer racer.
You can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and other major podcast platforms. I am truly ‘privateering’ my way into the podcast world, and every subscription counts as I seek to reach more people. If you dig the off-road cycling content I am pushing out, subscribe to the podcast or subscribe here on Substack for even more written content.
Chris is also on Substack, posting race reports and other thoughts from his life as a pro cyclist.
Can you guess who my next podcast guest is? You’ll find out shortly!