John and Mira are a bikepacking duo who were the first to complete the Tour Divide Race as a human and dog team in 2023. They also emBARKed on a world tour in 2023 with the goal of dogpacking all 7 continents of the world. A feat that is so big that if you think about it too much it seems almost unattainable. But, John and Mira have over six years experience traveling the world together by bike and that experience, I believe, will lead to their success. Today's episode starts with an introduction to John and Mira and how they got started dogpacking. We also go into some of the how-tos of dogpacking and John shares with us some of the tips, tricks, equipment, and best practices to help you get out on epic adventures with your furry friends. Then we learn all about their world tour, what their plan is, how they approach route building, and their overall approach to dogpacking and cycling the world. And, of course, we discuss their record setting run at the Tour Divide Race and their plans to go back and try again, this time using everything they learned in an attempt to set an even faster time. John and Mira have an excellent YouTube channel with tons of adorable and inspirational videos. So when you're done listening to this episode, make sure to go watch some of those. It's worth it just to see Mira comfortably sitting in her basket with her goggles on as they bomb down hills. ⚡️EPISODE SPONSOR⚡️ Bikepacking Basics: East Texas Edition April 26th - 28th Information + Registration: https://www.bikereg.com/bikepacking-basics-east-texas-edition Support the Show: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bikesordeath Affiliate Links: https://bikesordeath.com/affiliate-links/  

When Miles Arbour dropped his original BoD Theme Song Live on Episode 30 I was equally flattered and blown away. Since we've been running it at the beginning and end of each episode I've received numerous messages from people who echo my sentiments. It inspired one listener, Ian Cherry, so greatly that he wrote and recorded his own version. The intro to his cover song was featured on Ep. 63, but you can listen to the full song below and read a note from the artist. Bikes or Death Theme Song "Cover" by Ian Cherry I am humbled to share this tribute to Miles Arbour's Bikes or Death theme song with fellow fans of the podcast, and I’m very grateful to Patrick and the show's many guests for hours of wonderful conversations. I enjoy riding my trusty-rusty 1980's Schwinn between traffic in New York City, and a recent-ish Rivendell Atlantis everywhere else (from dodging lapping waves at Rockaway Beach, finding the magic road in the sweet spot of the sand, to practicing pedal technique in the rooty woods near my hometown in South Jersey), but have not yet gone bikepacking. When the world becomes safe to do so, I hope to ride with friends (where there are bears) and alone (where there are not bears) on every continent, and look forward to the challenge of plant-based eating, along the many roads (and decidedly not roads), wherever they may lead.  After hearing 'this version' of the theme song in my head and singing it around the house I decided to make the song a reality. I hope to hear other listener’s jams to the opening theme as well! Thank you again Patrick. Wishing you happy and healthy holidays. I hope you know this podcast made this year a lot better for a lot of people. You gave people a space to dream about the "great outdoors" in a time when we couldn't be. Warmest regards, Ian Cherry

Welcome to the first ever Bikes or Death Awards! It has been a challenging year for everyone, but through it all BoD has continued to share uplifting and inspirational stories from the cycling community. The truth is that every guest is a winner in our books. It is the collective commonality of bicycles that brings us together, but it is the uniqueness of each individual that makes this community so great. So while these awards aren't to diminish anyones story, it is an opportunity to reflect on some of our favorites from 2020. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who was willing to share their story with the BoD fam. So without further ado....drum roll please!!!! By the Numbers Top 3 episodes in 2020 that received the most downloads in the first 30 days. First Ep. 48, Bailey Newbrey Photo by John Watson 4,792 downloads in the first 30 days I got to meet up with Bailey Newbrey in his new-ish shop, Sincere Cycles, in Santa Fe, NM. Bailey made a some noise in 2018 when he finished the Tour Divide in second place overall on a Singlespeed! We chat a lot about his 2016 and 2018 Tour Divide runs and his reasoning behind running SS. He also makes some bold predictions towards the end of the podcast that is worth sticking around for. You can revisit this episode here. Second Ep. 47, James Hayden Photo by Lian Van Leeuween 4,440 downloads in the first 30 days James Mark Hayden came on the ultra endurance bike racing scene in 2015. Since then he’s been putting down some incredible performances, winning the Transcontinental Race twice, shared 1st place at the Italy divide, getting 4th at Silk Road even though he was robbed by men on horses during the race, and most recently he finished 2nd at Atlas Mountain Race to Sofiane who came in only 4 hours earlier. You can revisit this episode here. Third Ep. 52, Chris Burkard Photo courtesy of Burkard Studios 4,149 downloads in the first 30 days Chris Burkard has become a personal source of inspiration for me and it was an honor to have him back on the podcast. He was first on way back at Episode 17 to tell us about his WOW Cyclothon Record that he set in 2019. That episode really fired me up and motivated me to push myself in more ways than just on the bike. How can revisit this episode here. Listeners Choice We asked YOU to vote for your favorite podcast of the year and a runner-up, and boy was it close!! There was a total of 31 episodes, 44 hours, and 2,634 minutes of content for you to choose from, which made your job more difficult. However, after counting, recounting, and making sure there was no election fraud, the BoD Voting Committee is ready to reveal the Listeners Choice Award for 2020: ~ Winner ~ Bailey Newbrey, Ep. 48 photo by John Watson You VOTED, we heard you! Patrick's interview with Bailey swept both categories By The Numbers and Listeners Choice. I followed up with Bailey with some questions since our last chat. Check out that that q&a below. Bailey Newbrey - 2020 BoD Award Winner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Honorable Mentions This was such a tight race, it's worth mentioning that these two episodes both were only one vote shy of sharing first with Bailey. Ep. 54, Katie & Andrew Strempke Katie and Andrew became the first people to Yo-Yo the Colorado Trail, they did it on Singlespeed's!!! You can revisit this episode here. Ep. 43, Jerod Foster Jerod has a stacked resume in the outdoor industry, but he's also a Husband and Father. It was awesome to hear from him about balancing an adventurous career and lifestyle with his home life. You can revisit this episode here. ~ Runner Up ~ Ted king, ep. 61 Ted King is no stranger to cycling. He started his pro road cycling tour in 2006 and had a 10 year career before entering the gravel world where he won the DK200 in 2016 and 17. However, he had never even attempted a bikepacking race before this past Oct. when he lined up at the start of the Arkansas High Country Race. No one could know how his experience and successes in other disciplines would transition to ultra endurance bike racing. Like many of you I was glued to the dots as they charged the course. A local, Andrew Onermaa, kept the race very close for the first 700 miles, but ultimately Ted was able to finish in first and get a new FKT at the same time. In a year with limited racing, this has got to be one of the greatest storylines of the year. It was an honor to have Ted on the podcast and will be looking forward to seeing what he does going forward. Listen again! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Honorable Mentions Again, this was another very close one! We had two episodes that were one vote away from sharing first with Mr. King and we wanted to give them their Ep. 44, Pepper Cook Pepper Cook is a legend in the bikepacking and touring community. She’s known for her witty puns, quirky humour, and almost a decade of epic solo bike trips. It was an honor to have her on the show and like you, I really enjoyed this episode. Listen again! Ep. 52, Cinthia Pedraza Cinthia Pedraza calls Austin, Texas home. Some recent experiences in her hometown led her to write an article titled “Bike Racing, White Privilege, and the Coronavirus” that was published on The Radavist. Her story obviously resonated with many of you and I appreciate her coming on the podcast. Listen again! BoD Product of the year This year we released some new items in the webstore. BoD merch is a fun way to make a little cheddar to support the show and give you rad ways to show your support. Winner Titanium Drinkware These were a very late edition to the lineup, but they came on the scene with a big splash. The Ti G'mornin Cup sold out in the first few hours, but there are a still a few of the Ti G'night Flask left if you need to upgrade your #whiskeyoutside experience. If you missed the first round of cups, don't fear, we'll be restocking soon-ish, and we may even have a couple more surprises up our sleeves. Second Place Sweat Tech Tee Technolgy Remember the 90's? They were rad and so is this shirt. The message on the back isn't revealed until you SWEAT for it! We've been having fun with this design concept. Expect to see more of these in the future. For now they come in Olive and Blue. Third place BoD + Voile Straps Voile Straps are the quintessential bikepacking "must-have" piece of gear. Their almost limitless in their usefulness. You could make an argument that all you need to be a bikepacker is a bike and a nice supply of BoD Voile Straps to attached you gear to your bike. You can order One, but you should probably get at least TWO.