King of the Ride

Episode 78: Jered and Ashley Gruber — Cycling‘s Power Couple of Photography

Buckle up folks, because this is a good'n!

Ashley and Jered Gruber are a husband and wife team of cycling photographers with a fascinating story to tell. Especially if you ask them! We sat down in Italy for this hour long conversation covering their genesis through the sport, the business model of photography, and the philosophy of how their work fits into the bigger picture among other things.

This being 2021, you can find them on instagram:

@JeredGuber - https://www.instagram.com/jeredgruber
@AshleyGruber - https://www.instagram.com/ashleygruber

Episode 77: Sarah Sturm — All Things Two-Wheeled Ripper

Sarah Sturm is a verb. She's a rider, a racer, a mentor, a coach, a happy bundle of energy. She's the inaugural 2021 Leadboat champion, then the very next week won the Last Best Ride in Whitefish, MT which is where this podcast was recorded just a few short hours after she won.

Covering all aspects of a busy race season, how she got into the sport, the development and direction of gravel, plus plenty of other hilarious tidbits this conversation doesn't quite cover it all, but it comes mighty darn close.

Follow Sarah on instagram at: @Sarah_Sturmy

Photo: @roszko

Episode 76: Emma Langley — Pro Road Cyclist & Winner of Rooted Vermont

Congratulations to Emma Langley, the winner of the 2021 Rooted Vermont p/b UnTapped! Not a bad result for her third ever gravel race. She's picking the big ones as her team, Tibco-SVB, has seen her line up at Unbound, BWR, and now Rooted Vermont this year. We're thrilled to have hosted Emma and her teammates, plus ALL riders at the 2021 race.

Emma shares her perspective on the state of cycling. This neo-pro has a refreshing view of things as pro road racing comes out of a bit of a funk and now can dabble in some off-road events.

You can find and follow Emma on Instagram at @elangs1

Episode 75: Roger Brown — Unbound 200 finisher, UnTapped Co-Founder

Let the history books show, Roger Brown is an "Unbound 200 finisher"!

I don't know if anyone completed the 206 mile Unbound race on less training than Roger, but I sure don't know anyone who accomplished what he did on as little training as he did.

Roger Brown is my friend, a co-owner and co-founder of UnTapped, he's a pillar of the Richmond, Vermont community, father of four, and a man who's always on the go... to the next kids' practice. He somehow fit in the time to ride for and "train" for Unbound and has the stories to tell. 

• Visit untapped.cc for information on saving 15% your next UnTapped purchase.
• Visit join.whoop.com/ted for $30 savings on your WHOOP.

Episode 74: Coryn Rivera — 20 Questions with a 72x National Champion

If you're a fan of US cycling then Coryn Rivera is a household name. One of the most accomplished cyclists in the entire world, this Filipino-American racer, Coryn is a ferociously fast sprinter who now races for the UCI Women's WorldTour team, Team DSM.

This is one of the most fun interviews I've been part of as I play the second ever edition of Twenty Questions with Coryn. Enjoy!

To see the near crash where Coryn deftly doesn't hit the deck, follow THIS link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r398keDaCl0

For more from Coryn, find her website: CorynRivera.com 
Or on instagram: @CorynRivera

Episode 73: Lael Wilcox — Ultra Endurance Cyclist

Lael Wilcox is one of the most accomplished ultra endurance cyclists in the world. From the Trans Am to Tour Divide, she knows how to cover massive distances in a speedy amount of time. But she's not hellbent on racing, her attitude and perspective offers a refreshing view on competition in the newest age of cycling. She's opening doors for people of all walks of life as she rides from her home state of Alaska all over the world. 

Follow Lael's adventures at @LaelWilcox.

Episode 72: Ted King — My Dad

For obvious reasons, I wouldn't be where I am today were it not for my dad. But that line goes well beyond the literal. My dad was tremendously supportive throughout my upbringing and that includes during and after he suffered a stroke on March 23, 2003. Fast-forward to 2021 and dad has just returned home after a two month stay in a rehab hospital after suffering yet another brain injury. 

Not fun, not good. But dad has a penchant for finding the good in a situation and this is no different. Part oral history, part just interesting conversation, please enjoy this episode with (the other) Ted King.

For more about the Krempels Center visit www.krempelscenter.org

For more about the King Challenge visit www.kingchallenge.org

Episode 71: Ben King — Professional Cyclist

Professional cyclist Ben King has had a lot on his plate lately. With the birth of his first child last fall, this stalwart of American cycling with twelve years in the professional ranks, still didn't know if he would have a contract for 2021. Covid threw everything up in the air of the already wild schedule for a World Tour cyclist, and no one knew where it was going to land.

But Ben is back in Italy with his wife Jenna and baby Luca and the timing is absolutely bananas. That's professional cycling in a nutshell.

Saddle up with these two Kings (and special guests Jenna and Luca!) as they chat life, parenthood, bike racing and training stories, and much more.

This episode is supported CushCore. Leading the way in tire inserts, you'll be provided better cornering, more speed, a more supple feel, and an all around better ride. For more about CushCore check out CushCore.com and definitely use the code KingCush21 at checkout!

Episode 70: Jack Ultra Cyclist Thompson — Riding massive distances to highlight mental health matters

Jack Thompson rides more in a week than most cyclists will do in a year. In fact, with the nickname "Ultra Cyclist", Jack holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of most distanced ridden in one week at 3500km!

 

That's just the tip of the iceberg for Jack. Another unfathomable feat is that he's done three KOMs in three consecutive days in three different countries or the Taiwan KOM Challenge, four consecutive times in a row. 

 

But Jack is far more than just an ultra distance bike rider. His battle with mental health issues has sent him to a drug addiction and rehab and it has forced him onto his bike. Jack is chock full of stories and this conversation helps get the notion across that #itsoknottobeok.

 

Follow Jack on instagram at www.instagram.com/jackultracyclist

 

And be sure to check out his recent video documenting his Guinness record setting ride.

 

Episode 69: Winter Riding — Tips and Tricks from Laura and Ted King

Your Guide for a Great Winter Ride!

This is a special one, welcome to King of the Ride podcast. Here we have return guest/sometimes-co-host Laura King and Ted talk about how to optimize your cold weather riding. You asked, we answered. After more than 1000 questions came pouring in, Laura and I summarized them and answer them today in this podcast.

Here in Vermont, where the sun rises at lunchtime and sets a few minutes later, we need to make the most of our riding window and that takes lots of hardware, software, and just the right equipment.

Here are some products mentioned in this podcast:

Velocio is the only clothing we use. From stifling hot to frigid cold, there is NO better clothing out there.

Alternating piping hot Ginger Mapleaid and Lemon Tea Mapleaid from UnTapped in a vacuum bottle is a definite. 

Bar Mitts are our dropbar bike hand covering of choice, now with Extreme Cold models.

45NRTH is our go-to for winter riding boots. Their Ragnarok are good MTB shoes for the slush and their Wolfgar are great in the deep frozen tundra. We also use their Cobrafist for arctic riding on a flat bar bike.

Planet Bike SpeedEZ are the fenders currently on my bike.

SKS Xtra Dry fender is currently on Laura's bike.

Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge tires when I need some tread. Otherwise their Barlow Pass or Snoqualmie Pass are totally fine -- wide and supple.

45NRTH Dillinger 5 are 5" studded tires for fat biking.

More questions? Send them to @iamtedking or @lauracameronking.