EPISODE · May 29, 2023 · 56 MIN
Gravel Racing & Ultra Endurance: Rich Waldschmidt on the Hell of the North Texas #11
from ShiftLess Cycling Adventures and Unpaved Bicycle Culture · host ShiftLess Hosts Hooked on Gravel, Bikepacking and MTB
In this "Expert Edition" of ShiftLess, Kevin Alan Lee and Chef Brad Greene sit down with the "Dirt Dominator" himself, Rich Waldschmidt. At 69 years old, Rich recently completed the grueling Hell of the North Texas, a 182.5-mile ultra endurance unpaved cycling masterpiece. Rich breaks down the mental and physical grit required to stay in the saddle for over 16 hours, finishing a journey that began with a 107-mile "warm-up" ride from McKinney to Paris.We dive deep into the technical weeds of gravel cycling gear, featuring a mid-course evaluation of Catalyst flat pedals and the science of mid-foot positioning. Rich also reveals his "anomalous" fitness metrics—averaging a remarkably low heart rate of 97 bpm over nearly 200 miles—and discusses the essential fueling strategies that keep an athlete moving when the sun goes down.Whether you are training for gravel racing, curious about the logistics of bikepacking, or interested in how route scouting and Basepacking help define epic projects like The USA Trail, this episode is packed with expert-level nuggets of knowledge.The Hell of the North Texas: Rich’s play-by-play of the 182.5-mile course and the mud-caked reality of the Texas backcountry.The Catalyst Pedal Experiment: Evaluation of flat pedals for long-distance gravel, including shoe choice (Pearl Izumi vs. Five Ten) and saddle adjustments.Ultra-Endurance Metrics: A look at heart rate efficiency, cadence averages, and why Rich is a true physiological outlier in the cycling world.The Night Shift: Lighting strategies, the necessity of helmet lights for tunnel vision, and maintaining situational awareness after dark.Route Scouting & Legacy: How Rich’s feedback helped shape local routes and its connection to larger mapping projects like The USA Trail.Gravel cycling, gravel racing, bikepacking, ultra endurance unpaved cycling, The USA Trail, Basepacking, Hell of the North Texas, Catalyst pedals, Rich Waldschmidt, ShiftLess podcast.Inside This Episode:Keywords Included:
What this episode covers
In this "Expert Edition" of ShiftLess, Kevin Alan Lee and Chef Brad Greene sit down with the "Dirt Dominator" himself, Rich Waldschmidt. At 69 years old, Rich recently completed the grueling Hell of the North Texas, a 182.5-mile ultra endurance unpaved cycling masterpiece. Rich breaks down the mental and physical grit required to stay in the saddle for over 16 hours, finishing a journey that began with a 107-mile "warm-up" ride from McKinney to Paris.We dive deep into the technical weeds of gravel cycling gear, featuring a mid-course evaluation of Catalyst flat pedals and the science of mid-foot positioning. Rich also reveals his "anomalous" fitness metrics—averaging a remarkably low heart rate of 97 bpm over nearly 200 miles—and discusses the essential fueling strategies that keep an athlete moving when the sun goes down.Whether you are training for gravel racing, curious about the logistics of bikepacking, or interested in how route scouting and Basepacking help define epic projects like The USA Trail, this episode is packed with expert-level nuggets of knowledge.The Hell of the North Texas: Rich’s play-by-play of the 182.5-mile course and the mud-caked reality of the Texas backcountry.The Catalyst Pedal Experiment: Evaluation of flat pedals for long-distance gravel, including shoe choice (Pearl Izumi vs. Five Ten) and saddle adjustments.Ultra-Endurance Metrics: A look at heart rate efficiency, cadence averages, and why Rich is a true physiological outlier in the cycling world.The Night Shift: Lighting strategies, the necessity of helmet lights for tunnel vision, and maintaining situational awareness after dark.Route Scouting & Legacy: How Rich’s feedback helped shape local routes and its connection to larger mapping projects like The USA Trail.Gravel cycling, gravel racing, bikepacking, ultra endurance unpaved cycling, The USA Trail, Basepacking, Hell of the North Texas, Catalyst pedals, Rich Waldschmidt, ShiftLess podcast.Inside This Episode:Keywords Included:
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Gravel Racing & Ultra Endurance: Rich Waldschmidt on the Hell of the North Texas #11
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