ShiftLess: Gravel, Bikepacking and Unpaved Bicycle Adventures

In episode 156 of Shiftless, recorded at Dusty Roads Bicycles in Argyle, Texas, the hosts welcome Austin Whittington to recap his “Judgment Day” ride—DORBA’s 10-trail event—completed by riding between trailheads instead of driving, totaling 219 miles in just under 20 hours (17 moving) amid over-six-hours of 100+°F heat, headwinds, and support from his wife Stephanie. He details his route, key difficulty at Boulder, nutrition, and equipment choices (Niner ROCKET 9, Thunder Burt tires). The conversation also covers Tour de France and doping skepticism, a Tour de France Femmes “bra doping” headline, Leadville’s reroute and buckle time change, Justin Carey’s altitude-tent prep, hype and supply issues around Salsa’s 32-inch Fargo, and Austin’s upcoming Hotter’N Hell 100 USAC race plus other events.00:00 Ectoplasm Cold Open00:22 Guest Austin Returns01:59 What Is Judgment Day04:25 Riding Trail to Trail06:38 Heat Crux and Support08:09 Bike Setup and Speed12:07 Route Planning and Safety18:13 Bra Doping Debate21:02 Tour de France Talk27:17 Doping Era Hangover33:57 Doping Doubts Debate35:00 Alpe Record Breakdown35:38 Tech Gains Versus EPO37:48 Testing Rules Suspicion40:23 Hyperbaric Leadville Prep43:38 Leadville Reroute Math47:57 Rain Forecast Worries48:59 Dinner And Sponsorship Wins50:09 Dry Aging Brisket Science56:12 E Bikes And Pig Harvest59:19 New Kit And 32 Debate01:04:03 Radial Tires And Pressures01:07:34 HotterN Hell Race Plans01:08:59 Solo Breakaway Tactics01:09:40 Hotter Than Hell Plans01:10:39 Field Size and Strategy01:14:59 Doping and TRT Talk01:17:55 Bike Gear and Weight01:19:30 Fargo Fixes and Knee Pain01:22:04 Tuscany Food Tour Dream01:25:13 Next Races and Arkansas Route01:29:46 Pro Watts and Seven WPK01:35:36 Heat Hydration and Wrap Up

Kevin records solo and introduces Spinistry’s Safe Cycling Initiative, a practical effort to build safe, usable town-to-town cycling networks now by linking existing infrastructure and low-traffic roads rather than waiting for delayed funding, noting federal bicycle-infrastructure funds have been diverted to other projects. The plan leverages rural gravel “adventure routes” (including the USA Trail from Jacksonville to San Diego) and urban/suburban connectors starting in Dallas–Fort Worth to create point-to-point transit corridors and economic impact for communities. He recruits clubs, advocacy groups, businesses, and riders of all disciplines for the free North Texas Safe Cycling Summit on September 19 at Thirty-Five and Liberty in Gainesville, featuring speakers, an advocacy roundtable, vendor/demo areas, and a bike swap, alongside the Midnight Massacre that evening. He details route-building work (mapped/scouted/verified), current Roanoke hub-and-spoke routes, maintenance issues on existing paths, and provides a health update after a crash revealed a kidney mass, with upcoming scans and oncology visits affecting fall events.00:00 Solo Episode Intro01:13 Safe Cycling Mission02:59 Rural and Urban Networks05:46 Summit Announcement08:05 Route Building Focus10:22 Local Hub and Spoke16:08 Longer Corridor Routes20:04 Summit Logistics and Roles24:20 Health Update and Events27:33 Wrap Up and Thanks

In episode 154 of Shiftless, the hosts joke about not talking bikes enough, then discuss Salsa’s email confirming the Fargo 32 steel frameset arriving next month and a titanium option in the fall, plus related wheels, tires, and accessories, while expressing growing skepticism about 32-inch wheels beyond fit benefits for taller riders. They reference Ben Delaney’s 700c vs 32 real-world test video and debate whether marginal gains matter for most riders versus industry-driven “next big thing” marketing. The conversation shifts to the Tour de France: Pogačar won overall, scrutiny lingered after middle-of-the-night testing with no official follow-up, and Pogačar broke Pantani’s climb record amid discussion of pacing, technology, fueling, recovery, and doping suspicions, alongside doubts about motor doping. They also critique e-bike racing after a rider was reportedly disqualified at USA Cycling’s Marathon MTB Nationals over an unapproved Specialized Levo/firmware issue. Personal updates include AC trouble, upcoming pop-up dinners, bike maintenance plans, and Austin Whittington reportedly completing the full Judgment Day route.00:00 Cold Open and Welcome00:27 Salsa Fargo 32 Update01:48 32 Inch Wheels Debate05:12 Fit Versus Hype07:34 Industry Sales Reality09:06 Tour Recap Setup10:25 Midnight Testing Rumors12:36 Record Climb Breakdown20:36 Fueling Tech and Doping Gray25:04 Innocent Until Proven27:18 Peloton Trust Hangover28:39 Tour Course Favors Pogacar29:53 Motor Doping Line in Sand32:26 E-Bike Nationals Disqualification34:30 Can You Even Race E-Bikes36:12 Spec Series Dream Setup38:02 Karting Detour and Heat40:14 Ghost in the Machine Debate47:41 Tour Finale on Montmartre51:36 Dinner Plug and Bike Fixes53:21 Judgment Day Mileage Mystery56:33 Wrap Up and Next Ride Plans

In episode 153 of Shiftless, recorded from Casa Verde amid rising Texas heat and humidity, the hosts discuss recent Tour de France stages, including a crash that broke Vingegaard’s collarbone at a roundabout bottleneck, Pogacar’s “classy” tactics in letting others take stage wins, and Remco Evenepoel’s mountain-stage win. They debate controversy over overnight anti-doping tests reportedly waking Pogacar and Vingegaard at 2:00 AM and what it implies about modern doping and testing timelines. They briefly cover a lack of cycling industry news, share personal updates about riding, a pool repair, cheesemaking from 10 gallons of milk, and bike mishaps leading to planned Fargo maintenance. The conversation turns to the killing of cyclist Hannah Rab near Bryan after a driver allegedly backed into her, prompting discussion of cycling infrastructure and anti-cyclist hostility.00:00 Episode 153 Kickoff00:48 Texas Heat Check02:09 Tour Heat Talk02:56 Crash and Class06:53 Pool Problems Solved07:22 Crash Breakdown09:00 2 AM Drug Tests11:07 Doping Doubts18:04 Rising Stars20:16 Testing Fallout23:14 Sleep and Fairness26:03 Conspiracy and Protocols33:51 Results and Privacy45:31 Lance Era Parallels46:44 Tour Controversy Talk47:27 Voice of the Tour49:25 Lance as Commentator50:41 Cycling News Drought51:16 Bike Parks and Weather52:03 Flooding in Terlingua55:44 Back to Riding Update55:59 Homemade Cheese Projects57:35 Bartering for Pasture Pork01:00:05 Milk Run and Local Roads01:01:37 Thumb Injury and Jokes01:02:40 Shows and Movie Plans01:04:39 Trail Crash Storytime01:07:30 Bike Overhaul Decisions01:08:27 Rich Waltsmith Sighting01:11:51 Midnight Massacre Weekend01:12:52 Cyclist Killed in Texas01:19:50 Advocacy and Infrastructure01:23:44 Wrapping Up and Sign Off

We’re back at Casa Verde for Episode 152 with a wide-ranging, candid conversation that takes a few unexpected turns. We kick things off with a check-in on the Tour de France—analyzing Tadej Pogačar’s mountain dominance, high-speed descending errors in the peloton, and the brutal realities of pro road racing. We also dive into the shifting action camera market, breaking down GoPro’s financial struggles and $20M emergency financing, why DJI and Insta360 own the space, and the privacy implications of Meta smart glasses.
The core of this episode is a transparent, real-talk update from Kevin following a frustrating neighborhood crash caused by an unmarked roadwork sign sitting right in the middle of a local bike path. What started as an urgent care visit for nine stitches in his thumb and a massive hip hematoma led to an ER CT scan—and an unexpected, incidental discovery of an asymptomatic mass on his kidney. Kevin shares his unfiltered perspective on the diagnosis, why he considers the bike crash a weird blessing in disguise, and his absolute refusal to stop riding bikes.
This entire experience has lit a fire under our local advocacy efforts. With federal bicycle infrastructure funds being redirected away from critical long-distance projects like the Northeast Texas Trail (NETT) and the Great American Rail-Trail, grassroots community organization matters more than ever. We lay out the vision for the September 19th Midnight Massacre weekend: bringing North Texas cycling organizations (DORBA, FWIMBA, Big Pig, and more) together under one roof to rally for better local infrastructure and rider safety.
To wrap things up on a lighter note, Chef Brad breaks down the culinary madness of his latest 9-course rye whiskey pairing dinner—featuring chilled sweet corn and peach soup, 53-day dry-aged Wagyu, and horchata tres leches—before diving into the everyday headaches of DIY car repair and pool filter battles.
Support Local Advocacy: Whether you ride gravel, road, or MTB, get involved with your local clubs and trail organizations. We want to see representatives from across North Texas out with us this September!

ShiftLess Podcast: Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your audio.

Leave a comment below with your thoughts on action cam setups, your local trail infrastructure, or just to share your support. Stay safe out there, look ahead on the trail, and go ride your bike!

00:00 Hot Open And Tour Talk
01:23 Tour Crashes And Inexperience
03:50 GoPro In Trouble
05:08 Upgrade Cycles And Sensors
08:52 Used Gear Pricing Reality
13:48 Why Film Everything
16:42 Social Apps And Chopped Unk
18:35 Midnight Massacre Community Plan
20:52 Funding Cuts Hit Trails
28:09 Neighborhood Ride Crash Story
35:13 Construction Hazards On Bike Lanes
38:27 Bike Paths and Culture
39:16 Crash and Urgent Care
43:14 Hematoma and ER Trip
48:53 Kidney Mass Discovery
52:32 Next Steps and Insurance
01:03:06 Whiskey Dinner Breakdown
01:12:36 Pool Problems and Florida Pools
01:16:46 Compression Shorts and Advocacy
01:18:28 Cycling Hate and Closing