King Of The Ride

The world of professional cycling is full of characters and they don't get much more interesting than Mitch Docker. Between his many iterations of mullets and mustaches, he was a standout, but it's his hard work and talent that made him a stalwart member of the pro peloton. This Australian made his way to Europe in 2006 to start his pro cycling career which has extended right up until the present, although Mitch is retiring from pro cycling here at the end of the 2021 season. Mitch and Ted will talk shop about the state of cycling, the changes over the years, the good, the bad, and the ugly at the top echelon of cycling, being a parent in the pro ranks, plus plenty more. Be sure to follow Mitch on social media, @MitchBowen, and definitely check out his podcast, Life in the Peloton.

Haley Batten stormed onto the professional scene in 2021. She earned a spot on the podium in her first ever World Cup race, won a short track World Cup soon thereafter, and had a red hot streak all through the rest of the calendar year. She is America's top finisher at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and she's just getting warmed up! It's fun to catch up with Haley who you'll soon realize has one of the most energetic, curious personalities out there. She took a quick break from academia, where's she's studying at Quest University in British Columbia for this conversation. Enjoy!

Let's welcome back Dr. Kevin Sprouse! It's no coincidence that the bigger issue topic Dr. Sprouse and Ted discuss here is recovery, as Ted is two weeks into healing from a surgically repaired elbow. What all goes into repairing a broken bone? Why is sleep disrupted, why is sleep a hot sweaty mess (literally), why do resting heart rates skyrocket, what the heck is HRV, and how are they all tied together during injury? This duo will discuss these topics as well as the bigger picture of recovery with the perspective of athletic performance, independent of injury. Whether you as a person or athlete has suffered an injury or not, this is a fascinating dive into absorbable information that will help improve your day to day performance. With a trained background in Emergency and Sports Medicine, Dr. Sprouse is the team physician of EF Education First-Nippo as well as leading Podium Sports Medicine in Knoxville, TN. Ted is very excited to announce his partnership with Ride with GPS. This is the only mapping soft

Ryan Cochran-Siegle is one of America's best alpine skiers and on his day, he's one of the World's very best. Ryan is a Vermonter and learned to ski just down the road in at the community centric and petite Cochran Ski Area. He's a junior world champion in both the downhill and combined. He's steadily moved up the ranks, enjoying high highs and dealing with the lows that come with any professional sport. Ryan has speed in his genes; 2022 marks the 50th anniversary since his mother, Barbara Ann Cochran, won an Olympic gold medal in skiing. Be sure to follow Ryan at @rc.s Don't forget to try out WHOOP for free just by visiting join.whoop.com/ted

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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.  

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

In the world of ultra long distance cycling events, Jay Petervary has likely done the race, won the race, or set the course record. A pioneer in ultra endurance cycling in all facets of two wheels -- from gravel biking to mountain biking to an early foray in road cycling -- Jay knows how to cover massive distances in a short period of time.Looking back on the strange year that 2020 was, Jay and Ted discuss the direction both bikepacking and bikepack racing are going, his philosophies on each, his traditional perspective as one of the originals of bike packing, as well as a dive into his experiences in the wild frigid outback for his series of events around Fat Pursuit.You can find Jay at @jay_petervary on instagram.

This is a very special episode as Laura King takes the mic and hosts our guest, Ted. Fielding questions submitted by you about the grueling 1,020 mile, self-supported Arkansas High Country Race that took place in late October and into November.Ted set the FKT (fastest known time) just a hair under 5 days in this nonstop affair. Sit down and enjoy this conversation to hear how he prepared for the gnarliest single event he's ever been part of.Arkansas High Country Official Site: here. 

Back by popular demand, my wife Laura King is a guest on today's show! We last caught up with Laura on episode 55 in early March when she was less than one week away from giving birth. So what are the first six month of motherhood like with little baby Hazel? Better yet, what's life like when we three Kings pack into a Sprinter van and hit the road for two months?! Listening to this podcast will help paint the picture into all of that and much much more. Bonus info:To learn all about our van life trip, Laura created this handy link HERE. To support to my King Challenge fundraising ride -- and help me ride some absurd distance -- you can follow THIS link.To learn all about the King Challenge, just head to KingChallenge.org.And for all your DIYgravel needs, go HERE. 

The list of accolades awarded to skiers doesn't get much more impressive than those belonging to Chris Davenport. Two-time world champion, X-Games medalist, Chris set an FKT on all of Colorado's 14ers and then all of Colorado's tallest 100 peaks. He's been in more than thirty ski movies by Matchstick Productions and Warren Miller, he's a commentator for ESPN, ABC, and Outside Television, plus he's pretty handy on a bike.Ted caught up with Chris in his hometown of Snowmass, Colorado where this conversation took place in Chris's garage which is like a living museum of cool outdoor toys.He's philanthropic with his time, as we'll discuss today, and is a husband as well as father of three terrific boys.For more about Chris, visit www.chrisdavenport.com or on instagram, @SteepSkiing

Chances are good that if you listen to this podcast, you know Payson McElveen or know of Payson McElveen. Professional mountain biker, professional gravelisto, media maven, fashion guru, collector of shoes, podcaster, Payson knows how to stay busy.With a quick visit to Durango on the cross-country trip for the Kings, they visited Payson and his girlfriend Nichole for a thorough high altitude fun weekend, whereupon Payson and Ted sat down to follow up on their first back-and-forth podcast with each other. This is purely getting to the knitty gritty of Payson's upbringing and what's brought him to where he is now on two wheels and otherwise.Bonus offer for you:I trust you've heard of WHOOP. Want a WHOOP for free? Just follow this link and you'll be on your way: https://glnk.io/ovrz/tedking 

Jess Cerra is a professional cyclist with a handful of other feathers in her cap (...or helmet). A published, professional chef and entrepreneur as the owner of JoJé Bars, Jess has raced at the highest level of women's cycling and recently made the transition to gravel. During the King family trip across the country, we visited Whitefish, MT for a trip to Jess's hometown where she showed us around the gravel scene in and around Glacier National Park. That was stunning. This conversation is stunning. Jess has hilarious and heart-wrenching stories of what it takes to ride a bike for a living.