The Stable Cyclist

Former pro cyclist and researcher Dr. Traci Carson joins the Stable Cyclist Podcast to talk about strength training, performance, longevity, cycling culture, and the biggest misconceptions endurance athletes still believe.

We dive into:

Why cyclists should lift weights

Strength training for endurance athletes

Muscle mass and long-term health

The culture of cycling and body image

Recovering from RED-S and disordered eating

Why many athletes underfuel without realizing it

How strength training improves performance and resilience

Dr. Traci Carson raced professionally with LA Sweat and now works in healthcare research focused on athlete health and performance.

If you’re a cyclist looking to ride stronger, stay healthy longer, and rethink how you train, this episode is for you.

 

If you’d like to ask JP a question for an upcoming Ask JP Anything episode, send him a DM on instagram @thestablecyclist or send an email to [email protected]

The companies supporting JP and this channel:

Maplelag Resort - https://www.maplelag.com/

Ignition Coach Co. - https://www.ignitioncoachco.com/ Use code StableCyclist100

Gulo Composites - https://gulocomposites.com/

SILCA - https://silca.cc/discount/thestablecyclistpod or use the code is "StableSilca15"

Flow Formulas - https://flowformulas.com/discount/JOHNPETER15

Wahoo Fitness - https://amzn.to/48RUSqe

Owl City Cycles - https://www.owlcitycycles.com

The Black Bibs - https://amzn.to/3XRlMtm

Dawn to Dusk - https://amzn.to/48zKi8p

Some of the above are affiliate links, but all are personally vetted and recommended

Mental Health Advocacy - Go4Graham - https://www.go4graham.org/ Resources: 988 Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/

International Bipolar Foundation: https://ibpf.org/

National Association for Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org/

Avery Stumm is best known for his work filming pro cyclist Alexey Vermeulen, documenting life inside the world of elite gravel racing, but Avery Stumm didn’t plan to build a career filming pro cyclists… He just sent a DM.

In this episode, we sit down with Avery to unpack what it really takes to work in cycling media; from shooting BMX as a kid to building a full-scale creative partnership in the pro peloton.

This is one of the most honest conversations about the behind-the-scenes of cycling content and the creative industry. 🎧 Listen if you're a creator, cyclist, or just curious how this world really works.

After two serious crashes, Cynthia Carson wasn’t sure she’d ever race the same again.

In this episode, we dive into the reality of ultra endurance racing — the physical toll, the mental battles, and what it takes to come back when everything goes wrong.

From Unbound XL to the Traka to the Transcontinental, this is more than racing… it’s about resilience.

🎬 Watch Cynthia’s film: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20fPWRPT0Aw&t=2425s

Thumbnail photo credit: Sebastian Samek

https://silca.cc/discount/thestablecyclistpod

 or use the code is "StableSilca15"

If you’d like to ask JP a question for an upcoming Ask JP Anything episode, send him a DM on instagram @thestablecyclist or send an email to [email protected]

The companies supporting JP and this channel:

Maplelag Resort - https://www.maplelag.com/

Wark's Cycling Services - https://www.warkscyclingservices.com/

Ignition Coach Co. - https://www.ignitioncoachco.com/  Use code StableCyclist100

Gulo Composites - https://gulocomposites.com/

Flow Formulas - https://flowformulas.com/discount/JOHNPETER15

Wahoo Fitness - https://amzn.to/48RUSqe

Owl City Cycles - https://www.owlcitycycles.com

The Black Bibs - https://amzn.to/3XRlMtm

Dawn to Dusk - https://amzn.to/48zKi8p

Some of the above are affiliate links, but all are personally vetted and recommended

 

Mental Health Advocacy - Go4Graham - https://www.go4graham.org/

Resources: 988 Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/

International Bipolar Foundation: https://ibpf.org/

National Association for Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org/

What does it take to tell a story you can’t see?

In this 100th episode of The Stable Cyclist Podcast, co-directors John Peter and Aaron Haugen break down the making of “MAAH DAAH HEY: BACK TO THE START” — a documentary about rebuilding life after a bipolar diagnosis. From filming a remote endurance race to trying to visualize mental illness on screen, this project pushed every limit we had — creatively, physically, and personally. We answer questions from the community and go deep into: - How the film came together over multiple years - The biggest challenges in telling a mental health story visually - What got left on the cutting room floor - The reality of filming in extreme conditions - And what this story means now that it’s complete This is more than a behind-the-scenes episode — it’s the real story behind the story.

🎬 Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/vUt6Y-fNvIA?si=0KfxVnhvUwSLQ1TR 🎥

Full film premieres April 3rd at 6:00 PM

https://silca.cc/discount/thestablecyclistpod or use the code is "StableSilca15"

If you’d like to ask JP a question for an upcoming Ask JP Anything episode, send him a DM on instagram @thestablecyclist or send an email to [email protected]

The companies supporting JP and this channel:

Maplelag Resort - https://www.maplelag.com/

Wark's Cycling Services - https://www.warkscyclingservices.com/

Ignition Coach Co. - https://www.ignitioncoachco.com/ Use code StableCyclist100

Gulo Composites - https://gulocomposites.com/

Flow Formulas - https://flowformulas.com/discount/JOHNPETER15

Wahoo Fitness - https://amzn.to/48RUSqe

Owl City Cycles - https://www.owlcitycycles.com

The Black Bibs - https://amzn.to/3XRlMtm

Dawn to Dusk - https://amzn.to/48zKi8p

Some of the above are affiliate links, but all are personally vetted and recommended

Mental Health Advocacy - Go4Graham - https://www.go4graham.org/

Resources: 988 Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/

International Bipolar Foundation: https://ibpf.org/

National Association for Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org/

After 8 days of racing, crashes, mechanicals, and everything in between… they made it.

Jenna Rinehart and Leah Van der Linden crossed the finish line of the Absa Cape Epic — one of the hardest stage races in the world — and this is the story of their final day.

Stage 7 was no victory lap. A brutal climb, technical singletrack, and completely empty legs forced them to dig deeper one last time. But this time, it wasn’t about results — it was about finishing.

In this episode, we break down:
• The reality of the final stage (it’s not easy)
• Racing on completely empty legs
• The emotion of crossing the finish line together
• What they learned about partnership, resilience, and themselves

They finished 7th overall in the GC — but the real win was making it to the line.