Photo by John Watson
In our first year of doing Awards we had two main categories. By The Numbers, which is the episode with the most downloads in the First 30 Days. And Listeners Choice where we asked YOU to vote on your favorite episode of the year. In total there were 31 episodes to choose from making it a tough choice.
Bailey Newbrey, owner of Sincere Cycles, and 2018 2nd place Tour Divide finisher swept BOTH categories. His episode was downloaded 4,792 times in the first 30 days. His episode also received the most number of votes from our online pole getting 10% of all votes.
We couldn’t be happier for Bailey to hold both of these spots. I sent him some follow up questions to our interview. It’s only been 6 months, but a lot can happen in 6 months, especially 2020.
How does it feel to take the sweep in the first ever BoD Awards?
It’s always fun to win an award one didn’t know they were competing for, kinda like when Strava started doing that “Local Legends” thing and I was awarded for being a creature of habit. In all seriousness, it was very surprising getting your text yesterday with a rundown of how many downloads the podcast got. I had no idea so many people were interested in what I had to say.
How have things been at your shop, Sincere Cycles, since our chat in June? At that time you had only been open a week since being shutdown due to covid regulations.
Things with the shop have been difficult, exhausting, and rewarding. The outpouring of support from the community has been invaluable, be it dollars for goods and services or emotional support. As most know, it’s been a tough year to source bikes, basic parts, &tc. and Santa Fe has been both patient and understanding throughout all the difficulties. I couldn’t be more grateful for the community here. Being a shop with a large focus on the social aspect of things; weekly group rides, overnight camp outs, and being a meeting/hang out spot, it’s required some adjusting, but I think we’ve managed to adapt and still find that social connection/support in spite of the challenges that presents.
We talked a lot about your rig for the 2018 TD. Would you care to share some of your favorite pics? I got to see it in person and it’s definitely a shareworthy bike that this audience will appreciate! What is your favorite thing about this bike?
I found some photos that I’d shot during the TD on my iPhone through a waterproof bag. The quality is pretty bad, and they’re all non-driveside (sleep deprivation messes with one’s brains ability to consider composition, apparently) but I think that adds to the authenticity. The best things about this bike, in it’s TD mode, were the fit and ease of access to what I’d needed. I may have mentioned it on the podcast, so pardon any redundancy, but I had no physical pain until Grants, NM and even that was not much more than, “oh, my knee is a bit tight”. No achilles pain, no neck issues, and full use of my hands the entire ride. I could also access all my layers without needing to stop, which was fantastic. Being able to take my rain jacket, arm & leg warmer, & tc. off while riding was invaluable and probably contributed to my overall comfort as I’d otherwise be too stubborn to stop and make those adjustments.
With many races cancelled and traveling more challenging it seems you’ve stayed pretty close to Santa Fe for 2020. What route has been your favorite as you get to know the area around your new hometown?
With the exception of a tour down the Continental Divide Trail and the occasional trip to Glorieta (a stop on the Big Mountain Enduro race circuit) all my rides have begun from my front door. The CDT from Cumbres Pass to El Rito is certainly a favorite. I’d done it once in 2019 and went back with John Watson this year. A majority of that section of the trail is above 10k ft and traverses some extremely remote, beautiful landscapes on gorgeous ribbons of singletrack. As for local rides, I most often find myself climbing the Winsor trail out of town into the Santa Fe National Forest. That being the main artery of our trail network I can connect shorter loops through dense aspen stands and ponderosa forests, remote backcountry trails, or mountain peaks above 12k ft. And all without jumping in a car!
Tour Divide 2021 is still a question mark as to whether the race will take place or not. Many other events are similarly affected. Are you looking forward to a particular event/race in 2021?
The most important event for 2021 will be my and Kate’s wedding. Outside of that I’m hoping to put on the Santa Fe BFL, a 65ish mile MTB race with somewhere around 12-13k ft of climbing. I hosted in 2019, but canceled in 2020, so it’d be great to do that one again. I’ve yet to make any serious race plans for myself, though it’s not entirely out of the question.
On our episode you mentioned Seth Wood a couple of times who just set the Singlespeed FKT on the ARHCR. How stoked were you for him? That is a brutal route, do you have any interest in racing it?
Seth is one of my favorite people. He’s an amazing cyclist who overcame a near death experience before he ever considered racing bikes. He also had some unexpected health issues come up just before racing ARHCR. I ain’t gonna tell his story for him, but you should have that guy on here. I was so happy to see him out there feeling good and pushing an awesome pace, particularly with all he’d recently had to deal with. That fella is one of the most mentally and physically strong people racing ultras right now.
As for myself, I’ve no ambitions to race that one. All the singletrack out here has sort of ruined me for paved/gravel ultras. I just don’t know if I’d be mentally engaged enough to do something like that right now. Not to say I never will, but it’d take a refocusing for sure.
You’re coming up on your 2 year anniversary of opening Sincere Cycles. We discuss in our interview that your shop is unique to you, your interest, and products/brands you can stand behind. Personally, I love this approach. How has the cycling community responded to this business model? Any goals for 2021?
Thanks! The response has been fantastic. As the interest in touring/bike packing has grown, particularly for those of us with easy access to public land during the pandemic, I’ve become the place people go for gear and questions about routes. Having people come in with a bike and say, “here’s the trip I’m doing, what do I need?” and trusting me to outfit them for a remote multi-day trip is quite fun and flattering.
A big focus is on gear which is made in the USA, but a large part of that is working with people I’ve built a relationship with. These are people who share similar values and ideals and whom I’m proud to give my dollars to. From people like Revelate Designs who I’ve been working with (initially at a shop I co-owned in Chicago, Comrade Cycles) since they were a tiny company operating out of a garage, to smaller well established brands like JPaks, Outershell, and Swift, to newer local start-ups like Farewell and Buckhorn Bags; I am very proud of the offerings available at the shop and hope to continue selling more gear made by good people that is of the best quality for tackling any rides one can dream up.
The main goal of 2021, pandemic pending, is to get back to hosting social rides/campouts. That’s probably what I’ve missed most this year and can’t wait to hit it with a bang once all is safe to do so.
Lastly, not a question, but a big congrats on your recent engagement! Hoping good things for y’all in the future.
Thanks, Patrick! Kate & I couldn’t be more excited. All the best to you and congratulations on your success with BoD! Thanks for letting me be a part of it!
To see all of the awards from 2020 clicky here.
If you’d like to revisit my episode with Bailey, you can find it here.
I LOVE Baileys shop. He’s been nothing but kind to me helping me with various frankenbike projects and getting me set up for long out of the country bikes tours. As my people say- He’s a real Mench!