Scarlet & Flint Ziegler just made waves in the bikepacking community when word got out that they had completed the Tour Divide Route in 42 days. The Tour Divide is a well established route that many have done, but what sets this father daughter duo apart is that Scarlet was only 13 years old when she completed it.
Self supported bike trips are nothing new to Scarlet. She was first introduced to this style of riding at the age of 2 when her family would pull her along on bike tours on Rail Trails close to their home in Dover, Pennsylvania. Somewhere along the way Scarlet internalized these bike tours for herself, taking on longer distances, faster times, and learning the ins-and-outs of being truly self supported. At 13 years old she has more experience than many people I talk to that are two or 3 times her age, and she has the maturity of experience to match.
This wouldn’t be possible without a supportive family who introduced her to bike touring and bikepacking, and gave her the freedom to explore her own boundaries. Flint Ziegler is the second half of this father daughter duo who is happy to stay in the background and support Scarlet. But it’s worth noting that his intentionality of raising her, encouraging her, and supporting her has greatly increased the opportunities Scarlet has to reach her potential.
In this episode Scarlet and Flint talk candidly about post trip depression, a topic rarely discussed, and the lasting effects of 42 days on the Tour Divide Route, both positive and negative. It is this openness to discuss often taboo subjects that I found particularly enduring and relatable, and I think you will too.
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