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INCREASE YOUR SPEED WHILE BIKE PACKING WITH BADLANDS WINNER SEBASTIAN BREUER

with Sebastian Breuer

33:12·25 October 2022

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SEBASTIAN BREUER

PROFILE →

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Sebastian Breuer's Badlands setup: aero bars + bags on his back, two big bottles in the frame, one bottle full of coffee for the night, no bivvy. He went through without sleeping.
Velodrome testing showed his aero-bar + custom rack combination saved 13W versus standard setup. Over 800km of desert, that's hours of finishing time.
His Badlands pacing was 190-200W — controlled, repeatable, well below threshold (~360W). He's hands-off about training and trusts his coach completely.
Ceramic Speed UFO chain (wax-based, not oiled) meant zero chain maintenance for 800km of desert. He used the same setup at Unbound.
Refuelling is the desert problem. Carry hydration bag (2-3L) on the back, plan around big-town stops like Almería, and don't trust trail-side refills — there's nothing out there.

TOPICS

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Sebastian Breuer, winner of the Badlands 800 ultra-endurance race, breaks down how he combines aerodynamic optimization with practical bike-packing setup to maintain speed across gruelling 800km+ events. From his velodrome-tested bar position to ceramic-speed drivetrain choices and tire pressure tuning, learn how marginal gains compound into race-winning advantages while still balancing a full-time career at Schwalbe.

Key Takeaways

13 watts of aerodynamic savings from testing bar and rack combinations on a velodrome is significant over 800km events—small details like Garmin mount position and helmet choice all add up to speed
Pacing ultra-endurance races at 190-200W (around zone 2) with a power meter removes the guesswork and lets you conserve energy for surges when competitors fade
The UFO wax-based chain from Ceramic Speed eliminates maintenance burden over long events—no oil means no dirt accumulation across 800km of desert riding
Route-based self-supported races like Badlands offer better pacing strategy and scenery than navigation-dependent events like Transcontinental; stick to known courses if speed is your goal
Mental resilience in ultra-racing means leaning into suffering as a competitive advantage—when fatigue hits hardest, that's when others drop, so it's your moment to accelerate
Experience with tire pressure, sealant, and puncture repair systems matters more than following a formula; spend time learning how your specific setup behaves on varied terrain

Expert Quotes

"If it hurts it's perfect because if it hurts me the others, they are still not alive anymore."

"I started cycling with road racing and for me it was every time about being aerodynamics as much as possible but on the same time to have a position your comfort level with."

"The most important thing is to enjoy the time and to be outside and yeah be out of your daily life—but when it's about a race I think you really have to take care about aerodynamics."

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

Each tagged with the strength of evidence behind it.

STUDY
Sebastian Breuer's Badlands 800 winning bike-packing setup was tested in a velodrome and demonstrated a 13-watt aerodynamic improvement from the combination of aero bars and a Tailfin custom rack versus a baseline bike-packing setup.
Source: Sebastian Breuer velodrome aero testing data
PRO PRACTICE
Breuer's Badlands pacing strategy held 190-200 watts, well below his approximate FTP of 360 watts — a low-zone-2-equivalent pacing strategy designed for ultra-endurance economy rather than threshold output.
Source: Sebastian Breuer race data
PRO PRACTICE
The Ceramic Speed UFO chain uses wax-based lubrication rather than oil, which Breuer credits with eliminating chain maintenance during 800km desert ultra-endurance races at both Badlands and Unbound.
Source: Sebastian Breuer equipment experience
PRO PRACTICE
Hydration strategy in desert ultra-endurance races requires carrying 2-3 litres in a hydration bag on the back plus three frame bottles — one filled with coffee for night riding — because trail-side refilling points are unreliable across the Spanish badlands route.
Source: Sebastian Breuer Badlands logistics
ANECDOTE
The previous female Badlands winner Leo Wilcox-on used an opportunistic "eat ice cream whenever you find it" nutrition approach rather than a grams-per-hour formula — illustrating that ultra-endurance fueling strategy varies dramatically across successful athletes.
Source: Anthony Walsh recounting Leo Wilcox-on interview

KEY QUOTES

“my pacing was like I think 190 to 200 Watts so yeah that was my my pacing”
Sebastian Breuer — Badlands winner

“we realized that the combination of error bars and that rack makes me I think 13 Watts faster and I think that's a lot that is a loss and especially over an event like Badlands 13 watts can end up being errors at the end”
Sebastian Breuer — Badlands winner

“43 hours without recharging is uh yeah it's quite nice”
Sebastian Breuer — Badlands winner

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT2 SECTIONS

Badlands Bike Setup and Bags

The most important thing is to enjoy the time and and to be outside and yeah be out of of your daily life all right Sebastian welcome to the romance cycling podcast thanks a lot for the invitation and yeah nice to be here so I was in Badlands for a very brief period I was on a team in Badlands and I had a mechanical I think it was then the first person to dnf Badlands my di2 broke off the very first descent Remember The Descent that had like the two bollards in the middle of the road right at the start oh that's uh first of first of all it's not too nice um yeah I think dnf at that dance is uh yeah it's it's not a nice not a nice option to quit the race so yeah I'm really sorry for this but I remember seeing you over the top I don't know it was maybe like eight nine left in the front group and I remember saying to my teammates I was like this guy has like 3D printed Arrow bars I was like we're so [ __ ] like we're so badly prepared for this an Italian brand it's not a 3D printed but it's uh I think for the pro athletes so um you can buy it but I think in in that color option it's it's just for the pro athletes and for me so I think that's as good a place as any to start I'd like to talk about because I went into Badlands as a total newbie and I know since releasing my podcast on Badlands a lot of our listeners have expressed interest about doing it next year and obviously you're the winner of Badlands this year if anyone didn't know congratulations thanks a lot so I want to dive in and talk about preparation for Badlands everything from bike to nutrition to course recce so from a regular gravel bike what was your setup like talk us through it who I think uh from a regular gravel bike I think the main difference is uh I think the bags um I well my choice was just to carry some food so I just have to carry uh two bigger bags on my back and I saw my seat post and in my frame and yeah for sure that Arrow bars I use them at Unbound as well but I think uh all the other stuff is the same like on a normal gravel bike I think and you were obviously going through knowing you weren't gonna sleep so you didn't bring BV or any sort of Sleep System yes that's true um I just had uh some some arm warmers with me and yeah a lot of food that's everything how planned there is your nutrition strategy I had Leo wilcoxon who won the female version of bad lansom I was just thinking she was gonna have this cool doiled in nutrition strategy grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per hour and she was just like no I just ate ice cream whenever I caught so whoa yeah I think the biggest problem at Badlands is the possibility to to refill because in the desert they have nothing you can't really refill so you have to carry a lot of water with you um on my on my back I had a hydration bag with I think two or three liters of of water and then in my frame two bottles of water and under my frame one more but the bottle under my frame was filled with with coffee for the night and yeah in my back server just bars and jails um so I think you really have to take care about your planning because when you cross while crossing the the desert it's not possible to refill so you have to look for for bigger cities like um I'm a real for example and then you really have to take all the food you can get did you have a pacing strategy where you're using a power meter or was it all off perceived effort no no um I talked to to my coach before there is a lot about that and yeah my pacing was like I think 190 to 200 Watts so yeah that was my my pacing and it where's that in terms of your threshold is that a zone two right or where is it sitting it's I think currently I'm not sure because I don't I don't really know much about training because I have a Coach and he's taking care of me so I just have to to uh to ride my bike but I think it's about 360 I think so it's funny some athletes yeah I get to chat with a lot of pro athletes on the podcast and some athletes are so Doyle they're gonna train and they love to know every aspect about it and then other guys are just totally hands off they're like the same as I would look at you know her and a plumber to fix the sink I'm like I don't want to know just fix the sink just don't tell me the detail yeah I think too much detail isn't isn't good for me because um I I really like to take care of of my bike and and aerodynamic stuff but I think uh stuff like training and and nutrition I think there are guys who know like like my coach for example who knows yeah much more about that so uh for me it's hey just tell me what I have to do and yeah I will do that so it helps if it's possible how geeky did you go on the bike I see you ride a Rolls bike which is pretty cool I haven't seen them in quite a while and I actually wrote for a French team in 2012 and we were sponsored by Rose bikes so when I was flicking on your Instagram it's like whoa there's a blast from the past it's good to see them still going strong yeah it's uh I think for me it's it's the most beautiful gravel bike um uh and and yeah for sure the road bike is uh beautiful as well so yeah I started my my cooperation with Rosa beginning of this season and I'm really happy and uh yeah now they are happy to support me and for for my next project even for 20 23 and 2024 and do you do any sort of after Marcus you know modifications to the bike I know I've seen you using some ceramic speed stuff in the past did you pimp the bike for Badlands or anything like that yeah um I'm using the ceramic speed stuff uh like uh the pulley wheels and the special special uh chain the UFO chain I think that was one of the most important things on my bike because I never had to take care of my chain um it was the same like Unbound and that's that's really nice because uh 800ks through the desert is yeah that's crazy for for the chain and for me it was like hey no problem uh I don't have to take care about that what's the chain called uh ufu chain from ceramic speed I haven't heard them so what's the deal with this what's the kind of unique selling point um I think the main difference is um it's not with oil it's with that kind of wax okay so no dirt uh on your chain how long does it last um I'm not sure um but Badlands was no problem so that was uh 800ks so it's like something you would get and put on for a specific event and then go back to a regular channel for trying it yeah yeah yeah sure that's pretty cool and you're the first person I've ever heard of Neo grant that I'm quite new into the scene but you're the first person I've seen that gives a lot of thought to aerodynamics while carrying bikes yeah I think that's important because um my first experience about aerodynamics and and long distance devices was was a transcontinental race in in June and we tested a lot about that on the velodrome in in the winter and yeah for example um I'm working with tail film um they they gave me that special wreck and for me that's a perfect combination of aerodynamic and for sure to to carry all my stuff we set a special wreck and after the testing on the radar drum we realized that the combination of error bars and that rack makes me I think 13 Watts faster and I think that's a lot that is a loss and especially over an event like Badlands 13 watts can end up being errors at the end yeah and I think it's important to have a position that's comfortable for you and for me that was like being on my own sofa at home so yeah that was for me the error bar stuff is is quite nice because I started cycling with road racing and I was a I think good time playlist and for me it was every time about being aerodynamics as most as possible but on the same time um to have a position your your comfort level with so and that's yeah that was the main point to to to use that error bars a deadlines I think most people won't get a chance to get into the velodrome and aerial test their uh their bike packing and set off what was the kind of learnings you can give somebody who's going on a bike packing trip but yeah I think the normal bike packing trip is not about aerodynamics uh for sure because on the normal bike packing trips um I think it's the most important thing is to enjoy the time and and to be outside and uh yeah be out of of your daily life but when it's about a race I think it makes you faster so you really have to take care about aerodynamics is there a specific brand of bag that you found to be the fastest bike or um or part either or both I think bike is um oh that's difficult because last year I wasn't on the other brand and it was a really aerodynamic gravel bike but I think and that kind well that kind of bike was not perfect for gravel racing and my my current bike is is uh I think it's comfortable but on the same time it's perfect for gravel because you you can't destroy it and I think that's that's really important and for for specific Parts I think error bars and and smaller details for example your your garmi mount for example put your Garmin on the right place and not not uh on the handlebar I think it's better to to put it yeah in front of your handle by for example and socks for example a friend of mine Jasper echolon is running his own sock company and he's really deep into aerodynamics and he tested a lot about that and I think he told me that socks are really important for for aerodynamics so or your helmet for example I think all that small details make you even faster and I seen people for the first time in Badlands using the Tail fan if anyone doesn't know what we're talking about it's this kind of cool carbon fiber so when I've been bike packing in the past I've had the bag that clumps onto the saddle and then onto your saddle pillar but the problem with that is when you get out with a saddle to climb it kind of sways around and it feels a little bit like you're towing a trailer behind you but tail thin is this like cool carbon Sleek rack that minimally mounts doesn't add much extra weight and stops that swaying how good is that to ride yeah tafin is just perfect for me because like you said that that mess uh with a normal bike packing uh back from from your seat post I think I don't like that because um Telephone is so much stiffer and for example when on a normal bike packing trip you you reach the hotel or you you stay for the following night and uh was it Heaven wreck it's easy to to reach all your closes for example or your food if it's inside the rack back so it's uh yeah easy in handling it's it's really fast and yeah I think mounting and dismounting is just easy um would you in an event like Badlands would you opt for a battery that's charged off your hub um I'm using a Dynamo um so yeah Special Hub and I was able to to load my my or reload my phone for example but um currently I'm using the new Garmin device at Edge Edge with the law and so yeah I just need the the hub for for my for my front and back land and it was the Garmin solar like I've seen a lot of people using them it's worth worth the money sorry the Garmin solar it's worth the money it does its job yes it was perfect because I never had to recharge it and uh 43 hours without recharging is uh yeah it's quite nice yeah a lot of people listen to podcasts because I'm kind of pushing the alternates uh cycling agenda so you know for a long time we talked the usual Classics grantors and maybe it's a mirror of where my own cycling development has gone at the moment I'm starting to explore more events like Badlands and now I've had like a Leo Wilcox on the podcast and I've had awesome other Ultra endurance guys on I'm starting to get inquisitive and my audience is starting to get inquisitive I was like what's next what can I do next I've heard about Badlands talk to me about Trans Continental what is it when does it take place and who is it suitable for yeah transcontinental that's um I think it's a difficult uh it's difficult for me because on on the one hand it's it's a nice idea to to ride through across Europe uh in a race uh 4500 case of racing uh I think in nine or ten days against the yeah the best in the in the world I think but the problem is in in self-supported races there are two kinds of self supported races uh that's one kind like Badlands that you've got the the route and you just have to follow the route and that's the event like TCR uh where you have to do your own route so the most fastest road is always on a big roads and that's terrible because you you're going to miss that beautiful landscape and it's really dangerous um uh with other vehicles so for me transcontinental is not an option anymore because I really fell in love with with events like like Badlands it's it's such a new nice landscape and the Transcontinental is quite difficult uh regarding the organization and you have to pay a lot for for stuff like like media license of your sponsors and and something like that so I think TCR has to change his mind um in the next few years otherwise it could get difficult for them to keep the event uh stay alive so are you are you attracted by any of the races you know the kind of likes of the ones across the mountains in Kyrgyzstan or any of these ones like the Atlas mountain race yes um I can tell you that my next next spec race is Race Across the Andes in in Chile coming November and I think my biggest goal for next year is Atlas mountain race in February so two really big big races in that uh yeah long distance world of cycling we're kind of used to Road cyclists haven't quite a cyclical uh body clock where they they raced all this right through the summer typically finish up a season around worlds or maybe ill lombardier take a break take the foot off the gas a little bit into New Year and then start building condition into New Year tour down under Etc and then get back into the season is there a similar sort of ebb and flow to the ultra endurance season uh for me it was uh all the all the last couple of years it was the same for me uh starting with a season in I don't know in Spring and ending uh in October doing that uh three to four week break and then restart training for for the next season and this year I think it's it's a kind of a new world for me just just do that uh one week of holidays with my wife and then restarting my training I think in two weeks uh for for chile and for for Atlas mountain race so for me it's the first time doing this program and doing my my normal break and next spring but for me it's perfect because in Spring there are a lot of spring Classics and I have to take care about uh the pro athletes racing as spring Classics for for our schwalder brand here in Germany because um I'm working as a liaison manager at schvelby so for me it's perfect to do a schedule like this I think that's what's quite unique about your story normally when I'm chatting to Reuters of your caliber they're professional bike riders but you're still balancing a full-time job with one of the biggest hire companies in the world Schwalbe like how do you manage to balance a high performance Sport and a full-time career oh good question I think the most important part is my wife um I think without hers it isn't possible for me to do it like that um at home we have a little dog for example and and yeah in the last couple of weeks um I was yeah on the road for for a long time um yesterday I came back from from the world Champs and gravel for example and yeah the balance I think is is to have a good schedule for for the whole week or for the whole month and yeah to have to have a wonderful wife I think that's that's a secret and uh is Schwalbe a company that's supportive of your endeavors they give you a paid time off work to go and do Badlands Atlas mountain race are they holidays you have to take no that's on my holidays but um for me that's perfect because um my my holidays are yeah two two to refill your your battery and to enjoy your time and the best possibility for me is uh yeah to do a race like that land so for me it was a perfect holiday and how many hours would you get in a typical training week now trying to balance work around you know personal obligations yeah I think that depends on my schedule but I think 15 to 20 hours per week okay so training schedule still quite a lot yeah I think so about um for me it's yeah it's I I'm enjoying every minute of it to to go out of of the office or the home office and and yeah to have some training or some some bike riding is for me it's it's a perfect combination of the stressful day of work and do you fit that in just like where a gap allows or you regimental and like training happens first thing in the morning or lasting at night oh that depends on on the schedule too I think there are times like like last week um there was uh the the world championships and Triathlon at Kona and at the same weekend the gravel World Championships so a lot of meetings uh in two different time zones and then I have to yeah really take care of that schedule and is there some time I'm going for a bike ride and if there's no time yeah I have to work that's it Schwalbe is such a cool job especially you know as a newbie coming into the sport the main question I have and the main question I get asked from people who are like one chapter behind me Isabel tires like we raced a gravel race a couple of weeks ago at the weekend there was like a local 100 kilometer race two thousand meters a climb and with some hard packed gravel but then some looser stuff and I ran like a 44 mil Tire with some novels on it but it's like I don't know if like a 42 Mill Tire with slick would have been a faster setup how like when you're in this world of tires how do we make sense of the correct tar choice uh I think it's all about experience um for me for example um at the American gravel event Unbound we we launched the new gravel tire and I think currently it's one of the fastest in the world and I started uh riding this tire I think one year before and I spent a lot of of time with that tire and for me I think and yeah I know everything about that tire and it's not too difficult to chose uh the right one for example for the World Championships last week there was a question of how okay which tire size 35 or 40 or 45 and yeah I I know everything about the tire especially about aerodynamics rolling resistance power puncture resistance and yeah I think it's all about experience about the tires what's the name of that schwabitar that's uh Schwab g1rs G1 RS and what sizes is that coming uh 35 40 and 45.

Tire Pressure and Tubeless Strategy

Okay so I wrote a 44 for the weekend so say I wrote the Schwalbe 45 yeah and I've decided that that's the correct term for me based on my experience now my next question becomes what pressure do I run that tire at do you use that pressure calculation solely based off of Reuters weight or his earlier considerations yeah it depends on on your rim on the tire I think on your uh on your system for example uh I going with a tube or without tube tube plus uh um your weight for example that all that stuff is quite important to find the right pressure and like I said your experience because um when I'm taking part in a race I try to learn everything about the course for example last last weekend there was a World Championships in gravel in Italy and I checked the whole course 1 180k some days before to to have the real the perfect uh yeah pressure for my for my setup and yeah I think that depends on your experience with the tire some guys really prefer to to write with lower pressure other ones with a bit higher pressure um I'm a guy who likes to to ride with higher pressure but I think that depends on on every write-up would you default to writing tubeless normally yeah I think uh last time I uh yeah I attached the tube was four or five years ago normally um yeah I think every time for me it's every time all about tubular systems but uh for example at Badlands uh I had two spare tubes with me but yeah just spare tubes so good for that so I looked at the weekend watching the gravel worlds Daniel us who got second in the elite men's I see in on his saddle pillar it looked like he had a kind of sealant with him like if you're running a tubular setup would you typically bring just plugs and CO2 cans or would you also bring sealant yeah just uh tubes uh just the blacks and uh CO2 so what's the idea of the sealants that he's bringing just in case it's a big rip um I think that's a special sealant it's more like a form um uh I know that from from mountain bike racing but never tested before to be honest interesting interesting and so what's next what's exciting me at the moment if you look ahead for you know if we have a chat it's this time next year or this time two years what's the big plans the big dominoes you'd like to knock over um I think my big goals are uh kid Jesus Tom um Silk Road Mountain race amazing and going to the US um for for some some racing like yeah Unbound for one more time for example and yeah I think that the big goals for for the next one or two years I was on Bell that's a race I'm attempt at Studio next year um this year I take part in that uh 200 miles race that was uh yeah it was a crazy one because a lot of pro athletes uh uh yeah try to try to win that race and it was really really fast I think one of the hardest workouts the whole year and next year I'm currently I'm thinking about that XL race with 350 miles yeah and yeah but to be honest um Unbound for me it was it was yeah it was like a dream this year because um I was 16 and Yen it was what was was a perfect result for for myself and we just won it was with that Dutch guy Eva who won that Pro Race and uh he's in schwabe athlete so it was yeah it was like a dream come true what do you think makes you successful in these races obviously you're a fit guy but what makes you gravitate and more precisely more than just gravitate what makes you a champion at the ultra distance is it sleep deprivation is a fatigue resistance is it you know your processing fuel over longer periods better I think you you have to be resistant against everything uh so you have um it's it's quite difficult to say because um everybody um yeah it's not how how can I tell you I think it's not the same for for for everyone else because um some guys like long distance racing others uh don't like it I think it's it's a kind of uh mental game for example being really really tired in the race and for me it's like okay the other guys are tired no it's my my time to to go full gas and yeah I think you have to be the strongest in in all views so you're almost looking for that point of fatigue the same way if I'm doing a interval and I'm trying to you know win road races when I get to that point when I want to quit doing an interval there's one voice on one shoulder saying okay quit but then the voice on the other shoulder saying okay this is the only moment you've been training for this is the only part that matters because everyone else is training as hard as this now it matters so you're having the same dialogue with sleep deprivation and fatigue when you get to a point where you're like oh this is really hard I'm really suffering that's when you have to double down and make the separation yeah I think so um uh for me is it is like Okay um if it hurts it's perfect because if it hurts me the others yeah I still they they uh they are still uh not alive anymore so um yeah I think that that's a good good point for me um to be that resistant and a funny side effect is um for for Badlands for example most of the guys are thinking okay you have to train long long long long uh stuff for example nine to ten hours endurance riots or stuff like that but for me um it was like training with it really short in intensive intervals like 30 to 30 20 to 40 40 to 20 and yeah it was brutal but yeah in the end it worked out you're just trying like a road racer essentially yes and it was pretty cool seeing one Antonio Fletcher I'd say rolling up on your shoulder uh I think I think well Antonio was really tired uh at the end of that length uh he was in a bad way I I don't even think he brought any food or water he just had a camera with him I was thinking he's going to be eating that camera after two days yeah I was joking to him at the start because um he was like putting the camera on his back and I was thinking okay that's crazy for the whole race because uh the roads are really bumpy and and yeah it's not easy to uh to write them uh with with a camera on your back but I think for him it worked out but yeah he was really he was really tired Sebastian thanks very much for chatting to me on the Roman podcast thanks a lot and see you soon

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How did Sebastian Breuer win the Badlands race?+

Sebastian Breuer won the 2023 Badlands 800-kilometre ultra-endurance race by combining aerodynamic optimisation with disciplined pacing, holding 190 to 200 watts throughout the entire event. He skipped a sleep system entirely to save weight and time, and used velodrome-tested aero bars with a custom rear rack that saved 13 watts over a standard bike-packing setup, a margin that proved decisive across 800 kilometres.

How much water do you need to carry for the Badlands desert crossing?+

Sebastian Breuer carried approximately five litres of water for the desert crossing, plus an additional bottle filled with coffee for the night section. Resupply points are scarce through the Tabernas and Gorafe desert sections, so planning water capacity carefully before that stage is essential.

Do you need a sleep system for ultra cycling races like Badlands?+

Sebastian Breuer completed Badlands without any sleep system, choosing instead to push through and manage rest stops without dedicated sleeping kit. For competitive riders targeting a fast finish, eliminating a sleep system reduces both weight and the temptation to stop for extended periods.

How much does aerodynamics matter in bike packing races?+

Aerodynamics makes a significant difference even in loaded bike-packing events. Sebastian Breuer had his setup tested in a velodrome and found that his aero bar and custom rear rack combination saved 13 watts compared to a conventional bike-packing configuration, which compounds substantially over a race lasting hundreds of kilometres.

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Key Takeaways

13 watts of aerodynamic savings from testing bar and rack combinations on a velodrome is significant over 800km events—small details like Garmin mount position and helmet choice all add up to speed

Pacing ultra-endurance races at 190-200W (around zone 2) with a power meter removes the guesswork and lets you conserve energy for surges when competitors fade

The UFO wax-based chain from Ceramic Speed eliminates maintenance burden over long events—no oil means no dirt accumulation across 800km of desert riding

Route-based self-supported races like Badlands offer better pacing strategy and scenery than navigation-dependent events like Transcontinental; stick to known courses if speed is your goal

Mental resilience in ultra-racing means leaning into suffering as a competitive advantage—when fatigue hits hardest, that's when others drop, so it's your moment to accelerate

Experience with tire pressure, sealant, and puncture repair systems matters more than following a formula; spend time learning how your specific setup behaves on varied terrain

Expert Quotes

"If it hurts it's perfect because if it hurts me the others, they are still not alive anymore."

"I started cycling with road racing and for me it was every time about being aerodynamics as much as possible but on the same time to have a position your comfort level with."

"The most important thing is to enjoy the time and to be outside and yeah be out of your daily life—but when it's about a race I think you really have to take care about aerodynamics."

KEY QUOTES

“my pacing was like I think 190 to 200 Watts so yeah that was my my pacing”
Sebastian Breuer — Badlands winner

“we realized that the combination of error bars and that rack makes me I think 13 Watts faster and I think that's a lot that is a loss and especially over an event like Badlands 13 watts can end up being errors at the end”
Sebastian Breuer — Badlands winner

“43 hours without recharging is uh yeah it's quite nice”
Sebastian Breuer — Badlands winner

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How did Sebastian Breuer win the Badlands race?+

How much water do you need to carry for the Badlands desert crossing?+

Do you need a sleep system for ultra cycling races like Badlands?+

How much does aerodynamics matter in bike packing races?+

INCREASE YOUR SPEED WHILE BIKE PACKING WITH BADLANDS WINNER SEBASTIAN BREUER

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

Badlands Bike Setup and Bags

Tire Pressure and Tubeless Strategy

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

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INCREASE YOUR SPEED WHILE BIKE PACKING WITH BADLANDS WINNER SEBASTIAN BREUER

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

Badlands Bike Setup and Bags

Tire Pressure and Tubeless Strategy

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

SILK ROAD CHANGED MY LIFE | SOFIANE SEHILI

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10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW AS A BEGINNER GRAVEL CYCLIST | ALEXEY VERMEULEN

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LIKED THIS EPISODE?

INCREASE YOUR SPEED WHILE BIKE PACKING WITH BADLANDS WINNER SEBASTIAN BREUER

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

1.Badlands Bike Setup and Bags

2.Tire Pressure and Tubeless Strategy

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

SILK ROAD CHANGED MY LIFE | SOFIANE SEHILI

#1 THING I LEARNED RIDING 37 ULTRA DISTANCE RACES | ROADMAN PODCAST

10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW AS A BEGINNER GRAVEL CYCLIST | ALEXEY VERMEULEN

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SILK ROAD CHANGED MY LIFE | SOFIANE SEHILI

#1 THING I LEARNED RIDING 37 ULTRA DISTANCE RACES | ROADMAN PODCAST

10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW AS A BEGINNER GRAVEL CYCLIST | ALEXEY VERMEULEN

LIKED THIS EPISODE?

INCREASE YOUR SPEED WHILE BIKE PACKING WITH BADLANDS WINNER SEBASTIAN BREUER

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

1.Badlands Bike Setup and Bags

2.Tire Pressure and Tubeless Strategy

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

SILK ROAD CHANGED MY LIFE | SOFIANE SEHILI

#1 THING I LEARNED RIDING 37 ULTRA DISTANCE RACES | ROADMAN PODCAST

10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW AS A BEGINNER GRAVEL CYCLIST | ALEXEY VERMEULEN

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SILK ROAD CHANGED MY LIFE | SOFIANE SEHILI

#1 THING I LEARNED RIDING 37 ULTRA DISTANCE RACES | ROADMAN PODCAST

10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW AS A BEGINNER GRAVEL CYCLIST | ALEXEY VERMEULEN

LIKED THIS EPISODE?

Badlands Bike Setup and Bags

Tire Pressure and Tubeless Strategy

Badlands Bike Setup and Bags

Tire Pressure and Tubeless Strategy