Mel Webb has had a busy year with all things bike related. Her enthusiasm for ultra distance racing and bikepacking is infectious, and this year her podcast Detours has helped pull back the curtain, offering insight into some of the characters across the sport, while also promoting the message of getting more women on start lines.

We caught up with her to reflect on some of the amazing conversations she had this year.

Words by Mel Webb

I took a big leap this year and somewhere along the way decided to do a weekly release of the show, which sort of happened. There were natural pauses throughout the year where I was off covering the Mountain Races, or my day job needed more of my attention, but overall I’m proud of the volume of episodes that came out all while maintaining the quality I think listeners deserve.

Across 32 conversations, with riders from all over the world, a few themes kept surfacing. Here are three that stood out.

We often tell ourselves there’s a perfect moment to start: when we’re more prepared, more confident. But the reality is, most of the time we have to begin before we feel ready. Doubt is human nature. We protect ourselves from failure by waiting, by overthinking, by convincing ourselves we’re not ready yet. But the bravest thing we can do is try anyway.

Of course, doing your homework is still important. Preparing well matters, but if I learned anything from a year of Detours, it’s that very few people arrive at the start line feeling completely ready.

Bikepack racing may be self-supported, but the reality is that this sport is far from that. It’s built on community.

So much of what we learn comes from other people: the advice they share, the mistakes they're willing to talk about, the reassurance that you're not the only one figuring it out as you go. That generosity is what can make this space feel more accessible.

And beyond individual connections, there are programs actively working to break down barriers. Mentorship initiatives like Roll Models and organizations like Bikepacking Roots are creating pathways into the sport through clinics, gear libraries, grants, and community events that help people take that first step. They're widening the door, making it easier for more people to find their way in.

Success doesn’t have to mean standing on the top step.

Across the year, some of my favourite stories have had nothing to do with podiums or performance. Kara Woolgar’s story of finishing the Arizona Trail Race 800 dead last. Quinda recalibrated her goals mid-year and learned to lean into her creative approach. Weronika Szalas spent months touring through Central Asia, embracing slow travel and the freedom that comes along with it.

Detours is about celebrating every adventure. It's easy to share the stories of winners and racing — and there are certainly plenty of those — but that's only one way to measure success. There are so many valid definitions, and they don’t all shine in the same way. By widening that lens, I hope that these conversations made space for more people.