Faces Behind the Dots: Stagecoach 400

The Grand Depart of the Stagecoach 400, a long-running bikepacking race in Southern California, starts this Friday. Created by Brendan Collier in 2012, and now (dis)organized by Meg Knobel, the Stagecoach features the coast, mountains, and desert all in one ride. 

We asked riders about their backgrounds, what they’re looking forward to, bike choice given the variable terrain, and more. Some of these folks are riding in the Grand Depart this Friday, and some participated in the Stagecoach Sideshow, a touring Grand Depart that was held last weekend.

Many of the riders who responded have ridden all or parts of the route before, and it’s clear that the people who love the Stagecoach just can’t get enough. As the rest of us watch dots as the race goes on, Meg, the organizer leaves us with a thought, “I would love to encourage more people to tour this route outside of the group starts. It is fantastic, diverse, challenging, and has a ton of fun touristy things to do along the way if you can take a bit more time.”

Darlene Usi (she/her)

Age: 33

Home: San Diego, CA

Bike: 2022 Specialized Diverge Sport Carbon

Classic Stagecoach or Stagecoach Sideshow? Classic Stagecoach

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your bike riding and bikepacking background? What does life look like outside of riding bikes? 

Below is my recipe for the perfect concoction, (one serving): 

The ingredients for “My Best Life” – the elixir to fuel me with my bike as the guiding light. These ingredients embody the foundation of my existence with the assistance of my bike to show the way.

Stagecoach 400 is my first ultra-endurance event and I’m only experienced in bikepacking/touring at party pace. My motto has always been “I’d rather try and risk failing, than regret not trying at all.” I am not afraid of failure and am going into my first ultra headstrong with that same perspective when I started trying out bigger and harder rides. See table below for all the practice miles/events leading up to this choice of entering this ultra. 

Outside of riding, I am a scientist by day working at a biotech company that utilizes sustainable sources to replace petro-based chemicals that can be used in cosmetics, nylon and as palm oil alternatives. My analytical brain from science combined with the artistic expression found in biking continues to push my limits in various avenues and the drive to live intuitively.

Fig. 1 – this rookie’s ultra-endurance resume: 

The Stagecoach route features the coast, the mountains, and the desert. Do you have a section of the route you’re most looking forward to? Why? 

Strangely looking forward to Borrego Springs. The tough desert sandy portion at the end of the route along with the undulated climb to return back to Idyllwild fascinates me in the sense of seeing how my mind and body work together to get through the last tough bits til the end. A true test of endurance for this rookie. 

Considering the route’s versatile terrain, what type of bike and what tires are you running? How did you make your decision? 

I’m riding my Specialized Diverge with 700 x 47mm Rene Herse Oracle Ridge tires. I bought this bike for participation in the Komoot Women’s Torino-Nice Rally as my first attempt at an eight-day bikepacking trip through Europe. It’s pretty much the only capable bike I have with the setup that I need. I tried to fit the widest tires I can with my frameset in hopes that it’ll help with the 50 miles of sandy desert towards the end of this route. Fingers crossed that this wet winter helped with packing down the sand for a smoother rolling terrain! 

Do you prefer party pace or race pace? Do you have a goal for your Stagecoach ride?

I’m a party pace, “gal in the back” type of rider. I might try to race – but ultimately I just want to enjoy the solitude and meditation of riding this journey at a pace I can maintain to finish safely. My goal is to finish in four days. I have the home plate advantage of having plenty of past opportunities to ride 70% of the route. 

Have I missed anything you want people to know about you or your thoughts about your ride? 

I yearn to inspire other women (like myself) who have little to no training/experience at planning something grand, to just go for it. The excitement of a new challenge to push the body and soul brings a new motivation to embrace in the full journey and a delayed gratification of reaching the destination. I  desire to utilize my story as a springboard to inspire other women who have been told they cannot do something, to go beyond the unknown and grow individually, professionally and increase the breadth  of their passions/hobbies. 

Emily Elliott (she/her)

Age: 37

Home: Redlands, CA

Bike:  Quiring ti 29+ hardtail “Space Cowgirl”

Classic Stagecoach or Stagecoach Sideshow? Classic Stagecoach

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your bike riding and bikepacking background? What does life look like outside of riding bikes? 

I’m 37 and living the dream with my husband and three little dogs. I pay the bills by working as an [urban and regional] planning consultant and spend a lot of my free time doing something bike related.

Like a lot of kids, I grew up with 16″ & 20″ Huffy’s, but in a hilly rural area not well suited to K-mart bikes, cycling didn’t really stick. Fast forward to 2019 and I was coming to the end of a competitive strongwoman career. Having achieved many of my strength-sport goals including earning pro status and winning my first pro contest, cabin fever and isolation from always being in the gym, always on a strict diet, always prioritizing recovery, etc. was taking a toll. I was burnt out. At my husband’s suggestion we got bikes and I quickly fell in love with riding as a means of getting outside, socializing, and staying relatively fit and healthy without the monotonous grind and high expectations I was used to. It was freeing. The pandemic quickly forced the full transition from strongman to bikes and it became my new obsession. Summer 2020 was my first bikepacking experience on a rigid steel mountain bike, riding in the San Bernardino mountains with my brother. It was on that first trip that I randomly met Brendan Collier who told us about Stagecoach 400. I was absolutely floored that people rode their bikes so far without any support and was simultaneously awestruck and dumbfounded. How little I knew about the incredible things people do on bikes! It’s funny how things work out as I came to meet more SC400 riders, count them as friends, and in 2022 I would find myself taking off in the Grand Depart.

The Stagecoach route features the coast, the mountains, and the desert. Do you have a section of the route you’re most looking forward to? Why?

The desert is probably my favorite section to ride and where I feel most comfortable and at home. The sand and washboard doesn’t bother me too much and you can’t beat the night sky and amazing stars. The southern mountains are probably the most daunting because I have such limited experience there, but I love it all the same.

Considering the route’s versatile terrain, what type of bike and what tires are you running? How did you make your decision?

I’ll be riding a 29″ Ti hardtail with a 120mm suspension fork, enduro rims laced to a dynamo hub, and mounted with Terravail Honchos (2.6″ up front and 2.4″ in back). 2.6″ tires feel like the sweet spot for the kind of riding I like to do and makes quick work of sand. Not the best for pavement, but I think the downsides are negligible and I love the comfy ride they give. The mullet set up this year was a bit of a forced decision because I needed a new rear tire and the 2.6″ was out of stock.

Do you prefer party pace or race pace? Do you have a goal for your stagecoach ride?

What do you call party pace that doesn’t stop and linger? Whatever that is, is how I plan to approach Stagecoach this year. I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not a fast rider, but like the tortoise, I just keep moving forward and I think my stamina is in a good place. I’ve taken a lot of care to make sure my bike and my kit are set up for a comfortable ride. Brie H. passed us in the night while we were sleeping last year, and I never saw her again! I’ll definitely want to ride like her. 🙂 My goal is to stay true to my strategy and I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

Have I missed anything you want people to know about you or your thoughts for your Stagecoach ride? 

I just want to say thank you to Meg, Brendan, and everyone who has had a hand in non-organizing and supporting. It’s a huge undertaking And to the other riders: let’s have a great time out there!

Laurel Smith (they/them)

Age: 29

Home: Seattle, WA (from San Jose, CA)

Bike: Surly Karate Monkey (aka Big Boye)

Classic Stagecoach or Stagecoach Sideshow? Classic Stagecoach

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your bike riding and bikepacking background? What does life look like outside of riding bikes? 

I started bikepacking in 2017, but was pretty inconsistent until late 2021 when I joined Breakfast Racing Team in Seattle. I’m still figuring out how to schedule all the riding I need to do, work full time, and race. I’m hoping to do several bikepacking races, some gravel, and some enduro events this year. We’ll see what happens!

Outside of bikes, I’m a water resources engineer. I love to eat spicy food and hang out with my black cat.

The Stagecoach route features the coast, the mountains, and the desert. Do you have a section of the route you’re most looking forward to? Why? 

I love the desert! The descent into Oriflamme Canyon is one of my favorite segments of all time. I’m also excited to see the ocotillo blooming (fingers crossed). I finished the Baja Divide a few weeks ago and feel like my desert skills are fresh, though I’m sure Anza-Borrego in late March will be much hotter than I prefer.

Considering the route’s versatile terrain, what type of bike and what tires are you running? How did you make your decision? 

I’m riding my hardtail karate monkey with a 2.35 Maxxis Ardent Race in front and a 2.20 Maxxis Ikon in back. Historically, I have ridden this bike rigid but have been having some issues with my wrists (thx Baja) and would love to make it to the finish. In an ideal world, I would prefer a lighter bike but this is what I’ve got! It’s very stable, fits well, and I know it will get me there. I’m also going for the flat pedal/work boot combo because I haven’t had time to make sure the clipless shoes I wanted to wear won’t destroy my feet. Overall, I am prioritizing comfort over speed. I’m not fast anyways so all I can do is ride steadily and eat well!

Do you prefer party pace or race pace? Do you have a goal for your Stagecoach ride?

I’m very new to bikepacking racing (this is my second race) and feel like my party pace and race pace are probably pretty similar for a long event like this? That being said, I will be minimizing my stopped time as much as I can but also have plans to sleep. I like long days regardless, especially in the desert!

I would love to finish by Sunday so I can have an easier time finding a ride back to San Diego! More realistically, my goals are: to have a good time, to eat well, to not hit the sketchy mountain highways at night which would make my mom mad, and of course finish!

Have I missed anything you want people to know about you or your thoughts about your ride?

You don’t have to be fast to race ultras! We all start somewhere and if you’ve trained enough to attempt a route safely, hell yea show up!!! Take up space!

And trans rights are human rights~~~~~~

Sammy (she/her)

Age: 37

Home: Vista, CA

Bike: Trek Procaliber

Classic Stagecoach or Stagecoach Sideshow? Classic Stagecoach

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your bike riding and bikepacking background? What does life look like outside of riding bikes? 

I grew up around bikes, my dad was an avid cyclist. I really didn’t start biking a ton until I got a job and started commuting by bike. I then met my person while riding road bikes, then we got into mountain biking, and then that morphed into bikepacking adventures! We ride a lot. Outside of riding, I work from home as a software engineer and hang out with my dog and person.

The Stagecoach route features the coast, the mountains, and the desert. Do you have a section of the route you’re most looking forward to? Why? 

I really love the desert, there is something so desolate and peaceful about it. As long as it isn’t too hot!

Considering the route’s versatile terrain, what type of bike and what tires are you running? How did you make your decision? 

I will be riding my hardtail Trek with 2.20 Boosters. There is a lot of road on the route, so I prefer not to have too beefy of tires. There is a good amount of beautiful dirt, so some suspension is a must. I also can’t leave home without a dropper so I have that too. I prefer my hardtail to my full suspension for bikepacking as there is so much more real estate in the triangle to store things. I made my own frame bag so it is a perfect fit for that triangle.

Do you prefer party pace or race pace? Do you have a goal for your Stagecoach ride? 

I prefer a fun pace, which happens to be somewhat quick. My goal is to finish (I had to call it at mile 300 last year). I think four days would be a good goal, although, if I feel good, three is a possibility.

Have I missed anything you want people to know about you or your thoughts about your ride?

Last year my bike was stolen a couple of weeks before the grand depart while I was sleeping in a bivy next to it… So I am pretty excited to be riding my own bike this year! I also have switched to a chamois-free way of riding and I am confident that it will solve the problem I had last year of sitting on a bike for 12+ hours. I am hopeful this year, even if I may not be quite as fast as last year. I am very stoked to struggle, push myself, have some laughs, have some cries, and drink all the chocolate milk I can!

Sarah Didier (she/her)

Age: 35

Home: Mission Viejo, CA (originally from Switzerland)

Bike: Open WI.DE

Classic Stagecoach or Stagecoach Sideshow? Classic Stagecoach

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your bike riding and bikepacking background? What does life look like outside of riding bikes? 

I started mountain biking almost fifteen years ago and my passion for bikes has just been growing every year since. I’m always down for an adventure and a challenge, and have pretty much always been drawn to endurance. However, I haven’t really had the confidence to go on those big rides I had been dreaming of until about two years ago, when I decided that it was time to stop waiting and just make things happen. That’s when I rode 600 miles solo in five days, going from my home in Mission Viejo to Danville in the East Bay Area. After that, I was hooked! At least on the long distances and self-supported concept… Because when it comes to sleeping, I’ve always stayed in motels and other affordable places on my trips. I am still too scared to sleep outside by myself, so this part of Stagecoach will for sure be taking me out of my comfort zone!

When I’m not riding my bike, I am planning my next ride! 🙂 Barely kidding. My husband and I love travelling and discovering new places and I can spend hours on my computer organizing our next weekend escape. I am a homemaker (I kinda like that word) and also our home mechanic, as I take care of the basic maintenance of all the bikes in the house (which believe me takes a lot of time!). Recently, I started volunteering as a coach for my local high school MTB team, which is soooo much fun! All in all, not so much time spent away from bikes… lol.

The Stagecoach route features the coast, the mountains, and the desert. Do you have a section of the route you’re most looking forward to? Why? 

I look forward to everything! I can’t wait to see the landscape change from these distinct ecosystems and discover them at different times of the day… and night. The desert is probably what I am the most excited about, as this is what I am the least used to. Plus, it’s just beautiful at the moment with all the flowers blooming. I love flowers. 

Considering the route’s versatile terrain, what type of bike and what tires are you running? How did you make your decision? 

I will be riding a rigid gravel bike with 2.2-inch Maxxis Ikon tires mounted on 650b wheels. This was a tough decision. I was really torn between my full-suspension bike and my gravel bike, but in the end I went for the lighter and more pack-friendly option. I have also done more long distance rides on my gravel bike and know that I will be comfortable on that bike for a long time, so the mental and confidence aspect was also taken into account here. My local bikeshop has been super helpful throughout the process, preparing my bike for the event and advising me on tire choice and other setup options. 

Do you prefer party pace or race pace? Do you have a goal for your Stagecoach ride? 

I guess I am known to usually prefer race pace because I like pushing myself and I’m not going to lie, I get competitive between the tape. But I also have a party pace mode and sometimes that one is the better pace to soak in the whole experience. Above all, the most important thing to me is to have a good time and be a good person. So pace comes second and sometimes it’s actually the context that decides on whether it will be race or party. As for my Stagecoach ride, I will start in race mode and see how it goes. I do have a goal, but you’ll have to wait until I finish to know whether I reached it or not. And maybe the goal will change along the way, who knows? It’s a long ride, I’m keeping my options open… 

Have I missed anything you want people to know about you or your thoughts about your ride? 

I’m entering the event solo, not knowing anyone else there. I’m curious to find out how much of it I’ll be riding alone or if I’ll have the chance to meet a few riding buddies on the way. Also, I never ride with music but this time I am bringing my earphones and I wonder if I will need this or if I’ll be happy to just listen to my breathing, the sound of my tires on the dirt and nature’s music for so many hours… There’s only one way to find out and I’m just excited to get started! 

I share most of my rides on Instagram and Strava.

Sarah Mulholland (she/her)

Age: 59

Home: Tucson, Arizona

Bike: 2021 Spot Rocker 27.5+

Classic Stagecoach or Stagecoach Sideshow? Sideshow this year. Last year I rode the classic, and I toured the route the year before that.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your bike riding and bikepacking background? What does life look like outside of riding bikes? 

I have been an outdoors person all my life, and I have a good amount of backpacking/trekking/camping experience under my belt.  After some years of road biking, I got into mountain biking in 2016, and I immediately loved being out in nature and navigating different kinds of terrain.  Off the bike, I write software, working in an office all day.

The Stagecoach route features the coast, the mountains, and the desert. Do you have a section of the route you’re most looking forward to? Why? 

Part of the brilliance of the Stagecoach route is all the different landscapes and terrain that it traverses.  It’s really hard to choose one section!  There’s something zany about entering the willows — what? I’m going through an overgrown creekbed?? The Diablo Dropoff and Fish Canyon are beautiful, classic desert.  Descending Oriflamme canyon, for me, has technical challenges.  Wild turkeys, skunks, orange groves, the first views of the Pacific, not to mention the people… so much I’m looking forward to!

Considering the route’s versatile terrain, what type of bike and what tires are you running? How did you make your decision? 

My bike is a 2021 Spot Rocker 27.5+, running 2.8″ Maxxis Ikons, 1×12 SRAM drive train, “the hot tomato”.  I bought it while looking for a plus bike to ride sand.  Currently I’m set up with a custom Rockgeist frame bag, some Revelate bags, Deity riser handlebars. I’m still debating a bivvy vs. a tent.

Do you prefer party pace or race pace? Do you have a goal for your Stagecoach ride? 

My race pace is another rider’s party pace! I just want to finish without aggravating some minor injuries I’m recovering from. 

Meg Knobel (she/her)

Age: 38

Home: San Diego, CA

Bike: Santa Cruz Blur 

Classic Stagecoach or Stagecoach Sideshow? Sideshow!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your bike riding and bikepacking background? What does life look like outside of riding bikes? 

I love riding bikes! Currently the cat-herder for the Stagecoach 400, so bikepacking is fully encompassing this time of year. Outside of riding, I’m a co-owner of Outdoor Traditions Tattoo, a mtb and outdoors enthusiast’s tattoo studio. 

The Stagecoach route features the coast, the mountains, and the desert. Do you have a section of the route you’re most looking forward to? Why? 

I’m definitely looking forward to the desert this year. With the rain, it’s likely to be in pretty good condition, and the wildflowers are in full bloom. Temps seem to be fairly subdued as well, at least for the Sideshow. 

Considering the route’s versatile terrain, what type of bike and what tires are you running? How did you make your decision? 

I’m riding a full suspension, short travel XC bike (Santa Cruz Blur) with Maxxis Ardents. The bike is great for soaking up the rugged terrain, helping with cumulative fatigue. The Ardents are only slightly overkill, I put them on for AZTR and scratched after a day, so they’re still on so figured I’d ride ’em. Something like Rekons or Ikons are great for this route. 

Do you prefer party pace or race pace? Do you have a goal for your Stagecoach ride? 

Either… Last year I didn’t sleep much and it was cool to finish faster than before, but this year I plan on hitting up the hot springs at Agua Caliente 🙂 Goal is to have fun and get back home in time to get ready for the Grand Depart the following Friday!

Have I missed anything you want people to know about you or your thoughts about your ride? 

I would love to encourage more people to tour this route outside of the group starts. It is fantastic, diverse, challenging, and has a ton of fun touristy things to do along the way if you can take a bit more time.