Leah Gruhn has ridden the northern Minnesota winter ultra Arrowhead 135 for more than a decade, as well as the Tuscobia 160 and the Iditarod Trail Invitational 350. And in 2017 she and her husband jumped on their bikes in Banff Canada and rode south to the U.S. Mexico border in the Tour Divide. This winter she flew back to Alaska and rolled across Knik Lake and up the Iditarod Trail for the 1000-mile journey towards Nome. 21 days later she was the first, and only female to complete the entire journey across Alaska. She was kind enough to spend some time on Bike Talk with Dave just prior to heading south to Florida for a week of warmth! I enjoyed getting to know her, and I hope you will too! So grab cup of Chain and Spoke Coffee and enjoy the show!Thanks for tuning in to todays episode -and thanks to Leah for making time before trading snow drifts for sandy beaches! Look for her on instagram and facebook, doesn’t sound like she’s done with these great adventures! And later this week, I’ve got a bonus episode for you! Leah talked about how great it feels to reach Unakaleet on the Bering Sea and the pizza joint called Peace on Earth Pizza. When I was there in 2019 I talked with Peace on Earth owner Brett Hansen - it’s pretty interesting how a little pizza joint in a small village on the Bering Sea can thrive serving all the villages in Western Alaska. I’d like to thank Chain and Spoke Coffee and Bikes for supporting the show - you can order your favorite blend now at chainandspoke.com or you can just stop by the first retail location in Des Moines, Iowa! Great coffee, great bikes! Service too! If you’re headed across the country on either I-80 or I-35, stop on in!And thank you for listening to Bike Talk with Dave! If you'd like to support the show, you can do so by rating, reviewing and sharing! If you'd like to support the show financially, and help it improve, you can go to BuyMeACoffee.com and throw some change my way - I'll use it to make the podcast better AND I'll send you a Bike Talk sticker! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dmable122QWe’ve got a busy month ahead - this weekend the Trofeo Sabato Santo circuit race in Des Moines, and at the end of the month we’ll be back on gravel enjoying the beautiful hills of Northeast Iowa in the Driftless 100! There’s still time to join the fun at driftlessgravel.com. Hopefully we’ll see you there! And in May, stage racing is back in the Midwest at the Three Days of Des Moines or Driedaagse Des Moines. May 12, 13 & 14 All categories. Race for GC on time or earn the green points jersey or go for polka dots in the KOM competition (yes... even in Iowa). Information here
