About this episode

This episode covers the intense experiences of riders at the West Texas Showdown, highlighting the challenges and triumphs faced during the race.

For the past five years, the Texas Showdown Series has been slowly, inevitably, drifting west. We started in the dense, pine-soaked forests of East Texas, moved through the rugged limestone of the Hill Country, but the destination was always clear: Big Bend. Few landscapes in the world capture the heart and soul the way West Texas does. For those willing to push themselves to the edge, something different waits out there—something ancient, indifferent, and extraordinary. In the world of ultra-cycling, that "something" takes the shape of the West Texas Showdown. The WTS doesn't just test riders. It strips them down. It pushes them to their limits and then, without apology or sympathy, asks for more. Out there, the desert becomes your only companion—its silence broken only by your groans, your breathing, and the steady reminder that you are very far from comfort. And the numbers tell the story: only 32% of the field finished the course . In the Showdown category, the desert claimed all but three riders. Fifteen started. Three rolled into Terlingua. Despite the brutality of the route, the racing was electric and equally unrelenting. A small but mighty group battled back and forth…

People in this episode

Host: Patrick Farnsworth

Guests: Kyle Gilbert, Hannah

Topics covered

• ultra-cycling
• West Texas Showdown
• endurance racing
• desert landscapes
• competitive cycling

Keywords

• Texas Showdown Series
• ultra-cycling
• West Texas
• Big Bend
• endurance racing
• Terlingua
• desert cycling

Mentioned in this episode

Places: West Texas, Big Bend, Terlingua

More episodes of Bikes or Death

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• Ep. 211 ~ Jacob Ashton, World Tour | DOOM | ETS · April 15, 2026 · 2h 17m
• Ep. 210 ~ Tyler "Freakin" Reynolds, Texas Slowdown SS Triple Star · March 11, 2026 · 2h 16m
• Ep. 209 ~ Kurt Refsnider, First to ride the 5,000 mile Orogenesis Route · January 29, 2026 · 2h 2m
• Ep. 208 ~ Turning the Mic Around: Eric House Interviews Me · January 15, 2026 · 2h 41m
• Ep. 206 ~ Central Texas Showdown w/ Andrea Roelofs & Javian Quinones · August 28, 2025 · 2h 22m

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