Deanna Mayles | Finding Joy in Cycling Again
From The Stable Cyclist by John Peter
May 25, 2026 · 1h 8m · Season 1 · Episode 111
About this episode
Deanna Mayles discusses her journey in cycling, the pressures of competition, and rediscovering joy in the sport.
Deanna Mayles joins the Stable Cyclist Podcast to talk about her rapid rise through the mountain bike and gravel racing world, from casually riding trails in Tucson to racing the Lifetime Grand Prix, World Cups, and some of the biggest endurance events in the sport. We dive into what it was like going from complete unknown to lining up against the best riders in North America, how pressure slowly sucked the joy out of racing, and why she ultimately stepped away from chasing the Grand Prix full-time. This conversation also explores life inside the bike industry as an engineer at SRAM, mentorship, impostor syndrome, balancing competition with fulfillment, and rediscovering fun through mountain biking, adventure, and friendships in the sport. Deanna shares stories from Sea Otter, Leadville, Cheq 40, Breck Epic, and even racing a World Cup in Val di Sole after only doing her second XCO race ever. This is one of the most honest conversations yet about ambition, burnout, identity, and finding your place in cycling. If you’d like to ask JP a question for an upcoming Ask JP Anything episode, send him a DM on instagram @thestablecyclist or send an email to thestablecyclist@gmail.com The…
People in this episode
Host: John Peter
Guest: Deanna Mayles
Topics covered
- cycling
- mental health
- competition
- endurance racing
- joy in sports
- bike industry
Keywords
- mountain biking
- gravel racing
- burnout
- impostor syndrome
- mentorship
- adventure
- fulfillment
Sponsors
Maplelag Resort, Ignition Coach Co., Gulo Composites, SILCA
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: SRAM
Places: Tucson
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