Listen to professional cyclist Laura King's stories about exercising through pregnancy, moving across the country, and building a community around gravel cycling.
There is a lot of confusing, conflicting information around exercise and pregnancy. When pro cyclist Laura King became pregnant, she didn’t want to lose touch with the amazing biking community that she had built in Richmond, Vermont. Without a guidebook, Laura had to experiment and listen to her body to figure out what worked for her. Listen to today’s episode to hear what Laura has learned about keeping an active lifestyle while pregnant, moving across the country and building a gravel cycling community.
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Shelby Stanger:
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Shelby Stanger:
You've been talking openly about being an athlete, pregnant. And a lot of people don't talk about that. And I'll just be honest, I've always been afraid I would have to completely give up surfing and running and everything if I got pregnant.
Laura King:
It's a normal fear because you do have to give up a lot while pregnant. So, I was scared of many things. My husband will tell you, I have the worst case of FOMO. So, sitting out of anything is difficult for me, especially because so much of our lifestyle is cycling together, whether it's attending events or group rides. We spend a lot of time riding. And I was equally worried about losing community, which is so much of why sport is important to me.
Shelby Stanger:
When I met pro cyclist, Laura King, at the Outdoor Retailer show earlier this year, she was a month away from having a baby. Laura had always wondered if she'd be able to continue to practice her sport when she got pregnant. Would she still be able to train? Would people judge her for getting on her bike? During pregnancy, Lauren learned a lot about how she could handle an active lifestyle while pregnant. She found the most important thing was to listen to her body. If you're pregnant, you want to become pregnant, or you're supporting a pregnant friend or partner, this episode is for you. I'm Shelby Stanger, and this is Wild Ideas Worth Living.
Shelby Stanger:
In 2018, Laura married retired road racing cyclist, Ted King. From the start, Ted pitched Laura on lots of wild ideas. The first was to just pick up and move from California to rural Vermont. The two now live on 10 acres of land selling, yep, maple syrup that they make near their own backyard. Laura was anxious about the move, about feeling isolated in Vermont with no friends to bike with, but she quickly connected with neighbors on Strava, which is a social fitness tracking platform for endurance athletes like cyclists and runners. The King family also started a gravel racing event in their new home to attract other riders. Don't worry if you've never heard of gravel cycling. I hadn't heard of it either.
Shelby Stanger:
So, what's gravel cycling? I imagine like riding on dirt gravel. I have no idea.
Laura King:
Gravel cycling is the fastest-growing category of cycling at the moment. So, there's road, there's mountain, there's track, there's all these different categories. But gravel's very new, I would say in the last... Well, it's really become a serious category for cycling brands in the industry in the last five years. It's multi-terrain, so you're not riding strictly on the road, you're not riding strictly on mountain bikes, single-track. It's a mixture of terrain and often, it depends on the state that you're in. Riding gravel farm roads in Kansas is different than riding the dirt roads. I mean, we have more dirt roads in Vermont than paved. So, for us, a lot of our gravel riding is actually just on our regular dirt roads. And then, we also have class 4 roads that are more chunky, unmaintained, old Jeep roads. So, it's a mixture of terrain. But I think why it's the fastest-growing category of cycling right now is, there's a number of reasons. First and foremost, road cycling is just becoming more and more dangerous with distracted drivers on the road.
Shelby Stanger:
That was my gut. It just seems so much safer.
Laura King:
It very much feels safer. It's much more inclusive-feeling. People are more drawn to it. It has kind of a lifestyle feel, so.
Shelby Stanger:
A little less Type A.
Laura King:
I know, I always cringe that I even describe myself as Type A, because in my head, I would like to be... I don't know, what's the opposite, Type B?
Shelby Stanger:
You've described yourself as a Type A person, but you recently changed pretty much everything about your life.
Laura King:
I did.
Shelby Stanger:
So, just tell me a little bit about this.
Laura King:
So, in January of 2016, my now-husband, Ted, he moved to California. We met a week after he moved there and...
Shelby Stanger:
Wow. Good work.
Laura King:
Yeah. On the bike.
Shelby Stanger:
Nab the new guy in town.
Laura King:
I know, exactly. We met on a bike ride at a mutual friend's kind of birthday weekend. It was a weekend of cycling. And ended up kind of straying away from the rest of the group of riders and just chatting for two hours, and me riding as hard as I possibly could, pretending I wasn't riding hard.
Shelby Stanger:
That was your way of flirting with him?
Laura King:
Yeah. We're riding up, actually what's now called, the ride that's one of the most beautiful rides in the world. It's called King Ridge. And it's kind of aptly named because that became my future last name. But yeah, we just... It's a ton of climbing and we just chatted the entire time and really got to know each other. So, long story short, we started dating very quickly, and it became apparent. He was constantly talking about New England, and New England, how amazing it is, how much better things are in New England and how amazing the people are.
Laura King:
He's originally from New Hampshire. He went to college in Vermont at Middlebury. And I just kind of teased him because I'm like, "You just moved to California. Why are you constantly talking about New England?" I really could see the writing on the wall that he was sort of beginning his campaign because he wanted to get back there, and the California move was just sort of a temporary thing. And I think he had realized too, "Okay. I think I met the person I'm going to be with. Now, let's find the place that we're going to settle down" or whatever. So, it was not an easy decision. It was not like, "Yeah, let's just move to New England."
Shelby Stanger:
I just love that you met your husband doing what you love. It's always really sexy when someone meets their partner doing the sport they love.
Laura King:
Yeah, and I would also say that we met at a really great time, in that I would almost say we were both calmed down from the past 10 years of how we had been pursuing sport, and sport had taken a different role in our life, and that it was just very complementary to everything that we were doing. But we weren't, I guess we were pursuing it for more reasons than just as a profession or as a very serious... It was less serious and it was taking up other aspects of our life and that it was where we find community. It was...
Shelby Stanger:
So, you had room for love, basically, finally.
Laura King:
Yeah.
Shelby Stanger:
And then you guys moved to Vermont, so he definitely convinced you to get out to New England. When did that happen?
Laura King:
So, we dated for about two years, and got married at the end of 2018. And upon getting married, we had already talked about the potential of moving and shortly after, made the decision. But it was very much based on family, and Ted co-founded a maple syrup-based sports nutrition company called UnTapped.
Shelby Stanger:
That's kind of amazing.
Laura King:
Yes.
Shelby Stanger:
I was going to ask you about maple syrup because that's just such a cliche question about Vermont, but he literally owns a maple syrup company.
Laura King:
Yes. How perfect is that?
Shelby Stanger:
That is so perfect.
Laura King:
So, that was the big draw to move to the state. There were a lot of practical reasons on paper that if we were making a list, it made a lot of sense. But I had so many fears about making the move, and I think that's kind of human nature to often think worst-case scenario.
Shelby Stanger:
But you moved to somewhere really rural, which I understand could be scary. So, tell me, you live in a cabin over a bunch of acres?
Laura King:
Well, ironically, I never pictured it, but we do live on 10 acres with the house and two barns, and we have a big, huge old dairy barn.
Shelby Stanger:
Do you have animals?
Laura King:
No, we do not. We travel too much, unfortunately. But Ted really likes barns, and the novelty of just having a house with a barn was really appealing to him.
Shelby Stanger:
I mean, that's a dream for many people.
Laura King:
It's what you picture when you picture Vermont, so I guess it just made sense. We found such a beautiful spot. It really feels peaceful. And we still live such a fast-paced life with so much travel and jumping around from one place to another, so when we come home, I often wake up and feel like I'm on vacation. It feels like everything slows down. And that was something we didn't have in California.
Shelby Stanger:
Okay. So, Vermont has really kind of grounded you and given you this more simple life.
Laura King:
It has. And it brought with it a deeper sense of community than I ever expected or thought was possible in a place that I envisioned being so void of people. I envisioned it being full of a lot of old people.
Shelby Stanger:
So, what kind of community has it brought you? I know you've gotten this giant community through your event and through gravel cycling, and I want to talk about that, but do people just come by and bring you veggies and pies, like I would imagine?
Laura King:
That's so funny you say that because that was what struck us from the very beginning, from the moment we pulled our moving truck into the driveway. We had people who we didn't know very well find out that we had just pulled in, drop everything, come over to our house, offer to help us unpack and move things in. We had neighbors bringing over house-warming gifts, inviting us to the neighborhood potluck. We got pretty ingrained in the cycling community right off the bat in just attending the local events. And I had a friend come up to me at one of those events and say, "I heard you moved to Richmond. I'd love to be your cycling friend." I had another future friend reach out on Strava. She now actually is a partner with Rooted Vermont and helps me run it. But she just made a random comment on Strava like, "Hey, I saw you moved to town. I'd love to show you around the trails."
Shelby Stanger:
That's so cool that Strava allowed you to build a community like that.
Laura King:
Yeah. She became one of my closest friends. So, it's amazing.
Shelby Stanger:
She saw your fast times and was like, "Who's this chick? I want to be her friend."
Shelby Stanger:
Once Laura found a community of cyclists and neighbors, she settled into her new life in Vermont. But when she got pregnant, her fear of missing out came back. When we return, Laura talks about how she stayed active and connected during her pregnancy.
Shelby Stanger:
Way back in the hazy days of 1971, a few dreamers started a little company in a loft above a Connecticut pickle factory and changed cycling forever. The beginnings were hardly revolutionary. Cannondale started out making panniers and outdoor gear. But from the start, there was something special, an unshakeable belief that there's always a better way to make a bicycle, even if it's not the easy or obvious one. It's what drives Cannondale to continually revolutionize bicycle design with developments that improve every ride, creating some of the most fun, revolutionary, and iconic bikes ever built. Wherever you ride, whatever you ride, we think that Cannondale has a perfect ride for you, and we've got some highlights at REI, both in-store and online.
Shelby Stanger:
Let's take a closer look at the king of a new generation of gravel bikes, the Cannondale Topstone Carbon. The lightweight carbon fiber frameset is enhanced with unique rear kingpin suspension, improving the ride feel on every road, path, and gravel byway. Complete with quality Shimano groupsets, hydraulic disc brakes, large-volume all-terrain tires, and Cannondale app connectivity, the Topstone Carbon is a true adventure bike. For more about the Topstone, check out the Cannondale range online or on REI's website. Or better yet, pop into an REI store and speak to a bike expert, who'll be able to help you find your perfect ride from Cannondale.
Shelby Stanger:
I've never been pregnant, but as you heard me talking about with Laura, I've always been nervous that I'd have to completely give up surfing or running or other activities that help keep me sane. There's also a lot of conflicting information and even misinformation about prenatal exercise. Without a guidebook, Laura had to experiment to figure out what worked for her. She advocates following the advice of your doctor, but also listening to your own body and trusting yourself.
Shelby Stanger:
I think there's this fear that when we're heavier, we're going to be slower, but you found that to not totally be the case.
Laura King:
I would say... Well, at this point in my pregnancy, I'm definitely slower. But yes, there were moments where, despite being a few pounds heavier, just seeing my stats, because you feel out of breath in the beginning, everything feels a little harder and it feels like you're probably going a lot slower, but that's not actually the case. And knowing that is interesting to be able to understand like, "Yes, I am breathing really hard, but that doesn't mean that I'm actually being impacted." I mean, I jumped into a gravel race at 11 weeks and completely surprised myself in being able to be competitive and be on the podium that day. And my whole pregnancy journey has been little surprises like that one after the other, where I haven't gone into this with the mindset of, "I'm going to just try and do these epic feats and be this hero pregnant woman." I've just been kind of curious about what my body will let me do, and pleasantly surprised that it's continued to perform, and all these awesome adaptations happened to help you become efficient while still creating a life, which is so fascinating to me.
Laura King:
I was also concerned about my addiction to the endorphin rush. You often hear the recommendation of a heart rate cap. Decades ago, the recommendation was that you weren't supposed to get your heart rate over like 130. That is no longer the case, but it's still often advice that's passed along that people maybe just don't realize is outdated and no longer the case. So, yeah, those were a lot of my fears.
Shelby Stanger:
It sounds like you've learned a lot, though. I mean, you've read a lot of books. What books have been helpful?
Laura King:
As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I devoured as much information as I could find. I was lucky to also have a lot of friends who are athletes, who I could call upon for information and recommendations. My friend, Kim, recommended Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by Dr. James Clapp. He's one of the leading researchers, and one of the only that I have found that's done the most amount of research on athletics and pregnancy and exercise.
Shelby Stanger:
That's interesting. So, there's only so many studies that had been done on pregnant women, which is why there's not a ton of information out there.
Laura King:
Correct.
Shelby Stanger:
What are some things that you've learned that sort of surprised you?
Laura King:
Yeah. So, the heart rate cap is no longer... I mean, heart rate is so variable and individual and affected by so many factors that you can't just give a number to someone. So, it's really a lot about listening to your body, and that's going to tell you a whole lot. Progesterone stimulates increased respiration up to 50%, which helps facilitate gas transfer to the baby, and it also helps the body manage heat through increased expiration. Body core temperature is one concern during pregnancy, and there are a multitude of ways that the body actually adapts to help more efficiently cool itself.
Shelby Stanger:
It's so interesting. But you also cited so many other things, like your nausea disappeared when you got outside. There's a decreased risk of cesarean section, so 9% versus 29%. Decreased pregnancy weight gain, possibly, which could be correlated later with decreased gestational diabetes and other things. Decreased postpartum weight retention, like all these things. And then obviously, there's this big data about just the joy you get when you do what you love.
Laura King:
100%. Yeah, one really fascinating stat to me was that the studies have hypothesized that exercise increases the growth and efficiency of the placenta. So, the placenta is this crazy organ that sustains life through these nine months, and is what directs nutrients to your baby, is what helps facilitate gas transfer and oxygen. And they found that a woman who exercises through the first two trimesters and then stops, there's actually a potential for the woman to end up with a larger than average baby, because the placenta has adapted so much in terms of nutrients and growing faster and larger because of the stimulation of exercise and what it does.
Shelby Stanger:
So, how do you feel right now?
Laura King:
I feel great. I mean, this is my last... I'm at almost 34 weeks. This is my last travel. I've been taking a lot of planes and that's getting a little more uncomfortable. But other than that, I haven't had to really decrease or limit my activity or what I do, and that is key to providing a sense of normalcy still, despite... I mean, so many things are shifting and changing that you're kind of working through, especially coming from an athletic background in terms of, your body's changing, you have hormones that are affected. And I've found that exercise is one little area where I still can have a little bit of control and not feel out of control when so many things are out of your control, and that gives me a mood boost. I mean, which is huge because a lot of people talk about postpartum depression, but it's also, mental health is an issue during pregnancy as well. So, I feel like in so many ways, it's helped stave off a lot of the potential negatives that you can face during this journey.
Shelby Stanger:
Well, I'm glad that you've been able to continue biking. we had on a snowboarder a couple of years ago, Kimmy Fasani. She rides for Burton, and she's been a big advocate for being a mom and continuing to be an athlete. And she snowboarded while pregnant, and a lot of people gave her shit. Like, "What if you fall?" Biking is one of those sports where, if you fall, you can get pretty messed up too. I mean, have you gotten any heat from people who are concerned if you fall? And what do you say? I mean, obviously, you're a professional cyclist, so you're going to be better than me.
Laura King:
So, great question. I visit a clinic in which you don't just see one physician. So, I see a different physician every time I visit, because on the day of when you give birth, you could get placed with any of these doctors. There are some that I have seen that have just automatically heard that I ride and said, "We don't advocate for especially mountain biking during pregnancy." And I've kind of pushed back on that because, hold on. A blanket recommendation, it's so nuanced first and foremost, what activity you choose and whether you should do it. There are so many factors that go into making that decision. So, it's what kind of terrain are you riding? What is your skill level, first and foremost? I am very confident and would consider myself someone with a high level of skill in cycling. Now, for snowboarding, that would be a different story.
Shelby Stanger:
Or surfing. You recently were in Hawaii and a bunch of your girlfriends went surfing and you opted out.
Laura King:
I definitely did.
Shelby Stanger:
That's okay.
Laura King:
Yeah. Exactly. So, I think, I would just encourage women to... At the end of the day, no one cares more about the health of the baby than the mother. So, sometimes, people forget that when they're giving me advice about their concerns, that I probably care more than anyone about the risk, but I feel really confident in my skill. I choose the right type of bike for the terrain. I don't ride on highly trafficked roads anymore. So, there are a lot of decisions that I make that decrease the risk in my mind. Then there's also just a lot of risk in everyday life, like your risk of getting in a car accident is 1 in 50 in a year, right? And pregnant or not, we get in a car every day and we take that risk. So, I just don't think that the positives that come from exercise and activities should be discounted as well. So, like I said, for me, being part of my community and the endorphins and the mental boost, that weighs into the equation as well.
Shelby Stanger:
I love that. So, advice you'd give pregnant moms.
Laura King:
The advice I really feel like I have learned is, you're capable of more than you think you are, but listening to your body is very key. Exercise is empowering, energizing, and good for the baby. It'll make you feel better about yourself, especially through some challenging changes of the body. Do your research and check your gut. No one cares more, like I said, about the baby's health than the mother at the end of the day, but you have to be confident in your decision and any level of risk that you decide to take. And finally, don't compare yourself to others, but don't let that stop you from being inspired by others. Everyone begins from a different place. Obviously, I started with a very high level of training, and so that affects what I can do during pregnancy. If you're starting from square one, that's going to change what is possible for you, but it is motivating to see what's possible.
Laura King:
So, I found it very motivating to follow other pregnant athletes on social media and follow their journey, reach out to them and ask them questions. Now, people are doing the same for me. And it's-
Shelby Stanger:
Who did you reach out to?
Laura King:
I follow... There's a triathlete named Beth McKenzie, who I follow and was very inspired by. She competed in Iron Man four months postpartum and got fifth place. And Larissa Connors, she's actually just an amazing mountain biker. Yeah, I wanted to know, "How did you feel when you did this activity? And how was your transition postpartum?" I mean, because there is such little research out there, I feel like there's this very interested network of pregnant moms who are out there seeking more information, and social media can be a great place to trade ideas and find inspiration.
Shelby Stanger:
I think that's great. We talk down on social media, but I mean, there's so much good that can come from social media. So, I appreciate you for reaching out to other athletes and sharing with us. I think there's probably a lot of people who are listening, who are pregnant or want to be pregnant, and this will be really helpful.
Shelby Stanger:
Laura and Ted went a step further to establish a thriving cycling community around them in Richmond. In 2019, they founded Rooted Vermont. It's a gravel racing event that follows what they call, mullet protocol.
Laura King:
We coined the term for our event, Rooted Vermont follows mullet protocol.
Shelby Stanger:
What is mullet protocol?
Laura King:
It's everything that epitomizes the spirit of gravel, which is business in the front and party at the back. So, no matter what your goal is, if you're a serious racer, you can line up. And if you are just there to finish or try the distance for the first time, there's room for you. We welcome anyone with whatever goal they might have at our event. And that goes for every gravel cycling event that it's not dissimilar to a marathon, where some people are there to race and some people are there to finish. But it doesn't have kind of the rules of road cycling that you're probably familiar with, where it's like, you have to have a certain look, and you got to wear your sunglasses on the outside of your helmet strap, and your sock height has to be a certain height or you're judged.
Laura King:
That doesn't really exist. It's, we say, "Run what you brung." So, you ride whatever bike you have or works for you, which generally seems to work because there's a variety of terrain, so sometimes it will suit one bike over another. And you can wear what you want. Some people wear trail shorts and a flannel shirt, and some people show up in their spandex. But it's just this more welcoming, adventurous vibe because people are also eager to seek more adventure, to get off the beaten path, to have to sometimes get off their bike and trudge or cross through a stream.
Shelby Stanger:
So, how big is this event? Tell me how you started it, and sort of how it's different from other rides around the country.
Laura King:
Sometimes, things just, timing-wise, fall into place in life. I had left my job shortly after we moved to Vermont. I was working for a cycling apparel company that I still work closely with, Velocio Apparel, but I decided to move on to do something different and wasn't sure exactly what that was. Here we are in Vermont. I wasn't really planning on shifting my job situation. Vermont is not a place where it's really easy to find a job, so my husband and I were kind of discussing what was next and what we might do and trying to think creatively. At the same time, we had had constant flow of comments as we are documenting our move to Vermont, and people kind of seeing social media and seeing that it was a pretty cool place, a place worth showing off, a place with a lot of dirt roads.
Laura King:
At the same time, Ted was becoming known as the top gravel racer. He had won the biggest gravel race, Dirty Kanza, and had developed this following within the category. And so, we were constantly getting messages, "When are you guys going to start an event in Vermont?" And it was something we had thought about, but it definitely started to become more serious consideration the more comments that we received. We decided, if we're going to do this, we don't do things halfway. So, it was a big consideration. And if we're going to do this, we're going to take it on and I'm going to take it on as my kind of full-time job. We decided to do that. We launched it last January, which was a little late to be having it happen in August, but decided to go for it anyway. And we capped it the first year at 550, just to kind of make sure that we could deliver an awesome experience.
Laura King:
Our ride is everything that's amazing about Vermont, everything that we love, which is the community, which is the IPA, the cider, the farm-fresh food. So, we very much focus on a great route, but the party afterwards is also equally a focus.
Shelby Stanger:
How far is the ride?
Laura King:
The main event is 82 miles with 8,000 feet of climbing, so.
Shelby Stanger:
It's no joke.
Laura King:
That's, we offer two distances. So, we offer a 48-mile and an 82. I would say 70% of the riders do the long route. And yeah, Vermont is very hilly, so it's challenging terrain. A lot of gravel events out there are even longer than that, like the Dirty Kanza, which is kind of the most well-known gravel cycling event. It's 206 miles. But out in Kansas, it's a little more flat. So, our event is very strenuous, but in mileage, a little bit shorter.
Shelby Stanger:
I think we've made it into the wild round. This is where I just ask you random questions. What are you looking forward to most about having a kid?
Laura King:
I have been able to live a really full life and pursue a lot of big goals, travel all around the world, ride my bike all around the world with my husband. And I would say, despite of being scared of this next chapter and what I might lose, I look forward to how it's going to help shape my identity, and honestly, help me to be less selfish. I think it's good for character and growth. I think it will be a shift and be uncomfortable at times, but it will help me to see the world through a different lens that's not just about you anymore. And I think that that's, yeah, that's good.
Shelby Stanger:
That's great. What age are you going to put your kid on a bike?
Laura King:
I was thinking about this, and we are fortunate in Vermont to be in this very family-friendly community. So, we have these Wednesday night mountain bike races where we have a kids division. In the winter, we have weekly Nordic ski races followed by a potluck. I love living in a family-oriented and outdoor-oriented environment. So, I'd say first and foremost, I'll wait to see if my child is going to be excited about it on their own. I'm definitely not going to push them to it, but I bet that Cannondale is going to make sure our little ripper has a nice ride.
Shelby Stanger:
Cannondale, hint.
Laura King:
Yeah.
Shelby Stanger:
Get that kid a bike, ASAP. What's the best piece of safety advice to a cyclist?
Laura King:
Find someone to mentor you because there's a lot of safety advice. And honestly, finding someone who can impart that to you is going to be the fastest way to get on board with everything.
Shelby Stanger:
What's your favorite place to ride a bike?
Laura King:
Marin County, California.
Shelby Stanger:
So, if you weren't living in Vermont, then where would you live? Would it be Marin?
Laura King:
it would probably be Sonoma County, which is just north of Marin. It has a little more of rural vibes now that I've gotten used to that. And also, more world-class riding, specifically around the Healdsburg, California area.
Shelby Stanger:
What music do you guys most listen to on the bike?
Laura King:
You know what? I devour podcasts. And I often listen to a podcast before I listen to music.
Shelby Stanger:
What kind of podcasts do you listen to?
Laura King:
I love the podcast, How I Built This.
Shelby Stanger:
Yeah, just great. Guy Raz.
Laura King:
I'm addicted to hearing those stories.
Shelby Stanger:
It's so great.
Laura King:
My husband has an awesome podcast called King of the Ride, so I definitely listen to his. I listen to... Work, Play, Love is a couples podcast with Jesse Thomas and Lauren Fleshman, who are a really cool couple with amazing athletic accomplishments, but also...
Shelby Stanger:
Did they own a nutrition company?
Laura King:
They do. They own a company called Picky Bars.
Shelby Stanger:
Picky Bar, those are so good.
Laura King:
Yes, they're delicious.
Shelby Stanger:
So, you listen to a lot of podcasts. Do you read a lot of books?
Laura King:
Yes.
Shelby Stanger:
Any other books you recommend that you loved?
Laura King:
One of the most recent books I read was The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates. It's kind of a manifesto for an equal society where women are valued and recognized in all spheres of life. This resonated with me as I, especially in cycling, have a passion to work towards gender parity. We're definitely not there in the sport of cycling right now, especially, you look at the statistics of a typical gravel cycling event, it's maybe 15% female participation. So, a lot of my interests and what I do are directed towards getting more women to ride bikes.
Shelby Stanger:
What's your favorite piece of cycling gear?
Laura King:
They say, "To look good is to go fast." And we work, like I said, with Velocio Apparel, which makes some really beautiful clothing.
Shelby Stanger:
And it's so exciting.
Laura King:
It's also really minimalist. Cycling clothing no longer is what you maybe think of where it has plastered with logos and really bright. It's really quite fashionable now.
Shelby Stanger:
I've seen some really cute stuff lately. I used to think cycling clothes was so hideous.
Laura King:
Well, it was.
Shelby Stanger:
And I didn't even want to ride because I hated cycling clothes that bad. But yeah, it's really cute now. I'm seeing some great little outfits. So, Velocio?
Laura King:
Yes.
Shelby Stanger:
Any other brands we should check out for cycling gear, especially women's kits?
Laura King:
In terms of bikes, Ted's been a Cannondale athlete since he started cycling. They're a New England-based brand. So, it's been cool for us to work with them for so long and have such a great relationship with them. They make an amazing gravel bike called the Topstone. And they also make another bike that you can use to ride on dirt called the SuperX, which those two are both really fun and kind of do-it-all bikes.
Shelby Stanger:
We'll have to check it out. I've been needing a bike for a really long time. We have beat cruisers, but that doesn't really count. We need real bikes now. Advice you'd give to 15-year-old Laura.
Laura King:
The advice I would give to myself at 15 would be that a competitive spirit is a great thing, but learn to harness it and channel it well. I think it's easy to let it prevent or get in the way of relationships. And once I was able to grow and mature and see past just competitiveness, I found, I discovered really amazing relationships with other strong, independent women that I think I could've missed out on if I hadn't been able to grow from that, so.
Shelby Stanger:
You've really managed to build a life with intention, and you figured out a way to do what you love and make it work. Maybe you're not a professional athlete. You're not getting paid just to race bikes, but you figured out a way to stay in the sport and do what you love. Advice to people listening, because everybody listening to this podcast pretty much wants to live with intention and wants to do what they love. We call that living wildly. What's your advice on living more wildly and living with intention, not feeling stuck?
Laura King:
My mom always gives me the advice not to future-trip, meaning I often will think of the worst-case scenario in something, and that can prevent me from living more wildly. So, recognizing that is the first step, and then taking steps to remind myself of all the situations in life where I have thought worst-case scenario, and that worst-case scenario has not actually manifested itself, moving being one of those things. It was exactly the opposite. All my worst fears, it looked miserable in my mind, and so many wonderful things came out of that decision, and I would be so regretful if I hadn't taken that risk. So, I guess, not always thinking about the worst-case scenario and remembering that as humans, that can be our go-to, but it's not actually reality.
Shelby Stanger:
Along Laura's path from California to motherhood, she worried what would happen when she made a big life change, moving across the country, starting a cycling event, and having a baby. But each time, things worked out because she was open and willing to find out what would happen next. If you're apprehensive about your next step in life, try not to future-trip. You can only live wildly if you take a chance and you don't expect the worse.
Shelby Stanger:
A huge thank you to Laura King for coming out while really pregnant to talk to me in Denver at the Outdoor Retailer show. Also, special thanks to the Outdoor Retailer show in Denver for providing us such a great podcast room to record this show. Laura's daughter, Hazel Grace, was born on March 8th. Laura got back on her bike just six days later. Since the COVID-19 pandemic halted their race and travel schedule, Laura's husband, Ted, came up with a new campaign called DIY Gravel. In it, he's riding the distances of events on his calendar that had been postponed or canceled, and encouraging others to do the same. You can find out more and watch the King's short video about DIY Gravel at the link in our show notes. You can find out more by going to REI.com/WildIdeasWorthLiving. You can also find out more about Laura's event, Rooted at RootedVermont.com. And follow Laura on Instagram at Laura Cameron King, and look for her on Strava at Laura Cameron.
Shelby Stanger:
Wild Ideas Worth Living is part of the REI podcast network. It's hosted by me, Shelby Stanger, written and edited by Sam Peers Nitzberg and Annie Fassler, and produced by Chelsea Davis. Our executive producers are Paolo Mottola and Joe Crosby, and our presenting sponsor is Subaru. As always, we appreciate when you subscribe, rate, and review this show wherever you listen. And remember, some of the best adventures often happen when you follow your wildest ideas.