There is no question that Liv Athlete Samantha Scipio is crusher. Now we’ll dive a litter deeper into what she’s learned and what keeps her going.

You took an earn a bike class for adult women, what was the most useful skill you learned from that? Are you still using any of those skills, or how have you applied them since?  The most useful skill I learned in that class wasn't even a skill at all - though, I did learn very useful things that are the foundation for much of my mechanical knowledge. That class taught me to drop pretension. To call a cassette a clicky wheel and a pedal a paddle and be okay with it. There are so many ways to communicate and when we are flexible, we are more inclusive and welcoming.

You've had a bit more road rash since the first incident. Have you any advice on better methods of care? Have you upgraded from the gauze/ tube sock combo your mother tried? HA! A light upgrade from my moms tube sock, but, I do miss the love a mother puts into bandaging. Now I try to let the wound breathe for a few days (if its deep) before using Tegaderm to help protect and speed the healing process. Of course if the wound is very deep I head to a medical professional.

You've done a considerable amount of bike adventuring in the past year. Japan, Tour Divide, Trans North Georgia, and more: which was your favorite bike adventure, and why?  Japan was my favorite adventure. I was in over my head and forced way WAY outside of my comfort zone. And it resulted in some beautiful experiences. Like the time I was biking up Mt. Tateshina and it was taking *literally* all day and I was crying so hard and then through my tears I saw a giant plastic ice cream cone and was like wtf but it turned out to be a soft serve ice cream place at THE SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAIN with soft serve made by milk from the cows that were grazing right outside the place. Wild.

Top tip for folks who want to attempt a self-supported bike adventure? Be honest with yourself. Some folks are able to travel with less, but nobody knows what you need better than you. For Tour Divide, I valued (and generally have trouble with) warmth. So I had a sleeping bag rated down to 15 degrees. Overkill? Yes. Was I ever cold? No.

You're a LIV athlete now, what does that mean for your beloved Sweet Potato Surly?  Being a Liv athlete means my lovely lovely Sweet Potato (Surly CrossCheck) gets to be ridden by whomever needs her. Right now, a young lady from a local youth team is racing Sweet Potato for cyclocross and I couldn't be happier.

Favorite thing to do on a bike that you don't do much, but wish you had more time for?  Touring. Like, riding through the mountains but not racing them.

Most memorable "aha" moment during a difficult time (on the bike, preparing for a bike trip, etc)? During TNGA, there was a particularly difficult section full of rock gardens. I walked and struggle to ride through that section for hours. Exhausted from all the miles behind me, I zoned out. It was then that my bike floated over the rocks. Rocks that I was laser eyeing and putting so much effort into horribly "hopping" before. Now they felt small. I learned to relax and let the bike do what its gonna do. 

What’s next for Sam and Pancake? Next up is some route planning, exploring, and some mountain bike stage racing.

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Dang, Sam… So GOOD! If you can’t tell i’m a super fan girl of this woman. If you haven’t already, check out the Audio Chapter and don’t forget to support my Patreon. Thanks!: