Dirty Dan — Daniel Connell of Dirty Dan Bikes — is about to take on a Pacific Coast FKT, riding from the Canadian border toward Mexico on a route of roughly 2,667 km with over 24,000 metres of climbing.

This is a pre-ride conversation, recorded just days before he rolls out.

Dan’s story is a unique one. He didn’t come into cycling through racing or structure—he started with a $100 bike, a loose plan, and a desire to see the world. That mindset led to years of big, self-supported rides, including multiple Tour Divide efforts and countless adventures that were never about speed.

But somewhere along the way, that curiosity evolved.

In this episode, we talk about that shift—from slow travel to fast efforts—and what it looks like to take the spirit of bikepacking and apply it to an FKT attempt. We get into his setup, training a ...