U.S. cyclocross champion Tim Johnson, a not-so-secret Canadian, rides northern gravel

This past summer, Tim Johnson went on his first bikepacking trip. As trips go, this one was big: seven days, roughly 700 km on the Trans-Taiga, which is roughly 1,300 km north of Montreal. Johnson knew Quebec pretty well beforehand. Sure, he’s a six time U.S. cyclocross champion and currently a director of development at USA Cycling. His Strava profile puts him in Topsfield, Mass., but he spends much of the year in Sutton, Que. Remember, he’s married to a member of the Canadian parliament. His wife of almost 16 years is Lyne Bessette. She’s a Canadian cycling champion and the Liberal MP for Brome-Missisquoi. So, yes, Tim Johnson knows Quebec. And as of this past summer, he’s been to a part of the province that few Quebeckers even see.

In his episode, Johnson speaks about bear encounters, riding gravel, bugs, fishing and his new perspectives on his adopted province.