Episode 164: Lotti Power

Riding into ultra cycling without a roadmap

I had so much fun when I sat down to record this episode with Lotti Power. Her energy is definitely infectious that is for sure. I was also struck by how matter-of-fact she is about experiences that would feel overwhelming to most people. Riding to start lines across continents. Sleeping without a tent and signing up to ultras before fully knowing what they would demand. There is no bravado in the way Lotti shares her experiences.

Lotti has completed what is known in Ultra Cycling circles as the ‘Triple Nelson’, all 3 Mountain Races, in a single year. She successfully started and finished the Atlas Mountain Race, the Hellenic Mountain Race, and the Silk Road Mountain Race in a single season. She has raced the Transcontinental and is often the youngest rider on the start line. I also really loved that her own entry point to the world of ultra-cycling was by way of the Audax world.

From Audax rides to something much bigger

Lotti’s pathway into ultra cycling began in the world of Audax. Riding brevents and spending long days on the bike with a group of people who enjoy riding long distances together. Her dad introduced her to these rides and before she knew it she was riding qualifiers and then lining up to ride Paris Brest Paris. This opened the door to much bigger journeys to come.

Riding to the start line as part of the challenge

One of the defining threads of Lotti’s story is that riding big distances is not something she switches on for race day. Cycling is also her chosen form of transportation. She uses the bike to commute everywhere she goes andn hence she also chooses to ride to the start lines. Her commute to Atlas Mountain Race involved a ride from Germany to Morroco, undertaken in winter no less. Of course while the weather might not be ideal, Lotti embraces this as training, and also an opportunity to connect with people on the route. It has also opened up a different level of tolerance for uncertainty and taught her that she can solve problems when things go wrong.

On the topic of things going wrong, we talk about punctures that refuse to seal, and effectively having to turn her bike into a balance bike due to her crank breaking! As for her sleet set up, Lotti is super comfortable with bivvying, and on her commute to Silk Road Mountain Race she only had with her a bivvy and sleeping bag! Lotti has this ability to just get on with it, embrace a bit of uncertainty and I guess also leans into the adventurous side of this type of riding. This goes hand in hand with her admitting she isn’t much of a planner.

Probably one of the scariest moments she had to navigate was when she unexpectedly found herself clinging to the side of a scree slope in Kyrgyzstan during the Silk Road Mountain Race. In the dark night Lotti hadn’t realised she’d taken a wrong turn, and she ended up being in a situation where she had to keep a level head to ensure she didn’t fall and injure herself.

Racing, resilience, and learning on the move

Lotti speaks openly about stubbornness, and I mean that as a compliment. She has developed a huge amount of resilience in the way she approaches ultra racing. She also shares that in her mind the key ingredient to succeeding with ultras is the combination of motivation and time. When both are present, a lot becomes possible.

We talk about racing alongside her dad in the Trans Pyrenees (a race she took on just 4 weeks before TCR no less!), and standing on a podium she never expected n teh Hellenic Mountain Race. We also talk about safety, trust, and her experiences of going through unfamiliar places as a woman travelling by bike.

If you are interested in how people find their way into big bike adventures without a rulebook, this conversation with Lotti Power is definitely one I’m sure you are going to enjoy! Be sure to give Lotti a follow via her instagram – @LottiPower

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