LIFESTYLE AUTHOR
Therese Vonesh
PHOTOGRAPHY
Evan Ruderman
FOR THE RECORD n Austin native Payson McElveen, a
professional Red Bull mountain biker, shares the story behind his new record.
P
ayson McElveen dipped the back tire of his modified bike into the northernmost coastal waters of Iceland in September of 2021. McElveen traversed the interior of Iceland to reach the southern coast in 19 hours and 45 minutes. This set the record for the fastest bikepacking time across the entire frozen country. Austin native McElveen, who now lives in Colorado, raves about the amazing cycling community present in Texas and happily admits he visits often. But his desire to do things off the beaten path urged him to explore the world. Seemingly crazy ideas like crossing Iceland in less than a day have caused McElveen to push the sport of mountain biking in new and different directions. McElveen, an athlete sponsored by Red Bull, pursues these ideas like none before. AFM: What gave you the idea to cross Iceland? McElveen: Rarely do I come up with something totally on my own,
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