Meaghan Hackinen | 2024 Tour Divide 1st Woman Overall

In this episode of the Bikepack Adventures Podcast, I catch up with Meaghan Hackinen, the first woman across the line in the 2024 Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race (7th overall), becoming the first woman to complete the Tour Divide Grand Depart event under 16 days, with a finishing time of 15d 23h 00m.

Meaghan Hackinen is a British Columbia-based ultra-cyclist, bikepacker, and writer whose two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico’s high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europe’s highest paved roads. She is a multi-faceted rider with a dozen women’s wins, several FKTs, as well as the course record at the World 24-Hour Time Trial Championships. Meaghan has an MFA in Creative Writing and is the author of South Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels, a Kobo Emerging Writing Prize nominee, and Shifting Gears: Coast to Coast on the Trans Am Bike Race. She was the overall winner of the 2021 BC Epic 1000, 2023 Buckshot and Lost Elephant. In 2024, Meaghan was the first woman across the line in the Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race, Ozark Gravel Doom (3rd overall) and Buckshot (8th overall).

I first got to know Meaghan when she was on the podcast in episode 120, was back in 2021. Meaghan was also the keynote speaker at the inaugural Canadian Shield Bikepacking Summit in 2023 and I was fortunate to host her for the month she spent in the region while getting out on some bikepacking adventures. It was awesome to follow her on this journey along the Tour Divide, not just as a dot watcher, but also through her captivating social media posts that allowed us a glimpse into her days on the bike.

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Use these affiliate links to help cover the costs of running the show:

Redshift Sports

Panorama Cycles

Find Meaghan at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meaghanhackinen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meaghanhackinen

Website: https://meaghanhackinen.com/

Author Page/Books: https://newestpress.com/authors/meaghan-marie-hackinen

Photo credit: Alexandera Houchin https://www.instagram.com/alexanderahouchin/

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Show Sponsors

Panorama Cycles --> They believe that cycling is a catalyst for adventures, no matter how small they can be. No need to travel across the world or to be a seasoned athlete to live epic outdoors adventures.

Redshift Sports --> Founded in 2013 by a team of mechanical engineers who also happen to be avid cyclists, they've focused on taking a different approach to product development - drawing on their own experiences and needs to create components that make a meaningful difference to the riding experience. Use code BPA15 to save 15% at checkout.

Tailfin Cycling --> Tailfin Cycling is a technical bikepacking equipment company that really thinks outside the box when creating new bikepacking gear. They create long-lasting products that have been testing in every way imaginable.

Brockton Cyclery --> Brockton Cyclery is a full-service shop in Toronto's west end. We cater to cyclists of every stripe. Whether you're commuting to work or prepping for the Tour Divide, we've got you covered. We strive to ensure that Brockton Cyclery is a safe and inclusive environment. 

RaceDay Fuel --> RacedayFuel’s mission is to ensure that you consume the very best and appropriate food or beverage for the task at hand - whether you are golfing, cycling, skiing, running a marathon, or scuba diving in the Red Sea. Use the code BPA10 to save 10% at checkout.

Monton Sports Canada --> Monton clothing and accessories provide exceptional performance and comfort at a fraction of the cost of what the bigger companies are selling their products for. Made with the same attention to detail and quality, Monton Sports Canada is aiming to make your cycling experience as enjoyable as possible.